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New Delhi/New York: The festival of colours
Holi was celebrated Wednesday across India
with enthusiasm and bonhomie. In the nation-
al capital, revelers were soaked in a riot of
colors as they smeared 'gulal' (colored pow-
der) on each other, distributed sweets and
danced to loud music.
While youngsters armed with 'pichkaris'
(water guns) and balloons filled with colored
water sprayed each other as well as passersby,
elders preferred to smear one another with
gulal as they hugged each other and wished
'Holi Mubarak'.
Many visited temples and prayed to Lord
Krishna.
In Mumbai, the city and suburbs erupted in
colors as thousands poured out of their houses
and building complexes since morning to play
Rang Panchami (Holi).
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Mumbai
Police and film and television stars urged peo-
ple to play a safe Holi.
In the tristate area, most big Holi events are
this weekend. (see event listings on page 22).
By Arvind Padmanabhan
Durban: In a clear signal of
their ascendance in the
geopolitical space, the lead-
ers of Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa
Wednesday gave their go-
ahead to a BRICS bank,
rivaling the World Bank and
the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), to address the
development challenges of
Pyongyang: North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un has rati-
fied a strike plan by the
Strategic Rocket Force as
US B-2 stealth bombers flew
over the Korean Peninsula,
the KCNA news agency
reported Friday.
"The time has come to set-
tle accounts with the US
imperialists in view of the
prevailing situation," Xinhua
quoted Kim Jong Un as say-
ing after an urgent meeting
New York: To counteract all the violence we
have witnessed in the US recently, Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar has launched ‘Nonviolence:
No Higher Calling’ movement. After events
on the West Coast and Chicago, the rave and
wave powered by the Art of Living
Foundation comes to New York on March 30
afternoon when Sri Sri will launch it at the
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th St and 2nd
Ave).
“Nonviolence: No Higher Calling seeks to
Durban Summit delivers a BRICS development bank
North Korea ratifies plan for rocketstrike on US and S. Korea
Sri Sri’s non-violence movement to launch in NYC
Indian Americans too enjoy Holi events, which will continue for couple of weeks more.
Film luminaries Shabana Azmi and JavedAkhtar doused in the Holi spirit
BJP stalwart L.K. Advani and Kamla Advanicelebrating Holi at their Delhi home.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with the army generals.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other BRICSleaders during the summit in South Africa.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the NonVioevent in Los Angeles early this week.
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
Vol.5 No. 49 March 30-April 5, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Health 30 Fashion 35 Spiritual Awareness 38Diplomacy 7 excellence in journalism
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4 (Full story on page 34)
Continued on page 4
Holi celebrated withfun, frolic in India
Holi in Beawer, Rajasthan, is a different hue altogether.
Entering the pulsating pulse of lifeSpecial Holi section pages 12-29.
March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
3March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Protesters march against Wharton snub to ModiRajaratnam's brother pleads not guiltyto insider trading charges in US court Washington, DC: About 200 Indian-
Americans marched in protest against the
controversial withdrawal of an invitation
to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
to speak at the Wharton India Economic
Forum.
Marching under the banner of a group
called Americans for Free Speech, they
chanted: "We want Modi!" as the Forum
held its conference Saturday afternoon at
the University of Pennsylvania Museum
of Archaeology and Anthropology in
Philadelphia.
The march, followed by a series of
speeches from guest speakers, was held
across the street from the conference to
which members of the press were denied
entrance, the Daily Pennsylvanian
reported.
About 200 protesters from across the
US gathered for the march with two buses
from New Jersey and one from Queens,
New York bringing people to the protest.
During the march, a sign was posted
outside the conference hall by the protest-
ers that read: "In memory of Free Speech
1776-2013. Killed at Wharton by the
English Department."
The march is "carrying the funeral of
free speech", Narain Kataria, a speaker at
the event, was quoted as saying.
Protesters held up signs that read "First
they came for the Hindus", "End
McCarthyism against Hindus", and "Stop
Academic Jihad", among others.
One organizer shouted to the crowd that
the march was as important as that of
Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther
King, Jr, the newspaper reported.
People on stilts and a jazz band marched
with the protesters to "push the excite-
ment", said musician Devon Taylor.
Bystanders watched as the crowd of pro-
testers slowly moved their way to
Franklin Field.
First UN International Day of Happiness celebrated
Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to perform at Nassau Coliseum
Audio book of spiritual guru Sri Chinmoyreleased on the occasion
United Nations: An audio book con-
taining poems and prose by Indian
spiritual guru Sri Chinmoy was
released at the United Nations head-
quarters here on the eve of the first
UN International Day of Happiness.
The Audio Book "The Jewels of
Happiness" contains chapters read by
Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, singer Roberta Flack,
Olympic champion Carl Lewis, musi-
cian Michael Walden, actress Judith
Light and musician Boris
Grebenshikov.
The event was opened by Anwarul
Chowdhury, Special Advisor and
Ambassador of Bangladesh to the
United Nations for many years.
"These sweet gems of wisdom by
my dear friend Sri Chinmoy are time-
less truths full of encouragement, love
and goodness," Nobel Peace Laureate,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said in a
video message. A special message
from peace activist Ela Gandhi, grand-
daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, and for-
mer Member of Parliament in South
Africa, was also read out.
The audio book is available on
iTunes and audible.com and its pro-
ceeds will go to charities for children
worldwide: Nelson Mandela
Childrens Fund, Philani Nutrition and
Development Project in South Africa
and Mother Teresa's Missionaries of
Charity.
New York, NY: The Grand Finale Mega Concert of Ustad
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s 2013 World Tour will be held at
Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, NY on Saturday, June 15th.
Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is the glorious voice behind hit
songs such as ‘Tere Mast Mast Do Nain’, ‘Sajda’, ‘Dil To
Baccha Hai’, ‘Teri Ore’ and many others. Ustad Rahat Fateh
Ali Khan is the nephew of the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan and mentored under him since birth.
Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s 2013 North America tour
commences in Dallas on April 19 and will have the grand
finale in New York after performing throughout North
America and the Caribbean. Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will
commemorate 100 years of Bollywood for this one night
“Mega Event” and also celebrate his contribution to
Bollywood for the past10 years. He will be performing many
of his famous hits at the Grand Finale concert in New York.
The production along with the performance of the maestro
will be something which the audiences have never experi-
enced before globally.
“This is going to be one of the largest concerts of a solo
artist with an Indian/Pakistani background that has been ever
held in New York.
New York: Rengan Rajaratnam, younger
brother of jailed hedgefund manager Raj
Rajaratnam on Monday pleaded not guilty
before a New York court to charges of con-
spiring in an insider trading scheme to
cheat on Wall Street and earn nearly $1.2
million illegally.
Rengam Rajaratnam, 42 was produced
before the court a day after his arrest at the
John F Kennedy Airport on arrival from
Brazil.
Rajaratnam, was indicted last week by
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US
Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) on charges of insider trading.
A former portfolio manager at the hedge
fund management firm Galleon Group
Rengan Rajaratnam, voluntarily surren-
dered after returning from Brazil on
Sunday to clear his name, said his lawyer.
"After reading about his indictment, Mr
Rajaratnam immediately volunteered to
return from Brazil, where he had been liv-
ing and working for the past year, in order
to defend himself," the attorneys, David
Tobin and Vinoo Varghese, said in the
statement.
The indictments alleged that Rajaratnam
conspired with his brother, Galleon founder
Raj Rajaratnam, to trade on the basis of
material, non-public information concern-
ing Clearwire Corp and Advanced Micro
Devices Inc (AMD) in 2008, earning nearly
$1.2 million in profits in the aggregate.
In a separate complaint, SEC alleged that
from 2006 to 2008, Rengan Rajaratnam
repeatedly received inside information
from his brother and reaped more than $3
million in illicit gains for himself and
hedge funds that he managed at Galleon
and Sedna Capital Management, a hedge
fund advisory firm that he co-founded.
200 protestors from across the USgathered for the marchRengan Rajaratnam
US lawmakers want hate crimesagainst Sikhs, Hindus tracked
Washington, DC: Over 100 member
of the US House of Representatives
have asked the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) to track hate
crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, and
Arab-Americans as it does for other
communities.
The call came in a letter to FBI
Advisory Policy Board signed among
others by Joe Crowley, vice chair of
the Democratic caucus, Ami Bera, the
lone Indian American member of the
House and Tulsi Gabbard, the first
Hindu American in the Congress.
The board is expected to meet soon
to review whether these categories
should be added to hate crimes forms
used by the FBI and department of
justice. "These groups have all too
often been the victim of violent and
deadly attacks, and many are targeted
with violence for reasons attackers
chillingly claim are related to hatred,"
the lawmakers said.
"Unfortunately, anecdotal and non-
government data indicate that the
commission of hate crimes against
Sikhs, Hindus and Arab-Americans
has become a deadly problem," they
said citing several cases.
These included massacre at the Sikh
temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and
the murder of Hindu Senando Sen on
the New York City subway along with
attacks across the US - underscore the
severity of the issue.
In fact, according to community sur-
veys in New York City and the San
Francisco Bay Area, approximately 10
percent of Sikh-Americans felt they
had already been a victim of a hate
crime.
Attacks on persons or property in
Michigan and elsewhere add urgency
to these concerns, the lawmakers said.
The move is backed by the
American Jewish Committee, Anti-
Defamation League, Hindu American
Foundation, Indian American Forum
for Political Education, Sikh
Coalition, and South Asian Americans
Leading Together (SAALT) among
other leading national organizations
Thanking the lawmakers, the Sikh
Coalition said: "We believe that accu-
rately tracking these crimes will
strengthen diagnostic and deterrence
efforts and help law enforcement offi-
cials proactively address these chal-
lenges."
Sri Chinmoy
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(Left) The Hindu Temple of India Cultural Society,Wayne, NJ, celebrated Holi on March 27. The program
started with Satya Narayan Puja followed by mahaAarti and Holi Pragatya. Shastri Arvind explained thesignificance of Holi. Rangotsav will be celebrated on
March 30th at 2:00 PM outside the temple.
4 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTURN PAGE
Adecade ago, the weekend
would be a virtual get
together because Indians
would call their family and
friends from the US and speak to
everybody at home. This would
happen only once a week --
because the calling rates were
exorbitant. Later, the rates
dropped and then came the VoIP
technology. Vonage was the first
to offer unlimited calling to India
and other countries. Indians in the
US rushed to sign up.
The rates were low and every-
body was calling home -- even
the lady who joined her husband
here after marriage would call up
her parents and talk for hours
about the lack of domestic help to
the tattooed couple next door who
were not married but had kids.
Others jumped on the bandwag-
on – Allvoi, Unovon, Ooma, to
name a few. It certainly was truly
UNLIMITED calling.
Today it seems we are again
looking at the dark pre-2006 era.
With all the telecom carriers
increasing call rates to India by a
whopping 150% in March, every
VoIP provider of services would
be forced to increase their month-
ly charges and offload this burden
to their valuable customers.
This would be felt by the entire
Indian community when they see
their monstrous bills in about a
month’s time. Else the VoIP
would have to force the customer
to limit their calling, thereby
bringing an end to the era of
“Unlimited Calling”.
Karan Thapar
Collings Lakes, NJ
London: The life story
of a 15-year Pakistani
girl who was shot by
the Taliban will be pub-
lished later this year, in
a deal reported to be
worth around £2m.
"I am Malala" will be
published in the
autumn and will tell the
story of Malala
Yousafzai, who was
shot by Taliban gunmen
after she became an
advocate for woman's educa-
tion in the Swat Valley. She
now attends a school in
Birmingham.
Yousafzai said: "I hope this
book will reach people
around the world, so they
realize how difficult it is for
some children to get access to
education.
"I want to tell my story, but
it will also be the story of
61m children who can't get
education. I want it to be part
of the campaign to give every
boy and girl the right to go to
school. It is their basic right."
The book, which will be
published by Weidenfeld &
Nicholson in the UK and
Commonwealth and by Little,
Brown in the rest of the
world, is the latest stage of
Yousafzai's public life which
almost ended in tragedy.
Yousafzai began writing a
blog on the BBC Urdu serv-
ice under a pseudonym about
life in the Swat Valley in
2009. The Taliban were
expanding their influence and
at times banned girls from
going to school and the
Pakistani army fought to re-
establish control.
In October last year, gun-
men boarded her school bus
and shot her in the head.
Yousafzai was flown to
England where she was treat-
ed. Last month she had an
operation to rebuild her skull
and restore her hearing.
Earlier this month Yousafzai
went back to school.
Letter to the Editor
Prohibitive cost of calling India 'I am Malala' to fetchPak teen £2m
Durban Summit delivera BRICS development Bank storyContinued from page 1poor and emerging economies.
The leaders, who met for the 5th BRICS
Summit here -- where the Indian delegation
was led by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh -- also endorsed a $100-billion con-
tingency reserve arrangement that will be
deployed when any of the five member-
nations faces a crisis.
North Korea storyContinued from page 1
with top military officials early Friday.
He ratified a plan of the Strategic Rocket
Force for firepower strike on the US and
South Korea if they "make a reckless provo-
cation", said the KCNA.
Kim said the latest US move is "not a sim-
ple demonstration of forces" but "an ultima-
tum that will ignite a nuclear war at any cost
on the Korean Peninsula".
Two B-2 Spirit bombers were sent to the
Korean Peninsula Thursday for a firing drill
but US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
denied that flying the bombers to the penin-
sula would aggravate the situation in the
region.
Tensions have been running high on the
Korean Peninsula since North Korea con-
ducted its third nuclear test Feb 12 as a
countermeasure against the joint military
drills of the US and South Korea.
North Korea also threatened to launch a
pre-emptive nuclear strike for self-defense
and unilaterally nullified the 1953 armistice
that suspended the Korean War.
Sri Sri non violance movement storyContinued from page 1
make the voice of nonviolence louder than
violence; for every acts of violence we com-
mit to 100 acts of nonviolence. Together we
will reach one billion acts of nonviolence!
By re-glorifying non-violence and re-instill-
ing our pride in peace, we can address vio-
lence in our communities, our homes, our
schools, and the media,” said a press
release.
At every venue, Sri Sri, joined by celebri-
ties and activists, leads guided meditation
with thousands of participants to help create
a stress-free mindset. Website: nonvio.org
Malala Yousafzai
Eight US governors, city mayorsplan to visit India in 2013
Washington, DC: Reflecting the concerted
effort on the part of the US to tap the huge
investment and business climate that India
offers, as many as eight American governors
and mayors are planning to visit the country
this year. "This year, at least eight American
governors and city mayors plan to visit India
with trade and investment delegations, which
the State Department is pleased to help
arrange," assistant secretary of state for south
and central asia, Robert Blake, told students
of the Berkeley Institute of International
Studies in California on Thursday.
The California Governor, Jerry Brown, too
is planning a India visit, he said.
"During these visits, state officials and pri-
vate sector representatives explore opportuni-
ties for job creation and investments by
American companies in India and Indian com-
panies in America," he said.
"Our state officials increasingly understand
that as the fastest-growing market for US
exports, India provides significant opportuni-
ties to drive US job growth and bring econom-
ic opportunity to the American workforce," he
added. Blake said businesses and citizens on
both sides are recognizing the benefits of
increased partnership.
A 2012 report by the industry body CII
noted that Indian companies in America had
invested more than $820 million in US-based
facilities, had collectively conducted 72 merg-
ers and acquisitions in the US since 2005, and
had projected research and development
investments estimated to be over $190 million
in 2012 alone.Indian companies operating in
the US are adding tremendous value to the
local economies in which they operate, the
most tangible effects of which are felt at the
state and county levels.
"That's why one of our top priorities in
building the partnership with India is to
expand state-and local-level engagement," he
said. Referring to the substantial jump in
India-US trade, Blake said the booming trade
relationship already is delivering substantial
benefits to the American people.
Over the past decade, our bilateral trade has
nearly quadrupled, reaching nearly $100 bil-
lion last year.
Sexual harassment lawsuit against Bikram Yoga founderNew York: Bikram Choudhury, founder of
Bikram Yoga and creator of the famed
“Hot Yoga” program popular with A-list
Hollywood celebrities, is being sued by
a former student who claims the 67-
year-old yoga instructor repeatedly
made sexual advances to her, and
denied her employment when
she spurned him.
According to the complaint,
Sarah Baughn – who was 20
when she first began taking
Bikram Yoga classes – alleged
that Choudhury, over a period
of four years, had made repeated sexual
advances, publicly humiliated her in front of
other students and denied her employment
when she spurned his advances.
The harassment allegedly began in the
spring of 2005, when Baughn attended a
teacher training course taught by Choudhury
himself. On the fifth night of the course, the
suit says, Choudhury singled out Baughn and
told her he had known her from a past life.
“Should we make this a relationship?”
Choudhury is quoted as saying the law-
suit. “I know you from a past life and
I have this feeling about you. In your
culture, you call it love; I can’t love,
you know but that is how I feel
about you. I have never, never felt
like this about anyone. Only you.”
“We have a connection. It is
amazing. So what should we do
about this?” Choudhury reportedly
asked the young Baughn, who
said she was “frozen” by her
instructor’s comments, but man-
aged to say she had a boyfriend. Choudhury
dismissed her statement, saying he had a wife.
In later discussions, Choudhury allegedly
called his wife a “bitch,” according to the suit.
In the lawsuit, Baughn alleges that she has
been prevented from teaching classes and
attending advanced seminars. She is seeking
an unnamed amount of compensatory dam-
ages from the Choudhurys for economic and
emotional relief.
5March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: Indian-
American Congressman
Ami Bera has been given a
key responsibility in the
Democratic party to reach
out to the immigrant com-
munity in the run-up to the
2014 Congressional elec-
tions.
48-year-old Bera, a physi-
cian by profession, has been
made one of the two chairs
of the New America
Council along with
Congressman Keith Ellison.
New Americas Council
Chairs will lead outreach
efforts to immigrant com-
munities and other new
Americans, critical parts of
the rising American elec-
torate that is crucial to
Democrats' success in 2014,
Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee
(DCCC) Chairman Steve
Israel said in a statement.
He also announced lead-
ership team with the Tribal
Council, LGBT Council,
Labor Council and Defense
Council for the 2013-2014
cycle. "The men and
women in our leadership
represent every corner of
this great country, and we're
so proud that our caucus
truly reflects what America
looks like," Israel said.
"Thanks to our diversity
and commitment to the
middle class, we won more
votes than Republicans in
2012, and looking ahead to
2014, the leaders of our
Tribal Council, New
Americas Council, LGBT
Council, Labor Council,
Defense Council, Latino
Council and Women LEAD
will continue to broaden our
appeal to all Americans," he
said. Within a few months
of being sworn in as a law-
maker, Bera has impressed
his party leaders with his
performances.
Democratic Party gives key role to Ami Bera for polls
Rep Meng vows support to Indian community
Indian space scientist honored in the USBangalore: Top Indian space scientist U.R.
Rao has been inducted into the Satellite
Hall of Fame in Washington DC by the
Society of Satellite Professionals
International, in the US.
"Rao is the first Indian space scientist
to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of
Fame and joins the select group of about 50
members, including Arthur C. Clarke, Van
Allen, Harold Rosen, Peter Jackson
and Robert Berry, among others,"
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) said here Thursday.
Rao, chairman of the Physical Research
Laboratory in Ahmedabad, has contributed to the
development of Indian space technology and
its application to communications and
remote sensing of natural resources since
the 1960s.
"Rao was responsible for the creation
of India's space and satellite capabilities
and their application to the nation's devel-
opment. As ISRO chairman (1984-
1994), he established satellite technolo-
gy in India," the citation said at a
function held March 19. Rao also
accelerated the development of
Indian rocket technology, result-
ing in the launch of ASLV rocket in 1992 and the
operational PSLV launch vehicle.
Freida Pinto in a Naeem Khan outfitat Lakme Fashion Week, Mumbai.
Khan, whose brand has been afavorite with personalities like FirstLady Michelle Obama, Beyonce andSonam Kapoor, has said that he islooking to open a store in Mumbaiand to work with Bollywood celebs.
The newly elected Congresswoman from New YorkGrace Meng , at a reception arranged by the IndianNational Overseas Congress (I), committed her close
cooperation to push US India ties and support to Indo-US Community. The issue of family reunificationclause in the upcoming Immigration Reform Bill was
also raised. Seen in the photo, Grace Meng withprominent INOC (I) leaders.
