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VOL 7 ISSUE 42 ● DALLAS ● OCT 25 - 31, 2019 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458

We Wish Readers Happy Diwali & Bandi Chhor Divas

Will bring out a profusely illustratedspecial edition to mark the

550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the First Master of

the Sikhs, on November 8. Articles and advertisements

for thespecial commemorative editionare invited.

Please email articles by November 1 tosalujaindra@gmail.com.

Advertisers are requested to bookspaceby October 30 and emailcreatives by

November 3 tosalujaindraindra@gmail.com.For more information, visit

www.theindianpanorama.newsEmail to: salujaindra@gmail.com.

Call 646-247-9458.

Indian American Appointedto Arkansas Kidney

Disease Commission

ARKANSAS (TIP): ArkansasGovernor Asa Hutchinson Oct 23announced the appointment of Dr.Prajwal Chevireddy, Little Rock, to theState Kidney Disease Commission.

Dr. Prajwal Chevireddy, MD is adoctor primarily located in Stuttgart,AR, with another office in Little Rock,AR. They have 18 years of experience.Their specialties include InternalMedicine and Nephrology. Dr.Chevireddy graduated from theUniversity of Arkansas For MedicalSciences College of Medicine in 2001.Dr. Chevireddy works in Stuttgart, ARand 3 other locations and specializes in

contd on Page 20

Assembly Elections, By Elections to LokSabha: Congress shows signs of Recovery BJP-Shiv Sena alliance wins in Maharashtra; Haryana ends up with hung Assembly

MUMBAI / CHANDIGARH (TIP):

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance onThursday, October 24, managed to retaincontrol of the Maharashtra Assembly,but with a reduced mandate. Thealliance suffered losses in Vidarbha andwestern Maharashtra, with nineMinisters losing in the election.

With reduced numbers, the BJP willnow be dependent on the Sena to formthe government. Upping the ante, Senachief Uddhav Thackeray, speaking at apress conference after the results, said itwas time to implement the 50-50 formulafor power-sharing, as decided earlier.

The BJP also lost the Lok Sabha by pollin Satara, where it had fielded the

incumbent Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) MP Udayanraje Bhosale after heswitched sides.

Proving all exit polls wrong, theopposition Congress-NCP combine

crossed the 100-seat mark riding an anti-incumbency wave in the rural belt of theState. In absolute numbers, the BJP-Senatally fell by 29 seats while the Congress-

contd on Page 20

Generals all. Sharad Pawar, Devendra Phadnavis, Manohar Lal Khattar, Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Canadians Give JustinTrudeau's Liberal Party

Narrow Victory

MONTREAL (TIP): JustinTrudeau's Liberal Party has won butlost majority. Trudeau came out on topin a mess of an election, taking 157seats, a wide stretch ahead of theConservative Party's 121. Rounding outa diverse Parliament were the separatistBloc Québécois with 32, the left-wing

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'Will play constructive rolein govt formation': Jagmeet

Singh, NDP leader

OTTAWA (TIP): Indian-originCanadian politician Jagmeet Singh,who has emerged as the "kingmaker"after the general election, on Tuesday,October 22 promised that his NewDemocratic Party would be"constructive" in the formation of thenew minority government by PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau and wouldapproach the issue with "open mindsand an open heart". As Trudeaureturned to the nation's capital onTuesday to begin planning for hissecond term, his Liberal Party

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Indian American BernardArulanandam Named

Vice President forResearch, Economic

Development & Knowledge Enterprise

at UTSA

SAN ANTONIO (TIP): TheUniversity of Texas at San Antoniolast week announced the selection ofimmunologist Bernard Arulanandamto serve as its vice president forresearch, economic development andknowledge enterprise. Arulanandam,the Jane and Roland BlumbergProfessor in Biology at UTSA and theuniversity's current interim vicepresident for research, is a recognizedscholar and researcher, most recentlyelected to the National Academy ofInventors in 2018.

Reporting directly to PresidentTaylor Eighmy, Arulanandam willcultivate the university's researchpartnerships, shape UTSA's researchoperations, commercializationactivities and centers and institutes,and more fully integrate theuniversity's economic developmentinitiatives into the knowledgeenterprise to guide UTSA inachieving its 10-year strategic plan.That plan includes earning NationalResearch University Fund eligibilityand achieving an R1 (highest researchactivity) designation from theCarnegie Commission on HigherEducation. Arulanandam joined theUTSA faculty in 2001.

contd on Page 20

NationalDemocratic

leaderJagmeet

Singh

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and wife SophieGregoire Trudeau wave as they go on stage

at Liberal election headquarters in Montreal,Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. Photo / Courtesy

The Canadian Press - Paul Chiasson

Arulanandam, the Janeand Roland BlumbergProfessor in Biology at

UTSA and theuniversity's current

interim vice presidentfor research, is a

recognized scholar andresearcher

Indian American Sanjay Narayan Appointedto Texas Radiation Advisory Board

DALLAS , TX (TIP): TexasGovernor Greg Abbott hasappointed Indian AmericanSanjay Narayan to the TexasRadiation Advisory Board for aterm set to expire April 16, 2021.Additionally, he has anotherIndian American DarshanSachde for terms set to expire

on April 16, 2025. The boardadvises the state on radiationissues and reviews the rules,policies and programs of stateagencies that regulateradiation.

Sanjay Narayan of Dallas isan attorney at LoewinsohnFlegle Deary Simon LLP. He is a

member of the Texas State Bar,New York State Bar, TheFederalist Society, and theSouth Asian LawyersAssociation. Additionally, he isa member of the DukeUniversity Alumni Associationand the University of

contd on Page 20

Dr. Chevireddyis affiliatedwith Baptist

Health MedicalCenter

Arkadelphia

Sanjay Narayan of Dallas isan attorney at Loewinsohn

Flegle Deary Simon LLP

2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019DIWALI SPECIAL

Diwali is celebrated across India and the world bythe Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists.Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light

over darkness, good over evil and knowledge overignorance." Per Hindu epic Ramayana, it is believedthat on this day, Lord Rama returned from 14-year exileperiod along with brother Lakhsman and wife Sita afterkilling demon king Ravana in Lanka. The day whenRavana was killed is celebrated as Dussehra in Indiaand 10 days later, the auspicious festival of Diwali iscelebrated. As it is the day of Amavasya or new moon,homes are lit up in the dark night. On this day, LakshmiPujan is also performed to pay tribute to the ancestors.Devotees keep day-long fast and break it after Puja inthe evening. Diwali is a public holiday. Day beforeDiwali is chhoti Diwali, which is celebrated a day afterDhanteras. It is also called Naraka Chaturdash.

The Origin of Diwali Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back

to ancient India, when it was probably an importantharvest festival. However, there are various legendspointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Somebelieve it to be the celebration of the marriage ofLakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal thefestival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, thedark goddess of strength.

Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbolof auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped inmost Hindu homes on this day.

In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance tothe great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternalbliss of nirvana.

The return of Lord RamaDiwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama

along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen yearlong exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. Injoyous celebration of the return of their king, thepeople of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminatedthe kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burstcrackers. These Four Days Each day of Diwali has itsown tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of thefestival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing ofthe demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wifeSatyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali,marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealthin her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes ofher devotees.

The story of Lord VishnuAmavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in

his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, andbanished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return toearth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel thedarkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance oflove and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali -Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell andrules the earth according to the boon given by LordVishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya(also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invitetheir brothers to their homes. Lights & Firecrackers

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significanceand a story to tell. The illumination of homes withlights and the skies with firecrackers is anexpression of obeisance to the heavens for the

attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peaceand prosperity.

According to one belief, the sound offire-crackers are an indication of the joy ofthe people living on earth, making the

gods aware of their plentiful state.Still another possible reason has amore scientific basis: the fumes

produced by the crackers kill a lotof insects and mosquitoes, found inplenty after the rains.The tradition of gambling on Diwali

also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on thisday, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband LordShiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled onDiwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing

year. Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity inmany ways, and the festival of 'Dhanteras' ('dhan' =wealth; 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days before thefestival of lights.

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies thesignificance of the victory of good over evil; and it iswith each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate ourhomes and hearts, that this simple truth finds newreason and hope.

From darkness unto light - the light that empowersus to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which bringsus closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminateevery corner of India and the scent of incense stickshangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali iscelebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is morethan a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asianidentities.

If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali,light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw thesenses, concentrate on this supreme light andilluminate the soul.

THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

3THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 DIWALI SPECIAL

Diwali or Deepawali is a festivalthat goes beyond cultures andreligions.Marking the triumph of

good over evil and light over darkness,this festival of lights embraces andengulfs everyone in its jollity.

The houses are cleaned and decoratedwith colourful earthen lamps, candlesand lanterns. Floors are decorated withbeautiful and intricate rangoli designs.Gifts are bought for near and dear onesand people perform pujas for goddessLakshmi and lord Ganesha with absolutedevotion. But what makes Diwali trulyspecial is the fact that this glitteringfestival is a part of a five-day longcelebration that begins with Dhanterasand ends with Bhai Dooj.

Dhanteras (Oct 25)"Dhanteras", is one of the famous

festivals of India. It is an important partof Diwali celebration. It is a first day offive day celebration of Diwali festival.This auspicious day is also observed asDhantrayodashi o or Dhanvantri Jayanti(the birth anniversary of God ofAyurveda. The word "Dhana" signifiesmoney or wealth and "Teras" meansthirteenth day as per the Hindu calendar.The festival of "Dhanteras" falls in theHindu calendar month of "Kartik" (Oct-Nov) on the 13th lunar day of KrishnaPaksha (dark fortnight). This auspiciousday is celebrated two days before of thefestival of lights "Diwali".

Dhanteras is associated with wealthand prosperity. On this auspicious daypeople buy precious metals gold andsilver ornaments and utensils toenhance the household prosperity. Itholds special significance for thebusiness community. All the newpurchases are dedicated to goddessLakshmi and lord Kubera. Markets andmalls becomes a hectic place of activity.Getting and gifting are also an importantritual during this day. Puja is performedin the evening. Lamps are lit and placedat the entrance to welcome goddessLakshmi for providing prosperity andwell beings and to drive away the shadowof evil spirits. In the many parts of southIndia, there is a tradition of cows andcattle are worshiped by the farmers.

Chhoti DiwaliThe day between Dhanteras and

Diwali is celebrated as Chhoti Diwali. Itis also known is Naraka Chaturdasi andRoop Chaturdashi. With the festival oflights being just a day away, the streetsand homes are already seen twinklingwith fairy lights in a display of grandeur.According to Hindu mythology, on this

day, Lord Krishna had defeated a demonking, Narakasur, who was the ruler ofPragjoytoshpur and had imprisoned16,000 daughters of gods. Lord Krishnadestroyed the demon king, freed all thecaptive princesses and returned homevictorious, and thus this day iscommemorated to mark his triumphover the devil.

Diwali/DeepawaliThe third day is the day of the main

festival, Diwali. Goddess Lakshmi andLord Ganesha are worshipped in theevening during a subh muhrut(auspicious time), and proper aartis andbhajans are recited. It is believed thatgoddess Lakshmi enters homes andblesses devotees with good fortune andwealth on this day. People light diyas andcandles and decorate their homes withfairy lights. After worshipping the gods,people visit their neighbours andrelatives to exchange sweets and gifts.

Govardhan Puja or PadvaThe fourth day is widely celebrated as

Govardhan Puja in the northern states ofIndia. It is believed that Lord Krishnadefeated Indra by lifting the GovardhanMountain. On this day, people make asmall mound, usually of cow dung, andworship it. In the western states of India,this day marks the New Year as per theircalendar and is celebrated as Bestu Varas.

Bhai Dooj

The fifth and last day of the festivitiesis the Rakhsabandhan-equivalent forsisters, and is known as Bhai Dooj. Onthis day, brothers visit their sisters andperform a 'tilak' ceremony. In thisceremony, a 'teeka' of rice and vermilion

is applied on the brother's forehead,which is followed by aarti. Sisters prayfor their brother's long lives while theypromise to protect their sisters.

Bhai Dooj marks the end of thecelebration of pure joy, radiance andlights--a festival that is celebrated withhuge pomp and show across India.

FIVE FESTIVE DAYS OF DIWALI

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019DIWALI SPECIAL

DIWALI CELEBRATIONSAROUND THE WORLD

Diwali is a pan India festival. It iscelebrated by Hindus, Muslims,Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and every

other religion existing in India, this isthe most secular of all festivals, whenpeople of every religion come together,forgetting their differences of culture,and bond to magnify the essence of unityin diversity. The celebration of Diwaliacross the communities in India isspectacular and Diwali indeed dispelsthe darkness of ignorance every yearwhen people, irrespective of their caste,creed, economic background, and age,come to together and celebrate it withgreat fervor.

UNIQUE CELEBRATIONS In West Bengal Diwali is celebrated

to mark the killing of Shumbh andNishumbh, the two evil demonkings by Ma Kali ( A form ofGoddess Shakti). There are alsopujas conducted by Agambagish,the most revered Tantriks (Priestswho apply cosmic sciences with aview to attaining spiritualascendancy).

In Tamil Nadu, it is believed thatanyone who takes an oil bath on thisday will earn the credit of taking adip in the Holy Ganges; People greeteach other with the words “GangaSnanam Aacha”.

In Sindh, Diwali is known as Diyariand the Sindhis wash gold andsilver coins in milk and then tap iton the teeth chanting “ LakshmiAayi, Danat Vaai”, meaning withthe arrival of Lakshmi poverty hasgone away.

In North India, Bali Pratipada isobserved on the third day of Diwali.It is believed that Lord Vishnu inhis incarnation as Vamana hadbanished the demon king Bali ( thegrandson of Prahalad) to the netherworld. However pleased with Bali’sdevotion towards Him, LordVishnu allowed Bali to visit theworld once a year which is on thethird day of Diwali.

In Odisha Diwali is celebrated asKauriya Kathi when the peopleburn jute sticks to help theancestors, residing in heaven,descend to earth for a day on Diwali.

For the Jains, Diwali marks theanniversary of the liberation ofMahaveera, the 24th and lastTirthankara of the present cosmicage as per Jainism.

Diwali is a very important occasionfor the Sikhs, for it is believed that itwas during this time that GuruHargobind Ji was released in 1619AD from the Gwalior fort alongwith 52 other Kings. The Sikhscelebrate Diwali as the Bandhi ChorDiwas with great fervor.

Muslims, Christians, Parsis andevery other religion celebrate thisfestival along with the Hindus inIndia and abroad.

DIWALI AROUND THE GLOBEThe growing ethnic and cultural

diversity of the Hindu religion seesDiwali being celebrated across the globe

till places as remote as the South ofAmerica. Guyana, Fiji, Malaysia, Nepal,Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, SriLanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Britain,Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Africa, andAustralia see Diwali being celebratedwith great fanfare. Diwali abroad is moreabout family bonding, reflecting on thedeeds in the past and envisioning afuture devoid of ignorance and full ofpeace and harmony.

Diwali is known as Tihar in Nepal,and just like India, it is a 5-dayfestival full of lights andfirecrackers. The unique feature ofDiwali in Nepal is that on the firstday the crows and ravens areworshipped because it is believedthat the cawing of these birdsbrings in bad luck and feeding andworshipping them will avert the badluck; on the second day dogs are

worshipped to cherish therelationship of love, trust, andloyalty that they share with humanbeings.

The beautiful island of Triolet inMauritius, with a predominantpopulation of Hindus, celebratesDiwali just like in India withfirecrackers, brightly lit homes, andvisiting friends and family.

Singapore’s Little India looksspectacular with festive lights andcolorful arches during Diwali.There are open-air concerts, and aspecial market full of goodies isheld during the week of Diwali.

The small South American countryof Guyana has been celebratingDiwali since 1853 with thetraditional exchange of sweets,visiting family and friends,illuminating the homes withcolorful lights. The unique part ofthe celebrations in Guyana includesthe celebratory motorcades indifferent cities where vehiclesdecked in lights are taken out in aprocession. Thousands of peoplegather to watch the motorcades.

Leicester, England, celebratesDiwali with the switching on of thefestive lights on the main road. Thisstretch of the road is known as theGolden Mile. There are daytimefestivities too with dancing,different kinds of workshops andthe famous 110-foot “ wheel of light”ride.

