Vol 7 Issue 14 -August 01 August 07, 2014

8/12/2019 Vol 7 Issue 14 -August 01 August 07, 2014

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Freetown: Sierra Leone declared a

health emergency and called in

troops to quarantine Ebola victims,

jo in in g ne ighb or ing Li be ri a in

imposing tough controls as the

death toll from the worst-ever out-

break of the virus hit 729 in West

Africa.

The World Health Organization

said it was in talks with donors and

international agencies to deploy

more medical staff and resources to

one of the world's poorest regions.

The WHO reported 57 new deaths

between Ju ly 24-27 in Guinea,

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.Authorities in Nigeria, which

recorded its first Ebola case last

week when a US citizen died after

arriving on a flight from Liberia,

said all passengers travelling from

areas at risk would be temperature-

screened for the virus. In a measure

of rising international concern,

New Delhi: India has raised the

issue of America's cyber snooping

on the country, saying it was "unac-ceptable" as visiting US Secretary

of State John Kerry in a conciliatory

note said the US would continue to

work with India wherever they saw

a "threat to shared interests".

External Affairs Minister Sushma

Swaraj, addressing a joint press

briefing with Kerry after the Fifth

India-US Strategic Dialogue, said

that she conveyed to Kerry that the

people of India were very agitated

over US surveillance activities. "I

also said if we consider each other

friends then a friendly country spy-

ing on another is unacceptable."

Kerry, in reply, said that the US

"fully respects and understands the

feelings expressed" by the minister.

He said the US values its relation-

ship with India and "we also value

the sharing of information regarding

counter-terrorism, and we had con-

versations with government officials

and we try to with intelligence com-

munities".

He said President Barack Obama

has undertaken a "unique andunprecedented review" of the US

intelligence and intelligence gather-

ing and gave a speech articulating

American approach to the standards

that will apply to it.

Sushma Swaraj's raising the issue

of US internet snooping by its intel-

ligence agency, the National

Security Agency, comes days after

Communications Minister Ravi

Shankar Prasad said in parliament

that the government would not

accept breach of any Indian law

relating to privacy of people by

American intelligence agencies.

The US has been facing flak from

numerous countries, including

Germany and Brazil, following rev-

elations that the NSA snooped on

phone conversations and the internet

mail of the leaders of those coun-

tries. Aiming for a re-energised

India-US bilateral relationship,

The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m

excellence in journalismFESTIVALS 27US AFFAIRS 9 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30

Washington: One day after House

Republicans voted to sue him for

allegedly exceeding his executive

authority, President Barack Obama

signed yet another executive order,

saying the suit is not going to stop

me from doing what I think needs to

be done in order to help fami lies

across the country.

The president signed an order,titled Fair Pay and Safe

Workplace, requiring prospective

federal contractors to disclose labor

law violations.

Any time Congress wants to do

work with me to help working fami-

lies, Im right there. The door is

Vol.7 No. 14 August 2-8, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

World on alert as Ebola outbreak kills 729

WHO is not recommending any travel restrictions

or border closures yet.

OP ED 13

Continued on page 4

New York State Senator Toby

Stavisky (D-Flushing) honored the

leadership of Gujarati Samaj of New

York with 'New York State Senate

Proclamation' on their 40th

anniversary for their service to the

community. Seen in the photo are,

from left, Vice Chair Khandu Patel,Program Manager Bharati Desai,

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Raman Patel, Senator Stavisky,

President Harshad Patel,

Chairperson Dilip Chauhan and

President of the SIAEA Mihir Patel.

US House has approved a lawsuit against President BarackObama over alleged abuse of executive power.Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

Snooping, terrordominate Kerry& Swaraj meet

Undeterred, Obama signs another executive order

Stalwarts of Gujarati Samaj honored by NY State Senator

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with US Secretaryof State John Kerry during the Fifth India-US

Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi.


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August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info


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3August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY

New Delhi: Prime Minister Naren-

dra Modis proposed address to a

joint sitting of the US Congress in

September is unlikely to happen be-

cause the Republican Party is push-

ing for a shorter session to enable

early elections to the law-makingbody.

South Block sources told Hindus-

tan Times that Modis much-await-

ed address will fall victim to the US

opposition partys push to end the

session by the third week of Sep-

tember so that it can capitalize on a

perceived electoral advantage over

the Democrats.

The Indian PM will be in the US

to address the UN General Assem-

bly and then meet US President

Obama in the last week of Septem-

ber. The address to Senators and

Congressmen was due to happen

around the time of the Obama meet-

ing.

Modi has received no less thaneight separate invitations or letters

of support from US Senators and

Congressmen to address the joint

session.

This includes a letter under circu-

lation from Californian Democrat

Congressman Brad Sherman and

more than 80 colleagues to House

and Senate leaders.

Signatories to the letter include

five Congressmen who had earliersupported the visa ban on Modi as a

fallout of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

There is a huge interest in the US

about rising economic opportunity

in India, politics under the leader-

ship of Modi, who has a single par-

ty majority government after 30

years, as also the pressure of the in-

fluential Indian community on their

representatives, said a senior

South Block official.According to US diplomatic

sources, five of the invitations are

from the US house, two from the

Senate including a floor statement

by Senator John McCain on the US-

India Strategic Partnership and a

separate letter by House and Senate

India Caucus Co-Chairs to the

Speaker of the House in support of

a Modi joint address.

Washington: More than 35 per-

cent of Americans have debts and

unpaid bills that have been report-

ed to collection agencies, accord-

ing to a study released Tuesday by

the Urban Institute.

These consumers fall behind on

credit cards or hospital bills. Their

mortgages, auto loans or student

debt pile up, unpaid. Even past-

due gym membership fees or cell-

phone contracts can end up with a

collection agency, potentially

hurting credit scores and job

prospects, said Caroline Ratcliffe,

a senior fellow at the Washington-

based think tank. Debt in collec-

tions can tip employers' hiring de-

cisions, and landlords renting

decisions.

The study found that the debts

reported averaged $5,178, based

on September 2013 records. Thestudy points to a disturbing trend:

The share of Americans in collec-

tions has remained relatively con-

stant, even as the country as a

whole has whittled down the size

of its credit card debt since the of-

ficial end of the Great Recession

in the middle of 2009. As a share

of people's income, credit card

debt has reached its lowest level

in more than a decade, according

to the American Bankers Associa-

tion. People increasingly pay off

balances each month. Just 2.44

percent of card accounts are over-

due by 30 days or more, versus

the 15-year average of 3.82 per-

cent. Yet roughly the same per-

centage of people are still getting

reported for unpaid bills, accord-

ing to the Urban Institute study

performed in conjunction with re-

searchers from the Consumer

Credit Research Institute. Their

figures nearly match the 36.5 per-

cent of people in collections re-

ported by a 2004 Federal Reserve

analysis. All of this has reshaped

the economy. The collections in-

dustry employs 140,000 workers

who recover around $50 billion

each year, according to a separatestudy published this year by the

Federal Reserve's Philadelphia

bank branch.

Health care-related bills ac-

count for 37.9 percent of the debts

collected, according to a new re-

port commissioned by the Associ-

ation of Credit and Collection

Professionals.

Washington: It is a tribute to Americas ac-

ceptance and embracing of diversity that anIndian American is among the handful of

people assigned to carry out nuclear attacks

when authorized by the President.

Lt. Raj Bansal of the US Air Force's 90th

Missile Wing is one of the last men standing

by ten Minuteman III nuclear missiles andthe US President's order to launch them. Bur-

rowed in an underground bunker in a flat, un-

marked terrain between Cheyenne,

Wyoming, and Lincoln, Nebraska, he and his

partner Capt. Joseph Shannon are among the

nuclear launch frontiersmen who do 24-hourshifts, reports The Times of India.

Lt. Bansal's story emerged when the US Air

Force allowed the media a rare glimpse of

how America's nuclear arsenal operates fol-

lowing a scandal in which personnel in

charge of US nuclear weapons were found

cheating much like how school stu-

dents cheat in exams to meet the grades

required to display their knowledge of

launch codes etc. Nine officers were fired

for cheating and dozens were reprimand-

ed.

Evidently, Lt Bansal was not among

them because NPR described his routine

on the nuke watch, rather sketchily be-

cause much of the drill is still classified.

