The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.11 No. 35 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 80 Cents
Trump’s decision to pull out of
Syria slammed at home & abroad
Washington: President Donald
Trump on Sunday said he dis‑
cussed the 'slow & highly coordi‑
nated pullout of U.S. troops' from
Syria with Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan as criti‑
cism of his decision ramped up
both home and abroad.
'I just had a long and produc‑
tive call with President
@RT_Erdogan of Turkey. We dis‑
cussed ISIS, our mutual involve‑
ment in Syria, & the slow & high‑
ly coordinated pullout of U.S.
troops from the area. After many
years they are coming home. We
also discussed heavily expanded
Trade,' he tweeted on Sunday.
His move comes as some law‑
makers from his own Republican
Party were critical of his decision
to pull the 2,000 U.S. troops out
of Syria.
Bridge the poor‑rich divide: RANA to host
global Rajasthan
Popeʼs X‑mas message meet in LI during
Vatican City: Pope Francis led the
worldʼs Roman Catholics into
Christmas urging people to seek a
simpler, less materialistic life and
condemning the yawning gap
between the rich and the poor.
Francis, 82, marking the sixth
Christmas of his papacy, led a
solemn service on Monday of
nearly 10,000 people at the St
Peterʼs Basilica for his traditional
Christmas Eve Mass, US News
reported.
Security was heightened around
the Vatican and many other tourist
areas in Rome and Italy for the
Christmas season.
In his homily, Francis said the
infant Jesus, born in poverty in a
stable, should make everyone, par‑
ticularly those who have become
“greedy and voracious” reflect on
DIPLOMACY 15 BOLLYWOOD 16
i n
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quit to protest the Presidentʼs
decision to pull out about 2,000 US troops from Syria. (Photo : AP)
'We were going to leave Syria.
But to leave it when you're within
a couple of months of doing
something that is very important
in the fight against ISIS and the
president knows that, and we pull
‑ jerk the rug out from under two
Pope Francis leading the
Christmas eve mass at the
Vatican. (Photo courtesy AP)
the real meaning of life.
“… Let us ask ourselves: Do I
really need all these material
objects and complicated recipes
for living? Can I manage without
all these unnecessary extras and
live a life of greater simplicity?”
Francis said.
“In our day, for many people,
Continued on page 4
LIFESTYLE 25
j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition
months in advance, that's hard to
understand,' outgoing Republican
Sen. Bob Corker said on CNN's
'State of the Union' on Sunday.
The senator, who is chair of the
Senate Foreign Relations
Continued on page 4
July 4 weekend
New York: T he Rajasthan
Asso ciat ion of North America
(RANA), which has been making
continuous strides towards pro‑
moting
culture,
values and
heritage of Rajasthan for several
decades, has announced that it will
hold the Rajasthan Global
Convent ion 2019 during the
Independence Day weekend from
July 3‑7, 2019 at the Marriott,
Uniondale in the heart of Long
Island. With the objectives of unit‑
ing the Rajasthani communities,
improving their quality of life, net‑
working and exchange of
Continued on page 4
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Shutdown to
last till Dems
agree on Wall :
President Trump
President Trump has tweeted a new design of
his wall as “Steel Slat Barrier which is totally
effective while at the same time beautiful!"
Washington: The
partial US govern‑
ment shutdown
entered its fourth
day on Tuesday
after leading to
heavy losses in
the securities
markets and with‑
out any agree‑
ment in sight yet
regarding the
funds US
President Donald
Trump is demand‑
ing to build por‑
tions of his much‑touted wall He insisted that Congress must
along the border with Mexico. include $5 billion for the wall in
The Senate, which in this situa‑ its budget but Democrats continue
tion is taking the initiative in the to refuse to do that and, for now,
budget talks, will meet on they are only ready to provide
Thursday at 4 pm to try and $1.3 billion for assorted border
resolve the budget impasse, but security measures, although with
neither the White House nor the restrictions preventing the con‑
Democratic opposition are dis‑ struction of an actual "wall," which
posed to give ground, thus creat‑ they regard as anathema and
ing a scenario in which the shut‑ against American values.
down could last into January. The leaders of the Democrats in
"I can't tell you when the govern‑ Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer and
ment is going to be open. I can tell Rep. Nancy Pelosi, on Monday said
you it's not going to be open until that agreement on the matter is
we have a wall, a fence, whatever difficult because the White House
they would like to call it," Trump is not showing a unified position
said on Dec 25 from the Oval regarding what Trump would or
Office, reports Efe. would not accept.
excellence in journalism
 2 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 RELIGION TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Montreux
(Switzerland)

Christmas was celebrated around the

world with piety and holiday cheer.
Many rang in the Christmas at the
midnight of Monday, Tuesday,
singing carols, hymns, sounding
church bells and greeting each other
as well as exchanging gifts. A "Santa Claus" waves to the crowd from his flying sleigh drawn by "reindeers" over Lake Leman at sunset
here on Dec. 22. The flying Santa Claus stunt show is part of promotional activities by the Christmas market
Here are some vignettes. in Montreux, which is one of the most famous and biggest markets of its kind in Switzerland.

Los Angeles Moscow, Russia

Christmas
tree in the
Red Square
of Moscow
is the most
striking
of
Christmas
Trees at
prominent
places in
the world.

People crowding a bustling shopping center

richly decorated on Christmas eve.

Kolkata, India New Delhi, India

A view of the illuminated Bow Barracks locality on the eve of The devout lighting candles outside a church
Christmas in the City of Joy. on Christmas day in the Indian capital.

Bethlehem, Palestine Mumbai, India

Film star
Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan
celebrating
Christmas
with
cancer
patients in
Wadala,
Mumbai.
(Photos:
IANS)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended a Christmas midnight mass at St
Catherine's Church in the Church of the Nativity recognized by Christians to be the
birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem on Dec. 25, 2018.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 3

'Friends of Modi' in US set to Modi opens India's longest

blitz Indian voters with calls
New York: On a chilly Sunday morning in
Maryland, IT consultant Madhu Bellam
scoured a spreadsheet with contact details
for over 1,500 Indian voters. He punched
numbers into his phone and rang his home‑
town of Hyderabad. Convinced that the rul‑
ing BJP will unlock Indiaʼs economic poten‑
tial, he is part of an army of activists seek‑
ing to propel Prime Minister Narendra Modi
to a second term in next yearʼs general elec‑
tion, due to be held by May, reports Reuters.
“I am requesting you to vote for
BJP and spread the word in the
constituency,” Bellam says in
his phone calls to people in
India whose numbers were
provided to him by the party.
He then extols Modiʼs policies,
including his flagship
“Make in India” plan.
Be llam and fe llow BJP
supporters also lobby their own networks in
India, calling acquaintances, cousins and old
schoolmates with the same message.
The US chapter of the Overseas Friends of
the BJP has some 4,000 members, although
its president Krishna Reddy estimates the
broader network includes up to 300,000
supporters. Many cannot travel home to
vote, so ardent BJP backers are channeling
their energy into phone campaigns and a
blitz of social media messages to people in
India.
Vijay Chauthaiwale, the head of the BJPʼs
rail‑cum‑road bridge in Assam
foreign affairs cell, said Modi supporters in
20 countries will be helping out in the cam‑
paign. Besides the United States, these
include Britain, Canada, Australia and parts
of Africa, where there are large Indian com‑
munities.
But Indian‑Americans, who number
around four million, have perhaps the most
influence. As one of the most educated and
prosperous minorities in the United States,
the community is admired in India ‑ an asset
the BJP has seized on. U.S.‑based BJP
supporters said they back Modi The Bogibeel Bridge is an engineering marvel that reduces travel time
because they believe he is ush‑ from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours. (Photo PIB)
ering in policies that will turn
Dibrugarh, Assam: Prime Minister Narendra 5,900 crore, Asia's second‑longest rail‑road
India, already the worldʼs
Modi has inaugurated the Bogibeel Bridge, bridge is part of infrastructure projects
fastest‑growing large econo‑
India's longest rail‑road bridge, on the birth planned to improve logistics along the border
my, into a powerhouse.
anniversary of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ‑‑ in Arunachal Pradesh.
Although he remains pop‑
December 25 ‑‑ observed as "Good This includes the construction of a trans‑
ular and is largely expected
Governance Day" by the Centre. Arunachal highway on the Brahmaputra's
to win another five‑year
The bridge connects the south bank of the north bank, and new road and rail links over
term, the 2019 e lection will like ly be
Brahmaputra river in Assam's Dibrugarh dis‑ the river and its major tributaries.
tougher, with some voters feeling let down
trict with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bor‑ The opening of the Bogibeel Bridge comes
by his campaign promise of “development
dering Arunachal Pradesh. 16 years after it was announced by Atal
for all.”
Modi, who flagged off the first train on the Bihari Vajpayee, who was the prime minister
But there is no indication that the enthusi‑
bridge, described its opening as a "historic" then. Today, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said
asm of Modiʼs overseas supporters has
feat, and called it a lifeline for the people of Modi had fulfilled Vajpayee's dreams.
waned. U.S. supporters will likely make
Assam. "This will usher in a new era of Chief Engineer Mohinder Singh said the 4.9
around 500,000 calls next year, according
progress and development for the km‑long bridge is the nation's only fully weld‑
to Reddy, the president of the group.
Northeastern states, with enhanced connec‑ ed bridge, for which European codes and
Members will target Indiaʼs biggest states
tivity that will spur economic growth in the welding standards were adhered to for the
and their own hometowns, given they can
region," Union Minister JP Nadda said earlier. first time in India. He said it has a "service‑
campaign in the local language and have a
Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs able period of around 120 years".
good grasp of community issues.

CHINA TO OPEN Pakistan's envoy to US Ali

50 YOGA COLLEGES
Beijing: China will open 50
yoga institutes in the wake
of the ancient Indian disci‑
pline gaining popularity in
the country.
This was announced by
the dean of China‑India
Yoga which opened its first
branch at Yunnan
University in the city of
Lijiang on Saturday.
The China‑India Yoga College is
a part of an understanding to
increase cultural exchange
between both countries.
A total of 50 branches will be set
up to boost yoga education and
teacher training, Chen Luyan, dean
of the China‑India Yoga College
was quoted as say ing by the
Xinhua news agency. Nearly 100
Jahangir Siddiqui resigns
New Pakistani envoy to US, Asad Majeed Khan,
was expected to take charge soon.
Washington: Pakistan's ed. He said that there were some take charge soon, the report said.
Ambassador to the US Ali negative tweets in January sent The Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf
Jehangir Siddiqui stepped down by the American of ficials in government on October 4
from his post on Tuesday, the regards to Pakistan, but added announced that it had decided to
media reported. The outgoing that now the situation has come remove political appointees from
Ambassador said that during his up to the point where US key ambassadorial positions
tenure the trust deficit present President Donald Trump in a let‑ across the world. Information
yoga teaching and training centers
between the two countries ter to Prime Minister Imran Minister Fawad Chaudhry earlier
w ill also be built to provide
shrunk as they looked for shared Khan sought help in bringing the said in a media talk that Siddiqui
teacher training courses, yoga
ground on diplomatic issues, Afg hanistan war to an end. was appointed on polit ical
workshops and non‑profit courses,
including the Afghanistan war. "Pakistan, as an important stake‑ grounds by the former Pakistan
Chen said.
Siddiqui said he was leaving the holder, will continue to play a Muslim League (Nawaz) govern‑
The China‑India Yoga College
Pakistan‑US ties in better condi‑ role in bringing an end to the ment, therefore it will be best for
recruits undergraduates and post‑
tion and the two countries were Afg han war," he said. New him to step down from his office
g raduates at Yunnan Minzu
getting engaged in contacts at Pakistani envoy to US, Asad himself or the government would
University. It was founded in June
the high level, Geo News report‑ Majeed Khan, was expected to be forced to remove him.
2015.
 4 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Multi‑crore ropeway
opened at Mata
Vaishno Devi Shrine
The ropeway running between Bhairon and Bhawan
has a carrying capacity of 800 persons per hour.
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Governor
Satya Pal Malik on Monday inaugurat‑
ed a multi‑crore high‑tech ropeway
project at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
Malik is also the Chairman of the
shrine board.
An official statement said the gover‑
nor e‑inaugurated the Bhawan‑Bhairon
passenger ropeway.
"The Governor advised the Shrine
Board to take all possible steps to
make the ropeway service hassle‑free.
"He particularly emphasized the res‑
cue and relief part of the ropeway
which, according to the Governor,
should be of international standards,"
the statement said. The project was
completed at a cost of about Rs 85
crore, including its allied infrastructure
and related pilgrim‑centric facilities. It
has a carrying capacity of 800 persons
per hour, the statement said.
With the completion of the project,
the pilgrims visiting the Holy Cave
Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi will
be able to fulfil their life‑long wish of
paying obeisance at Bhairon ji Temple
Chairman and Co-Founder
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which was earlier difficult, particularly
for the elderly and specially‑abled pil‑
grims owing to a steep climb to an alti‑
tude of 6600 ft.
"The Ropeway will also reduce the
travel time of the one‑way journey
between Bhawan and Bhairon Temple
from one hour to just about three min‑
utes. "The Board has decided to charge
a highly subsidized to and fro ticket of
Rs. 100 per passenger to enable the
maximum number of pilgrims to avail
of this facility," said the statement.
"The Bhawan‑Bhairon Passenger
Ropeway Project has been executed by
a consortium of M/s Garaventa AG,
Switzerland and M/s Damodar
Ropeways Construction Co. (P) Ltd,
Kolkata, under the consultancy and
overall supervision of M/s RITES Ltd.
"The electro‑mechanical components
and cabins of the ropeway have been
imported from Switzerland. T he
Passenger Ropeway System has been
fully equipped with all safety norms as
per relevant standards and code," the
statement said.
Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra
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New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TURN PAGE
Trumpʼs decision to pull
out of Syria slammed at
home & abroad
Continued from page 1
Committee, said he thinks Trump realizes he
made a mistake with his Syria decision.
Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney said
the decision would hand a victory to ISIS. But
hardline Republican Sen. Rand Paul applauded
the president's move.
'I'm very proud of the president. This is exactly
what he promised. And I think the people agree
with him, actually. I think people believe we've
been at war too long in too many places and we
do need to turn attention to problems we have at
home here. Roads, bridges, schools,' he said on
CNN's 'State of the Union.'
And French President Emmanuel Macron on
Sunday criticized Trump's decision, saying 'an
ally must be reliable'.
But acting White House chief of staff Mick
Mulvaney said there was little chance the presi‑
dent would change his mind. 'No, I think the pres‑
ident has told people from the very beginning
that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever.
You're seeing the end result now of two years
worth of work,' he said on ABC's 'This Week.'
Trump shocked lawmakers on Capitol Hill and
foreign allies last week when he announced plans
to remove troops from Syria, where they have
been helping coordinate a multinational fight
against ISIS.
Turkey applauded the move.
Trump's decision came after a private call with
the hard‑line president of Turkey where the pres‑
ident ditched a script crafted by his aides and
was told allies fighting alongside the U.S. were
terrorists. The U.S. has relied on Kurdish fighters
in Iraq and Syria to take out ISIS elements in a
multi‑year military campaign that Trump cheered
on Twitter Friday.
On the call, Erdogan was able to seize control
of the conversation by pointing to U.S. military
success, saying the U.S. had already defeated 99
per cent of ISIS.
When he asked Trump 'Why are you still
there?', it prompted Trump to pass on the query
to his own security advisor, John Bolton, who was
monitoring the call.
Sources on the call said Trump 'quickly capitu‑
lated' and yielded to Erdogan's withdrawal
demand, the Associated Press reported. Trump
has swiped at critics of his decision to withdraw
U.S. troops from Syria by saying if anyone else
Jaipur Bureau
Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com
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brought soldiers home they would be branded a
'hero'.
Bridge the poor‑rich divide: Popeʼs X‑
mas message
Continued from page 1
lifeʼs meaning is found in possessing, in having
an excess of material objects. An insatiable greed
marks all human history, even today, when, para‑
doxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too
many go without the daily bread needed to sur‑
vive,” he said. Francis, the first pope from Latin
America, has made defending the poor a hall‑
mark of his papacy. On December 22, the Vatican
said he had given the homeless in Rome a
Christmas gift of a new clinic in St. Peterʼs Square
where they can get free medical help.
The Catholic charity Caritas estimated late in
2017 that there were more than 16,000 home‑
less in Rome and their number congregating near
the Vatican has grown visibly in recent years,
especially at night when they cluster under
arcades to sleep.
On Christmas Day on Tuesday, Pope Francis
was to deliver his twice‑yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to
the city and the world) message from the central
balcony of St Peterʼs Basilica, the same balcony
where he first appeared after his election on
March 13, 2013.
RANA to host global Rajasthan meet
in LI during July 4 weekend
Continued from page 1
resources, promoting support for charitable caus‑
es, and better placing Rajasthan on the global
map, the community here and back in India is
invited to experience this historic event.
During the convention the attendees will expe‑
rience Reflections of Rajasthan – an extravagant
showcase of Rajasthanʼs culturally rich perform‑
ances, artists, authentic Rajasthani Cuisine, come‑
dy shows, fashion shows, magicians, Bollywood
music, Trade Shows (shopping), Business
Networking, Spiritual, Entrepreneurship &
Leadership forums and much more.
Under the leadership of RANA President‑Elect,
Mr. Haridas Kotahwala, the convention plan was
kicked off this past weekend at the residence of
Mr. Naveen C. & Rajshree Shah and unanimously
approved by the RANA Board in the presence of
over 100 leaders of the prestigious organization
& community leaders.
For more information, rajasthanglobalconven‑
tion2019@gmail.com.
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 5

65 US universities oppose visa

policy changes for foreign students
Washington, DC: As many as 65 top US uni‑
versities, including Harvard and MIT, have
challenged the Trump administration in a
court against its stringent visa policy for for‑
eign students, warning that the new 'backdat‑
ing' rule will have a detrimental effect on
America's higher education system.
The new policy announced by the Trump
administration in August places restrictions
on overstaying a visa. Under longstanding
immigration policies, when an individual is
no longer authorized to remain in the US ̶
such as when a visa expires ̶ a period of
"unlawful presence" begins. After six months
of unlawful presence, an individual can be
forced to return to their country of origin
and subject to a three‑year bar from the US.
Prior to the August policy change, individu‑
als only began to accrue unlawful presence
the day after the government issued an offi‑
cial determination that the visa holder was
"out of status."
With the new rules, the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) can set retroactive
start dates for unlawful presence that begin
the day after an individual's degree pro‑
gramme is complete or the day after a per‑
son's visa expires. The top institutions,
including Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Yale, and
Princeton signed onto an amicus brief filed
on Monday, arguing that the new rule puts
visa‑holding students in a position to make
"tough choices." These institutions argue that
the new policy's use of a "backdated unlaw‑
ful‑presence clock" will render tens of thou‑
sands of F, J and M categories of visa holders
subject to three and 10‑year re‑entry bars
without any opportunity to cure.
According to the National Association of
Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), interna‑
tional students contributed $39 billion to the
US economy during the 2017‑2018 academic
year. The same study found the economic
activity of foreign students supported over
455,000 American jobs. The 65 institutions
and one higher education system Board,
mostly member institutions of the Presidents'
Alliance on Higher Education and
Immigration, signed the brief which urges
the federal court to grant them motion for a
preliminary injunction.
The brief explains that the new 'backdating'
rule introduces considerable uncertainty into
the calculation of unlawful presence and
needlessly exposes international students to
devastating reentry bans.
"The new rule will harm international stu‑
dents and scholars, as well as institutions
which host them," it said. It notes the new
backdating rule by US Citizenship and
Immigration Services will likely result in
fewer international students, scholars and
instructors contributing to the communities.
(PTI)
India to host its first
ever NBA game in 2019
New York: Ever since Vivek Ranadive The league opened an office in Mumbai
bought the Sacramento Kings in 2013, he in 2011 and the NBA Academy India in
has wanted to play a game in India where 2017 for elite youth prospects. More than
he was born. Ranadiveʼs wish 350 NBA games are televised
will come true. The Kings on multiple channels in
will play the Indiana Pacers India, including 78 with
in two preseason games on Hindi commentary. The
Oct. 4‑5 at NSCI Dome in Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA
Mumbai, marking the first program has reached more
time a North American pro than 10 million kids and
sports league will play trained more than 10,000
games in India. “As an instructors since 2013,
Indian‑American, it is an according to the NBA.
honor to help bring this his‑ These preseason games
Vivek Ranadive, owner of
toric moment to the country are particularly poignant to
Sacramento Kings, is
where I was raised,” Ranadive. He is the first
making it happen.
Ranadive said in a statement. Indian majority owner of an
(Photo : Sports Illustrated)
NBA deputy commissioner NBA team, traveled to India
Mark Tatum traveled to Mumbai to make with Silver in 2014 and hosts an annual
the announcement on Thursday. Bollywood Night in Sacramento. In 2017,
“Our inaugural NBA India Games will the Kings streamed a regular‑season game
help further untap the enormous basket‑ live on Facebook available only to users in
ball potential in a country with a thriving India and 20‑plus Kings game a season are
sports culture and a growing, young and televised on Indiaʼs SONY Six. “The sport is
engaged population,” NBA Commissioner experiencing tremendous growth in India
Adam Silver said in a statement. and we are excited about continuing to
The NBA prizes its growth in India. The expand the NBAʼs reach to fans across the
population and growing middle class has globe,” he said. “The world wants to watch
generated grassroots and business oppor‑ basketball, and India is a fast‑growing new
tunities for the league. frontier." (Source: usatoday.com)

