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Salman's 'Dabangg' comes to life at Dubai theme park

5 Indian-Americans among America's richest 400: Forbes

New York, Oct 9, 2016: Five Indian-Americans figure among America's 400 richest people, in a list again headed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, according to the survey by Forbes magazine.

Symphony Technology founder Romesh Wadhwani, co-founders of outsourcing firm Syntel Bharat, Syntel's Neerja Desai, airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal, entrepreneur John Kapoor and Silicon Valley angel investor Kavitark Ram Shriram figure in Forbes' 'The Richest People In America 2016' list.

Gates tops the list for the 23rd year, now with a net worth of $81 billion.

Wadhwani has been ranked 222nd on the list with a net worth of $3 billion.

Educated at IIT-Mumbai, he is the chairman of Symphony Technology Group, an empire of 17 data, technology, healthcare and analytics companies that together earn more than $2.8 billion in annual revenue, Forbes said.

The Desais rank 274th on the list with a net worth of $2.5 billion. Started in 1980, their firm Syntel generates over $950 million in revenue and has nearly 24,000 employees across the globe, Forbes said.

Gangwal is ranked 321 on the list with a net worth of $2.2 billion. He is an aviation entrepreneur, who co-founded InterGlobe Aviation, which operates budget airline IndiGo, that is India's largest by market share.

US resident Gangwal owns more than 40 per cent of the company and currently serves as a board member, Forbes said.

Kapoor, who ranks 335 on the list with a net worth of $2.1 billion, is the chairman of two drug companies - Akorn, which specializes in "difficult-to-manufacture" prescription drugs and Insys Therapeutics, which produces an opioid for cancer patients, Forbes added.

Shriram ranks 361 on the list with a net worth of $1.9 billion.

According to Forbes, Shriram, who was one of Google's early backers, has sold of most of his stock but remains on the board of its parent company, Alphabet. Since 2000, he has been investing in young technology startups through his firm, Sherpalo Ventures.

Sriram's portfolio includes online card and invitation service Paperless Post, web and mobile app testing service Optimizely, and mobile advertising company Inmobi....IANS

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Amjad Ali Khan sings for peace at Washington's Lincoln Memorial

By Subhash K. Jha (17:14) 

Mumbai, Oct 9 (IANS) India's sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons Amaan and Ayaan performed live with musicians from across the world for the Chant4Change peace concert at Washingtons Lincoln Memorial on Saturday night. The concert made use of music as the healing unifying force in wounded and terror-infested universe.

However, the rain gods played truant.

Speaking after the concert, Khan said: "We three -- my two sons and I -- performed while it was drizzling. We dedicated our concert to world peace and harmony. We paid our humble tribute to Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Hazrat Amir Khusro who created the qawwali and tarana singing styles."

Khan and his sons began the historical Chant4Change concert with an inspirational number.

"The first item was 'We shall overcome...' version 'Hum honge kamyaab'. Then we rendered 'Vaishnava jana to', 'Ramdhun', 'Raghupati raghav rajaram', 'Ekla cholo re' and then we sang a tarana. We ended with Bengali folk music. We hope the whole world soon realizes the value of peace and harmony.

"Collectively, we must give our younger generations a peaceful and harmonious world. Our family feels very sad when we hear about young soldiers dying in the war, no matter which country. We feel connected with every soul, every religion and every song of the world," Khan said.

Explaining how music can unify people across the world, he said: "People of the world have to think about the value of togetherness, peace and harmony. Collectively, people of India and the world have to create a peaceful and harmonious environment for our children and younger generation.

"India was one before the Partition. That is why even today, it's Indian classical music that unifies the two countres and their people. We could only divide the land, but could not divide the music."

He is also worried about the rampancy of terror attacks even in the US.

"The US should not encourage people to openly buy weapons, especially for the younger generation, as it is very dangerous not to have licence for the weapons. The greatest mockery is that every political leader talks of peace and harmony, and at the same time every country is busy producing weapons, guns and missiles.

"The future of the world looks aimless and bleak. The world is heading towards destruction... I hope the world soon understand the value of love peace and harmony."

He made a plea for artistes to be exempted from political agendas.

"Art, music and musicians don't belong to any cult or religion. Like flowers, air, water, colour, fire and fragrance, we of the artistic fraternity also belong to no religion. In our country, every classical musician is worshipped like Goddess Saraswati. If we can't help each other, for god's sake, don't destroy each other. Think seriously about the future of every child."
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NRI banker kills wife in Britain

London, Oct 8 (IANS) An NRI banker, who stabbed his wife 124 times after she asked him for a divorce, has been found guilty of manslaughter in Britain, media reports said.

Investment banker Sanjay Nijhawan, 46, killed his wife Sonita Nijhawan, 38, with an axe and a knife in front of their four-year-old son at their $2.4 million (£2 million) mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, on May 21.

Nijhawan had quit his highly-paid job for Barclays Bank but had a mortgage of £670,000, the Daily Mail reported.

He was also diagnosed with depression months before the killing.

A doctor who assessed Nijhawan said the pressures had become too much and he snapped when his wife asked for a divorce.

"We built that house like Fort Knox, with burglar alarms, fire alarms, security to keep her safe from the outside world but little did we know the danger was from the inside," the Telegraph quoted Chander Parkash, Sonita's father.

Sonita had 124 significant injuries to her body including 40 cut and blunt force injuries to her head which were all likely to be caused by an axe.

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Russia keen on sealing visa-free group travel deal with India

Moscow, Sep 28, 2016 --India and Russia are working towards a regime for visa-free entry for groups, and the Russian side has said it is expecting "some development" soon in the negotiations.

Talking to IANS here, Sergyey Korneev, Deputy Head of Russia's Ministry of Culture and Federal Agency For Tourism, said that they are keen on getting the agreement concluded soon to attract more Indian tourists to Russia.

"The discussions are at a serious level and as a tourism body we are in favour of the liberalisation. We are doing it at a priority level," Korneev told IANS after holding discussions with a group of travel agents from India whose visit was organised by Russian Information Centre.

"We regret that we have already missed some movement, we want to change the situation about Indian arrivals," he said. "As tourists Indians are very nice, we have a strong historical connection."

At present Russia has such an agreement with China under which tourists in groups of five to 50 persons, accompanies a tour operator registered in both countries, to visit the country without a visa for up to 15 days.

Around 20 million Indians travelled abroad in 2015. As number of Indian tourists visiting Russia has increased, the Russian government is hoping a bigger share of the pie.

The discussions for visa-free travel to Russia have been on for a long time, and Korneev said details of the negotiations are with the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The two sides are looking at allowing groups with five members, but Korneev added that they will try to bring the number down to three so that small families can also be covered under this.

He said that Russians love Indians and some Indian television channels are very popular in Russia.

He said that Russia had a wide variety of tourist experiences to offer to visitors -- from the North Pole to mountains to sea beaches.

Head of the Federal Tourism Agency, Oleg Safonov, meanwhile, called India a "very promising source" of inbound tourist flow to Russia.

