23-06-2011, issue

Tel: 905-670-1522, Fax: 416-661-7273 Vol.8 , No. 1080 Thursday, June 23, 2011 9 Harh, Nanaksahi Calendar 543

T.O considers fee for fighting parking tickets and losing

TORONTO — The Ontario government will provide a $150,000grant to help women in the South Asian community get out ofdomestic violence situations, forced marriages or human traf-ficking.

Attorney General Chris Bentley says the money will helpthe South Asian Women's Centre in Toronto develop materialsfor women in vulnerable situations in a culturally sensitive man-ner.

The agency, which provides language, employment andtransition services, will work with police, shelter workers andother staff to promote a guide that will be translated into fiveSouth Asian languages.

The guide will also be available online at the centre'swebsite, and can be used as a model to develop products to serveother communities.

The money comes at the request of the centre after thefederal government cut $44 million in funding to various com-munity agencies, including the South Asian Women's Centre.

Earlier this month, Bentley announced plans for an Inte-grated Domestic Violence Court to serve people who are dealingwith family court issues as well as criminal charges related todomestic abuse.

In March, the government also promised $15 millionover four years to help prevent sexual violence and improve sup-port for survivors of sexual assault.

Torontonians who chose to fight parkingtickets, beware. It could soon cost extraif you take a ticket to court – and lose.

A civic committee is recommend-ing the city issue a $12.75 surchargeagainst anyone who unsuccessfully con-tests a parking ticket – a tendency theysuggest is far too common.

The City of Toronto issues about2.8 million parking tickets a year, about300,000 of which are taken to court.

A city report revealed that about69 per cent of those who go to trial tofight a ticket are ultimately convicted, al-though often at a reduced penalty.

The proposed $12.75 fee woulddeter motorists from arguing against tick-ets they know are valid. City staff saysdrivers who fight legitimate tickets in thehopes of having them cancelled are a

drain on the system. If the officer who

issued the ticket doesnot appear in court, thecharge is dismissed.This can lead manyfined motorist to set acourt date and hope theofficer does not appear,filling dockets withthose fighting legiti-mate fines.

Mayor Rob Fordtold that he does notlike the idea of a$12.75 surcharge andwill be speaking tostaff about alternatives.

Lawyer PeterDotsikas says it is un-

fair to penalize people who have a rightto have their day in court.

"I am shocked that they would beasking people to pay for their right to atrial. In effect, it is a money grab. It is try-ing to discourage people from having tri-als," Dotsikas said.

As a taxi driver, Kamal Abdellahisays he fights about seven parking ticketseach year. He says the proposed sur-charge would make it difficult for him tofight to have them rescinded, regardlessof how legitimate his complaint was.

"As a cab driver, sometime theygive you one after another. We are tryingto make a living, and it is very hard," Ab-dellahi said on Wednesday.

The committee also suggestedsetting a fine amount that cannot be re-duced by a judge.

$150K to help domestic abuse victims

Courageous Journalism02 June 23, 2011

by Dr. Amarjeet Singh

The ONLY Punjabi politician, Captain

Amrinder Singh, who to his eternal

credit, had the courage to do something

practical, something solid, (by arranging

a unanimous vote of the Punjab state as-

sembly, on 12 July 2004, to pass ‘The

Punjab Termination of (Water) Agree-

ments Act, 2004’ which protects the in-

terest of the future generations of

Punjabis) against the conspiracy to steal

some more of Sikh Punjab’s life-giving

river water, gave a ‘wake-up’ call, over a

month ago, on May 18, 2011 to be pre-

cise, to the slumbering Chief Minister of

Indian occupied Punjab, Parkash

Singh Badal.

Captain Amrinder Singh, a for-

mer Punjab Chief minister, had urged the

Badal government of Punjab, a month

ago, to immediately file a contempt peti-

tion in the Indian Supreme Court, against

the Haryana state government, for con-

structing a 10-feet high wall (alongside

the illegal 109 Kilometer long Hansi-Bu-

tana canal) which is meant to divert ex-

cess flood waters from Haryana, during

the coming monsoon (July) season, into

the Punjab.According to the Chandigarh-

based Tribune newspaper Captain Am-

rinder Singh was reported to have said

that, in the first place, the construction of

the 109 kilometer long Hansi- Butana

canal by non-riparian Haryana is illegal.

Now the reported construction of a long

wall along it will spell doom for the area

in Patiala and Sangrur districts of the

Punjab during the monsoons. Captain

Amrinder Singh asked that, “when the

Supreme Court had stayed the usage of

the illegal Hansi-Butana canal, then how

could the state construct concrete walls

alongside it?” Captain Amrinder

solemnly advised that, the action of

Haryana of constructing a wall along the

illegal Hansi- Butana canal, ‘was liable

to contempt of the apex court’s order’ and

therefore the Punjab chief minister must

approach the Supreme Court against the

injustice likely to be done to Punjab by

Haryana’s illegal wall constructed along

the illegal Hansi-Butana canal.

Meanwhile inhabitants of Punjab

villages, situated near the Punjab-

Haryana border, fear generation of flash

floods during the monsoon season,

(which usually starts in July) because of

the wall, according to a report, headlined

“Hansi-Butana wall may cause floods,

fear villagers,” published in the Tribune

last Monday. The newspaper reported

that former Memberof Parliament and

SAD general secretary, Prem Singh

Chandumajra, who has been approached

by anxious residents of many Punjab vil-

lages, said that it was extremely sad that

the Congress-led UPA government was

ignoring the interests of the people of

Punjab. He was quoted as saying that,

“First of all, the construction of the

Hansi-Butana canal was unconstitutional.

Now, when the Ghaggar river was de-

clared as a national project, the Haryana

Government initiated the construction of

a wall along the Hansi-Butana canal - an

illegal exercise. ‘This is nothing, but

gross injustice to the people of Punjab,

hopefully, Punjab will get relief from the

Supreme Court,’ Chandumajra added.

Last year the illegal Hansi-Bu-

tana canal built by non-riparian Haryana,

against the natural flow of water and

against the lay of the land, without per-

mission of Punjab or the Central govern-

ment, flooded vast areas of Punjab during

the rainy season, destroying thousands of

acres of productive farmlands in the Pun-

jab while flooding hundreds of Punjabi

villages.

This was also the time when Pak-

istan, the lower riparian neighboring

country, was facing unprecedented floods

along the Indus river South of Attock.

