The Indian Panorama

Year: 2015

  • Why is Nassau County Executive silent on his Ties with Harendra Singh ?

    Why is Nassau County Executive silent on his Ties with Harendra Singh ?

    Mr. Edward P. Mangano is a nice and  pleasant person. He has a disarming  smile  and a certain amount of warmth even when he meets with strangers which win people instantly. There is no question of anybody not liking him. But that is the exterior of the person. What is Mr. Mangano within?  Well, within, Mr. Mangano seems to be very hard; difficult to penetrate.

    For the last couple of months he has been feeling the heat of major investigations  involving  a politician  who is alleged to have been guilty of corruption. In the case of Dean Skelos, Mr. Mangano’s name came up some time ago. And, now recently, it is  not a politician but a friend because of whom Mr. Mangano is under a cloud. His silence on his ties with Harendra Singh is intriguing.

    There are reports that he may not answer any questions relating to his ties with Harendra Singh. Well, that will do him no good. He must come clean. If he has done nothing  which could hold him legally or morally responsible, he has no fear. But speak he must. His silence will only add to the worst speculation. He is a nice man. Let him know he should not be known in any other manner.

  • Volume 9 Issue 43 | New York Desktop Edition | Oct 30|Newspaper E-Edition

    Volume 9 Issue 43 | New York Desktop Edition | Oct 30|Newspaper E-Edition

    A New Way to Read This Week’s Print Edition

    The Latest from The Indian Panorama | New York Desk

    Reimagined for the Web
    Volume 9 Issue 43 | Desktop Edition | Oct 30

    Resolution – Low | High

    Volume 9 Issue 43 | New York Desktop Edition | Oct 30|Newspaper E-Edition

  • International Film Festival of Manhattan

    International Film Festival of Manhattan

    New York Emmy nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik was honored with the special Outstanding Achievement in the Multicultural Arts in Acting, Filmmaking, and Immigrant Advocacy at the International Film Festival Manhattan in New York held on October 22, 2015. IFFM shows films, which deal with social issues. The festival has the most diverse selection of world class films and a focus on social issues and advocacy as part of the programming and goals. Malik has made many films starting from Lonely In America, Khushiyaan, On Golden Years and many more. They all deal with the effects of migration in America. Malik has given chances to many new talents in front or behind the camera as well. Tirlok Malik said, “I am happy to be a part of this festival and I feel honored for this awards.”

    Tirlok Malik with awards for the best feature film and for his contribution to Cinema
    Tirlok Malik with awards for the best feature film and for his contribution to Cinema

    There was another award given to Tirlok Malik at the festival by winning the ‘best film award for On Golden Years.’ Luis Pedron, co-founder of the festival, said, “The film On Golden Years deals with social issues of retirement that millions of first generation immigrants face in their lives.” Films from many countries such as Israel, Australia, Philippines, Sweden, Singapore, USA, etc. were shown at IFFM. Tirlok Malik accepted the award on the behalf of the whole team of On Golden Years. Malik said, “It was a team work to make this film.”

    The film On Golden Years is written and directed by New York Emmy nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik. The film is produced by Golden Movies. The idea of the story is inspired from the book Seeking Roots by Iggy. Iggy Ignatius is also the codirector of the film. The film stars Ranjit Chowdhry, 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 Igantius, Kamlesh Gupta and many more. The film has been shot at the 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.

    Some actors in the film "On Golden Years" at the special screening of the film at the Festival on October 25. Seen from L to R: Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Reeves Lehmann, Indu Gajwani, Luis Pedron, Co-founder& Festival Director of IFFM, Tirlok Malik, Jyoti Singh, Ranjit Chowdhry, Lovllien Kaurr, Sunita Babber
    Some actors in the film “On Golden Years” at the special screening of the film at the Festival on October 25. Seen from L to R: Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Reeves Lehmann, Indu Gajwani, Luis Pedron, Co-founder& Festival Director of IFFM, Tirlok Malik, Jyoti Singh, Ranjit Chowdhry, Lovllien Kaurr, Sunita Babber

     

    Tirlok Malik has recently launched the website which is the first ever streaming of Indian American movies www.nritvfilmclub.com. The purpose of the website is also promoting the new talents. One can go on the website and become a member. Malik’s dream is to create NRI-wood just like Hollywood and Bollywood. He invites everyone to join his vision.
    www.nritvfilmclub.com.

  • Enforcement Directorate summons Shah Rukh Khan over forex violations in IPL

    Enforcement Directorate summons Shah Rukh Khan over forex violations in IPL

    In a recent development, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has landed himself in trouble for the 3rd time as Enforcement Directorate summoned him over forex violation after it was found that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team shares were undervalued.

    SRK has been served summons by Enforcement Directorate in connection with allegedly irregular sale of shares of Knight Riders Sports Pvt Ltd (KRSPL) to a Mauritius-based company of actor Juhi Chawla’s husband Jay Mehta.

    The case pertains to 2008-09 regarding the share sale of KRSPL owned by Khan’s Red Chillies along with Chawla and her husband.

    “This is the third time that summons have been sent to Khan and we are expecting him anytime soon as his presence is needed for some information that is in his exclusive knowledge,” said ED sources.

    Khan had faced ED once in 2011 when he was questioned about alleged foreign exchange violation of around Rs 100 crore.

    The agency has already recorded the statements of Chawla and Mehta.

    At the time of incorporation in 2008, Red Chillies had 9900 shares of KRSPL. The valuation report, made by ED’s external agency last year, said that when the equity shares of KRSPL were issued to Sea Island Investments, the fair value per equity share of KRSPL should be between Rs 70-86. However, the shares were issued at a value Rs 10 each.

    According to Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the price of shares issued to persons residing outside India should not be lower than the price worked out under the guidelines set by stock market regulator SEBI, in case of a listed company or on the basis of fair valuation of shares by a chartered accountant as per guidelines of the erstwhile Controller of Capital Issues (CCI).

    When contacted, a spokesman of the actor said “no comments.”

  • Two Indians arrested in New Jersey for conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens

    Two Indians arrested in New Jersey for conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens

    Two Indian-Orgin men, Nileshkumar Patel, 41, and Harsad Mehta, 65, were arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for conspiring to smuggle people from Thailand to New Jersey, prosecutors said Oct. 22.

    Both were arrested Oct. 21 at Newark Liberty International Airport and were set for an initial appearance before a judge on smuggling and conspiracy charges. Messages left seeking comment from attorneys for the men weren’t immediately returned.

