Nobody can reverse one’s age and ageing is an inevitable part of one’s life. But here are some food habits to keep in mind that will help you age gracefully Control your fat intake: Fat is high on calories which is bad for the skin and body. Avoid foods that high on fat content. Pile up on fresh fruits and vegetables: Avoid packed food items and food that is not very fresh. Instead, eat lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables which will give you a fresh look. Control your medicine intake: Substitute your calcium and iron tablets with food items which are natural supplements of these. Add more fish, fruits, leafy greens and nuts to your diet. Not too much oil: Avoid eating very greasy food and using too much oil to cook your food in. Substitute unhealthy oil with olive oil, but only if you are not going to fry your food in it.
Month: November 2014
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CHHATTISGARH
The newly formed state of Chhattisgarh is an interesting tourist destination considering the blend of tribal tourism, history, nature and wildlife that it offers. The bulk of
tourist attractions in Chhattisgarh however lie virtually unexplored. The virgin forests, dotted with picturesque waterfalls, scenic plateaus and winding rivers offer a feast to eyes and the lens of your camera. The forests of Chhattisgarh incidentally occupy 42% of the state’s land surface. The tourist attractions in Chhattisgarh India therefore cater to a large tourist taste and has infinite prospect of harboring a flourishing tourism industry. The small town of Kawardha is offers breathtaking views of nature and a rich tribal life.
The royal palace at Kawardha is one of the major tourist attractions in Chhattisgarh. The village of Bastar, apart from offering a vivid glimpse of the tribal life, offers a wide array of metal crafted handicrafts. These molded iron objects are original tribal products of Bastar and is quite popular among tourists.
Tourist attractions
Anand Prabhu Kudi Vihar
Anand Prabhu Kudi Vihar, Mahasamund is the most famous amongst all Sirpur’s Buddhist vihars. The historical and picturesque city of Mahasamund is a municipality in the Mahasamund District. The Mahasamund District possesses a tribal population of 28.9%. The different types of tribes living in the district are Pardhi, Binjhwar, Dhanwar, Halba, Kamar, Kanwar, Kharai, Munda, Bahalia, Saur, Saharia, Sonar, Sanwara, Kharwar and Bhujia. There is a great scope for intense mining activity as Granite rocks and Limestone rocks are found in the district.
Gandheswar Temple
Gandheswar Temple, Mahasamund is situated on the banks of the Mahanadi river. The historical city of Mahasamund is a municipality in the Mahasamund District. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Mahasamund District. Apart from the Gandheswar Temple, Mahasamund, there are other temples in the city as well. The other temples are Swastik Vihar, Anand Prabhu Kudi Vihar and
Laxman Temple.
There are also a number of different types of tribes living in the city. The different types of tribes are Kamar, Kanwar, Dhanwar, Kharai, Munda, Bahalia, Saur, Pardhi, Binjhwar, Saharia, Sanwara, Kharwar, Bhujia, Sonar and Halba. Laxman Temple Laxman Temple, Mahasamund is one of the finest and top quality brick temples in India. Exquisite carvings and precise construction characterizes the temple. The historical and picturesque city of Mahasamund is a municipality in the Mahasamund District. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Mahasamund District.
Lakes and waterfalls
The rugged terrain and voluptuous rivers of Chhattisgarh make beautiful waterfalls and springs all around the state. The lakes, waterfalls and springs in Chhattisgarh are popular tourist and picnic spots and are yet another facet of the already beautiful natural wealth of Chhattisgarh. The Chitrakoot Waterfalls in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh are often termed the Niagra of India and is one spot that has been rigorously promoted by state’s tourism department.
The Chitrakoot Falls roaring down the rocks with a huge volume of water makes a sight surely not to be forgotten. On a tour to visit the Lakes, Waterfalls and springs In Chhattisgarh In India one spot you must never forget to visit the Chitrakoot Falls. The Lakes, Waterfalls and springs In Chhattisgarh India are in fact some of the most visited spots on a tour to Chhattisgarh. Nestled amidst the dense forest growth that Chhattisgarh is blessed with, the Lakes, Waterfalls and springs In Chhattisgarh are also important ecological balancing factors in the environment of the state.
In a country where the skies are blackening by the day, the forests receding by miles and the fauna struggling to cope up with the surroundings, states like Chhattisgarh are national asset and every effort on part of the government have been initiated to ensure the safekeeping of the natural splendor of the Chhattisgarh greens. Kendai water fall, Tatapani, Ruksganda water fall, Amritdhara water fall, Kothali water fall, Gangrail Jalashaya, Kharkhara Bandh, Keshkal Teerathgarh waterfall, are the other major lakes waterfalls and springs in Chhattisgarh.
Rivers and Caves
There are quite a few Rivers and Caves in Chhattisgarh. Every year thousands of tourists from each and every corner of the world and from all across India visit these Rivers and Caves in Chhattisgarh. Some of the popular Rivers and Caves in Chhattisgarh, India include Kailash Gufa in Jashpur, Kotebira Eb River in Jashpur, Kutumsar Caves and Kailash Gufa in Bastar. The well known waterfalls in Chhattisgarh are Danpuri Waterfall, Chitradhara Waterfalls, Rani Dah Waterfall, Chitrakote Waterfalls, Mandawa Waterfalls, Thamada Ghumar Waterfalls and Tiratgarh Waterfalls.
To speak about the Rivers and Caves in Chhattisgarh, there are quite a few places worth mentioning. The Kailash Gufa in Jashpur is a beautiful rock-cut cave surrounded by exotic and mesmerizing fountains. There is a picturesque and eye catching waterfall near Kailsah Gufa. The Kotebira Eb River in Jashpur is a very pleasant and graceful river with catchy scenery and a rocky spot. Every year a fair is held here. The Kutumsar Caves and Kailash Gufa in Bastar are also quite famous.
These caves are ancient and a feast for the eyes. Apart form the rivers, caves and waterfalls, the other tourist attraction places in Chhattisgarh include holy places, Mountains and Peaks, wildlife and monuments. The tribal culture in Chhattisgarh and its various ways and means are also something to look out for. The tourists can also visit the thousands of fairs that go on throughout the year and purchase a wide range of artifacts and traditional items. -
FALLING PRICES BOOST GOLD DEMAND IN INDIA
Gold prices are in a free fall with the global demand for the yellow metal slumping to its lowest in nearly five years. But the Indian love affair with gold continues. Here are some points that investors can consider while taking a call on the yellow metal:
Slide to boost gold buys
The continuing slide in prices will result in higher gold consumption, say experts. “The fall in gold prices has brought consumers back into the market. This (fall) is turning out to be a good buying opportunity,” says Keyur Shah, CEO (precious metals business), Muthoot Pappachan Group. C P Krishnan, whole-time director, Geojit Comtrade, says, “Lower gold prices have attracted retail buyers. The demand during Dhanteras was also good. The festive season demand would also be better.” While gold buying is traditionally subdued in Q3, the demand is usually high during the festival season (Q4 – October- December).
Worst may not be over
The sharp slump in prices may have led buyers to accumulate more gold. But the worst is still not over for the yellow metal, says advisers. “The outlook is not very positive and gold is not an attractive option in the short to medium term,” say financial planners. According to Krishnan, “Gold is still looking bearish because of the strong dollar. There is no support for gold and there is scope for further fall in prices.”
Beware of regulatory action
The sharp increase in gold consumption in Q3 is largely due to the relaxation of gold import rules by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), say experts. The RBI had introduced the 80:20 scheme in August last year, allowing nominated agencies to import gold on the condition that 20% of these imports should be exported. “The demand was much lower last year because of RBI restrictions,” Shah says. The clampdown on gold was done to halt a free fall in the rupee, which slumped due to the high CAD (current account deficit) that arose due to surging imports of the yellow metal. The central bank relaxed gold import norms only in May this year. Any unusual increase in imports is likely to attract regulatory action. “The government is also wary about the increase in gold imports. Recycling gold is the only solution to meet demand in the long run,” say experts.