"In recent times, the tourist market in the country, as in other countries of Asia, is growing rapidly. The number of tourists is already around 20 million people a year and in the future it can grow significantly. Our task is to attract travellers from India to Russia and to achieve popularity like Britain or France among Indian tourists," he said.

Safonov called the group visa free travel a "promising solution" to this....By Anjali Ojha 

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Indian-origin lawyer shoots 9 in US, killed by police

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2 acquitted in UK girl's rape-murder on Goa beach, mother wants to appeal

Panaji, Sep 23, 2016: Two beach shack workers, accused of raping and killing 15-year-old UK teenager Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008, were acquitted by a trial court here on Friday. The victim's mother and her counsel claimed that incompetent investigation influenced by the drug mafia and an inordinate delay could have led to the acquittal.


Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho were acquitted by Goa Children's Court President Vandana Tendulkar at the end of an investigation and trial that dragged on for eight years. Carvalho said that he was "happy" with the judgement and that all the charges against him were "false".

Speaking to IANS after the verdict was delivered, advocate Vikram Varma, counsel of Fiona Mackeown, Scarlett's mother, said the criminal justice system has let them down.

"The criminal justice goes into motion and those who are charged are acquitted, which essentially means that nobody killed her, nobody hurt her, nobody gave her cocaine," Varma said.

"So the issue is, if someone has been murdered, it is the job of the investigating agency to find out who has done it and present adequate evidence for the charges they have filed against these people. Now that particular system has failed," he said.

Scarlett's half-naked body was found at Anjuna beach in February 2008. While the police initially tried to pass off the incident as a suicide, a second autopsy revealed 52 injury marks on her body as well as traces of a cocktail of drugs in her system.

The case was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation by the then Congress-led coalition government, after a high-profile campaign for justice by Fiona, who during course of the trial accused then state Home Minister Ravi Naik as well as his son Roy, of trying a cover-up for gthe crime.

The trial was also delayed due to the transfer of five judges from the Goa Children's Court, which is authorised to try criminal cases against minors in the coastal state.

"The delay has been of a reluctant system, which does not want to investigate a crime committed on a foreigner, if the crime has been committed by a local person," Varma said.

A dejected Fiona said that medical evidence appeared to suggest that her daughter had been drugged, raped and murdered, but blamed the local police as well as the CBI for the acquittal of the two accused. She said that international tourists were not safe in Goa.

Keeling's death turned the spotlight on the issue of safety of the coastal state's beaches which attract nearly four million tourists every year.

"It is clear that the CBI are either incompetent or corrupt and I don't believe that they are incompetent. I can only say that if international tourists come to Goa and they are murdered, they cannot hope for justice," Fiona said.

A mother of eight children and a resident of Devon in Britain, Fiona said that her resources and strengths had got sapped over the course of the prolonged investigation and trial, adding that she was feeling "deflated" after the acquittal.

She also said that the refusal of a key witness in the case, Michael Mannion from the UK, to depose before the Goa Children's Court even via video conference from the UK, could have punctured the prosecution's case. Mannion was a key witness who had seen Samson sexually assault Scarlett near the Luis beach shack, at Anjuna beach.

"I hold him partially responsible for he let Scarlett down the first time when he drove off on that day, and he has let her down today. He is a despicable coward..." Fiona said.

Fiona has expressed hope that the CBI would go in appeal against the order.

CBI counsel Ejaz Khan said the decision on whether the agency would go in appeal would be taken only after perusal of the order, a copy of which is expected to be released on Monday.

"We haven't seen the court order yet. We will get a copy of the order on Monday. We will be in a position to comment on the order only after going through the written order," Khan told IANS.

Speaking to IANS, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said "Personally, the outcome of the case is unfortunate"...IANS

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What is the Indus Waters Treaty and can India abrogate it?

New Delhi, Sep 23: With India saying that there have been differences over the implementation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a dispute that was referred to an international tribunal under the aegis of the World Bank, the issue has come back into focus because of the current tension with Pakistan following the September 18 cross-border terror attack on an army base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers. On Thursday, India raised the issue saying a treaty could not be a "one-sided affair".

So, what is the treaty all about? Here is a primer:

What is the Indus Waters Treaty?

The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing arrangement signed by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan Ayub Khan on September 19, 1960, in Karachi. It covers the water distribution and sharing rights of six rivers -- Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. The agreement was brokered by the World Bank.

Why was the agreement signed?

The agreement was signed because the source of all the rivers of the Indus basin were in India (Indus and Sutlej, though, originate in China). It allowed India to use them for irrigation, transport and power generation, while laying down precise do's and don'ts for India on building projects along the way. Pakistan feared that India could potentially create droughts in case of a war between the two countries. A Permanent Indus Commission set up in this connection has gone through three wars between the two countries without disruption and provides a bilateral mechanism for consultation and conflict-resolution through inspections, exchange of data and visits.

What does the agreement entail?

The treaty gave the three "eastern rivers" of Beas, Ravi and Sutlej to India for use of water without restriction. The three "western rivers" of Indus, Chenab and Jhelum were allocated to Pakistan. India can construct storage facilities on "western rivers" of up to 3.6 million acre feet, which it has not done so far. India is also allowed agriculture use of 7 lakh acres above the irrigated cropped area as on April 1, 1960.

Is there a dispute?

Although the two countries have been managing to share the waters without major dispute, experts say that the agreement is one of the most lop-sided with India being allowed to use only 20 percent of the six-river Indus water system. Pakistan itself in July this year sought an international arbitration if India sought to build hydro power projects on the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. Though the agreement has been seen as one of the most successful water-sharing pacts, the current tension between the two South Asian neighbours might well lead to a flashpoint. Strategic affairs and security experts say that future wars could well be fought over water.

Could India abrogate the agreement?

This is unlikely since the treaty has survived three wars between the two countries. Although on Thursday India raised the issue, saying that for a treaty to work there had to be "mutual cooperation and trust" between the two sides, this seems to be more pressure tactics than any real threat to review the bilateral agreement. And the idea that India can intimidate Pakistan by threatening to cut of river waters is nothing new. It has arisen before every major conflict. A unilateral abrogation would also attract criticism from world powers, as this is one arrangement which has stood the test of time.

Short of abrogation, can India do something?

Some experts have said that if India starts making provision for storage facility involving the "western rivers", which it is allowed under the treaty of up to 3.6 million acre feet, this may send a strong message to its neighbour. Pakistan has often sought arbitration proceedings just on mere impression that India may do so, seeking to dissuade its larger neighbour from tinkering with the status quo....IANS

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Karachi temple priest in India to immerse ashes of 160 Hindus

New Delhi, Sep 16, 2016 Carrying the 'asthi kalash' -- pots containing the ashes of the cremated -- of 160 Pakistani Hindus, Ramnath Maharaj, a Karachi temple priest, is in India to immerse the ashes in the holy Ganga river at Haridwar.

Maharaj, head priest of Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple, said to be 1,500 years old, is accompanied by his nephew Kabir Kumar. The two crossed over into India through the Wagha border on Thursday evening.