Ontario in Canada celebratesDiwali from mid-October tillNovember. Brampton, however,celebrates in the most spectacularmanner. A three-day festival is heldin Bramalea City Centre withgastronomic delights, dancecompetitions, and fireworkdisplays.

Bali in Indonesia celebrates Diwalijust like India. There are fireworks,illuminated homes and this time isused to bond with family andfriends.

Malaysia, where one sees aharmonious multi-ethnic mix ofMalays, Hindus constitute 8% ofthe population. The Malaysians callDiwali Hari Diwali and celebratewith great fervor.

Diwali is also celebrated by theIndians in South Africa andTrinidad & Tobago.

USA: Asians rank amongst one ofthe largest immigrant groups inUSA of which, Indians are asubstantial number. Most citieshave a sizeable Indian communityand Diwali is a holiday celebratedwith much enthusiasm. Be it inNew Jersey, Illinois, Texas orCalifornia, temples across citiesusually host a Diwali night that seespriests performing customaryprayers followed by a vegetariancommunal dinner. Bigger cities alsohold a Diwali parade in some parts!Like elsewhere in the world, friendsand family visit each other’s homesand exchange gifts as part of theDiwali celebrations.

Bandi Chhor Divas is an importantcelebration in the Sikhcommunity. Bandi Chhor Divas

literally translates to “prisoner’ releaseday.” Sikhs commemorate this day as theday of liberation for their Sixth GuruHargobind Sahib along with 52 Hindupolitical prisoners detained during thereign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

It coincides with the celebration ofDiwali, the Hindu festival of lights.There’s a public misconception that thetwo celebrations are just the same.Diwali is celebrated by Hindus and hasits own significances while Bandi ChhorDivas is a Sikh holiday commemoratingthe Guru’s release. The only connectionbetween the two holidays is when GuruHargobind was released and traveledback home to Amritsar, he arrivedduring the celebration of Diwali.

Bandi Chhor Divas also honors themartyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh who wasexecuted in 1734 because of his refusal topay religious meeting taxes.

STORY OF GURU HARGOBIND’SDETENTION AND RELEASE

Because of envy and unfoundedaccusations from the emperor’s courtmember Chandu Shah, Jahangir orderedthe torture and execution of Hargobind’sfather Guru Arjan Dev. Hargobindinherited what his father left and tried tobring greatness to his city. GuruHargobind built the Sri Akal TakhatSahib, “ The Throne of Almighty” andhad also managed to strengthen hisarmy. This became a warning signal forMurtaja Khan, Nawab of Lahore, wholied in his report to the emperor sayingHargobind was planning revenge for thedeath of his father.

Upon hearing the report, EmperorJahangir ordered the arrest ofHargobind through Wazir Khan andGuncha Beg. But Wazir Khan wassecretly a follower of the guru so insteadof arresting him, he asked Hargobind togo visit the emperor. During the firstmeeting of Guru Hargobind andEmperor Jahangir, Jahangir wascaptivated by the purity and charm ofthe young guru. The emperor asked theguru which religion was better,Hinduism or Islam. Jahangir wasimpressed with Hargobind’s answer,which was to recite lines from an Indianmystic and poet named Kabir, whosewriting influenced Hinduism. In ahunting expedition, Guru Hargobindsaved the life of Jahangir from a lionattack and this eventually started theirfriendship.

When Jahangir became very ill whilestaying at Agra, Chandu Shah who hatedArjan Dev and Hargobind, tricked theemperor by devising a plan to detain theyoung guru. Shah instructed theastrologers to tell the emperor he wouldonly be healed if a holy man will go andstay at Gwalior Fort and continuouslypray for him. Shah also suggestedHargobind was the only man fit for thetask. The emperor asked Hargobind andcomplied with his request. GuruHargobind discovered that Gwalior Fortwass a prison, but still he complied withthe emperor’s request and prayed forJahangir’s health accompanied by thenoble prisoners. It was unclear as to howlong the guru was detained but he madesignificant improvements in the prisonbecause the fort’s governor was also hisfollower. After some time, GuruHargobind’s followers, headed by BabaBuddha, became concerned about hisdetainment and asked the now healedemperor for his release. It was Sufi saintSai Mian Mir who brokered and

convinced Emperor Jahangir toeventually release the guru fromdetention. But Guru Hargobind had onecondition, he shall be released togetherwith the Rajput princes in detention.Jahangir who was reluctant at first, buteventually agreed with the conditionthat only those who can handle his cloakor chola on his way out can be released.Intelligently, Guru Hargobind devisedthe tailoring of a heavy and long cloakwhich had 52 tails for each prisoner tohold on to. The guru, together with the 52princes, were eventually released. GuruHargobind returned to Amritsar in 1619and was greeted by the Diwali festival.

5THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 DIWALI SPECIAL

BANDI CHHOR DIVAS

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019INDIANS ABROAD

Indian EmeritusProfessor Romilla

Thapar is supportedby American Historical

Association

NEW YORK (TIP): On October 7,American Historical AssociationPresident John McNeill sent a letter toVice Chancellor Mamidala JagadeshKumar of Jawaharlal NehruUniversity in New Delhi to discouragethe university's review of RomilaThapar's status as emeritus professor. .McNeill cited her impressive record ofcontributions and achievements,including being named an AHAHonorary Foreign Member.

"The American HistoricalAssociation expresses deep concernover Jawaharlal Nehru University'sdecision to review Romila Thapar'sstatus as emeritus professor. ProfessorThapar is a distinguished scholar,deeply respected by historians onmany continents. Considering herextraordinary record of scholarlyachievement, the Association believesthat there is no need to review herrichly deserved position as emeritusprofessor", he wrote in the letter.

"The AHA is the largest associationof professional historians in the world,with over 12,000 members. In 2009 theAHA named Professor Thapar anhonorary foreign member-one of thehighest honors the Associationbestows-in recognition of her standingas one of India's most distinguishedhistorians. "To put it simply," we wrotein our award citation, "ProfessorThapar's work is the bedrock of allscholarly study of the early SouthAsian past." He further added.

Indian American MichiganBiodiesel Dealer Pleads

Guilty to Tax FraudBLOOMFELD, MICHIGAN (TIP):

A Bloomfield, Michigan, biodiesel fueldealer pleaded guilty Oct 22 to filing afalse income tax return, announcedPrincipal Deputy Assistant AttorneyGeneral Richard E. Zuckerman of theJustice Department's Tax Division andU.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider ofthe Eastern District of Michigan.

According to plea documents,Chandra Yarlagadda, 54, owned andoperated Alpha Bioenergy LLC(Alpha), formerly known as NaturolBioenergy LLC, which purchased andsold biodiesel fuel. Pursuant to theClean Air Act and related federalregulations, companies that purchaseand sell biodiesel fuel are required topurchase Renewable IdentificationNumbers (RINs) for any volume ofrenewable fuel bought or sold.

(Read full story onwww.theindianpanorama.new)

Indian American Margaret Abraham Installedas Wachtel Professor at Hofstra University

NEW YORK (TIP): In recognition of acareer dedicated to promoting researchand social justice, Margaret Abraham,PhD, professor of sociology and seniorvice provost for academic affairs, wasinstalled last month as HofstraUniversity's Harry H. WachtelDistinguished Teaching Professor for theStudy of Nonviolent Social Change.

Dr. Abraham has served the Universityin varied capacities, including specialadvisor to the provost for diversityinitiatives, chair of the Department ofSociology and Anthropology, anddirector of the Women's StudiesProgram. She teaches courses and seniorseminars such as Violence AgainstWomen; Domestic Violence;Globalization, Work and Citizenship;Women, Gender, and Development; andPublic Sociology. In 2014 she was electedpresident of the InternationalSociological Association (ISA) for a four-year term.

Dr. Abraham has been involved inresearch and activism in the fields of

domestic violence and social justice formore than 25 years. Her acclaimed workas both speaker and author has beenprofiled and quoted in numerousdomestic and international publications.She has been honored for hercommunity action research by many

organizations, including Sakhi for SouthAsian Women; Apna Ghar; Indus WomenLeaders; Indian American KeralaCultural and Civic Center; Office of theExecutive, Nassau County, State of NewYork; and Domestic HarmonyFoundation, Long Island.

Dr. Abraham has been involved in research and activism in the fields of domestic violence andsocial justice for more than 25 years (Courtesy - Hofstra University)

Indian Historian Ramachandra GuhaNamed Honorary Member of

American Historical Association

NEW YORK (TIP): Renowned IndianHistorian Ramachandra Guha has beennamed American Historical Association'sHonorary Foreign Member for a foreignscholar who is distinguished in his or herfield and who has "notably aided the workof American historians." TheAssociation has honored foreign scholarssince 1885, when the AHA awardedLeopold von Ranke with its firsttestimonial of honorary membership.

According to the selection criteria,recipients of honorary membershipsmust be foreign scholars who aredistinguished for their work in the field ofhistory and who have markedly assistedthe work of American historians in thescholar's country. The AHA Councilencourages nominations that address theneed for broader geographic coverage; inrecent years most nominations andhonorees have been from westernEurope. The Committee on HonoraryForeign Members and Awards for

Scholarly Distinction will serve as thejury and will recommend an individualfor approval by the Council. TheCommittee consists of the president,president-elect, and the immediate pastpresident.

Ramachandra Guha is a historian andbiographer based in Bengaluru. Hisbooks include a pioneeringenvironmental history, The UnquietWoods (University of California Press,1989), and an award-winning socialhistory of cricket, A Corner of a ForeignField (Picador, 2002), which was chosenby The Guardian as one of the ten bestbooks on cricket ever written. India afterGandhi(Macmillan/Ecco Press, 2007;revised edition, 2017) was chosen as abook of the year by the Economist, theWashington Post, and the Wall StreetJournal, and as a book of the decade inthe Times of London and The Hindu.

Ramachandra Guha's most recent workis a two-volume biography of MahatmaGandhi. The first volume, Gandhi BeforeIndia (Knopf, 2014), was chosen as anotable book of the year by the New YorkTimes and the San Francisco Chronicle.The second volume, Gandhi: The YearsThat Changed the World(Knopf, 2018, waschosen as a notable book of the year bythe New York Times and The Economist.

Guha's awards include the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society ofEnvironmental History, the DailyTelegraph/Cricket Society prize, theMalcolm Adideshiah Award forexcellence in social science research, theRamnath Goenka Prize for excellence injournalism, the Sahitya Akademi Award,and the Fukuoka Prize for contributionsto Asian studies.

Ramachandra Guha is a historian andbiographer based in Bengaluru

Indian AmericanHistorian Priya Satia

Wins AHA's Prize for BestBook in World History

NEW YORK (TIP): Priya Satia theRaymond A. Spruance Professor ofInternational History at StanfordUniversity, has been awarded theAmerican Historical Association'sJerry Bentley Prize for best book inworld history for Empire of Guns: TheViolent Making of the IndustrialRevolution.

The prize, established in 2014, honorsthe contributions to world history of thelate University of Hawaii historian whowas a founding editor of the Journal ofWorld History. The award recognizes thebest book each calendar year dealingwith global or world-scale history withconnections or comparisons acrosscontinents. The prize will be awarded onJan. 3, 2020, at the American HistoricalAssociation's 134th annual meeting inNew York City.

(Read full story onwww.theindianpanorama.new)

Priya Satia specializes in modern British andBritish empire history, especially in the

Middle East and South Asia

ProfessorThapar is a

distinguishedscholar, deeplyrespected byhistorians on

manycontinents, says

the letter

7THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 US

USISPF Board Meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

WASHINGTON (TIP): On October 21,a delegation of USISPF board membersled by USISPF Chairman JohnChambers met with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to discuss avenues forstrengthening U.S.-India bilateralrelations, growing private sectorinitiatives, and ease of doing business inthe country. USISPF Board membersexpressed optimism in India's reformagenda on the back of several reformssuch as the reduction in corporate taxes,roll-back of angel tax among others.There was strong consensus within thegroup to accelerate US industryengagement in India's start-up andinnovation space and deepen

commitment to raise the standard ofliving.

The delegation also presented PrimeMinister Modi with three recent USISPFreports: on U.S.-India bilateral trade(report estimates that by 2025, bilateraltrade could range between $283 billion to$327 billion); high-tech manufacturing(identifying the potential for India'shigh-tech sectors to offer an additionalinvestment of $21 billion, and create jobsfor the Indian economy); and coalgasification (USISPF has constituted aworking group of American and Indiancompanies in the coal gasification sector,and is working with the Government ofIndia to bring the latest technology and

investments in this sector).USISPF also hosted its annual board

meeting in New Delhi, on October 20.The guest of honor at this year's meetingwas the Minister of Housing and UrbanAffairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, who spokewith KPMG India CEO & ChairmanArun Kumar on the role of trade in theUS-India relationship.

Minister Puri provided insight that thetrade issues on the table "are not ofserious nature" and, in many cases, areclose to resolution. He also highlighted

that the relationship between the US andIndia goes far beyond these issues,although "the trade component alsoreflects the nature of the relationship."

Other guests included Members ofParliament, Government of Indiaofficials, and Edgard Kagan, the DeputyChief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy.Ambassador Ken Juster, the U.S.ambassador to India, also met with theboard to discuss the bilateralrelationship and ways to deepen US-India relations.

USISPF Board members with PM Narendra Modi

Hardeep Singh Puri spoke with KPMG India CEO & Chairman Arun Kumar on the role of trade inthe US-India relationship

Sitharaman Gives Clarion Call for ‘ConcertedAction’ to Handle Global Slowdown

WASHINGTON (TIP): India'sFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharamanat the IMF - World Bank AnnualMeetings 2019 - gave a clarion call for'concerted action' to mitigate thedisruption on account of synchronousslowdown and to invoke the spirit ofmultilateralism for global growth.

On the side-lines of the AnnualMeetings, she also attended the FinanceMinisters and Central Bank Governorsmeetings of the G20 and the BRICS. Shetook this opportunity to also interactwith industrial and institutionalinvestors in New York and inWashington DC and hold bilateralmeetings with Finance Ministers ofsome countries and others. There were30 meetings of the World Bank/ IMF/G20/ BRICS, investors and bilateralmeetings.

Sitharaman led the Indian delegationto the Annual Meetings Plenary sessionof the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and the World Bank Group held onOct 18, 2019 in Washington DC. She alsoattended the Working Lunch Session ofthe Development Committee (DC), theministerial-level committee of the IMFand the World Bank. In the DC Lunch,the members discussed about the global

economic outlook. In her intervention,the Finance Minister mentioned thattrade wars and protectionism havegenerated uncertainties that will

ultimately impact flow of capital, goodsand services. She called for 'concertedaction' to mitigate the disruption onaccount of synchronous slowdown and

to invoke the spirit of multilateralismfor global growth. She further said thatthe increased trade integration,geopolitical uncertainties, and highaccumulated debt levels necessitatestrong global coordination and that weneed not wait for the slowdown tobecome a crisis.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman also ledthe Indian delegation to the G20 FinanceMinisters and Central Bank Governorsmeeting in which the deliberationscentered on international taxation andStablecoins. The Ministers and Governorsalso took updates from the G20 Deputieson Quality Infrastructure Investment,Debt Sustainability, Financing forUniversal Health Care and BuildingEffective Country Platforms, and from theAfrica Advisory Group on the Compactwith Africa (CwA) initiative. On thediscussions at the session regarding thework underway on developing aconsensus solution on tax challengesarising from digitalization, the FinanceMinister stated that a unified approach tothe nexus and profit allocation challengesis a promising one that merits seriousattention. A solution that is simple toimplement, simple to administer andsimple to comply with is needed.

India's Finance Minister was on an official tour to Washington DC to attend the AnnualMeetings of the IMF and the World Bank and other associated meetings

Picture / courtesy Indian Embassy

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019EDITORIAL

UNDay has been celebrated on24th October every year inIndia since 1948. India

signed the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 atthe San Francisco Conference as one of the50 founding-members of the UnitedNations. The Charter came into effect on 24October 1945 following its ratification bythe majority of signatory countries,including the five original permanentmembers. At the Session of the UN GeneralAssembly held on 31 October 1947, aresolution was adopted declaring 24October as "United Nations Day". Theobjective of this was to highlight the aimsand achievements of the United Nations, inorder to sustain support for the work ofthis universal inter-governmentalorganization. India became independent ofBritish colonial rule on 15 August 1947. Theadoption of this UN General Assemblyresolution less than two months afterIndia's independence a major opportunityfor her to contribute to the objectives of theUN Day Resolution.