The ‘Brahmin’ dominated BBMB

(Bhakra Beas Management board) which

controls the outflow from the different

dams (Bhakra, Pong, Thein, et al), lo-

cated in the Punjab and Himachel

Pradesh, instead of holding back the

water in the dams, released water into the

Sutlej river which flows into Pakistan.

This sneaky mischief aggravated the

flood situation for millions of people not

only in Pakistan but also in Sikh majority

Punjab through which the River Sutlej

passes on its way to Pakistan. In Septem-

ber 2010, all 29 gates of the Hussainiwala

barrage, near the Pakistan border were

opened to divert the flood water of a

swollen Sutlej towards an already

flooded Pakistan. All the gates of this

Hussainiwala barrage, located near the

Indo-Pakistan border were opened after

22 years.

According to reliable sources a

situation similar to the above is develop-

ing this year too, and the Brahmin-dom-

inated BBMB, (Bhakra Beas

Management Board) as is its wont, is

going to engage in deception and play its

usual games and use the ‘water weapon’

to teach uppity Sikh Punjab and Pakistan

‘a lesson’, by creating a flood situation.

A report published in the Tribune news-

paper yesterday (June 21, 2011) head-

lined, ‘Water level at Pong Dam breaks

12-year record’, claims that the level of

water in the Pong Dam has risen to

1,349.96 ft, which is 64.68 ft more than

on the same date last year – this ‘miracle’

has taken place in the dry hot month of

June. Similarly, the level of water in the

Bhakra Dam is at 1,577.42 ft, they claim

which is the highest level in the past three

years on the corresponding day.

Usually there is no rain, and heat

is at the maximum in the month of June,

in the plains of Indian occupied Punjab,

and the water storage in various dams is

usually near the ‘dead’ level, awaiting the

arrival of the Monsoons in July. Lo and

behold this year the dams controlled by

the Bhakra Beas Management Board

(BBMB) have increased the storage in

the dry month of June, when water level

should be falling. How come this ‘mira-

cle’ is taking place right in front of the

eyes of every body? Obviously some-

thing is amiss and this intrigue calls for

vigilance by the slumbering leadership of

Sikhmajority Punjab – the Indian occu-

pied Sikh Homeland. It also makes one

wonder! Khalistan Zindabad

‘water weapon’ against Indian occupied Sikh- majority PunjabIs the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) planning to use the ‘waterweapon’ against Indian occupied Sikh- majority Punjab & a neighboring

country during the coming Monsoon season in July to teach both a lesson?

Freedom fighters ofa different genre

by Harwant SinghThe freedom movement was fast gaining

momentum and all of the military could

not remain totally unaffected. During

leave, members of the regiment came in

contact with Congress workers and some

revolutionaries. On return, they dissemi-

nated what was picked up during leave. A

few nationalist newspapers too were se-

cretly being brought into the regiment.

Since all ranks, to the exclusion of British

officers were in it, this development re-

mained under warps. There were a few se-

cret meetings where nationalist feelings

were expressed openly and vociferously,

by the more vocal.

World War II had started and In-

dian troops were being moved to check the

Italian offensive in North Africa. Soon this

regiment too, received orders to move to

that theatre of war. At one of the secrets

meetings in the regiment it was unani-

mously decided by all personnel that they

will decline to board the ship for move to

North Africa to fight Britain’s war.

The regiment was moved to Bom-

bay, on way to the war zone. At Bombay

it was ‘formed-up,’ by squadrons, on the

railway platform to be taken by train to the

dockyard for further transportation by sea.

There was a light drizzle and the atmos-

phere was surcharged with expectations of

frightful consequences, as squadrons

waited to defy orders. Then the adjutant

gave orders to the troops to board the train.

The Dogra and Jat squadrons mounted the

train, forgetting the collective decision not

to go abroad to fight Britain’s war, while

the Sikh squadron personnel kept standing

and did not react to the adjutant’s order.

The adjutant repeated the order and still

the Sikh squadron did not respond.

This disobedience by the Sikh

squadron came as a great shock and sur-

prise to the British officers of the regiment.

The Sikh squadron had an enviable service

record, spread over nearly a century, in-

cluding during World War I and its person-

nel were considered fine soldiers, valiant,

imbued with the spirit of sacrifice, loyal

and true to their cause and oath. The

squadron was ordered to ‘ground arms,’

which the personnel dutifully did. There-

after they were marched off to the barracks

and placed under arrest. Several court mar-

tials were held. The charge was one of

mutiny. Many were sentenced to be

hanged, more were sentenced to life im-

prisonment, some others to varying

lengths of prison terms. The remaining

cashiered from service and the squadron

was disbanded.

At the centenary raising day cele-

brations of the regiment in the late fifties,

some from that squadron too came to join

in the activities. Most amongst them had

served life imprisonment and some others

lesser terms, while the remaining had been

cashiered from service. They had no regret

for their action, nor any bitterness or ran-

cour towards those, who had betrayed the

collective decision not to fight Britain’s

war, or remorse for the sufferings they had

to undergo. They had acted according to

their light, suffered much, lost everything

and wanted no recompense for their tribu-

lations. They too were freedom fighters,

but of an altogether different genre.

Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Hic!Kabaddi, the game that is identified with Punjab and is widely popular in Cali-

fornia and Canada, found an ‘official’ sponsor in the government of Punjab that

organised the recent Kabaddi ‘World Cup’. The term has to be enclosed in in-

verted commas because there are, on an average, over a dozen events with a

similar title in Punjab every year, and many more in other countries where the

Punjabi diaspora has spread in sizable numbers, including Italy and Germany.

The game, though overwhelmingly Punjabi dominated, also has an international

flavour with Iranian and recently, Irish highlights. Of course, Kabaddi is widely

popular in the thousands of rural sports festivals in the state.

The Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Badal, took personal in-

terest in the event, and it would be uncharitable to assume that this was just an-

other way of attracting potential voters, especially the NRI, who would have a

significant impact in the forthcoming polls. No, it was his commendable initia-

tive to link the tournament to his necessary and noble endeavour of combating

the menace of drug abuse in the state.

What better way, you may think, of weaning youth from illicit tempta-

tions than to engage them in physical activities. Kabaddi matches are always a

big draw, and there is much involvement in rural Punjab in the game and its

players. Even in village-level tournaments, the raiders and the “japhas” who try

to grab them are richly appreciated and impromptu rewards by spectators are

the norm. Liquor companies are better known for their involvement in shooting

calendars with swimsuit models in the high altitudes of Ladakh, or cerulean sea-

side resorts. Some local ones were, however, attracted to this very kabaddi tour-

nament. Without any obvert advertisement, lest they violate judicial strictures,

liquor and tobacco companies sponsoring sports events, they altruistically gave

money for the promotion of kabaddi. Why, you may well ask. According to one

version, they did it ‘for goodwill’. As for officials involved with the tournament,

this misadventure has certainly cost them goodwill and left them open to

many barbs.

