Spectre, the latest offering from the James Bond franchise has emerged as the second highest opener at the box-office of all its instalments so far, according to Forbes magazine and trade data reported by the international press.
Spectre amassed $73 million in the US in its first weekend at the box office, only behind James Bond’s previous offering of Skyfall which opened at $90 million (including Thursday preview) in 2012. Spectre is the 24th James Bond film.
Spectre released worldwide on November 6, and over the weekend managed to rake in over $200.
However, Indian audiences will have to wait a bit more before being enthralled by what is supposed to be Daniel Craig’s last appearance as James Bond. This is the fourth time that he reprises the role of the British spy. Daniel Craig has publicly declared that this is his last Bond film and there is immense speculation as to who will be the next 007.
Spectre is slated for release in India on November 20.
According to Sony Pictures, the film has broken Skyfall’s record in some markets.
Trade experts believe that with no major releases till November 20, Spectre is expected to continue making waves at the box-office.
Spectre is directed by Sam Mendes and alongside Daniel Craig stars Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Christoph Waltz and Monica Bellucci.
As the Bihar poll results trickled icon Nov 08, residents of the Greater Noida village of Bisada, who had gathered around a TV set to follow the counting, spoke in one voice – that this was a verdict against the politics of hatred. Bisada is the village where Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in September after a rumour that he had slaughtered a cow was circulated, has been living under a shadow since the attack.
Sartaj, Akhlaq’s eldest son and a corporal in the IAF, said the Bihar verdict is a tribute to his father, that people had united against the gathering forces of communalism.
“There’s no space for hate politics in our country. Today’s result is a tribute to my father, and against hate and communalism.
People should realise there is no gain in fighting in the name of religion. I appeal to all politicians not to divide the country for the sake of power,” he said.
There was a feeling of relief, as if BJP’s rout had exculpated the village of its collective guilt. Hate politics, several villagers said, had not worked in Bihar and wouldn’t in UP either.
On normal days, Bisada gets power supply between 11 am and 3 pm and again between11 pm and 5 am. But with an unexpected power cut on Sunday, Nov 8 morning, most residents had crowded in houses of a few who have inverters or generators installed.
An elated Bhoop Singh, 75, ex-pradhan of the village, said, “I was born, and I’ll breathe my last in this village. I’ve never experienced any communal tension in my village in all these years, as much as the recent tension after Akhlaq’s unfortunate death, which hurt me deeply.”
He blamed politicians squarely for disturbing communal harmony. “If politicians had not visited our village, we were capable of dealing with the situation. But politicians need vote banks. The Bihar result is a slap on their faces.”
Neighbour Om Mahesh nodded in agreement. “Killing Akhlaq was an unfortunate incident. There was no communal tension in the village even after Akhlaq’s death. But then, some politicians tried to disturb the harmony. We appeal all politicians to avoid visiting communally tense places,” he said.
Another local Gulfaam said, “People of Bihar have given those who indulge in the politics of divide and rule a resounding defeat. Politicians are ready to put the country’s goodwill at stake for power. Such incidents dent the country’s image.”
The obvious object of their scorn, BJP’s motormouth MLA from Sardhana, Sangeet Som, a key accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots who had visited Bisada in the aftermath of the lynching and issued several divisive statements, though, said BJP did not lose the Bihar polls due to his visit and controversial statements. “Bihar and UP differ in turfs and the people in temperament. I don’t believe my visit and statements in Bisada hampered BJP’s chances in Bihar,” he added.
Scopus Consulting Group and Orian Engineers, two companies based in Silicon Valley and owned by an Indian-American Kishore Kumar have been ordered to pay fines of $103,000 to the federal government. Along with this, the company is required to pay $84,000 in back wages to its employees who are carrying H-1B visas.
The two companies bring workers from India and other countries on H1B visas to employ them as software engineers for Silicon Valley firms such as eBay, Apple and Cisco Systems.
During investigations, US Department of Labor Wage and Hour investigators found that the two companies violated the H1B provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act by misrepresenting the prevailing wage level on the Labor Condition Applications required by the act, an official release said yesterday.Federal Administrative Law Judge Stephen R Henley ordered the two businesses owned by Kishore Kumar to pay 21 workers $84,000 in back wages and $103,000 in fines to the federal government.
“Some of the country’s most cutting-edge, successful organisations benefit from underpaid H-1B workers,” director for the Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco, Susana Blanco said.
“H1B workers must be paid local prevailing wages. We will not allow companies to undercut local wages and hurt US workers and businesses who pay their workers fairly,” Blanco said. — PTI
WASHINGTON: Greeting people on the occasion of Diwali, America’s first Hindu Congresswoman has said that the festival represents the victory of light over darkness, truth over untruth, righteousness over wrong.
“Let it inspire us to set aside our differences, and find ways to work together towards the greater and common good,” Ms Gabbard said in her annual Diwali video message.
“No matter who we are, no matter what our race, religion, economic status, gender, age, or any other material consideration, each of us can use our lives in the loving service of God and of mankind, according to our own abilities,” she said.
The Congresswoman said that it’s also an important time to meditate upon the deeper meaning of Diwali.
“As we light our lamps for Diwali, let us light the lamps of love for God within our hearts, let us share the light of His unconditional love for us, and do what we can to bring about positive change in the world,” Ms Gabbard added.
