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8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
1/32
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 journalism SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
Vol.8 No. 7 June 20-26, 2015 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
US AFFAIRS 9 DARK IS DIVINE 18
New Delhi: For a govern-
ment that promised to clean
up the Augean stables of
politics in India, the murkydetails of the links of
External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj and
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara
Raje with the fugitive for-
mer IPL chief Lalit Modi
and how they helped him
with immigration in UK
have exposed the bitter
truth that corruption at top
levels is endemic in BJP
too. One can, of course,
recall from the past at least
three high profile corruption
By Parveen Chopra
New York: While at business meetings after arriving
in the US, India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was
assuring foreign investors on economic reforms and
the tax regime in the country, he was at home ground
when addressing a community outreach event organ-
ized by the Overseas Friends of BJP at Five Star
Restaurant and Banquet in Long Island City
Wednesday.
In a flowing speech mixing some English with
Hindi, the No 2 in Modi’s cabinet heaped praise on the
industrious and successful Indian diaspora, who con-
tribute to the countries where they settle and also
extend help back home as they retain emotional ties
with the motherland.
He gave several examples testifying to the growing
importance of NRIs in the host countries as well as in
India. Thousands of Indian Americans travelled to
India to canvas for BJP in the 2014 election or took to
the phone or email to do the same. Then, they filled
the Madison Square Garden in New York for Modi’s
reception. In the run up to the elections in Britain,
realizing the importance of Indian voters, Prime
Minister David Cameron traveled to India thrice, and
had a Mahatma Gandhi
Vatican City: Pope Francis has
issued a stark warning over the
urgent need to tackle "extraordi-
nary climate change and an
unprecedented destruction of
ecosystems" in an eagerly-awaited
message on the environment
released Thursday.
In his encyclical, which is a
papa l le tter sent to al l bishops
around the world and in turn to one
bil lion Catholic s, he blames cli-mate change on apathy, political
shortsightedness and a pursuit of
pro fit s. He cal ls climate change
one of the principal challenges fac-
ing humanity today and has
SELF HELP 27
Detailed story on page 21.
LalitModiGateCorruption Exposed
at top level of BJP
‘Indian diaspora has become an important constituency’ The Pope appeals for sweepingaction on global warming
Pope Francis has issued anencyclical on climate change ina stunning move reverberating
across the world.
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje with Lalit Modi; (right) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
New York: As the
world celebrates
International Day
of Yoga (IDY) on
Sunday in a unique
event that is in
many ways an
endorsement of the
Indian way of life,
over 30,000 people
are expected to par-
ticipate in a mass
demonstration of
the ancient art in
the city's Times
Square after global
leaders and diplo-
mats from around
the world launch
the observance at the UN headquarters.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to
deliver the keynote address at the main
event at the UN headquarters in an open
plaza, India's Permanent Representative to
the United Nations Asoke Kumar Mukerji
told reporters here on Tuesday. UN General
Assembly President
In preparation for International Day of Yoga on June 21, the United Nations is festooned with banners announcing the celebrations in New York. (Inset) Amb. Asoke Mukerji briefing on the headlineevent at UN headquarters. (Photo courtesy: Jay Mandal)
Ban Ki-moon, Sushma Swaraj and Sri Sri Ravishankar to address the UN event.
30,000 expected at NYC’sYoga Day Celebration
Continued on page 4Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4
Arun Jaitley addressed an OFBJP meet after ringing the closing bell at New York Stock Exchange
Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje come
under fire for helping the fugitive former IPL chiefwho has been probed for financial irregularities
Continued on page 4
See detailed stories on page 11.
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
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Practice sessions for the First International Day of Yoga in Haute Savoie, Francewith the backdrop of Mont Blanc. The event is being organized by Embassy of
India in Paris in association with Center Tapovan.
2 June 20-26, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info YOGA
Embassy of India in Mexico organizes public yoga class cum demonstration at theFeria de las Culturas Amigas 2015 (Culture and Friendship Fair 2015) at the
Historic Centre of Mexico City
A curtain raiser in Budapest by Art of Living Yoga Team.
Embassy of India Doha organized an event on Yoga at the KATARA – Cultural Village, Doha on June 12.
Volunteers rehearsing Yoga asanas forIDY in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
An IDY curtain-raiser event was organized by theEmbassy of India, Moscow at the Technology and
Design College in the city of Korolyov,Moscow in April 2015
Consulate General of India, Sydney organized a curtain raiser for theInternational Day of Yoga. The participation was drawn from several leading
yoga schools of Sydney. Yoga Guru Govindaraju Venkataramandemonstrated various Yoga asanas.
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
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By Ashok Ojha
New York: With its 13 year long
tradition of celebrating yoga at
Times Square, New York City is
playing a central role in the globalcelebration of International Day of
Yoga on June 21. The Government
of India will enthusiastically sup-
port IDY events in New York City
in the presence of India’s External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,
who will address the main event at
UN headquarters and visit Times
Square at noon where thousands of
New Yorkers in yoga gear will par-
ticipate in a spectacular public per-
formance of yoga led by well-
known instructors.
Yoga is part of New York’s
lifestyle, where trained teachers
conduct classes for a fees. However,there is no fee for participating in
the yoga session at Times Square.
Organized by Times Square
Alliance, registration for participat-
ing in yoga session on June 21 will
begin at 7 am. All classes will be
webcast so that yogis from around
the world can participate in Times
Square’s celebration of the IDY”,
said their announcement. 30,000
people are expected to participate in
the Times Square yoga sessions.
The Consulate General of India
office in New York has extended its
support to all events taking place
around the city, said Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay at a press con-
ference.
Tech Mahindra, an Indian IT com-
pany, and a host of other organiza-
tions are striving to ensure the suc-
cess of the yoga events at numerous
locations in and around NYC,
including at JFK and Newark air-
por ts, where air traveler s will be
invited to join in the yoga sessions
and receive information flyers.
The Ganesh Temple in Flushing is
preparing to receive 3,000 people at
its Yoga celebrations throughout the
day on June 21st. The daylong cele-
bration at the temple includes Indiancultural performances and ‘Satvik’
meals. More than 5,000 people are
expected to attend a ticketed event
at Lincoln Center in the city in the
evening headlined by spiritual guru
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. “The proceeds
from the event will go to help needy
children”, said a representative of
the organizer, Art of Living
foundation.
By Arun Kumar
Washington: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's
government has e fectively
laid the foundation for
India's rapid transformation
and purposeful diplomacy
leading to new terms of
India's engagement with
the US, according to Indian
Ambassador Arun K.
Singh.
"As we celebrate one
year of India's current gov-
ernment, it is difficult notto see the changes in the
way of doing business, and not to see in them
cause for optimism," he said Tuesday in a
keynote address at the Asia Society in New
York.
"Of course there is more to come in each of
these, and I am confident that each passing
year, we will make new progress," Singh said
speaking on the topic of "India under Modi:
One Year In." Turning to what India's trans-
formative goals at home and creative diplo-
macy abroad mean for its relations with the
US, Singh said: "In the past year, our relation
with the US has been transformed."
"The US was quick to offer to partner with
India in realizing the goals that our new
Government set for India's transformation,
and as a result, the narrative in our relations
has begun to reflect new found energy and
optimism," he said.
"The excellent personal friendship" enjoyed
by Modi and President Barack Obama has
"provided a solid political foundation for our
overall relationship," Singh said. Modi "fur-
ther expanded the canvas of our interaction
with the US by giving full play to the role of
the enterprising and high-
achieving Indian-American
community," Singh said.
"In two summits with the
US in four months, the
Government addressed lin-
gering differences with the
US on nuclear liability,
injected new energy into
defense and economic
cooperation, and explored
pragmatic ways forward on
IPR issues and climate
change," Singh said. "Bold
new initiatives were taken"
and the two summits "cre-ated new milestones, new
expectations and new excitement, Singh said
asserting, "Sound progress has been made to
implement the vision of our leaders."
"I would argue that we are at a qualitatively
different phase in India's domestic transfor-
mation, in India's foreign policy approaches
and in India's engagement with the US than
we were a year ago," the ambassador said.
