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Transcript of Vol.8 Issue 28 - Nov 21-Nov 27, 2015
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8/20/2019 Vol.8 Issue 28 - Nov 21-Nov 27, 2015
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Paris: The ringleader behind the
Paris attacks is dead, killed during
a dramatic raid Wednesday that
shook a neighborhood here and
collapsed an entire floor of an
apartment building. But French
authorities say their work is far
from finished.
Six days after a coordinated
string of shootings and bombings
killed 129 people in the French
capital, at least one suspect is still
on the run. A series of raids in
Belgium and a search of a home on
the outskirts of Paris on Thursday
were the latest signs of investiga‑
tors' efforts to piece together ‑‑
and take down ‑‑ the network of
terrorists behind the attacks
before they can strike again.
And authorities say the threat
from ISIS, which claimed responsi‑
bility for the attacks and threat‑
ened more worldwide, remains
real. "We just now have to be
ready for anything, any kind of an
attack. ... Although we know that
the mastermind of the attacks of
Paris has been killed, the risk is
still very high," Paris Deputy
Mayor Patrick Klugman told CNN's
"Erin Burnett: OutFront" on
Thursday. French officials said the
raid Wednesday at an apartment
building in the northern Paris sub‑
urb of Saint‑Denis was a signifi‑
cant step. On Thursday, they
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
excellence in journalism SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30US AFFAIRS 9 OP ED 14 SELF HELP 26
Vol.8 No. 29 November 21-27, 2015 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Search on for more suspects as ISISemerges the biggest threat to world order
Abdelhamid Abaaoud, ringleader of the terror attacks in Paris.
Paris attacksringleader
killed in
police raid
Continued on page 4
Entire humanity must standagainst terrorism: PM Modi
See exhaustive coverage of Paris attacks on pages 1517.
Antalya Turkey: Strongly con‑
demning the terrorist attack in
Paris, India made a case Sunday
for united global effort to combat
the menace of terrorism.
“We stand united in strongly
condemning the dreadful acts of
terrorism in Paris… The entire
humanity must stand together as
one against terrorism. The need
for a united global effort to com‑
bat terrorism has never been
more urgent,” Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said at the meet‑
ing of the BRICS leaders on the
sidelines of the G20 Summit.
India, which takes over the
Chairmanship of BRICS from
February 1, 2016, will accord pri‑
ority to combating terrorism, he
said. In the worst ever terror
attacks by ISIS in Paris on
November 13, at least 129 peo‑
ple were killed and 352 injured,
many in critical condition.
Combating terrorism, Modi
said, “must also be a priority for
BRICS nations”.
Besides Modi, BRICS meeting
was attended by Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Chinese
President Xi Jinping, South
African President Jacob Zuma
and Brazilian President Dilma
Rousseff. Modi said: “We express
ISIS threatens toblow up White
House, attack NYCWashington: The Islamic Stateterrorist group in a new video
released on Thursday threatened
to bomb the White House and
launch more attacks in Paris.
The latest threats came one day
after the militant group released a
video that threatened to attack
New York City with mentions of
Times Square.
The new six‑minute video titled
"Paris Before Rome" showed an IS
fighter threatening to attack
French monuments and vowing to
strike the White House.
"We began with you, and we
shall conclude with the so‑called
White House," a fighter in the
video said, "We shall blow it up,
just like we blew up the idols on
this good land". One fighter men‑
tions a "conquest of Rome." The
Vatican's St. Peter's Square was
Moscow: Russia is ready to work
with the Western coalition fighting
the Islamic State group if its mem‑
bers respect Syriaʼs sovereignty,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said Thursday.
“We...are ready for practical
cooperation with those countries
which are part of the coalition and
are ready to develop with them
such forms of coordination that of
course would respect Syriaʼs sover‑
eignty and the prerogatives of the
PM Narendra Modi with world leaders at G20 summit in Turkey.
Russian President Vladimir Putin huddled with President Obama atG20 summit in Antalya, Turkey hinting at a coming together in fight
against ISIS. (Photo: EPA)
Continued on page 4
Russia's condition to work
with anti‑ISIS coalition
Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4
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2 November 21-27, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIPLOMACY
Prime MinisterNarendraModi greetedby USPresidentBarack Obamaat the G20Summit 2015in Antalya,
Turkey onNovember 15.
Modi meetingthe Presidentof RussianFederation,VladimirPutin, at theBRICSmeeting, onthe sidelinesof G20Summit in
TurkeyNov 15.
Modi charms UK, shows resolve
on terrorism in TurkeyIndian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi wrapped uphis five‑day visit to Britain andTurkey on Monday. At the two‑
day G20 summit in
Antalya,Turkey, he made a strong
case for a united global fight
against terrorism because terror‑
ism is the principle global chal‑
lenge of today. Meeting with
leaders of BRICS nations, he
called for effective steps to end
funding, supplies and communi‑
cation channels of terrorists.
In his visit to the UK, Modi met
Queen Elizabeth II atBuckingham Palace and
addressed the Indian community
at the Wembley stadium, along
with his British counterpart
David Cameron.
Narendra Modi addressed parliamentarians inWestminster on November 12, becoming the
first Indian PM to do so.
The UK Parliamentarians and Lords call on Modi after his address atWembley Stadium
Prime Minister Modi presented gifts to Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II on November 13.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting enthusiastic crowds afterdelivering his address at Wembley Stadium in London on November13. Sixty thousand people were in attendance, much more than the
number at MSG in New York.PM Modi being received by his British counterpart, David Cameron,
and Samantha Cameron at Wembley.
IN
TURKEY
INUK
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3November 21-27, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info TR I S TATE COMMUNI TY
New Delhi Syed Akbaruddin, who
was the chief coordinator of the
India‑Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)
held in New Delhi last month, hasbeen appointed as the new perma‑
nent representative of India to the
United Nations in New York, it was
announced earlier this week.
"Syed Akbaruddin, IFS officer of
1985 batch, currently additional
secretary in the foreign ministry,
has been appointed as the next
ambassador/permanent representa‑
tive of India to the UN in New York,"
an official statement said.
Akbaruddin will be replacing
Asoke Kumar Mukerji who will be
retiring.
After completing a successful
term as the External Affairs
Ministry spokesperson in April this
year, Mr Akbaruddin was slated to
go to Geneva as India's permanent
representative to the UN offices
there.
However, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi handpicked him to
be the chief coordinator of the IAFS,
a mega event that was attended by
all the 54 countries of Africa.
The event went off smoothly with
all visiting dignitaries praising the
way it was organized.
New York Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindal announced Tuesday night he
is suspending his campaign for the
Republican presidential nomina‑
tion, saying that he has concluded
he could not be successful in a
“crazy, unpredictable” year.
“Iʼve come to the realization that
this is not my time,” Jindal said on
Fox News Channel. “We spent a lotof time developing detailed policy
papers. Given this crazy, unpre‑
dictable election season, clearly
there wasnʼt an interest in those
policy papers.”
Jindal, 44, who is leaving office at
the end of this year after complet‑
ing his second term as governor,
said he has not given much thought
to who he might endorse in the
Republican presidential race. “Even
though Iʼm not going to be a candi‑
date for president, we had better
elect the right president so that we
can restore the American dream
before itʼs too late," said Jindal, a
former chairman of the RepublicanGovernorsʼ Association.
In a crowded Republican field,
Jindal struggled to gain traction. He
focused heavily on Iowa, where he
courted social conservatives inten‑
sively and had begun to tick up in
state polls. Yet he remained essen‑
tial ly a non‑factor in the race
nationally and was relegated to the
so‑called undercard stage in all four
debates so far. He struggled for
attention in the 2016 scrum and
most often got it only when elbow‑
ing into a dispute between other
candidates, or criticizing his rivals.
He even held a press conference
entirely questioning Donald
Trump's fitness for office. Jindal's
decision to end his campaign camesuddenly. Just one day earlier, he
had announced plans to continue
his tour of Iowa's 99 counties later
in the week.
Ju st ei gh t ye ar s ag o, Bo bb y
Jindalʼs polit ical future looked far
brighter than it does now. A native
of Baton Rouge, he was born Piyush
Jindal in 1971 but renamed himself
“Bobby” after the youngest son on
the “Brady Bunch” sitcom. He
became a Rhodes Scholar, a
McKinsey consultant and ̶ still in
his early 20s ̶ the head of the
massive Louisiana health depart‑
ment. Jindal ran for governor and
lost, then ran for Congress and won.
