CONTD FROM Vol 8 ISSUE 43
If he comes to realize the Command of the Lord’s Will, O Beloved, then he is blessed with Truth and Honor. || 6 || It is so difficult to speak it, O Beloved; how can we speak, and hear, the True Name? I am a sacrifice to those who praise the Lord, O Beloved. I have obtained the Name, and I am satisfied, O Beloved; by His Grace, I am united in His Union.
|| 7 || If my body were to become the paper, O Beloved, and my mind the inkpot; and if my tongue became the pen, O Beloved, I would write, and contemplate, the Glorious Praises of the True Lord. Blessed is that scribe, O Nanak, who writes the True Name, and enshrines it within his heart.
|| 8 || 3 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL, DU-TUKAS: You are the Giver of virtue, O Immaculate Lord, but my mind is not immaculate, O Siblings of Destiny. I am a worthless sinner, O Siblings of Destiny; virtue is obtained from You alone, Lord. || 1 || O my Beloved Creator Lord, You create, and You behold. I am a hypocritical sinner, O Siblings of Destiny. Bless my mind and body with Your Name, O Lord. || Pause || The poisonous Maya has enticed the consciousness, O Siblings of Destiny; through clever tricks, one loses his honor. The True Lord and Master abides in the consciousness, O Siblings of Destiny, if the Guru’s spiritual wisdom permeates it.
|| 2 || Beautiful, beautiful, the Lord is called, O Siblings of Destiny; beautiful, like the deep crimson color of the poppy. If man loves the Lord with detachment, O Siblings of Destiny, he is judged to be true and infallible in the Lord’s court and home. || 3 || You are pervading the realms of the underworld and the heavenly skies; Your wisdom and glories are in each and every heart. Meeting with the Guru, one finds peace, O Siblings of Destiny, and pride is dispelled from the mind.
|| 4 || Scrubbing with water, the body can be cleaned, O Siblings of Destiny, but the body becomes dirty again. Bathing in the supreme essence of spiritual wisdom, O Siblings of Destiny, the mind and body become pure. || 5 || Why worship gods and goddesses, O Siblings of Destiny? What can we ask of them? What can they give us? The stone gods are washed with water, O Siblings of Destiny, but they just sink in the water.
|| 6 || Without the Guru, the unseen Lord cannot be seen, O Siblings of Destiny; the world is drowning, having lost its honor. Greatness is in the hands of my Lord and Master, O Siblings of Destiny; as He is pleased, He gives. || 7 || That soulbride, who talks sweetly and speaks the Truth, O Siblings of Destiny, becomes pleasing to her Husband Lord. Pierced by His Love, she abides in Truth, O Siblings of Destiny, deeply imbued with the Lord’s Name. || 8 || Everyone calls God his own, O Siblings of Destiny, but the all-knowing Lord is known only through the Guru. Those who are pierced by His Love are saved, O Siblings of Destiny; they bear the Insignia of the True Word of the Shabad.
|| 9 || A large pile of firewood, O Siblings of Destiny, will burn if a small fire is applied. In the same way, if the Naam, the Name of the Lord, dwells in the heart for a moment, even for an instant, O Siblings of Destiny, then one meets the Lord with ease, O Nanak. || 10 || 4 || SORAT’H, THIRD MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, TI-TUKAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: You always preserve the honor of Your devotees, O Dear Lord; You have protected them from the very beginning of time. You protected Your servant Prahlaad, O Dear Lord, and annihilated Harnaakhash. The Gurmukhs place their faith in the Dear Lord, but the self-willed manmukhs are deluded by doubt.
|| 1 || O Dear Lord, this is Your Glory. You preserve the honor of Your devotees, O Lord Master; Your devotees seek Your Sanctuary. || Pause || The Messenger of Death cannot touch Your devotees; death cannot even approach them. The Name of the Lord alone abides in their minds; through the Naam, the Name of the Lord, they find liberation.Wealth and all the spiritual powers of the Siddhis fall at the feet of the Lord’s devotees; they obtain peace and poise from the Guru.