"The last year has been used effectively to
lay the foundation for India's rapid transfor-
mation and for robust and purposeful diplo-
macy, which have also led to new terms of
India's engagement with the US," Singh said.
Turning to India's broader external engage-
ment, the envoy said, "In the last one year,
foreign policy has seen emphasis as a dynam-
ic tool for the government's quest to acceler-
ate India's transformation and leverage India's
strengths to promote development in our
region, under the motto of 'diplomacy for
development'."
"Enhanced engagement with neighbors in
South Asia and in the Indian Ocean Region
has been a hallmark of the government's
diplomacy," he said.
3June 20-26, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Events galore to mark Yoga Day in NYC
Consul-General Dnyaneshwar Mulay briefing on events to
mark the International Day of Yoga celebrations in NYC on
June 21.
Indian Ambassador to US,
Arun Kumar Singh
Modi has changed terms of India-US
engagement: Amb. Arun K. SinghMelville, NY: IndiaAssociation of Long
Island (IALI), one of
the oldest and largest
organizations serving
the Indian community
of Long Island, cele-
brated its 36th Annual
Award and Fund-
Raising Gala at
Huntington Hiltonhere on June 14, amid
a good mix of digni-
taries, business and
community leaders,
heads of organiza-tions, IALI members,
South Asian media,
and others.
IALI President Satnam S. Parhar gave the
welcome address and appealed for donations
for IALI's newly acquired India Center in
Hicksville. At hand to greet all guests wasIALI's Executive Council.
Six prominent Long Islanders honored
were: President /CEO of NYC Health and
Hospitals Corporation Dr. Ramanathan Raju,
Senior VP Wealth Management of Prandara
Group Morgan Stanley Kamesh Nagarajan,
Hotelier / Owner Swan Club Roslyn Bobby
Singh Sidana, Chairman Sapient Party
Bobby K. Kalotee, IALI's Community
Projects Chair Aruna Saxena and principal
attorney at Banad Law Offices Dev
Viswanath. To do the honors were India’sDeputy Consul General in NY Manoj
Mohapatra, Director of Nassau County’s
Business and Economic Development
Kamlesh Mehta representing County
Executive Ed Mangano, NYS Assemblymen
Michael Montesano and Chad Lupinacci
(representing districts falling in Long Island),
Senior Councilman Town of Hempstead
Anthony Santino, Nassau County Legislator
Laura Curran, Hempstead Town Clerk
Nasr in Ahmad, Nass au County Human
Rights Commission Chairman Zahid Syed
and Commissioner Sharanjit Singh Thind.
On the occasion, donors to IALI's India
Center were individually recognized with
citations in Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze
and other donor categories. A special plaquewent to IALI Vaisakhi Chair Ajay Batra and
Pinki Jaggi for raising over $20,000 from the
IALI Vaisakhi Cruise “Cruise for a Noble
Cause”.
Parhar also recognized the contributionsfor the community of two newspaper owners:
South Asian Insider’s Sharanjit Thind and
Indian Panorama’s Prof Indrajit Saluja.
The entertainment segment included per-
formances by Shradhanjali Indian Arts
Academy, and NYC Bhangra Group.
Sponsors including HAB Bank, IndusAmerican Bank were thanked.
IALI honors India House donors
and others at gala
IALI President Satnam S. Parhar was presented a citationfrom Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. Seen in the
picture from left are: New York State assemblymen Chad
Lupinacci and Michael Montesano, Parhar, Hempstead TownClerk Nasrin Ahmad, and Director of Nassau County’s Business and Economic Development Kamlesh Mehta.
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
4/32
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publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses. All rights reserved.
4 June 20-26, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TURN PAGE
Lalit Modi-gate exposes corruption at top...
Continued from page 1
cases involving BJP leaders – then BJP
president Bangaru Laxman caught on cam-
era accepting a bribe, former Karnataka
CM B.S. Yeddyurappa embroiled in mining
scam, and corruption charges against for-
mer BJP chief Nitin Gadkari.
The latest on the fast moving and as yet
unconcluded scandal is that a stung Modi
government is looking at the possibility of contesting Delhi HC order on Lalit Modi's
passport, which was restored on the order
of Delhi high court, uncontested by the
Enforcement Directorate. The passport was
revoked earlier.
Sushma Swaraj maintains that she helped
Lalit Modi on ‘humanitarian grounds’ to
help him travel to Portugal for the treat-
ment of his cancer-stricken wife. Raje also
pleads no wrong doing or impropriety but
admits family relations with Lalit Modi.
While Swaraj is being defended by her col-
leagues in party and the government,
reportedly they have been told not to do the
favor for the Rajasthan CM till facts come
out.
30,000 expected at NYC’s Yoga Day...
Continued from page 1
Sam Kutesa and India’s External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj too will speak at
the event attended by representatives of
some of the co-sponsoring nations of IDY
resolution.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the
Art of Living Foundation, is to give a lec-
ture on the benefits of yoga and lead a
demonstration by a group of his followers
at the UN and, through a video link, the
thousands on Times Square.
The UN celebrations are to be webcast on
the UN network and also shown on the
NASDAQ marke t build ing's giant video
screen and others on Times Square.
"Yoga offers a simple, accessible and
inclusive means to promote physical and
spiritual health and well-being," Ban Ki-
moon said in his message for IDY. "It pro-
motes respect for one's fellow human
beings and for the planet we share."
A manifestation of the universal value of
"vasudhaiva kutumbakam" -- the world is
one family, the UNGA resolution for IDY
was co-sponsored by 177 nations (the
largest number ever for such a resolution)
and adopted unanimously by the 193-mem-
ber organisation, Amb. Mukerji said.
The idea of an International Day of Yoga
was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in his address to the General
Assembly last September, calling yoga "a
holistic approach to health and well-being"
and to finding "the sense of oneness with
yourself, the world and the nature.""Yoga embodies the unity of mind and
body; thought and action; restraint and ful-
filment; the harmony between man and
nature; a holistic approach to health and
well-being. It is not about exercise but to
discover the sense of oneness with yourself,
the world and the nature."
For yoga day to be observed starting this
year, Amb. Mukerji said the resolution for
it had to be passed by UNGA before the
end of last year, but the calendar had
already been set with no room for fresh
items.
The Indian Mission found a way around
this by invoking the association Modi made
betw een heal th and yoga . They had the
Yoga Day resolution introduced as part of the health agenda that was already on the
calendar for December, Mukerji said.
The Mission brought the full force of
multilateral diplomacy to bear on the proj-
ect, he said. The Indian diplomats were able
to have the 18 co-sponsors they initially
had snowball to reach 177 co-sponsors.
And when both the US and China signed
on, the effort gained momentum.
Asked about the role of Muslim countries
as co-sponsors and the controversies raised
in India by some Muslims, Amb. Mukerji
said yoga was presented as a health matter
with no religious undertones and pointed
out that 47 of the 56 members of the
Muslim grouping, the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC), joined as co-
sponsors. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
did not co-sponsor, they did not object to
the resolution either.
The Pope appeals for sweeping action...
Continued from page 1
brought the moral case for acting to combat
manmade global warming center stage in a
way it never has before. While slamming a
slew of modern trends -- the heedless wor-
ship of technology, our addiction to fossil
fuels and compulsive consumerism -- the
Pope said humanity's "reckless" behavior
has pushed the planet to a perilous "break-
ing point." Citing Scripture and past popes'
and bishops' appeals, he urges people of all
faiths and no faith to undergo an awakening
to save God's creation for future genera-
tions.
Francis has set his sights far beyond thecircle of his church. With an eye toward
several key climate change summits sched-
uled for later this year, the Pope said his let-
ter is addressed to "every person living on
this planet."
At least two Catholic presidential candi-
dates – Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum- have
already distanced themselves from the
Pope’s views on climate change, denied by
Conservative Republicans. Religion and
politics should not be mixed, they argue.
Indian diaspora has become an important...
Continued from page 1
statue installed in front of the parliament
building. More, Jaitley said at the World
Economic Forum in Davos he came across New Zealand PM visiting the India pavil-
ion, who when asked pointed out that
Indian population in his country has
reached 8% and is only going to grow.