UR Rao, ex ISRO chief
Bikram Choudhury
6 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington: The FBI has joined the
search for 22-year-old Indian-American
Sunil Tripathi, an undergraduate Brown
University student who went missing on
March 16.
The police of Providence, Rhode Island
has launched a massive search operation to
find Tripathi, while his friends have not
only been doing their own search, putting
up posters across the city but also have
launched a Facebook page to find him.
Lead investigator detective Mark Sacco
said "no solid leads" have been found
so far.
Tripathi's cellphone, credit card, ID and
other personal things were found in his room.
FBI declined to comment on the investigation, except
for saying that it is assisting the local police in search of
the missing student.
According to the Facebook Page set up by family,
Tripathi who went missing from his Angell Street resi-
dence since Saturday morning is 6'0, 130 pounds, with
brown eyes and short brown hair.
He left wearing blue jeans, a Philadelphia Eagles
beanie, and a black sweatshirt. He is essentially off the
grid since he does not have his ID, wallet, or cell phone.
"Sunil has been struggling with depression since he
took a leave of absence from Brown last year. A note sug-
gestive of suicidal intent left behind in his apartment has
his family extremely worried," the family said, adding
that they are currently in Providence, helping the police
search for him.
"Sunil is a kind, gentle and shy young
man. All we want is for him to return safe
and well," the family said.
Tripathi, a philosophy major, was on
approved leave from the University.
Tripathi's sister Sangeeta said her brother
had "no exceptional plans" that weekend
and that it was "completely atypical" of him
to disappear without contacting anyone.
"Between family and friends, we are in
constant contact with him," 30-year-old
Sangeeta said.
"We became worried when he didn't
respond to many missed calls."
The search has focused in the past week on hospitals,
stores, parks and other public spaces where Tripathi could
be but authorities have found no signs of him.
The search, which has been spearheaded by the
Providence Police Department and the Brown University
Department of Public Safety, has now expanded to
Boston, Connecticut, New York and Philadelphia, accord-
ing to a statement from the school.
"(It's) on the small hope he just decided to go some-
where and is OK. People have been posting fliers and vis-
iting places a young person without an ID or money
would go," she said.
"We're a very, very close family and when we heard (he
was missing), we were trying to frantically look for pho-
tos. We had trouble finding a photo (where) we all weren't
so physically close in the image," she said.
PIO student goes missing in Providence, FBI joins search
Sunil Tripathi
Indian-Americans welcome launch ofelectronic postal order
Washington, DC: Indians living
abroad, especially those in the US have
welcomed the launch of the electronic
postal order, which they say would go a
long way for them seeking information
from the Indian Government and other
state governments under the Right to
Information Act.
A number of Indians living in the US
said that RTI has now become accessi-
ble to the Indian citizens living abroad
after the Postal Department last week
launched Indian postal order in elec-
tronic format (eIPO).
"With eIPO, I now have the ability to
discern conflicting information about
governance in India in the news by
going directly to the source - the gov-
ernment," said Vishal Kudchadkar, a
volunteer with the non-profit
Association for India's Development
(AID) at Los Angeles.
"In the last seven years, we have tried
all possible workarounds to exercise
our right to know. Now, our participa-
tion in nation building has become tad
easier!" For the past several years, the
volunteers of AID have been running
from pillar to post both at the Indian
missions in the United States and with
government agencies back home seek-
ing information under RTI.
However, the inability to pay in
Indian currency from overseas was
coming a major hindrance in their
move. "It has been seven long years
since we started this campaign for our
right to information. It has been a diffi-
cult journey and during this time we
have had to depend on friends in India
to file RTIs on our behalf," said Arun
Gopalan, a volunteer with Association
for India's Development, Greater
Washington Metro area chapter.
"Their non-availability meant a
missed opportunity. That will no longer
be the case with this new eIPO.
It would be ideal if the list of email id
of PIOs is also available on this portal
and the information exchange is com-
pletely digitized, but we will take this
for now," Gopalan said.
Balaji Janakiraman Iyer said the
launch of eIPO would make the Right
to Information more accessible to all
Indian citizens living abroad.
Faced no racism: ‘Turbanator’Gurpreet Singh Sarin
New York: 'Turbanator' Gurpreet
Singh Sarin happens to be luckier
than Bollywood actress Shilpa
Shetty. The young man of Indian
origin, who made it to the top 40 on
the "American Idol" reality show,
says he didn't face any racial dis-
crimination on his journey to
achieving a fusion of Indian classi-
cal music and western music.
"I am very thankful I did not face
anything like that (racism) from the
judges or any other people," said
Gurpreet.
"I was conscious that there must
be people who might be ignorant
and racist and did not understand
where I come from, but I was just
focused on my singing, and moving
on to the next level of competition,"
added the singer, earned the
'Turbanator' moniker thanks to the
colorful turbans he sported on
"American Idol."
This is quite unlike what Shilpa
Shetty faced in Britain when she
was a part of "Celebrity Big
Brother" in 2007. She was bullied
by the other contestants and the
racist attacks attracted a furore from
several quarters. Ultimately, Shilpa
won the competition.
But even while Gurpreet is now
out of the show, he is happy he has
been "able to educate people about
myself through my passion and
dream, and that has been a bless-
ing."
He left the judges, global celebri-
ties like Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj
and Keith Urban, with his talent and
even made "American Idol" host
Ryan Seacrest do the bhangra on the
show, which airs on channel BIG
CBS LOVE. A trained classical
singer, the 22-year-old belongs to a
family with an inclination for instru-
ments like the tabla, sitar and flute.
Through the music platform,
Gurpreet wanted to show how the
two worlds - Indian and western -
can be brought together.
"One reason why I wanted to be
on the show was to show everyone
how I can incorporate Indian classi-
cal music into American music.
There have been artists like Norah
Jones who have incorporated Indian
classical influences and I got an
opportunity to do the same," he said.
A student of Computers and
Information Science at a university
in New York, Gurpreet has
Bollywood in mind too. However,
his influences include artists like
tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, sarod
expert Amjad Ali Khan and late sitar
maestro Ravi Shankar, who expand-
ed India's presence on the world
map with their talent.
Gurpreet admits that as a contest-
ant on "American Idol", he served as
an inspiration and encouragement
for other Indian-origin youngsters in
the US. He says he received
immense support through the online
medium.
"I would get messages from my
fans saying that being an Indian, I
am encouraging them and I am their
role model. For me that was a won-
derful opportunity. I wasn't even
conscious how large a role model I
had become," Gurpreet said.
He, however, wants to finish his
studies first before giving himself
completely to the music world and
is thankful about the exposure he
got through "American Idol".
American Idol contestant Gurpreet Singh
Ranee Ramaswamy nominated to National Council of ArtsWashington, DC : Ranee
Ramaswamy founded the
Ragamala Music and Dance
Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota
in 1992 and has been popularizing
this classical Indian dance form in
America.
The White House said Obama has
sent her nomination, along with
others, to the Senate for its
approval.
"Ranee Ramaswamy, of
Minnesota, to be a Member of the
National Council on the Arts for a
term expiring September 3, 2018, vice Miguel
Campaneria, term expired," it
said. The National Council on
the Arts advises the Chairman of
the National Endowment for the
Arts, who also chairs the
Council, on agency policies and
programs. It reviews and makes
recommendations to the
Chairman on applications for
grants, funding guidelines, and
leadership initiatives. According
to her bio posted on her website,
since 1984, Ramaswamy has
been a disciple of Alarmel Valli,
one of India's greatest living masters.
Ranee has worked with celebrated artists
such as poet Robert Bly, jazz musician Howard
Levy and legendary composer/ violinist L
Subramaniam.
Among her many grants and fellowships are
13 McKnight Artist Fellowships, a Bush
Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund
grant from Arts International. Her work is sup-
ported by the National Endowment for the
Arts, the National Dance Project, and the Japan
Foundation. In 2011, she was chosen as the
McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist.
Ranee and co-Artistic Director Aparna
Ramaswamy were named the 2011 'Artist of
the Year' by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Ranee Ramaswamy
Hicksville, NY: IALI (India
Association of Long Island)’s
President Kishore Kuncham coordi-
nated a free health camp, together
with AAPI-Queens Long Island
chapter and other community organ-
izations, at Asamai Hindu Temple
here on March 24. Over 80 people
took advantage of the free consulta-
tive services of 18 volunteer doctors
and availed free sugar check, mam-
mograms, weight loss and nutrition
advice, and advice on laughter yoga,
breathing techniques and ayurveda.
IALI holds free healthcamp in Hicksville
Peace PilgrimPresident Barack Obama visited Israel for the first time in office and used the opportunity to reassure Israelis that he is on their side while posing as an arbitrator of
peace between them and Palestinians.Obama’s strained relations with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu (who had favored Mitt Romney as President in 2012 election) and criticism of his government’s building of housing settlements in the West Bank left many Israelis feeling estranged. During preparations for the current trip, White House aides said a top priority would be to reverse that sentiment.
In his acceptance speech, Obama portrayed himself as a friend of Israelis “who is deeply concerned and committed to your future.” The second key line in the speech called on Israelis to recognize the Palestinian “right to justice,” not as an abstraction but in a personal way. “Put yourself in their shoes. Look at the world through their eyes,” Obama said. This need-ed some guts to say to Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.
Then, prodded by President Obama, Israel and Turkey agreed to end a 3-year rift caused by a deadly Israeli com-mando raid on a Turkish ship bound for Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned his Turkish counter-part Recep Tayyip Erdogan to apologize for the deaths of nine activists aboard the Turkish ship and promised to reach an agreement on compensation to their families.
President Obama’s visit began with an inspection of the Iron Dome Battery defense system in Tel Aviv. The Iron Dome is a short range rocket and mortar defense system, which was developed by Israel and produced with US assistance and is part of a multi-tier missile defense developed to counter the rocket threat against Israel’s civilian population.
The Iron Dome was mentioned in conferring the Presi-dential medal of distinction, Israel’s highest civilian honor, on Obama, which Israeli President Shimon Peres presented to Obama at an official function on March 21. The country is celebrating 65th anniversary of its formation.
Israeli President Shimon Peres shakes hand with President Barack Obama after presenting him the Presidential medal of distinction, Israel’s
highest civilian honor, March 21.
President Obama visits the Hall of Names during his visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
President Shimon Peres are also seen.
Wearing a white skullcap, President Obama pauses after adjusting a wreath placed in the Hall of
Remembrance during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, March 22. President Obama visits the Church of the Nativity
in Bethlehem, West Bank, March 22.
Palestinian protesters denouncing US support to Israel during a demonstration against President
Obama’s visit to the region on March 20.
President Obama poses with children waving the Palestinian and US flags during a visit to the Church of the Nativity with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas on March 22.
A Jordanian soldier stands watch at Nabataeb Am-phitheater as President Obama and his guide walk through the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, March 23.
President Obama tours the crypt containing the birthplace of Jesus during his visit to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, March 22.
US President Obama visited the Middle East last week with a message of peace and
reconciliation between the feuding sides
DIPlOMACY 7March 30-April 5, 2013
8 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoUS AFFAIRS
Washington: US mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac will offer a new and simplified loan modification ini-
tiative to help troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure and
stay in their homes, authorities said.
The new streamlined modification program, which will
begin this July and expire in August 2015, is only available
to borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent on their
mortgage owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie
Mac, the US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said.
The mortgage giants will offer these eligible borrowers
an easy way to lower their monthly payments and modify
their mortgage without requiring financial or hardship doc-
umentation, reported Xinhua.
"This streamline modification initiative will cut through
the paperwork and simplify the process of securing a per-
manent mortgage modification for struggling borrowers,"
Leslie Peeler, senior vice president of Fannie Mae, said in a
statement Wednesday. Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac have completed 2.7 million foreclosure prevention
transactions, including 1.3 million loan modifications.
Fannie, Freddie to simplify mortgage rules
Washington: President Barack Obama
is confident that immigration reform to
resolve the problem of 11 million illegal
immigrants, including some 260,000
Indians, is coming soon.
A group of lawmakers is close to
working out the details of their proposal,
he told Wednesday two of America's
largest Spanish-language TV networks,
Telemundo and Univision.
"I'm actually very optimistic that when
they return in early April we will see a bill ready to
move through the process," he told Telemundo.
"The most important thing is that we are seeing a
strong compromise to resolve the problem," he said.
"I've got my own legislation, I'm prepared to step in, but
I don't think that's going to be necessary."
And he told Univision: "My sense is that
they are close". "My expectation is we'll see
a bill on the floor of the Senate next
month."
The President is "confident we can get it
done certainly before the end of the sum-
mer."
CNN citing a source familiar with the
immigration reform proposal negotiations
reported last week that a bipartisan group of
eight senators had tentatively agreed to
some of the stickiest issues, like a path to citizenship for
undocumented immigrants and metrics for securing the
border. But there was a key issue before the "gang of
eight" - four Democrats and four Republicans - that had
yet to be resolved: how to construct a guest worker pro-
gram for the future.
Obama sure immigration reform coming soon
Washington: A new dimension is
being added to the India-US global
partnership with growing ties between
the states of the two countries, accord-
ing to the Indian ambassador to the
US, Nirupama Rao.
Maryland state surrounding the US
capital on three sides "has been one of
the pioneers in this regard and we
admire and are completely supportive
of the initiatives you have taken in this
regard," she said in an address to the
state assembly in Annapolis Tuesday.
Rao addressed both the chambers of
the Maryland General Assembly, the
first legislature set up in the United
States, predating the Capitol in
Washington DC. She also met the
Speaker of the House of Delegates,
Michael Busch.
State governor Martin O'Malley's
six-day visit to India in November
2011 produced significant results with
nearly $60 million in business deals
for Maryland companies, Rao
recalled. This, she said citing the gov-
ernor sent "a strong message to India's
top business organizations and compa-
nies that Maryland is the gateway to
doing business in the US."
States adding new dimension to India-US ties: Nirupama Rao
This chart shows price charged for a routine doc-
tor's office visit in the United States versus
other countries. This is from the International
Federation of Health Plans, and they have similar
price charts for other health care services—and they
all look the same.
The high prices make private health care extraordi-
narily expensive to patients and employers in
America, and the same high prices make it difficult for
the government to cover everything through public-
sector insurance. Canada, where the prices are lower,
manages to have a more robust welfare state without
higher taxes for precisely this reason.
American healthcare prices are super high office-visit-800x57
T-Mobile announces aggressivephone pricing sans contracts
New York: T-Mobile
said on Tuesday the
Apple iPhone 5 would
be available starting
April 12 for $100
upfront, with customers
paying an additional
$20 a month for 24
months for the handset.
Other new smartphones, like the
Samsung Galaxy S IV and the
BlackBerry Z10, will be available
with similar payment plans.
Although there would be no con-
tract binding customers to T-Mobile,
the No. 4 American mobile carrier by
market share, customers would have
to pay off the balance they owe on
their phone to end service before the
two years are up.
Also Tuesday, T-Mobile formally
replaced its old phone contracts with
new plans that do not require signing a
contract. For $50 a month, customers
can get unlimited minutes, text mes-
sages and 500 megabytes
of data; they can pay an
extra $20 for unlimited
data. Over two years, the
effective price for a smart-
phone and phone service
would be hundreds of dol-
lars less than it would on
AT&T or Verizon
Wireless. At $580, it would also be
cheaper than buying a $649 unlocked
phone directly from Apple.
At those two carriers, the most pop-
ular phone plans cost upwards of $100
a month with a two-year contract for
limited data. The iPhone 5 costs at
least $199 on their networks with a
two-year contract.
The simplified phone plans are part
of T-Mobile’s new campaign to be the
“un-carrier.” By moving to contract-
free plans, it says it is doing away
with charging customers fees for sur-
passing their data limits or terminating
their service early.
Supreme Court questions ban on same-sex marriage
By Arun Kumar
Washington: As the US Supreme
Court concluded its historic hear-
ing on the legality of same-sex
marriage, a majority of its nine
judges raised questions about a
federal law denying some benefits
to gay couples.
While nine of America's 50 states
allow same-sex marriage and nine
others permit civil partnerships, the
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
defines marriage for federal pur-
poses as only between one man and
one woman.
The top court is expected to give
its verdict by mid June on DOMA
signed into law in 1996 by then
President Bill Clinton as also
California's Proposition 8 that bans
same-sex marriage.
The court heard arguments
Tuesday and Wednesday on what
has since the November presiden-
tial election become a major social
issue with a bearing on electoral
politics - the right of gay and les-
bian couples to wed and receive the
full benefits of law provided to het-
erosexual couples.
Under DOMA, Social Security,
pension and bankruptcy benefits,
along with family medical leave
protections and other federal provi-
sions, do not apply to gay and les-
bian couples legally married in
states that recognize such unions.
Going by the comments from the
bench split equally between liber-
als and conservatives, the court
appeared divided about whether
DOMA is discriminatory and steps
on state marriage laws for gays and
lesbians.
"What gives the federal govern-
ment the right to define marriage?"
asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
The potential swing vote, Justice
Anthony Kennedy, also questioned
the reach of DOMA, saying it pres-
ents a "real risk of running into tra-
ditional state police power to regu-
late marriage."
On the other side, Chief Justice
John Roberts repeatedly asked
whether it would step on state
power to do the opposite of DOMA
- pass a law providing full federal
benefits to any legally married
same-sex couple.
Roberts and Justice Antonin
Scalia also suggested DOMA could
still remain in place as a valid
extension of congressional authori-
ty, as 41 states do not allow same-
sex marriage.
The DOMA challenge was
brought by Edie Windsor, an 83-
year-old woman from New York
who married Thea Clara Spyer in
2007. After Spyer's death in 2009,
Windsor was denied an exemption
of federal estate taxes.
President Obama who last May
came out in support of same-sex
marriage had earlier in February
2011 told the US Congress that the
Department of Justice would no
longer defend DOMA in federal
court.
However, the Republican con-
trolled House is defending DOMA
in court at a cost of $3 million.
An ABC News/Washington Post
poll, taken March 7-10, showed 58
percent of respondents in support
of gay marriage, while 36 percent
opposed it. That's nearly the oppo-
site of public opinion on gay mar-
riage in 2003, when ABC/Post
polling showed 37 percent support
and 55 percent opposition.
Those supporting and opposing same sex marriage demonstratingin Washington as the apex court deliberated on the vexing issueaffecting many aspects of life in the country. Incidentally, mar-riage between whites and blacks was illegal not too long ago.
On Board Air India One: Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
expressed satisfaction that the 5th
BRICS Summit delivered on sug-
gestions made by India at the previ-
ous conclave in New Delhi, notably
on a development bank.
"As you would have seen from the
BRICS Declaration, a number of
important steps have been taken,"
the prime minister said an interac-
tion with the accompanying media
delegation on the way back from
Durban.
"I am particularly glad some proj-
ects, which were either conceived at
the New Delhi Summit of BRICS in
March last year or piloted by India
during its just-concluded chairman-
ship of BRICS, have registered
important progress," he added.
The projects, as listed
by the prime minister,
are:
-Nod for a BRICS
Development Bank on
the lines of the World
Bank to address the
development needs of
emerging and poor
economies
-A contingent reserve
arrangement with a
$100 billion commitment from
Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa for deployment when
any of these nations are in distress
-The setting up of the BRICS
Business Council
-The setting up of a mechanism
for a BRICS consortium of think
tanks. "For us, BRICS is a very
important forum. It represents 27
percent of the global GDP, about 40
percent of the world population and,
as such, there is a growing compli-
mentarity," the prime minister said.
"I certainly value this opportunity
annually to review the strength of
the global economy, the events that
are taking place in various regions
of the world and events which have
obviously implications for our own
growth and prosperity."
Durban delivered India's BRICS demands: PM
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 5thBRICS Summit in Durban
Italian marines matter sub judice: PM
N-plant now on track: PM to Putin
9March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
On Board Air India One: Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
declined to be drawn into the
issue of perceptions over slow
progress in trying the Italian
marines who allegedly killed two
Indian fishermen.
"As far as the two marines (are
concerned), accused of killing
two Indian fishermen, this is now
a story which is a part of the judi-
cial process," the prime minister
told journalists on his way back
from Durban after attending the
two-day BRICS Summit.
"The Supreme Court has
looked at it and a Special Court
has been set up. I sincerely
believe, that's where the matter
should be left," he said.