|| 2 || The self-willed manmukhs have no faith; they are filled with greed and self-interest. They are not Gurmukh – they do not understand the Word of the Shabad in their hearts; they do not love the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Their masks of falsehood and hypocrisy shall fall off; the self-willed manmukhs speak with insipid words. || 3 || You are pervading through Your devotees, O Dear God; through Your devotees, You are known. All the people are enticed by Maya; they are Yours, Lord – You alone are the Architect of Destiny. Overcoming my egotism and quieting the desires within my mind, I have come to realize the Word of the Guru’s Shabad.
|| 4 || God automatically does the work of those who love the Name of the Lord. By Guru’s Grace, he ever dwells in their minds, and He resolves all their affairs.Whoever challenges them is destroyed; they have the Lord God as their Savior. || 5 || Without serving the True Guru, no one finds the Lord; the self-willed manmukhs die crying out in pain. They come and go, and find no place of rest; in pain and suffering, they perish. But one who becomes Gurmukh drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar, and is easily absorbed in the True Name.
|| 6 || Without serving the True Guru, one cannot escape reincarnation, even by performing numerous rituals. Those who read the Vedas, and argue and debate without the Lord, lose their honor. True is the True Guru, and True is the Word of His Bani; in the Guru’s Sanctuary, one is saved. || 7 || Those whose minds are filled with the Lord are judged as true in the Court of the Lord; they are hailed as true in the True Court. Their praises echo throughout the ages, and no one can erase them. Nanak is forever a sacrifice to those who enshrine the Lord within their hearts.
|| 8 || 1 || SORAT’H, THIRD MEHL, DU-TUKAS: He Himself forgives the worthless, O Siblings of Destiny; He commits them to the service of the True Guru. Service to the True Guru is sublime, O Siblings of Destiny; through it, one’s consciousness is attached to the Lord’s Name.
|| 1 || The Dear Lord forgives, and unites with Himself. I am a sinner, totally without virtue, O Siblings of Destiny; the Perfect True Guru has blended me. || Pause || So many, so many sinners have been forgiven, O beloved one, by contemplating the True Word of the Shabad. They got on board the boat of the True Guru, who carried them across the terrifying world-ocean, O Siblings of Destiny.
|| 2 || I have been transformed from rusty iron into gold, O Siblings of Destiny, united in Union with the Guru, the Philosopher’s Stone. Eliminating my selfconceit, the Name has come to dwell within my mind, O Siblings of Destiny; my light has merged in the Light.
|| 3 || I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice, O Siblings of Destiny, I am forever a sacrifice to my True Guru. He has given me the treasure of the Naam; O Siblings of Destiny, through the Guru’s Teachings, I am absorbed in celestial bliss. || 4 || Without the Guru, celestial peace is not produced, O Siblings of Destiny; go and ask the spiritual teachers about this. Serve the True Guru forever, O Siblings of Destiny, and eradicate selfconceit from within.
|| 5 || Under Guru’s Instruction, the Fear of God is produced, O Siblings of Destiny; true and excellent are the deeds done in the Fear of God. Then, one is blessed with the treasure of the Lord’s Love, O Siblings of Destiny, and the Support of the True Name.
|| 6 || I fall at the feet of those who serve their True Guru, O Siblings of Destiny. I have fulfilled my life, O Siblings of Destiny, and my family has been saved as well. || 7 || The True Word of the Guru’s Bani, and the True Word of the Shabad, O Siblings of Destiny, are obtained only by Guru’s Grace. O Nanak, with the Name of the Lord abiding in one’s mind, no obstacles stand in one’s way, O Siblings of Destiny.
|| 8 || 2 || SORAT’H, THIRD MEHL: The Dear Lord is realized through the Word of His Shabad, O Siblings of Destiny, which is found only by perfect destiny. The happy soul-brides are forever in peace, O Siblings of Destiny; night and day, they are attuned to the Lord’s Love. || 1 || O Dear Lord, You Yourself color us in Your Love. Sing, continually sing His Praises, imbued with His Love, O Siblings of Destiny; be in love with the Lord. || Pause || Work to serve the Guru, O Siblings of Destiny; abandon selfconceit, and and focus your consciousness. You shall be in peace forever, and you shall not suffer in pain any longer, O Siblings of Destiny; the Lord Himself shall come and abide in your mind.