Take a long-term view
Buyers should take a long-term view – at least three years – on gold, say advisers. “Gold is a time-tested asset class. The price volatility is temporary and so investors should take a longterm view on gold,” Shah says. -
REGULATORS FINE GLOBAL BANKS $4.3 BILLION IN CURRENCY INVESTIGATION
LONDON/ZURICH (TIP): Regulators fined six major banks including Citigroup and UBS a total of $4.3 billion for failing to stop traders from trying to manipulate the foreign exchange market, following a year-long global investigation. HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, JP Morgan and Bank of America also face penalties resulting from the inquiry that has put the largely unregulated $5 trillion-a-day market on a tighter leash, accelerated the push to automate trading and ensnared the Bank of England.
In the latest scandal to hit the financial services industry, dealers shared confidential information about client orders and coordinated trades to make money from a foreign exchange benchmark used by asset managers and corporate treasurers to value their holdings. Dozens of traders have been fired or suspended. Dealers used code names to identify clients without naming them and created online chatrooms with pseudonyms such as “the players”, “the 3 musketeers” and “1 team, 1 dream” in which to swap information.
Those not involved were belittled and traders used obscene language to congratulate themselves on quick profits made from their scams. Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined five lenders $1.77 billion, the biggest penalty in the history of the City of London, and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) ordered them to pay a further $1.48 billion. “Today’s record fines mark the gravity of the failings we found and firms need to take responsibility for putting it right,” FCA chief executive Martin Wheatley said. Banks had to understand that responsibility for good business practice went beyond their compliance departments, which are tasked with ensuring internal and external rules are followed.
“They must make sure their traders do not game the system to boost profits or leave the ethics of their conduct to compliance to worry about,” said Wheatley. The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, also fined the US lenders $950 million and was the only authority to penalise Bank of America. Switzerland’s regulator FINMA ordered UBS, the country’s biggest bank, to pay 134 million francs ($139 million) after it found serious misconduct in both foreign exchange and precious metals trading. It also capped bonuses for dealers in both units at twice their basic salary for two years. FINMA will appoint a third party to monitor the bank’s observance of its rules after discovering it had received whistleblower reports about alleged trader misconduct in 2010 but failed to investigate them properly.
Despite Wednesday’s payout, which brings the total fine for benchmark manipulation to over $10 billion in two years, banks still face further penalties as the US Department of Justice, the Federal Reserve and New York’s financial regulator conclude their own investigations. US authorities have tended to be more aggressive than their European counterparts in punishing big banks for misconduct. “We made the judgment that while more information is always better, we didn’t believe that the picture would materially change even if we spent additional years continuing to investigate,” said Aitan Goelman, director of enforcement at the CFTC. -
ITAT RULING GIVES A BOOST TO BLACK MONEY FIGHT
MUMBAI (TIP): In the first ever ruling relating to taxation of black money stashed in overseas tax havens, the Mumbai bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has given the taxman a lot to cheer. Funds aggregating $2.4 million (Rs 11.73 crore approximately) as of December 31, 2001, held in a Liechtenstein bank account of Ambrunova Trust (a discretionary trust), were held to be undisclosed income of beneficiaries, who are Indian residents. The ITAT held that the funds were taxable in India in the hands of the beneficiaries. The ITAT observed, “Discretionary trusts are created for the benefit of specific persons and those persons need not necessarily control the affairs of the trust.
However, they remain the sole beneficiaries of the trust. As the beneficiaries had not disclosed the Liechtenstein bank account in their income-tax (I-T) returns, it was their undisclosed or unaccounted income.” Black money typically refers to unaccounted money on which tax has not been paid. The ITAT upheld the additions made by the tax department to the taxable income of the beneficiaries of Ambrunova Trust. The ruling came in the case of Mohan Manoj Dhupelia and two of his relatives who were beneficiaries in the overseas trust.
Dhupelia had filed a tax return on August 1, 2002, showing a total income of Rs 1.97 lakh. The tax officer, based on documents and information received subsequently by the tax department, reopened the assessment and added Rs 2.34 crore (nearly 25% of the total funds in the trust’s bank account of Rs 11.73 crore) to Dhupelia’s taxable income. The beneficiaries filed an appeal and the matter reached the ITAT. Dhupelia submitted to the ITAT that re-opening of the assessment was bad in law as the principal of natural justice was violated. He claimed the documents based on which his I-T case was re-opened were unauthenticated and unverified.
Since it was a discretionary trust, no income accrued or was credited to him as the beneficiary, he contended. In fact, his name was not among the beneficiaries of the trust and he was not liable to pay any taxes on the trust funds, he claimed. He also argued that there was no evidence to show that he had made these deposits (stashed money overseas) in the name of the trust. He also contended that if at all tax was to be charged, it could be levied only on $13,500 (Rs 6.58 lakh approximately) earned by the trust and not the entire fund standing in the trust’s Liechtenstein bank account. In the course of the appeal proceedings, the ITAT referred to exhibits from earlier investigations and hearings of a US Senate Sub-Committee in the context of funds held in Liechtenstein banks. Based on facts and evidence submitted by the tax department, the ITAT set aside the arguments of Dhupelia.
The ITAT also observed that Liechtenstein qualifies as an offshore financial centre due to a very modest tax regime, high standard of secrecy laws, which enables foreign investors to set up trusts under Host Trust regulations. While the trust initially pays a nominal tax, profits made and distributions to the beneficiaries are not subject to any tax at all. Interestingly, in November 2013, Liechtenstein became a signatory to the OECD Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance on tax matters, which allows countries, including India, to gather required banking information of tax evaders.
Today, India’s domestic tax laws are also more stringent. From fiscal 2012-13, tax authorities have a time period of 17 years (opposed to the earlier seven years) within which they can reopen assessments if assets are held outside India (including overseas bank accounts). From 2012-13 onwards, taxpayers are also required to disclose details of overseas assets in their income tax return. -
COMET 67P BECOMES LANDING SITE FOR PHILAE IN HISTORIC TOUCHDOWN
DARMSTADT, Germany (TIP): The signal broke a seven-hour wait of agonising intensity and sparked scenes of jubilation at the European Space Agency’s mission control in Darmstadt. The team in charge of the Rosetta mission achieved what at times seemed an impossible task by landing a robotic spacecraft on a comet for the first time in history.
The moment the tension broke came shortly after 1600 GMT when the Philae called home. “We are there. We are sitting on the surface. Philae is talking to us,” said a jubilant Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at the DLR German space centre. “We are on the comet.” Andrea Accomazzo, the Rosetta flight operations director, added: “We cannot be happier than we are now.” But celebrations were tempered by the later discovery that the probe’s two harpoons had not fired to fasten the craft down in the ultra-low gravity. Scientists now think the probe may have bounced after first coming into contact with the surface.
Ulamec said: “Maybe today we didn’t just land once, we landed twice.” The safe, if precarious, touchdown of the lander gives scientists a unique chance to ride onboard a comet and study from the surface what happens as its activity ramps up as it gets closer to the sun. The first images beamed back from the lander’s descent revealed a dramatic landscape of pits and precipices, craters and boulders. However, there have been gaps in its radio link with the orbiting Rosetta mothership. The £1bn ($1.58bn) Rosetta mission aims to unlock the mysteries of comets, made from ancient material that predates the birth of the solar system. In the data Rosetta and Philae collect, researchers hope to learn more of how the solar system formed and how comets carried water and complex organics to the planets, preparing the stage for life on Earth.
Space agencies have sent probes to comets before, but not like this. In 1986, Nasa’s Ice mission flew through the tail of Halley’s comet. In 2005, the agency’s Deep Impact spacecraft fired a massive copper block at comet Temple 1. But none before now has landed. The feat marks a profound success for the European Space Agency (ESA), which launched the Rosetta spacecraft more than 10 years ago from its Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. Since blasting off in March 2004, Rosetta and its lander Philae have travelled more than 6bn kilometres to catch up with the comet, which orbits the sun at speeds up to 135,000km/h. “We are the first to do this, and that will stay forever,” said Jean Jacques Dordain, director general of the ESA. Matt Taylor, a Rosetta project scientist, who had selected an extremely colourful shirt for the event, revealed an impressive – and brave – tattoo of the lander on the comet’s surface.
