The Indian Panorama

Month: May 2014

  • EC acted at Congress’ behest to stop Varanasi rally: Modi

    EC acted at Congress’ behest to stop Varanasi rally: Modi

    VARANASI (TIP): In a direct allegation on Congressled UPA government, referring it as “dilli mein baithi maa-beti ki sarkar”, Modi accused it of conniving with Election Commission in stopping him from addressing a rally in Varanasi.

    Mocking at security as the reason cited for denying him permission, Modi, while hitting out also at “baapbete ki sarkar (read Mulayam-Akhilesh)” along with UPA II government for their inability to protect him, said that when there was no threat to his life at the rally site in Rohaniya, how can there be threat at the place which was just 12km from this rally site.

    “Why were they befooling people,” Modi questioned. Addressing an average attendance rally in the outskirts of the Varanasi city in what could be termed as his first speech as BJP’s candidate from Varanasi rather than the party’s star campaigner, Modi said that those who were perturbed with Modi played such a game, fixed a match in such a way that the Election Commission denied him permission to speak in Kashi.

    The BJP leaders led by leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely, UP in charge Amit Shah and UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpayi and scores of party workers were staging dharna at Lanka Crossing since 11am in the morning to protest against denial of permission by the district election officer. Accusing the district election officer Pranjal Yadav of acting at the behest of Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party government in the state, both Jaitely and Shah demanded removal of Yadav in order to ensure free and fair election.

    The BJP leaders claimed that they had sought permission for a public meeting of Modi at Benia bagh and his participation in Ganga puja. The BJP leaders claimed permission was delayed and added that to protest against the same, the BJP workers resorted to dharna at Lanka Crossing in front of Banaras Hindu University. Lambasting the central government further, Modi said that he had been travelling across the length and breadth of the country for the past 7 months and held rallies in Maoists’ citadel, in Jammu & Kashmir and spoke in the land bomb explosions, probably hinting at his Patna rally where blast took place.

    “Even then I am still alive,”Modi said. “Do I have security threat only in Varanasi,” Modi said and added: “When I m ready to die, why are you worried? If I laid down my life for the country, what else I need.” Modi questioned restriction on his movement and said that it was only 10 days back that Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had said that Modi’s security arrangement was being looked into. Shouldn’t then he get the facility that is provided to any normal Lok Sabha candidate, Modi questioned.

    In an indirect reference to Prime Minister, referring to him as “dilli mein baithey shahanshah”, Modi asked to listen carefully as he is silent, but he was bound by the law of the land. “Hence, I will continue to face these harassments but people will not forgive,” Modi said. He added that “dilli ke shanshah” should understand that it kept on harassing him for the past 14 years, even CBI was put behind him, Congress leaders threatened him to send him in jail. Such efforts notwithstanding, Modi said the love of the people for him was still with him, and added that the Congress should understand that people have defeated it and Election Commission would not be able to win election for Congress.

    Urging the Election Commission to introspect, Modi said that he doesn’t know what forces it to take such action against him, why he was not allowed to speak. “Even Modi’s maun (silence) is more powerful that his words,” the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said. Modi said he was not allowed to offer prayers to “maa Ganga,” and added, “Per maa Ganga main aaj nahin to kal aaoonga jaroor, unki gode mein baithoonga bhi.” Modi also spoke about his plans to develop Varanasi, his promise to clean Ganga river just on the lines of Sabarmati river and how he will ensure that Kashi becomes a tourist hub and also exhorted the people for supporting him.

    Poll panel rejects BJP’s charge of bias, says not afraid of anyone
    NEW DELHI (TIP): Unfazed by the BJP’s all-out attack, the Election Commission on May 8 rejected its accusations of bias in denying permission to Narendra Modi’s rally in Varanasi and made it clear that it was “not afraid of anyone, any political party or any entity” in doing its job. At a hurriedly-called press conference here, chief election commissioner V S Sampath strongly defended the action of Varanasi returning officer Pranjal Yadav, saying his decision was based on “professional advice” and ruled out his removal as demanded by the BJP. Flanked by other two Election Commissioners, Sampath expressed disappointment over BJP’s attack, saying “certain harsh and sweeping statements” were made and political parties to “show greater maturity”.

    Sampath said the returning office, who is the district magistrate of Varanasi, had denied permission to the rally proposed to be held today on the “basis of professional advice” and there was no need for the EC to “deviate” from it. “When the security and suitability issues are involved, the Election Commission naturally will go by the professional advice taken at the district level,” the CEC said responding to attacks by BJP which staged protests here and in Varanasi.

    “The competent local authority, the DM and his team, took the decision taking into consideration relevant professional advice on security,” he said. “There is no reason to deviate from the decision taken at the district level, specially when the issue of life and security are concerned,” Sampath said. Effectively rejecting BJP’s demand for removal of the DM who was accused of being partisan, he said, “as of today, we do not find the action faultworthy”. He asserted that the Commission is “not afraid of anyone, any political party or any entity in discharging its duties”.

  • I WAS HESITANT ABOUT LIP-LOCK: KRITI SANON

    I WAS HESITANT ABOUT LIP-LOCK: KRITI SANON

    Actress Kriti Sanon, who is making her big screen debut with “Heropanti”, has locked lips with newcomer Tiger Shroff for the film. But she says she was hesitant about it as she comes from a conservative family. “When Sabbir Khan (the film’s director) told me about the lip-lock scene, I was hesitant about it.

    I told him – ‘Can’t we just skip this? Is it that important?’ But he said it was an important scene and it goes with the flow and it won’t look out of place,” Kriti said. Eventually, she agreed to the scene, and says “it all went off well”. “I come from a conservative family, but my parents took it in a positive way and they supported me with each and every decision of mine,” she added.

  • OFFICIALS EYE FOREIGN POSTINGS POST-POLLS

    OFFICIALS EYE FOREIGN POSTINGS POST-POLLS

    NEW DELHI (TIP):With a week to go for election results to be declared and little chance of the ruling coalition getting a fresh term, UPA ministers and their staff have started winding up. Most offices wear a deserted look with ministerial staff either looking at foreign postings or starting to scout for their next assignment within the country.

    The early birds have already taken up new assignments. For instance, Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, who was private secretary to PM Manmohan Singh, has moved to Washington as a senior advisor in the International Monetary Fund. Similarly, Anjali Prasad, who was the additional secretary responsible for FDI policy, has joined as India’s ambassador to WTO in Geneva.

    There are several others who are in contention for foreign assignments, starting with the government’s chief spokesperson Neelam Kapoor, who is said to be headed for Nehru Centre in London. Also in the race for a job at the Indian high commission in London is commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma’s private secretary Ashish Kundra, while the minister’s officer on special duty Ayush Mani Tiwari may move to the Indian mission in Brussels.