The ashes of these Pakistani Hindus will be immersed in the Ganga at Haridwar on September 24, the seventh day of Pitru Paksha, the day Hindus pay homage to their deceased and forefathers.

"The 160 asthi kalash was all that we could carry from Karachi. There are more than 40 other asthi kalash waiting at Sondari Shamshan (the cremation ground in Karachi). We could not carry them all because just two of us -- out of 10 other priests and sewaks (helpers) -- were granted visas," Maharaj told IANS.

Pakistani immigration officials asked him for affidavits for the asthi kalash at the Wagah border due to which he had to stay back and arrange the papers, he said.

After he crossed over on Thursday evening, he was received by volunteers of a Delhi-based organisation, Shri Devodhan Sewa Samiti (SDSS).

Since he was not granted permission to travel to Delhi, Ramnath said he went directly towards Haridwar from Punjab.

Ramnath said most of the ashes were three to four years old and were waiting to be immersed in the Ganga.

"Our visa applications were rejected by the Indian High Commission three times. The visas of eight others is still pending. If they are also granted visa by the Pitru Paksha, then they will arrive with 40 more asthi kalash from the Karachi shamshan," the priest said.

Speaking to IANS, Ramnath recalled his last visit to India in 2011 when he arrived with 135 asthi kalash, some as old as 30 years.

The tedious visa process, a by-product of the tense bilateral ties, adds to the delay in immersing the ashes of Pakistani Hindus in the Ganga.

"Due to religious value of the Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple, many people approach us and express their desire of immersing the ashes of their relatives in the Ganga. The ashes are kept at the 400-year-old Sondari Shamshan or Asthi Ashram in Karachi, which is near the temple," he said.

The priest said that recently both the temple and cremation ground were renovated with the help of the Pakistan government. The Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple is one of the few in the world to have a "natural" idol of Hanuman...IANS

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Three Punjabis in election fray in Whittlesea

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Priyanka Chopra, Anupam Kher pay tribute to 9/11 victims

New York, Sep 12 -- On the The 15th anniversary of the horrific 9/11 attacks, Indian actors Priyanka Chopra and Anupam Kher have paid a tribute to the victims.

Priyanka, currently busy shooting for her American TV series "Quantico" in New York, shared a photograph of the 9/11 memorial and captioned the image: "The 9/11 memorial on 9/11. It's powerful. Stop the violence."

Anupam on Twitter shared: "Paid tribute to the victims of 9/11 at World Trade Centre, New York."

Families of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, gathered at the World Trade Center site to remember those they lost.

The terror attacks carried out by the Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people and left over 6,000 injured in New York and Washington D.C. The twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York were destroyed in the attack.

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6Degree to take Indian talent to Fashion Forward Dubai

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Five Indians arrested for drug smuggling in China

Beijing, Sep 13- Five Indians have been arrested in China for allegedly smuggling drugs from India, officials said.

They were arrested at the Kunming International Airport in Yunnan on September 7. They had flown in from Kolkatta.

They were found in possession of 18 kg of cannabis, concealed in their food packets and laptop bags.

Official sources said Indian officials were granted consular access on September 21.

"We are trying to ascertain the facts," an official in the Indian embassy told IANS.

Drugs peddling is a serious offence in China with punishments ranging from life-term in prison and death penalty.

In July, a Colombian model was sentenced to 15 years in jail for drug smuggling in China....IANS

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Bengal governor to attend poets' symposium in Britain

Kolkata, Sep 6, 2018: West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi, also a known poet, on Tuesday embarked on a visit to Britain to participate in and preside over a conference of poets.

According to a Raj Bhavan communique, Tripathi will preside over the "Virat Kavi Sammelan" beginning Wednesday with the venues spread over the cities of Liverpool, Slough, Nottingham and Southhall, London.

During the visit, Tripathi will also attend, along with other poets, a reception to be given by the Indian High Commission, London.

He slated to return on September 12.

A widely-acclaimed poet, Tripathi has in the past attended several such poetry symposiums across the globe. So far six compendiums of his Hindi poems have been published.

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Yemen survivor Sister Sally meets Sushma

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Sikh contestant in UK bakery show racially abused

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Delhi most unsafe city for senior citizens'

New Delhi, Sep 4, Delhi has been categorised for the second consecutive year as the most unsafe city for senior citizens in 2015, the latest data from "Crime in India" report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said.

With a rate of 108.8 crimes per 100,000 elderly population, senior citizens in the national capital are almost five times more likely to become victims of a crime than the rest of the country. The national rate for such crimes stands at 20.

This category is followed by Madhya Pradesh 60.5 (3,456 cases), Chhattisgarh 53.7 (1,077 cases) and Andhra Pradesh 51.6 (2,495 cases).

Mostly senior citizens residing in the national capital were the victims of crimes like robbery (145 cases), cheating (123), murder (14), grievous hurt (9), extortion (3) attempt to murder (2), attempt to commit culpable homicide (2), rape (1), dacoity (2) and the maximum 947 of "other IPC crimes".

In terms of number, a total of 1,248 cases of crime against senior citizens were registered in Delhi in 2015.

The crime rate against senior citizens in Delhi rose 19.8 per 100,000 senior citizens compared to the rate of 89 crimes that took place in 2014. NCRB had for the first time tabulated data on crimes against senior citizens in 2014.

Compared to the cases, the number of arrested persons for various crimes committed against senior citizens in 2015 was around one-third (385 criminals). The data said that all the criminals were male.

Asked about the increasing crime rate in the city against senior citizens, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Taj Hassan told IANS: "We have been running a campaign since 2014 that every case should be registered. The major jump in crime rate was seen in 2014 and after that in 2015. So, we want that every crime should be detected and correct registration should take place."

The officer said that the Delhi Police was very serious about the security of senior citizens regarding which a senior citizens' security cell was formed on June 20, 2004, at the Police Headquarters level and now in all 11 districts of Delhi.

The officer said that monitoring of registered senior citizens by interacting on telephone and through regular interactions is the force's priority. "We coordinate with senior citizens with the help of beat officers and advise them on necessary security and safety aspects."

There is also specific 1291 helpline number for them on which they can call any time when in distress, the officer said, adding that beat officers also visit their homes once or twice in a month.

The NCRB data also shows that a total of 20,532 cases of crimes against senior citizens were registered across India in 2015 compared to 18,714 cases in 2014.

A total of 1,867 cases were reported under cheating across India followed by robbery (1,294), murder (1,053), grievous hurt (949), attempt to commit murder (456), extortion (94), culpable homicide not amounting to murder (78), rape (58), attempt to commit culpable homicide (50), dacoity (47), dacoity with murder (2) and acid attack (1). There were 45 'other' crimes. A total of 14,586 case were in the category of "other IPC crimes".

The NCRB data released on August 30 maintained that those who have attained the age of 60 years or above are defined as senior citizens as per the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

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E-nailed and walled in! ......Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

Washington, Sep 4: As the two most unpopular presidential candidates prepare for their first face-off, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are haunted by ghosts of their own making. One is 'e-nailed', as a wag put it, and the other 'walled-in.'