"It would be much too pre-
sumptuous on my part to com-
ment on an issue that is sub-
judice."
Durban: Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh has assured
Russian President Vladimir Putin
that the first phase of the atomic
power project in Kudankulam in
Tamil Nadu, that has seen a series of
anti-nuclear protests, will be up and
running by next month.
"I am pleased to inform you Mr.
President that Kudankulam Unit I
will become operational, in particu-
lar, the very next month," the prime
minister told the Russian president
when they met at a bilateral meeting
on the margins of the 5th BRICS
Summit late Wednesday.
The first unit has the capacity of
1,000 mega watt. It is being imple-
mented in the southern Tamil Nadu
town, near Tirunelveli, by the state-
run Nuclear Power Corporation of
India and the Russian nuclear ener-
gy company Atomstroyexport.
The prime minister also assured
the Russian president, in what was
their second meeting in four
months, about the substantive
progress being made on the other
remaining phases of the joint
nuclear energy program between
India and Russia.
"As far as Unit III and IV are con-
cerned, we have secured our internal
approvals," the prime minister said,
referring to the sanction granted by
the meeting of the cabinet commit-
tee on security, which he chairs.
The prime minister, officials said,
also told the Russian president that
India's National Security Adviser
Shiv Shankar Menon has been asked
to keep in touch with his Russian
counterpart Nikolai Patrushev and
follow up on the progress in all
strategic Indo-Russian joint pro-
grams.
These cover areas such as defense
civil nuclear energy, space and
counter-terrorism. The two sides are
also committed to raising their bilat-
eral trade to $20 billion by 2014
from around $9 billion now.
During their 30-minute meeting,
the two leaders also discussed other
issues such as the situation in
Afghanistan and Syria.
Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu
10 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA
US team meets Modi, praises Gujarat
Ahmedabad: A delegation from
the US, including members of the
House of Representatives and
business leaders, met Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi
and lauded the economic develop-
ment in the state under his watch.
The meeting assumes signifi-
cance as the US has been denying
Modi a visa for his alleged role in
the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Only recently, an invitation to
speak at the Wharton India
Economic Forum in the US was
withdrawn when students and fac-
ulty of the University of
Pennsylvania protested Modi's
inclusion in the event.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) has maintained that Modi
has never sought a visa, in the
first place.
US businesses, however, have
warmed to Modi in recent times.
Aaron Schock, a Republican
representing Illinois in the House
of Representatives, is leading the
delegation.
Ron Somers, president of the
US-India Business Council
(USIBC), Cynthia Lummis,
Republican Congresswoman rep-
resenting Wyoming, and Cathy M.
Rodgers, Republican
Congresswoman from
Washington state, are among the
prominent faces in the delegation.
"I spoke to the US delegation
about how Gujarat has adopted a
faster, inclusive and environment-
friendly process of development,"
Narendra Modi said in a comment
on Twitter.
"Am thankful to the members of
US Congress and business per-
sons for their kind words on
Gujarat's development," he said.
Modi has emerged as a possible
prime ministerial candidate of the
BJP for the 2014 general elec-
tions.
Talking to the media later, BJP
leader Vijay Jolly said the dele-
gates invited Modi to the US, and
he has accepted the invitation.
Rajnath, US envoy discuss FDINew Delhi: US Ambassador
Nancy J. Powell met BJP presi-
dent Rajnath Singh and dis-
cussed wide range of issues
including FDI in retail and secu-
rity scenario in the region.
Informed sources said the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
president touched upon the secu-
rity scenario in the south Asian
region in the wake of the with-
drawal of NATO forces from
Afghanistan in 2014.
They said that the issue of for-
eign direct investment in multi-
brand retail also figured in the
discussions that lasted nearly
an hour.
Will Congress, SP divorce?
Lucknow: From calling BJP leader
L.K. Advani honest to billing
Congress leaders "cheats" and
"conspirators", the Samajwadi
Party (SP) is steadily upping the
ante against the Congress.
And on Holi, Samajwadi party
chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's
renewed attack appeared to hint
that his party's love-hate relation-
ship with the Congress could snap
sooner than later.
SP sources say Uttar Pradesh's
ruling party is making a calculated
move after a series of meetings of
its strategy makers. The Congress
has become dependent on the SP
and the Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) in the Lok Sabha following
withdrawal of the DMK and the
Trinamool Congress from the
United Progressive Alliance
(UPA).
Many in the SP view the
Congress as a sinking ship and feel
that any further bon homie with it
could prove suicidal.
A senior SP leader said it was
just a matter of time before the two
parties go in for a political divorce,
with the SP snapping its support to
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Asked why he was so confident
as the SP had bailed out the
Congress in the past, a senior Uttar
Pradesh minister said: "The SP is
now in for corrective measures to
save its political space."
He added that the SP wanted
early parliamentary elections, by
October this year, to ward off any
anti-incumbency in the state.
Ram Asrey Kushwaha, general
secretary of the SP, echoed
Mulayam Singh's hard line vis-a-
vis the Congress.
"Everyone knows the Congress
ditches everyone," he said. "It is
loud and clear that the Congress
has lost public support and is now
crippled by the withdrawal of sup-
port by allies like the Trinamool
and the DMK."
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav,
who had so far pitched for "cordial
ties" with the central government,
has suddenly turned ballistic.
"The political situation (in New
Delhi) is fluid, the UPA govern-
ment is anti-people and the
Samajwadi Party will take a deci-
sion on withdrawing its support (to
UPA) soon," he said.
The Congress has started hitting
back. In the last one month, Uttar
Pradesh leaders of the party have
cornered the Akhilesh Yadav gov-
ernment in the assembly. The party
has also launched public protests
against the government.
The delegation invited Gujarat Chief Minister to visit US
COMING OUT OF SHADOW: Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav with Manmohan Singh
Prayers and fasting on Good FridayNew Delhi: With fasts and daylong prayer services
in churches, Christians in the national capital and
elsewhere in India observed Good Friday, which
marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Many people fasted and prayed silently to mark
the day. The period of mourning ends Sunday when
Christians celebrate Easter, marking the resurrec-
tion of Christ. Some members of the community
start fasting around 40 days before Good Friday, in
keeping with tradition.
The 40-day period of Lent sees devout Christians
abstaining from all meats and alcohol.
Lent refers to the period of 40 days of fasting that
Christ observed in the desert before returning to
Jerusalem where he was welcomed as the king of
the Jews. Fearing his popularity, the rulers of the
kingdom plotted his death with the help of his disci-
ple Judas.
Can Congress overcome infighting in Karnataka?
New Delhi: Hopeful of a comeback
in Karnataka, the Congress has to
overcome factionalism and select
the right candidates if it has to
return to power in the state in May
after seven years.
"Curbing infighting and selecting
the right candidates would be cru-
cial for our victory," a senior
Congress leader who did not wish
to be named said.
Karnataka will vote for a 224
member house (one nominated
Anglo-Indian member makes it
225) on May 5. The result will be
out May 8. A win in Karnataka
could boost the Congress morale in
southern India, especially after the
exit of the DMK from the
Congress-led United Progressive
Alliance over the Sri Lankan issue.
The May 5 ballot is also signifi-
cant as the Congress will be con-
testing a big state after Rahul
Gandhi became the party's vice
president in January. Earlier,
Congress failed to retain power in
2004 assembly polls, won 64 seats
and formed a coalition government
with Janata Dal-Secular with N.
Dharam Singh as chief minister.
The coalition collapsed in 2006 as
JD-S leader H. D. Kumaraswamy,
son of former prime minister and
JD-S president H D Deve Gowda,
tied up with BJP to form a govern-
ment. Kumaraswamy became the
chief minister and BJP's B. S.
Yeddyurappa was his deputy.
The arrangement was
Kumaraswamy will vacate his chair
after 20 months paving way for
Yeddyurappa as chief minister for
the remaining 20 months of the
assembly.
But Kumaraswamy did not keep
his word and the BJP-JD-S coali-
tion collapsed forcing early assem-
bly elections in 2008, instead of
2009.
The Congress, which has been out
of power in Karnataka for seven
years, lost the state to the Bharatiya
Janata Party in 2008 primarily due
to infighting and wrong selection of
candidates, say party insiders.
Karnataka will vote for a 224-member house on May 5
March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Happy Holi
Holi gives us a wonderful chance to indulge in this. For, the festival reminds us that the time is perfect to renew love and recharge your vitality. All in sync with nature and its many hues.
Holi gets us close to our mythology as it is linked to various legends. Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap.
There once lived a powerful demon king, Hiranyakshyap, who considered himself God and wanted everybody to worship him. To his great ire, his own son, Prahlad, be-gan to worship Lord Vishnu. To get rid of his son, Hiranyakshyap asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon to enter fire unscathed.
Prahlad, however, was saved for his ex-treme devotion for the lord and Holika paid a price for her sinister act. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Narsimha (half-man and half-lion) and vanquished the evil de-mon. The tradition of burning Holika or ‘Ho-lika Dahan’ comes mainly from this legend.
Entering the pulsating pulse of lifeThe South As ian T imes Specia l Supplement
Mythological Significance
Celebrated in the month of Phalguna (March), Holi originated in North-ern India to indicate a change of sea-
son from winter to spring, the festival has assumed a pan-India color over the ages. Coming into its own, the Indian diaspora too now enjoy the spirit of Holi, particular-ly in countries with large Indic populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, UK, US, Mauritius, and Fiji. In some states of India such as West Bengal and Orissa, it is known as Doul Jatra or Basanta-Utsav (spring festival). The most celebrated Holi is in the Braj region, in locations connect-ed to Lord Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the fes-tive season of Holi.
Celebration with colors symbolizes the energy, the vivid and passionate pulse of life signifying vitality. The spirit of celebration is to showcase the shifting panorama of life, of sights and movement of feelings. The hu-man heart beating in us all too feels the urge to be recharged with the new colors of spring and catch on the verdant mood outside.
Holi also celebrates the legend of Radha and Krish-
na, which describes the extreme delight Krishna took in applying color on Radha and other gopis. This prank of Krishna later became a trend and a part of the Holi festiv-ities. Mythology also states that Holi is the celebration of death of Ogress Pootana who tried to kill infant Krishna by breastfeeding him poisonous milk.
In South India, a popular legend of Holi is that of Lord Shiva and Kaamadeva. People there celebrate the sacrifice of Lord of Pas-sion, Kaamadeva, who risked his life (got in-cinerated in the process) to force Shiva out of his samadhi and save the world.
Also popular is the legend of Ogress Dhundhi who used to trouble children in the kingdom of Raghu and was ultimately chased away by the pranks of children on
Holi day. Children till date play pranks and hurl abuses at the time of Holika Dahan.
Celebration of the various legends associ-ated with Holi reassures people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil.
The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahl-ad also points to the fact that extreme devo-tion to God pays as God always takes his true devotee in his shelter. All these legends help the people to follow a good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truth-ful. This is extremely important in the mod-ern day society where so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and victim-ize one who is honest. Besides, the festival is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and people are ex-pecting a good harvest. This gives people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi.
Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of our country. For, the festival is celebrated by non-Hindus also as everybody likes to be a part of such a colorful and joyous festival.
Ho
li P
ages
Co
vera
ge 1
2-2
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Social Significance
Cultural Significance
Biological Significance
Also, in the spirit of Holi even enemies turn friends on Holi and banish hard feel-ings. Aptly, many social gatherings and events on the day are called Holi Milan. In the evening, people visit friends and rela-tives and exchange gifts, sweets and greet-ings. This helps in revitalizing relation-ships and strengthening emotional bonds between people.
One of Holi’s biggest customs is the loosening strictness of social structures, which normally include those of age, sex, status, and caste. Together, the rich and poor, women and men enjoy each other’s presence on this joyous day. Holi lowers the strictness of social norms. No one ex-pects polite behavior; as a result, theatmo-sphere is filled with excitement and joy.
It is interesting to note that the festival of Holi is significant for our lives and body in many other ways than just providing joy and fun. We also need to thank our forefathers who started the trend of celebrating Holi at such a scientifically accurate time and for in-corporating so much fun in the festival.
Holi comes at a time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. It is but natural for the body to ex-periences some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere.
To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud.
All of this helps to rejuvenate the sys-tem of the human body. Besides, the colors when sprayed on the body have a great im-pact on it. Biologists believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and enters into the pores. It has the effect of strength-ening the ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it.
There is yet another scientific reason for celebrating Holi – this, however, pertains to the tradition of Holika Dahan. The mu-tation period of winter and spring induces the growth of bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the body.
When Holika is burnt, temperature rises to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit. When people perform Parikrima (circumambula-tion) around the fire, the heat from the fire kills the bacteria in the body and outside.
In the south, the day after the burning of Holika, people put ash (Vibhuti) on their forehead and mix Chandan (sandalpaste) with the young leaves and flowers of the mango tree and consume it to promote good health. People also spring clean their houses on Holi, clearing up the dust and mess in the house and get rid of mosqui-toes and others pests. A clean house gen-erally makes the residents feel good and generate positive energies.
The legend of Hiranyakashyap and
Prahlad points to the fact that devo-
tion to God pays as He always takes
his true devotee in his shelter.
Holi get us close to our mythologyas it is linked to various legends.
One of Holi’s biggest customs is the loosening
strictness of social structures, which normally include those of age, sex, status, and caste.
13
14
same canvas, different strokesIndia’s two major festivals, Diwali and Holi
though based on the same theme of good de-feating evil, could not be more different in
the form the celebrations take.Where Diwali is a sober and to an extent se-
rious festival invoking gods for well being and prosperity, Holi is a festival of gaiety, exuber-ance, dancing and with passage of time has ac-quired rowdy overtones. Holi itself is celebrated in different ways in different regions of India.
Based on narrations and religious facts, Holi is associated with Lord Krishna, so aptly, for Mathura-Vrindvan, the land of Krishna’s birth and youth, it is the biggest festival which has become a tourist attraction. Mathura-Vrindavan temples come alive for the 16 days of the festival with special puja and Krishna worship.
In Barsana, said to be Radha’s village, the fa-mous Lath mar Holi is played in the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi Songs and shout Sri Radhey or Sri Krishna.
In the colorful desert state of Rajasthan, Holi holds a lot of significance and is played in many different ways. As early as a fortnight before the actual festival, one can hear the drum beating as revelers in towns and villages come out sing-ing and dancing in celebration. A bonfire marks the beginning ofHoli. On the second day, called Dhulandi, colored powder is applied on one an-other. Thandai or Bhaang is also consumed.
During the feudal era, the royals used to don a festive spirit and mingle with the commoners. Ra-jput warriors used to show off their equestrian skills during thefestival. Even today, Rajput men would ride their steeds through the white and pink clouds of color, throwing color powder on each other.
In Bharatpur, the eve of Holi comes alive with the sound of folk melodies. Raslila Dances depicting the immortal love story of Krishna and Radha can be enjoyed at various locations.
The elephant festival in Jaipur is organized a day before Holi, to coincide with Holika Dahan (bonfire), and has a become a major tourist attrac-tion. Pachyderms arepainted and groomed in all finery by their loving mahouts.
At the elephant festival, there is a prize for the best decorated elephant and its mahout. The el-ephants participate in races, tug-of-war and also play Holi. The highlight of the festival is the game of elephant polo, a variation on the polo played on horseback.
The boisterous Holi of Beawar, 55 km from Ajmer, is a different story altogether. The cel-ebrations here happen at a scale involving the entire town. The prototype of ‘Koda mar Holi’ is of course the one in Barsana, UP. Thus in Holi the predominant theme is of male-female inter-action with playfulness. Permissive relationships are explicitly demonstrated. The female acquires an aggressive role in shooing away her partner with wooden staff (lathi).
In West Bengal, Holi is known by the name of ‘Dol Jatra’, or Basant Utsav. On the Dol Purnima day in the early morning, the students dress up in saffron-colored or white clothes and wear gar-lands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments like ektara, dubri, veena. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Krish-na and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palan-quin which is then taken round the main streets of the city or the village. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. During these activities, the men keep spraying colored water and colored powder, abir, at them. In Shantini-ketan, founded by Rabindra Nath Tagore, Holi has a special musical flavor.
In Punjab, Hola Mahalla follows a day after Holi. But the word Hola is not derived from Holi, its root is halla (a military charge) and the term mohalla stands for an organized procession or an army column. Hola Mohalla is a Sikh Olympics event that lasts a week, and consists of camp-ing out and enjoying various displays of fighting prowess and bravery, followed by kirtan, music, and poetry. The event was originated by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The tradition has since spread from the town of Anandpur Sa-hib in Punjab to nearby Kiratpur Sahib and the foothills of the Shivaliks, and to other Gurdwaras around the world.
Mathura-Vrindavan temples come alive for the 16 days of the festival with special puja and Krishna worship. Holi here has become a tourist attraction. (inset) A highlight of Holi in Jaipur is the elephant festival, where well decorated elephants participate in races, tug-of-war and
also play Holi. The unique feature of the elephant festival is the game of elephant polo, a variation on polo played on horseback.
Students of Rabindra Bharati University performing during spring festival (called Basant Utsav) in Kolkata on march 22, 2013.
Women beating men with sticks in Beaver, Rajasthan’s Koda maar Holi, where this public spectacle is a festival staple.
Starting a day after Holi, Hola Mohalla is a Sikh Olympics event that stages displays of fighting prowess and bravery, followed by kirtan, music and poetry.
March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: The festival of colors
was celebrated across India with
enthusiasm and bonhomie. In the
national capital, revelers were
soaked in a riot of colors as they
smeared 'gulal' (colored powder) on
each other, distributed sweets and
danced to loud music.
While youngsters armed with
'pichkaris' (water guns) and balloons
filled with colored water sprayed
each other as well as passersby, eld-
ers preferred to smear one another
with gulal as they hugged each other
and wished 'Holi Mubarak'.
"My brother and me were up till
late last night and filled over 100
balloons with colored water. Since
morning, we have been targeting
people with them," said 15-year-old
Astha Sharma from Patel Nagar in
west Delhi.
Bands of youngsters drenched in
blue, green, pink, red and yellow
could be seen roaming Delhi streets
with colors, balloons and pichkaris
as they searched for unwary people.
Many visited temples and prayed
to Lord Krishna.
In the country's business hub
Mumbai, the city and suburbs erupt-
ed in colors as thousands poured out
of their houses and building com-
plexes since morning to play Rang
Panchami (Holi).
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan,
Mumbai Police and film and televi-
sion stars urged people to play a
safe Holi.
In southern state Andhra Pradesh,
Holi was celebrated with traditional
fanfare and gaiety. Governor E.S.L.
Narasimhan and Chief Minister N.
Kiran Kumar Reddy led the celebra-
tions.
In West Bengal capital Kolkata,
'Dol Yatra' as Holi is called there,
was celebrated with traditional fer-
vour with songs, dances and
prayers.
Thousands including overseas
Indians assembled at Santiniketan,
about 165 km from the state capital,
where Nobel laureate Rabindranath
Tagore re-introduced Holi as
'Vasanta Utsav' (Spring fest) in his
Visva-Bharati university.
In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar played Holi with Janata Dal-
United workers and the public and
took pot-shots at Rashtriya Janata
Dal leader Lalu Prasad.
Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh):
Centuries-old social barriers came
crashing down here when scores of
Vrindavan widows took part in
Holi celebrations with social
activists.
"Cutting the umbilical cord from
the past is no easy task, and you
can't do that without raising eye-
brows," said social commentator
Paras Nath Choudhary.
"It is reflection of changing times
that instead of opposition, people
came forward to support the social
reform movement," he said.
At the five widows' homes in
Vrindavan, the ambiance was
infectious, the fervor and an air of
victory was felt by all Holi revel-
ers.
"This was no routine Holi cele-
bration, it had a purpose, The effort
to draw these women into the
mainstream was widely appreciat-
ed," said Shravan Kumar Singh of
Braj Mandal Heritage
Conservation Society who came
from Agra to join the "cultural rev-
olution".
Said social activist Padmini Iyer:
"This is a clear departure from tra-
dition. Who would have thought
till a few years ago that hundreds
of widows would be able to sprin-
kle colourful flowers and petals on
one another to play Holi?"
Sulabh International recently
launched a programme to provide
medical facilities, job training and
a monthly allowance of Rs.2,000 to
every registered widow.
