The Indian Panorama

Month: March 2014

  • FBI docs reveal alleged Islamist terror training compound in Texas

    FBI docs reveal alleged Islamist terror training compound in Texas

    AUSTIN, TX (TIP): About three hours away from Austin, Texas, sits what declassified FBI documents say is an alleged Islamist training compound, the Clarion Project reported Tuesday, March 11.

    According to the Clarion Project, the enclave in Texas is one of 22 such compounds owned by the group, Muslims of the Americas, an organization linked to radical Pakistani Muslim cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani. According to the documents obtained by Clarion, the network is headquartered in “Islamberg,” a community in rural New York.

    The Texas compound, located in Brazoria County near Sweeny, is known as “Mahmoudberg.” According to Clarion, a spokesman for the group declared the U.S. to be a Muslim-majority country, a claim easily debunked.Clarion also cited a 2007 FBI report that said MOA members have been involved in at least 10 murders, one disappearance, three firebombings, one attempted firebombing, two explosive bombings and one attempted bombing.

    “The documented propensity for violence by this organization supports the belief the leadership of the MOA extols membership to pursue a policy of jihad or holy war against individuals or groups it considers enemies of Islam, which includes the U.S. Government. Members of the MOA are encouraged to travel to Pakistan to receive religious and military/terrorist training from Sheikh Gilani,” the document added.

    Local residents have reported gunfire in the area, but that is common in rural Texas. Clarion posted pictures of shells it claims to have found in the vicinity. The compound was also the site of a 2002 shooting incident where one member of the group reportedly shot another. FBI documents revealed that group members did not cooperate with authorities and women wearing veils were not permitted to speak directly with officers.

    The organization has been in Texas since the 1980s and maintains an outreach facility in Houston, Clarion added. Authorities also raided a nearly 45-acre “compound” about 70 miles south of Dallas in 1991 after a MOA/Jamaat-ul-Fuqra bomb plot in Toronto was foiled. The organization is allowed to operate in the country, Clarion said, because the State Department has not designated MOA/Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    “The group is thus permitted to organize in the U.S. until that happens,” Clarion said, even though the State Department has recognized the organization’s terrorist agenda. In 1998, the State Department called the group an “Islamic sect that seeks to purify Islam through violence.” “Jamaat ul-Fuqra has never been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. It was included in several recent annual terrorism reports under ‘other terrorist groups,’ i.e., groups that had carried out acts of terrorism but that were not formally designated by the Secretary of State.

    However, because of the group’s inactivity during 2000, it was not included in the most recent terrorism report covering that calendar year,” a State Department spokesman said in 2002. Nevertheless, the FBI is concerned about the organization, and Clarion said the group needs to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization “before it’s too late.”

  • Texas man found guilty in Lafayette federal court of attempted sex crime

    Texas man found guilty in Lafayette federal court of attempted sex crime

    LAFAYETTE, TX (TIP): A Texas man was convicted this week in a federal trial for trying to entice a 14-year-old into a sexual relationship through online chats in 2012, U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley said in an emailed release.

    Elton Ray Jones, 67, of Zavalla, Texas, faces 10 years to life in a federal prison after a jury found him guilty of one count of trying to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for one hour before announcing the verdict Tuesday.

    Finley said Jones engaged in online conversations with a law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl in an online chat room from Sept. 11, 2012, to Oct. 17, 2012. “Jones engaged in explicit conversations with the girl and planned a sexual encounter,” Finley said. Jones was arrested Oct. 17, 2012, in Lafayette after traveling from Texas for the date.

    In addition to the possible life sentence, Jones faces five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He also will be ordered to register as a sex offender if he’s released. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote, who presided over the trial, did not set a date for sentencing. The case was part of a U.S. Department of Justice program called Project Safe Childhood, a federal policeprosecutor initiative designed to combat the sexual exploitation of children.

  • Texas dad killed daughter, her lesbian lover because he disliked that she was gay: mom

    Texas dad killed daughter, her lesbian lover because he disliked that she was gay: mom

    DALLAS (TIP): A Texas dad disgusted with his daughter’s lesbian lifestyle murdered the young woman and her lover, the girl’s mother said in a shocking twist to a gruesome case.

    James Cosby, 46, bludgeoned his daughter Britney Cosby to death and shot her lover, Crystal Jackson, on March 6 before dumping the bodies near the ferry gate in Port Bolivar, Texas, police believe.The bodies were found near a Dumpster around 7:30 a.m. the next day outside a Fisherman’s Cove food mart.

    Both women were 24. Britney’s mother told KHOU-TV that Cosby was angry his daughter was gay. “He said it to me a few times that he did not like the idea of her being gay,” Loranda McDonald told the TV station. “But, like I told him, there’s nothing we could do about that. That’s who she is. We can’t change her lifestyle.”

    Capital murder charges are pending against James Cosby, a registered sex offender released from prison in October, Galveston Sheriff Office Capt. Barry Cook told the Daily News. The murder weapons have not been recovered and Britney Cosby’s recently purchased 2006 Kia Sorento is still missing. (Source: KHOU-TV)

  • KATE WINSLET SET TO RECEIVE HOLLYWOOD WALK

    KATE WINSLET SET TO RECEIVE HOLLYWOOD WALK

    Kate Winslet is going to receive a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame soon and James Cameron and Kathy Bates will present her with the award. Walk of Fame ceremonies’ spokesperson said that they are very happy that the ‘Titanic’ star would be there to receive her “well-deserved star”, the Daily Express reported.

    The rep said that they have been seeing the 38- year-old actress shine in her roles and fans around the world have been waiting for this special day. Winslet is the 2,2520th celeb to be inducted to receive the honour.

  • NICOLE KIDMAN MAY BE NEXT VICTIM OF ‘PRINCESS CURSE’

    NICOLE KIDMAN MAY BE NEXT VICTIM OF ‘PRINCESS CURSE’

    Following her friend Naomi Watts’ ill-fated role playing Princess Diana, could Nicole Kidman become the next victim of the princess curse, as her new film ‘Grace of Monaco’ is now stuck in limbo.

    While the film is scheduled to open the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, Kidman’s friend, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, has effectively dropped the project, taking it off his company’s slate of north American releases for this year fater having a dispute with the movie’s director, Olivier Dahan, the Syndey Morning Herald reported.

    The film has already been delayed twice; it was originally intended to be released last November. Dahan told French newspaper Liberation last year that The Weinstein Company, which owns the film’s US distribution rights, had been demanding a ”sanitised” final cut and referred to two versions of the film – ”Harvey’s and mine”. Apparently, Weinstein’s version chopped 22 minutes off Dahan’s version.

  • AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

    AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

    STORY: A gripping melodrama about the lives of the Westons, who gravitate back to their Oklahoma hometown, the film is about the interpersonal relationships of this family during a crisis situation.