Pointing to the biggest outcome of the
2014 election in India – with contributions
from the youth, BJP and Modi - Jaitley said
that caste based and dynastic politics was
delivered a blow and meritocracy won. In
the context, he revealed the BJP chose ‘Ab
Ki Baar Modi sarkar’ over ‘Ab ki bar
Bhaajpa sarkar’ as its poll slogan because
55% people polled preferred to vote for
Modi compared to 35% for the party. “In
Modi people see a leader who would suc-
ceed in fulfilling their dream of making
India great again,” Jaitley said amid
applause.
Jatiley said India is not content being the
fastest growing economy in the world. “We
lead because others have slowed. But we
have the capacity to grow in double digits.”
He also expressed pride in the perform-
ance of the Modi government in its first
year. “We have provided a decisive leader-
ship and a government that slogs,” he said.
Printed Every Saturday by: Forsythe Media Group, LLC, ISSN 1941-9333, 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801 P: 516.390.7847
Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info Updated Daily
LODI, NJ: Devan Solanki, the Ivy League-
bound valedictorian at Lodi High School in
New Jersey, alleges that school officials have
plotted against him – first by stripping him of
the opportunity to deliver the graduation
speech, then by suspending him, and finally,
by requi ring that he undergo a psych iatri c
evaluation before he can return to school.
About 90 students held a rally in front of
the school Tuesday, demanding that school
administrators reverse their decision, lift the
suspension and give Solanki the platform he's
seeking on Tuesday, June 23, when the 2015
graduating class meets on the football field.
Solanki admits to having disciplinary
infractions but insists they're minor – using a
cell phone on one occasion, and talking back
to teachers on two separate occasions. Hethinks it's his reputation for occasionally
being sharp-tongued with Lodi High School
staff that's led to the end-of-year graduation
woes. Although the psychiatrist determined
that Solanki is no danger to himself or others
and can go to school, Principle D'Amico still
isn't allowing him on school grounds, accord-
ing to his mother.
ValedictorianSolanki denied hisright by NJ school
Devan Solanki
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
5/32
5June 20-26, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
New York: Two US lawmakers have urged
India to take action against telephone scam-
mers who they said defraud millions of
Americans. Their appeal came after they
proposed tough legislation to combat wide-
spread fraud by foreigners that hijacks
caller IDs.
"We think that all governments should
crack down on scammers, fraudsters and
ba d ac to rs -- in cl ud in g In di a, "
Representative Leonard Lance of New
Jersey said in a statement this week.
Another cosponsor of the anti-fraud bill,
Representative Grace Meng of New York,
said, "As we push for it to become law, we
urge law enforcement agencies -- where
these scams are occurring and originating --
to do all they can to combat it."
The call for action in India by Meng and
Lance is significant because many of the
frauds originate in India or use Indians and
they could erode the credibility of India's
$118 billion back office sector.
The bill the two Democrats have cospon-
sored with Republican Representative Joe
Barton of Texas seeks tougher action by the
US against telephone scams knows as
"caller ID spoofing."
In these frauds, the criminals make it
appear that they are calling from a govern-
ment agency, bank, police department, cred-
it card or technology company, pharmacy or
hospital by having those numbers appear on
the victim's phone. The scammers then
make fraudulent claims and ask for and
often receive money or the person's person-
al or financial information, which they use
to commit more fraud.
Their bill proposing the Anti-Spoofing
Act of 2015 would strengthen the Truth in
Caller ID Act by prohibiting spoofing by
foreigners, and target new Internet-based
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
and text messaging used in frauds, the
Representatives said earlier when they
announced it.
"The problem of caller ID spoofing has
gotten out of control," the lawmakers said.
"Millions of Americans continue to get
ripped off by con artists and scammers who
perpetrate this despicable crime, many los-
ing thousands of dollars."
Last year, Microsoft filed a suit in a
Federal court in California against C-Cubed
Solutions Private Limited based in India,
accusing it of pretending to be from
Microsoft and cheating people into paying
for nonexistent services, stealing their
financial information for further fraud and
planting viruses.
The lawmakers, whose constituencies
include many Indian Americans, noted that
the fraud affects "particularly the South
Asian community."
Law enforcement officials in several
pl ac es , in cl ud in g Ne w Je rs ey an d
California, have issued alerts specifically
warning the Indian American and South
Asian communities about these frauds after
discovering victims among them.
By Ashok Ojha/SA Times
New York: India’s Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley has force-
fully reaffirmed his government’s
commitment to revitalize Indian
economy by bringing liberaliza-
tion and reducing corporate taxes.
Speaking Wednesday at a gath-
ering of industrialists, business
executives and attorneys at a
reception held at Waldorf Astoriain New York City, Jaitley said that
India’s current growth rate of 8 %
was not enough to revitalize its
economy and unleash its true
potential.
In addition to bringing down corporate
taxes, Jaitley elaborated upon a series of steps
undertaken by his ministry including plans for
further liberalizing economic policies, creat-
ing transparency in implementation of gov-
ernment decisions and introducing strict
penalty against black money and its transfer
to foreign banks. “We are enforcing legisla-
tion to stop illegal transfer of black money
into foreign banks. When we are reducing
taxes there is no reason for transfer of funds
abroad”. Criticizing the flawed policies of the
prev io us go vern ment and th ei r at ti tu de
towards liberalization, Jaitley said the old sys-
tem encouraged crony capitalism. “Some
industrialists still feel comfort in the old sys-
tem, but transparency and liberalization is
essential for promoting market based econo-
my and rejecting a system where discre-
tionary powers were abused.”
Referring to steps taken vis-à-vis states,
Jaitley said that state governments
are entitled to a greater share in
central revenue irrespective of
which party was ruling the state.
“The elected governments in
states have a duty to improve the
lives of their people and deserve
higher stake in the Indian econo-
my. However state governments
must demonstrate their serious-
ness for development”, he said.
Commenting on the landreforms controversy, Jaitley
pointed out that India’s agricul-
ture sector was experiencing a cri-
sis due to the huge number of
landless peasants. “The only way
to solve this crisis was land reform by which
more land is allocated for manufacturing sec-
tor to accommodate surplus labor from agri-
culture.”
Indian law firm Shardul Amarchand
Mangaldas hosted the reception.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jaitley rang the
closing bell at New York Stock Exchange in
lower Manhattan and toured its trading floor.
Accompanied by a high-level business dele-
gation from India, it was his first major public
engagement in USA.
Speaking to reporters outside NYSE, Jaitley
said that he was eager to convince foreign
investors about stability in government poli-
cies. “There have been concerns from
investors about our reform and taxation poli-
cies which I intended to clarify.”
Later he met with investors to explore
opportunities of increasing long-term
investments in India.
India committed to reducing corporate taxes: JaitleyNew York: Vegetarian
Vision Team under the
leadership of Chairman
Mr. H.K. Shah & Malati
Shah organized a patriotic
musical and singing pro-
gram "Jago Hindustani”
on May 31st at Bellerose
High School, Queens, NY.
The authentic presentation
of carved fruits, vegeta-
ble s, tra di tiona l dinne r
and the unique heart
touching patriotic theme
of the program were the
highlights of the event.
Under the guidance of
President Chandra Mehta & K.K. Mehta, the
overall event was coordinated by vice presi-
dent Flora Parekh with the help of
Development Director Vinod Shah, Treasurer
Minesh Desai & a team of hardworking vol-
unteers, who worked tirelessly to make the
program a huge success l eading into a "sold
out" event couple weeks before.
Over 335 people attended the event which
started with a sumptuous authentic dinner. The
progra m sta rte d wit h Americ an & Ind ian
National Anthems by Kirti Shukla followed by
inspiring speeches by H.K. Shah and ChandraMehta. Vegetarian Vision Goals and objectives
were presented in the speeches. "Our vision is
to make people aware of the benefits of
bec omi ng veg eta ri an . Hum an be ing s, by
nature, are vegetarian and veggie diets are
healthy and environmentally friendly. Be a
Vegetarian Vision member to help spread the
noble cause. Membership forms available on
our website at www.vegetarianvision.org,"
said Chairman H.K. Shah.