This initiative, at the suggestion
of the Supreme Court, has funda-
mentally changed the lives and
mindsets of the inmates of the shel-
ter homes, Iyer said.
The Holi celebrations shall con-
tinue for four days. More than 800
widows will be part of the new ini-
tiative.
"In an effort to help widows in
their social assimilation, we have
organized several events," Sulabh
International founder Bindeshwar
Pathak said.
"The Vrindavan Holi is an effort
to free the widows from the shack-
les of age-old tradition. Not only
will the widows play Holi, they
will also participate in cultural pro-
grams," said Pathak.
The widows also shared food
with some of the outsiders and for-
eigners.
This too is an unusual practice
for widows. As part of Holi cele-
brations. Right from the morning,
the 100-year-old Meera Sahbhagini
Ashram, an abode for 350 odd wid-
ows, began to throb with life. The
ashram is one the five government-
run centers for widows.
Among the widows are many
who lost their husbands at a tender
age of 16 or 17 and have since
lived an obscure life, abandoned by
their families and awaiting 'mok-
sha' -- as the feeling goes -- by
serving the Lord.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee,
Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha
Speaker Meira Kumar and Congress chief
Sonia Gandhi greeted people across the
country on the occasion of Holi and hoped
the festival will further strengthen unity and
harmony.
In his message, the president said the col-
ors of Holi were a reflection of the coun-
try's diversity and multi-cultural heritage.
"This festival which marks the advent of
spring, is a harbinger of joy, hope and ful-
fillment for all. The myriad colors of Holi
are a reflection of our diversity and multi-
cultural heritage," Mukherjee said.
"May this festival of colors strengthen
faith in our cherished national values, and
promote oneness, harmony and the good of
all," he added.
Ansari said Holi reinforces the message
of unity in diversity and of equality of all
human beings.
"Holi, which is celebrated with gaiety and
enthusiasm throughout the country, rein-
forces the message of our unity in diversity
and of equality of all human beings. May
the festival bring peace, prosperity and hap-
piness for all," he said.
"Holi has a special significance in our
centuries-old cultural heritage which pro-
motes social harmony and brotherhood,"
said Gandhi in her message.
Noting that "the colors of Holi represents
the diversity of India", Meira Kumar said:
"It should be used to promote social
equality."
The BJP president Rajnath Singh celebrating Holi at his residence in New Delhi
Devotees throwing gulal inside Sriji temple in Barsana
16
Holi celebratedwith fun, frolic
Vrindavan widowsbreak barrier for Holi
President, vice president greet people on Holi
Widows playing Holi for thefirst time in Vrindavan.
Lucknow: For a state that saw 34
small and big communal riots in the
last one year, Hindus and Muslims
came together in this Uttar Pradesh
capital to celebrate Holi.
The octogenarian Mohd Ahmad
Khan, residing in Lucknow's old
city, is a glaring example of how
religion holds no bar for celebrating
the happiness and traditions of oth-
ers.
Khan not only partakes in the Holi
festivities as the head of the
Aminabad Holi Mahotsava Sangh
but also lights up the traditional
Holika or holy fire in Aminabad, a
busy thoroughfare in the capital.
The ageing Khan recalled how
this tradition of a Holi "celebrated
by all" came into being at the start
of the 20th century, thanks mainly to
his freedom fighter father Basheer
Khan.
Khan senior asked the traders and
his neighbors to enjoy the festival in
the spirit of communal harmony.
Ever since, Khan junior says, gen-
erations of people in the locality
have played Holi together.
Adding to the festivities is the
'flower decoration' competition that
began in 1978 and has since become
a craze for youngsters.
Dinesh Ahuja, one of the organis-
ers of the competition, said that not
only was it a symbol of love and
affection for every one's traditions,
it also "made the society close knit
in today's testing times".
Omar, a middle-aged trader at
Akbari Gate, is equally ecstatic
about the festival of colors.
His participation, his friends say,
is unparalleled. He not only enjoys
the festival "to the hilt" but also
showers everyone passing through
the historic gate with water, color
and flower petals.
At the 'holi mandap' in front of the
Haji Baraji mosque in Udaiganj,
Muslim pontiffs also take part in
Holi festival.
New Delhi: A penchant for life in
technicolor with a dash of herbal
colors, crunchy gujias, chilled
thandais and soulful ghazals: the
heady cocktail is proving to be an
irresistible draw for foreign tourists
to celebrate Holi in India, say
tourism industry experts.
Despite the relatively subdued
scenario owing to incidents like the
Delhi gang-rape, and rising air-
fares, north Indian cities like
Mathura, Varanasi and Jaipur have
managed to attract foreigners like a
moth to a flame.
"The situation is a bit subdued
this year due to the rape incident
and increasing airfares. Yet foreign
tourists are opting to celebrate Holi
with locals in cities like Mathura,
Vrindavan and Varanasi," Gour
Kanjilal, executive director of
Indian Association of Tour
Operators (IATO), said.
"They find the atmosphere here
charming during Holi. The food
like gujias, drinks like thandais and
ghazal music, draws them despite
safety concerns," Kanjilal said.
What fascinates them the most,
according to pink tour operator
Rajat Singla of Pink Vibgyor, is the
cultural connect.
"They like to explore the festive
culture. We direct our tours to
cities like Jaipur so that they can
get a first-hand experience of the
celebrations aided by a guide. They
come from places in Europe and
the US," Singla said.
"They are very eager to partici-
pate and so we provide them with
white kurtas and herbal colors as
well," Singla said.
Besides the shower of colors and
sprinkling of multi-hued water, the
Elephant Festival of Jaipur on Holi
eve is another spectacular aspect
that foreign travelers love, says
IATO's Kanjilal.
"North India is the center for
Holi celebrations. In Jaipur, in
western India, Elephant festival
(cavalcade of brightly painted ele-
phants) is very popular among for-
eigners," he said.
People from Hindu and Muslim community celebrate Holi
A Pakistani Hindu girl plays Holi in Lahore on March 27.
Foreign tourists playing Holi at Hotel Khasa Kothi in Jaipur
Chandigarh: It was a virtual sea of humanity at the
Hola Mohalla celebrations at the Sikh shrine of
Keshgarh Sahib in the Sikh holy town of Anandpur
Sahib.
The three-day Hola Mohalla festival coincides with
the Hindu festival of colors Holi.
People offered prayers and participated in the Hola
Mohalla celebrations at the shrine. Takht Keshgarh
Sahib - 80 km from here - is the second-most important
Sikh shrine after Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as
Golden Temple, in Amritsar.
It was here in 1699 that the tenth master, Guru Gobind
Singh, baptized five men and founded the Khalsa Panth,
which is the modern day Sikh religion.
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal organised its political
conference during the celebrations. It was addressed by
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Akali Dal pres-
ident and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Elsewhere in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, Holi
was celebrated with enthusiasm Wednesday.
In Chandigarh, heavy police deployment could be
seen at various places even as youth in cars and jeeps
made rounds of various parts of the city, throwing
colours on each other.
17
Hindus and Muslimscome together in UP
Holi draws foreigntourists to India
Thousands convergefor Hola Mohalla
Holi celebration inBeawar, Rajasthan, isspecial. The day after Holi,
the whole townindulges in celebratingthe Badshah with dry colors, mainly with thetraditional Abeer-Gulal. Seen is the photo
Badshah Celebration2013.
As one of four girls, half-unwanted, and brought up in a very conserva-tive Bengali Brahmin family, Holi
is a holiday that instills both romance and fear in my young heart.
We learned some rules about Holi in child-hood. First, we were not to throw color at elders: it still embarrasses me to see people disrespectfully attack elders with color. We approached elders with reverence always. We were allowed to place color anywhere, as long as it was below the calves on our elders’ feet! It was more a custom and duty to be done on the holiday than a sense of fun.
Since Mother gave us birth and was the source of the earth in our bodies, we touched our Maa’s feet with respect first thing in the morning, coloring her with a choice of several colors. Then we would run around and catch our Babi’s feet with color and giggle with de-light. During a few years of my childhood, we were allowed to go with our servants to the bazaar and there people would put colors on our clothes and allow us to play for a bit.
But, as we grew older, my parents instilled a strong sense of fear about the disrespect that boys could create on a woman’s body, and therefore we were forbidden to go out-side, forbidden to be touched. Many young women are molested on Holi: I have seen it but few talk about it. To this day, I avoid Holi and hate to be touched on that day with the unbridled lust and disrespect that many peo-ple use to engage in Holi. After some years, we were in the USA, so there was no celebra-tion. By the time I entered college, I had lost many senses of Indian culture.
18
My Most colorful H O L I
Bh
asw
ati
Bh
att
ach
ary
a
Back home as a kid in India, Holi was one festival that I keenly looked for-ward to celebrating.
Alas! Every year, Holi clashed with the final exams in school! I used to pray for a Holi-friendly annual examination schedule; for mom would allow celebrating Holi only if there was no important exam the day after the festival.
The changing weather during Holi and excessive playing with water also made all the kids susceptible to cough, cold and fe-ver. Thus parents used to stay vigilant while the kids played Holi.
Holi was a very special day. It was a school holiday so there was no rush to get up early. One could hear the radio or television playing Rang barse bheege chunar waali or some such Holi song. My day began with waking up late and peeping outside the win-dows to catch the action in the street, if any. By that time, some children would have al-ready begun playing Holi. There would be colors splashed on the sidewalks.
I still remember the instructions from mom before going out with friends: to ap-ply cold cream on the skin and oil the hair to protect from colors, dress appropriately to assure less exposure to colors, wear sun-glasses to protect the eyes, and most impor-tantly to behave like a good girl!
My friends in the neighborhood would start ringing the doorbell asking me to come out and play. After a hurried breakfast, I
But in my 20’s, I re-engaged with being Indian and had a Bengali lover who is a clas-sical musician. He once brought me an enve-lope of colored powder. I, unaware, looked at him inquiringly and asked if it was medi-cine or a drug. I only remember the look of surprise and disparagement on his face! He stumbled, trying to explain about Krishna and Radha, and I remember asking him why someone would want to ruin someone else’s clothes and face, instead of showing love more tenderly. A decade later, it occurred to me that his envelope was one of the most tender gestures he tried to convey. Too late.
My grandfather was more scientific: he explained to the family that Abir powder was a ritual in the very hot month of Vai-sakhi when smallpox was rampant, because it contains medicine that was good for pox. True Abir contains medicinal flower extracts from aparajita, marigold, hibiscus and do-pati and mica powder which contains miner-als. Spreading it over the skin was preven-tive medicine. It was then washed off with Hamam soap, which has Neem, Tulsi and Aloe Vera to nourish the skin.
When I asked gurus about Holi, they ex-plained that the colors that Krishna spread on Radha were symbolic of the colors that we see afresh when we are in love; they are also the colors that play on us as we live life, teaching us that all these emotions are all illusion and that we allow ourselves to be trapped in illu-sions when we fall too deeply into any emo-tion. The powder is a reminder that the world filled with color is illusion in which we often do, but should not, lose ourSelves.
would leave the house beaming, armed with packets of gulaal and pichkari.
As rowdy kids, we would smear each other with color amidst much excitement. All the kids would then be in a big group and visit practically each house in the locality. There was a friend in every house and no one was to be spared on Holi! We also applied col-ors on the faces of elders and wished Happy Holi, but in a much well-behaved manner. It was quite a challenge to recognize people as everyone had colored faces.
Even going around the whole locality for hours did not tire us. After that we used to go to somebody’s terrace and throw wa-ter balloons on random people on the road while shouting Holi Hai.
On coming back home after hours, it was a challenge to get rid of all the color!
In later years, Holi away from home was much more rowdy and less supervised! A large group of friends joined together in frenzy.Gujiya became an integral part of my Holi. Occasionally, there used to be bhaang-filled gujiyas and other sweets as well.
Another fad during Holi was to go around the city in cars and two-wheelers, hooting, shouting and throwing color. This indeed got scary at times and the cops remained alert to check hooliganism. The nights were fun with Holi-themed parties in clubs.
As I write this, I wonder what Holi in New York has in store for me but what would I not give away to be in India for Holi again!
Roopsi Narula (first from right) with friends on a Holi some years ago
Our readers relate experiences of the Indian festival that delights the youths
Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MD, HHC, Ayurvedic practitioner, Director, The DINacharya Institute and Fulbright Scholar 2013-2014, India.
Roopsi is a Consultant for The South Asian Times. She can be reached at [email protected]
Evoking romance tinged with fear Fond memories of Holi back homeBy Bhaswati Bhattachayra By Roopsi Narula
19
I got the idea to celebrate Holi in New York City in an outdoor area because I grew up celebrating Holi in our co-op
playground and garden back in India. The reason I chose NYC is because I’ve been living here since 2006. My love and strongly rooted emotions for Indian culture made me decide to create an outdoor, free admission Holi event where everybody gets a chance to have fun with the colors. Being an artist, I also wanted to provide other artists a plat-form to showcase their art form, thus keep-ing in line with my mission of ‘spreading joy and awareness through dance’. This festival eliminates all racial and cultural boundaries and brings people together, bonding them in colors & joy. I think it is very important for many professionals who live a stressful life in NYC to experience a rich culture and an amazing festival. I like to be that drop in the ocean that is behind the scenes for making this possible here.
I am from Mumbai and my childhood memories are from the weeks before the actual day of Holi. Walking down streets of suburban Mumbai (Andheri, where I lived) the Holi celebration was a huge craze for everybody in the neighborhood. Adults and kids would blast water-balloons from 4-8 floor high rises weeks before the day of Holi. My mom bought water guns and packets of water balloons for both my sister and I. We spent hours filling buckets preparing to have water-balloon-fights with our friends the next day. The night before Holi, we invited
Holi in Mumbai is an intense affair. For those who haven’t experienced it, expect to be dunked in color by
gallivanting children and even adults. Imag-ine entire streets, neighborhoods drenched in color. Imagine people so immersed in red, purple, green and yellow powders that you can’t distinguish one from the other; and now imagine me with my stained teeth and murky hair! Yes, this is what Holi does to me every year and boy I love it!
Traditionally, people celebrate with natu-ral colors and traditional music, sometimes even including ritualistic effigy burnings. Now add a western twist to it - DJ, rain dance and just roll with it, and you will end up celebrating the festival of colors in the 21st century style.
Despite the additions, some things still remain the same like waking up as early as five in the morning to fill up water balloons and then going back to sleep (or just pre-tending to sleep) till your B wing neighbor (whom you haven’t seen for months) shows up from nowhere and threatens to douse you in your house itself.
The best part about Holi is scheming and plotting, scheming who would be your next-target to throw balloons that you have so meticulously filled up all morning. And this, despite all the miscalculations, is super fun. But what’s even more fascinating is the hue of colors you are painted with. I love the way colors blend when mixed in water.
But commercially sold colors end up leaving bitter memories of the festival as the industrial dyes of synthetic holi colors develop skin allergies.
friends over to help us fill lots of water bal-loons. This was in preparation for the bal-loon fights with friends and neighbors.
The morning of the actual Holi day, our friends, who also lived in our apartment building, would rush through our main door and chase me and twin-sister around the apartment to throw fistful colors in our face. Mom and Dad accepted this with a smile, while we girls would hide inside our bath-room to escape ‘the Holi Devils’. The fear of being colored black and blue made me run for miles around the block, completely out of breath, looking for help and rescue. At the end of the day I was completely col-ored in green-red-blue!
My mission to spread joy and aware-ness of Indian culture has also taken me to Bhangra, to which I was introduced in 2002 and started showcasing the boisterous dance form to the students/local communi-ties around the Greater Lafayette area in In-diana. I received training from my Ustaad at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and my Guru Mr. Kalehri from Kalehri Arts in Mansa, Punjab.
After I moved to NYC, I restarted my dance quest and started teaching Bhangra as a volunteer to the communities around NYC and then formed a Bhangra school and company in 2007 called NYC Bhangra. We train kids and adults of all age groups in the neighborhoods of Manhattan, Jersey City and Edison. I am also studying modern dance at Martha Graham Dance School.
So this year we decided to experiment with colors. Me and a bunch of friends decided to make our own colors! So we went grocery shopping - bought beetroot and turmeric.
We mixed turmeric with besan for a bright yellow and boiled beetroot for a ravishing red color. (One beetroot is enough to make a bucket full of red colour). Holi for us began a day early as our hands turned pink crush-ing beetroot and mixing it with water. What started as an experiment - one bucket full of color - soon became a rage; people from other society buildings joined us. It became like a mass movement. Sure, the organic colors are sold outside under various brand names but it misses the personal touch.
Megha runs NYC Bhangra based out of Jersey City, NJ.
Tanvi is a student in Mumbai.
Creating a Holi event in the Big Apple
My love affair with colors! By Tanvi Shah
By Megha Kalia
Co
mp
iled
by
Jin
al S
hah
and
Par
veen
Ch
op
ra
Megha Kalia at her Holi event in NYC doing a Bhangra, the dance form she also teaches.
Tanvi Shah with her niece
The festival of colors is a
harbinger of spring, but
winter has been taking long
to bid adieu. Overcast skies and
winter chills played a damper on
festivities (At least on prior reser-
vations).
Unlike 2012, many Holi parties
have been moved indoors or can-
celled.
However, organizers are hopeful
that temperatures will rise as we
inch closer to the event dates. “We
are still 10 days away from the
event, we are hopeful that weather
will show some improvement.
Besides, if it rains we will move
the event indoors,” said one of the
organizers with IN Group that
holds a Rang Barse cruise every
Holi on the Hudson, adding, "So
far there has been no effect on the
online sales."
The festival will be celebrated
over a month in various pockets
of New York and New Jersey. And
if you are still undecided on
where to go and unleash the child
in you, SATimes has a hefty list of
events happening across Tristate
area.
� IN Group's Rang Barse inNew York City
Where: Hudson River Park's
Pier 40 , 353 West St, New York,
NY 10014
When: Saturday, March 30.
12:00AM
Dubbed as Tristate area’s
biggest Holi bash, IN group’s
Rang Barse is back and in its sixth
year. In keeping with the tradition,
Rang Barse will once again be
held on a cruise that will set sail
from Pier 40.
Enjoy the Indian festival of col-
ors in style with food, drinks, and
the amazing beats of DJ Ashu Rai.
Prior reservations needed. Phone:
646 450 3230.
� Holi Hai in NYC by NYC
Bhangra
Where: Dag Hammarskjold
Plaza, 167 East 47th Street, New
York, NY 10017
When: Sunday, March 31 2013.
12:00PM
While Easter Sunday, March 31,
will include the traditional egg
hunts and feasts, this year will be
extra special as people can
immerse themselves in colors and
celebrate the kick-off of spring
with Holi. Whatever your faith,
enjoying Bhangra music and
dancing with NYC Bhangra
Dance Company free of charge
will make this occasion a festive
one. Play Holi by smearing folks
with color, eating laddoos and
enjoying performances at the day-
long celebration. In its fourth
year, NYC Bhangra has teamed
up with Time Warner Cable, to
host the event which has also been
supported by India tourism in the
past. Phone: 212 372 8001.
� Holi Festival
Where: Lincoln Park, 176 Park
Ave, Rutherford, NJ 07070
When: Sunday, April 7.
12:00PM
This could probably be your last
chance to enjoy Holi this year.
You don’t want to miss out on this
one. Hosted by Roshni. Phone:
973-713-1075
� Rang Tarang 2013
Where: Deewan Banquet , 560
Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ
08854
When: Saturday, March 30
2013. 11:00AM
Central Jersey Expat Indians
(CJEI) presents Rang Tarang
2013. Dance till you drop with
live dhol and DJ, dance perform-
ances, delicious full course menu,
organic holi colors. Prior reserva-
tions required. Phone:
6093548080
� Holi Ke Rang Naye Dosto
Ke Sang - Holi Hai
Where: Guru Palace, 2215 U.S.
1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
When: Sunday, March 31 2013.
12:00AM
Thandai, Gujjias, Dahi Bhalla,
Kheer, Malpua and much more to
eat, lots of colors, DJ music, dhol
dhamaka at the holi party organ-
ized by Guru Palace. Prior regis-
tration suggested. Phone: 732-
398-9022
� Holi Hai !!
Where: Akbar Restaurant, 21
Cortlandt Street, Edison, NJ
08820
When: Sunday, Apr 07 2013.