WASHINGTON: Padma Shri awardee Indian-American Ashok Mago has been appointed as a member of Board of Regents of the University of North Texas in the US.
Dallas-based Mr Mago was appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott for a six-year term ending on May 22, 2021, said a statement issued by the Governor’s office yesterday.
Mr Mago is the founding chairman of the Greater Dallas Indo American Chamber, now known as the US-INDIA Chamber, and board member of the Primary Care Clinic of North Texas, advisory board member of BBVA Compass Bank in Dallas.
He is member of Dallas Regional Chamber Board, Salvation Army Advisory Board of Dallas County, and the Dallas County Community College District Foundation Board, and is a former board member of 1st Independent National Bank.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014. Mr Mago received a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University, India, and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas.
WASHINGTON: Indian-Americans, who have a combined annual income of a whopping USD 67.4 billion, can play a key role in philanthropy activities in India that could dwarf official US foreign aid to India by 10 times, according to new research.
The donations could be to the tune of USD 1.2 billion per annum, said a report published in ‘Impact India’ – a magazine for philanthropists and social innovators targeting India published jointly by the Bridgespan Group, Dasra, and Stanford Social Innovation Review – that also put the “combined annual discretionary income of Americans of Indian origin” at USD 67.4 billion.
The growing Indians settled in America totals over 1.9 million, the report said, adding that there are another 1.6 million Americans who report having Indian ancestry.
“If their philanthropic contributions were consistent with those of other US households in similar income brackets, and if they directed 40 per cent of their philanthropic giving to India, USD 1.2 billion per year would flow from Indian-American donors to Indian causes,” the report said.
This sum would dwarf official US foreign aid to India (USD 116.4 million in fiscal year 2014).
What’s more, it would represent more than half the entire amount of annual official development aid received by India from all countries – USD 2.2 billion, on average, from 2005 through 2013.
Noting that Indian-Americans are donating more than ever before to support broad-based social change aimed at reducing India’s inequities, it said the potential for impact is great, but so are the challenges.
According to the report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration seems particularly attuned to the upside potential for financial and non-financial support from the Indian-American.
His focus on bilateral India-US initiatives may be an indicator of his openness to connect with US constituencies, including Indian-Americans, that could contribute meaningfully to India’s development.
WASHINGTON: An Indian American physician has been felicitated with the highest award in clinical cardiology in the US in recognition of his significant discoveries expanding the field of cardiovascular diagnostic imaging.
Dr Sanjiv Kaul of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland was presented the James B Herrick Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cardiology by American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology, “in grateful recognition of his highly significant discoveries expanding the field of cardiovascular diagnostic imaging and greatly enhancing the care of patients with heart and blood vessel disease,” a media release said.
“In pioneering research in the areas of contrast echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, Dr Kaul redefined key aspects of coronary physiology and pathophysiology. Almost single-handedly, he has elevated an entire field from basic concepts to practical utilization,” said Clinical Cardiology Council Chair Ileana Pina, who presented the award to him.
“Kaul introduced molecular imaging techniques to better detect the size of a heart attack as well as the extent of coronary artery narrowing and inflammation in arterial plaques – “all invaluable tools widely used for patient evaluation,” Ms Pina said.
A native of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Kaul is the Ernest C Swigert Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Professor of Medicine and Radiology, Chief Executive Officer of the Knight Cardiovascular Institute and Associate Dean of the School of Medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University.
WASHINGTON: Prominent Indian-American business executive Neel Kashkari was today appointed as the head of the US Federal Reserve’s regional bank in Minneapolis.
Mr Kashkari, who was once a Republican gubernatorial candidate in California, would replace another Indian-American Narayana Kocherlakota whose tenure as CEO and president ends on December 31.
“Kashkari is the right person to build on the Minneapolis Fed’s core strengths and successfully lead the Bank into the future,” said Randall Hogan, chairman of the Minneapolis Fed’s board of directors and co-chair of the search committee.
As president of the Minneapolis Fed, the 42-year-old will participate on the Federal Open Market Committee in the formulation of US monetary policy.
He will oversee 1,100 employees. “I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to lead the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. I look forward to working with the Bank’s dedicated staff and continuing the Bank’s long-standing tradition of excellent service to the Ninth Federal Reserve District and to the nation,” Mr Kashkari said.
“The Minneapolis Fed has built a strong reputation for economic research and thought leadership as well as excellence in Bank operations. I am delighted that I will be working with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis team to build on the Bank’s many achievements,” he said.
Mr Kashkari had earlier served in the US Department of the Treasury from 2006 to 2009, first as senior adviser to Secretary Henry Paulson and then as assistant secretary of the Treasury.
In the latter role, he established and led the Office of Financial Stability and oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) for both Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.
Mr Kashkari holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that make up the Federal Reserve System, the nation’s central bank.
LONDON: A 46-year-old Indian-origin community campaigner in the UK has been named “Point of Light” by British Prime Minister David Cameron for her “fantastic” charity work and empowering young people, including women.
Muna Chauhan was recognised for her work as a children’s charity fundraiser and for empowering hundreds of women and young people to get involved with their community as volunteers.
“Muna has not only dedicated her time to raise a fantastic amount of money for the causes she supports, she has also empowered over 200 young people and women to get involved in volunteering and seeing the difference they make,” Cameron said.
“By inspiring others to take action Muna has had an impact in more than just her own community, and I am delighted to recognise her as the UK’s 387th Point of Light,” he added.