A TIMELINE OF COMET PROBE’S 10-YEAR JOURNEY
March 2, 2004: Europe’s unmanned probe Rosetta takes off from Kourou, French Guiana, after a series of delays, including an abandoned January 2003 launch window because of a rocket problem.
February 25, 2007: Rosetta carries out a close flyby of Mars. European Space Agency’s mission control breaks out in applause after the end of 15 tense minutes of radio silence as the craft passes behind the Red Planet.
September 5, 2008: Probe successfully passes close to an asteroid 250 million miles from Earth. The spacecraft loses its radio signal for 90 minutes as planned during the flyby of the Steins asteroid, also known as Asteroid 2867.July 10, 2010: Between Mars and Jupiter, Rosetta transmits its first pictures from the largest asteroid ever visited by a satellite after it flies by Lutetia as close as 1,900 miles (3,200 kilometers). It is the closest look to date at the Lutetia asteroid.
January 20, 2014: Waking after almost three years of hibernation, Rosetta sends its first signal back to Earth. Systems had been powered down in 2011 to conserve energy, leaving scientists in the dark for 31 months.
August 6, 2014: Rosetta swings alongside comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
November 12, 2014: The probe releases the Philae lander and it drops to the comet’s surface. Seven hours later, Philae touches down on the comet. -
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WHY MOSQUITOES LOVE HUMAN BLOOD
Achemical vapour exuded from human skin became the key reason why mosquitoes turned from feeding on animals to sucking the blood of people, a study has found. Sulcatone is an important ingredient in the distinctive human odour, and mosquitoes learnt to recognise it many thousands of years ago as a sign that they were near a source of food, scientists have discovered.
Researchers found that the present-day black-bodied mosquitoes that feed on the furry skin of forest animals do not show any preference for sulcatone, but the brown mosquitoes living in and around villages in Africa are highly attracted to the scent. “We knew that these mosquitoes had evolved to love the way we smell,” said Leslie Vosshall of Rockefeller University in New York, who led the study published in the journal Nature. “It was a really good evolutionary move. We provide the ideal lifestyle for mosquitoes. We always have water around for them to breed in, we are hairless and we live in large groups,” Professor Vosshall said.
The scientists identified a group of 14 genes in the mosquito genome that are strongly linked to their love of humans and one odour receptor in particular – called Or4 – stood out as being highly active in the human-preferring mosquitoes. They linked the Or4 receptor with one of many compounds collected from human skin that form part of the natural scent of people. This was the key that locked the mosquito to the smell of its new human host. -
Now, popping a pill may make you smart
It sounds like something out of a film, but scientists may have discovered a way to make you smarter – by reverting the brain to a “plastic” child-like state. Researchers at Stanford University experimented by interfering with PirB, a protein expressed in animal brain cells that allows skills to be recalled but which also hampers the ability to learn new skills, and realised they could disrupt the receptor’s regular function, allowing the brain to make faster connections.
By doing so, Professor Carla Shatz and her colleagues, Dr. David Bochner and Richard Sapp, found that their test subjects – animals – were better able to adapt to using only one eye, compared to animals that did not have the PirB molecule supressed. In repressing the protein to a “plastic” state – which is a technical term that implies the ability to adapt to new conditions – Professor Shatz saw that at least one part of the brain became more malleable and could more easily recover from damage, rewire itself and learn new skills – in effect making a person smarter. Health news: in pictures Neuroplasticity, which occurs in the brain under two primary conditions, describes how experiences reorganise neural pathways in the brain – or what happens when we learn something new (like a skill) or memorise information. -
ROHIT’S RECORD 264 LEADS SRI LANKA THRASHING
India have all the reasons to feel good about batting ahead of their upcoming tour of Australia after Rohit Sharma, playing his first international match since August on account of finger and shoulder injuries, scored his second double hundred (264 off 173 balls) to help India thrash Sri Lanka for the fourth time running in the five-game series at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Rohit, after becoming the first batsman to score two double hundreds, also broke Virender Sehwag’s record of highest individual score of 219 as India posted a mammoth 404 in pursuit of which the Sri Lankans could only manage 251 all out in 43.1 overs. In the previous games of the series, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Ambati Raidu all were among the runs but India still needed Rohit – one of their big batting hopes – to get some confidence before the gruelling Australian tour gets underway later this month.
Standin captain Kohli’s comments on Rohit on the eve of the match that “if a player like him gets going he can be the X factor in a tournament like the World Cup. When he gets going, he can bring those big runs and win the match for you” echoed at the hallowed Eden Gardens in front of thousands of Indian fans as the 27-year-old hit a record 33 boundaries to go with nine sixes. Looking at his score, one might think that he was in his zone from the first ball but that wasn’t the case. In the first half of his innings, he was sluggish struggling to meet the ball properly.
Rohit, who took Dhawan’s place for this match, was lucky to get a reprieve on four when Thisara Perera dropped a simple catch at third man off the bowling of Angelo Mathews. His discomfort could be gauged from the fact it took him 22 balls to pick up his first boundary and then 72 balls for a fifty. However, once past fifty, Rohit upped the ante big time with his next four fifties coming off just 28, 25, 26 and 15 balls. India, for the second time in series after the Cuttack game, took the batting Powerplay a bit earlier than usual and made 57 runs from 29-34 overs. Rohit had plenty of support from Kohli (66 off 64 balls, 33rd fifty), after Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu contributed 28 and 8 respectively, and both added 202 in 25.5 overs.
Kohli’s run-out, resultant of a misunderstanding on the second run, was the only blemish of that partnership. Suresh Raina got out cheaply for 11 but Rohit continued his assault, adding 128 in 9.4 overs runs with Robin Uthappa (16*) before falling off the last ball of the innings. India scored 129 in the last 10 overs. The Sri Lankan bowlers had a nightmarish outing with Nuwan Kulasekera, Shaminda Eranga, Sekkuge Prasanna and Ajantha Mendis returning 2/89 ( 9 overs), 1/77 (10 overs), 0/70 (10 overs) and 0/70 (7 overs) respectively. The visitors’ hopes of a remote win were dashed in the first ten overs thanks to Umesh Yadav and Stuart Binny whose strikes left the Sri Lankans gasping for breath at 48 for 4.
After that the match became academic as Mathews’ men only played to reduce the margin of defeat. Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne added 118 runs and then, after Akshar Patel had Mathews stumped for 75, Thirimanne (59) put on 52 with Thisara (29) to blow away fears that it could be their worse defeat than their 183-run thrashing at Taunton in 1999 – their biggest loss in terms of runs against India. Encouraged by a big total, Indian bowlers Umesh (2/38), Binny (2/55), Patel (2/51) and Dhawal Kulkarni (4/34) plied their trade with a lot of freedom. However, it wasn’t a good day for debutant legspinner Karn Sharma who took some pounding and returned with figures of 0/64. The last game of the series will be played in Ranchi on Sunday.
Brief scores: India 404/5 (Rohit 264, Kohli 66; Kulasekara 2/89) beat Sri Lanka (Mathews 75, Thirimanne 59; Kulkarni 4/33) by 153 runs -
Sikhs for Justice submits Report explaining the Sikh genocide to the United Nations
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Hundreds of Sikhs from North America converged at the UN headquarters, November 7, to highlight the denial of justice and continuous impunity to Indian political leaders involved in the 1984 genocidal violence.” Sikhs For Justice submitted a report to the United Nations explaining the 1984 Sikh Genocide. On the 30th anniversary of November 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of India, US-based human rights group “Sikhs For Justice” submitted a report to UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon on the genocidal violence against the community.