11:00AM
Celebrate holi with friends and
family with natural colors, music
and food. Hosted by Rainbow
Events. Phone: 732-277-1228
� IALI’s Holi Celebration
Where: Akbar Restaurant, 2
South Street, Garden City, NY
When: Sunday, March 31, 2013.
12-4PM
The India Association of Long
Island (IALI) is organizing its
annual event with Holi songs,
Holi tikka, dance, thandai, and
more. For info and tickets,
Kishore Kuncham, president,
IALI, 516-849 5330 b
� Hasya Kavi Sammelan
and Rajasthan Divas
Where: Hindu Temple
Auditorium, Flushing, NY
When: Saturday, March 30. 4-
11 pm.
RANA (Rajasthan Association
of North America) to celebrate
Holi with cultural program and
dinner followed by Hasya Kavi
Sammelan. Phone for tickets 516
286 1774. www.ranausa.org.
Spring into HoliBest events in tristate for you to enjoy and
get into the spirit of the festival
22
Where: 1 McWilliams Pl, Jersey
City, NJ 07302
When: Saturday, March 30 2013.
12:00AM – 5:00 PM
Hosted by Rimli Roy, Surati per-
forming arts and education, this
Holi event will have live perform-
ances, color playing (organic col-
ors), educational workshops,
Bhangra and dhol, DJ, dancing, cash
bar, food, rangoli, henna, thandai,
family fun and festivities. Phone:
201-360-1553
Compiled by Jinal Shah
� Surati’s Holi Hai! biggest HOLI event in the area
March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info Happy Holi
Mumbai: Mumbai city and suburbs erupt-
ed in colors as thousands poured out of
houses and building complexes from early
Wednesday to play Rang Panchami.
Excited youngsters grabbed an early start
in the celebrations, followed by youths and
the elders who joined in later.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and
Mumai Police urged people to play a safe
holi. Keeping in mind concerns over water
wastage, large crowds of Mumbaikars and
people in Thane moved to the coastal areas
and played holi on beaches.
Film and television stars also appealed to
people to celebrate a safe holi without
using dangerous colors.
Police had warned that anybody caught
throwing liquid filled balloons would be
jailed for 15 days.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal
Corporation threatened one year jail for
those cutting trees to make bonfires.
Hyderabad: Holi was celebrated across
Andhra Pradesh with traditional fanfare and
gaiety.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Chief
Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy led the cele-
brations. The governor and his wife Vimla
Narasimhan played Holi with those who
called on them at Raj Bhavan.
Eminent personalities from various walks of
life and children were among those who greet-
ed the governor at his official residence by
applying color. The governor reciprocated.
The chief minister played Holi with cabinet
colleagues, legislators and leaders of his
Congress. A group of tribal women added
color to the celebrations with their traditional
dance.
'Holi Hai' rent the air as groups of enthusi-
asts on motorbikes zoomed on the streets of
Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and other cities.
Dancing in gay abandon to popular num-
bers, youngsters sprinkled water colors on
each other. There were celebrations in the
neighborhoods and on the streets with men,
women and children drenched in colors. Many
armed with 'pichkaris' and balloons filled with
color water were seen chasing each other.
The celebrations began early in the morning
in cities, towns and villages. In Hyderabad,
Muslims joined celebrations organized by var-
ious organizations.
In Telangana (which comprises 10 districts
including Hyderabad), where Holi is a major
festival, scenes of communal harmony were
witnessed.
The festivities began Tuesday night with
bonfires lit at various places. People in neigh-
borhoods came together to burn the wood in a
ceremony called 'kamadahanam'.
The revelry began early Wednesday with
'Dhulandi' as people threw colored powder
and colored water on each other.
The houses of some MPs in Telangana wit-
nessed grand celebrations. Warangal MP
Sircilla Rajaih actively participated in the cel-
ebrations with his friends and followers by
beating the drum.
Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar danced
with revelers.
Police in Hyderabad imposed prohibitory
orders to prevent any untoward incident.
Police commissioner Anurag Sharma issued
orders prohibiting throwing color or colored
water on unknown persons, places and vehi-
cles. Police also banned movement of people
in groups on bikes and cars.
24
Holi celebrated with gusto in Mumbai
Patna: It was a con-
test between Bihar
Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar and
his Gujarat counter-
part Narendra Modi
-- and the former
was ahead.
"Pichkaris (color
sprinklers)" with
pictures of the two
leaders did brisk
business in the mar-
kets here ahead of
Holi.
Pichkaris bearing the photos of
the two were more popular than
those with Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) chief and former chief min-
ister Lalu Prasad.
"Demand for pichkaris with pic-
tures of Nitish was high among
girls, youth and children," shop-
keeper Maheshwar Singh said on
the eve of Holi.
Pichkaris with pictures of
Bollywood stars also sold more
than those with cricketers, who
remained a favorite with youth in
the past.
"Unlike last year, this time
pichkaris came with pictures of
Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi.
In fact, pichkaris with Modi's pic-
tures is a new thing but had a
good demand. Pichkaris named
after cricketers and Bollywood
stars were common earlier," ven-
dor Mohammad Aftab said.
Upbeat over the high demands
for Nitish Kumar pichkaris, lead-
ers of his Janata Dal-United said
their stand was vindicated.
"Nitish Kumar is more popular
than Narendra Modi. It was again
reflected in the pichkaris market,"
said party leader Sanjay Singh.
Mumbai: Veteran actor Sadashiv
Amrapurkar was assaulted by a group
of drunk men when he tried to stop
them from wasting water on Holi day.
The actor says that he has filed a com-
plaint. The incident took place
Wednesday during Holi celebrations
in a housing society in Versova.
"They were wasting water and were
drunk. This had been going on since
10 in the morning. When I tried to
stop them, they started abusing me.
Even girls were there. They were
doing all this in the middle of the soci-
ety," the actor said.
Amrapurkar, who was seen in films
like "Sadak", "Mohra", "Ishq" and
"Hum Saath Saath Hain", also report-
ed the matter to a TV channel.
When the TV crew came, "these
people tried to take their cameras and
other stuff," said the 57-year-old.
Amprapurkar has lodged a com-
plaint with the Versova police station
and said: "I have already filed a police
case against them." He wants to take
up the matter with the secretary of his
society and other societies to formu-
late a set of regulations. "There should
be some rules by which senior citizens
should not be affected. We must do
something about this," he said.
Nitish beats NarendraModi in 'pichkari' battle
Actor assaulted on Holi fortrying to stop water wastage
Holi celebrated across Andhra with fanfare
Patna: It was Holi in Bihar Thursday, a day
after the rest of the country celebrated the
spring festival of color, fun and amity.
With a ritualistic dab of 'gulal' or with full
on partying with splashes of color, 'pichkaris',
water balloons and special food, millions
across the state celebrated the festival.
Priests and astrologers had deferred Holi
celebrations here by a day due to astrologi-
cal reasons. This was so last year as well
when Bihar played Holi a day after the rest
of the country.
"The gap between the Holika Dahan
(when the fire is burnt the night before the
festival) and Holi is due to astrological rea-
sons. According to the 'panchang' (Hindu
astrological calendar) of Mithila and
Benares, water colours come out on the
occasion of 'Pratipada', the day after full
moon," Nilesh Mishra, a Hindu priest, said.
Bihar celebrates Holi Thursday
New Delhi: Actor Hrithik Roshan decided to stay
away from Holi celebrations in view of the prevail-
ing water shortage in Maharashtra.
The 39-year-old did not waste water by being part
of the Holi celebrations.
"Hrithik won't be celebrating Holi as a mark of sol-
idarity with those who are suffering from acute water
shortage in Maharashtra. Instead, he will only use
only a small amount of gulaal to apply a shagun tika
as part of the traditional ritual," a source said.
The actor is also said to have decided not to play
with too much of dry gulaal, as washing it off
requires a lot of water.
"Like Hrithik, even the other members of the
Roshan family kept the celebrations low-key. They
took part in the morning puja and then spent some
quiet time together," the source said.
Hrithik skips Holi celebrations for a cause
Model Poonam Pandey promotes waterless Holi.
25
Scrumptious HOLi Delights
Gujiya Phirni Thandai Papdi Chaat
Sabudana Kheer
For preparing the covering, sieve flour and rub in three tablespoons of ghee. Add cold water and knead into a stiff dough. Cover it with a moist cloth and keep aside. Place khoya in a bowl and add desiccat-ed coconut, cashewnuts, almonds, raisins, nutmeg powder and green cardamom powder and mix well.
Add powdered sugar and grated chocolate and mix properly. With oiled hands divide dough into small balls. Grease the gujia mould. Roll out dough balls into small puris, put it on the mould and press lightly. Place the stuffing in the hollow por-tion. Apply a little water on the edg-es, close mould and press firmly.
Open mould and remove extra dough. Keep gujias covered with a damp cloth. Similarly use up all the dough and stuffing. If you do not have a mould, gujias can still be prepared. Roll out puris, cut with a katori to get a proper round shape. Place stuffing on one half, lightly dampen edges and fold the other half over the stuffing and press edges firmly using a fork.
Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai and deep fry gujias on medium heat till golden brown. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Let it cool slightly before serving, as the stuffing inside may be very hot.
FOR COVERING Refined flour (maida) - 2 cupsGhee - 3 tbs + to deep fry FILLING Khoya / mawa, grated and lightly roasted - 2 1/2 cupsDesiccated coconut - 3 1/4 tbsCashewnuts, chopped - 15Almonds, blanched and chopped - 15Raisins - 20Nutmeg powder - a pinchGreen cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsPowdered sugar - 2 1/2 cupsChocolate,grated - 1/2 cup
Roast spices lightly on a tawa.Soak all ingredients except milk in enough water to cover. Set aside for 2 hours. Grind into a fine paste. Mix with milk. Strain liq-uid through muslin. Decorate with rose petals and serve chilled.
Green cardamoms, seeds only - 10Fennel seeds - 1 1/2 teaspoonsBlack peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoonCoriander seeds - 1/2 teaspoonMelon/sunflower seeds - 1 tbsSkinned almonds - 50 gmSugar - 5 tbsRose petals - 3 tbsRose water - 2 tbsMilk - 750 ml
Drain and grind the rice to a coarse paste. Bring milk to a boil. Add rice paste dissolved in a little water or cold milk. Cook till rice is completely cooked, stirring con-stantly. Add saffron and mix well. Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook till sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into earthenware or china bowls and garnish with pistachios. Chill in a refrigerator for an hour before serving.
Rice, soaked - 5 tbsMilk - 1 litreSaffron (kesar) - a generous pinchSugar - 3/4 cupGreen cardamom powder - 1/2 tbsPistachios, blanched, peeled and sliced - 10 to 15
Add salt and sugar to yogurt and whisk till smooth. Keep it in the refrigerator till use. Arrange the papdis on a plate. Place some potatoes on each papdi. Over that put some boiled sprouted moong. Drizzle a little red chilli-garlic chutney, green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. Sprinkle cumin powder, chaat masala, a little red chilli powder and salt. Top it all up with chilled yogurt. Drizzle some more of the sweet tamarind chut-ney, red chilli-garlic chutney, cori-ander leaves, sev and pomegranate pearls. Serve immediately.
Papdi Crisp - 24Yogurt,whisked - 1 1/2 cupsSalt - to tasteSugar - 1 tablespoonPotatoes, boiled and chopped - 2 mediumSprouted Green gram, blanched - 1/2 cupRed chilli-garlic chutney - 1/4 cupGreen chutney - 1/4 cupSweet tamarind chutney - 1/4 cupRoasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoonChaat masala - 1/2 teaspoonRed chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoonFresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsSev - as requiredPomegranate (anar), peeled - 2 tbs
Rinse tapioca 2 to 3 times and let it soak in 1/4 cup of water for two hours in a covered pan. (The water should get absorbed in the process). Boil milk over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching of sauce pan at the bottom. Turn heat to medium low and let milk boil for another 10 minutes. Add tapioca, stir and cook for 6-7 minutes until tapioca turns translucent, continuing to stir occasionally. Add sugar and car-damom, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped pistachio. Serve hot or cold.
Tapioca - 1/2 cup Water - 1/4 cup Milk - 3 cups (whole)Sugar - 1/4 cup Cardamom - 1/4 teaspoon (shelled and ground)
FOR GaRNIsh
Raw pistachio, finely chopped - 1 tbs
Planning to have a grand Holi party? Here are recipes for top 5 must-haves
on the menu for this festival...
Method
Ingedients
Method
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
Colors are symbolic in
nature. Everything on
earth is colorful and
uncovers a treasure of symbolism.
In India, where the festival of Holi
is celebrated with complete zest
and fervor, colors hold great sig-
nificance. Use of colors is nothing
but an expression of faith and
belief. And for a country that is
known for its spiritual conscious-
ness, almost everything and any-
thing has profound meaning. And
to understand it better, here’s talk-
ing a look at the significance of
some commonly used colors that
will awaken your realization:
Red
The westerners believe that red
is the color of passion and
romance. But in India, it holds a
greater significance. Goddess
Durga is often associated with the
color red. She is seen draped in
blood-red saree. On the one hand
red incites fear while on the other;
it stands for purity and hence
brides are often in red attires on
their wedding day. The vermilion
or Sindoor that is red in color, is
symbolic of her marital union
with her husband. In a larger con-
text, the color represents fertility
and opulence.
Yellow
The color yellow has healing
power. Turmeric, which is yellow
in color, is widely used in India as
a spice and even as a beauty
enhancing product. Turmeric acts
as an antiseptic ingredient and
which is why it is used in most
food items prepared pan India.
Even during marriage, family
members of the bride and the
groom apply haldi on their body.
Haldi helps in lightening the skin
tone and also heals the skin of
infections. Yellow in India is also
symbolic of holiness.
Blue
Blue stands for power and life.
Though water is transparent, the
color blue is widely believed to be
its color. The vast horizon that
acts as a roof gives a perception
that water bodies on earth are blue
in color. Water sustains life on
earth hence color blue also repre-
sents dynamism. Moreover, Lord
Krishna who taught mankind the
right way to lead life had a blue
skin tone, representative of power.
Green
In a country steeped in religious
beliefs, the origin of most colors
lies in the powers and mythical
lives of its gods. The color blue,
for instance, is associated with
Lord Krishna, perhaps one of the
most favored gods in India. And,
as is obvious for any agricultural
economy, green symbolizes a new
beginning, harvest, and happiness.
Green symbolizes nature and
therefore is a manifestation of
God himself.
White
White stands for serenity. It is
pure and soothes the eye and
hence spreads the message of
peace. In India, white is com-
monly used while attending cre-
mation ceremonies to bid a peace-
ful farewell to the departing soul.
Earlier widows used to wear only
white colored clothes, and the
same is symbolic of complete dis-
connection with the materialistic
world.
The story of India, some say,
is really the story of
Rajasthan. From events
that inspired mythological beliefs
to battles that defined the course
of history, from cultural riches
that became symbolic of the entire
nation to traditions that spawned a
hundred others – this was where it
all started; and spread to other
regions like rivers silently flowing
below the earth’s surface.
The story of Rajasthan, in turn,
is inconceivable without the story
of Rajputs – the ones who lived
by simple principles held dearly,
who were often as servile as they
were noble, and who took or gave
away lives for matters of honor
yet were not a primal people.
Their history is rife with imagina-
tion-defying tales of valor, loyalty,
integrity and personal sacrifice.
And yet, it isn’t just the past that
defines the Rajputs of today. It is
also the customs and social graces
that have evolved with time - the
rituals steeped in tradition, the
music, and colors that defy the
plainness of the terrain.
It’s hard to define what the true
essence of being a Rajput is, but
you know if you’ve felt it. And
never is this feeling stronger than
at a wedding.
As the Dholi stands up to deliv-
er a spirited Shubraj – a paean
dedicated to their clan, family
members start to hear the whis-
pers of their ancestors in their
blood. With the opening notes of
the song that follows, the revelry
of senses starts to unfold – elabo-
rate meals are cooked and shared,
Manwars are offered, good times
remembered and family ties
forged.
People of Rajasthan have spread
all over the globe. They have
learned, prospered, and grown in
foreign lands but continued to be
in touch with their cultural ori-
gins. One such daughter is Tripti
Singh, who hails from a promi-
nent family of Bikaner and is the
co-founder of Gathjor – a
Grapevine Dedicated to Rajput
Weddings.
Tripti is a trained tourism and
hospitality professional who
moved to Gurgaon about 10 years
back. After working as a place-
ment consultant for a few years,
she is now a full time mother and
currently lives in USA.
So what is Gathjor all about?
Gathjor is a group dedicated to the
undying sense of bonhomie and
revelry that can only be experi-
enced at a Rajput wedding. It can
sometimes take years of thought
and preparation – but on the day
of the event the foot is always in
step with the music, the turbans
starched and the dresses resplen-
dent, and the emotions always
true, and the cup does not run dry.
“It’s much more than a marriage
bureau or a match-making site”,
says Tripti. “One day, I was think-
ing about how so many of our
weddings used to happen through
word-of-mouth, just the plain
kindness or concern of strangers –
not driven by any motive other
than wishing a young couple
well.” That’s when she realized
that this is a tradition that could
potentially be revived using social
media, and Gathjor was born.
Gathjor started as a Facebook
group in September 2012. It’s still
a small community but growing
rapidly. “I am deeply attached to
Bikaner and my roots in Rajasthan
and Gathjor is a platform to meet
and interact with like-minded peo-
ple and help them find suitable
matches for themselves or family
members,” Tripti says.
In the past, Tripti has been
involved with other social causes.
She single-handedly ran a drive to
help a widow who was marrying
her two daughters and raised a
substantial sum of money from an
online campaign. “It was all due
to the support of sons and daugh-
ters of Rajasthan who are based
all over the world and could iden-
tify with the cause immediately”,
she says.
Is Gathjor planned to be a
money-making venture?
“Absolutely not,” says Tripti. “We
are very clear that there can never
be any commercial consideration
related to a cause like this. That’s
what separates us from run-of-the-
mill marriage bureaus. The match-
es we suggest are based purely on
our assessment of the boy or girl’s
emotional and social compatibili-
ty. Nor do we expect to use our
members’ contact information for
any promotional activity.”
While continuing to uphold tra-
ditions that our heritage stems
from, Gathjor strongly opposes
discriminatory and exploitative
practices such as dowry. “One of
the first questions we ask parents
of a prospective groom is whether
they have any specific expectation
around monetary gifts or dowry,
and we let them know that the
process will stop right there if
they do. We don’t endorse dowry,
period.”
So where does she expect the
Gathjor journey to go? “In the long
term, I do hope to link this to the
education of underprivileged girls
in Rajasthan. But that’s just a
thought and we’ll develop it at a
later time.” For now, this team of
professionals or homemakers from
diverse backgrounds is just focused
on weddings. They don’t have
physical presence in the form of an
office and only exist as a Facebook
group at this time. There is a web-
site planned in the near future.
Their resources may be limited, but
their dreams are not. (Contact:
Tripti Singh, co-founder, Gathjor - A grapevine dedicated to Rajput weddings
26
Significance ofcolors in India
Gathjor – Bringing Rajput communitytogether through weddings
What Bollywood did this Holi
For some it's work and no play,
while others like Shabana
Azmi and Shankar
Mahadevan looked forward to cele-
brate Holi with organic dry colors.
Actors Anupam Kher and Hema
Malini plan to unwind.
Here is what the film fraternity
planned to do on the occasion:
Shabana Azmi: At my parental
home in Janki Kutir, playing Holi is
a tradition started by my father (Kaifi
Azmi) and now followed by my
brother Baba. We play with organic
dry colours. There will be family and
friends from theater and cinema.
Lots of naach-gaana and khaana.
Irrfan Khan: This Holi I am far
away from the madding crowd in
the forests of Uttarakhand.
Honey Singh: This Holi I perform
in Dubai for a crowd of 20,000 peo-
ple. For the concert of mine, the
gates are being flung open for fami-
lies and children as well. Through
this festival of colours and happi-
ness, I want my fans to know my
music is for everyone and for all
occasions.
Pooja Bhatt: I will be in
Rajasthan scouting for locations. I'll
play it by the ear.
Shaan: We're all off to a friend's farm-
house in Mandwa to celebrate Holi.
Mahie Gill: I've no plans for Holi.
I'll be at home away from the noise
and colours.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: I am
shooting in Simultala in Bihar for
Buddhadeb Dasgupta's film. So Holi
ke pehle, Holi mein aur Holi ke
baad shooting only.