Controls to the missiles themselves are

buried 60 feet underground in a room

called "the capsule." Protected by an enor-

mous, 2-foot-thick blast door made of 8

tons of solid steel, it said the room is hol-

lowed out like an egg shell, and in the mid-

dle, suspended on shock absorbers, hangs

the launch control center, a room within a

room.

It is here that Bansal and Shannon work

on 24-hour shifts. Will they ever get a coded

message from the President ordering them tounleash their weapons? Bansal was asked.

"I think it's something everybody thinks

about when they get the job," Bansal replied.

"I mean you're basically eating most of your

meals when you're on alert next to the keys

and switches that would cause that act."

Modi may not get to address US Congress joint session

The Indian-American finger on US nuclear button

One-third of Americans reported tocollection agencies for unpaid bills & debts

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Washington DC inSeptember, and has received no less than eight separate invita-tions or letters of support from US Senators and Congressmen

to address the joint session.

Capt. Joseph Shannon and Lt. Raj Bansal are a two-man crewoverseeing 10 nuclear weapons.


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4 August 2-8, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTURN PAGE

Snooping, terror dominate Kerry.

Continued from page 1

Swaraj and Kerry explored fron-

tiers vis-a-vis security and clean

energy.

"The two sides recognised that

the decisive mandate provided by

the Indian people to their new

government provided a unique

opportunity to re-energise this

relationship," said a joint state-ment on the strategic dialogue.

Sushma Swaraj and Kerry hoped

that the Summit Meeting between

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

and US President Barack Obama

in Washington in September

would generate new dynamism in

the relationship.

The two leaders said they were

committed to intensify efforts to

combat terrorism.

"Sushma Swaraj and Kerry com-

mitted to intensify efforts to com-

ba t te rror ism, prol iferat io n of

WMDs (weapons of mass destruc-

tion), nuclear terrorism, cross-bor-

der crime, and address the misuseof the internet for terrorist purpos-

es, in compliance with respective

laws," the statement said.

Sushma Swaraj and Kerry wel-

comed the continuation of the

Counter-Terrorism Joint Working

Group process, sustained

exchanges of senior experts, and

the upcoming meeting of the

Working Group in 2014.

They also welcomed plans to

hold the next Ministerial

Homeland Security Dialogue.

The two leaders also agreed to

work towards greater cooperation

in cyber security and reducing

cyber crime.

In the area of energy, Sushma

Swaraj and Kerry welcomed work

under the Partnership to Advance

Clean Energy (PACE) in its

Research and Deployment compo-

nents.

They reviewed the new initiative

on Promoting Energy Access

through Clean Energy (PEACE) in

giving Indian citizens in rural

areas access to off-grid sources of

clean energy.

The two leaders reaffirmed their

commitment to the full implemen-

tation of the India-US civil nuclear

agreement.

"They looked forward to

advancing the government-to-gov-

ernment dialogue and facilitating

the establishment of US-builtnuclear power plants in India," the

statement said.

The two sides also identified

education and skill development

as important areas of future coop-

eration.

"They called for partnerships

betwee n Indian and US tes ting

services institutions to improve

nationwide student assessments in

India," the statement added.

On the issue of stability in

Afghanistan, Sushma Swaraj and

Kerry reaffirmed their support for

a unified, independent and sover-

eign Afghanistan.

"They expressed admiration forthe determination of the Afghan

people to exercise their democrat-

ic right to vote despite the signifi-

cant threat from terrorist ele-

ments," the statement said.

They welcomed the efforts of

Afghan institutions involved in the

current electoral process to work

together with the UN to ensure the

timely completion of the ongoing

process, so that the elections are a

source of unity and strength for

the country and a source of stabili-

ty for the region.

The leaders reiterated their deep

concern over the current situation

in Iraq, which posed a direct threat

to the security of the people and

the territorial integrity of the coun-

try.

"They affirmed that they

attached the highest priority to the

security and safety of their respec-

tive nationals in Iraq. They stood

by the people of Iraq in their fight

against international terrorism and

their efforts to preserve Iraq's

unity and territorial integrity,

recognising that a stable, peaceful,

united and democratic Iraq is in

the interest of regional and global

peace and security," the statement

said.

World on alert as Ebola...


Britain held a government meetingon Ebola and called it a threat

requiring a response.

The White House also said

President Obama was being

briefed on the situation.

But international airlines associ-

ation IATA said the WHO was not

recommending any travel restric-

tions or border closures, and there

would be a low risk to other pas-

sengers if an Ebola patient flew.

The outbreak of the haemorrhagic

fever, for which there is no known

cure, began in the forests of

remote eastern Guinea in

February, but Sierra Leone now

has the highest number of cases.Sierra Leone President Ernest

Bai Koroma said he would meet

leaders of Liberia and Guinea in

Conakry on Friday to discuss

ways to combat the epidemic.

Undeterred, Obama signs...


always open. More than that, Ill

go to them; Ill wash their car,

walk their dog, the president

joked at a White House ceremony.

Earlier, US House approved a

lawsuit against President Barack

Obama over alleged abuse of

executive power.

The 225-201 vote fell along

party lines, with five Republicans

voting against the measure while

no Democrats supported it.

Last week, the House Rules

Committee approved at 7-4 vote a

resolution allowing the full House

to vote on authorizing the lawsuit

against Obama, accusing him of

abusing executive authority.

Washington: The CIA's insistence

that it did not spy on its US Senate

overseers collapsed with the release

of a stark report by the agency'sinternal watchdog documenting

improper computer surveillance and

obstructionist behavior by CIA offi-

cers.

Five agency employees two

lawyers and three computer special-

ists improperly accessed Senate

intelligence committee computers

earlier this year in a dispute over

interrogation documents, according

to a summary of a CIA inspector

general report describing the results

of an internal investigation. Then,

despite CIA Director John Brennan

ordering a halt to that operation, the

CIA's office of security began an

unauthorized investigation that led it

to review the emails of Senate

staffers and search them for key

words.

After Senate leaders learned about

the intrusion in January and object-ed, the CIA made a criminal referral

to the Justice Department, alleging

improper behavior by Senate

staffers when they took the internal

CIA review documents. That refer-

ral, CIA watchdog David Buckley

found, was based on inaccurate

information and was not justified.

Brennan also asked his agency's

inspector general to examine

whether the CIA committed wrong-

doing. When internal investigators

interviewed the three CIA computer

specialists who helped access the

Senate machines, they exhibited "a

lack of candor," the report said, sug-

gesting an attempt to cover up their

actions.

Jerusalem: Israel and Hamas have

agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian

ceasefire beginning Friday, during

which time there will be negotia-

tions on a more durable truce in the

24-day-old Gaza war, the United

States and United Nations

announced.

The announcement came hours

after Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to

destroy Hamas' tunnel network with

or without a ceasefire as the

Palestinian death toll soared past

1,400. There was no immediate

Israeli comment on the announce-

ment. In a statement released in

New Delhi where secretary of state

John Kerry is traveling, the US and

UN said they had gotten assurances

that all parties to the conflict had

agreed to an unconditional ceasefire.

"This humanitarian ceasefire will

commence at 8am local time on

Friday, August 1, 2014. It will last

for a period of 72 hours unless

extended. During this time the

forces on the ground will remain in

place," the statement said. "We urge

all parties to act with restraint until

this humanitarian ceasefire begins,

and to fully abide by their commit-

ments during the ceasefire." The

statement said the ceasefire was crit-

ical to give civilians a much-needed

reprieve from violence.

CIA spied on US Senate,internal review finds

US, UN announce deal on 72-hourGaza ceasefire


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5August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY

New York: On July 6, Delaware

teen Ishaan Jagiasi was crowned

the National U.S. Champion in

the senior division at Pokemon

Card Tournament in Indianapo-

lis.

Pokmon cards is part of the

franchise well-known for best-

selling games, television shows,

movies and the trading card

game itself. The trading card

game has its own set of elite tournaments,

awards, and championships.

Last year Ishaan won four state champi-

ons last year is among the Top 16 card

traders among the world. He will now

compete in the Pokmon World Champi-

onships at the Walter E Washington Cen-

ter in Washington, D.C., Aug. 15 to 17.