    Patel and Mehta met with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok starting in April 2014 and paid the agent $35,000 to $50,000 to have six Indians smuggled into New Jersey even though they didn’t have legal clearance to come to America, Special Agent Douglas Doherty said in a criminal complaint.

    Patel was involved in all six cases, and Mehta in four, prosecutors said.

    The sting operation began in June 2013 when an HSI investigation revealed a smuggling operation that was “attempting to find methods to illegally smuggle aliens from India to the United States,” Doherty said. The investigation found that the organization recruited Indians and others to pay them to get them to the United States.

    Patel began contacting the undercover agent, whom he believed was a smuggler, telling him he wanted to “discuss sending ‘packages’ to the United States,” Doherty said. Patel later told the agent that he had been smuggling people into the United States since 1998, Doherty said.

    The undercover agent met on various occasions with the men in Bangkok from April 2014 to January 2015, Doherty said. There, prosecutors said, they agreed to pay a $10,000 down payment for each individual with the rest promised to be paid when the people arrived in the U.S.

  • Finally, Facebook to free users from Candy Crush game invites

    Finally, Facebook to free users from Candy Crush game invites

    The days of receiving continuous annoying Candy Crush invites may become a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He has promised Facebook users freedom from the annoying Candy Crush game invites.

    Speaking at a Townhall Q&A session at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed: “We are working on a solution to stop receiving Candy Crush requests.”

    “This is where these Q&As are really useful because I actually saw this question because it was the top voted question on the thread,” Zuckerberg said.

    “So I sent a message to the person who runs the team in charge of our developer platform and I said by the time I do this Town Hall Q&A, I think it would be good if we had a solution to this problem.”

    “We hadn’t prioritised shutting that down because we just had other priorities,” he said. “But if this is the top thing that people care about then we’ll prioritise that and we’ll do it. So we’re doing it.”

    Facebook has not yet announced how and when the changes will be made.

    As of now, users can turn off the notifications by going to their notification box and clicking ‘x’ next to the Candy Crush icon when they get a request. However, this only disables the notifications and their friends can still send the invites to play the game.

    This isn’t the only change that has been announced by Facebook lately. Last month, Facebook had come up with ‘reaction emoji’ in place of much demanded ‘Dislike Button.’ The emoji are still being tested in some markets and expected to roll out globally soon.

     

     

  • Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das to debut his show ‘Unbelievablish’ in the US

    Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das to debut his show ‘Unbelievablish’ in the US

    Indian stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das will debut his new show, ‘Unbelievablish’ in the United States, at the popular venue Carolines on Broadway, in New York City, Thursday, November 19, through Sunday, November 22.

    The show has been a roaring success in over 17 cities in India and has toured in Dubai and Singapore.   With over 35,000 tickets sold, it is the largest domestic comedy show tour ever by an Indian comedian.

    Vir’s debut of “Unbelievablish” at Carolines on Broadway will be his first United States tour.

    Vir Das’ performance schedule at Carolines on Broadway is:

    • Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 PM
    • Friday, November 20 at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM
    • Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM
    • Sunday, November 22 at 7:30 PM

    Vir Das started his on-screen career in Indian cinema with the hit film “Badmash Company.” Since then, he has been in nearly 10 films, including blockbusters such as “Delhi Belly” and “Revolver Rani.” His comedy career began with his own stand-up comedy late night show, “Ek Rahin Vir,” where he was noticed and was immediately put on the comedic map in India.

  • Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Militant Commander Gunned Down in Kashmir

    Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Militant Commander Gunned Down in Kashmir

    Srinagar: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abu Qasim, the mastermind of the Udhampur attack on a BSF bus on August 5 and a most wanted militant commander, has been killed in a gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday, Oct 29.

    “Abu Qasim, the operational commander of the LeT, was killed during the night in an ambush by the security forces in Khandaypora village of Kulgam district,” a police officer told IANS here.

    A police official said that the killing of Abu Qasim was a major success for the security forces in their ongoing operations against insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Security forces laid an ambush following specific information about the movements of the LeT commander.

    “Abu Qasim, whose real name is Abdul Rehman and was a resident of Bahawalpur district of Pakistani Punjab province and was one of the most wanted militants active in Kashmir for the last five years.

    “He was neutralized (killed) by security forces at around 2 a.m. today in Kulgam district and his death is a major blow to separatist insurgency in the state”, said Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gilani, inspector general of police Kashmir zone at a press conference here.

    A resident of Pakistan, Abu Qasim was the mastermind of the Udhampur attack in which two BSF personnel were killed and 11 others injured, he said.

    One terrorist was killed on the spot while another, Naveed was apprehended by villagers and handed over to police after he escaped from the site where the two LeT terrorists had carried out the attack.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the case. Naveed and two local accomplices are all currently in a jail in Jammu.

    Giving details of the operation, Gilani said on a specific tip-off a joint team of state police and army’s counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles launched a cordon and search operation in Khandaypora village of Kulgam district in South Kashmir on Wednesday evening.

    “We had inputs that Abu Qasim may be hiding in Khandaypora village. He tried to break the cordon and was killed in a brief gunfight which lasted for few minutes only.

    “His other accomplice managed to get back due to darkness, but cordon is intact and we are hopeful that we will get him,” the senior police officer said.

    He said Qasim was either directly involved or brain behind the actions carried out by LeT in the last three years in Kashmir division.

    “He was also in a working relationship with other militant organization particularly Hizbul Mujahideen and his death is not only a blow to LeT, but to all such groups in the state”, he added.

    “He (Qasim) was involved in killing of a top counter-insurgency cop, Muhammad Altaf Dar earlier this month and also in August 5 Border Security Force convoy attack at Udhampur.

    “He was also the brain behind the 2013 ambush attack on army convoy at Hyderpora Srinagar in which eight troopers lost their life,” he added.

    Gilani said after the death of Qasim the operational capacity of LeT has been dented to a “large extent” and congratulated security force personal who took part in the gunfight.

    “This is a major success, but we can’t lower our guard till all terrorists are eliminated”.

     

  • A Hotel where people check-in to die

    A Hotel where people check-in to die

    For centuries thousands of elderly Hindus have come to the Indian holy city of Varanasi, also known as Kashi, to break the cycle of death and rebirth and attain “moksha”.

    Sitting on the banks of the Ganges, Mukti Bhavan is a guest house that provides shelter and other necessities to the people who want want to spend their last days in the sacred city.