"Production of non-vegetarian food has a
direct effect on global warming. If one person
turns five other people vegetarian and requests
them to repeat, we can fulfill our dream and
importantly involve our youth. We are plan-
ning various unique, fun filled events for the
year including a ThanksGiving Dinner,” said
President Chandra Mehta.
The Jago Hindustani program involved non-
stop singing and music that charged up the
audience with a highly patriotic spirit. Peoplelearned a lot about the history of India, during
the Moghul and British regime, through pow-
erful commentary and songs and also learned
about the sacrifices made by great patriotic
leaders. The singers were handsomely reward-
ed by impressed attendees. Overall, the organi-
zation, through its unique vision and mission,
helped spread vegetarianism, patriotic way.
Vegetarian Vision presents ‘Jago Hindustani’ program
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is in US leading a business
delegation
In these frauds, the criminals make it appear that they are calling from agovernment agency, bank, police department, credit card or technology
company, pharmacy or hospital by having those numbers appear on thevictim's phone. The scammers then make fraudulent claims and ask for andoften receive money or the person's personal or financial information, whichthey use to commit more fraud.
Two US lawmakers urge India to take action against phone fraud
Vegetarian Vision team at the event
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
6/32
Washington, DC: A leading Indian
community organization will honor a
US senator as a Friend of India along
with five outstanding achievers of the
Indian American community at its
annual awards banquet in Stamford
Saturday.
The Connecticut chapter of the
GOPIO has selected senior
Democratic senator from
Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, for
the "Friend of India" award.
Blumenthal serves on several
important US Senate committees
including armed services, commerce,
judiciary, veterans' affairs and science
and transportation.
"With increasing US-India cooperation in Defence,
Commerce and Science & Technology, Senator
Blumenthal helps to improved bilateral relations
between the two countries," GOPIO
said.
Five Indian Americans to be hon-
ored for their achievements in profes-
sion and community service are:
Prof. Akhil Reed Amar, Dr. Vinod
Srihari, Nisha Arora, Dr. George
Joseph and Moh Sharma.
Amar is Sterling Professor of Law
and Political Science at Yale
University. Srihari is Yale faculty
member and Associate Director of
Yale's Psychiatry Residency Training
Program. Arora is Co-founder of
Indian Community Centre (ICC) of
Greenwich. Joseph is Deputy
Director of the Whitney and Betty
MacMillan Centre for International and Area Studies at
Yale. Moh Sharma serves as a Policy Advisor for the
House Democratic Caucus.
Hempstead, NY: Anthony J. Santino, a close
friend of the Indian American community for
over two decades, is the Republican nominee
to run for the Supervisor of the Town of
Hempstead this November.
When elected, Santino will replace Kate
Murray who is the GOP pick for Nassau
County District Attorney.
Santino was first elected to the Hempstead
Town Board in 1993 and has been re-elected
every four years with a large plurality.
Hempstead is Long Island's largest town.
In a recent interview with Varinder Bhalla,
of the Indian American Voters Forum of New
York, Santino said, “As Senior Councilman
of the Hempstead Township, I have worked
closely with the Indian American community
on Long Island, but I will be able to do a lotmore when I get elected Supervisor in
November.” Santino has been a consi stent
supporter of the India Association of Long
Island (IALI) and its food drives to benefit the
Interfaith Nutrition Network.
Dr. Sunil Mehra, the former President of
IALI and of Long Island-Queens AAPI,
applauds the bond that the Santino has built
with the community. “For over 20 years,
Santino has been the liaison of the Indian
community and the go-to person for any gov-
ernmental assistance from the Hempstead
Town and Nassau County governments,” says
Mehra. Adds Arvind Vora, “Councilman
Santino is also active with the Shanti Fund, a
charitable organization that promotes peace
through education.” Santino was namedShanti Fund’s Man of the Year in 1997.
The Gujarati Samaj of New York also hon-
ored Councilman Santino in 2004 for his dedi-
cation to the community. The Councilman’s
outreach to the Indian American community
also includes active participation in the Five
Towns Indian Association and the Elmont-
based Kerala Center.
On January 26, 2003, Town Supervisor Kate
Murray and Councilman Santino unfurled the
Indian tricolor flag outside the Hempstead
Town Hall – the first time ever by any town-
ship across New York – and launched the cele-
bration of the Republic Day of India, which is
commemorated annually.
In recognition of Councilman Santino’s two
decades of dedicated service to the Indian
American community, the Indian American
Voters Forum of New York honored him on
August 15, 2014 at the Consulate of India,
where Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay presented
him a plaque on their behalf.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY6 June 20-26, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Santino nominated forHempstead Town Supervisor
US senator to be honored as Friend of India
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Councilman Tony Santino & Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad at the flag hoisting out- side Hempstead Town Hall to celebrateIndia's Republic Day in January 2014.
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
7/32
7June 20-26, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: A Sikh college student
will be able to join the US Army, without
being for ced to cut his hai r, shave his
beard or stop wearing his turban thanks to
a Washington court ruling.
District Court Judge Amy BermanJackson ruled last week that the Army vio-
lated Hofstra University student Iknoor
Singh's rights when it refused to let him
compete for a spot as a contracted member
of his college's Reserve Officer Training
Corps program.
"The court finds that defendants have
failed to show that the application of the
Army's regulations to this plaintiff and the
denial of the particular religious accom-
modation he seeks further a compelling
government interest by the least restrictive
means," the judge wrote. She added that
the Army's refusal to permit Singh to
enroll while adhering to "articles of faith"
that include his hair and turban "cannotsurvive the strict scrutiny" of the federal
law. The Army has given "tens of thou-
sands of exceptions" to its grooming and
uniform policies, the judge wrote, and
made "successful accommodation of
observant Sikhs in the past," noting several
who have served with distinction, receiv-
ing commendations. Jackson said the
Army's own research contradicted deputy
chief of staff Lt. Gen. James C.
McConville's opinion in denying Singh's
enrollment request.
McConville and other Army officials had
contended the articles of faith would have
an adverse impact on unit cohesion and
morale, discipline and health and safety.Singh, a resident of Queens in New
York, who plans to enroll in the ROTC
program in autumn, told Newsday in a
phone interview Monday: "Being told no a
handful of times, I didn't give up."
"I had faith and let things play out," he
was quoted as saying. "I'll be going on
weekend field exercises, which I wasn't
previous ly able to do. I'm very exci ted
about that."
Sikh student can join US army with beard, turban
New York: A UN report says that
Indians in its peacekeeping opera-
tions were involved in three sub-
stantiated cases of sexual exploita-
tion or abuse between 2010 and
2013.
During those four years, there
were a total of 64 substantiated
cases of sexual abuse by UN peace-
keepers, according to the report
released on Friday. More than
100,000 uniformed personnel serve
in UN peacekeeping operations.
For context, the UN Office of
Internal Oversight Services (OIOS),
which looked into allegations of
sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations, however,
noted in its report that largest con-
tributors of troops to the UN like
India had lower incidence of cases
of abuse.
India, which currently has over
8,000 personnel in the peacekeeping
operations, is one of the largest con-
tributors to the UN.
The other largest contributors of
uniformed personnel to the UN are
Pakistan, which has more than
8,750 in UN operations and had
four substantiated cases, and
Bangladesh with over 9,000 person-
nel and two such cases.
"While many variables, including
contingent size, could affect the
numbers of substantiated allega-
tions, it appears that the largest
TCCs (troop contributing countries)
do not have the highest number of
substantiated allegations against
their personnel," the report said.
Britain, which has fewer than 300 personnel serving in UN operations,
had one substantiated case. South
Africa with 2,160 had the highest
number of cases, nine. Uruguay
with under 1,500 personnel had
eight cases.
The UN Department of Field
Services, which deals with the
deployment of personnel in peace-
keeping operations, said in response
to the report, that given the huge
number of troops deployed "it can
easily be argued that such data
would more appropriately point to
individual failings than to the over-
all attitude of a member state's mili-
tary forces towards SEA (sexual
exploitation and abuse)."
The report lacked specific infor-
mation about the incidents, except
for one case against Pakistani police
per sonnel in Hai ti involv ing the
abduction and rape of a 13-year-old
boy.