    REVIEW: An old country house sets the scene for the proceedings in this movie, where Violet Weston (Streep) raised her three daughters – the aggressive Barbara (Roberts), the meek Ivy (Nicholson) and the flirty Karen (Lewis). Violet’s husband Beverly (Shepard) is an aging poet. Barbara has a pill addiction and is in the early stages of mouth cancer. One sweltering day, Beverly goes missing-presumed-dead. Distraught, Violet calls her sister Mattie Fae (Matindale) and brotherin- law Charles Aiken (Cooper) as well as her daughters.

    The three sisters arrive. Ivy is single but Karen brings her latest boyfriend Steve (Mulroney) and Barbara gets estranged hubbie Bill (McGregor). Although no one knows that they’re estranged. A few days pass, after which the county sheriff shows up with the bad news: Beverly’s body has been found in the bottom of a lake. After the body is correctly identified by Violet, the family find themselves having to deal with each other in a way that most of them seem unprepared to do.

    What follows is a series of interactions between family members that takes the term ‘family drama’ to a new level. The sleazy Steve, for example, tries to get into Barbara and Bill’s 14-year-old daughter Jean’s (Breslin) pants. Ivy tells Barbara that she secretly is in love with Little Charles (Cumberbatch, playing Mattie’s son). The film is full of angry exchanges and confrontations, mostly between the drugged-up Violet and Barbara, who gives as good as she gets.

    At regular intervals, various crazy secrets of the family emerge. Streep stands out as the unbalanced matriarch. Roberts too is someone to watch out for. In fact, there’s not one weak link in the portrayals of this train-wreck of a family. The music by Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) helps add to the dramatic tension in the film, generously laced as it is with dark humour and plot twists aplenty.

  • SONAKSHI CROONS FOR PARROT

    SONAKSHI CROONS FOR PARROT

    The animated musical Rio 2 has Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg lending their voices for the birds, Jewel and Blu. And Sonakshi Sinha and Imran Khan have been roped in by producers Fox Star Studios to parrot for the lovable macaws in the dubbed Hindi version.

    While voicing the delightfully funny lines, Sonakshi ended up crooning a few too. According to a source, “The dubbing happened last Saturday. It took only a couple of hours and Sonakshi had a real blast. And during an interesting party sequence she sang a few lines too.”

    When contacted the actress confirmed the news saying, “I really enjoyed dubbing for the film and I felt that both Imran and I were perfect for the characters of Blu and Jewel. There’s a scene where the two macaws are dancing and singing so they made us sing a few lines too. It was a novel experience but super fun because I love singing.

    I’d have loved to sing more but unfortunately, I’m just a bathroom singer.” The sequel to the 2011 film will open in theatres on April 11. It releases in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The comedy unveils in the Brazilian city of Rio De Janero and will see Blu and Jewel, along with their three kids, leave placid domesticity behind for a journey to the Amazon rain forest.

  • WHEN DEEPIKA PADUKONE CRIED FOR RANBIR KAPOOR

    WHEN DEEPIKA PADUKONE CRIED FOR RANBIR KAPOOR

    Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone has never hidden her relationship status. She recently admitted that she cried a lot after her break up with her former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. However, she is not sure if she wants to get back with him.

    Speaking to Mid-Day, the leggy lass said that both Ranbir and she have moved on in their lives. However, she said the breakup taught her many things and made her realize that she should not be very attached to anyone or anything in life.

    She finds herself to be a better and more mature person and thanks Ranbir for that. However, she admits that she does not want to rush into things with her current beau Ranveer Singh. She wants to give it time to know him better as a person.

  • QUEEN

    QUEEN

    STORY: Queen is an ignorant Delhi girl who finds herself on a ‘honeymoon’ all by herself. What happens along the way forms the crux of this sweet, sensitive, fun social drama. REVIEW: The action begins in a middle-class Delhi household.

    The father is a mithaiwala; his daughter Rani Mehra or Queen (Kangana Ranaut) is naive, even appears stupid in today’s context, a virgin, waiting to get married. Destiny has other designs for her. Que sera sera, without divulging too much, you can safely cut to her taking off to Paris, all alone.

    The start of Queen’s journey bears resemblance to that of Sridevi’s in ‘English Vinglish’. This Delhi girl is as nervous on her flight to Europe as that Pune housewife was when she was flying to America. Their dumbstruck expressions on the flight and on discovering the magic of their foreign destination, their Indian attire, the dilemmas of what to eat and whom to speak with seem identical. However, that’s just a brief resemblance. Otherwise Rani’s journey of self-discovery charts its own course.

    In Paris, Rani meets the long-legged, dusky Indo- French girl Vijaylakshmi (Lisa Haydon) who befriends her, giving her lessons on love, lust and life. Slowly, Queen’s low self-esteem gives way to supreme confidence. Before you know it, she’s on a train to the sex capital of the world. At a hostel in Amsterdam, Rani shares a room with three men. And this motley group goes on to forge a bond. Soon, you are as engrossed in their friendship as she is. Kangana Ranaut’s performance is outstanding.

    Whether she’s crestfallen or ecstatic, selling golgappas or naively buying sex-toys, hiding her infatuation for an Italian restaurateur or showing deep dejection about her wimpy beau Vijya (Rajkummar Rao), she’s a class act. Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao lend good support. But this film belongs to its director Vikas Bahl. This is his first solo outing. Earlier he co-directed the National- Award winning ‘Chillar Party’ with Nitesh Tiwari. Bollywood should blow bugles in his honour.

  • VW’S LATEST: CARS WITH NO DRIVERS

    VW’S LATEST: CARS WITH NO DRIVERS

    HANNOVER (TIP):
    Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn unveiled James 2025, a prototype of the interiors of what it called the car of the future, at the opening ceremony of Europe’s largest technology showcase, Cebit 2014, in Hannover in Germany. James 2025 is a virtual cockpit where drivers can sit back and hand over some of the controls of their cars by pressing a few buttons on the panel. As soon as the automatic driving mode is activated, the steering wheel, seating position and the light coding changes and a large central screen gives the driver details of any planned manoeuvers.

    A second screen with a touchpad on the console provides infotainment features. With higher levels of automation and electronics systems running together in the cockpits of modern cars, multiple stakeholders should participate in developing intelligent cars of the future by defining a legal framework, Winterkorn said. “The challenges we face here are the modernization of infrastructure and the clarification of legal aspects. The automobile industry, the IT industry, scientists and politicians need to join forces. The mobility of the future will be worthwhile for everyone — especially for consumers who will benefit from cars that are safer, more comfortable and more intelligent,” he said.

    He said IT has an important role to play in shaping mobility of the future. The Volkswagen Group invests 3.8 billion euros in IT every year and employs 9,300 IT specialists. “The car itself has become a mobile computing centre. We install approximately 1.5 kilometres of wiring in every vehicle and more than 50 electronic control devices. Their combined computing power is equivalent to 20 of the latest PCs you can buy today,” Winterkorn said.

