The Indian Panorama

Year: 2013

  • Educating Tax Payers: a seminar on ‘US Tax Laws and Foreign Bank Accounts Reporting and Assets Protection’

    Educating Tax Payers: a seminar on ‘US Tax Laws and Foreign Bank Accounts Reporting and Assets Protection’

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): The Law Offices of Anand Ahuja in association with the Private Client Reserve of US Bank organized a seminar on ‘US Tax Laws and Foreign Bank Accounts Reporting and Assets Protection’ on August 12, 2013, in Manhattan. Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General of India in New York was the Chief Guest at the well attended event. In her opening remarks, she stated the importance of various tax reporting legislations both in India and the U.S.A., and problem of tax evasion in various countries. Commenting on United State’s role to check free flow of unreported income, and US’s initiative in entering into intergovernmental agreements with various countries to curb this menace, she mentioned that India has not signed inter governmental agreement with the U.S. so far, but may eventually consider signing it.

    She was, however, concerned about certain provisions in these agreements, specifically conflict of these provisions with certain privacy or banking secrecy requirements under Indian laws. She said that those issues will have to be taken into consideration, and possibly negotiated with the U.S. before India signs this agreement. Attorney Anand Ahuja emphasized that “Increased international mobility of both capital and labor in recent years has forced advanced countries to examine their fiscal policies from international perspective. In this age of globalization, cross-border matters have become of great concern to American politics. Citizen of other countries, at times, move to the USA or own assets here, and U.S. Citizens often move or own assets outside the United States. Therefore, any estate, gift or tax planning should be considered from international perspective than just domestically”. Further Attorney Anand Ahuja explained that the definition of a U.S. residence from U.S. tax laws is different from U.S. immigration laws.

    The United States taxes rules, for determining whether a person is subject to income tax or not, are based on two tests- (a) the permanent residence or citizen test, and (b) the substantial presence test. Therefore, besides U.S. Citizen and Green Card Holder (a/ka Lawful Permanent Resident), a person becomes U.S. resident from tax laws point view based upon his/her “substantial presence” in the United States. Attorney Ahuja stated that the U.S. government, therefore, imposes income tax, on its citizens, legal permanent residents (“LPR” or green card holders), legal non-immigrants (H1-B, L1, E, and O-1 etc.), illegal residents, and even foreigners visiting USA. Any person, while residing in the United States for certain number of days, even if is illegally, is a U.S. income tax resident and thus subject to his/her worldwide income to U.S. income taxation by virtue of meeting the “substantial presence” test. “It’s precisely for this reason that all U.S. residents, legal or illegal are supposed to file not only their annual income tax returns in time but also other tax reporting forms”, said Attorney Anand Ahuja. Exceptions, he said, however, apply in certain cases.

    For example, foreign government employees, employees of certain international organization, certain exchange visitors etc; are exempt. Attorney Ray Radigan discussed, in detail, about the importance of a will and proper estate planning, especially for immigrant community such as Indian with assets located in multi-jurisdictions. He emphasized that having a will ensures that state law will not dictate the distribution of your assets, the custody of your children, or the care of those under your responsibility with special needs. He stated, “A will also allows you to avoid having a court-appointed administrator and the associated costs”. Further, he discussed various forms of trusts and estate planning tools with the audience. The program was moderated by Kelly Imamura, of The Private Client Reserve of US Bank. Amongst the attendees of this highly informative and educational seminar were physicians from Indian community and bankers that included Mr. Hadrian A. Tucker, Senior Compliance Officer, US Operations, State Bank of India; Mr. G. V. Parmeswaran, Bank of Baroda and P. Ramakrishna Chowdary, Andhra Bank.

  • Supreme Court of India attorney attends meet on anti-corruption in NYC

    Supreme Court of India attorney attends meet on anti-corruption in NYC

    NEW YORK (TIP): R. Shunmugasundaram, a Senior Advocate of Supreme Court of India and a former Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha the only delegate to attend from India said anti-bribery, anti-corruption and the expectation of fair and ethical business practices from private sector is a hot topic in today’s world-wide political, economic and confidence crises. The effectiveness and efficacy of Indian Prevention of Corruption Act to combat corruption in government agencies and public sector businesses in India came up for discussion at a seminar organized by New York State Bar Association and Paris-based Internationale des Advocats (UIA – International Association of Lawyers) held in New York City. The two-day seminar – Global Integrity Challenges for Enterprise Management & Anti-corruption and Anti-money Laundering – was attended by corporate attorneys from many part of the world.

    The seminar was organized by the UIA and the New York State Bar Association’s International Section with the support of the American Bar Association Section of International Law (ABA-SIL) The forum provided comprehensive overview of the current situation in the US, Europe and Latin America on monitoring integrity – including corruption – risks companies are facing, handling internal audits and assessing and treating unwelcome findings. Topics such as general overview on international corruption prevention legislation and recent anti-corruption enforcement trends in targeted industries were discussed by some of the best legal minds, he said.

    The experts debated on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and its international enforcement, discussion of the FCPA guidelines, review of recent cases pursued by the US Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission, as well as examples of cases where a company deftly avoided prosecution. Issues such as anti-corruption laws of other countries such as the UK Bribery Act, the Indian Prevention of Corruption Act, the Chinese Anti-unfair Competition Act, as well as the OECD’s Anti- Bribery Convention came up and the panelists discussed how cooperation among prosecutors in countries across the globe has led to better coordinated prosecution of bribery, he added. The US has stringent laws in place for its registered corporate entities indulging in corrupt practices offshore and hands in stringent punishment.

  • Decade of IBSA fund celebrated

    Decade of IBSA fund celebrated

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (UN) in New York along with the Permanent Missions of Brazil and South Africa, and UN Office for South South Cooperation celebrated 10 years of the establishment of the India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA) fund on September 12. The day also marked as International Day for South South cooperation by the UN. The Event titled “IBSA Fund: A Flagship Initiative in South South Cooperation” was attended by permanent representatives of India, Brazil and South Africa. “It was exactly ten years ago in 2003, when India, Brazil and South Africa announced at the United Nations General Assembly, their decision to establish a Trust Fund in partnership with the UNDP, with one singular aim: to contributing to, in our own ways, eradicating poverty and alleviating hunger,” said ambassador Asoke K. Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations.


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    Ambassadors releasing the IBSA publication. India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asoke Mukerji is on extreme left.

    He added “What subsequently became operational with a mere $ 3 million initial corpus has today metamorphosed into a fund with accumulated and invested operating capital of more than $ 26 million, with 14 success stories implemented, and several others ongoing. These are spread all across the spectrum of the developing world, as examples of best practices in our common fight against “the greatest global challenge” of poverty eradication.” IBSA fund has been actively funding projects in Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Palestine, Viet NAM, Cape Verde, Haiti supporting a wide range of projects. The themes that the Fund has explored include promoting food security, addressing HIV/AIDS, extending access to safe drinking water, capacity building, building of hospitals for children with special needs- all with the singular aim of contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in partnership with UNDP. The event was attended by Ambassadors of some select countries – Palestine, Burundi, Vietnam and Cambodia- which are being benefited from IBSA projects. “South South cooperation via this project is very important for my country especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

    The fund has helped build a facility for testing HIV and also to spread awareness about the disease especially in rural areas,” said Anesie Ndayishimiye, first counselor, permanent mission of Burundi to the United Nations, adding, “The percentage of population who have HIV is growing in rural region which was not affected as much as the urban region.” Ambassador Mukerji also addressed the issue of “increased burden sharing when such calls are placed upon the so called ‘rising South’”. The IBSA Trust Fund operates through a demand driven approach. Governments of other developing countries request support by this fund, the board of directors at IBSA fund review the proposal before releasing the funds. He said that, “The Fund is an exercise in solidarity which is initiated only at the explicit request of a developing partner, and not imposed from above.” And that the initiative is “in keeping with our (India’s) commitment on South South Cooperation in which we (India) have already invested billions of dollars since our independence,” he said. The event was followed by the inauguration of an IBSA Exhibition at the UN headquarters, which featured panels on projects completed under the IBSA Fund.

  • Sonia Gandhi was not Served with Lawsuit, says Sloan-Kettering

    Sonia Gandhi was not Served with Lawsuit, says Sloan-Kettering

    Photo caption: New York based human rights organization Sikhs For Justice filed a lawsuit in a US Federal Court in New York against Mrs. Sonia Gandhi alleging she protected and shielded those involved in attacks on Sikhs in November 1984, which claimed 8000 innocent lives. NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Putting a lie to the claims of Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Legal Advisor to the Sikhs For Justice and the principal player in the organization, that summons to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi were served at the Memorial – Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, the staff at the Center told India-West Sept. 12 that All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi was not served with a lawsuit by the Sikhs for Justice while she was at the hospital for treatment for an undiagnosed medical condition.

    Gandhi is the subject of a pending lawsuit for her alleged involvement in the November 1984 anti-Sikh riots, in which 8000 Sikhs were reportedly killed over several days. The suit accuses Gandhi – a non-politician at the time of the riots – for protecting and shielding the orchestrators of the attack and doing nothing to bring them to justice in the 30 years since the massacre. On Sept. 9, U.S. Federal Judge Brian M. Cogan had ordered that the suit against Gandhi be delivered to her personally via hospital staff or security personnel at Sloan-Kettering. Gurpatwant Pannun, attorney for the U.S.-based Sikhs for Justice, told India-West that Gandhi had been served with the lawsuit later that evening, and sent a press statement to the media noting that the summons had been delivered to Gandhi. Sloan-Kettering security manager Alvin Milliner told India-West Sept. 12 that Gandhi had not been served with the lawsuit by hospital staff. “Three men came in the middle of the night and started throwing papers on every nursing station on all five floors, saying ‘you have been served.’