    What does every Hindu want after death?

    No, it is not heaven but moksha.

    Moksha is the Hindu concept of liberation from the trials and tribulations of life. It is when you give up all materialistic pleasures and become one with your self or the Atman. Though moksha or true liberation can be attained even while living, it is belived that attaining moksha on your death-bed frees you from the cycle of life-and-death and your soul is free ever-after.

    Many Hindus go to different extremes for their Moksha. A dip in the Ganges to wash off your sins is the most popular concept but holy cities in India like Varanasi are filled with devouts asking priests to liberate them. And this one house or hostel: aptly named Mukti Bhavan – gives people just that. Liberation from their life and a promise of Moksha.

    Though it sounds absurd, Mukti Bhavan sees thousands of visitors every year. While there are more visitors in winters when more people die, the number of visitors decreases in summers. The quaint little house is popular for helping the ravaged and lost should attain their final liberation. The priests at the residence help perform rituals and rites that help the dying depart from the Earth in peace.

    But before you kisconstrue things- wait. The house is not a place where people go to commit suicide. Or it is not even a place of mercy killing. Only people right on their death-bed are allowed. They could be ailing due to a disease or they “feel they will die”, they can stay at the house. Hale and hearty people are not allowed to stay at Mukti Bhavan. People who are on their death-bed can check-in to Mukti Bhavan and stay there for 2 weeks. However, if the person does not die within 2 weeks, he/she has to leave Mukti Bhavan and give his/her room to someone else.

    Mukti Bhavan has 12 rooms with a small temple and priest and all facilities for the guests. There are a lot of old people who visit the hostel and stay here. The hostel manager Bhairav Nath Shukla has been in-charge and praying for the salvation of these dying souls for the past 44 years. He lives with his family in the same compound and his family members are used to people dying in their hostel.

    While it is mostly those who have no frieds or family who come here to die, Mukti Bhavan has seen it’s share of deaths. The concept is very similar to the olden days Kashi concept where Hindus, after living the Grihastashrama and Vanaprasha would go to Kashi. When people said they are going to Kashi, it was assumed they would not return as they would spend the remainder of their lives there and die there in hopes of moksha.

    After death, the residents are cremated on the gates or steps alongside the Ganges river, the most well-known being the Manikarnika Ghat.

    Here is a video which highlights the lives of those waiting to attain salvation at Mukti Bhavan.

  • Sureshbhai Patel Said ‘No English’ 5 Times to US Cops before being Assaulted

    Sureshbhai Patel Said ‘No English’ 5 Times to US Cops before being Assaulted

    An Indian grandfather, Sureshbhai Patel, who was visiting his son in Alabama to meet his newly born grandson, was slammed to ground and left paralysed in 101 seconds after encountering the police early this year, a US court has been told.

    The retrial of police officer Eric Parker, accused of violently assaulting the 58-year-old began this week in a federal court in Alabama. The first trial ended early last month with a hung jury, as the jury split 10-2 in favour of acquittal.

    Parker is charged with violating the civil rights of Patel following an encounter in a Madison neighbourhood off County Line Road on February 6.

    The Indian grandfather slammed to the ground by an Alabama police officer last February told him “no English” five times and said “India” three times, according to US prosecutors.

    He also pointed to his son’s home and kept trying to walk officers toward the home, Assistant US Attorney Robert Posey told a Madison jury on Tuesday.

    Two fellow officers involved in the incident testified during a retrial that Sureshbhai Patel did not pose any threat. Sureshbhai Patel presented no threat to police, Madison Police Officer Charles Spence told a Huntsville court Wednesday. “To me, he appeared to be in his 70s.”

    “There was no criminal conduct to document” by Mr Patel and that no reasonable suspicion existed to lay hands on Mr Patel, testified Lt. Clint Harrell, according to local Al.com. “Even if they are accused of something, you still treat them right.”

    Backdrop: The assault of Sureshbhai Patel occurred on February 6, 2015. Patel, a 57-year-old Indian national who was visiting his son in Madison, Alabama, U.S., was seriously injured after being detained by three police officers in a residential neighborhood. Patel had police called on him by a neighborhood resident for alleged suspicious behavior in the neighborhood and did not know how to speak English. There is video footage of the officer slamming Patel to the ground. He had to be hospitalized and is partially paralyzed as a result of the injuries. The incident lead to many accusations by citizens of police brutality and prompted a response from the Indian government. The incident was recorded on film by two police car dashboard cameras.

    Former police officer Eric Parker, who is accused of injuring Patel, was fired from the Madison Police Department and charged with third-degree assault. In March 2015, Parker was charged by the FBI with felony civil rights abuse.

     

  • Women like burqas as they don’t need to wear makeup: Donald Trump

    Women like burqas as they don’t need to wear makeup: Donald Trump

    NEW YORK: In yet another controversial jibe, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said women in the Islamic world like wearing burqas because it is easier as they do not have to wear makeup.

    During a New Hampshire rally, Trump briefly spoke about his belief that the United States imposes its own version of Western democracy upon cultures that do not necessarily want it.

    Citing failed interventions in Libya and Iraq, Trump suggested it has been futile to try to export “freedom” to Muslim countries.

    “I saw somebody say ‘We want it over there where the women don’t have to wear the you-know-what,’” Trump told the crowd, wiping his hand in front of his face to mimic the look of a burqa.

    “And then I saw women interviewed. They said, ‘We want to wear them, we’ve worn them for thousands of years. Why would anyone tell us not to?’ They want to!” he was quoted as saying by CNN.

    “Fact is, it’s easier. You don’t have to put on makeup. Look how beautiful everyone looks. Wouldn’t it be easier? Right? Wouldn’t that be easy?” the real-estate mogul joked.

    “I tell ya, if I was a woman, I don’t want to. I’d be like, bwah (gesturing the burqa), ‘I’m ready, darling, let’s go.’ It’s true!” he said.

    Trump has a history of making controversial remarks about immigrants and other groups.
    Earlier on in his campaign, Trump had made controversial statements about Mexican immigrants and did not dispute a man’s assertion that US President Barack Obama was a Muslim.
    Last week Trump said the world would be a better place if dictators such as Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi were still in power.

     

  • Edhi Foundation refuses Modi’s Rs-10 mln donation

    Edhi Foundation refuses Modi’s Rs-10 mln donation

    Pakistan’s noted humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi of Edhi Foundation has refused to accept Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s donation of Rs 1 crore to his charity for returning 15-year old deaf and mute girl Geeta to the country.