Pending OCI cards

with CGI New York
ONE MORE US CHURCH TO
to be canceled if no
response received
BECOME A HINDU TEMPLE
New York: T he the sect for a temple to be
New York: The office of Consul General of Swaminarayan Gadi established there.
India in New York has around 1500 OCI Sansthan, an Ahmedabad T he mahant of the
cards which are pending delivery since based Hindu re lig ious o r g a n i z a t i o n
2006. This is because of different issues order, has purchased a Bhagwatpriyadas Swami
including applicants not contacting 30‑year old church locat‑ stated, “Not many
Consulate for collection ed in Portsmouth if the changes would be man‑
and inadequate contact information. In Virg inia state of the dated in the church at
this regard, all concerned applicants who United States with a plan Portsmouth, as it was
had applied for OCI card but never collect‑ to convert it into a temple already a spiritual place
ed the same are requested to contact Vice of the Swaminarayan sect, of another faith. T his
Consul (OCI), CGI New York by email at reports TOI. would be the first temple
helpline.newyork @mea.gov.in (use subject Some minor renova‑ for Haribhakts in
line: Pending OCI Collection). tions will be made to the Virginia.” The church has
Concerned person should send a church before the 'pran a built‑up area of 18,000
scanned copy of their US passport, OCI Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan buys Virginia property for $1.6 million
pratistha' (consecration) square feet spread across
(Image courtesy: timesofindia.com)
Web Reference details and PIO card, (in ceremony for idols to be five acres of land, and it
case of conversion of PIO in OCI). If CGI placed at the temple is Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. Pennsylvania and Ohio have also will serve the community
does not receive a response within four conducted. The Portsmouth church has been been converted to temples in a of around 10,000 Gujaratis liv‑
weeks of this notice these OCI cards will This is the sixth US church and acquired at an estimated price of similar manner. Another 125‑ ing in Virginia, along with other
be canceled and will not be able to enter‑ the ninth one globally to be about $1.6 million. Previously, year old building has been Hindu devotees.
tain these OCI card claims in future. transformed into a temple by the churches in California, acquired in Toronto, Canada by (Source:swarajyamag.com)
6 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care
hosts hunger relief campaign
S A
hrimad
Rajchandra
Love and Care
USA, on November
25, 2018, hosted first
ever food packaging
and distribution
event as a part of a
Hunger Relief
Campaign. Over 200
SRLC volunteers
including friends and
families, packed
20,000 nutritious
The volunteers packed 20,000 wholesome meals
and wholesome
meals during the Thanksgiving weekend.
Their ʻlove and careʼ did not just end here. Solidarity and many faith‑based organiza‑
About 30% of these food packages were
directly hand delivered to the needy in the
Tri‑State area and remaining distributed
through various shelters and charities.
SRLC USA Treasurer, Mitesh Lakhani
said, "At Shrimad Rajchandra Love and
Care, we are inspired by Shrimad
Rajchandraji, the spiritual guide of
Mahatma Gandhi, and Pujya Gurudevshri
Rakeshbhai. They have taught us to serve
others selflessly and our objective is to
serve those in need and help them over‑
come the challenges they face in their rou‑
tine lives." Many of the meals were dis‑
More than 100 business owners
attend CJBO kick‑off event
The motto of CJBO is “We Help Each Other Succeed.”
O
n Friday, December 21, more than
100 local business owners and
supporters attended a kick‑off and
website launch of Central Jersey Business
Organization, LLC – CJBO at Ember
Restaurant in South Brunswick, NJ. This is
the first‑ever business organization to
bring all types of business owners
under one roof for networking, coaching,
mentoring, education and other business
ideas and exchanges on an ongoing basis.
The motto of CJBO is “We Help Each Other
Succeed.” Mayor from South Brunswick
Charles Carley and West Windsor Hemant
Marathe and South Brunswick
Councilwoman Ann Grover attended the
event to extend their support and urge
everyone to join CJBO to exchange ideas
and create a solid platform to help local
businesses. Both mayors clicked
www.cjbousa.com to launch CJBOʼs web‑
site. Marc Citron, a successful business
TRISTATE
IN BRIEF
tributed by Long Island Cares, Community
tions in the area. "Long Island is typically
perceived as an affluent area, but there
are over 300,000 people in Long Island
who are unsure of where their next meal
will come from. We want to help make a
small difference in our community and
hopefully, we can ease their worry for at
least one more meal," said SRLC Volunteer
Dharmendra Mehta.
Working with The Outreach Program,
and with support from Trader Joe's,
Subway, ShopRite, Staples, and Chennai
Dosas, the volunteers were able to pack‑
age these 20,000 meals.
entrepreneur and owner of law firm Saul
Ewing in Princeton welcomed everyone
and explained the importance of
such a platform in Central Jersey. Mr.
Citron urged everyone to join this organiza‑
tion to create a business platform for local
business owners to connect on a regular
basis. On behalf of CJBO Founders, Dr.
Tushar Patel provided a presentation to
describe CJBOʼs mission, objectives and
vision. He provided introductions of the
founders and also announced CJBO Board
of Directors and introduced them to the
attendees. Kishan Patel, young business
entrepreneur shared his story after his
graduation and challenges youngsters and
provided some encouraging experience for
the young generation. The evening served
a wonderful opportunity for networking
and exchanging ideas and sharing some
experience of success and challenges in
business by the local business owners.
Play & quiz mark centenary celebration of
Maha Samadhi at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
bout 40 devotees of
the Shirdi Sai Baba
Temple, located on
Robinson Street in Flushing,
Queens in New York City,
enacted a play “Ek Me
Anek” (One in Many) on Oct
27. The play drew immense
applause from more than
700 spectators at the
Ganesh Temple auditorium,
just a block away from the
Baba temple.
The artists, who partici‑
pated in the play, tirelessly
practiced for weeks in the SudhaMalhotra, winner
temple basement to ensure of the top prize in the
the eight‑act play was suc‑ Baba quiz
cessful. None of the artists
charged the temple any money for donning
their roles. On the contrary, they donated
money by buying tickets for them and their
families. The devotees prepared or bought
snacks for each practice session. A few of
the sessions were also held at the auditori‑
um itself. “When I had my first group meet‑
ing, I learned the importance of my role as a
postman even though my only line in the
play was, “Babaji ke liye do rupaye ka
money order hai.” It is also a good thing that on the actual centenary day on October 18,
the lines spoken were all played by the
audio and we all had to do was just lip‑ sync. win the first prize̶an Air India roundtrip
Given that the auditorium is huge, it would
have been difficult for us to be audible to
everyone sitting in the back rows and on the shan is included in the prize. The second
balcony. As a postman, I deliver two rupees
dakshina to Baba. Shama, a close Baba asso‑
ciate, is supposed to receive the two rupees
from me and give them to Baba. However,
he plays a trick on Baba by hiding the
money (a big sum indeed more than a centu‑
ry ago). But Baba finds out. How is Baba
able to find out? It is due to his omniscience
and his all‑knowing nature,” says Yadu
Chittampalli, a young devotee.
Hemadpant was the author of Sai
Satcharitra, the book that was the basis of
the cultural program. In the program,
Sekhar Rao – the main organizer and the
brain behind the whole play ‑‑ played the
role of Hemadpant, who introduced every
act in the play. Rao also directed the play
during rehearsals and wrote the entire bilin‑
gual (Hindi‑English) script.
The play – which was enacted on October
27 ‑‑ drew wide appreciation toward the
end and inquiries were made whether it
could be done elsewhere in the US. Though
each and every character played a key part
First Indian American named to SBACNJ board
E
arlier this month, Dipal Patel,
President & CEO of Hexa Builders,
LLC was inducted as a member of the
Board of Directors, of the Shore Builders
Association of Central NJ (SBACNJ). This
organization, founded in 1945, is a chartered,
local chapter of the National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB). Patel is an alumnus
of the Harvard Business School and Rutgers
University and serves with great pride within
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Yadu Chittampalli
with sincere devotion, it is the role of Sai
Baba itself that was praiseworthy. Three
persons played the all‑important character
and were able to evoke devotion, sympathy,
and veneration.
In the run‑up to the play, which completed
the centenary celebrations of Maha
Samadhi held by the temple, a quiz on the
life and times of the Shirdi saint was held in
several rounds. The final round, conducted
saw a longtime devotee, Sudha Malhotra,
ticket to Shirdi, sponsored by the countryʼs
flag carrier. A complimentary special dar‑
prize is worth 500 dollars and the third is
valued at 250 dollars.
“I was thrilled to win the prize,” Ms.
Malhotra, 60, said and recalled. “God has
called me. It was nothing but a miracle.”
The second prize of $500 was won by
Ragini Palluru. The third prize worth $250
was won by Vaidyanathan Krishnan. Two
special consolation prizes were given to
Sruthi and Yadu Chittampalli.
Though the actual centenary day was a
weekday, a steady stream of devotees visit‑
ed the house of worship. It was estimated
that about 1,500 visited the temple against
the usual 400 or so, that normally visit on
Thursdays. Special prasad arrangements
were made for all the devotees that visited
the temple. Programs on that day included
Sai Baba, Dattatreya Moolamantra Havan
Maha Abhishekam, Sai Naam Jap etc were
performed. For further info about the tem‑
ple and its activities, please visit
www.dwarakamaishirdi.org
call 718‑321‑9243
the BAPS organization. Having been involved
in the construction of some of the worldʼs
most magnificent structures, he is the first
Indian‑American to be named to the board of
SBACNJ. Hexa Builders is the New Jerseyʼs
largest and the most respected Indian‑
American Home Builder who has received
Community of the Year award to build
Raajipo at Robbinsville, next to BAPS
Akshardham site.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 7

Starting January 5, STAR Indiaʼs TV Channels Choose only the ‘very best’ for
will be streaming ONLY on Hotstar in the US H-1B visas: Trump administration
New York, NY: Hotstar, the go‑to
streaming platform for the South
Asian Diaspora, will now be the
exclusive destination in the US to
watch favorite shows from the Star
India network including hit titles
such as Kof fee with Karan, Yeh
Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Yeh Hai
Mohabbatein, among many others.
T he entire Star India network,
including Star India Plus, Star India
Gold, Star Vijay, Maa, Asianet and
MoviesOK, will no longer be avail‑
able on any cable TV provider in
the US including Dish TV, Sling TV,
Comcast, Verizon starting January
5, 2019. For fans of Star Indiaʼs TV
content of fering, a Hotstar sub‑
scription is, more than ever, a must‑
have. Hotstar has an attractive
annual subscription for $99.99,
which will give consumers complete
access to the entertainment library
and cricket calendar throughout the
year. Log onto us.hotstar.com and
use promo code HOTSTAR40 to get
40% off on the annual pack.
“Now, more consumers will be
exposed to Hotstarʼs premium prod‑
uct interface and cutting‑edge
streaming experience,” said Ipsita
Dasgupta, President of Hotstar
International and Strategy at Star
India. “We are extremely excited to
continue to bring the South Asian
Diaspora their favorite entertain‑
ment content. Newcomers to the
platform will quickly feel the bene‑
fits of being able to watch their
beloved shows anytime, anywhere.”
Apart from its robust entertain‑
ment library, Hotstar is home to an
unrivaled sports content of fering.
T he platform of fers a highly
enhanced live cricket experience
that includes HD quality, commen‑
tary in 8 languages, expert analysis,
predictions and highlights.
Live cricket events to look for‑
ward to include the Paytm India vs.
Australia Series in February 2019,
the VIVO IPL in April 2019, and the
ICC Cricket World Cup in May
2019. The platform is also home to
exclusive surround cricket content
with shows like Breakfast with
Champions, Follow the Blues and
Game Plan, making for a truly
immersive experience for the crick‑
et enthusiast.
Washington, DC: The US should
select the "very best" among the
applicants under the H‑1B visas,
the Trump administration has said,
vowing to step up efforts to ensure
that these work visas, the most
sought by Indian IT professionals,
do not harm domestic workers.
The H‑1B visa is a non‑immi‑
grant visa that allows US compa‑
nies to employ foreign workers in
specialty occupations that require
theoretical or technical expertise.
T he technolog y companies
depend on it to hire tens of thou‑
sands of employees each year from
countries like India and China.
Perhaps no other visa category
has received as much attention in
recent years as the H‑1B, as
reports of abuse of the program
have caused outrage among the
public, Home land Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen told members of
the powerful Senate Judiciary
Committee during a Congressional
hearing.
"No qualified hardworking
American should be forced to train
their H‑1B replacement, and then
let go," she said.
"The number of H‑1B petitions
routinely exceeds the statutory
cap, and among that pool of peti‑
tions, we should endeavor to select
the very best for the privilege of
coming to the United States for
work," Ms. Nielsen said.
The Department of Homeland
Security see ks to ensure that
American workers are not pushed
aside for the promise of cheaper,
foreign labor, and the employers,
recruiters or any of their agents do
not exploit foreign workers, she
said.
The Trump administration has
stepped up its measures to detect
employment‑based visa fraud and
abuse, but certain nonimmigrant
visa programs need reform in
order to protect American workers
better, she said.
"While current law only requires
it for certain employers, which are
few in number and can easily meet
the wage and degree exemption,
all employers should be required
to certify that they have made a
good faith ef fort to recruit US
workers before filing an H‑1B peti‑
tion, and have offered jobs to qual‑
ified and available American appli‑
cants," Ms Nielsen said.
Although current law prohibits
some H‑1B employers from dis‑
placing US workers, there are loop‑
holes that must be closed, she told
the members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee.
"We have to make sure the H‑1B
prog ramme does not harm
American workers who may be as
qualified and willing to do jobs
that foreign workers are imported
to fill," she said.

Congressman Ro Khanna supports Three Indian‑origin teens among

Trump's troop withdrawal Time Magazine's 25 most influential
Washington, DC: Indian‑American for a second term in the November mid‑
Houston: Three Indian‑origin stu‑
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, a term elections. "President Trump is receiv‑
dents have been named among the
fierce critic of President Donald Trump, ing an onslaught of criticism for his deci‑
25 most influential teens of 2018 by
has come out in support of the President's sion to withdraw troops from Syria and
Time magazine for making a mark
decision to pull out US troops from Syria Afghanistan. Congressional Democrats
across numerous fields.
and Afghanistan, saying his party col‑ should not pile on without of fering an
Indian‑American Kavya Kopparapu,
leagues should not pile on criticism with‑ alternative vision," he wrote. Khanna said
Rishab Jain, and British‑Indian Amika
out offering an alterna‑ though Trump's desire
George are among the group who
tive vision. on troop withdrawal
have become an inspirat ion for
T he 42‑year‑old should be applauded, he
youngsters across the world. Rishabh
Congressman, who rep‑ should be challenged to
Jain, who is in eighth standard and
resents Silicon Valley, assemble a team that
lives in Oregon, has developed an
has surprised many by oversees the drawdown
algorithm that can possibly be a cure Indian‑American Kavya Kopparapu, Rishab Jain,
coming out in strong with better planning.
to pancreatic cancer. The 14‑year‑old and British‑Indian Amika George
support of Trump's deci‑ "We should applaud
developed a software tool that, during
sion to withdraw US the president's desire to
Ro Khanna simulations, was shown to help doctors zero in od poverty," as she calls it, by funding the distri‑
troops from Syria and put an end to these
(Image : mercurynews.com) on the pancreas more accurately, ideally improv‑ bution of menstrual products to girls and women
his reported plans to interventions but should
ing treatments, according to Time magazine. who cannot afford them.
bring back nearly half of the 15,000 challenge him to assemble a team that
18‑year‑old Kavya Kopparapu is a freshman at "It really upsets me," she tells the magazine on
troops from war‑ravaged Afghanistan. does so with better planning and diploma‑
the Harvard University. She developed a deep‑ learning that many girls in the UK were routine‑
Khanna said that he was supporting cy. We should articulate a foreign policy
learning computer system that can scan slides of ly missing school during their periods because
Trump's move in the national interest. "A doctrine of responsible withdrawal that
tissue from brain cancer patients looking for dif‑ they could not afford to buy menstrual products.
few days ago, I was with Trump as he prioritizes restraint and human rights," he
ferences in density, color, texture and cellular "The government knew this was happening on
signed one of my bills. I said Mr. said. Khanna said that Trump's instincts
alignment that are unique to that particular per‑ their watch, but they were refusing to find a
President, China has not been in a war as a candidate of ending the war and
son's case. solution," she said.
since 1979. If we want to win the race bringing troops home were spot‑on.
She developed the system after learning how She launched the #FreePeriods campaign as a
against them, we should not get bogged "There should be a short timeline for
the survival rate of glioblastoma, an aggressive response, gathering nearly 200,000 signatures
down in war. He nodded and then bringing home our troops to allow for a
brain cancer, has not improved since the past 30 on her petition to help eradicate period poverty;
observed that they [China] have enriched smooth transition. We should engage in
years. According to Time magazine, her goal is the movement eventually garnered the support
themselves without firing a shot," Khanna direct talks with the Taliban and seek a
"to develop targeted therapies that are also of over a dozen UK policymakers, galvanizing the
wrote in an op‑ed published in T he negotiated settlement, involving regional
unique to the person." Amika George, a 19‑year‑ government to allocate funds to the issue for the
Washington Post. Khanna, who is on the actors such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia,
old, aims to convince policymakers to end "peri‑ first time.
Armed Services Committee, was re‑elected China and India," Khanna said.
 8 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

CricRealty announces cricket Karandeep to head Facebook's

stadiums in 8 major US cities
Allen, Texas: T he CricRealty
Company, Dallas announced that
the town of Allen, TX has been
selected as one of 8 proposed
sites for professional cricket stadi‑
ums. The multi‑use facility will
serve the growing need of pro‑
cricket while bringing urbaniza‑
tion and development to the area.
The two‑phase project has a 35‑
acre stadium facility that plans to
house an International Cricket
Council (ICC) certified cricket
ground, training facilities & club‑
house and a 25‑acre parcel which
will have a multi‑use facility of
of fices, residences, commercial,
entertainment centers and hotels.
The CricRealty Company has
been working with strategic part‑
ners including Donnie Nelson &
Thakkar Developers to develop
the cricket stadium &the multi‑
use facility.
The CricRealty company has
also been working with JLL since
2016, to identify and develop cut‑
ting‑edge cricket infrastructure in
the United States. The group is
developing similar stadiums in
other markets including Atlanta,
Chicago, Orlando, Washington DC,
New Jersey, New York and
California.
“Our vision is to identify strate‑
gic locations to build such com‑
plexes and thus provide hi‑end,
easy access venues across the
country to facilitate the game”,
said Steven V Maksin, of
Moonbeam Capital, a key member
of The CricRealty Company.
“My goal is to make America fall
in love with cricket,” said Jay
Pandya, Chairman of T he
CricRealty Company. “Cricket is
the second most popular sport in
the world. There are an estimated
20 million cricket fans in the
United States. Plus, the growing
Indian‑American population in
North Texas makes this project a
perfect location for professional
cricket.”
The launch of a professional
league in the United States will
require stadiums where games are
played and practiced during of f
season. An existing infrastructure
will help the eventual league save
infrastructure costs and focus on
developing the sport in the US.
“As we began planning this
project, we identified an unmet
need in North Texas for a stadium
designed for global sports such as
cricket,” Sam Thakkar, CEO of the
Perfect Group of Business, which
includes Thakkar Developers. “We
connected with The CricRealty
Company and learned about their
plans to bring the first profession‑
al cricket stadium to Texas.”
In addition to professional
cricket, the stadium will also be
suitable for Rugby, LaCrosse and
Soccer. Construction on the site is
expected to begin in 2019, with
the first phase, including the stadi‑
um, expected to be completed in
2021.
tool for office communication
San Francisco: Facebook has ele‑
vated its senior Indian‑origin
executive Karandeep Anand to
head Workplace, the company's
two‑year‑old enterprise communi‑
cation tool.
Mr.Anand, who was earlier Head
of Pro duct for Face book
Marketplace and Payments servic‑
es, would handle the Workplace
product team and report to Julien
Co dorniou who is its Vice
President.
"I'm excited to now be part of
the journey of bring ing
Karandeep Anand
Workplace to companies across
the globe and help them unlock joining Workplace as its new head
the potential of their biggest asset of Workplace, effectively immedi‑
‑‑ people," Mr. Anand wrote on his ately," a Facebook spokeswoman
LinkedIn profile late on Tuesday. told CNBC.
Facebook launched Workplace Before joining Facebook, Mr.
in 2016 to help make companies Anand spent 15 years at
more connected and productive. Microsoft in various key roles.
Currently, more than 30,000 As Head of Pro duct for
org anizat ions are using Marketplace and Payments tools,
Workplace worldwide ‑‑ including Mr. Anand's team was responsible
Walmart, Heineken, Spotify, Lyft for powering commerce across
and the Reliance Group. Facebook, Instagram, Messenger
"We're thrilled that Karandeep is and WhatsApp. (IANS)