    Nobody picked them up,” he said, adding that the men created “quite a commotion during the night while people were sleeping.” The New York Police Department was called in because of the commotion, and now is in possession of the summons against Gandhi, according to Milliner. Judge Cogan’s order requires the person who has been served the summons to then deliver the summons to Gandhi. Meanwhile, PTI reports that Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka returned to India on Sept. 11. Milliner said the documents against Gandhi are still being held by the NYPD. Pacer, a Web-based service to search for court documents, had not listed a “proof of service” affidavit in Gandhi’s case, as of Sept. 12 evening. Gandhi has been at Sloan Kettering since Sept. 2, days after she complained of chest pain and exhaustion in the Lok Sabha during a discussion of the sweeping Food Security Bill. Gandhi first received treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences before coming to the U.S. In August 2011, Gandhi underwent treatment at Sloan-Kettering for an undiagnosed ailment.

  • Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter holds a Deepavali 2013 kick off at the Consulate

    Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter holds a Deepavali 2013 kick off at the Consulate

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIANY) organized a kick off for the popular South Street Seaport Diwali celebrations. The Consul General of India in New York, Dnyaneshwar Mulay addressed the large gathering in the ornate Ball Room of the Consulate. He characterized Diwali as the most secular festival of India. Mr. Sunil Modi, President of AIA-NY, giving out details about the celebrations, said, “The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) hosts its 26th Annual Deepavali at South Street Seaport on October 6th, 2013 from 12 noon till 8pm (Fireworks at 7pm).


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    President of AIA, New York Chapter Sunil Modi gave out details of the event

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    Mouth-watering delicacies from India, a designated area for Children, a holistic Health Fair, breath-taking performances in addition to a splendor showcase of Indian culture, arts and crafts, jewelry, traditional clothes and an evening of music and dance are some of the highlights that AIA-NY’s 26th Deepavali brings this year. The grand finale of the evening is the display of live Fireworks igniting the East River which is witnessed by over a million New Yorkers. A popular Bollywood singer of yesteryears, Sharada, regaled the gathering with her soulful singing. The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America founded on August 20, 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment.

  • Gallows for Rapists

    Gallows for Rapists

    NEW DELHI (TIP): After a nine-month-long trial, a fast track court on September 13 handed down death penalty to all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The court while pronouncing the judgment said that “it cannot turn a blind eye on the rising cases of sexual assualt against women” and that the incident shook the “collective conscience of the society”. The court said the case falls under rarest of rare category. “In these times when crime against women are on rise, we cannot turn a blind eye towards such gruesome crime,we need to send a message that it will not be tolerated,” the judge said.

    Gym instructor Vinay Sharma, bus cleaner Akshay Thakur, fruitseller Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh, who were found guilty in all 13 charges, including murder and rape, were given death sentence by judge Yogesh Khanna today. Out of the six men arrested in the case, Ram Singh committed suicide inside Tihar Jail. Another accused, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was sent to reform home for three years by a juvenile court. The shocking rapemurder case had triggered nationwide protests and debate over women safety in the country and eventually saw the Parliament passing a stringent change in rape laws. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was amended to provide death penalty in rape cases that cause death of the victim or leave her in a vegetative state. The Act also introduced several other new offences such as causing grievous injury through acid attacks, sexual harassment, use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe, voyeurism and stalking. Besides gang rape and murder, the court had held Mukesh (26), Vinay Sharma (20), Pawan Gupta (19) and Akshay Singh Thakur (28) guilty of attempt to murder, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence, conspiracy, kidnapping or abducting in order to murder, while acquitting them of the charge of murder in dacoity.

    Additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna, presiding the special fast track court, also convicted them for kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confining a person, abducting to subject a person to grievous hurt and slavery, abducting woman to cause her defilement, voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery and dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity of the IPC. “The accused have also tried to destroy the evidence after the incident, so they are convicted under section 201 of the IPC. They had abducted the victim to have illicit intercourse with her, so they are convicted under section 366 of the IPC,” the judge had said while pronouncing the judgement on Tuesday. While pronouncing the verdict, the judge said, even though the proceedings against accused Ram Singh (34), who was found dead in his prison cell after he committed suicide on March 11, were abated, “he is also convicted under same sections (gang rape, murder and other offences)”. On the night of December 16, last year, Ram Singh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan, Mukesh and the juvenile had gangraped the girl in a bus after luring her and her 28-year-old male friend, who was also assaulted, on board the vehicle, which was later found to be plying illegally on Delhi roads. The victim’s friend, a software engineer, had fractured his limbs in the incident. The girl succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at a Singapore hospital.

  • The Face off- Suozzi, Mangano blame each other on debt, as they kick off campaign

    The Face off- Suozzi, Mangano blame each other on debt, as they kick off campaign

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Nassau County Executive candidates kicked off their election campaigns with the blame game on County’s debt. The former Nassau County Executive Democrat Thomas Suozzi and Republican County Executive Edward Mangano launched their general election campaign Thursday, September 12, with news conferences in which they blamed each other for accumulating millions of dollars in new debt. Suozzi, a former two-term county executive, accused Mangano of being a “compulsive borrower” who had run the debt to $3.5 billion.

    “We are going to cut up his credit card,” Suozzi said at a news conference in East Meadow as he stood next to an oversized credit card bearing Mangano’s name. “We are going to take away his authority to borrow money.” At a hastily called news conference later in Mineola, Mangano said Suozzi had increased debt by more than $400 million during his time in office from 2002-09, and called him a “compulsive liar.” Mangano, who narrowly defeated Suozzi in 2009, said he cut the county’s overall debt by $2.4 million during his term. “This is a desperate political campaign,” Mangano said. “I am happy to debate the facts in a mature way — not this theatrical performance that he is trying to trick taxpayers with.” Mangano pointed to the 2009 year-end financial statement by County Comptroller George Maragos, a Republican who is running for re-election, that found that Nassau had $3.45 billion in outstanding long-term debt when Suozzi left office.

    That was $400 million higher than when Suozzi took office, according to the documents. Maragos released a similar audit earlier this year stating that Nassau had $3.448 billion in total debt at the end of 2012 — three years into Mangano’s term. Both reports were reviewed by county auditors, Deloitte LLP. Suozzi campaign officials said Mangano’s assessment of the debt under Suozzi includes elements such as borrowing by the Nassau County Tobacco Settlement Corp. that are not related to general long-term county debt. Suozzi said taxpayers should rely on official statements by the county treasurer that are used for bond offerings.

    Those statements, which Suozzi provided to reporters, showed Nassau had $2.958 billion in debt when he left office — a decrease of $255 million from 2001. Debt has reached $3.524 billion under Mangano, according to Suozzi’s documentation. Newsday said Maurice Chalmers, budget director for the independent Office of Legislative Budget Review, declined to comment, noting that he had not reviewed the documentation supporting Mangano’s and Suozzi’s claims. Borrowing requires 13 votes in the county legislature, which under its current makeup includes three Democrats. But, Suozzi said the legislature “bears minimal responsibility” for any new borrowing because it’s the county executive who lays out Nassau’s long-term financial vision. Also Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, after an appearance in Montauk, declined to weigh in on the race. “We had [primary day] on Tuesday and we’ll see how that shakes out, and what the candidates say and we’ll make the decisions from there,” Cuomo said.

  • BOB Chairman & MD visiting New York

    BOB Chairman & MD visiting New York

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Bank of Baroda Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. S.S. Mundra will be visiting New York from September 16th to 18th. It is the first visit of Mr. Mundra to New York after he took over as Chairman and Managing Director of one of the largest public sector banks of India. Bank of Baroda Chief Executive for Americas, Mr. Dhimant Pradyumna Trivedi informed TheIndian Panorama that during his visit to New York Mr. Mundra would be meeting customers and the Indian American community besides launching internet banking. Mr. Trivedi said that a reception to Mr. Mundra is being hosted by the Indian Consulate on Monday, September 16th where he will be meeting the Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay and a cross section of Indian American community.

    He will also address the gathering and, while talk about banking in general, he is likely to speak about the synergy that can be developed through Bank of Baroda. Read below a brief biography of Mr. Mundra. 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 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.

    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

  • It’s official: Modi is BJP’s choice

    It’s official: Modi is BJP’s choice

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The BJP on September 13 chose to ignore L K Advani’s tenacious resistance and declared Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha election. It’s a decision that not only signals a decisive victory for Modi in the protracted power struggle in BJP but marks the end of the old order and emergence of a new one. On a day of high political drama as Advani vacillated between attending or keeping away from the crucial meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, party president Rajnath Singh decided to take the plunge and end the suspense over Modi’s candidature even as the veteran decided to stay away.

    Modi’s ascension is expected to set the stage for a presidential-style Lok Sabha election with him being pitted against Rahul Gandhi. Although the latter hasn’t yet been projected as the Congress candidate, recentlyManmohan Singh said that the Gandhi scion was ready for the top job. On Friday, however, the focus was on the BJP’s power struggle. While sticking to his stance that Modi’s projection at this stage would polarize the electorate, Advani had indicated to Rajnath and Nitin Gadkari on Thursday evening that he would attend the meeting, though only to submit his note of dissent. However, at 3.30 pm on Friday, he told Rajnath Singh that he will not attend, and followed that up by shooting off a letter complaining about party chief’s style of functioning. The letter was conspicuously silent about the party’s move to project Modi as its PM candidate.