    In today’s new age of digitization, two-way communication between cars and their environment could address issues around safety and fuel consumption. Winterkorn, however, emphasized the need for automakers to be equally responsible about protecting customers’ data. “The car must not be a data monster. I say yes to big data, yes to greater security and convenience, but no to the nanny state and Big Brother! This is an issue that affects the whole industry and what is needed here is a form of self-regulation by the car industry. Volkswagen certainly stands ready to sign up for such an arrangement,” he said.

  • Tesco India captive gets new head

    Tesco India captive gets new head

    BANGALORE (TIP):
    In a major organizational rejig, Tesco, the world’s third largest retailer, has brought company veteran Glen Attewell from Seoul to head its captive global IT operations in Bangalore. Tesco Hindustan Service Centre (HSC) is the operations and technology centre for Tesco worldwide.

    It was the first fully owned support centre set up by a major international retailer in India and currently employs close to 6,000 people. As CEO, Attewell will report to Alison Horner, group personnel director on the executive committee of Tesco, indicating the growing importance of the retailer’s India operations. Attewell will take over from Sandeep Dhar, who joined the company in 2008. Prior to this, Dhar was the MD for India and global head of delivery at Sapient, a US-based marketing and consulting company.

  • FORBES NAMES TWO INDIANS AMONG AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL CEOS UNDER-40

    FORBES NAMES TWO INDIANS AMONG AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL CEOS UNDER-40

    NEW YORK (TIP):
    Two Indian CEOs have been named among America’s most powerful CEOs under the age of 40 — who head publicly—traded companies with highest market values — in the Forbes magazine list that is topped by Google CEO and co—founder Larry Page. Website hosting company Endurance International Group CEO and founder Hari K Ravichandran (38) has been ranked 19th, while asset management firm Altisource Asset Management (AAMC) CEO Ashish Pandey (38) is ranked 20th. Ravichandran’s firm has a market cap of $2.1 billion and that of Altisource is $1.8 billion. He is an MBA from the Wharton and studied electrical engineering at Stanford. Pandey has served as a Director and the Chief Executive Officer of AAMC since December 2012.

    He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Indian Institute of Management. “It’s been said that youth is wasted on the young, but the still—fresh faces on this list have done anything but squander their earlier decades. “Some began their careers with dorm room innovations, others rose through the ranks with record speed, but whatever their path, everyone on this list made it to the top before their 41st birthday,” Forbes said. The 20 CEOs on the list head publicly— traded companies with the highest market capitalisations. For the third consecutive year, Page has topped the list.


    18

    In the past year, the search giant’s record—high stock prices nudged Page’s personal net worth above to $30 billion. The youngest CEO on the list is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 29, remains in the second place. For the second consecutive year, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, 38, holds third place and remains the only woman on this list. In her less than two years as CEO, earlier with Google, has made “changes and waves in equal measure,” Forbes said. Eight CEOs are new to the list this year, including Burger King Worldwide head Daniel Schwartz, 33, who is one of the youngest on the list. Since taking the position in June last year, Schwartz has focused on expanding the brand internationally, forming partnerships in India and France and opening the fast food chain’s first location in Brunei.

  • EU moves towards travel bans, asset freezes for Russians

    EU moves towards travel bans, asset freezes for Russians

    BRUSSELS/SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE (TIP): The EU agreed a framework on Thursday for its first sanctions on Russia since the cold war, a stronger response to the Ukraine crisis than many had expected and a mark of solidarity with Washington in the effort to make Moscow pay for seizing Crimea.

    The EU sanctions, outlined in a document seen by Reuters, would slap travel bans and asset freezes on an as-yet-undecided list of people and firms accused by Brussels of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. German chancellor Angela Merkel said the measures would be imposed on Monday unless diplomatic progress was made. Shares in Moscow dropped 2.6% and the central bank was forced to spend $1.5 billion to prop up the rouble as investors confronted the prospect that Russia could face unexpectedly serious consequences for its plans to annex Crimea.

    Russian troops have seized control of the Black Sea peninsula, where separatists have taken over the provincial government and are preparing for a referendum on Sunday to make the region part of Russia, which the West calls illegal. The measures outlined by the EU are similar to steps already announced by Washington, but would have far greater impact because Europe buys most of Russia’s oil and gas exports, while the United States is only a minor trade partner. The EU’s 335 billion euros of trade with Russia in 2012 was worth around 10 times that of the United States.

    The travel bans and asset freezes could cut members of Russia’s elite off from the European cities that provide their second homes and the European banks that hold their cash. The fast pace of Russian moves to annex Crimea appears to have galvanised the leaders of a 28-member bloc whose consensus rules often slow down its decisions. Merkel herself had initially expressed reservations about sanctions but has been frustrated by Moscow’s refusal to form a “contact group” to seek a diplomatic solution over Crimea. “Almost a week ago, we said that if that wasn’t successful within a few days, we’d have to consider a second stage of sanctions,” Merkel said. “Six days have gone by since then and we have to recognise, even though we will continue our efforts to form a contact group, that we haven’t made any progress.”

    PREPARATIONS
    In Crimea, the regional government is led by a Russian separatist businessman whose party received just 4% of the vote in the last provincial election in 2010 but who took power on February 27 after gunmen seized the assembly building. Two days later, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia had the right to invade Ukraine to protect Russian citizens. Preparations for Sunday’s referendum are in full swing. Banners hang in the centre of Crimea’s capital, reading “Spring — Crimea — Russia!” and “Referendum — Crimea with Russia!” Crimea has a narrow ethnic Russian majority, and many in the province of 2 million people clearly favour rule from Moscow.

    Opinion has been whipped up by state-run media that broadcast exaggerated reports of a threat from “fascist thugs” in Kiev. “Enough with Ukraine, that unnatural creation of the Soviet Union, we have to go back to our motherland,” said Anatoly, 38, from Simferopol, dressed in camouflage uniform and a Cossack traditional fur cap. But a substantial, if quieter, part of the population still favours being part of Ukraine. They include many ethnic Russians as well as Ukrainians and members of the peninsula’s indigenous Tatar community, who were brutally repressed under Soviet rule. “Crimea has been with Ukraine since the 1950s and I want to know how they will cut it off from what was our mainland,” said Musa, a Tatar. “If the referendum is free and fair, at least a little bit, I will vote against Crimean independence.”

    The referendum seems to leave no such choice: voters will have to pick between joining Russia or adopting an earlier constitution that described Crimea as sovereign. The regional assembly says that if Crimea becomes sovereign, it will sever ties with Ukraine and join Russia anyway. Still, with the streets firmly in control of pro- Russian militiamen and Russian troops, there is little doubt that the separatist authorities will get the pro-Russian result they seek. Many opponents, including Tatar leaders, plan to boycott. There will be no Western observers. Election officials have openly said they proudly support union with Russia. Journalists seeking accreditation for the vote are required to promise not to report “negative news”.