Malaika Arora: It's a working Holi
day for me. I'm shooting for an ad.
Anupam Kher: No plans for
Holi. I've been travelling so much
that I haven't allowed myself to feel
jetlagged. Maybe now I will for
Holi.
Jackie Shroff: I'll be at home
with my family or in the hills alone,
depending on my mood.
Shankar Mahadevan: A full gath-
ering of family and close friends. No
water. Just music. Super food, bhang,
masti with the kids and a dedicated
session of cards. Then I've to quickly
pack and leave for Doha.
Govinda: This year again I am
not celebrating Holi.
Hema Malini: I am in Chennai.
Holi is not much played here. So
there's a relaxed atmosphere.
Kalki Koechlin: I am shooting
for a film in Delhi for Holi.
Aditi Rao Hydari: I'll be in
Thailand shooting "Boss".
Shiamak Davar: No Holi plans. I
am directing and choreographing for
an international awards event. So it's
all work and no play for me.
Urmila Matondkar: I am in the
UK. So no Holi for me.
Aftab Shivdasani: I am not sure
if I'll be playing Holi. If I do, I will
try to keep it a dry Holi.
(above) Musician Bhappi Lahiri plays Holi withson and daughter-in-law
(top right) Actor Shabana Azmi with writer-husbandZaved Akhtar play Holi with organic colors
(right) Actor Nandita Das with family on thefestival of colors.
28
Not seeking pardon, saysemotional Sanju
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been convicted under
the Arms Act for his role in the 1993 Mumbai
bombings, said that he would "surrender" when
the time comes and would not be seeking "pardon".
Speaking out for the first time since the Supreme
Court verdict last week, Sanjay appealed to the media
for privacy. The 53-year-old also said there were many
others who deserved a pardon more than him.
He said: "I will surrender in the given time of
Supreme Court. I have not applied for any pardon. I
want to tell the media and the citizens of our country,
when I am not going for a pardon, then there is no
debate about it."
An emotional Sanjay, who broke down while address-
ing the media, said he had the highest respect for the
court.
"I am a shattered man, my family is shattered. I want
to thank whoever has supported us. I have a lot of work
to finish and now I want to spend my time with my fam-
ily. It's tough time for me and my family. With folded
hands, I want to tell you just let me be in peace till the
time I go in," said the actor, who is married to Manyata
and has twins with her.
On March 21, the Supreme Court upheld Sanjay's
conviction under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai seri-
al blasts case and sentenced him to five years in jail.
He was asked to surrender in four weeks to serve his
remaining term of about three-and-a-half year.
An estimated Rs.100 crore is riding on the Bollywood
star who is part of upcoming projects "Zanjeer" remake,
"Policegiri", "Munna Bhai 3" and "P.K.".
The actor has about three weeks' time to surrender and
he said he would be completing his work commitments
before going in.
He was accompanied at the press conference by his
sister and Congress MP Priya Dutt. Several members of
film fraternity and some politicians spoke in Sanjay's
support. Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and actor-
turned politician Jaya Prada met Maharashtra Governor
K. Sankaranarayanan.
Several members of film fraternity and somepoliticians are in Sanjay Dutt's support
(right) ActorRahul Bose
is seen playingHoli and (below)Zoom channel
organised a Holibash for actors
and foreignguests inMumbai
29
HEALTH30 March 30-April 5, 2013
IntegratIng ayurveda and nature cure
Once having run a holistic health-cum-spiritual mag-azine, I presumed I was an authority on all such institutions in India. So it came as a surprise when
I needed some rejuvenation myself and was referred to Kay-akalp in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. The combination of nature cure and ayurveda there was also new to me. Taking a train to Pathankot and then a 100-km taxi ride I landed at the sprawling hospital campus in the picturesque Kangra valley abutting snow-clad peaks. Speaking to people there I came to know that it had only been started in 2005 (inaugu-rated by Swami Ramdev) and took off around 2009 and now witnesses full occupancy in summers. Kayakalp (officially, Himalayan Research Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy) is the vision of Shanta Kumar, twice Himachal chief minister and currently Rajya Sabha MP.
Kayakalp, with accommodation for 86 people in four resi-dential blocks including a dormitory, may look more like a resort than a hospital, but the busy daily routine will leave no doubt: wake up at 5 am, yoga and cleansing kriyas at 6, breakfast at 8, doctors consultation and treatment 9-12 noon, lunch till 1 pm, treatment again between 2-4 pm, meditation 5-6, dinner at 6.30, and doctor lectures 7.30 pm.
Kayakalp does employ many gadgets – like whirlpool and jetspray bath -- and machines to facilitate treatment but is not in the same league as the famed (more expensive too) Jindal’s yoga and naturopathy center in Bangalore. But Kayakalp does offer the comparatively new colon hy-drotherapy, which I took for the first time in my life.
Unlike enema, which washes merely the lower tract of the intestine, here the water thrust by a machine reaches the entire large intestine, removing putrefied feces lining the intestinal walls, thus optimizing health.
At Kayakalp, I also noted an innovative way to treat high sugar levels, which I underwent though my sugar
The director/administrative head of Kayakalp is Sudar-shan Kumar Sharma, retired army officer and elder brother of Shanta Kumar. When asked about criticism in the media about the state government allotting so much land for a ‘hospital for the elite’, Sharma pointed to Shanta Kumar’s squeaky clean image and clarified that originally an allopa-thy hospital was also set up under the common Vivekanand Medical Research Trust, but that is now managed separate-ly. Kayakalp is not-for-profit (main donor being industrial-ist KK Birla) and in fact caters to a daily stream of locals too. Besides, there are discounts for the economically defi-cient, senior citizens and long term stay patients, etc. Wary of the spa label, he said they want to keep Kayakalp as a hospital where people come to get well as well as also to rejuvenate. Some people do realize the importance of regu-lar rejuvenation. Said the owner of a hotel in Manali, “I tell myself, 355 days in a year are for business and family, but 10 days are for myself when I come to Kayakalp.”
The best part for me proved to be settling the bill - just Rs 12,000 for six days’ treatment and stay in the twin-shar-ing cottage! Because from November to February, the lean period, Kayakalp offers 50% discount.
level was within safe limits. Right above where the pan-creas is, they made a diya like wall of dough and poured warm til oil repeatedly to stimulate the organ whose func-tion it is to produce insulin optimally to maintain constant glucose levels in the body.
Dr R.S. Rathore, naturopath and seniormost doctor in the facility, impressed on me that multi-discipline Kayakalp also incorporates physiotherapy (boasts an ultramodern unit), and acupressure, etc. Patients of diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression and of course obesity besides prob-lems of the digestive system benefit in particular.
Dr Malvika Badyal, panchkarma physician, clarified that panchkarma does not mean giving all five treatments to a patient – rather specific ones are chosen as needed. I was also prescribed a certain kind of massage and hot and cold compress, and nasal treatment which blew away my cold and cough. Dr Badyal emphasized on strictly follow-ing the prescribed diet – instructions are sent to the dining hall -- during one’s stay at the institute, because diet itself is used as a therapy there. Though no medicines are used during treatment, certain things are prescribed to the de-parting patient. A surprise for me was Castrol oil—to be taken with milk at bed time 3-4 days consecutively in a month for better bowel movement.
Kayakalp may look more like a resort, but the busy daily routine and treatments twice daily there will leave no doubt on what it is. (photos: Parveen Chopra)
(left) Physiotherapist Dr Manjul Kaith, naturopath Dr R.S. Rathore, ayurveda docs Dr Ashutosh Sharma Guleri and Dr Malvika Badyal posing in front of the treatment block at Kayakalp. (right) Yoga therapists Roop Lal and Ruchita Chauhan giving acupressure.
Kayakalp is the vision of former Himachal Pradesh CM Shanta Kumar (left); his elder brother
Sudarshan Kumar Sharma is the director.
Kayakalp in Himachal Pradesh is a holistic health option and very affordable for NRIs.
Kayakalp website: www.KayakalpPalampur.com
By Parveen Chopra
IRS releases tax scams list for 201331March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info FINANCE
Phoenix: The Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) has issued its annual
"Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams,
reminding taxpayers to use caution
during tax season to protect them-
selves against a wide range of
schemes ranging from identity theft to
return preparer fraud. Many of these
dubious schemes peak during filing
season.
Illegal scams can lead to significant
penalties and interest and possible
criminal prosecution.
From the dirty dozen, the scams that
can affect a common person are listed
below:
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone
uses your personal information such
as your name, Social Security number
(SSN) or other identifying informa-
tion, to commit fraud or other crimes.
In many cases, an identity thief uses a
legitimate taxpayer's identity to fraud-
ulently file a tax return and claim a
refund.
The IRS has a comprehensive and
aggressive strategy focusing on fraud
prevention, early detection and victim
assistance. During 2012, the IRS
stopped $20 billion of fraudulent
refunds, including those related to
identity theft.
Phishing
Phishing is a scam typically carried
out with the help of unsolicited email
or a fake website that poses as a legiti-
mate site to lure in potential victims
and prompt them to provide valuable
personal and financial information.
Armed with this information, a crimi-
nal can commit identity theft or finan-
cial theft.
If you receive an unsolicited email
that appears to be from either the IRS
or an organization closely linked to
the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal
Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report
it by sending it to [email protected].
It is important to keep in mind the
IRS does not initiate contact with tax-
payers by email to request personal or
financial information.
Return Preparer Fraud
Some unscrupulous tax preparers
prey on unsuspecting taxpayers, and
the result can be refund fraud or iden-
tity theft.
The IRS wants you to use only pre-
parers who sign the returns and enter
their IRS Preparer Tax Identification
Numbers (PTINs).
Remember: Taxpayers are legally
responsible for what's on their tax
return even if it is prepared by some-
one else.
Hiding Income Offshore
Over the years, numerous individu-
als have been identified as evading
U.S. taxes by hiding income in off-
shore banks, brokerage accounts or
nominee entities, using debit cards,
credit cards or wire transfers to access
the funds. Others have employed for-
eign trusts, employee-leasing
schemes, private annuities or insur-
ance plans for the same purpose.
The IRS uses information gained
from its investigations to pursue tax-
payers with undeclared accounts, as
well as the banks and bankers suspect-
ed of helping clients hide their assets
overseas. The IRS works closely with
the Department of Justice (DOJ) to
prosecute tax evasion cases.
At the beginning of 2012, the IRS
reopened the Offshore Voluntary
Disclosure Program (OVDP) follow-
ing continued strong interest from tax-
payers and tax practitioners after the
closure of the 2011 and 2009 pro-
grams. The IRS has collected $5.5 bil-
lion so far from people who participat-
ed in offshore voluntary disclosure
programs since 2009.
Impersonation of Charitable
Organizations
Another long-standing type of abuse
or fraud is scams that occur in the
wake of significant natural disasters.
Following major disasters, it's com-
mon for scam artists to impersonate
charities to get money or private infor-
mation from well-intentioned taxpay-
ers. Scam artists can use a variety of
tactics. Some scammers operating
bogus charities may contact people by
telephone or email to solicit money or
financial information. They may even
directly contact disaster victims and
claim to be working for or on behalf
of the IRS to help the victims file
casualty loss claims and get tax
refunds.
They may attempt to get personal
financial information or Social
Security numbers that can be used to
steal the victims' identities or financial
resources. Bogus websites may solicit
funds for disaster victims. As in the
case of Hurricane Sandy, the IRS cau-
tions both victims of natural disasters
and people wishing to make charitable
donations to avoid scam artists by fol-
lowing these tips:
* To help disaster victims, donate to
recognized charities.
* Be wary of charities with names
that are similar to familiar or national-
ly known organizations.
* Don't give out personal financial
information to anyone who solicits a
contribution from you.
* Don't give or send cash. For secu-
rity and tax record purposes, con-
tribute by check or credit card or
another way that provides documenta-
tion of the gift.
False/Inflated Income and
Expenses
Including income that was never
earned, either as wages or as self-
employment income in order to maxi-
mize refundable credits, is another
popular scam. Claiming income you
did not earn or expenses you did not
pay in order to secure larger refund-
able credits such as the Earned
Income Tax Credit could have serious
repercussions. This could result in
repaying the erroneous refunds,
including interest and penalties, and in
some cases, even prosecution.
Additionally, some taxpayers are fil-
ing excessive claims for the fuel tax
credit. Farmers and other taxpayers
who use fuel for off-highway business
purposes may be eligible for the fuel
tax credit. Fraud involving the fuel tax
credit is considered a frivolous tax
claim and can result in a penalty of
$5,000.
Disguised Corporate Ownership
Third parties are improperly used to
request employer identification num-
bers and form corporations that
obscure the true ownership of the
business.
These entities can be used to under-
report income, claim fictitious deduc-
tions, avoid filing tax returns, partici-
pate in listed transactions and facili-
tate money laundering, and financial
crimes. The IRS is working with state
authorities to identify these entities
and bring the owners into compliance
32 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoDIASPORA
Raj K Aggarwal commissioned as first Indian diplomat in WalesLondon: Raj K Aggarwal, an Anglo-Indian
pharmacist and businessman, has been com-
missioned as the first Indian diplomat in Wales
at a special ceremony.
India's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr
Jaimini Bhagwati presented the Commission
of Appointment as Honorary Consul of India
in Wales at a function held at the India House
last evening.
Aggarwal, who was appointed to the
post in September last year, was officially
commissioned in the presence of the First
Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, Wales
Police Commissioner Alun Michael and
distinguished guests including Lord Bikhu
Parikh and Labor MP Virendra Sharma.
Speaking on the occasion, 63-year-old
Aggarwal pledged to uphold, defend and promote the interests
of both countries. "India and Wales are my pride and joy. The
citizens of India and Wales have strong ties and share the same
affection for good food, drink and
music....Talents like (poet) Dylan
Thomas/Tom Jones...Ravi Shankar,
Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshker,"
Aggarwal said.
He observed that "India is a great, very
impressive and diverse super power but Wales
though small has its own charms. The coast-
line, beaches, mountains, farm houses,
pubs, castles, temples and the welsh hospi-
tality are unbeatable."
"Wales is so special. Cardiff is one of
the most dynamic and enterprising interna-
tional cities," Aggarwal said.
Describing First Minister Carwyn Jones'
visit to Delhi and Mumbai last April as
memorable, he said, "the exposure Wales
got during your 3-day short visit was massive. I know you
have made India a special focus with trade missions and spe-
cialist teams. This is all good news."
Hindujas emerge as the richest Asians in BritainLondon: Leading NRI business-
men Srichand Hinduja and Gopi
Hinduja, Chairman and Co-
Chairman of the Hinduja Group,
have emerged as the richest
Asians in Britain in 2013.
After playing second fiddle for
years to steel tycoon Lakshmi
Mittal, the London-based Hinduja
brothers have come out top this
year with net wealth assessed at
12.5 billion pounds - up 3 billion
pounds on the 2012 figure.
The falling demand for steel in
Europe and elsewhere has reduced
the wealth of Mittal, the Chairman
and CEO of ArcelorMittal, from
13.5 billion pounds in 2012 to 11
billion pounds this year.
Leading NRI industrialist Swraj
Paul is listed as 95th in the 'Asian
Rich List' brought out by the
Eastern Eye Newspaper, a publi-
cation of the Garavi Gujarat
Group headed by Ramniklal
Solanki. Lord Paul has wealth
worth 845 million, up 170 million
pounds from last year.
According to the list, "While
other organizations have been cut-
ting costs at a time of recession,
the Hindujas splashed out $1.1
billion (725 million pounds) on
buying Houghton, the US lubri-
cant and specialized chemicals
group that has been a market
leader in its field.
It has 12 manufacturing facili-
ties in 10 countries from the
United States to China and South
Korea and sales in 80 countries.
Its European headquarters is in
Manchester.
It reported an operating profit of
USD 132 million in the year to
September 30,2012, on sales of
USD 858 million."
The report said, "The Hindujas
have always made a big effort
with their philanthropic work and
in building up a close relationship
between Britain and India, not
only in business but also in the
cultural and educational fields."
Anil Agarwal, Chairman of
Vedanta, is listed number 3 in the
list with a fortune worth 3 billion,
down 200 million pounds from
last year.
Naresh Goyal, Chief of Jet
Airlines, is 12th in the list with a
fortune worth 440 million, up 165
million pounds over last year.
Rami Ranger, winner of four
consecutive Queen's Awards for
enterprise in international trade
between 2009 and 2012, is 42nd
in the list with a fortune worth
125 million, up 32 million pounds
over last year.
Indian professionals to be exemptedfrom paying social security in Portugal
New Delhi: Thousands of Indian
professionals working in Portugal
will soon be exempted from making
social security contribution in the
European country if they make such
payments in India.
The benefit will be available
under the social security pact India
inked with Portugal today which
will also provide for cooperation in
area of labor market expansion with
that country where over around
75,000 Indian professionals are
working currently.
The agreement was signed here by
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister
Vayalar Ravi and Minister of State
for Foreign Affairs Paulo Sacadura
Cabral Portas.
Under the agreement, India work-
ers on short-term contracts of up to
five years will not be required to
make any social security contribu-
tion in Portugal provided they con-
tinue to make social security pay-
ments India.
The relief will be available to
Indian workers even if an Indian
company sends its employees to
Portugal from a third country.
Officials said similar relaxation will
be provided to Portuguese citizens
working in India.
"Portugal is a great friend of India
and I am very happy to sign the
agreement which will benefit the
Indians working in the country,"
said Ravi.
Portas said both the countries are
holding negotiations on number of
pacts to further enhance cooperation
in diverse areas. "We are interested
in further enhancing economic
cooperation with India."
As per the pact, Indian workers
will be entitled to "export" of their
social security benefits if they relo-
cate to India after completion of
their service in Portugal.
According to Indian labor laws,
all employees and employers falling
under the purview of the Employees
Provident Fund Act, 1952, are
required to make mandatory contri-
bution towards provident fund. A
mandatory contribution fund is
known by different names in differ-
ent countries, such as social security
in the US.
Though professionals posted in
foreign countries continue to make
such payments in India, they are
compelled to pay social security tax
in the host countries too leading to
double contribution.
India has already signed similar
agreements with Austria, Belgium,
Germany, France, Switzerland, The
Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary,
Denmark, Czech Republic, South
Korea, Norway, Finland, Canada
and Japan.
Hindujas toppled steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal for the top spot
High Commissioner Dr. J.Bhagwati (center) presenting
the Commission of Appointmentto Mr. Raj Aggarwal OBE DL(right) in the presence of The
First Minister of Wales, Rt. Hon.Carwyn Jones (left) at IndiaHouse on 21 March 2013.
Kartar Lalvani wins 2013 Healthcare Business AwardLondon: NRI entrepreneur Kartar Lalvani has
been conferred with the Healthcare Businessman
of the Year Award 2013 at the Asian Business
Awards ceremony here.
The founder-chairman of Vitabiotics, UK's
largest supplier of minerals and vitamin supple-
ments to the retail trade, received the honor from
UK's Home Secretary Theresa May.
The Asian Business Awards, commended
Lalvani, a chemist by training, for "creating
Vitabiotics in the 1970s and overseeing the com-
pany's remarkable growth to become the UK's largest suppli-
er of minerals and vitamin supplements to the retail trade."
"The company is at the forefront of scientific developments
in key sectors, including nutrition and women's health, and
exports to over 100 countries," it added. Amit Bhatia, chief of
the Swordfish group of companies and son-in-law
of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, was declared the
Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013.
The Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 went to
Indian-origin entrepreneur Sudhir Choudhrie.
Speaking on the occasion, the British Home
Secretary said Indian students were welcome to
study in the UK.
Blaming the previous Labor Government for
immigration system "mess," May said that "the
bright and best students from India are welcome
to study in the UK." In a message, the British Prime Minister
David Cameron hailed the work done by Asian businessmen
in the UK, adding that awards "will be an opportunity to cele-
brate the enormous contribution that the Asian community
makes to the UK economy."
Kartar Lalvani,founder-chairman,
Vitabiotics, UK
SUBCONTINENT & INTERNATIONAL
International
Mush returns home after 4-year exileIslamabad: Former president
Pervez Musharraf returned to
Pakistan after a self-exile for
over four years to take part in
the May parliamentary elec-
tions.