    Senior leaders had rushed to Advani when he lodged a similar complaint in public after Modi was appointed the head of the national campaign committee in June. The show of dissidence, however, attracted indifference this time. In fact, if his absence once again advertized the rift in the party, it also spared Advani the isolation he would have faced if he had attended the meeting. In the end, expectations of Modi’s opponents finding support proved wrong. Sushma Swaraj reiterated her objections in the afternoon – mainly that Modi’s projection at this time would be premature and work to Congress’s advantage — but ended saying she would go by the party’s decision. Other leaders with reservations about Modi, like M M Joshi and Ananth Kumar, did not demur and endorsed Rajnath Singh’s view that Modi’s nomination reflected the collective wishes of BJP rank and file and the Sangh parivar as a whole.

    The formalization of Modi’s candidature may not spell an end to factional troubles in BJP, but it puts him clearly ahead of his peers and decisively turns the page on the Vajpayee-Advani era. Modi responded to his elevation by thanking leaders and colleagues. He even went to Advani’s residence as a goodwill gesture. “I will spare no effort to ensure that the BJP wins in 2014 elections and I measure up to the expectations and aspirations of common citizen and workers and sympathizers of the BJP,” said Modi in his acceptance speech as he recalled his rise from an ordinary worker “of humble origin from a nondescript place”. He also unveiled his campaign plank by seeking the support of people to help BJP steer the country out of the “current crisis”, created by mismanagement and corruption, by ushering in good governance and development.

    The rise of Modi, who enjoys impressive ratings as an administrator, but is seen as a polarizing figure struggling to leave behind the accusation of complicity in 2002 riots, marks the emergence of a new kind of right-wing politics which unabashedly celebrates development and economic growth. He is set to run an intense campaign to challenge Congress, and is expected to hit the ground running by bringing back rebels like B S Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu in Karnataka, and Babulal Marandi in Jharkhand. He is also expected to initiate poll alliance talks with AGP in Assam, and Om Prakash Chautala and Kuldeep Bishnoi in Haryana, besides exploring the possibility of a grand saffron alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray in Maharashtra. The two NDA allies, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, readily extended their support. The speed of Sena’s decision was significant , considering that Udhav Thackeray appeared to be uneasy with Modi and would often take digs at the leader.

  • Delhi Gangrape Case: 4 to face the gallows – To be hanged until dead

    Delhi Gangrape Case: 4 to face the gallows – To be hanged until dead

    Delhi rape convicts brought to the Saket court for sentencing get Death Sentence for the rarest of the rare case where a gang of 6 People gang raped at Delhi University student in a moving bus in Dec 2012. The girl visited had died due to the injuries received and this case was being tried by the Fast Track Court in New Delhi.


    Delhi Gangrape Case: 4 to face the gallows – To be hanged until dead

  • US court summons Sonia Gandhi in ‘1984 Sikh genocide’ case

    US court summons Sonia Gandhi in ‘1984 Sikh genocide’ case

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): A US Federal court has issued summons against Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi for shielding party officials allegedly involved in inciting attacks on Sikhs in November 1984, in the aftermath of assassination of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the Sikhs For Justice attorney Gurpatwant S Pannun said here September 3. In a class action suit filed on Tuesday, September 3 before the district court of Eastern District of New York, the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a US-based human rights group, and other victims of the November 1984 anti-Sikh violence have sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi.

    Federal rules provide for 120 days to serve the summons and complaint on Gandhi who is reported to be currently visiting the US for medical check-up. The suit under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) accuses Gandhi of shielding and protecting Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and other Congress party leaders from being prosecuted for their alleged role in the 1984 violence. The 27-page complaint against Gandhi alleges that between November 1 and 4, 1984 about 30,000 members of the Sikh community “were intentionally tortured, raped and murdered by groups that were incited, organized, controlled and armed” by the ruling Congress party of which Sonia Gandhi is the President. Asked for his comment on the summons against Sonia Gandhi, attorney Ravi Batra who is an attorney for AICC in SFJ case in Manhattan Federal Court said, “Anybody can sue anybody for anything if they pay the filing fee of the court.

    It remains for the court, if there is personal and subject matter jurisdiction, to then evaluate if the claims are incredulous or not.” Reacting to the issuance of summons to the Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “Summons issued almost 30 years after the event when the Congress President is on a medical visit is, to put it mildly, astonishing. Undoubtedly, appropriate legal action will be taken.” In the past also the Sikhs for Justice got summons issued on similar grounds by US courts against Union Minister Kamal Nath and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. But nothing beyond that ever happened. Meanwhile, the community support for the Sikhs For Justice has been on the wane. The organization that started as a human rights group, with the declared objective of seeking justice for the 1984 riot affected Sikhs, along the way lost its moorings and bearings and got involved in to a political ideology long rejected by the Sikh masses.

    The Akali leaders here and elsewhere in the world who contributed to the coffers of the Sikhs For Justice withdrew their support to SFJ when it got summons issued against Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. Similarly, many who supported SFJ for seeking justice for 1984 riot victims realized the organization had a different agenda and turned away from it. There have often been hints at the organization’s connections with powers that are on the look out to destabilize India. The credibility and the base of the Sikhs For Justice have, thus, been largely eroded. However, it manages to have sparks at times in the form of summons issued against a visiting Congress or Akali leader or organizing a protest. To be more precise on the organization, having failed to maintain momentum in the US, the organization has given attention now to Canada where it has found soul brothers who share its ideology. It may be recalled that hundreds of Sikhs were killed, their property destroyed, women raped and children rendered orphans in organized violence against Sikhs that began after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

  • DIG VANZARA QUITS, INDICTS MODI

    DIG VANZARA QUITS, INDICTS MODI

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): Suspended Gujarat Deputy Inspector General of Police D. G. Vanzara, allegedly involved in four fake encounter cases and lodged in a Mumbai jail for nearly seven years, on September 3 tendered his resignation as an IPS officer accusing the Narendra Modi Government of framing police officials in encounter cases while protecting ruling party politicians close to the Chief Minister. A main accused in the chain of fake encounters in Gujarat, Vanzara released a 10- page letter of resignation. Vanzara was arrested by the Gujarat Police in April 2007 in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case and then picked up in July 2010 for the Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case and later in Ishrat Jahan murder case as well, besides in Sadique Jamal case.

    In his resignation letter, Vanzara accused the State government of trapping the arrested policemen in various fake encounters and added that the, “Gujarat CID/ Union CBI had arrested me and my officers in different encounter cases holding us responsible for carrying out alleged fake encounters. If that is true, then the CBI investigating officers of all the four encounter cases of Sohrabuddin, Tulsiram, Sadique Jamal and Ishrat Jahan have to arrest the policy formulators also as we, being field officers, have simply implemented the conscious policy of this government which was inspiring, guiding, and monitoring our actions from very close quarters. By this reasoning, I am of the firm opinion that the place of this government, instead of being in Gandhinagar should either be in Taloja Central Prison at Navi Mumbai or in Sabarmati Central Prison at Ahmedabad.” Launching a blistering attack at Amit Shah, his co-accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, Vanzara claimed he had maintained his “graceful silence for such a long period” only because of his “supreme faith and highest respect” for Narendra Modi, whom he used to “adore like a God,” but added that his “God could not rise to the occasion under the evil influence of Shri Amitbhai Shah who usurped his eyes and ears and has been successfully misguiding him by converting goats into dogs and dogs into goats since the last 12 years.”

    “His unholy grip over the State administration is so complete that he is almost running the government of Gujarat by proxy,” Vanzara alleged. “The resultant criminal negligence of this government on one hand and wilful acts of omissions and commissions by Shri Amitbhai Shah towards the fate of 32 jailed police officers on the other are so nauseating that it may take this government to the cremation ground sooner or later,” he added. “Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat has very rightly been talking of repaying his debt which he owes to Mother India. It, indeed, is the sacred duty of every citizen to do it. But, it would not be out of context to remind him that he, in the hurry of marching towards Delhi, may kindly not forget to repay the debt which he owes to jailed police officers,” Mr. Vanzara wrote in his letter addressed to Additional Chief Secretary, Home. But Vanzara did not admit that the encounters were fake and said that the killings followed a “conscious policy of the government,” in the wake of rising Jihadi terrorism after the Godhra train burning and subsequent riots, when the government had adopted a “proactive policy of zero tolerance for terrorism” at the highest level.

  • Asaram’s caretaker phone and the secrets it holds

    Asaram’s caretaker phone and the secrets it holds

    JODHPUR (TIP): In what will bring more trouble for Asaram Bapu, the Rajasthan police have accessed a video clip from the caretaker of the spiritual guru, Shiva’s mobile featuring the controversial godman with a girl, reports said on September 6. Earlier, it was reported that Shiva possessed CDs featuring the controversial preacher with his female followers in his dhyan ki kutiya (meditation hut). According to reports in Hindi newspapers, Asaram used to make the CDs of him with his female devotees in the hut in order to blackmail them. Meanwhile, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Anand Purohit yesterday said that the sexual assault case involving allegations against Asaram was fit for trial in a fasttrack court.

    Talking to reporters, Purohit said the prosecution may also consider making one of Asaram’s associates, Shiva or Shilpi, a government witness. While Shiva, an aide of Asaram’s, is in police custody, Shilpi, the warden at the Chhindwara Gurukul where the girl was a student, is still absconding. Jodhpur police said they have established a strong link in connection with the case between and Shiva and Shilpi. “Shilpi is a vital link in the investigation… Shiva was the mediator between Shilpi and Asaram,” DCP Ajay Pal Lamba told reporters here. “It is Shilpi who planned to send the girl to Asaram by convincing her that she was under the spell of evil spirits and only Bapu could save her,” the DCP added. “Shilpi was in regular touch with the parents of the girl in order to convince them about taking their daughter to either the ashram at Jodhpur or in Ahmedabad,” he said.