    Faisal Edhi said that it is against Edhi Foundation’s policy to accept donations from governments. He also said that he will present the organization’s stand in front of the media soon.

    Earlier, Indian PM Modi had thanked Edhi Foundation for their efforts in returning Geeta to the country and had announced contribution of Rs. 1 crore to their foundation.

    “I don’t think any amount of words are enough to thank the Edhi family for taking care of Geeta. They are apostles of kindness and compassion,” Modi tweeted on Monday.

    “What the Edhi family has done is too priceless to be measured but I am happy to announce a contribution of Rs 10 million for their foundation,” said another tweet from PM Modi.

    The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare NGO in Pakistan, founded by Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951. He is popularly known as Pakistan’s “Father Teresa”.

    Former Indian Minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had likened Bilqees Edhi to the real-life “Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

    “Abdul Sattar Edhi has thanked PM Modi and politely declined to accept his announced financial help,” Edhi Foundation spokesman Anwar Kazmi was quoted as saying by ‘Dawn’ news.

  • Reel Vs Real 127 Hours – Man survives on ants for six days in Australia

    Reel Vs Real 127 Hours – Man survives on ants for six days in Australia

    PERTH, AUSTRALIA: A man missing for six days in a remote Australian desert in searing heat without water was found Tuesday after surviving by eating black ants, police said.

    Reg Foggerdy, 62, disappeared on October 7 heading to the Shooter’s Shack camp near Laverton in the West Australian Goldfields, some 950 kilometres (600 miles) northeast of Perth, on a hunting trip.

    When he failed to return, family members raised the alarm and a search by police trackers finally found him 15 kilometres from where he went missing.

    Goldfields Police superintendent Andy Greatwood said Foggerdy had been sitting under the same tree for the last two days, with no water during his ordeal.

    “He was eating black ants, that’s how he survived. So, fantastic survival skills by him, and fantastic skills by our trackers who found him in an extremely remote location,” he told the West Australian newspaper.

    “He was extremely dehydrated, a bit delusional, but we’ve administered first aid and rehydrated him and it’s pleasing to say he is now sitting up and talking.

    “It was extremely hot, extremely remote, and most people probably wouldn’t have survived.”

    His relieved wife Arlyn said she cried when she heard the news, delighted he managed to stay alive.

    “How you can survive without water and food is a miracle,” she told ABC radio.

    Foggerdy’s sister Christine Ogden said her brother was an experienced bushman and said she would make sure he was better equipped in the future.

    “I’m going to get him to get a satellite phone,” she told the radio station.

  • NSA warns Pakistan against Covert Ops

    NSA warns Pakistan against Covert Ops

    NEW DELHI: After Pakistan’s former president General Pervez Musharraf made scathing comments on religious militancy otherwise known as ‘jihadi terrorism’. NSA Ajit Doval on Tuesday, October 27, warned Pakistan not to engage in covert action saying it was a very short-sighted strategy of the neighbouring country.

    He said Pakistan has never realised that it can be “profitable” and “most effective” for its economic growth and stability if it engages with India and rest of the South Asian countries.

    “Till that happens, what can India do. I think one is that we should continue to work hard to persuade Pakistan, to convince Pakistan, through our sincerity, whatever we can do and whatever we think is the language in which the Pakistan can understand it well. We should be able to convey and convince it,” he said.

    Delivering the first ‘Nagendra Singh memorial lecture’ on ‘Ensuring peace in South Asia: Role of India’ organised by the International Goodwill Society of India, he said most of South Asian countries’ security threats are internal.

    “There is only one threat which has got its footprint in almost all of the nations. Problem about this is that its origin, its nursery, is also the member of South Asian region. Islamic terrorism or jihadi terrorism, rather I should use the word, is one of the common threats.

    “Bangladesh is affected by it, Afghanistan is affected, India is affected, Pakistan is affected by it. Sri Lanka is affected,” the NSA said.

    This is one common threat on which there could have been much of cooperation but probably two of the countries Afghanistan and Pakistan have become epicentre of that, he said.

    “Since Pakistan is part of the problem it could not become part of the solution,” Doval said maintaining that “it is only Pakistan with which there have been problems”.

    He said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, one of the cornerstones of the government’s policy was that “we have got to take all South Asian countries together”.

    “And that was the idea when all the heads of the governments were invited for his swearing-in ceremony. It did start well it did give us lot of dividend. Things with Pakistan have not developed as much but we are sure that some day we will able to do so,” Doval said.

    He said another important requirement will be when Pakistan shifts from its strategic position where it feels that covert action can be an effective low cost option of its security strategy because supporting terrorism or a covert action is a very low cost exercise.

     

  • BJP says Arun Shore is no longer party member

    BJP says Arun Shore is no longer party member

    Arun Shourie, who had launched a stinging attack on the Modi government on Monday, Oct 26, is no longer a member of the BJP, the party said as it sought to dismiss the criticism of its one-time influential leader who was also a minister in the previous NDA government.

    BJP general secretary Arun Singh said Shourie’s membership ceased after he did not renew it during the recent membership drive.

    All members have to renew their membership after every six years and Shourie did not do so this time round, he said.

    “Arun Shourie is no more a BJP member. He did not renew his membership,” he said.

    At a news conference in the party headquarters, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu rejected Shourie’s attack on the government, saying “his views are shared neither by the party nor by the public.”

    “I do not agree with this. This is not the opinion of party nor public,” he said in a brief response.

    Shourie, a strong supporter of Modi during the Lok Sabha election campaign last year, had said the Centre believes that managing economy means “managing the headlines” and that people had started recalling the days of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

    “The way to characterize policies of the government is — Congress scaled plus a cow,” he had said.

    Rejecting the charge, Naidu said there has been “no scam, no scandal and not even one mistake” under the government and BJP had been winning elections across the country.

    “We are a democracy, he (Shourie) has his opinion, but the country’s opinion is different,” Naidu said, adding the people were supporting the Prime Minister in all parts of the country.

  • Heaven or hospital: girl, 5, makes end-of-life decision

    Heaven or hospital: girl, 5, makes end-of-life decision

    Juliana Snow, 5, has chosen to end her life and has her the consent of her parents. The parents of a young Oregon girl faced with a terminal disease allowed their daughter to make a very grown-up decision about her future.

    Five-year-old Julianna Snow has spent much of her short life suffering from an illness called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, an incurable neurodegenerative illness. Spinal muscular atrophy kills most patients before age two.

