The Indian Panorama

Year: 2013

  • Pakistan’s new envoy to US was once expelled from India

    Pakistan’s new envoy to US was once expelled from India

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Pakistan has appointed as its ambassador to the United States an envoy who was once expelled from New Delhi for “indulging in activities incompatible with his official status.” Typically, that’s officialese for spying, but in that 2003 episode, Jalil Abbas Jilani was packed off from New Delhi for allegedly supplying cash to the Hurriyat leadership. Jilani, currently Pakistan’s foreign secretary, has been named by the Nawaz Sharif government as the country’s ambassador to Washington, filling a high-profile post that has remained vacant for several months after the resignation of Sherry Rehman, who was appointed by the Zardari-Bhutto’s PPP and who quit when the new Sharif’s PML came to power. Jilani’s appointment comes just ahead of Sharif’s visit to the White House on October 23 on an invitation from President Barack Obama as the two countries attempt to revive a relationship that has gone into steep decline in recent years.

    Pakistan is clearly out of favor in Washington DC because of its inability or unwillingness to act against terrorism that it has engendered as a state policy. Even its most ardent supporters and apologists in the administration, on the Hill, and in the think-tank circuit, seem to have a bleak view of the country and its future. A typical Pakistan-related event based on one of the many dismal, negative themes and books on the country will take place next week when Council of Foreign Relations’ Senior Fellow Daniel Markey will launch his new work “No Exit from Pakistan: America’s Tortured Relationship with Islamabad.” While a few well-wishers on both sides keep up the fiction of an alliance, Markey sees it as a dead-end relationship in which American and Pakistani policy makers have been condemned to agony in the same way as the sinners in John Paul Sartre’s play No Exit discover their hell is a room where they antagonize one another forever. “Like Sartre’s sinners, the United States and Pakistan have tormented each other for decades, if in very different ways,” Markey writes. “Both sides believe they have been sinned against. Even at high points in the relationship there were still underlying irritations and disagreements that got in the way of building any sort of strong, sustainable cooperation.”

    But like many other Washington pundits, he too believes the United States has important national security interests in Pakistan, and “both countries will have to cooperate even as the relationship evolves.” The Sharif-Jilani combine will have an uphill task of changing the discourse, which depends on how free they are from the stranglehold of the country’s military. For a change though, it will be the first time in nearly a decade that Pakistan has posted a career foreign service official as its ambassador to Washington. Jahangir Ashraf Qazi (2002-2004) was the last career diplomat who served as ambassador. He was succeeded by General Jehangir Karamat and Gen. Mahmud Ali Durrani, followed by Hussain Haqqani and Sherry Rehman, both PPP political appointees. Jilani meantime has kissed and made up with New Delhi, where he counts many friends despite the 2003 contretemps. He has visited India many times since then and has even met BJP leader, L KAdvani, who was the home minister when Jilani was expelled. In fact, it is a measure of New Delhi’s inconsistent approach to Pakistan that Jilani was even allowed to meet the Hurriyat leadership some years after he was expelled for bankrolling them.

  • Scott Carpenter, 4th American in space, dies at 88

    Scott Carpenter, 4th American in space, dies at 88

    DENVER (TIP): Scott Carpenter, who in 1962 became the fourth US astronaut in space and second American to orbit the Earth, died on Thursday in Colorado at age 88 of complications from a stroke, his wife Patty Carpenter said. She said her husband died in a Denver hospice he had entered a number of days ago. In 1959, NASA chose Carpenter and six other pilots to be astronauts in response to the Soviet Union’s space program. The only surviving member of that Mercury 7 team is John Glenn, 92, who went on to serve as a US Senator from Ohio for more than two decades. Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, and Carpenter was his backup on that mission. Later that year, Carpenter made only one spaceflight, taking the Aurora 7 spacecraft on three laps around Earth on May 24, 1962, a few weeks after his 37th birthday.

    It was a flight of less than five hours and made him the fourth American in space and the second, after Glenn, to orbit Earth. Carpenter, unlike his Mercury colleagues, had never been in a fighter squadron during the Korean War, instead flying mostly surveillance planes. Much of his flight time had been in multi-engine propeller planes, rather than jets. “Scott was the only one with a touch of the poet about him in the sense that the idea of going into space stirred his imagination,” Tom Wolfe wrote in “The Right Stuff,” his bestselling book about the first astronauts.