    There were dozens of calls exchanged between Shilpi, Shiva and the girl’s parents from August 13 to 15, the day when the 16-yrold- girl was allegedly sexually assaulted at Manai ashram by the accused. Asaram Bapu, who was arrested for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail after a court on Monday sent him to 14-day judicial custody. The minor has alleged that the sexual assault took place August 15 at Asaram’s ashram outside Jodhpur city and the complaint was filed by her August 20. The godman has denied the charge. Police, however, claimed they had a water-tight case against him.

  • Syria, NSA scandal push G20 summit agenda

    Syria, NSA scandal push G20 summit agenda

    NSA spying program. At the Konstantinovsky Palace – where the first day of the G20 summit kicked off – the world’s largest economic powers braced for political battles, RT’s Aleksey Yaroshevsky reported from Strelnya. The situation in Syria took center stage in summit discussions, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s opening call to “not mix up and bundle” economic and political issues. The two-and-a-half year conflict escalated after a chemical weapons attack took place outside of Damascus on August 21. The US believes it has evidence connecting the Syrian government to the attack. All eyes are currently on Congress as it decides whether to support a US strike on Syria. Although a meeting on Syria was not officially scheduled to take place at the summit, Putin suggested leaders spoke about the topic at dinner.

    Putin’s words came soon after his much anticipated handshake with US President Barack Obama. Recently strained Russian- American relations have become another focus of the media’s attention. The two leaders are not scheduled to meet privately in St. Petersburg. However, neither Washington nor Moscow have ruled out the possibility of discussing pressing bilateral issues on the sidelines of the summit. Syria on everyone’s mind At the G20 dinner, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addressed the situation in Syria, urging that any response to alleged chemical weapons use in Syria first go through the UN. “I sincerely hope that all the leaders of the five permanent Security Council members and some non-permanent members who are now here fully meet their obligations to the Syrian people,” Ban said. The Secretary General earlier stated that the UN values the cooperation and assistance of the Syrian government regarding the investigation in Syria.

    The US has accused Russia of holding the UN Security Council (UNSC) “hostage” over Syria by blocking the White House’s push for support in the UNSC. “Even in the wake of the flagrant shattering of the international norm against chemical weapons use, Russia continues to hold the council hostage and shirk its international responsibilities,” US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power told reporters. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated Russia’s position on Syria to reporters. He called for Russia’s partners, including the US, to take part in an “objective assessment of the situation,” dismissing the idea that Russia blocks the work of the UN Security Council on the Syrian conflict. Only after UN investigators have their say on the alleged chemical attack in Syria would it be possible to say who perpetrated the attack, Peskov stressed. He added that Russia “cannot accept the proof that, in our view, is not a proof at all, that is far from being convincing.” Amid speculations that President Obama has arrived in St. Petersburg to gain support on launching a“punitive” strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad, Italian Premier Enrico Letta stated that the G20 summit is the “last opportunity” for finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, adding that concerns over the situation there has hit “maximum” levels.

    This could well sum up the notions coming from the briefings, bilateral meetings, and joint talks of the BRICS group during the summit’s first day. Obama started off the event by meeting with French President Francois Hollande, the only remaining European supporter of a strike on Syria. Meanwhile, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has consistently called for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang told RT at the summit that it is “vitally important” that any move on Syria be based on the UN investigation, stressing that China is “against the use of chemical weapons by any countries or organizations.” “China and Russia are both appealing to the countries concerned to be serious about the possible consequences of the use of military means without the mandate of the UN Security Council,” Qin added. Leaders of the BRICS group, which includes the economies of Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, then jointly expressed their concerns that a military strike against Syria could have “an extremely negative effect” on the global economy

  • Diwali, “the Timeless Festival of Lights” comes to Times Square

    Diwali, “the Timeless Festival of Lights” comes to Times Square

    NEW YORK, NY: Come September 22nd and “Celebrity appearances, musical performances, Asian Indian Cuisine, ethnic Indian dances, fashion show and a “Light Up Times Square” concert will be the highlights of the first ever Diwali at Times Square, New York”, said Ms Neeta Bhasin, President of ASB Communications who have conceptualized and are managing the mega event. She was speaking at a press conference organized by Event Guru and ASB Communications at the up end The Atelier- Sky Lounge August 29th.

    The Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay and the principal sponsors of the Times Square Diwali, Air India Regional Manager for Americas, Mr. Riwo Norbhu, MoneyGram Senior Marketing Manager Ms Zainab Ali, and Mr. Dinesh Kamble, Senior Manager at Maharashtra Tourism joined Neeta Bhasin at the press conference which was attended by a large number of media persons from both the print and electronic media, and a select gathering of the Indian American community’s best faces. Welcoming them all and introducing the sponsors, Neeta said that she was greatly impressed by the Maharashtra Tourism department which took just seven days to agree to become the title partners.We have, therefore, christened the Times Square Diwali as “Maharashtra Tourism (Mumbai) Diwali at Times Square”. “Air India”, she said, “are our valuable presenting partners”.

    She introduced Zainab Ali of MoneyGram as “our constant partners in all ventures” and thanked all sponsors present and those who were not around, including Bank of Baroda, Wells Fargo and “many others”. The CE of Bank of Baroda, Mr. Dhimant P. Trivedi could not make it to the press conference but was mentioned by Neeta as one who has always been supportive of every community event. Speaking on why she chose to have Diwali at the Times Square, Neeta said that she was keen to showcase India’s rich heritage and culture to the mainstream in America. “And what other place better that the Center of the World-the Times Square!” she said. Times Square, she said, attracts on an average 350,000 pedestrians each day. Neeta said she felt the need and urge to organize an event that would make the mainstream take notice of the Indian American community which has given to America the second largest group of professionals. “Unfortunately, despite our strengths and contribution, we, the Indian Americans, have not received the kind of recognition from the mainstream as Indians in U.K. or Australia.

    Diwali at Times Square is an attempt at the legitimate recognition of the Indian American community.” Outlining details of the Diwali celebrations on September 22nd when “every Indian American will own Times Square for the day”, Neeta said the event will take place from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M., followed by the “Light Up Times Square” Concert which will showcase live performances from some of the biggest names in Bollywood. “The concert will also feature a breath-taking laser light show”, she disclosed. Inviting the Indian Americans to the history-making event, being the first ever Diwali at the Times Square, Neeta exhorted them to “come in traditional outfit and be the proud owners of Times Square for the day.” A message from Maharashtra Minister for Tourism, Mr. Bhujbal was screened at the press conference. The Minister welcomed all and said, “I thank everyone for being present here for the curtain raiser of Maharashtra Tourism (Mumbai) Diwali at Times Square.” He found many similarities between New York and Mumbai. He said if New York was America’s financial capital, Mumbai was India’s financial capital. Both cities are cradles of diverse cultures, he said. Speaking about the state of Maharashtra, Mr.

    Bhujbal described it as a large state with varied topography and enormous scenic beauty. He added that the state was rich in heritage and was a repository of age old culture. In fact, there were four world heritage sites in Maharashtra that included Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta. One of the most favored tourist destinations, the state, he said is “one of the most developed states of India”. He extended invitation to the gathering to come and holiday in Maharashtra. He said he was happy to have a global platform in the shape of Times Square in New York to showcase the state of Maharashtra, its variety and richness of heritage and culture. Ambassador Mulay, a scholar, writer and poet, besides being an ace career diplomat, spoke of the 5000 years old civilization of India and how over the centuries India absorbed different cultures and grew richer and more diverse. He also spoke of the geographical diversity of India; The Himalayas in the North, the plains, and the seas to the East, the West and the South. Speaking about Diwali, Mr. Mulay said, “Diwali is the king of all festivals. Despite religious connotations, Diwali is a secular festival, the most representative festival of India”. He gave a great description of the event when he said it would be appropriate to say “the Timeless festival comes to Times Square”. Mr. Mulay had a word of appreciation, bordering admiration, for America and New York. ” The beauty of the US is that it is always able to institutionalize.

    New York is a place of meeting, meeting and greeting- a rendezvous. Diwali, too, is a festival of meeting and greeting”, Mr. Mulay said. Appreciating the organizers’ vision, Mr. Mulay said, “It is not only a good idea but a great idea” and added that the event will be “a great celebration of growth of India and growth of Indian American diaspora”. “1.2 billion hearts will throb to see Diwali being celebrated at the Times Square”, he said and called upon all Indian Americans to “participate in full vigor”. On the occasion, he also recalled how Ranju Batra, who was also present, has been making strenuous and constant effort to have a Diwali commemorative stamp issued by the US Postal department and hoped “we will see the Diwali stamp this Diwali”. Air India Regional Manager for Americas Mr. Riwo Norbhu who seemed to believe in the dictum “Brevity is the soul of wit” said, “At Air India we all are very proud to celebrate Diwali at Times Square”. MoneyGram Senior Marketing Manager Zainab Ali who was in a hurry to catch a flight to LA, made a brief remark. She said, “MoneyGram has been part of many community celebrations.When my friend Neeta broached the subject I felt it was a great idea. I have never seen a person who worked as hard as Neeta to see that the idea takes a shape. Her effort will see 1.2 billion Indians in India celebrating Diwali at Times Square. MoneyGram will be happy to support her now and always”. All eyes are now turned to September 22nd.

  • Gurdwara Plainview organizes a fabulous Punjabi Mela

    Gurdwara Plainview organizes a fabulous Punjabi Mela

    MALKIT SINGH OF TOOTAK TOOTAK TOOTIYAN FAME ENTHRALLS


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    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): Long Island located Gurdwara Plainview organized a fabulous Punjabi Mela (carnival) on September 1 at Eisenhower Park. Mela Coordinator Sonia Bawa told The Indian Panorama that the purpose of the mela was to “depict our precious culture & heritage, and also to increase awareness regarding Sikh community’s presence. We had many ethnic booths such as turban tying, and exhibitions that defined our identity as Sikhs”. There were variety of authentic delicious food stalls. All were donated by many local restaurants. Punjabi mela also had various vendors successfully promoting their businesses. There was a large variety of entertainment for kids & adults.