    While tightening his grip on Crimea, Putin seems to have rowed back from his March 1 threat to invade other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, where most of the population, though ethnically Ukrainian, speak Russian as a first language. That threat exposed the limits of Ukraine’s military, which would be little match for the superpower next door and has seen its detachments in Crimea surrounded. The authorities in Kiev announced the formation of a new national guard on Wednesday.

    But if Putin had expected to be able to seize Crimea without facing any consequences — as he did when he captured parts of tiny Georgia after a war in 2008 — the push towards sanctions suggests he may have miscalculated. In a statement, the leaders of the G7 – the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada — called on Russia to stop the referendum from taking place. “In addition to its impact on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states,” they said. “Should the Russian Federation take such a step, we will take further action, individually and collectively.”

    TALK BUT NO BREAKTHROUGH
    There has been a lot of diplomatic contact between Russia and the West – on Thursday Putin spoke to French President Francois Hollande, while U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to meet foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday in London — but so far no sign of any breakthrough. Russia has pledged to retaliate for any sanctions, but EU leaders seem to be betting that Moscow has more to lose than they do. Merkel’s finance minister,Wolfgang Schaeuble, said any potential impact on Germany’s economy was likely to be limited. Storage tanks for natural gas across much of Europe are full after a mild season, and the peak of winter demand is over. Europe’s trade volume with Russia accounts for just 1 percent of EU gross domestic product but 15 percent of Russia’s, said the German trade lobby group BGA.

    “A trade conflict would be painful for the German economy, but for the Russian economy it would be life-threatening,” said its president, Anton Boerner. Many investors still believe sanctions are unlikely to be severe enough to damage ‘business as usual’ for Moscow, but say the risk of serious disruption has grown. “Talk of very tough sanctions is probably a negotiating tool and at this stage the impact will be limited. But it’s the anticipation of stronger action that could potentially be more harmful,” said Neal Shearing, head of emerging markets research at Capital Economics.

    While the EU has agreed wording for its sanctions, it is still working on a target list. Talks took place in London this week between officials from Britain, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and Japan. “My understanding is that there was detailed discussion of names at the meeting,” an EU official said. “No definitive list has been drawn up, but it will be ready by Monday.”European officials have indicated that Putin and Lavrov will not be on the list, in order to keep channels of communication open. The list is expected to focus on targets close to Putin in the security services and military, as well as lawmakers.

  • SPICEJET ORDERS 42 BOEING 737 MAX WORTH $4.4 BN

    SPICEJET ORDERS 42 BOEING 737 MAX WORTH $4.4 BN

    NEW DELHI:
    Low-cost carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday placed an order for 42 Boeing 737 Max aircraft at a list price of $4.4 billion. The airline swapped existing orders for 12 Boeing 737 aircraft for the next-gen avatar of the plane, which the US aircraft major announced after Airbus came up with the thriftier A-320 neo (new engine option) of its popular A-320s. The delivery of the new planes will begin from 2018 and SpiceJet, India’s second largest LCC, will use the sale and lease-back model to finance their acquisitions.

    The deal was announced at the ongoing Hyderabad air show. Ficci, which is among the organizers of the air show, described it as the “biggest deal in the aviation history of India… between Indian budget airline, SpiceJet and Boeing”. “SpiceJet greatly values the ties we have built over the years with Boeing. The Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, the mainstay of the fleet ever since SpiceJet started operations, have vindicated our choice by their endurance, reliability and cost effectiveness,” said S L Narayanan, CFO of Sun Group, the parent company of SpiceJet.

    Boeing senior VP (Asia Pacific and India sales) Dinesh Keskar said: “The order is a tremendous endorsement of the 737 MAX’s unsurpassed fuel efficiency. The capabilities of the 737 MAX support SpiceJet’s mission to become India’s preferred low-cost airline.” The 737 MAX brings advanced engine technologies to the aircraft. It incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

    With the latest deal, SpiceJet has ordered 90 airplanes directly from Boeing, which includes the 737-800, 737- 900ER and now the 737 MAX. The low-cost airline has so far taken delivery of 31 planes. The LCC opted for a fuel efficient version of the B-737 as part of its recent endeavor to fly out of red, something which has proven to be elusive so far. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates SpiceJet to report a record full-year loss of about Rs 1,186 crore in 2013-14 — equal to the combined losses incurred from 2007 to 2013.

  • BEANSTALK-LIKE ‘SPACE ELEVATORS’ COULD GO FROM SCI-FI TO REALITY

    BEANSTALK-LIKE ‘SPACE ELEVATORS’ COULD GO FROM SCI-FI TO REALITY

    WASHINGTON (TIP):
    Researchers suggest that a beanstalk-like ‘space elevator’ consisting of an Earthanchored tether that extends 100,000km into space could eventually provide routine, safe, inexpensive and quiet access to the Earth’s orbit. An assessment of the concept has been put together in a study titled ‘Space Elevators: An Assessment of the Technological Feasibility and the Way Forward’. The study was conducted by experts from around the world under the auspices of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

    The study’s final judgment is twofold: A space elevator appears possible, with the understanding that risks must be mitigated through technological progress, and a space elevator infrastructure could indeed be built via a major international effort. The tether serving as a space elevator would be used to place payloads and people into space using electric vehicles called climbers that drive up and down the tether at train-like speeds. The rotation of the Earth would keep the tether taut and capable of supporting the climbers.

  • G7 urges Russia to withdraw its support ‘immediately’ from Crimean referendum

    G7 urges Russia to withdraw its support ‘immediately’ from Crimean referendum

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, have in a joint statement through the White House, March 12, called on the Russian Federation to cease all efforts to change the status of Crimea contrary to Ukrainian law and in violation of international law.

    The leaders said, “We call on the Russian Federation to immediately halt actions supporting a referendum on the territory of Crimea regarding its status, in direct violation of the Constitution of Ukraine. Any such referendum would have no legal effect. Given the lack of adequate preparation and the intimidating presence of Russian troops, it would also be a deeply flawed process which would have no moral force.

    For all these reasons, we would not recognize the outcome. “Russian annexation of Crimea would be a clear violation of the United Nations Charter; Russia’s commitments under the Helsinki Final Act; its obligations to Ukraine under its 1997 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership; the Russia- Ukraine 1997 basing agreement; and its commitments in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

    In addition to its impact on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states. Should the Russian Federation take such a step, we will take further action, individually and collectively.

    “We call on the Russian Federation to deescalate the conflict in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine immediately, withdraw its forces back to their pre-crisis numbers and garrisons, begin direct discussions with the Government of Ukraine, and avail itself of international mediation and observation offers to address any legitimate concerns it may have.

    We, the leaders of the G-7, urge Russia to join us in working together through diplomatic processes to resolve the current crisis and support progress for a sovereign independent, inclusive and united Ukraine. We also remind the Russian Federation of our decision to suspend participation in any activities related to preparation of a G-8 Sochi meeting until it changes course and the environment comes back to where the G-8 is able to have a meaningful discussion.”