  • Obama, Republicans continue talks after White House meeting

    Obama, Republicans continue talks after White House meeting

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Republicans offered a plan to President Barack Obama on Thursday that would postpone a possible US default in a sign the two sides may be moving to end the standoff that has shuttered large parts of the government and thrown America’s future creditworthiness into question. No deal emerged from a 90-minute meeting at the White House, but the two sides said they would continue to talk. It was the first sign of a thaw in a political crisis that has weighed on financial markets and knocked hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work. “It was a very adult conversation,” said Republican Representative Hal Rogers, who attended the meeting. “Both sides said they were there in good faith.” The Republican offer would extend the government’s borrowing authority for several weeks, staving off a default that could come as soon as October 17.

    It would not necessarily reopen government operations that have been shuttered since October 1, but a Republican aide said that was part of the discussion as well. Significantly, Republicans seemed to be steering clear of the restrictions on Obama’s healthcare reforms and spending that prompted the crisis in the first place. The two sides instead are negotiating how far to extend the debt limit and how much funding they would provide the government when it opens, a Republican aide said. Both sides were expected to continue talks into the night. “The President looks forward to making continued progress with members on both sides of the aisle,” the White House said in a statement. Conflicting reports of the outcome of the meeting sent immediate ripples through financial markets. US equity index futures tracking the S&P 500 index dropped after a report that Obama had rejected the Republican offer, but rose when details of the meeting trickled out. Major US equity indexes closed 2 per cent higher earlier on Thursday on hopes of a deal.

    Shift by Republicans
    The proposal is a significant shift for Republicans, who had hoped to use the threat of a shutdown and a default to undermine Obama’s healthcare law and win further spending cuts. Those goals remain, but the Republican offer would at least push off the threat of default from October 17 until possibly the middle or end of November. That would give Republicans more time to seek spending cuts, a repeal of a medical-device tax, or other measures they say are needed to keep the national debt at a manageable level. The crisis began in late September when Republicans tied continued government funding to measures that would undercut the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature legislative accomplishment.

  • IALI Women’s Forum celebrates Navratri

    IALI Women’s Forum celebrates Navratri

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The India Association of Long Island (IALI) recently celebrated through its Women’s Forum its monthly event for October. It was a burst of riotous color and sound as the festive season of DIWALI was being heralded, jump starting with ‘Navaratri’ in full swing. Dozens of ladies colorfully attired in a variety of sarees, lehngas worn mostly in Gujarati style, suits and skirts thronged the floor of a restaurant in Garden City, prepared for the Dandiya Raas and Garba. DJ Amrit Daswani had all rocking on the dance floor in no time at all, and it was merriment, fun and laughter all the way. The usual delicious birthdays and anniversaries cake was cut and a sparkler-candle lit in honor of all present who were celebrating theirs. In another corner a special shopping arcade of fashionable clothes and jewelry tailored for the festive season was set up by Sai, where business was brisk. Women’s Forum Chair Veena Lamba welcomed and thanked all including her Team and Committee Members for the success of the event, remarking on the significance of Navaratri in India and the world over. Emcee and Host Rekha Valliappan made the introductions and various announcements. Two special guests Mr. Shaker Nelanuthala and Ms. Mili Makhijani standing for local positions in the Town of Oyster Bay in the upcoming elections said a few words.

  • Hindu Center Benefit Musical Evening Organized

    Hindu Center Benefit Musical Evening Organized

    NEW YORK (TIP): Hindu Center, Flushing organized a wonderful musical evening, mesmerizing performance by a great artist Falguni Shah and her husband Dr. Gaurav Shah, on September 29th, 2013 at Hindu Temple auditorium in Flushing. Event was held for Construction and extension of temple for more space and activities for our community. Hindu Center started in a house in June 1966 and today has a large three level grand Temple and have bought two nearby buildings-we have a lot of activities Temple opens every day and have four priests who perform all the religious activities at temple and go outside. Langer Prasad is offered every Tuesday and Sunday, Religious leaders and scholars visit regularly and have presentation by them for religion and cultural discourses, said a spokesman of the temple. He further said that elder group meetings are held regularly, Hindi language classes are run regularly.


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    Classical and folk dance classes are run by professionals on regular basis as well. We have a youth group who are participating in learning our culture. We need more space for more activities for the growing needs of our community. With new construction, we will have a large dining hall and auditorium with capacity of 500 will be at ground level. Hindu Center plans to have library, meeting places and canteen to mention few. We have two million dollar project and were able to raise more than $250,000 by generous donation of our devotees The Musical evening was attended by our elected officials that included Congresswoman Grace Meng, State Assemblyman David Weprin and District Leader Uma Sengupta, who are supporting our cause and community. Hindu Center honored Dr. Ajay Lodha, Dr. Swarn Gupta, Mr.Pramod Jain and Young Community leader Mr.Sumit Sharma for their valuable contribution to Community activities. We have seven new trustees and eleven Life members on board. All the executive Committee members participated actively along with Chairman Dr Bijoy Mehta, Co-Presidents Roshan Gera and Surinder Kathuria This event was organized by Fund Raising committee Chair Dr.Ravindra Goyal-Vice President Co-Chair and Trustee Dr. Neeta Jain and committee member Dr. Swarn Gupta.