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    Kids enjoyed various carnival games and rides, enjoyed cotton candy too. Many prestigious Universities such as NYU & Stonybrook participated as also other Bhangra teams such as Virsa & Bollywood Hicksville performed. DJ Kucha added gusto with his energetic Punjabi music. Icing on the cake was King of Bhangra Malkit Singh’s rocking performance on his famous songs. Raffle draw was another big attraction. It offered a number of prizes such as IPads, IPhones, flat screen TVs, cash prizes, cruise tickets, tickets to India’s Golden Temple &, the best of the prizes-a Honda Accord 2013. The Punjabi Mela will long be remembered by the thousands who visited the mela on a very pleasant first day of the month of September. Incidentally, it was an auspicious and historic day, being the day when Shri Guru Granth Sahib was installed as the Guru of the Sikhs who are around 25 million the world over.

  • Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): The first ever IALI (India Association of Long Island) Cricket tournament finals were held on 08/03/2013 at Cantiague Park, Hicksville. The initial rounds were held on 07/27/2013 at Cantiague Park and seven teams participated whole day in the grand opening ceremony and exciting matches. About 150 fans attended the opening ceremony at which Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was the Chief Guest. Ed Mangano cut the ribbon and opened the newly prepared Cricket pitch in Cantiague Park (Field -T). IALI President Kishore Kuncham opened the games and in his welcome remarks said, “We are making history here today as we host the first cricket tournament and IALI cricket cup in the 37 years history of India Association of Long Island.”


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    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja gives Ed Mangano a lesson in cricket playing. President of IALI Dr. Kishore Kuncham is seen behind the wickets

    The Hicksville Cricket Club and Long Island Connections emerged as final teams. All the initial matches were 12 over rounds. Semi finals and Finals were 15 over matches. On 08/03/2013, the finals were held between Long Island Connections and Hicksville Cricket Club. At the end of the 15 overs HCC scored 58 runs with the loss of 9 wickets. LI Connections started chasing the moderate score but lost their first wicket in the very first over. But then the batsmen took control of the game and ended with a score of 59 runs in 13.2 overs with a loss of 7 wickets. Thus the Long Island Connections won the first ever IALI Cricket 2013 Tournament. Dr. Kishore Kuncham President, IALI congratulated both the teams and thanked the county officials for their support in providing and preparing the cricket pitch and also thanked community leaders for their efforts. He also commended and appreciated the dedication of Mr. Enjapuri Jayaprakash, IALI Sport Chair and the Executive Committee of IALI for their support and hard work in organizing the tournament successfully.

  • Reflecting Democrats’ divide, pro-Obama group silent on Syria

    Reflecting Democrats’ divide, pro-Obama group silent on Syria

    WASHINGTON (TIP): As President Barack Obama’s team faces one of its toughest lobbying challenges in urging Congress to approve US military action in Syria, the advocacy group dedicated to promoting the president’s agenda is staying quiet. In recent months, Organizing for Action — the non-profit group that grew out of Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign — aggressively defended the president’s healthcare overhaul, his call for new immigration policies and his unsuccessful push for new guncontrol laws. But in the debate over whether to intervene in Syria — which has given many congressional Democrats the uncomfortable choice of supporting a military strike they don’t want or rejecting a plea for action from the Democratic president — OFA has remained on the sidelines.

    That’s by design, OFA executive director Jon Carson said on Thursday, adding that the group does not intend to send supportive emails or lobby on the issue. “OFA supports President Obama and the agenda that Americans voted for on November 6, but we don’t always actively organize around every issue, and the debate in Congress over the Syria vote is not one that OFA is planning on organizing around,” Carson said. OFA did not respond to questions about whether its silence on Syria demonstrated that its focus is Obama’s domestic agenda. Syria “doesn’t fall within the OFA focus,” said John Morgan, a Floridabased lawyer who donated $50,000 to the group in the first quarter of 2013. “This is not the president’s agenda. It has fallen to him spontaneously.”

    Risk of alienating supporters
    A donor to the group who asked not to be identified said that OFA’s stance on Syria reflected the “no-win” nature of many foreign policy issues. “Obama’s goal in getting elected, and our goal in electing him, wasn’t dealing with this nightmare in Syria,” the donor said. Because there is a divide on Syria within Obama’s Democratic Party on the issue, the group risks “alienating half its members” if it weighs in, the donor added.Obama’s team had hoped to be promoting proposals to revamp the nation’s immigration laws and other measures now. But those goals have been sidetracked by the debate over whether the United States should retaliate against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because of his alleged use of chemical weapons last month in an attack near Damascus that the White House says killed more than 1,400 people.

    On Thursday, Obama canceled a California trip planned for next week so that he could stay in Washington and focus on Syria after he returns from the G-20 economic summit in Russia late Friday. Since its launch in January, OFA has sent out e-mails and hosted events nationwide to promote the administration’s plans on healthcare, immigration, climate change, gun control and education. Obama’s positions on each of those issues have broad support among Democrats. Some critics have questioned the group’s effectiveness, noting that its ads promoting gun control in light of the massacre of 26 children and adults at a Connecticut school did not seem to help Obama in a failed effort to get gun legislation through Congress. OFA is still widely viewed as a potentially formidable advocacy group, largely because it raised more than $13 million during its first six months, mainly from Democratic donors.

  • US faces charge of becoming Qaida’s ‘airforce’

    US faces charge of becoming Qaida’s ‘airforce’

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US president Obama and his administration will have to go against the weight of American public skepticism and legislative resistance to meet their professed goal of punishing Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons in contravention of global rules. Although the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday approved conditional strikes against Syria by a 10-7 margin, opposition to military involvement is high among members of the House of Representatives, considered closer to ground sentiment. Polls show Americans are massively opposed to getting into what is increasingly seen as a Shia-Sunni spat that has little bearing on American interests, aside from asserting broader principles of international accountability vis-a-vis chemical weapons.

    In a reminder of the possible folly of getting into the middleeast snake-pit, one US lawmaker went so far as to say American strikes in Syria would turn the US military into “al-Qaida’s air force”— a reference to the Sunni-dominated rebels who would benefit from the US attack. “We certainly don’t have a dog in the fight,” said Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas. “We should be focused on defending the United States of America. That’s why young men and women sign up to join the military, not to, as you know, serve as al-Qaida’s air force.” The comment drew a sharp rejoinder from the hawks itching for air strikes, but already, there is deep skepticism about the veracity of the administration’s accounts that the Assad regime used chemical weapons. Those opposed to involvement are mocking the administration for depending on dubious youtube videos and plants by opponents of the Syrian regime.? On septembr 5, sections of the US media also began focusing on Syrian rebel fighters, some of who were shown in a New York Times story as brutal extremists who executed government soldiers. Other reports have suggested that the rebels are being funded by a Saudi regime in order to extend Sunni influence to make up for the loss of sway in Iraq.

  • Astoria Landlord Charged With Defrauding 21

    Astoria Landlord Charged With Defrauding 21

    NEW YORK (TIP): A Queens landlord has been charged with taking tens of thousands of dollars in security deposits and first-month rents from nearly two dozen prospective tenants over the last six months and then putting off the tenants’ move-in dates and not returning their deposits. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said, “This case sadly represents another instance in which an allegedly greedy landlord is accused of taking advantage of Queens County’s tight housing market to rob unsuspecting individuals of substantial amounts of their hard-earned savings through an online rental scheme. For many of the victims, the loss is doubly troubling in that they have lost their money and still have no place in which to live.”

    Police Commissioner Kelly said, “The online marketplace of ideas may have become a fertile ground for criminal opportunists but technology has not outpaced the savvy of NYPD detectives, or the proverbial paper trail leading them to perpetrators. I commend the NYPD investigators and their counterparts in the Queens district attorney’s squad for thoroughly examining this case and ending the exploitation of trusting individuals who endeavored to live in New York City.” Lalicata was arrested late on August 13 and was arraigned at Queens Criminal Court on an indictment charging him with grand larceny and other related counts. He was held in lieu of $10,000 bail at his arraignment. Brown said that the matter was brought to the attention of his office by several of the prospective tenants and that anyone who believes that he or she may have been a victim of the defendant’s alleged scheme should contact his Economic Crimes Bureau at 718-286- 6673.

  • Indian American admits role in widespread student visa fraud

    Indian American admits role in widespread student visa fraud

    NEW YORK (TIP): An Indian American has admitted his role in widespread foreign student visa fraud that took place in New Jersey, the US Department of Justice said August 28. Manamadurai Somalingam, 64, from New York pleaded guilty before US District Judge Freda Wolfson in Trenton Federal Court in New Jersey to information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit visa fraud and one count of conspiring to conceal and harbour illegal aliens for private financial gain. He now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a fine of USD 250,000.

    The sentencing is scheduled for December 5. According to court documents, Somalingam admitted that from March 2011 through May 2012, while he was the owner of a school called PC Tech Learning with campuses in Iselin and Jersey City, he engaged in a conspiracy to obtain student visas for foreign citizens who were not eligible for such visas. Somalingam admitted that he falsely certified that a woman he hired to work for him at the Jersey City campus of PC Tech was eligible for a student visa even though he knew that she would be working full-time and was not eligible. Besides, Somalingam admitted he never terminated a foreign citizen’s student status as long as that individual paid his tuition fees, even though Somalingam, as the primary designated school official for PC Tech, was required to terminate any student who failed to make proper progress in his studies, the Department of Justice said.