  • THIS DEVICE HELPS LED LIGHTS GLOW BETTER

    THIS DEVICE HELPS LED LIGHTS GLOW BETTER

    LONDON (TIP):
    We all know that LED lights are durable and save energy. Now researchers have found a novel way to make LED lamps even more compact while supplying more light than commercially available models. And the key to success lies in transistors made of the semiconductor material gallium nitride. LEDs are extremely sensitive to variations and spikes in power. To function properly, they need a driver that ensures a constant supply of power at all times.

    “This driver, which takes the alternating current from the grid and converts it into direct current with a reduced voltage, has a profound influence on the light yield and lifetime of the LED lamp as a whole,” said Michael Kunzer, group manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Germany. This prompted researchers to focus their attention on voltage transformers featuring gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. During practical testing, the scientists found that the drivers developed using this new semiconductor material were extremely robust.

    Components made of GaN can operate at higher currents, voltages and temperatures than standard silicon transistors. “Heat plays a role both in the brightness and the service life of LED lamps,” Kunzer added.With the new semiconductor, the researchers were able to boost the efficiency of the GaN driver to 86 per cent – between one and four percentage points better than its silicon equivalent.”Nearly 20 per cent of energy consumption worldwide can be attributed to lighting so it is an area where savings are particularly worthwhile. One should not underestimate the role played by the efficiency of LED drivers as this is key to saving energy,” Kunzer noted.

  • US lawmakers urge Pentagon to end ban on Sikhs serving in army

    US lawmakers urge Pentagon to end ban on Sikhs serving in army

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A group of 105 US lawmakers has urged the Pentagon to lift the presumptive ban on the Sikhs serving in the military by easing restrictions on beard, turbans, and other religious accoutrements.

    “Given the achievements of these soldiers and their demonstrated ability to comply with operational requirements while practising their faith, we believe it is time for our military to make inclusion of practicing Sikh Americans the rule, not the exception,” the lawmakers said in a letter to US defence secretary Chuck Hagel.

    Led by Congressmen Joe Crowley, vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Defence Appropriations Subcommittee, the 105 members of the US House of Representatives requested that the US armed forces update their appearance regulations to once again allow Sikh Americans to serve while abiding by their articles of faith, such as wearing a turban or beard.

    They said the Sikhs have served in the US army since World War I, and are permitted to serve in the armed forces of Canada and the UK, as well as key partner India. The three Sikh Americans who have been granted individualised accommodations to serve in the US army wear turbans and maintain beards in a neat and conservative manner, both in accordance with operational requirements and their Sikh religious beliefs.

    They are also able to wear protective equipment, including helmets and gas masks, in conformity with safety requirements. Sikh Coalition applauded lawmaker’s move calling for an end to the presumptive ban on devout Sikh service in the US military. “Today’s letter from Congress is a big step forward in our campaign to ensure equal opportunity for Sikh Americans in the US military,” said Rajdeep Singh, director of Law and Policy for the Sikh Coalition. “Sikhs have proven time and again around the world that they are excellent soldiers. It’s time for the Pentagon to realise that Sikh Americans are here to stay and that policies of exclusion are inevitably going to fail,” Singh said.

  • NEW OZONE-DEPLETING GASES DISCOVERED

    NEW OZONE-DEPLETING GASES DISCOVERED

    LONDON:
    In a blow to ozone-protection efforts, scientists have identified four new man-made gases in the atmosphere which are contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer. Two of the newly discovered gases are accumulating at a rate that is causing concern among scientists. New research by scientists at the University of East Anglia, UK, shows that more than 74,000 tonnes of three new chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and one new hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) have been released into the atmosphere.

    “Our research has shown four gases that were not around in the atmosphere at all until the 1960s which suggests they are human-made,” lead researcher Dr Johannes Laube from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences said. “The identification of these four new gases is very worrying as they will contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer,” said Laube. Scientists made the discovery by comparing today’s air samples with air trapped in polar firn snow – which provides a century-old natural archive of the atmosphere.

  • Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages: Study

    Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages: Study

    SYDNEY (TIP):
    The steam and heat from volcanoes allowed species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, a study showed on Tuesday, offering help for scientists dealing with climate change. An international team of researchers said their analysis helped explain a long-running mystery about how some species thrived in areas covered by glaciers, with volcanoes acting as an oasis of life during long cold periods. “Volcanic steam can melt large ice caves under the glaciers, and it can be tens of degrees warmer in there than outside,” said Ceridwen Fraser, the joint team leader from the Australian National University. “Caves and warm steam fields would have been great places for species to hang out during ice ages.

    “We can learn a lot from looking at the impacts of past climate change as we try to deal with the accelerated change that humans are now causing.” The team studied tens of thousands of records of Antarctic mosses, lichens and bugs, collected over decades by hundreds of researchers, and found there were more species close to volcanoes, and fewer further away. While the study was based on Antarctica, the findings will also help scientists understand how species survived past ice ages in other frigid regions, including in periods when it is thought there was little or no ice-free land on the planet.

    Antarctica has at least 16 volcanoes which have been active since the last ice age 20,000 years ago with around 60 percent of Antarctic invertebrate species found nowhere else in the world. “The closer you get to volcanoes, the more species you find,” said Aleks Terauds from the Australian Antarctic Division, which ran the analysis that was published by the US-based journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    “This pattern supports our hypothesis that species have been expanding their ranges and gradually moving out from volcanic areas since the last ice age.” Another team member Steven Chown, from Monash University in Melbourne, said the research findings could help guide conservation efforts in Antarctica. “Knowing where the ‘hotspots’ of diversity are will help us to protect them as human-induced environmental changes continue to affect Antarctica,” he said.

  • Court rules against gag on ‘frank’ letters from UK’s Prince Charles

    Court rules against gag on ‘frank’ letters from UK’s Prince Charles

    LONDON (TIP): The possible publication of potentially embarrassing letters written by British heir-to-thethrone Prince Charles moved a step closer on March 12 when a gagging order on them was declared unlawful by a court.

    The 27 letters were written by Charles to members of the previous Labour government and have been described by Attorney General Dominic Grieve as “particularly frank.” The 65-year-old prince has long held strong views in areas like the environment and urban planning and has been criticised for apparently using his unelected position to persuade ministers to change official policies through private letters, nicknamed “black-spider memos” because of his scrawled handwriting.

    Grieve, the government’s chief legal adviser, has blocked an attempt by the left-leaning Guardian newspaper to have the letters made public under freedom of information laws. He has said that any perception that Charles had disagreed with the previous government of Tony Blair “would be seriously damaging to his role as future monarch because, if he forfeits his position of political neutrality as heir to the throne, he cannot easily recover it when he is king”.