Among prizes he received at the July 6

event were the Pokmon TCG National

Championship First Place Trophy, a schol-

arship award worth $5,000, 500 champi-

onship points, a Travel Award to

the 2014 World Championship and

a combination of 72 booster packs

from the current Pokmon TCG

expansion.

In this game, players take on the

role of a Pokmon trainer, using

their creatures to battle. Players

play Pokmon to the field and use

their attacks to reduce the oppo-

nents hidden power (HP). When a

Pokmons HP is reduced to 0 it is

knocked out and the player who knocked

it out takes a Prize card into their hand. A

player may win the game in three ways

by collecting all of their prize cards (ini-

tially six, some cards can increase this), if

their opponent runs out of Pokmon on the

field or if at the beginning of their oppo-

nents turn there are no cards left to draw

in the opponents deck.

The Pokmon World Championships, an

annual event which began in 2004.

Chicago: Federation of Indian Associations-

Chicago [FIA] has moved into high gear to unveilits dazzling Grand Parade & Music/Dance Mela

to set the countdown for one of the most color-

fully ostentatious events in celebration of India

Independence Day with its flagship event Grand

Parade taking the center stage on Saturday Au-

gust 16 at 11:30 am from Devon Ave & Western

Ave in Chicago, Illinois. This colorful Grand Pa-

rade and Mela is unrivaled in its makeup, scope,

creativity and composition as it features for the

first-time a huge ornated replica of Elephant aug-

mented by breath-taking pageantry with the daz-

zling display of decorated floats, marching bands,

drum beats, colorful costumes inundated with

music, dances and revelry to celebrate the India

Independence Day enhanced by the presence of

popular Zee TV actors adding to its fervency,

gusto and gleeful anticipation.This Grand Parade and Mela will be preceded

by Gala Banquet & Flag-Hoisting ceremony. The

India Independence Day Gala Banquet will serve

as a dazzling precursor featuring stunning dance

presentations eclipsed by delectable dinner selec-

tion at the Meadows Club on Sunday August 10,

2014 5:30 pm.

The remarkable dance sequence presentations

are being artistically choreographed & directed

by danseur Falguni Rana along with a team of 50talented young dancers.

The pivotal event surrounding the celebrations

is the India Independence Day Flag-Hoisting cer-

emony that will be held on Friday, August 15,

2014 at 11:30 am on the Daley Plaza near Dear-

born St. & Washington St. in downtown Chicago.

Event Chairman Iftekhar Shareef is roping in

young talent who will present patriotic-based In-

dian traditional dances mobilized under the lead-

ership of Harish Kolasani & Hina Trivedi. The

flag will be hoisted by a host of elected officials

led by Consul General of India Dr. Ausaf Sayeed.

Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, FIA President in a

statement - said that the FIAs leadership team is

sparing no effort whatsoever to meticulously ex-

ecute the Grand India Independence Day four

major festivities events to ensure it unveils theessence of majestic India featuring spectacular

display of Indias rich cultural heritage showcas-

ing the colorful mosaic of Indias multi-ethnic

traditions, costumes, language, music and dances

thus illustrating the profound distinctiveness of

India. Ajai Agnihotri will serve as an overall Fes-

tivities Convener handling the enormous logistics

and events management.

Robbinsville, NJ: The BAPS

Swaminarayan Sanstha is set to in-

augurate its sixth traditional stone

mandir in North America located inRobbinsville, New Jersey. The

mandir has been built according to

the Hindu Shilpa Shastras or an-

cient architectural texts following a

tradition of temple building through

the millennia. Inspired by His Holi-

ness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the

intricately hand-carved mandir is

built to last thousands of years. It

stands as a testament to the dedica-

tion, service and devotion of the or-

ganizations many volunteers and

well-wishers. The inauguration of

this traditional stone mandir marks

the completion of the second phase

of the Swaminarayan Akshardham

complex that is currently plannedfor the site.

The mandir is 134 feet long and

87 feet wide, comprising of 108 pil-

lars and three garbha gruhs or inner

sanctums. The entire mandir has

been covered by a permanent struc-

ture to increase the structures life

and accommodate darshan and wor-

ship during the regions harsh win-

ter. The Mandir is made entirely of

Italian marble and was completed in

three years at a cost of $18 million.

This was made possible by the ded-

ication and selfless service of pro-

fessional volunteers, including en-

gineers and architects, who helpedto minimize the cost of the mandir.

The inauguration ceremonies will

begin with a Vedic Yagna or sacrifi-

cial ritual for world peace and will

be followed by a Shobha Yatra or

celebratory procession of the

deities. The inauguration itself will

take place according to traditional

Vedic rituals in the Murti Pratishta

ceremony on August 9 and 10. Fi-

nally, the Mandir complex will be

opened to the community and pub-

lic on August 16 at a special dedica-

tion ceremony hosting community

leaders from within the Indian-

American community and fromaround the region. His Holiness

Pramukh Swami Maharaj will be

traveling to New Jersey to be a part

of the inauguration ceremonies and

festivities. He will be joined by a

delegation of 40 sadhus and priests

from India to officiate the rituals of

the installation.

After its opening, the BAPS Shri

Swaminarayan Mandir in Rob-

binsville, NJ, like other BAPS

mandirs, will not only be a center of

Hindu liturgy, but will also provide

a spiritual haven for aspirants and

devotees in their local community.

The murtis of the chief deities of the

mandir, Bhagwan Swaminarayan

along with his ideal devotee, Gu-

natitanand Swami, will be installed

in the mandirs central shrine. The

murtis of other Hindu deities, in-

cluding Radha Krishna Dev, Sita-

Ram Dev, Shiv-Parvati Dev, Hanu-

manji and Ganeshji, too will be in-

stalled within the mandirs shrines.

The mandir will help preserve Hin-

du ritual, beliefs, and Indian tradi-

tions for generations to come.

Built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, it is located in Robbinsville

Teen Ishaan Jagiasi is National

Champion at Pokmon Card Tournament

FIA-Chicago gears up for a Grand I-Day Parade & Mela

Made entirely of Italian marble the mandir was completed inthree years at a cost of $18 million.

Central NJ to get North Americas sixth traditional mandir

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha inaugurated

its first traditional stone temple (and the firsttraditional stone Hindu Mandir in NorthAmerica) in Stafford, Texas, a suburb ofHouston, on July 25, 2004. This milestone wasfollowed one month later by the opening of thesecond such temple in Bartlett, Illinois outsideof Chicago. In the summer of 2007, traditionalstone temples were inaugurated in Lilburn,Georgia near Atlanta and in Toronto, Canadafollowed by Chino Hills, California in Decemberof 2012. Today, the organization has over 90mandirs in North America, of which six are

traditional stone-carved, and over 1100mandirs worldwide.

Ishaan Jagiasi


6/32

6 August 2-8, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTRISTATE COMMUNITY

By Jinal Shah

New York: In an effort to reach out

to the families of the Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

people of Asian American, SouthAsian, Southeast Asian and Pacific

Island descent, the National Queer

Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and

the Asian Pride Project released a se-

ries of multilingual Public Service

Announcements (PSA).

We saw that many of the parents

who come out publicly and an-

nounce their love for their LGBT

children tend to be white, or these

announcements are only seen in

English, so we felt it was very im-

portant to show such examples in our

own communities, and in our own

languages, said Suma Reddy, direc-

tor, Asian Pride Project.

The PSAs of Asian Americans

coming out began airing early July

in Mandarin, Korean, Hindi, Japan-

ese, Tagalog, Laotian and English on

local California stations serving

large Asian American communities

in California and will soon be aired

on Asian and South Asian channels

in New York metro, Atlanta, Hous-

ton, Chicago, Virginia and DC Metro

area.

The 30-second long Hindi PSA

features a Sikh couple Harcharan and

Kamlesh Bagga along with their son

Amit- speaking directly to the cam-

era. Amits coming out story is no

different than a lot of LGBT individ-

uals in the South Asian community.

At the root of his story was the fearof rejection, disappointing his par-

ents. My family is just like any oth-

er South Asian family rooted deeply

in traditional values, family rela-

tions, education and success, shared

Amit adding, My mother who is a

psychologist was able to understand

me but it took a while for my father

to process, resulting to a serious

strain in our relationship.