June 23, 2011 03 Courageous Journalism

Courageous Journalism04 June 23, 2011

Dr. Solomon Naz ( 416-661-7272+3)

Celebrating Canada Day, Punjabi StyleThe truth of the matter is that it was last year when Punjabi Daily hosted such an

event to celebrate Canada Day in its own premises with a huge turn out. This is the

year when a new chapter of history is being written when Hansra group is celebrating

the Canada day in an enormous way in the grounds of Powerade Center. The event

full history is that it is the city of Brampton that has been instrumental in bringing

all communities in its lap by inviting Punjabis on a bigger platform with a huge bang.

The beauty and pageantry of this cohesion is to bring people together and weld them

in Canadian Mosaic and life as a whole.

Let us see its structural make up in details. (a) This event in its totality is City

of Brampton event. (b) Thanks to the council for this spread over to invite the second

largest Punjabi Community to spearhead the cultural flavor to this Canada Day Cel-

ebration. (c) This approach to incorporate the ethnic minority speaks for the inte-

gration of all people from all walks of life. (d) It opens the doors for the Punjabi

Community to step forward for further major events to celebrate.(e) This is not at all

a concern for the Punjabi Daily, it is a concern for the Punjabi Community at large.

Any way, the tragic part is the old age tendency of some of our Punjabi minority to

try to dismantle what has been built with negative approach. We do not mind at all.

We do invite them to come and join hands to build and construct rather than to de-

stroy what we plan to build.

We do firmly believe that a constructive criticism will always be open for

invitation to come and join hands for this year and the next year to come. If you

plan and think of building our cultural aspect we do invite every one to be part and

parcel of this event.

Many borders have weight-triggered explosive devices that can blast off with a human

or inanimate contact. The difficult-to-patrol Indo-Pak border is dotted with them, a

legacy of turbulent times and wars during which landmines were placed by the Army.

With distressing frequency, the landmines are triggered by civilians who are then

maimed or even sometimes killed by the blasts. Many of those affected are young people

and indeed, a United Nations report on the impact of armed conflict on children main-

tains that landmines represent “an insidious and persistent danger” to children affected

by war. Young people are far more likely to die from their mine injuries than adults,

and even if they survive, seldom do they receive prostheses with the regularity that is

necessary because of their growth.

Landmines were extensively used all over the world by armed forces till the

1990s, but after that, thanks to many voices being raised against their use, the Conven-

tion on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Per-

sonnel Mines and on their Destruction, was signed in Ottawa, Canada, in 1997.

Unfortunately, among the significant nations that have not signed the pact are India,

Pakistan, Myanmar Nepal and China. That, however, did not deter Nepal from taking

action and it was declared landmine-free zone only last week.

While the use of landmines has dropped dramatically worldwide since the Ot-

tawa Treaty, obviously the border regions in India are unlikely to register such a fall.

Naturally, the Army is expected to take a pro-active role in minimising the exposure of

landmines to civilians who live near the border areas. People, especially children, living

there must be sensitised so that they can recognise the threat. The Army must regularly

sweep the border to remove any landmines that have moved from their original loca-

tions, as often happens. If anyone is hurt, it must work with the local administration to

ensure proper, long-term care of the victims. Landmines are a deadly inheritance of

wars; we must protect civilians from them.

The charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency ( NIA) against Swami

Assemanand and others for planning and executing the blast in Samjhauta Express

in 2007 that killed 68 passengers including 43 Pakistani citizens, should blunt crit-

icism that India is not doing enough to bring the culprits to book. The charge sheet

at the same time will add to the pressure on Pakistan to ensure that the plotters of

the 26/11 attack on Mumbai are also tried and punished. The charge sheet is sig-

nificant because, contrary to popular belief that Muslims are behind terror strikes,

it has established links between terrorist activities and members of the dominant

community. Hindus, and not Muslims, claims the charge sheet, engineered the ter-

ror strikes at Malegaon, Ajmer Sharif, Hyderabad and at Panipat. The blasts not

just killed a large number of Muslims but had also acted as a red herring and sent

police on a wild goose chase, arresting Muslims on suspicion.

The charge sheet casts a shadow too over the Rashtriya Swayamsevak

Sangh ( RSS). For an organisation that takes pride in discipline, it is hard to un-

derstand how half a dozen or more of its pracharaks could get involved in terrorist

activities without the knowledge or approval of the leadership. The RSS does need

to repudiate once and for all the “bomb ka badla bomb” or ‘terror for terror’ kind

of vengeance. It seems the NIA has more substantial evidence than just the con-

fession by the Swami against the five accused, of whom one is already dead, killed

under mysterious circumstances, and two are absconding. Audio recordings re-

covered from a laptop seem to support the contention of the Swami that the strikes

were plotted in his presence. The RSS has, however, been dismissive of the alle-

gations, describing them as a perverse diversionary tactic dictated by the policy

of appeasing Muslims. It will have to do better than that if it is to counter the ev-

idence that will now be produced before the court.

The NIA, which took over the case in July last year, deserves commenda-

tion for completing the investigation without losing much time. The litmus test,

however, will be how successfully it prosecutes the accused.

Terror for terror

Maimed by minesRahul Gandhi as PM?

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh’s statement that the scion of the

Nehru-Gandhi family Rahul Gandhi should don the mantle of the country’s Prime

Minister is a typical example of this once-successful Chief Minister of Madhya

Pradesh shooting his mouth off in a calculated bid to test the waters. It is true

that Rahul Gandhi has been working with sincerity to re-build the Congress party

and while he has been devoting his attention to working at the grassroots, he has

ingratiated himself to a sizable section of the country’s youth. A ministerial po-

sition for him was for the asking, but he has chosen to work on a low key. It is

equally pertinent that he has identified himself with the down-trodden and es-

poused some of the causes for which the poor strive. Yet, it is difficult to believe

that the apprenticeship that Rahul has gone through has given him adequate

wherewithal to govern a country as diverse and as difficult to govern as India.

He still needs to prove himself in the crucible of democracy, Parliament, where

his contribution to debates has been nothing to write home about.