  • Launch of pioneering nonformal curriculum to end violence against women and girls

    Launch of pioneering nonformal curriculum to end violence against women and girls

    UN Women and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scoutsput youth at the center of efforts

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, UN Women and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) launch “Voices against Violence”, a new nonformal education curriculum on ending violence against women and girls, putting young people at the heart of prevention efforts. A first of its kind, the “Voices against Violence” is a coeducational curriculum designed for various age groups ranging from 5 to 25 years. It provides girls, boys, young women and young men with tools and expertise to understand the root causes of violence in their communities, to educate and involve their peers and communities to prevent such violence, and to learn about where to access support if they experience violence. Working with youth organizations, UN partners and governments, UN Women and WAGGGS will roll out the curriculum to young people around the world.

    It will be adapted to national context, translated into local languages, and reach an estimated five million children and young people by 2020. “We need to expand quality education that empowers girls, breaks gender stereotypes, and achieves real social change. Education can play a key role in ending violence against women and girls and partnerships are critical to move this forward,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director. “We are very excited about our partnership with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on this pioneering effort to prevent violence against women and girls worldwide,” she added. With 1 in 3 women and girls experiencing abuse in their lifetime, violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation. Gender-based violence starts early, and girls and young women are particularly vulnerable. Over 50 percent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16 years. Globally, one in three girls are married before the age of 18, and one in nine before they turn 15.

    “When we reached out to girls and young women around the world and asked what was important to them, they told us that they wanted to take a lead on tackling violence against girls and young women and that they wanted the World Association to work alongside them to do this”, said Mary Mc Phail, Chief Executive of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. “As part of our Stop the Violence campaign, Voices against Violence is our first response; and with this programme we aim to go from a whisper of resistance to a shout of outrage, to stop the violence.” The new curriculum stems from the understanding that prevention should start early in life, when values and norms around gender equality are formed, by educating girls and boys about respectful relationships and gender equality. Effective prevention efforts entail a cross-generational approach, working within schools and communities, and providing young people the tools they need to challenge gender stereotypes, discrimination and violence. Members of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement can earn a ‘badge’ by completing a set of six age-appropriate sessions from the curriculum.

    Sessions can range from the youngest groups starting out with storytelling and games that prompt them to think about gender bias and stereotypes, while older age groups might organize poster competitions, visit and volunteer with local shelters, or develop local community-based campaigns and projects to address specific forms of violence against girls and women. For more information on Voices against Violence, visit http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/endingviolence- against-women/prevention#WAGGGS UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit www.unwomen.org. UN Women, 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, New York. Tel: +1 646 781-4400. Fax: +1 646 781-4496.

  • Former Liu associates sentenced for Fund-Raising Scheme

    Former Liu associates sentenced for Fund-Raising Scheme

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Two former associates of John C. Liu, the New York City comptroller, managed to avoid lengthy prison sentences on Thursday, October 10, for their roles in attempting to funnel money to Mr. Liu’s mayoral campaign through an illegal fundraising scheme, reported The New York Times. Although Jia Hou, a former Liu campaign treasurer, and Xing Wu Pan, a fund-raiser, each faced a maximum sentence of 20 years, it was widely expected that the actual sentence would be far less severe: Both defendants’ lawyers had asked that their clients avoid prison, and prosecutors had asked for no more than 30 months for Ms. Hou, and half that for Mr. Pan. But in a Manhattan courtroom filled with the defendants’ supporters, the judge, Richard J. Sullivan of Federal District Court, sentenced Ms. Hou to 10 months and Mr. Pan to four.

    Afterward, Mr. Liu, who was not charged in the federal investigation into his campaign finances, which dated to 2009, sharply criticized the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan, for prosecuting Ms. Hou, 27, who goes by the name Jenny, and Mr. Pan, who is known as Oliver and is in his 40s. “For reasons I may never fully understand,” Mr. Liu said, “the U.S. attorney’s office set out to destroy me with what has been described as an extraordinarily intrusive and exhaustive investigation.” He added: “Failing to find that I had done anything wrong, they proceeded to set up a weak man and a wonderful young woman. Jenny Hou does not deserve this ordeal and injustice she has been put through.” Mr. Bharara’s office declined to comment on Mr.