“The report ‘1984 Sikh Genocide’ carried details of the preplanned and deliberate killings of the Sikhs in 19 states of India, eyewash investigations by successive governments, zero convictions and the failure of the Supreme Court to take cognizance of thousands of deaths during the first week of November 1984.” A ‘Sikh genocide complaint’, urging the UN to investigate the “systematic, intentional and deliberate” killing of Sikhs carried out across India during the first week of November 1984 and to recognize these attacks as genocide, is already pending before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The complaint, with support of more than million signatures, was filed with UNHRC on November 1, 2013. If the UN working group on communications decides to hear the Sikh genocide complaint, it is likely to hold hearings in 2015 August to allow the 1984 victims to present evidence related to the genocide. “The victims and the community are going to the international forum after the Indian establishment failed the victims and justice was denied to them,” Legal advisor to Sikhs For Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said.
A statement by the Sikhs For Justice said, “The Indians believed they could commit genocide against Sikhs and no one would know. But together we have proved them wrong!!! The truth will never be silenced!!” The refrain was: do justice; punish the guilty of the “Sikh genocide: Hang the guilty. The effigies of Tytler, Kamal Nath, Amitabh Bachchan and Sajjan Kumar were hung near the podium. Another notable aspect was the raising of demand for Sikh Homeland. Demonstrators carried placards reading: “Sikhs want Independence; “Sikh Referendum 2020” -
8-year-old Indian-origin CEO to address cyber security summit
HOUSTON (TIP): An eightyear old Indian-origin child prodigy, Reuben Paul, is among experts who will address a cyber security conference in New Delhi on November 14, national Children’s Day. The US-based whizkid Reuben Paul will speak about the need for developing cyber security skills in the current generation, according to the organizers of Ground Zero Summit.
Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh, is also listed as a keynote speaker for the event. The organizers said, “8-year-old Reuben Paul gives keynote at Houston Security Conference.” Reuben has been trained in Object C programming language by his father, Mano Paul. The child prodigy is now learning Swift programming, for Apple’s iOS platform. He has his own gaming firm called Prudent Games, and is designated as CEO of the company. Mano Paul, his father is his partner in the company. “I started learning about computer languages around one-and-a-half years back.
Now I design my own projects,” Reuben stated. “This will be Reuben’s fourth conference where he will be giving lecture on cyber security. He will talk about need to create awareness about cyber security among young kids as well as demo white page hacking,” Mano Paul said. Other keynote speakers listed for the event include Home Ministry Joint Secretary Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, National Technical Research Organization Director of Cyber Security Operations Alok Vijayant and Special Commissioner Police (Traffic) with Delhi Police Muktesh Chander. Recently an Indian-origin teenager Shubham Banerjee secured funding from Intel to manufacture a low-cost Braille printer.
The middle-schooler is one of the world’s youngest venture capital-backed entrepreneurs. Banerjee plans to massproduce the printers and sell them for about $350.
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Philanthropists honored at Gift of Life India Fundraiser
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): Gift of Life India honored four persons for their philanthropy and services to community at a fundraiser at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Sunday, November 9. The fundraiser met with the goal of raising $1,20,000 to save the lives of 500 children in India. Raised funds were enough for 450 surgeries, with support from Rotary International & international partners. Gift of Life, India was introduced in a video presentation at the glittering event attended by over 200 guests.
Humanitarian Award for outstanding services honorees with General JJ Singh and Ravi
Bhooplapur. (L to R): Honorary Chair Gift of Life India, Ravi Bhooplapur, Honoree A.C. Peter, Gen
JJ Singh, Honoree Kamlesh Raheja, Honoree Rajendra Rai.
Gift of Life, India was founded in 2001 by lifetime Rotarian Ravishankar Bhooplapur who took up the challenge to provide critical heart surgeries for children in India. He was assisted in the noble task by Past RI Director Sushil Gupta (Trustee of Rotary Foundation), Dr. Rajan Deshpande and other devoted Rotarians. Bhooplapur still serves as its Honorary Chairman. As per Bhooplapur, the sole purpose of the Gift of Life, India is to secure life saving heart surgery for children in desperate need regardless of race, creed, color or country of origin. It is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation with no administrative costs.
Pt. Pravin Ghodkhindi, the flute maestro from Karantaka, mesmerized the gathering with his
superb performance
Says Bhooplapur: “So far Gift of Life has saved over 5000 children in India and the Rotary Foundation played key role in giving matching grants and Rotarians from India also played a major role matching our contributions.” Speaking on the occasion , Ravi said, ‘I would like to express my gratitude to all of my fellow Rotarians, Donors, and most importantly the volunteers for their continued dedication and service to the Gift of life, India . You are responsible for saving the lives of the children”. Ravi had a special word of gratitude for Dr. Eileen Gentlecore, PDG Anthony Massineo and PDG Sammy Hsiao. At the Sunday fundraiser, some of the longtime supporters and donors of Gift of Life, India project were honored.Dr Ravindra Kota and Dr Mrs Anjani Kota were given the Angel Award. New York based Dr. Kota is in General and Laparoscopic Surgery Private Practice and Dr. Anjani Kota is privately practicing as an internist in East Setauket A.C. Peter, Kamlesh Raheja and H. Rajendra Rai were conferred Humanitarian Award each for their outstanding service. Peter has been with Gift of Life from the beginning and has arranged over 1,000 open heart surgeries at Delhi specialist hospitals free of cost to beneficiaries. Coimbatore based Kamlesh Raheja is a cotton merchant and responsible for more than 700 surgeries for Gift of Life India.
Rai works in power and water sectors and has been with Gift of Life, India from inception and his Rotary District in Bangalore is responsible for 1,100 surgeries. The Guest of Honor at the gala was General J.J. Singh, former Indian army chief and Arunachal governor who was conferred Paul Harris Medal of Honor on the occasion. The gala was co-chaired by Ravishankar Bhooplapur, and Rotary District 7255 Governor Elect Kamlesh Mehta. Other cochairs were President of Hicksville Rotary Salil Zaveri (event MC), Sangeeta Sethi (President, Jericho Sunrise), and Clarisse Panellino (President, Lake Success).
All awards were handed out by Gen J.J. Singh. He too was honored at the gala as he played a major role, while he was serving as Governor in Arunachal Pradesh, to get tribal kids under Gift of Life Program to save the children. A highlight of the evening’s proceedings was a flute recital by Pt. Pravin Ghodkhindi. The maestro from Karantaka has performed with eminent musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Dr. Balamuralikrishna and Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Rotary Club of Gold Coast Lake Success along with Jericho Sunrise and Hicksville South co- sponsored the event. The event was managed by Bollywood Arts under Sunita Sadhnani. Lamborghini & Bentley were corporate sponsors.
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Dr. Sadhna Shanker Felicitated
NEW YORK (TIP): Dr. Sadhna Shanker, a senior government of India, ministry of finance officer and wife of Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, Consul General of India in New York, was felicitated at a meet and greet event organized by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, editor of The Indian Panorama and his wife Lovllien Kaurr at Haveli Restaurant in Queens here on November 10. Introducing Dr. Sadhna Shanker, Renee Lobo, ITV anchor, said Dr. Shanker “is a multifaceted personality.
Assemblyman David Weprin extended greeting to Mulays. Also seen are (L to R) Prof. Saluja, Mr. Malik and Mrs. Malik
Malini Shah presented a citation from Assemblyman Paul Vallone to Dr. Sadhna Shanker. Renee Lobo ( left) reads out the citation. From L to R: Renee Lobo, Malini Shah, Mr. Malik and Dr. Sadhna Shanker
Attorney Ravi Batra welcomed Mulays
Air India General Manager Rishikant Singh extended a word of welcome to Dr. Sadhna Shanker and Ambassador Mulay.
She is an administrator, a literary artist, a theater artist and a journalist, in her own right. One of the senior officers with Ministry of Finance, department of Revenue Services, Dr. Shanker has held a number of important administrative positions. At present, she is Advisor Advocacy, Competition Commission of India, a position she has been holding since March, 2013. Dr. Shanker distinguished herself as a creative writer, with her novel “Never a Disconnect” published in 2010.
Ambassador Mulay celebrated his birthday, a belated one, with the gathering.