Congressmen may be loathe to acknowledging it but the fact is that the

Manmohan Singh government has been in the throes of a crisis of credibility.

Scam after scam has exposed its flanks and with its coalition partners doing their

own thing, there is lack of collective thinking and action. Prices have hit the roof

and foreign investment is shying away from the country. That despite all this the

Central Government has managed a healthy growth rate for the economy is an

index of what it is capable of. Instead of talking of a leadership change, the party

needs to ensure that the Government gets its act together before it is too late for

the next Lok Sabha elections.

The immediate task of the Government should be to arrest the downslide

through effective governance. As for Rahul Gandhi he has time on his side and

must work towards his goal in a sustained manner, like Barack Obama did by

diligently intervening in Senate debates on key issues, holding himself out as

presidential material. The U.P. Assembly elections early next year will be Rahul’s

acid test as a politician. But he also needs to establish himself as a statesman.

Dialogue with Pakistan by Kuldip Nayar It’s a welcome development that New Delhi has found

time to hold talks with Pakistan in the midst of internal

upheavals that the Manmohan Singh government faces.

Foreign Secretaries of the two countries are meeting

later this month at Islamabad. They talked to each other

during the summit at Thimpu, Bhutan, in February but

apparently found little time to pursue any topic.

No agenda has been announced so far. But from

the talks Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has

had with the visiting Pakistani journalists indicates that

India would like to resume the dialogue. Her statement

that the bilateral dialogue was meant to bring the 26/11

perpetrators to justice may create difficulties. This has

been hanging fire for two and a half years. True, Pak-

istan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir has been blunt

enough to say that the 26/11 attacks were “an incident

of the past” as if Islamabad has already put the tragedy

behind it.

I sensed the same approach when some TV

channels from Pakistan interviewed me a few days ago.

They said that when it had been decided between the

two countries to separate terrorism from the talks, India

should not get stuck at the 26/11 happenings. What they

do not understand — I told them so — that there is great

anger over the use of Pakistani soil for an attack on

Mumbai. Had some culprits got punished or had been

near to it, people in India would have believed that Is-

lamabad was serious about the speedy trial. Lashkar-e-

Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who helped plan and

execute the attacks, goes on ranting and has no full stop

in his jihadi threats against New Delhi.

David Headley’s acquittal of involvement in the

26/11 attacks at the Chicago trial has come as a big dis-

appointment to India. And the general suspicion is that

the US did not want the ISI to be singled out. This

seems far fetched when the US itself told us of the “in-

volvement” of the ISI. Moreover, to suspect the US

court and the jury for pronouncing anti-India judgment

is not fair. Every country has its own legal system.

However, Headley has damaged the ISI enough

by admitting in the open court that terror outfit Lashkar-

e-Toiba got “assistance” from Pakistan’s ISI for the

Mumbai terror attack. It is difficult to buy the thesis that

the ISI, feared at home, is at the back of terrorists be-

cause they have killed many army men. And there is no

doubt that the ISI is manned and controlled by the army.

It is possible that some rouge elements in the ISI might

be helping the Taliban. It is also possible that some

jihad-inclined men within the army might be harming

the force. But it does not follow from this that the Tal-

iban have the support of the ISI or the army.

The case of India is different in the sense that

Pakistan considers it an enemy. The ISI must have been

in the picture on the 26/11 attacks. If the question before

us is to normalise relations with Pakistan, we cannot

ask it to admit that the ISI is an instrument in the hands

of the army or, for that matter, Pakistan. We have to live

with it to go further. They too have doubts about RAW,

although exaggerated. Indeed, New Delhi went against

public opinion in India when it began talks with Islam-

abad after a long suspension. For most, it is the punish-

ment of the 26/11 perpetrators or nothing else. But now

that the dialogue is taking place, it should be part of the

agenda which can cover other subjects. No doubt, the

Home, Water Resources, Commerce and Defence sec-

retaries of the two countries have met in the last one

year. But there does not seem to have been any

progress. It is difficult to know which country is to

blame because there is no transparency. The two sides

meet and disperse often without even any cliché-ridden

statement. People do not know why the Sir Creek agree-

ment, ready to be signed, has not been signed. Nor do

they know why the Siachin Glacier pact, initialed by

the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, has not gone

through, continuing a loss of crores of rupees to both

sides every day. Pakistan has given a non-paper on the

subject. What does it say? People do not know what the

paper contains because only its publication would en-

able them to make their own judgment. The problem

with the dialogue between India and Pakistan has been

that the public is kept out of what takes place during the

talks. Which country took what stand and why the dia-

logue does not move forward from what was discussed

some 60 years ago? The army is being blamed but the

elected representatives, neither Zulfikar Ali Bhutto nor

Begum Benazir Bhutto, could end the impasse. Con-

ceded that there is a trust deficit, but this is at the gov-

ernment level. People on both sides want to normalise

relations but they have not been able to do so because

the governments come in their way. They are not even

allowed to meet because of the visa restrictions which

are so strict. The army in Pakistan is, in fact, on the de-

fensive after Osama bin Laden’s death. The arrests of

some CIA informers indicate that the force is facing re-

lentless criticism that it failed on Osama who was killed

by the Americans in the Pakistani territory. For the first

time the army has come out with a statement to point

out that the attack on them was part of efforts to create

division among important institutions.

05 June 23, 2011 Courageous Journalism

Alberta leads Canada's population growthCanada's population has increased by

about 70,800 people since the first day of

this year, with Alberta leading the growth

in the first-quarter, according to a Statis-

tics Canada report released Wednesday.

There were approximately

34,349,200 people living in Canada on

April 1, reported StatsCan.

Alberta led the way for growth

boasting the fastest first-quarter increase

in the country. The Prairie province's pop-

ulation swelled to 3,758,200 — an in-

crease of about 15,500 people.

Nation-wide, however, population

growth paled in comparison to 2010's es-

timated increase of 85,200 in the first-

quarter, according to the report released

Wednesday.

StatsCan attributed the

slowdown to a decline in immigra-

tion.

Around 49,500 immigrants

arrived in Canada during this year's

first-quarter, a decline compared to

the 58,100 people recorded during

the same time period last year.

Atlantic Canada

Numbers also fell in Atlantic

Canada, with population decreasing

in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland

and Labrador.

Prince Edward Island was the only

Atlantic province to boast a population in-

crease. There were nearly 500 more im-

migrants recorded in P.E.I., the highest

level among all the provinces relative to

its population.

Central Canada

Ontario had its slowest first-quar-

ter growth since 1996, partly due to immi-

gration. The province's population

increased by only 0.2 per cent.