The Democratic presidential nominee thought she was sitting pretty in the polls before her Republican rival started catching up thanks to her ever unfolding email saga.

The FBI had found her "extremely careless" in handling the nation's secrets as America's top diplomat by using an unsecured private email server in her basement.

Yet it had let her go scot-free as she told the agency 39 times that she either did not know or did not recall if she was ever told how to handle classified material.

And as the probe agency unearthed 15,000 more of her emails, an Indian-American judge asked the State Department to quickly release 30 of these related to the 2012 attack on a US mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Then emails of Huma Abedin, her long time aide of mixed Indian-Pakistani heritage, exposed what Republican rival Trump called a "pay-to-play" game of giving fat cat Clinton foundation donors fast track "access" to her.

And after declining to release all of Clinton's daily schedules before Election Day, the State Department abruptly agreed to turn them over by mid-October to the Associated Press (AP).

The news agency has previously reported that more than half of her non-official callers had donated $156 million to the family charity.

In the midst of it all, Abedin's disgraced husband Anthony Weiner was caught in a sexting scandal - sending raunchy photos and messages including one with his toddler son, to a woman supporter of Trump - for the third time in five years.

"Who knows what he learned and who he told," said Trump calling Hillary Clinton so "careless and negligent" in allowing Weiner to be so close to classified material.

But even as she railed against the influence of big money in politics, an unconcerned Clinton raised $143 million in August for Democrats and her campaign with $50,000 a plate fundraisers in celebrity homes.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan mogul blew hot and cold and hot again as he 'flip flopped' on his signature pledge to build a huge wall on the border with Mexico and boot out 11 million illegal immigrants, including an estimated 450,000 from India.

Then in a surprise bold move, Trump who has accused Mexican immigrants of "bringing drugs and crime" crossed the border for an hour long "tremendous" meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City.

Acting very presidential on his first formal international foray, he told the media in soft tones that they had discussed trade and immigration and the wall but not who would pay for it. But as soon as he left, Nieto tweeted that Mexico wouldn't pay.

Hours later, addressing a rally of cheering supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, the billionaire again promised to build a "beautiful" "impenetrable" wall and make Mexico pay for it.

He also vowed to "break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration" saying those seeking legal status will have "one route only: return home and line up."

Though he did not commit to deporting every illegal immigrant, he outlined plans to create a "new special deportation task force" to track criminals and the most serious security threats saying, "Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone."

Clinton, who has called for "comprehensive immigration reform with a path to full and equal citizenship" for the undocumented, dismissed Trump's Mexico trip as a "photo op."

And as the two rivals get ready for their first presidential debate on September 26, Clinton is said to be preparing like a seasoned lawyer with briefing books and rehearsals. But a Trump clone is hard to fund for mock debates.

Trump, on the other hand, would have none of it, according to the Washington Post. He simply meets with his advisers for Sunday chats at his New Jersey golf course testing zingers over cheeseburgers, hot dogs and sodas.

"Donald Trump is the unpredictable X-factor and Hillary Clinton is the scripted statist," - big government liberal -- Trump campaign manager Kellyane Conway was cited as saying.

But with a new poll showing most Americans viewing both Clinton (56 percent) and Trump (63 percent) unfavourably, the rival candidates are counting on those who usually sit out or are still sitting on the wall to make the difference in the battle of lessers....Arun Kumar//IANS

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Sikh contestant in UK bakery show racially abused

London, Sep 3: A 28-year-old Sikh contestant on this year's Great British Bake Off disclosed that he suffered racial abuse after appearing in the first two episodes of the hit BBC show.

Rav Bansal said he was asked whether he was a "P---" by a stranger who referred to the "not-so-British Bake Off", The Telegraph reported late Friday.

"So today I was asked 'Are you the p*** on the not so British bake off?' Really, in 2016?," Bansal tweeted.

Bansal, who resides in Erith, Kent with his parents and works at City University, was supported by his fellow contestants, who immediately rallied around to condemn the comments, The Telegraph reported.

Fellow contestant Benjamina Ebuehi, one of his fellow amateur bakers, responded to his tweet saying it was "so horrible".

However, Bansal is not the first Bake Off contestant to have suffered racist abuse, with last year's winner British-Muslim Nadiya Hussain previously speaking frankly about the insults and violence she has suffered at the hands of strangers.

Bansal is one of 10 remaining contestants on Great British Bake Off this year, and has won fans for his good-natured humour, The Telegraph added....IANS
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Our food not only curries, tikkas: Indian 'MasterChef Australia' contestant

New Delhi, Aug 27, 2016: From her fellow contestants to judges, she made everyone on the sets of "MasterChef Australia" fall in love with "desi" spices. Nidhi Mahajan, whose exit from the globally-renowned TV cooking show was an emotional affair, says Indian cuisine goes way beyond the misconceptions that people across the world have about it.

"I would love to tell people that there is nothing as massive as Indian cuisine and each dish, each ingredient, has a history behind it and how it became a part of our cuisine," Nidhi told IANS in an email interview from Adelaide.

"Indian food has made its place on the global platform. People around the world love Indian food for its flavours and versatility," added the former call centre employee, whose roots are in Chandigarh.

She found her way into Season Eight of "MasterChef Australia", which is aired in India on Star World and Star World HD, for her expertise in traditional Indian cooking. She entered the kitchen with a mission to put the "desi" style of cooking on the global map.

Thus, among the dishes she cooked on the show were creamy lemon pepper chicken with paratha and potato wafers; Aussie Classic Indian Way (one episode required the contestants to use Australian elements like meat and three vegetables and give it a twist -- so she gave it an Indian twist); goat curry with fried bread, cucumber raita and pickled onions; and tea-infused parfait, cornflake and ginger wine crumble.

Indian food might be finding a spot on the global palette, but there are still many misconceptions attached to it, said Nidhi, and many believe it is "very fattening, hot, oily and time-consuming. It is nothing like that, apart from the rich cuisines, if we talk about our daily, routine food it is not at all oily, hot or time-consuming.

"Indian food is just not about curries and tikkas. We have so many other dishes which are fermented, pickled, baked, sautéed and steamed."

She left a long-lasting impression on the judges -- Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, and even world-renowned chef Marco Pierre White -- for her "desi" gestures. Her decision to bow at the judges' feet "as a mark of respect" after elimination brought everyone to tears.

"Doing a 'Pranaam' is what I have been taught by my parents. I have seen them bowing to their elders and people they respect. This is what I did," she said.

Nidhi, who shifted to South Australia's Adelaide in 2013 with her husband, asserted that "desi" cuisine is quite popular on the show itself and that "people are crazy about Indian food and judges love Indian food".

She first stepped into the kitchen to cook on her own when she was all of 12, and has been pursuing her love of cooking ever since. Nidhi looks up to chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor, Vikas Khanna, Jamie Oliver and the late Tarla Dalal.

Looking back at her culinary journey, Nidhi, who was called "The Curry Queen" on "MasterChef Australia", said: "I was around 7 or 8 years old when I started helping my mother in the kitchen... the Kitchen has always been a place where I love to spend time."