|| 2 || She who does not know the Will of her Husband Lord, O Siblings of Destiny, is an ill-mannered and bitter bride. She does things with a stubborn mind, O Siblings of Destiny; without the Name, she is false. || 3 || They alone sing the Lord’s Praises, who have such pre-ordained destiny written upon their foreheads, O Siblings of Destiny; through the Love of the True Lord, they find detachment. Night and day, they are imbued with His Love; they utter His Glorious Praises, O Siblings of Destiny, and they lovingly focus their consciousness on the Fearless Guru.
|| 4 || He kills and revives all, O Siblings of Destiny; serve Him, day and night. How can we forget Him from our minds, O Siblings of Destiny? His gifts are glorious and great. || 5 || The self-willed manmukh is filthy and doubleminded, O Siblings of Destiny; the finds no place of rest in the Court of the Lord. But if she becomes Gurmukh, then she chants the Glorious Praises of the Lord, O Siblings of Destiny; the meets her True Beloved, and merges in Him. || 6 || In this life, she has not focused her consciousness on the Lord, O Siblings of Destiny; how can she show her face when she leaves? In spite of the warning calls which were sounded, she has been plundered, O Siblings of Destiny; she yearned only for corruption.
|| 7 || Those who dwell upon the Naam, O Siblings of Destiny, their bodies are ever peaceful and tranquil. O Nanak, dwell upon the Naam; the Lord is infinite, virtuous and unfathomable, O Siblings of Destiny. || 8 || 3 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, ASHTAPADEES: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The One who created the whole world, O Siblings of Destiny, is the Almighty Lord, the Cause of causes. He fashioned the soul and the body, O Siblings of Destiny, by His own power. How can He be described? How can He be seen, O Siblings of Destiny? The Creator is One; He is indescribable. Praise the Guru, the Lord of the Universe, O Siblings of Destiny; through Him, the essence is known.
|| 1 || O my mind, meditate on the Lord, the Lord God. He blesses His servant with the gift of the Naam; He is the Destroyer of pain and suffering. || Pause || Everything is in His home, O Siblings of Destiny; His warehouse is overflowing with the nine treasures. His worth cannot be estimated, O Siblings of Destiny; He is lofty, inaccessible and infinite. He cherishes all beings and creatures, O Siblings of Destiny; he continually takes care of them.
Year: 2014
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SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB
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THINGS THAT RUIN A RELATIONSHIP
From obsessing over your career to being the self-appointed changemaker in his life, you might be driving him to call it quits There are dos and don’ts in a relationship. If you are finding the latter list of conventions more common in your behaviour, then you are most likely to meet a dead-end with your happilyeverafter dream soon. Don’t ruin your perfectly fine relationship with these repugnant ways.
Stop nitpicking
This is the first relationship red flag. If you pick holes about everything from what he wears to how he speaks, bear in mind nobody wants to be around a nag, and not if she is a girlfriend, for sure. You will give him the impression that he winds you up more than soothes your nerves. You may argue that he is nice, but doesn’t meet the criterion of the perfect guy you always dreamt of being with. That surely doesn’t give you the licence to be the change maker in his life.
Preventing him from hanging out with his crazy friends, or stopping his videogame sessions in an attempt to stabilise him will one day get the better of your relationship.We suggest, give him some space and enjoy yours. Get a life So, your job is important to you. Good for you. However, don’t let your business become the centre of all the conversation that you have with your man, unless you’re facing a crisis at work and you want him to hear you out. Calling off dinner dates, being on a work call and attending to your mails while you are with your partner is extremely disrespectful. It shows that you probably are having a relationship with your job than with your guy. Relax, once you are through with the day’s work, switch off. Enjoy your time with your man and maintain the sanity of your relationship.