Growth was equally slow in Que-

bec, which recorded only 14,600 more

people since January 1. This increase also

amounts to 0.2 per cent.

Western Canada

There were slight population in-

creases recorded across Western Canada

with provinces such as Manitoba and

Saskatchewan boasting thousands more

people.

British Columbia's population was

recorded to be 4,563,300, an increase of

0.2 per cent — the province's slowest

first-quarter increase since 2005.

The Territories

Population numbers remained

steady up north, with each of the three ter-

ritories reporting little to no change since

January 1.

AISSF & SFJ TO LAUNCH “CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE” MOVE-MENT TO SECURE RELEASE OF PROFESSOR BHULLAR

Justice Rally to be held on July 15, 2011 in DelhiJalandhar- To secure the release of Pro-

fessor Bhullar from the illegal detention

of the Indian Government and to demand

Bhullar’s return to Germany who has al-

ready agreed to take him back, All India

Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) announced to

start a “Civil Disobedience” Movement

from July 15, 2011. A “Justice Rally” to

save Professor Bhullar from “Judicial

Murder” will also be held at Jantar Man-

tar, New Delhi on July 15, 2011.

According to Karnail Singh Peer-

mohammad, President AISSF, “Civil

Disobedience” Movement to secure the

release of Professor is launched because

Professor Bhullar has been sentenced to

death illegally, is in custody longer than

“life sentence”, and has been denied

commutation by the President of India,

only because Bhullar is a Sikh. During

“Civil Disobedience” starting from July

15, AISSF will launch a campaign urging

the public to clog and burden the Postal

Service of India by sending “unstamped”

letters addressed to President of India de-

manding release of Bhullar. The letter

writing campaign will clog the Postal

Service, burden the Government of India

through “unstamped letters” and will put

pressure on the President of India to

order the release of Bhullar, added Peer-

mohammad.

AISSF have asked CM Badal and

PPC Chief Capt. Amrinder Singh to ad-

dress the July 15, 2011 justice rally at

Jantar Mantar to save Professor Bhullar

from Judicial Murder. Participation of

CM Badal and Capt. Amrinder Singh will

be strong message to the Government of

India that on the issue of Bhullar, Sikhs

stand together, stated Peermohammad.

Chief Minister of Punjab Sri Parkash

Singh Badal and Punjab Pradesh Con-

gress President Captain Amrinder Singh

have already demanded the commutation

of Bhullar’s sentence. Speaking at July

15, 2011 rally will solidify their stand

and commitment to save Bhullar’s life,

added Peermohammad.

According to Peermohammad,

SGPC Head Avtar Singh Makkar and

DSGMC Chief Sarna should also support

the Civil Disobedience Movement to se-

cure the release of Professor Bhullar by

addressing the July 15, 2011 Justice

Rally, since they have already taken

Bhullar’s family in their folds.

AISSF asked all Sikh organiza-

tions, institutions and political parties to

participate in July 15, 2011 Justice Rally

to secure the release of Professor Bhullar

and to show solidarity with Bhullar’s

family.

On July 15, 2011, a memoran-

dum will be submitted to the President of

India demanding:

a) Release of Professor Bhullar who

has already served longer than “life

sentence”.

b) Transfer Professor Bhullar to

Germany who has already agreed to

take him.

c) Pay adequate compensation for

lengthy illegal custody of Professor

Bhullar.

d) Issue a statement apologizing for

gross miscarriage of justice in

Bhullar’s case.

------------


Layton expects Afghan detainee docs to fall short

A police officer was shot and another man

was killed as authorities executed a search

warrant in a small central Ontario town on

Wednesday. The Kawartha Lakes Police

Service confirmed that a male officer in

his late 30s was shot inside a Lindsay,

Ont., apartment at about 11:20 a.m.

The officer was shot twice, once

in the leg and once in the chest. He was

rushed to Lindsay's Ross Memorial Hos-

pital, before being airlifted to Toronto for

further treatment.

Helicopter transport provider

Ornge rushed a man in his 30s to the

Toronto Island airport, from where the

man is being rushed to St. Michaels' Hos-

pital. Lois Tuffin, the managing editor of

the Peterborough Examiner, said Peter-

borough Lakefield Community Police

Service Chief Murray Rodd has con-

firmed the identity of the officer, who has

been on the job for more than a decade.

Officer, a married father of two, is

well known in the Peterborough area and

is very active with children's charities in

the community. Peterborough police were

executing a warrant in Lindsay on

Wednesday at a house known for drug ac-

tivity, Fernandez told reporters.

A male suspect was shot and

killed in the incident. Five other people

were arrested at the scene.

Kawartha Lakes police would not

elaborate on the circumstances that led to

the shooting but did confirm that the offi-

cer's family had been contacted.

Lindsay is about 130 kilometres

northeast of Toronto and about 40 kilome-

tres west of Peterborough. The area

around the building, near Georgian and

Melbourne Streets, has been cordoned off.

Police say there is no threat to the public,

but a nearby elementary school was

placed in hold and secure mode. Frank

Phillips, a spokesman for Ontario's Spe-

cial Investigations Unit, confirmed they

have been called in to probe the incident

surrounding the shooting. "There was ob-

viously an interaction between an individ-

ual and the police and we've been called,"

said Phillips. The SIU is called in any time

there is a death, serious injury or allega-

tion of sexual assault involving police in

the province.

The first of an estimated 40,000 declassi-

fied documents pertaining to the treatment

of Afghan detainees in Canadian countries

are being made public Wednesday, but

even before their release Opposition

leader Jack Layton made clear his disap-

pointment.

Accusing the government of tak-

ing a "very cynical approach," the NDP

leader took issue with the decision to fi-

nally release the documents today, just

two days before Parliamentarians are

slated to be on their summer break.

"They chose a date that will pre-

vent parliamentarians from asking ques-

tions in the House of Commons," Layton

told reporters, adding that he has little

faith what will be released will be enough

to answer his and others' questions.

"The big question is going to be

which documents did they not release," he

said, referring not only to documents po-

tentially withheld, but those released with

redactions, or black lines through sensi-

tive information, as well.

"We're not going to know (how

many are withheld) and we're not going to

know what those documents had to say."

Opposition parties and other crit-

ics have long demanded that the Conser-

vatives release details about the alleged

abuse of prisoners after they were handed

over to Afghan authorities by Canadians.