Kumari released her new single
'Shook' at the Riders Music Festival
Grammy‑
nominated Husn
Parcham rapper
Raja Kumari says
discovering both
American and
Indian music with
authenticity has
made her the
artist she is today
New Delhi: Grammy‑nominated Indian‑
American songwriter‑rapper Raja Kumari,
who lent her voice to the title track of
Salman Khan‑starrer "Race 3" and "Husn
Parcham" in Shah Rukh Khan's "Zero",
feels that things are evolving for Indians
in the US when it comes to cross‑cultural
collaborations and terms it a "brown ren‑
aissance". In one of her previous inter‑
views, Kumari mentioned that Indian
classical training helped her understand
hip‑hop mathematically.
"Things are evolving in the US. It's
exciting to be a part of that wave and
really influence the culture," she told
IANS over in an email on the sidelines of
RED FM's Riders Music Festival where
she performed. Kumari is best known for
her collaboration with notable artists
including Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth
Harmony and Fall Out Boy. She was also
nominated for a Grammy award in
February 2015 and featured on BBC
Asian Network programme Bobby
Friction on July 5, 2016.
Talking about her growth plan and how
she balanced being both Indian and
American with her performances, she
said, "My parents always valued the arts
so I was always immersed in classical
dance and music. American music was
my rebellion, my escape. I think learning
to navigate both worlds with authenticity
has helped me become the artist I am
today. " So was India always in your mind
to make a big impression?
"India has always been important to me.
If my own people don't know me, then
how can I represent our culture world‑
wide? Touring India has been the great‑
est gift. I have learned so much about
myself and you can really hear that on
my upcoming album 'BloodLine', " she
said.
Her first big placement was Iggy
Azalea's "Change Your Life" and she also
wrote six songs for Gwen Stefani album,
"This Is What the Truth Feels Like," which
debuted number one on the Billboard Top
200 chart.
Kumari released her new single 'Shook'
at the festival.
"The single really inspired me to level
up," she said.
Chef Vikas Khanna's 'The Last Color' to
premiere at Palm Springs Film Festival
Bhubaneswar: Odisha born producer and pro‑
moter Jitendra Mishraʼs latest feature film pro‑
duction ʻThe Last Colorʼ directed by Celebrity
Chef Vikas Khannaʼs starring veteran actress
Neena Gupta will have its World Premiere at the
prestigious 30th Annual Palm Springs
International Film Festival 2019. The Palm
Springs International Film Festival is one of the
largest film festivals in the world, welcoming
over 135,000 attendees each year for its line‑up
of new and celebrated international features and
documentaries. The film, which also marks
Khannaʼs debut as a director and screenwriter, is
based on his bestselling book by the same name.
The Last Color is the story of Chhoti, a nine‑
year‑old flower seller and tightrope walker who
befriends Noor, a 70‑year‑old widow living a life
of complete abstinence. Chhoti promises to bring
a ray of hope in the life of Noor. The film has Jitendra Mishra with Vikas Khanna
been produced by Bindu Khanna, Poonam Kaul
and Jitendra Mishra under the banner of House with universal themes around hope, friendship
Of Omkar and shot by another Odia Subhranshu and the triumph of human spirit and connects
Das. The cast comprises of Aqsa Siddiqui and with audiences globally transcending all barriers.
transgender activist Rudrani Chettri apart from I am eagerly looking forward to audiencesʼ reac‑
Neena Gupta. Interestingly, some of the pivotal tion at the World Premiere and I hope that they
roles in the film have been played by first time will echo a similar sentiment.” Celebrity Chef
actors based in Varanasi. The captivating theme Vikas Khanna, thrilled to make his directorial
music with Indian musical undertones as well as debut with The Last Color says, “This is a story
the background score has been created by a that had to be told and I am glad that I am finally
team of musicians led by Elliot Middleton, getting an opportunity to do so. This story not
renowned for instrumental and cinematic theme only moved me deeply, but also motivated me to
creations. Elliot is based in LA. The teaser of the pen it into a book and subsequently make it into
film was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival a film. From writing the book to making the film,
2018 earlier this year. the journey of The Last Color has been a long
Jitendra Mishra, the producer of ʻThe Last and eventful one. We feel honored that the film is
Colorʼ says, “The World Premiere at the 30th having its World Premiere at the 30th Annual
Annual Palm Springs International Festival 2019 Palm Springs International Festival 2019. I am
is a milestone in the filmʼs journey. Itʼs indeed a eagerly looking forward to the audienceʼs
VIP entry to the Hollywood. It has also reassured response and hope that they will experience a
us of the faith and confidence we had placed in similar sentiment that I did while writing and
the project. The Last Color is a film that deals making the film.” (Source:orissadiary.com)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
British lawmakers
campaign for separate
Sikh ethnicity in UK census
London: A group of British lawmakers has
launched a year‑long campaign to lobby for
Sikhism to be added as a separate ethnicity
tick‑box in the next UK census in 2021
after the country's statistical authority con‑
cluded it was not required.
T he All Party Parliamentary Group
(APPG) for British Sikhs accused the Office
of National Statistics (ONS) of ignoring
"overwhelming" Sikh community support
for such an additional category in order to
ensure fair treatment of British Sikhs and
address racial discrimination.
"The ONS with its latest proposals in the
White Paper has now opened itself up to
legal action and a claim of institutionalizing
discrimination against Sikhs," said Labour
MP Preet Kaur Gill, Chair of the APPG for
British Sikhs.
"MPs, with the support of gurudwaras,
Sikh organizations and the community, are
starting a year‑long nationwide campaign
to put this right and a Sikh ethnic tick box
to be added when the Census Order 2019 is
presented in the House of Commons," she
said. In a recently released White Paper,
titled 'Help Shape Our Future: The 2021
Census of Population and Housing in
Indian origin scientist develops
way to turn old, unwanted
clothes into building materials
New Delhi: Throwing away clothing that
is no longer needed is a missed opportu‑
nity to turn the fabric into new products
such as building materials, as well as
address our unsustainable landfill prob‑
lems, says an Indian‑origin professor.
According to Veena Sahajwalla from
University of New South Wales(UNSW)
in Sydney, the abundance of cheap
clothes and short‑lived fashion trends
generate 10 million tonnes of landfill in
the US alone each year, which decom‑
pose and release toxic chemicals and
greenhouse gases.
"It could be said that consumers and
the fashion industry have a lot to
answer for, given that clothing is now
one of the biggest consumer waste
streams, with 92 million tons estimated
to be thrown out a year globally," said
Sahajwalla, who is a Mumbai‑born IIT
Kanpur alumni.
"The clothing and textiles industry is
the second most polluting sector in the
world, accounting for 10 percent of the
world's total carbon emissions.
Not only is this bad for the environ‑
ment, but it also misses the opportunity
to turn valuable clothing fibers into new
products, Sahajwalla explained.
To create new building materials,
Sahajwalla and her team collected a ran‑
dom assortment of garments from chari‑
DIASPORA Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 9
England and Wales', the ONS said the esti‑
mates of the Sikh population can be met
through data from the specific response
option in the Sikh religion question.
"The ONS does not propose adding an
additional specific response option to the
2021 Census ethnic g roup quest ion
because of the evidence that this would not
be acceptable to a proportion of the Sikh
population," the White Paper states.
"There are differing views within the Sikh
populat ion as to whether a specific
response option should be added to the
2021 Census, and views on each side are
passionately held... All respondents who
stated they were ethnically Sikh (in ques‑
tion versions with or without a specific Sikh
response option) also stated their religious
affiliation was Sikh," the paper notes.
Sikhs are already recognized as a sepa‑
rate religion in the optional religious ques‑
tion introduced in the 2001 Census.
The UK's Race Relations (Amendment)
Act 2000 placed an obligatory and specific
duty on the country's public authorities
to monitor and positively promote race
equality in the provision of public services.
(PTI)
ty bins. After removing zippers, buttons,
buckles, they passed the leftover mix of
cotton, polyester, nylon and other fab‑
rics through a fine‑grained shredder.
They then treated the resulting fleece
with a chemical to help the dif ferent
fiber components stick together, then
compressed it under heat to form solid
panels.
In a series of tests, the panels proved
to be strong, water‑resistant and mini‑
mally‑flammable. Their properties could
also be fine‑tuned by mixing the fleece
with other waste products such as saw‑
dust filler from old couches.
The panels had different textures and
colors resembling wood, ceramic or
stone "depending on their mix of com‑
ponents" making them suitable for use
as floor tiles, wall panels or other interi‑
or finishes, Sahajwalla noted.
Their strength could also make them
suitable for load‑bearing applications.
Sahajwalla showcased these building
pro ducts at a themat ic session on
emerging building technologies at the
10th TERI‑GRIHA summit in New Delhi
last week. Sahajwalla and her team have
been scientifically reforming common
waste items using prototype technology
developed for a laboratory‑scale "green
microfactory" to be launched in 2019.
(IANS)
 10 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Trump is plunging country into chaos: Chuck and Nancy
Washington: Democratic congres‑
sional leaders on Monday said
that President Donald Trump is
"plunging the country into chaos"
with his recent attacks on the
Federal Reserve and engineering a
partial government shutdown,
which has left 25 per cent of US
government agencies without
operating funds.
T he Democratic declaration
comes after Wall Street closed on
Monday with heavy losses and
Dow fell 2.91 per cent ‑‑ or more
than 653 points ‑‑ in its worst
Christmas Eve performance in his‑
tory, Efe reported.
In a joint statement, Democratic
Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer and House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi warned that:
"It's Christmas Eve and President
Trump is plunging the country
into chaos. The stock market is
tanking and the president is wag‑
ing a personal war on the Federal
Reserve ‑‑ after he just fired the
Secretary of Defense," referring to
Gen. James Mattis, who resigned
'Poor' Trump 'all alone' on
Christmas amid wall impasse
Actually, the President is not alone. First Lady Melania Trump
returned from planned holiday in Florida to join him as they are
seen speaking on the phone sharing updates to track Santa's
movements from the North American Aerospace Defense
Command (NORAD) on Christmas Eve. (Photo courtesy AP)
Washington: With the US govern‑
ment shutdown entering its third
day, President Trump took to
Twitter and lamented how he was
"all alone" in the White House and
aired his many grievances.
"I am all alone (poor me) in the
W hite House wait ing for the
Democrats to come back and make
a deal on desperate ly needed
Border Security.
"At some point the Democrats not
wanting to make a deal will cost
our country more money than the
border wall we are all talking
about. Crazy!" the President said on
Monday.
First Lady Melania Trump and
their son had left for Florida
With Congress out of town and
the debate over Trump's demand
for a $5 billion US‑Mexico border
wall at an impasse, the President
sat holed up, tweeting no less than
Democratic and Republican lawmakers, along with President Trump,
are negotiating to try and reopen the government, but Dem
Congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi said Monday
that reaching an agreement is difficult because the White House
does not have a unified position. (Photo courtesy Reuters)
last week only to be booted by
Trump as of January 1, two
10 times by early Monday after‑
noon to lash out at opponents and
reject responsibility for a plummet‑
ing stock market.
The Democrats, and even some
Republicans, have already made it
clear they would not vote for the
border wall.
In retaliation, Trump refused to
sign a broader spending bill, trig‑
gering the stand‑of f that has left
swathes of the US government tem‑
porarily without funding.
With funding for roughly a quar‑
ter of the US government, including
appropriations for the Departments
of Homeland Security and Justice
expiring on December 22 midnight,
a partial shutdown of the federal
administration began on Saturday.
Twitter users posted memes and
trolled the President as Christmas
celebrations kicked off across the
globe.
US AFFAIRS
months before his stated depar‑
ture date. Due to the government
Jim Mattis leaves as defense
secretary in protest
Washington: Donald Trump on
Sunday announced he will replace
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis with
his deputy Patrick Shanahan,
speeding up the Pentagon chief's
planned exit days after he quit,
citing key policy differences with
the US president.
Mattis, 68, had said he would
leave at the end of February to
allow a smooth transition for the
next chief of the world's top mili‑
tary power, but Trump ‑‑ who was
reportedly upset over media cov‑
erage of the stinging resignation
letter submitted by the defense
secretary ‑‑ moved up the
timetable.
"I am pleased to announce that
our very talented Deputy
Secretary of Defense, Patrick
Shanahan, will assume the title of
Acting Secretary of Defense start‑
ing January 1, 2019. Patrick has
a long list of accomplishments
while serving as Deputy, & previ‑
ously Boeing. He will be great!"
the Republican leader tweeted.
Trump initially praised Mattis
in a tweet announcing his depar‑
ture, saying that he was retiring
"with distinction" and that "dur‑
ing Jim's tenure, tremendous
progress has been made."
But Trump changed tone two
days later, writing on Twitter that
he had given Mattis a "second
chance" after he was "inglorious‑
ly" fired by President Barack
Obama, and appearing to take
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
shutdown, some 25 per cent of US
government activities have been
paralyzed since Friday at midnight
because Congress has not been
able to approve a budget and
funding for those departments has
expired.
T he shutdown came about
because Trump has demanded
that Congress include $5 billion to
build portions of his much‑touted
wall along the Mexican border,
something that Democratic law‑
makers have refused to agree to,
although some $1.3 billion has
been allocated by Congress for
other types of enhanced border
security.
Democratic and Republican law‑
makers, along with Trump, are
negotiating to try and reopen the
government, but Schumer and
Pelosi said Monday that reaching
an agreement is difficult because
the White House does not have a
unified position.
The Democratic leaders said that
dif ferent people in the W hite
House are saying different things
aim at a line from the Pentagon
chief 's resignation letter about
respecting allies.
"Allies are very important, but
not when they take advantage of
U.S.," Trump wrote.
The announcement that Mattis
would leave the administration
came just after Trump stunned
Washington and allies abroad in
declaring that US troops would
leave Syria and significantly with‑
draw from Afghanistan.
Mattis and others had strongly
counseled the often‑impulsive
president against those moves ‑‑
and the decorated retired general
did little to hide his disagreement
with Trump.
"Because you have the right to
have a secretary of defense whose
views are better aligned with
yours," Mattis said in his resigna‑
tion letter, "I believe it is right for
me to step down from my posi‑
tion." "My views on treating allies
about what the president could or
could not accept in exchange for
ending the shutdown he originally
he would be "proud" to bring
about, and thus the administration
evidently does not have a common
or unified stance on the matter.
Trump met on Monday at the
W hite House w ith Home land
Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
to discuss border security, but it is
not yet known what the results of
that meeting were.
The Senate will meet again on
Thursday to try and reach a budg‑
et agreement so that the govern‑
ment can be fully reopened, but
the White House says that the
shutdown may cont inue into
January.
Trump wants to secure addition‑
al funding for his border wall from
the Republican‑controlled Senate ‑
‑ where the GOP is seriously divid‑
ed ‑‑ before the Democrats take
over the House on January 20,
after which they are expected to
cancel any budgetary plans that
include the wall.
Reportedly
upset over
media coverage
of the stinging
resignation
letter submitted
by Jim Mattis,
President Trump
replaced him
two months
ahead of
schedule.
(Photo
courtesy AP)
with respect and also being clear‑
eyed about both malign actors
and strategic competitors are
strongly held and informed by
over four decades of immersion in
these issues," Mattis wrote.
Mattis's announced exit was
soon followed by that of another
top official, with Brett McGurk,
the US envoy to the international
coalition against the Islamic State
jihadist group, moving up his
departure from February to the
end of the year.
Trump took to Twitter to criti‑
cize McGurk, referring to him as a
"grandstander" who was quitting
just before his time was up.
Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has
never served in the military and
has spent most of his career in
the private sector. He spent over
three decades working for air‑
craft giant Boeing before moving
to the Pentagon as deputy in
2017.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump lashes out at Fed again
amid stock market plunge
Washington: President Donald Trump on
Monday lashed out at the Federal Reserve
again amid continued stock market plunge
and recent rumors that he was considering
firing the central bank chief. "The only
problem our economy has is the Fed,"
Trump tweeted Monday morning. "They
don't have a feel for the Market, they don't
understand necessary Trade Wars or
Strong Dollars or even Democrat
Shutdowns over Borders."
"The Fed is like a powerful golfer who
can't score because he has no touch ‑‑ he
can't putt!" Trump said.
The president renewed his Fed criticism
as U.S. stocks plunged again on Monday,
with the Dow Jones Industrial Average
erasing more than 650 points, or 2.9 per‑
cent, at the close. The Standard & Poor's
500 index closed 2.7 percent lower and
the Nasdaq slid 2.2 percent.
U.S. media reported over the weekend
that the president was weighing the option
of ousting Fed Chairman Jerome Powell
because of his intensifying frustration
with the continued rate hikes and the
stock market losses over the past months,
which Trump has blamed the Fed for.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
on Saturday denied the rumor in a tweet,
saying that Trump told him in a conversa‑
tion that he "never suggested firing"
US AFFAIRS
Powell. "Nor do I believe I have the right to
do so," he quoted Trump as saying.
Mnuchin, however, noted that the presi‑
dent said, "I totally disagree with Fed poli‑
cy."
In a tweet last Tuesday before the Fed
policy meeting, Trump warned the central
bank not to "make yet another mistake" by
further hiking interest rates. "Feel the mar‑
ket, don't just go by meaningless num‑
bers," he said.
When asked about how he perceived the
market, Powell on Wednesday told a press
conference that Fed officials would look
for "material changes" in financial condi‑
tions as market volatility doesn't necessar‑
ily result in major economic impact.
The U.S. president has repeatedly exert‑
ed pressure on the Fed to hold off on rate
hikes, saying that the monetary tightening
will impede economic progress. In an earli‑
er report, CNBC called Trump's Fed criti‑
cism "nearly without precedent" in U.S. his‑
tory, noting that almost all of Trump's
predecessors "steered clear of " Fed cri‑
tiques to make sure that interest rates
were set to work best for the economy.
The Fed on Wednesday raised bench‑
mark interest rate, the fourth hike this
year and the ninth since late 2015, as the
U.S. central bank moves forward on the
path of monetary policy normalization.
Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
National Christmas Tree lit again
with donations during govt shutdown
Washington: In a Christmas season of drasti‑
cally reduced ambitions, perhaps this qualifies
as a miracle. The National Christmas Tree that
sits behind the White House will be reopened
to the public on Monday after becoming an
unfortunate totem of Washingtonʼs political
dysfunction when it went dark over the week‑
end amid a government shutdown that accord‑
ing to authorities had "complicated" repairs
for the tree damaged by a man who climbed
up the blue spruce last week.
The tree, which is located by the White
House, was damaged when an "emotionally
distressed" man tried to climb it on Friday. The
man stayed on the tree for about an hour
before he was talked into climbing down. As
he descended, he got tangled in the lights and
11
The National Christmas Tree
sits behind the White House.
damaged some of them.
Then came support from the National Park
Service's charitable foundation, which allowed
the site to reopen Christmas Eve.
"The National Park Foundation and hun‑
dreds of local philanthropic organizations and
other park partners are always working to
help ensure all people have access to our
treasured national parks," read a statement
from Will Shafroth, president of the National
Park Foundation.
Opening the tree site costs $1,470 per day.
The partial shutdown that officially kicked in
on Friday midnight dealt a blow to several
national parks and landmarks forcing them to
close their doors to visitors during the holiday
season.
 12 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Computer snooping order challenged in SC

New Delhi: Two public interest litigations
(PIL) were filed before the Supreme Court
challenging the constitutional validity of the
Center's order empowering intelligence agen‑
cies and Delhi Police to snoop on all comput‑
ers, seeking the quashing of the December 20
order.
T he petitions filed by advocates M.L.
Sharma and Amit Sahni respectively, contend
that the Ministry of Home Af fairs (MHA)
order was "illegal, unconstitutional and ultra
vires to the law" and expressed apprehension
that citizens may be penalized for expressing
views opposing those of the government.
The MHA order authorized 10 Central agen‑
cies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB),
Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) as well as the Delhi
Police to "intercept, monitor and decrypt any
information generated, transmitted, received
or stored in any computer".
The order also binds subscribers or service
providers or any person in charge of the com‑
puter resource to extend all facilities and
technical assistance to the agencies and a fail‑
ure to do so is penalized with seven‑year
imprisonment and fine.
The petition by Sahni said the MHA order
was a "blanket order" and made without any
reasoning as mandated by the Information
and Technology (IT) Act.
"Every citizen cannot be suspected as a
criminal and the objective of passing the
order is to have a surveillance country," said
the petition seeking withdrawal of the order
for being "unconstitutional, undemocratic and
an assault on fundamental rights of the citi‑
zens".
The MHA order authorized 10 Central
agencies to "intercept, monitor and
decrypt any information generated,
transmitted, received or stored in any
computer".
The petition by Sharma said the MHA order
"has been issued to find political opponents,
thinkers and speakers to control entire coun‑
try under dictatorship to win coming general
election under an undisclosed emergency as
well as slavery which cannot be permitted".
"The blanket surveillance order must be
tested against fundamental right to privacy,"
it said and also asked the court to prohibit the
agencies from initiating any criminal proceed‑
ings or investigation against anybody under
the provisions of the Information Technology
Act based on the notification and expressed
apprehension of serious danger and
injury to the freedom, life and liberty of the
citizens.
Pointing to the MHA order being "silent" on
Make public draft amendments
to IT Act: Congress
New Delhi: The Congress expressed alarm
and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi
over the Centre's proposed amendment to
the Information Technology (IT) Act that
seeks to break ʻend‑to‑end encryption of
data and mandate online platforms to give
user information to the government within
72 hours.
T he proposed amendment, the 'T he
Information Technology (Intermediaries
Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018,' has
been publicized by New Delhi‑based digital
advocacy organization Internet Freedom
Foundation (IFF).
The draft rules mandate online platforms
to provide information or assistance within
72 hours of receiving it from "any govern‑
ment" and also require end‑to‑end encryp‑
tion be broken so that the origins of mes‑
sages can be traced.
The draft rules also increase the data
retention period from 90 to 180 days and
provide for further discretionary retention
the reasons for empowering the investigating
agencies with "such vast powers", the petition
argued that people may be subjected to inves‑
tigation by the Central agencies "without
recording reasons in writing".
Incidentally, Sharma was recently repri‑
manded by the Supreme Court for filing "friv‑
olous" PILs and was imposed a fine of Rs
on the discretion of "government agencies".
Accusing the Modi government of trying
to create a "surveillance state", the Congress
demanded placing the draft amendments in
public domain for public consultation.
"Violating privacy of people has become
the norm of the Modi government and the
proposed amendments which were dis‑
cussed behind closed doors are yet another
step towards cementing and reaffirming the
concept of an image of an Orwellian state,"
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu
Singhvi told the media.
Pointing to reports of the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) "confidentially" discussing the pro‑
posed rules representatives of Google,
Facebook, WhatsApp, and other online plat‑
forms, Singhvi questioned the Modi govern‑
ment's motive behind "privately discussing"
on how to censor and break encryption of
private data, social media, emails, messages
and calls.
50,000.
While the Opposition has accused Prime
Minister Narendra Modi of turning India into
a "surveillance state", the BJP‑led Central gov‑
ernment has defended the decision citing
national security and claiming that the order
was a mere repetition of the rules passed dur‑
ing the UPA regime in 2009.