Decolonization, a universal agenda forsustainable development, and thenegotiation of the first normativeframeworks for upholding fundamentalhuman rights and freedoms are three

major achievements of the United Nationsover the past 72 years. India has played arole in each of these. As the first majorcolonial country to gain independence,India led the process for the UN GeneralAssembly to adopt the DecolonizationResolution in December 1960. Thisresolution created the platform for twomajor changes in the functioning of theUnited Nations. Both these changes wereinitiated by newly independent developingcountries to make the United Nations moreresponsive to their aspirations.

The first Summit of the NonalignedMovement was held in Belgrade inSeptember 1961. India was among thefounder members of this movement, whichhas grown from 24 countries to 122countries today. The NonalignedMovement enabled newly independentcountries to assert their sovereignty ininternational relations at a time the worldwas divided into the two confrontationalmilitary alliances of the Cold War. Eventoday nonalignment remains a valid optionfor many sovereign countries as they facethe growing polarization between themajor powers that challenges the foundingprinciples of the United Nations.

The second change was the creation of

the Group of 77 developing countries in theUnited Nations in 1964. The emergence ofthe G-77 compelled the UN to revisit the UNCharter's commitment to "the promotion ofthe economic and social advancement ofall peoples". As a result, the UNDP wasestablished in 1965 to support theaccelerated national developmentobjectives of developing countries. Indiabecame the first Chair of the G-77 in 1970.

The convergence of the twin objectives ofdevelopment and climate change resultedin the adoption of the UN's Agenda 2030 onSustainable Development in September2015 by world leaders, including India'sPrime Minister Narendra Modi. Theobjective of this initiative is to eradicatepoverty through an inclusive multi-stakeholder approach on sustainabledevelopment.

India was among the three co-sponsoringmember-states for the UN GeneralAssembly resolution mandating thenegotiation of the Genocide Convention of1948 to outlaw mass atrocity crimes. Indiawas instrumental in enshrining the legalconcept of gender equality into theUniversal Declaration of Human Rightstreaty adopted on 10 December 1948.

The theme chosen by UN member-states

to mark the 75th anniversary of the UNnext year is "reaffirming our collectivecommitment to multilateralism". Thistheme is significant as the UN seeks torespond to the major challenge posed to theprinciple of international cooperation byassertive unilateralism among the majorpowers. India's response to this challengewas indicated by Prime Minister NarendraModi in his speech to the UN GeneralAssembly in September this year, when hecalled on all member-states to "give newdirection and energy to multilateralism,and to the United Nations." To mark UNDay, India is committed to upholdingmultilateralism through an inclusive,multi-polar strategic framework to meether national interests.

(The author is a former PermanentRepresentative of India to the United Nations. He

can be reached at 1955pram@gmail.com)

AS I SEE IT

"UN Day 2019" By Ambassador Asoke

Kumar Mukerji Ambassador Mukerji recalls, on the UN Day, the initiatives India took at the UnitedNations for human rights, gender Equality and multilateralism, among others.

Canada's electorate has given a not-so-clear mandate. The rulingLiberal Party's victory in the

general election is anything butimpressive, but it has managed to buckanti-incumbency and keep the resurgentConservatives out of power. The Liberalswon 157 seats out of 338, way ahead of themain opposition party (121), even thoughwith a lesser vote share (33.1 per cent)than that of the Conservatives (34.4 percent). It's back to the drawing board forthe Tories, who couldn't prevent a majorsplit of the anti-Liberal vote.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hiswork cut out as he prepares to form aminority government with the 'issue-based' support of left-leaning New

Democratic Party (NDP), led by JagmeetSingh. It was a below-par performance bythe NDP as well, which got 24 seats, 20 lessthan its tally in the 2015 polls. However,the party's Punjab-origin leader is now ina position to keep the ruling party on itstoes. Jagmeet is expected to pressTrudeau to do a lot more to tackle climatechange and global warming, besidesseeking a significant increase in thehousing and healthcare budget as well asthe taxes imposed on the ultra-rich.

Even as Jagmeet is set to play the role of'the opposition within the government',the poll results have shown that theidentity politics pursued by him hasfailed to turn the tide for the NDP. Hissympathies for Sikh separatists in the

Maple Country have made him acontroversial figure in India too.Trudeau's first innings was marked by anuneasy relationship with India as hisdispensation was perceived to be lenienttowards Canada-based activists andgroups that were trying to revive theKhalistan movement. Earlier this year,New Delhi had asked Ottawa to addressits concerns in this regard. With Canadanow boasting of more Sikh MPs thanIndia, the minority community willcontinue to have an important bearing onthe state of affairs. How the Trudeau-Jagmeet team tackles the ticklish K-issuewill determine the course of bilateral ties.

(Tribune, Chandigarh)

Trudeau holds on:Onus on him to improve India-Canada ties

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau

As the BJP found out, hypernationalism has its limits inAssembly polls

The alliance of the BJP and the ShivSena retained power in Maharashtraand the BJP emerged as the single

largest party in Haryana, substantiallybeating anti-incumbency in both States,but also falling short of their claims andrhetoric. In Haryana, the BJP will requirethe support of at least six MLAs outside itsfold for a majority. The Opposition, despitetheir sluggish campaign and scatteredthinking, exceeded expectation in bothStates. Results of by-elections in 51Assembly seats and two Lok Sabhaconstituencies across 18 States were also

announced on Thursday. Drawing anypolitical trend lines based on theseoutcomes would be premature, but certainpointers are noteworthy. The BJP hadfront-loaded its campaign with nationalisttopics such as the status of Kashmir andthe National Register of Citizens,deliberately avoiding any seriousdiscussion on the economy and livelihoodissues. It is possible that the BJP and alliesgot what they got because of this campaign,but these issues did not evidentlyoverwhelm other voter concerns such asunemployment and farm crisis. The BJPand the Sena are winners, but tamed andcurtailed compared to the Assembly resultsof 2014 and the Lok Sabha election earlierthis year. The rout of many turncoats fromother parties that the BJP had recruitedrecently is an evident expression of public

disapproval of such tactics. The resultsalso indicate that the BJP's current arsenalis more effective in national elections. Theresults from Tamil Nadu where theAIADMK did well and Kerala where theLeft appeared to regain some lost groundare also indicative of the differentiationthat the voters tend to make betweenAssembly and Lok Sabha elections. TheHaryana Governor must now ensure thatthe formation of a new coalitiongovernment is transparent as there couldbe attempts to influence legislators andparties.

The Congress-NCP alliance inMaharashtra improved its tallyconsiderably and in Haryana, the Congressdoubled its 2014 tally. In Haryana, theJannayak Janta Party (JJP) emerged as aformidable regional outfit. These are

indicators of a yearning among theelectorate for an alternative to the BJP thathas amassed political power but alsoalienated many social groups. That thisgrowth of the Opposition has happeneddespite the absence of any coherence orcoordination at the top is remarkable.Faced with brazen harassment by stateagencies, and dispirited by serial electoralsetbacks, the Opposition had becomelifeless but these results indicate thatprospects of an alternative are not entirelydark, particularly when it comes to Statepolls. The BJP might be tempted tointensify its hyper-nationalist agenda toboost its performance, while theOpposition might slip back into a comatosestate, counting inaction itself as a strategy.Both would be disastrous, for the respectivecamps and the country. (The Hindu)

GUESTCOMMENT

Tamed Victors : On Assembly Elections

9THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 PERSPECTIVE

It is important to step aside and reflecton the enormous significance of theelectoral outcomes to the

Maharashtra and Haryana stateAssemblies within six months of thethumping victory of the rulingBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and theNDA alliance in these States to the LokSabha. The strength of the BJP hasdeclined decisively in both the States inthe number of seats it has won. This isparticularly the case if we compare it tothe Lok Sabha elections of 2019, whenthe BJP-Shiv Sena alliance led in 230Assembly segments out of 288 inMaharashtra and in 79 out of 90 inHaryana.

Impact on support baseAll available evidence suggests that

the BJP has suffered a dent with regardto its support base among the rural poor,the unemployed and informal labor as

well as among a significant section offarmers. Those who moved over to theBJP looking for green pastures and whowere derided by their former partycolleagues as 'turncoats', have not faredwell, unless there were other outwittingconsiderations. Dalits, the minoritiesand other marginal sections have alsoreasserted their political agency,although it may seem feeble at present.The All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul (AIMIM)led by Asaduddin Owaisi, and theVanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by PrakashAmbedkar seem to have consolidatedtheir hold over their respectiveconstituencies, which they also clearlydemonstrated in the Lok Sabha electionof 2019.

In the reserved constituencies ofHaryana there appears to have been ashift away from the BJP to the Congress.The intimacies of one's hearth and homerepresented by ethnic bonds and tiesseem to have gotten off better than widerideological appeals. At the same time, themiddle class, distanced from their socialattachments, as is the case in Gurgaonand the sprawling urban enclaves ofMaharashtra, regions under the spell ofthe Sangh Parivar such as Konkan, andthe non-agricultural upper castes ingeneral seem to hold on to the BJP veryardently. It is important to point out thatthe ideological formation made up ofHindutva, national jingoism andmajoritarianism (that has bonded theBJP and Shiv Sena) continues to appealto significant sections in Maharashtra,although the mirage of instant jobs andriches, muscular nationalism andPakistan-bashing did not invoke thesame response in Haryana any longer.On the whole, in both the States, thedifference between victory and defeathas narrowed down considerably incomparison to 2014 and 2019. Both Statestoday have deeply divided polities withall their consequences.

This is not any State election in India:Maharashtra has the largest State GDPin India and continues to remain a majorplayer at the Centre, a role that beganright from Independence. Electoraloutcomes to the State Assembly,therefore, have their ramifications onthe everyday life of a wider publicbeyond the confines of the State. On theother hand, most of the leaders whocampaigned in Haryana - this includesthe Prime Minister in particular - madethe Haryana elections a referendum tothe dilution of Article 370 that pertainedto the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.There was also generous anti-Pakistanrhetoric dished out from BJP platforms.Much of this rhetoric was clearlydirected at the electorate of the Statewhere a significantly larger proportionof young men are drawn to join the ranksof India's defense forces. That thisrhetoric eventually did not succeed todeliver a clear win gives hope thatnational security is not a wild card thatcan be employed anywhere and

everywhere.

BJP, Congress strategiesThe BJP has been pursuing a

particular strategy in Maharashtra andHaryana - a strategy in tune with itsoverall jingoist approach. It wanted tobreak the hold of the dominant castes inthe two States, the Marathas inMaharashtra who form over 30% of theState's population and the Jats inHaryana, of almost the same proportionof that State's population. Breaking thehold of dominant castes was seen asessential to reinforcing national identityand in securing a majority without thesupport of the minorities. In both theStates, the BJP succeeded in weaningaway a significant strata of dominantcastes through rewards as well as usingthreats of deprivation. This strategy hadits implications and has reboundedthrough new modes of political assertionby the dominant castes. They seem tohave extended support to one anotherirrespective of the political party theybelonged to.

The Congress has always worked onforging a winning combination of castesand communities for far too long and hadbecome adept in the same. Its formerpresident Rahul Gandhi attempted tobreak up this strategy of forgingwinning coalitions and wanting to forman ideological platform for socialtransformation. It proved an oxymoron.On the one hand it required that theCongress changed its representativeformat at all levels, political andorganizational, to make it attractive tothe social constituencies concernedwhile on the other pursuing anideological platform of the kindinvariably involved alienatingentrenched interests in the Congress.

The Rahul Gandhi strategy had muchto gain by reaching out to the "Marathimanoos" plank, at present the uniqueselling point of the MaharashtraNavnirman Samiti (MNS), to the VanchitBahujan Aghadi (VBA) bloc of Dalits,Adivasis, Dhangars, Kolis, Agris,Banjaras, Malis and Kaikadis forged by

Prakash Ambedkar by appealing to thePhule-Ambedkar mobilizational axis,and to Muslims under the AIMIM plank.In Haryana, his strategy was to forge aDalit leadership under Ashok Tanwarwhich was rebuffed by Jat leadership.But with Rahul Gandhi's exit from theparty leadership, the party simply wentback to its old ways of welding a winningcombination by falling back on itstraditional leadership. While therewould be some comfort in certain circleswithin the party with the results of theelection, the party strategy can hardly bea response in the longer run to itselectoral woes. Sharad Pawar'sNationalist Congress Party was mainlyfighting to protect its turf, particularly inwestern Maharashtra, against thepoaching of the BJP and attempts todiscredit him, and the results show thathe has succeeded in this limited objectivecredibly.

The media discourseMuch of the media and opinion polls

in particular supported the BJP chorusin suggesting the triumph of the BJP andits allies in both the States. Even the exitpolls could not shine through suchblinkers. Among the major pollsters,except for one or two the rest forecastover 200 seats to the BJP-Shiv Senaalliance in Maharashtra and over 70seats to the BJP in Haryana. While a fewin this profession may be guilty ofinducements, the same cannot be saidabout the entire trade. It may be thatIndia's public culture is increasinglygetting attuned to accept the values andclaims of the BJP as normal and thoseopposed to it as aberrations. Suchdistorted readings of what undoubtedlyis the most important mode ofreproducing our public life hasinvariably done much injustice to thosedeleteriously affected by them. It is quitepossible to argue that a fairer and morecritical stance of the media would haveprobably led to different results.

(The author taught Political Science atMangalore University and Jawaharlal Nehru

University)

By Valerian Rodrigues

Two elections and a dent to a jingoistic edificeThe BJP's pursuit of a hypernationalist approach in Maharashtra and Haryana

did not fetch it complete dividends

The BJP has beenpursuing a particular

strategy inMaharashtra and

Haryana - a strategyin tune with itsoverall jingoist

approach. It wantedto break the hold ofthe dominant castes

in the two States, theMarathas in

Maharashtra whoform over 30% of the

State's population andthe Jats in Haryana,of almost the sameproportion of thatState's population.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he speaks during an election campaign rally aheadof Assembly polls, in Hisar district of Haryana, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Photo / Courtesy PTI

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019SOUTH ASIA

16 sentenced to deathfor burning Bangla

teen aliveDHAKA (TIP): Sixteen persons,

including the head of a madrasa, weresentenced to death by a Bangladeshicourt on October 24 for burning alive ateenage girl for refusing to withdraw asexual harassment complaint againsthim.

The gruesome murder took place inApril when a gang of killers pouredkerosene on 18-year-old Nusrat JahanRafi and set her afire on the roof of themadrasa in the southeastern Feni,some 162 kilometres outside Dhaka.

“They (convicts) will be hanged untildeath,” Women and ChildrenRepression Prevention Tribunal JudgeMamunur Rashid pronounced thejudgement.

The incident had sparkednationwide public outrage and massdemonstrations across Bangladeshwith Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaordering expedited investigation in thequickest possible time. She also metRafi’s family and vowed to bring thekillers to justice.

The police said the mardrasa’sprincipal, Siraj Ud Doula, who wasalready in jail on sexual harassmentcharges, had ordered his cohorts to killRafi if she refused to withdraw theallegation.

In the chargesheet, it was stated thatthe teen was murdered on theprincipal’s order. The judgesimultaneously fined all the convicts 1lakh taka (USD 1,181) each to be givento Rafi’s family. The convicts includetwo women, a local leader of the rulingAwami League and a member of themadrasa governing committee.Bangladeshi law requires the deathreference hearing in the High Courtahead of a convict’s execution. — PTI

Anger at Singaporerestaurant ‘grab-a-

crab’ machineSINGAPORE (TIP): A Singapore

restaurant on October 24 suspended abizarre promotional stunt wherecustomers use an arcade-style machinewith a mechanical claw to catch livecrabs after it sparked uproar online. Avideo of the machine, containing thecreatures and emblazoned with apicture of a smiling red crab under thephrase "Come and catch me", wentviral after being posted this week. Thegame sees customers pay $3.7 to use ajoystick to move the claw over thecreatures before lowering it to try tograb one. AFP

Thai king dismisses 6palace officials for

misconductBANGKOK (TIP): Thailand's King

Maha Vajiralongkorn has dismissedsix palace staffers, just days afterstripping his royal consort of her titlesand military ranks for what he termeddisloyalty. The six palace officials weredismissed and stripped of their ranksand royal decorations on October 24.AP

Pakistani opposition raises alarmabout health of ex-PM Sharif

LAHORE (PAKISTAN) (TIP):

Pakistan's main opposition party said onOctober 24 the health of its leader, jailedformer Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, isdeteriorating and the government isvictimising him by delaying treatmentas part of a campaign against him andhis family.

