The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2016

  • Orlando Shooting Suspect’s Father Hosted A Political TV Show And Even Tried To Run For The Afghan Presidency

    Orlando Shooting Suspect’s Father Hosted A Political TV Show And Even Tried To Run For The Afghan Presidency

    The father of Omar Mateen, identified by police as the man behind the carnage at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning, is an Afghan man who holds strong political views, including support for the Afghan Taliban.

    Seddique Mateen, who has been referred to as Mir Seddique in early news reports, hosted a television show called Durand Jirga on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California. In it, the elder Mateen speaks in the Dari language on a variety of political subjects. Dozens of videos are posted on a channel under Seddique Mateen’s name on YouTube. A phone number and post office box that are displayed on the show were traced back to the Mateen home in Florida. Mateen also owns a non-profit organization under the name Durand Jirga which is registered in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

    In one video, Mateen expresses gratitude towards the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.

    “Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in Taliban movement, and national Afghan Taliban are rising up,” he says.

    “Inshallah the Durand line issue will be solved soon.”

    The “Durand line issue” is a historically significant one, particularly for members of the Pashtun ethnic group, whose homeland straddles the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Durand line is that border. It is not clear whether the Mateens are Pashtun. The Afghan Taliban is mostly made up of Pashtuns.

    The line was drawn as a demarcation of British and Afghan spheres of influence in 1893. The British controlled most of subcontinental Asia at the time, though some parts, like what is now Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan, were only loosely held. The line was inherited as a border by Pakistan after its independence. Since it splits the Pashtun population politically, it is seen as a cause for their marginalization. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in most of eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan.

    Pashtuns are also sometimes referred to as Pakhtuns, or Pathans.

    The most recent video on Mateen’s YouTube channel shows him declaring his candidacy for the Afghan presidency. The timing of the video is strange, as it came a year after presidential elections were held in Afghanistan. Mateen appears incoherent at times in the video, and he jumps abruptly for topic to topic.

    On Sunday morning, Mateen told NBC News that his son’s rampage “has nothing to do with religion.” Instead, he offered another possible motive. He said his son got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a couple of months ago. He said his son was especially enraged because the kissing took place in front of his own young son.

    “We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident. We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country,” Mateen said.

    Mateen could not be reached for comment by The Washington Post. His cellphone has been switched off.

  • Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

    Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

    Microsoft today announced it will be acquiring LinkedIn in an all-cash deal worth $26.2 billion inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash. The acquisition is expected to close this calendar year. Despite the acquisition, Microsoft CEO has said that LinkedIn will “retain its distinct brand, culture and independence”. Jeff Weiner will remain LinkedIn’s CEO, and will now report to Nadella after the deal is closed.

    “The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals,” Nadella said. “Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.”

    “Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story,” he added.

    LinkedIn is among the world’s largest professional network with over 433 million members worldwide. It has recently recorded a 34 percent year-over-year increase in quarterly page views, which now stands at 45 billion. The network also boasts over seven million active job listings, which marks a 101 percent increase year-over-year.

    This is among the biggest acquisitions in Microsoft’s history, and certainly under Nadella’s leadership. To put the deal size into perspective, this deal is nearly three times the size of Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia.

    CEO Satya Nadella explains

  • Indian-origin Anvitha Vijay is the youngest to attend the Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference

    Indian-origin Anvitha Vijay is the youngest to attend the Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference

    Apple’s annual developer’s conference, WWDC 2016, is taking place on Monday, June 13, and it’s one of the biggest events on the tech-calendar each year.

    Like many others, Indian-Origin Australian girl Anvitha Vijay is there with a dream to attend WWDC and meet Tim Cook. But there’s one key difference – she’s only nine years old.

    The girl applied for a scholarship to travel to WWDC and was one of the people Apple selected for this opportunity, reports Fortune.

    According to the report, out of 350 recipients of the scholarship, 120 are under the age of 18, and 22 percent are women, as part of an effort on Apple’s part to add diversity to its developer events.

    Vijay, who wanted to build mobile apps, didn’t have any formal training, and learned to code watching tutorials on YouTube. “Coding was so challenging,” Vijay told Fortune. “But I’m so glad I stuck with it.”

    Vijay’s Smartkins Animals app teaches children animals’ names and sounds, and although it looks simple, describing the process of creating the app, Vijay told Fortune: “Turning an idea for an app involves a lot of hard work. There are so many components to building an app, including prototyping, design and wireframing, user interface design and then coding and testing.”

  • Orlando Shooting: IS Claims Responsibility; Shooter’s Father Apologises, Obama Calls It ‘Act Of Hate’

    Orlando Shooting: IS Claims Responsibility; Shooter’s Father Apologises, Obama Calls It ‘Act Of Hate’

    Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed the responsibility for the shootings in which at least 50 people were killed and 53 others injured when a “lone wolf” gunman opened fire early on Sunday in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a state of emergency has been declared.

    In a message published on the group’s semi-official news agency, Amaq, it described gunman Omar Mateen as a “soldier of the caliphate”, The Telegraph (UK) reported.

    Although the statement did not clarify Mateen’s relation to the group, but the language appeared to suggest he was viewed as a lone wolf attacker.

    The gunman Omar Mateen, 29, was killed by a SWAT team after he took hostages at Pulse, a popular gay night club.

    It is believed that the suspect, who was a US citizen from the Florida town of Port St Lucie and was of Afghan descent, was not on a terrorism watch list, although he was being investigated for an unrelated criminal act, BBC reported.

    Officials said the killings were likely to be ideologically motivated, though there was no information that the gunman was associated with a particular group.

    He was armed with an assault rifle, a handgun and an unspecified “device”, said officials.

    “It appears he was organised and well-prepared,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.

    The shooter’s father told NBC News: “This has nothing to do with religion.”

    Mir Seddique said Omar Mateen had been angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami recently.

    “We are saying we are apologising for the whole incident. We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country,” Seddique told NBC News .

    US President Barack Obama was briefed on the mass shooting, which police described as an act of terrorism.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information,” said a statement by Barack Obama’s press secretary.

    US Congressman Alan Grayson said it was “no coincidence” the attack happened in a gay club.

    Relatives were gathering at local hospitals desperate for news of their loved ones.

    Many had received calls and texts from loved ones inside the club as the siege began, and some have heard nothing since.

    The death toll given by Mayor Dyer means that the Orlando attack surpasses the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech which left 32 people dead.

    “Today we are dealing with something that we never imagined and is unimaginable,” he said, adding that there was “an enormous amount of havoc” and “blood everywhere”.

    “Because of the scale of the crime I’ve asked the [Florida] governor to declare a state of emergency,” he said.

    “We’re also issuing a state of emergency for the city of Orlando so that we can bring additional resources to bear to deal with the aftermath.”