Nidhi has degrees in commerce, accounting and finance; the TV show has given her a boost of positive energy. "My life has changed a lot. I feel more positive and confident in my abilities and I am living my dream life to have cooking as my profession."

She has already set up a home-catering business and is taking cooking classes. A restaurant is in the pipeline and she hopes "to set it up by end of 2016 or start of 2017".

She would also love to write a recipe book "but with a twist -- the book will have recipes and also a story behind each recipe and my cooking journey"....IANS

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Congress attacks government for Scorpene data leak, demands security audit

New Delhi, Aug 24, 2016: The Congress on Wednesday accused the government of "cover-up" over the alleged data leak of the Scorpene submarine, which it said had "gravely compromised" India's national security.

The party demanded a complete "security audit" of the Mazgaon Docks Limited and the Defence Ministry.

"India's national security stands gravely compromised with shocking leaks of the specifications of the Scorpene submarine," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here.

"We demand a complete security audit of the Mazgaon Dock Limited and the Defence Ministry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. The government can have representatives from defence forces, intelligence agencies as members," the Congress leader added.

"This leak has put a question mark on India's maritime security. It has jeopardised the initiative to build six Scorpene submarines," he said.

Surjewala also said that despite the data leak, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Narendra Modi government and Indian Navy were engaged in "operation cover-up instead of fixing responsibility".

"Navy and Defence Minister continue to speak in conflicting voice. One calls it hacking, while the other calls it a leak," Surjewala alleged.

Attacking Parrikar, Sujewala said, "Despite this blunder, which has hurt our defence preparedness, explanation of Modiji's Defence Minister is that it is a case of hacking. Indian Navy is saying the leak is possibly from a source outside India."

"Can they do so without conducting any inquiry?" Surjewala questioned.

"It is intriguing how clean chits are being meted out without the matter being looked into," he said, adding, "It is a myopic approach and a complete apathy on the part of the (Narendra) Modi government."

"What steps the government has taken to ensure that the data leaked online has not gone into the hands of the enemy and hostile countries," he asked.

A report in Australian media revealed on Tuesday that sensitive data -- comprising documents over 22,000 pages -- related to Scorpene submarines have been leaked from French shipbuilder DCNS, which designed the submarine.

Citing the statement given by the French company DCNS, Surjewala said, "The French company have issued a statement hinting that the leak happened in India."

"They said multiple and independent controls exist to prevent unauthorised access to data and all data movements are encrypted. In the case of India, DCNS is the provider not controller of data -- clearly hinting that the leak happened in India," he accused.

The Congress leader also claimed that nearly 22,400 pages were leaked of Project 75, which carried the emblem of the Indian Navy. "This is the biggest disaster in recent times."

Surjewala said the government has gone on overdrive to say that these leaks have not compromised the operational capabilities.

"We have read out all the details. It is for everyone to judge if the operational capabilities of the submarines and Indian Navy have been compromised or not," he added.

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Parental child abduction: Indian case-load second largest in US

New Delhi, Aug 23, 2016: The number of cases of inter-country parental child abduction related to Indians in the US is the second highest next only to Mexico, a senior US government official said here on Tuesday.

“We are handling more than 1,000 cases of inter-country parental child abduction,” Michele Bond, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, said during a media interaction here.

“At this time, our case-load with India is the second largest that we have after Mexico,” she said.

Inter-country parental child abduction is the situation that arises when one parent takes a child to a foreign country and keeps him or her there with the hope that the parent will be able to establish custody of that child and prevent the other parent from having access or being able to share custody.

Bond said that Mexico was the US's immediate neighbour and hence it was easy to take a child across the border while it was not so easy to travel to India.

“There are approximately 80 (Indian) family cases involved and more than 90 children,” she said.

Stating that children were vulnerable and were unable to protect themselves, she said: “We recognise that India shares those concerns and this has been highlighted in the joint statement that was released during Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's visit to the United States in June.”

In the joint statement issued after Modi's meeting with US President Barack Obama, one of the points stated that “the leaders intend to renew efforts to intensify dialogue to address issues affecting the citizens of both countries that arise due to differences in the approaches of legal systems, including issues relating to cross-country marriage, divorce and child custody”.

Bond stated that the US was among the 94 countries that were members of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or Hague Abduction Convention for short.

The Convention facilitates the prompt return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence and helps deter international parental child abduction.

“We hope that India will make the decision to accede also to that Convention,” Bond said.

She said that under the Convention, the court in the child's country of habitual residence would take the decisions about custody and visitation rights among other issues.

“We applaud the Indian government for recently publishing for comment implementing legislation for the Hague Abduction Convention,” the US official said.

“We encourage India to continue progress to its accession because we genuinely believe that this is a significant issue for this country.”

She said that this problem was likely to grow as there was an increasing number of Indians living outside the country.

“We also have a handful of cases of children who have been abducted from India to the United States,” Bond said.

“We are working to help those parents to go to court and request the return of their children to India.”

Bond came to India to attend the annual bilateral consular dialogue that was held here on Monday during which issues like facilitating tourism and business and other travel between the two countries, visa assessing, protection of US citizens in India, transparent international adoption, and preventing international parental child abduction cases were discussed.

While she led the US delegation, P. Kumaran, Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa) in the Ministry of External Affairs, headed the Indian side...IANS

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Memorable moments of Rio 2016 Games  

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 22, 16-After the curtain fell on the first edition of the Olympics in South America, here's a look back at some of the best moments of the Games, according to its official website.

Opening ceremony sets joyful tone

It seems a long time ago now, but on August 5 the curtain went up on the first Olympic Games to be staged in South America.

A joyful sashay through Brazil's extraordinary musical heritage was infused with a social message and a warning about the dangers of climate change.

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The athletes were cheered to the rafters while Brazil's diversity and natural beauty were celebrated in style.

Phelps wins 200m butterfly swimming event

Michael Phelps cemented his status as the most successful Olympian of all time by winning five golds and one silver at Rio 2016, taking his tally to 28 medals (23 gold).

The one that seemed to mean the most to the great American swimmer was the 200 metre butterfly.

It allowed him to avenge his London 2012 defeat by Chad le Clos, who had since said he would break Phelps's world records in Rio, and Phelps's celebrations afterwards suggested he had enjoyed putting the younger man in his place.

A very honourable mention also goes to Phelps's compatriot Katie Ledecky, who won four golds and a silver at Rio 2016, setting new world records in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

Rafaela Silva wins Brazil's first gold

The host nation's first gold is always a key moment, but the victory of Silva, who was born in the infamous City of God favela community and fought against poverty and prejudice, was particularly poignant.

It prompted ecstatic scenes at Carioca Arena 2 and across Brazil.

Refugees get rapturous reception at Games Village

The 10-strong refugee team that competed under the Olympic flag were welcomed to the Games Village in classic Brazilian style: warmly and with plenty of music and dancing.

Hundreds of athletes from other countries were there to greet them, and Syrian swimmer Rami Anis even showed off his samba steps.