Sharif, 69, a three-time prime minister,is serving a seven-year jail sentenceafter a conviction for corruption lastyear.

He denied the charges that he saidwere politically motivated.

He was taken to hospital in the city ofLahore on Monday and his party, thePakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, PML-N, has raised concern about what it saysis his alarmingly low platelet count.

"He has undergone several scans andtests and doctors are still trying to findthe cause," the party's deputy secretarygeneral, Atta Tarar, told Reuters.

The government has dismissed partycomplaints about Sharif's treatmentsaying he is getting the attention heneeds. It said Sharif had a low plateletcount that might have been caused bymedication he is taking.

But the party's secretary forinformation, Maryam Aurangzeb,condemned what she called a "deliberatedelay" in Sharif's move to hosptital andin his treatment.

"The government is crossing all limitsof political victimisation against PML-Nand the Sharif family," Aurangzeb said.

The government of Prime MinisterImran Khan denies that the legal actionagainst Sharif and other members ofhis family including elder daughterMaryam Nawaz, who is also in detentionfor suspected graft, is politicallymotivated. The provincial governmenthas said Sharif could be sent abroad fortreatment, as his party has suggested, ifa court allowed it.

Maryam, who recently assumed

leadership of the party and wasdetained in August on suspectedcorruption, was allowed to visit herfather in hospital late on October 23. Hermedical condition is also poor, partyofficials say. "Maryam Nawaz who wasalso admitted to the same hospital lastnight for medical reasons has been sentback to jail early Thursday," Aurangzebsaid.

"It also speaks of the government'sruthlessness." Maryam, who led big anti-government rallies across the countrythis year, is one of the few oppositionfigures to openly criticise Khan and thepowerful military, accusing them ofstifling her party's political activity.

Sharif's younger daughter, AsmaNawaz, was travelling back to Pakistanfrom abroad to see her father, saidanother party official. "She is deeplyconcerned about her father's health," theofficial, Azma Bukhari, told Reuters.

Top officials of the other mainopposition party have also been detainedon suspicion of corruption.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari,widower of former Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto, was arrested by theanti-graft agency in June.

Officials of his Pakistan People'sParty say his detention is governmentpersecution. The government deniesinvolvement in the case. Reuters

Bored of male heroes, Afghan girlcoders build their own champions

HERAT (AFGHANISTAN) (TIP): Likethe princess who hops over goblins andthrows daggers at evil wizards in the videogame they built, a team of women codersin patriarchal Afghanistan wants toinspire a generation of girls to smashobstacles. The young women are part of anafter-school training programme calledCode to Inspire in the western city ofHerat, where they learn tech skills andcreate games and apps to educate girlsacross Afghanistan and beyond.

Their highest-profile success has beenthis year’s release of “Afghan Hero Girl”,built over six months by 12 young women,a phone app in which a princess wearing agreen veil leaps around a crumbling castlein a quest to defeat a wizard and rescue herfamily. Fereshteh Forough, a computer

science teacher and a former refugee whofounded Code to Inspire in 2015, saidstudents were sick of the lack of femalerepresentation in the gaming industry andtold her they were bored of “playinggames where men are superheroes”.

The game represents “the challengesand obstacles that women are facing everyday in Afghanistan and despite all thebacklashes they keep fighting and goingthrough it,” Forough, who is now based inNew York, said in an email exchange withAFP. In a country where girls often haveonly limited educational opportunities,internet access is patchy and women facedeeply ingrained discrimination at everyturn, Forough sees tech skills as having atransformative potential.

Like many Afghans, she worries about

an eventual return to power of theTaliban, who during their brutallyrepressive rule in the 1990s banned womenfrom working or going outside the house.“By learning how to code you can doonline remote work from the safety ofyour house if you (can) access theinternet,” she said.

“The work that we do ... is about equality,empowerment and change so that theseyoung ladies are able to add value to theircommunities and fight for their social,political and economic equality,” sheadded.Women’s rights and education forgirls have made significant gains since thefall of the Taliban nearly two decades ago,but challenges remain as the insurgentsfrequently attack girls’ schools andthreaten female students. AFP

11THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 WORLD

Johnson calls forelection on December 12

LONDON (TIP): British PrimeMinister Boris Johnson on Thursdayoffered MPs more time to debate hisBrexit Bill but only if they agree to aGeneral Election on December 12.

His latest announcement came soonafter an urgent Cabinet meeting at 10Downing Street and ahead of aconfirmation from the EuropeanUnion (EU) on whether it is open to anextension to the October 31 Brexitdeadline, which is expected on Friday.

“The way to get Brexit done is, Ithink, to be reasonable withParliament and say if they genuinelywant more time to study this excellentdeal, they can have it, but they have toagree to a General Election on 12December,” said Johnson.

“It's time frankly that the Oppositionsummoned up the nerve to submitthemselves to the judgement of ourcollective boss, which is the people ofthe UK,” he said.

Johnson had struck a renewedwithdrawal agreement with the EUlast week, which ditched thecontroversial Irish backstop clause,and went on in theory to find thebacking of MPs in a vote 329 to 299earlier this week. — PTI

ITALIAN COUPLESAVED FROM

LANDSLIDE BY THEIRCATS

ROME (TIP): An Italian couplesurvived a landslide that caused theirhouse to collapse after being woken bytheir cats, giving them time to escape,media reported October 24.

"My wife got up because Simba andMose, our cats, were making a noiseand woke us up," Claudio Piana toldthe Secolo XIX newspaper, as violentstorms lashed northern Italy, killing ataxi driver and forcing dozens ofpeople from their homes.

"She realised they were playing witha piece of plaster which had just fallenoff the ceiling. Then we saw cracksopening in the walls," he said.

Piana and his wife SabrinaPellegrini had gone to bed at home inCampo Ligure on Monday night asfierce rains across the Liguria regionsaw rivers burst their banks, washedaway a bridge and sparked landslides.

Unbeknown to them, one suchlandslide had damaged the house'sfoundations, the newspaper said.

The couple rushed out to the car, butfound themselves trapped by a sea ofmud. They were rescued byfirefighters.

"My brother then called and said'Claudio, your house has collapsed',"Piana said.

A video published on the daily'swebsite showed the two-storey homereduced to pile of rubble.

"Now we have nothing. Thefirefighters said we can never go backinto the house, it's too dangerous," headded.

"At least Simba and Mose survived."AFP

39 people found dead in truck nearLondon were Chinese: Reports

LONDON (TIP): The 39 people founddead in a truck in Britain were Chinesenationals, British media outlets reportedon Thursday, citing sources.

The victims were discovered in acontainer on the back of a truck inGrays, east of London, on Wednesday,shortly after arriving by ferry fromBelgium.

The local Essex Police force, which isworking with immigration officials, saidtheir initial priority was to try toidentify the victims, thought to be 38adults and one teenager.

The truck was moved Wednesday to amore secure location at the nearbyTilbury docks so the bodies could beremoved.

Essex Police and the Chinese embassyin London did not respond to requests forcomment.

In 2000, the bodies of 58 clandestineChinese immigrants were discovered ina Dutch truck at the south-easternEnglish port of Dover. Two peoplesurvived. — AFP

Police officers drive away a lorry in which was discovered 39 dead bodies, at WatergladeIndustrial Park in Grays, east of London on October 23, 2019. — AFP

Chinese ship heads away fromVietnam after disputed surveys in

South China SeaHANOI (TIP): A Chinese oil survey

vessel that has been embroiled in a tensestandoff with Vietnamese vessels in theSouth China Sea left Vietnamese-controlled waters on Thursday aftermore than three months, marine datashowed.

The Chinese vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi8, was speeding away from Vietnam’sexclusive economic zone towards Chinaon Thursday morning under the escortof at least two other Chinese ships,according to data from Marine Traffic, awebsite that tracks vessel movements.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea butneighbours Brunei, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Taiwan and Vietnam alsohave claims.

Tension between Hanoi and Beijingescalated when China sent the vessel toconduct seismic surveys in waters offVietnam in early July.

The foreign ministry in Hanoi hasrepeatedly accused the vessel and itsescorts of violating Vietnam’ssovereignty and has demanded thatChina remove its ships from the area.

The ministry did not respondimmediately to a Reuters email seekingcomment on Thursday.

Police broke up a brief protest inAugust outside the Chinese embassy inHanoi over the survey vessel.

“China doesn’t want any non-ASEANcompanies to drill for oil in the SouthChina Sea,” said Ha Hoang Hop, amember of the International Institute

for Strategic Studies.Hop also said China only withdrew the

vessel shortly after the oilrig Hakuryu-5completed its drilling at Vietnam’s Block06.1, which is operated by Russian stateoil firm Rosneft.

Chinese coastguard ships have alsobeen operating within the oil block sincethe standoff began, the Marine Trafficdata showed.

Rosneft did not respond immediatelyto an email requesting comment.

“China is determined to pressureVietnam to end joint oil exploration andproduction with foreign partners in thearea,” said Hop, who is also a visitingsenior fellow at the Singapore-basedISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

PetroVietnam told Spanish energyfirm Repsol last year to halt an offshoreoil project under pressure from China,and a unit of Rosneft expressed itsconcern that its recent drilling couldupset China.

Vietnamese President and CommunistParty chief Nguyen Phu Trong calledlast week for restraint in the SouthChina Sea, saying Vietnam should“never compromise” on its sovereigntyand territorial integrity.

Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghesaid on Monday the South China Sea isan inalienable part of China’s territory.“We will not allow even an inch ofterritory that our ancestors have left tous to be taken away,” Wei said.

The Chinese vessel had been thoughtto have stopped the surveys when itheaded away from Vietnam’s exclusiveeconomic zone in early August to FieryCross Reef, a man-made island controlledby China that was built on a disputedSouth China Sea reef. Vietnam and thePhilippines also have competing claimson the reef.

“It’s very likely that China will send anoil rig to drill in the area where theHaiyang Dizhi 8 had conducted seismicsurveys in Vietnam’s exclusive economiczone,” Hop said. — Reuters

The Chinese vessel, theHaiyang Dizhi 8, was speedingaway from Vietnam’s exclusiveeconomic zone towards China

on Thursday morning underthe escort of at least two

other Chinese ships,according to data from MarineTraffic, a website that tracks

vessel movements.China claims almost all theenergy-rich waters of the

South China Sea butneighbours Brunei, Malaysia,the Philippines, Taiwan andVietnam also have claims.

KRITI SANON TALKS ABOUTPREFERRING DOCUMENTARIES

OVER SERIOUS FILMSHRITHIK, ANUSHKA TOSTAR IN SATTE PESATTA REMAKE

Actor Anushka Sharma has finallysigned her first film after the flopof her last effort, Zero. She will

pair up Hrithik Roshan for the first time,in a film titled Seven, which is said to bethe remake of Amitabh Bachchan andHema Malini’s hit 1982 film, Satte PeSatta.

Filmmakers Farah Khan and RohitShetty will collaborate on the much-anticipated project. Farah had recentlyhinted about the film in an interview toIANS. She had said, “Rohit is producingthe film and I am directing it. Unless wecome together and make a proper officialannouncement, everything isspeculation. Hopefully, we will make theannouncement by Diwali. I am waitingfor Rohit, because he is quite occupiedthese days, finishing the last leg of theshooting of his film Sooryavanshi.”

Satte Pe Satta was directed by Raj NSippy and also starred Amjad Khan,Ranjeeta Kaur, Sachin, Shakti Kapoor,Paintal, Sudhir, Inderjeet, Sarika,Kanwaljit Singh, Prema Narayan, MacMohan and Kalpana Iyer. The film tellsthe story of seven orphan brothers wholive amid chaos until one of them falls inlove with a nurse.

12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019BOLLYWOOD

KONKONA SEN SHARMA: ‘NOT INTERESTEDIN WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS DOING’

As an artiste Konkona Sensharma says shedoes not adhere to set standards and is leastinterested in film industry trends.

The actor-director, whose unusual moviechoices have earned her the status of one of themost versatile contemporary performers, says sheis only focused on being part of gripping stories.

“I don’t care. I am not at all interested in whatthe industry is doing, what the trends are, how itis changing. I have lost all interest. I am just doingmy own work and make my life interesting. But Ido hope it (industry) is doing well.

“I am very much in the moment. I do what isinteresting to me. I never wanted to act and directfilms so I never made plans. I have always gonewith the flow,” Konkona said in an interview here.

The actor has been credited with contributingto the change in the way women are portrayed onscreen, courtesy her performance in movies likeMr. and Mrs. Iyer, Page 3, Omkara, Life in a…Metro, Wake Up Sid and Lipstick Under myBurkha.

Konkona, however, believes not everythingmade in the name of women-centric cinema isgood.

“I believe every year there are few good filmswhich are surreal or interesting or artistic orexperimental.

“But the bulk of the films are not great. We havemade some fantastic films in the 70s and stuff. Thebulk of the money is going to a place where thefilms are not that great,” she added.

Kriti Sanon says the audience mainly go totheatres for entertainment and lighten uptheir moods, and that’s what a good

comedy should promiseKriti Sanon has played characters in films such

as Dilwale and Bareilly Ki Barfi which did havecomic elements. Though they were moresituational comedies, the actor is excited toshowcase her timing in the upcoming comiccaper Housefull 4. “It is a franchise which I haveparticularly enjoyed watching as an audience.It’s got a huge audience base. I enjoy being part ofcomedies, because it is important and equallydifficult to make people laugh, because there is somuch stress in everyone’s lives that a little bit oflaughter is required,” the actor says.

Kriti Sanon, in a recent interview with aleading newspaper, spoke about her upcomingfilm Housefull 4 and her outlook on slapstickcomedies. In the interview, she mentioned thatshe enjoys "brainless, mad-crack comedies" aslong as they are well done. She also spoke aboutnot being a fan of preachy films. She said she ismore inclined towards films that put the seriousmessage forward in a light, fun manner,otherwise, she would rather watch adocumentary. The actor also spoke about herfavourite comedy film, which seems to be theAamir Khan and Salman Khan-starrer, AndazApna Apna. According to her, the film isevergreen and can be watched countless times.When talking about working with experiencedactors such as Akshay Kumar, RiteishDeshmukh, Chunky Panday, and Johnny Lever,the actor said that matching up to their level wasimpossible but she got to learn a lot. The actorseemed delighted about sharing the screen withthe “pros”.

PRIYANKA, PARINEETI TOVOICE FOR ELSA AND ANNA INHINDI VERSION OF FROZEN 2

Disney has roped in real-life sisters PriyankaChorpa Jonas and Parineeti Chopra to voice forElsa and Anna in the Hindi-dubbed version of its

much-awaited film Frozen 2.The project marks Priyanka and Parineeti’s first film

collaboration. Priyanka said she deeply connects withthe “strongly-opinionated” Elsa and voicing for Frozen2 is a wonderful opportunity.

“Elsa is a fictional character who’s known to bestrongly-opinionated and level headed, traits that Ideeply connect with. This not only made me want to bepart of the film, but also gives me a wonderfulopportunity to present one of the most-successfulanimated films to our local audiences.

“My happiness just goes up a notch knowing thatParineeti will be voicing Anna’s character. The two ofus have never worked together before and this seemslike a perfect movie to come together and an experiencethat I am going to cherish forever,” the actor said in astatement.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE MARRIESCOOKE MARONEY IN A

STAR-STUDDED CEREMONY

CHARLIZE THERONENJOYS SUSHI OUTING

Actress Charlize Theron, who isbeing showered with praise for thenew film, Bombshell, took time off

for a sushi outing in West Hollywood. TheOscar-winning actress, 44, wore an all-black ensemble while enjoying her nightout. Her casual sighting comes after filmcritics predicted the actress could takehome her first Oscar in 16 years for her‘uncanny’ and ‘remarkable’ portrayal ofMegyn Kelly in Bombshell. She starsalongside Nicole Kidman, who playsGretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie as afictional channel producer character,Kayla Pospisil, in the film.

She plays Megyn Kelly in the film aboutthe sexual misconduct allegations broughtagainst Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Thethree actresses recently discussed themovie while appearing on The EllenDeGeneres Show.

SELMA BLAIR OPENS UP ABOUT STRUGGLES WITH

MULTIPLE SCLEROSISActor Selma Blair who is

suffering from multiplesclerosis, is running "out of

options" to relieve the intense painand physical difficulties she hasbecause of her condition.