  • Bombay HC orders #UdtaPunjab To Be Released With Just One Cut

    Bombay HC orders #UdtaPunjab To Be Released With Just One Cut

    MUMBAI (TIP) :Controversial film #UdtaPunjab will release as per schedule on 17 June with only one cut suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and an ‘A’ certificate, the Bombay high court ruled on Monday, June 13, and directed Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) HC to issue a fresh certificate to movie Udta Punjab in 2 days.

    A bench comprising justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi approved only one cut of the 13 suggested by CBFC and ruled that the film could be released as per schedule.

    The court said “there is no mention of the word ‘censor’ in board. Board should use its powers as per Constitution and SC’s directions.”

    The court also directed film maker Anurag Kashyap to delete one scene from the movie.

    Kashyap’s lawyer said ”We have to delete only one scene (urination). It is a vindication of democracy.”

    Earlier on Friday, the court pulled up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for insisting on ‘censoring’ films instead of ‘certifying’ them and demanded to know why it was not banning ‘Udta Punjab’ film if it was trying to glorify drugs.

    Simultaneously, it asked the makers of the film to tone down the expletives and certain vulgar scenes to which the CBFC has objected as these alone cannot guarantee the film’s success.

    A division bench comprising Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi, which concluded the two-day hearing following a petition filed by the “Udta Punjab” producers, will pronounce its final verdict on Monday.

    Coming down heavily on the CBFC, the court asked it not to be overly critical. This could kill creativity in the film industry.

    Questioning the CBFC’s Revising Committee orders of June 6 to delete references to Punjab and other cities in “Udta Punjab”, the judges felt that by dropping references to Punjab from every dialogue or scene, “the crux fo the film would be lost.

    “If the filmmaker wanted to be critical of a place or person, then these would have to be shown,” the judges point out.

    “If the film is glorifying the use of drugs, then ban it entirely,” the judges told the CBFC, adding that people must be given the choice to view what they want to.

    On the overdose of expletives or cuss words, the judges said these do not contribute to the success of a film as today’s generation is very direct, open and a lot mature.

    “Films do not run on such content in this age, there must be a strong storyline and content. The modern generation won’t be impressed by all this. Many movies are failing in multiplexes because the audiences are bored with this overdose,” the court observed.

    On the contrary, the court said that by passing such an order, the CBFC was giving the film undue weightage and publicity.

    CBFC lawyer Advait Sethna has justified the decision to order cuts, remove all expletives and cuss words, axe references to Punjab and other cities, and delete scenes showing the hero urinating in public, terming them “vulgar and deplorable”.

    The court suggested that while a scratching scene be deleted fully, the film-makers could display ‘disclaimers’ for the expletives or tone it down though that could not be expected if a rustic character is speaking out his mind.

    Phantom Films counsel Ravi Kadam readily agreed to both the suggestions made by Justice Dharmadhikari and Justice Phansalkar-Joshi, adding that by the use of the expletives, the film-makers were merely trying to depict the real situation.

    Co-produced by Phanton Films and Anurag Kashyap and directed by Abhishek Chaubey, “Udta Punjab” stars Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh.

    Kashyap accused CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani of bullying and deliberately not certifying the film slated for release on June 17.

    While the CBFC at one point demanded 89 cuts in the film, its Revising Committee brought down the number to 13.

  • President Obama Speaks on Tragic Shooting in Orlando

    President Obama Speaks on Tragic Shooting in Orlando

    At around 2:00 pm ET, President Obama spoke about the tragic shooting that took place overnight in Orlando, Florida.

    We have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be — – President Obama, speaking to the nation following the worst mass shooting in U.S. history

    ——

    Accused attacker called 911 before Orlando shooting and declared allegiance to Islamic State, official says

    Omar Mateen called 911 moments before the attack, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, a federal law enforcement official told The Times, confirming earlier reports. Federal investigators believe the selfie photos of Mateen taken from his MySpace page and being circulated on the Internet are of him, but emphasized the investigation was in its early stages.

    In a suspected terrorist attack that could shake up the presidential campaign, President Obama and Hillary Clinton reacted with caution and prayers Sunday to the mass shooting at a nightclub in Florida, while Donald Trump called the tragedy “really bad.”

    Fifty people were killed and 53 were injured when the shooter, identified as Omar Mateen, opened fire at the crowded Pulse Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning. Authorities were investigating his motive and working to identify the victims on Sunday afternoon.

    Statement from Press Secretary Josh Earnest:

    The President was briefed this morning by Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, on the tragic shooting in Orlando, Florida. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information, and directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community.

     

    Statement from Vice President Joe Biden’s spokesperson:

    The Vice President was briefed this morning by his national security advisor on the heinous attack that took place overnight at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Vice President Biden offered his prayers for all those killed and injured in the shooting and sends his condolences to all the families and loved ones of the victims.  He is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to receive regular updates as we know more.

  • Orlando Nightclub Attack: What We Know about the Worst U.S. Mass Shooting

    Orlando Nightclub Attack: What We Know about the Worst U.S. Mass Shooting

    Orlando, Florida (TIP): In the worst of mass shootings in the history of America, a lone wolf gunman killed 50 at Pulse club, a popular gay night bar in Orlando, on Sunday, June 12, 2016

    Another 53 were injured; either because of the gunshot injuries or because of the stampede that followed the gunmen’s opening fire.

    It may be recalled that the earlier worst shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, with 32 and 27 killed.

    The incident is being investigated according to sources as one related to Islamic terrorism.

    The gunman who was also killed has been identified as Omar Saddiqui Mateen, a U.S. citizen of Afghan descent.

    The suspect, 29 is from Fort Pierce, Florida, as per the official briefing. A law enforcement source told that Mateen worked as a private security guard. He rented a car and drove to Orlando to carry out the attack, as reported by CNN.

    “It appears he was organized and well-prepared,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said early Sunday. The shooter had an assault-type weapon, a handgun and “some type of (other) device on him.”

    Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he had declared a state of emergency for the city and has requested the governor do the same for the state.

    Orlando Police responding to the Shootout
    Orlando Police responding to the Shootout

    The incident began at about 2 a.m. ET and ended at about 5 a.m.

    President Obama is expected to make a statement at 1:30 p.m. ET, the White House says. Vice President Joe Biden has also canceled his planned appearance at a campaign fundraiser in Florida tonight.

    The presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees shared their thoughts:

    How the shooting began and led to a hostage situation…

    The shooting began around 2 a.m., and an officer who was working at the club responded, Mina said. The officer engaged in a shootout outside the club, after which the gunman ran into the club.

    “That turned into a hostage situation,” Mina said.

    Authorities were getting calls from people inside the club but away from the gunman, the chief said.

    pulses_nightclub“There were just bodies everywhere… in the parking lot, they were tagging them – red, yellow – so they knew who to help first and who not to. Pants down, shirts cut off, they had to find the bullets. Just blood everywhere,” an eyewitness told IANS.