1984 riots case: Sajjan PM Modi set to sound

Kumar moves SC election bugle for 2019
New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan
Kumar has moved the Supreme Court
challenging the Delhi High Court verdict
convicting him in a 1984 anti‑Sikh riots
case and sentencing him to life imprison‑
ment.
The high court had asked him to sur‑
render by December 31. It also declined
his plea on Friday for extension of time to
surrender till January 31.
His lawyer Anil Kumar Sharma told
IANS that the decision to move the apex
court was taken because the judgement
was given on "erroneous" grounds.
"The judgement was given on the basis
of 120B. But the said crime is mentioned
nowhere, neither in the depositions nor in
the charge. Second, we will raise the ques‑
tion whether fresh allegations can be
brought while the case is sub‑judice,
which happened in this case," Sharma
said. Sajjan Kumar was convicted and sen‑
tenced to life imprisonment for the
killings of Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh,
Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh
and Kuldeep Singh in Raj Nagar area of
Delhi cantonment by a mob.
The 1984 riots took place in the wake
of assassination of then Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi by her two bodyguards.
Former Congress leader
Sajjan Kumar
The high court had sentenced Kumar,
73, to imprisonment for the remainder of
his natural life, holding that the violence
was a "crime against humanity" engi‑
neered by politicians with assistance from
police. Setting aside the acquittal of Sajjan
Kumar and five others by a trial court, the
high court had convicted them, saying the
"criminals" escaped prosecution and pun‑
ishment for over two decades.
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
will kick off the BJP's poll campaign for next
year's Lok Sabha polls in Assam by address‑
ing a rally in Silchar on January 4.
Addressing a press conference here on
Monday, Assam BJP president Ranjit Kumar
Dass said, "The rally in Silchar is part of the
Prime Minister's first phase of poll campaign
across the country."
The BJP has set its eyes on the northeast‑
ern states as all the states, except for
Mizoram, are now ruled either by the saf‑
fron party or others supported by it.
While the BJP is setting the target to win
21 out of the 25 parliamentary seats in
eight states in the region, in Assam the party
hopes to win at least 11 of the 14 seats.
Giving details about the party's prepara‑
tions for the LS polls, Dass said that the
party has so far appointed over 1.80 lakh
grassroot level party workers called 'Pristha
Pramukh' (page observers).
He added that by January 15 next year
3.30 lakh Pristha Pramukhs will be appoint‑
ed to strengthen the party's organisational
base further. Asked about the continuation
of its alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad
(AGP), Dass said that the alliance was made
by the Central leadership in 2016 and that
the Central leadership will take a decision
on whether to continue the alliance with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
AGP or not. (File Photo: IANS)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
'Chowkidars' have become thieves: Uddhav
Solapur (Maharashtra): Seen as a slanted
attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi
amid growing unease in ties with the BJP,
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on
Monday said with various scams in the
country, "it seems chowkidars have become
thieves" ‑‑ a takeaway from Congress slo‑
gan.
Referring to what he termed as "scams" in
the defence and agriculture sectors besides
'jumlas' of other schemes such as Rs 15
lakh in every Indian's bank account or the
construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya,
T hackeray attacked the ruling ally
Bharatiya Janata Party on various fronts.
Addressing a much‑anticipated rally in
the temple town of Pandharpur, Solapur
district, he hit out at the BJP for getting
"possessed" by the spirits of gods in raking
up the Ram temple before elections, but
achieving nothing in the past over three
decades.
"I went to Ayodhya (November) and have
come to the holy land of Pandharpur. I
want to wake up the sleeping Kumbhakarna
‑‑ you exploited Ram temple to win elec‑
tions and now you are in a slumber. We will
not rest till the Ram temple is constructed,"
Modi relies on women power
Gandhinagar: The Modi‑led NDA govern‑
ment will be relying on women power to
strengthen its booth‑level management to
ensure a victory in the 2019 general elec‑
tion.
Addressing an audience of more than 700
workers from the BJP Mahila Morcha
(women's wing) in Trimandir at Adalaj in
Gand hinag ar district, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said, "You should take a
pledge, 'Mera Booth, Sabse Majboot (My
Booth is the Strongest)'."
This was Modi's first public appearance
after the BJP's assembly poll debacle.
Modi was attending the closing ceremony
of the BJP's women's wing two‑day meet
here from December 21‑22 to deliberate
their role in the forthcoming Lok Sabha
polls.
Modi urged all women workers to use the
Narendra Modi App to inform the general
public about the government's welfare
schemes. "Sardar Patel showed us the way to
Rajiv Gandhi statute
vandalized in Ludhiana
Chandigarh: Punjab's ruling Congress and
opposition Akali Dal were on Tuesday
involved in a bitter war of words after the
statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi was vandalized in Ludhiana.
The statue was vandalized allegedly by
workers of the Akalisʼ youth wing and
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh
ordered action by the police against the
perpetrators.
Congress MP Ravneet Sing Bittu later
cleaned the statue with milk.
Blaming Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress
for the 1984 anti‑Sikh riots, the Youth Akali
Dal activists used spray paint to blacken
INDIA
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray addressing a rally in Pandharpur,
Maharashtra's Solapur district. (Photo:IANS)
Thackeray roared. "The PM makes all kinds
of promises which he says will be imple‑
mented by 2022 ‑ this means people must
vote for him in 2019. After that, he will
again say everything was a 'jumla' to be
said during elections," Thackeray said.
He said when the BJP is questioned about
women's empowerment in 1935. He took
initiatives to empower women.
Since the days of the Jansangh, women
have been powerful in the organisation.
Women are good governors, and Indian
women are expert multi‑taskers."
Modi pointed out that the Central govern‑
ment's flagship schemes are women‑centric.
"Approximately, 75 per cent of the recipi‑
ents of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna
(housing schemes) are women," the Prime
Minister said.
Stating that earlier there was gender
inequality, he said, "But, with us the situa‑
tion is changing. Haryana has changed
under BJP rule.
"In the Union government, it is for the first
time that we have two women ministers.
The Indian Air Force also got its first woman
fighter pilot, this year."
Modi also said that the construction of
Izzat Ghars, or toilets, across Uttar Pradesh
is near completion.
the face of the statue and painted the hands
in red.
Amarinder Singh warned SAD chief
Sukhbir Singh Badal that "such acts would
backfire on his party in the coming Lok
Sabha elections". He said that the Gandhis
were never named or implicated in the
1984 riots.
In reaction, Badal said, "You
@capt_amarinder should apologize to the
Sikh sangat for failing them as CM and
standing with the hated Gandhi family. The
community has shown what it thinks of
Rajiv Gandhi in Ludhiana. Don't disrespect
the sentiments of Sikhs."
Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
the temple construction, it says the matter
is "in courts". "But was it not aware of this
30 years ago?" he asked.
Congratulating Janata Dal (U) chief Nitish
Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram
Vilas Paswan for their pacts with the BJP,
Thackeray countered: "What is their stand
Women devotees fail to
have Sabarimala darshan
Sabarimala (Kerala): A group of 11 Tamil
women devotees who wanted to have
Sabarimala darshan were forced to leave
after protests turned violent and police
took two dozen protesters into custody.
The state unit of the BJP said what hap‑
pened on Sunday was a CPI‑M sponsored
event and that the Kerala government
should order a probe to find out who was
behind the "conspiracy."
Led by Selvie, an activist belonging to
the Maniti Women's group in Tamil Nadu,
the women from the hitherto "banned"
age group were forced to leave Pamba for
Madurai after Ayyappa devotees chased
them away from ascending the hill. The
women aged between 10‑50 years had
reached Pamba town at 5.30 a.m. and
were seen squatting for hours till 11 a.m.
demanding police protection to ascend
the hill.
But traditional Ayyappa devotees also
held fort and did not allow them to move
forward.
Reaching the base town at dawn, the
group was parked on one side of the path‑
way leading to the temple while the pro‑
testers chanted slogans on the other side,
13
on the Ram temple? Why are they silent on
it?"
He demanded a parliamentary debate on
the Ram temple and Hindutva issues, where
"it will become clear who is with NDA and
against."
Dwelling on the farmers issues, he said
the government has indulged in 'jumlas'
such as doubling farmers' incomes, but
there is no such scheme. Despite tall claims,
crop insurance and debt waiver have not
reached the common peasantry, he said.
"There is a scam bigger than Rafale in the
agriculture sector. Despite having four
state‑run insurance companies, the govern‑
ment has given out contracts to 12 compa‑
nies who have nothing to do with crop
insurance. The poor farmers may be debt‑
ridden, but they will not flee like Vijay
Mallya or Nirav Mo d‑Mehul Choksi,"
Thackeray said.
Touching upon Rafale, he said most ques‑
tions raised on it have not been answered
yet, but the government claims it has got a
"clean chit' from the courts. He alleged that
"there are scams in defense purchases sec‑
tor" undermining the crucial requirements
for the country's security.
Women
devotees
being taken
away by the
police near
Sabarimala
temple.
(Photo: IANS)
determined not to allow passage to the
women to go up.
They kept sloganeering and menacingly
approached the group threatening them
to go away. It was then around 11.30 a.m.
that Kerala Police was forced to take over
20 protesters into custody.
Immediately hundreds of the others
protesters came rushing down the path‑
way forcing the police and the Tamil
women to flee to safety.
The group was sheltered inside a police
vehicle near Pamba as Superintendent of
Police Karthikeyan explained the situa‑
tion to Selvie's group.
"T hey have decided to return to
Madurai and we will give them security
for their return," Karthikeyan told the
media.
Earlier, around 10 a.m., Selvie told the
media that since the protests have
increased, "if the police tell us that we are
unable to go, then we will return."
"But we will come back later and also
seek legal help. We came after the Kerala
government had assured us entry to pray
at the temple," Selvie said as the protests
around her mounted.
 14 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
By Prakash Bhandari
A
professional magicianʼs
son, Ashok Gehlot wanted
to be a doctor, but destiny
had bigger things planned for him.
He did his postgraduation in eco‑
nomics and then law at Jai
Narayan Vyas University.
T he lanky but shy boy from
Jodhpur used to turn up in a
white shirt and white trouser
and like me would visit the
Gandhi Shanti Pratisthan to
read newspapers. He was first
influenced by Nemi Chand Jain
“Bhavuk” , who used to run the
Pratisthan and he started read‑
ing Gandhian literature.
Gehlot had an unsuccess‑
ful stint as a student
leader. When the
influx from East
Pakistan fol‑
low ing the
genocide
there began,
he went to
he lp the
work at the
refugees
camp. It
was here
that he met
P r i m e
Minister
I n d i r a
Gand hi in
the re lie f
camp that
he org an‑
ized. Then
he started
visiting
Delhi from Jodhpur and his friends
would support him by buying the
second class train ticket. At Delhi,
he would stay with friends. He was
made NSUIʼs (National Students
Union of India) state unit president
and from here his political journey
begins.
He got enrolled as a lawyer, at
the Jodhpur High Court, but it was
politics that interested him. During
the pre‑emergency era when
Sanjay Gandhi came to Jodhpur,
Gehlot got the first political expo‑
sure as he was made to stand next
to Sanjay Gandhi on the jeep when
the procession passed through the
city. He contested the Vidhan
Sabha in 1977 and lost. This was
the time when another Gehlot,
Janardan Singh, Gehlot the general
secretary of the youth Congress
was very close to the late Sanjay
Gandhi. Janardan Singh Gehlot was
the best‑known name from
Rajasthan and wielded consider‑
able influence in the AICC.
However, undeterred by the
1977 loss, Gehlot contested the
Lok Sabha election from Jodhpur
and won and was catapulted to the
national politics. Gehlot came in
close contact with Rajiv Gandhi fol‑
lowing the death of Sanjay Gandhi
and thus began a friendship with
not only Rajiv, but also with the
Gandhi family. He served as a min‑
ister under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv
PROFILE
ASHOK GEHLOT
The Jodhpur native has shuttled between national
politics and state politics in Rajasthan to his advantage,
securing the CM post for the third time when the
party defeated BJP at the hustings recently.
1989. His second term as the PCC
president was between 1994
and 1997 and the third term
was from 1997 to 1999.
During those years, he induct‑
ed a number of youth leaders
in the party and built a strong
following for himself. But the
partyʼs senior leaders in the
state did not accept him.
In 1998, Gehlot was again
elected to the Lok Sabha and
in the same year, he worked
tirelessly in the Vidhan Sabha
election campaign when Paras
Ram Maderna was the PCC
chie f. W hen the Cong ress
came to power in the state in
1998, he staked his claim for
the Chief Ministerʼs post with
the backing of a majority of
the elected MLAs. This was
Ashok Gehlot was able to assure the party leadership of a large number of seats for
Congress from Rajasthan in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. An unhappy Sachin Pilot,
state party chief, had to settle for Deputy CM post.
and then PV Narasimha Rao. When the time when Maderna as the
he was made the deputy minister PCC chief and as the leader of the
for sports in the Indira Gandhiʼs Opposition was poised to become
Cabinet, he came to the the Chief Minister. But Gehlot
Rashtrapati Bhavan to take oath in jumped into the race and with the
an autorickshaw and was stopped backing of the high command he
by security. Gehlot, a simple man, was sworn in as the Chief Minister.
still remembers the incident. Since then he has never looked
He started dabbling in state poli‑ back. When as a 47‑year‑old he
tics and I became the Pradesh became the Chief Minister, he won
Congress president from 1985 to the admiration of the poor when
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
he said he would follow the
Gandhian principles of wiping out
tears from the eyes of the poorest
of the poor. The die was cast and
Gehlot emerged as the tallest
leader in the state.
Paras Ram Maderna was a Jat
and the that community wanted to
see one of their own as Chie f
Minister. Till today, the Jats have
not excused Gehlot from snatching
this opportunity from them. He did
not favor the Jats getting the OBC
status and this further enraged
them. The Jats were not happy
when he became the Chie f
Minister for the third time. Prior to
him, it was Mohan Lal Sukhadia
who served as the Chief Minister
for 14 years. BJPʼs Bhairon Singh
She khawat became the Chie f
Minister thrice and served for a
period of over 10 years. If Gehlot
completes his third term, he would
become the longest serving Chief
Minister of the state. On all three
occasions, he has led a minority
government.
Gehlot seemed to have gone into
oblivion for some time after the
crushing defeat in 2013 at the
hands of the BJP when Congress
party could get only 21 seats
under a sweeping Modi wave. But
Gehlot did not lose heart. A spirit‑
ed Gehlot went out of the state pol‑
itics after Sachin Pilot was made
the Pradesh Congress chief and
shifted his focus to Delhi and soon
became the AICC general secre‑
tary. He showed his organizational
skills during the Assembly elec‑
tions in Punjab, Gujarat and in
Karnataka and the success he met
convinced the Congress President
Rahul Gandhi that he was an asset
to the party.
However, his heart was in his
home state and he convinced
Rahul Gandhi that he should be
allowed to dabble in state politics
and he would help Sachin Pilot and
the synerg y between the two
would see the party bounce back
to power. Gehlot played a key role
in the disbursement of party tick‑
ets and managed to give 70 per
cent of those to his supporters. But
he is now blamed for frittering
away an opportunity as a large
number of his nominees lost even
in his own Marwar region. Party
insiders feel that Gehlot chose
weak candidates and denied tick‑
ets to the deserving candidates.
This saw a large number of his
detractors w inning as
Independents. The party could get
only 99 seats, but he brought the
party rebels to the Congress fold
again to form the government.
It was clear from the very begin‑
ning that Gehlot was keen to
return to the state politics and
would stake his claims for the CM
post and he eventually succeeded
and became the Chief Minister for
the third time with an unhappy
Sachin Pilot settling for the Deputy
CM post. Gehlotʼs winning argu‑
ment to convince the partyʼs lead‑
ership was that he would secure a
large number of seats for the party
from Rajasthan in the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections, something that
Sachin Pilot would not be able to
do.
Thus in Rajasthan, now there are
two power centers – Gehlot, 67,
and a much younger Pilot. The
task for Gehlot ahead is not easy as
the party could come to power
with just .5 per cent more vote
share than the last time.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIPLOMACY Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 15

By Ajay Jain Bhutoria

T
ravelling to Israel changed
me. In the span of eight days, I
toured holy sites in Jerusalem
Pressures and challenges that
both Israel and Palestinians face
and the Sea of Galilee, took part in
Hanukah festivities, and spoke to
leaders on both side of the conflict.
I had joined an educational tour to
Israel for Pacific Northwest
Progressive Leaders sponsored by
the American Israel Education
Foundation (AIEF is affiliated with
the lobbying group American Israel
Public Affairs Committee). The trip
helped me gain an in‑depth under‑
standing of modern Israel and the
U.S.‑Israel relationship and gain
deeper understanding of Israeli poli‑
tics, society and culture.
This was an important time to visit
as the United States and Israel con‑
front growing uncertainty in the
region and seek ways to advance the
peace process. Through on‑site vis‑
its, I had the opportunity to learn
about innovative Israeli approaches
to international and domestic issues. Ajay Bhutoria in conversation with progressive leaders of
I also participated in strategic sur‑ Israeli Parliament called Knesset.
veys of Jerusalem and the Israeli bor‑ Ajay Bhutoria offering prayer at the Western Wall in
ders with Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. Jerusalem and celebrating Hanukah.
The program included discussions
with current and former Israeli gov‑
ernment officials, Palestinian
Authority representatives and lead‑
ing academics and journalists.
I held discussions with young
entrepreneurs, cybersecurity leaders,
cannabis innovators, President of
Boeing Israel, Israeli‑Arab Minority
Kids going to school together to
build a new future, and so on.
As for the Israeli‑Palestinian con‑
flict, I do not condone the use of vio‑
lence to resolve a dispute, especially Ajay in discussion with Palestine
one that has caused so much anger, In discussion with Brig. Gen. (Res) Liberation Organization Chief
controversy, and pain around the Nitzan Nuriel, former director of Negotiator Saeb Erekat in Ajay in discussion with Boeing Israel in charge of F15I fighter planes,
Counter‑Terrorism Bureau of Israel. Ramallah, Palestine. fuel tanker Boeings, CH‑47 Chinook.
globe. I believe that the majority of
people living in this area are united Knesset (the Israeli parliament) on of rockets thrown from Gaza by refused to meet with their American two‑state solution will happen any‑
in their desire for one thing: Peace. Israel‑US ties, the countryʼs domestic Hamas, the Sunni‑Islamic fundamen‑ counterparts. Speaking to him, I time during the next five or ten
While in Israel, I met leaders on issues, peace process, equality and talist organization known as Hamas. offered to speak to lawmakers in years. However, that does not mean
both side of the conflict in order to immigration, as well as with other The deadliest day of the protests was Washington DC about the that ongoing peace efforts are for
gain a more balanced and nuanced key government figures. In particu‑ May 14 when the new embassy held Palestinian cause and act as a voice naught. Older Jews and Arabs bear
view of the challenges and dangers lar, Brig. Gen. (Res) and former Chief its opening ceremony. May14 being for freedom. the heavy weight of history in their
that both groups face. I must say that of Counter Terrorism Nitzan Nuriel the 70th anniversary of the creation My journey to Israel showed me hearts and minds. Looking forward is
Israel is not the dangerous place that gave an insightful overview of the of Israel is a joyous day for Israelis, the pressures and challenges that difficult for them, since their
many imagine it to be. The issues interests and roles of Israel, other but for Palestinians, it is their both sides face. I am acutely aware of thoughts of the future are often
that Israel deals with are, in many Middle Eastern and Western nations, "Nakba" or catastrophe when they the discrimination and oppression tainted by the past. But many among
ways, like those faced by other coun‑ as well as ongoing conflicts among lost their homeland. that the Jewish people have experi‑ the younger generations of Israelis
try including the US, such as racism, these countries. He also spoke about People in this kibbutz have, at enced for centuries. My visit to the and Palestinians are different. They
social problems, and security. In options of one state, two‑state and best, 15 seconds to find shelter from Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem was want to work together. To live
terms of day‑to‑day safety, Israel is three‑state solutions involving Gaza, the rockets and shells when the a reminder of that. On the other together. Most importantly, they
as safe as most US cities, albeit with Israel, and Palestine. warning sirens sound. And then hand, many Palestinians too face want to build a future together.
occasional exceptions. Some 10 km north, in the there are the flaming kites that have human rights abuse on a daily basis Israel is a rising, growing, flourish‑
My first destination was Palestinian city of Ramallah, I met destroyed thousands of square kilo‑ and live in refugee camps in crush‑ ing country with people full of hope
Jerusalem. Walking through the city with Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian diplo‑ meters of crops, houses, and nature ing states of poverty. When I visited and pessimism at the same time. The
considered holy to three of the mat who negotiated the Oslo Accords reserves over the past two months. the West Bank, my heart broke for reality of Israel, or any country for
worldʼs largest religions is nothing with Israel (which created the self‑ Mr Saeb Erekat told me about the the Palestinians who were struggling that matter, is infinitely more
short of a humbling and awe‑inspir‑ governing Palestinian Authority) in violence carried out by Hamas and to obtain basic necessities such as nuanced than the way presented in
ing experience. While there I visited the 1990s. The mood in Palestine Israeli forces, as well as Palestineʼs food and water. the news. President Trump's decision
sites revered by Judaism (King was pessimistic after the actions recent diplomatic relations with the No single side is to blame for this. to withdraw US troops from Syria is
Davidʼs Tomb, the Western Wall, the taken by Trump Administration to US (with support from President In addition to the Israelis and a bad impulsive move which would
remains of the ancient temple), Islam move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv Obama), followed by failed talks with Palestinians, third parties such as the hurt US and its allies in the region
(the site of Muhammadʼs ascension to Jerusalem. Dr Erekat supports a President Donald Trump and his US, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and also hurts Israel.
to heaven, the Dome of the Rock, the two‑state solution, which he argued son‑in‑law Jared Kushner. “(Outgoing Lebanon, and groups like Hamas and
Al Aqsa Mosque, and the Buraq will ensure freedom for the US envoy to UN) Nikki Haley needs Hezbollah have all played their roles Based in Fremont, CA, Ajay Bhutoria
Wall̶the Islamic name for the Palestinian people to build their own to shut up and realize that the in bringing the conflict to its current is a tech entrepreneur, and
Western Wall), and Christianity (the future, while also allowing Israel to Palestinian leadership is not the state. In the end, the Israelis and Democratic Party National Finance
road which Christ walked to his cru‑ flourish. I visited one of the commu‑ problem,” he said according to the Palestinians suffer. Committee Member. He worked on
cifixion, the site of the Last Supper, nities known as a “kibbutz”, barely a New York Daily News. He mentioned Looking back on my conversations the National AAPI Leadership
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre). mile away from the Gaza strip. This that since the US embassy move to with Israeli and Palestinian figures, I Council for the Hillary Clinton
I also spoke with members of the kibbutz is under the constant threat Jerusalem, Palestinian officials have did not get the impression that a Campaign.
 16 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Sonu Nigam clarifies his 'Zero': Performances
comment on Pakistan outshine the narrative
P
opular singer Sonu Nigam, who has
sung in multiple Indian languages,
has landed in a controversy after his
"I feel like it would be better if I was from
Pakistan" comment at a summit. The "Kal
ho naa ho" hitmaker has slammed some
journalists for missing "the real content".
"Sometimes in an attempt to make head‑
lines catchy and sensational, some journal‑
ists miss the real content. Yesterday's
AajTak Summit happened so amazing, and
look what have they reduced it to...
"My point about being better off being
born in Pakistan was about the music com‑
panies in India asking Indian singers to pay
40‑50 per cent of their concerts remunera‑
tions to them, and only then they'll work
with those artistes… but they don't ask the
same from the singers from abroad, namely
Pakistan," Sonu posted on Facebook.
"This was the important point I made...
and these guys... changed it to 'I would have
been better off born in Pakistan I'd have
work come my way.' What do I say.
Pathetic."
During the summit, the singer was talking
about why so many songs are being
remixed these days. "Sometimes, I feel like
it would be better if I was from Pakistan. At
least I would get offers from India," he
joked.
"Nowadays, singers have to pay music
companies for shows. If we don't shell out
the money, they will play songs sung by
Sunny Deol rues lack of
comedy films in Bollywood
A
ctor Sunny Deol says peo‑
ple in Bollywood don't
make comedy films like
"Bhaiaji Superhit" anymore.
"The decision to take up the
movie was based on my instinct. I
have acted in comedy movies pre‑
viously, but this was quite an
experience. I truly feel that the
role I play in 'Bhaiaji Superhit' is
almost on the lines of the roles I
used to play in the 1990s ‑ where
men are vendetta‑driven and love
to stomp feet, flex biceps, uproot
water pumps and roar like lions,"
Sunny said in a statement.
Set in Varanasi, "Bhaiaji
Superhit" revolves around 'bhaia‑
ji' who wants to be an actor in
Hindi cinema. It also features
Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi,
Shreyas Talpade and Ameesha
Patel.
Bollywood doesn't make such
movies anymore and hence it
becomes really important for
today's millennials to watch
movies like this," he added.
Sunny is known for his perform‑
ance in iconic films like "Border",
"Gadar ‑ Ek Prem Katha", "The
Hero: Love Story of a Spy", "Yamla
Pagla Deewana" and "Ghayal". "
BOLLYWOOD
Singer Sonu Nigam isnʼt too happy with
the current Bollywood music scene.
other singers and highlight them. Then,
they will take money from them," he said.
"They don't do the same with Pakistani
singers. But then why single only Indian
singers out? Atif Aslam is a very close
friend of mine. He is never asked to pay to
sing at shows, neither is Rahat Fateh Ali
Khan," he added.
Sonu blamed this practice for the current
trend of remix songs. "Earlier, the com‑
posers, lyricists and singers created a song.
Now, the music companies have taken over
that job," he said.
Actor Sunny Deol wants millennials to
watch his film ʻBhaiaji Superhitʼ.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Troy Ribeiro
H
ere is the sad
and frustrating
irony of "Zero":
Told in the safest (read
predictable), most con‑
ventional (read lazy,
method imaginable), it
is a story of a vertically
challenged man enact‑
ed by a Superstar ‑‑
whose real life story is
much more inspiring
than his reel life.
Standing four feet
two inches tall, Shah
Actors Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma
Rukh Khan as Bauua
in a still from the movie.
Singh from Meerut, is
performance. As an eternally sloshed
no different from being himself ‑‑ confi‑
actress disillusioned in romance, she
dent, cocky and sarcastically brash.
appears like a modern day Meena
His main peeve in life is his height but
Kumari. But the poorly crafted characters
that does not prevent him from aspiring
and jump in timelines makes
to love the renowned Bollywood
actress Babita Kumari (Katrina
Kaif ). But then, our hero has a
REVIEW the entire tale so sketchy that
you don't invest in the charac‑
ters.
past. Tucked into the recesses of his
You realize the ruthlessness one wit‑
being, is the love of his life, the astro‑sci‑
nesses in the film industry after Babita
entist Aafia Yusuezai Bhinder (Anushka
concocts a story about her parents. While
Sharma). How they meet, fell in love and
her fabricated story is novel and interest‑
their romance bloomed, forms the crux of
ing, the trait is expectable and she deliv‑
the tale.
ers it convincingly.
While being fumbling and funny, Shah
The shapelessness (read scenes ending
Rukh Khan holds you in rapturous atten‑
tion with his shenanigans. You could say abruptly), and meandering plot (read
his personality and his performance are
both in an "overall" style.
Anushka shines as the scientist suffer‑
unnecessary detour from the subject), the
narrative at times becomes tedious, espe‑
cially during the second hour, when
ing from cerebral palsy. She steals your
heart while sitting on a wheel‑chair and in
command. With grace and strength, she is
patience starts to wear thin.
Overall, while the film opens with an
intriguing and engaging scene, the overall
consistent in her speech and mannerisms. packaging despite being fantastical, lacks
Katrina is diligent and it shows in her the punch.
KAREENA IS INSPIRATION FOR
WORKING GIRLS: SWARA
A
ctress Swara Bhasker says
her "Veere Di Wedding" co‑
star Kareena Kapoor Khan
is an inspiration for all working
girls. Swara donned the role of a
radio jockey as ʻBIG MJ of the
Week'. During a conversation with
BIG MJ Dilip, the actress talked
about Kareena and more, read a
statement. "She (Kareena) is an
inspiration for the working girls.
She has proved that one can have
a successful career along with
enjoying their personal life. The
way she has managed both her
professional and personal life is
simply amazing," Swara said.
Asked which biography she would
like to work in, she said: "I would
like to do a biography of
Madhubalaji, if one is ever made
on this iconic Bollywood actress. If
any biography is made on any his‑
torical figure, I would like to do the Actor Swara Bhasker worked with Kareena
role of Indira Gandhi. Kapoor Khan in ʻVeere di weddingʼ.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The importance of being Critics are sometimes 'ruthless',
Taimur Ali Khan 'hypocrites': Zeeshan Ayyub
By Subhash K Jha
W
ith due apologies to Aamir, Shah
Rukh and Salman, the biggest
Khan superstar of India current‑
ly is Taimur Ali Khan.
As he turned all of two on December 20,
his proud, paparazzi‑wary parents whisked
him away to Africa, far away from the cam‑
eras which love him the way only a true
star is loved. At two, little Tim (as he is
affectionately called by his father) is fully
aware of his best camera angles. He calls
out to the paparazzi who adore him and
always ensure his comfort before clicking.
What he wears, and the random words
that lisp off his lips become the trending
topics of the day. And the child loves every
bit of the attention.
So is Taimur, my most favorite member of
the Pataudi clan after his grandmother
Sharmila Tagore, the most popular star‑kid
in the world? Tom Cruise's Suri comes
close. The little girl was followed around by
the paparazzi to describe her clothes, shoes
and purse. In no time at all, little Suri
acquired adult mannerisms and turned into
quite a poseur.
In spite of all the media attention, Taimur
remains blissfully uncorrupted. Yes, he
loves the flashbulbs and the media atten‑
tion, but he does't strike poses. Not as yet.
At two, Taimur is a force that the photog‑
raphers cannot do without. According to
glam shooters in Mumbai, a picture of
Taimur fetches a higher price than that of
Salman Khan. And Taimur effortlessly lords
over the below‑five brigade of star‑kids. His
popularity exceeds that of Aamir Khan's
son Azad and Shah Rukh's AbRam.
Such is his popularity in the public
domain that Taimur needs constant surveil‑
lance. He is no danger of any kind. It's just
that he attracts way too much attention for
It's good to be a young
parent: Ayushmann
A
ctor Ayushmann Khurrana says
it is good to have children at a
young age. The "Badhaai Ho"
star opened up about his equation
with his children when he shot for the
chat show "Famously Filmfare Season
2", read a statement.
Asked how it is to be a hands‑on par‑
ent, Ayushmann said: "Today, I had to
wear glasses because I got up early in
the morning for a shoot. It was also
her sports day and I was all ready and
geared up to win that 100 meter race
with fellow parents as I was one of the
youngest out there.
"I was really excited, but sadly that
didn't happen. Even though I've under‑
slept today, it is alright. It is good to be
a young father, a young parent. You
have that energy and you are growing
up with them."
Ayushmann and Tahira share a
daughter Varushka and a son
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana opened up about
Virajveer.
BOLLYWOOD
Taimur is the son of actors
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.
a child his age. His parents fear their Tim
may soon lose his innocence. Or else, the
paparazzi may soon lose interest in Tim,
and move on to another star‑kid.
We must guard against the child's first
heartbeak when he is no more the darling
of the paparazzi. We all know how savagely
Taimur's parents were trolled for naming
their son after a cruel invader. Nothing that
the original Taimur did can match the cru‑
elty of the trolls gunning for little Taimur's
parents for their child's name.
I am glad they stuck to their guns.
Imagine if they had re‑christened him
Tarachand or Timothy.
Would he have been as popular? As Tim
turns a year older we can only hope that he
gets the same attention in the future that
he is getting now.
equation with his two children.
Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 17
A
ctor Zeeshan Ayyub, who was
recently seen in "Zero", says people
have become "ruthless and some‑
times hypocrites" as they either criticize
artistes for playing it safe ‑‑ or "bash" them
for stepping out of their comfort zone.
"Zero", which reportedly hit over 4,000
screens in India, has been slammed by some
for its "flawed writing".
The big budget movie brought back the
"Raanjhanaa" and "Tanu Weds Manu" duo
together ‑‑ writer Himanshu Sharma and
director Aanand L. Rai, who have mastered
the art of narrating tales set in the small
towns of India.
"Aanand has a knack for telling stories of
small towns, but I always tell people that
artistes, actors or directors... we should
allow people to experiment a bit. We keep
saying that 'Everybody is repeating them‑
selves'. That a filmmaker always makes the
same kind of films. That an actor always
plays the same kind of roles. We have prob‑ Actor Zeeshan Ayyub will be seen in
ʻManikarnika: The Queen of Jhansiʼ.
lems with that," Zeeshan told IANS in a tele‑
phonic interview. "I will avoid very big budget films for
"And when somebody experiments, then some time. The problem is that you don't
we just pounce on them. I think that is not have anything at stake when you do these
fair. Aanand tried something and he has all kind of films because most of the critics just
the right to do so. Why should he only make talk about the so‑called 'A listers'. So, you
the same kind of films with the same don't get to know about your performance
milieu?...We have become ruthless and from critics and not too much from the
sometimes hypocrites also." audience. "I want to do characters which are
His other release this year, "Thugs of important to the screenplay. I am also look‑
Hindostan", also starring Amitabh Bachchan ing forward to doing some web series. Let's
and Aamir Khan, wasn't a box office winner see if things work out. Now, I will explore
either. myself more. I was getting into a 'secure
Now, Zeeshan, who started his Bollywood zone'. My household is running very well
journey in 2011 with the biographical now so, I think it's time to take risks," added
thriller film "No One Killed Jessica", wants the actor, who will next be seen in
to take a break from big budget movies. "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi".
Ranveer Singh is a
good actor: Govinda
Actor Ranveer
Singh at
the trailer
launch of
upcoming film
ʻSimmbaʼ.
G
ovinda, who has worked with Ranveer Singh, and the latter posted a
Ranveer Singh in 'Kill Dill', has 'happy photo' along with Govinda on
said the latter is a really good social media.
actor. Govinda said this while interacting Talking about his bond with Ranveer,
with the media on his 56th birthday cele‑ Govinda said: "He is a really good actor
bration party. and I feel he works really hard. May God
In his interviews, Ranveer has often said bless him."
he is the biggest fan of Govinda, and was Govinda has delivered several box‑office
inspired by him to act in movies. hits like 'Raja Babu', 'Deewana Mastana',
At Priyanka Chopra‑Nick Jonas wedding 'Partner', 'Hero No. 1', 'Jodi No. 1', and
reception, Govinda had a fun time with 'Dulhe Raja' in his career.
 18 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Music extravaganza at Jaipur LitFest
By Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur: ZEE Jaipur Literature Festivalʼs
Jaipur Music Stage, which runs parallel to
the grand feast of ideas and literature, will
have its power‑packed line‑up of perform‑
ances. Rooted in the heart of India but fla‑
vored with offerings from across the
globe, Jaipur Music Stage features a vari‑
ety of artists from the international spec‑
trum showcasing a multi‑genre abundance
in style, sound, and history. Be it world
music, ghazals, funk, rock or the Blues, the
Jaipur Music Stage 2019 will embody vari‑
ety, excellence and collaboration.
The artists performing at the Jaipur
Music Stage include the earthy and soulful
Nooran Sisters; leading Carnatic and world
music vocalist Mahesh Vinayakram in col‑
laboration with Dub FX (Benjamin
Stanford), the Punjabi folk singer Jasbir
Jassi in a never‑seen‑before collaboration
with Kutle Khan, folk‑rock legends Indian
Ocean, violin maestro Dr. L Subramaniam,
Shillong‑based blues act Soulmate, and
techno masters MidivalPunditz.
Kickstarting the Jaipur Music Stage on
24th January will be the sonic explo‑
rations of Iranian Canadian duo Niyaz who
will present their unique blend of world
music, inspired by mystic Sufi sounds and
Iranian folk over the bustle of modern
electronica. The tempo is set to rise expo‑
nentially with an exciting collaboration, as
JasbirJassi brings the earthy notes of
Punjabi folk alongside Kutle Khanʼs ener‑
getic Rajasthani folk. This will be the first
time the two Indian folk heavyweights
share a stage.
The evening of 25th January will see the
fiery Nooran Sisters showcase the power
of their vocal‑driven Sufi songs on the
Jaipur Music Stage. They will be followed
WHY DID SARASWATI DISAPPEAR?
Mythical river raises questions in #MeToo age
Comment by Paro Anand
I
don't often write about mythology. It's
today's stories that engage me. Yet I
found myself suddenly drawn to an
ancient story. What drew me in was how rel‑
evant the questions it raises are today.
Especially today.
One of the stories around why the River
Saraswati is subterranean goes like this:
Brahma gave birth to Saraswati from his
forehead. As she leapt out, he was so taken
up by her beauty that he "fell in love" and
started to pursue her. Horrified at the
advances of her father, Saraswati fled and
disappeared underground. She may or may
not have made a brief appearance, there are
different versions of that story. But all ver‑
sions agree she had to disappear once again.
Never to surface again.
So, what's the connection of a mythical
river with what's happening today? For me,
it is the fact that Brahma continues to be
worshipped as a god (yes, let's put that in a
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
FEATURES
Jaipur Music Stage 2019, from Jan 24‑27, will run parallel to JLF,
the grand feast of ideas and literature.
by folk‑rock legends the Indian Ocean
doing what they do best: serenading
crowds with their timeless tunes about
India.
Fusion fever hits the Stage on 26th
January as violin virtuoso Dr. L.
Subramaniam unveils his brand new set,
The artists performing at the Jaipur Music Stage
include the earthy and soulful Nooran Sisters.
small 'g' and not dignify it with a reverent
capital letter). And she, poor thing, spent her
life fleeing the lustful gaze or worse of her
own father. And, gradually, had to hide her‑
self away altogether and almost cease to
exist. So much so that people began to won‑
der if she ever was.
The question that is so relevant is why
does the burden of "shame" rest upon the
victim, especially one who has suffered sex‑
ual advances? Why does the perpetrator of
sexual excesses continue to be whatever he
was ordained to be, attain whatever his life's
goals were and the victim becomes defined
by the crime she suffered till she is forced to
protect herself by negating whatever she
ʻGlobal Fusionʼ; an energetic celebration of
modern music in his inimitable style.
MidivalPunditz, the original techno pio‑
neers of India, will round off the eveningʼs
entertainment with their pulsating elec‑
tronica pulling from an eclectic variety of
sounds. On 27th January, Shillong blues
Folk‑rock legends, the Indian Ocean, will serenade the crowds
with their timeless tunes about India.
was or wanted to be?
If men cannot control their urges upon
seeing a beautiful girl, let them wear blind‑
folds. Why should women hide themselves
behind ghungats and burkhas? If men get so
excited seeing a woman alone at night, let
them be indoors before sunset ‑‑ why do the
women have to do so? I cannot help but
think that our morality is upside down and
inside out.
Some time ago, I had written an article on
the need for stories about sexual assault and
rape for young readers, for that is the group
of people who I work with and for. I had an
overwhelming response from total strangers
and dear friends urging me to write it and
wishing they had such a story when they
were being sexually victimized.
Many confessed for the very first time that
this had happened to them ‑‑ they had had
no platform to talk. Others had actually told
an adult, sometimes a mother, about the
assault and they had been told to be quiet
about it and make sure that they were never
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
masters Soulmate are the first act and are
sure to get the crowd on their feet with
their brand of fire‑breathing, raw‑as‑
nature blues. Next up is another unique
collaboration which will see Australian
live‑looping wonderkid Dub FX share the
stage with mesmerizing Carnatic vocalist
Mahesh Vinayakram.
As a grand finale, DubFx, Soulmate and
Mahesh Vinayakram will bring the curtain
down with a collaboration like no other ‑‑
Carnatic, blues and beatboxing all on one
stage.
Apart from several electrifying evenings
of performances, the Jaipur Music Stage
will also feature workshops, masterclasses,
talks, and sessions, giving music‑lovers a
chance to interact with musicians, learn
more about instruments and explore
nuances within musical genres.
A music market with a range of mer‑
chandise including instruments, music
technology, music from indie labels and
other paraphernalia, will add sizzle to this
unique medley of festivities.
alone with the man again.
Again, the burden of protection and shame
became the victim's to carry. The criminal,
because surely that is what he is, went scot
free much of the time.
And yes, I don't believe in trial by social
media either. The converse situation is also
true. Men who are being named in the
#MeToo storm should also get equal
recourse to tell their stories. I don't agree
with giving one half voice by taking away
the others' voice. But let's take away the bur‑
den of shame and silence from victims and
help Saraswati flow free and wild again.
Paro Anand is
one of India's
most prolific
writers for
children,
with over
20 books
published.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 19