During the last Parliament, the

Conservative government initially refused

to release the documents in question -- a

contentious position that led to a parlia-

mentary crisis in December 2009 that

nearly forced an election.

But a few months later, former

House speaker Peter Milliken ruled that

MPs had the right to see the documents,

even if they contained secret information.

The Conservatives then struck a

deal to form a multi-party committee last

summer that would determine which

could be released without causing security

concerns.

But the committee did not get any

documents out before the election, and the

group of MPs and justices has not been re-

constituted.

The New Democrats did not par-

ticipate in the committee tasked with re-

viewing the Afghan documents, because

they did not have faith in the process.

Layton told reporters on Wednes-

day, that his party will nevertheless read

whatever the government tables in the

Commons.

"Obviously, it's our duty," Layton

said in French. "But we will continue to

ask the government what are the docu-

ments that were not made public and what

could we find in those documents."

The documents are due to be

tabled in the Commons following ques-

tion period Wednesay afternoon, after

which Ministers John Baird and Peter

MacKay will brief the media.

--------

Police officer injured inLindsay, Ont. shooting

UBC student blinded in viciousattack in Bangladesh

A graduate student from the University

of British Columbia was blinded and

maimed in a brutal attack while visiting

her family in Bangladesh.

Rumana Manzur had returned to

Dhaka on a break from her studies,

when she was attacked on June 5.

"I came home after nine months

to see my daughter. But I could not see

her for long," Manzur told journalists at

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport,

according to Dhaka's The Daily Star

newspaper. Images from local media

show Manzur wearing dark, wrap-

around glasses with a heavily bandaged

nose. Manzur's husband, Hasan Sayeed

Sumon, was arrested by police and re-

portedly confessed to attacking his wife.

Manzur and Sumon have a five-year-old

daughter together.

Manzur's eyes were gouged and

her nose was bitten in the attack.

Manzur, who is an assistant pro-

fessor at Dhaka University's interna-

tional relations department, is

completing a Master's degree in political

science at UBC in Vancouver.

"He has made my world dark. I

can't see my daughter," she told re-

porters. Stephen Trope, president of

UBC, posted a message on the univer-

sity's website last week expressing his

concern for Manzur.

"Along with all of Ms. Monzur's

(sic) colleagues, friends, and instructors,

I was appalled to learn of the violence

she has suffered," Trope wrote.

"I join with other members of

the UBC community in expressing my

condolences, my support, and my

prayers for Rumana at this difficult

time." Manzur's father Manzur Hossain

took her for specialized care in India on

June 14, after she received initial treat-

ment in Bangladesh following the June

5 attack. However, they were told noth-

ing could be done so soon after the in-

jury, and he returned his daughter to

Dhaka. Trope suggested that Manzur's

decision to pursue higher education may

have played a role in the motivation for

the attack.

Courageous Journalism June 23, 2011 07

Ottawa : The World Sikh Organ-ization of Canada (WSO) is ask-ing the Quebec SoccerFederation to review its decisionto restrict players in communityleagues from wearing the hijaband other religious headgear in-cluding turbans.“Telling young people they can-not play soccer with their peersbecause they choose to practisetheir religion creates an atmos-phere of intolerance and in-equity. Hijabs and turbans areworn and accepted in youth soc-cer leagues in every Canadianprovince and it has never beenan issue elsewhere,” said GianSingh Sandhu, the WSO’s pol-icy advisor.No other Canadian soccerleague excludes players whowear articles of faith.In a letter sent today the humanrights groups reminded the Soc-cer Federation that both provin-cial and federal human rightslaws protect freedom of reli-gion. Embracing diversity is awell-established aspect of Cana-dian society.

The WSO’s letter was promptedby reports that a Lac St. Louisreferee Sarah Benkirane, 15,was told she could no longer ref-eree games because she wears

the hijab. The community soccerleague has chosen to adopt rulesestablished by the Zurich-basedFederation Internationale deFootball Association, whichproduces the $3.2 billion FIFA-World Cup every four years.In another case, the Lac St.Louis league also excludedSagerpreet Singh, 14, from play-ing because the Sikh boy wearsa turban, which they argue giveshim an “unfair competitive ad-vantage on headers.” It is un-clear what the official means, asturbans do not cover a player’sforehead, which is the part ofthe head used in “head butts.”The WSO is concerned aboutCanadian children being ruledby a body known for bigotry andbribes. On June 21 the NewYork Times reported that, “Stepby step, FIFA is losing all credi-bility as the governing body ofworld soccer” due to the manycorruption scandals surroundingthe soccer organization. At the elite international level ofsport, the Iranian women’s soc-cer team was disqualified fromOlympic competition becausethe International Olympic Com-mittee opted to harmonize theirrules with FIFA, a decision thatis still being challenged.“FIFA is a self-serving body that

represents the opposite of whatwe want our children to learnfrom sport. We don’t think mostCanadians would appreciate anorganization like FIFA settingstandards for how their childrenshould behave, which is why ourlaws specifically oppose the sortof rules FIFA embraces,”Sandhu says.

WSO President Prem Singh Vin-ning echoed Mr. Sandhu’s viewof the young players right topractice their faith.“Accommodation of a religiousheadgear should be a non-issuein Canada. It doesn’t pose anyhardship on the rest of the com-munity. Soccer leagues andother sports are a way to buildbridges and community. Forbid-ding these young people fromparticipating because of their re-ligious headgear goes againstthe spirit of sportsmanship.” The World Sikh Organization ofCanada (WSO) is a non-profitorganization with a mandate topromote and protect the interestsof Canadian Sikhs as well as topromote and advocate for theprotection of human rights forall individuals, irrespective ofrace, religion, gender, ethnicity,and social and economic status.