He was elected governor on his sec‑
ond try, in 2007, at age 36.In a statement that accompanied
his announcement, Jindal discussed
his future plans: "One of the things I
will do is go back to work at the
think tank I started a few years ago
̶ where I will be outlining a blue‑
print for making this the American
century."
Indians are largestgroup of naturalizedUS citizens in 9 states
Syed Akbaruddin named India'spermanent representative to UN
Syed Akbaruddin, IFS officer of 1985 batch, is currently additional sec‑retary in the external af fairs ministry. He replaces Ambassador Asoke
Kumar Mukerji (right), who will be retiring.
More than half of naturalized US citizens from India are akey working age: 25 to 44 years old.
Washingto
n Indians constitute
the largest group of naturalized
US citizens in nine states, accord‑
ing to data recently released by
the Department of Homeland
Se cu rity. More than 500,00 0
Indians beca me U.S. citizens
between 2003 and 20 13, the
Times of India reported after ana‑
lyzing the DHS data, with the
annual figure gradually ri sing
from 30,000 to 60,000 over that
decade.
Me xicans account for th e
largest number of naturalized U.S.citizens and make up the largest
group in 24 U.S. states. Indians
are the largest group in roughly a
th ird of the other 26 . A
Marketwatch graphic offers a
state‑by‑state breakdown.
Th e findings about Ind ia n‑
Americans have clear, and seem‑
ingly positive, economic implica‑
tions: More than half of natural‑
ized U.S. citizens from India are a
key working age: 25 to 44 years
old. From 2003 to 2013, more
than a third of this group worked
in fields such as management,
services, and sales. Of the Indians
who became U.S. citizens in 2013,only 10% were retirees or home‑
makers. The numbers suggest
that many are contributing to the
U.S. econom y.
The political implications are
less clear.
Polling data have shown that
Indian‑Americans largely vote for
Democrats. The places where
Indians account for the largest
number of naturalized U.S. citi‑
zens inclu de both “red” states
(Georgia, Mississippi ) and “blue”
states (Connecticut, Delawar e,
Maryland ). The presence of
Indian‑American voter s in red
states suggests that Democratsʼ
prospects the re could be
enhanced̶though thi s voting
constituency is relatively small
(60,000 in 2013 ) so not neces‑
sari ly large enough to make amajor difference in electoral poli‑
tics.
In time, the number of Indian‑
Americans elected to Congress
may increase (nine years of citi‑
zenship are required to serve in
the Senate and seven to serve in
the House of Representatives).
There is one Indian‑American
member of Congress today–Ami
Bera, Democrat of California–and
just two have served before him.
Indian‑Americans have a larger
presence on state and local levels,
including Govs. Nikki Haley (R.,
S.C. ) and Bobby Jindal (R., La.).
Nevertheless, the data under‑score the demographic heft of the
3 million‑plus Indian‑Americans
in the U.S.. They are the nationʼs
second‑largest immi grant
group–and are poised to deepen
their impact on U.S. economics
and politics.
Jindal suspends presidentialcampaign: ʻThis is not my timeʼ
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, the first Indian Americanto run for President
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Paris attacks ringleader killed in...Continued from page
confirmed they'd identified the body of
Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader of the
Paris attacks, found in the rubble of the apart‑
ment. Officials have also identified a woman
who blew herself up during the raid: 26‑year‑
old Hasna Ait Boulahcen, a relative of Abaaoud.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said
Abaaoud "played a decisive role" in the Paris
attacks and played a part in four of six terrorattacks foiled since spring, with one alleged
jihadist claiming Abaaoud had trained him per‑
sonally.
A key question now: Are other top ISIS opera‑
tives who may have worked with Abaaoud on
the Paris plot still on the loose?
Entire humanity must stand...Continued from page
deepest sympathy and support to Russia for
the loss of life in Sinai. Ankara and Beirut are
also reminders of terrorʼs growing spread and
impact”. “The theme of Indiaʼs BRICS
Chairmanship will be ʻBuilding Responsive,
Inclusive and Collective Solutionsʼ which, in
short, will be ʻBRICSʼ. It aptly describes the
ethos of our group,” Modi said. There was atime when the logic of BRICS and its lasting
capacity were being questioned, but today
BRICS can also give shape to G20, he added.
Russia says ready to work with...Continued from page
Syrian leadership,” Lavrov said in an interview
with state‑run Radio of Russia.
“I am convinced that such forms can be found
if we take a pragmatic approach.”
Russia first launched air strikes on Syria in
September at the request of its long‑standing
ally President Bashar al‑Assad, while a US‑led
coalition of countries opposed to the Syrian
strongman is conducting a separate air cam‑
paign against IS.
In the aftermath of the Paris attacks on
Friday, French President Francois Hollande
called this week for a broad anti‑IS coalition,
echoing an earlier call made by Russian strong‑
man Vladimir Putin made at the UN General
Assembly in September. Hollande said he
would next week discuss his proposal with US
President Barack Obama and Putin, who has
ordered his navy in the Mediterranean to
establish contact with its French counterparts
and work together “as allies”.
Putin has been seeking to capitalize on shift‑
ing dynamics in the West following the Paris
carnage and the bombing of a Russian passen‑
ger plane over Sinai in October, arguing that
Russia and the West should unite against a
common enemy.
Lavrov said he first detected a change in the
Western position after Putin called for a broad
coalition to fight the IS j ihadists in Syria.“Our Western partners realized the lack of
prospects for the approach that many of them
had taken.” On Wednesday Russia submitted a
revised draft UN resolution on fighting the IS
group that France said could be partially
included in its own Security Council proposal.
ISIS threatens to blow up White...Continued from page
recently featured on the cover of the terror
group's online magazine. Another fighter in the
video threatened President Barack Obama and
French President Francois Hollande. "We shall
burn you with our suicide belts and our car
bombs, we shall track you down wherever you
go". FBI Director James Comey said on
Thursday that he was not aware of any credi‑ble threat of a "Paris‑type attack" in the US, and
saw no connection between the Paris attackers
and the US.
"IS and its supporters put out all kinds of
propaganda like videos and magazines, but
that is not credible intelligence," he said.
NYPD said it was aware of the video and was
deploying additional members of its new anti‑
terrorism squad out of an abundance of cau‑
tion. "While some of the video footage is not
new, the video reaffirms the message that New
York City remains a top terrorist target," the
statement said. "While there is no current or
specific threat to the city at this time, we will
remain at a heightened state of vigilance and
will continue to work with the FBI, the Joint
Terrorism Task Force and the entire intelli‑gence community to keep the city of New York
safe." Mayor Bill de Blasio encouraged New
Yorkers to go about their normal business.
"The people of New York City will not be
intimidated," he said late Wednesday. "We
understand it is the goal of terrorists to intimi‑
date and disrupt our democratic society. We
will not submit to their wishes."
Washington President Obama has nomi‑
nated India‑born Swati A. Dandekar to be
United States director of the Asian
Development Bank, with the rank of
ambassador.
The nomination of Dandekar who will
replace Robert M. Orr was announced by
the White House along with eight other
key administration posts.
"I am confident that these experienced
and hardworking individuals will help us
tackle the important challenges facing
America, and I am grateful for their serv‑
ice. I look forward to working with them,"
Obama said. Dandekar, who received a BS
from Nagpur University and a Post‑
Graduate Diploma from Bombay
University, is a former Iowa state legisl ator
and member of the Iowa Utilities Board,
according to her White House biography.
She served on the Iowa Utilities Board
from 2011 to 2013. Prior to joining the
Utilities Board, Dandekar served in the
Iowa State Senate from 2009 to 2011 and
in the Iowa State House of Representatives
from 2002 to 2008.
Swati Dandekar served as Iowa State
Senator 200911.
Obama names Swati Dandekarto Asian Development Bank
New York Prominent businessman
Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar said heʼs donat‑
ing $2 million to Republican candidates
in the run‑up to next yearʼs elections as
he announced the formation Tuesday of
the Republican Hindu Coalition, hoping
to turn Indian‑Americans into a power‑
ful voting bloc.
Led by Newt Gingrich, former Speaker,
top Republican leaders including
Senator Mitch McConnell, Pete Sessions,Chairman of House Rules Committee,
and Ed Royce, Chairman of House
Foreign Affairs Committee, blessed the
formation of the coalition in
Washington.