She is almost ready with another piece of fiction. She authored a book of essays “When the Parallels Meet” on her journeys to places and cultures. Yet another book “Ahlam wa- sahlam- A Syrian Journey” was published in three languages- English, Arabic and Hindi. Dr. Shanker has been actively associated with the national television of India, Doordarshan. She scripted, hosted and anchored a number of programs.
A little celebration. The gathering broke in to a dancing session to celebrate the occasion
Dr. Sadhna Shanker and Ambassador Mulay mingled around and obliged with photograph
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shanker exuded optimism about India’s growth. She said India was well on way to becoming a formidable economic power and praised the Indian diaspora for thinking and caring for India. About her literary plans she said she was working on a piece of fiction and would be happy to have it published soon. Dr. Shanker said she enjoyed coming to USA and, New York, in particular. She had a lot of praise for New York and the Indian American community here. Consul General Mulay obliged the gathering with a Hindi poem that depicted the loneliness of a lover whose beloved is away from him. The poem received rave appreciation. The gathering celebrated Ambassador Mulay’s birthday, a little belated one though.
Ambassador Mulay cut a cake and the gathering celebrated with a little dancing, to the great singing by the famous Sa Re Ga Ma star Asad who had traveled all the way from New Jersey. Sikander Khan sang a few soulful ghazals to the accompaniment on Tabla by Shams Khan. The two are in attendance at Haveli to entertain guests on week ends. Present on the occasion were around a hundred men and women drawn from various sections of society. Those who spoke on the occasion included Assemblyman David Weprin who extended his greetings to Mulays and the gathering and spoke of great relationship between USA and India.
Ravi Batra, Rishikant Singh, Prof. Saluja and Mr. Malik also spoke. Mrs. & Mr. Malik, owners of Haveli restaurant, who also own Tamba Restaurant in Manhattan, were gracious enough to provide sumptuous hospitality. Maliks have a chain of restaurants and Mrs. Malik is one of the best known chefs in the city. Mr. Malik had been a senior government of India official and had worked with two prime ministers of India. After retirement he moved to USA and got in to hospitality business. The couple is very popular in Indian social circle, both for their tasty bites and for their warmth of relationship. Earlier, on arrival, Dr. Sadhna Shanker and Ambassador Mulay were warmly received with bouquets by Mrs. & Prof. Saluja, and, Mrs. & Mr. Malik. Dr. Shanker was presented a citation by Malini Shah on behalf of New York City Councilmember Paul Vallone.
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New York Emmy Nominated Filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s New Film ‘On Golden Years’ Premiered in New York
NEW YORK (TIP): New York Premiere of Tirlok Malik’s new film On Golden Years was hosted by Indian American Forum, SVA Theater (School of Visual Arts), the filmmaker Tirlok Malik and the team of On Golden Years. Most of the 500 audiences who were at the event had witnessed the journey of Tirlok Malik as a filmmaker: from Lonely in America to On Golden Years. Malik’s films deal with the issues and conflicts, which come with the migration.
L to R: Actress Jyoti Singh, Actress Kamlesh Gupta, Filmmaker Tirlok Malik, Filmmaker Mira Nair, Indu Jaiswal
At the event, Manhattan Borough President Ms. Gale A. Brewer presented a proclamation to the filmmaker Tirlok Malik for his work in films proclaiming Saturday November 1, 2014 “Tirlok Malik Appreciation Day”. Tirlok Malik acknowledged some of his friends who have played important part in his journey as a filmmaker, which included his brother Chander Malik and his friend Ashok Wahi. H.R. Shah CEO of TV Asia spoke very highly of Tirlok Malik and his continued efforts to make movies about NRI’s. Many prominent guests attended the premiere. Mira Nair the Film-maker congratulated Tirlok Malik on his new film. Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona , Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to UN also expressed his appreciation for Tirlok Malik’s film.
Cast and Crew of On Golden Years, on set.
Deputy Consul General of India, Dr Manoj, Kumar Mohapatra congratulated Tirlok Malik and the host committee. Indra Nooyi, the chairperson of Pepsico, sent a message with best wishes to Tirlok Malik for the premiere of his film On Golden Years. The Chair of the Film Division of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) Mr. Reeves Lehmann spoke about the school and the film. SVA is one of the most prestigious film schools in America and a great supporter of Tirlok Malik’s work. The film On Golden Years portrays the complex emotions, which come at the time of retirement for immigrants.
Cast of On Golden Years with friends
Through various characters, who are residents of an Indian retirement community, the film deals with the conflicts such as India vs. America, contentment vs. regrets and places to retire etc. This is the story about the retirement of the American Dream. The film stars RANJIT CHOWDHRY who was also the lead of Lonely In America, JYOTI SINGH, REEVES LEHMANN, SHETAL SHAH, NOOR NAGHMI, TIRLOK MALIK, SHRUTI TEWARI, FAROKH DARUWALA, INDU GAJWANI, PROF. INDRAJIT S. SALUJA, LOVLLIEN KAURR, SANDEEP SURI, IGGY IGNATIUS, KAMLESH GUPTA and many more. There are some new talents making their debut in the film. The film On Golden Years is written and directed by Tirlok Malik.
The film is co produced by Iggy Ignatius who is also the codirector of the film. The film has been shot at the only Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida. Other credits of the film are Director of Photography Christo Bakalov B.A.C., Music by Peter Lobo, Art Direction by Sunita Babber, Editing by Tom Knight and others. Singer Falu makes her film debut doing the item number song ‘Raba Raba’ in the film On Golden Years. Falu has sung at Carnegie Hall and has sung twice in the White House in the presence of President Obama and Oprah Winfrey along with the composer of Slumdog Millionaire A.R. Rahman.
The opening song of the film ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is sung by Sumitra Iyer who is an award winning Bollywood singer and who now lives in America. She has performed all over the world with top names of Indian music industry such as Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Hariharan. The film On Golden Years is in English language and is made for NRIs and an international audience. It is a romantic emotional comedy. Its length is 85 minutes.
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The First Master of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Preached Universal Brotherhood
As the Sikhs across the world celebrate the 545h birth anniversary of their First Master Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it is pertinent to ask if the Great Master’s message is kept in mind while celebrating the momentous event in Gurdwaras (Sikh shrine) and elsewhere. The universal message of Guru Nanak has always had relevance. It is more relevant today when the world is getting more and more strife ridden and people are taking to the path of hatred and violence, forgetting the virtues of love and peace. Look around and you find struggle and strife resulting in senseless hatred and bloodshed.
Guru Nanak, more than five hundred years ago, preached a philosophy that could rid the world of much of its ailments and miseries. He preached universal brotherhood. He declared that he recognized human race as one. “Maanas ki jaat sabhe eke pahchanbo”, he said. Again, he said, “Na ko bairi, nahe bigana, sagal sang humko ban aayee” which means there are no strangers. I am on terms with all. Peace, harmony, love are the virtues Nanak gave value to. In fact, in recognizing human race as one, he was only taking forward the old Indian idea of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” which means the whole world is a family. In Guru Nanak’s times in India, there were two major religious groups- the Hindus and the Muslims. The latter came to India as invaders and forced many Hindus to convert to Islam.
There was natural hatred amongst the Hindus for their Muslim oppressors. It has lingered on and even modern democratic India has not been able to remove it. Guru Nanak raised his voice against the tyranny of the Muslim rulers but never became a part of the hate campaign. He had two constant companions- one a Hindu, Bala, and the other, a Muslim, Mardana. He gave out a message of love and oneness of humanity in having the two of them from rival communities.
It is said when Guru Nanak left this world his body was claimed by both the Hindus and the Muslims for the last rites. We need a Guru Nanak today. And we can find him in his teachings. The world can certainly become a better and a more beautiful place to live in if we turned to Guru Nanak for guidance.
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Escalating tension is not good for either country
While there will be no open war between India and Pakistan in the normally understood sense, this does not prevent Pakistan from activating its tools of terror
There has been an escalation of tension between India and Pakistan in the recent few days. The Line of Control (LoC) has witnessed serious exchange of fire at the border for nearly a fortnight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the border firing in one of his election rallies in Maharashtra. Modi said that Pakistan was getting the befitting lesson and it would not dare to open fire on the border.