    CCTV camera footage from the scene showed dozens of emergency vehicles at the scene and people being treated on the pavements.

    Some of the injured were reportedly brought to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in police pick-ups.

    Some witnesses said they heard as many as 40-50 gunshots as the incident unfolded.

    More than 100 people were reported to have been enjoying a Latin-themed night in the club, which calls itself the hottest gay bar in the city, when the attack began.

    Hours before the shooting, the club urged partygoers to attend its “Latin flavor” event Saturday night. After the shooting began, the club posted a terse warning on its Facebook page: “Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running.”

    The shooter opened fire at around 02.00 a.m. (local time) as the club night was coming to a close.

    “We heard rapid fire go off. In the room I was in, people went down to the floor. I wasn’t able to see the shooter or people get hurt, at some point, there was a brief pause, and a group of us got up and went to the exit that leads to the patio area outside. We found an exit and after that… I just ran,” Anthony Torres, an eyewitness said.

    He also heard people screaming that others in the nightclub were dead.

    According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, there were 372 mass shootings — defined as a single incident that kills or injures four or more people — in the US in 2015. Some 475 people were killed and 1,870 wounded.

    The latest incident comes as Orlando is still reeling from the fatal shooting on Friday night of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie following a concert in the city.

    She was signing autographs when she was shot by 26-year-old Kevin James Loibl, who then killed himself. It is not clear what Loibl’s motive was.

    Video from the scene of crime / Youtube / Social Media


  • Indian Government Is Going To Be America’s ‘Great Ally’, admits US House Speaker Paul Ryan

    Indian Government Is Going To Be America’s ‘Great Ally’, admits US House Speaker Paul Ryan

    The Indian government is going to be America’s “great ally” and there is a need to nurture
    this relationship, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan told the Council on Foreign Relations, where Republicans unveiled a plan to chart America’s foreign policy and national security.

    While there, Speaker Ryan and members of the Task Force on National Security talked about this new agenda. Here’s some of what Speaker Ryan covered in his conversation with Hewitt:.

    In a major foreign policy speech here in which he was highly critical of President Barack Obama’s policies, the US-India relationship was the only aspect of it which was appreciated by Ryan.

    “I think you need, and in particular, specifically under Modi’s leadership, and he and I have discussed this at great length yesterday, (US-India) have a great potential for the future particularly with the seas, in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, making sure that we help police the global commons and international order, namely China building, you know, runways on islands in contested areas,” Ryan said.

    He said this in the speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress at his invitation.

    Modi was the first foreign leader to be invited to address a joint sitting of the Congress under Ryan’s speakership.

    On Wednesday, Modi and Ryan had a one-on-one interaction before the Prime Minister’s address. Ryan also hosted a lunch for the visiting leader.

    A day later, Ryan was all in praise for Modi.

    “I think the Indian (government), the new Indian government, is going to be a great ally of ours and we have better security cooperation with them. That’s one thing that we need to nurture and grow,” Ryan told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think tank.

    “And those of us who are fans of Modi, you know, he’s a conservative who wants, who embraces free enterprise. He’s bringing needed reform to the country,” Ryan said, according to the remarks released by his office.

    “That’s the kind of an alliance that we need to forge and build upon. That stands in stark contrast, I would argue, to the Obama foreign policy of the last eight years where we have
    neglected our allies and we have basically rewarded our enemies, our adversaries,” said the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

    Except for his comments on India, Ryan slammed Obama’s foreign policy.

    “We know that this new Obama foreign policy concept, leading from behind, can now be declared an unambiguous failure. It is making us unprepared. It is reducing our military capability and strength,” he alleged.

  • AKALI DAL, BJP DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ‘#UDTAPUNJAB’ ROW

    AKALI DAL, BJP DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ‘#UDTAPUNJAB’ ROW

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on June 9 asked the opposition to stop spreading canards about a ban on the release of ‘#UdtaPunjab’ movie. “It is absurd even to suggest a governmental intervention at this stage,” he said. “Neither Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal nor I, nor anyone else at political or administrative level in the government or the party has seen the film.

    “So how can we take a call on whether or not the film would affect the peaceful atmosphere in the state by hurting the sentiments of Punjabis through a vulgar and humiliating presentation of the present day Punjab and Punjabis?” Sukbbir said in a statement.

    The BJP also distanced itself from any role in the CBFC’s objections to the film’s content. “The government of Punjab and the political alliance of Akali Dal-BJP in the state have neither written any letter nor issued any statement (regarding the film). It is without any reason or logic, or due to vested interests, that our name is being dragged into this controversy,” said Vineet Joshi, assistant media adviser to the Punjab government and a BJP leader.

    Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on June 9 heard objections raised by the producers of the film Udta Punjab against cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and also heard the body’s justifications for the same.

    The High Court sought an explanation from the Censor Board over its insistence on deleting the Punjab signboard in the film that deals with drugs. The CBFC submitted that all 13 changes, including deletion of Punjab in the film title, suggested by its revising committee were justified and proper.

    Phantom Films and producer VikasBahl moved the HC against the 13 suggestions.

    A Division Bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and ShaliniPhansalkar Joshi heard senior counsel Ravi Kadam appearing for the producers and Advocate AdvaitSethna representing CBFC.

    The senior counsel said the cuts suggested by the body were central to the film. He argued that the standards of certification should evolve. The modern audience was mature and would not get depraved by references to drugs in the film.

    Advocate AdvaitSethna, on the other hand, said that the cuts were suggested on the grounds of sovereignty, integrity and morality laid down by the law. The film was not suitable for unrestricted exhibition, he said. The court then asked how the integrity of the state would be affected by just pulling down one signboard.

    The court also mentioned the film Go, Goa, Gone and said movies had got away with much worse in the past.

    Politics has hotted up in Punjab on the issue. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on June 9 announced he would release uncensored copies of Bollywood movie ‘Udta Punjab’ in Majitha town near Amritsar on June 17. The Congress leader said: “Majitha town, like Mexico, is the epicenter of drugs trade in Punjab. It was decided to release the movie there.” The movie’s release is scheduled for June 17.

    AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wondered whether the word Punjab would be also removed from the national anthem. Kejriwal, whose party is looking to make inroads in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, claimed that by censoring the movie themed on drug abuse, the BJP-Akali Dal has “accepted defeat.”

    “The way censorship is being done, the BJP, Narendra Modi, and Akali Dal have accepted their defeat in Punjab. Now the worry is how big would be their defeat. Will they be reduced to three seats like in Delhi?” he said.

    In the entire film world in India, voices of resentment against PahlajNihalani, the president of the Certification and Censor Board have been growing with every passing day. However, given the past record of Central government which did not yield to cancel appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Director of Film Institute, it appears unlikely that PahlajNihalani would be removed. Thus, both sides have to be prepared for a long drawn battle.