    Liu’s statement. Prosecutors had charged that Ms. Hou and Mr. Pan relied on so-called straw donors – people whose contributions are reimbursed by others – to raise money with the goal of obtaining city matching funds. Ms. Hou was acquitted of conspiracy but was convicted for her role in the straw-donor scheme. She was also found guilty of lying to federal agents and of obstruction of justice. Mr. Pan was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and of attempted wire fraud in relation to a straw-donor scheme. Mr. Liu was not in court Thursday. He commented, “I am very sad but even more angry at what has occurred,” he said. “The U.S. attorney’s office was wrong and should not be proud of its conduct.”

  • Mangano for rooting out Medicaid Waste, Fraud & Abuse; Seeks wider opportunities for Investigation

    Mangano for rooting out Medicaid Waste, Fraud & Abuse; Seeks wider opportunities for Investigation

    MINEOLA, NY (TIP): While the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) currently limits the types of Medicaid investigations permitted by the County to medical transportation, pharmacy and durable medical equipment only, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano has asked the New York State Medicaid Inspector General for expansion of the County’s investigation functions to include reviews of nursing homes, assisted living and other long-term care facilities. County Executive Mangano anticipates that as the population throughout Nassau County continues to age, more people will be in need of long term care, thereby increasing the possibility for abuse of taxpayer funds. In a recent letter to the Medicaid Inspector General, County Executive Mangano highlighted the need to ensure that the facilities are appropriately and responsibly meeting the needs of older adults. “With a rapidly expanding aging population on Long Island and the increasing prevalence of nursing homes, assisted living and other long-term care facilities, we undoubtedly and confidently believe that the savings to our taxpayers through the uncovering of waste, fraud and abuse in those institutions will be significantly enhanced far in excess of our current productivity,” said County Executive Mangano. Thus far, the savings in uncovering Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse in Nassau County has exceeded $51 million. “Nassau County welcomes the opportunity to expand its investigation program in order to protect taxpayers,” added Mangano. “I am hopeful the Medicaid Inspector General will agree and approve our proposed expansion.”

  • Odisha man is Chief Executive of Bank of India’s US Operations

    Odisha man is Chief Executive of Bank of India’s US Operations

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Weeks after Bank of India Chief Executive of US operations B.B. Joshi who was transferred as Executive Director of Bank of Baroda in Mumbai, the new incumbent has finally taken over. He is P.K. Pattanaik from Odisha. Speaking about his priorities, he said he would address core issues to improve the profitability of operations. “Profitability of banks has come under severe strain following the global slowdown and there is a crying need to address the core customer base”, said Pattanaik. He would strive hard to improve and enforce systems and procedures for strict regulatory compliances. He said the bank has an independent compliance department with more than half a dozen officers and all efforts would be made to strengthen the department. Bank of India, New York branch and San Francisco Agency have been operating in the US since December 1978 and December 1977 respectively and are familiar, confident and comfortable doing business the American way.

    Bank of India has global assets of $ 39 Billion and has a network of over 2884 branches spread over the length and breadth of India. The bank which was set up in 1906 also has branches in international commercial centers like London, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, Antwerp, ShenZen (China) to name a few and is wellversed in international trade. Bank of India, New York and San Francisco has a team of banking professionals who have come from different parts of India and are well versed in Indiarelated trade and have good rapport with key personnel in the banking sector in India. In view of this, unlike any other bank, Bank of India is in a position to move things in India, should there be roadblocks. Pattanaik started his career as a probationary officer in the bank in 1981 and rose up to the level of General Manager. He served in various capacities in branches in his home state Odisha and also in Mumbai Metro as Chief Manager besides working in the corporate office in Mumbai. A postgraduate in agriculture from Orissa institute of Agriculture, he also worked as General Manager of the bank’s Nagpur Zone. A former chairman of Aryabhatt Grameen Bank in Lucknow, Pattanaik have intensive experience in priority sector credit and compliances. He also served as General Manager of Human Resources of Financial Inclusions in bank’s head office in Mumbai prior to his posting in New York.

  • Hillary Clinton attends a Business Luncheon in Long Island

    Hillary Clinton attends a Business Luncheon in Long Island

  • A Memorable Wedding Reception

    A Memorable Wedding Reception

    Ayon, son of Nilesh and Malini Shah was married to Melissa on October 5. The wedding reception was largely attended. Tom Suozzi, a former County Executive of Nassau County who is contesting election for the office again, also attended, as did the Indian Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay and a former Consul General Prabhu Dayal.

  • Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley at the UN

    Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley at the UN

  • India’s Minister of External Affairs E. Ahmed at the United Nations

    India’s Minister of External Affairs E. Ahmed at the United Nations

  • New York Seniors organize a health seminar

    New York Seniors organize a health seminar

  • 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

    2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

    The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 has been awarded jointly to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel “for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems”.

  • 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature

    2013 Nobel Prize in Literature

    The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Canadian author Alice Munro. The Prize Committee hailed her as the “master of the contemporary short story.”

  • 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics

    2013 Nobel Prize in Physics

    The 2013 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded jointly to François Englert of Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium and Peter W. Higgs of University of Edinburgh, UK “for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider”.

  • 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

    2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

    The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2013 was awarded jointly to James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof” for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells”.

  • Ratan Tata, 8 Indian- Americans inducted in US engineering academy

    Ratan Tata, 8 Indian- Americans inducted in US engineering academy

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Leading Indian industrialist Ratan Tata has been inducted into the prestigious US National Academy of Engineering in the US for his “outstanding contributions to industrial development in India and the world”. Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, was inducted as one of 11 new foreign associates of the private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides independent advice to the US federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. Besides Tata, eight Indian- Americans were among 69 new elected members taking the total US membership to 2,250 and the number of foreign associates to 211. Addressing the annual meeting of the group on Sunday, NAE president CD Mote Jr lamented that talented engineering workforce was not being given desired priority attention in the US.

    At just four percent, the percentage of US engineering graduates among all its graduates is 1/3 of the European average (13 percent) and 1/6 of the Asian (India, Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore) competitor average of 23%, he said. As part of its efforts to push its global reach, NAE has started bilateral “Frontiers of Engineering” programmes with India, Germany, Japan, China, and the EU and a new one with Brazil is scheduled for 2014, he said. The new Indian-American members are: Anant Agarwal, president, edX (online learning initiative of MIT and Harvard University) for contributions to shared-memory and multicore computer architectures. Murty P Bhavaraju, senior consultant, PJM Interconnection, Norristown, Pennsylvania for probabilistic reliability evaluation tools for large electric power systems. Ashok J Gadgil, director and senior scientist, environmental energy technologies division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for engineering solutions to the problems of potable water and energy in underdeveloped nations.

  • SIKHS Win Third Turban Case at the UN against France

    SIKHS Win Third Turban Case at the UN against France

    NEW YORK (TIP): The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) concluded that France has violated the religious freedom of 57 year old Shingara Mann Singh when he was asked to remove his turban for his passport photograph. Shingara Singh, a French national since 1989, was unable to renew his passport in 2005 because the French authorities insisted that he remove his turban for his ID photograph, which he refused to do. The UNITED SIKHS legal team took up his case in French courts and then retained O’Melveny & Myers LLP to file a communication on behalf of Shingara Singh to the UNHRC in December 2008. The UNHRC, in views dated September 26, 2013 and made public last week, said that France has failed to demonstrate that the restriction imposed on Shingara Singh is actually necessary. The Committee found that the restrictions result in a potential obstruction to his fundamental right to freedom of religion when he is required to appear in ID photos without the religious headwear he always wears, as he might thereafter be forced to take off his turban in public when going through ID checkpoints.

    The Committee also observed that France had not explained why the act of wearing a turban covering only the upper portion of an individual’s head and forehead (but leaving the face clearly visible) makes it more difficult to identify the wearer, or why a bare headed ID photograph in Shingara Singh’s case would make it easier to ascertain his identity or to prevent fraud or forgery given that he wears his turban at all times when in public. “The Committee therefore must conclude that the regulations requiring him to appear in his passport photographs ‘with the head uncovered’ is a disproportionate restriction that poses a threat to the author’s [Shingara Singh’s] freedom of religion and thereby constitutes, in the present instance, a violation of Article 18 of the Covenant,” according to an unofficial English translation of the Committee’s Views. The Covenant was entered into force for France on 4 February 1981. “This is the third Turban case that the UNITED SIKHS legal team has won at the UN since these cases were filed against France in 2008, which shows that the international community recognizes that the wearing of turban by a Sikh is not only his/her religious duty but is a part of his/her identity.

    We have done our work to show that international law recognizes the right to wear a turban in France. We now need to embark on a campaign to make France realize that it has to fulfill its obligations under international law to ensure that freedom of religion and belief is upheld for everyone in its country,” said Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS International Legal Director, who has been working on these cases since France banned the turban in state schools in 2004. “I have been a French citizen for more than 20 years. I continue to be proud to be French but I fail to see how my country can be proud of its slogan of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity if it cannot uphold its citizens’ fundamental right to religious freedom. I hope that the UNHRC’s decision will wake France up to its international obligations,” said Shingara Singh, who is struggling to conduct his life in France without an identity document. His driver’s license card too had been refused because of his refusal to bare his head for the ID photograph.