    Julianna could live a little bit longer, but it would mean more painful treatments. Her coughing and breathing muscles are so weak that any germ that comes her way, even the common cold virus, could kill her.

    So her parents asked her if she wants to go to the hospital for more treatments the next time she gets sick, or stay at home, even though it means “going to heaven without mommy and daddy.”

    Below is an excerpt from the end-of-life discussion between Moon and Julianna Snow
    Michelle: Julianna, if you get sick again, do you want to go to the hospital again or stay home?

    Julianna: Not the hospital

    Michelle: Even if that means that you will go to heaven if you stay home?

    Julianna: Yes… I hate NT (naso-tracheal suction, where a tube was placed down her nose into her lungs without sedation). I hate the hospital.

    Michelle: Right. So if you get sick again, you want to stay home. But you know that probably means you will go to heaven, right?

    Julianna: (nods)

    Michelle: And it probably means that you will go to heaven by yourself, and Mommy will join you later.

    Julianna: But I won’t be alone.

    Michelle: That’s right. You will not be alone.

    Julianna: Do some people go to heaven soon?

    Michelle: Yes. We just don’t know when we go to heaven. Sometimes babies go to heaven. Sometimes really old people go to heaven.

    Julianna: Will Alex (her 6-year-old brother) go to heaven with me?

    Michelle: Probably not. Sometimes people go to heaven together at the same time, but most of the time, they go alone. Does that scare you?

    Julianna: No, heaven is good. But I don’t like dying.

    Michelle: I know. That’s the hard part. We don’t have to be afraid of dying because we believe we go to heaven. But it’s sad because I will miss you so much.

    Julianna: Don’t worry, I won’t be alone.

    Michelle: I know. I love you.

    Julianna: Madly.

    Michelle: Yes, I love you madly. I’m so lucky.

    Julianna: And I’m so lucky.

    Michelle: Why?

    Julianna: Because you love me madly.


    Her parents, though heartbroken, are honoring her dying request.     “She made it clear that she doesn’t want to go through the hospital again,” Michelle told CNN. “So we had to let go of that plan [to go to the hospital] because it was selfish.”

    Five-year-old Julianna Snow has never been healthy enough to attend Sunday school at the City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon, where her family belongs, so most of what she knows about heaven, she knows from her parents.

    They tell her that heaven is where she’ll be able to run and play and eat, none of which she can do now. Heaven is where she’ll meet her great-grandmother, who shared Julianna’s love of shiny, sparkly, mismatched clothes.

    God will be in heaven, too, they tell her, and he will love her even more than they do.

    But Michelle Moon and Steve Snow explain that they won’t be in heaven when Julianna arrives there, and neither will her big brother, Alex. She’ll go to heaven before them because she has a severe case of an incurable illness.

     

  • Musharraf equates Bal Thackeray with Hafiz Saeed, calls Osama a Hero

    Musharraf equates Bal Thackeray with Hafiz Saeed, calls Osama a Hero

    In an interview to a Pakistani channel, Pakistan’s former president General Pervez Musharraf made scathing comments about Bal Thackeray and Pakistan’s support to extremist outfits in the past. Haqqani is our hero of 1980s & Osama was our hero. Yes, CIA’s as well. (al-Qaida chief Ayman) al-Zawahiri was our hero,” he added while referring to the Pakistan introduced religious militancy from 1979.

    Comparing Hafiz Saeed with RSS and Shiv Sena, former Pakistan president Parvez Musharraf said that those demanding action against Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief in his country were toeing in the Indian line.

    He said Afghan and Kashmiri mujahideen were their heroes in the 1990s, but the situation has now changed while referring to Saeed “I do not want to discuss this (Saeed) issue,” Musharraf shot back at his interviewer on a popular Pakistani TV channel on Saturday night. “Since India is going after this, we are also following them.”

    Musharraf rantingly asked the interviewer to ascertain what RSS was doing in India. “They do not play cricket with us. You saw what happened with (Pakistan cricket board chief) Shahryar Khan,” he said. “The face of (ex-Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud) Kasuri’s book release organiser was blackened. Ghulam Ali’s concert was banned and he was thrown out.”

    “This is what is happening there. Are we catching any Sena leader? Was not Bal Thackeray a terrorist… did anybody catch him… a serving Army colonel was involved in the Samjautha blast in which 100 (sic) Pakistanis were killed. You are talking about Saeed, give us that Colonel,” he said.

    He cited PM Narendra Modi and his Cabinet’s presentations to the RSS brass to draw a link between Shiv Sena’s protests against Pakistan’s and BJP’s parent organisation.

    He cited Pakistan’s support for the US-backed Afghan war and said the atmosphere changed after 1979 when Islamabad introduced religious militancy in its favour to throw the Soviets out. “We brought mujahideen from around the world. We trained the Taliban… and sent them in. They were our heroes. (Afghan warlord Jalaluddin) Haqqani is our hero of 1980s. Osama (bin Laden) was our hero. Yes, CIA’s as well. (al-Qaida chief Ayman) al-Zawahiri was our hero,” he acknowledged.

    But he added that the atmosphere has changed now. “The hero has become a villain.”

    He said a similar thing was replicated in Kashmir in the 1990s. “A freedom struggle started there in the 1990s. They (Kashmiris) were killed badly. Indian Army killed them, they came to Pakistan. We gave them heroes’ reception.”

    Musharraf acknowledged Pakistan trained and supported Kashmiri rebels. “They were mujahideen who would fight the Indian Army for their rights. LeT was formed along with 10-12 such groups,” he said. He called these groups their heroes who were putting their lives at stake. “Now this has converted into terrorism.”

  • Processed meats including Bacon can cause cancer, experts say

    Processed meats including Bacon can cause cancer, experts say

    Yes, it may be hard to believe but eating processed meats like hot dogs, sausages or bacon can lead to bowel/colon cancer  and red meat is a likely cause of the disease, World Health Organisation expers said.

    The review by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), released on Monday, put processed meat in its group 1 list, which also includes tobacco and asbestos, for which there is “sufficient evidence” of cancer links.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) report defines processed meat as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation.” Many processed meats may contain other red meats or meat by-products.

    Red meat was classified as probably carcinogenic in IARC’s group 2A list, to which it has also added this year glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weedkillers.

    Meat industry groups rejected the findings as simplistic, although some scientists said they may not add much to existing health recommendations to limit consumption of such meat.