"The disease modifiers did notwork for me at the time, and I wasreally declining more rapidly than Ifound acceptable," the 47-year-oldactor said.

During her treatment, she wasencouraged to try a stem celltransplant and an "aggressive"course of chemotherapy to restarther immune system, but Blair washesitant in doing that.

"I had no intention of doing it, Iwas like, I'm not ruining my body,what's left of it. Why would I put thishorrible drug, chemotherapy, in me? Idon't have cancer," she said. "But Iwas kind of out of options and I waslooking."

Blair was given a small dose ofchemotherapy just before her stemcell transplant, and "immediately feltsome relief." That convinced her to gothrough with it, but it was a majorrisk.

"I was warned," she said. "You kindof make your plans for death, [and] Itold my son I was doing this and hesaid he wanted me cremated. I hadmore chemo than they usually do forcancer patients because they almostkill you. And it's the stem cell thatallows you to live with that amount of

chemo. The chemo is the MS cure if itdoes in fact happen."

The actor is still recovering fromher disease and doesn't feel that she'smade it to the other side just yet, "butoverall, it went pretty smoothly."

"I haven't talked about it much yetbecause I wanted to show everyonethat the proof is in the pudding, butmy pudding is still kind ofscrambled. I don't want to scarepeople away," she said.

A bald Blair is also waiting for herhair to grow again.

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 HOLLYWOOD

The wedding party is assembled,excited to celebrate the union oftwo feuding houses, and the

beginning of a peaceful new era. Theytake their seats in the decked-up hall andthe from high above the altar, a songbegins to play. The mood shifts, anervousness falls over the room as thesong gets grimmer with each note. Thebridal party watches in horror as theirhosts bolt the doors on them. A massacreis on the menu. The heartless musicianplays along her horrid song as one byone, the guests are slaughtered in thewedding hall. The room is bathed in red.Generations to come will call this TheRed Wedding, a dark, blood-stainedchapter in the book of... Disney. Sorry,but were you expecting something else?

Because I am talking about the MouseHouse’s latest addition to a long list ofunnecessary sequels, Maleficent:Mistress of Evil.

In case I reminded you of a certainlittle television show about dragons anddead people, chances are, so willMistress of Evil. Disney has roped in anew director (Joachim Rønning), a newprince (Harris Dickinson) and an evilnew queen (Michelle Pfeiffer) as it bringsback the fairy goth-mother (AngelinaJolie) and her human plaything (ElleFanning) to teach a lesson in racerelations and the importance oftolerance. Maleficent 2, however, is aboring and chaotic Disney fairytale atworst and a Game of Thrones recap atbest.

ANGELINA JOLIE RETURNS AS THEFAIRY GOTH-MOTHER IN BORING

GAME OF THRONES RECAP

Months after Academy Award-winner JenniferLawrence and Cooke Maroney engagement inFebruary, the pair tied the knots in Newport,

Rhode Island on Saturday.The wedding was celebrated among some very special

guests as the Oscar-winning actor was joined by her familyand friends including celebrities like Emma Stone, KrisJenner, and Sienna Miller.

Among the dazzling stars were also Lawrence's otherfriend and frequent collaborators, director David O.Russell, Adele, Ashley Olsen, Amy Schumer and CameronDiaz, who not only graced the event couple's nuptials butalso their reception that followed, reported Peoplemagazine.

Lawrence and Maroney opted for the Belcourt ofNewport castle, which was built in 1894 by Americanarchitect Richard Morris Hunt for the big ceremony.

The couple's rehearsal dinner took place on Friday,during which the Lawrence and Maroney hosted aclambake under a white tent on Rose Island. They werejoined by Richie, Joel Madden, Diaz, and Miller for theoccasion.

One of Jennifer Lawrence's representative confirmed toPeople that the actor and Maroney exchanged the rings inFebruary.

The 28-year-old star was then spotted with a ring on herfinger while enjoying what appeared to be a celebratorydinner with 34-year-old Maroney, at Raoul's, a Frenchrestaurant in New York City.

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019INDIA

8 HARYANA MINISTERS LOSEASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

CHANDIGARH (TIP): Eight Haryana ministerslost the assembly elections, which saw just two of the10 ministers fielded by the ruling Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) returning to the state assembly.

Cabinet minister and five-time MLA Anil Vijretained his traditional bastion of AmbalaCantonment, whereas minister of state Dr BanwariLal emerged victorious from Bawal.

Vij drubbed Congress rebel Chitra Sarwara, whofought as independent, by over 20,000 votes.

Dr Lal retained Bawal, defeating Dr ML Ranga byover 32,000 votes.

The minister who lost the elections are Ram BilasSharma (Mahendragarh), Capt Abhimanyu(Narnaund), Om Prakash Dhankar (Badli), KavitaJain (Sonipat), Krishan Lal Panwar (Israna), ManishKumar Grover (Rohtak), Krishan Kumar Bedi(Shahbad), and Karan Dev Kamboj (Radaur).

The BJP had earlier denied tickets to two of itsministers-Vipul Goel and Rao Narbir Singh.

The saffron party's idea of shifting minister KaranDev Kamboj from Indri to Raduar also failed to yieldpositive results.

Manohar Lal Khattar retained his Karnalconstituency.

Grover and Kamboj lost to their rivals by just over2,000 votes, whereas other ministers faced defeat byover 10,000 votes.

Lone woman minister in the Khattar cabinet,Kavita Jain, a three-time MLA, lost her traditionalSonipat seat to Surender Panwar of the Congress bya margin of over 32,000 votes.

Among the other prominent faces for the rulingBJP who tasted defeat in the elections was its statepresident Subhash Barala.

Subhash Barala lost the contest from Tohana toJannayak Janta Party candidate Devender Singh bya huge margin of 52,302 votes.

BJP's Prem Lata, the wife of former Unionminister and prominent Jat leader Birender Singh,was defeated by JJP leader Dushyant Chautala by47,452 votes from Uchana Kalan.

The Congress witnessed a major upset in Kaithal,where senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewalalost to BJP's Leela Ram.

The three-time legislator and Congress Party'schief spokesperson was defeated by a margin of 1,246votes. It was a second blow to Surjewala, who hadtasted defeat in the Jind byelections early this year.

Congress candidate and former Haryana Assemblyspeaker Kuldeep Sharma also faced defeat at thehands of BJP nominee Nirmal Rani from Ganaur.

Kuldeep Sharma was defeated with a margin ofover 10,000 votes.

Former BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra'sdefeat was another setback for the party. He lost toJJP's Naina Chauatla from Badhra with a margin ofover 13,000 votes.

Senior Congress leaders Karan Dalal and AnandSingh Dangi also faced defeat. While Dalal wastrounced by BJP candidate Deepak Mangla fromPalwal, Dangi lost to independent candidate BalrajKundu from Meham.

Congress candidate Ashok Arora, who switchedover from the INLD before the polls, was defeated byBJP's Subhash Sudha from Thanesar.

Maha, Haryana results mayaffect BJP’s Rajya Sabha mathNEW DELHI (TIP): A poorer

than expected performance inHaryana and Maharashtra will hurtthe Bharatiya Janata Party in theRajya Sabha.

A better performance in these twostates would have helped the BJP inmaking up for its potential lossesbecause of its assembly electionlosses in Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2018.Still, Thursday’s results will meanonly a marginal decline in the RajyaSabha seats for the BJP (and BJP-Shiv Sena) for these two states andan equally marginal increase for theCongress.

Maharashtra and Haryana send19 and five members respectively tothe Rajya Sabha. Of the fivemembers from Haryana, theCongress has just one, theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hasthree while Subash Chandra is anindependent. To be sure, Chandrawas backed by the BJP. InMaharashtra, the Congress andNationalist Congress Party (NCP)have seven MPs, while the NationalDemocratic Alliance (NDA) has 11MPs.

Of the five Rajya Sabha seatsfrom Haryana, two each will haveelections in 2020 and 2022. Of the 19Rajya Sabha seats fromMaharashtra, seven will haveelections in 2020, while another sixwill have elections in 2022.The otherseats in both Haryana andMaharashtra will only be up for re-election in 2024. Among the 13 RajyaSabha seats from Maharashtrawhich will be up for election in 2020and 2022, the NDA has seven seatswhile the Congress-NCP has five.

Among the four Rajya Sabha seatswhich will go to polls in 2020 and2022 in Haryana, the Congress hasjust one.

According to information givenby PRS legislative research, thenumber of MLAs required to elect aRajya Sabha MP in Haryana andMaharashtra is 30 and 36respectively.

Since two seats will go to polls inHaryana and seven seats will go topolls in Maharashtrasimultaneously in 2020, the BJP willnot have enough votes of its own tosend more than one Rajya Sabhamember in Haryana and the BJP-Shiv Sena, with a tally of 163 seats,

will be able to send four RajyaSabha MPs from Maharashtra. TheCongress will be able to send oneRajya Sabha MP from Haryana, andthe Congress-NCP combine, with atally of 103, two from Maharashtrain 2020. Things will be more or lesssimilar in the 2022 polls, as thenumber of seats which will haveelections are same in Haryana andone less in Maharashtra.

Given the fact that parties whichare not aligned with either the BJPor the Congress have gained asignificant number of seats, 18 inHaryana and 20 in Maharashtra,they too will play a significant rolein determining who gets to sendits members from the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP which has 82 MPs in theupper house currently, against theCongress’s 45, will also suffersome losses in its Rajya Sabha

tally from the states ofChhattisgarh, Madhya Pradeshand Rajasthan, where it lost to theCongress in 2018.

Source: HT

HARYANA

MAHARASHTRA

6 short of majority, BJP govt may be back in HaryanaCHANDIGARH (TIP): With the BJP winning 40 seats

in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, Chief MinisterManohar Lal Khattar seems set to head a minoritygovernment in the state with the help of Independents.Though the BJP failed to cross the halfway mark, PMNarendra Modi and party president Amit Shah today leftnobody in doubt that Khattar would head thegovernment in the state.

“The people of Maharashtra and Haryana havereposed their trust in the CMs of the two states and theywill work even harder in the next five years to servethem,” the PM said while addressing workers at the BJPheadquarters in Delhi. The BJP Parliamentary Board

authorised Shah to take all decisions regardinggovernment formation in Haryana and Maharashtra.Sources said the CMs of the two states would not bechanged.

Sources said Rania Independent MLA Ranjit Singh andSirsa MLA Gopal Kanda were already on their way toDelhi, accompanied by a BJP MP, to meet Shah. They areexpected to lend support to the party. While the BJP won40 seats, the Congress sprung a surprise bagging 31 seats.Despite PM’s public signal on the formation of a BJPgovernment in Haryana, the Congress kept hopes of apost-poll coalition in the state alive with top leadersurging Opposition unity to keep the saffron brigade at bay.

15THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 INDIA

CHIDAMBARAM TO SPENDDIWALI IN JAIL,CUSTODYEXTENDED TILL OCT 30

NEW DELHI (TIP): A Delhi court on Thursdayallowed the Enforcement Directorate to extendsenior Congress leader P Chidambaram’s remandtill October 30 in the INX Media money launderingcase.

Chidambaram, 74, who was granted bail by theSupreme Court on Tuesday in the INX mediacorruption case filed by the CBI, is under the ED’scustody.

He was arrested by the CBI on August 21 in theINX Media corruption case.

The case was registered on May 15, 2017 allegingirregularities in a Foreign Investment PromotionBoard (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Mediagroup for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in2007, during Chidambaram’s tenure as financeminister.

Chidambaram has also contended in hisapplication that both the CBI and ED case arise outof the same financial transaction and therefore,there cannot be separate remand for both.

The plea further claims that Chidambaram wasalways available for questioning by the ED and hadappeared before the agency and answered allquestions on all the four dates he was summoned,the last being February 8.

On J&K, SC asks govt how long curbs will continue

New Delhi (TIP): The Supreme Court on Thursdayasked the Centre how long it intends to continuewith the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir afterthe abrogation of Article 370.

"For how many days do you want restrictions? It isalready two months now. You have to come clear onthis and you have to find out other methods," a benchof Justices N.V. Ramana, R. Subhash Reddy and B.R.Gavai said.

"You may impose restrictions, but you(government) have to review your decisions."

During the hearing, the court also pointed out thatthe judges do not have any personal life. "My brother(Justice Gavai) had a family function today and hewanted to skip the day in court. But I requested himto come."

The court which was hearing variousmiscellaneous petitions seeking relaxation andother issues in the Valley, listed the matter forNovember 5.

PM Modi may ink key pactsin Saudi Arabia next week

NEW DELHI (TIP): India and Saudi Arabia willsign several agreements, including one on forming aStrategic Partnership Council and another on a jointventure for retail outlets for petroleum products,during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit toRiyadh next week.

Modi, visiting the kingdom at the invitation ofKing Salman bin Abdulaziz, will hold a bilateralmeeting with the Saudi ruler and delegation-leveltalks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman onOctober 29. He will deliver the keynote address at theplenary session of the Future Investment Initiativeforum in Riyadh the same day.

The Strategic Partnership Council, which will beheaded by PM Modi and the Saudi crown prince, wasfirst mooted during Mohammad bin Salman’s visitto India in February. The agreement on the councilwill be signed during Modi’s meeting with KingSalman, said TS Tirumurty, secretary (economicrelations) in the external affairs ministry.

The council will serve as an institutionalmechanism to monitor progress in the bilateralstrategic partnership, which has expanded in recentyears from energy security to wide-rangingcooperation in defence and security, includinginformation-sharing for counterterrorism.

Envoys of 84 nations make history, pay obeisance at Golden Temple

AMRITSAR (TIP): A total of 85foreign envoys and high-levelfunctionaries on Tuesday paid anobeisance at the Golden Temple, theholiest of Sikh shrine, as theyattended celebrations to mark theupcoming 550th birth anniversaryof Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikhmaster.

They were accompanied by UnionMinister Hardeep Singh Puri andthe Indian Council for CulturalRelations' (ICCR) President VinaySahasrabuddhe.

After paying obeisance, thedelegation partook 'langar' in theshrine complex.

The diplomats includeAmbassadors of Australia,Mongolia, Morocco, Bhutan,Afghanistan, Myanmar, Maldives,Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The DeputyChief of the US Mission is also partof the delegation.

The visit is organised by the ICCRin collaboration with the Punjabgovernment and the ShiromaniGurudwara ParbandhakCommittee. "During my visit withthe Resident Foreign Heads ofMissions to Guru Di Nagri, I was

delighted to meet some of my oldfriends & prominent citizens of theholy city," Puri tweeted.

Shriomani Gurdwara

Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)chief Gobind Singh Longowalreceived them and presented them'siropa' (robe of honour).

Kartarpur Corridor agreementsigned, pilgrims can carry

Rs 11,000 and a 7kg bagDERA BABA NANAK (TIP):

India and Pakistan finally signedon Thursday an agreement tooperationalise the KartarpurCorridor paving way for IndianSikh pilgrims to pay visit the holyDarbar Sahib shrine in Pakistan.Pakistan has assured India to makesufficient provision for Langar(community kitchen) anddistribution of "Prasad".

The main point of contention inthe signing of the KartapurCorridor agreement was theinsistence of Pakistan to levy $20 asservice charge per pilgrim pervisit. India has consistently urgedPakistan to not levy any fee on thepilgrims.

In the previous three secretary-level meetings, India pushed for alevy-free pilgrimage for thedevotees arguing that levy onpilgrims is not in consonance withthe religious and spiritualsentiments of people.

India, however, agreed for theKartapur Corridor agreement "inthe interest of the pilgrims" andtimely opening of the KartarpurSahib Corridor before the 550thPrakash Purab.

While the Agreement has beensigned, India has again urgedPakistan to reconsider itsinsistence on levying the fee. Indiais ready to amend the agreementaccordingly.

Meanwhile, the home ministry

has issued a "dos and don'ts" for thepilgrims. Children below 13 yearsand elderly persons of about 75years and above will have to travelin groups. The pilgrims will travelin the morning and shall have toreturn the same day.

Pilgrims, who wish to visit theGurdwara Darbar Sahib inKartarpur in Pakistan will beallowed to carry a maximum of Rs11,000 and a 7-kg bag, and will notbe allowed to venture beyond theshrine.

Eco-friendly material, preferablycloth bags, should be used duringthe pilgrimage and thesurroundings should be kept clean.