  • ‘RADICAL CHANGES’ IN FILM CERTIFICATION SOON, SAYS ARUN JAITLEY

    ‘RADICAL CHANGES’ IN FILM CERTIFICATION SOON, SAYS ARUN JAITLEY

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Amid a raging row over “Udta Punjab”, information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley on June 9 said movie certification norms have to be liberal and “some very radical changes” will be announced over the next few days.

    In his first comments on the row sparked by cuts sought by Central Board of Film Certification on Udta Punjab, a film that potrays the problem of drug addiction in the state, he said, “I won’t say its overboard. I don’t know this case because I have not seen this film in question.”

    Stating that he was “not satisfied” with the existing system of film certification, Jaitley said there are some changes that are about be made.

    “There is a well documented report by Shyam Benegal, the first part which has come to me which is under consideration. Over the next few days we are going to announce some very radical changes in that,” he said.

    The committee, he said, has suggested some changes.

    “You will probably have a system where you will have to have a certificate. The correct word is certification and not censorship. Certification norms will have to be liberal,” he said speaking at the Indian of the Year Award by CNN TV18 Group.

    The CBFC has contended that Udta Punjab, a drug-themed crime thriller which is due to be released June 17, needs several cuts on the ground that it casts the state in a bad light by giving an impression that most of them are addicts. The numerous cuts sought sparked a confrontation between Bollywood filmmakers, the censor board and political parties. On the row, Jaitley said, “I think that we are overstating it because at the end of the day you have a Board which takes a view which may be a little conservative view but then at the appeal tribunal with an appeal it can get disposed off. My experience has been almost everything then gets cleared.”

    Trying to play down the controversy, he said there are people in the system whose attitude may be little more conservative. “But then there are internal checks and balances.”

    “For instance I look at the big picture and the big picture is a certification board, we popularly call it censor board and you have the appeal tribunal. Now, whenever you have a problem at the level of the first body, people go to the next slab and almost in 99 per cent of the cases, with or without some changes it gets cleared by the next body,” he said.

    “Udta Punjab” literally means “Flying Punjab”, a reference to the inebriating effects of drugs.

    Source: PTI

  • India using Pathankot attack to derail talks: Pakistan

    India using Pathankot attack to derail talks: Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan on June 9 accused India of using the Pathankot terror attack as an “excuse” to derail the bilateral dialogue process and said that talks are the best way forward to resolve outstanding issues, including “mutual concerns” related to terrorism.

    Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that peaceful neighbourhood was part of the government’s policy.

    He said Pakistan and India had agreed to start the dialogue in December 2015 when Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan.

    “But before the foreign secretaries could meet and finalise a schedule for resuming the Comprehensive Dialogue, the Pathankot incident of 2 January 2016 gave India an excuse to postpone the resumption of the dialogue,” he said.

    “Pakistan believes that dialogue is the best way forward to resolve outstanding issues, including mutual concerns related to terrorism,” he said.

    He said Pakistan sent a joint investigation team to India and has already initiated the required investigation against those alleged to be involved.

    The India-Pakistan talks were was stalled after the January 2 attack on Pathankot airbase in which seven Indian security personnel were killed.

    India has accused Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed for the attack and has linked the resumption of the dialogue process to the action taken by Pakistan against the group.

    Aziz addressed the media here to highlight achievements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ‘s government.

    To a question, Aziz said that Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris’ struggle for the right of self-determination at bilateral level in talks with India as well as at multilateral forums like the UN.

    Aziz reiterated that US drone attack on May 21 which killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour damaged the efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

    “The recent drone attack in Balochistan in which the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed, has breached our sovereignty, caused a serious setback to the peace efforts and intensified hostilities in Afghanistan. The drone strike must, therefore, be condemned by all stakeholders,” he said.

    He said Pakistan’s relations with the US have improved since Sharif took over but the main issue affecting the ties is American indifference towards security needs of Pakistan.

    “In our interactions, we firmly conveyed to the US that maintaining effective nuclear deterrence is critical for Pakistan’s security and only Pakistan itself can determine how it should respond to the growing strategic and conventional imbalances in South Asia,” he said.

    (PTI)

  • Pakistan concerned over growing India-US ties: Sartaj Aziz

    Pakistan concerned over growing India-US ties: Sartaj Aziz

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan on June 9 expressed concern over “growing strategic ties” between India and the US, with a top official accusing Washington of using Islamabad “whenever it needs it”.

    The outburst by Sartaj Aziz, the adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs, came after the US strongly backed India’s bid for membership to the NSG.

    The US backing came at a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday during which the two sides also inked agreements to boost security and defence cooperation.

    Addressing the media here, Aziz said: “The US approaches Pakistan whenever it needs it and abandons it when it does not need Islamabad.

    “Pakistan will convey its concerns to US over the latest issues in the bilateral ties,” Aziz said, adding that a high-level meeting was planned between Pakistan and US officials on June 10 in Islamabad.

    “We firmly conveyed to the US that maintaining effective nuclear deterrence is critical for Pakistan’s security and only Islamabad can determine how it should respond to growing strategic imbalance in South Asia.”

    Aziz maintained that Islamabad was ready for cordial relations with other countries including India.

    Aziz’s statement comes as Islamabad stepped up its diplomatic outreach among members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in a bid to stall New Delhi’s chances of gaining membership to the NSG.

    The Pakistan foreign ministry’s UN desk on Wednesday held a briefing in Islamabad for diplomatic missions of NSG member-countries to put forward its argument against India’s membership and to push for its own entry to the elite group.

    At the meeting, Pakistan warned that country-specific exemptions could negatively impact strategic stability in South Asia.

    Both Pakistan and India have applied to be members of the 48-member NSG that regulates global nuclear commerce.

    India is being backed in its bid by several major NSG members, including the US .

    However, China is backing Pakistan . Beijing maintains that if India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty, is given membership, then Pakistan too should be taken on board.

    (IANS)

  • Brexit camp threatens legal action over EU vote extension

    Brexit camp threatens legal action over EU vote extension

    LONDON (TIP): Brexit campaigners accused the government of trying to rig the EU referendum and threatened legal action on June 9 as former London mayor Boris Johnson squared up for the campaign’s first TV debate.

    British MPs prepared to approve emergency legislation to extend voter registration — a move that has infuriated the “Leave” camp because many late requests have been from broadly pro-EU younger voters.

    Arron Banks, co-chairman of the Leave. EU campaign, said it was “a clear attempt to rig the referendum or, at a bare minimum, to load the dice”.

    “It’s a desperate attempt by the establishment to register as many likely Remain voters as possible.

    “We are therefore considering all available legal options with our legal team,” he said.

    The outrage was sparked by a glitch with the government’s main registration website just ahead of a previous deadline of midnight on Tuesday, playing into a heated debate ahead of a knife-edge vote.

    The deadline is now being extended until midnight.