A duet, not a duel: Chinaʼs world view has evolved

By Wang Yi ber states spoke with one voice on major
international and regional issues, making

I
n 2018, the landmark Wuhan summit
left a deep imprint on China‑India rela‑
tions. In April, Chinaʼs President Xi
Jinping and Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi made a significant political
decision: holding an informal summit in
Wuhan for in‑depth strategic communica‑
tion.
As a new form of China‑India high‑level
engagement, the summit increased trust
and understanding between the two coun‑
tries and led bilateral relations on to a track
of healthy and steady growth. China and
India are each otherʼs important neighbors
and the worldʼs two largest developing
countries. Friendly exchanges and win‑win
cooperation between China and India will
positively af fect the evolution of a global
landscape and human society. President Xi
emphasized that the Chinese “dragon” and
Indian “elephant” should join each other in
a duet, not a duel. PM Modi responded that
when India and China work together, 1+1 is
not 2, but 11.
China will continue to work with India to
explore a path for two big neighbours to
live side by side for win‑win outcomes and
contribute our due share to the progress
and prosperity of Asia and the world.
China also achieved all‑round improve‑
ment and growth of our relations with
other neighboring countries. China‑Japan
relations were back on the right track; the
Prime Minister Naremdra Modi with China's President Xi Jingping.
traditional friendship between China and
Democratic Peopleʼs Republic of Korea
(DPRK) was revitalized; and China‑South
Korea relations continued to grow steadily.
The China‑ASEAN comprehensive strategic
partnership is maturing, with consultation
on a code of conduct in the South China Sea
on the fast track.
Over the past year, under the guidance of
the Xi Jingping Thought on Diplomacy, we
opened new prospects and achieved new
progress. We safeguarded the multilateral
free trade system and sent a strong mes‑
sage of opening up wider to the world.
International cooperation on the Belt and
Road Initiative entered the phase of solid
progress and sustained growth, with more
parties joining.
Under the China‑CELAC Forum, the
China‑Arab States Cooperation Forum and
the Forum on China‑Africa Cooperation, we
held collective dialogues with almost all
other developing countries across different
continents. China and the United States
effectively prevented further escalation of
their trade frictions, China‑Russia relations
continued to grow at high level and China
and Europe forged closer ties.
At the Shang hai Cooperat ion
Organization (SCO) Qingdao summit, mem‑
the SCO an anchor of stability in the world.
At the G20 Summit, the APEC Economic
Leadersʼ Meeting and the BRICS summit,
China stood up against protectionism and
unilateralism, advocating inclusiveness and
win‑win results in multilateral discussions.
In 2019, we will celebrate the 70th
anniversary of the founding of the Peopleʼs
Republic of China. Looking ahead, we will
focus on the following. First, ensure success
of second Be lt and Road Forum for
International Cooperation and 2nd CIIE.
Second, make multipronged ef forts to
advance friendship and cooperation with
all countries, strengthen political trust with
neighbors and expand cooperation and
shared interests. Third, actively safeguard
peace and stability in our region and
beyond. Fourth, take an active part in shap‑
ing global governance. Fifth, make more
active efforts to serve our domestic agenda
of reform and development. We will contin‑
ue to advocate the vision of a community
with a shared future for mankind.
We will stand firmly for the existing inter‑
national order, participate constructively in
settlement of hotspot issues, and deepen
international exchanges on all fronts. These
ef forts will mark a new phase of major‑
country diplomacy with Chinese features.
( Wang Yi is foreign minister of the
Peopleʼs Republic of China. The Op‑Ed
appeared in The Hindustan Times)

Reaffirming faith in fight against climate change

By Amit Kapoor global cooperation was required 195 signatory states for tackling
on three fronts: first, the nations climate change, report progress

C
onversat ions in India
rarely revolve around the
subject of climate change.
The discussions around the topic
are largely limited to the highest
offices and international forums,
while the country's cit izens
remain mostly disassociated from
it. And yet it is no secret that the
country will be the worst affected
in the world once the full‑scale
repercussions of the global crisis
are realized.
T he UN report by the Inter‑
Governmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) released earlier
this year noted that a mere
increase in global temperatures
by 1.5°C will "disproportionate‑
ly af fect disadvantaged and vul‑
nerable populations through food
insecurity, higher food prices,
incomes losses, lost livelihood
opportunities, adverse health
impact, and population displace‑
ments".
These somber warnings show
why India will be one of the most
significantly‑af fected nations,
g iven its huge populat ion,
inequality and poverty levels. The
country's vast coastline also puts
a large number of livelihoods at
risk. Apart from rising sea levels,
Delegates at the closing meeting of the UN Climate Change
Conference in Katowice, Poland.
deadly heatwaves and catastroph‑
ic cyclones are also becoming
more frequent, which are mani‑
fest evidence of climate change.
With this background, the climate
change negotiations that were
recently concluded at Katowice in
Poland should be enthusiastically
welcomed.
The 24th Conference of Parties
to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, or
COP24, involved fortnight‑long
negotiations between 196 coun‑
tries to finalize a rule book that
had been under formulation since
2016 as a follow‑up to the 2015
Paris Agreement. The countries
were supposed to ensure that the
rule book is finalized so that all
provisions of the Paris Agreement
become operat ional by the
intended date of implementation,
January 2021.
The successful achievement of a
compromise among the countries,
firstly, comes as a relief. Since the
announcement by President
Donald Trump in 2017 that the
US would be withdrawing from
the Paris Agreement, the very sur‑
vival of the climate pact stood in
jeopardy.
Under the Paris Agreement,
had to set carbon‑reduction tar‑
gets for themselves; second, the
countries were to be he ld
accountable for meeting these
targets; and finally, the rich states
were meant to subsidize the tran‑
sition of developing nations to a
carbon‑free future. But, most of it
was feared to be dif ficult to
achieve with the withdrawal of
US.
In fact, over the last few years,
rising right‑wing nationalism
upset the global solidarity that
was crucial to avoid an inevitable
catastrophe. The US renegading
on the deal has encouraged oth‑
ers to behave along similar lines.
Saudi Arabia, for instance, played
a key role in attempting to ensure
that the summit does not "wel‑
come" the IPCC report. Last
month, even Brazil chose a cli‑
mate‑change denier as its Foreign
Minister and the nation pulled
out of hosting COP25.
In the face of such dangerous
manifestations, the outcome of
COP24 seems promising. The rule
book ensures that from 2020, the
fight against climate change will
be driven by actions rather than
promises. The agreement defines
the responsibilities of each of the
and intensify their efforts in the
future. The very act of reaching
an agreement shows that even if
multilateralism has been dese‑
crated in the last few years, it is
not yet dead.
India, on its part, is on track to
meet at least two of the three
commitments it made in Paris.
The intensity of the country's
greenhouse gas emissions was to
be reduced by 33‑35 percent
be low 2005 leve ls by 2030.
Second, 40 percent of its power
capacity was to be based on non‑
fossil fuel sources. Third, India
promised to create an additional
ʻcarbon sink' of 2.5 to 3 billion
tonnes through additional forest
and tree cover by 2030. India is
well on its way to achieve the first
two targets.
It is heartening that most of the
countries around the world are
resolute in their commitment to
the fight against climate change.
Katowice has once again reaf‑
firmed that belief. The world now
has a solid road map for the
actions it needs to take to carry
on the fight. What is missing is
strong leadership, the sense of
unified urgency and scaled‑up
national ambitions.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
 20 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
US military to pull out 7,000 troops from Afghanistan
Washington/Kabul: The Donald
Trump administration has ordered
the American military to start
withdrawing roughly 7,000 troops
from Afghanistan, US officials said,
a move that Kabul claimed would
not impact the security of the war‑
torn country.
President Trump made the deci‑
sion to recall the troops ‑‑ out of
14,000 the US has in Afghanistan
now ‑‑ at the same time he decided
to pull American forces out of
Syria, the New York Times said
quoting a defense official.
Another of ficial said that the
withdrawal of the troops could
take months. The order marked a
significant departure from
Trump's August 2017 decision to
slightly increase the number of US
troops in Afghanistan and keep
them in place with conditions on
the ground dictating withdrawal,
reports say.
"If the few thousand foreign
troops that are mostly engaged in
advice, train and assist missions,
leave (Afghanistan), it will not
affect our security, because in the
past four and half years our securi‑
UN spokesperson: Imran's call to
Guterres centered on Kashmir
United Nations:
Pakistan's Prime
Minister Imran
Khan's phone call to
Secretary‑General
Antonio Guterres
centered on
Kashmir, according
to a UN spokesper‑
son, who said that it
was "only normal"
for Guterres to
speak to heads of
government,. "I can UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres.
confirm to you that
the phone call did happen and it
centered on the issue of Kashmir
as brought up by the prime min‑
ister," Guterres's Spokesperson
Stephane Dujarric told reporters
here. Asked by a reporter to react
to Indian External Affairs
Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh
Kumar's reported remark that
Pakistan should mind its own
business and Kashmir is a part of
India, Dujarric said, "Our position former UN Human Rights
on Kashmir has been reiterated,
there is an observer group as
mandated by the Security
Council."
The 113‑member UN Military
Observer Group in India and
Pakistan (UNMOGIP) established
by the security council monitors
the ceasefire in between the two
neighbors in Kashmir.
Dujarric added, "The prime
minister called, wanted to speak
to the secretary‑general. It is only were "clearly biased".
The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan at the moment.
ty has been complete ly in the
hands of Afghans," the Afghan
Presidential Palace said in a state‑
ment cited by Efe news.
The Afghanistan directive also
came as the US was attempting to
negotiate a peace deal with the
Taliban to end the 17‑year‑old war.
According to the Times, the
abrupt troop withdrawal decision
stunned Afghan officials, who said
they had not been briefed on the
normal that the secretary‑general
speak to heads of government
and heads of state, and, as I said, I
can confirm that the call took
place and that the prime minister
raised the issue of Kashmir."
Radio Pakistan reported that
Khan asked Guterres to send a
commission of inquiry to investi‑
gate the human rights situation
in Kashmir as recommended by
Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al
Hussein earlier this year.
Although Guterres has backed
Zeid's call for the investigation
and the current Commissioner
Michelle Bachelet has endorsed
it, neither the Human Rights
Council nor other UN bodies have
acted on it. India has said that
Zeid's report on human rights
violations in Kashmir and the
proposal for an investigation
SUBCONTINENT
plans.
The President's orders on Syria
and Afghanistan led to the resigna‑
tion of his Pentagon chief James
Mattis, who disagreed with him on
a hasty withdrawal from both
countries.
The Times said that the troop
withdrawals and the resignation of
Mattis leaves a murky picture for
what is next in the US' longest war
and they come as Afghanistan con‑
Sri Lankan President
unveils new Cabinet
Colombo: Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena unveiled a new
Cabinet, days after Ranil
Wickremesinghe was reinstated as
Prime Minister in a move that
ended a nearly two‑month‑long
political impasse that erupted after
his surprising dismissal.
T he 29 Ministers chosen by
Wickremesinghe, who is also the
leader of the United National Party
(UNP), were sworn in before
Sirisena at the Presidential
Secretariat here after which the new
Cabinet he ld its first meeting,
according to a statement by the
Presidential Press Department.
Sirisena, who triggered a constitu‑
tional crisis on October 26 when he
Nawaz Sharif gets 7-year jail
term for corruption
Islamabad: An accountability court
on Monday sentenced former
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to
seven years in prison in a fresh
corruption conviction.
The Pakistan Muslim League
(Nawaz) leader was arrested from
the courtroom for having invest‑
ments beyond his declared assets
in Al‑Azizia Steel Mills corruption
reference. The court acquitted
Sharif in the the Flagship
Investments case.
Judge Arshad Malik also imposed
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
AFGHANISTAN RELEASES
HAQQANI NETWORK
CHIEF'S BROTHER
Islamabad: The Afghan government has released nine members of
the Haqqani network, including the younger brother of the group's
current leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, under President Ashraf Ghani's
"Road Map" for peace in the war‑torn country, Pakistan's Geo News
reported. The report cited sources privy to the Afghan peace talks
as saying that the Taliban had demanded the release of some key
leaders two days ago. The prisoners who were released by the
Afghan government included Sirajuddin Haqqani's brother Anas.
The move was the result of a dialogue between the Taliban and the
US in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Geo News.
tinues to witness spasms of vio‑ Republican Senator Lindsey
lence in its capital Kabul and other Graham tweeted that any with‑
important areas. drawal of troops from Afghanistan
The US has about 14,000 troops would be a "high risk strategy"
in Afghanistan, most of which are which could reverse US progress in
present as part of a larger NATO‑ the reg ion and pave the way
led mission to train, advise and towards a "second 9/11".
assist Afghan forces. Trump had repeatedly before his
Any withdrawal would be com‑ election campaign in 2016, pub‑
plicated by the fact that the US is licly advo cated leaving
part of NATO's Resolute Support Afghanistan ‑‑ where US forces
mission. have been since 2001.
30, Efe news reported.
Out of the 30 Ministers, 29 were
from the ruling United National
Front (UNF) alliance which includes
the UNP. Some of the key ministers
included Mangala Samaraweera
from the UNP who was appointed
as the Minister of Finance and
Media, while UNP MP Sagala
Ratnayaka took over as the Minister
of Ports, Shipping and Southern
Development.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Wickremesinghe was also
Sirisena had triggered a
appointed as the Minister of
constitutional crisis in October.
National Polices, Economic Affairs,
replaced Wickremesinghe with for‑ Resettlement and Rehabilitation,
mer President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Northern Province Development,
retained the Defense portfolio, rais‑ Vocational Training and Skills
ing the total number of ministers to Development and Youth Affairs.
a $2.5 million fine on Sharif after
ruling that Al‑Azizia Steel Mills ‑‑ a
Saudi Arabian firm carrying the
name of his son ‑‑ belonged to the
former Prime Minister and that he Former Prime Minister
was unable to demonstrate how Nawaz Sharif.
the project was funded, Dawn with security personnel. Tear gas
newspaper reported. and baton‑charge were used to dis‑
His sons, Hassan and Hussain, perse the protesters. Security
were declared absconders. Sharif around the Judicial Complex in
was expected to appeal against his Islamabad was increased ahead of
latest conviction. the verdict, with at least 1,400 per‑
Following the verdict announce‑ sonnel deployed in and around the
ment, PML‑N supporters clashed court premises.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 21

Indonesian tsunami toll rises to 281; fresh warnings issued

Jakarta: Indonesian authorities
have confirmed the death of at least
281 people in the devastating
tsunami that hit the Sunda Strait in
the western part of the archipelago,
which also left 1,016 injured.
Emergency teams are continuing
with the rescue efforts.
According to the latest figures
released by the National Agency for
Disaster Management (BNPB),
another 57 were missing and
11,687 displaced, Efe news report‑
ed. It added that there were still vic‑
tims under the rubble.
Coastal residents near Indonesia's
Anak Krakatau volcano were
warned earlier in the day to keep
away from beaches amid fears it Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic activity.
could trigger a new tsunami.
Head of BNPB, Sutopo Purwo is still possible because the volcanic About 25 minutes after the erup‑ Indonesia does not have a tsuna‑ humanitarian and logistical assis‑
Nugroho, held a news conference in eruption of Anak Krakatau contin‑ tion, a giant wave hit beaches, caus‑ mi early warning system triggered tance, mainly for transport and to
Java, and said: "Recommendations ues to occur, potentially triggering ing casualties and damaging hous‑ by underwater landslides and vol‑ set up mobile kitchens. T he
from (the) Meteorology, tsunami." es, hotels and boats, mainly in the canic activity, Nugroho told the Indonesian Red Cross is providing
Climatology and Geophysical T he disaster, thought to be province of Banten, northern Java. media. The current warning system first aid.
Agency are that people should not caused by an underwater landslide Pandeglang in Banten is the most is activated by earthquakes. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring
carry out activities on the beach triggered by the eruption of nearby affected area. It is about 100 kilo‑ Doctors Without Borders of Fire, an area of great seismic and
and stay away from the coast for a Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda meters north of the capital Jakarta (Medecins Sans Frontieres) is pro‑ volcanic activity that is shaken
while," he said. Strait, damaged 611 houses, 69 and serves as a weekend getaway viding assistance to local health every year by some 7,000 earth‑
"The potential for a fresh tsunami hotels, 60 shops and 420 boats. for its residents. services, while the UN has offered quakes, most of them are moderate.