Bolt completes "triple-triple"

He was the man of the Games, from the moment he touched down at Rio International Airport, until he completed an unprecedented "triple-triple" by winning the 100 metre, 200m and 4x100m titles at a third successive Olympics.

He charmed Brazil and its people when he said "I'm the greatest".

Monica Puig wins tennis and becomes breakout star of Games

Few people had heard of Monica Puig before Rio 2016. The Puerto Rican tennis player had never been beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, but her sunny demeanour and surprise charge to the Olympic gold medal made her an internet hit, with even comptriot and singing superstar Ricky Martin tweeting his support.

She won Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medal and melted hearts across the globe.

D'Agostino and Hamblin help each other finish

The true Olympic spirit shone through when Abbey D'Agostino of the US and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand fell to the ground during their 5000m heat.

D'Agostino managed to get up, but rather than speeding off, she stopped and helped Hamblin to her feet.

But the American was injured and had difficulty completing the race, so Hamblin supported her and the pair finished the race together. They were awarded the Pierre de Courbertin prize for sporting behaviour.

Records tumble

High-tech tracks and pools at Rio 2016 helped runners, cyclists and swimmers deliver their best performances, with 65 Olympic and 19 world records being broken.

Hard work and talent combined with technology to produce some truly amazing moments, such as athlete Wayde van Nierkerk's incredible run in the 400m final, where his time of 43.03 seconds bettered the 17-year-old mark of 43.18 set by US legend Michael Johnson.

Icho stands out alone

Japanese wrestler Kaori Icho become the first woman to win an individual gold medal in four straight Olympic Games in any sport, when she took the 58 kilogram women's freestyle title.

She also became the first wrestler in Olympic history to win four gold medals, and afterwards dedicated it on the memory of her late mother.

Elaine Thompson and Mo Farah's "double-double"

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson superseded Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as the Caribbean island's queen of the track, the 24-year-old beating her elder compatriot in the 100m and then adding the 200m to her haul.

Great Britain's Mo Farah won his fourth Olympic gold as he became only the second man to retain the 5,000m and 10,000m titles.

He went on to triumph in the same events in two successive world championships and repeated the feat in Rio, emulating Finnish great Lasse Viren at the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Games.

Brazil get the gold they really wanted

Brazil's football team's talisman Neymar delivered a national obsession, scoring the winning penalty in the final against Germany to secure an elusive first-ever gold for the five-time world champions.

Neymar also set a new record for fastest goal scored at the Olympics, when he scored after just 14 seconds in the semi-final game against Honduras.

Super Simone

The American artistic gymnast came to Rio as one of the most popular stars, with a huge social media following, and left with five medals -- four gold and one bronze -- from her first Olympics, to confirm her place among the greatest names of her sport....IANS
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Distressed Indian workers in Saudi Arabia have only two options

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Kerala IT firm SunTec strengthens Dubai R&D centre

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16: Kerala's leading IT company SunTec is moving ahead with the commissioning of a new software platform through their research and development centre in Dubai.

According to SunTec Pesident and CEO K. Nanda Kumar, he chose to strengthen the research and development centre in the Gulf city since it has become a hub of innovation in various segments.

"We chose Dubai because things are moving at a fast pace in segments like fin-tech, retailing, transportation, townships, lifestyle, etc., making Dubai a digital city," said Kumar.

Kumar, who established SunTec about 25 years ago, has steered his firm efficiently. Today, the company employs 700 professionals, with offices in the US, the UK, Singapore, Dubai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi.

Over the years, SunTec has become a leading provider of revenue management and business assurance solutions to financial services, and digital and communications services.

The company's client list includes around 30 banks -- HSBC, Lloyds Bank, ING ,Mashreq Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank, among others, besides communication majors like Comcast and Cable One.

"The new software platform would be path breaking. The world is changing fast and the companies are vying to give their best to the customers,” said Kumar.

“Banks, telecom firms and retail chains could become one-stop shop for service providers dealing with a customer base. Customised services can range from airline booking, hotel accommodation, taxi service, cuisine and other similar services at a very competitive rate," Kumar added.

According to Kumar, if a supermarket opts for this platform then it will enable customers to know what's there by using their mobile phone even before reaching the mall.

"If it's a lifestyle firm, then everything a customer needs would be available on the mobile phone of a customer. Similarly, if it's a township then all the services available for a resident can be activated to suit one's needs. The potential of this platform is enormous," he said.

Kumar has secured a US Patent for this concept which he calls an "enterprise value management" system.

"Today we are living in a world where 3-D printing has started in sectors like manufacturing, health care and even food sectors. We are not speaking of fiction. It's just putting the puzzle together and we expect that the platform will be at its peak in Dubai by 2020," added Kumar....By Sanu George/ IANS 

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AI links Ahmedabad with Newark via London

Mumbai, Aug 15: On India's Independence Day, Air India launched an Ahmedabad-Newark via London tri-weekly flight which took off at 5 a.m. on Monday from Ahmedabad, an official said here.

Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama handed over the first boarding pass to a passenger on the inaugural service of AI-171 by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The flight will reach London at 10.15 a.m., depart from there at 12.30 p.m. and arrive at Newark, New Jersey, at 3 p.m.

AI-171 will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The B-787 Dreamliner flight to Newark also marks the first commercial operation of the aircraft by Air India on the US sector from India.

The flight is expected to prove a boon to over 600,000 Indians in Ahmedabad who have been seeking seamless connections for business and leisure to Newark and London.

It will also cater to the huge NRI population from Gujarat in both these cities and surroundings.

To popularise the new service, AI offered special discounted introductory fares to passengers till September 10.

AI CMD Ashwani Lohani said: "This is the third international flight by Air India and we shall be launching flights to more international destinations soon."

The state-of-the-art B-787 Dreamliner offers a host of features to passengers like large overhead bins, cleaner and healthier air for fatigue-free travel, 60 percent larger windows, exclusive in-flight entertainment and specially designed gourmet cuisine....IANS

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Parineeti, Alia, Katrina enthrall Houston fans

Houston, Aug 13: Actors Parineeti Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan along with filmmaker Karan Johar are on a mission to spread Bollywood fever in the US starting from Houston.

The Dream Team concert by the stars started here with a bang on Friday.

While the actors were flying to the city in the US, Katrina tweeted a video featuring the whole team prepping for the concert with full gusto. At the end of the video, all could be seen dancing to the song “Kala chashma” from the actress' forthcoming film “Baar Baar Dekho”.

A few hours before his performance, Varun shared an image of himself, flaunting his abs.

“The calm before the storm. Dream Team. First time ever,” he captioned the image on Instagram and Twitter.

Karan also shared his excitement and posted: “Hey Houston. The Dream Team has landed and is all ready to kill it on stage tonight.”

The stars will also perform in Oakland, Orlando, Hoffman Estates, Inglewood and Newark. ...IANS
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Holi festival kicks off in Egypt

Cairo, Aug 13, 2016: Egypt's largest Indian colour festival Holi kicked off on Friday, introducing fun and joy for lovers of Indian culture in the North African country.