Dr Sampat Shivangi, a leading
Republican Indian‑American described
this as a "historic event" noting that
there is need for a powerful uniting
voice for the community.
New York attorney Ravi Batra dis‑
agreed. In a statement he said, "While I
applaud every Indian‑American getting
politically active, as every citizen ought
to, to launch 'Republican Hindu
Coalition' causes two issues: Then a
Democratic Hindu Coalition should also
be formed. And Given the constitution‑
ally mandated separation of Church andState and the anti‑establishment clause
the use of Hindu in the political policy
setting is troubling. That Indian civiliza‑
tion's crown jewel has been mutual
respect and religious tolerance, only
serves to add additional pause. RHC is
an idea that either Tulsi Gabbard has to
counterbalance or reject."
Ravi Batra questions launchof Republican Hindu Coalition
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5November 21-27, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info TR I S TATE COMMUNI TY
New York NY: Released on Universal
Music Classics on November 13 AmericanPilgrimage is an album of Indian melody
and jazz improvisation ̶ a cross‑cultural
intersection seldom heard in the jazz
world. The album is the culmination of a
life‑long dream of Bollywood music direc‑
tor, multi‑instrumentalist and composer
Sandeep Chowta. He wanted to meet and
record with his jazz idols, including John
Scofield, Bunny Brunel, Eddie Daniels,
Andy LaVerne, Dave Valentine and more.
His friend and musical partner, vocalist
Sanjay Chitale, made it his mission to bring
this dream to reality. Several years ago, the
two embarked on a two‑year‑long journey
across the United States, knocking on
doors, calling friends, crashing on couches
and recording music with the aforemen‑
tioned legends they sought out.
American Pilgrimage fuses jazz improvi‑
sation with ethereal Indian grooves.
Sandeep would lay down tracks, creating abackdrop of pulsing Indian rhythms and
melodies and Sanjay would add his float‑
ing vocals. The two would present the
tracks to the jazz artists, who all displayed
their own brand of virtuosity, finding new
voice in the context of these foreign
sounds.
“Thodi Thodi” features John Scofield
wailing on his guitar, reminiscent of a sitar
against the bubbling pulse of Sandeepʼs
tabla. Scofield recorded his solo in one
take, asking innocently “Was that okay?”
to stunned and satisfied Sandeep and
Sanjay. Scofield says of the project, "I
rarely find myself in a wholly different
musical world but in this instance I did. It
was a pleasure to work with these fine
musicians.”
“Kesariya” is a traditional Rajasthani folkcomposition featuring Dave Valentine on
flute and Jay Oliver on keyboard, who
infuse the tune with elements of jazz. “Tu”
is an echoing, atmospheric song featuring
bassist Bunny Brunel, who remarked, “I
was so amazed at the freedom with which
Indian singers choose their notes. The
whole experience was simply incredible.”
The final track, “American Pilgrimage
Collage,” is a stunning, languid composi‑
tion interspersed with the spoken conver‑
sations of Eddie Daniels, John Scofield,
Bunny Brunel and Sandeep – a glimpse
into the genial nature of the remarkable
recording collaboration. This is both
Sanjay and Sandeepʼs recording debut on
Universal Music Classics.
N e w Y o r k The 2015 Telugu Literary and
Cultural Association, New York, Diwali celebra‑
tion truly lit up everyoneʼs hearts on November
14th at the Freeport Performing Arts Center,
Freeport High School. More than 900 guests
packed the auditorium and enjoyed the festivi‑
ties with tremendous excitement, pride, joy,
pomp and splendor.
The afternoon began with honoring all youngsters on the eve of Childrenʼs day, fol‑
lowed by spectacular performances by record
number of youth groups. Presentations includ‑
ed classical, semi classical and folk dances that
enthralled the audience! The guests enjoyed a
sumptuous elaborate dinner with authentic
“Telugu Vindu Bhojanam” by Godavari,
Hicksville. The Performing Arts Center stage
and the entrance were transformed into a won‑
der world with spectacular and colorful drapes,
lights, and majestic statues by Glamorous
Events, Hicksville. The entire atmosphere was
jus t jaw droppin g and the gues ts ackn owl ‑
edged that this was the grandest celebration
that they have ever attended.
The prime time program began with a
prayer, chantings, and an explanation of thesignificance of Deepavali presented by the
renowned Sai Mandir Pandits – the Sharma
Brothers. President Raji Kuncham welcomed
the excited guests, extended warm Diwali
greetings, shared the yearʼs highlights, and
acknowledged the donors/sponsors.
Prominent elected officials joined the festivi‑
ties.
New York: An Indian‑
American woman
ju dg e he re ha s
become the first
recipient of a US
public service award
in recognition of her
contributions in the
field of law.Queens Senior
Assistant District
Attorney and newly
elected Civil Court
Judge Ushir Pandit‑
Durant was honored
with the 'South
Asian Public Service
Award' by the Office
of Immigrant Affairs under Queens
District Attorney Richard Brown.
The award was given to Pandit ‑
Durant coinciding with the commemo‑
ration of Diwali by the office of the
Queens District Attorney.
"It is fitting that Senior Assistant
District Attorney and Judge‑ElectPandit‑Durant to be the first recipient
of our office's South Asian Public
Service Award as she personifies the
determination, strength and vitality of
the Indian heritage," Brown said in a
statement.
Pandit‑Durant and her family emi‑
grated from India to the US when she
was 10 and "went on to excel at school
and in her legal career," he said.
Earlier this month she became the
first South Asian‑American elected to a
judgeship in Queens County.
In presenting the award, Brown said,
"Diversity is one of America's greateststrengths. Leadership comes in all
races and ethnicities...It is important in
public service to have a diversity which
reflects the makeup of the community
that we serve. It helps to enhance credi‑
bility, confidence and trust and better
serve our community."
Ushir Pandit‑Durant (left) became first South Asian‑Americanelected to a judgeship in Queens County this month.
Mega Deepavali Celebrationby TLCA in Long Island
Indian‑American judgereceives public service award
American Pilgrimage an album of Indianmelody and jazz improvisation released
The album cover
Nassau County Executive Mangano presents a citation to TLCA
President Raji Kuncham for her outstanding leadership. (Inset)
Children present cultural dances
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6 November 21-27, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TR I S TATE COMMUNI TY
Tirlok Malik, a pioneer of films about
Indian‑American immigrant themes
and a New York Emmy Award nom‑
inee, has acted many roles in the movies,
televisions, and theaters. Recently, he
played the role of Bharat (Lord Ramaʼs
brother) in Ramayana, staged at The Met‑
ropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), NYC.
More than 700 seats, a state of the art
theater packed with multicultural audi‑ences enjoyed the performance of Ra‑
mayana. The event was a full house. To a
standing ovation, the show was per‑
formed by the East‑West School of Dance,
choreographed and directed by Satya
Narayana Charka. The performance in
English language was backed by great
music and dance. The cast was also mul‑
ticultural consisting of Americans and In‑
dians. The show was hosted by The Mul‑
ticultural Audience Development Initia‑
tive Advisory Committee with special
thanks to advisory committee member. In
addition, Lal K. Motwani, the former pres‑
ident of NFIA and the president of AGSA,
was an integral part of bringing the show
to the audiences. Donna Williams, Chief
Audience Development Officer of the Met
thanked the audience to celebrate Diwaliat the Met.
Tirlok Malik said, “It was an honor for
me to play the part of Bharat at the pres‑
tigious MET under the direction of Pt. S.N.
Charka.”
Recently Tirlok Malik has launched
www.nritvfilmclub.com which is the first
ever streaming website of Indian Ameri‑
can movies.
Actor Tirlok Malik plays Bharat
in Ramayana at the MET
Times NOW, one of India's leading
English news channels is expanding
its presence in the international mar‑
ket. The flagship channel of Times Net‑
work, the broadcast arm of Bennett Cole‑
man & Co., Times NOW has officially
launched in the UK.
Announcing the UK launch of Times
NOW, M K Anand, CEO & MD ‑‑Times Net‑
work, said, “Times NOW has had a dream
journey in India where it is has remained a
leader in the English news space for the
past 7 years. The success of Times NOW
among the viewers here has encouraged
us to launch it for the Indians who live
abroad and want to keep completely
abreast of all the important news of their
country and its growing eminence in the
world. Under the leadership of Arnab
Goswami, Times NOW has not only made
a huge impact in India but also in over 75
other countries across the world. We are
proud to announce its launch in the UK, a
market which further strengthens our in‑
ternational bouquet and is an extremely
significant part of our international
Goswami said, “Times NOW is not just
another English news channel that is
launching in the UK. The channel is
launching in the country because we want
to give viewers in the UK a platform to
voice their opinion.