US withdrawal affects Resurgent Al‑Qaeda may plot attacks

world stability: Syrian in airports, airlines: UK Minister
London: Terrorist group Al‑Qaeda is They have reorganized. They are

Democratic Forces on a resurgent mode and may be

plotting major terrorist attacks on
pushing more and more plots
towards Europe and have become
Damascus: A Kurdish‑ airports and airliners, British securi‑ familiar with new methods and still
led alliance in Syria ty minister Ben Wallace has aspire aviation attacks," he said.
said that US President warned. He said that the Al‑Qaeda‑‑ He noted that the decline of the
Donald Trump's sur‑ which was behind the 9/11 terrorist Islamic State meant Al‑Qaeda would
prise decision to with‑ attack on the World Trade Centre in seek to reassert itself as the world's
draw American New York back in 2001‑‑ poses a leading terror group and an avia‑
troops would allow growing threat that is keeping min‑ tion attack could be its calling card.
the Islamic State (IS) isters "awake at night", The Sunday "Al‑Qaeda sat quietly in the corner
group to recover. Times reported. and tried to work out what the 21st
A statement from "The aviation threat is real," he century looked like, while Islamic
the Syrian warned. He added that British intel‑ State became the latest terrorist boy
The order to withdraw American troops ligence has revealed that Al‑Qaeda band, but they have not gone away ‑
Democratic Forces
from Syria has been signed. was developing technology to bring they have reorganised. You're see‑
(SDF) ‑‑ an alliance of
Syrian Kurdish and said the fight against terror had down passenger jets. "Aviation is ing Al‑Qaeda appear in areas we British security minister Ben
Arab fighters ‑‑ warned of a mil‑ not come to an end. still a blue riband event for these thought were dormant," Wallace Wallace warned that Al‑Qaeda is
terrorists. Al‑Qaeda are resurgent. told the newspaper. trying to reassert itself.
itary vacuum that would leave "The decision of the White
the alliance trapped between House to withdraw from north
"hostile parties", the BBC
reported. Trump said that his
government considered its
and east Syria will negatively
affect the campaign against ter‑
rorism and will give its support‑
Threat of nuclear war shouldn't
work in Syria is complete as the ers political, field and military
IS has lost nearly all the territo‑ momentum to revive again and be underestimated: Putin
ry it had occupied in that Arab carry out a counter‑terrorism Moscow: Russian President Putin slammed the US decision advantages; we are not looking
nation in 2014. However, major campaign in the region," it said Vladimir Putin said that the threat to abandon the 1987 for advantages, we seek balance."
allies and certain US politicians in a statement. of a nuclear war should not be Intermediate‑Range Nuclear Putin said Russia had to develop
disputed the claim. "The battle of fighting terror‑ underestimated as he accused the Forces Treaty (INF) established new weapons after the US aban‑
A US partnership with the ism is not over yet and it (ter‑ US of provoking an arms race after the Cold War aimed at elimi‑ doned an anti‑ballistic missile
SDF was credited with playing a rorism) is not fully defeated, after abandoning various agree‑ nating intermediate and shorter‑ treaty.
major role in the virtual elimi‑ but it is at a crucial stage that ments. range missiles, saying the move "Now we hear Russia has gained
nation of the terror group after demands cooperation from all During his annual live‑broadcast could provoke an arms race. an advantage and yes it is true. No
it overran large swathes of parties and a greater support press conference, Putin said there "It is very dif ficult to imagine one in the world has these
Syria four years ago. from the international coalition was a trend to undermine the dan‑ how this situation will unfold," he weapons," he said, adding that
The White House announced to sustain the battle," the SDF gers a nuclear war could bring. He told the press. "And what we will "the great powers in the world
that the withdrawal of 2,000 added. went on to say there was also a do if these missiles appear in will have them soon too, but for
US troops from the Middle It also said that the US deci‑ trend to reduce the threshold for Europe?" the moment they don't".
Eastern nation had begun, sion would have serious reper‑ the use of nuclear weapons which "We will, of course, guarantee This year's news conference was
hours after Trump proclaimed cussions that would destabilize could lead to a global nuclear our security. T hey better not Putin's 14th, according to state‑
the defeat over IS. But the SDF the world. catastrophe, Efe news reported. shout when we achieve some run media outlet RT.
 22 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
3‑tier GST with single standard rate ultimate aim: Jaitley
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley has hinted that the country
may eventually have a single stan‑
dard rate of GST through merging
of 12 and 18 per cent slabs,
adding that the 28 per cent slab
will soon be phased out, except in
case of luxury and "sin goods".
He said the country should
eventually have a Goo ds and
Services Tax (GST ) structure
which would have only slabs of
zero and five per cent and a stan‑
dard rate, with luxury and "sin
goods" as an exception.
"A future roadmap could well be
to work towards a single standard
rate instead of two standard rates
of 12 per cent and 18 per cent. It
could be a rate at some mid‑point
between the two. Obviously, this
will take some reasonable time
when the tax will rise significant‑
ly," Jaitley said in a Facebook post.
Regarding the highest tax slab
of 28 per cent, the Minister said
with the GST transformation com‑
pleted, India was close to complet‑
ing the first set of rate of rationali‑
sation by phasing out the highest
slab except in luxury and sin
goods.
"The sun is setting on the 28 per
cent slab... Today, barring tobacco
products and some luxury goods,
almost all items had been trans‑
ferred from 28 per cent slab to 18
and 12 per cent.
"Only cement and auto parts are
items of common use which
Modi releases Rs 100 coin
in memory of Atal Bihari
New Delhi: A day ahead of the
birth anniversary of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his
successor Narendra Mo di
released a commemorative Rs
100 coin to honor the late leader,
who passed away in August.
Addressing a gathering at the
Parliament House Annexe here,
Modi said Vajpayee never com‑
promised on the ideologies of the
party and always spoke about
national interest.
"For some people, power is oxy‑
gen...they can't live without it...A
long part of Atalji's career was
spent in the opposition benches
but he spoke about national inter‑
est and never compromised on
the ideology of the party.
"For long, the voice of Atalji was
the voice of the nation," Modi
said.
"I assume that there must be
invitations from other ideologies
for joining hands to remain in
power. Such things must have
happened. But he never compro‑
mised. "He was among those who
could die for the nat ion, but
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
remain in 28 per cent slab. Our
next priority will be to transfer
cement into a lower slab. All other
building materials have already
been transferred to 18 and 12 per
cent... The 28 per cent slab is now
a dying slab," he said.
Attacking the Congress and
other opposition parties, Jaitley
said their criticism of the GST was
"ill‑informed" and "motivated".
He said during the pre‑GST
regime, a large number of com‑
modities were taxed heavily and
that the Congress legacy was a 31
per cent indirect tax.
"T hose who oppressed India
with a 31 per cent indirect tax
and consistently belittled the GST
must seriously introspect.
Irresponsible politics and irre‑
sponsible economics is only a race
PM Narendra Modi releases
commemorative coins in
the honor of Bharat Ratna
Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)
would never compromise on the
ideologies," Modi said. Vajpayee
wanted democracy to be supreme.
He built the Jana Sangh but when
time came to rescue democracy
BUSINESS
to the bottom," he added.
Jaitley said the political noise
outside the GST Council was
inconsistent with the harmony
inside as at its 31 meetings, the
body has "behaved with utmost
responsibility" taking several
thousand decisions unanimously
and with consensus.
Referring to the government
falling short of the collection tar‑
gets, the Minister said the targets
set in the GST reg ime were
unprecedentedly high, with a 14
per cent increase over 2015‑16
tax collections guaranteed.
"Thus, even when 18 months
have not been finished since the
launch of GST, on this day every
state has a target of improving its
revenue with three 14 per cent
increases compounded annually
he and others went to the Janata
Party, Modi added.
"Likewise, when the choice was
between remaining in power or
comprising on ideology, he left
Janata Party and formed the
Bharatiya Janata Party" which
"has become among the largest of
polit ical part ies", the Prime
Minister said.
Hailing Vajpayee as "the best
orator", Modi said "the mind is
not ready to believe that Atalji is
no longer with us. He was a stal‑
wart loved and respected across
all sections of society.
Mo di said e would go to
Vajpayee's memorial on Tuesday ‑
‑ his birth anniversary ‑‑ to reiter‑
ate his commitment to the ideolo‑
gy and path shown by the leader.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley, Minister of State for
Culture Mahesh Sharma, BJP
national President Amit Shah and
veteran BJP leader and Vajpayee's
contemporary L.K. Advani were
also present at the event to
release the coin.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Government to infuse
Rs 83,000 crore in banks
New Delhi: Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley said the govern‑
ment will infuse Rs 83,000 crore
in public sector banks in the
remaining part of the fiscal tak‑
ing the total recapitalization of
banks during the year to Rs 1.06
lakh crore.
"Today we have asked for the
parliamentary sanction for (issu‑
ing) additional recapitalization
bonds of Rs 41,000 crore... As of
today, of the Rs 65,000 crore
recapitalization plan for 2018‑
19, Rs 42,000 crore is st ill
remaining.
"Therefore, with this addition‑
al Rs 41,000 crore, we will now
have Rs 83,000 crore for the
balance year and that will make
this year's recap to a total of Rs
1.06 lakh crore," Jaitley said
after tabling the Supplementary
Demands for Grants in the Lok
Sabha.
T he second batch of
over the base year of 2015‑16.
T his is close to a 50 per cent
being reached in the second year
itself," he said. "It is almost an
unachievable target. Yet six states
have already achieved it, another
seven are within a striking dis‑
CHINA ANNOUNCES
TARIFF CUT ON 700
FOREIGN PRODUCTS
Beijing: China on Monday
said it would lower provi‑
sional tariffs on over 700
foreign products, including
certain high‑tech items, from
early 2019, the media
reported.
Citing China's Finance
Ministry, the state‑run Global
Times reported that the gov‑
ernment would impose "zero
tariffs on ingredients for
livestock feeds and certain
medicines", including man‑
ganese slag.
The tariff reductions will
also be imposed on aircraft
engines, robots and other
advanced equipment.
The provisional tariffs
were fixed by the authorities
to reduce entry barriers on
some products with strong
domestic demand in the
Chinese market. It was being
done as part of the country's
push to expand imports, said
Supplementary Demands for
Grants for 2018‑19 involving a
gross spending of Rs 85,948.86
crore includes the package of Rs
41,000 crore for banks. It will
not require any additional cash
outgo as the capital infusion is
planned through bonds.
Jaitley said the distribution
process for the Rs 83,000 crore
capital infusion in state‑run
banks will be decided on the
basis of performance of banks
by the Department of Financial
Services (DFS). About Rs 23,000
crore have already been infused
this fiscal.
Capital infusion will be done
under four heads to help banks
meet regulatory capital norms,
help better performing banks
under RBI's Prompt Corrective
Action (PCA) to get out of it,
facilitate non‑PCA banks that are
near the "red‑line" and to
strengthen amalgamated banks.
tance of achieving it and only 18
are still more than 10 per cent
away from achieving it."
Jaitley said that those states
which do not achieve the target of
14 per cent are paid out of the
compensation cess.
the Global Times.
The Ministry said that
from July 1, 2019, Beijing
will also impose most‑
favoured‑nation rates for
nearly 300 information tech‑
nology products.
The report cited by Efe
news, however, did not speci‑
fy if these new tariffs on the
imports will affect the prod‑
ucts from the US, the country
with which China is involved
in a trade war.
US President Donald
Trump and his Chinese coun‑
terpart Xi Jinping on
December 1 reached an
agreement on 90 days of
truce, during which the US
agreed to leave tariffs on
Chinese products at 10 per
cent ‑‑ valued at $200 billion
‑‑ from January 1, 2019 and
not raise it to 25 per cent
taxes as it had earlier threat‑
ened.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 23

Jadeja fit for 3rd Test, Dhoni in for T20Is

Mumbai: T he BCCI has
announced that all‑rounder
Ravindra Jadeja has regained fit‑
ness and is now available for
se lect ion for the third Test
against Australia which begins on
December 26.
"Jadeja's left shoulder has con‑
tinued to improve and he is now
available for the 3rd Test match
of the series in Melbourne," the
BCCI said in a statement.
Jadeja had complained of left
shoulder discomfort after pro‑
longed bowling spells during the
2018, West Indies ODI series. He
underwent a guided injection in
Mumbai for this on November 2.
That enabled the left‑arm spin‑
ner to represent Saurashtra in the
Ranji Trophy match from
November 12‑15. He was
declared fit by the BCCI and
se lected for the Test series
against Australia.
After Jadeja flew to Australia,
he complained of a recurrence of
his symptoms on November 30
during the match against the CA
XI in Sydney.
He was given another injection
into a slightly dif ferent site on
that day. This injection along with
his rehabilitat ion prog ram
improved his condition.
"In the lead up to the Perth Test
match on 14th December, the
All‑rounder Ravindra Jadeja and former skipper MS Dhoni.
management and the all‑rounder
were of the opinion that the
intensity of his bowling in the
nets could have been higher, to
match the standards required for
such an intensely fought series.
For this reason, he was not con‑
sidered for selection for the 2nd
Test match," the BCCI statement
added. Meanwhile, former skipper
Mahendra Sing h Dhoni was
recalled to India's T20I squad that
will play a three‑match rubber in
New Zealand.
The selectors also announced
the One‑day International (ODI)
squads for the three and five‑
match rubber against Australia
and the Kiwis respectively.
Dhoni was rested from both the
T20I squads that took on the
West Indies at home and then
against Australia last month, rais‑
ing speculation about his future
in the shortest format.
However, the former double
World Cup‑winning captain found
his place back in the T20I squad
that will play the Blackcaps in
three T20Is, starting February 6
in Wellington.
With hardly 13 matches to be
played till the 2019 ICC 50‑over
World Cup in England and Wales
next year, the Indian selectors
went with the tried and tested
combinations for the ODIs even
as Virat Kohli and the team man‑
agement will aim to fix a few
holes. India's new Test stumper
Rishabh Pant will return home
after the completion of the four‑
Test series against Australia, as
the Delhi southpaw was named in
the India A squad for the five‑
match one‑day series at home
against the England Lions.
Also, all‑rounder Hardik
Pandya, who was stretchered off
the field following a lower back
injury during the match against
Pakistan in the Asia Cup in
September, was included in the
ODI and T20I squad.
India w ill play three ODIs
against Australia ‑ January 12
(Sydney), 15 (Adelaide) and 18
(Melbourne). It will be followed
by a five‑match ODI contest
against New Zealand ‑ January
23, 26, 28, 31 and February 3
before the T20I series against the
Blackcaps ‑ on February 6, 8
and 10.