According to the report, besidesoutright violence and rape, many
cases involved troops providing
gifts to women and girls, exploiting
their poverty. In some of the
instances, the women were given
food and supplies for babies and in
others, gifts like jewellery, clothing
and electronics.
Washington, DC: Ahead of the
2015-2016 election cycle, the
Republican Party has included two
Indian-Americans state legislators
on a project to recruit, train, and
elect Republican candidates from
diverse communities on the state
level. Niraj Antani and Janak Joshi,
State Representatives in Ohio and
Colorado Houses respectively, are
pa rt of th e le ad er sh ip te am of
Republican State Leadership
Committee's (RSLC) Future
Majority Project (FMP).
Headed by former Oklahoma
Speaker of the House and
Republican National Committee
member T.W. Shannon the project
seeks to get elected Republican
candidates "who better represent
the full diversity of America."
In 2013-2014, FMP recruited
hundreds of new candidates and
elected 43 new leaders to office.
This cycle, FMP aims to recruit
250 new, diverse candidates and
see 50 of those candidates appoint-
ed or elected to office, the party
said.
"As someone who has served in
the trenches of state government, I
understand the importance of
recruiting the right candidates with
the right message in every district
and state across the country," said
Shannon.
Richmond, Vir: In
recognition of his
dedication to serving
the less fortunate,
V i r g i n i a
C o m m o n w e a l t h
University Indian
American graduate
student Braveen
Ragunanthan was
honored by the U.S.
Public Health
Service PhysicianP r o f e s s i o n a l
Advisory Committee
with its 2015
Excellence in Public
Health Award.
According to VCU News, the
national award recognizes medical
students who demonstrate their
commitment to improving public
health. He received the award at
the School of Medicine’s student
Honors Day ceremony in May.
As an undergraduate student at
Duke, he spent summers in the
Mississippi Delta, at the epicenter
of the HIV/AIDS crisis in South
Africa and battling neglected trop-ical diseases in Ethiopia. He says
that these trips instilled in him the
belief that “all people of all back-
grounds, regardless of their cir-
cumstances, deserve a chance to
enjoy a healthy life.”
Since enrolling in the School of
Medicine, Ragunanthan has
interned with the World Health
Organization in Geneva,
Switzerland, and participated in
the School of Medicine’s
International/Inner-City/Rural
Preceptorship. This four-year pro-
gram focuses on equipping med-
ical students with the knowledge,
skills and values needed to pro-
vide compassionate care to under-
served communities. “Eventually,
I plan to work as a primary care physic ian in a medically under-
served community and health pro-
fessional shortage area. I am inter-
ested in grassroots community
organizing and the potential of
working in the space of public
health to positively impact com-
munities,” Ragunanthan said.
UN reports three sex cases involving Indian peackeepers
Two Indian-Americans on Republican diversity project leadershipVirginia student Braveen
Ragunanthan honored withNational Public Health Award
Niraj Antani (left)and Janak Joshi
Iknoor Singh
Braveen Ragunanthan (Photo: duke.edu)
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
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8 June 20-26, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: Shivshankar
Menon, former national securi-
ty adviser to India’s prime min-
ister, has joined the Brookings
Institution as a distinguished
fellow, its president Strobe
Talbott recently announced.
Menon will serve within the
foreign policy program at
Brookings. Menon’s profes-
sional experience includes
diplomacy, national security,
atomic energy, disarmament
issues, and India’s relations
with its neighbors and major
global powers. He currently
serves as chairman of the advisory board of
the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi,
and has been a Richard Wilhelm Fellow at
MIT and Fisher Family Fellow at HarvardUniversity.
Menon served as national security advisor to
the prime minister of India from January 2010
to May 2014, and previously
as foreign secretary of India
from October 2006 to August
2009.
He has served as ambassador
and high commissioner of
India to Israel (1995-1997), Sri
Lanka (1997-2000), China
(2000-2003), and Pakistan
(2003-2006). He was also a
member of India’s Atomic
Energy Commission (2008-
2014). A career diplomat,
Menon also served in India’s
missions to the International
Atomic Energy Agency in
Geneva and the United Nations in New York.
Menon studied at the Scindia School,
Gwalior and at St. Stephens College, Delhi
University, where he studied ancient Indianhistory and Chinese. In 2010, he was chosen
by Fore ign Pol icy magazine as one of the
world's "Top 100 Global Thinkers."
Washington, DC: Indian-
American cardiologist Suresh
Gadasalli was shot dead last
week at the Healthy Heart Centre
in Odessa, Texas by a patient and
busi ne ss as so ci at e who th enkilled himself, according to
police.
Witnesses said 60-year-old
Ayyasamy Thangam shot the 53-
year-old Gadasalli multiple times
on Thursday afternoon, accord-
ing to an Odessa Police
Department news release.
Thangam then closed the door
of the room the two men were in
and witnesses heard another sin-
gle gunshot, it said.
Gadasalli was in the Odessa
area since 1993, and became
prominent by performing cutting-
edge heart surgeries, helping
open Alliance Hospital before it
was purchased by OdessaRegional Medical Center in
2007, according to local OA
online.
Gadasalli was named
'Community Statesman' in 1997
by the Heri ta ge of Odes sa
Foundation.
He reportedly performed the
world's first simultaneous hybrid
revascularization, and he was
nominated as "Super Doctor" by
the Texas Monthly Magazine in
2008, it said.
Gadasalli was also previously
investigated in a federal court
case on a currency structuring
charge, the news site said.
The FBI began their investiga-
tion into the Healthy HeartCenter in June 2012.
Gadasalli was accused of vio-
lating federal law in structuring
transactions to avoid reporting
requirements, it said citing previ-
ous reports. According to court
records, Gadasalli's case was
closed on January 22, 2014.
Washington, DC: Three Indian
Americans are among the national final-ists for the 2015-16 White House
Fellowship which offers exceptional
Americans first-hand experience work-
ing at the highest levels of the federal
government.
Luxme Hariharan, Payal Patel and Anil
Yallapragada are among those represent-
ing "an accomplished and diverse cross-
section of professionals from the private
sector, academia, medicine, and armed
services."
They will be evaluated by the
President's Commission on White House
Fellowships from June 11 to 14, accord-
ing to a White House statement.
Luxme Hariharan from Madison,
Wisconsin, is Paediatric Cataract,Glaucoma, Cornea and International
Health Fellow, Children's Hospital of
Los Angeles, University of Southern
California Eye Institute.
Payal Patel from Houston, Texas, isInfectious Diseases Fellow, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard
Medical School.
Anil Yallapragada from Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina, is Medical Director,
South Carolina Stroke Institute, Grand
Strand Medical Centre.
Under the program founded in 1964 by
President Lyndon B. Johnson, selected
individuals spend a year in Washington,
DC working full-time for cabinet secre-
taries, senior White House staff, and
other top-ranking government officials.
There are more than 700 White House
Fellow alumni, a distinguished group
that includes former secretary of state
Colin Powell, CNN chief medical corre-spondent Sanjay Gupta, and Pulitzer
Prize-winning author and historian Doris
Kearns Goodwin.
New York, NY: Museum of the
Moving Image will present a spe-
cial tribute to film maker Mani
Ratnam featuring the director in
person with a trilogy of films that
follow lovers against a backdrop of
Indian politics: Roja (1992),Bombay (1995), and Dil Se
(1998)—the last featuring one of
the most famous scenes in all of
Indian cinema, the “Chaiyya
Chaiyya” musical number on top of
a moving train. The series, Politics
as Spectacle: The Films of Mani
Ratnam, runs from July 31 through
August 2, 2015. Ratnam will partic-
ipate in conversations after each
film, moderated by Richard Peña.
“Mani Ratnam is a treasure, and
we are pleased to host him in New
York with three of his most signifi-
cant and beloved films,” saidChristina Marouda, the Museum’s
Deputy Director for Development
and Founder of the Indian Film
Festival in Los Angeles, who organ-
ized this program. “This weekend
tribute offers audiences, both devot-
ed fans and new viewers, a rare
opportunity to see his gorgeous
films on the big screen, presented in
35mm.”