  • SARATH KUMAR, RADIKAA enthrall audience in Tamil Sangam star nite

    SARATH KUMAR, RADIKAA enthrall audience in Tamil Sangam star nite

    NEW YORK (TIP): Attendance by top-ranking elected officials, entertainment by two prominent Tamil movie stars, honoring four Tamil-Americans who had excelled in their chosen field, game show for couples by actress and popular TV host Jaishree and dancers performing for popular Tamil movies marked the inauguration of America Tamil Sangam in New York on Aug 23. Supreme Star R. Sarath Kumar, a popular Tamil hero, president of South Indian Artists Association, member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and his actress wife Radikaa Sarath Kumar, a very popular TV personality dubbed as Queen of Indian television who were the parade marshals of the India Day Parade held by the Federation of Indian Associations (Tri-State) earlier in the week, enthralled the packed audience at the Hindu Community Center auditorium in Flushing.


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    Radikaa cutting her birthday cake on stage while her husband and actor Sarath Kumar, their son Rahul Sarath Kumar and President of America Tamil Sangam Prakash M Swamy cheer.

    The two took part as super couple in the game show specially designed for couples and telecast in Sun TV by actress and TV host Jaishree and gave valuable tips on family values, happiness in marriage laced with humor. They also addressed the gathering and took question and answers from the audience in the four-hour program. Four prominent Tamils in the US who had reached the zenith in their chosen field were bestowed with Tamil Ratna Awards. The awardees are Bharathanatyam exponent Padma Bhushan Kamala Lakshman who strode the film industry and dance stage like a colossus for fifty years; Dr Valavanur A Subramanian, world-renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon; Abel Laureate Prof Srinivasa Varadhan, distinguished professor of mathematics atNew York University and Dr. Prasad Srinivasan, Member of Connecticut General Assembly – the first Tamilan to become Assemblyman in any US Legislature. V. Perumal, Head of Chancery of Consulate General of India, released the first copy of the America Tamil Sangam souvenir brought out on the occasion and delivered the presidential address.


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    Radikaa presenting Tamil Ratna Award to eminent Bharathanatyam exponent Kamala Lakshman while Sarath Kumar and Prakash Swamy cheer

    In his remarks, he recalled the contribution of Tamils in the development of India and the United States in various fields such as medicine, media, legal and politics. Congresswoman Grace Meng, New York City Comptroller and Mayoral candidate John Liu, New York State Senator Jose Peralta and Member of New York City Council Peter Koo wished the newly-formed America Tamil Sangam a great success and said urged them to improve voter registration and take active involvement in governance. Jose Peralta presented a proclamation from New York State Senate and Council Member Peter Koo presented the New York City Proclamation to the couple to commemorate their visit to the US and praising their contribution to Indian cinema. Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Padmashree awardee and philanthropist and Anil Bansal, Executive Chairman and Founder of Indus-American Bank were honored by Sarath Kumar for their community service. Students of Bina Menon, founder of Kalashri School of Arts in New Jersey and Jerumila Prema Dhayalan, founder of Prema Kalalayam presented dance from the movies of Sarath Kumar that made the audience tip-toe to the fast numbers.


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    The Tamil Ratna awardees – Prof Srinivasa Varadhan, Kamala Lakshman, Sarath Kumar, Radikaa, John Liu, Dr. Valavanur Subramanian, Dr Prasad Srinivasan and Prakash Swamy.

    The dance gurus were honored by Radikaa Sarath Kumar. The event also witnessed the belated birthday celebrations of Radikaa Sarath Kumar with the actress cutting the cake of Cake Designer Parul Patel in the form of a huge film reel to the loud cheers of the audience. Representatives of other South Indian regional organizations such as Dr. B. R. Surendra, President of Kannda Koota, Mrs Krishnasri Gandham, President of Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA) and Malayalam organizations were felicitated on the occasion and promised to work in tandem with the new organization. R. Ramaswamy, assistant general manager of Bank of Baroda, KK Mehta, CPA and Kannan Arumugham, MD of Anjappar Chettinad Hotels were recognized for their service to Tamil community. Prakash M Swamy, President of America Tamil Sangam, said the new organization will promote Tamil language, literature and culture among third-generation Tamil-Americans and be a voice of the community. Chapters are being launched all across the US. Plans are afoot to conduct New York International South Indian Film Festival in New York in April 2014 and stars like Rajinikanth, Mamotty, Chiranjeevi, Prabhu Deva and AR Rahman were invited to attend. Calai Chandra, vice president of the Sangam proposed a vote of thanks.

  • US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA COULD BE CATASTROPHIC

    US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA COULD BE CATASTROPHIC

    The world is concerned about the dangers to peace in view of the insistence of the United States to intervene militarily in Syria which is fraught with catastrophic results, the author says.

    UNSecretary-General Ban Kimoon has acknowledged the concern expressed by many across the world on the dangers to peace in case the United States insists on military intervention in Syria. We in India also urge the UN Secretary-General to intervene to save peace as well as the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, which does not permit interference in the domestic affairs of any Member state. Article 2 (7) is mandatory for all Members of the General Assembly and is equally applicable to the big powers and permanent members of the Security Council. It was tragic and unfortunate that the United States has been deliberately violating the mandate of the UN Charter – in erstwhile Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and now in Syria. The living example of violation of the UN Charter was the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 when the Bush administration attacked under the false pretext that Iraq was manufacturing/hiding weapons of mass destruction.

    This author personally interacted with the Chief Inspector deputed by the United Nations in Iraq in 2001, who admitted that his team was not able to trace any such weapons. It was proved beyond an iota of doubt that the US charge against President Saddam Hussein was false and unfounded and was made only to demonize the Arab leader and liquidate him. Washington succeeded in its game plan. The silence of the United Nations over the Anglo- American attack against Iraq has damaged the credibility of the UN; its silence was suicidal. In 1999, the US used NATO to commit naked aggression against Yugoslavia with criminal intent to destroy Serbian culture, history and civilization. The NATO committed genocide of thousands of people and the international fraternity allowed wiping out the very name of Yugoslavia from the membership of the United Nations. President Slobodan Milosevic was abducted from his Belgrade residence, imprisoned in a dark cell manned by US commandoes in The Hague, Netherlands. He was ultimately found ‘murdered’ in his cell when the prosecutors failed to establish any guilt on his part.

    When I with Ramsey Clarke visited President Slobodan Milosevic in prison, he requested both of us to represent him before the court. The rule of law, as I saw it, stood murdered as the judges presiding over the so-called International Criminal Court trying President Slobodan Milosevic did not allow us (myself and Ramsey Clarke) to represent him, saying, “It is the prerogative of this court to decide which attorney shall represent the under trials before us.” Such is the jurisprudence practiced and preached by the White House when dealing with adversaries or political opponents in world courts. This was the command of the so-called world order ordained by President Bush while attacking Iraq in violation of the UN Charter as well as all the norms of international law. More than two million people died of hunger and starvation caused by the illegal economic sanctions imposed by the United States of America against Iraq. In his book, ‘Iraq: A Heroic Resistance’, this author exposed the Anglo-American Bloc aggression against the people of Iraq followed by the genocide of innocent people.

    The US mission in Iraq was to capture oil, land and strategic waters in Iraq and the Arab world. Saddam Hussein was the biggest obstacle to this target and hence they started a worldwide media campaign to demonize him and succeeded in eliminating him (Saddam Hussein). The US proclaimed that it intended to bring democracy in Iraq. Today in Iraq hundreds of innocent people are killed daily by weapons manufactured in the western world. Where were the weapons of mass destruction that the US had detected in Iraq? The United Nations is answerable for its silence when NATO fighters and bombers were showering bombs and arsenals on the people of Libya. International Law and the UN Charter were thrown to the winds by the Anglo-American Bloc and European allies. How and under what provision of the UN Charter did the Anglo-American Bloc use NATO forces to destroy the Arab people and brutally assassinate Libyan leader, Col. Gaddafi? The intention was not democracy but the oils of Libya which stands ninth in oil reserves in the world. Where is the democracy in Libya? Where were the humanists when the USA was committing genocide in Iraq, Libya and now in Syria? The next target is India. The US has been promoting the Dixon Plan since 1951.

    To reach India, they are targeting Syria and Iran. Now American media is demonizing President Basher al-Assad, having succeeded in getting rid of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and also its first elected President, Mohamed Morsi. Washington does not want to see another Nasser or Saddam or Gaddafi or even Arafat on Arab soil. Its entire strategy has been to demolish leadership in the Arab world and establish US hegemony. The interest is to grab Arab oils, earth-wealth and strategic land and waters all over the globe. The Anglo-American Axis needs Gilgit- Baltistan to monitor China. This Bloc needs Afghanistan to keep watch on the Russian Federation. The US needs control over Latin America so that all the gold, diamond reserves and earth-wealth in those countries remains in its hands. The West has divided Sudan by fomenting Muslim- Christian conflict as done previously in the Indian sub-continent during British Rule. They divided Cameroon, the Congo, East Africa, and Palestine.

    In 1967, Israel in brazen aggression against Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Palestine occupied major chunks of Arab land in an international conspiracy and in utter violation of the UN Charter. The Security Council condemned the Israeli aggression and passed several resolutions (242, 338 and others) directing Israel to vacate all Arab lands. Israel not only defied the UN Resolutions but continue its violation of the UN Charter. The United Nations must answer why it remained quiet on the defiance of the UN Resolutions vis-à-vis illegal occupation of Arab lands and Palestine? Occupation of Jerusalem, Masjid Al-Aqsa and Golan Heights of Syria are examples of Israeli defiance of the UN Resolutions. The offer made by late President Hafiz al-Assad of Syria of ‘Land for Peace’ was ignored. Israel was allowed to establish its occupation of the Golan Heights. But the western world implemented all resolutions against Iraq by using force and committing aggression against Iraq.