The award has been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the US. It honours outstanding examples of individual volunteering across the US and the UK.
Apart from encouraging others to volunteer, Ms Chauhan has helped raise over 5 million pounds for various international development charities and NGOs.
“I have always been passionate about women empowerment and youth development and strongly committed to supporting the development of unrepresented people and helping them to gain valuable life experience through volunteering activities,” Ms Chauhan said.
“My greatest guiding influence in life has been Mahatma Gandhi, in particular his world famous quote: ‘be the change you want to see in the world’,” she said.
New York: An Indian-American nurse has filed a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against her employer, because she was fired for taking a break as she was suffering from nausea, a media report said.
Saijal Sara Shah filed a lawsuit against Maple Creek and Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, US, which manages The Lodge, a nursing home where Shah worked, mlive.com news website reported on Tuesday.
In the lawsuit filed in the US district court in Grand Rapids, Shah said she was punished for leaving work to recover from nausea during a double shift.
On March 15, after working for eight hours, Shah vomited and could not work. She told another nurse that she had to go home, take medication and she will try to return to work, her attorney said.
Even though she left a number for her supervisor to call, she was punished for failing to leave a way to contact her, her attorney added.
According to the lawsuit, on April 3 Shah was fired for taking a 15-minute break because she was suffering from mild fever while working in the shift.
A social worker showed up early in the morning and accused her of sleeping. Shah denied of falling asleep. She blamed the employer of odding her out because of being an Indian descent.
White workers “were not penalised, falsely accused of sleeping on the job or targeted as I was,” the lawsuit said.
The nursing home denied all allegations of Shah being treated unfairly based on her pregnancy or her race.
It said she was suspended for a day for leaving work and sleeping during working hours.
WOODBRIDGE. NJ (TIP): A New Jersey software entrepreneur has launched a global initiative to train high-school students in Microsoft technologies that can help them jumpstart a career in information technology.
“The biggest challenge currently facing the world economy is the lack of IT-trained professionals out of high school, who can be readily employed in meaningful careers,” says Shailesh Mehta, president of Acecs Inc, a Woodbridge-NJ software firm that provides certified training in various Microsoft technologies.
As part of the initiative, Mehta plans to target 200 schools in the first year, expanding to 1,500 by the 4th year. “We will begin with schools in New Jersey, specifically Woodbridge Township, covering the entire state in the first year itself,” explains Mehta, a certified Microsoft lead trainer. Concurrently, Mehta will deploy the initiative in Mumbai, India, as well.
About a million students will be targeted in the first year and about 20 million in 4 years. “The anticipated economic growth will be about $20 billion in the first year, increasing to $400 billion in 4 years, based on an average salary growth of $20,000 per student,” says Mehta.
As part of the strategy, Mehta will prepare retired or semi-retired IT Professionals in these technologies, who can then coach high school students. All training will be provided by industry professionals, taught by Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCT) and tested by a panel of MCTs before authorized to teach at partner locations.
Training will be imparted to high school students in Microsoft technologies such as Office Suite, Windows Client and Server Operating Systems, Exchange (Mail) Server, SQL (Database) Server and SharePoint Server, covering both the online and the offline fundamentals.
Mehta will eventually expand the global initiative to every major city around the globe through nonprofit organizations in those cities. Through the initiative, Mehta will provide the overall strategy, guidance, policies, training and the step by step implementation of the goals.
To keep setup costs low and expedite the deployment of the initiative, Mehta will be partnering with schools using their existing IT infrastructure.
On Tuesday, November 03, 6-year-old autistic boy Jeremy Mardis was tragically gunned down by Louisiana police.
Jeremy Mardis
In initial reports, the police claimed Jeremy’s father had a warrant to be arrested, had a gun, tried to run over the officers, fired at the officers, and possibly even killed his own son. All of this was proven to be false during the investigation. Yet the police and DA seemed poised to blame this father for his son’s own death, despite the fact that the cops shot at a moving vehicle, which is against federal guidelines.
Police now admit that Few was not only unarmed when officers opened fire, there wasn’t a warrant at all.
Derrick Stafford Norris Greenhouse Jr
This latest case of police brutality that led to the death of a small child may have also been swept under the rug as “justified” if not for video evidence – One of the officers was wearing a body camera which was on at the time of the shooting. While police is yet to release the footage, the arrests were made shortly after the Louisiana State Police reviewed the video, according to KLFY.
When asked about the body camera footage during the press conference, State Police Col. Mike Edmonson told reporters, “It is the most disturbing thing I’ve seen, and I will leave it at that.”
“That little boy was buckled in the front seat of that vehicle,” Edmonson told reporters. “That is how he died.”
Lt. Derrick Stafford, 32, and Norris Greenhouse Jr., 23, are the local deputy marshals who fired at least 18 rounds at an unarmed man and his son, killing a 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis.
On Friday night, Nov 06, authorities announced that Greenhouse Jr. & Stafford were charged with 2nd-degree murder of 6-year-old and attempted 2nd-degree murder of Chris Few.
It has since been revealed, the pair – along with another officer at the scene – were moonlighting as marshals who work for the city courts and serve warrants, carry firearms and have police powers.
Interestingly, both officers, have a horrific track record and should not have been employed as active-duty officers at all. Some of the charges included indictments for aggravated rape.