    Even finance minister P Chidambaram’s OSD, Vijay Singh Chauhan, is a candidate to be an advisor to India’s executive director to the World Bank in Washington. Officials, however, say this is not a surprise given that bureaucrats often get prized postings after stints with ministers. Even in 2009, Pulok Chatterjee, who was then a secretary in the PMO, had moved to Washington as executive director to the World Bank. Similarly, DPS Sandhu, who was also part of the PMO, went to Washington.

    Shakti Sinha, a trusted aide of former PM A B Vajpayee, sought and got a posting with the World Bank after the NDA government lost the trust vote by a single vote. Although outgoing regimes take care to ensure that choice foreign postings for their trusted officers are secured, the practice has over the years become so institutionalized that it is seen as a ‘given’, even an entitlement which succeeding governments will not like to interfere with for the risk of appearing mean-spirited.

    The ministers themselves are bidding farewell, starting this weekend itself. Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma, for instance, has invited senior officials for lunch at a kebab joint in a five-star hotel near the Delhi airport for what appears to be his last such meeting before election results are out. Finance minister P Chidambaram is scheduled to meet regulators and top North Block officials at the meeting of the Financial Sector Development Council, where the agenda, apart from the immediate issues facing banks, insurance companies and stock markets, will be to bid adieu after spending years with most of the regulators.

    Later, he meets public sector bank chiefs. “Obviously, with just days to go with the result, he can’t be telling us what we should do during the financial year,” said a bank chairman who did not wish to be identified. In fact, the mood has already begun to change in the ministries and departments with information flow suddenly increasing, often causing embarrassment to the government (Doordarshan’s interview of Narendra Modi and the industry department report on Gujarat land intervention being cases in point).

    Packing has already begun at 7 Race Course Road, the PM’s official residence, with books and others articles being carefully catalogued as Singh prepares to move into a new bungalow on Motilal Nehru Marg. An agency report said all gifts received by Singh or members of the PMO are being catalogued and handed over to the treasury.

  • EVA LONGORIA LAUNCHES LATINO POLITICAL GROUP

    EVA LONGORIA LAUNCHES LATINO POLITICAL GROUP

    Eva Longoria recently announced the launch of her Latino Victory Project and called it a nonpartisan effort to create more political engagement among Latinos. The 39-year-old actress asserted that it was imperative to her that the ballots represented the landscape of America, asserting that it was a very ambitious effort and it was a non-partisan effort that had never been undertaken before, ABC News reported.

    The ‘Desperate Housewives’ star said that as a community, they could not be so engaged in the presidential elections and elect the president, but not turn up at midterms to elect the people who had to work with the president.

  • Day after polling, panch shot dead in J&K

    Day after polling, panch shot dead in J&K

    Srinagar (TIP): A day after the final phase of polling for the Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir, a suspected militant on May 8 shot dead a panchayat member of the ruling National Conference even as the votaries of the poll boycott in the Sopore area unleashed terror on commuters from segments in Kupwara and Baramulla districts, which recorded a high voter turnout.

    Deputy Inspector-General of Police in South Kashmir Vijay Kumar told The Hindu that the 73-yearold panch, Gulam Mohammad Khan of Wanpoh Kulgam, died of injuries on the way to hospital after he was attacked at his hardware shop at Wanpoh Chowk on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway. He was a relative of the NC’s MLC Abdul Majid Larnoo. “Eyewitnesses said a motorcycle stopped at Wanpoh Chowk.

    The pillion rider, wearing a burkha and looking like a woman, accosted Mr. Khan and fired a pistol straight into his chest. The duo escaped on the motorcycle firing in the air. Three local militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen, including Altaf Kachru and Tauseef, are the prime suspects. We have launched an operation,” the DIG said.

  • JESSICA ALBA WON’T STRIP FOR GRANDPARENTS’ SAKE

    JESSICA ALBA WON’T STRIP FOR GRANDPARENTS’ SAKE

    Actress Jessica Alba won’t bare all on-screen because she doesn’t want her grandparents to see her in the buff. Even though the 33-year-old reprises her role as stripper Nancy Callahan in the much-anticipated sequel “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For”, audiences will not see her bare all.

    This is due to a no-nudity clause Alba adds to her contract when signing on to star in a movie, reports contactmusic.com. The actress explained her reasons in the June issue of Glamour magazine, in which she showed hardly any flesh when featuring on the front cover.

    “I don’t want my grandparents to see my b***s. That’s it. It would be weird at Christmas. And, I mean, really, if you look at the movies I have done, getting naked would never ‘elevate’ the picture,” she said.

  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2

    The Amazing Spider-Man 2

    STORY:
    Beyond reconciling his own dual identity as Spider-Man and Peter Parker, the web-spinner here (Garfield) faces several powerful villains with formidable powers who threaten the safety of his home city. Also, at the heart of this movie, is Peter’s bond with Gwen (Stone).

    REVIEW: What sets Marc Webb’s iteration of the webslinger’s story apart from Spider-Man’s previous cinematic outings (and indeed, other superhero films) is that along with its share of action, epic fights and special effects, there is a vibrant, emotional core at the heart of this movie. The human angle is strong throughout and this is visited early on, when we are reminded of Parker’s parents Richard and Mary.

    Richard records a video message that attempts to explain why he and his wife had to decamp in a hurry. They also attempt to escape an assassin on their plane. Their young son Peter is left behind in the care of Aunt May and her husband. Will Peter discover this message that can help untangle the murky secrets behind Oscorp’s mysterious experiments? Back in present day New York, there’s a zinger of an action scene where Spider-Man stops a truck with a Plutonium consignment from getting away. He also manages to save an Oscorp employee Max Dillon’s (Foxx) life.

    Dillon is initially awestruck by Spider-Man. But when he subsequently has an accident involving falling into an experimental tank containing mutated eels, he mutates into Electro and soon becomes unhinged. Meanwhile, Oscorp’s CEO dies of a hereditary illness that is passed on to his son Harry (DeHaan).

    Harry’s only cure is a sampling of Spider-Man’s own venomous blood. Later, a series of events turns him into the Green Goblin. Interestingly, some of the villains inspire pity, because they all started out as normal people but later are twisted by fate and events. The action sequences are breathtaking and despite the running time, the film doesn’t drag. Garfield and Stone, in the scenes where they are together, have a palpable chemistry. This Spider-Man serves up both pathos and power.