    Palestinian President Yasir Arafat was cheated by the Anglo-American Bloc even when he went to the White House to shake hands with Israeli leaders and signed the Oslo Agreement with Israel in the presence of US President. What happened to the State of Palestine? The western world has been supporting Israel to expand Jewish settlements in Palestine against the clear mandatory directions and resolutions of the United Nations. Now the Obama administration wants to attack Syria and liquidate President Basher al-Assad so that no dissenting voice remains against the United States. This fact is established after the clear message from NATO Political Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen that the attack on Syria shall be ‘short, sharp & tailored’. This means the aim is to liquidate the Syrian leadership and its elected President. The British Parliament has demonstrated a clever strategy to keep Arab opinion divided. Prime Minister David Cameron lost his motion by 13 votes in the House of Commons, thus showing that Britons have learnt from Iraq and Libya. All Europe knows that the European Community including Britain did not receive even peanuts from the Anglo-American ‘victory’ in Iraq, Yugoslavia or Libya.

    France perhaps is the only country in Europe which is eager to join the US in its aggression against Syria. When France lost its colonial control over United Syria in 1948, it intrigued to dissect Lebanon from Syria. The United Nations seems to be going the way of the League of Nations. The leadership of Russia and China can no longer be used or exploited by the Anglo- American Bloc as the international situation is different from World War I and World War II. The Russian Federation is alive to the realities in the Middle East. Russia cannot afford to let a distant White House plant arsenals at its door. Putin has dubbed the so-called ‘chemical weapons’ theory in Syria as ‘utter nonsense’. China is equally concerned about US intrigues to demolish Syria so that Israel can freely expand in the Middle East. Obama may have compulsions to attack Syria but Obama stands defeated in his own arguments when he welcomes the support of Arab leaders on the one hand and calls for democracy in the Arab world on the other. India made its stand clear on the eve of G20 Conclave being held in Kremlin, Russia, that she will not support foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Syria. The people of India stand for peace all over the world. India stands for the sovereignty and independence of all nations, and opposes any interference in the domestic affairs of other nations.

  • So-Called Spring; Su-Shi Strife and The South-West Asia

    So-Called Spring; Su-Shi Strife and The South-West Asia

    “The author foresees tremendous tectonic changes in the wake of Arab Spring et al. He says, “There will be following major discernible evolutionary geo-political trends underlying the so-called Arab spring. The despotic regimes headed by dictators, monarchs, military strongmen, presidents-for-life and supreme leaders-for-life would eventually be overthrown by the popular revolt. The middle-east is surely due for a major cartographic make-over in the next few decades. The fault-lines would be sectarian, ethnic and linguistic. The glue of Political Islam supported by embedded Jihadi elements would be torn asunder while facing the sectarian, ethnic and linguistic divide.”

    Arab Spring, Arab Winter, Arab Summer, Arab Renaissance, Arab Awakening, Islamic Awakening and Islamic Rise are just few of the epithets used to describe the complex and multidimensional geopolitical changes in the middle-east region that comprises of West Asia and Northern Africa. Depending upon one’s perspective, each of these adjectives is inadequate to describe the complex geopolitical phenomena that have engulfed the region. It is important to recapitulate that barring three nations, viz. Iran, Turkey an Israel all other countries in this region are Arab. Despite Francis Fukuyama’s puerile musings about the “end of history”, we are now witnessing tectonic changes of historic proportions.

    However, it will be a very slow and bloody change that would be unstoppable despite numerous western interventions. The genie of historic change had been unleashed much earlier in 2003 when the Baathist regime was toppled in Iraq ostensibly to chase the now non-existent “weapons of mass destruction”. The ten year anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq and “the ensuing mother of all battles” does not witness peace and tranquility in that nation, divided de facto, on sectarian and ethnic fault-lines. The Iraqi Kurdistan, nominally under the central government of Iraq is on a rapid trajectory to peace, prosperity and development while Baghdad continues to witness sectarian violence and bomb attacks. The Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki is grabbing executive powers and has inadvertently encouraged sectarian divide and Shia identity politics. Besides the Iraqi Kurds, the real beneficiary of the US invasion worth $ 870 billion has been the Islamic Republic of Iran.

    If one chooses to be historically correct, the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran is the real harbinger of the so-called Arab spring. A US supported dictator was overthrown by popular revolt in Iran. The popular revolution was usurped and captured by Islamist Ayatollah Khomeini leading to a lot of blood-shed and massacre of democratic and liberal sections of the Iranian society in a targeted manner. A mini-version of this so-called (“Persian”) spring was again manifest in Iran, a non-Arab Shia theocracy in 2009 under the name of “green revolution”. However, the US administration led by Barak Hussain Obama “rightly” failed to capitalize on the situation leading to brutal suppression of young Iranians by the theocratic regime and its revolutionary guards. For the first time the US and its cronies missed an opportunity for externally driven regime change in Iran. Starting with Tunisia, the Arab Spring phenomena later on engulfed Egypt and Yemen. In Yemen, an extended “managed” political change was indeed brought in grudgingly under the patronage of Western imperialistic powers. Both Tunisia and Egypt saw subsequent takeover by Islamists in democratic elections. After over-throwing of Ben-Ali, the fundamentalist An-Nahda Islamists were the victors of the Tunisian democratic elections in October 2011.

    The Jihadists and the Salafists are now working in tandem with the conservative An-Nahda Islamists to infiltrate the previously secular Tunisian state from within. The story in Egypt is not very much different where the popular revolution against Hosni Mubarak and the Armed Forces has already been annexed by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and Mohammad Morsey. The Egyptian judiciary, especially the Supreme Court has resisted the Muslim Brotherhood and its attempts to foist an Islamist constitution. Furthermore, the Egyptian Supreme court has postponed yet again the parliamentary elections denying the MB an opportunity to control the entire state. Parts of the civil police force have already stopped obeying orders of the Islamist government to fight against fellow citizens forcing the MB to spare its cadre for law enforcement duties. Using the fig-leaf of so-called Arab Spring, the opportunistic Western powers militarily intervened in Libya, another socialist Baathist party ruled Arab dictatorship and brought out a regime change they had craved for long.

    The subsequent Islamist take-over of Libya, the barbaric treatment (victor’s justice) given to the quixotic dictator Col Mommar Gadaffi and killings of the US ambassador and other personnel by Al Qaeda in Ben Ghazi is illustrative of the nature of the beast. Interestingly, the Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussain and Col Mommar Gadaffi, all three had indeed served with great distinction as the “useful idiots” of the Western imperialism. The ideological hollowness of the West and the cheer-leaders of the socalled Arab Spring was noted again in Bahrain where popular and public demands for political change were exterminated brutally by foreign military intervention undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Pakistan in order to prevent take-over of the Sunni ruled nation by a Shia majority population. Syrian example shows the true colors of the cheer-leaders of the so-called Arab spring.

    Another socialist and secular Arab country ruled by the Baath party is being systematically destabilized from outsideintervention for the last two years and sacrificed at the altar of Sunni-Salafi- Jihadi-Wahabi (SSJW) geopolitical interests. Foreign Sunni fighters are leading the war against the Assad regime, fully supported by the regional Sunni monarchies. What we see now is essentially a Sunni-Shia (SU-SHI) sectarian power struggle in the Islamic nations of the West Asian region with Western imperialistic intervention in a systematic manner to defeat the secular and socialist Baath party regimes and of course to safeguard the interests of the Sunni-Salafi-Jihadi-Wahabi (SSJW) alliance. This bloody sectarian conflict will not be resolved in next few months or years.

    As the geopolitical events unfold, we will witness a quasi-permanent fratricidal intra-Islamic sectarian war for decades in the west Asian region culminating in major cartographic changes. There will be multiple incarnations of Arab & Islamist “Tianamen Squares” during which the despotic rulers will brutally suppress the revolting citizens. The US strategic retreat from the middle- east and pivot to Asia will finally allow the history to emerge in the middle-east uncontaminated by the hegemonic order imposed by the US hyper-power. Right now all the Arab monarchies have tried to buy out the demands for freedom and socio-political change by bribing their respective populations with yet more goodies financed by petro-dollars. This monetary intervention would at best delay the clamor for freedom and political change only by a few years in the oil-rich nations. There will be Islamist take-over of one-kind or other in all these countries. But political Islam would not be able to provide stability and strategic security to these nations.

    Just like in the communist countries as they vied with one another for title of the adherents of the true nature of communism practiced in the former communist countries, one would witness competitive claims of “true or genuine Islamism” by various ruling dispensations in this region. Fundamentalist competitive “political Islam” in alliance with Jihadis would hijack liberal and democratic popular uprisings. Indeed, there will be immense loss of human life and Jihadi terrorism will rule the roost. Transfer of power and change of regimes will be an inherently bloody process. There will be serious human rights violations and genocide by all the sides in the name of “true Islam”. Western apologists and backers for these despotic countries under severe financial crunch would no longer be interested in maintaining the geo-political status quo ante. geopolitical tectonic changes are likely to result in emergence of new nation states. Syria might be balkanized into multiple small entities or state-lets analogous to the former Republic of Yugoslavia.