    Education minister and “Remain” supporter Nicky Morgan, said the “Leave” camp was “turning into a bunch of conspiracy theorists”.

    Around 132,000 of the 525,000 people who did successfully register on Tuesday were aged under 25, compared to around 13,000 from the 65-to-74 age group.

    The “Remain” camp got another boost when Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston announced she was switching sides from the “Leave” camp, telling the BBC late Wednesday she was “uncomfortable” about the credibility of their claims about the cost of EU membership.

    Former Conservative prime minister John Major and his erstwhile political rival in the 1990s Tony Blair — were also set to put party politics to one side later on Thursday for a pro-EU rally in Northern Ireland.

    They were expected to warn that “Brexit” could “jeopardise the unity” of the UK, lead to another referendum of Scotland’s future and threaten Northern Ireland’s hard-won truce.

    “Although today Northern Ireland is more stable and more prosperous than ever, that stability is poised on carefully constructed foundations,” Blair was to say. “We are naturally concerned at the prospect of anything that could put those foundations at risk.”

    Scotland’s governing secessionist Scottish National Party has said Britain voting to leave the EU, while a majority of Scots voted to stay in, would trigger a second referendum on independence.

    In Northern Ireland, the Good Friday agreement signed by Blair in 1998 put an end to three decades of mostly sectarian conflict in which some 3,500 people were killed.

    Meanwhile, in a boost for “Leave”, leading businessman Anthony Bamford, chairman of construction machinery firm JCB, came out in support of Brexit, telling his 6,000 employees in a letter they had “very little to fear” from leaving the union.

    “JCB will continue to trade with Europe, irrespective of whether we remain in or leave the UK,” he wrote. “I am very confident we can stand on our own two feet.”

    Former London mayor and leading “Leave” campaigner Boris Johnson will go head-to-head with Scotland First Minister and “Remain” supporter Nicola Sturgeon for a potentially fractious debate later on Thursday.

    The surge in voter registration requests on Tuesday came immediately after a tense TV face-off between Prime Minister David Cameron and anti-EU leader Nigel Farage .

    Cameron fended off hostile questions about high immigration rates of EU workers while Farage was forced to defend himself against charges of racism.

    The WhatUKThinks website’s average of the last six domestic opinion polls puts the “Remain” camp on 51 percent and the “Leave” campaign on 49 percent, but bookmakers still have “Remain” as strong favourite.

    (AFP)

  • SWAMY FIRES ANOTHER SALVO AT RAJAN

    SWAMY FIRES ANOTHER SALVO AT RAJAN

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Firing yet another salvo at RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on June 9 alleged that the former IMF chief economist had planted “a time bomb” in the Indian financial system that will explode in December.

    Swamy, who had last month written twice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking ouster of Rajan for keeping interest rate high, took to Twitter to criticise the Governor.

    “R3 (Raghuram Rajan) planted a time bomb in our financial system in 2013. It is timed for December 2016. The redeemable USD 24 billion in f.e. to be paid out by banks,” he tweeted.

    He did not specify further. The ‘f.e’ in the tweet apparently refers to foreign exchange.

    There was no immediate response to the query sent to RBI spokesperson Alpana Killawala in this regard.

    On May 26, Swamy had levelled six allegations against Rajan, including that of sending confidential and sensitive financial information around the world, and asked the Prime Minister to sack him immediately.

    Prior to that, Swamy had claimed that Rajan was “mentally not fully Indian” and alleged that he has “wilfully” wrecked the economy.

    On Swamy’s earlier comment, Rajan yesterday said, “There are certain allegations which are fundamentally wrong and baseless and addressing them would amount to giving them legitimacy.” He further said: “I think when you think about Indianness, when you think about love for your country, it’s a very complicated thing. For every person, there is a different way that you show respect for your country… my mother-in-law will say karmayogi is the way to go — do your work.” The Governor clarified that he “welcomes genuine criticism of our policy, but will not address ad hominem attacks” or allegations against him as an individual instead of the policies and the position he holds.

  • Poll panel refuses to cancel Rajya Sabha polls in Karnataka

    Poll panel refuses to cancel Rajya Sabha polls in Karnataka

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Election Commission of India on Thursday decided against countermanding Rajya Sabha polls in Karnataka on the ground that the sting videos did not present enough evidence to support the charges of bribery. Polls for the four seats will be held, as scheduled, on Saturday.

    The poll panel, however, ordered that the Returning Officer file an FIR against Independent MLA Mallikarjuna Khuba under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for openly demanding money for his vote. It will also write to the central government to initiate a CBI probe into the matter “so that all those who may be involved in such nefarious activities are exposed and duly punished under the law”.

    On Thursday evening, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and his colleague A K Joti met to review the factual report sent by the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer on the sting videos that purportedly showed some MLAs of JD(S), Congress and a few Independent legislators, including Khuba, being offered bribes for their votes. The two top officers, however, were not convinced about revoking the elections in the state.

    Fresh Update | Rajya Sabha elections underway, all eyes on UP and Karnataka

    Voting for Rajya Sabha biennial began on Saturday, June 11, morning as 27 Upper House seats from seven states went to elections.

    Altogether, 58 RS seats fell vacant from 16 states over the past two months. Of these seats, 31 candidates have already won unopposed and their results will be formally announced, along with the 27 seats.

  • CBI questions Himachal CM in assets case

    CBI questions Himachal CM in assets case

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was on June 9 questioned by the CBI in connection with allegations of acquiring wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

    Singh (81) appeared before the investigators in the morning, official sources said.

    The probe against the Himachal chief minister and his family was initiated following allegations against him during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister between 2009 and 2011.

    After Singh’s questioning, sources said the CBI has a fool-proof case against him and his associates on how they acquired assets in the name of wife and children of the chief minister.

    Sources said Singh denied any involvement and investigators are now planning to soon examine those named in the FIR.

    According to the FIR, Singh had accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his family members which were found to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.

    The FIR filed with a designated court in Delhi under the Prevention of Corruption Act named Singh, wife Pratibha, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and Chunni Lal Chauhan. CBI had claimed that Singh had invested his unaccounted income in LIC policies in his name and in the name of his wife and other family members through a private person by showing the same as agricultural income. “This was done by creation of a MoU purportedly dated June 15, 2008, for maintenance of an apple orchard, with the said private person (Chauhan) for a period of three years. The private person had allegedly deposited Rs five crore cash (approx) in his own bank account and debited the same through cheques for purchasing various LIC policies in their names,” the CBI had said. In March, the ED attached assets of Singh worth Rs 7.93 crore, including a flat in a posh locality here, in connection with a money laundering case. The ED had filed a money laundering case on the basis of a CBI FIR.