    On March 12 the Appeal Court ruled that Grieve’s ban on publication was unlawful but gave him permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. Grieve’s office confirmed it would indeed be appealing. “We are very disappointed by the decision of the Court,” it said in a statement. “We will be pursuing an appeal to the Supreme Court in order to protect the important principles which are at stake in this case.”

    Prime Minister David Cameron is backing Grieve’s efforts to ban publication. “It is important to preserve confidentiality of communications between the monarch and the heir to the throne,” his spokesman said on Wednesday. “(Cameron) very much supports the case the government has been making in the courts and we shall continue to make that case.” The Guardian welcomed Wednesday’s ruling, adding in a statement: “The public has a right to know if the heir to the throne is advocating policy or promoting causes to government ministers.” A spokesman for Prince Charles declined to comment.

  • SPIDER VENOM HAS PAINKILLER POTENTIAL

    SPIDER VENOM HAS PAINKILLER POTENTIAL

    WASHINGTON (TIP):
    The venom of Tarantula spiders may hold key to the development of a safe and effective new painkiller, a new study has found. Screening more than 100 spider toxins, Yale University researchers identified a protein from the venom of the Peruvian green velvet tarantula that blunts activity in pain-transmitting neurons. The findings show the new screening method used by the scientists has the potential to search millions of different spider toxins for safe pain-killing drugs and therapies. The researchers note that they tested the spider toxins on only one of a dozen suspected human pain channels.

    “The likelihood is that within the vast diversity of spider toxins we will find others that are active against other channels important for pain,” said Michael Nitabach, senior author of the research paper. The researchers screened the toxins from a variety of tarantula species to find one that blocked TRPA1, an ion channel on the surface of pain-sensing neurons that is implicated in inflammation and neuropathic pain. In a process dubbed toxineering by researchers, the team generated another small library of mutated versions of the tarantula toxin to find one that blocked TRPA1 but had no effect on activity of other channels on the surface of neurons.

    “The beauty of the system is we can also screen engineered toxins not found in nature, and identify higher-potency and more specific molecular variants that lack deleterious effects on essential nerve functions,” Nitabach said. Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and very large arachnids belonging to the Theraphosidae family of spiders.

  • Files reveal bravery of India’s WWI soldiers

    Files reveal bravery of India’s WWI soldiers

    LONDON (TIP): Documents from World War 1, declassified by Britain on March 13 has revealed for the first time the valour of an Indian soldier who braved heavy machine gun fire from the Germans to pass vital information to the British forces.

    A number of files relating to the Indian cavalry fighting in December 1917 against German forces have revealed the fearlessness of Gobind Singh from the 28th Light Cavalry. On three occasions, he volunteered to carry messages between the regiment and brigade headquarters, a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) over open ground which was under heavy fire from the enemy.

    He succeeded each time in delivering the message, although on each occasion his horse was shot and he was compelled to finish the journey on foot. Gobind Singh (1887-1942)-the lance-daffadar won the Victoria Cross on December 1, 1917 near Peizieres in France. Saying that “no praise is too high for the conduct of all ranks during the whole operation” the documents to be thrown open to the public on Thursday by the National Archives but available with TOI said: “The Germans brought in heavy machine gun fire to bear on the position most of the day.

    Notwithstanding this and also heavy machine gun fire from both flanks on the way out and back, a sowar of the 2nd Lancers brought in two messages describing the situation to the headquarters. He had three horses shot under him, but nevertheless was ready and wished to return to his regiment. Included in this batch are records of the Indian Cavalry—the first troops from the Commonwealth to join the British Army with first actions in Givenchy in the autumn of 1914—whose first major contribution was at the Somme where they saw the loss of around 80% of their men at the Battle of Delville.

  • SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    || 2 || PAUREE: The slanderers are destroyed in an instant; they are not spared for even a moment. God will not endure the sufferings of His slaves, but catching the slanderers, He binds them to the cycle of reincarnation. Grabbing them by the hair on their heads, the Lord throws them down, and leaves them on the path of Death. They cry out in pain, in the darkest of hells. But hugging His slaves close to His Heart, O Nanak, the True Lord saves them. || 20 || SHALOK, FIFTH MEHL: Meditate on the Lord, O fortunate ones; He is pervading the waters and the earth. O Nanak, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and no misfortune shall strike you. || 1 || FIFTH MEHL: Millions of misfortunes block the way of one who forgets the Name of the Lord. O Nanak, like a crow in a deserted house, he cries out, night and day.

    || 2 || PAUREE: Meditating, meditating in remembrance of the Great Giver, one’s heart’s desires are fulfilled. The hopes and desires of the mind are realized, and sorrows are forgotten. The treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is obtained; I have searched for it for so long. My light is merged into the Light, and my labors are over. I abide in that house of peace, poise and bliss. My comings and goings have ended – there is no birth or death there. The Master and the servant have become one, with no sense of separation. By Guru’s Grace, Nanak is absorbed in the True Lord.

    || 21 || 1 || 2 || SUDH || RAAG GUJRI, THE WORDS OF THE DEVOTEES: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: CHAU-PADAS OF KABEER JEE, SECOND HOUSE: With four feet, two horns and a mute mouth, how could you sing the Praises of the Lord? Standing up and sitting down, the stick shall still fall on you, so where will you hide your head? || 1 || Without the Lord, you are like a stray ox; with your nose torn, and your shoulders injured, you shall have only the straw of coarse grain to eat. || 1 || Pause || All day long, you shall wander in the forest, and even then, your belly will not be full. You did not follow the advice of the humble devotees, and so you shall obtain the fruits of your actions.

    || 2 || Enduring pleasure and pain, drowned in the great ocean of doubt, you shall wander in numerous reincarnations. You have lost the jewel of human birth by forgetting God; when will you have such an opportunity again? || 3 || You turn on the wheel of reincarnation, like an ox at the oilpress; the night of your life passes away without salvation. Says Kabeer, without the Name of the Lord, you shall pound your head, and regret and repent. || 4 || 1 || GUJRI, THIRD HOUSE: Kabeer’s mother sobs, cries and bewails – O Lord, how will my grandchildren live? || 1 || Kabeer has given up all his spinning and weaving, and written the Name of the Lord on his body.

    || 1 || Pause || As long as I pass the thread through the bobbin, I forget the Lord, my Beloved. || 2 || My intellect is lowly – I am a weaver by birth, but I have earned the profit of the Name of the Lord. || 3 || Says Kabeer, listen, O my mother – the Lord alone is the Provider, for me and my children. || 4 || 2 || GUJRI, PADAS OF NAAM DAYV JEE, FIRST HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: If You gave me an empire, then what glory would be in it for me? If You made me beg for charity, what would it take away from me? || 1 || Meditate and vibrate upon the Lord, O my mind, and you shall obtain the state of Nirvaanaa. You shall not have to come and go in reincarnation any longer.