Times NOW goes onair in theUnited Kingdom(from left) Tirlok Malik, Pt S.N. Charka, Pooja Bharadwaj & Cesar Gonzalez.
Michelin‑starred chef Vikas Khan‑
na has served up his second sto‑
rybook for children, in the form
of "The Milk Moustache", a tale of good‑
will and friendship.
Khanna partnered with Domino's Pizza
to launch the book on Children's Day in
New Delhi.
The book's story is about children of the
village who one day refuse to drink milk,
which makes Kali the cow very sad. It is
up to Jassi, the local milkman's daughter
and Kali's best friend, to find a way to end
the children's milk boycott and lift Kali's
spirits again. The book is well‑illustrated
and simply told.
Talking about his latest of fering, Khan‑
na said in a statement: "The theme of the
book is a topic which every household in
India will identify with. Children not
drinking milk is a problem faced by every
parent."
He said that he will continue to write
books for children.
"It gives me immense pleasure and
keeps the child inside me alive," Khanna
added.
IN BRIEF
Vikas Khanna cooks up newstorybook for kids
Chef Vikas Khanna at the event
Madhur Jaffrey, 82, in‑
troduced Indian cook‑
ing to American audi‑
ences in 1973. She researches,
tests recipes and writes all her
books entirely herself. She has
appeared in numerous films
and television programs, and
she considers herself an actor
first.
Over more than four
decades, Jaffrey has written
more than 20 cookbooks in‑
troducing all aspects of Indian cooking to
new audiences. Conceived after numer‑
ous trips to collect recipes
from private homes from
Mumbai to Karnataka, her
newly released "Vegetari‑
an India: A Journey
through the Best of Indian
Home Cooking" (Knopf,
$35) focuses entirely on
vegetarian recipes. In her
book, Jaffrey explores
vegetarian cooking in In‑
dia through regional and
modern dishes, presenting
uncomplicated recipes with flavor and
history.
Madhur Jaffrey's new
vegetarian book explores
regional, modern dishes
Madhur Jaffrey
T
he Santa Clara, Calif.‑
based Arista Networks
team of Jayshree Ullal
and Andy Bechtolsheim was
honored by Ernst and Young
as the 2015 Entrepreneur of
the Year. Regional winners, in‑
cluding 13 Indian Americans,
from throughout the United
States were named this sum‑
mer leading to the national
award ceremony which was held Nov. 11
through Nov. 15 in Palm Desert, Calif.
In their acceptance speech, Ullal said,
“Arista means ʻagree to be the best.ʼ ... It's
very, very fitting, and we're truly honored to
stand and live by our name.”
Award winners were broken up into 11
categories, as well as the national winner. In
addition to claiming the national top honor,
Ullal, Bechtolsheim and Arista were named
the top entrepreneurs in the technology cat‑
egories. During the Technology Award ac‑
ceptance speech, Ullal said,
“This award really goes to the
Arista family. All of the peo‑
ple who made this possible:
the employees, the cus‑
tomers, our partners and, of
course, our founder (Bechtol‑
sheim).” Ullal joined Bechtol‑
sheim in 2008 and is the
president and chief executive
officer of Arista. EY explained
in a news release that together Ullal and
Bechtolsheim – Aristaʼs founder and chief
development officer – “have perfected the
formula that has powered Aristaʼs rapid as‑
cent into the networking industry. The com‑
pany currently counts more than 3,000 cus‑
tomers.” Ullal has been awarded with pres‑
tigious honors previously. In 2005, she was
named one of the “50 Most Powerful Peo‑
ple” by Network World. And VMWorld and
Forbes both dubbed her as one the “Top Ex‑
ecutives” in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Jayshree Ullal wins Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year award
Arista Networks CEOJayshree Ullal
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7/32
New York Expressing sadness at the educational
plight of Indian Muslims, an Indian‑American
entrepreneur and philanthropist has called for the
community's active participation in India's inclu‑sive economic growth.
"India's Muslims must be active participant in
shaping the future of India's inclusive economic
growth. They must be partner in India's prosperi‑
ty," said Frank Islam in a keynote address to the
Aligarh Alumni Association Inc . New York
(AAANY).
"When they succeed, ALL of us succeed, India
succeeds, and the world succeeds. Let us together
change the face of India. One life ‑ one family ‑ and
one village at a time," he said over the weekend.
Islam has committed $2 million for the establish‑
ment of a management school at the Aligarh
Muslim University focused on innovation, entre‑
preneurship and ethical business leadership.
He was awarded the 'Sir Ross Masood Lifetime
Achievement Award for Excellence in Leadership,Education, Community and Public Service' for the
year 2015, in recognition of his distinguished lead‑
ership, community and public service and philan‑
thropy. Citing a study by the US India Policy
Institute at the end of 2013, Islam noted that since
2006, "The literacy level and the quantum of
improvements for Muslims were modest compared
to other populations." That same study showed
that only 11 percent of Muslims in India pursue
higher education compared to a national average
of approximately 19 percent, he said.
It also showed that the "general category of
Muslims in higher education" had actually declined
1.5percent for the period studied.
"These are devastating findings. They demand
civic engagement both from those in India and to
the extent possible from those of us AligarhianIndian Americans here in the United States," Islam
said. "I specifically believe that a key intervention
point should be in higher education because it is
the great equalizer and path to social and econom‑
ic opportunity," he said. Calling for empowering
200 million Indian Muslims with education and
economic mobility, he said: "When they move up
the ladders of success, they will get ahead, they
will stay ahead, and then they will change the face
of the world."
New York Two Indian‑
origin businessmen have
been ranked by Forbes
magazine among the
richest entrepreneurs in
America under the age of
40, a list that has been
topped by Facebook CEO
Mark Zuckerberg.
Vivek Ramaswamy, 30,
a former hedge fund
manager, has been
ranked 33rd on the list
with a net worth of $500
million. Forbes said his
source of wealth is
investments.
On the 40th spot is 29‑year old Apoorva
Mehta, the founder and CEO of Instacart, the
web‑based grocery delivery service.
Mehta's net worth is $400 million.
Zuc9kerberg leads the pack with a net
worth of $47.1 billion, more than four times
as much as the second person in the ranks,
his cofounder and college friend Dustin
Moskovitz.
Houston An Indian‑
American professor has
been appointed as the dean
of engineering and applied
science department at
University of California.
Ja ya th i Mu rt hy ,
Department Chair of
Mechanical Engineering at
The University of Texas at
Austin, who also holds the
Ernest Cockrell Jr Memorial
Chair in Engineering, has
been named dean of the
Henry Samueli School of
Engineering and Applied
Science at the University of
California. Her appointment becomes
effective January 1, 2016. She will
be succeeding current dean Vijay
Dhir.
Murthy joined the Cockrell School
in 2012, becoming the first woman
to head the mechanical engineering
department at The University of
Texas at Austin.
Murthy has launched significant
initiatives to expand hands‑on and
project‑based learning opportunities
and to increase female enrollment,
the University of California said in a
statement.
New York The University of SouthernCalifornia (USC)‑Irvine has passed a
"diversity resolution" following a
demand to create an "inclusion cli‑mate" for minority students after an
Indian‑origin student faced discrimi‑
nation. The authorities haveannounced they would begin taking
steps to implement more "diversity"programs on campus, breitbart.com
news site reported.
The announcement was made after astudent Senate voting, held on
November 10, to decide the fate of the
students' demand of $100 million infunds to create an "inclusion climate"
for minority students on the campus.A final vote was held with 11 votes
in favor and one against the demand.
Michael Quick, provost and seniorvice president of the university, sent
out a memo for "Access and
Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion"in which he announced the establish‑
ment of two new funds.The memo said the demands were
agreed to and that each of the pro‑
grams would receive $100,000 to sup‑port, address and enhance diversity.