Derrick Stafford, the officer indicted for rape, also has five pending civil suits against him for various complaints of excessive force, including breaking the arm of a 14-year-old girl on a school bus as well as assaulting and pepper-spraying a 15-year-old boy at a Fourth of July celebration.
Norris Greenhouse Jr., the other officer implicated in the murder of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis, is named in several of the same suits for acting in tandem with Stafford.
Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It’s the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that’s marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.
The Origin of Diwali
Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or ‘Deepawali.’ Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength.
Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day.
In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana.
The return of Lord Rama
Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers. These Four Days Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.
The story of Lord Vishnu
Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali – Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
Lights & Firecrackers
All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.
According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.
The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity in many ways, and the festival of ‘Dhanteras’ (‘dhan’ = wealth; ‘teras’ = 13th) is celebrated two days before the festival of lights.
In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.
From darkness unto light – the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it’s a celebration of South-Asian identities.
If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.
Dhanteras is an important part of Diwali celebrations. Dhanteras marks the first day of Diwali celebrations. Dhanteras is also called Dhanvantari Trayodashi.
It falls on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November).
The word ‘Dhan’ signifies money or wealth. On the day of Dhanteras, people worship the Goddess of Wealth (Goddess Lakshmi). Since Dhanteras is associated with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, it is a very important celebration in the homes of the mercantile community. In India, houses and market places wear a festive look on the day of Dhanteras and market places are abuzz with people all around.
Legends
Like most of the Indian festivals, Dhanteras too has some legends associated with its celebration. Let’s have a look at some of the popular legends that are associated with this Dhantears celebration.
Dhanwantari
Churning of ocean (Samudramanthan) by Gods and demons forms an important part of the Hindu mythology. It is believed that during the churning of ocean by Gods and demons, Lord Dhanvantari (the Physician of Gods) emerged out with a jar of Amrit
(elixir) on the day of Dhanteras. Thus, the worship of Lord Dhanvantari has become a part of Dhanteras celebrations in most of the home.
Yamadeep Daan Ritual
According to this legend, the sixteen-year-old son of King Hima was doomed to die of snakebite on the fourth day of his marriage. Aware of the forecast about her husband, the intelligent wife of the young prince made a plan to save her husband. On the predicted day, the wife made all arrangements so that her husband did not fall asleep. Bedsides this, she also put all her silver and gold ornaments at the entrance of the door and illuminated the whole place with lamps and lights. To insure that the husband did not sleep, the wife sang and narrated stories all through the night.Lord Yama, the mythological God of Death, arrived in the guise of a serpent but the illumination caused by lights dazzled his eyes and he was not able to enter the room of the young prince. The legends have it that the serpent, mesmerized by the melodious songs of the Princess’s wife, sat on the heap of ornaments and spent the night and went away in the morning. Thus, the Prince was saved by the illumination of the lamps and devotion of his wife. This legend led to the popularization of the tradition of ‘Yamadeep Daan’. It is due to this reason, lamps and diyas are kept burning all through the night on Dhanteras.
Rituals
As Dhanteras is associated with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, people draw small footprints with rice flour and vermilion powder throughout the house right from the entrance (indicating the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi). As Dhantrayodashi or Dhanteras is considered very auspicious, people shop for gold, silver and some utensils. To celebrate the auspicious arrival of Goddess Lakshmi, the homes of people are illuminated by oil lamps, which are lit throughout the night. Lakshmi Puja is also an important part of the Dhanteras celebrations. The Lakshmi-Puja is performed at midnight.
The Sikh celebration of the return of the sixth Nanak from detention in the Gwalior Fort coincides with Hindu festival of Diwali.
This coincidence has resulted in similarity of celebration amongst Sikhs and Hindus. The Sikhs celebrate this day as Bandi Chhor Divas i.e., “the day of release of detainees”, because the sixth Nanak had agreed to his release on the condition that the other fifty-two detainees would also be released. These other fifty-two detainees were the vassal kings who had done something to annoy the emperor.
Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned the sixth Nanak because he was afraid of the Guru’s growing following and power. The Sikhs on this day, which generally falls in october-November, hold a one-day celebrations in the Gurdwaras. So in the evening, illuminations are done with Deewé (earthen oil lamps) or candles and fireworks. The celebrations are held both in the Gurdwaras and in homes.
The story of Diwali for the Sikhs is a story of the Sikh struggle for freedom. From the time of Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539), the founder of Sikhism, popular seasonal or folk festivals like the harvest festival of Vaisakhi, or ancient mythological festivals like Holi and Divali, or worship rituals like Aarti, began to take on a new significance for the Guru’s students, the Sikhs.
The Guru used these festivals and special days e.g. first day of each lunar month, as symbols or pegs for his teaching themes. And so the Sikhs were slowly diverted from darkness of superstitious ritualism based on fear and ignorance to an enlightened ideology based on reason and belief in One Creator. The enlightened ideology of Guru Nanak gave new significance to ancient festivals like Divali and Vaisakhi So what about Divali, the festival of lights when, according to Indian lore, Lord Rama returned home after destroying the demon god Ravana who had taken away Rama’s wife, Sita?
The story, of course, has no significance in the Sikh tradition. However, in the Sikh struggle for freedom from the oppressive Mughal regime, the festival of Divali did become the second most important day after the Vaisakhi festival in April. The Sixth Guru Hargobind, was freed from imprisonment in the famous fort of Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir in October, 1619.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be greeted on his maiden visit to the UK by a peppy new song by popular Bollywood playback singer Kanika Kapoor which will highlight the friendship between the two countries.