  • Tendulkar to retire after 200th test match

    Tendulkar to retire after 200th test match

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Sachin Tendulkar on October 10 announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th match against the West Indies next month, bringing an end to the intense speculation about his future. The 40-year-old Tendulkar, who has not been in the best of form in recent times, has informed the BCCI about his decision to quit Test cricket after a glorious career spanning 24 years. “All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. “It’s been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Matchon home soil, as I call it a day,” Tendulkar, who has already retired from the ODIs, said in the released issued by BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel.

    Tendulkar thanked the BCCI for its support throughout his career and also for allowing to walk into Test sunset at a time of his choosing. “I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it’s time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best,” he said. Reacting to the news of his retirement, BCCI President N Srinivasan said that he is one of the greatest admirers of Sachin Tendulkar. “We respect Sachin’s decision to retire but many of us can’t imagine an Indian team without him,” he said. “Sachin has been an inspiration for generations of sportsmen and not just for cricketers,” he added. There was intense pressure on Tendulkar to bid adieu to Test cricket after a prolonged form slump and particularly with the advent of a number of young players. Tendulkar’s 200th Test match is most likely to be held at his home ground in Mumbai from November 14. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata is also a contender for hosting that historic match. The BCCI has not yet announced the venues for the two Tests against the West Indies.

    The fact that the BCCI squeezed in a home series against the West Indies had raised speculation that it was done to give Tendulkar the opportunity to retire in front of his home fans. Although Tendulkar had always maintained that he would continue playing cricket as long as he enjoys playing the game, the pressure of playing at the international level has gradually taking a toll on his ageing body. He recently retired from the IPL and the Champions League T20 event after his franchise Mumbai Indians won both the titles this year. Although the decision to retire was in the offing for some time, the BCCI release did create a flutter, prompting many former Test crickets to pay glorious tributes to the champion batsman who virtually held every batting record. Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time and the most prolific runmaker of all time. His 198 Test appearances yielded 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86. From his 463 ODI matches, he had, under his belt, a whopping 18,426 at an average of 44.83. He is the only batsman to score 100 international centuries — 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs.

    Much before his debut on November 15, 1989 against Pakistan, Tendulkar’s precocious talent was there to be seen when he shared an unbeaten 664-run stand with buddy Vinod Kambli in the Lord Harris Shield Inter-School Game in 1988. His first Test century came in England in 1990 at Old Trafford and the Mumbaikar rose in stature after the 1991-92 tour of Australia, hitting sublime hundreds on a Sydney turner and a Perth minefield. Tendulkar was also the first batsman in the world to score a double ton in ODIs, a feat he achieved in Gwalior against South Africa in February 2010. This was included in Times magazine’s top 10 sports moments of the year. A perfect team-man, Tendulkar limited his Twenty20 ambition to the Indian Premier League, ruling himself out of national reckoning lest it upsets the existing equilibrium of the side. The biggest compliment to his batting came from Bradman himself in 1999 when he said that Tendulkar’s style of playing resembled his style. His 154 scalps in ODIs underline the fact that Tendulkar could have also staked claim to be that elusive all-rounder that India has been desperately looking for since the legendary Kapil Dev. In the field, he is among the safest pair of hands in the slip and his flat throw releasing strong arm saw him manning the deep with equal aplomb. He has taken 114 catches in Test cricket and 140 in the ODIs.

  • Asaram’s judicial custody extended till October 25

    Asaram’s judicial custody extended till October 25

    JAIPUR (TIP): A court in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur town on October 11 extended, till October 25, the judicial custody of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, arrested for sexually assaulting a minor girl. The 72-year-old Asaram has been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail since September 01. The court of the district and sessions judge (Jodhpur rural) will, meanwhile, decide on the plea by a Gujarat police team seeking custody of the jailed self-styled godman for questioning him in connection with a sexual assault case lodged by two sisters from Surat against him and his son. Armed with a warrant, the police team had moved a Jodhpur court on Thursday. The District and Session Court had adjourned the matter till Friday after the police team from Ahmedabad appeared before it with the production warrant issued against 72-year-old Asaram by a Gandhinagar court. The Surat Police had registered the two complaints – one against Asaram and another against son Narayan Sai – of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges. The complaint against Asaram was transferred to Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad as the incident took place in Asaram’s ashram here. A 16-year-old girl on August 20 lodged a police complaint, accusing Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his ashram near Jodhpur. Asaram was arrested from his ashram in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and brought to Jodhpur on September 01.