But as they say 'every cloud has a

silver lining', both father and son

came out strong and the video is just

one testimony of their love and ac-

ceptance. I am proud of my son. I

have always been proud of my son,"

says Harcharan in the film. "It is time

to stand and support your children,

my children, our children," adds

Kamlesh. The entire family says the

final line together: "After all, family

is still family and love is still love.

The PSAs were a great way forfamilies of gay sons and daughters to

show their love for their children, in

a very public and visible way. We

don't feel that we or our families

should hide who we are, whether as

a gay or lesbian son or daughter, or

as a father and mother (or grand-

mother or uncle) of a gay daughter or

son, adds Reddy.

We were thrilled to have the op-

portunity to share our message with

the community. As important as the

message is, it is the visual of a

woman in saree and an elderly man

in a turban speaking in Hindi and

Punjabi that will resonate with many

South Asian families, said Amit.

Rising baseball star seeksyour vote on his video

US-based Indian company BandarFoods gets first round of funding

A still from the public service announcementaimed at Indian American families

Hindi PSA features Sikh couple supporting gay son

New York: Kumar Nambiar,

16 yr. old from Mamaroneck,

NY has been chosen as one of

four finalists in the USA "New

Balance Game Changer" con-

test. Each finalist submitted a 3

min video on how they impact-

ed and improved their commu-

nity through baseball. Kumar's

theme is that sports are an im-

portant part of growing up, andhe is trying to bring awareness

to Indian youth and parents that

not only can one excel at both

sports and academics but that

both pursuits enhance each oth-

er. Kumar has not only been

named one of New York states

top-ranking teen baseball play-

ers and a member of the Na-

tional Honor Society, but has

also been accepted to Yale,

where he will commit to play-

ing baseball for the school in

2015.

In September 2013, Perfect

Game ranked him as a number

one pitcher in New York,twelfth player overall in the

state, and 54th left-handed

pitcher in the U.S. for the high

school class of 2015.

Kumar's dream is to one day

play pro-baseball for an MLB

team and believes that if kids

like him strive in competitive

sports as we are conditioned

and expected to do in academ-

ics we would have a greater

presence in major league

sports. Kumar is well on his

way to achieving his dream.

By watching his 3 min. video

and voting for him, your sup-port will not only help Kumar,

but would also be helping our

community in a positive step

forward. You can vote once

every 24 hours and can vote

from different computers,

phones, iPads, etc.

California: San Francisco-based

Bandar Foods has secured its first

external funding led by August Cap-

ital Partners, a Singapore-based in-

stitutional investment firm, and an

individual investor Karl Ulrich, vicedean of Innovation at Wharton

Business School, VCCircle report-

ed.

The capital raised by the company

is believed to be under $1 million,

but the exact amount could not be

ascertained. The capital raised

through convertible debt investment

will be used to continue the compa-

ny's meteoric progress in retail and

foodservice sales, said the firm.

Bandar (which means monkey inHindi) Foods offers Indian flavors

for everyday American use. The

company launched its first two

condiments in May 2013 and, with-

in the first year on shelves, has

grown its reach to over 1,000 stores

across the US, Canada and UAE.

The companys products are now

sold in chains such as Whole Foods,

Safeway and Fresh Market in the

US. Bandar recently expanded itscondiment line and launched its firstflavors of poppadum lentil crisps.

Its other products include Spicy

Mango Chilli sauce and Tango

Tamarind Dipping sauce.

The idea to create a crossover In-

dian-American food brand was in-

cubated while the founders, Lalit

Kalani and Dan Garblik, were MBA

students at Wharton Business

School.

This is a unique investment by us

and we got to know of the BandarFoods two years back. We have

maintained a relationship with the

company since then and invested re-

cently. Going forward, the company

will also be expanding into Asia, in-

cluding Japan, Sameer Narula,

managing director, August Capital

Partners told VCCircle.

He added, "We believe that Daniel

and Lalit are building a global food

business with an Indian soul and a

Silicon Valley DNA.Garblik said, "Sameer (Narula)

immediately saw what we were try-

ing to do. Many food products

around India and Asia are not pack-

aged or marketed in a way that

makes their use-case obvious to

American eaters. Bandar can be a

vehicle to bring the world's food

cultures together on the same table."

Kalani stated, "We met with

Sameer and Professor Ulrich multi-ple times over the past two years aswe refined our ideas. They were our

first calls when we decided to raise

money. We have huge things

planned and will use this investment

to help us scale and penetrate new

sectors."

LI doctor Akshat Jain

named editor ofAAPI medical journalNew York: Akshat Jain MD, fellow in

pediatric hematology oncology and stem

cell transplantation at the Steven and

Alexandra Cohens Childrens medical

center has been selected as the editor for

the prestigious publication of the Ameri-

can Association of physicians of Indian

Origin (AAPI). He joins the following

expert panel of editors for this publica-

tion that features scholarly and commu-

nity work of the Indian American Med-

ical Fraternity in the United States M. P.

Ravindra Nathan MD Cardiology;

Shivprasad Madduri MD Urology; He-

mant Dhingra MD - Nephrology/ Fresno;Vibhuti Singh MD Cardiology; Udita

Jahagirdar MD OB & GYN; Sandeep

Jauhar, MD, PhD- Cardiology; Kusum

Punjabi MD Emergency Medicine; Anil

Yallapragada MD Neurology/ Stroke;

and Nirupama Madduri MD, Adolescent

Psychiatry.

Dr Akshat Jain with CongressmanSteny Hoyer

Kumar Nambiar

Vote Appeal


7/32

7August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY

Washington, DC: In an extremely awkward

incident, a newly elected member of the US

House of Representatives mistook two senior

Indian American officials of the Barack Obama

administration to be from India and asked them

questions about "your country" and "your gov-

ernment."

"I'm familiar with your country; I love your

country," freshman Republican Curt Clawson

told Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar at a House

Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last Thurs-

day, Foreign Policy online reported.

"Anything I can do to make the relationship

with India better, I'm willing and enthusiastic

about doing so," he continued amid looks of

confusion among State Department and Con-

gressional staff attending the hearing.Biswal is the Assistant Secretary of State for

South and Central Asian Affairs and Arun Ku-

mar is the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for

Global Markets and Director General of the US

and Foreign Commercial Service.

Clawson, apparently confused by their Indi-

an surnames and skin tone also asked Biswal

and Arun Kumar if the Indian government

could loosen restrictions on US capital invest-

ments in the country.

"Just as your capital is welcome here to pro-

duce good-paying jobs in the US, I'd like our

capital to be welcome there," he said."I ask cooperation and commitment and pri-

ority from your government in so doing. Can I

have that?" "I think your question is to the In-

dian government," Biswal responded.

"We certainly share your sentiment and we

certainly will advocate that on behalf of the

US." According to the report, it is extremely

uncommon for foreign officials to testify be-

fore Congress under oath.

"Even so, it's unclear if at any point Clawson

realized his mistake, despite the existence of a

witness list distributed Continued on page 8

Tampa, FL: The feud dividing one of the bay

area's most prominent Indian families, born

from their eventually successful quest to lurethe "Bollywood Oscars" to Tampa has gone

legal, Tampa Bay Times reported.

According to its July 26th report, Chetan

"Jason" Shah, 48, filed a fresh set of allega-

tions in Hillsborough Circuit Court this month

about his wealthy health care entrepreneur and

philanthropist brother-in-law, Dr. Kiran Patel,

and demanded a jury trial in the lawsuit Patel

had filed against him in May.

Patel, 65, asserts that Shah fraudulently

added Patel's name to documents creating a

host committee for the 2014 International

Indian Film Academy awards gala, which

came to Tampa in April.

Patel discovered this late last year, he said,

when event organizers complained that Shah

was running out of money and they threatenedto take the event elsewhere. The four-day

event was a major one for the region a

study later found visitors spent $19.9 million,

and the economic impact reached $26.4 mil-

lion as businesses stocked up and visitors'

money was respent.

According to a July 3 court filing, Shah

asserts that Patel, a cardiologist, coerced Shah

into signing a document as Shah was being

rushed to the hospital late last year for heart

surgery. The document allowed Patel to nego-

tiate a new deal with IIFA organizers that cut

Shah out of any profits, Shah said.