  • SWAMINARAYAN IDOL IN RSS DRESS AT SURAT SCHOOL KICKS UP ROW

    SWAMINARAYAN IDOL IN RSS DRESS AT SURAT SCHOOL KICKS UP ROW

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): A controversy has erupted after a Surat-based temple dressed up the idol of Lord Swaminarayan in RSS uniform with Congress terming it as very unfortunate.

    The issue came to light after a picture, in which Lord Swaminarayan can be seen donning the Sangh outfit –white shirt tucked into a baggy khaki shorts with black cap and black shoes on — went viral on social media platforms last evening. The idol is also seen holding the national flag in one hand.

    According to Swami Vishwaprakashji of the temple, which is situated in Laskana area of Surat, the dress was gifted by a local devotee a few days back.

    “We have a common practice of presenting the God’s idol in various dresses. This RSS uniform was given to us by a devotee. We do not have any other agenda. We did not know that it will create a controversy,” Vishwaprakashji said.

    Even as the temple authorities denied having any intention of endorsing the views of the right-wing organisation, Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela said temple authorities must refrain from such activities.

    “What do you want to prove by dressing up the God in khaki shorts? I pity those who have done that. Today, you have dressed the Lord in RSS uniform, tomorrow you will dress the idol in BJP’s uniform. This is very unfortunate,” Vaghela said.

    Gujarat BJP chief Vijay Rupani also said that it should not have been done. “I am really surprised. If at all it was done, I don’t approve of it,” he said.

  • MINISTERS LOCK HORNS OVER CULLING

    MINISTERS LOCK HORNS OVER CULLING

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on June 9 hit out at the Environment Ministry for allowing state governments to kill animals.

    Defending his ministry, Prakash Javadekar said, “Such permissions are given on the request of the state governments to protect crops.”

    Inspector General (Wildlife) S K Khanduri has issued a statement that no permission was given “to kill either deer, peacock or elephants”.

    The outburst, which is seen as an embarrassment to the Narendra Modi government, comes after 200 blue bulls (nilgai) were culled in Bihar in the last six days.

    However, Maneka, who is Women and Child Development Minister, charged that the Centre permitted the killing of nilgai in Bihar, elephants in West Bengal, monkeys in Himachal Pradesh, peacocks in Goa and wild boars in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, despite the respective wildlife departments saying they do not wish to kill animals.

    Maneka Gandhi
    Maneka Gandhi

    Maneka, who surprisingly did not criticise the states, described the mass shooting of the blue bulls as the “biggest-ever massacre” born out of “lust” for killing in the Environment Ministry. To defuse the controversy generated by Maneka, an animal rights activists, Khanduri pointed out that there are many complaints from MPs, people’s representatives, state governments and farmers about their crops being heavily damaged in certain parts of the country.

  • India set to be in missile regime, thanks to Italy

    India set to be in missile regime, thanks to Italy

    NEW DELHI (TIP): If New Delhi went past the last hurdle in its bid to get into the Missile Technology Control Regime, it was largely due to recent upturn in India-Italy ties.

    Italy has been lobbying against India’s bid to enter the MTCR over the past several months. Rome’s relations with New Delhi had turned sour over the past four years following arrest of two Italian marines in India. This came in the way of India’s bid to win support of Italy for admission into the MTCR, which controls global trade in missiles and missile technology.

    The MTCR had set June 7 as the deadline for its members to formally submit its objections to proposed admission of India.

    But amid recent signs of a thaw between India and Italy, Rome chose not to formally convey its objection to the French government, which has been serving as a point-of-contact for the MTCR since its inception.

    The MTCR is one of the four export control regimes India has been trying to enter ever since it inked the civil nuclear cooperation agreement with US in 2008, the others being Nuclear Suppliers Group, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group.

    India on May 12 last applied for membership of the NSG, but is facing strong opposition from China. The NSG controls global nuclear trade.

    That China is not a member of the MTCR also made India’s entry to the cartel easier, compared to its move for an NSG berth.

    India, however, is yet to seek membership of the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group, which too did not include China.

    The Wassenaar Arrangement controls global commerce of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies, while the Australian Group governs international trade of materials used to make chemical and biological weapons.

    As the deadline passed on Tuesday without any formal objection from any of the MTCR’s 34 members, India’s entry to the cartel now appears to be a fait accompli.

    The breakthrough came just 10 days after Italian Navy sergeant Salvatore Girone returned home. Girone and his colleague Massimiliano Latorre were arrested four years back for killing two fishermen of Kerala off the southern coast of India on February 12, 2012. The Supreme Court eased the bail conditions of Girone, who was staying in Italian Embassy in New Delhi, and allowed him to go home after noting that the government of India had no objection to the relaxation.

  • CBI forms SIT to speed up Mallya, Agusta probes

    CBI forms SIT to speed up Mallya, Agusta probes

    NEW DELHI (TIP): CBI has formed a Special Investigation Team under Gujarat-cadre 1984-batch IPS officer Rakesh Asthana – presently posted as additional director in the agency – to further probe the Rs 3,546-crore VIP chopper scam, Vijay Mallya case and a few other corruption cases.

    The development comes even as CBI is preparing to summon some senior IAF and defence ministry officials whose names were mentioned in the bribery note of European middleman Christian Michel. Sources also told TOI that “bank accounts of some of the accused named in the FIR have also been frozen during the probe”.

    Asthana had earned the praise of then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the probe into serial blasts in Baroda, Surat and Ahmedabad in 2008. He was also associated with the investigations in Sabarmati Express train blast at Godhra in February 2002.

    Along with Asthana, officers Ashwini Chand and Sai Manohar of CBI are part of the SIT to expedite the crucial probes. “The SIT has been formed to focus on quickly probing the national and international chapter of these cases as huge amounts are involved,” said an officer.

    The development is significant as MoD had shared with CBI details of officials who handled AgustaWestland contract between 2005 and 2013. Some of the officials mentioned in the alleged “bribery” note presently hold important posts in government and constitutional bodies. CBI is in the process of identifying the beneficiaries of bribe money from the Anglo-Italian firm, which was routed to India through a web of companies, and SIT will take it forward, said a source. The alleged note, dictated by Michel and written by another European middleman Guido Haschke, described how “bribe money” of 30 million euros was to be distributed among bureaucrats, politicians and IAF officials. Apart from defence officials, the ED has also started a probe into references made under the heads “BUR” (bureaucrats) and “POL” (politicians) in the note, which is

  • Essence of Ramadan may be traceable in your faith

    Essence of Ramadan may be traceable in your faith

    Whether you are an Atheist, Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Native American, Pagan, Shinto, Sikh, Wicca, and Zoroastrian or from any other tradition, you may feel a sense of connection with the spirit of Ramadan.

    God is a word for the cause that creates, sustains and recycles this universe, and belongs to all that exists and is not the exclusive dominion of anyone. No matter how and what name you call upon him – he (she or it) cannot be a different causer for each one of us.