The pilgrims will be allowed to visitonly Sri Kartarpur Sahib and notanywhere outside.

All pilgrims who propose to visitSri Kartarpur Sahib in Narowaldistrict of Pakistan, will have toregister online(prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in) inadvance and the applicant isrequired to register himself/herselfin advance of proposed date oftravel.

Registration does not confer aright to travel, the Home Ministrysaid. Pilgrims will be informed bySMS and email of the confirmationof registration 3 to 4 days inadvance of the date of travel.

Officials of India and Pakistan after signing an agreement on the Kartarpur Corridorin Gurdaspur on Thursday.

It’s Diwali, that time of the year when we all Indiansget into the holiday mood, the mood to enjoy somefire-works, mood to enjoy family dinners, mood to

enjoy an ecstatic Diwali party with our family andfriends. And amidst this celebration, how can we forgetIndian Women, their beauty and their urge to lookprettiest on these occasions. Ready to get dressed up intheir prettiest traditional clothes, women in India lookforward to Diwali and enjoy it in their prettiest forms.

Skin CareIts festive season, and so, please don’t experiment

with your skin using new products. You may neverknow when you end up with allergic reactions orpimple breakouts. So, go the regular way and simplyCleanse, Tone and Moisturize your skin at least twice aday.

Additional tip: Drink plenty of water to free yourbody of toxins and this will give a beautiful glow onyour skin, naturally.

Foundation and ConcealerUse your regular foundation and concealer. Make

sure your base is natural and not very cakey. Use verylittle to give your skin the natural look. Apply theconcealer properly and spread it finely with your fingertips. Based on your skin type, use a face powder to setthe base evenly all through your skin. (Loose facepowder for oily skin and regular compact powder fornormal to dry skin)

EyesIndian women are known for their beautiful

mesmerizing eyes. So, on festive occasions like Diwali,enhance your eyes with the right amount of makeup.

Go for golden eyes with a smokey look at the corners.OR simply choose the neutral eye makeup and add alittle magic with a smokey look at the outer ends.

In case you want to look bold and play with colors, usecolors like ivory and gold and use colored eyeliner tofinish the look. Add a little shimmer in the edges for amore dramatic and festive look.

BrowsThick and finely shaped brows are in vogue. So,

simply color your brows with a black or brown shadowusing a fine brush. Avoid using pencils for theirunnatural looks.

Eye LashesUse long lasting, waterproof mascara on your lashes.

Make sure you use enough to give your eyes the mostbeautiful look ever. Mascaras open up your eyes,making them look bigger and prettier.

Eye LinersChoose the eyeliner you are most comfortable with.

However, the winged eye liner shape looks classy thesedays.

BlushUse a blush that adds a more glowing effect to your

skin. Choose the color that highlights your cheeksperfectly. (Not very light colored)

HighlighterUse a highlighter on the cheekbones and also the

bridge of your nose.

LipsLip color is absolutely your choice. You can keep it

light or even bright colored, based on your choice.In case you are opting for a nude look, add a lot of

gloss on your lips to add a little sparkle on them.And if you are opting for colors, go for Pinks, Reds

and Corals. And Lastly, Don’t forget to carry yourmakeup essentials where ever you go for a final touchup. Source: womenpla.net

MAKEUP TIPS FOR APERFECT DIWALI LOOK

MALPUAINGREDIENTS 200 gm all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoonpowdered green cardamom, 1 cup ghee, 250 ml water, 50 gmkhoya, 100 gm semolina, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 500 mlmilk, 250 gm sugar, 1 pinch saffron.

MethodFor making the sugar syrup, place water in a pan overmedium flame. Add sugar in it and stir until fully dissolved.Then add 2-3 tsp milk and stir again, after a few minutesremove the scum that rises to the top. Once the sugar syrupis thick, remove the pan from the flame and keep aside. Mixmaida, rava, khoya, baking powder, fennel seeds, cardamompowder and milk. Ensure the mixture is of pouringconsistency and not too thick. Once the batter is ready, keepit aside for few minutes so that the flavour of spices andherbs gets absorbed. Now heat ghee in a pan over low flame.Pour a ladleful of the mixture and spread evenly. Keep theflame low and cook till it is light brown on both sides. Removethe cooked malpua and drain the excess ghee. Drop themalpua in sugar syrup and allow it to soak for 10 minutes.Repeat the same with the remaining batter. Drain themalpuas from the syrup, garnish with pistachios.

FOOD CORNER

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019WOMEN

CELEBRATE AN ECO-FRIENDLY DIWALIAs we celebrate Diwali as a

symbol of all that is good andpure in the world, lets take a

moment and dedicate it to naturethis year by celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali.

Air pollution rises to dangerouslevels during the days of Diwalicelebration and energy and foodwastage also increases. Apart fromthat the noise and ruckus created bycrackers unsettles infants, elderlypeople, and pets.

Here are a few tips for celebratingan eco-friendly Diwali in your homeand society.

Avoid bursting crackersFirecrackers leave the air hazy

and the surroundings full of noise,and we wake up to the streetslittered with waste the nextmorning. Although, some mayargue that Diwali without crackersis not fun, but for a cleaner futurewe may give them up or use eco-friendly crackers.

Use traditional lightingGo for the good old oil diyas that

are bio-degradable and costeffective. You can also use someinnovative lighting alternatives byusing wheat dough, orange peels,

and coconut shells as DIY diyas.This will reduce electricityconsumption and wastage duringthe festive days.

Give Thoughtful GiftsInstead of opting for the regular

clocks and picture frames, gift yourfriends and family with eco-friendlyitems such plants, jute products,khadi clothing, etc. Avoid shinyplastic wraps and stick to simplepaper wraps to support the greencause even more.

Use recycled decorRecycled decor items are

becoming increasingly popularthese days. These decorative itemsnot only make use of the thingswhich we throw away as waste butalso inspire us to use thingscreatively even after expiry. By usingsuch products for Diwali decor youhelp in saving the energy that wouldbe wasted in disposing them off.

Eco-friendly rangolisRangolis were traditionally a way

to feed the birds and little animalsduring the festive days. You canembark on a journey to the past anduse colourful food grains andnatural colours for your Rangoli.

Researchers have shown thatdelta waves—a pattern ofhigh amplitude electrical

activity in the brain emitted duringsleep—are not silent restingperiods for the brain’s cortex, butplay an essential role in long-termmemory formation.

The study, published in thejournal Science, noted that whenhumans sleep, the seahorse shapedbrain region called hippocampusreactivated itself spontaneously toa state similar to its activity duringwakefulness.

According to the researchersfrom Centre national de larecherche scientifique (CNRS) inFrance, during sleep, thehippocampus sends information tothe cortex, which reacts in turn.

The study noted that thisexchange is often followed by aperiod of silence called a ‘deltawave,’ then by rhythmic activitycalled a ‘sleep spindle’.

This is when the cortical circuitsreorganise to form stablememories, the researchers said.

However, they added that the roleof delta waves in the formation ofnew memories is still a puzzle.

“Why does a period of silenceinterrupt the sequence ofinformation exchanges betweenthe hippocampus and the cortex,

and the functional reorganisationof the cortex,” the researchersasked.

When the researchers lookedmore closely at what happensduring delta waves, theydiscovered that the cortex was notentirely silent, but that a fewneurons remained active andformed small, coactive sets thatcoded information.

They suggested that the smallnumber of neurons that remainactive when all the others stayquiet can carry out importantcalculations while being protectedfrom possible disturbances.

According to the study,spontaneous reactivation of thehippocampus determined whichneurons in the cortex remainedactive during the delta waves, andrevealed the transmission ofinformation between the two brainregions.

The neuron sets activated duringthe delta waves are formed of cellsthat participated in learning aspatial memory task during theday, the researchers said.

Putting these observationstogether, the researchers suggestedthat these processes are involved inmemory consolidation.

DR. SATISH AND GITANJLI ANAND DDRR.. SSAATTIISSHH AANNAANNDD

FFoorrmmeerr CChhaaiirrmmaann,, BBooaarrdd ooffTTrruusstteeeess,, AAAAPPII NNaattiioonnaall

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FFoorrmmeerr PPrreessiiddeenntt,, IInnddiiaaAAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff LLoonngg IIssllaanndd((IIAALLII))

EE--mmaaiill::ggiittaannjjlliiaannaanndd@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

Fat found in overweight people’s lungs for first time

Fat can accumulate in the lungs of people,particularly those who are overweight or obese,researchers have shown for the first time.

Scientists already know that people who areoverweight or obese are more likely to suffer withwheezing and asthma, but the reasons for this have notbeen completely explained.

The new study, published in the EuropeanRespiratory Journal, suggests that this fatty tissuealters the structure of people’s airways and this couldbe one reason behind the increased risk of asthma.

“Looking at samples of lung, we spotted fatty tissuethat had built up in the airway walls. We wanted to seeif this accumulation was correlated with bodyweight,” said John Elliot, a senior research officer atSir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Australia.

The researchers examined post-mortem samples oflung that had been donated for research and stored inthe Airway Tissue Biobank.

They studied samples from 52 people, including 15who had no reported asthma, 21 who had asthma butdied of other causes and 16 who died of asthma.

HOW OUR MEMORIES STABILISE DURING SLEEP

DECODED

17THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 HEALTH

Frequent drinking more harmful than binges: Study

Alcohol lovers, take a note. Drinking smallamounts of alcohol frequently is linked witha higher likelihood of atrial fibrillation than

binge drinking, says a new study.Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart

rhythm disorder and raises the risk of stroke byfive-fold. Symptoms include palpitations, racing orirregular pulse, shortness of breath, tiredness,chest pain and dizziness.

"Our study suggests that drinking less often mayalso be important to protect against atrialfibrillation," said study author Jong-Il Choi, fromKorea University College in South Korea.

For the study, published in the journal EPEuropace, researchers examined the relativeimportance of frequent drinking versus bingedrinking for new-onset atrial fibrillation.

The analysis included 9,776,956 individualswithout atrial fibrillation who underwent a nationalhealth check-up in 2009 which included aquestionnaire about alcohol consumption.

Exercising before breakfast burnstwice more fat than after: Study

People can have better controlover their blood sugar levelsby changing the timing of

when they eat and exercise,according to a study which mayhelp plan lifestyle interventions tocounter diabetes and reduce bodyweight.

The researchers, including thosefrom the University of Bath in theUK, said that people who performedexercise before breakfast burneddouble the amount of fat than thosewho exercised after the morningmeal.

The results of the study,published in the Journal of ClinicalEndocrinology & Metabolism,revealed that performing exercisein the overnight-fasted state couldincrease the health benefits ofexercise for individuals, withoutchanging the intensity, duration, orperception of their effort.

The researchers conducted a six-week study involving thirty maleparticipants classified either asobese or overweight, and comparedthe results from two groups—thosewho ate breakfast before exercise,and those who ate after.

The study also involved a controlgroup of participants who madeno lifestyle changes, the

researchers said.The increased fat use is due to

lower insulin levels during exercisewhen people have fasted overnight,indicating that they can use more ofthe fat from their fat tissue and thefat within their muscles as a fuel,the researchers said.

While the six-week study did notlead to any significant weight lossin the participants, the researchersadded that it did have “profoundand positive” effects on their health

since their bodies were better ableto respond to insulin, keeping bloodsugar levels under control, andpotentially lowering the risk ofdiabetes and heart disease.

“Our results suggest thatchanging the timing of when youeat in relation to when you exercisecan bring about profound andpositive changes to your overallhealth,” said co-author of the studyJavier Gonzalez of the University ofBath.

QUANTUM LEAP INCOMPUTING AS SCIENTISTSCLAIM ‘SUPREMACY’

Scientists claimed on Wednesday to have achieveda near-mythical state of computing in which anew generation of machine vastly outperforms

the world’s fastest super-computer, known as“quantum supremacy”.

A team of experts working on Google’s Sycamoremachine said their quantum system had executed acalculation in 200 seconds that would have taken aclassic computer 10,000 years to complete.

A rival team at IBM has already expressedscepticism about their claim.

But if verified and harnessed, the Google devicecould make even the world’s most powerfulsupercomputers—capable of performing a giddying20,000 trillion calculations per second—look like anearly 2000s flip-phone.

Regular computers, even the fastest, function inbinary fashion: they carry out tasks using tinyfragments of data known as bits that are only evereither 1 or 0. Fragments of data on a quantumcomputer, however, can be both 1 and 0 at the sametime, harnessing some of the most mind-bogglingpowers of quantum mechanics to processexponentially larger amounts of information.

18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019SCIENCE AND TECH

2019 OZONE HOLE OVERANTARCTICA IS THE SMALLEST

ON RECORD: NASAThe ozone hole over Antarctica

is the smallest observed since1982, due to abnormally warm

temperatures in the upperatmosphere that dramaticallylimited ozone depletion inSeptember and October this year,according to NASA and NOAAsatellite measurements.

However, the researchers atNASA and The National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) cautioned that this is due towarmer stratospheric temperaturesand not a sign that atmosphericozone is suddenly on a fast track torecovery. The annual ozone holereached its peak extent of 16.4million square kilometres onSeptember 8, and then shrank toless than 10 million squarekilometres for the remainder ofSeptember and October, NASA saidin a statement.

During years with normalweather conditions, the ozone holetypically grows to a maximum areaof about eight million square milesin late September or early October,it said.

"It's great news for ozone in theSouthern Hemisphere," said PaulNewman, chief scientist for EarthSciences at NASA's Goddard SpaceFlight Center in the US.

"But it's important to recognise

that what we're seeing this year isdue to warmer stratospherictemperatures. It's not a sign thatatmospheric ozone is suddenly on afast track to recovery," Newmansaid. Ozone is a highly reactivemolecule comprised of threeoxygen atoms that occurs naturallyin small amounts.

Roughly seven to 25 miles aboveEarth's surface, in a layer of theatmosphere called the stratosphere,the ozone layer is a sunscreen,shielding the planet frompotentially harmful ultravioletradiation that can cause skincancer and cataracts, suppress

immune systems and also damageplants.

The Antarctic ozone hole formsduring the Southern Hemisphere'slate winter as the returning Sun'srays start ozone-depletingreactions. These reactions involvechemically active forms of chlorineand bromine derived from man-made compounds.

The chemistry that leads to theirformation involves chemicalreactions that occur on the surfacesof cloud particles that form in coldstratospheric layers, leadingultimately to runaway reactionsthat destroy ozone molecules.

Novel 'artificial leaf' producesclean gas from sunlight

Scientists have developed an 'artificial leaf' devicethat uses sunlight to produce a widely-used gascurrently made from fossil fuels, and could be

used to create a sustainable liquid fuel alternative topetrol.

The carbon-neutral device can directly produce thegas—called syngas—in a sustainable and simple wayfrom carbon dioxide and water, setting a newbenchmark in the field of solar fuels.

Rather than running on fossil fuels, the artificialleaf developed by researchers at the University ofCambridge in the UK is powered by sunlight,although it still works efficiently on cloudy andovercast days.

Unlike the current industrial processes forproducing syngas, the leaf does not release anyadditional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,according to the research published in the journalNature Materials.

Syngas is currently made from a mixture ofhydrogen and carbon monoxide, and is used toproduce a range of commodities, such as fuels,pharmaceuticals, plastics and fertilisers.

RESEARCHERS DEVELOP METHOD FORENHANCED VITAMIN E PRODUCTION

Researchers at the IndianInstitute of Technology (IIT),Madras, have engineered

sunflower plant cells to enhancetheir production of Vitamin E byten times, an advance that may pavethe way for effective and efficientcommercial production of thevitamin with fewer unwanted sideproducts.

The study, published in theBiochemical Engineering Journal,noted that in its most active formknown as alpha-tocopherol, vitaminE helped prevent tissue damagefrom certain toxic chemicalsproduced in the body known asreactive oxygen species.

However, according to theresearchers, the form of alpha-tocopherol synthesised chemicallyin labs was less active than itsnatural form found in plants.

The researchers said that analternative to chemicallysynthesising the vitamin was toculture the plants under controlledconditions in the lab to create auniform mass of cells that couldsustainably produce alpha-tocopherol.

In the study, the researchersinserted genes involved in vitaminE production from sunflower into aplant called Arabidopsis that iscommonly used as a model

organism in genetics research.Using insights from

computational simulations on themetabolic processes within theArabidopsis cells, the researcherstinkered with the geneticallyengineered cells to make it producehigh quantities of alpha-tocopherol.