Shah's wife, who had worked for one of

Patel's companies, was fired this month

because of the ongoing feud, Shah said in an

interview last week.

Patel declined to comment.

"Dr. Patel does not enjoy or get any great

thrill out of getting into litigation with his

brother-in-law, but he has to draw the line, as

any of us would have done if someone

usurped our name and used it fraudulently,"

said Lenny Englander, Patel's attorney.

The rift between Patel married to Shah's

sister, Pallavi dates to late last year and a

series of events that almost caused the cancel-

lation of the awards show in Tampa.

In interviews earlier this year, Patel and

Shah explained their differing sides.

According to Shah, he is the rightful

"founder" of the awards show in Tampa he

says that he persuaded event organizers to

bring IIFA's first-ever show in America here.

Late last year, Shah says, officials with IIFA

and Patel conspired to cut Shah out of event

organizing and profits.

But according to Patel, he wanted nothing to

do with bringing IIFA to Tampa at first. Patel

didn't find out until months later that Shah had

listed him in incorporating documents for Go

Bollywood Tampa Bay Florida Convention

LLC, a host committee for the show, and had

told people Patel was involved.

Local tourism officials and executives withWizcraft, the company that puts on the show,

largely support Patel's version.

Shah ran out of money to bring the event

here, they said,and Continued on page 8

Sampat Shivangi appointed chair ofMississippi Mental Health Board

Washington, DC: Indian-

American Sampat Shivangi has

been appointed as the chairman

of the Mississippi Board of

Mental Health, making him the

first Asian to occupy the top

health post in the southern

American state.

Shivangi last week assumed

the office of chair of the Board

of Mental Health which is the

second largest state agency with

a budget close to billion dollars

with the staff of 8,500.

The office of chair is of one

year duration and is elected by a nine-member

board . "We are in process of having the

patients who are capable to move in the com-

munities are being moved in the communities

with the help of federal and state funds to

assimilate them in the communities rather

than keep them in the institutions. The state ismoving successfully in this direction,"

Shivangi said in a statement.

He was first appointed to the board as a

member by the then Mississippi governor

Haley Barbour for seven year

term.

Prior to this, he served one

term at Mississippi State

Board of Health.

"This term I served along

with as an adviser at US

health and human services in

Washington DC an appoint-

ment by President George

Bush," Shivangi said.

"We are very excited to

have Dr Shivangi serve as

chairman of the board of

mental health," said Diana

Mikula, Mississippi department of mental

health executive director.

From 2005 - 2008, Shivangi served as the

advisor to the US secretary of health and

human services.

He is the founding president of the

American Association of Physicians ofIndian-origin in Mississippi and is the past

president and chair of the India Association of

Mississippi. Shivangi is the president and

CEO of US Info Systems of Mississippi.

Split wide open: Family feudover Bollywood Oscars

Nisha Biswal, left, and Arun Kumar,right, gently explain they are part ofthe U.S. subcommittee (Photo source:

Foreign Policy online)

Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel at the15thInternational Indian Film Academy

Awards in Tampa, FL

Dr Sampat Shivangi

Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385

718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com

In a major faux pas asks Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar

about 'your country', 'your government'

US House Rep Clawson mistakes govt.staffers for Indian delegates


8/32

8 August 2-8, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Washington, DC: President

Barack Obama has nominated

Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri for

the post of Chairman, National

Indian Gaming Commission

(NIGC), Department of the In-

terior.

Chaudhuri is currently Vice

Chairman and Associate Com-

missioner of the NIGC, posi-

tions he has held since 2013. He

has also served as Acting Chair-

man of the NIGC from October2013 to April 2014.

In announcing the appoint-

ment of Chaudhuri and other in-

dividuals for various other posts

in the administration, Obama

said in a statement: I am grate-

ful that these impressive indi-

viduals have chosen to dedicate

their talents to serving the

American people at this impor-

tant time for our country.

I look forward to working

with them in the months and

years ahead.

Prior to joining the NIGC,

Chaudhuri was Senior Coun-

selor to the Assistant Secretary

for Indian Affairs at the Depart-ment of the Interior from 2012

to 2013.

Chaudhuri received a B.A.

from Dartmouth College and a

J.D. from Cornell Law School.

Chicago, IL: Sriram Hathwar.

Arvind Mahankali. Snigdha Nandi-

pati. Sukanya Roy. Anamika Veera-mani. Kavya Shivashankar. Sameer

Mishra.

They are by no means household

names, yet theyve graced Ameri-

can television screens. And they

will forever be linked, as winners of

the past seven National Spelling

Bees.

But they have something else in

common: all became champions af-

ter ascending through academic

tournaments sponsored by the

North South Foundation. A non-

profit organization that fosters edu-

cation among Indian-American

pupils and provides scholarships for

high school graduates in India,North South Foundation is on a tear.

It has groomed national winners

(including Sriram Hathwar, one of

this years co-winners) in the

Scripps contest every year since

2008, and routinely sends pupils to

other major academic tournaments

and bowls.

We only provide the platform

and the opportunity for success.

The kids are the ones who work so

hard to make it happen, said Dr.

Ratnam Chitturi, founder of the

North South Foundation.

Celebrating its 25th year, the

North South Foundation runs local

and national tournaments encom-

passing six academic areas besides

spelling: vocabulary, geography,

math, science, essay writing, and

public speaking. Theres also an all-

encompassing Brain Bee. All

told, 85 chapters across the United

States host competitions during

March, April and May, with nation-

al finals held each August. More

than 17,000 contestants typically

compete. These contests help chil-

dren improve their communication

skills and self-confidence and em-

power them to become better citi-

zens for tomorrow, Chitturi said.

To that end, North South Founda-

tion in 2013 introduced Universal

Values, a 30-week program consist-

ing of a one-hour-per-week online

workshop to hone values in daily

life, not just for the children, but for

their parents and NSFs legion of

volunteers.

The foundation has given out

more than $2.5 million in scholar-

ships in India since 1989, at the rate

of $250 per student for each of four

years. Thats not much by U.S. tu-

ition standards, but in India $250

pays for a years tuition at most

government colleges. NSF has also

opened three contest centers in Hy-

derabad since 2001 and offersspelling, vocabulary, math, and sci-

ence bee competitions to 1,700 par-

ticipants. So far the experience has

been quite positive, and we hope to

expand to more centers as we get

more volunteers, said Chitturi.

This is a direct example of Indian-

Americans serving as a bridge be-

tween American learning platforms

and India.

NSF pupils made 2014 a signa-

ture year, garnering championships

in five major national competitions:

Spelling Bee, MATHCOUNTS,

Geography Bee, Science Bowl and

National History Bee.

To what does Chitturi attribute theNSF kids as tounding track record

of success?Immigrants from India

tend to be highly educated. As first

generation immigrants, they are

ambitious and hardworking. In turn,

they place a very high priority on

their childrens education. With par-

ents support and drive, children

tend to focus more on academics,

he said, adding that Indian-Ameri-

can youths tend to be more aware of

the need to effectively compete

with other countries in a highly

globalized world.

US House Rep Clawson mistakes govt. staffers for Indian...

Contd. from page 7to the various members detailing Biswal and Kumar's positions,"

the Foreign Policy report said.

Clawson, who won a special election last month to fill the seat

of Trey Radel, who had resigned after being convicted for cocaine

possession, repeatedly touted his deep knowledge of the Indian

subcontinent and his favorite Bollywood movies.

It was Clawson's first day sitting on the subcommittee on Asia

and the Pacific.

He was named to the full committee July 9 and Steve Chabot,

subcommittee Chairman and Republican member from Ohio,

spoke about Clawson's deep international business acumen and

knowledge of four languages in welcoming him. "Our newest

member of this committee, Curt Clawson speaks four languages

and all kinds of other great stuff," Chabot said.

Following Clawson's opening statement, Eliot Engel, the full

panel's ranking Democrat, pointed out that Biswal and Arun Ku-

mar work for the US government. "Thank you both for your serv-

ice to our country, it's very much appreciated," New York's Engel

said.

An update in the Foreign Policy report said: "While Clawson's

office did not respond to a request for comment, the Congressman

apologized in a statement to USA Today later Friday.

"I made a mistake in speaking before being fully briefed and I

apologize. I'm a quick study, but in this case I shot an air ball," he

said.