Richard Peña, Director Emeritus,
Ne w Yor k Fi lm Fe st iv al an d
Professor of Film Studies at
Columbia University, added: “The
false dichotomies that are used tocategorize films—art vs. commer-
cial cinema, entertainment vs. polit-
ical filmmaking—disappear when
one sees how easily Mani Ratnam
is able to combine aspects of all of
them into his work. A New York
tribute to this important filmmaker
is long overdue.”
Washington, DC: An 18-year-old
Indian American teenager from
Texas was killed during a game of
Russian roulette, media reported.According to police, Vikram
Virk, 27, confessed on Saturday to
shooting Jaskaran Singh in the
head that afternoon while playing
the deadly game in Virk's car, CBS
News reported.
Virk reportedly told police that
he handed Singh a handgun that
Virk believed he had emptied.
Singh then pulled the trigger twice
while pointing it at Virk, the police
said."The suspect then took the gun
and pointed it at (Singh) and pulled
the trigger one time and the gun
did not fire. The suspect then
pul led the trigger a second time
and the gun fired, striking the com-
pl ai na nt in th e le ft te mp le ," a
detective wrote in the arrest affi-
davit for Virk. Virk rushed Singh to
a local hospital, where Singh suc-
cumbed to his injury. Hospital per-
sonnel recovered the handgun usedto shoot Singh from Virk's car and
turned it over to police.
Virk initially said Singh shot
himself, but during questioning
admitted that he killed his friend,
pol ice said . Poli ce have charged
Virk with manslaughter. He is
being held on a $150,000 bond.
Shivshankar Menon namedDistinguished Fellow at Brookings
Three Indian Americans shortlistedfor White House Fellowship
Museum of Moving Image NY to honor Mani Ratnam
Indian-American teen killed during Russian roulette game
The filmmaker to appear in person with his trilogy: Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se
Indian-American doctor shotdead by friend in Texas
Former national security adviser to India’s PM Shivshankar Menon
Cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
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9June 20-26, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS
Washington: Jeb Bush, a
son and brother of former
US presidents, joined a
crowded field of
Republican contenders set-
ting the stage for a possible
dynastic clash with a for-mer first lady, Hillary
Clinton in 2016 White
House race.
Watched by his 90-year-
old mother, Barbara Bush,
wife of George H.W. Bush, who lost the
1992 presidential race to Bill Clinton, Jeb
Bush made the announcement Monday in
his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida, a
state he governed for eight years. Formally
throwing his hat into the ring after a six
month exploratory run, Bush saying that
"America deserves better," declared: "We
will take Washington - the static capital of
this dynamic country - out of the business of
causing problems."
"The question for me is what am I going todo about it," said Bush who has cultivated
the image of a sober conservative. "And I've
decided: I'm a candidate for president of the
United States of America."
At one point, he was interrupted by protes-
tors wearing yellow shirts with letters that
read, "Legal Status Is Not Enough," calling
for immigration reform.
Departing from his prepared remarks,
Bush took a dig at President Obama saying
as president, he would pass "meaningful
immigration reform" rather than solving the
problem via an execut ive
order.
He tried to distinguish
himself from other
Republican candidates as
an executive animated by
bi g id ea s an d un iq ue lycapable of carrying them
out and hit out at
Democratic frontrunner
Hillary Clinton. Mocking
her "no-suspense primary"
he warned that "the presidency should not
be passed on from one liberal to the next."
The 11th Republican contender to jump in
the race, John Ellis Bush, 62, the second son
of 41st president George H.W. Bush and
younger brother of 43rd George W. Bush,
who succeeded Bill Clinton in 2001, is
banking on more than his family name.
"It's nobody's turn. It's everybody's test.
And it's wide open, exactly how a contest
for president should be," Bush said hinting
he knew he would need more than his line-age to win the Republican nomination.
As a CNN/ORC Poll released earlier this
month showed Bush isn't entering the race
as a clear front-runner. It found him virtually
tied at the top of the field with Senator
Marco Rubio, a fellow Floridian.
Behind them, 10 percent of those polled
said they planned to support Wisconsin
Governor Scott Walker and former Arkansas
Governor Mike Huckabee. When matched
against Hillary Clinton, Bush trails 51 per-
cent to 43 percent.
Third Bush jumps into White House race
Most US adults back ban on powdered alcohol: Survey
Washington: Addressing the first major
rally of her 2016 presidential run from New
York City’s Roosevelt Island in a state thatshe represented as senator for eight years
after as many years as First Lady, she said
“America can’t succeed unless you succeed”.
Wearing a blue pant suit, with husband Bill
Clinton in a red T-shirt and daughter Chelsea
standing among a cheering crowd by the side
of an H-shaped blue stage with a red arrow
like her campaign logo, she declared
“Democracy can’t be just for billionaires and
corporations”.
“Prosperity can’t be just for CEOs and
hedge fund managers,” she told the crowd of
supporters waving paper US flags and chant-
ing “Hillary, Hillary!”
“Prosperity and democracy are part of your
bas ic bargain, too ,” said the Demo cra tic
frontrunner invoking both her husband Bill
Clinton and President Barack Obama, whomshe served as Secretary of State for four
years after a hard fought battle with her 2008
rival. “You brought our country back. Now
it’s time, your time, to secure the gains and
move ahead. And you know what? America
can’t succeed unless you succeed.”
Invoking President Franklin Roosevelt’s
famous remark “This generation of
Americans has a rendezvous with destiny”,
Clinton noted America’s longest serving
president had “called on every American to
do his or her part and they answered”.
“It’s America’s basic bargain — if you do
your part, you ought to be able to get ahead,”
she said. “When everybody does their part,
America ought to be able to get ahead too.”
Clinton slammed Republican opponents
with an extended riff on the Beatles song
“Yesterday”.
“There may be some new voices in the
Republican choir,” she said of the party’s
2016 field. “But they’re all singing the same
old song. It’s a song called ‘Yesterday’. They
believe in yesterday.”
“These Republicans trip over themselves
promising lower taxes and less regulations
for wealthy corporations without any regard
for what that will do to income inequality,”
she said.
Since announcing her candidacy in April,
Clinton had so far addressed only low-key
and small roundtable events in the first states
to vote in the presidential primaries — Iowa,
New Hampsh ir e, Sout h Caro li na an d
Nevada.
New York: Driven by concerns of potential
misuse among underage youth, majority of
adults in the US favor a ban on recently
approved powdered alcohol which can cre-
ate an instant cocktail when mixed with
water, reveals a survey.
Packaged in travel-friendly pouches, the
new alcohol-on-the-go product is set to be
launched in flavors of distilled spirits like
vodka, rum and mixed drinks.
According to the University of Michigan's
C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll
on Children's Health, 60 percent of the US
adults favor a complete ban of powdered
alcohol in their states, while 84 percent sup- port prohibiting online sales of the product.
"The product's makers tout powdered
alcohol as improving convenience for peo-
ple who enjoy the outdoors and others who
want to travel light with alcoholic bever-
ages," said Matthew Davis, director of the
National Poll on Children's Health and pro-
fessor of pediatrics and internal medicine at
the University of Michigan Medical School.
"Given that several states are considering
legislation about powdered alcohol, our poll
looked at what the public thinks about this
new product.
The majority of adults agree that pow-
dered alcohol may spell trouble for young
people." Only about a third of adults had
heard about powdered alcohol when the poll
was conducted in May 2015. The product isset to launch this summer but some states,
including Louisiana, South Carolina and
Vermont, have already banned it.
Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385
718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.com
Jeb Bush
The Democratic frontrunner for WhiteHouse chose Roosevelt Island in NYC for
her first major rally.
The first women-only mosque in the United States that opened in Los Angeles in February this eyar. on The mosque is housed in a century-old multifaith worship spacenear downtown.Originally built as asynagogue, Pico-Union is
now the home of thenonprofit Women’s Mosque as well asseveral Jewish and Christian groups.