A plane carrying Musharraf,
leaders of his party and media
persons from Dubai landed
soon after noon at the port city
of Karachi where supporters
accorded him a warm wel-
come. The authorities in
Karachi canceled permission
for a Musharraf rally at the
mausoleum of the founder of
the nation over security con-
cerns. Musharraf had been liv-
ing in exile in Britain and the
United Arab Emirates since he
resigned from his post in
August 2008.
Musharraf, 69, had previous-
ly announced on several occa-
sions that he would return
home, but he had postponed
the plan.
A court in Pakistan granted
protective bail to Musharraf,
who had been facing arrest in
several cases.
The 14-day-long protective
bail was granted in response to
a constitutional petition sub-
mitted to the court by
Musharraf's daughter Ayla
Raza Musharraf on behalf of
her father. An anti-terrorism
court had issued arrest warrant
in 2011 for Musharraf in con-
nection with the murder of for-
mer prime minister Benazir
Bhutto. In October, a court also
issued a warrant for his arrest
over the killing of Baloch
nationalist leader Akbar Bugti
in a military operation in
August 2006.
Musharraf, who ruled
Pakistan from 1999 to 2008,
has also been charged with
ordering a military raid on the
Taliban-linked Red Mosque in
Islamabad during his term.
‘Mystery meat’ in UK’s Indian takeaways
London: Europe's horsemeat scan-
dal took a new turn when a mystery
meat was found in some Indian
takeaway dishes here, which could
be even of 'dog or cat'.
'Horsemeat Banquet', a BBC doc-
umentary revealed that even scien-
tists were baffled after tests on an
Indian lamb curry showed no trace
of lamb, chicken, pork, mutton, beef
or even horsemeat.
It was, however, ruled out as
being human flesh. Experts exam-
ined a range of takeaway meals in
London as part of the documentary.
When the presenter, Rick Edwards
suggested that the unknown meat
found in Indian dishes could be of
cat or dog, nutritionist Surinder
Phull said that "any animal with
flesh similar to lamb" could have
been used.
"At this moment, the lab is unable
to identify exactly which animal this
meat came from," a spokesman for
the show said.
Other tests revealed that so-called
"beef" in some popular Chinese
dishes was actually made entirely
from chicken blood and a little
chicken. Indian and Chinese meals
are the most popular takeaway dish-
es in Britain and the latest discovery
led to renewed calls for rigorous
tests on various meat being served
across the country.
Hindu groups in the UK have
called for stricter norms after it
emerged this month that over a third
of curry restaurants in Scotland
were serving a much cheaper beef in
place of lamb.
Former Pak president Pervez Musharraf
Hindu groups in the UK have called for stricter norms
Pope washes women's feetRome: In his most significant
break with tradition yet, Pope
Francis washed and kissed the feet
of two young women at a juvenile
detention center a surprising depar-
ture from church rules that restrict
the Holy Thursday ritual to men.
No Pope has ever washed the
feet of a woman before, and
Francis' gesture sparked a debate
among some conservatives and
liturgical purists, who lamented he
had set a "questionable example."
Liberals welcomed the move as a
sign of greater inclusiveness in the
church.
Speaking to the young offenders,
including Muslims and orthodox
Christians, Francis said that Jesus
washed the feet of his disciples on
the eve of his crucifixion in a ges-
ture of love and service.
"This is a symbol, it is a sign.
Washing your feet means I am at
your service," Francis told the
group, aged 14 to 21, at the Casal
del Marmo detention facility in
Rome.
Elite in China face austerityBeijing: Life for the almighty
Chinese government official has
come to this: car pools, domestical-
ly made wristwatches and self-serve
lunch buffets.
In the four months since he was
anointed China's paramount leader
and tastemaker-in-chief, President
Xi Jinping has imposed a form of
austerity on the nation's famously
free-spending civil servants, mili-
tary brass and provincial party boss-
es. Warning that graft and gluttony
threaten to bring down the ruling
Communists, Mr Xi has ordered an
end to boozy, taxpayer-financed
banquets and the bribery that often
takes the form of a gift-wrapped
Louis Vuitton bag.
While the power of the nation's
elite remains unchallenged, the
symbols of that power are slipping
from view. Gone, for now, are the
freshly cut flowers and red-carpet
ceremonies that used to greet visit-
ing dignitaries. This month, military
officers who arrived here for the
annual National People's Congress
were instructed to share hotel rooms
and bring their own toiletries.
33March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of two young women
Court extends Musharraf's bailIslamabad: Former president Pervez Musharraf's bail was
extended for 15 days by a Pakistani court, a media report
said. Musharraf arrived at the Sindh High Court seeking to
extend his period of bail in a series of cases, including the
2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto, reported Geo News.
Musharraf returned to Pakistan after four years in self-
imposed exile, spending time in London and Dubai.
Judge Sajjad Ali Shah posted bail at 300,000 rupees
($3,000) over the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the
2007 illegal sacking of judges and the 2006 death of Akbar
Bugti, a Baloch rebel leader in Balochistan.
'Probe into LTTE crimes should start with Karuna'New York: Sri Lanka should
act on the call by a deputy
minister to investigate war
crimes by examining his
own role in serious abuses,
Human Rights Watch said.
Deputy Minister V.
Muralitharan, known as Col.
Karuna, called for war
crimes investigations into
the Tamil National Alliance,
an opposition coalition of
Tamil political parties, pre-
sumably because some of its
members had links with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE).
Karuna was effectively the
second-in-command of the
LTTE and the head of its
eastern province forces until
he split from its leader V.
Prabhakaran in March 2004.
"Karuna's call for war
crimes investigations should
not allow him to airbrush out
his own role in atrocities,"
said Brad Adams, Asia direc-
tor at Human Rights Watch.
"His LTTE forces were
implicated in some of Sri
Lanka's most horrific abuses,
so the government's long-
stalled war crimes investiga-
tions might as well begin
with him."
LTTE forces under
Karuna's command were
directly involved in some of
the worst crimes of Sri
Lanka's 26-year-long armed
conflict, which ended in
May 2009, Human Rights
Watch said.
In June 1990, 400 to 600
police officers who had sur-
rendered to LTTE forces,
many of whom may have
been under Karuna's control,
were bound, gagged and
beaten.
The LTTE then executed
the Sinhalese and Muslim
police officers among them.
Karuna has admitted that
the LTTE committed these
killings in an interview with
the BBC, but claims he was
not at the scene.
Karuna was effectively the second-in-command of the LTTE
TN advocates Tamil Eelam in LankaChennai: The Tamil Nadu assembly urged India to intro-
duce a resolution in the UN Security Council seeking a ref-
erendum in Sri Lanka to carve out an independent Tamil
Eelam state.
A resolution moved by the AIADMK-controlled house
said Tamils living in Sri Lanka as well as Tamils of Sri
Lankan origin in other countries should take part in the ref-
erendum. The resolution also urged India to stop describing
Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and sought an international
probe on war crimes during the war against the Tamil Tigers
that left thousands dead.
34 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoBUSINESS & SPORTS
'US should incentivize India to open economy'Washington: Saying that
strengthening Indo-US trade
ties makes abundant econom-
ic sense, a US expert says the
US can help India's growth
by incentivizing New Delhi
to open up its economy.
"Within a generation, India
will likely become one of the
United States' most vital
diplomatic partners," said
Daniel Twining, senior fel-
low for Asia at the German
Marshall Fund of the United
States in an opinion piece in
the Wall Street Journal.
"As the US pivots toward
Asia, India will prove more
capable than any existing US
ally in advancing interests
from defeating terrorism to
managing China's rise," he
wrote noting "Already,
Washington and New Delhi
have developed a far-reach-
ing strategic partnership cen-
tred on defense cooperation."
"In contrast, Indo-US eco-
nomic relations remain
underdeveloped, stymied by
a lack of ision and Indian
skittishness toward liberaliza-
tion," Twining said suggest-
ing, "A new trade and energy
partnership could make up
for lost time."
"To cement its burgeoning
alliance with New Delhi,
and to help India reform and
grow, the US should offer
the triple incentive of a free-
trade agreement, assured
energy supplies and mem-
bership in the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation
forum (APEC)," he said.
According to Twining the
"best way to elevate Indo-
US relations above feuding
bureaucracies is for top
political leaders to set out a
compelling aspirational goal
and empower government
institutions to deliver on it."
"Strengthening Indo-US
trade ties makes abundant
economic sense," he said cit-
ing the US National
Intelligence Council fore-
casts that India will become
the world's biggest driver of
middle-class growth by
2030.
UK heads for recession
Sports
London: Britain looks headed for recession
and its current account deficit last year was
the worst since 1989, data showed on
Wednesday, dimming government hopes of
a growth boost from exports and investment.
The Office for National Statistics con-
firmed that gross domestic product dropped
0.3 percent in the October-December period
compared with the previous quarter, dragged
down by sharp falls in industrial production
and exports.
Separate data showed Britain's current
account deficit came in at 14.037 billion
pounds ($21.3 billion) in the fourth quarter,
overshooting forecasts.
For the full year, the gap between what
Britain earns from trade and foreign invest-
ment and money flowing out of the country
almost tripled to a shortfall of 57.679 billion
pounds or 3.7 percent of GDP - the highest
share of output since 1989. The pound
slipped against the dollar after the two
releases.
An economic contraction in the first quar-
ter of 2013 would tip Britain into its third
recession in less than five years.
Soon, a BRICS development bankDurban: In a clear signal of
their ascendancy in the
geopolitical space, the leaders
of Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa
Wednesday gave their go-
ahead to a BRICS bank, rival-
ing the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund
(IMF), to address the devel-
opment challenges of poor
and emerging economies.
The leaders, who met for
the 5th BRICS Summit here -
- where the Indian delegation
was led by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh -- also
endorsed a $100-billion con-
tingency reserve arrangement
that will be deployed when
any of the five member-
nations faces a crisis.
"We (the finance ministers
of the five countries) gave a
big idea and that idea has
now become a reality -- that
is the BRICS development
bank," Indian Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram
told journalists here, soon
after the conclusion of the
plenary session on the second
day of the two-day summit.
He said the finance minis-
ters and officials of the two
countries have been given a
12-month time-frame to work
out modalities like the capital
of the proposed bank, its
domicile and the governance
structure.
"We should have a nearly
complete document when the
leaders meet again in Brazil
next March," he added.
As regards the contingency
reserve arrangement,
Chidambaram said the bulk
of the money, that is $41 bil-
lion, will be pledged by
China, $18 billion each will
come from India, Brazil and
Russia, while South Africa
has agreed to $5 billion. The
proposal for the BRICS bank
and a contingency reserve
arrangement was mooted
when India hosted the previ-
ous BRICS Summit in New
Delhi. This was to counter the
influence of other global
institutions like the World
Bank that are more tuned to
pursuing the policies as dic-
tated by the West.
The five-member BRICS
bloc collectively accounts for
40 percent of the world's pop-
ulation, 30 percent of the
world's land mass, 20 percent
of the gross domestic product
in real terms and 26 percent
of purchasing power. They
also together have foreign
exchange reserves of $4.3
trillion.
Cricketing world congratulates India
New Delhi: After a thumping 4-0
triumph over Australia in the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India was
congratulated on the social network-
ing site Twitter by several crick-
eters. "Congrats boys, well done.
Njoy it big time, a well-deserved
whitewash," tweeted opening bats-
man Gautam Gambhir, who is cur-
rently out of the team due to jaun-
dice. Legendary Australian pace
bowler Glenn Mcgrath said: "A very
convincing win to India. India total-
ly dominated the series. Aussies
have a lot of work to do before the
Ashes. Congratulations India."
One of the greatest spinners of all
time, Shane Warne also applauded
India's performance.
"Congrats to India on the series
win and the way their young players
have played..." Former India bats-
man Sanjay Manjrekar said:
"Winning 4-0 is no mean feat... and
that is how this series win has to be
looked at... Well done India !!"
This was the first time India
whitewashed a series 4-0.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other BRICS leaders pose during the BRICS Leaders-Africa
Dialogue Forum in Durban, South Africa.
This was the first time India whitewashed a series 4-0
Lankan cricketers to skip IPL 6 Chennai-legNew Delhi: The Governing
Council of the Indian Premier
League (IPL) decided to keep Sri
Lanka cricketers out of Chennai
in view of the opposition from
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.
Jayalalithaa.
This decision will make the
players from the island-nation
skip the matches to be held in
Chennai in view of the security
concerns in Tamil Nadu over the
atrocities carried out against eth-
nic Tamils in Sri Lanka during
the war against Tamil Tigers that
ended in May 2009.
"The Governing Council decid-
ed that Sri Lankan players will
not participate in the Pepsi IPL
2013 League matches in Chennai
and will advise the nine franchis-
es accordingly. The Governing
Council met this afternoon to dis-
cuss the issue. The security of all
involved in the IPL, whether
players, spectators or those
working in the stadiums, is of
paramount importance to the
BCCI," said IPL chairman
Rajeev Shukla in a press state-
ment.
"This is with reference to news
reports last week that the govern-
ment of Sri Lanka has issued a
travel advisory that its citizens
should exercise caution when
travelling to Tamil Nadu.
Today, the Honorable Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu has writ-
ten to the Prime Minister of
India stating that she will not
permit the participation of Sri
Lankan players or umpires in
matches in Chennai during Pepsi
IPL 2013."
Earlier, Shukla, also the union
minister of state for parliamen-
tary affairs, had said that the
local administration's advice can-
not be ignored but the IPL
matches were not to be shifted
out of Chennai.
Jayalalithaa, in her letter to
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, had stated that the state
government will permit IPL
matches only if the organizers
promise that no Sri Lankan play-
er, umpire, official or support
staff will participate.
Street protests had taken place
in Tamil Nadu to denounce the
Sri Lankan government for the
killings of Tamil civilians in the
war against the Tamil Tigers in
the emerald nation.
Fashion 35March 30-April 5, 2013
Six yard Splendor at lFW Summer-reSortMumbai: The sheer elegance of six yard presented in
innovative modern styles, high on grace and femininity, was the high point of the just concluded Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer-Resort 2013, which also saw glitter of gold on the ramp.
Other unique concepts brought on the ramp also made the five-day event a memorable experience for all and sundry.
If Indian designers presented spectacular collection of six yards, especially in net, international designer Naeem Khan, who made his India debut at the LFW, too introduced a new version of sari called “Ball gown sari”.
Specifically designed for the Indian audience, Khan’s sari draping style is unique, making it like a ball gown. It was received well when displayed on the ramp.
“The ball gown sari has been specially designed for India. It is one piece of fabric without any stitches and just needs to be draped,” Khan said explaining his unique costume.
Draping a sari is no longer tedious for women, thanks to designers for introducing new range of six yards, which were light, yet elegant.
Ace designer Rehane’s Indian look was also appreciated greatly at the event. Her clothes, though very desi, had an ex-tremely modern and trendy touch making them appealing.
“My line was about a summer bride and what she would wear. I have displayed net saris, which are glamorous but also look very fragile. Such outfits will make women look divine,” she said.
Even Bhairavi Jaikishan focused on net saris. Titled “Par-adise Island”, her collection offered net saris with heavy em-broideries, salwaar-kameez and embroidered lehengas.
“My collection was for destination weddings. The clothes are very wearable. You can wear these clothes at different places It is a light weight collection,” she said.
The other designers who showcased a wide variety of sa-ris were Manish Malhotra, Vikram Phadnis, Masaba, Soumi-tra Mondal, Farah and Firdos, Payal Singhal among others. Not only were the saris different, they were teamed up with
Bollywood actress Ka-reena Kapoor, who looked fabulous in
a pinkish-orange outfit de-signed by Namrata Joshipura at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer - Resort 2013, says her husband Saif Ali Khan likes her in all colors.
The collection had a range of vibrant colors. Asked which color her husband Saif Ali Khan likes to see her in, the actress promptly replied that he likes her in all colors.
“Saif likes to see me in ev-ery color. He has no choice,” she told the media. Saif was not present to cheer the ac-tress at the show, but she took it sportingly. “We are not missing Saif... let him work. He sees me walk the ramp every day at home,” she said in good humor.
Asked about her personal styling, the actress said she loved pajamas and a T-shirt. “I love pajamas and a T-shirt. I wish I could walk the ramp like that,” she said. After a long courtship, Saif and Kar-eena tied the knot last year.
Around 70 people including 30 celebrities walked the ramp as designer Vikram Phadnis showcased his fashion line at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer-Resort 2013 on the theme of
celebration of rural India. Ashutosh Gowariker, Anurag Basu, Vaibhavi Merchant, Ekta Kapoor, Ram Kapoor, Sakshi Tanwar, Kunal Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Poonam Sinha, Vaibhavi Merchant, Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan, Farah Khan, Rohit Bal, Dia Mirza, Jitendra, Su-shant Singh Rajput, Juhi Chawla among others walked the ramp sup-porting the noble cause. Phadnis also made it a point to include various common people from Swades foundation who walked with the celebri-ties. Phadnis partnered with Swades Foundation, an NGO working for the empowerment of rural India, for his fashion show. He dedicated his line to this cause. The designer besides focusing on his clothing also had the hall decorated with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The title track of “Swades” playing as the background score added to the look and feel of the evening. Going by the theme of the fashion line “A Cel-ebration Of Rural India”, his collection had rural touch to all the gar-ments that included cotton sarees with embroideries, salwar kameez, khadi kurtas, sherwanis for men and subtle yet graceful lehengas.
Other than that, the fashion week focused a lot on gold accessories, making the collections attractive.
Masaba, who showcased a line called “Postcards of Be-naras”, used a lot of gold jewelery.
“I used traditional Benaras jewelery. The whole idea was to create a fusion. The idea was to make it look jarring. It was an Indian fusion line,” she said.
LFW ended on March 26 with a fabulous grand finale by Namrata Joshipura and actress Kareena Kapoor hit the runway looking completely mesmerizing in orange-pink blingy palazzos teamed up with fitting top with a pink semi-formal jacket.
innovative blouses.Payal Singhal, for whom gorgeous Aditi Rao Hydari walked
the ramp, presented and interesting range of innovative blouse designs with her saris. For instance, she presented a spectacu-lar range of buttery mul-saris with free flowing kurtas.
Not only were the audience impressed with the beautiful saris, but so were the celebrities.
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who was invited on to the ramp to walk at Manish Malhotra’s show, was thor-oughly impressed with the sari she was wearing.
“Today, I am wearing Manish Malhotra’s sari and thanks for giving me this opportunity,” she had said after her walk.
Fashion designer anupama Dayal on the opening day of the LFW in Mumbai
Kareena Kapoor walks the ramp for indian designer namrata JoshipuraBollywood celebrities walk the ramp for designer
Vikram Phadnis as part of ‘Celebration of Rural india’
SAif likeS Me in every color: kAreenA
lfW celebrAteS rurAl indiA With PhAdniS
The five-day fashion week also focused a lot on gold accessories, making the collections attractive. If fashion, style and glamor dominated the event, social causes too found strong foot hold.
Pope Francis, the new leader of the
worldwide Catholic Church, is 76
years old. Some people think he’s
too old to be assuming such a demand-
ing position. They wonder how long
he’ll be able to serve as Pope, consider-
ing that his predecessor, Pope Benedict
XVI, was 78 when elected to the Papacy
and lasted only as long as three Charlie
Sheen marriages.
But I don’t see anything wrong with a
76-year-old Pope. Just think how much
experience Pope Francis brings to the
job. He has witnessed so many life-
changing events during his time on
Earth: the abolition of slavery, the dis-
covery of penicillin, the invention of the
padded bra.
Okay, perhaps he’s not quite that old,
but he does have a wealth of experience
to bring to the job, and that’s a good
thing. I love to see an older person get-
ting such a high-profile job. In fact, if I
had my way, nobody would be consid-
ered for the position of Pope until they
had as many lines on their foreheads as
their résumés.
In some countries, people are forced to
retire from certain occupations while
they’re in their late 50s! That seems
patently unfair to me. Just imagine if
Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine
had retired in his 50s. We would have
never seen him in such movies as “The
Graduates of Malibu High,” “Frozen
Stupid” and “Real Men Don’t Eat
Gummi Bears.”
Okay, bad example. But you get the
point. People in their late 50s still have a
lot to contribute – perhaps even more
than they contributed before. Laura
Ingalls Wilder published her first “Little
House on the Prairie” book when she
was 64. Claude Monet, the great French
artist, completed many of his master-
pieces after age 60. And Betty White
was almost 90 when she got tackled in a
Snickers commercial.