2023 World Cup:

Arjun Bhati wins US Kids Jr
Golf World Championship
New Delhi: India's Arjun Bhati
bagged the first position against
Americas Aksel Moe during the
three‑level final match in the US
Kids Junior Golf World
Championship in Malaysia, it
was announced.
Arjun scored a total of 222
points followed by America and
Vietnam at 2nd and 3rd position
with 225 and 226 points respec‑
tively.
Arjun has been playing golf for
about five and a half years now.
Until now, he has participated in
a total of 144 tournaments out
of which he has won 107.
Arjun Bhati.
"It was an incredible experi‑
ence to play with international
players of my age group. I feel
proud to represent India, this is
just the beginning and I hope I
am able to make my country
proud," Bhati said.
Commenting on his success,
his coach, Monish Bindra said: "I
am extreme ly de lighted and
proud of Arjun. He is an excel‑
lent player and has made India
proud."
"He needs to be consistent
with his performance for the
future tournaments too," he
added.
ICC asks BCCI to Asian Cup: Chhetri sets the
pay compensation best example, says Renedy
New Delhi: In a major blow to the
New Delhi: Former India midfielder or Steven Dias," he recollected. "But
Board of Control for Cricket in India
Renedy Singh believes skipper then one fine day, he walked up to
(BCCI), the International Cricket
Sunil Chhetri will be the key to me and said, Renedy‑bhai, you
Council (ICC) has asked the board to
India's Asian Cup football tourna‑ can't take both free kicks and
either pay $23 million (Rs 161
ment campaign as penalties. I want
crore) by the end of this year as
he sets the best to chip in too,"
compensation for the tax deductions
example in the Renedy smiled.
incurred in hosting the 2016 World
current team. "So we decided
T20 or end up losing the World Cup
"There are many that Sunil will
2023 rights.
players who have take penalties,
During the ICC board meeting in
been doing well and we would
Singapore in October, it was decided
recently. But for continue taking
that the BCCI would have to com‑
me, Sunil sets the the free kicks.
pensate for the tax deductions that
best example. He But he didn't stay
the ICC faced as India hosted the
has done so well content with the
2016 World T20, after no exemp‑
consistently over penalties. Rather,
tion in taxes was given by either the Indian soccer team
the past few skipper Sunil Chhetri. he improved
state or the central government.
years. He may himself as a free
The ICC also mulled deducting the
not be growing younger, but most kick taker. In fact, he has scored
amount from the revenue share for
significantly, he's not just there to from many free kicks since then,"
the ongoing financial year from
support. He is there to lead by Renedy stated. "Just outside the
BCCI's coffers if they failed to com‑
example," Renedy was quoted as box, Sunil has been deadly. A bit
ply with the demands.
saying by the All India Football further down, I think (Anirudh)
As per reports, the BCCI has asked
Federation (AIFF) website. Renedy, Thapa and Narayan Das are pretty
the ICC to share the minutes of the
best remembered for his accurate good with the dead ball too," said
meeting where they had promised to
crosses from the flanks and his Renedy who was part of India's
get them a tax waiver. But the ICC,
dead ball exploits, also said that AFC Asian Cup Doha 2011 cam‑
they said, haven't shared the same as
ace Sunil is at the stage of his paign. "You have the others around
of yet. According to reports, while
career where he can take up that Sunil to support him ‑ the likes of
former president N Srinivasan was at
mantle. "It's good to see that Sunil Gurpreet, Sandesh and Jeje are the
the helm of BCCI, he did not promise
has improved as a dead‑ball player. senior players who should lead by
the ICC any compensation for tax
Back in our days, he never used to example. Then the younger lot will
deductions if they fail to receive a
take free kicks ‑‑ it was either me also follow," opined Renedy.
waiver from the government.
 24 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Ketogenic diet was most
Googled diet in 2018
New York: Google recently
released its Year in Search 2018
data, outlining the most popular
questions the world has posed to
the search engine this year. Many
topics were covered on the most‑
searched list, from celebrities to
“how to vote” and, in terms of
health, the extremely popular
ketogenic diet was the most‑
searched diet in 2018.
From celebrities like Vinny from
the Jersey Shore (@ketoguido) and
Kourtney Kardashian endorsing
the low‑carb, high‑fat diet to see‑
ing keto‑weight loss stories all
over Instagram̶ BTW, #keto has
more than 9.3 million Instagram
posts ̶ itʼs no surprise that peo‑
ple were looking into the keto
trend for themselves. The keto‑
genic diet involves bringing carbo‑
hydrates down to less than five
percent of a personʼs daily caloric
intake – which means eliminating
most grains, fruit, starchy vegeta‑
bles, legumes and sweets. That
lack of carbs is replaced by calo‑
ries with fat. That fat is then
turned into “ketone bodies,” which
are an alternative energy source:
besides glucose derived from car‑
bohydrates, ketones from fat are
the only fuel the brain can use,
according to scientists at the
University of California San
Francisco.
"The key with [the keto diet] is it
has to be medically monitored,
meaning there really should be a
doctor overseeing it," Melissa
Matteo, a registered dietitian and
certified diabetes educator at
Cleveland Clinic, told Refinery29.
For example, Matteo has patients
US top judge Ruth
Ginsburg recovering
after cancer surgery
New York: US Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone
surgery in New York on two malig‑
nant nodules on one of her lungs, a
statement said. The nodules were
found during tests to diagnose and
treat rib fractures she sustained dur‑
ing a fall on November 7, the
Supreme Court said in a statement,
Efe news reported. The 85‑year‑old
is the most senior justice in the
court's liberal wing. She was operat‑
ed on at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center. Surgeon Valerie
Rusch said although the nodules
were found to be malignant, there
was no evidence of any remaining
disease and no further treatment is
planned, the statement added. She
was expected to spend a few more
days in hospital recuperating.
Ginsburg has previously been treat‑
ed for colon and pancreatic cancer.
transitioning to the ketogenic diet
get lab work to see if they have
any electrolyte imbalances, and
she will closely monitor uric acid
levels throughout the diet,
because those tend to be elevated
during a high‑protein low‑carb
diet and can lead to gout, a form
of arthritis.
If that doesnʼt prove to you the
no‑joke nature of this diet, then
this probably will: 70 to 80‑per‑
cent of your daily calories on a
keto regimen will come from fat,
and about five percent come from
carbohydrates, which can be a
huge change for most people con‑
suming the Standard American
Diet, per the Cleveland Clinic.
So, on keto you're eating around
20 grams of carbs a day, including
fruits and vegetables. Plus, you're
not supposed to eat starchy foods
like bread, rice, potatoes, or beans.
No dairy, including milk and
yogurt, and absolutely no sugar,
either, according to the Cleveland
Clinic.Needless to say, the diet isnʼt
for everyone. But some people
achieve great success via this low‑
carb diet.
"If somebody's interested in this,
they just need to do their home‑
work, and really research what it
all entails," Matteo told
Refinery29, which means under‑
standing what this will entail in
the short term, but also long term.
A diet as rigid and limiting as the
ketogenic diet comes with a full
basket of challenges, because ulti‑
mately you're drastically changing
your diet and eliminating neces‑
sary ̶ and very delicious ̶
nutrients. (Source:phillyvoice.com)
Appointed by then US President Bill
Clinton in 1993, she was only the
second female justice to be con‑
firmed to the court after a career
devoted to feminist causes and civil
rights.
She has garnered huge public sup‑
port, earning her the nickname
"Notorious RBG."
Supporters fear that if Ginsburg
leaves the Supreme Court, her
replacement will be chosen by
President Donald Trump to expand
the conservative majority of the
highest court in the country. (IANS)
HEALTH TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Long way to go for holistic healthcare
system: President Ram Nath Kovind
Karimnagar (Telangana): President Ram Nath Kovind millions of carriers who have the genetic trait for
on Saturday said India has a long way to go in evolving Thalassemia major."
a holistic healthcare system, which is Describing haemoglobinopathies
uniformly affordable and accessible as a major health problem, Kovind
to citizens both in rural and urban said that it places an emotional,
areas. The President inaugurated the psychological and economic burden
Centre for Sickle Cell Anaemia, on many families.
Thalassemia and other genetic blood He said creating awareness
disorders at Prathima Institute of among the target groups and their
Medical Sciences here. timely counseling is an important
He called for giving priority to step towards addressing the prob‑
strengthening public, municipal and lem. Kovind said healthcare profes‑
charitable hospitals and primary sionals, both from the private and
health and wellness clinics. He also public sector hospitals, have to
underlined the need to spread aware‑ President of India Ram Nath Kovind work closely with voluntary organi‑
ness on healthcare issues especially zations and NGOs to combat these
in rural areas and amongst disadvantaged sections of diseases effectively. Referring to the Ayushman Bharat
the society. "This will be useful for managing and miti‑ initiative, he said it aims to ensure that nobody is
gating genetic blood disorders, which are particularly deprived of healthcare due to lack of financial
prevalent in tribal communities," he said. resources. Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana
He noted that India is amongst the nations with the launched three months ago, so far over 6 lakh persons
highest number of patients suffering from Sickle Cell needing secondary or tertiary care have been admitted
Anaemia, Thalassemia and other genetic blood disor‑ to hospitals across the country and an amount of Rs
ders. India has the largest number of children with 800 crore has been authorized for their treatment. He
Thalassemia major in the world. "While around said Ayushman Bharat can help fulfill our dream of
1,50,000 children have Thalassemia major, there are "Swasthya Bharat Sabal Bharat." (IANS)
Chennaiʼs beloved ʻRs 5 doctorʼ
Jayachandran passes away
Chennai: Good Samaritans are AM. Apart from his consult‑
hard to come by these days and ing from home, he traveled
one such soul departed the to the interior areas of North
earth, leaving many teary‑eyed Chennai to conduct many
across Tamil Naduʼs capital free camps and he also
Chennai. Dr. Jayachandran was raised his voice for the slum
a very famous medical practi‑ dwellers.
tioner in North Chennai, Many NGOs offering him
famous for his selfless service money but he refused it. He
to thousands of patients and he only accepted medicines as
passed away at the age of 71 on gifts that he could distribute
Wednesday. Dr. Jayachandran was a very famous medical them to the needy. His wife
practitioner in North Chennai, he never
Jayachandran was born in a is a gynecologist and a
collected over Rs 20, that too only from
village in Kancheepuram dis‑ retired Dean of Chennai's
well‑off patients. (Image : khabar.ndtv.com)
trict to parents of little means Government Hospital. His
and yet, he finished his school‑
ing and joined Madras Medical
patients. For the ones who could
not even afford Rs 5, he was a also
daughter and two sons are
doctors.
College. He started a clinic in
1971 in Old Washermenpet and
godsend who would treat such
patients for free. Locals endear‑
Though Jayachandran took care
of the health of thousands, he
to everyoneʼs surprise, kept his
consultation charge at just 25
ingly called him '5 rooba doctor'
or ʻ2 rooba doctor.ʼ
neglected his own. He passed
away on Wednesday morning
paise in the 70s. He later Such was his service to mankind after a brief illness. People around
increased it to Rs 2 and then Rs 5 Kasimedu, Washermenpet,
that he his consulting from 4:30
at a time when other doctors were AM in the morning. However, it is Korrukupet gave their tearful trib‑
charging hundreds and thou‑ ute to him and his funeral took
said that he was available to help
sands. He never collected over Rs place on Thursday evening.
patients round the clock and one
20, that too only from well‑off (Source: mirrornow.com)
could knock at his door even at 2
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Lok Sabha passes Bill that
prohibits commercial surrogacy
New Delhi: T he Surrog acy
(Regulat ion) Bill, 2016 that
ensures ef fective regulation of
surrogacy, prohibits commercial
surrogacy and allows altruistic
surrogacy to the needy Indian
infertile couples was passed by
the Lok Sabha last Wednesday by
a voice vote.
Initiating the debate on the
provisions of the Bill, Union
Health Minister J.P. Nadda said
that the Bill was brought after
the Law Commission recom‑
mended prohibiting the practice
of commercial surrogacy.
"Even NGOs and the civil socie‑
ty were of the opinion that com‑
mercial surrog acy must be
stopped. Exploitation of surro‑
gate mothers was also an issue.
The government decided to come
out with the Bill keeping the
Indian ethos in mind so that
exploitation of surrogate moth‑
ers could be stopped," he said.
Calling it a historical Bill,
Nadda sought support from all
parties to help in passing the Bill.
Although TMC's Kakoli Ghosh
supported the Bill, she said it was
hastily drafted and demanded its
ambit be widened by allowing
options for transgenders and
same sex couples.
She also demanded to stop sur‑
rogacy for those who use it in
order to keep their bodies in
shape. "We must vehemently
Mindfulness strategies may
help shed excess weight
London: Mindfulness training
could be the key to support
weight loss in individuals with
obesity, thereby facilitating
healthier eating behaviors, as
per a new study.
Mindfulness is a mind‑body
practice where individuals
learn to achieve heightened
awareness of their current
state of mind and immediate
environment in the present
moment.
The study showed that indi‑
viduals who participated in
mindfulness training as part of
an intensive weight manage‑
ment program lost 3 kg of
weight in six months than oth‑
ers who participated in obesity
management program.
"This research is significant
as we have shown that prob‑
lematic eating behavior can be
improved with mindfulness
application," said Petra
Hansona, lead researcher and
postdoctoral student from the
University of Warwickshire in
the UK. "Mindfulness has huge
Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby an intending couple commissions
a surrogate mother to carry their child.
stop fashion surrogacy that is
taking place in our country. I
don't want to take names, but
there are film stars and relatives
of film stars who are using surro‑
gate mothers only because they
don't want their figure to be
destroyed. This type of fashion
surrogacy must be stopped," she
said.
Ghosh, a doctor by profession,
also sought that the 56 days
embryonic period that counts
from the day of fertilization be
replaced by any number of days
that the baby is given in the
mother's womb. Supporting the
potential as a strategy for
achieving and maintaining
good health and wellbeing,"
said Thomas M. Barber,
Associate Professor at the var‑
sity.
Focus should be on enabling
the populace to make appro‑
priate lifestyle decisions and
empowering subsequent salu‑
tary behavior change, said
Barber.
For the study, the team
examined weight loss among a
small group of people who
were attending the multidisci‑
plinary tier 3 weight manage‑
ment program.
Findings, published in the
Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and
Metabolism, showed that indi‑
viduals who attended only one
or two courses lost, on average,
0.9 kg during the same period.
Conversely, those who did
not complete the course tend‑
ed to weigh more than those
who finished the group mind‑
fulness course. ‑IANS
LIFESTYLE
Bill, NCP's Supriya Sule demand‑
ed that there should also be pro‑
visions for single parents and
they should be incorporated in
the law.
The Bill permits surrogacy only
for couples who cannot conceive.
The surrogate mother and the
intending couple need eligibility
certificates from the appropriate
authority. The surrogate mother
must be a 'close relative' of the
intending couple.
Surrogacy is an arrangement
whereby an intending couple
commissions a surrogate mother
to carry their child.
Light pollution at night
disrupts ecosystem: Study
Ohio: Increased exposure to artificial
light at night not only raises health
concerns for humans but also signifi‑
cantly harms the ecosystem, a study
has found.
"This is among the first studies to
show that light at night has detrimen‑
tal ef fects not just on individual
organisms in the environment, but
also on communities and ecosystems,"
said Maeika Sullivan from the Ohio
State University in the US.
"Nighttime light is having profound
impacts that extend to the entire
ecosystem," said Sullivan, lead author
of the study published in the journal
Ecological Applications.
Though many people might not con‑
sider it, artificial light is a pollutant,
changing the natural course of life for
people, animals and plants, he said.
The new study explored the role of
light on streams and wetlands in and
around Columbus.
The research team examined the
ef fect of existing artificial light in
streams, and they manipulated the
light in wetlands.
In all cases, there was a canopy of
trees and other vegetation overhead,
Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Women receive 2 abusive
tweets every minute:
Amnesty International
San Francisco: On an average,
women receive an abusive or
problematic tweet every 30 sec‑
onds, reveals an Amnesty
International study on Tuesday
that buttresses Twitter's reputa‑
tion as a "toxic" platform for
women, especially for politicians
and journalists.
Women of color, (Black, Asian,
Latino and mixed‑race women)
were 34 per cent more likely to be
mentioned in abusive or problem‑
atic tweets than White women,
showed the findings.
Amnesty International said that
one in 10 tweets mentioning Black
women politicians and journalists
in a sample analyzed by the organ‑
ization was abusive or problemat‑
ic. "We found that, although abuse
is targeted at women across the
political spectrum, women of color
were much more likely to be
impacted, and black women are
disproportionately targeted,"
Milena Marin, Senior Advisor for
Tactical Research at Amnesty
International said in a statement.
"Twitter's failure to crack down
on this problem means it is con‑
tributing to the silencing of
already marginalized voices,"
Marin said. For the study, Amnesty
International collaborated with
Element AI, a global artificial intel‑
ligence software product compa‑
buffering the light.
From those areas, researchers col‑
lected a variety of ubiquitous water‑
dwelling and land‑dwelling inverte‑
brate species, including mayflies,
water bugs, ants and spiders.
They found that species composi‑
tion changed with increases in light
intensity.
They also discovered that the food
chain length of the invertebrate com‑
munities ‑ a measure that te lls
researchers about the complexity of a
food web ‑ shortened with more light.
"Decreases in food chain length are
a pretty big deal, as it reflects not just
changes in the architecture of an
ecosystem ‑ the numbers of various
species ‑ but also shifts in ecosystem
stability and nutrient flows," Sullivan
said. "Artificial light decreased food
chain length in this study, which
means the ecosystem is less complex,"
Sullivan said.
The researchers also saw detrimen‑
tal changes in energy flow ‑‑ how
nutrients are cycled between aquatic
and nearby ecosystems.
In particular, invertebrates became
less reliant on food sources that origi‑
25
ny.
More than 6,500 volunteers
from 150 countries signed up to
take part in the crowdsourcing
project designed to process large‑
scale data about online abuse.
Volunteers sorted through
288,000 tweets sent to 778
women politicians and journalists
in the UK and the US in 2017.
Politicians included in the sam‑
ple came from across the US and
UK political spectrums.
The journalists included were
from a diverse range of US and UK
publications including The Daily
Mail, The New York Times,
Guardian, The Sun, GalDem, Pink
News and Breitbart.
"Online abuse against women
cuts across the political spectrum.
Politicians and journalists faced
similar levels of online abuse and
we observed both liberals and con‑
servatives alike, as well as left and
right leaning media organizations,
were affected," Amnesty
International said.
Abusive content violates
Twitter's own rules and includes
tweets that promote violence
against or threaten people based
on their race, ethnicity, national
origin, sexual orientation, gender,
gender identity, religious affilia‑
tion, age, disability, or serious dis‑
ease.
Artificial lighting at night is
contributing to an alarming increase
in light pollution, both in amount
and in brightness, affecting places
all over the world.
nate in the water when they were
exposed to moderate light levels.
"The reasons for the changes are
complex, and could include such fac‑
tors as an increase in predators
attracted to a lit area at night, which
decreases the population of their prey,
or even shifts in plant growth,"
Sullivan said.
Previous studies have clearly shown
that individual species are impacted
by artificial light.
"The classic example is hatchling
sea turtles that became disoriented
and instead of going towards the
moonlit ocean at night, they were
headed inland, towards coastal light‑
ing," Sullivan said.
"In that case, light‑management tac‑
tics have helped address the problem,"
he said.
 26 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 IMMIGRATION TheSouthAsianTimes.info

I‑751: Waiver of joint filing

By Dev Banad Viswanath, Esq.
& Michael Phulwani, Esq.

I
f an individual applied for a
green card based on their mar‑
riage to a U.S. citizen, they will
receive a “conditional” green card
that is only valid for two years if
they were married for less than
under extreme hardship guage that is spoken in their After the whole I‑751 packet is the whole I‑751 packet it will

VISA
two years on the date the green home country; filed, the conditional permanent determine if the conditional per‑
card is granted. Before the two‑ * They have custody of their resident will receive a receipt manent resident qualifies for a
year mark is completed, the cou‑

ple must file an I‑751 form to
remove the conditions on the for‑
eign nationalʼs green card. If the
conditions on their green card are
not removed, then the green card
and their status and right to stay
in the U.S. will terminate at the
end of two years.
Normally to remove the condi‑
tions on a green card, the green
card holder and their spouse
would jointly file I‑751 Petition.
There are a few circumstances
where a spouse cannot jointly file
Form I‑751, such as divorce, sepa‑
ration, death, or imminent harm.
In this circumstance the green
card hold must apply for a waiver
of the joint filing requirement.
One such option is to apply for
the waiver of joint filing based on
“extreme hardship.”
When applying for a waiver of
the joint filing requirement based
TALK
on extreme hardship the appli‑
cant must provide USCIS with evi‑
dence showing that if they return
to their former country they
would suffer extreme hardship.
The relief of filing jointly is a dis‑
cretionary relief and the hardship
requirement may be difficult to
prove. USCIS will only look at evi‑
dence of events that occurred
while the green card holder lived
in the U.S. as a conditional perma‑
nent resident. A conditional per‑
manent resident may qualify for a
waiver of joint filing under
extreme hardship if they can
show the following circum‑
stances:
* They have lived in the U.S.
for an extended period of time;
* They do not speak the lan‑
U.S. citizen children and they
would need to leave the U.S. as
well;
* They have family living in
the U.S. who are financially
dependent on them and would
suffer without their financial sup‑
port;
* They would not be able to
find work outside the U.S;
* They have a medical con‑
dition that cannot be treated
properly abroad;
* They would face persecu‑
tion or discrimination in their
home country;
* They are unable to receive
a divorce or annulment because
of religious or cultural belief;
* Their spouse was at fault
for the breakdown of their rela‑
tionship;
* They are unable to find
their spouse in order to file joint‑
ly.
notice. waiver of joint filing and send a
The conditional permanent resi‑ letter to the applicant with their
dent is allowed to continue to live decision or, in most waiver cases,
and work in the U.S. and travel they will schedule the applicant
abroad and return to the U.S., for an interview with an immigra‑
while their case is being tion office to determine eligibility.
processed. If USCIS needs more The removal of condition is the
evidence to show extreme hard‑ only pathway to becoming a full‑
ship they will send a request for fledged permanent resident, and
evidence, which must be timely US citizen if status was granted
answered. Once USCIS reviews conditionally.
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal Attorney of
The Banad Law Offices PC in the United States,
and Banad Immigration in India for which
Attorney Michael Phulwani is also affiliated as Of
Counsel. With Offices in Manhattan, Queens,
Bangalore, and Mumbai, the firm is able to assist
clients with all facets of the immigration process,
including Employment Visas, Consular Visa
Assistance, Student Visas, Removal &
Deportation, US Citizenship and Green Card
Applications based on Family or Employment.
Dev B. Viswanath can be reached at
Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.

MEDICINE

Amid many medical breakthroughs, ethical

bombshell called 'designer babies' drops
By Rachel V. Thomas
New Delhi: While several medical advancements this year
demonstrated potential treatment for life‑threatening dis‑
eases, some were mired in controversies ‑‑ creating a raging
debate among the medical and research fraternity over ethical
issues.
One such controversy was around a claim by a Chinese
researcher of having creating "designer babies".
He Jiankui, Associate Professor at the Southern University
of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, dropped a bombshell
on the medical and research world by claiming that he created
twin baby girls purportedly using the genome‑editing tool
CRISPR‑Cas9, making them resistant to infections and can‑
cers.
Many scientists and researchers claimed that the report of
the genetically‑edited babies was "unverified," but said that if
true it would be "monstrous".
Altering DNA before or at the time of conception has always
been highly controversial because the changes can be inherit‑
ed and might harm other genes. Scientists would be grappling
with this ethical question for long.
In yet another controversial experiment, a team of Chinese
scientists successfully cloned a monkey ‑‑ an advance that
promised to boost medical research into human brain disor‑
ders.
Using a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer,
scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of
Neuroscience in Shanghai, created two long‑tailed female
macaques.
However, this also led to fears that it would open the door to
human cloning.
But the year also saw surgeons successfully completing
benign and revolutionary surgeries.
Swiss research institute Ecole Polytechnique Federale de
Lausanne used a new spinal implant technology to help a par‑
alyzed man walk again.
The technology, called epidural electrical stimulation, stimu‑
lates the spinal cord, as the brain would do naturally.
A baby girl born after the uterus transplant from a 45‑year‑
old brain dead woman also brought cheers to the medical fra‑
ternity this year. This medical milestone was the result of
efforts by doctors from the Faculdade de Medicina da
Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil.
The uterus was removed from the donor and transplanted
into the recipient in a surgery that also involved connecting
the donor uterus and recipient's veins and arteries, ligament
and vaginal canals.
The womb transplant, which lasted over 10 hours, took
place in September 2016. The baby was born in December
2017, said the report published in the Lancet this year.
The year also saw breakthroughs in reconstructive surgery.
A French man became the first person to receive two face
transplants. A war veteran from the US, who suffered genital
deformity at Afghanistan, received a complete penis and scro‑
tum transplant in a 14‑hour‑long operation.
In 2018, researchers created an injection that might prevent
migraines and are looking into an effective and safe male
birth control.
They also successfully reversed the formation of amyloid
plaques ‑‑ crucially involved in Alzheimer's disease ‑‑ in the
brains of mice with the neurodegenerative disorder, thus
improving their cognitive function.
Moreover, scientists also discovered a human organ hitherto
unknown. The organ named "interstitium" is a series of fluid‑
filled connective tissues. The purpose of the organ is to
absorb shock, protecting internal organs from rupturing due
to pressure.
Interstititum has been recognized as the 80th human organ.
In another breakthrough, doctors at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai in the US, reported the first ever case
of a transgender woman successfully breastfeeding her baby.
According to the doctors, the 30‑year‑old transgender
underwent three‑and‑a‑half months of a regimen of domperi‑
done, oestradiol, progesterone, and breast pumping.
As a result, she was able to achieve sufficient breast milk
volume to be the sole source of nourishment for her child for
six weeks.
The case, published in the journal Transgender Health, illus‑
trates that in some circumstances, modest but functional lac‑
tation can be induced in transgender women.
However, the patient had not undergone any gender reas‑
signment surgeries, breast augmentation or vaginoplasty.
The world will surely keep a close tab on the changes that
the new year could usher in, including the increased integra‑
tion of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence
(AI) in the delivery of healthcare services. ‑IANS
TheSouthAsianTimes.info HUMOR Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 27

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

Why is modern life so

incredibly annoying?

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
A
man raised by wolves in a forest says yesterday?
he misses his old life. Living as a wolf I told her that in my day, the only TV was a

AND cub in a Spanish wilderness was much

less stressful than modern life, Marcos
window facing a brick wall and the only
snacks our fingers. She said brick walls were

PAKISTAN Rodríguez Pantoja told the BBC recently.

Journalists expressed surprise at his decla‑
ration, but I totally get his point.
Last week, my book ran out of batteries!
New York Head Quarter I know Socrates is looking down at me from
heaven and laughing, waving his "always on"
422‑S Broadway
scroll.
HICKSVILLE Meanwhile, at home, my child is outraged.
NY 11801 Why? "My snacks are so crunchy I can't hear
the TV," she complains, furious.
516‑827‑1010 This is literally the worst thing that has ever
happened to this child. I mean, how is she
going to cope with real life, during which mas‑
sively tragic things happen, like they forget to
put mayo in your sandwich, a devastating inci‑
dent that totally spoiled this columnist's day
probably better than what was on
TV these days and she's probably right.
Back at work, I was moaning about my dead
e‑book when a colleague told me about anoth‑
er tech problem. The trend spreading across
Asia is to have a Roomba machine, a wheeled
disk that quietly vacuums your floors in the
middle of the night.
Unfortunately no one told these machines
that a) Koreans and Japanese people often
sleep on thin mattresses on the floor; and b)
sucking up hair on the floor is not a good
thing to do if it is still attached to a human's
head. On one recent occasion, firefighters had
to be called to remove a ravenous Roomba
vacuum cleaner from its Korean owner's head.
East Asian owners are junking their cleaning
robots for superior technology: Broomsticks.