‘Hello Namaste’ has been described as a “festive upbeat Hinglish” number which highlights the UK-India friendship.
Keerti Mathur, the song’s music producer, said: “Easy to sing along, this retro feel song with a nostalgic ‘Ye Dosti’ (Sholay) start and an upbeat Bhangra end will be performed by Kanika Kapoor live at Wembley Stadium next week and is a perfect way to mark this iconic moment which will go down in history.”
The singer shot to fame by singing Baby Doll for Sunny Leone in Ragini MMS 2, last year.
“The song celebrates the unbeatable combination between the UK and India and a new relationship between the two counties. Marking the biggest community reception for any foreign elected leader on British soil, and themed ‘two great nations, one glorious future’,” organisers Europe India Forum (EIF) said in a statement.
The song was unveiled at a “Hi Chai!” event in central London yesterday, one of nearly 35 such promotional events being held over high tea up and down the UK in the lead up to Modi’s arrival.
WASHINGTON: The Washington, DC, chapter of the American India Foundation (www.aif.org – Twitter @AIFoundation) raised more than $200,000 for its Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative (MANSI), at its annual gala held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, on Friday, Nov 06.
MANSI has been primarily designed to reduce maternal and child mortality in rural, impoverished areas of India.
Founded in 2001 at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton, the community organisation engaged in catalysing social and economic change in India, raised the amount at its annual Washington DC gala Friday.
The gala featured Mamta Mahato, a 26-year old health worker from Jharkhand, India. She shared that skills training from AIF’s MANSI programme has enabled her to safely deliver over 90 healthy newborns in her village.
Indian Ambassador to the United States Arun K. Singh, prominent lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar and President of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden along with over 250 influential guests were at the power-packed gala.
The gala also saw Javed Akhtar being honored by Indian Ambassador to the US Arun Kumar Singh.
“The American India Foundation is steering relations between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s most powerful democracy,” he said thanking AIF for the great work it has done towards supporting important social causes in India.
Mr Singh addressed the current development challenges in India and the solutions being implemented across the country, including initiatives to revitalise the economy through entrepreneurship and start-ups.
He highlighted the crucial contribution of AIF’s initiatives in female literacy and empowerment to this national economic effort.
“The effort of the government has to be supplemented by what civil society and people like you are able to do,” he said.
Praising the involvement and contribution of the American Indian community in strengthening villages and small towns in India, Akhtar said, “What is wonderful about you is that you have not forgotten your connect to India.”
Teresa Carlson, Vice President of the Global Public Sector at Amazon. Teresa Carlson emphasized the entrepreneurial potential of India.
Venkatesh Raghavendra, AIF Senior Director thanked the young leaders of the greater Washington DC area for having taken ownership of the AIF’s cause.
The gala also recognized the leadership of Neera Tanden, President of The Centre for American Progress, Kumar Barve, member of the Maryland House of Delegates and Aziz Haniffa, managing editor at India Abroad.
Two Indian brothers charged with providing support to al-Qaeda had discussed ideas for an Islamist insurgency in India, documents filed by United States prosecutors show.
Hyderabad-born Yahya Farooq Mohammad and Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad were indicted by a grand jury on Friday, Nov 06, for allegedly providing and raising funds through credit card fraud for slain jihadist ideologue and commander Anwar al-Awlaki.
All four men have been indicted on one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support and resources to terrorists and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
While Ibrahim was arrested in Texas, where he lived, his brother Yahya lives in UAE. Sultane’s brother Asif also stays in the UAE.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ibrahim in Texas – where he lived — on Thursday, Nov 05, while Sultane was apprehended in Ohio.
In an e-mail sent by Farooq to Zubair on January 31, 2005, Yahya wrote: “The Muslims there (in India) are our brothers. The non-Muslims our enemies. We do dawah (proselytise) to them in the best manner. But if they refuse, and when we have the capability, we offer them to live as dhimmis (non-Muslims under the protection of Muslim law) or else face the sword.”
“We will never have a subservient attitude for them,” the e-mail says. “There is a time for dawah, and a time for jihad.”
The men also exchanged jihadist literature produced by al-Qaeda — among it, an interview with slain Pakistani Taliban commander Muhammad Illyas Kashmiri, hailing the 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
India’s intelligence officials, government sources said, were informed four weeks ago that Farooq might seek to flee to this country, ahead of the indictment. However, no details were provided on his passport details, origin or possible activities in India.
“FBI had these men under surveillance for a length of time”, a senior official said, “but told us nothing about it. The prospect that they might have funded jihadists in India is a matter of great concern”.
Attorney Kadri Cherrefe, who represents Sultane, said he has pleaded not guilty. It is not known who is representing the other three men in federal court.
“Salim has pleaded not guilty. The case has been filed against him and others. The onus is now on the federal prosecutors to produce documents and evidences to prove,” Cherrefe told PTI over phone.
Officials from either the FBI or the Department of Justice did not respond to calls and emails on the case.
However, given the past precedence, the Department of Justice would try to get back the other two mentioned in the indictment to the US to face the charges.
Yahya, an Indian citizen, studied engineering at Ohio State University from 2002 to 2004. He married a US citizen in 2008, but has been a resident of the United Arab Emirates since 2004, according to local daily The Toledo Blade in Ohio.