Split wide open: Family feud over Bollywood Oscars

Contd. from page 7

Patel stepped in late last year by writing a large check an

undisclosed amount, but less than the $15 million Shah had

agreed to pay to ensure the Bollywood Oscars came to Tampa.

Because of his involvement with Go Bollywood, Patel found

himself being sued along with Shah in Florida and New York by

people who said they had been promised business by the host

committee. The Florida suit was dismissed; the New York casecontinues. In June, Shah, who owns a small motel in Tarpon

Springs and several dry cleaning locations, said a settlement was

in the works between him and Patel. That settlement is

apparently out

In addition to Hathwar, the Spelling Bee co-winner,

8th grader Swapnil Garg from Sunnivale, CA emergedas the victor in the 2014 Raytheon MATHCOUNTSNational Competition in early May. NSF participantsAkhil Rekulapelli, an 8th grader from Dulles, Va., andAmeya Mujumdar, a 5th grader from Tampa, Fl.,captured 1st and 2nd places, respectively in the 2014National Geographic Bee. Snigdha Allaparthi fromWestborough, Mass., and Abhijeet Sampangi fromAndover, Mass., captained their team to 1st place inthe 2014 Middle School National Science Bowlconducted by the U.S. Department of Energy.Siddharth Kamannavar, a 3rd grader from SantaClara, Calif., in 2014 became the youngest championon record in the National History Bee, in the

Elementary School Division.

Naperville, IL: The IIT BHU Global Alumni

Association (IBGAA) is hosting its 4th IIT BHU Global

Alumni Meet on Saturday, September 13 at the Sheraton

Lisle Hotel, 3000 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois. The

Theme for the meet is "The IIT BHU Journey of

Excellence Continues". Further details about the

Meet are on the website at http://chicago2014.iitb-huglobal.org/. The meet will include keynote address by

noted alumni and panel discussions on relevant topics.

Prof. Rajeev Sangal, IIT BHU Director (B. Tech.

Electrical Engineering, 1975, IIT Kanpur) is confirmed

to attend. Prof. Panjab Singh (Former VC-BHU) and

Prof. S. N. Upadhyay (Former Director IT-BHU, M.

Tech. Chemical Engineering 1966, Ph.D. 1969) are con-

firmed as Special Guests. Additionally, Dr. Sarvajna

Dwivedi, Co-Founder, Pearl Therapeutics, Inc., (B.

Pharm 1984, M. Pharm 1986) is a confirmed Guest

Speaker. Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways,Government of India (Civil Engineering 1979, M. Tech.

1982) is the keynote speaker.

This event is also open to other 15 IIT alumni and all

IIT students in graduate schools.

At 25, nonprofit academic group spells success for Indian-American students

North South Foundation: National Bee champions start here

Sriram Hathwar, co-winner ofthe 2014 National Spelling

Bee. Hathwar marked theseventh consecutive year thata Spelling Bee winner wasgroomed through North

South Foundation spellingtournaments.

Obama nominates Chaudhuri to chairNational Indian Gaming Commission

Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri

4th Annual IIT BHU Global Alumni Meet in Illinois on Sept 13


9/32

US AFFAIRS 9August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Washington: He may be the

most powerful man in the

world, but when it comes to

sending his daughter away to

college in some distant uni-versity town, President Oba-

ma is like any other parent:

worried and weepy.

The eventuality of his old-

er daughter Malia going to

college is still some months

away she's still in 11th

grade but Obama says he

has been preparing for that

bittersweet moment for al-

most two years now. So is

she. The 16-year-old Malia,

who at 6 feet is almost as tall

as her father, has been seen

touring Stanford University,

where President Clinton's

daughter Chelsea studied,

and University of California,

Berkeley, UCLA; both on

the west coast and far from

the White House where her

parents will be till January

2017.

Obama reflected on the

upcoming fatherly feelings

and frustrations at a com-

mencement address to high

school graduates in Massa-

chusetts earlier this week,saying, "I'm trying to get

used to not choking up and

crying and embarrassing her.

So this is my trial run here."

In a separate commencement

address recently, Michelle

Obama too referred to her

daughter's collegiate excur-

sions, saying, "Days like this

make me think of my own

daughters, so forgive me if Iget a little teary".

The Obamas have been

priming her for the great col-

lege hunt, a rite of passage

for most US high school

graduates that includes tour-

ing college campuses, usual-

ly with their parents, after

prospecting them online. In aquestion-answer session on

the social media site Tumblr,

Obama advised young peo-

ple like his daughter to "shop

around" for colleges instead

of getting fixated on a few

and experiencing heartbreak

if they did not make the cut

to those. "We tell her, 'Don't

assume there are 10 schools

that you have to go to, and if

you didn't go to those 10,

that somehow things are go-

ing to be terrible'," he said.

For kids, college hunt is a

time of excitement, their

chance to break free from

strict parental supervision

and do things on their own,

to spread their wings; often,

to drive their first car and

have their first drink. "

New York: Congress passed a

bill last week that makes it le-

gal to "unlock" cellphones so

the devices can at least in

some instances be used on

other carriers.

The law, which President

Obama said he looks forward

to signing, undoes a move by

the Librarian of Congress in

2012. That made it a copyright

violation to unlock a phone

without the carrier's permis-

sion.

The law passed Friday by the

House of Representatives

makes it legal to unlock

phones for personal use, at

least until the Librarian's next

round of rulemaking, nextyear. The measure was passed

earlier by the Senate.

Unlocking typically involves

entering codes on the phone.

In more difficult cases, the

phone needs to be hooked up

to a computer to have new

software installed.

Carriers have, in some in-

stances, sued people who

made a business out of unlock-

ing phones and reselling them,

but individuals unlocking for

personal use have never been

pursued.

Carriers have become more

lenient in their unlocking poli-

cies in recent years. Verizon,

for instance, ships most of its

phones unlocked. However,

technical differences mean that

it's often difficult to move a

phone from one network to an-

other, and if you can make themove, phone functions are im-

paired. The easiest move is be-

tween AT&T and T-Mobile

US.

Washington: One-third of Ameri-

cans believe President Obama ought

to be impeached, according to a new

poll conducted by CNN and ORC In-ternational.

Exactly 33 percent of the 1,012

people polled believe Obama should

be impeached, 65 believe he should

not, and the rest had no opinion.

Fifty-seven percent of all Republi-

cans believed Obama should be im-

peached, but only 13 percent of all

Democrats and 35 percent of all In-

dependents. The poll had also distin-

guished other demographics, such as

male and female, but no other demo-

graphic categories were as divided as

the partisan demographic.

The poll also asked whether the

Republicans in the U.S. House of

Representatives should file a lawsuitagainst the President, a lawsuit

which only last Thursday was ap-

proved to be voted on. Forty-one per-

cent of people agreed, with 75 per-

cent of all Republicans agreeing, 12

percent of Democrats, and 43 percent

of Independents.

Asked on what grounds Congress

ought to impeach a president, given

only the following options, 79 per-cent of people polled said only for

serious crimes like treason, 18 to ex-

press dissatisfaction with his job or

policies.

A similar poll conducted by Fox

News between the 20 and the 22 of

last month said 36 percent of people

support impeaching Obama with 61

percent opposed.

DNC national press secretary

Michael Czin said in an email to

news source Politico, As the CNN

poll finds, the majority of Americans

support the President taking action if

Congress will not and they oppose

the GOPs sham lawsuit and talk of

impeachment.Of the 1,012-person poll sample

conducted July 18-20, 32 percent

were Democrats, 24 Republican, and

44 were members of another party.

The margin of error was plus or mi-

nus 3 percentage points.

Washington: Even as PresidentObama grapples with the crisis of

immigrant children arriving at the

Southwest border, White House

officials are laying the ground-

work for a large-scale expansion

of immigrant rights that would

come by executive action within

weeks.

Officials signaled strongly Fri-

day that Obama's move would

shield from deportation large num-

bers of immigrants living in the

country illegally, as advocacy

groups have demanded.

Roughly 5 million of the esti-

mated 11 million people who en-

tered the country without legal au-

thorization or overstayed their

visas could be protected under a

leading option the White House is

considering, according to officials

who discussed the proposals on

condition of anonymity.