An all-women mosque in LA
Hillary Clinton begins second‘rendezvous with destiny’
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
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10 June 20-26, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister
Manik Sarkar said that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi remained
"non-committal" on continuation of
the special category status for eight
northeastern states, demanding the
arrangement be continued for their
development.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modiremained silent on the eight chief
ministers` demand to continue with
the special category status," Sarkar
told reporters here on Wednesday
after returning from New Delhi,
where he met Modi on this issue.
Expressing his apprehensions that
the special category status of the
northeastern states was going to end
due to various factors, he demanded
that the special status was a must to
bring these underdeve loped states
on par with other mainland states.
These states are Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Tripura, and the Himalayan state of Sikkim. "The prime minister also
remained evasive on a joint meeting
with all eight chief ministers.
However, he agreed to attend the
next meeting of North Eastern
Council (NEC) in Delhi," the
Tripura chief minister said. "If the
central government does not provide
funds for the development of the
northeastern states, we cannot
approach Washington or Pakistan
for money," remarked Sarkar, who
has been the chief minister of
Tripura for more than 17 years.
All the eight chief ministers
belonging to the Congress, Left and
regional parties sent a signed resolu-
tion on April 23, urging Modi to
continue with the `special categorystatus` to their mountainous states.
Sarkar, a member of CPI-M polit-
buro, said that after the Plann ing
Commission`s abolition, the funding
pa tt er n of No rmal Ce nt ra l
Assistance (NCA), Special Central
Assistance (SCA) and Special Plan
Assistance (SPA) had become
unclear.
"Earlier, the special category
states used to get reasonable amount
under the NCA, SCA and SPA. The
funding pattern for the special cate-
gory states for centrally sponsored
schemes (CSS) was in the ratio of
90:10, where 90 percent of the totalexpenditure was borne by the cen-
tral government and 10 percent con-
tributed by the state concerned," he
pointed out.
"Any change in the burden shar-
ing will only add to the liabilities of
the states, which they will not be
able to meet, leading to dumping of
pro-people developmental schemes
in the northeast region," Sarkar
added.
He expressed the apprehension
that after the formation of NITI
(National Institution for
Transforming India) Aayog and con-
sidering the 14th Finance
Commission recommendations andthe 2015-16 union budget, their spe-
cial category status was going to
end. There are 11 states in India
clubbed under the special status cat-
egory, comprising eight northeastern
states, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
Kathmandu: In a major step
towards sub-regional cooperation
with far-reaching consequences,
four Saarc nations - Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) -
will start unhindered vehicular movement between them from
September this year.
Nepal' s Mini ste r for Physical
Infrastructure and Transport
Bimalendra Nidhi said on
Thursday that direct vehicular
movement among the four mem-
ber countries of the SAARC will
kick off from September 18. The
four countries inked the BBINMotor Vehicle Agreement in
Bhutan's capital Thimphu on
Monday. Nepal and India have
already signed the Motor Vehicle
Agreement during the 18th Saarc
Summit held in Kathmandu last
November.
Minister Nidhi said that the
accord will not only help facilitate
seamless and unhindered transport between the BBIN countries, but
also help in promotion of eco-
nomic development and tourism
of these countries.
New Delhi: Opposition parties,
including the Congress and AAP,
on Thursday attacked the Narendra
Modi government after veteran
BJP leader L.K. Advani's remarks
that forces that can crush democra-cy were stronger at present and a
repeat of an Emergency-like situa-
tion cannot be ruled out.
Advani made the remarks in an
interview to the Indian Express
daily.
Congress spokesperson Tom
Vadakkan said it is not only his
par ty whi ch is que st ioning the
government "but even senior BJP
leadership is raising questions on
the efficacy of the government".
Another Congress spokesperson
Sanjay Jha tweeted: "A totalitarian
system is gradually overwhelming
India; Advani Ji's warnings con-
firm our worst apprehensions."Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal also took a dig at Prime
Minister Modi and the central gov-
ernment in a reference to the vari-
ous standoffs between the Centre
and his Aam Aadmi Party govern-ment on issues including power to
appoint and transfer officials.
"Advani ji is correct in saying
that Emergency can't be ruled out.
Is Delhi their first experiment," he
tweeted. AAP leader Ashutosh alsotweeted that Advani's interview is
first "indictment of Modi's poli-
tics". "He is saying democracy is
not safe, emergency is not far,
under Modi's leadership. When
Modi was to be made PM candi-
date Advani discussed in his blogabout Mussolini and Hitler. He
was hinting at the future then
under Modi," he said in a series of
tweets.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar, of the Janata Dal-United,
said Advani was a veteran leader
and there is need to give attention
to his fear and worry.
"The BJP leader is right to a
large extent in his remarks that at
the present point of time, the
forces that can crush democracy,
notwithstanding the constitutional
and legal safeguards, are stronger,"
he told media persons in Patna.
BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar,however, said Advani may have
been referring to institutions rather
than individuals, and he does not
think there is any chance of an
emergency-like situation.
In an interview to the Indian
Express ahead of the 40th anniver-sary of the imposition of emer-
gency in India, Advani said "forces
that can crush democracy, notwith-
standing the constitutional and
legal safeguards, are stronger".
Observing that he did not mean
the political leadership was not
mature, he said he did not have
faith due to i ts weakness.
Advani also said that he did not
have confidence that Emergency
cannot happen again, noting "there
aren't enough safeguards in India
in 2015".
Internal emergency was imposed
on the country by Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975and it lasted 19 months.
New Delhi/Shimla:
In a setback toHimachal Pradesh
Chief Minister
Virbhadra Singh, the
CBI on Thursday ini-
tiated a preliminary
inquiry against him
and his family over
allegations of corrup-
tion and acquiring
d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e
assets during his
tenure as union steel
minister. However,
Virbhadra Singh
refuted the allegations. Official
sources told IANS that the
Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) restarted the preliminary
inquiry on the basis of the
income tax department order
that said the agricultural income
of Virbhadra Singh and his fam-
ily dramatically increased in the
revised return, which was an
apparent attempt to justify the
investments made in the pur-
chase of insurance policies
worth over Rs.6.1 crore.
"This is just a preliminary
inquiry. If the allegations are
proved to be true, a regular case
will be registered against
Virbhadra Singh and his fami-
ly," a CBI official told IANS.
Virbhadra Singh's petitionchallenging the order of the
income tax department transfer-
ring his cases from Shimla to
Chandigarh is also pending in
the Himachal Pradesh High
Court.
Admitting his petition on May
8, a division bench of JusticeRajiv Sharma and Justice
Sureshwar Thakur made
absolute an interim stay on the
April 1 notice of the income tax
department, observing that a
reasonable opportunity of being
heard in the matter granted to
the assessee must be effective
and not a mere formality.
"The order must contain spe-
cific reasons after taking into
consideration the factual matrix.
Merely stating that the transfer
is for the purpose of coordinat-
ing in itself is not a ground for
consolidating the cases at one
place.The cause of action has arisen
in Himachal and the conven-
ience of the party cannot be
overlooked," it noted.
Disproportionate assets:CBI begins probe against
Himachal CM
Opposition picks up Advani remarks to attack Modi government
Do Advani’s remarks hint at fear oftotalitarian system under Modi
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh belongs to
Congress party
The Seven Sister States inIndia’s northeast
PM non-committal on northeastern states'special status: Tripura CM
4 Saarc nations drive towards free vehicular movement
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
11/32
11June 20-26, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
By Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur: The new revelations
made by the former IPL supremo
Lalit Modi in an interview to a
news channel has bared the skele-
tons of the Rajasthan Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje. His
move reveals facts about how
thick was the relationship
between him and Raje.
Particularly, the fact that duringthe critical time when his wife
Minal was ailing with cancer, it
was Raje who took her to Portugal
in 2012 and 2013.
Lalit Modi seems to have picked
up cudgels against Raje as a
revenge because she severed her
relationship with him and ousted
him from the Rajasthan Cricket
Association's (RCA) presi-
dentship. This was the time when
she was out of power and despite
be in g made the lead er of
Opposition, she hardly stayed in
Jaipur. The then Chief minister
Ashok Gehlot often jocularly
asked, “Where is Vasundhara?
What is she doing abroad? Why is
she staying for so long in UK
where Lalit Modi has taken
refuge? Why is she not playing
her role as the leader of
Opposition?”