    One would not be surprised if an Independent Kurdistan finally emerges as the 4th non- Arab country in the middle-east. Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey may lose their respective Kurdish populations to a newly independent and democratic Kurdistan. Since the fall of the Ottoman empire, the Western imperialistic powers while arbitrarily carving out state-lets to safeguard their own economic and hydrocarbon interests, chose to sacrifice the Kurdish national interests and denied them right to a state. West Asia has app 35 million Kurdish (non-Arab) people with app half (18 million) in Turkey, 8 million in Iran, 7 million in Iraq and 2 million in Syria. Unraveling of Syria will serve as a catalyst for Turkish Kurds to revolt against the increasingly Islamist Sunni dispensation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara that has systematically deviated from the secular ideology of Kemal Ata-Turk, the founding father of modern Turkey.

    Both the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan have successfully orchestrated staggered, coordinated hunger strikes for more than two months by thousands of Kurdish prisoners in Turkish jails. Turkey is going through a schizophrenic struggle between its European aspirations and Islamic moorings. However, political Islam will not be able to hold the Turks and the Kurds together. With increasing Sunniazation of the Turkish polity, this large ethnic and linguistic Kurdish minority will eventually assert itself in this chaotic geopolitical transition. Islamic glue will not be able to hold together Turkish and Kurdish ethnic identities and a volcanic eruption of nationalist fervor will unravel Turkey as we know it. If Turkish and Syrian Kurds turn more nationalistic and declare an independent Kurdistan, Iraqi and Iranian Kurds will be forced to follow suit. As a result of this, a truncated Iraq would eventually come out as a Shia-Arab theocracy with a Sunni minority supported by the neighboring Shia-Persian theocracy, Iran. Iran would not be insulated from demands of political freedom and change if there is no external intervention.

    Young, educated and emancipated Iranians will eventually overthrow the conservative Ayatollah-cracy leading to a more democratic and liberal regime change. A non-theocratic and more democratic and liberal Iran will re-emerge as a major regional power with friendly Shia majority governments in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and elsewhere including in Lebanon. Iran will be a longterm winner in the despite losing some territory to Kurdistan and Baluchistan. A loose federation of Shia states may become a power grouping in the region. In such a geopolitical scenario, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) would no longer be safeguarded by a strategically retreating USA. By 2017, the USA will surpass the Saudis as the largest petroleum producing nation that will become a net exporter of hydro-carbons in 2020. Future US administrations will be forced by domestic isolationists to give up the stability mantra leaving the middle-east region to its own devices.

    The ultrageriatric conservative clan of Saudi princelings with all their extremities in the grave will not be able to hold the country together especially in the face of increasingly restive and un-employed young men. Increasing modernization and “secularization” of this tribal society will be resisted violently by the ruling political establishment. There have already been small demonstrations by Sunni Muslims calling for the release of people held on security charges. Saudi women will demand equal rights and driving privileges. The Saudi women would like to emulate their more emancipated Iranian counter-parts in public discourse. If Al Qaeda or its various mutants take-over the Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud will be brutally slaughtered in the name of “liberating Islam”. The internal strife in Saudi Arabia will manifest openly in an explosive manner when the oilfields dry up in few decades. The only unrest to hit Saudi Arabia during the so-called Arab Spring wave of popular uprisings was among its Shi’ite Muslim minority. The Shia populations in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia will eventually revolt against a Sunni-Salafi- Jihadi-Wahabi (SSJW) complex leading to emergence of another Shia state-let.

    Bahraini Shia population is likely to overthrow the ruling Sunni dynasty, leading to emergence of another Shia nation. A Palestinian state-let may eventually be established as a joint protectorate of Egypt and Jordan. Egypt and Turkey will have much diminished geo-political influence. Egypt will have to deal with the issue of human rights of an increasingly vocal Coptic Christian minority. Some countries might eventually disappear by 2030. The most putative candidates are Lebanon, Kuwait and the Palestine. The impact of these geo-political changes will without doubt creep eastwards towards the Af-Pak region of the South-Asia leading to cartographic changes in national boundaries. Pakistanoccupied Baluch principalities, exploited by the Punjabi-dominated Pakistani army will successfully revolt for an independent Baluchistan as the Chinese footprint increases in the Gwadar port. After taking over the Gwadar port, China will seriously attempt to exploit the mineral and hydrocarbon wealth of Pakistan-occupied Baluch areas, thereby, increasing the sense of alienation and marginalization amongst the Baluch tribes.

    The separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army will target Chinese companies and personnel in the ensuing war of independence. The Sistan- Baluchistan province of Iran will take its own time joining an Independent Baluchistan. The consequent undoing of the artificial geographic boundaries arbitrarily determined by the British colonialists will lead to emergence of newer states carved out of the Af-Pak region. Another fall-out of these changes would be emergence of an independent and greater Pakhtoonistan comprising of the Khyber-Pakhtoonwah province of Pakistan and the Pakhtoon areas of the Afghanistan across the now defunct Durand line. The result would a truncated but more stable Afghanistan controlled by the northern alliance comprising of the Tajeks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. A truncated Pakistan will continue to remain as a rent-seeking failed state. It may implode eventually, leading to its fragmentation followed by multi-lateral external intervention under supervision of the UN and the IAEA to secure the nuclear weapons and the fissile materials.

    Further to north-east, a restive Uighurs’ population will force the emergence of Eastern Turkistan while throwing away the 300 years’ old occupation by the Han Chinese and subsequent annexation by the Communist China led by Comrade Mao. Will this tectonic change engulf the central Asian states or the “stans” is not clear at this time as the geopolitical dynamics are entirely different in the Central Asia in comparison to the South and West Asia. There will be following major discernible evolutionary geo-political trends underlying the so-called Arab spring. The despotic regimes headed by dictators, monarchs, military strongmen, presidents-for-life and supreme leaders-for-life would eventually be overthrown by the popular revolt. The middle-east is surely due for a major cartographic make-over in the next few decades. The fault-lines would be sectarian, ethnic and linguistic. The glue of Political Islam supported by embedded Jihadi elements would be torn asunder while facing the sectarian, ethnic and linguistic divide.

    Whether some kind of democracy will eventually prevail in this region in near future is doubtful, at best. Political Islam with its Jihadi mutant will be on the ascendance temporarily as an essential bloody interim phase in the long-term development of liberal democracy in the West Asia, North Africa and Af-Pak regions of South Asia. Increasing modernization, secularization and intellectual emancipation of the common masses will eventually defeat the Islamist counterreaction in each of these countries. Iran which is way ahead in the trajectory of civilizational change and democratic evolution will emerge as the most influential regional player while Egypt, Turkey and the KSA will eclipse relatively.

  • INTERVIEW

    INTERVIEW

    The Indian Panorama asked Mr. Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO of the Yes bank a couple of questions about the scenario with regard to NRI remittances, particularly in view of the depreciating rupee. Mr. Kapoor was kind enough to send reply to the questions asked. We give below excerpts from the interview.

    Do you see greater inflows of remittances from NRIs in the USA over the next few months following the sharp plunge of the rupee vis a vis the US dollar?
    We are already seeing higher inflows from the USA over the last few months aided by the depreciating Rupee and higher interest rates offered by Indian banks. With a series of steps taken by the RBI over the last fortnight, we expect the Rupee to stabilize around current levels and expect the flows to continue. We therefore see a majority of the Indian Diaspora in the USA, who were initially holding back their investments in India due to currency volatilities, to start remitting as the Rupee stabilizes. The long term growth outlook for India and the current level of interest rates still make it very attractive for NRIs to remit and invest in India on a medium to long term horizon.

    In case the Indian government has a new NRI bond scheme – to boost its foreign exchange reserves – do you expect a good response from USA based NRIs?
    We currently understand that the government is evaluating all options to shore up foreign capital over the short term. Issuing NRI bonds is one of the many options available. However NRI bonds may not be the first line of action in our view, considering the complexities involved in any such issuances. In the past three instances where such a bond was issued by India, it was very well received by the NRI community with a fairly large subscription coming from the USA. NRIs who had earlier invested in these bonds recorded handsome returns and we anticipate similar interest from NRIs in the USA, if the government plans to go ahead with the issuance.

    Given the current sharp depreciation of Rupee, customers are likely to bear huge losses on account of currency movement. In this case are you witnessing a trend where the customers are rolling over their maturing deposits? Are customers likely to move their balances into FCNR account to prevent further currency impact?
    With regard to depreciation of the Rupee, we have observed an increase in interest from NRIs to invest in INR deposits. Though, no specific trend has been observed with respect to rolling over of maturing deposits. Also, we have not seen NRI customers wanting to book FCNR (B) deposit from NRI deposits earmarking it to the current depreciation in Rupee.

    While most people are concerned about the depreciating rupee, one group of people are happy about it – non resident Indians (NRIs). Will they get more value out of their bank deposits?
    Bank deposits are highly liquid and give assured returns. At current interest rates, it is possible to lock into higher levels for longer periods in cases of Non Resident External (NRE) and Non Resident Ordinary (NRO) fixed deposits. Additionally, FCNR deposits can be used to insulate the deposit returns from currency fluctuations by keeping money in foreign currency.

    What is your comment on RBI deregulating the interest rate ceiling as far as the NRE/FCNR deposits are concerned. Do you think that is going to result in significant flows?
    The deregulation of NRE deposit rate, increase in FCNR deposit rate, and the CRR/SLR relaxation for banks for incremental NRI deposits is a significant and attractive move by the RBI. This will prompt banks to further mobilize funds under these schemes to take advantage of the current levels of exchange rate and interest rate.

    YES BANK, is a state-of-theart high quality, customer centric, service driven, private Indian bank catering to the “Future Businesses of India”, and is an outcome of the professional & entrepreneurial commitment of its Founder, Rana Kapoor, Managing Director & CEO. As the Professionals’ Bank of India, YES BANK has exemplified ‘creating and sharing value’ for all its stakeholders, and has created a differentiated Banking Paradigm.