"Improving campus climate is of
tremendous value in itself. But creat‑ing an inclusive and welcoming envi‑
ronment is also part of the greater
goal of how the university fulfils itscommitment to enlarge access and
opportunity," Quick wrote in the
memo. He agreed that the campus wasnot immune to alleged "acts of injus‑
tice, bias, and disrespect, against
groups and individuals, (that) havebeen playing out recently across our
nation."The demand arose from an incident
in September in which a fraternity
member subjected Rini Sampath, anIndian‑origin student and president of
the students' association at the univer‑
sity, to a racial slur. The fraternitymember hurled a racial epithet ‑‑ "You
Indian piece of s**t" ‑‑ and threw hisdrink at Sampath. The 21‑year‑old stu‑
dent then shared the incident on social
media and lambasted the racial abuseexperienced by other students from
different ethnicities. This sparked a
debate on the campus pressurizing theuniversity officials to later condemn
the incident. Meanwhile, a reportingbutton has been added to the universi‑
ty's LiveSafe app.
7November 21-27, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info NAT I ONAL COMMUNI TY
California varsity opts for'diversity' after racial slur row
Empower Indian Muslimswith education: Frank Islam
Two IndianAmericans
among richestentrepreneurs under 40
Vivek Ramaswamy, Apoorva Mehta
Philanthropist Frank Islam giving keynote
address at AAANY meet
Prof Jayathi Murthy
Jayathi Murthy named dean
of UCLA engineering school
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8/32
8 November 21-27, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NAT I ONAL COMMUNI TY
W a s h i n g t o n D C : The U.S.‑India
Business Council (USIBC) applauded the
Government of India latest reforms
announced on November 10 2015, lib‑
eralizing FDI norms in industries that
are starved for capital and enable the
ease of doing business in the country.
Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President of the
U.S.‑India Business Council said,
“Putting more FDI proposals through
the automatic route is clear signal that
the government is living up to the man‑
date of minimum government and max‑
imum governance. Indiaʼs recent rise in
World Bankʼs Ease of Doing Business,
the ruling on Minimum Alternative Tax
(MAT), its efforts to modernize the rail‑
ways network, lifting of FDI in the
insurance sector are all significant
achievements that will propel more
investment and innovation in the coun‑
try. USIBC member companies are
encouraged by the Governmentʼs
efforts to undertake economic reforms
and stay away from politically driven
distractions.”
Dr. Aghi said, “India continues to see
increased FDI despite an uncertain
global outlook. If the government con‑
tinues on the current trajectory of bold
(FDI and regulatory) reforms, then India
will easily surpass the $41 billion in FDI
from U.S. companies.” During the Prime
Ministerʼs visit to Washington DC in
September 2014, USIBC had identified
upwards of $41 billion slated for invest‑
ment from members over the next three
years, based on a survey of 20 percent
of USIBCʼs membership. Emphasizing
the benefit of a more open economy, Dr.
Aghi said, “Allowing a path to relax the
norms for sourcing for single brand
retailers who sell cutting edge technolo‑
gy will clear many of the challenges
that high‑tech companies have had
when it comes to taking advantage of
the 100% opening of the single brand
retail sector. In construction develop‑
ment, removal of two major conditions
on minimum requirements area restric‑
tion of 20,000 sq. m. and capitalization
of US$ 5 million will provide much‑
needed boost to investment in the real
estate development sector.”
The Council is keen on further
reforms in these sectors and additional
liberalization that will aid the growth of
bilateral trade. Dr. Aghi added, “FDI in
business to e‑commerce still remains
restricted.
USIBC applauds India'ssweeping reforms to improve
ease of doing business
Los Angeles The terror assaults in
France have cast a shadow overthe Regional Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas here with External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was
on her way to the US to inaugurate
the event, returning to India from
mid‐way in the wake of the Paris
attacks.
The Regional Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas kicked off Nov 14 with hun‑
dreds of attendees honoring the
victims of the horrific attacks with
a minute's silence.
Off ic ials in New Delhi said
Swaraj, who had a transit halt at
Dubai on her way to the US, came
back from there itself after hear‑
ing about the attacks in Paris thatclaimed over 120 lives.
As the nearly 1,000 Indian‑
Americans attending the two‑day
event in Los Angeles mourned the
loss of lives in the Paris terror
attacks, top American lawmaker
from California Brad Sherman said
the attack in the French capital
had al l the hal lmarks of the
Mumbai terror attack.
"Today we should take a
moment to reflect the attacks in
Paris, New York, Iraq.. .and
Mumbai," said Sherman, a former
Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Sub‑committee on
Terrorism. In his address at the
event, Indian Ambassador to the
US Arun K Singh said there is anincreasing desire among the
Indian‑Americans to connect with
India. Among the Indian diaspora,
there is consciousness about the
growing opportunities in India, he
said. Referring to the steps taken
by the Narendra Modi‑led govern‑
ment in the last 18 months, the
Ambassador said with the changes
happening in India there are
growing opportunit ies in the
country.
In the first six months of this
year, India received the maximum
FDI. India also topped the degree
of confidence index this year, he
said. Indian‑Americans, Singh said,
have been contributing a lot to the
development of both India and theUnited States. The Indian govern‑
ment yesterday announced new
internship program for Indian‑
Americans youths in India.
"Indian American community is
playing an essential role in
America in every way," said
Congresswoman Judy Chu,
Chairman of the powerful Asian
Pacific American Caucus. At the
event, Kali P Chaudhuri, Chairman
and Founder of the KPC Group of
Companies, was presented with
the NRI of the Year Award.
The Indian Consul General at the
Indian Consulate in San Francisco
Venkatesan Ashok also spoke on
the occasion.
Anil K Agarwal, Secretary in theMinistry of Overseas Indian
Affairs, said the Indian Diaspora is
making a very important contribu‑
tion to the India‑US relationship.
Noting that somewhere deep in
the heart of the Indian‑ Americans
there is desire to make India a
country of opportunities as is this
country, he said, "We in Ministry
our task to provide you with a
platform to fulfill this desire of
yours." The theme of the event is
'The Indian Diaspora: Defining a
New Paradigm in India‑US rela‑
tionship' which aims to capture
the ethos of the India‑US relation‑
ship. Los Angeles is only the sec‑
ond US city to host the Regional
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD),after New York.
Previous venues for RPBD
events were London, Sydney,
Toronto, Singapore, Durban,
Mauritius and The Hague.
The Overseas Indian Facilitation
Centre (OIFC) of the Confederation
of Indian Industry also organised
an Indian Diaspora Business Meet
on the sidelines of the Regional
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Officials from Andhra Pradesh,
Haryana, Jharkhand and Kerala
also participated in the business
meet. The inaugural event was fol‑
lowed by a cultural extravaganza.
Attendees at the event (right) V K Singh at the Regional PBD
A thousand Indian Americans attend PBD in LA;Swaraj returns midway in wake of Paris attacks
N e w Y o r k : Kshama Sawant, an
Indian American official who was
vying for a second term on the
Seattle City Council, was re‑elected
to represent the major U.S. cityʼs
third district.
Prior to the election, Sawant was
rapidly gaining momentum with
endorsements from dignitaries,
organizations and small business owners, among
others. Her main platform push is to
make Seattle affordable to all and her
way of showing she is serious about
that motto is by taking the average
working salary for her seat in office.
The rest of the money is donated to a
solidarity fund, she said. Sawant edged
out her competitor, Pamela Banks, for
the District 3 seat 55.9 percent to
43.81 percent, securing a four‑year term.
California: Sikhlens is back for yet another year,
ready to showcase some of the top content created
by a variety of artists and talented filmmakers
from the South Asian community. This yearʼs
Festival will open on Nov. 20th at The Frida
Cinema, Santa Ana & end on Nov. 22nd evening at
Chapman Universityʼs Memorial Hall, Orange. The
opening night will begin at 7 PM with a red carpet
entrance and a special screening of ʻZubaan.ʼ
Saturday starts with the ʻYouthʼ session from 10
AM to 12:30 PM. This will include short films tar‑
geted for the younger audience. During these
screenings, in the adjacent theater, will be show‑
cased ʻValentinoʼs Ghostʼ ‑ a documentary film that
takes a look at Americaʼs portrayal of Arabs and
Muslims in the media. A highlight of the day will
be the ʻCreative Sikhsʼ, a panel which takes place
at 1:30 PM and will feature some of the biggest
and brightest Sikh names from the television, film,
and the music Industry. The day will round out
with additional short films, a screening of ʻThe
Last Kingʼ, a dance workshop for kids, and a dis‑
cussion panel on the State of Sikhi: A ConversationPre and Post Sarbat Khalsa 2015. Two full‑length
feature films: ʻAngrejʼ, a comedy about a thought‑
ful young man struggling to find a woman to
marry, and ʻLearning to Driveʼ, starring Oscar‑win‑
ning actor Ben Kingsley will also be screened. The
final dayʼs programming will start at 10 AM at the
Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, Chapman
University. The first session of the day will feature
short films and run until 1:30 PM. There will also
be a youth workshop that explores the world of
art with special guest Amandeep Singh from
Inkquisitive Illustrations. A Sikh Art Expo will run
throughout the day at Memorial Hall where festi‑
val goers can see and purchase work from some of
todayʼs top Sikh artists. At 4 PM the festival will
have a unique presentation at Memorial Hall, the
play ʻThe Maharajah & the Kohinoorʼ. The festivi‑
ties will come to a close with a very special
concert at 5 PM featuring some very talented
musicians from around the world.