It may be recalled that the cease-fire agreement between India and Pakistan came into effect in November 2003. Thereafter there had been periodic fire from Pakistan side, which had to be routinely returned by the Indian forces posted at the LoC. Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh made a statement that Pakistan should understand that times have changed in India, an obvious reference to Bharatiya Janata Party under Narendra Modi coming to power at the centre with majority of its own.
Reverting to the situation on the LoC, the Border Security Force (BSF) was handling the situation on the international border and it was BSF which was doing the firing across the LoC in Poonch, R.S. Pura and Arnia sectors. Reports say that instructions to Director General BSF, D.K. Pathak went out from the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who was in direct touch with DG, BSF over the period of 5 days in the first half of October 2014. The BSF reportedly fired more than 10,000 mortar shells, not to speak of countless ammunition, leading to an unprecedented situation in the border.
Pakistan reported that 2 civilians were killed and about 100 injured on their side and also that scores of villages witnessed vacating of houses by the civilians moving away from the border. The former Chief of BSF E.N. Rammohan commented that earlier the exchange of fire was confined to LMGs and MMGs and now, mortars are being used which spelt danger to civilian lives who lived within 5000 meters range. He went on to comment, “civilians dying like this is absolutely absurd”.
An analyst had written that the flare up on the border came at the height of campaigning for Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana when Modi referred to Pakistan being taught lesson at a public rally in Maharashtra on October 9. A BSF Commandant said, “I am very proud, nobody, not even Indian Army has fired as much as we have into Pakistan since 1971 war. There were no restrictions this time and we kept on firing. Even the Army cannot boast of so much. At least no Army infantry battalion had fired mortars.”
In Pakistan, Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif was a worried man and he summoned all the senior army officers for taking stock of the situation. Nawaz Sharif also dispatched his trusted adviser Shahryar Khan to Delhi for back channel work and to bring out normalcy on the border. Khan is the President of the Pakistan Cricket Control Board and his visit to India was ostensibly to discuss cricket fixtures with India, did not go much beyond that level, since no senior Indian back channel representative met him during his stay in Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile held a meeting attended by all senior Army commanders. Prime Minister Modi said that India had to be prepared for a changing world which demanded new thinking on economic, diplomatic and security policies. He asked them to be fully prepared for any eventuality. He also said that security challenges would be more unpredictable and invisible. On the Pakistan side, the Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif said at the Military Academy on October 18, that Pakistani forces are fully capable of meeting any external threat and that any aggression against Pakistan would get a befitting response.
The Pakistani Army chief also digressed to the subject of Kashmir and said that the people of Kashmir should be allowed to decide their fate in the light of UN Resolutions. The growing tension between India and Pakistan had not escaped the attention of foreign observers. The Australian scholar Christopher Snedden, who has specialized on the subject of Kashmir and teaches at the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, has commented that India’s new belligerence towards Pakistan is unhelpful and cited the cancellation of talks by the Indian Foreign Secretary with her counterpart in Pakistan over the Pakistan Ambassador’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists. Snedden went on to say that such meetings had routinely taken place in the past.
Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif had attended Modi’s oath taking ceremony as the Prime Minister of India in New Delhi, on May 16, 2014, which he did ignoring the advice of the armed forces and hardliners, who were against his visiting India for the occasion. The border tensions and the disproportionate level of Indian reaction would lead to Pakistan analyzing and reviewing various options to retaliate against India. While there would not be any serious flare up between Indian and Pakistani forces in any sector. Pakistan Army Chief and the ISI Chief of Pakistan would be seriously exploring multiple ways of hurting India.
At the diplomatic level, Pakistan had activated its diplomatic representative to brief UN members on the unfulfilled UN resolution for holding plebiscite in Kashmir for ascertaining views of the Kashmiri people regarding their options between India and Pakistan.
While there will be no open war between India and Pakistan in the normally understood sense, that does not prevent Pakistan from activating its tools of terror like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in carrying out serious attacks within India. The National Security Guard (NSG) Chief J.N. Choudhury had warned on October 16 that the Al Qaeda and the ISIS may join hands with terror groups like Indian Mujahideen and carry out multicity multiple attacks in the country at the time of their choosing. Terror organizations like Lashkar-e- Toiba and Jaish-e- Muhammed will also be carried along in their dastardly scheme.
The tensions between the two countries have to be seriously examined and ways and means to bring back normalcy should be worked out and implemented. India stands to lose much more if terrorist organizations are deployed in various cities in the country at a time of Pakistan’s choice. As this possibility is strong, this needs to be given serious consideration. Now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated his strength once again by decisively winning the elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, it is time for him to turn to the important issue of easing tensions between India and Pakistan.
There was no meeting between Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan during the UN session in October as Modi was not interested in meeting with his Pakistani counterpart. The next opportunity comes up in November during the SAARC meeting in Nepal. It is hoped that the two Prime Ministers will have one to one meeting, with or without officials and work out a road map for future course of action.
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Why did I quit being a Republican?
It is one of the most difficult decisions of my life to quit being a Republican. The more people I talk to, the more confident I feel that the GOP has completely lost its anchor values it was built upon, and the extremists have crept in and ruined it beyond repair. I have written over a hundred pieces about this, and all of them are listed in the links at www.TheGhousediary.com and http://CenterforAmericanPolitics.blogspot.com Finally, I have chosen to go independent.
I am an American, and my loyalty is to America, and not the party. I am neither a Republican nor will be a Democrat. There are enough independents out there who choose the candidates based on the good they can do for America, all of America and not just a segment of America, I would rather be free than bounded by party politics. As an independent, I will be voting for Wendy Davis (D), Alameel (D), Marchant (R) and will be selective with local candidates.
Why did I choose to go independent?
I have been debating about remaining with Republican party ever since Bush and his cronies lied to the American Public about WMD, and in the process terrorized and killed nearly half a million innocent Iraqi’s and Afghans. If an individual wraps bombs to his waist and kills a bus load of people, we rightfully call him a terrorist; however, if a head of a democratic nation wraps missiles on our jets and bombs hundreds of thousands of people, we let him hide behind the word “war”, as if it makes him less of a terrorist.” It went in a different direction. The debates in mid-term 2006 elections and again in 2008 were shameful. There was no Republican in the forefront who would talk about peace – everyone was eager to bomb and terrorize others; it was sickening to hear McCain, Romney and the other insignificant men and women in the Presidential debates.
They wanted Americans to support them based on hating and harming someone or the other, it was demoralizing to hear them all. How can we fall for such stupidity, have we lost our ability to see through the destruction they were causing to America? Millions of Americans lost their jobs causing thousands of divorces, home and business foreclosures, people lost insurance and several died for lack of it.
Half a million innocent foreigners were massacred for no good reason, and thousands of women were put on the street to sell flesh. Thanks to the immorality caused by our president. Middle East was a pretty stable region except the Israel Palestine conflict – the Bush invasion gave birth to every damned conflict and evil we see including the ISIS. The Nation had a surplus when Clinton left, and in 8 years Bush screwed America by piling up $10 billion in budget deficit. Yuck, there was no accountability for the wrong doing.
I shudder at the thought of Romney Presidency, he was too eager to Bomb Iran, too anxious to please his buddies Netanyahu and McCain. Of course he had nothing to lose and does not give a flip about the 47% of the Americans. He would have completed the destruction of America that Bush had left unfinished. There would have been massive unemployment, divorces, home and business foreclosures, increased crime rate and an unbearable budget deficit.
Yet there was no significant dissent among Republicans, what do I take – that Republicans are war mongers? They are a bunch of gutless obedient conformists, and I am not and don’t belong there. I was sick of being a lone ranger in peace meetings, interfaith meetings and other community service meetings, peace talks are anathema to them and rarely do you find them in peace meetings. They don’t know nothing about biology or mathematics or polls and have made the dumbest remarks about these issues.