The combined approach usingcomputer modelling and cellularengineering—also called rationalapproach—helped the researchersestimate which key enzymes in theengineered Arabidopsis cells whenproduced in higher quantities, led

to the production of more alpha-tocopherol.

When the researchersexperimentally increased theexpression of one such enzyme inthe tinkered cells, it led to a ten-foldhigher alpha-tocopherol yield inone of the lab grown cell lines,compared to the normal non-engineered cells.

They noted that the amount ofvitamin E produced was also almost1.3 times greater than that from theseeds of the parent plant procuredfrom Tamil Nadu AgricultureUniversity (TNAU).

A handout picture from October 2019 shows Sundar Pichaiand Daniel Sank (R) with one of Google''s Quantum

Computers in the Santa Barbara lab, California.

RS 68,751-CRORE REVIVALPACKAGE FOR LOSS-MAKINGBSNL, MTNL

NEW DELHI (TIP): Putting to rest all speculationsabout the fate of loss-making BSNL and MTNL, thegovernment today announced a revival package worthRs 68,751 crore, including 4G spectrum allocation andvoluntary retirement scheme for employees.

The Union Cabinet also approved merger of thestate-owned telecom firms and till the completion ofthe process, MTNL will operate as a subsidiary ofBSNL, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saidhere while sharing details of the revival package.

“In case of BSNL and MTNL, the government’s viewis clear. These are strategic assets of India. The entirearmy network is maintained by BSNL.

BSNL has around 1.68 lakh employees and MTNLaround 22,000.

“The VRS is voluntary; nobody can be forced to optfor it,” Prasad said. The total debt on both thecompanies stood at Rs 40,000 crore, of which half ofthe liability is on MTNL alone which operates in Delhiand Mumbai. Both the companies have beendemanding spectrum to start 4G services to remaincompetitive in the market. Telecom Secretary AnshuPrakash said the spectrum will be allocated to both thecompanies administratively within a month.

China to monitor US entities list,further open to foreign investment

China will closely monitor the US “entity list”,which has led to sanctions on a few Chinese techfirms, and take measures to safeguard its rights

and interests, the Ministry of Industry andInformation Technology (MIIT) said.

Firms on the US “entity list” are barred from buyingUS parts and components without US governmentapproval. Huang Libin, a spokesman for the MIIT, saidon Tuesday that China will not close its doors andblindly rely on Chinese-made technology, and it willfurther open up the telecommunications, internet andauto sectors to foreign investment.

“We will look at the trade friction between Chinaand the United States with an open mind and a bigheart,” he told reporters during a briefing.

“We will not blindly emphasize ‘self-reliance’, andnot decouple from the development of internationalindustries.”

Oil extends decline as concernsover global economy persist

Oil fell again after a weekly loss amid ongoingconcern that a fragile economic outlook willcontinue to weigh on fuel demand.

Futures fell 1% in New York after dropping 1.7% lastweek. Policy makers in China, the world’s second-biggest oil consumer, are preparing for two keymeetings with fresh evidence that economic growthwill slip further from its lowest in almost threedecades. Speculators have almost tripled shortpositions in US crude futures since mid-September asWashington and Beijing struggle to finalize a tradedeal, according to data released on Friday.

Oil has declined 19% since an April peak eventhough markets were last month hit by the biggest-ever supply incident with the missile strike on SaudiArabia’s Abqaiq plant, and continue to face crisesfrom Iran to Venezuela and Iraq.

19THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 BIZ AND FINANCE

India moves up 14 spots to 63 onWorld Bank’s ease of doing

business rankingNEW DELHI (TIP): India has

moved up 14 places in the WorldBank’s ease of doing businessranking to occupy the 63rd spot.India was also among the top 10performers on the list, which wasreleased on Thursday, for the thirdtime in a row.

World Bank president DavidMalpass will meet Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in New Delhi onThursday.

A government official, who didn’twish to be named, said that thecorporate tax reforms announcedthe central government has notbeen included this time and India islikely to be in the top 50 next year.New Zealand, Singapore and HongKong topped the list this year.

Last month, the governmentslashed corporate tax rates fordomestic manufacturers from 30%to 22%, whilethe rate was reducedfrom 25% to 15% for newmanufacturing companies providedthey do not claim any exemptions.

India was ranked 142nd among 190nations when Prime MinisterNarendra Modi took office in 2014.Four years of reform pushed upIndia’s rank to 100th in WorldBank’s ‘Doing Business’ 2018 report.It was 130th in 2017 when it wasranked lower than Iran and Uganda.Last year, the country jumped 23places to the 77th position on theback of reforms related toinsolvency, taxation and other areas.

In its report, the World Bank

commended the reform effortsundertaken“given the size ofIndia’s economy”. Prime MinisterModi’s ‘Make in India’ campaignfocused on attracting foreigninvestment, boosting the privatesector — manufacturing inparticular — and enhancing thecountry’s overall competitiveness,the World Bank report said.

The government turned to theDoing Business indicators to showinvestors India’s commitment toreform and to demonstrate tangibleprogress. In 2015, the government’sgoal was to join the 50 topeconomies on the ease of doingbusiness ranking by 2020.

The ease of doing businessrankings come at a time when theReserve Bank of India (RBI), WorldBank, International Monetary Fund(IMF) and various rating agencieshave slashed India’s growthforecast.The Indian economy iswitnessing a slowdown. The grossdomestic product (GDP) growthslowed to 5% in the quarter endedJune, the slowest pace of growthsince March 2013.

The other countries on this year’s‘top 10 performers’ list are SaudiArabia (62), Jordan (75), Togo (97),Bahrain (43), Tajikistan (106),Pakistan (108), Kuwait (83), China(31) and Nigeria (131).

‘Tallest, widest, longest cabin’: Gulfstreamto build world’s biggest private jet G700

Gulfstream is angling toreclaim bragging rights asbuilder of the world’s biggest

private jet.The planemaker unveiled plans to

make a roomier version of itsflagship G650, which was unseatedlast year as the largest luxury jet byBombardier Inc.’s Global 7500.Gulfstream’s new G700, with anexpected debut in 2022, will becapable of flying 7,500 nauticalmiles and cruising at just under thespeed of sound.

The G700 has “the tallest, widest,longest cabin in our industry,”Gulfstream President Mark Burnssaid at a private-jet conference lateMonday in Las Vegas.

Gulfstream, a unit of GeneralDynamics Corp., is betting that the$76 million G700 will entice theworld’s wealthiest flyers with thebigger cabin and a longer range.The launch customer is QatarAirways, which has ordered 10aircraft for its charter service QatarExecutive. “We’ve actually hadseveral other orders that we’vetaken already,” Burns said in aninterview Tuesday. “My phone’s

been blowing up overnight withpeople asking about what availablepositions we have.”

The initial reaction suggestsrobust demand for the G700, butGulfstream will still have to contendwith mounting unease among buyersin the luxury-jet market. A slowdownin orders could cause deliveries tobegin flagging in 2021, according to astudy by Honeywell InternationalInc. While an array of new aircraftmodels is expected to boost

shipments this year and next, longer-term threats are emerging from theU.S.-China trade war, the U.K.’slooming break from the EuropeanUnion, and a shaky global economy.

Bombardier began deliveries ofthe Global 7500 in December,spurring speculation thatGulfstream would strike back with alarger plane. Bombardier’s jet,which came to market two yearslater than planned, was based on anew design.

20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019MISCELLANY

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contd from page 1Assembly Elections, By...

NCP notched up an additional 21 seats compared tothe 2014 numbers.

The BJP won 103 seats out of the 150 it contested,while alliance partner Sena secured a clear mandate on56 seats out of 124. The saffron alliance's final tallystood at 159. The BJP's 14 allies contested on the lotussymbol.

The opposition tally stood at 100 with the Congresswinning 46 out of 147 seats it contested and NCPbagging 54 of the 121 seats it contested. Otheropposition allies won six seats.

Haryana ended up with a hung Assembly with theruling BJP emerging as the largest party with 40 seats,but still six short of the halfway mark needed to formthe next government. The Congress won 31 seats, theJannayak Janta Party 10, the Indian National Lok Daland Haryana Lokhit Party one each. The Aam AadmiParty, which contested 46 seats, was decimated.

Senior Congress leader and two-time Haryana ChiefMinister Bhupinder Singh Hooda registered the highestvictory margin in the Assembly elections.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar saysthe BJP will soon form government in the State again.With the motto of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, the worktowards making Haryana strong and prosperous will becarried forward", he said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "I thank thepeople of Haryana for blessing us. We will continue towork with the same zeal and dedication for the State'sprogress. I laud the efforts of hardworking HaryanaBJP Karyakartas who toiled extensively and wentamong the people to elaborate on our developmentagenda."

BJP president Amit Shah has indicated that his partywill stake claim to form the next government inHaryana after the Assembly election results threw ahung verdict.

"The (Manohar Lal) Khattar government in Haryanahas made every effort for people's welfare under thecentral leadership of (Narendra) Modi. I thank peoplefor making the BJP the single-largest party and givingit another opportunity to serve them," Shah tweeted.

'Will play constructive role in...expressed confidence that common ground could be

found with the Opposition parties on affordabilityissues and climate change action, leading to a "stableand working" minority Parliament.

Singh, who was himself a prime ministerialcontender, said his party is open to all possibilities: aformal deal to prop up the Liberals, a power-sharingcoalition, or to simply pressure them on their policywish list on a vote-to-vote basis, the Toronto Starnewspaper reported. "This minority government givesus the chance to be able to fight for the things that we

have laid out all along this campaign," Singh toldreporters in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Singh, the first non-white leader of a federal politicalparty in Canada has congratulated Trudeau, 47, on hiswin and said he spoke to him earlier in the day. Singh'sNDP has won 24 seats this time.

Being able to hold leverage in the minorityParliament is a silver lining for Singh, who surpassedexpectations in this campaign but still saw his partylose 13 seats, the report said. "The results show a brokenelectoral system and it's certainly clear we need to fixit," he said. (Source: PTI)

Canadians Give Justin...New Democratic Party (NDP) with 24, the Greens

with three, and one independent member.Not only was Trudeau's Liberal Party forced by voters

to accept a demotion to a minority government --grabbing just 157 of 338 seats in the House of Commons-- but about two-thirds of the country voted against him.His party's share of the popular vote clocked in at just33.1 % -- less than the 34.4% earned by the rival theConservative Party of Canada and its leader AndrewScheer. (Despite receiving a greater percentage of thevote, the Conservative Party picked up 36 fewer seatsthan the Liberals.)In order to have won a secondmajority, the Liberals would have had to hit or exceedthe magic number of 170 seats.

Foreign Policy commented : "Even if his support athome has weakened, a few leaders in Europe will becelebrating his reelection. Losing Trudeau would havebeen a blow to his allies in the G-7, notably FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron and German ChancellorAngela Merkel. Trudeau's reelection is a small win forthe increasingly isolated club of liberal,internationalist leaders."

U.S. President Donald Trump was quick out of thegate to congratulate Trudeau. Any evidence of theirrocky relationship appeared to be a distant memory, asTrump wrote: "I look forward to working with youtoward the betterment of both of our countries!"

In his address after the results were known, Trudeausaid : "Tonight Canadians rejected division andnegativity. They rejected cuts and austerity. Theyelected a progressive agenda and strong action onclimate change". "To those who did not vote for us,know that we will work every single day for you, we willgovern for everyone," Trudeau said. But Trudeau's washardly a resounding victory. (Source: Agencies)

Indian American Bernard...He directs a research program that is focused on the

body's immune response to bacterial diseases with thegoal of developing vaccines and therapies forprevention and treatment. Work in his laboratory hasprovided new insights into the development of vaccinesagainst Chlamydia trachomatis, which causes thesexually transmitted disease chlamydia, Francisella

tularensis, which causes the respiratory infectiontularemia or rabbit fever, and AcinetobacterBaumannii, a pathogen that has seen an uptick inoccurrence in injured soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.His research team is funded by numerous agenciesincluding the National Institutes of Health, theDepartment of Homeland Security and the Departmentof Defense.

In 2015 Arulanandam was named a Fellow of theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Scienceand, in 2016, he received a Fulbright InternationalEducation Administrator Seminar award. In 2017, hebecame a Fellow of the American Academy ofMicrobiology. Two years later, he was named a Fellow ofthe National Academy of Inventors.

Indian American Appointed to...Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Dr. Chevireddy is

affiliated with Baptist Health Medical CenterArkadelphia, Baptist Health Medical Center Stuttgart,CHI St Vincent Infirmary Medical Center andUniversity Arkansas Of Medical Sciences.

He got many awards including - Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2014, 2015, 2018)Compassionate Doctor certification is granted to

physicians who treat their patients with the utmostkindness. The honor is granted based on a physician'soverall and bedside manner scores.

On-Time Doctor Award (2014, 2015, 2018)Vitals On-Time + Promptness Award recognizes

doctors with consistent high ratings for timeliness ofappointments. The honor is granted based on aphysician's overall and promptness scores.

Patients' Choice Award (2014, 2015, 2018)Patients' Choice recognition reflects the difference a

particular physician has made in the lives of his/herpatients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who havereceived near perfect scores, as voted by patients.

Indian American Sanjay Narayan...Pennsylvania Law School Alumni Association and is

a Pro Bono contributor to the Dallas VolunteerAttorney Program. Narayan received a Bachelor ofScience in economics and Bachelor of Arts in politicalscience from Duke University, a Juris Doctor degreefrom the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and aCertificate of Study in business economics and publicpolicy from the Wharton School of Business.

Darshan Sachde of Austin is a Senior ProcessChemical Engineer for Trimeric Corporation. Hepreviously worked for Samsung Austin Semiconductorand Austin Energy prior to his current role. He is amember of the American Institute of ChemicalEngineers (AIChE). Sachde received a Bachelor ofScience and a Doctor of Philosophy in chemicalengineering and Master's degrees in Public Affairs andEnvironmental Engineering from The University ofTexas at Austin.

Indian American South Bay Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonSAN JOSE (TIP): A South Bay doctor

of Indian origin, Venkat Aachi, wassentenced, Oct 21 , to 24 months inprison for health care fraud and fordistributing hydrocodone outside thescope of his professional practice andwithout a legitimate medical need,announced United States Attorney DavidL. Anderson, Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA) Special Agent inCharge Chris Nielsen, Federal Bureau ofInvestigation Special Agent in ChargeJohn F. Bennett, U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services Office of theInspector General (HHS-OIG) SpecialAgent in Charge Steven J. Ryan, and theCalifornia Department of JusticeBureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder

Abuse (BMFEA). The sentence washanded down by the Honorable EdwardJ. Davila, U.S. District Judge.

Aachi, 52, of Saratoga, pleaded guiltyto the charges on March 25, 2019.According to the plea agreement, Aachiwas a licensed physician who operated apain clinic in San Jose and maintained aDEA registration number authorizing

him to prescribe controlled substances.Aachi admitted that from September 18,2017, through July 2, 2018, he wroteh y d r o c o d o n e - a c e t a m i n o p h e nprescriptions that were outside the scopeof his professional practice and not for alegitimate medical purpose.

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On the day of Diwali, it is a customto worship Goddess Lakshmi andLord Ganesha together. It is well-

known that Goddess Lakshmi is theGoddess of wealth, fortune, luxury andprosperity (both material and spiritual)while Lord Ganesha is revered as theremover of obstacles, the patron of artsand sciences and the ‘Deva’ of intellectand wisdom. People worship these twodeities together to welcome wealthalong with intelligence. Since nocelebration is deemed complete withoutinvoking Lord Ganesha, Diwali is noexception either. Ganesha is consideredas the remover of all obstacles. Hence,He is worshipped first to get rid of allthe obstacles that hinder our growth.Along with that, worshipping the formsof Goddess Mahalakshmi is the mostcrucial part of Diwali. It is said that onthe night of Diwali, Goddess Lakshmivisits each house and blesses everyonewith great wealth. But the questionremains as to why Lakshmi andGanesha are worshipped together andthere is an interesting story behind theworship of Lakshmi and Ganesha onDiwali.