    The IARC was carrying out a formal review of meat for the first time and examined some 800 studies during a meeting of 22 health experts in France earlier this month.

    “For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” Dr Kurt Straif of the IARC said in a statement.

    This new report looked at daily consumers of processed meat and concluded that each 50-gram portion of processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. That’s the equivalent of two pieces of bacon, two slices of ham, or one piece of smoked sausage.

    The classification for red meat – defined as all types of mammalian meat, including beef, lamb and pork – reflected “limited evidence” that it causes cancer. The IARC found links mainly with bowel cancer, but it also observed associations with pancreatic and prostate cancer.

    Inconclusive evidence of a link between processed meat and stomach cancer was also observed, it said.

    The IARC does not compare the level of cancer risk associated with different substances in a given category, so does not suggest eating meat is as dangerous as smoking, for example.

    But the bracketing of processed meat with products such as tobacco or arsenic irked industry groups, with the North American Meat Institute saying the IARC report “defies common sense”.

    Suppliers argue that meat provides essential protein, vitamins and minerals as part of a balanced diet.

    “We’ve known for some time about the probable link between red and processed meat, and bowel cancer,” Professor Tim Key of Oxford University said in a statement from charity Cancer Research UK.

    “Eating a bacon bap every once in a while isn’t going to do much harm – having a healthy diet is all about moderation.”

    The IARC, however, said such dietary advice often focused on heart disease and obesity.

    It cited an estimate from the Global Burden of Disease Project – an international consortium of more than 1,000 researchers – that 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat.

    This compares with about 1 million cancer deaths per year globally due to tobacco smoking and 600,000 a year due to alcohol consumption, it said.

  • Indian Owned Jewellery Store Ransacked in the Kansas

    Indian Owned Jewellery Store Ransacked in the Kansas

    WASHINGTON:  A jewellery store owned by an Indian-origin man in the US state of Kansas has been ransacked by thieves who also stole valuable jewellery items, a media report said.

    The Karats Jewellers, owned by Akshay Andy Anand says he wants justice after thieves ripped through his business and family’s dream.

    The jewelry business has been in his family for six generations. Anand was the first in his family to bring the family business to the United States.

    The thieves used stones to smash the glass doors and took away ornaments kept in cases, fox4kc.com reported.

    “You feel cheated,” said Anand. “You feel like somebody violated you. You worked so hard for what you do, and I mean, you do it the right way, you do everything proper, and then just somebody comes in, takes it away from you.”

    “I have raised it like a child for 10 years, and we have put a lot of hard work into bringing this business as one of the top jewellery stores in the city,” Mr Anand said.

    He further said that police are working to identify cars and descriptions of the suspects.

  • Indian-Origin Toddler Youngest Karate Champion in South Africa

    Indian-Origin Toddler Youngest Karate Champion in South Africa

    JOHANNESBURG:  Indian-origin toddler Khiyara Seedat has become South Africa’s youngest ever national karate champion, just a day after her third birthday last week.

    Sedate Khiyara, the daughter of karate instructor Sensei Ahmed Shaheen Seedat – from Parlock in Newslands – walked away as champion of the bo kata (stick fighting) and kumite (freestyle fighting) category. She had to compete against a five-year-old because there was no one to fight against in her age category at the South African Karate and Kickboxing Championships.

    She had just turned three the day before the tournament and competed in the under-five age group.

    Seedat, who holds a third dan (rank) black belt in the sporting code after starting out when he was eight, said his daughter had shown a love for karate when she was just 16 months old.

    Watching her father and his friends kicking and punching away when he took her to karate school one day, he and his wife Laila were initially surprised to find her imitating the moves in her cot that night.

    Even though the smallest available karate outfit known as a gi was twice her size, Khiyara insisted on wearing it daily until she grew into it almost two years later.

    Noticing Khiyara’s rapid progress compared to other children older than her, Seedat’s trainer Abdul Lattief Jogi encouraged him to enter his daughter in the national championships and spent six months preparing her for it.

    Sixth dan black belt holder Jogi said Khiyara had done everyone proud, but he was particularly overjoyed that he had been able to teach both her and her father, who was like a son to him.

  • Annexures to NN Vohra committee report on politician-criminal nexus Missing?

    Annexures to NN Vohra committee report on politician-criminal nexus Missing?

    With the arrest of underworld don Chhota Rajan in Bali (Indonesia), a report from Vohra Committee which had the names of politician-underworld nexus has regained focus.

    The alleged annexure contains details of the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and criminals, the Congress has said there is no harm in making these files public.

    The Government set up the N. N. Vohra Committee in July 1993 following the Mumbai bomb blasts in March of that year, to take stock of all available information about the activities of the crime syndicates/mafia organisations which had developed links with, and were being protected by Government functionaries and political personalities. The Vohra committee submitted its report in 1993 in the wake of the Bombay blasts taking off all the available information about “the activities of crime syndicates/mafia organizations which had developed links with and were being protected by government functionaries and political personalities.”

    But the then Congress-led Central government obtained a stay-order from the Supreme Court in the year 1996 against making annexure to NN Vohra committee report public. The Supreme Court had ruled that it would be “severely and detrimentally injurious” to public interest if annexures to the N N Vohra Committee report, containing details of the alleged nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and criminals, were disclosed.

    In 2012, RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal filed a RTI application demanding the full report of the Vohra committee. In an order passed by the then information commissioner Sushma Singh on May 10 2012, she directed the home ministry to provide the annexures to RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal within two weeks.

    On June 27, 2012 MHA under Congress Government denied any such annexure being on record.

    Now, the main question is if there was no such annexure/s, then how and why the then Central government obtained stay-order against making the said documents public?

    Congress now has switched its stand and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh told Times Now, “There is no harm in releasing this report,” while former home minister RPN Singh said “I don’t know about the report but If there is anything to suggest a link between politicians and criminals then action should be taken if any politician or bureaucrat is hand in glove with any terrorist organisation then action must be taken.”

    Meanwhile BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said the government will look into the matter and give a structured response. “The Government is sensitive about these matters and there is zero tolerance towards tolerance,” Singh told TIMES NOW.

     

  • India’s leading Ayurveda destinations

    India’s leading Ayurveda destinations

    From being the ‘science of life’, Ayurveda has become the ‘slice of life’ for many with the advent and positive growth of rejuvenation centres and Ayurvedic resorts in the country.
    People are willing to experience a ‘healthier’ side to an otherwise indulgent holiday by touring healing resorts as an escape from the mundane, hectic everyday existence. These resorts located at the outskirts of the cityscape over sprawling and pristine forests lure tourists into its peaceful and quiet edifices.