Drowning Risk High For ChildrenUnder Five And New Canadians WSO asks Quebec Soccer

Federation to review ruling on hijabsLifesaving Society Announces New Tools and Pro-grams To Help Canadians Stay Safe This Summer

Toronto, ON – –While swimming isconsidered a quin-tessentially Cana-dian thing to doduring the summerseason, this time ofyear is statisticallythe most dangerouswhen it comes towater safety. Therisk is higher, saysthe Lifesaving So-ciety, a Canadiancharitable organiza-tion working toprevent drowning,especially for chil-dren under five andnew Canadians.Based on the find-ings of recent re-search anddrowning reports,the Society wantsto draw attention tothese two groups,and is announcingnew programs andtools to addresssome of their spe-cific needs. The Lifesaving So-ciety’s new Na-tional DrowningReport indicates arise in drowningdeaths in Canada inrecent years. Until2004, there was along-term trend to-wards fewerdrownings in thecountry. Afterreaching an all-time low of 433w a t e r - r e l a t e ddeaths in 2004,there was an up-swing to 492 in2005; 508 in 2006;and 480 in 2007.On average, thiswas more than a 10per cent increaseversus the previousthree year average(from 2002-2004). While final statis-tics on fatal drown-ings for 2008 to2010 are not yetavailable fromprovincial and terri-torial chief coro-ners and medicalexaminers, interim

data collected usingmedia and Internetreports indicatesthat the trend con-tinued in 2010. Re-ported drowningsincreased 10 percent last year, com-pared to the num-ber of deathsreported in 2009. According to Bar-bara Byers, PublicEducation Directorfor the LifesavingSociety, of greatconcern is the spikein drownings in2010 amongst chil-dren under fiveyears of age, with22 reported drown-ings in 2010 versus14 in 2009. “It’s important thatall Canadians bevigilant when theyare in or aroundwater, but when itcomes to childrenwe need to be extracareful,” saysByers. “Drowningis the second lead-ing cause of deathamong children,and the reality isthat it can happenvery quickly, in aslittle as 10 seconds.Parents and care-givers should al-ways stay withinsight and two feetof young childrenwhen near water.Anything furtheraway than two feetis not ‘within arms’reach’ and it is sim-ply not safe.” While basic swim-ming skills are crit-ical to preventdrowning, the Soci-ety estimates thatabout half of Cana-dian children never

take traditionalswimming lessons.To address this, theSociety continuesto expand its“Swim to Survive”program, whichteaches the essen-tials needed to sur-vive an unexpectedfall into deep water.Swim to Surviveprograms are avail-able in mostprovinces. Morethan 400,000 chil-dren across thecountry have par-ticipated in the pro-gram.

Ontario is helping Sheridan College ex-pand its new Mississauga campus to pro-vide students with additional state-of-theart classrooms, teaching and lab space.The new building will provide more spacefor students to receive hands-on, appliedlearning to prepare them for the work-place. This will allow Sheridan to con-tinue to deliver programs focused on thespecific business and community needs ofMississauga.Increasing the number of stu-dent spaces at colleges and universities isan important element of Putting StudentsFirst, the McGuinty government’s plan toprovide quality, affordable postsecondaryeducation and training to Ontario families.

Expanding Sheridan College’sMississauga Campus


Releasing Afghan detainee docs puts issue to rest: BairdThe government says the release of 362newly declassified documents outliningthe treatment of Afghan detainees offi-cially puts the contentious issue to rest,but critics continue to call for a public in-quiry into the matter.

The release of the documents,numbering a total of 4,000 pages, wasprompted by earlier allegations that Cana-dian officials were aware of the torturerisk in Afghan prisons when they handeddetainees over to local forces.

Those suspicions prompted a year-long judicial review that cost $12 million.As part of the vetting process, two formerSupreme Court judges, a retired B.C.judge, and a non-partisan committee ofMPs combed through the massive trove toensure that national security wouldn't becompromised.

But Defence Minister PeterMacKay said Wednesday that none of thedocuments showed that Canadian militaryofficials were at fault. Both Canadian lawand the Geneva Conventions prohibit thetransfer of prisoners if there is a risk oftorture.

While it didn't immediately appearthat the documents contained any new in-formation about the prisoner transfers, theNDP pointed to the fact that only a smallportion of the total trove of 40,000 wasavailable for review.

Though the controversy has ragedthrough political circles for two years andnearly caused a Parliamentary crisis last

year, Foreign Affairs Minister John Bairdsaid Wednesday's document dump shouldbe the final chapter.

Instead, the release simply re-ig-nited the debate.

Critics have long demanded thatthe Conservatives release details about thealleged abuse of prisoners after they werehanded over to Afghan authorities.

"This only offers some additionaldisclosure," said NDP defence critic JackHarris on Power Play Wednesday, addingthat no value judgments were attached tothe reports.

"We think that that there has to bean independent review of that, so thesethings never happen again."

During the last Parliament, theConservative government initially refusedto release the documents in question -- acontentious position that led to a parlia-mentary crisis in December 2009 thatnearly forced an election.

But a few months later, formerHouse speaker Peter Milliken ruled thatMPs had the right to see the documents,even if they contained secret information.

The Conservatives then struck adeal to form a multi-party committee lastsummer that would determine whichcould be released without causing securityconcerns. But the committee did not getany documents out before the election,and the group of MPs and justices has notbeen reconstituted.

John MacKay, the Liberal defence

critic, said that there were no lessonslearned throughout the whole imbroglioand afterward.

"It is a case of willful blindness onthe case of the government," he said, not-ing that no new systems and procedureshave been drafted in light of the scandal.

The New Democrats did not par-ticipate in the committee tasked with re-viewing the Afghan documents, becausethey did not have faith in the process.

Earlier in the day, Oppositionleader Jack Layton accused the govern-ment of taking a "very cynical approach"to the issue. He noted that the timing ofthe release is planned to ensure the docu-ments can't be scrutinized by Parliament,

since the summer break is only two daysaway.

"They chose a date that will pre-vent parliamentarians from asking ques-tions in the House of Commons," Laytontold reporters, adding that he has littlefaith what will be released will be enoughto answer his and others' questions.

"The big question is going to bewhich documents did they not release," hesaid, referring not only to documents po-tentially withheld, but those released withredactions, or black lines through sensi-tive information, as well.

"We're not going to know (howmany are withheld) and we're not going toknow what those documents had to say."

Talks between CanadaPost, CUPW break off

Western premiers want nationaldisaster prevention program

Quebec teen told she can'treferee soccer with hijab on

Talks between Canada Post and the Cana-dian Union of Postal Workers broke offlate Wednesday after three days of intensenegotiations aimed at reaching a deal be-fore Parliament votes on back-to-worklegislation.

A news release issued bythe company said Canada Postand the union "have not beenable to reach an agreement andtalks between the two have bro-ken off. Every effort has beenmade to reach a negotiated set-tlement that is in the best inter-ests of employees, customersand the company."

Canada Post and CUPWhad until Thursday to hammerout a deal before MPs vote onthe back-to-work bill, which FederalLabour Minister Lisa Raitt tabled in Par-liament earlier this week.

Government House Leader PeterVan Loan said earlier the government willaim to pass the bill this week, so postalworkers can return to work next week.