Obama said last month that be-

cause Congress had failed to act on

comprehensive immigration re-

form, he would take executive ac-

tion to "fix as much of our immi-

gration system as I can on my

own."

That move will come by the end

of the summer, White House sen-

ior advisor Dan Pfeiffer told re-

porters Friday. Some officials had

advocated waiting until after theNovember midterm election.

Any such move would prompt a

major clash with congressional

Republicans, and at least some

White House officials appeared to

relish the prospect that the GOP

might overreach in its response

and act in a politically self-de-

structive manner.

When the decision is announced,

it will "increase the angry reac-

tions from Republicans," Pfeiffer

said.

"I would not discount the possi-

bility" that Republicans would

seek to impeach Obama over his

next immigration moves, he said,

adding that House Speaker John A.

Boehner (R-Ohio) had "opened the

door to impeachment" by his plans

to sue Obama for allegedly ex-

ceeding his executive authority.

The White House is entertaining

a range of possibilities that would

speed up deportations in some cas-

es but forestall them in many oth-

ers.

Obama could use his executivepowers to expedite deportations in

response to the current border cri-

sis, in an effort to clear the large

numbers of unaccompanied mi-

nors gathering daily in the Rio

Grande Valley in south Texas.

At the same time, he seems like-

ly to act to prevent deportations of

many of the immigrants already

living, working and raising chil-

dren in the U.S.

One option would allow immi-

grants who are parents of U.S. cit-

izens to apply for temporary legal

status which would let them work

legally in the U.S. Because chil-

dren born in the country automati-

cally receive U.S. citizenship, that

option could affect about 5 million

people, researchers estimate.

A second option would be to al-

low temporary legal status for the

parents of young people already

granted deportation deferrals by

the Obama administration. That

would affect a smaller, but still siz-

able, number of people.

So far, more than 520,000 peoplehave received permits to stay and

work in the U.S. under the admin-

istration's Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals program,

which was created in 2012 for

young people who were brought to

the U.S. as children.

One-third of Americans believeObama should be impeached

Obamas get emotional at the thought of Malia leaving for college

White House pursuing planto expand immigrant rights

The First Family

Medicare fund will be exhausted

by 2030, Social Security by 2011Washington:Medicares hospital insurance trust fund will be exhaust-

ed in 2030, four years later than the administration projected in May

2013. The Social Security trust fund, they said, will be depleted in

2033, the same as expected last year.

Medicares financial condition improved significantly in the last

year, thanks in part to Obamacare, but the outlook for Social Securityis basically unchanged, the Obama administration said Monday.

The forecasts were included in the governments annual report on

the two programs, which together account for about 40 percent of fed-

eral spending. Medicare spending on hospital care was lower than

expected last year, the administration said, and officials have lowered

their assumptions about the use of inpatient hospital services in the

future.

Cellphone unlocking set tobecome legal again


10/32

10 August 2-8, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA

New Delhi: US Secretary of State

John Kerry met Finance Minister

Arun Jaitley ahead of his meeting

with External Affairs Minister

Sushma Swaraj for the 5th India-

US Strategic Dialogue as the US

struck up its first high-levelengagement with the Narendra

Modi government.

Kerry, who arrived here on a

three-day visit, visited the Indian

Institute of Technology in south

Delhi.

Kerry also met National Security

Advisor Ajit Doval. The US dele-

gation comprises Commerce

Secretary Penny Pritzker as well

as State Department spokesperson

Jen Psaki. Kerry will meet Prime

Minister Modi Friday.

He met Indian business leaders

ahead of his meeting with the top

Indian officials. According to a

background briefing by a seniorUS State Department official

ahead of Kerry's visit, the India-

US Strategic Dialogue is to "focus

on some of the big priorities that

the Modi government have put

forward on economic revitaliza-

tion, on energy security, on home-

land security, as well as the robust

cooperation between our two

countries in science and technolo-

gy, in space, in skills and educa-

tion, and in health".

"We see a new government com-ing in that has an ambitious agen-

da, what we can do to help that

government realize its agenda,

because we see India's economic

rise as something that is deeply in

the US interest. And we believe

that American companies have a

role to play in that rise, and so part

of the discussion over the next two

days is really going to be focusing

in on what are the shared priorities

and shared goals that we want to

focus on," the official said.Kerry and Pritzker will partici-

pa te in a ro un dt ab le wi th

Brookings India that will focus on

climate and energy issues.

New Delhi: The Indian Army

gave "a befitting reply" to

Pakistan after an Indian soldier

was beheaded along the LoC in

Jammu and Kashmir, outgoing

army chief General Bikram Singh

said. "The Indian Army gave a

befitting reply to Pakistan" afterthe Pakistanis carried out the

beheading, he said here, referring

to the gory incident of January

2013. "We are carrying out tacti-

cal operations at the LoC (Line of

Control). It is an ongoing process

and our soldiers are doing their

job," General Bikram Singh said.

He described the Indian Army

as "a robust organisation, very

very accountable, very respon-sive, very potent and a very rele-

vant instrument of national power

with the capability to take up any

challenges".

On Jan 8, 2013, Pakistani sol-

diers sneaked into Indian territory

in Krishna Ghati sector of the

bo rder an d ki ll ed two In di an

soldiers.

Indian officials said both bodies

were mutilated, and one decapi-tated. Two other soldiers were

injured in the incident which trig-

gered nationwide fury.

New Delhi: "Very exciting" and

"excellent" were the words used

by US secre tar y of state JohnKerry as he visited two laborato-

ries at the prestigious Indian

Institute of Technology here and

interacted with the students.

Kerry took time out of his

schedule and visited the Applied

Microbiology Laboratory and

Bio-process lab.

Professor R K Shevgaonkar,

Director of the IIT, Delhi said

that the American embassy had

specifically mentioned the labo-

ratories that Kerry wanted to

visit.

Dressed in a blue suit, Kerry

interacted with the students there

and asked a number of questionsabout the processes involved, the

education fees, patent system and

also if they would get a job in

India or would they have to go

out.

Kerry was very pleased to see aresearch project on bio-degrad-

able plastic.

As a student explained the proj-

ect to him, Kerry said, "Very

exciting. It would be a huge con-

tribution to the world. Very excit-

ing. Fantastic".

Kunal Gupta, who is part of the

project, said he was proud that

Kerry visited his institute.

"I am very proud to be part of a

institute which is recognised in

the US as well. They (US) have

done a lot of research which is

much ahead of us and Kerry's

visit to the institute makes us feel

very good," said Gupta.Kerry also visited the lab which

was using algae to clean water

and to produce biomass.

New Delhi: The Delhi High

Court will hear on August 1 a

PIL seeking a CBI probe into

Press Council of India

Chairman Markandey Katju

accusing three former chief jus-

tices of India of making

"improper compromises" to

save a tainted judge of the

Madras High Court.A division bench of Chief

Justice G. Rohini and Justice

R.S. Endlaw will hear the plea

that seeks registration of a case

and a CBI probe into the matter,

saying that even after Justice

Katju's revealation on his blog

and its subsequent discussion in

parl iament, the auth orit ies are

yet to initiate any legal action.

Filing the plea, advocate R.P.

Luthra said: "The information

disclosed by Justice Katju, a

former SC judge, clearly dis-

closes the commission of vari-

ous cognizable offences includ-

ing the offences covered underprevention of corruption act."

Former Supreme Court judge

Katju has alleged that three for-

mer chief justices of India -

Justice R.C. Lahoti, Justice Y.K.

Sabharwal and Justice K.G.

Balakrishnan - made "improper

compromises" and succumbed

to political pressure during the

UPA rule from one of its allies,

apparently the DMK, in allow-

ing the judge to continue despite

an "adverse" Intelligence

Bureau (IB) report on allega-tions of corruption against him.

The PIL said: "Admittedly, as

per the information available in

the public domain, the offenders

belong to the class that enjoys

almost the highest positions in

the judiciary."

It added that the incident has

"lowered-down the dignity of

our judicial system in the eyes

of general public."

"To avoid further damage also

to ensure that no such incident

shall happen in the future, the

authorities concern ought to

have initiated a legal action as

required under section 154 /157of the Code of Criminal

Procedure 1973 for commission

of such cognizable offenses,"

the plea said.