    Let’s discover and learn about some of the best Ayurveda resorts our country has:

    Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort, Kerala: Nestled on a hillock a few kilometres south of the Kovalam beach is the world’s first Ayurvedic resort Somatheeram. Spread across a wide expanse of greenery, Kerala prides in Somatheeram as a getaway destination for those in search of an Ayurvedic haven away from the cacophony of city life. Established in 1985, Somatheeram has emerged as one of the frontrunners in encouraging a culture of Ayurvedic holidays and meditation tours among travel enthusiasts. The serenity of the resort by the sea, goodness of traditional Ayurvedic therapies and a healthy diet routine help people unwind here.

    Acute health conditions of paralysis, fluctuating levels of blood pressure, arthritis, high cholesterol and breathing problems are first examined by a team of yoga experts and doctors after which a series of corresponding healing exercises and diet regime ensue.

    Massage therapies: The massages here at Somatheeram serve more than a short-term purpose; the sessions are extensive and extend till days. ‘Pizhichil’ for instance is a special massage that uses a variety of herbal oils (lukewarm) and has been effective in curing diseases like paralysis and nervous disorders. Every session lasts 60-90 minutes over a span of 7-21 days. People with diabetes and obesity can go for the Ayurvedic ‘Abhyangam’ treatment which is again a type of oil massage for 45 minutes a day. ‘Nasyam’, ‘Snehapanam’ and ‘Kizhi’ are among the many treatments that have been proven medically capable of battling severe skin diseases, leukemia and sports injuries.

    Yoga classes and boat tours in the backwaters too are included in Ayurveda packages at Somatheeram.

    Where: Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort, South of Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram. About 21 kms from International Airport at Thiruvananthapuram and about 9 kms south of the famous Kovalam beach.

    1)Ananda in the Himalayas, Uttarakhand: As the name suggests, the experience too replicates a blissful journey amid the towering and guarding Himalayas. Ananda focuses on an interesting and fruitful blend of Ayurveda and Aromatherapy with contemporary spa technology for complete wellness of the human body. Located 260 kms north of New Delhi, Ananda stands tall around Maharaja’s palace estate with the views of the Ganges on one side and the mountain peaks on the other pleasing the tourist’s eyes, mind and spirit upon waking up every morning. Yoga pavilions, landscaped gardens, terraces facing a clear sky, spas equipped with hydrotherapy services, a golf course on its Himalayan axle and Rejuvenation Cuisine are some of the many distinguishing features of the resort you can indulge in.
    Ayurveda, yoga & meditation:

    European and Thai treatments are employed in the spa boutiques here at Ananda. The Viceregal Hall is the quaint hillside garden that doubles as a refuge post an exhaustive yoga session. Marvel at the breathtaking panorama as you sip on the Himalayan tea. For couples, the Kama Suite with steam shower and exclusive massage facilities can surely add a sensual flavour to the Ayurveda tour. The Ayurvedic treatments are fashioned according to the Himalayan conditions. Use of less oil, slow and synchronised massages and regulation of a nutritious diet go into the making of customised treatments for guests under the supervision of physicians and therapists. An aftercare programme is planned for the benefit of the client at the last leg of the Ayurveda trip.

    Where: The Palace Estate, Narendra Nagar, Dist. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand

    Air: A 45-minute flight from New Delhi to Dehradun Jolly Grant airport followed by a one-hour drive.

    Train: A four-hour journey from New Delhi to Haridwar railway station followed by a one-hour drive.

    Road: The driving time between New Delhi and Narendra Nagar is approximately five and a half hours.

    1)Devaaya, The Ayurveda and Nature Cure Centre, Goa: If beaches and nightlife are the first things that come to mind upon hearing Goa, then probably it’s time to widen your horizon. As much as it is a ‘party’ destination, Goa as a city has carved an identity that appreciates art, culture and holistic living. And speaking of holistic living, the city has emerged as one of the potential tourist spots on the map of Ayurveda tourism in India. Coconut palms swinging to the rhythm of the breeze and the Mandovi River flowing alongside one of the islands in Goa complete the scenery at Devaaya Ayurveda Centre in Goa. Naturopathy becomes a way of life at this Ayurvedic paradise that brings together the essential elements of ‘Panchakarma’ treatments with yoga, meditation, music, lifestyle correction, diet planning and medicines for tourists. The centre has been designed on the science of ‘Vaastu Shastra’ that adds to the harmony of the overall rejuvenation process.

    Where: Devaaya – Ayurveda & Nature Cure Centre, Divar Island, Goa

    1)Kairali Ayurvedic Health Village, Kerala: The captivating beauty of the Western Ghats and the rich flora define the picturesque town of Palakkad in Kerala which is home to the Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort. Ram Mohan, Vice President of the Resort is proud to declare how the Ayurveda village has travelled miles over the recent years, “Today, we have over 20 centres abroad apart from the 25 centres across India.” Ask him about the future of Ayurveda tourism in India and he has his reservations, “The Indian mindset is still not ready to embrace the culture of Ayurveda in a manner that the European market has possibly built an industry around. Patience is a virtue we have still not mastered the art of. It is believed that Ayurveda is an expensive affair but so is allopathy. If we are willing to shed a fortune on a bypass surgery then why not spend half the money on a recreational therapy that will guarantee the elimination of the ailment from its root?”, asks Ram. The system of Ayurveda he asserts is “not superficial but comes with permanent and effective results.”

    Agrees Niika Quistgard, Founder and Director Rasa Ayurveda Traditional Healing Centre for Women, Kerala and says, “People are often dissatisfied with allopathic medicines and are wary of the side-effects of drugs; natural alternatives and organic methods of healing are the preferred options. At Rasa Ayurveda we offer free consultation and treatment to women. All remedies are derived from herbal plants, a tradition that dates back to the era of our grandmothers,” adds Niika.

    The Leela, Udaipur:

    The city of lakes and palaces, The Leela’s ESPA Spa is yet another hot spot for Ayurvedic retreat. The ‘haveli’ style architecture of spas, tents done up in shades of royalty and opulence and the welcoming gardens contribute to the development of a relaxed mind and soul of the human body. Tricia Bannister, Group Spa Manager, says, “Our clientele has grown from in-house guests to both in-house and local guests requesting for a wellness experience set amidst the cultural heritage of Rajasthan.” From hot stone massages, facials, yoga and meditation, The Leela also features private yoga studio for visitors. On being asked if Ayurveda treatment is a rich man’s pastime Bannister replies, “There is a range of Ayurvedic resorts available for spa travellers, from more relaxed, to 5-star properties. Ayurveda tourism is growing dramatically in India; both for pure Ayurvedic treatments as well as Ayurvedic-inspired experiences. Travellers from all income-levels are curious to experience new wellness treatments,” adds Tricia.