In a vast green playground in Cairo's Hawamdiya district, hundreds of young people, parents and their children, all wearing white cloths, splashed vibrant bright coloured powders on each other to celebrate the Egyptian version of the Holi, Xinhua reported.

"I like colours; that's why I came here today with my kids. It is my first experience to attend such an event, but I really enjoy it very much," Nahla Nabil, who came with her three kids, told Xinhua.

She said the dance, music and sports activities people are doing during the event can help them get rid of negative energy, which is very important for everyone, especially children.

The festival was also an ideal place for friends who seek to have fun away from the crowds of Cairo, the Middle East's largest and most populous city.

The festival was also a great chance for fans of the Indian culture to get a taste of India inside Egypt.

Eighteen-year-old Yara Mohammed is an addict of Indian culture. The university student read an advertisement about the festival on Facebook.

"I love India, I love its movies and music, I adore the Indian dancing styles and I really feel I'm in India today," said Yara....IANS

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Indian American student at centre of freedom of expression debate

New York, Aug 12 : An Indian American leader of a student union is at the centre of freedom of expression debate after the union took action against her for a Facebook comment in support of police personnel who had been shot dead by an anti-police activist.

The vice president of the University of Houston students union, Rohini Sethi, had written: “Forget Black Lives Matter; more like All Lives Matter.”

This came when five police officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas, after a rally organised by the Black Lives movement to protest against police killings of African Americans in July.

After criticism for what was seen as punishing her for expressing her views, union president Shane Smith backed down last week in a compromise that also had her apologise.

Universities have come under criticism for muzzling free expression of views guaranteed by the constitution due to student protests.

Earlier, amid protests from the Black Students Union and some activists, Smith suspended her from her position as punishment for writing the post and ordered her to attend three cultural events each month, take part in mandatory diversity training and write a letter reflecting on her Facebook post.

The action against her was taken despite Sethi apologising for her post.

The Black Lives Matter movement protesting police atrocities against African Americans has emerged as a strong nation-wide force organising ralies and protests. It has wide support on university campuses. Its supporters object to anyone saying “All lives matter.”

“Saying 'all lives matter' is deemed offensive to some African-American groups who have adopted the catch phrase 'Black lives matter,'” Fox News reported.

“The standard has flummoxed many in the national debate, who believe saying that all lives matter is as innocuous as it is true.”

Even the Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton came under attack for saying that one of the lessons she learnt from her mother was that “all lives matter”.

The union president's action against Sethi in turn brought criticism for curbing freedom of expression and imitating classic communist practices of making people write self-criticism and attend re-education classes.

As the controversy built up, university authorities distanced themselves from the Student Government Association (SGA) as the union is formally known.

“The University of Houston continues to stand firm in support of free speech and does not discipline students for exercising their Constitutional rights,” it said in a statement.

“Actions by SGA, a registered student organization subject to its own governance, are not University actions and do not affect the academic or university standing of a student.”

Last week, both sides announced the compromise lifting the suspension after she agreed to take leave from the position till the start of the next semester and expressed regret for her post.

“I may have the right to post what I did, but I still should not have. My words at the time didn't accurately convey my feeling and cause many students to lose their faith in me to advocate for them. I will always continue to learn and be ready to discuss these issues.”

Smith expressed regret for taking action against her and said: “For those who were upset due to what they considered a violation of the first amendment (right to free speech in the US constitution), that was never my intention and I apologize for that impression.”

An African American ex-serviceman who had served in Afghanistan, Micah Xavier Johnson, shot dead five police officers and wounded six others in Dallas in July during a systematic attack that he had claimed was in retaliation for police killing black people.

The previous days police had shot dead an African American man in Minnesota and another in Louisiana. Johnson was killed by police robot.

Sethi's Facebook post was in support of the officers and in protest against their killing....IANS

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Film on Kejriwal to premiere at Toronto fest

New Delhi, Aug 10, 2016: "Udegi Dhool", a political thriller that chronicles the spectacular rise of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

Directed by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla, "Udegi Dhool", which is 95 minutes long, has been distilled from 400 hours of real behind-the-scenes footage shot through a year.

"India is the biggest consumer of news and film and yet journalism informs so little of our cinema," Ranka said in a statement.

"We worked as ordinary citizens armed with the tools of journalism - a camera, a mic and curiosity," said Shukla.

The movie, which was in post-production for two years, sneaks viewers into the middle of heated arguments and campaign strategies of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Produced by Anand Gandhi, director of the internationally acclaimed and National Award winning classic "Ship of Theseus", 'Udegi Dhool' unfolds like a political thriller.

It follows activists, politicians and academics on their best days and their worst, as they navigate the absurdities, trials and chaos of Indian politics and as they reveal their agenda, intentions and ambitions.

It was previously titled "Proposition for a Revolution", and was supported by a crowd funding campaign in India. The Toronto festival will be held from September 8-18....IANS
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Canada recognizes Komagata Maru venue as site of historic significance

Toronto, Aug 8, 2016-After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's apology in the House of Commons in May for the tragic 1914 Komagata Maru incident, Canada officially recognized its venue as a site of national historic significance.

Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan unveiled a commemorative plaque on Sunday at the venue of the Komagata Maru episode in Vancouver over 102 years ago.

The Komagata Maru was a Japanese ship hired by wealthy Sikh Gurdit Singh from Malaysia to bring 376 persons, mostly Punjabis, from India to Canada to challenge the racist laws of the time. The ship anchored in Vancouver in May 1914, but the passengers were not allowed to disembark.

The ship was forcibly returned to India after two months of stand-off. On arrival in Kolkata, as many as 20 passengers were killed by British Indian police.

"On this day, 102 years ago, the Canadian Government shamefully turned away 376 immigrants because of their country of origin. Today, as a representative of the Canadian Government, I am honoured to stand with the South Asian community and recognize the Komagata Maru Incident as an event of national historic significance which helped shaped the values, including multi-culturalism, that have become a source of strength for our country today," Sajjan said at the inauguration of the plaque.

The Komagata Maru tragedy, along with the laws in force at the time that allowed Canada to be indifferent to the plight of the ship's passengers, signifies a moment of great importance in the history of immigration and race relations in Canada, said a government statement on Sunday.

The statement said the designation of the Komagata Maru Incident site provides an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about India's varied history, rich diversity and the lessons we have learned.....By Gurmukh Singh //IANS

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Indian population growth less dependent on religion, more on development

Fertility rates in India are more closely related to education levels and the socio-economic development within a state, than to religious beliefs, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of government data and research evidence.


The evidence we analyze shows that richer families, states with better health facilities and higher female literacy have lower fertility rates in India. Globally, there is little evidence to link religion and fertility rates, with poorer, conflict-ridden states and countries with lower female empowerment reporting higher population growth rates.

When the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India released fertility rates for the Indian population last year, the conversation was hijacked by the difference in population growth rates across religions. Several newspapers emphasized that the data showed that Muslim women had higher fertility rates than non-Muslims, and that the percentage of Muslims in the population was steadily growing.