  • Modi belongs to upper caste, manipulated OBC status: Congress

    Modi belongs to upper caste, manipulated OBC status: Congress

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Narendra Modi belongs to an upper caste but has “manipulated” OBC status for political gains, Congress said on May 8 seeking to “expose” the BJP’s PM candidate ahead of his crucial Lok Sabha election from Varanasi.

    Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil, a known detractor of the Gujarat chief minister, on May 8 released a state government circular claiming that a year after he became chief minister in September 2001, it declared ‘Modh Ghanchis’ to which Modi belongs, as OBCs.

    The Congress’ “disclosure” has come at a time when the final phase of the Lok Sabha polling is to be held, especially in constituencies that include Varanasi, from where Modi is contesting, and other seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which form the cradle of OBC politics. “Of late, Gujarat chief minister has been indulging in a low level of political gimmickry. He has been desperately trying to invoke his OBC status and garner sympathy.

    Modi does not belong to Other Backward Communities (OBC) as he has been claiming to exploit OBC votes. “He belongs to rich and prosperous Modh Ghanchis who were never given any kind of reservation nor were included in OBCs before Modi became CM. In the way encounters were fake in Gujarat, Modi is also a fake OBC,” Gohil said. Asking Modi to speak the truth and tell the nation why he committed a “sin of snatching the rights of OBCs by including an upper caste in OBC list”, he said the Gujarat chief minister should “apologize” to the backward castes for “insulting” them.

    “Modi has committed the sin of putting ‘Modh Ghanchis’ in the OBC list. He himself engages in low level politics and when somebody raises a voice against it, he tries to project it as an insult to backward communities,” Gohil said. He dismissed Modi’s attack on Priyanka Gandhi over her “neech” rajniti remarks, which the BJP’s PM candidate interpreted as an attack on his caste origins.

    In remarks that could fuel fresh controversy, the Congress leader also alleged that rather than being a tea vendor, Modi had only whiled away time at a canteen, where his relative was the contractor, and whose “license was reportedly cancelled over sale of ‘charas’”. The Congress leader claimed that a retired Dy SP had told this to him, but hastened to add that he had no proof of this right now and hence was “not levelling any allegation”, and said he had filed an RTI application to find the facts.

  • SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    MARDAANAA: The body is the bottle, self-conceit is the wine, and desire is the company of drinking buddies. The glass of the mind’s longing is filled to overflowing with falsehood; the Messenger of Death is the bartender. Drinking in this wine, O Nanak, one takes on countless vices and corruption. So make spiritual wisdom your molasses, and the Praise of God your bread; let the Fear of God be the dish of meat. O Nanak, this is the true food; let the True Name be your only Support.

    || 2 || If the human body is the pitcher, and selfrealization is the wine, then the Ambrosial Nectar streams down. Joining the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, the glass of the Lord’s Love is filled with this Ambrosial Nectar; drinking it in, one’s evil and corruption are eradicated. || 3 || PAUREE: He Himself is the angelic being, the heavenly herald, and the celestial singer.

    He Himself is the one who explains the six schools of philosophy. He Himself is Shiva, Shankara and Mahaysh; He Himself is the Gurmukh, who speaks the Unspoken Speech. He Himself is the Yogi, He Himself is the Enjoyer of pleasures, and He Himself is the Sannyaasee, wandering through the wilderness. He discusses with Himself, and He teaches Himself; He Himself is discrete, graceful and wise.

    Staging His own play, He Himself watches it; He Himself is the Knower of all beings. || 12 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: That prayer is accepted, which brings the Lord God to my consciousness. Love for the Lord wells up within me, and my attachment to Maya is burnt away. By Guru’s Grace, duality is conquered, and the mind becomes stable; I have made contemplative meditation my prayer. O Nanak, the self-willed manmukh may recite his prayers, but his mind is not focused on it; through birth and death, he is ruined.

    || 1 || THIRD MEHL: I wandered over the whole world, crying out, “Love, O love!”, but my thirst was not quenched. O Nanak, meeting the True Guru, my desires are satisfied; I found my Husband Lord, when I returned to the home of my own inner being. || 2 || PAUREE: He Himself is the supreme essence; He Himself is the essence of all. He Himself is the Lord and Master, and He Himself is the servant.

    He Himself created the people of the eighteen castes; God Himself acquired His domain. He Himself kills, and He Himself redeems; He Himself, in His Kindness, forgives us. He is infallible – He never makes mistakes; the True Lord’s justice is totally True. Those whom the Lord Himself instructs as Gurmukh – duality and doubt depart from within them. || 13 || SHALOK, FIFTH MEHL: That body, which does not meditate in remembrance on the Lord’s Name in the Saadh Sangat, shall be reduced to dust.

    Cursed and insipid is that body, O Nanak, which does not know the One who created it. || 1 || FIFTH MEHL: Let His Lotus Feet abide within your heart, and with your tongue, chant the Name of the Lord of the World. O Nanak, meditate in remembrance on God, and nurture this body of yours. || 2 || PAUREE: The Creator Himself is the sixty-eight sacred places of pilgrimage; He Himself takes the cleansing bath there. He Himself practices austere self-discipline; the Lord and Master Himself inspires us to chant His Name.

    He Himself becomes merciful; the Destroyer of fear Himself gives in charity to all. One whom He has enlightened and made Gurmukh, obtains honor forever in His Court. One whose honor is preserved by his Lord and Master, comes to know the True Lord. || 14 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Nanak, without meeting the True Guru, the world is blind; in blindness, it does its deeds. It does not focus its consciousness on the Word of the Shabad, which would bring peace to abide in the mind. Always afflicted with the dark passions of low energy, it wanders around, passing its days and nights burning.

    Whatever pleases Him, comes to pass; no one has any say in this. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: The True Guru has commanded us to do this: through the Guru’s Gate, meditate on your Lord and Master. The Lord and Master is everpresent. He rips away the veil of doubt, and installs His Light deep within. The Name of the Lord is Ambrosial Nectar – take this healing medicine! Enshrine the Will of the True Guru in your consciousness, and make the Love of the True One your selfdiscipline.

    O Nanak, you shall be kept in peace here, and hereafter you shall celebrate with the Lord. || 2 || PAUREE: He Himself is the vast variety of Nature, and He Himself makes it bear fruit. He Himself is the Gardener, He Himself irrigates all the plants, and He Himself puts them in His mouth. He Himself is the Creator, and He Himself is the Enjoyer; He Himself gives, and inspires others to give.

    He Himself is the Lord and Master, and He Himself is the Protector; He Himself is pervading everywhere. Servant Nanak speaks of the greatness of the Lord, the Creator, who has no greed at all. || 15 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: One person brings a full bottle, and another comes to fill his cup. Drinking it, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind.