Laughter is the Best Medicine Police officers in the Indian state of Odisha
recently demonstrated how they use pigeons
to get messages across a vast portion of the
state in just 20 minutes. During floods and
power cuts the police pigeon service is the
By only functioning communications system.
Mahendra So, basically, if their conversations are any‑
Shah thing like mine, you send a bird across the
state with your message, such as "LOL" and 40
Mahendra Shah minutes later, you get the bird back with a
is an architect message saying "LMAO" (Laughing My Ass
by education, Off).
entrepreneur by Oh well, at least no one can complain about
profession, information overload.
artist and A colleague showed me an angry text that
humorist, car- had been sent by a young person from an air‑
toonist and craft recently. "There's so much leg room in
writer by hobby. business class that I can barely reach the
He has been touch screen TV," she complained. What suf‑
recording the fering!
plight of the The odd thing is her inability to realise how
immigrant the rest of us, sitting in economy class seats
Indians for the with our noses mere millimetres away from
past many year the seat in front, will take her message.
in his cartoons. Where's her brain?
Hailing from Uh‑oh. I would canvass readers, contributors
Gujarat, he and colleagues for more examples to fill this
lives in column with, but the main functional section
Pittsburgh, of my own brain ‑‑ which is housed in a smart‑
phone in my right hand ‑‑ is about to run out
Pennsylvania.
of batteries. So I have to stop here.
Socrates! Stop laughing!
28 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019 ASTROLOGY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

DECEMBER 29, 2018‑JANUARY 4, 2019

ARIES: An issue regarding someone in
the family is likely to become clear
soon. You will find this week fruitful on
the professional front. Those feeling a bit
under the weather on the health front may
show improvement. Those staying away due
to professional compulsions may manage to
pay a quick visit. You are likely to find love
where you least expect it. Setting out early
on a journey is advised. Donʼt reject an offer
coming your way.
TAURUS: Visiting new places to enjoy
new experiences is on the cards, but
donʼt overdo it. Someone may be plan‑
ning to take you out for a meal, so remain
available! On the work front, you are likely
to reap rich dividends with minimum efforts.
Financially, all your worries are likely to dis‑
appear. You may remain surrounded by rela‑
tions and friends. News of someone home‑
coming may add to your excitement.
Romantic front will remain warm and cosy,
so rejoice!
GEMINI: You may have to hire some‑
one to share your workload, so start
thinking on those lines. Freelancers
and contract workers will manage to make
clients agree to their terms and conditions.
You may get involved in arranging some‑
thing on the family front. Falling in love is a
strong possibility as you get serious about
someone from the opposite camp. A person‑
al job may entail a lot of travelling, so be
ready for it. Good health is foreseen.
CANCER: You may not have the con‑
fidence to do a task alone, so donʼt
shy away from taking he lp.
Tremendous improvement is foreseen for
those suffering from an ailment. On the pro‑
fessional front, you will have time on your
hands to complete what had been pending
for long. Those looking for a quick buck are
likely to grab every opportunity they can lay
their hands on. Family togetherness will
prove immensely fulfilling and help create a
happy home environment.
LEO: Someone may make you do
something extra at work this week,
but take it in your stride. A social
gathering may find you in the spotlight.
Fame and recognition comes to you from
work on the professional front. Financial
worries become a thing of the past as money
comes from various sources. Going in for a
lifestyle change at this juncture will find you
fitter and more energetic. Family will be lov‑
ing and supportive of your ideas.
VIRGO: You will need to be on the
forefront in whatever you undertake
to get noticed. This is an excellent
time to showcase your talents on the profes‑
sional front for furthering your career. You
will be able to raise money for something
specific without any problems. Bidding adieu
to a recurring health problem is possible for
some. Planning an outing together with fam‑
ily is on the cards and will be exciting. A
property matter will be resolved amicably.
LIBRA: You will have to stick to
what is promised, if you want to
prosper in your field of expertise.
This week things may not go right on the
professional front. Your comments about
someone may not go down well with him or
her. Break up in a relationship is foretold
for some.
Donʼt try out a new vehicle in busy traffic.
Some of you can get embroiled in a legal
battle over property. A cash crunch needs
to be overcome.
SCORPIO: You will have to give prior‑
ity to something, before it becomes
an albatross around your neck.
Chances of owning a house of your own
look bright for some. You may get the feel‑
ing that the tasks given to you at work are
serving no purpose.
A decision on the home front regarding a
family youngster will have to be taken
quickly. Your romantic moves will be fully
reciprocated by partner.
SAGITTARIUS: Slow progress of
something important may frustrate
you, but not for long. Some worry on
the family front can trouble you. Your love
life may hit a bad patch and it will be up to
you to set it right. Stability is likely to be
achieved on the professional front. It may
be difficult to find a solution to depleting
financial resources.
Investment opt ions may appear
confusing.
CAPRICORN: You may have to keep
on the right side of those who mat‑
ter at work. Those separated from
home can feel homesick. Donʼt get too
much concerned about workplace competi‑
tion, as your work speaks for itself. Money
will pose no problems, but you must get
into the habit of saving. Home front will be
most inviting for rest and relaxation this
weekend. It can take an effort for some to
bring romance back into their lives!
AQUARIUS: You may need some
time out to relax and rejuvenate, so
take a break! Those ailing are likely
to be on the road to recovery. There is a
need to adopt a daily routine and stick to it
to preserve health. Ups and downs on the
business front cannot be ruled out for
some. Support of family will encourage you
to take up a challenge. Accompanying
someone for an out of town trip cannot be
ruled out.
PISCES: You may have to deal with a
situation this week that you have not
encountered before. Keeping your
professional front in order will be an ample
proof of your efficiency at work. Someone
in the family expects you to loosen your
purse strings, so donʼt disappoint. A social
event may give you an opportunity to meet
new people. Encouraging signs appear for
the eligible on the marriage front. A jour‑
ney you want to undertake is likely to
materialise soon.

29th December, 2018
Traits in you: The influence of
your ruling planet Moon enhances
your imagination power. You are
honest, sensitive and creative by
nature. You are helpful by heart and
you he lp people in need w ith
money and physical support.
However, you should not behave
introvert or shy. You should let your
personality grow.
Health this year: The drip in the
health of your parents might cause
concern for you.
Finance this year: Your assump‑
tions on investments would prove
to be correct and you will earn a
handsome amount of money from
your investments. T here is a
healthy chance of overseas travel
regarding business meeting this
year. The travel would be successful
and you may get new projects. You
should avoid financial transactions
with casual friends as it may result
in loss and complications in rela‑
tionships.
Career this year: This year may
bring new opportunities for you.
You may get promotions and trans‑
fer orders.
Romance this year: Your partner
will be supportive enough and help
you in every respect. If you are eli‑
gible and unmarried, you may get
marriage proposals this year.
30th December, 2018
Traits in you: Ambition, dignity,
intelligence, confidence are your
inborn qualities as you are under
the influence of the powerful planet
Jupiter. You like being philosophical
and organized. You can impress
anyone on the earth with your intel‑
lectual behavior and talks. However,
you need not behave weird to
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
impress others. It may be proved to
be a negative aspect in your nature.
Health this year: You may suffer
with problems in your eyes and
mouth. So you need to get your
periodic medical checkup done on
time and take prescribed medicines
without negligence.
Finance this year: The rewards
will also open the door for you to
earn much more than you are earn‑
ing currently. You may win a for‑
eign contract or government con‑
tract this year. It will enhance your
business and earn a lot of money
and respect for you. You may travel
abroad in the last half of the year
for business meetings. You should
research well before investing on
anything. You may concede enough
money on renovation and construc‑
tion activities.
Career this year: T his year
belongs to you as you will be appre‑
ciated and awarded throughout the
year for your professional achieve‑
ments.
Romance this year: You will be in
a good mood throughout the year
as your partner will provide you
with lots of love, care and concern.
If you are unmarried, this year may
end our bachelorhood or spinster‑
hood.
31st December, 2018
Traits in you: The planet Uranus
makes you active, dependable, ener‑
getic, systematic and honest. You
have a practical approach to lead a
life. You are serious towards you
goals and dreams.
Health this year: Some of your rel‑
atives may fall sick suddenly and
that may make you a bit bothered.
You need to drive carefully at night
as there are chances of accident this
year.
Finance this year: This year is
very productive for you in terms of
investments. You should put your
money in real estate as it is very
much rewarding this year. You will
be benefited from you near and
dear ones as they will support you
financially.
Career this year: You want to real‑
ize your aspirations by working
hard. You put your duties in high
esteem. However, you have to con‑
trol on your behavioural approach.
You should not show your stub‑
bornness to your colleagues.
Romance this year: You will find
extra love and concern from your
spouse. You may tie your knots if
you are unmarried.
1st January, 2019
Directed by the number 1 and the
planet Sun, you are filled with lead‑
ership and managerial qualities. A
reservoir of talent, potential and wit
is you. When it comes to beat you at
workplace, nobody can do that as
you are beyond comparison and
simply invincible. You would also
raise your bar by doing consistently
good work. At times you show your
introvert side and that side of yours
needs to be modified, so that your
close ones wonʼt misinterpret you.
Go and express your feelings with
any hesitation in love matters. You
could associate or get connected
with any social service organiza‑
tion. You would also take some
strong decision independently this
year. Chances to get a big break in
entertainment industry are very
high. September, February, April
and June will shower the blessings.
2nd January, 2019
Supported by number 2 and the
Moon, influence by Mercury, you
have dual personality. Whatever
you seems from outside is com‑
pletely dif ferent from inside. Your
shy nature may not increase the
count of your social circle but your
impregnable ideas and hig hly
authoritative capability of taking
your conclusions will make to han‑
dle the steering of your life in sys‑
tematic way. Your mind is extraordi‑
nary sharp which can solve conun‑
drums within no time. Your organ‑
ized risk taking abilities is good but
high paid ventures may turn out to
be inconsistent for you. Clashing of
egos with your blood relatives may
results in strain and irritation for
both the part ies. You are we ll
versed with the pace of the compe‑
tition as your communication skill
which is the need of the hour is
unbeatable. You ting to sort out all
the matters but somewhere your
immaturity may bring criticization
for you. Advise to deal smartly with
important matters of your life.
Desired time: November, February
and July.
3rd January, 2019
Talisman for you number 3 and
Jupiter, sometime dominated by
Mercury, your long lasting ef forts
will finally bring success for you.
You will rise like a shining star in
the year to come. You will spend
quality time with your family which
soothes you. Luck will favor you
from all the sides. You will get what‑
ever you want without much of
delays and pains. You are always
choosy to spend your time on your
work rather than for any materialis‑
tic thing. You are man of your
words. Put together all your ideas
to sort out your important matters.
You need to check your perturbing
nature else might have to bear
some botherat ion. Goo d t ime:
October, January, March and June.
4th January, 2019
This day is predisposed by the
Uranus planet and 4 number and
that makes you vigorous, full of
feelings and imagination and realis‑
tic. You carry a down to earth and
practical attitude. You love attend‑
ing events/ parties, mingling with
people and are quite comfortable in
a big crowd of people. Your sup‑
porting nature and simplicity leave
a lasting impression on people you
meet. At some point of time, you
tend to behave whimsically and that
eccentric characteristic must have
been controlled for your better‑
ment. The coming year will provide
you a lot of opportunities to attend
some holy and spiritual ceremonies.
Your quality to gel well very easily
w ith people around you w ill
increase your networking and
social circle. This year, you will get
ample chances to change your job
profile but a sense of satisfaction
may not exist. Chances to move on
from job to business are very high.
A person of opposite sex may add
new wings to your life and may
change your entire vision towards
life. You may get a legacy and
money from a will. In the months of
August, November and February,
you may get success in your respec‑
tive fields.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
5 tips to shed
those pounds in
the New Year
M
aybe you want more energy, or
perhaps you want to lose weight
and keep it off for good.
Whatever your goals, a new year means a
fresh start to become the best version of
yourself.
Here are five tips from Nutrisystem
experts to get your scale moving in the
right direction and support your long‑
term health.
1. Skip “diet” drinks: Of course, you
know not to order the regular cola with
your meal, but you figure the lower‑calo‑
rie diet version is an okay choice. Not nec‑
essarily. Recent research found that artifi‑
cial sweeteners often used in diet drinks
may not be as beneficial for weight man‑
agement as intended, and that drinking
them regularly may be linked to an
increased body mass index. If you want
something fizzy, opt for seltzer with lemon
TECH HELP TO ACHIEVE
NEW YEARʼS RESOLUTIONS
Y U
ou may have a long list of New
Yearʼs resolutions. Luckily, these
days, your efforts can be simpli‑
fied with the use of technology. Check out
these high‑tech ways to achieve your
2019 goals:
• Focusing: An ancient practice with
renewed popularity today, the benefits of
meditation canʼt be overstated. If youʼre
resolving to meditate in the New Year, you
may be hard pressed to actually go about
it, particularly if you havenʼt meditated
before. Luckily, there are plenty of handy
apps available that can lead you through a
guided practice. From Headspace
to Stop, Breathe & Think, a
calmer day is at your fin‑
gertips.
• Staying Active: If
staying active is a
struggle for you, con‑
sider some wearable
tech for that needed
jolt of motivation.
Whether you are already
an outdoor enthusiast or an
aspiring one, a watch thatʼs also
an activity tracker, compass, altimeter
and more is a great tool for getting active
in the New Year. For example, the WSD‑
F30 from the PRO TREK Smart series has
Bluetooth connectivity, Wi‑Fi and enables
the use of offline maps and GPS log
recording for up to three consecutive
days. And because it is water‑resistant up
to 50 meters and boasts environmental
durability built to military specifications,
itʼs a sound choice no matter what your
2019 plans include ‑‑ be it mountain bik‑
ing, hiking or whitewater rafting.
NEW YEAR
or lime.
2. Drink more water: Every part of
your body needs water to work proper‑
ly. When you donʼt get enough, your
body canʼt perform normal functions,
which can drain your energy. More
fatigue means less physical activity.
Plus, mild dehydration is often masked
as hunger ‑‑ prompting you to grab a
snack when all you really need is water. So
drink at least eight, 8‑ounce glasses of
water daily.
3. Slow down: It takes 20 minutes for
the “Iʼm full” signals from your stomach to
reach your brain. When you inhale your
food, itʼs much easier to eat more than
your body really needs. One review of 23
studies found that fast eaters were about
twice as likely to be obese, compared to
slow eaters. To help slow down, take
• Making Music: Resolving to finally
learn to play the piano? The struggle to
learn a new skill can be disheartening.
Learn to make music in a way thatʼs intu‑
itive and fun so that you stick with it. New
models of keyboards often offer features
that can help. The CT‑X700 from Casio is
an affordable option that features a Step‑
Up lesson system that displays proper fin‑
gering and notation so you can quickly
learn songs, and a six‑track recorder is
waiting for you when you are ready to put
your new skills to the test and record your
music.
• Boosting Knowledge:
Taking on a foreign
language in the
New Year is eas‑
ier than ever
before.
Whereas in
the past, you
may have been
inclined to buy
language CDs and
sit in a quiet room to
study, now apps such as
Duolingo are allowing language
learners to squeeze in lessons and prac‑
tice whenever they have downtime.
• Getting Organized: With tax season on
the horizon, and the perennial importance
of building savings and having good cred‑
it, if you resolve to organize one aspect of
your life in the New Year, let it be your
finances. Use next generation tools to do
so, like the HR‑170RC, a printing calcula‑
tor, which can help you find discrepancies,
keep records and get a great start to
2019.
Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
Drink more water: No cost,
and easy to implement.
(Photo : Shutterstock)
smaller bites, chew 10 to 15 times and put
your fork down between each bite.
4. Donʼt eyeball portions: “The super‑
sized meals at restaurants have given us a
skewed view of proper portion size,” says
registered dietitian for Nutrisystem,
Courtney McCormick.
Even if youʼre tracking your food intake
with an app or food journal, overestimat‑
ing portions can sabotage progress.
So, measure portions ‑‑ not forever, but
for a while at the start. Doing so will help
THESE 5 HOME DESIGN IDEAS
WILL BE TRENDING IN 2019
sher in the new year with a
crop of inspiring fresh
ideas across home design.
To help you keep up with the latest
décor trends, celebrity interior
designer, Taniya Nayak, has pulled
together the top five home design
trends for 2019 to provide inspira‑
tion no matter your personal taste.
1. Natural and Organic. Bring a
touch of Mother Nature into your
home with this trend that accentu‑
ates earthy, organic elements.
Nayak recommends adding layers
of textures, like natural raw jute, and incor‑
porating muted tones, such as terra cotta,
moss green or mustard, to achieve this
nature‑inspired style.
2. Feminine and Free. This style
embraces a pastel palette of pale blue, pink
and cream to achieve a romantic and glam
look. Infuse this trend into your space by
creating a striped accent wall with soft‑
hued tones or alternate different paint fin‑
ishes, such as eggshell and satin, in the
same color for a dimensional effect. Bring
the look to life with fresh greenery and
indoor plants.
3. Eclectic and Bold. Nayak says “own
your own style and show it off…make a
statement!” An easy way to achieve this
bold trend is to paint a door, an accent
piece or even a ceiling in a bright color, like
Jester Red or Ceylon Yellow. Unsure if bold
colors are for you? Take a look in your clos‑
et to see which shades you tend to gravitate
toward most.
And when it comes to achieving clean,
sharp paint lines, one of Nayakʼs go‑to tools
is a premium painterʼs tape like
29
you get a visual of what portions should
actually look like.
5. Reduce stress: Stress can cause your
body to burn calories more slowly, which
could lead to weight gain, according to a
study. Plus, stress increases hormones
that stimulate appetite, and the foods
youʼll crave for comfort tend to be high in
fat and sugar. Help manage stress with
deep breathing, meditation, exercise,
hanging out with friends or listening to
music.
FrogTape brand painterʼs tape that delivers
the sharpest paint lines possible.
4. Fluid and Fashionable. Create a space
that exudes effortlessness by infusing repet‑
itive patterns and fluid transitions of the
same color. According to Nayak, the best
way to incorporate varying shades of a sin‑
gle color is to use a paint sample strip like
you might find at a paint supply store as
guidance to achieve a serene look through‑
out the space. Otherwise, stick to a single
shade and carefully play with patterns. For
example, pair striped dining room chairs
with a patterned rug for a fashion‑forward
statement.
5. Luxe Modern. A little design secret to
keep in mind: mixing metals is back and in a
big way. Nayak encourages DIYers to com‑
plement metallic accents, instead of match‑
ing them. She suggests creating a palette of
two to four metal tones and distributing
them throughout the space in ways that are
intentional and maintain balance. For a look
that is glam, yet modern, consider pairing
rose gold with pewter or brushed gold and
stainless steel. (StatePoint)
 30 Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
O
nce upon a time, there
was a man who lived
alone. He kept his money
in a special jar so that no one
could steal it. One day, while the
man was out farming his land, a
thief broke into his house. Looking
for something to steal, he came
across a heavy stone jar. He could
barely jiggle it to hear the coins
inside. He could not lift the jar. So
the man stuck his hand in the jar
to take out the money. His hand fit
perfectly into the jar.
The man grabbed as much
money as he could, holding it in
his fist. But when he tried to pull
out his hand, it would not come
out. He tried his hardest to pull out
his hand, but the fist made his
hand wider. While holding the
money, he could not get it through
the neck of the jar. He let go of the
money and his hand was freed to
come out of the jar. But he was
intent upon having the money, so
he tried again and again. Each time
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
T
rue friends are those who
stand by you always. They
will sacrifice themselves for
you, and are people on whom you
can always rely. True friends listen
to your problems and share your
burdens. Truly, if we have even one
real friend in life, we are lucky.
If we think about our childhood
friends, how many are still with us
now? Have we parted ways
already? Perhaps they have moved
away, or we have lost contact with
them. Let us consider our close
friends today. Can we imagine that
they, too, will one day be parted
from us just as those friends from
our childhood are gone?
Even if we have one close friend,
or even a few, they can only be
with us up to our last breath, or
their last breath. They can only
remain with us in this life and can‑
not help us in the moment of our
greatest need̶the time of death.
In this connection, there is an
interesting story from the Hindu
scriptures. There was a learned
pundit who was the personal min‑
ister of King Prikshat. Each day the
minister would read out the scrip‑
tures to the king. The particular
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajʼs book, Spiritual Pearls for
Enlightened Living, an inspirational collection of stories from the worldʼs great wisdom traditions.
Learn to let go and be free
he enclosed the coins in his fist, his
hand was too wide to be removed
from the jar.
Suddenly, he heard the owner
coming home. He knew that if he
did not get his hand out of the jar,
he would be caught. But he was so
intent upon trying to get the
money out that he would not give
up. The result was that the man
came in, caught him, and had him
arrested.
We too are like the thief in the
story. Desires cause us to be
caught with our hand in the jar.
Desires keep us bound to this
world. It is only by letting go of the
things of this world that we can be
free. We need to stop clutching for
whatever binds us as prisoners of
our desires so we can enjoy true
freedom. We need to stop clutch‑
ing and let go. Then we will find
the joy of freedom.
What kind of joy did the thief
have in his pursuit of the money?
Instead he ended up a prisoner in
the jail. We too are like prisoners
in the jail of this physical world.
We spend all our time going after
things that will not give us happi‑
ness. Whatever material gains we
have in the world can lead us to
more bondage if we are attached
to them. For example, if we want a
big house, we have to work longer
FINDING A TRUE FRIEND
scripture said that whoever hears
the scriptures will receive spiritual
liberation and enlightenment.
Month after month, the king lis‑
tened to the scriptures read by the
minister. However, he did not
attain liberation.
One day, the king sat down and
thought, “Here I am̶listening to
these scriptures every day, and I
am not yet spiritually liberated.
The scriptures say that whoever
listens to these holy writings will
receive salvation once and for all,
but I have not.”
Therefore, the king called the
minister and said, “Look here. I
have heard these scriptures so
many times and have not attained
liberation. I will give you one more
chance to read these scriptures to
me from end to end. If I am not lib‑
erated after that, you will be put to
death.” Trembling in his shoes, the
minister began the task of re‑read‑
ing the scriptures to the king. By
the sixth day he was nearing the
end of the scriptures, and the king
was not satisfied. Fearing that on
the seventh day he would be put to
death, the minister sat down in his
home and started to cry.
How can we end our bondage? We need to let
go and be free. When we can let go of our
desires for impermanent gains, we can be free.
hours to pay for its mortgage.
Then we need to fill it up with
more and more furniture. That will
take more time to work to pay for
it, shop to buy it, and then to clean
and repair everything. Before we
know it, the house that was sup‑
posed to bring us pleasure has
made us a slave to it. We no longer
have time for our family, our chil‑
dren, or pursuits that will give us
more fulfillment. We spend all our
time going after things that may
not give us true and lasting happi‑
ness.
“Why are you so sad?” asked his
daughter when she saw him.
The ministered explained the sit‑
uation to her, “The scriptures say
that whoever reads them will be
liberated. However, I know that the
king is not liberated, nor am I liber‑
ated. Therefore, tomorrow, I will be
put to death.”
The daughter was wise and had
an idea. “Do not worry,” she said.
“Tomorrow I will speak to the
king.” On the following day, the
ministerʼs daughter asked for an
audience with the king.
“Why have you come?” he ques‑
tioned her.
She told him, “I have come to
reply to the question that you have
asked of my father. But to do this,
you and I must go together to the
wilderness.” The king was per‑
plexed, but agreed to go along with
her plan. The girl then sent for her
father. She brought along two
ropes and when they reached the
wilderness she tied the king to one
tree and her father to another tree.
Both were then bound, hand and
foot. The king was wondering what
all this meant when the girl asked,
“Father, can you kindly unbind the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Similarly, we may want to buy a
computer to keep up with the lat‑
est technology. We then find our‑
selves working harder to buy all
the right software and equipment
to make it work. Soon we realize
that we are not happy with a sim‑
ple computer. We want to upgrade
to a faster and more elaborate
computer. Next, we find the com‑
puter that was supposed to save us
time is taking up all our time. We
end up spending hours learning to
use the computer. We spend hours
exploring the Internet. The e‑mail
king over there?”
T he minister replied, “I am
already bound! How can I free
him?”
The girl asked, “Your Majesty,
will you kindly unbind my father?”
The king replied, “Foolish girl,
donʼt you see that I am bound?
How can a bound man unbind
another?”
That is all she wanted to hear
and said, “T hen how can you
expect my father, who is not free
himself, to liberate you spiritual‑
ly?” T he king himse lf had
answered the dilemma in which he
had placed the minister. With that
understanding, the king spared the
life of the minister.
At the t ime of death, we all
depart by ourselves. No friends of
this world can help us. They can sit
by our bedside and hold our hand,
but they can neither protect us
from death nor accompany us.
Knowing this, we still put our
reliance on people of this world.
Looking back at the friendships
we have had in our lives, how many
of them led us closer to God, and
how many of them have taken us
away from God? W hat kind of
system that was supposed to make
communications faster is taking
more and more of our time.
Suddenly, we find fifty people e‑
mailing us daily and they expect
an instantaneous response. If we
do not respond right away they
accuse us of being nonresponsive
and indifferent. Soon, we are
spending hours on the computer.
We have become slaves to our pos‑
sessions.
How can we end our bondage?
We need to let go and be free.
When we can let go of our desires
for impermanent gains, we can be
free. Then, our soul can experience
the love and beauty that God has
to offer. True happiness comes
when we connect with the source
of joy within us̶our soul and God.
To do so, we must turn our atten‑
tion from the worldly enticements
and listen to our soul. Beautiful
melodies of God are playing within
us all the time. Light and love are
shining within us. By turning our
attention from the world, we are
releasing our hold on the coins
that keep our hand stuck in the jar.
By letting go, we are gaining eter‑
nal freedom.
By sitting in meditation, free
from all worldly desires and
attachments, we can let go and find
ourselves free to soar back to God.
friend should we look for then? To
be truly awakened spiritually, we
should seek the friendship of the
Lord.
We have only a set number of
breaths to reunite our soul with
God. Let us do everything possible
to attain that goal. The best way to
reach the Lord is through medita‑
tion, sweet remembrance, and self‑
less service. These activities safe‑
guard us from being pulled away
by distractions of the world. If we
do these things, then we will be
ready at the time of our death.
Having mastered the art of rising
above body‑consciousness (by
meditating daily on the inner Light
and Sound of God) , we will know
what awaits us in the Beyond.
Befriending God makes our spirit
soar. Waves of divine love make
our soul rise to the eye‑fo cus
where we see tremendous Light. Is
there any love or friendship of the
world that can bring us to the eye‑
focus and make us rise above phys‑
ical body‑consciousness? Only the
love of the Lord can make us wide
awake̶not only in this world, but
wide awake into the Beyond.
(For more visit www.sos.org)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Dec 29, 2018-Jan 4, 2019