This implicit suggestion that Muslims have more children than other religious communities missed data that shows how population growth rates and the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) vary widely between India's states. The TFR seems more closely related to per capita income, healthcare and other basic facilities in that state.

Development and fertility: The case of Kerala and UP

Compare, for instance, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh (UP). In 2011, the TFR of Uttar Pradesh, at 3.3, was higher than the Indian average of 2.4, and higher than the TFR in Kerala, at 1.8, according to census data. The Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh increased 25.19 per cent, while the Muslim population in Kerala increased 12.83 per cent between 2001 and 2011. Over the same period, the Hindu population increased 18.9 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 2.8 per cent in Kerala.

The higher growth rates of Muslims in northern states are "more or less part of a northern culture than a Muslim culture", N.C. Saxena, the former secretary of the Planning Commission of India, said in an interview to The Wire, a nonprofit journalism portal.

The states with the highest fertility rates in India are all in north and central India -- Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (TFR 2.9), Jharkhand (2.8), and Chhattisgarh.

These overall fertility rates seem more related to the state's development. For instance, Kerala has a literacy rate of 93.9 per cent, compared to 69.7 per cent in Uttar Pradesh in 2011. In the same year, 99.7 per cent of mothers in Kerala received medical attention at delivery compared to 48.4 per cent of mothers in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, 74.9 per cent of women were above the age of 21 in Kerala at marriage, compared to only 47.6 per cent in Uttar Pradesh.

Another way to interpret population growth rates is through the difference in poor and rich states. Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, which include the poorest in India --Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh -- have higher population growth. Between 2001 and 2011, the population of EAG states grew 21 per cent compared to 15 per cent for the rest of India. Still, decadal population growth rates in even EAG states have fallen when compared to the decadal growth rate of 24.99 per cent between 1991 and 2001.

One reason for the higher Muslim fertility within a state, could be because of wealth-related factors.

Survey information showed that families in the lower wealth quintiles have more children than richer families. For instance, in Bihar, women in the lowest wealth quintile have a TFR of 5.08 while women in the highest quintile have a TFR of 2.12. The same holds true for a richer state, like Maharashtra, where the lowest wealth quintile has a TFR of 2.78, compared to the richest wealth quintile with a TFR of 1.74.

On average, Muslims across India are poorer than Hindus, with an average monthly household per capita expenditure of Rs 833, compared to Rs 888 for Hindus, Rs 1,296 for Christians and Rs 1,498 for Sikhs, according to a 2013 National Sample Survey report, based on data from 2009-2010.

Indian women have more children than counterparts in many Muslim countries

There is little evidence internationally of the correlation between religion and fertility rates.

For instance, according to World Bank data, in 2014, Bangladesh, India's Muslim-majority neighbor, had a TFR of 2.2. Iran, another Muslim country, has a TFR of 1.7, below replacement level, which means the current population cannot be replaced at the prevailing population growth rate.

In India, the Muslim growth rate is falling faster than the growth rate of Hindus.

The decadal population growth rate of Muslims fell 4.9 percentage points from 29.5 per cent in 2001 to 24.6 per cent in 2011, while that of Hindus fell 3.5 percentage points, from 20.3 per cent to 16.8 per cent. In 2001, 65.1 per cent of all Hindus, above the age of 7 years, were literate, while 59.1 per cent of Muslims were literate, according to census data. In 2011, the percentage of literate Hindus rose to 73.3 per cent, while that of Muslims increased to 68.5 per cent.

Fertility rates of populations that have higher fertility, such as low-income families and Muslims, are falling faster than other groups, as methods of contraception and education spread to these groups, said one expert.

(10.08.2016 - In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Shreya Shah, a freelance journalist, is a graduate of the Global Human Development programme at Washington's Georgetown University. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. ....IANS

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Indian attacked twice in Pakistani jail

Islamabad, Aug 5 , 2016: An Indian prisoner was injured after being attacked by a Pakistani prisoner in a Pakistani jail, a media report said on Friday.

Hamid Nehal Ansari was attacked twice in the Peshawar Central Prison in the last two months, Dawn online quoted his lawyer as telling a court on Thursday. The lawyer said a jail official also daily thrashed Ansari.

Jail Superintendent Masoodur Rehman, however, argued that the injuries were of minor nature and that such incidents "kept happening" in prisons.

Ansari, serving a three-year term, is kept in a death cell. Rehman said the Indian "can't be kept in a normal barrack with other prisoners for the sake of his security".

The lawyer said he wanted security for his client but the jail official had refused to give such a guarantee.

The official had promised to shift Ansari to a hospital after the attack but did not do so. The lawyer also alleged that a prison warder used to beat Ansari daily.

Ansari, who reportedly possessed a fake Pakistani identity card, was arrested by intelligence agencies in Kohat district in November 2012. He was convicted by a military court in February this year.
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Saudi Arabia steps in to aid Indian workers as V.K. Singh arrives in Riyadh

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Indian mission in Jeddah working to get back pending arrears of workers

Jeddah, Aug 1, 2016: As India said it will try to bring back over 10,000 Indians rendered jobless in the Gulf, the Indian diplomatic mission in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is working on a mechanism to retrieve the pending arrears of the retrenched Indian workers from their Saudi employers.

Most Indian workers are unwilling to leave without getting back their money from the Saudi companies that have shut down.

Addressing a media conference here on Monday, Indian Consul General Noor Rahman Sheikh said the overwhelming majority of workers intend on continuing their stay in the Gulf kingdom by switching to other employers, while others want to return home only after retrieving their pending wages and other benefits from their employers.

Only a handful were willing to return home without retrieving their pending dues, he said, when asked.

In what has come as a shocking humanitarian crisis, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday that over 10,000 Indian workers in Saudi Arabia were facing a "food crisis" after their factories were shut down and salaries were not paid.

Sheikh also said that the validity of passports of some of the Indian workers has expired and the Indian consulate was renewing those documents.

The validity of the exit visa and Iqama (residency visa) of some of these workers have also lapsed and the Indian mission was working to sort out these issues with local authorities, Sheikh said.

He revealed that a Saudi employer has come forward to absorb 1,000 workers and some other Saudi employers were also contacting the Indian mission.

The Consul General said Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh would be arriving on Wednesday in Jeddah where he will meet Saudi officials and is also planning to visit some of the labour camps here.

The Indian mission in Jeddah has been pursuing the grievances of the workers for the last couple of months and brought these to the attention of local Saudi authorities and also to the management of one of the top companies, he said.

Sheikh said that not just in two leading construction companies but Indian nationals working in their affiliated companies and sub-contractors have also been affected by the crisis.

"Though salaries were not being paid for the last few months to its employees by a leading construction company, it was operating its food mess for workers till last week. The problem surfaced after it stopped the food supplies," he said.

The Consul General said the Indian mission in Jeddah has ensured provision of food for 2,530 Indian workers of one of the construction companies.

"We are working round-the-clock to collect information about distressed workers," he added.

Sheikh praised the Indian community living in Jeddah area for their support to the distressed Indian workers.....By Irfan Mohammed/IANS 

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