They are opposed to same sex marriages – opposed to women making their own decisions about abortion. Do they know the meaning of liberty? I mean the hot heads representing the party, and not the good for nothing conformists. The turning point was when Republicans voted against equal pay for women. That is gutsy and hope the women will remember that. They claim to stick to the constitution which is the biggest joke of the century and goes to prove their hypocrisy. Facebook is loaded with their bigotry- check out the postings of Republicans undermining the president in discreet language.
This week, they are showing their loyalty to a foreign leader over our president, that is disgustingly unpatriotic. Shame on them. This president has pulled the nation from the doldrums, despite the blatant opposition of Mitch McConnell and ugly acts of Ted Cruz and his racist father, blatantly going against him by declaring that he will oppose every bill Obama proposes and shutting down the government.
Did any of the Republicans question that racist father Cruz who wanted to send Obama to Kenya; did anyone tell him to go to Cuba instead? Shame on us to a give a pass to these radicals. Thank God for Obama, gas prices are down and the average service person can afford to pay for a tank full of Gas. Unemployment will be low and by the time Obama is done he would have fully restored the economic prosperity that Americans enjoyed during the Clinton era, to be continued by another Clinton.
Obama will also leave a legacy of updated roads and bridges to last for two more decades. We have to be open to immigration; this nation was built on immigrants. Sometimes the stinky Republican attitudes ( if the majority of Republicans did not approve that attitude, they did not condemn it either) and demonstrators at the border makes me wish, that the Native Americans had put an electric fence around America to prevent Columbus and his hordes from illegally entering America. Most of the mistakes made by our government are when the house, senate and the administration are all from the same party.
If we can wise up for the sake of America, and give the Senate to Democrats and house to Republicans, but not give them big majorities, the SOB’s will become arrogant. Let them fight over the bills, debate extensively than slam dunk with a majority or go against each other. At the end, they will make good decisions for America with the checks and balances we build, it is in our hands. Finally, I have chosen to go independent. I am an American, and my loyalty is to America, and not the party.
I am neither a Republican nor will be a Democrat. There are enough independents out there who choose the candidates based on the good they can do for America, all of America and not just a segment of America, I would rather be free than bounded by party politics. As an independent, I will be voting for Wendy Davis (D), Alameel (D), Marchant (R) and will be selective with local candidates. References, links to my articles on Obama, Romney, and some of the many stupid things Republicans have said will all be at : http://centerforamericanpolitics.blogspot.com/ and www.TheGhousediary.com
THINGS REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID ARE HARD TO DIGEST
● “I think the right approach is to accept this horribly created – in the sense of rape – but nevertheless a gift in a very broken way, the gift of human life, and accept what God has given to you… rape victims should make the best of a bad situation.” Rick Santorum
● “Some girls rape easy.” Roge Rivard
● “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down” Todd Akin
● “As president, I will create 12 million new jobs.” -and within 45 minutes he said this, “Government does not create jobs. Government does not create jobs.” – Mitt Romney
● “White men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency,” according to an audio recording of his comments provided to CNN. […]”Lindsey Graham,
● “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” ~ George W. Bush
● “Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. But there isn’t even one study that can be produced that shows that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas.” ~ Rep. Michele Bachmann
● “Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society.” ~ Rush Limbaugh
● “I went to a number of women’s groups and said: ‘Can you help us find folks,’ and they brought us whole binders full of women.” ~ Mitt Romney
● “The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” ~ Pat Robertson ( do you remember a similar statement from a Saudi Cleric? He thought if women drive, they would become Lesbians – How stupid are these guys!
● “If this were a dictatorship, it’d be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I’m the dictator.” ~ George W. Bush
● “Abortion Leads To Cancer, Birth Defects, And Everything Else” – Richard Burgess
● “Evolution Is (Still) Out To Get Jesus” – Marco Rubio
● “Good Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions.” ~ Jerry Falwell
● “How did [the Holocaust] happen? Because God allowed it to happen… because God said, ‘My top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.’ Hagee
● http://www.addictinginfo.org/ 2012/12/16/60-ridiculously-stupidrepublican- quotes/
● http://www.politicususa.com/ 2012/12/29/top-ten-dumbest-republicanquotes- 2012.html
● http://www.uselections.com/tx/tx.htm
● http://www.politics1.com/tx.htm –
● Quiz- How Republican or Democrat are you?
● http://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz
Mike Ghouse : The author is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. -
Pak PM Nawaz Sharif to attend APEC, seek Chinese funds for projects
BEIJING (TIP): Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader’s Meeting in Beijing next week as an observer on the invitation of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Xi had also invited India to be an observer and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend it during his talks in New Delhi last September. But India has not taken up the offer. Sharif may have a difficult time convincing Chinese leaders that he was doing his best to check the influence of Pakistan based Taliban in China’s western province of Xinjiang, which is a hotbed of terrorism by Islamic groups.
Violent incidents in Xinjiang, particularly the Kashgar area bordering Pakistan, has risen sharply in the past few months leading to suspicion that Islamabad is not keeping its promise on this count. “The visit will further strengthen the bilateral relations,” Radio Pakistan quoted Sharif as saying before leaving Islamabad for China on Friday. He expects to meet both Xi and Chinese premier Li Keqiang and sign agreements for investments, Sharif said. Chinese leaders would be busy meeting heads of state from at least 21 countries during the APEC summit. It is not clear how much time they can spare for the Pakistani president. Pakistan is seeking Chinese assistance for further development of the Gwadar Port in southwestern Balochistan province. Sharif will also seek Chinese funds and technical assistance for construction of Khuzdar- Gwadar road as part of planned economic corridor between the two countries.
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President Pranab Mukherjee arrives in Bhutan
THIMPHU (TIP): President Pranab Mukherjee on November 7 arrived here on a two-day visit to Bhutan and was received by the King and his wife in a special gesture. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck along with his wife turned up unexpectedly at the airport as a special gesture to receive Mukherjee, the first Indian head of state to visit to the country in 26 years. Hundreds of school children were lined up along the way, holding Indian and Bhutanese flag. During the visit, Mukherjee will hold meetings with Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay besides other leaders to take bilateral ties to a new level.
Some agreements in education sector are likely to be signed during the trip. The President is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, Members of Parliament Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Anil Shirole, Mahendra Nath Pandey (all BJP) and Gaurav Gogoi (Congress), besides officials and representatives of a few educational and academic institutions. Sources said as India is keen to revive the ancient Nalanda University, an agreement will be signed for seeking cooperation from Bhutan in this regard. Mukherjee’s visit to Bhutan comes nearly five months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the country. It was Modi’s first foreign visit as Prime Minister.
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Pakistan army chief renews offer to train Afghan troops
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan army chief general Raheel Sharif has renewed the offer to train Afghan military during his meeting with the new President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul and promised weapons for an infantry brigade. Raheel paid a day-long visit to Kabul Thursday and met Afghan President, chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah and senior military leaders. The military chief offered the training courses and facilities in Pakistan’s training institutions to Afghan security forces.
“The COAS also offered the capacity enhancement of an infantry brigade, including provision of equipment,” military spokesman said. He discussed a host of issues with Afghan leaders including the Pak- Afghan relations post-2014. Pakistan has made the offer to train the military earlier but former Afghan president Hamid Karzai refused it saying that they do not want to get training form neighbouring countries. Pakistan is keen to train the Afghanistan military to counter India who is already training them. Raheel also briefed about operations against Taliban militants.
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Bangladesh turns to Russia for submarines
KOLKATA (TIP): When it became known to India that Bangladesh is on the hunt for two submarines for its navy, there was some consternation. More so when it came to be known that Bangladesh is negotiating with China for the Ming-class submarines. Something that India can do without at the moment is a spurt in military ties between China and Bangladesh. The level of anxiety has come down somewhat in recent times after information was received that Bangladesh is planning to procure the submarines from Russia.