    The physical aspect of human journey from the sperm and an egg stage through the death is programmed precisely. The formula is same for all of humanity. There is no such thing as a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or other gene.

    Regardless of what is being said about origins in terms of evolution, creation or the big bang, the undeniable fact is our existence, and we have to figure out how to live with each other. When the universe came into being, two main products of the process were Matter and Life. While the matter is programmed to be in self-balance and functions precisely for which it is designed, like the Sun, Jupiter, Earth or the Moon playing its part, the (human) life on the other hand was not programmed; we were given complete freedom, guidance and intelligence to create our own balance for survival.

    A balanced society is where every one of us functions cohesively in small parcels of this big World Wide Web. It is sustained by respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us. If we mess with the web, we mess with ourselves ultimately. If we mess with the environmental balance we will pay for it, just as we bear the loss of health if we mess with what we eat, drink and smoke. There is a consequence for imbalance.

    Birth of Religion We lose the balance if we don’t trust and lie to each other, rob the other, and not keep the promises we make to fellow beings. This is when religion appears; it is the love of the creator for his creation, just as a mother loves her children – someone among us will rise and restore that balance. Didn’t Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and other masters restore the righteousness and balance in the society? I hope you can relate with this thought in your own scriptures and legends.

    An identical spiritual wisdom emerges in different parts of the world simultaneously; the greatest example would be how mothers figure out what to do with their crying babies in the jungles of Amazon or the high society in London.

    Indeed, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and as a corollary I would say, faith is in the heart of the believer, and every religion is dear to its believer.

    Religion is about love for fellow beings, a majority of us in every religion get that right but for a few, who keep messing up the cohesiveness of the society. Those few are not an identifiable group, but the infraction in each one of us when we become biased towards the others. Religion is never the problem; it is the individuals who don’t get their religion right are the problem.

    Ramadan and you From the moment we are born to the last rites of our life, and every moment in between is laden with rituals, even though some of us may deny it. Whether we go to the gym, eat, sleep, wear clothes, drive or talk on the phone, we follow rituals.

    Rituals signify the milestones of our daily life. Every significant moment of the day is a ritual. It is an unwritten way of measuring our progression, a memory pattern to bring discipline to our actions.

    Discipline is necessary to do things on time, manage personal relationships, drive to a destination or keep within budget. The result of disciplined behavior is worthwhile for most people. When we are joyous, whether we are a theist or not, we have to express that sentiment, otherwise a sense of incompleteness lingers in our hearts.

    The spiritual masters have captured the human gravity towards rituals and have molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective religions. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our lives and a balance with our environment.

    Every faith is composed of a set of unique rituals to bring discipline and peace to human life. Fasting is one of the five key rituals that Muslims around the world observe.

    Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is generally observed with a ritual precision; it is an annual training or a refresher. It requires one to abstain from food, drink, intimacy, ill-will, ill-talk, ill-actions and other temptations from dawn to dusk, every day for a month. One has to rise above his or her baser desires. Islam gifts this month to its followers to inculcate discipline to bring moderation to their daily lives. Twenty five hundred years ago, Buddha, the enlightened one taught that human suffering is caused by unrestrained desire to possess and had recommended a middle path, and the same recommendation was made by Prophet Muhammad fourteen hundred years ago.

    Although Ramadan is popularly known in the west for its culinary delicacies and fancy iftars (ceremonial breaking of fast at sun down), the spirit and intent of Ramadan lies in a human transformation in a month-long inner spiritual journey of finding oneself in tune with spirituality.

    Hindus can see that transformation in nine days of fasting during Navaratri, the Jains in 8-10 days of fasting during Paryushan, Christians during 40 days of lent, Jews for 7 days around Yom Kippur; likewise, you find fasting is a way of life in most traditions.

    God has no need for the hunger or thirst of someone who hurts others, violates their dignity or usurps their rights, said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The fasting of the stomach must be matched by the fasting of the limbs. The eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet all have their respective fasts to undergo. The tongue’s temptations, for example -lies, backbiting, slander, vulgarity and senseless argumentation – must be challenged and curbed to maintain the integrity of the fast.

    Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine. That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas or Dussehra goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.

    True fasting is self-purification; and from this comes a rich inner life that bring about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy – values that are indispensable for the success of the community.

    Knowing about hunger is different from knowing hunger. Empathy is not an intellectual equation; it is a human experience. Our hardness of heart often springs from our distance from the human condition of others. The poor, sick, disenfranchised, oppressed – we rarely walk a mile in their shoes, not even a few steps. “Rest assured,” cautioned one teacher, “if you do not taste what it feels like to be hungry, you will not care for those who are.”

    Ramadan will come and go with such stealth that we cannot but be reminded of our mortality. What is it that we value and why? Habits, customs, even obsessive behavior like smoking can be curtailed with relative ease in the face of a higher calling.

    For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others. Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other faiths. More about Ramadan at www.Ramadanexclusive.com

    What can you do? Unless we connect with fellow humans, and unless they can relate with us, our faith, philosophy and traditions, we will remain disconnected with the society.

    This article is about understanding and developing a sense of shared destiny of humanity to create cohesive societies where no human has to feel alienated from others. It is based on Quran’s wisdom in 49:13.

    You may disagree with a few premises, and I invite you to counter them, so together we can develop better understanding to live and let others live.

    I hope you would like this, and if you do, please share it with your Non-Muslim and Muslim friends. We at America Together Foundation are committed to finding solutions through patience, kindness and education. Our goal is to learn about each other and work on mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.

    I hope you want the good message to reach out to a maximum number of people, particularly non-Muslims, that’s who we focus on.

    Let the spirit of Ramadan develop an understanding and respect for each one of God’s creation – that is all of us. Ramadan Mubarak!

    (The author is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, Interfaith Wedding officiant, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine, motivation, and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. www.TheGhousediary.com is all about his writings)

  • South Korea sends military vessels to repel Chinese boats

    South Korea sends military vessels to repel Chinese boats

    SEOUL (TIP): South Korean military vessels have begun an operation to repel Chinese fishing boats illegally harvesting prized blue crabs from an area near Seoul’s disputed sea boundary with North Korea.

    South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that four naval and marine boats are in neutral waters around Ganghwa island for an operation approved by the United Nations Command that governs the zone.

    The operation comes days after South Korean fishermen towed away two Chinese fishing boats catching crabs south of the sea boundary with North Korea and handed them over to local South Korean authorities. North Korea said in response that South Korean fishing and naval vessels had invaded their territory.

    Seoul has called for Beijing to employ tougher measures against Chinese boats illegally fishing in South Korea-controlled waters.

    (AP)

  • ISIS has a ‘kill list’ with 8,318 assassination targets, report says

    ISIS has a ‘kill list’ with 8,318 assassination targets, report says

    LONDON (TIP): A pro-ISIS “hacking” group calling itself the United Cyber Caliphate distributed its latest “kill” list this week. The group claims the list includes names, addresses, and email addresses belonging to 8,318 people, making it one of the longest target lists ISIS-affiliated groups have distributed.