    He cannot distinguish between his own and others’ – he is struck down by his Lord and Master. Drinking it, he forgets his Lord and Master, and he is punished in the Court of the Lord. Don’t drink the false wine at all, if it is in your power. O Nanak, by His Grace, one obtains the true wine, when the True Guru comes and meets him. He shall dwell forever in the Love of the Lord and Master, and obtain a seat in the Mansion of His Presence.

    || 1 || THIRD MEHL: One remains dead while yet alive in this world, when he realizes the Lord. When he is put to sleep, he remains asleep; when He is awakened, he regains consciousness. O Nanak, when the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, He causes him to meet the True Guru. By Guru’s Grace, remain dead while yet alive, and you shall not have to die again. || 2 || PAUREE: By His doing, everything happens; what does He care for anyone else? O Dear Lord, everyone eats whatever You give – all are subservient to You.

    One who praises You obtains everything, as You grant Your Grace, O Immaculate Lord. He alone is a true banker and trader, who loads the merchandise of the wealth of Your Name, O Lord. O Saints, let everyone praise the Lord, who has destroyed the pile of the love of duality. || 16 || SHALOK: Kabeer, the world is dying – dying to death, but no one knows how to truly die.

    Whoever dies – let him die such a death, that he shall never have to die again. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: What do I know? How will I die? What sort of death will it be? If I don’t forget the Lord and Master from my mind, then death will be easy. The world is terrified of death; everyone longs to live. By Guru’s Grace, one who dies while yet alive, understands the Hukam of the Lord’s Command.

    O Nanak, one who dies such a death, lives forever. || 2 || PAUREE: When the Lord Master Himself becomes merciful, the Lord Himself causes His Name to be chanted. He Himself leads us to meet the True Guru, and blesses us with peace. His servant is pleasing to the Lord. He Himself preserves the honor of His servants; He makes others fall at the feet of His devotees. The Righteous Judge of Dharma is the creation of the Lord; he does not even approach the humble servant of the Lord.

    One who is dear to the Lord, is dear to all; a great many others come and go in vain. || 17 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: The whole world wanders around chanting, “Raam, Raam, Lord, Lord”, but the Lord cannot be found like this. He is inaccessible, unfathomable and utterly great; He is unweighable, and cannot be weighed. No one can evaluate Him; He cannot be purchased at any price.

    Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, His mystery is known; in this way, He comes to dwell in the mind. O Nanak, He Himself is infinite; by Guru’s Grace, He is known to be permeating everywhere. He Himself comes to blend, and having blended, remains blended. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: O mind, this is the wealth of the Naam; it brings peace, forever and ever.

    It never brings any loss at all; through it, one earns profits forever. Eating and spending it, it never decreases; He continues to give, forever and ever. One who has no skepticism at all, never suffers humiliation. O Nanak, the Gurmukh obtains it, when the Lord bestows His Glance of Grace. || 2 || PAUREE: He Himself is deep within all hearts, and He Himself is outside as well. He Himself is prevailing unmanifest, and He Himself is manifest as well.

    For thirty-six ages, He created the darkness, abiding in the void. There were no Vedas, Puraanas or Shaastras there; only the Lord Himself existed. He Himself sat in the absolute trance, withdrawn from everything. Only He Himself knows His state; He Himself is the unfathomable ocean. || 18 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: In egotism, the world is dead; it dies and dies, again and again.

    As long as there is breath in the body, he does not remember God; what will he do when he goes beyond? One who remembers the Lord is spiritually wise; the ignorant act blindly. O Nanak, whatever one does in this world determines what he shall receive in the world beyond. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: It is the pre-ordained Command of the Lord and Master, that one cannot be conscious of Him without the True Guru.

    Meeting the True Guru, one realizes that the Lord is permeating and pervading deep within; he remains forever absorbed in the Lord’s Love. With each and every breath, he constantly remembers the Lord in meditation; not a single breath passes in vain. The fear of birth and death departs, and one obtains the honored state of eternal life. O Nanak, this rank is bestowed upon those whom He showers with His Mercy.

    || 2 || PAUREE: He Himself is all-wise and all-knowing; He Himself is supreme. He Himself reveals His form, and He Himself enjoins us to His meditation. He Himself poses as a silent sage, and He Himself speaks spiritual wisdom. He does not seem bitter to anyone; He is pleasing to all. His Praises cannot be described; I am forever and ever a sacrifice to Him. || 19 || SHALOK, FIRST MEHL: In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, O Nanak, the Jinn, the demons, have taken birth. The son is a demon, the daughter is a demon, and the wife is the chief of the demons.

    || 1 || FIRST MEHL: The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord; they are going the wrong way. As Naarad instructed them, they worship idols. They are blind and mute, the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them. But when those stones themselves sink, how will they carry you across? || 2 || PAUREE: Everything is in Your power; You are the True King.

    The devotees are attuned to the Love of the One Lord; they have perfect faith in Him. The Name of the Lord is the food of ambrosial nectar; His humble servants eat their fill. All treasures are obtained – meditative remembrance is the true profit. The Saints are very dear to the Supreme Lord God; O Nanak, the Lord is unapproachable and unfathomable. || 20 ||

  • Congress has good chance of forming government with allies: Chidambaram

    Congress has good chance of forming government with allies: Chidambaram

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Congress has a “very good chance” of forming a government under its leadership with some allies, finance minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday amid growing chorus of an “enlarged” UPA-III to stop Narendra Modi from coming to power.

    Talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters, Chidambaram also insisted that the political scenario this time is vastly different from the one after the 1989 polls when Rajiv Gandhi chose to sit in the opposition despite getting some 190 seats. He said Congress has a “very good chance” of forming the government “under its leadership” with some allies.

    “Whichever party is in a position to form a stable government should come forward and it must discharge its responsibility. You cannot run away from responsibility. This country cannot afford an election every three months. “If Congress is in a position to form a government, it will come forward, I believe it will come forward,” Chidambaram said in clear indication so far that Congress has not given up its intention to form a government even if its numbers are reduced.

    He said the scenario in 2014 polls has changed from 1989 and this time the Lok Sabha poll is not one election but election of various states. “We have to see the final tally of various parties,” he said but refused to predict how many seats the Congress will get. “I don’t make predictions of election outcomes. Every party goes into elections with the belief that it will win the election and form the government. I also believe that Congress will win the election and form the government”.

    Chidambaram’s remarks came a day after a senior party leader floated the idea of an “enlarged” UPA-III taking on board new allies and keeping open the issue of leadership to stop Modi from becoming the Prime Minister. “All options are on the table and all options are off the table. It all depends upon the numbers we get and the BJP gets and the margin between them,” a senior party leader, who declined to be identified, had said. Chidambaram, however, refused to get into comparisons on whether the poll outcome for Congress could be described as a rating of Rahul Gandhi’s leadership just as it can be said in case of Narendra Modi.