Ibrahim, also an Indian citizen, studied engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 2001 to 2005.
He moved to Toledo around 2006, married a US citizen, and became a permanent resident of the US around 2007, moving at some point to Texas, the daily reported.
Dealing a body blow to BJP led alliance NDA, and denting the image of PM Modi as election winner, the Mahagatbandhan of JDU-RJD-Congress scored an unimagined and unprecedented landslide victory with a clear two-thirds majority to give Nitish Kumar a third term in power. The Mahagatbandhan won 178 of the 243 seats while BJP led NDA was restricted to a paltry 58. CPI-M won 3 and Independents got 4.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday rose like the proverbial phoenix from his ashes as he helped script a resounding victory for the Grand Alliance in Bihar and revived the fortunes of his moribund party.
Ousted in 2005 after a 15-year stint in power, RJD was on the verge of being written off after the 2010 Assembly polls when it was restricted to a humiliating 22 seats in the 243-member Bihar House, Mr. Prasad pulled off an emphatic victory for the RJD, which was all set to emerge as the table topper.
RJD contributed nearly half the tally of the Grand Alliance, confirming that in addition to admiring development, Bihari voters vote their caste . The results give Congress, the third party in the partnership, cause for a celebration that has become all too rare: it is on track to 27 seats, almost 7seven times its 2010 tally of four.
Final Scorecard
Supporters of the Janata Dal (United) party celebrate after learning of the initial election results at their party office in Patna, India, November 8, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
Patna: JD(U) supporters celebrate the Mahagathbandhan’s victory in Bihar assembly elections in Patna on Sunday. PTI Photo
Celebrations at BJP Office Patna (in the morning)
JD(U) Workers & Supporters
Modi (File Photo)
A desolate look at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi as results of the Bihar elections became clear.
Nitish Kumar (L), a leader of Janata Dal (United) and Chief Minister of Bihar, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal, gesture after addressing a news conference in Patna, November 8, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
Movers & Shakers
BJP in Shock | Bihar stunner: Unmaking of Narendra Modi’s aura confirmed
The strong caste combination that came together in the form of Mahagathbandhan, intolerance debate, lack of local leadership may all have contributed to the slide in BJP’s fortunes in the do-or-die battle.
BJP top brass were left wondering what went wrong. Party president Amit Shah had camped in Patna, Modi had put the affairs of the nation on a backburner to address close to 30 rallies (with good turnout) but the party lost miserably.
As the Grand Alliance surged ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Mr. Kumar to congratulate him on the poll victory.
The focus of BJP’s campaign that started on development agenda shifted to issues of beef, the occult and reservation and were a part of Modi’s speeches at rallies.
It is too early to analyze the reasons for the failure of BJP in Bihar. But then there are some factors which are quite obvious and identifiable.
Lack of leadership
After BJP’s formulae to announce chief ministerial candidate failed miserably in Delhi Assembly elections, the party went behind the Prime Minister in the 243-member Assembly election. The lack of leadership on the ground and infighting over the seat distribution led to the BJP’s loss. BJP President Amit Shah alluded to bickerings among NDA constituents. Perhaps he knew the consequences. This is also explained by his refusal to comment on election outcome before results came out on November8.
From Sushil Kumar Modi to Nand Kishore Yadav to Prem Kumar, the Bihar BJP has leaders who have emerged from the grassroots and enjoy a solid political clout, but the party failed to use their strength.
Ignoring the popular Bihari leader Shatrughan Sinha also cost the party dearly.
The party, instead, called the brigade from Delhi to campaign in the state in the last one month and tell people about various policies of the government.
Negative campaigning
The BJP repeated the same mistake that it had committed in campaigning in Delhi when it indulged in negative campaigning and name calling. From his earlier rallies in the state, Modi called RJD ‘Rojana Jungle raj ka Darr’, JDU ‘Janata Ka Daman aur Utpidan’.
He later on made Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s meeting with occulist as his poll agenda and took potshots at him. On the other hand, Nitish stuck to his development politics and countered the claims of BJP good governance (sushasan) as sham by referring to incidents of violence against women and opponents of BJP in Gujarat, and poverty in the state which is home to many of the richest businessmen.
BJP President Amit Shah’s remark that if BJP loses in Bihar t firecrackers will be burst in Pakistan al;so did not go down well with the voters.
Price Rise
The price of basic commodities spiraled in the last few months and the BJP had to face the ire of the common man. The price of pulses rose manifold and opposition did not miss any chance to hit out at the Modi government.
The Modi government’s failure to fulfill Lok Sabha poll promises, particularly, the one of bringing in to country black money and giving Rs 15 lakh to every citizen backfired at the party with people raising questions about the credibility of the government.
Retail toor dal prices shot up to Rs 200 per kg despite the government’s steps to boost supply and check prices. Urad too retailed high at Rs 170 per kg.
Beef campaign
The bizarre and outlandish statements by BJP over beef did not go down well with the voters. After a 50-year-old Muslim man was killed over alleged rumors of consuming beef in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri, it became a poll issue. Just a day before the fifth phase of polls, the BJP even came out with an advertisement on statements made on beef and cow.
Even after the BJP cracked the whip on its party men, they continued to stir controversy and gave a tough competition to each other by making such statements.