    Where: The Leela Palace, Lake Pichola, Udaipur

  • Afghanistan Pakistan Earthquake – US, Iran & India offer assistance

    Afghanistan Pakistan Earthquake – US, Iran & India offer assistance

    A powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude centred in Afghanistan, has killed nearly 300 people, including 12 Afghan schoolgirls who were crushed in a stampede as they tried to flee their collapsing school.

    Afghani and Pakistani officials said 237 of those deaths occurred in Pakistan, while 74 have been confirmed dead in Afghanistan. The temblor was centered deep beneath the Hindu Kush mountains in a sparsely populated region of northeastern Afghanistan that borders Pakistan, Tajikistan and China.

    Tremors from the quake were also felt in northern India and Tajikistan.

    The earthquake was centred in the mountainous Hindu Kush region, 76km (45 miles) south of Faizabad, the US Geological Survey reported.

    The death toll is set to rise as the most severely affected areas are very remote and communications have been cut off.

    Thousands spent the night outdoors in near-freezing temperatures reluctant to go back inside for fear of aftershocks, Pakistani media reported on early on Tuesday.

    “Rescue work is ongoing, and tents, blankets and sleeping mats are being provided,” Latif ur Rehman, a Pakistani disaster management official, told Reuters from the northwestern city of Peshawar.

    The total death toll stood at 375 with at least 260 people killed in Pakistan and at least 115 more in Afghanistan, according to official reports from the two countries. More than 2,000 people have been injured.

    Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, cut short his visit to the United Kingdom to fly home to deal with the emergency.

    The United States offered emergency shelters and relief supply kits stored in warehouses throughout Afghanistan that could be used. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. government has been in touch with officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan and is ready to provide any additional support.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Heard about strong earthquake in Afghanistan-Pakistan region whose tremors have been felt in parts of India. I pray for everyone’s safety,” and also, “I have asked for an urgent assessment and we stand ready for assistance where required, including Afghanistan & Pakistan.”

    Pakistan has said it will not issue any appeals to the international community for help as the country has the required resources to carry out the rescue and relief work. “We will try our best to deal with this disaster using our own resources,” Nawaz Sharif said.

  • Army cautions people against Pakistan’s attempts to engineer terror

    Army cautions people against Pakistan’s attempts to engineer terror

    Asserting that attempts will be made by Pakistan to engineer terrorism in Kathua-Samba region in Jammu, a top Army commander on Monday (October 26) cautioned people and ex-servicemen to remain vigilant to foil such designs.

    “As General (Goverdhan Singh) and (former Minister) Gulchain Singh Charak have said that attempts have been made (by Pakistan) in Jammu-Kathua to create terrorism. This is being done and it will continue to do so in future as well”, GOC-in-C Western Command Lt Gen K J Singh said here today.

    “But, it is the duty every civilian & ex-servicemen living along the border line that we should remain vigilant and share any kind of information with related to such activities,” he said.

    “In this endeavor, we have honoured some people to infuse such a sense among the people living in the border areas,” the General Officer Commanding-In-Chief (GOC-in-C) said.

    In this regard, the Command has started two programmes- one Jagruk Hindustani Border Area Cricket League. Today was the final of this league, Singh said.

    Lt Gen Singh was speaking at a function organised by J&K Ex-service League to observe Martyrdom of First Maha Vir Chakra Awardee of Indian Army, Brigadier Rajinder Singh, bestowed with the sobriquet of “The Saviour of Kashmir”.

    “To make children of Jammu region aware of its warriors and brave martyr soldiers, we are organising a light and sound show at Balidan Memorial which gives description about the brave martyr soldiers. We will add a 10-minute capsule clip to it on Brigadier Rajinder Singh,” he said.

    Jammu and Kashmir Ex-service League today observed martyrdom day of Brig Rajinder Singh as large number of citizens including Army personnel and ex-servicemen from the region joined to pay homage to him.

    His daughters, Urvashi Pathania and Usha Parmar, were also present on the occasion. Brig Rajinder Singh hailed from a small village Bagoona (now re-named as Rajindera Pura) of district Samba, 30-km east of Jammu.

    After studying in his village school and at Jammu he graduated from the Prince of Wales College (now Gandhi Memorial Science College) in 1921.

    He was commissioned in the J&K State Force in June 1921. He became Brigadier in May 1942, commanded Jammu Brigade, Kashmir Brigade and took over as Chief of Staff J&K state Force from Maj Gen H L Scot on September 24, 1947.

    He died fighting Tribal raiders at Buniyar in Uri in bid to stop their advance into Kashmir valley from Pakistan.

  • Delhi Police raids Kerala government canteen over #BEEF causes outrage

    Delhi Police raids Kerala government canteen over #BEEF causes outrage

    New Delhi Oct 27: The canteen of ‘Kerala House’ which is run by Kerala Government in New Delhi was raided yesterday by police after a rightwing Hindu group called ‘Hindu Sena’ complained it had beef on its menu.

    Police said they only went to Kerala House as a “preventive measure”, not to investigate the complaint or take meat samples.

    Kerala is one of the few Indian states in which cow slaughter is legal. But most states, including Delhi, ban the slaughter of cows, considered sacred by India’s majority Hindu community.

    Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday took strong exception to Delhi Police action at state-owned Kerala House in Delhi over beef served at its canteen. Chandy told the media in Kozhikode that the police should have shown restraint. “The state guest house is not a hotel. The police should have followed certain amount of guidelines while raiding a canteen at a government guest house. We would make our protest formal by writing to the Delhi government,” the Chief Minister said.

    “I would like to inform you that the Kerala House staff canteen serves authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine and the items in the menu are entirely within law,” the letter is reported to have said.

    It is also reported that the kitchen will continue to serve the buffalo meat.

    Following Monday evening’s incident, the police picked up the caller from the Hindu Sena group for further questioning.

    “We dealt with the matter with necessary alertness and took our position. The objective was to ensure that law and order is not disrupted,” Jatin Narwal, a senior police officer, told the NDTV news site.