  • Gunmen seize Libyan PM Ali Zeidan; free him hours later

    Gunmen seize Libyan PM Ali Zeidan; free him hours later

    TRIPOLI (TIP): Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan appealed for calm Thursday, October 10 in his first public comments since he was freed after being abducted by militia gunmen for several hours, a CNN report said. In remarks to a Cabinet meeting broadcast on Libyan state TV, Zeidan said he did not want to see the situation escalate and urged Libyans to show “wisdom.” Zeidan’s abduction from a luxury hotel early Thursday highlighted the security threat posed by militias that have run rampant in Libya since the revolution that ousted Moammar Gadhafi two years ago. But the prime minister appeared to play down his kidnapping, characterizing it as an internal political problem. “I want to reassure the foreigners inside Libya that this issue happened within the context of political Libyan disagreements and the foreigners are not being targeted,” he said. Immediately after Zeidan’s release, Nouri Abusahmain, president of the Libyan General National Congress, said the prime minister was “in good shape” and “in good spirits” as he headed to his office. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to Malaysia, said he had spoken with U.S. Ambassador to Libya Deborah Jones and Washington as the situation in Libya evolved, and would stay in close touch. “Our embassy personnel are secure.We’re confident about our abilities to keep them in that security,” Kerry said. The situation underscores “something that we’ve been really focused on in these last months,which is building capacity in Libya,” he added. It has been just over a year since U.S. envoy Christopher Stevens was killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

  • AIA celebrates Deepavali at South Street Seaport

    AIA celebrates Deepavali at South Street Seaport

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): The New York Chapter of the Association of Indians in America (AIA-NY) hosted a Deepavali event at South Street Seaport, New York City on October 6th, 2013. The event lasted an entire day and was organized in order to celebrate the Hindu holiday, Deepavali, symbolizing the elimination of evil and the establishment of good. This was AIA’s 26th year celebrating this event at the South Street Seaport. In conjunction with the other colorful cultural events, the highlight this year was a record breaking bhangra party led by the famous DJ Rekha of Basement Bhangra. The celebration broke the Guinness record for the largest coordinated bhangra dance and DJ Rekha and AIA collaborated to make history. Pankhuri of the famous Star India Plus TV Show, “Pyaar Ka Dard Hain Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara”, stole the hearts of the crowd. Omi Vaidya, famous for his role in the popular movie “3 Idiots”, entertained the audience with his presence. Later, Pankhuri and Vaidya came together to conduct “Main Bhi Star” in order to select a candidate to act in a future soap opera.


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    There were beautiful traditional dances held on the main stage at pier 16 while contemporary Bollywood dances rocked the stage near Water Street. Although AIA provided twelve food vendors in expectation of the large crowds that would be flocking to this event, there were still lines wrapped around the venue. Meena Bazaar sold traditional clothing and other items in big numbers. The weather was beautiful and enhanced the overall feeling of the event. All of the programs were seamlessly organized and coordinated well with each other and their respective audiences. The evening VIP hour was held on the waterfront with a spectacular view of the fireworks. It was attended by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Deputy Council General of India to New York, Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Congresswoman Grace Meng and New York City Comptroller John Liu. The Republican candidate for Mayor of New York, Joe Lhota, also stopped by to wish a happy Deepavali to the Indian community. Reshma Saujani represented public advocate and Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Di Blassio at the event and communicated his best wishes for Deepavali to the community. Awards of appreciation were distributed to all the major sponsors by Dr. Khobragade on behalf of AIA. The evening concluded with magnificent fireworks on the East River. The event was a great success overall and carried on the AIA tradition of celebrating Deepavali in New York City with pomp and splendor.

  • India looks to the Diaspora with a lot of Expectations – BOB CMD Mundra

    India looks to the Diaspora with a lot of Expectations – BOB CMD Mundra

    Bank of Baroda Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. S.S. Mundra visited New York from September 16th to 18th. It was his first visit to New York after he took over as Chairman and Managing Director of the second largest public sector bank of India, second only to State Bank of India. Mr. Mundra met with customers and the Indian American community and also launched the internet banking. A reception to Mr. Mundra was hosted by the Indian Consulate where he met the Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay and a cross section of Indian American community.