    || 1 || Pause || You created all, and You lead them astray in doubt. They alone understand, unto whom You give understanding. || 2 || Meeting the True Guru, doubt is dispelled. Who else should I worship? I can see no other. || 3 || One stone is lovingly decorated, while another stone is walked upon. If one is a god, then the other must also be a god. Says Naam Dayv, I serve the Lord. || 4 || 1 || GUJRI, FIRST HOUSE: He does not have even a trace of impurity – He is beyond impurity. He is fragrantly scented – He has come to take His Seat in my mind. No one saw Him come – who can know Him, O Siblings of Destiny? || 1 || Who can describe Him? Who can understand Him? The allpervading Lord has no ancestors, O Siblings of Destiny.

    || 1 || Pause || As the path of a bird’s flight across the sky cannot be seen, and the path of a fish through the water cannot be seen; || 2 || As the mirage leads one to mistake the sky for a pitcher filled with water – so is God, the Lord and Master of Naam Dayv, who fits these three comparisons. || 3 || 2 || GUJRI, PADAS OF RAVI DAAS JEE, THIRD HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The calf has contaminated the milk in the breasts. The bumble bee has contaminated the flower, and the fish the water. || 1 || O mother, where shall I find any offering for the Lord’s worship? I cannot find any other flowers worthy of the incomparable Lord.

    || 1 || Pause || The snakes encircle the sandalwood trees. Poison and nectar dwell there together. || 2 || Even with incense, lamps, offerings of food and fragrant flowers, how are Your slaves to worship You? || 3 || I dedicate and offer my body and mind to You. By Guru’s Grace, I attain the immaculate Lord. || 4 || I cannot worship You, nor offer You flowers. Says Ravi Daas, what shall my condition be hereafter? || 5 || 1 || GUJRI, PADAS OF TRILOCHAN JEE, FIRST HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: You have not cleansed the filth from within yourself, although outwardly, you wear the dress of a renunciate. In the heartlotus of your self, you have not recognized God – why have you become a Sannyaasee?

    || 1 || Deluded by doubt, O Jai Chand, you have not realized the Lord, the embodiment of supreme bliss. || 1 || Pause || You eat in each and every house, fattening your body; you wear the patched coat and the ear-rings of the beggar, for the sake of wealth. You apply the ashes of cremation to your body, but without a Guru, you have not found the essence of reality. || 2 || Why bother to chant your spells? Why bother to practice austerities? Why bother to churn water? Meditate on the Lord of Nirvaanaa, who has created the 8.4 million species of beings.

    || 3 || Why bother to carry the water-pot, O saffron-robed Yogi? Why bother to visit the sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage? Says Trilochan, listen, mortal: you have no corn – what are you trying to thresh? || 4 || 1 || GUJRI: At the very last moment, one who thinks of wealth, and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again, in the form of serpents. || 1 || O sister, do not forget the Name of the Lord of the Universe. || Pause || At the very last moment, he who thinks of women, and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a prostitute.

    || 2 || At the very last moment, one who thinks of his children, and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a pig. || 3 || At the very last moment, one who thinks of mansions, and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a goblin. || 4 || At the very last moment, one who thinks of the Lord, and dies in such thoughts, says Trilochan, that man shall be liberated; the Lord shall abide in his heart.

    || 5 || 2 || GUJRI, PADAS OF JAI DAYV JEE, FOURTH HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: In the very beginning, was the Primal Lord, unrivalled, the Lover of Truth and other virtues. He is absolutely wonderful, transcending creation; remembering Him, all are emancipated. || 1 || Dwell only upon the beauteous Name of the Lord, the embodiment of ambrosial nectar and reality. Remembering Him in meditation, the fear of birth, old age and death will not trouble you. || 1 || Pause || If you desire to escape the fear of the Messenger of Death, then praise the Lord joyfully, and do good deeds. In the past, present and future, He is always the same; He is the embodiment of supreme bliss.

    || 2 || If you seek the path of good conduct, forsake greed, and do not look upon other men’s property and women. Renounce all evil actions and evil inclinations, and hurry to the Sanctuary of the Lord. || 3 || Worship the immaculate Lord, in thought, word and deed. What is the good of practicing Yoga, giving feasts and charity, and practicing penance? || 4 || Meditate on the Lord of the Universe, the Lord of the Universe, O man; He is the source of all the spiritual powers of the Siddhas. Jai Dayv has openly come to Him; He is the salvation of all, in the past, present and future.

    || 5 || 1 || ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. TRUTH IS THE NAME. CREATIVE BEING PERSONIFIED. NO FEAR. NO HATRED. IMAGE OF THE UNDYING. BEYOND BIRTH. SELF-EXISTENT. BY GURU’S GRACE: RAAG DAYV-GANDHAAREE, FOURTH MEHL, FIRST HOUSE: Those who become the humble servants of the Lord and Master, lovingly focus their minds on Him. Those who chant Your Praises, through the Guru’s Teachings, have great good fortune recorded upon their foreheads.

    || 1 || Pause || The bonds and shackles of Maya are shattered, by lovingly focusing their minds on the Name of the Lord. My mind is enticed by the Guru, the Enticer; beholding Him, I am wonder-struck. || 1 || I slept through the entire dark night of my life, but through the tiniest bit of the Guru’s Grace, I have been awakened. O Beautiful Lord God, Master of servant Nanak, there is none comparable to You. || 2 || 1 || DAYV-GANDHAAREE: Tell me – on what path will I find my Beauteous Lord? O Saints of the Lord, show me the Way, and I shall follow.

    || 1 || Pause || I cherish in my heart the Words of my Beloved; this is the best way. The bride may be hunch-backed and short, but if she is loved by her Lord Master, she becomes beautiful, and she melts in the Lord’s embrace. || 1 || There is only the One Beloved – we are all soul-brides of our Husband Lord. She who is pleasing to her Husband Lord is good. What can poor, helpless Nanak do? As it pleases the Lord, so does he walk. || 2 || 2 || DAYVGANDHAAREE: O my mind, chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har. The Gurmukh is imbued with the deep red color of the poppy. His shawl is saturated with the Lord’s Love.

    || 1 || Pause || I wander around here and there, like a madman, bewildered, seeking out my Darling Lord. I shall be the slave of the slave of whoever unites me with my Darling Beloved. || 1 || So align yourself with the Almighty True Guru; drink in and savor the Ambrosial Nectar of the Lord. By Guru’s Grace, servant Nanak has obtained the wealth of the Lord within.

  • THE BHAGAVAD GITA

    THE BHAGAVAD GITA

    THE SUPREME PERSON

    Creation is like a tree created by the powers of Maya

    The Supreme Lord said: They speak of the eternal banyan tree that has its origin above in the Supreme Being (ParBrahm) and its branches below in the cosmos, and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who understands this tree is a knower of the Vedas. (See also 10.08) (15.01) The branches of this cosmic tree of Maya (Illusion) spread all over the cosmos. The tree is nourished by three modes (Gunas) of material Nature (Prakriti); sense pleasures are its sprouts; and its roots of ego and desires stretch below in the human world, causing Karmic bondage. (15.02)

    How to cut the tree of attachment and attain salvation by taking refuge in God

    The real form of this tree is not perceptible here on earth, nor is its beginning, end, or existence. Having cut the firm roots — the desires — of this tree by the mighty ax of Self-knowledge and detachment; thus thinking: “I take refuse in that very primal person from which this primal manifestation comes forth”, seek that supreme abode from where one does not come back (to the mortal world) again.