Hold your horses
It has been a while since the two of you are dating, and you have been waiting for him to propose marriage since the day you met him. Then, you would probably be waiting for the rest of your life. Hold your horses. Learn to go with the flow. Don’t go about introducing him to your parents after the second date, and invite him for family dinners after the third. That said, don’t be ambiguous too. If you are serious then let him know, or else let him go. Men can gauge the difference easily when the woman is playing hard to get, or when she is playing mean games.
Don’t be silly
It is okay to speak to yourself, or tell yourself that you are pretty in front of the mirror every day. But don’t expose your eccentricities in front of the potential ‘to-be’ when you are only just six months into the relationship. You may scare him off for good. Give him the awkward gaze, but save those crazy eyes when you know him a lot better.
Learn to trust
The basis of any healthy relationship, besides love, is trust. Don’t be insecure. If you are constantly wondering whom he is with or speaking to, then you, perhaps, need a reality check. Walking on thin ice is unhealthy, and not when there are feelings involved. At that rate, you will reach the shrink before you make it to the marriage registrar’s office. -
Ways to make your hair grow faster
If you’ve been experiencing hair fall and want your hair to grow faster, here’s what you need to do Trim your hair every month: The ideal way to ensure that your hair grows faster is by trimming your hair every four to eight weeks. Since your hair grows from the roots, by the time it grows out, the end of your gets split ends because of which your hair gets damaged and rough. Trimming your hair will ensure that your hair breathes oxygen and is healthy and grows long. Hot oil massage: A hot oil massage if done every alternate week works wonders for your hair.
Not only do they ensure that your hair grows faster, but it also makes your hair healthy and reduces hair fall. Oils like jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil and lavender oil brings shine and volume to your hair. Vitamin and proteins for your hair: Just a massage of vitamin E or the application of egg yolk on your hair will bring volume and make your hair healthy. They are also known to heal damaged hair and makes your hair stronger from the roots. Brush your hair at least 50 times before bedtime: Make sure that you are combing your hair for at least 50 times before you retire for the night. Brushing the hair makes your roots stronger and also reduces hair fall manifold. -
VITAMIN-DEFICIENCY WARNING SIGNS
Vitamin symptoms may be subtle at first, but they increase as the deficiency worsens. A diet rich in processed food is one of the main culprits, aside of the consumption of lack of food. But the main concern remains that all the chips and biscuits that you so love strips you off all the essential nutri ents. Junk fare is mostly `dead food’ and seldom has any nutrients to contribute to your health and wellbeing. Besides, it doesn’t help absorb them properly as it messes with your digestive tissues.
So although you may not suffer from a disease, there’s a chance that you may end up with impaired functioning, because vitamins are co-factors for all the bio-chemical reactions in the body. That impaired functioning can sometimes manifest in strange ways. It’s your body trying to tell you something. So listen to it. While fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin, irregular heartbeats and weight lass are apparent, there are unusual vitamin-deficiency warning signs.
SIGNAL:
Red or white acne like bumps, on the cheeks, arms, thighs and butt
DEFICIENT IN
Essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.
FIX IT
Tank up on the sunshine.Long hours in air-conditioned spaces and pollution make it hard. Even sunscreen lotion prevents absorption. Consuming fish, sardine, tuna, egg, and green leafy vegetables also helps. Increase healthy fats like dairy products in your meal. Add salmon and walnuts and almonds, and seeds like ground flax, and chia in your diet. For vitamin A, eat plenty of leafy greens, papaya and colourful veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and capsicum. This provides beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which your body will use to make the vital nutrient.
SIGNAL
Tingling, prickling, and numbness in hands, feet or elsewhere.
DEFICIENT IN
B vitamins like folate (B9), B6, and B12. It’s a problem directly related to the peripheral nerves and where they end in the skin. These symptoms can be combined with anxiety, depression, anaemia, fatigue, and hormone imbalances.