According to the scriptures, onceGoddess Lakshmi grew very arrogantabout Her wealth and powers. Whilehaving a conversation with Herhusband, Lord Vishnu, She keptpraising Herself, claiming that She isthe only one worthy of worship. She isthe one who bestows everyone withmoney and wealth. On hearing the non-stop self praise, Lord Vishnu decided toget rid of Her arrogance. Very calmly,Lord Vishnu said that in spite of havingall the qualities, a woman remainsincomplete if she does not bearchildren. Motherhood is the ultimatejoy that a woman can experience andsince Lakshmi did not have children,She could not be deemed complete. Onhearing this Goddess Lakshmi wasextremely disappointed. With a heavyheart, Goddess Lakshmi went toGoddess Parvati to seek help. SinceParvati had two sons, She requested theGoddess to let Her adopt one of Hersons to experience the joy ofmotherhood. Parvati was reluctant tolet Lakshmi adopt Her son because itwas known that Lakshmi does not stayin one place for long. So, she would notbe able to take care of Her son. ButLakshmi assured Her that She wouldtake care of Her son in every possibleway and bestow Him with all thehappiness. Understanding Lakshmi’spain, Goddess Parvati let Her adoptGanesha as Her son. Goddess Lakshmibecame extremely elated and said thatShe will bestow Ganesha with all Heraccomplishments and prosperity. Thoseworshipping Lakshmi for wealth wouldfirst have to worship Ganesha to seekHer blessings. Those who will worshipLakshmi without Ganesha will notblessed by the Goddess. Hence, Lakshmiis always worshipped along withGanesha on Diwali. Gaining wealthwithout intellect will only result inmisusing the wealth. So, one must firstacquire the intelligence to spend thewealth in the right manner. Therefore,Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped

together.

Mythological StoryOnce upon a time Lord Vishnu and

Goddess Lakhmi were havingconversation in heaven and GoddessLakshmi was praising herself andtelling Lord Vishnu that she is the mostworship worthy in the world and by hergrace, a person can get all the pleasuresof this world and becomes happiestperson. By hearing the self praising byGoddess Laksmi, Lord Vishnu said toher for reducing her ego, “You arehaving all the qualities, still you did notfeel the joy of motherhood till now andfor a lady, the motherhood joy is themost important thing in this universe.”

The comment from Lord Vishnu madeGoddess Lakhmi become disheartenedand in this pain she went to her friendGoddess Parvati. After listing theproblem of Goddess Lakhmi, Parvatiasked her, “How can I help you?”Goddess Lakshmi said, “You are havingtwo sons and if you could give me yourone son you will still have one son and Icould get the grace of motherhood. So,in this situation you can help me out.”

By listing her Goddess Parvati said toher, “I’m having two sons Kartikeya andGanesha. Kartikeya is having sixmouths (Faces) and because of this heneeds to eat all the time. My second sonGanesha is very naughty, if I missed tokeep eye on him for a bit, he ruinedeverything. And you cannot stay at oneplace for a long, so tell me how can you

take care of my sons?By hearing this Goddess Lakshmi

said to her, “I’ll keep your sons close tomy heart and will shower my all love onthem either Kartikeya or Ganesha. I cantake care both of them. All the servantsof heaven will serve them day and nightso please give me one of them as myadopted child.”

Maa Parvati knew her both the sonsvery well so she gave Lord Ganesha toGoddess Lakhmi as her adopted son.Goddess Lakshmi became very happyand said to Goddess Parvati, “Fromtoday onwards I’m giving my allaccomplishments, luxury andprosperity to my son Ganesha. Also,

Riddhi and Siddhi Lord Brahma’sdaughters are alike my daughters willbe married soon for which I give myword to you.

I will fulfill all the desires of Ganesha.In all the three loks which person shallnot worship Lord Ganesha and do backbiting, I will be miles away from him.Whenever my worship will beperformed, Lord Ganesha’a worship willbe a must. Who will not worship ShriGanesha along with me, he cannot getShree or myself. By listening this MaaParvati become too much happy andhanded over her son Ganesh to Laxmi Ji.As such at Deepawali Poojan or LuxmiPoojan, Ganesh Poojan is a must.

WHY ARE LAKSHMI AND GANESHAWORSHIPED TOGETHER ON DIWALI?

ARISH K. SAHANI SSeerrvviinngg SSiinnccee 11997722

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PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

““IIff HHiinndduuss ddoonn’’tt mmaaiinnttaaiinn HHiinndduuiissmm,, wwhhoo sshhaallll ssaavvee iitt??””

““IIff IInnddiiaa’’ss oowwnn cchhiillddrreenn ddoonn''tt cclliinngg ttoo tthheeiirr ffaaiitthh,, wwhhoo sshhaallll gguuaarrdd iitt??””

““IInnddiiaannss aalloonnee ccaann ssaavvee IInnddiiaa,, aanndd IInnddiiaa aanndd HHiinndduuiissmm aarree oonnee..””

21THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 SPIRITUALITY

NEW DELHI (TIP): OpenerRohit Sharma has been rewardedfor his scintillating form in therecently-concluded series againstSouth Africa as he entered the top-10 in the latest International CricketCouncil (ICC) Test rankings onWednesday. Rohit jumped 12 placesto take the 10th spot in the latest list.In total, Rohit amassed 529 runs inhis debut series as opener with amaiden double hundred in the finalTest against South Africa apartfrom twin hundreds inVisakhapatnam. The run-filledperformances also earned him theman of the series award.

Ajinkya Rahane’s knock of 116 inRanchi has helped him equal hiscareer-high rank of fifth place,achieved earlier in November 2016.He remains the third-best Indianbatsman in terms of Test rankingsafter Virat Kohli and CheteshwarPujara. With Mayank Agarwal in18th position, India have finishedthe series with five batsmen in thetop 20.

Fast bowlers Mohammad Shamiand Umesh Yadav have ended theseries with their highest-ever ratingpoints tally. Shami is on 751 pointsand only one place below his career-best ranking of 14th achieved inMarch 2018, while Yadav is on 624points, three below his best of 21stin July 2016.

For South Africa, George Lindehas started in 104th position amongbatsmen after scores of 37 and 27and 99th among bowlers afterfinishing with four wickets.

Earlier, India registered theirmaiden series clean sweep againstSouth Africa as they defeated theProteas by an innings and 203 runs inRanchi. With the win, India continuetheir perfect record, winning fivematches in five games so far.

The Kohli-led side is the onlyteam to cross the 200-run mark inthe table with the emphatic victory.With three matches in the series,every game was worth 40 points,and India’s total tally goes to 240

points in five games. New Zealandand Sri Lanka are tied on points, at2nd and 3rd positions respectively,with 60 points each. It means Indiahave a lead of 180 points over the2nd best team in the table, as of now.

22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019SPORTS

Rohit storms into top 10,Rahane joins Virat Kohli

INDIA BLOW AWAY SOUTHAFRICA IN RANCHI FOR 3-0CLEAN SWEEP

RANCHI (TIP): A formidable Indian team tickedall boxes with ease as they deservingly completed a 3-0 rout of an out-of-sorts South Africa with acomprehensive innings and 202 runs victory in thethird and final Test here on Tuesday.

With another 120 points, India now sit pretty on topof the points table with 240 points as the formalitieswere completed within the first two overs of the day.

The score line was not only an indicator of India’sabsolute dominance but also the decline in standard ofSouth African cricket as they couldn’t handle themight of India’s batting and the fiery India paceattack led by Mohammed Shami (13 wickets in theseries). Debutant Shahbaz Nadeem (2/18 in 6 overs)wrapped it up in the second over of the day as SouthAfrica were all out for 133 in their second innings, 30runs short of their dismal first innings score of 162.

This is India’s sixth clean sweep at home in a three-Test series and India didn’t put a foot wrong duringthe three-match series winning the first Test by 203runs and the second by an innings and 137 runs.

If Rohit Sharma’s coming of age in his new role asan opener with 529 runs turned out to be amasterstroke in home conditions, Mayank Agarwalalso consolidated his place in the side with a doublecentury and a ton, easing India’s long-time openingwoes. “I was very happy to make my debut inAustralia and make little contributions to the team,”Agarwal said after the match.

India vs Bangladesh: RohitSharma named T20I captain asVirat Kohli rested

MUMBAI (TIP): Virat Kohli has been handed amuch-needed break from international cricket andrested for the three-match Twenty20 series againstBangladesh, in November. Opening batsman RohitSharma will lead the team in his place. Kohli, however,will be back for the two-match Test series. Wristspinner Yuzvendra Chahal made a return to the T20squad and keeper-batsman Sanju Samson wasrewarded for his impressive showings in domesticcricket, including the Indian Premier League, with along-awaited call up. He played his first and only T20Iback in 2015. Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube got hismaiden international call-up to fill in for the injuredHardik Pandya, who is recovering from back surgery,while Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings pacerShardul Thakur is also part of the squad.

Kohli, who captains India in all three formats and isthe top performer with the bat for the side, and aburnout is always a possibility for him. Right after theWorld Cup in England, there was talk that Kohli wouldskip the Twenty20 matches against West Indies, but hewent ahead and played those matches. This time theteam management and selectors, on the advice of thesupport staff monitoring the workload of the players,decided to give him a break.

In another major decision, experienced all-rounderRavindra Jadeja was not picked to make space forKrunal Pandya, who offers a similar set of skills. In thebuild-up to the 2020 T20 World Cup, India has beenlooking for depth in their lower-order; hence they havepreferred bowlers who can also contribute with thebat, which has seen Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav notbeing played together.

ICC TEST RANKINGS

Indian captain Virat Kohli and team players pose with thetrophy after winning the Test series against South Africa

at JSCA Stadium, in Ranchi on October 22, 2019.

SOURAV GANGULY TAKES OVER AS BCCI PRESIDENTMUMBAI (TIP): Sourav Ganguly, former India

captain, took over as the president of Board of ControlFor Cricket In India (BCCI) on Wednesday. Jay Shah,son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, began histenure as the new secretary while Arun Dhumal takesoffice as treasurer. Dhumal is the younger brother ofMinister of State for Finance and former BCCIpresident Anurag Thakur. There were no elections heldfor appointments of the posts since all candidatesemerged unopposed after weeks of lobbying and hecticparleys.

Ganguly is the first India cricketer after theMaharaja of Vizianagaram to become the president ofBoard of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI).

"I'm confident that as BCCI President he will takecricket to greater heights. I am hopeful that Jay Shahand Sourav Ganguly and their team will deliver. This isstart of a new era for Indian cricket," said Delhi andDistricts Cricket Association chief Rajat Sharma.

Former IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla echoed thesentiment. "Sourav will be an asset because he has beenthe most successful captain, and he has been mostsuccessful CAB President as well" he said.

After becoming the president of BCCI, SouravGanguly took to Twitter to share a picture of himself asthe former India captain took charge of Indian cricketboard.

Ganguly, however, will be able to serve as BCCIpresident only up to September 2020, as he is currentlythe president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB)and will have to go into a compulsory cooling offperiod.

23THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 ASTROLOGY

ARIES: Ganesha says go with the flow ofevents and there will be new beginnings whichwill be quite happy and fortunate for you. Keepyour chin up, do not go under or get discouragedand frustrated. There may also be some issues atwork that need resolution. You will have to workaround people and circumstances and find a wayaround roadblocks. Ganesha will help you.

TAURUS: You can be extremely emotionaland sensitive about many issues. Your desire forrelationships is in strong conflict with yourneed to feel like a distinct, separate and definiteindividual. You also want your space; you are indilemma. There could also be some bitterness athome with family members. You will find itdifficult to relate to people and may even feelvery lonely with family members and lovedones.

GEMINI: You are hard - working and talentedbut you need some discipline where youremotions are concerned. Ask Ganesha forguidance. This is a period of good times andexpenses and many meetings. There could belove too depending on your personal chart. Itwill be a good idea to re-examine yourrelationships and determine with finality yourrights, duties and obligations.

CANCER: There may be heavy demands onyou and you are in a quandary: do you breakfree or still hang on it the relationship. You can'tlive without the person and can't live with theperson either. You will have to take the call onthis. You will also spend time with social workand animal welfare. This will be a much -needed diversion too. There could be a marriagein the family or an addition to it. Ganeshablesses you.

LEO: You have a great need for people andbonds. The stress is on relationships at all levels.This makes you happy. You are keen to strengthenexisting bonds and forge new ones. There is alsothe need to put your finances on track. A lot ofyour time will be spent on house, home andproperty matters. You will carry on with yourstrong, definite focus on the 3 F's - funds, familyand finances.

VIRGO: The desire to have genuine materialsecurity will dominate you. There will beacquisitions, budgeting of household expensesand finances, add-ons, extensions, renovations,new purchases. You will have to be moreadaptable and flexible in your dealings as youlook at achieving more and more. There will besupport from extended family and kin and yourcolleagues. The immediate family too will pitchin.

LIBRA: There is familial support now for allyour ventures and this makes you really happy asyou want deep bonds with loved ones and areunhappy when that doesn't happen. You look formore funds. Speculation, gambling and bettingwill also interest and excite you as you look at allmoney-making possibilities seriously. Ganesharewards you with satisfaction and joy from thingsthat matter to you like pets, creative pursuits,hobbies.

SCORPIO: You look at all new avenues ofincome and that includes new areas of work too.One has to change with the times and flow likewater and find one's level. You need to step out ofyour comfort zone and look at the world with neweyes. Ganesha is with you. Events are outpacingyou and you will be in a great hurry to get thingsdone at breakneck speed this period.

SAGITTARIUS: There will be somerestlessness too as you are impatient to getcracking at what you want to do. Delays andimpediments will be a nuisance and you will bechancing your luck as you look at new avenuesand take risks. It would be a good idea to takeprecautions, do your homework, read the finerpoints of contracts and documents and comb thedetails.

CAPRICORN: There could also be a shift inyour residence or office as you move aheadquickly and efficiently. Along with greaterearnings are also many expenses. Ganeshawatches over you. This is an intense phase andyou push yourself very hard. You are burningthe candle at both ends as you also entertainwith flair and enjoy time-out at socialgatherings. You look at long-term benefits andplan with caution.

AQUARIUS: You are motivated and happy.You look for fun, love, romance, happy times andthe simple pleasures of life. You will have a goodrapport with all comers both at domesticfunctions and official gatherings. You fuse workand pleasure and there is no letting up. Therecould be a new romantic interest but nothingcertain can be said of it now. Ganesha asks youto wait and watch.

PISCES: You are in a thoughtful mood and Idare say morbid and dissolute. There is no usegetting unnecessarily sentimental andemotional about things from the past that youcannot change nor do anything about. Learnfrom whatever has happened and move on. Also,one swallow doesn't make a summer and so don'tgeneralize. You will be interacting with peopleat all levels.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famousastrologertoday. He appears regularly onworld wide TV shows. Bejan who has been aprofessor in English, hasauthored a numberof books on astrology. India'sPrime MinisterNarendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,lunchedone of Bejan's books, '2012- End oftheWorld? Bejan contributes to a number ofjournals andnewspapers in many parts of theworld which includeBerkley Communications(London) Times of India(Delhi, Mumbai,Kolkata, Chennai) and The IndianPanorama (New York and Texas). Bejan'spredictionshave mostly been correct andpeople the world overrely on his predictions.

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

info@bejandaruwalla.com and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

Oct 28: Ganesha says an abundantopportunity or gift, perhaps related to thefamily / money paperwork, bears fruit.Expect options close by to warm up. Themedia?

Oct 29: Relations, especially involvingmoney or credit, shows signs of jealousy,envy, or resentment. Talk things out andyou can restore resource harmony.

Oct 30: Tasks together can lead to anevening out or lovely dinner with friends.Watch for someone's defences, however,when the bill arrives. Oct 31: The emotional flow comes fromyour partnership zone, a pheromone thatovercomes your usual logic-only approach. Nov 1: A money talk with a partner goeswell around lunchtime - or someonetreats for brunch! but late - afternoondoubts can bring someone down.

Nov 2: You're fully empowered to takedisciplined action and make it super-effective and you the victor. Whetherinvolving loved ones or ambitions, potentfortitude and influential supporterspoweryou on. Nov 3: Even reserved you make want totake a chance on something today,feeling the urge to roll the dice. Change islikely, but it's hard to say if the dice willroll lucky or snake eyes.

Weekly Horoscope - October 28 - November 3, 2019

The Indian Panorama brings you Weekly and Birthday Horoscope from the World's mosttrusted astrologer Bejan Daruwalla. Latest correct prediction: Modi's historic victory

Birthday Horoscope October 28 - November 3, 2019

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019ADVERTISEMENT