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    He also addressed the gathering and spoke about banking industry in general and, the Bank of Baroda operations in US in particular. He spoke about the synergy that can be developed through Bank of Baroda. Mr. S. S. Mundra was born on 18th July, 1954. After completing his Masters in Commerce, he joined Bank of Baroda as a Probationary Officer on 21st March, 1977. In his first stint in Bank of Baroda, he rose to the level of General Manager in 2007. During his illustrious career in Bank of Baroda, he held several challenging assignments which included a stint as Head of Bank’s Maharashtra & Goa Zone and Global Treasury Operations for over 5 years. During his overseas assignments, he served with Bank of Baroda (Uganda) Ltd. and was also Territorial Head of Bank’s European Operations, headquartered at London during the period 2008 – 2010.

    Mr. Mundra was elevated as Executive Director in Union Bank of India in September, 2010. During his tenure at Union Bank of India, he handled many important portfolios including Treasury, International, Large Corporate and Alternate Channels. On his elevation as Chairman and Managing Director on 21st January, 2013, he joined Bank of Baroda a premier Public Sector Bank (PSB) in India having a branch network of over 4000 branches including Bank’s overseas operations spread over 24 countries with a global business of over INR 8 trillion (USD 131 bn). Bank of Baroda is second largest Public Sector Bank of India only after State Bank of India in terms of Balance Sheet size.


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    It has 100 branches/ offices outside India. He is on the Board of many national and international organizations which include EXIM Bank, National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Bank of Baroda (Uganda) Ltd., India International Bank Malaysia Bhd, Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd., BOBCARDS Ltd., India First Life Insurance, Baroda Pioneer Mutual Fund etc. He has remained Director on the Board of The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL), Central Depository Services (India) Ltd. (CDSL), MITCONConsulting and Engineering Services Ltd., BOB Asset Management Company, India Infrastructure Finance Corporation (UK) Ltd. (IIFCL), Star Union Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd., National Payments Corporation of India Ltd (NPCI) and Bank of Baroda (Kenya) Ltd. He has also served on many Committees of RBI, IBA, NIBM, CII etc.

    He has also attended many training programs, seminar/ conferences both in India and abroad, in the area of Banking and Finance. He has widely traveled abroad. The countries he visited include UK, Belgium, France, USA, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, various African countries etc. With the blend of wide overseas and domestic banking exposure at top management level, he has immensely contributed to the improvement of policy framework of the banking industry. As recognition of his contributions in the field of banking, finance, industry and commerce, he has won many Awards and accolades, latest being his inclusion in the list of India’s top 100 CEOs in CD-ET (Corporate Dossier – Economic Times) Survey after a stringent process of selection while Bank of Baroda is also ranked as 20th Best Indian Brand by Brand Equity – Economic Times.

    The Indian Panorama chief editor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja interviewed Mr. Mundra. Here are excerpts from the interview.

    Q. You have launched internet banking. How does it help your customers?

    In today’s wired world, customers should have the right to have information in real time. At the moment, we are providing to our customers viewing facility. As of now, we are not providing transaction facility, which is a little complicated affair. However, there is no fee for the facility we are providing.

    Q. When, do you think, you will provide the real time transaction facility?

    There has to be an enhanced security level. Also, there has to be a higher comfort level for both the customers and the bank before we can go in for providing this facility. Q. Are there any legal or procedural difficulties in providing transaction facilities? Not so. Internet banking is an internationally accepted practice. There is no legal problem, as such. Yes, there could be procedural problems. There has to be a robust procedure that ensures the comfort level of customers. After all, the facility is meant to give comfort to customers.

    Q. What are your impressions of your meetings with customers here?

    I am glad our customers spoke highly of the services being provided by New York branch. All felt very happy with the staff and the cooperation they were getting.We look forward to long term relationship with our customers.We believe in making and cementing relationship. Of course, some suggested that we start retail banking. But then, there is no plan with the bank as of now.

    Q. We hear of banks in India committing irregularities and being pulled up. Did your bank ever face this kind of situation?

    We are a conservative bank, so to say.We are acutely compliant. There has never been a complaint about our not being compliant. However, there could some times be some small and inconsequential matters. But there always is room for improvement. Please remember, we are the second largest public sector bank, after State Bank of India.We have 42,000 employees and a customer base of 50 million. The total business of the bank, as on 31st march, 2013 , was 8 lac 50 thousand crore.

    Q. What do you think about the future of Indian economy?

    I believe the fundamentals of Indian economy are very strong. From a distance, the Diaspora may some times not be able to see the clear picture and have misgivings about the strength of the economy. But let me assure the Diaspora that Indian economy is strong and has the capacity to withstand knocks.

    Q. Your message to the NRIs?

    Indians abroad are doing very well. They are doing good to their genetic mother and also to their adopted mother. India is proud of them. And India looks up to them with great expectations.