Kshama Sawant
Kshama Sawant re‑elected to City Council
Sikhlens: Sikh Arts &
Film FestivalNovember 20‑22, 2015
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9November 21-27, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info U S AFFA I RS
New York Three days after the
deadly series of attacks in Paris,
the New York Police Department
on Monday deployed its first 100
officers of its Critical Response
Command (CRC), a new elite
squad.
Earlier this year, NYC Police
Department Commissioner Bill
Bratton announced the city's plans
for the group to handle anti‑terror‑
ist duties. When fully staffed, the
new command will contain more
than 500 officers, including 450
dedicated anti‑terrorism officers
and their superiors, and eight
canines. At least 100 officers will
be on duty at any given time to
protect the city against terrorist
attacks, Bratton said at a press
conference Monday.
CRC officers are volunteers who
were interviewed and have
received counterterrorism training.
They will be headquartered on
Randall's Island, where officers
have immediate access to the
Triboro Bridge. The complex pro‑
vides quick entry to three of the
city's five boroughs.
"It's a new reality we are facing
here. We know that terror can tar‑
get us anytime, anywhere. We have
to be ready for that, and the
answer is to prepare even more
intensely," New York Mayor Bill de
Blasio said Monday, standing
alongside Bratton at the media
event.
Although there weren't any
immediate threats in the wake of
the attacks in Paris, law enforce‑
ment officials in major U.S. cities
have tightened security measures.
Earlier on Monday, Bratton said
in an interview he believes New
York is the most likely target for
another ISIS attack.
New York In the Democratic presi‑
dential debate a day after the Paris
attacks, Bernie Sandersʼ campaign
expressed concern about CBSʼ
decision to put additional empha‑
sis on foreign policy. Many expect‑
ed that Hillary Clinton would show
a command of global issues, fur‑
ther consolidating her status as
the frontrunner for the Democratic
nomination. Clinton indeed high‑lighted her experience, but the
shift wound up working to
Sandersʼ advantage. For the first
30 minutes of the two‑hour debate,
the former Secretary of State was
on the defensive about everything
from the Obama administration
being caught off guard by the rise
of the Islamic State to her vote for
the Iraq war 13 years ago.
“Regime changes have unintend‑
ed consequences,” Sanders said.
“On this issue, Iʼm a little more
conservative than the secretary.”
With the world on fire, and risingfears about terrorism at home,
Clinton quickly distanced herself
from President Obama at the top.
Yet, she refrained from using the
term radical Islam, not unlike
Obama.
To be sure, Sanders did not look
like a commander‑in‑chief. And his
insistence that climate change is
still our biggest national security
threat made him look out of his
depth and unserious in the face of
global terrorism. But very few
Democrats still believe that some‑
one besides Clinton will actually betheir nominee, so thereʼs less con‑
cern about him actually having the
nuclear launch codes. Instead, all
eyes were on her.
Washington Be n
Carsonʼs remarks
on foreign policy
have repeatedly
raised questions
about his grasp of
the subject , but
never more serious‑
ly than in the past
week, when he
wrongly asserted
that China had
intervened militari‑
ly in Syria and then
failed, on national television, toname the countries he would
call on to form a coalition to
fight the Islamic State.
Faced with increasing scruti‑
ny about whether Mr. Carson,
who leads in some Republican
presidential polls, was capable
of leading American foreign
policy, two of his top advisers
said in interviews that he had
struggled to master the intrica‑
cies of the Middle East and
national security and that
intense tutoring was having lit‑
tle effect.
“Nobody has been able to sit
down with him and have himget one iota of intelligent infor‑
mation about the Middle East,”
said Duane R. Clarridge, a top
adviser to Mr. Carson on ter‑
rorism and national security.He also said Mr. Carson needed
weekly conference calls brief‑
ing him on foreign policy so
“we can make him smart.”
As the deadly assaults in Paris
claimed by the Islamic State
reframe the presidential race,
the candidatesʼ foreign policy
credentials are suddenly under
scrutiny. And Mr. Carson has
attracted extra attention
because his statements give rise
to questions about where, as a
retired neurosurgeon without
government experience, he
turns for information and coun‑
sel on complex global issues.What is unusual is the candor
of those who are tutoring him
about his struggle to master the
subject.
NYPD DEPLOYS FIRST OFFICERS OF
'CRITICAL RESPONSE COMMAND'FOR COUNTERTERRORISM
Washington
Following the November 13
terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed 129
lives, about 31US states have announced
that they will not accept Syrian refugees, themedia reported on Tuesday.
The states protesting the admission of
refugees range from Alabama and Georgia,
to Texas and Arizona, to Michigan and
Illinois, to Maine and New Hampshire.
Among these 31 states, all but one have
Republican governors.
The state governors made the announce‑
ment on Monday after a Syrian passport was
found at the scene of one of the Paris
attacks even though it is yet to be confirmed
whether it belonged to the person next to
whom it was found.
According to media reports, one of the sus‑
pects of the attacks, that have been claimed
by the Islamic State, could have come to
Paris after having crossed Serbia andCroatia as a refugee.
On September 10, Obama ordered his
administration to prepare to accept at least
10,000 refugees fleeing the war in Syria in
the next financial year that began on
October 1, in response to the migrant crisis
in Europe. On Sunday, Deputy National
Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the gov‑
ernment is still planning to take in 10,000
Syrian refugees despite the massacre in
Paris. Republican presidential candidate
Ohio Governor John Kasich said "there is no
way that we can put any of our people at
risk" by allowing Syrian refugees inside the
country.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal isued an exec‑utive order on Monday authorizing his gov‑
ernment "to utilize all lawful means" to
block Syrian refugees from resettling in the
state. He also instructed and authorized
state police "to utilize all lawful means to
monitor and avert threats within the State of
Louisiana" if notified of Syrian refugees
already living in the state.
Other Republican presidential hopefuls,
including Rand Paul and Ben Carson also
spoke out against welcoming Syrian
refugees in the US.
But President Obama argues the increas‑
ingly rancorous US debate on Syrian
refugees feeds Islamic State propaganda
that the US and its European allies are at
war with the Muslim world.For the second time this week, Obama
lashed out at lawmakers and US governors,
most of them Republicans, who are pushing
to block the administration from allowing
10,000 Syrian refugees to resettle in the
country.
“I cannot think of a more potent recruit‑
ment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric
thatʼs been coming out of here during the
course of this debate,ʼʼ Obama said at a news
conference Wednesday morning in the
Philippines.
31 states block Syrianrefugees; Obama pans them
New York Republican presi‑
dential front‑runner Donald
Trump would consider shut‑
tering some mosques in the
United States after last
week's deadly terror attacks
in France.
"I would hate to do it, but
it's something you're going
to have to strongly consid‑
er, because some of the
ideas and some of the
hatred is coming from these
areas," Trump said Monday
on MSNBC's "Morning Joe,"
arguing that such an action
would be a reasonable if
mosques were indeed radicalizing their
members.
The interior minister of France, Bernard
Cazeneuve, called for the dissolution of "mosques where hate is preached" over the
weekend, following a series of coordinated
attacks that left at least 129 people dead
across Paris.
"It's something that many people ‑‑ not me
‑‑ are considering, and many people are
going to do," Trump added.
The real estate mogul suggested he would
institute surveillance of mosques, as author‑
ities did in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror
attacks. The New York Police Department
closed down a controversial surveillance
program last year that was meant to identify
potential terror networks at mosques in and
around New York and New Jersey.
"You're going to have to watch and study
the mosques, because a lot of talk is going
on at the mosques," Trump said.
Authorities believe several of the suspect‑
ed attackers in Paris were radicalized in
neighboring Belgium and communicated
with the Islamic State.