“From reliable sources, we have come to know that Bangladesh is making efforts to move away from the Chinacentric approach where it comes to defence procurement. Nearly half of Bangladesh’s military hardware is sourced from either China or Pakistan. This provided an excuse for Chinese and Pakistani military presence along India’s east coast. Russia is different. India enjoys good relations with Russia and also uses military hardware built there. Better ties between Russia and Bangladesh are encouraging. We don’t believe that Russia will not do anything to harm India’s interests,” a highly placed source in Delhi said. For years now, India has been attempting to keep the ‘dragon’s presence’ away from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
In certain cases, India has even offered products and services at rates that would be convenient for these countries. By the end of this year, India hopes to deliver the ‘Barracuda’, a Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel for the Mauritian Navy. The ‘Barracuda’, being fitted-out at Kolkata’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will be India’s first such export. “This is more of a diplomatic move rather than a financial deal. One can also call this a confidence building measure. Once Mauritius is satisfied with the NOPV, India may get more orders from this region. This is good diplomacy,” the source added.
According to sources in Dhaka, Bangladesh proposes to purchase two diesel-electric submarines from Russia. Plans are also afoot to procure aircraft for the navy. Bangladesh already uses Russian hardware in the form of Mig-29 fighters and military helicopters. In 2013, Russia allegedly offered a $1.5 billion loan to Bangladesh that would be used to purchase military hardware. The Bangladesh government wants the submarines to join its navy by 2019. Bangaldesh air force’s fleet of eight MiG-29s is due for upgradation. So is its fleet of Russian made Mi-17 helicopters. HAL has maintenance facilities in India for both aircraft as they are used by the IAF as well. India has offered to upgrade and maintain the Mig-29s and helicopters at HAL facilities to bolster ties with Bangladesh.
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Lankan minister accuses IPKF of rape during LTTE war
COLOMBO (TIP): A Sri Lankan minister on Wednesday accused the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) of raping Tamil women during the LTTE war. The 48-year-old Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna, who was a former LTTE leader and now a deputy minister in the Mahinda Rajpaksa government, told the parliament that the IPKF who conducted peacekeeping operations in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990, had raped several Tamil women while also killing Tamil’s. “There is evidence for that,” Muralitharan, who was then the LTTE’s feared eastern leader said. The IPKF was invited into north and eastern Sri Lanka in terms of the Indo- Lanka Accord of 1987. Karuna brokeaway from the LTTE in 2004 to form his own movement and later his own political party.
He was later allied with Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition to become a deputy minister. He was also appointed a Vice President of the dominant party in the ruling coalition, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Meanwhile, the opposition United National Party (UNP) said that Karuna, a terrorist leader has become a senior member of the SLFP. Karuna warned the UNP saying he will not hesitate to reveal a lot of information which will cause the main opposition party much embarrassment if they continued to raise allegations against him.In his speech in the parliament he praised the Sri Lankan Navy of preventing poaching in Lankan waters by Indian fishermen. He accused former President Ranasinghe Premadasa of strengthening the LTTE by giving the rebels more weapons. Muralitharan said that around 1989 only 350 LTTE cadres remained in the outfit but it eventually grew in numbers as a result of the actions of Premadasa.
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CIA tweets ‘Argo’ errors on Iran crisis anniversary
LOS ANGELES (TIP): The CIA on Friday good naturedly highlighted the inaccuracies in Oscar-winning Iran hostage drama “Argo,” in a series of tweets to mark the anniversary of the 1979 crisis. The 2012 film tells the story of a bold Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation to rescue six US diplomats trapped in the Canadian ambassador’s residence in Tehran. It is well known that the movie takes liberties with the facts, including a white-knuckle airport runway chase at the end, and the significant underplaying of Canada’s role in resolving the crisis and rescuing the diplomats. But just in case anyone had forgotten, the CIA gave a blow-by-blow account on their Twitter feed, under the keywords “reel” (cinema) and “real” (genuine).
Here are some excerpts: Reel #Argo: “When the US Embassy is overtaken the 6 US diplomats go right to the Canadian ambassador’s residence to live for the 3 months.” Real #Argo: “5 of them went to many different places until they ended up at the homes of the Canadian Ambassador & the Dep. Chief of Mission.” Reel #Argo: The CIA officer and the six diplomats go into town to scout locations. – Real #Argo: They never went to the marketplace to scout a location. The six hid in the Canadian’s homes for 79 days.
Reel #Argo: Airline tickets are not waiting at the counter and have to be rechecked before the tickets are authorized and confirmed. Real #Argo: The Canadians had already purchased the tickets for the Americans. There were no issues at the counter nor the checkpoints. Reel #Argo: The Americans are detained at the airport by security guards & a call is made back to “Studio Six” to verify their identity. Real #Argo: It didn’t happen. An early flight was picked so airline officials would be sleepy & Revolutionary Guards would still be in bed. Reel #Argo: The plane clears Iranian air space and the Americans cheer and celebrate.
Real #Argo: That happened; there was even a round of celebratory Bloody Marys. #ThankYouCanada. When “Argo” was released the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor — who is now 80 years old — made his views clear about regarding some aspects of the movie’s accuracy. “The movie’s fun, it’s thrilling, it’s pertinent, it’s timely,” he told the Toronto Star. “But look, Canada was not merely standing around watching events take place. The CIA was a junior partner,” he said. The US embassy was stormed on November 4, 1979, triggering a crisis which lasted 444 days and is widely credited with ending any re-election hopes president Jimmy Carter might have had.
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US air force believes fighter jet crashed in Gulf of Mexico
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE (TIP): US air force officials say they believe an F-16 fighter jet has crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. A news release from Tyndall Air Force Base says the jet was on a routine training mission over the Gulf on November 6 morning when the Florida Panhandle base lost contact with the pilot. Aircraft and rescue forces were immediately sent to the missing jet’s last known location. No wreckage has been found, but officials are working under the assumption that the plane went down in the water. The US coast guard is leading the search. 325 Fighter Wing Vice Commander Col Mark O’Laughlin says in the news release that finding the pilot is their top priority.
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Robin Williams’ autopsy found no illegal drugs
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Robin Williams’ autopsy found no alcohol or illegal drugs were in his body when he killed himself at his Northern California home in August, sheriff’s officials said on November 7. The results released by the Marin County sheriff’s office found that the actor had taken prescription medications, but in “therapeutic concentrations.” The coroner ruled Williams’ death a suicide that resulted from asphyxia due to hanging. Sheriff’s officials have said Williams was found in the bedroom of his home in Tiburon on the morning of August 11.
His death had been preliminarily ruled a suicide, with sheriff’s officials saying he hanged himself with a belt. Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider, has said the actor and comedian was struggling with depression, anxiety and a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis when his personal assistant found him dead. Williams had publicly acknowledged periodic struggles with substance abuse, and he had entered a substance abuse program shortly before his death. According to the coroner’s report, his wife told an investigator Williams did not go there because of recent drug or alcohol abuse, but rather to reaffirm the principles of his rehabilitation.
According to his wife, Williams was having trouble sleeping and had shown increased signs of paranoia before he committed suicide, the autopsy report said. Medical records confirmed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in November 2013 but had symptoms since 2011, including a left arm tremor and the slowing of left hand movements. Treatments with drugs in May 2014 led to some improvement, according to the report, and he remained physically active until his death. Williams had two types of antidepressants in his system when he died, as well as a Parkinson’s medication, caffeine and another ingredient found in tea and cocoa, the autopsy found. Authorities have said Williams was last seen alive by his wife when she went to bed the night of Aug. 10.
She woke up the next morning and left, thinking he was still asleep elsewhere in the house. Shortly after that, Williams’ assistant came to the home and became concerned when he failed to respond to knocks at a door. The assistant found the 63-year-old actor in a bedroom, according to sheriff’s officials. Williams also had superficial cuts on his wrist, and a pocketknife was found nearby. The results of Williams’ autopsy, including the toxicology tests, were originally slated to be released Sept. 20. Marin County officials later announced a Nov. 3 release date, but the report was further delayed. Toxicology reports routinely take up to six weeks to complete.