    The “kill list” includes names of Canadians, Australians and Europeans, a British media report said on June 9.

    It urged its supporters to “follow” those listed — and “kill them strongly to take revenge for Muslims”, Daily Mirror reported.

    It is one of the longest kill lists any ISIS-affiliated group has distributed to date and reportedly includes the names of 7,848 Americans, 312 Canadians, 39 Britons and 69 Australians.

    The rest of the targets listed are reported to be from a variety of nations including Belgium, Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, South Korea and Sweden.

    They are mostly military or government workers or people in the public eye, like royalty or celebrities.

    The list, written in both English and Arabic, was uncovered by the media group Vocativ , which specializes in investigating the hidden side of the web.

    It discovered it on a messaging app service called Telegram earlier this week.

    (PTI)

  • ISIS nuclear attack in Europe is a real threat, say experts

    ISIS nuclear attack in Europe is a real threat, say experts

    LONDON (TIP): The threat of a terrorist attack using nuclear material is the highest since the end of the Cold War, with ISIS actively trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, according to a leading international think-tank on proliferation.

    “ISIS has already carried out numerous chemical weapons attacks in Syria; we know it wants to go further by carrying out a nuclear attack in the heart of Europe. This, combined with poor levels of security at a host of nuclear research centres in the former Soviet Union mean the threat of a possible ‘dirty-bomb’ attack on a Western capital is high,” said Moshe Kantor, the president of the International Luxembourg Forum.

    The warning from the organisation, whose members include former government ministers and senior officials from Russia and the West, comes amid deep apprehension that jihadists will attempt to carry out atrocities during the impending Euro 2016 football championship in France. The forum is not suggesting that a terrorist nuclear attack is likely to take place during the tournament, but Dr Kantor pointed out that the Islamist cell which carried out the Brussels attacks two months ago were believed to be monitoring workers and security arrangements at a Belgian nuclear facility.

    “Their previous documented attempts to gain access to a nuclear power station in Belgium are evidence of their intent,” he stated at an international conference in Amsterdam. “The terrorists don’t necessarily have to use a ‘dirty bomb’. We are not just talking about stolen nuclear material, using conventional explosives in a nuclear plant, such as smuggling in a bomb, would have catastrophic consequences.”

  • Yoga -a spiritual experience

    Yoga -a spiritual experience

    In the East, as well as in the West, there tend to be two rather different approaches to spirituality – that of the scholar and that of the practitioner. The scholar tends to be abstract, and studies world religions as one might study bugs or rocks or fossils – merely another field for the detached intellect. The idea of actually practicing a spiritual or contemplative discipline rarely seems to dawn on the scholar. Indeed, to practice what one is studying is held to interfere with one’s “objectivity”- one has become a believer and therefore nonobjective.

    Practitioners, on the other hand, although admirably engaged in an actual discipline, tend to be very uninformed about all the various facets of their tradition. They may be naive about the cultural trappings of their particular path, or about its actual historical origins, or about how much of their path is essential truth and how much is simply cultural baggage.

    The essence of Yoga is very simple: It means yoking or joining. When Jesus said, “My yoke is easy,” he meant “My Yoga is easy.” Whether East or West, Yoga is the technique of joining or uniting the individual soul with absolute Spirit. It is a means of liberation. And it is therefore fiery, hot, intense, ecstatic. It will take you far beyond yourself; some say it will take you to infinity.

    YogaYoga is like an ancient river with countless rapids, eddies, loops, tributaries, and backwaters, extending over a vast, colorful terrain of many different habitats. In this volume I have provided a bird’s-eye view, giving the reader the broader picture and, I hope, a deeper appreciation of the inviting waters of Yoga and of the checkered cultural landscape through which the river of Yoga has flowed in the course of its millennia-long development. Occasionally, however, I have zeroed in on a particularly relevant feature, exploring it as space and available sources permitted.

    Our last glance fell on the riverine current of Hatha-Yoga, that aspect of Tantrism which seeks to accomplish both spiritual enlightenment and bodily immortality. It is this branch of the meandering river of Yoga that carries us to the ocean, the world beyond India. For Yoga has definitely come West. There are today millions of Hatha-Yoga practitioners around the world who benefit from this age-old technology of bodily wholeness and personal growth. There are also millions of practitioners of meditation. They enjoy glimpses of the secrets of consciousness and its astonishing capacity to lift itself up by its own bootstraps-that is, to go beyond its own conditioning.

    Yet, only a few people deeply and consistently commit themselves to exploring the intricate psychotechnology of the various branches of the Yoga tradition. It is they who are discovering that consciousness, the human body-mind, is a well-equipped laboratory in which can be found, through ecstatic self-transcendence, the philosopher’s stone – the alchemical elixir of enlightenment. Admittedly, not everyone is able to follow their example.

    YogaNonetheless, the tradition of Yoga, for which there are still representative masters to be found, offers a wonderful opportunity to delve into the psychic and spiritual” dimensions that our postindustrial civilization has tended to neglect and even shun. We can study the scriptures of Yoga, both ancient and modern, and allow their esoteric knowledge and wisdom to enrich our understanding of human nature. With guidance, we can even try to verify in our own person some of the claims made by Yoga authorities past and present. This should, of course, never be a matter of merely imitating the East, but we can learn from its triumphs and its failures.

    Certainly, Yoga deserves far more careful attention from scientists than it has so far been granted. Our modern Western civilization, which now exerts a strong influence in all reaches of the globe, is in desperate need of a psychotechnology that can counterbalance the baneful effects of the excesses of scientific technology and the deficient consciousness that created and developed it. Scientists, who are after all committed to under-standing reality, have a special obligation to explore the great intuitions of the spiritual traditions of the East, which vigorously challenge the current scientific view of the world.

    The limitations of the materialistic paradigm have become increasingly apparent in the course of the twentieth century. More and more scientists are less and less certain of what it is they are trying to observe, measure, describe, and comprehend. This newly won virtue of uncertainty is a possible open door to a more spacious worldview that also accommodates the psychospiritual aspects of existence. The insights and findings of India’s spiritual traditions, painstakingly gathered over many millennia, can give us a glimpse of what we are likely to find on the other side of the door once present scientific dogmas have been transcended.

    Practitioners of such a reformed science will then truly be able to sift reality from fiction, and creative imagination (mythology) from mere wishful thinking. They will also be in a position to create the new language that is undoubtedly necessary to describe what they will encounter. Above all, they will learn to stand again in awe of the great Mystery of existence and be humbled and transformed by it. This challenge of the spirit confronts us all, and today it confronts us more pressingly than ever before in human history.

    Collectively and individually we will definitely have to find our own answers – our own Yoga.