Meanwhile, Trumpʼs new spokeswoman,
Katrina Pierson, wrote on Facebook. “Islam
preys on the weak and uses political correct‑
ness as cover. Two things that Americans
won't be concerned with when
@realDonaldTrump is in the White House.”
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is out of his depth on global affairs
As Donald Trump gains more heft, he has introduced anew national spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson.
Hillary is done in debate by foreign policy
Ben Carson is struggling
to grasp foreign policy
Trump would consider shuttingdown ʻradicalʼ mosques in US
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10/32
10 November 21-27, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info I ND IA
New Delhi
An engineer by educa‑tion and a trained classical singer,
VHP leader Ashok Singhal, who
died this week, became a national‑
ly known figure for spearheading
an emotive campaign against the
16th century Babri Masjid in
Ayodhya that was eventual ly
razed in 1992.
It was a watershed event in inde‑
pendent India, one that shook the
countryʼs secular foundations, led
to unprecedented Hindu‑Muslim
riots and virtually rewrote the
political discourse.
Although the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) immensely profited
from the mosque destruction, tak‑ing power in 1996 and then in
1998, the man who was the archi‑
tect of the campaign was Singhal,
an unapologetic Hindutva votary
whose only mission was to trans‑
form India into a “Hindu Rashtra”.
The seeds of Hindutva were
sown in Singhal ʼs mind as a
youngster.
Singhal ‑‑ born to a government
official in the Taj Mahal city of
Agra in 1926 ‑ ‑ was highly
inspired by social reformer
Dayananda Saraswati and grew up
in a religious Hindu household.
He joined the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in
1942 ‑‑ the year the Indian inde‑
pendence struggle reached a new
peak ‑‑ after meeting Rajendra
Singh, popularly known as Rajju
Bhaiya, the fourth Sarsanghchalak
(chief) of the RSS.
Rajendra Singh persuaded
Singhal's mother to let her son
join the Sangh, and she agreed.
It marked the start of a long
journey that, decades later, made
Singhal one of the most respected
figures within the Hindutva family
for being an ace organizer and a
good orator.
After finishing college, he
became a full time 'pracharak' of
the RSS.
He spent many years in Kanpur
as an RSS worker and was known
to be close to its chief M.S.
Golwalkar. Another man who
influenced his thinking was Vedaexpert Ramchandra Tiwari.
In 1980, the RSS deputed him to
the VHP, making him its joint gen‑
eral secretary. Four years later, he
became its general secretary and,
later, the working president, a
post he held till 2011.
Singhal played a key role in the
mega Hindu summit held in New
Delhi in 1981 called by Congress
leader Karan Singh.
He was also the main organiser
of the first VHP 'Dharma Sansad'
(Religious Parliament) in 1984 in
New Delhi that sowed the seeds of
the movement to destroy the Babri
Masjid in Ayodhya.Singhal, who raised an army of
'kar sevaks' across the country
dedicated to building a Ram tem‑
ple at the site of the Babri Masjid,
himself led an assault on the
mosque in 1990 that security
forces repulsed.
Two years later, by when the
BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh, hundreds
of frenzied ʻkar sevaksʼ brought
down, in just six hours, all three
domes of the ageing Babri
mosque, as Singhal and others
cheered.
Unlike many BJP leaders who
distanced themselves from thatevent, Singhal was proud of it ‑‑
and vowed to keep working till
India ceased to be a secular repub‑
lic and became a “Hindu Rashtra”.
Singhal, who had a degree in
metallurgical engineering from
Banaras Hindu University Institute
of Technology, also had deep
interest in Hindustani classical
music. He composed many songs
for the RSS.In 1948, when the RSS
was banned for the first time in
independent India after Mahatma
Gandhiʼs assassination, Singhal
went to jail. He completed his
graduation in 1950.
Singhal did not hide his gleewhen Narendra Modi became the
prime minister in May 2014.
According to Singhal, Modiʼs win
marked a victory of Hindutva.
No wonder, former VHP presi‑
dent Vishnu Hari Dalmia demand‑
ed that Modi should gift a grand
Ram temple at Ayodhya to Singhal
on his 90th birthday on
September 15, 2016.
Fate willed otherwise. On
Tuesday, suffering from kidney
and heart problems, Singhal, 89,
passed away at a Gurgaon hospi‑
tal, marking the end of an era.
New Delhi Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal has become the
second most‑followed Indian
politician on microblogging site
Twitter with over six million fol‑
lowers.
He crossed the six‑million mark
late Wednesday. "And . . .
@ArvindKejriwal crossed the 6
million mark on @twitter," AAP'ssocial media chief Ankit Lal tweet‑
ed. The Aam Aadmi Party chief
trails Prime Minister Narendra
Modi who has over 16 million fol‑
lowers on Twitter.
Both the leaders are widely
known for utilising the power of
social media.
Kejriwal, in his early days as a
politician, used Twitter to garner
support and donation from his fol‑
lowers and fans. He later started
using it as a medium to connect
with people.Congress leader Shashi Tharoor
is also among the most‑followed
Indian politicians on the
microblogging world.
The seeds of Hindutva were sown in Ashok Singhalʼs mindas a youngster.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Singhal: An engineer who was Babridemolition architect
Kejriwal secondmostfollowed Indian
politician on Twitter
MUSLIMS SHOULD DECLARE JIHAD AGAINST TERRORISM:
ISLAMIC SCHOLAR
New Delhi The Muslims should declare a jihad (holy
war) against terrorism as radicals and zealots have
unleashed a reign of terror that challenges the basic
tenets of Islam, which propagates and promotes peace
and harmony, an Islamic scholar said.
"Waging a jihad is a positive act intended to root out
evils from society. Killing of innocents can never be
accepted as an act of jihad," Jamiat Ulema‑I‑Hind
leader Maulana Mahmood Madani said at a press con‑
ference at the Constitution Club here.
It is the responsibility of Islamic nations to wage war
against terrorists who are misusing the name of Islam,
the Islamic scholar said.
"There is a need to check groups spreading hatred.
Intolerance should be discouraged at all costs," he
said.
Quoting teachings of Prophet Mohammed, he said
that "saving one human being is like saving humanity".
Madani said countrywide protests would be held on
November 18 to denounce terrorism. Protest rallies
would be held in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and over
65 other cities in which leaders of various Muslim
groups and organisations were expected to partici‑
pate. The Jamiat Ulema‑I‑Hind leader said it is a mat‑
ter of great concern that terrorists are commiting bru‑
tal killings in the name of Islam.
"They claim they represent the real face of Islam. So,
it is incumbent upon Muslims, scholars and clerics to
preach and propagate the real message of Islam and
defeat the designs of fanatics who are out to malign
Islam," he said.
Madani said no one could deny that terrorist attacks
have caused maximum harm to the Muslims.
He said his organisation has held a series of confer‑
ence and rallies against terrorism since 200
Jamiat UlemaIHind leaderMaulana Mahmood Madani.
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8/20/2019 Vol.8 Issue 28 - Nov 21-Nov 27, 2015
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11November 21-27, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info I ND IA
New Delhi
The horrific Paris ter‑
ror attack of November 13 is a
"wake‑up call" for countries indif‑
ferent to this rising global threat
to take stern action against perpe‑trators and this will be raised at
the UN Security Council this week,
the French envoy to India has said.
"The horrific action has created a
warning among many countries
which were inclined to compro‑
mise (on terrorism), and this attack
is a wake‑up call ," French
Ambassador Francois Richier told
IANS in an exclusive interview at
the embassy here.
He expressed solidarity with
Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's stance that the world
should be united in fighting terror‑
ism.
Simultaneous shootings andexplosions at multiple locations in
Paris killed at least 129 people and
injured over 350.
Richier was especially concerned
about how "the attackers are not
targeting politicians or high profile
people but commoners".
"I believe no country in the
world will tolerate this. Terrorism
is an important issue. It needs to
be addressed. We are currently
raising this issue at the UN
Security Council this week and will
propose an amendment against
terrorism," he said, without
divulging any further details.France is one of the five perma‑
nent members of the Security
Council with veto power. This high
table of geopolitics is entrusted
with maintenance of international
peace and security.
On terrorist outfit ISIS, which
claimed responsibility of the
attack, issuing warning of more
such attacks, Richier said: "We're
not afraid."
"I think the ISIS is betraying the
very value of Islam. Those who
attacked are trying to create fear
in the minds of people and curb
freedom. But we would like tospread the message that it won't
affect the freedom of people," he
said.