DNA barb
After Modi made the infamous DNA remark, Nitish started ‘Shabd Wapsi’ (take back your words) campaign. On July 25, while addressing the first election rally, Modi had said, “There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy you respect even your political rivals.”
In return, Nitish wrote an open letter to Modi saying it was deemed as “an insult by a large section of the people of the state and beyond” and asked him to withdraw it.
Around 50 lakh DNA samples (nails and hair) of people from Bihar were collected and dispatched to PM Modi.
Rebel trouble
With so many aspirants for the BJP ticket, trouble mounted for the party and d it led to infighting. Situation turned for worse and Amit Shah had to step in and even threatened the squabbling leaders.
No CM candidate
Failure of BJP to name a candidate for Chief Minister’s position cost the party dearly.
With Modi aggressively campaigning in the state, the election seemed to be a contest between a chief minister and a prime minister and the BJP paid a heavy price for it.
Alliance trouble
The BJP contested elections in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party but the allies were reportedly unhappy with the seat sharing. Even though the BJP gave in more seats to allies, the latter remained dissatisfied. The allies were also unhappy over the candidate selection and made their displeasure public. LJP MP Chirag Paswan was vocal in his views that ticket should not be given to certain candidates.
Reservation
The statement by Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation came at a wrong time and did play a major role in marring the prospects of the BJP-led NDA.
And PM Modi’s initial silence on the issue provided ammunition to Nitish-led Mahagathbandhan. The Bihar Chief Minister upped the ante claiming that Modi’s silence on the issue during his rallies suggested that the Union government was in sync with the RSS chief on the issue, evoking a fear of an end of reservation. And Nitish and Lau did not fail to take advantage of the situation.
Though the Prime Minister later made attempt to reach out to voters on the issue and claimed that it was not NDA, but the JDU that wanted to end a chunk of reservation to benefit the “other community”, it failed to convince the voters, who reposed faith in Nitish Kumar.
Sidelining of senior leaders
The BJP sidelined its senior leaders and did not let ‘Bihari Babu’ Shatrughan Sinha, veterans LK Advani and MM Joshi campaign in the polls. Sinha showed his displeasure on Twitter and appealed to voters to vote for the right person.
“Not a question of Bihari vs Bahari..but of how your own Bihari (Babu) has been treated by own people for no fault…,” Sinha had tweeted.
In a huge setback to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), an opposition grand alliance ( Mahagathbandhan) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar has dealt a shocker to NDA by securing a landslide two-thirds majority in the legislative assembly of Bihar.
• The Bihar election results saw Grand Alliance decimate the BJP-led NDA in a bitterly-contested assembly polls.
• The BJP-led NDA, for which Modi mounted an aggressive campaign addressing more than 30 rallies, bagged 58 seats.
• For Modi, the Bihar results are seen as a personal setback.
The alliance, comprising of Nitish Kumar’s Janta Dal (United), JDU, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Congress, has won 178 seats while BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been reduced to 58 as per Election Commission website. Nitish Kumar thanked everyone in his tweet after trends showed clear majority to the Grand alliance.
I thank the people of Bihar for their overwhelming support & blessings for the Mahagathbandhan. — Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) November 5, 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had put up an aggressive campaign addressing over 30 rallies, called up Kumar to congratulate him on the poll victory.
“Had a telephone conversation with Shri @nitishkumar & congratulated him on the victory,” Modi tweeted.
Immediately thereafter, Kumar tweeted, “Just received a phone call from the Prime Minister congratulating me…thank you Modiji.”
BJP chief Amit Shah also congratulated Kumar and Lalu on the massive victory.
“Our good wishes to the new government to take Bihar on the path of development,” he said.
“We respect the mandate of the people of Bihar… I congratulate Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav on their victory in Bihar Assembly elections,” the BJP chief tweeted.
Initially, many television channels had projected the NDA to be in the lead. In the last assembly polls in 2010, the JDU had won 115 seats while BJP won in 91 when both parties had an alliance.
Election Commission has released the final tally of Bihar Assembly elections results. Here’s the status of 243 constituencies:
RJD: 80
JD(U): 71
BJP: 53
Congress: 27
Independent: 4
CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation): 3
LJP: 2
RLSP: 2
HAM(S): 1
November 8, 2015: ‘The People of Bihar have spoken loudly and clearly that they thoroughly reject the politics of growing intolerance and polarization by BJP, that has been promoted ever since their ascendance to power. It is a vote for democracy, pluralism and development, and hearty congratulations are in order for this historic win for the forces that advocate freedom and justice for all its citizens’ said George Abraham, Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA.
‘BJP has conveniently overlooked the fact that they gained power at center with only 31% of the vote share and that too was based on their campaign promise of development. However, the last 16 months of their governance has proved that their real objective is to transform the nation away from India’s constitutional principles to follow a Hindutva agenda of regressive policies and illiberal diktats’, the statement added.
‘Bihar has shown that how democratic and secular forces can work together to defeat these forces of yesteryear and build a country based on the rule of law and equal opportunities for all its citizens. It appears that the Congress party being part of the grand alliance is poised to shoulder its responsibility to take the same message across the nation to defeat these forces of bigotry and obscurantism’ the statement concluded.
Nov 07: Bollywood actor Anupam Kher today led a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to counter the protests by writers, artistes and others against “rising intolerance”,voicing concern over the “wrong projection” of India by those returning their awards.