    “That’s a very subjective view,” he said, adding that it was not possible to conclude elections in this for and against manner and hence he can give “anecdotal” answers to “anecdotal” questions. Replying to a question in a lighter vein whether he believes that good days are going to come (Narendra Modi’s poll jingle), the finance minister said he had always been optimistic and believes that good days will come in future with Congress forming government.

    A senior party leader had earlier maintained that the shape of things to come depended upon what kind of mandate is received by regional parties and which of them get more seats as there are some among them which cannot join hands with Modi in any eventuality. At the same time, a sizeable section in the party is insisting that the Congress should participate to give the government not only stability but also strength and expertise.

    The leader was of the view that the last 25 years or so have witnessed Congress and BJP together bagging some 300-odd seats while the rest have gone to regional parties. There is also a section in the party which wants the Congress to sit in the opposition if it does not have respectable numbers to form the government. Rejecting the idea of extending outside support to a Third Front to form government to stop Modi from coming to power, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had earlier said that the “tail cannot wag the body.” Rahul Gandhi has also disapproved of any such idea.

  • At 7 Race Course Road, PMO, it’s time to pack, catalogue

    At 7 Race Course Road, PMO, it’s time to pack, catalogue

    NEW DELHI (TIP): There is a lot of activity at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and at 7, Race Course Road these days, albeit of a different kind. “We’re busy in packing,” said an official at the PMO, with eight days left for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demit office.

    Books, gifts and other articles are being carefully sorted, catalogued and packed away … “When the prime minister demits office, he wants to leave everything in proper order for his successor,” a PMO official said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced his retirement earlier this year.

    At 7 Race Course Road, which has been the official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a decade, the family members are busy in packing articles to be moved to his new retirement residence at 3 Motilal Nehru Marg, where former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit used to stay. All gift items received by the Prime Minister or members of the PMO, like wall hangings, paintings, vases, and other artifacts and a large number of books are being systematically catalogued and put away.

    The gifts the Prime Minister received, including many from foreign dignitaries, are to be catalogued and kept at the ‘toshakhana’, or treasury. The list would be available on the ministry of external affairs website. Among the articles that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received is a bat gifted by British Prime Minister David Cameron. While handing the bat to Manmohan Singh, Cameron said it was a memento of their friendship. “You will not remain in power, and nor will I remain in power.

    This will be a rememberance of our frienship,” Cameron had said smilingly as he handed over the gift, the PMO source recounted. “All books at the prime minister’s house are being catalogued. He received hundreds and hundreds of books … What he wants to take and what he wants to leave behind at the PMO are all being catalogued,” the official added, saying Manmohan Singh, who never stopped being an academic, was giving particular attention to the books he was going to take with him to read. Among the gifts are also six tea sets received as gifts from abroad. They were used to serve tea to guests at the prime minister’s residence. The tea sets will remain with the PMO.

  • A TAPASVI’S DETERMINATION

    A TAPASVI’S DETERMINATION

    Many people perform tap (austerities) for the ultimate goal of pleasing Bhagwan. Once, there was a tapasvi (a person performing austerities) who decided that he wanted to please Bhagwan and so he began performing penance under an ambli tree. He thought that if he could please Bhagwan, then he would be blessed with his darshan. So every day the tapasvi would do pradakshina of the tree and eat its leaves for his daily meal.

    One day, Naradji was going to Bhagwan’s abode. He saw the tapasvi and came over to meet him. Seeing Naradji, the tapasvi immediately bowed down to him. Naradji asked what he was doing and the tapasvi narrated his decision to win Bhagwan’s favour. He said, “Naradji, I’ve been performing austerities for many years, eating only the leaves of this ambli tree so that Bhagwan would give me darshan.

    When you go to meet Bhagwan, please ask him on my behalf to grant me darshan.” Hearing his story, Naradji decided that he would definitely relay this message. Upon his arrival, Bhagwan requested Naradji, “Please tell me any news from Earth.” Remembering the tapasvi that he had met, Naradji replied, “A tapasvi is performing austerities under an ambli tree for you to grace him with your darshan.

    When will you grant it to him?” Bhagwan replied, “Tell him that for my darshan, he will still have to perform austerities for as many years as there are leaves on the ambli tree!” Hearing this Naradji’s knees went weak. His legs felt like they couldn’t take a step and his heart sank. How was he going to give this news to the eager tapasvi? He would be defeated.

    He thought to himself, “What shall I tell him? He will lose his enthusiasm for penance.” Naradji was making his way back across the sky when the tapasvi saw him. Hearing his name being called, Naradji went over to the tapasvi. Hearing that Naradji had met Bhagwan, the tapasvi was overjoyed. So he asked, “What is Bhagwan’s message for me?” Naradji replied sadly, “I cannot tell you, because if I do you will lose your courage and give up your austerities.”

    The tapasvi replied, “No matter what Bhagwan has said, I will not lose courage. I will have had a chance to hear his divine words. So please tell me exactly what he said.” Naradji was still doubtful. He wondered, “Shall I tell him? What if he does lose his faith? I do not want to do that to him.” The tapasvi again urged him, “Please tell me.” So Naradji said, “Bhagwan has said that you will have to do many more years of austerities. In fact, you will have to do as many years of austerities as there are leaves on the ambli tree before he gives you his darshan.”

    The tapasvi was overjoyed! He began to dance and sing, “How lucky I am. Bhagwan has sent me a message from his Dham. He has promised me that he will give me darshan. These years will pass in no time.” Seeing the tapasvi’s love and courage, Bhagwan instantly appeared before the tapasvi and gave him his darshan. The tapasvi’s joy knew no bounds! He fell at Bhagwan’s feet. Naradji was perplexed.

    He asked Bhagwan, “Bhagwan, how come you’re here? You told me that you would give him darshan only after he had performed many more years of austerities.” Bhagwan explained, “Look at his courage and determination! He didn’t lose a single strand of faith despite the many extra years he would have had to perform his austerities.

    To such a person I have to give darshan.” Friends, if the tapasvi had lost faith, would he have had Bhagwan’s darshan? No. But because he didn’t lose faith, Bhagwan granted him darshan. We too should always have faith in the words of Bhagwan and the ektantik satpurush. A determined person will reach his goal early.

  • US: House panels approve anti-surveillance bill

    US: House panels approve anti-surveillance bill

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US lawmakers on Thursday advanced a measure that reins in NSA surveillance, signaling final passage of reforms aimed at ending bulk data collection could come quicker than expected.