    (15.03-04) The wise reach that eternal goal, who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evil of attachment, who constantly dwell in the Supreme Self with all lust (Kaam) completely stilled, and who are free from dualities of pleasure and pain. (15.05) The sun does not illumine there, nor the moon, nor the fire. That is My supreme abode. Having reached there people do not come back (to the temporal world). (See also 13.17 and 15.12) (15.06)

    The embodied soul is the enjoyer

    The eternal individual soul (Jeevaatma) in the body of living beings is, indeed, My integral part. It associates with the six sensory faculties of perception — including the mind — and activates them. (15.07) Just as the air takes aroma away from the flower; similarly, the individual soul (Jeevaatma) takes the six sensory faculties from the physical body it casts off during death to the new physical body it acquires in reincarnation (by the power of Karm).

    (See also 2.13) (15.08) The living entity (Jeev) enjoys sense pleasures using six sensory faculties of hearing, touch, sight, taste, smell, and mind. The ignorant cannot perceive Jeev departing from the body, nor staying in the body and enjoying sense pleasures by associating with the modes of material Nature. But those who have the eye of Self-knowledge can see it. (15.09-10) The yogis, striving for perfection, behold the living entity (Jeev) abiding in their inner psyche (as consciousness), but the ignorant and those whose inner psyche is not pure; even though striving, do not perceive Him. (15.11)

    Spirit is the essence of everything
    Know the light energy to be Mine that comes from the sun and illumines the whole world, and is in the moon and in fire. (See also 13.17 and 15.06) (15.12) Entering the earth, I support all beings with My energy. Becoming the sap-giving moon, I nourish all the plants. (15.13) Becoming the digestive fire, I remain in the body of all living beings. Uniting with vital life forces (Praan and Apaan), I digest all types of food.

    (15.14) And I am seated in the inner psyche of all beings. Memory, Self-knowledge, and removal of doubts and wrong notions (about the Eternal Being by reasoning, or in trance (Samaadhi)) come from Me. I am, in truth, that which is to be known by the study of all the Vedas. I am, indeed, the author of the Vedant and the knower of the Vedas. (See also 6.39) (15.15)

    What are the supreme spirit, spirit and the individual soul?

    There are two entities (Purushas) in the cosmos: The changeable or temporal Divine Beings (Kshar Purush), and the unchangeable Eternal Being (Brahm, Akshar Purush). All created beings are subject to change, but the Eternal Being does not change. (15.16) There is another Supreme Personality of the Godhead (beyond both the temporal and the eternal) called the Absolute Reality or Paramaatma, who sustains both the temporal and the eternal (Kshar and Akshar) by pervading all three planetary spheres (Lokas) as the eternal Lord (Ishvar).

    (15.17) Because I am beyond both the temporal (Kshar) and the eternal (Akshar); therefore, I am known in this world and in the Veda as the Supreme Being (ParBrahm, Paramaatma, Purushottam, the Absolute, Truth, Sat, Supersoul, etc.). (15.18) The wise, who truly understand Me as the Supreme Being (Purushottam), know everything and worship Me wholeheartedly, O Arjun. (See also 7.14, 14.26, and 18.66) (15.19) Thus, I have explained this most secret science of Self-knowledge (Taaratamya-vidyaa, Brahm-vidyaa) , O sinless Arjun. Having understood this, one becomes enlightened, and one’s all duties are accomplished, O Arjun. (15.20)

    DIVINE AND DEMONIC QUALITIES

    A list of major divine qualities that should be cultivated for salvation

    The Supreme Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of the inner psyche, perseverance in the yog of Self-knowledge, charity, sense-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, honesty; nonviolence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, calmness, abstinence from malicious talk, compassion for all creatures, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, splendor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, absence of malice, and absence of pride — these are the (twenty-six) qualities of those endowed with divine virtues, O Arjun. (16.01-03)

    A list of demonic qualities that should be given up before spiritual journey can begin

    O Arjun, the marks of those who are born with demonic qualities are: Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance. (16.04) Divine qualities lead to salvation (Moksh); the demonic qualities are said to be for bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjun, you are born with divine qualities. (16.05)

    There are only two types of human beings, the wise and the ignorant

    Basically, there are only two types or castes of human beings in this world: The divine, and the demonic. The divine has been described at length. Now hear from Me about the demonic, O Arjun. (16.06) Persons of demonic nature do not know what to do and what not to do. They have neither purity nor good conduct nor truthfulness. (16.07) They say that the world is unreal, without a substratum, without a God, and without an order.

    The world is caused by sexual union of man and woman alone and nothing else. (16.08) Adhering to this wrong, atheistic view, these degraded souls — with small intellect and cruel deeds — are born as enemies for the destruction of the world. (16.09) Filled with insatiable desires, hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance; holding wrong views due to delusion; they act with impure motives. (16.10) Obsessed with endless anxiety lasting until death, considering sense gratification their highest aim, and convinced that sense pleasure is everything; (16.11) Bound by hundreds of ties of desire and enslaved by lust and anger, they strive to obtain wealth by unlawful means to fulfill sensual pleasures.

    They think: (16.12) This has been gained by me today; I shall fulfill this desire; I have this much wealth and will have more wealth in the future; (16.13) that enemy has been slain by me, and I shall slay others also. I am the lord. I am the enjoyer. I am successful, powerful, and happy; (16.14).I am rich and born in a noble family. Who is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifice, I shall give charity, and I shall rejoice.

    Thus deluded by ignorance, (16.15) bewildered by many fancies, entangled in the net of delusion, addicted to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, they fall into a foul hell. (16.16) Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifice (charity,Yajn) only in name, for show, and not according to scriptural injunction. (16.17) These malicious people cling to egoism, power, arrogance, lust, and anger; and hate Me who dwells in their own bodies and those of others. (16.18)

    Suffering is the destiny of the ignorant

    I hurl these haters, cruel, sinful, and mean people into the cycles of rebirth in the womb of demons again and again. (16.19) O Arjun, entering the wombs of demons, birth after birth, the deluded ones sink to the lowest hell without ever attaining Me. (16.20)

    Lust, anger, and greed are the three gates to hell

    Lust, anger, and greed are the three gates of hell leading to the downfall (or bondage) of the individual. Therefore, one must (learn to) give up these three. (16.21) One who is liberated from these three gates of hell, O Arjun, does what is best and consequently attains the supreme abode. (16.22)