The protest was a counter protest against a host of writers, scientists, historians and filmmakers who have raised their voices against what they call “rising intolerance” under the BJP-led government, and have returned various government awards and honours.
Kher, director Madhur Bhandarkar and painter Vasudev Kamath were among 11 members who handed over a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee.
The memorandum is signed by 90personalities, including Kamal Haasan, Shekhar Kapur, Vidya Balan, Raveena Tandon and Vivek Oberoi besides, authors, former judges and musicians.
“Any brutal killing is condemnable. We strongly condemn it and expect swift justice. But if it is used by some people to attempt to defame India at the international platform, then we should be worried,” Kher said while reading out their letterto the President.
The actor said the protests, which began with writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, shows that rather thanaddressing their concerns through their respective fields, these people are using media to “hurt the spirit of India”.
Taking a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Kher said, “The leader that opposition party is trying to project does not inspire me. He reads out from prepared statements. Our former PM also used to do the same. The passion with which PM Modi talks about India at international platforms, no other PM has ever done that. No other PM has also visited Kashmir so many times. So, why shouldn’t I respect him?”
Kher said no one has the right to call India intolerantand there is no country in the world, which is more tolerantthan India.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a new plan to strip state grant funding from county sheriff’s with a Sanctuary City policy of not honoring ICE detainers.
The move follows Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez’s order that criminal illegal aliens in her jail will be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine if ICE detainers will be enforced.
Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withhold state grant money to Dallas County if the Democratic sheriff there does not detain undocumented immigrants as requested by federal authorities.
Analysts said the warning that extended to sheriffs across the state was mostly aimed at placating Republicans, many of whom want a special legislative session to crack down on cities they see as offering sanctuary to immigrants.
“He’s throwing them a bone but not doing much,” said Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson.
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has said her office is abiding by federal guidelines.
In October, Abbott warned Valdez that he will crack down on local officials who do not report undocumented immigrants to federal authorities.
So far this year, Abbott’s office said it has issued over $4 million in funding to sheriffs, with $78,000 in grants to Dallas County.
The governor’s Criminal Justice Division provide counties with funding for drug courts, juvenile justice programs, body cameras and a crime victim compensation program.
“As governor, I simply will not allow CJD grant funding administered by this office to support law enforcement agencies that refuse to cooperate with a federal law enforcement program that is intended to keep dangerous criminals off Texas streets,” Abbott wrote.
Valdez has eased policies on holding immigrants charged with minor offenses for an additional 48 hours past their scheduled release to give U.S. immigration agents additional time to investigate their status, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Sheriff’s officials were not immediately available for comment.
The sheriff’s office said its new policy was similar to guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The sheriff’s office said it accepted nearly 1,500 requests for detention from Immigration and Customs Enforcement so far this year and has rejected none, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The funding that could be lost would likely be less than what a county would spend on holding immigrants charged with minor offenses for at least two days past their scheduled release, according to Jillson.
Republicans have been taking aim at immigration policies in the state’s largest metropolitan areas including Dallas and Houston, which have turned into Democratic bases and been notable exceptions to Republican control of the state.
Some Republicans believe Dallas and Houston are among the so-called sanctuary cities that do not report undocumented immigrants to federal authorities.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday, November 3, at two campaign stops in Iowa that she would like to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour from the current $7.25.
Clinton has said repeatedly she wants to raise wages for working Americans, including by raising the minimum hourly wage, but she has rarely named a specific figure.
“I want to raise the federal minimum wage to $12, and encourage other communities to go even higher,” Clinton told a campaign event in Coralville, Iowa.
“I think we can manage it, and I don’t think there should be any unintended consequences to job creation,” Clinton said at another campaign stop at Grinnell College.
Many U.S. cities and municipalities have established a higher minimum wage than the federal rate. Bernie Sanders, who is Clinton’s chief challenger for the Democratic Party nomination for the 2016 presidential election, has said the federal minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour.
“I’m more comfortable saying let’s get to $12,” Clinton said at Grinnell, “in a reasonable, expeditious way.”
NEW YORK (TIP): Mars has acid fog which eats away rocks and is caused by volcanic eruptions on the red planet, a new study suggests.
A planetary scientist has found how acidic vapours may have eaten at the rocks in a 100-acre area on Husband Hill in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater on Mars. Shoshanna Cole’s research focused on the `Watchtower Class’ outcrops on Cumberland Ridge and the Husband Hill summit. “The special thing about Watchtower Class is that it’s very widespread which means that the rocks record environments that existed on Mars billions of years ago,” she said.
By combining data from previous studies of the area on Mars, Cole saw some intriguing patterns emerge. Spirit examined Watchtower Class rocks and the chemical composition of these rocks, as determined by Spirit’s Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer, is the same, but the rocks looked different to all of the other instruments.
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Spectre amassed $73 million in the US in its first weekend at the box office, only behind James Bond’s previous offering of Skyfall which opened at $90 million (including Thursday preview) in 2012. Spectre is the 24th James Bond film.
The Origin of Diwali 
Lights & Firecrackers 
This coincidence has resulted in similarity of celebration amongst Sikhs and Hindus. The Sikhs celebrate this day as Bandi Chhor Divas i.e., “the day of release of detainees”, because the sixth Nanak had agreed to his release on the condition that the other fifty-two detainees would also be released. These other fifty-two detainees were the vassal kings who had done something to annoy the emperor.