    Easing what was shaping up to be a showdown between reformers and hawkish National Security Agency reformers, the House Intelligence Committee abandoned its own surveillance bill and unanimously approved the measure that sailed through the House Judiciary Committee on May 7.

    The proposal could soon be brought to the House floor, although no date has been set. It would then go to the Senate, where committees have yet to agree on NSA reform measures. “We look forward to working with the Judiciary Committee, House and Senate leadership, and the White House to address outstanding operational concerns and enact the USA Freedom Act into law this year,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and the panel’s top Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger said in a statement.

    The bill would end the practice of scooping up Americans’ telephone metadata — including numbers dialed, duration and times of calls, but not content. The program was disclosed last year by fugitive NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The White House called the bill “a very good step” and hoped to see a House vote “in the near future.” Lawmakers are concerned that US intelligence agencies are also gathering the content of personal email messages, an issue Senator Ron Wyden wants addressed in the final legislation.

    The House measure would boost privacy safeguards by requiring a secret surveillance court to determine that there is “reasonable articulable suspicion” that a person has terror connections before intelligence agencies can pull his or her records from a phone company’s database.

    It would also increase transparency of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, create a panel of legal experts to ensure the FISA court adheres to privacy and constitutional rights and allow communications firms, such as those ordered by the government to hand over data, to release more information about such requests. The proposal is similar to plans laid out by President Barack Obama in March, when he called on Congress to act to end the federal government’s collection and storage of metadata.

  • Bhisma’s Unselfish Dedication

    Bhisma’s Unselfish Dedication

    In the time of the Mahabharat, a very special child named Devavrat was born to Shantanu, the king of the entire land of Bharat. Devavrat, better known as Bhishma, is forever remembered from the Hindu epics as the ideal son who gave up his happiness for the sake of his father. Shantanu was in love with Satyavati, the local head fisherman’s daughter. Her beauty and grace mesmerized Shantanu; he yearned to marry her and make her another one of his queens.

    Unfortunately for the king, this would not be an easy task. Satyavati’s recent palm-reading predicted that her sons would be rulers of Bharat. Her father worried that if Satyavati married Shantanu, their children would not get a chance to rule the great kingdom since his son, Devavrat, was first in line for the crown.

    Looking out for his daughter’s wellbeing, the fisherman placed a proposition before Shantanu: Devavrat would have to forfeit the throne, or else Shantanu could not have Satyavati’s hand in marriage. Shantanu was very hurt by this proposition because he knew that it was Devavrat’s right to be the next king.

    Knowing he would be doing injustice to his son he tried to forget about Satyavati. However, being away from Satyavati caused Shantanu to become depressed. Devavrat, through his father’s charioteer, came to know of the reason behind his father’s depression and decided that as a son, he should help his father regain his happiness. Devavrat arranged a meeting with the fisherman. Devavrat promised Satyavati’s father that he would let her children rule the kingdom if he consented Shantanu to marry her.

    However, this generous offer was not enough for the fisherman. He was worried that there was still a possibility that Devavrat’s future children may challenge the right of Satyavati’s future children. To quell the fisherman’s fears, Devavrat vowed to practice eternal celibacy. Devavrat’s will to help his father astonished the gods in the heavens, who immediately showered flowers upon him, crying “Bhishma, Bhishma, Bhishma!” Bhishma means “one with a terrible oath” and so from then on, Devavrat was referred to as Bhishma.

    Hearing about his son’s immense sacrifice, Shantanu granted him the boon of iccha mrutyu, which gave him the ability to choose his time of death. In the Mahabharat it is said that Bhishma was strong enough to immobilize the entire army of the Pandavs. His archery skills were second to only the gods, and so he was labeled as the bravest warrior of his time. Bhishma was also one of the very few people who understood the true identity of Shri Krishna and so he is also remembered as a true devotee of God.

    In our lives, we are not forced to take such harsh oaths for our parents. We are sometimes asked to do minor things like helping to clean the house, doing our homework on time, studying hard or even just spending some time with them. Our parents do a lot for us; sometimes it’s hard to see it all because we often take their efforts for granted. For example, they cook for us, clean up after us, buy us things, provide guidance and are always looking out for our best interests.

    Bhishma’s story reminds us that we too have a duty towards our parents; we should be more understanding of them, as they have been to us. What about if we do at least one thoughtful thing each week for our parents to show them we love and appreciate them? It can be anything, from taking on one of their chores, to cooking them dinner, to making a special card. In this way Maharaj and Swami will be pleased with our actions and shower us with their blessings and eternal happiness. Bhishma’s story reminds us that we too have a duty towards our parents; we should be more understanding of them, as they have been to us.

  • US sanctions Syrian government officials

    US sanctions Syrian government officials

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Stepping up pressure on Syria, the treasury department on May 8 sanctioned six Syrian officials and a Russian bank for their alleged support of the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been fighting opposition forces in a 3-year-old bloody civil war.

    Treasury said Tempbank, based in Moscow, has provided millions of dollars in cash and has helped facilitate financial services to the Syrian government. Throughout the crisis in Syria, Russia has been in Assad’s corner, while the US has supported the opposition.

    The new sanctions were announced as the State Department pledged $27 million in new non-lethal aid to the leader of Syria’s main moderate opposition group, President Ahmad al-Jarba. Al-Jarba has repeatedly asked the US for heavy weaponry, such as anti-armor rockets, to combat the deluge of the Syrian government’s barrel bombings and other attacks against rebel-held areas.

    But the Obama administration has resisted for fear that the arms could fall into the hands of extremist groups who are also fighting Assad’s military. “We’ve had difficult moments in this journey,” Secretary of state John Kerry said at the start of a meeting with al-Jarba at the state department. “But we are committed to do our part to support the moderate opposition in its efforts to provide a legitimate voice to the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people.”

    If approved by Congress, the aid would help provide equipment such as generators, radios, trucks, and search and rescue kits to rebel fighters or nongovernment organizations that oppose Assad. It also would provide food to needed areas and technical equipment for independent Syrian media. “The Syrian people (are) looking to the superpower and country that plays a leading role in the world,” al-Jarba told Kerry. “And we look forward also to work with you now and in the future.”

    The Treasury Department sanctions also targeted Tempbank’s senior executive, Mikhail Gagloev, who the US claims has personally traveled to the Syrian capital of Damascus to make deals with Assad’s government. “In one instance, Tempbank arranged to deliver millions of dollars in cash to Vnukovo Airport in Moscow for pickup by cash couriers working for the Central Bank of Syria,” the department said in a statement. “In addition to its close cooperation with the Central Bank of Syria, Tempbank has facilitated deals and provided financial services to SYTROL, a Syrian state oil company sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.”