Lalit Modi enjoyed the fruits of
his friendship with Raje for long
and despite the fact that he was
not present in India, when the
RCA election took place last year,
Modi largely because of the sup-
port of Raje government’s bureau-
crats, won the RCA election.
Lalit Modi was a thorn in the
flesh of the former national crick-
et board chief N. Srinivasan and
finance minister Arun Jaitley andthe BCCI banned the RCA for
electing Modi as president whom
it had banned for life.
Meanwhile, Vasundhara Raje
felt uncomfortable keeping her
friendship going with Lalit Modi
as her detractors were still linking
Modi with her. During her first
term as the state’s Chief Minister,
she had invited a lot of criticism
by both her own party men and
the Opposition by allowing Lalit
Modi to become an “extra
Constitutional authority”
Finally, Vasundhara found that
any association with Modi would
allow her detractors to thrive on
the situation because Modi was
continuing as President of the
RCA. So, she engineered a coup
by encouraging a close associate
of Modi and the BJP’s minority
community face Ameen Pathan to
oust Modi as RCA president.
Pathan led a rebel group who
voted Modi out of the RCA
through a no confidence motion.
This came as a shock to Lalit
Modi and he tweeted just after the
no confidence motion that
Vasundhara was being misguided
by some of her aides.As Chief Minister, Raje now
had no option but to keep dis-
tance from Modi especially
be ca us e when sh e wa s ou t of
power, her MP son Dushyant got
embroiled in a controversy
because of his alleged financial
deals with Modi. A Jaipur-based
lawyer Poonam Chand Bhandari
wrote a series of letters to the
Enforcement Directorate claiming
Modi had laundered black money
for Raje's son. Bhandari alleged
that around Rs 11 crore was rout-
ed to Niyant Heritage Hospitality
Ltd by a company owned by Modi
and his wife. In this company
Dushyant and his wife are direc-
tors. The money was transferred
from Mauritius.
Raje, after severing her relation-
ship with Lalit Modi, tried to tell
the BJP high command that she
was no longer associated with
him. Modi, meanwhile, was tar-
geting her indirectly by twitting
sarcastic comment against Jaitley
and the BJP general secretary
Bhupendra Yadav.
After the controversy about the
appeal made by Sushma Swaraj
on behalf of Lalit Modi was made pu bl ic , he to ok hi s re ve ng e
against Vasundhara by stating
how she also tried to help him in
getting immigration visas.
Money for rural India from Delhi triplesNew Delhi: Over the next five years, money to rural local governments
(panchayats) will rise nearly three times, from Rs.63,051 crore to
Rs.200,292 crore, on the recommendations of the 14th Finance
Commission - a constitutional body that recommends sharing of financial
resources between the centre and the states. Panchayat institutions in
Kerala are most effectively decentralised and so best placed to handle this
money. The next best are Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Gram panchayats, the smallest unit of the panchayat system, get the
largest share of finances, 60 percent, from the central government.
Block and district-level panchayats, the second and third tier of the
three-tier panchayati raj system, get most of their money from the states.
While gram panchayats generate 11 percent of revenue, block and dis-
trict-level panchayats generate 0.4 percent and 1.6 percent respectively.
These are some of the key findings of a report titled "A Contemporary
Analysis of Fiscal Transfers to Rural Local Governments in India" by
Accountability Initiative, a New Delhi-based think tank. While India's
urban population increased 31.8 % between 2001 and 2011, 69 percent of
India is still rural. This fact has not been lost on Delhi.A major transfer of power was a part of local government reforms in the
early 1990s when panchayats were duly empowered. The Indian
Government became a three-tiered structure -centre, state and local (rural
and urban) - in 1992 under the 73rd and 74th amendments.
New Delhi: The controversy over Sushma
Swaraj helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi
continued to billow as senior Congress
leader and former union finance minister P.
Chidambaram accused the external affairs
minister of "nepotism" and abuse of authori-ty even as the government reiterated its stand
that she had committed no impropriety.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai,
Chidambaram also asked the government
about the steps it has taken to bring back the
former IPL chief, who faces an Enforcement
Directorate notice for alleged financial
impropriety.
Chidambaram said Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley has confirmed that the Enforcement
Directorate was investigating 16 cases
against Modi and show cause notice was
issued in 15 cases.
Posing seven questions to the government,
Chidambaram said if Sushma Swaraj wanted
to facilitate Modi getting travel documents
on humanitarian grounds, she should have
asked him to get in touch with the Indian
High Commission in London. "Why did she
feel he should have UK travel documents
rather than Indian travel documents?" he
asked.
Leveling a series of allegations,Chidambaram said it was "nepotism, abuse
of authority and violation of rules".
He also asked the NDA government to
make public the letters exchanged between
him and British Chancellor of Exchequer
George Osborne.
Chidambaram said he wrote to his British
counterpart Osborne that Lalit Modi was
being investigated under Indian laws and the
British government should send him back to
India as his passport was revoked by the
Indian government.
Continuing the attack on the government,
the Congress party demanded that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on
the issue. Calling him "Maun Modi",
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala questioned the PM’s "conspirator-
ial" silence on the Lalit Modi controversy.
The Congress is also demanding the resig-
nation of Sushma Swaraj over her assistance
to Lalit Modi.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad backed Sushma Swaraj, saying she did not
commit an action of impropriety or corrup-
tion by helping Lalit
Modi procure documents to travel to
Portugal last year for his cancer-stricken
wife's treatment.
Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday got strong
backing from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
who termed "baseless" all allegations against
her. On Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje, whose name also cropped
up in the controversy, Prasad said the details
would have to be looked into. The Congress
on Wednesday demanded Raje's resignation
over allegations that she testified in favor of
former IPL chief Lalit Modi's British immi-
gration application in 2011.
As finance minister P. Chidambaramhad written to his British counterpart
that Lalit Modi was being probed under Indian laws and the British
government should send him back as his passport was revoked.
Lalit Modi link comes back to haunt Rajasthan CM
Patna: BJP presi-
dent Amit Shah
will take lessons
from a Muslim
yoga teacher at a
special camp here
on June 21 -
I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Yoga Day.
"Yoga experts
Mohd Tamanna and Ashok Sarkar
will teach yoga to Shah at Moinul
Haque stadium here," Ajit Kumar,
in-charge of Bihar-Jharkhand
Patanjali Yogpeeth, said.
He said Tamanna will give tips
on yoga to Shah.
At least half a dozen union min-
isters from Bihar, including Ravi
Shankar Prasad, Rajeev Pratap
Rudy, Radha Mohan Singh and
Ram Kirpal
Yadav, will also
attend the yoga
camp in Patna.
Shah's plans to
attend the yoga
camp here has
become a political
issue. Chief
Minister Nitish
Kumar targeted the BJP and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
and said they had made yoga a
matter of "show-off and publici-
ty". He termed BJP's move to
hold a yoga camp on June 21 a
"drama", following which
Telecommunications Minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad advised
Ni ti sh Ku ma r to pr ac ti ce
'pranayam' for peace of mind.
Amit Shah to take yogalessons from Muslim teacher
Chidambaram bolsters attack on Sushma on Lalit Modi link
Vasundhara Raje allegedly testified in favor of former IPL chief and RCA president Lalit Modi's British immigration application
BJP President Amit Shah
8/21/2019 Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015
12/32
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
By Amit Dasgupta
The front page news that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has
persona lly directed that the
feasibility of foreign universities
entering the education space in India
be urgently examined has come as
good news for the higher education
sector, which is currently reeling
under burgeoning demand, limited
supply and the mushrooming of
poor quality educational institutions.
There is hope that the BJP, which
had opposed the bill on the subject
when UPA-II moved it, would sup-
port it now if the prime mini ster
endorses it.
This might well turn out to be the
game changer that would transform
the education landscape in India. It
is an accepted fact that many gradu-
ates, including those with engineer-
ing degrees, are unable to find
employment because they do not possess the knowledge or skills that
make them market-worthy. This is a
consequence when shoddy educa-
tion vendors flood the market sim-
ply to take advantage of demand.
Quality education suffers as a con-
sequence.
The passage of the long-pending
Foreign Educat