At age 100, Loren Wade of Winfield,
Kansas, is America’s oldest worker.
While other centenarians have been
retired for 40 years, Wade works 30
hours a week at Wal-Mart, usually in the
pet supplies department. If you’re hav-
ing trouble lifting a 50-lb bag of dog
food into your cart, Wade is the guy
who’ll help you find one of the young
guys in the back.
The older I get, the more I support
some form of age-based affirmative
action – or positive discrimination, as
they call it in Britain. We need to create
special jobs for senior citizens, so they
can stay active and keep contributing to
society. Here are just three job ads that I
would like see:
1. Receptionist. Male Potency Clinic
seeks receptionist to answer phone calls
and schedule patients for consultations
with Dr. C. Ellis. Preference will be
given to candidates who have trouble
remembering names and faces. Young
people need not apply.
2. Living History Guide. Senior citi-
zens needed to visit schools and talk
about their childhoods, as part of a 20th
century history lesson. Students are
eager to hear your amazing stories,
whether you had to walk 10 miles to get
to school or grew up in a single TV
household. Please bring your photo
albums along, as many of our students
are eager to find out what a “photo
album” is.
3. FCC Reporters. Citizens aged 65
and above are encouraged to apply for
the newly created position of Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
reporter. As an FCC reporter, your job is
to watch TV full-time and report any
inappropriate language that makes you
feel like using inappropriate language.
You might be an ideal candidate if: (1)
you often complain about “all the filth”
on TV; (2) your grandchildren accuse
you of being a prude; (3) you’ve written
a letter to Joel Osteen asking him to stop
saying “gosh, darn it.”
Humor with Melvin Durai
A century-old Loren Wade working in Walmart
36 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoHUMOR
Old people need jobs — and not just at the Vatican
by Mahendra ShahMahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for thepast many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874; Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898,2648 9899; [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: March 30-April 5, 2013
March 30:
Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you are
bold, ambitious, dignified, courageous and intelligent
person. You are hard working and always appreciated
for your commitment and efforts, but you need to con-
trol your tendency to behave erratic, stubborn and lazy
at times. Financially this promises to be a highly lu-
crative year. New contract or partnership will take
shape, lifting your moral and confidence. Investment in
stocks and real estate recommended. Businessmen
dealing in trading and export will benefit. Students will
find this period highly exciting, adventurous and full of
good opportunities. Religious feeling will arise making
you go for a pilgrimage later in the year. Nuptial knots
for few lovebirds. Chronic patients need to take pre-
ventive medication. Drive carefully, especially during
the night. The months of May, July, September, Octo-
ber and January seem to be important and significant.
March 31:
Influenced by number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are
energetic, practical, enthusiastic, authoritative and trust-
worthy person. You are intelligent and can do wonders
with your ability to put in your maximum, but you need
to control your tendencies to behave reckless, stubborn
and impatient at times. This is a period of recognition
and rewards. Efforts put in the past will yield returns
this year. Your investments will multiply and yield good
profits. Unexpected gains from speculation or real es-
tate may not be ruled out. Children may cause some dis-
satisfaction and spouse will need more of your atten-
tion. New romance most likely for some. Health defi-
nitely would need more attention. Regular exercise and
meditation would immensely help you this year. The
months of March, April, May, August and October will
prove to be significant and result oriented.
April 01:
Governed by number 1, and the Sun, you are original,
active, responsible, trustworthy and a very simple per-
son. You are highly talented and fond of accepting
challenges, but you need to control your tendency to
dominate, overspend and behave destructive at times.
This year you should plan things well in advance to
reap benefits. Efforts that you put during this period
will bring desired results in the long run. Favourable
period for property investment. Romance will be on
top of your list. There seem to be chances too of a new
arrival as well. Your financial condition will improve
as you pickup job involving higher responsibility and
position. Some exhilarating news from distant relations
will boost up the spirits of the entire family. Travel and
journey will be pleasurable. The months of April, June,
August & November will be significant for you.
April 02:
Influenced by number 2 and the Moon. You are active,
smart, energetic, responsible, systematic and a friend-
ly person. You always aim high and you are not satis-
fied until you achieve your goals. You are helpful and
loyal to your friends but you need to check your ten-
dency to behave stubborn and fickle-minded at times.
This year you are asked to handle additional responsi-
bilities at work. This would put you in good books of
your employer and go a long way in bringing you re-
wards. You would work on new ideas, which would
help you increase your income. Spouse expected to
bring in some thrilling news later this year. Distant
journeys, maybe overseas for some would be highly
pleasurable and rewarding. The months of July, Au-
gust, September, October and December seem to be
highly beneficial.
April 03:
Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter. You are a
practical, energetic, religious, brilliant, sober and an op-
timistic person. You are always looking for a change
and you adapt to new technologies quickly than others.
You are efficient and sincere, but you need to check
your tendency to behave jealous and stubborn at times.
This year sharing personal and secretive information
would not be in your best interest. The atmosphere at
office would be competitive and would require you to
handle important jobs with more responsibility. You can
look forward to new friendships and even a romantic al-
liance through work related projects. You need to con-
trol your mood and erratic behaviour; otherwise you are
likely to disappoint many people around you. Distant
journeys, maybe overseas for some would fetch favor-
able returns. The months of May, July, September, No-
vember and April will prove to be significant.
April 04:
Ruled by number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are gen-
erous, peace loving, dashing, systematic, disciplined,
and creative in nature. You are very hardworking and
possess an ability to impress others with your intelli-
gence, but you need to control your tendency to be ex-
travagant, reckless and moody at times. This year you
would find yourself changing plans more than usual
and decision on certain fronts would not be easy. Some
changes in friendship also seem to take place later this
year. Frequent and fruitful journeys would be under-
taken. A property transaction or acquiring a new vehi-
cle during this period seems likely. Visit to a religious
place or blessings from a spiritual person would be
high on your agenda. Your outgoing nature will work
to your advantage as you gain favours and benefits
from important people. The months of June, August,
October and January will bring prosperity.
April 05:
Ruled by number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are
highly intelligent, diplomatic, highly business orient-
ed, accommodating, dashing and kindhearted individ-
ual. You are a very social person and your family and
friends have a priority in your life, but you need to curb
your tendencies to behave reckless, vindictive and
moody at times.
This year you should try to focus your energy into pro-
fessional endeavors. It would be a period of success
and happiness, as you would make major gains. You
would easily outsmart your competitors because of you
better skills and aptitude. Investments during this peri-
od would also yield handsome gains. New proposals
for joint venture would be alluring, but a partnership is
definitely not on your cards this year. You would make
new friends through old ones. The months of July, Au-
gust, October, December and March would be highly
significant.
TAURUS: Don’t forget to take the help of subordi-
nates by involving them in decision-
making process. To avoid conflicts
give an ear to family members.
Investment should be handled with
extreme care and avoid being lured
by dubious money ventures. Beware as
someone might flatter you with his/her wit & charm
to enjoy your company. Control your negative emo-
tions to save your health. It’s high time to visit a rela-
tives place otherwise relationships can be ruined.
Plan your budget first, and then try for a property.
High time to have some principles and follow them
methodically to succeed.
ARIES: To bring a bloom in professional life you
will have to formulate new strate-
gies. A week when you should not
force your opinion on others in the
family. If possible take independ-
ent decisions when it comes to
making fresh investments. You are
likely find comfort in the arms of romantic part-
ner. Creative hobbies are likely to keep you
relaxed. Travel plan with a colleague might lead
to a new relationship. Your plan to buy a plot,
may lead to bankruptcy. You are likely to face
some confrontation with higher authorities.
SAGITTARIUS: Be very careful while recruit-
ing professionals. Relatives bring
you unexpected gifts but also
expect some kind of help from
you. Avoid overspending on
entertainment and luxuries this
week. Love life would blossom pro-
vided you pay heed to it. A pleasure trip gives the
much-needed tonic to health. Being too choosy
for a romantic destination might irritate your part-
ner. Consider a friend of yours when you plan to
buy an office. You need to carefully listen & fol-
low friend’s advice to pass testing times.
CAPRICORN: Make sure you don’t hire for the
sake of hiring. Take independent deci-
sions and do not allow family mem-
bers to decide: what to do or not.
Make sure you do not overspend on
household luxuries. You will have to
make extra efforts to meet romantic
partner. Cutting down the number of parties and
pleasure jaunts would help in keeping in good
mood. Luxuries are not what you need in a vaca-
tion, its peace and companionship. It’s time to make
some property investments for your kids. You keep
a vigilant eye at what’s happening around you.
AQUARIUS: Lack of communication skills will
force to suffer at workplace. Family
members are likely to create a
mountain out of a molehill this
week. Unwise investment could
block the money. An erratic behav-
ior could create differences with
beloved/lover. A beneficial week to work on
things that will improve your health. An ideal
holiday is that which is planned. Purchasing offi-
cial accessories can lead to improve growth of
your office. You will be able to shift your
focus/attention from personal to social life.
PISCES: Your technical expertise gives a decisive
edge over competitors at work.
Parents and friends will do their
best to keep you happy.
Improvement in finances makes it
convenient in clearing long pending
dues & bills. Do things that would
invest in your romantic relations. Your confidence
and energy will be high in this week. A fun- filled
holiday at an amusement and theme park with your
family is there. Inheriting property from your rela-
tives seems to be ahead. You are likely to make a
commitment without knowing how to honour it.
CANCER: A promising week to start a new venture
in partnership. All are likely to be ben-
efited. Misunderstandings with near
ones in the family will get cleared.
You succeed in making some extra
cash on playing your cards well.
Sudden romantic encounter is foreseen
this week. Mental alertness would enable to solve a
tricky problem. Small picnic organized by your
company is good to change your mood. Your
investment plans are not up to the mark, you will be
in trouble. Raising controversial issues without facts
will only weaken your position/point.
GEMINI: Dedication and sincerity at work will be of
little value on failing to translate ideas
into reality. You achieve success in
personal work with the timely help &
support provided by family members.
Hard work of previous days brings
good fortune enabling to fulfill mone-
tary promises. Love and romantic encounter will keep
you in a cheerful state. With a positive outlook & con-
fidence, you succeed in impressing people around you.
Traveling regularly might be injurious for your well –
being. A deal regarding residential property can start
moving on its right path. You will be successful in
developing some social contacts for personal use.
LEO: This week you will fail to explore the full
potential of software/hardware skills.
Some of you will be torn among
many demands at family front. An
auspicious week to invest money
on items that would grow in value.
A promising week for romance when
your innovation infuses a new spirit in it. A cheer-
ful state of mind brings mental peace. The idea of
a holiday seems to be tired and rushed. Discussing
property matters with parents can help for better
innovations. Be original in conversation, as put-
ting up an act would only harm you.
VIRGO: To reverse sagging business fortunes, you
will have to take some calculated risks
to tackle the situation. Domestic con-
cerns will require your immediate
attention. Avoid being volunteer to
overspend otherwise you will have to
come home empty pocket. Partner
brings immense romantic pleasure even if work pres-
sure occupies your mind Good time to divert attention
to spirituality to enhance mental toughness. Official
journeys prove to be more fruitful for you. Planning a
property might explore new horizons for you and
your family. This week by sticking to your beliefs &
faith, you succeed in achieving many personal favors.
LIBRA: To get maximum support from subordi-
nates, better to delegate the responsibili-
ties. Children would do their best to
keep you happy. Investment on
long-term plans would pave the way
for earning financial gains. Romance
rules heart & mind this week. Although
sore throat would not come in the way of routine
schedule, even then you must take some herbal treat-
ments to get immediate relief. Fly away with your
dreams, new business horizons are ready to explore.
Your friends and family will be of great support if you
are trying for an office. The good news for you is that
you would objectively evaluate yourself.
SCORPIO: You are likely to realise that inter-
viewing is not an easy job. You are
likely to be benefited as family
members positively respond. Be
careful with whom you deal finan-
cially during this week. One-sided
affair fails to materialise thus bringing
disappointment. Selfish behaviour of a
friend/acquaintance could disturb mental peace.
Looking for an adventurous holiday, unpleasant it
would be. Too much of buying and selling of
property is a danger to your bank balance. Relying
on others help would only delay your plans.
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
37March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY
Within us are riches
greater than any we can
ever accumulate on
earth. We have inside us a source
of knowledge from which all other
knowledge flows.
A love far greater and fulfilling
than any we can know in the outer
world is waiting to embrace us
with open arms within. At our core
is a strength and power that can
enable us to overcome any fear.
Underlying our separateness as
individuals is a connectedness and
oneness to all life. Awaiting us
inside is a bliss and joy so fulfill-
ing that we need no other outer
intoxicants to make us happy. All
these gifts lie within us in the
empowered soul.
The soul is a source of tremen-
dous wisdom, love, and power, yet
we remain ignorant of its treasures
when we allow it to be overpow-
ered by the mind, the senses, and
the physical body. When the mind
and body assert power over the
soul, the soul forgets itself. But the
empowered soul is our true nature,
and it is time we reclaim the soul
so that its gifts can enrich our life.
There are two ways through
which to view ourselves with
regard to the soul.
The first is to view ourselves pri-
marily as a body and mind. When
we see ourselves in this manner,
we say that we are a mind and
body that “have a soul.”
The second is to see ourselves
primarily as a soul. When we
change perspective and identify
with the soul, we say that we are a
soul who “has or wears a mind and
body.” To assess how we look at
ourselves is one of our goals in
Empowering Your Soul through
Meditation. If we think we are a
mind and body, then ours is a jour-
ney to find the soul. If we realize
that we are the soul, which has
been given a mind and body to
maneuver through the physical
world, then our goal is to further
empower the soul. By empowering
the soul we recover its natural con-
trol over the mind and senses.
The aim of Empowering Your
Soul through Meditation is to help
reacquaint us with the qualities of
the soul and provide direction for
its empowerment.
The soul’s power has been for-
gotten. The mind, the senses, the
body, and the pulls of the physical
world have placed the soul in a
state of forgetfulness from which
we must awaken. When we
empower our soul, its wisdom,
immortality, love, fearlessness,
connectedness, and bliss add a new
dimension to our life.
Many people live and die with-
out ever realizing the full power
and potential of their soul. At some
time in their life, they may begin to
wonder about the soul, about God,
and about the purpose of their exis-
tence. This search for meaning and
purpose—the spiritual quest—is
one that people pursue in individ-
ual ways. Some seek answers in
scripture while others search in
places of worship. Some go
beyond their own religion to find
the answers offered in other faiths.
Whichever method one adopts, the
direction one follows to find the
answers to life’s questions is
known as the spiritual path. It is
the spiritualm path that leads us to
the realization of our inner self, to
the soul.
Many people pass through life
never realizing who they are and
never certain about the purpose of
their existence. In times of trouble
or in the face of death, they may
raise these questions but may not
follow them through to a fulfilling
conclusion or else may abandon
the process when the bad times
pass. But those who have a burn-
ing desire to find the answers to
the mysteries of life can find them.
Fortunately, there are people in
the world who have found spiritual
fulfillment and can guide us. If we
look through history we find that
in every generation there have
been people who have realized
themselves as soul and have real-
ized God. Some of their wisdom
and experiences have been record-
ed in history and, in some cases, a
religion has been created from
their teachings. Other realized
souls have come and gone but have
left behind no records because they
did not found a religion or leave
behind any scriptures.
Some of them we know of
through references by other people
who wrote about them. One thing
is clear: these realized souls have
the ability to teach us how to real-
ize ourselves. If we find such a
being, we can learn how we, too,
can discover our soul and its attrib-
utes. True knowledge comes from
seeing and experiencing on our
own. We may read what others
write or listen to what others say,
but we cannot be fully satisfied
until we experience it for our-
selves.
This book touches on the two
aspects of spiritual knowledge that
can help us realize our soul: the
theoretical knowledge, and the per-
sonal or practical knowledge. The
theoretical side consists of what
other realized people have said
about the soul (such as what are
some of the qualities—wisdom,
immortality, fearlessness, love,
connectedness, and bliss). The per-
sonal or practica side consists of a
technique that I learned from a
fully realized being. I wish t share
this technique to help others real-
ize their soul on their own.
On the theoretical side, a basic
agreement among enlightened
souls is that we are not just a phys-
ical body, but we are also the soul
or spirit behind the body. It is the
soul that that gives us life. When
the soul is in the body, we are
physically alive. When the soul
leaves the body at the time of
death, the body ceases to exist. The
body may perish, but the soul that
inhabits it is immortal.
The soul continues to exist after
our physical death.
We are aware of our physical
body because we can look at it,
feel it, and listen to sounds coming
from it. However, where and what
is the soul? How can we recognize
it? What are its characteristics and
qualities? This book provides a
way for us to accomplish two
tasks: the theoretical understand-
ing of our true selves as soul; and
the practical technique for the real-
ization of our soul and the empow-
ering of it to guide our lives.
Some of us may spend our lives
searching for knowledge in the
world outside.
Little do we know that the source
of all answers, the universal wis-
dom, lies within us. Some of us
may find that at times our life is
thwarted by fear and anxiety,
hopelessness and depression, yet
we have a source of fearlessness
within us that can help us over-
come any inner turmoil. We fear
our own death and the passing
away of our loved ones. We are
petrified of the unknown and what
awaits us beyond this life. But we
do not realize that immortality is
ours. We crave love and seek it
many places. But there is an
unconditional love that is ours
awaiting us with open arms. We
need only turn in the right direc-
tion to find it. We feel alone and
unconnected in this world. But
there is a place of unity and con-
nectedness within us. If we could
but only tap it we would find the
richness of relationships with oth-
ers, with nature, and with all life.
Exploration within will help us
discover our own potential. Once
we learn to tap into our inner
resources, we experience a pro-
found transformation that will
enrich all areas of our life—from
personal relations, to physical,
mental and emotional health, to
our work, to our spiritual growth,
and the attainment of our life’s
goals.
This transformation can bring
peace and joy into our lives and
can contribute to a peaceful, loving
world. The Empowered Soul is a
manual for daily living and person-
al discovery.
From the outset, we should
define certain terminology to
ensure that there is no confusion in
how words are being used through-
out the book. The term “soul” is
defined as our true essence or spir-
itual side—the part of us that lives
beyond the death of our physical
body. The soul exists whether it
has a body or mind. When it enters
this world, it is given a body and
mind. As human beings, we are
thus “embodied souls” or souls
with a body and mind.
The terms “we” or “us” refer to
us as human beings or embodied
souls. The process of finding the
soul is referred to as “tapping into”
or “discovering our soul within
us.” When we finally do discover
our soul and identify with it as
being our true nature, then the soul
is referred to as the “empowered
soul,” a soul that has recognized
itself and is aware that it is the
essence of who we really are, that
it is the guiding power behind the
body and mind.
True joy is not as elusive as we
think. We can find lasting happi-
ness if we only look in the right
place. Within us lies the unlimited
power and energy of the empow-
ered soul. Its rich qualities include
wisdom, fearlessness, immortality,
unconditional love, connectedness,
and bliss. Tapping into the soul and
its power can enrich and transform
our life.
We remain ignorant of these
inner gifts because blockages keep
us from tapping into them. How
can we remove these blockages?
What process do we need to
employ to discover all that we
seek?
There are simple techniques for
accessing the riches of our soul.
We need not search the four cor-
ners of the earth. We need not trav-
el into outer space.
These techniques can be prac-
ticed in the comfort of our home.
Once we learn to tap into our
inner resources, we can experience
a profound transformation that can
enrich all areas of our life—per-
sonal relations; physical, mental,
and emotional health; professional
work; spiritual growth; and the
attainments of our life’s goals. This
transformation cannot only bring
peace and joy to our lives, but can
also contribute to a peaceful, lov-
ing world.
The aim of the book is to provide
a means by which we can re-iden-
tify with the soul, (i.e. realize that
the mind and body are merely our
soul’s outer coverings through
which it can live and work in this
physical world) and to empower
the soul to guide our life.
The empowered soul
By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj
Once we learn to tap into ourinner resources, we can experience aprofound transformation that canenrich all areas of our l ife—personal relations; physical, mental,and emotional health; professionalwork; spiritual growth; and theattainments of our life’s goals.
38 March 30-April 5, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Chapter excerpt from the book: Empowering Your Soul through Meditation
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OUR NEW LOOKINTRODUCING
March 30-April 5, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY HOLI