    The sanctions freeze assets they hold within US jurisdictions and prohibit US citizens from doing business with them. David Cohen, treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the action builds on the department’s ongoing effort to apply economic pressure on the Syrian government by “choking off access to the international financial system.” “We are committed to deterring those who contribute to violence and instability in Syria and will continue to aggressively target individuals and entities supporting the Assad regime,” Cohen said.

    Two Syrian refining businesses, Banias Refinery Co. and Homs Refinery Co., also were placed on the US sanctions list. Brig Gen. Bassam al-Hassan, an adviser to Assad, was among the Syrian officials sanctioned. Al-Hassan is Assad’s representative to Syria’s government agency responsible for developing and producing nonconventional weapons and missiles, the department said. An Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people was blamed on Assad’s government and brought the United States to the brink of military intervention in Syria.

  • Barack Obama nominates ambassadors for key Egypt and Iraq posts

    Barack Obama nominates ambassadors for key Egypt and Iraq posts

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Barack Obama said on May 8 he would nominate two career diplomats with extensive experience in the Middle East as ambassadors to Egypt and Iraq. Robert Stephen Beecroft, who has been US ambassador in Baghdad since 2012, was nominated for the Cairo post, the White House said.

    US ties with Egypt, a key Middle East ally, have been strained since the Egyptian army’s ouster of an elected president last year. US officials disclosed on May 7 that the administration planned to nominate Beecroft. Stuart Jones, who has been ambassador to Jordan since 2011, was picked as the new envoy to Iraq.

    The Obama administration is concerned about spiraling violence in Iraq, where bloodshed has returned to levels not seen since the height of the sectarian conflict that followed the US-led invasion in 2003. Both nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.

  • Driver who followed Obama daughters’ motorcade was lost, confused

    Driver who followed Obama daughters’ motorcade was lost, confused

    WASHINGTON: A driver unfamiliar with Washington, DC, appeared to have been lost and confused when he followed a motorcade carrying President Barack Obama’s daughters through a White House checkpoint on Tuesday, a law enforcement source said.

    “It appears at this point that the driver was confused, not familiar with DC, and essentially got lost and followed the car in front of him,” said the law enforcement source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

    The unusual incident prompted a security lockdown at the White House. The driver, an Internal Revenue Service employee identified as Mathew Evan Goldstein, 55, was charged with unlawful entry, a misdemeanor offense.

  • US election panel approves bitcoin donations to political committees

    US election panel approves bitcoin donations to political committees

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Federal Election Committee said on May 8 that the virtual currency, bitcoin, could be used for donations to political action committees under certain conditions.

    In a unanimous vote, the FEC, which enforces US campaign finance laws, said a political committee could accept donations in bitcoins up to an individual limit of $100 for each election cycle and could also purchase bitcoins.

    But the advisory opinion, issued in response to a request for guidance by the Make Your Laws political action committee, said the committee “must sell the bitcoins it purchases and deposit the proceeds into its campaign depository before spending those funds.”

    FEC did not approve the use of bitcoins to purchase campaign goods and services. The agency approved the request by the Make Your Law committee to accept individual bitcoin donations to $100 for each electoral cycle, require contributors to list their names, addresses, occupations and employers, and affirm they own the bitcoins they are contributing.

    Bitcoin, the most popular digital currency, is not backed by any government or central bank, and its value can swing dramatically based on demand. Users can transfer bitcoins to each other online and store the currency in digital “wallets.” The FEC said it concluded that bitcoins were “money or anything of value” under federal election law.

    But it acknowledged that “government agencies, courts and others are grappling” with whether virtual currencies should be treated as money. The US justice department warned last year that many virtual currency services did not have the proper controls in place to prevent money laundering and could be used to dodge US laws.

  • Four found dead in Florida home were shot: Detectives

    Four found dead in Florida home were shot: Detectives

    TAMPA, FLORIDA (TIP): A man, his wife and their two teenage children were shot before the home they were renting from a former tennis star burned down in what investigators called arson, with fireworks and gasoline perhaps contributing to the fire, authorities said on May 8. Autopsies were still being completed to determine how the four died, but investigators have said they are looking into the possibility of a murder-suicide.

    Authorities recovered a gun at the home registered to Darrin Campbell, and he bought an “exceedingly large amount” of fireworks and gas cans days before the fire, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Col. Donna Lusczynski said. Authorities still have not positively identified the bodies, but the family has not been accounted for, and a relative said they were inside the home when it burned.

    As flames shot through the roof Wednesday morning, neighbors reported explosions. Campbell bought $650 of fireworks on Sunday, and authorities said fireworks were found throughout the home. Still, it wasn’t clear what role the fireworks might have played, though Lusczynski said they could’ve been used to ignite the fire or keep it going. The home is owned by former tennis professional James Blake.

    William Weimer, vice president of Phantom fireworks, described them as fireworks someone might set off on Independence Day. Weimer said the fireworks could have started a fire, but it would have spread slowly. The amount of powder inside each one was smaller than an aspirin, he said.

    A store manager, Rocky DiRoma, said there was nothing unusual about Campbell during the $650 purchase. “He was just an average Joe,” DiRoma said. A former neighbor, George Connley, said Kimberly Campbell was “sophisticated and classy.” “We know nothing of any problems,” Connley said. “The kids were outstanding children. This is very difficult to put our arms around.

  • Obama sends Vietnam nuclear deal to Congress

    Obama sends Vietnam nuclear deal to Congress

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Congress on Thursday began its review of a nuclear agreement with Vietnam which advocates say would create billions of dollars in trade but has triggered human rights concerns.

    President Barack Obama sent to Congress the text of the agreement which would allow the United States to transfer reactors and know-how to Vietnam, which has ambitious plans to build a nuclear network from virtually scratch to meet rising energy demand and reignite economic growth.

    The agreement will come into force after Congress is in session for 90 working days — likely meaning late 2014 — unless lawmakers approve a resolution that objects to the deal. Vietnam’s relations have warmed markedly with former war foe Washington since they re-established relations in 1995. But the US Congress is a hotbed of criticism of the communist nation with lawmakers, often from districts with large Vietnamese American communities, concerned about human rights.

    At a hearing on the agreement in January, several senators said that Congress should approve a separate bill on human rights in Vietnam to accompany the nuclear deal. Vietnam has detained at least 34 bloggers, more than any country except China, according to Reporters Without Borders. The Nuclear Energy Institute, which represents the US industry, has said that the nuclear agreement would advance US interests unrelated to human rights.