"It's a war which has been
declared on us but we are fighting
that war. We are not afraid."
Following the attack, Paris is
already back on its feet to host the
2015 United Nations Climate
Change Conference, scheduled to
start on November 30. There is
tight security.
French Ambassador to India Francois Richier.
Paris attack wakeup call forindifferent nations: French envoy
Mumbai In a dramatic develop‑
ment, the CBI here on Thursday
evening arrested former media
tycoon Peter Mukerjea in connec‑
tion with the murder of his step‑
daugther Sheena Bora.
Peter ‑‑ the husband of one of
the three prime accused and
Sheena's mother Indrani
Mukerjea ‑‑ was picked up from
his Worli residence by a CBI team
and taken to the CBI office in
south Mumbai.
Peter, the fourth accused in the
case so far, is a former CEO of StarGroup, and has been charged with
criminal conspiracy in the sensa‑
tional murder case.
Arrested on August 25, Indrani
is currently in CBI custody along
with two other prime accused ‑‑
her ex‑husband Sanjeev Khanna
and her former driver Shyamwar
Rai.
The CBI earlier on Thursday had
filed a charge sheet against
Indrani, Khanna and Rai in a
Mumbai magistrate court.
Peter is likely to be produced
before a court on Friday morning
with the CBI expected to seek
his remand for custodialinterrogation.
The sudden arrest has come as
an embarrassment for Mumbai
police which had questioned him
epeatedly after the murder case
broke out in late August.
Earlier, there were allegations of
Peter's 'close proximity' to certain
police officials, and several dis‑
crepancies in his statements to
the investigators.
Though the real motives behind
Sheena's killing are as yet unclear,
speculation revolves around sus‑
pected financial and property
dealings in various parts of India
and even abroad.According to investigators,
Sheena, 24, an employee with a
private company in Mumbai, was
strangulated in a car on the night
of April 24, 2012.
Her body was taken in the vehi‑
cle to an isolated spot in the
forests near Gagode village in
adjacent Raigad district, around
80 km south of Mumbai.
The accused trio poured petrol
over the body, set it afire and
dumped the half‑burnt remains in
the thick bushes from where it
was found on May 23, a month
later, by a local villager.
Nearly three years after thekilling, forensic and other tests
confirmed that the remnants
found in the forests were indeed
of Sheena.
Peter Mukerjea and wife, Indrani Mukerjea,who is accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora.
SHEENA BORA CASE: CBI NABS EXMEDIA TYCOON PETER MUKERJEA
New Delhi
Congress vice‑president
Rahul Gandhi challenged theNarendra Modi‑led government to
probe “multiple” allegations against
him and take action within six
months.
“Several different allegations
have been made against me… Modi
ji, itʼs your government, you have
agencies. Use these agencies and
investigate me. If you find anything
against me in six months, lock me
up,” Gandhi said at the Indian Youth
Congressʼ celebration of the 98th
birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.
“Indira Gandhi believed in bring‑
ing people together. We are against
the BJP and RSS as they are creat‑
ing divisions,” the Congress leadersaid.
Gandhi also took a dig at Modi
over the BJPʼs recent poll defeat in
Bihar. “BJP thought there would be
a sweep in Bihar. The PM ran
around a lot. There was a sweep,
but not theirs, ours” he said.
Hitting back over BJP leader
Subramanian Swamyʼs allegation
questioning his nationality, Gandhi
accused PM Modi of mud‑slinging
on him through his “cronies”.
Swamy said that Gandhi had
declared himself a British citizen in
the registration papers of a private
company in London. Allegations
were levelled that the UK‑based
company ‑ now dissolved ‑ in its
annual return for 2005 and 2006
and in its dissolution application in
2009 told the British company law
authorities that Gandhiʼs nationality
was British and also that he had not
disclosed all details about this par‑
ticular company to Indian authori‑
ties.
The Congress vice‑president
replied: “I have no fear. I will not
withdraw (from attacking Modi). I
will continue to fight for the poor,
the farmers.”
By Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur
An embarrassed BJP gov‑
ernment of Rajasthan has
dropped famous British Indian
sculptor Anish Kapoor as govern‑
ing council member of the state's
cultural panel two days after
appointing him.
Kapoor in an article in The
Guardian of London dubbed the
Modi government as Hindu
Taliban in the issue dated
November 12 during the PMʼs
visit to UK.
Kapoor was nominated
November 16 to the cultural
panel of Jawahar Kala Kendra,
designed by the noted architect
Charles Correa, along with 11
others to advise the state govern‑
ment on issues related to art and
culture.
Rajasthan Tourism minister
Krishnendra Kaur said Nov 18
that the state government has
cancelled the nomination of all
12 members, including Kapoor,
after the state government
issued the orders of the nomina‑
tion without consulting the art
and culture minister Deependra
Kaur. The principal art and cul‑
ture secretary Shailendra
Agarwal had issued the nomina‑
tion order. Deependra Kaur said
that she was unaware of the
nominations earlier.
Interestingly, no artist from
Rajasthan was nominated cultural
governing council that carried
names of educationist Homi K
Bhabha of Harvard University
and novelist Jeet Thayil.
Not a single person from the
state was nominated as member
of this.
“Modiʼs regime has effectively
tolerated – if not encouraged – a
saffron‑c lad army of Hindu
activists who monitor and vio‑
lently discipline those suspected
of eating beef, disobeying caste
rules or betraying the ʻHindunationʼ,” Kapoor wrote.
Originally from Mumbai ,
Kapoor has been living in Britain
since the 1970s.
Congress vice‑president RahulGandhi.
Rahul challenges Modigovt to probe
allegations, lock him up
Rajasthan reversal on empanelling
Modi‑baiter Anish Kapoor
UK sculptor Anish Kapoor
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12/32
12 November 21-27, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED
By Rajendra Shende
US President Barack Obama made his
emblematic statement at the G20
summit in Turkey on November 15
that the Paris attacks were an "attack on
civilized world. If left unchecked, these ter‑
rorists could pose a growing threat beyond
that region, including to the United States".
The attacks overshadowed the G20 summit
as they will the Paris climate change talks
two weeks from now. However, if the cli‑
mate summit ends without any legally bind‑
ing and ambitious treaty, the global com‑
munity would certainly repeat President
Obama's statement, albeit replacing the
word "terrorism" with "climate change".
Minutes after Prime Minister Narendra
Modi addressed the 60,000‑strong audi‑
ence at London's Wembley stadium, terror‑
ists struck in Paris, just across the English
Channel with deadly bombs and gunfire.
Modi, in his speech, had said: "It is the
responsibility of every human living in this
world to fight global warming and terror‑
ism...India will show the world the path to
fight both."
While the climate messiah, former US vice
president Al Gore, has described global
warming as "inconvenient truth", Modi has
demonstrated, when he was chief minister
of Gujarat, by implementing ambitious
renewable energy projects there, that the
mitigation of global warming is in fact a
"convenient action". A day after start of that
meeting, the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO), which monitors glob‑
al warming, signaled the crying need of
action on climate change. "The amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
reached yet another new record high in
2014...In spring 2015, the global average
concentration of CO2 crossed the 400 parts
per million (ppm) barrier," it declared.
Thus, levels of 400 ppm will now be the
new "normal" that the world has to live
with. At such rising rate, the CO2 levels in
the atmosphere will reach to the level of
1200 ppm by end of this century. And, the
global thermometer will show an average
temperature rise of about 5 degrees Celsius
‑ against the aimed figure of 2 degrees
Celsius.
Modi stands to make difference at this
crucial juncture. He had, in the past, con‑
veyed to the world that two most formida‑
ble challenges today are terrorism and cli‑
mate change. India is now being hailed
globally as genuine player in addressing cli‑
mate change, mainly due to its thoughtful
INDCs and steps already taken in the area
of energy efficiency, renewable energy and
forestry. It has acquired a legitimate posi‑
tion by declaring that India is not part of
the problem but would like to be part of the
solution.
As the leader of the world's largest
democracy and a proponent of inclusive
development, Modi knows well that
addressing climate change means using
clean energy that would reduce air pollu‑
tion ‑ thereby reducing 1.4
![Boidus Focus - Vol 1, Issue 4 [Nov 2011]](https://static.fdocuments.in/doc/165x107/568c0ef21a28ab955a925acc/boidus-focus-vol-1-issue-4-nov-2011.jpg)