FIX IT
You can fix the vitamin B group largely with your diet. Opt for brown rice, millet, wheat germ, nuts, wheat bran sprouted grains. Egg, chicken, mutton, salmon, banana, broccoli, red kidney beans, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage and all green leafy vegetables.
SIGNAL
Cracks at the corners of your mouth
DEFICIENT IN
Iron, zinc, and B vitamins like niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and B12. It’s common if you’re a vegetarian to not get enough iron, zinc, and B12. Likewise, if you’re skimping on essential immunitybuilding protein because of excess dieting.
FIX IT
Eat more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, peanuts, and lentils. Iron absorption is enhanced by vitamin C, which helps fight infection. Combine these foods with broccoli, and cauliflower. Ensure that you also eat dairy products like yoghurt, paneer and ghee.
SIGNAL
Muscle cramps in the form of throbbing pain in toes, calves, arches of feet, and backs of legs
DEFICIENT IN
Magnesium, calcium, and potassium. If it’s happening frequently, it’s a sign that you’re lacking in these. And if you’re training hard, you can lose more minerals (and water-soluble B vitamins) through heavy sweating.
FIX IT
To fix potassium, have oranges, bananas, peanuts, beans, coconut water. For magnesium, go for dark green leafy vegetable, nuts and soybean.Almonds, figs, carrots, raisins, brown rice, cashew are rich sources of calcium. -
INCLUDE YOGHURT IN YOUR DIET
Yoghurt is one of the most beneficial food items and must be made a part of everyone’s daily diet. It is not just rich in calcium -which is good for the bones -but protein as well, which helps build muscles. Yoghurt is also good for the skin and hair. Here are some other benefits…
It aids digestion. Eating yoghurt after a meal stimulates digestion, as it helps absorb nutrients from the other food that you have consumed.
It is an anti-oxidant that not only keeps the body cool, but also cleanses it.
The bacteria present in yoghurt boosts immunity by fighting different microorganisms in the body.
Yoghurt contains several vitamins that ensure your nervous system functions well.
Apply yoghurt on your scalp to keep dandruff at bay . The lactic acid and anti-fungal properties make it a good home remedy.
It is also good for the skin as it contains vitamin E, zinc and phosphorous. Add yoghurt to homemade facial packs for better results. -
HOME REMEDIES TO CURB COLD AND COUGH
With the change in weather, viral cough and cold are common ailments that kids suffer from. Try some of these remedies to treat the ailment and boost your kid’s immunity:
1. Steam: If your little one suffers from cold and has trouble breathing, get him/her to take steam. Make the kid stand in the bathroom with hot water running or simply heat water in a wide bowl and make the kid inhale the hot fumes for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Adding eucalyptus oil can also help soothe your child’s system.
2. Honey: Known for its soothing effect, dip your finger in honey and let your baby lick it two three times in a day. If your child is older than five years, mix a spoonful with cinnamon powder and ask him/her to have it.
3. Carom Seeds: Boiling water along with carom seeds (ajwain) and tulsi leaves can help to keep the cough in check. It also helps in relieving chest congestion.
4. Massage: Massages work best for children who are below two years of age. Mix mustard oil with garlic and massage your baby’s chest, back and neck area. Also cover the baby’s palm and feet with the oil for a quick relief.
5. Keep your kid hydrated: When your kid is going through a bout of sneezing and coughing, it is very important to keep him/her hydrated. Drinking water at regular intervals will help fight the common cold and reduce the inflammation in the throat along with washing out the infection. Other fluids in form of warm soup or a fresh juice are also beneficial for replenishing the body’s lost energy.
6. Salt gargling: A glass of hot water with a teaspoon of salt can be useful to ease a sore throat. Ask your kid to gargle with salt water twice a day. The saline water helps soothe the pain.
7. Turmeric milk: Due to its antiseptic properties, turmeric is known to treat viral infections such as cough and cold. Add turmeric powder to a glass of warm milk and make your kid have it every night. It provides instant relief for an aching throat and runny nose. Since it is a rich source of calcium, milk also provides energy to your kid. -
Food habits to age gracefully
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.
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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.