    It said that the deal could result in $10 to $20 billion in new US exports to Vietnam and create more than 50,000 jobs in the United States. If Congress blocks the agreement, other nations “will readily fill this void” with Russia and Japan already having secured deals with Vietnam, it said.

    But some lawmakers who may otherwise be supportive have charged that the Vietnam deal does not meet the “gold standard” of recent deals with the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan which barred them from sensitive enrichment or reprocessing that could be used in producing nuclear weapons.

  • US condemns N Korea’s ‘ugly’ racist Obama remarks

    US condemns N Korea’s ‘ugly’ racist Obama remarks

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States has condemned “ugly and disrespectful” racist comments directed towards President Barack Obama by North Korea’s official news agency. “While the North Korean Government-controlled media are distinguished by their histrionics, these comments are particularly ugly and disrespectful,” National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden told AFP.

    Hayden was referring to a diatribe attacking Obama, published in Korean by KCNA last week, extracts of which were reported by the Washington Post yesterday. According to the Post’s translation, KCNA unleashed a barrage of racist insults at Obama, describing him as a “crossbreed with unclear blood” who had “the figure of a monkey.”

    “It would be perfect for Obama to live with a group of monkeys in the world’s largest African natural zoo and lick the bread crumbs thrown by spectators,” the Post cited the commentary as saying. KCNA has taken its often bombastic rhetoric to new levels in recent weeks, last month decrying South Korean President Park Geun-Hye as a “prostitute” in thrall to her “pimp” Obama, while declaring it was ready for “full-scale nuclear war.”

  • US has proven its will to take fight to militants in Af-Pak: Top Obama administration official

    US has proven its will to take fight to militants in Af-Pak: Top Obama administration official

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States has proven its will to take the fight to terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a top Obama administration official has said. “I think we have proven our will to take the fight to terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” US treasury secretary Jacob Lew told a Congressional hearing when asked why the US should provide financial aid to the two countries which continue to be safe haven for terrorists.

    “I am just asking why we are lending money to… economies in terrorist states,” Congressman Steve Pearce asked. “I think we have been involved through two administrations or multiple administrations of both parties in trying to make sure that there is no haven for terrorists to plan attacks on the United States in that part of the world,” Lew said.

    “And our efforts of that are really aimed at making sure that there is not that kind of a haven. Part of it is making sure that there is an economy that works for people who are not (part of terrorist groups),” the treasury secretary said.

  • CAN EX-LOVERS BE FRIENDS?

    CAN EX-LOVERS BE FRIENDS?

    Can ex-lovers be friends? Yes, on a different level, if relationship experts are to be believed. At one point of time, he was the one who occupied every waking moment of your life. You shared your darkest and deepest secrets with him and life before meeting him seemed unreal. But then, differences crept in and the very person whom you adored became the bane of your life.

    All you wanted was to get him out of your life and move on. But wait, does that mean he and you have nothing in common anymore? “It depends on the kind of relationship you were in,” says Savitha Mohan, a relationship counsellor. “If the relationship has been the passionate/tempestuous kind or had an ugly breakup at the end, it is indeed very difficult for the couple to be friends.

    You start associating the ex with pain and worry and would be better off to cut them out of your life.” However, in cases such as in those where the couple has known each other for years and have common friends, it would be literally impossible to be completely cut off from each other.

    Says Meghna, who works in an investment firm – “Me and Abhijit were good friends and business partners before we got into a romantic relationship. That aspect of our relationship still continues even after we broke up.” Meghna has started seeing someone else but she and Abhijit don’t discuss their love lives, she says.

    “Neither do I want to know.” Still, problems might arise if your new partner doesn’t approve of your keeping in touch with your exes, according to the counsellor. The thumb rule for those who want to be friends with their ex, she says, is to give it some time in the first place; nobody can be friends from the day after the break-up! Also, you have to be certain that you are over the person and have no issues seeing them with someone else. Well, there seems to be no hard and fast rule when it comes to being friends with your ex. If it doesn’t affect your current relationships and both of you are comfortable with the equation, why not? After all, there is nobody who knows you better than an ex!

  • Ex-London imam cries in US terror trial testimony

    Ex-London imam cries in US terror trial testimony

    NEW YORK (TIP): An Egyptian cleric known for fiery oratory at a London mosque has quietly cried at his New York terrorism trial while describing seeing Muslims being harmed. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa was emotional on May 8 as he also described losing his hands and an eye.

    He says he worked as an engineer in 1993 when he assisted in the testing of liquid explosives for the Pakistani military. He says he was given a device that heated up and exploded before he could toss it away. Mustafa laughed as he recalled hearing rumors his hands were cut off as punishment for crimes.

    He later cried while describing the killing of Muslims in Bosnia. He has denied participating in a 1998 kidnapping in Yemen and trying to organize a jihad training camp in Oregon.

  • India rejects WHO report saying New Delhi has worst air pollution

    India rejects WHO report saying New Delhi has worst air pollution

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India on May 8 rejected the findings of a World Health Organisation (WHO) study that ranks New Delhi as the world’s worst city for air pollution, with government scientists saying the U.N. agency had overestimated levels in the capital.

    A WHO study of 1,600 cities released on Wednesday found air pollution had worsened since a smaller survey in 2011, putting city-dwellers at a higher risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. The study found New Delhi to have the dirtiest air, with an annual average of 153 micrograms of small particulates, known as PM2.5, per cubic metre.

    “Delhi is not the dirtiest … certainly it is not that dangerous as projected,” said A.B. Akolkar, a member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board of India. One health advocacy group welcomed the WHO study, however, saying it should spur the Indian government to tighten up fuel emission standards. Growing traffic on city streets is a major cause of air pollution.

    The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the government should respond by setting an ambitious agenda to reduce toxic risks in Asia’s third-largest economy. “This database confirms our worst fears about how hazardous air pollution is in our region,” Sunita Narain, director general at the CSE, said in a statement that called for uniform fuel emission standards to be implemented across India in 2015. Thirteen of the dirtiest 20 cities were in India, the WHO said, with New Delhi, Patna, Gwalior and Raipur taking the top four spots.

    Beijing, notorious for the smog that has prompted some Anglophone residents to dub it “Greyjing”, was in 77th place with a PM2.5 reading of 56, little over one third of Delhi’s pollution level. However, Gufran Beig, chief project scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, said New Delhi’s air quality was better than Beijing’s, at least during the summer and the monsoon season.

    Pollution levels in winter are relatively higher in New Delhi because of extreme weather events, Beig added. “The value which has been given in this (WHO) report is overestimating (pollution levels) for Delhi … the reality is that the yearly average is around 110 (micrograms),” said Beig.