New Delhi: Congress President

Sonia Gandhi has refuted the

allegations made by former

Congress leader Natwar Singh's

in a book and said she would

write her own book to tell the

truth.

"I will write my own book and

then everyone will know the

truth," Sonia Gandhi told TV

news channel NDTV.

"The only way the truth will

come out is if I write. I am seri-

ous about this," she said.

Natwar Singh, a former minis-

ter in the UPA government,

alleged in an interview that

Sonia Gandhi's decision not to

take up the post of prime minis-

ter in 2004 was not because of an

"inner voice" as she had famous-

ly said.

The former Congress leader

said it was because of opposition

from her son Rahul Gandhi, who

was reportedly worried that she

would be assassinated like hisfather Rajiv Gandhi and grand-

mother, Indira Gandhi, both for-

mer prime ministers.

The Congress president also

said she is "used to such attacks".

"I can't be hurt I have seen my

mother in law riddled by bullets,my husband dead...I am far from

getting hurt with these

things...Let them continue to do

this it will not affect me...They

can continue to do this if they so

please," she said.

Na tw ar Si ng h, 83 , ha d toresign from the Congress-led

coalition government in 2005

after allegations of corruption.

US Secretary of State John Kerry with Indian Joint Secretary(Americas) Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on his arrival in Delhi.

Kerry visits IIT, walks out'impressed' with students

Union Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley with USSecretary of State John Kerry and other officials

during a meeting in New Delhi.

In happier times:Sonia Gandhi with Natwar Singh

Kerry meets Jaitley ahead of strategic dialogue

I will write my own book: Sonia tells Natwar

India gave 'befitting reply' to beheading of soldiers

Tainted judge row: HC to hear plea


11/32

INDIA

Amritsar: Amid the controversy

over the creation of the HaryanaSikh Gurdwara Parbandhak

Committee (HSGPC) and the stand-

off between Sikh leaders in Punjab

and those in Haryana, the Jathedar

(chief) of the Akal Takht,

Gurbachan Singh, says that Sikhs

should not take these matters to

court. Instead, these should be

"resolved within the religion".

"I appeal to all Sikhs across the

world not to take the religious issues

to any court of law. These should be

resolved within the religion,"

Gurbachan Singh told IANS in an

interview.

Under fire from sections of Sikh

and political leaders, who have

accused him of being a puppet in the

hands of Punjab Chief Minister

Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani

Akali Dal president and deputy

Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh

Badal, the Akal Takht chief denied

that he was taking decision under

influence from anyone.

"The Akal Takht is an institution

of the Sikhs. It is not linked to any

part icul ar part y. It is complet ely

independent and takes all decisions

without any bias. In the past, there

have been instances when pressure

was mounted on the Akal Takht," he

said.

The Akal Takht ordered that no

Sikh should have any association

with the excommunicated leaders.

The excommunicated leaders were

directed to appear before the Akal

Takht and seek penance under reli-

gious conventions.

"This is a very unfortunate situa-

tion. Sikhs, as it is, have a small

population. There are many Sikh

groups now but majority of the

Sikhs are with the Shiromani Akal

Dal (led by the Badals). Since the

SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara

Parbandhak Committee) is dominat-

ed by the Akali Dal, the party repre-sents most Sikhs," he said.

The Akal Takht chief, who recent-

ly ordered that status quo be main-

tained on the control of Haryana

gurdwaras (Sikh shrines), said that

the matter can only be resolved

between the SGPC leadership and

Haryana Sikh leaders. But he made

it clear that no talks could be held

with the Sikh leaders excommuni-

cated from the community.

"The move (creation of HSGPC)

is to weaken the SGPC and divide

the Sikh community."

Jhinda and Nalvi were physically

prevented from entering the Akal

Takht inside the Golden Temple

complex here Monday when they

went to offer prayers.

Gurbachan Singh justified the

action. "They were stopped as an

excommunicated Sikh cannot enter

the Takht..."

The Akali Dal and the SGPC are

locked in a bitter controversy with

Haryana's Bhupinder Singh Hooda

government over the creation of the

HSGPC. They have both strongly

opposed the creation of the new

HSGPC for Haryana Sikh shrines.

New Delhi: Lt Gen Dalbir Singh

Suhag has taken over as the headof the 1.3 million strong Indian

Army, succeeding General

Bikram Singh.

Suhag, whose appointment had

kicked up a row, was designated

as Army chief in May by the out-

going UPA government ignoring

prote sts from his pre dec essor

Gen VK Singh and BJP.

59-year-old Lt Gen Suhag, a

Gurkha officer who had partici-

pated in the 1987 Indian Peace

Keeping Force (IPKF) operation

in Sri Lanka, is currently the

Vice Chief of Army Staff.

He will have a tenure of 30

months as the 26th Chief of thearmed forces.

Suhag was made the Vice

Chief of Army Staff in

December last year. Earlier, he

had taken over as the Eastern

Army Commander on June 16,

2012.

He was at the centre of a con-

troversy triggered by 'Discipline

and Vigilance' ban imposed on

him by the then army chief Gen

VK Singh in connection with

an intelligence operation in

Assam earlier.

The ban on Suhag, the then 2

Corps Commander, was liftedsoon after Gen Bikram Singh

took over in May, 2012.

BJP had questioned the "hurry"

in making the appointment and

insisted that the matter be left to

the next government.

However, soon after the NDA

government took over, defence

minister Arun Jaitley said the

new dispensation will continue

with the appointment made dur-

ing UPA rule.

The Jathedar (chief) of theAkal Takht Gurbachan Singh

11August 2-8, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Dalbir Singh Suhag

Don't take Sikh religious mattersto court: Akal Takht chief

Dalbir Singh Suhag takesover as new Army chief

SEP.


12/32

12 August 2-8, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA

Beijing: New vigor is sweeping

through Indian government offices

after Narendra Modi became the

prime minister with ministers con-

ducting surprise checks to see if

bur eaucra ts are in the ir sea ts in

time and offices being kept clean

and tidy to give an air of efficiency,

a Chinese daily said Tuesday.

Ministers are conducting sur-

prise checks in the morning to see

if bureaucrats are in their seats,offices are being thoroughly

cleaned and all old furniture

thrown away, senior officials are

under orders not to keep files pend-

ing, and ministers are clearing

files, including many left over from

the previous government, in a

ji ffy, the New Del hi -da te lined

article, headlined Indian bureau-

cracy shaken up, more transparent

after election win in the Global

Times stated.

It noted how Modi was putting in

an 18-hour work day from 5.30

a.m. till after 1 a.m.

Government officials have been

ordered to clock in at 9 a.m. every-

day, and are expected to sit beyond

6 p.m. - when the day is supposed

to end - to clear any extra work.

Saturdays are no longer holidays

and the officials frequently take

work back home. Senior bureau-

crats, like the secretary of any

department, have to ensure that the

precincts of the office are spic and

span - no dust, no old furniture

lying around, no paper files piled

up on desks, no betel leaf-stained

corners, said the newspaper, anEnglish-language publication from

the People's Daily, the official

organ of the Chinese Communist

Party.

Chinese media has been paying a

lot of attention to the new Indian

government and chronicling its

various moves and policies.

The prime minister has also

directed that officials should take

to the electronic way to clear files.

Tech savvy Modi, 63, has directedthat officials should not have piles

of files littering their desks and

everything should be comput-

erised.

The longish article particularly

highlighted Modi's fetish for clean-

liness. All offices were sent a let-

ter via Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth

asking officials to keep their

offices clean, papers neat, and cor-

ridors unblocked, it said.

Modi himself has been keeping

tabs on office cleanliness, it said,

adding: During his (Modi's) initial

days in office he took rounds of the

Prime Minister's Office, walkingthe corridors and looking into

every room - something that his

predecessors are not known to have

done.

Modi reportedly frowned at the

unkempt corners, the piles of dirty

tea cups and plates, and loitering

officials. The Chinese themselves

have a fetish for cleanlineness and

Chinese visitors to India are struck

by the squalor and litter of public

spaces in Indian cities.

It pointed out how lower-level

bureaucrats and their aides under

the previous regimes were notori-

ous for their long br

Documents

Vol 7 Issue 14 -August 01 August 07, 2014