On June 3, after months of nego-tiations failed to produce a new deal,CUPW members began a series of rolling,24-hour strikes in cities across the coun-

try. The company responded 12 days laterby locking out workers, shutting downmail service from coast to coast.

Canada Post employees havespent the week demonstrating at postaloutlets and the offices of Conservative

MPs in an attempt to rally support fortheir cause.

The government has come underfire from NDP Leader Jack Layton for in-cluding a wage hike in the back-to-workbill that is lower than what Canada Posthad proposed in its last offer.

He has vowed to prolong the de-bate over the legislation for as long as hecan. However, MPs are expected to begintheir summer break on Friday.

YELLOWKNIFE — Canada's westernpremiers are calling on Ottawa to de-velop a new long-term national disastermitigation program.

The provincial and territorialleaders emerged from their annual meet-ing in Yellowknife on Wednesday sayingthat rebuilding after a natural disaster isfar more costly than investing in preven-tive measures.

"One of the things we found isthat we need the disaster financial assis-tance program to change, to have agreater commitment to putting moneyinto mitigation projects, projects that willprevent families and homes, individualsand property from being damaged," saidManitoba Premier Greg Selinger.

Selinger said dikes have pre-vented some "catastrophic" flooding inManitoba communities. For example, hesaid the Red River floodway cost $1 bil-lion but has prevented about $30 billion

in disaster claims over the years."So $1 billion gets you $30 bil-

lion of savings but just a whole lot lessdisruption of peoples' lives and disrup-tion in the economy," he said.

"These are good investments andI'm pleased to note that the federal gov-ernment and the prime minister have rec-ognized this, so we're encouraging thatdialogue to proceed rapidly becausethere's just so many things that we haveto do." The western premiers are askingfor help after a devastating spring offloods and forest fires. T h e r e ' sbeen unprecedented flooding in Mani-toba, Saskatchewan and Quebec, andone-third of the community of SlaveLake, Alta., was destroyed by wildfires.Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall aban-doned plans to attend the meeting at thelast minute because of a flood emer-gency. Saskatchewan deputy premierKen Krawetz went in Wall's place.

MONTREAL — A Quebec teen whohas been told she can no longer refereesoccer while wearing her hijab saysshe's going to fight the red card.

Sarah Benkirane, 15, said herMontreal-area soccer association in-formed her she could no longer refereegames wearing her traditional Muslimhead scarf after someone filed a com-plaint with the league.

Benkirane, in her second seasonas a ref for the Lac-St-Louis RegionalSoccer Association, was told religioussymbols like hijabs may not be worn onthe pitch.

But the teenager insists she's notgoing to give up on her summer job thateasily. "I was kind of frustrated, butright away I started to think, 'OK, this ismy chance, if they want to rule (on) thisthen I'm going to fight it -- for sure,' "Benkirane said in an interview Tuesday.

"I grew up with friends fromevery different culture and nobody'sever discriminated against (me) becauseof religion."

Benkirane said she's contactedthe Council on American-Islamic Rela-tions CANADA and plans to put pres-sure on the Canadian SoccerAssociation to force Quebec's governingsoccer body to overturn its decision.

The president of the QuebecSoccer Federation told reporters Tues-day it's simply applying FIFA's interna-tional rules, which stipulate referees andplayers may not wear religious symbolson the pitch.

"It's clearly stated that officialsshall not display commercial, religious.. . or personal messages of any lan-guage," Dino Madonis told a news con-ference The Quebec federation alsoissued a statement Tuesday to defend its ruling.

"Therefore the situation is clear!Wearing a hijab is not permitted onQuebec's soccer fields, not any morethan necklaces, earrings, rings and such,and won't be until FIFA gives directivesto the contrary," the statement said.

Quebec, which was ground zeroa few years ago for the debate on the"reasonable accommodation" of minori-ties, has also seen several disputes in re-cent years over hijabs worn duringathletics.

In 2007, an 11-year-old Ottawagirl was ejected from a soccer game inLaval, Que., after she refused to removeher hijab, which violated FIFA's no-headgear rule.

That year, a taekwondo team ofMuslim girls withdrew from a tourna-ment in Longueuil, Que., after they weretold they couldn't compete in their hi-jabs.

Still, Quebec isn't alone when itcomes to the debate over hijabs andsports. In 2007, a soccer player wearinga hijab was ejected from a game in Cal-gary over safety concerns, a decisionthat came just weeks after an 11-year-old girl left a Winnipeg judo tournamentin tears when officials refused to let herfight in a head scarf.

Benkirane said she was wellaware of previous controversies sur-rounding athletes who were bannedfrom playing certain sports in hijabs dueto security reasons.

But she thought her situationwas different.

"Refs don't have any contactwith the other players, so I figured thatthere's no danger," she said.

"They've changed what they'resaying and now they start saying it's areligious symbol -- back then it wasabout safety."

You reallydo have to admireHyundai; the com-pany recognized aneed to change,and with a nimble-ness rarely seen inthe automotive in-dustry, has remadeits entire productline in the last fewyears. Hyundai hasalso developedstrong competitorsin segments whereit previously hadno players at all.Three such casesinclude the newEquus luxurysedan, the Genesisnear luxury sedan,

and the GenesisCoupe—Hyundai’sfirst effort at a rear-wheel drive GrandTouring sportscoupe.Yes, the companyoffered a pocketGT car in the pastcalled Tiburon, andwhile it was fun totoss the little sharkaround, there’sonly so much youcan do with a front-drive platform, par-ticularly if you’regoing up againstcars like the InfinitiG37, Dodge Chal-lenger, Ford Mus-tang, and

Chevrolet Camaro.We do realize theG37 and the Amer-ican pony cars arein differentleagues. However,the beauty of theGenesis Coupe—particularly whenequipped with the306-horsepower3.8-liter V6 and theTrack package—isit’s priced like theAmericans whileproviding the moreagile driving expe-rience of the Japan-ese car.And this is wherethe letters/com-ments are going to

come rolling intelling us we don’tknow what we’retalking about, thecurrent Camaroand Mustang han-dle better than ever,have more powerand yadah, yadah,yadah… WE knowthey handle betterthan ever, we knowthey’re more pow-erful than ever, andwe also know youhave to buy the bigV8 versions ofthose cars to trulyappreciate theirvisceral nature. Notso the Hyundai,and this is where it

gets a little messy.

You see, theHyundai only com-petes with thosecars on price. Interms of the overalldriving dynamicit’s closer to the In-finiti.Thing is the Infinitiis also luxury ori-ented and consider-ably more spendythan the GenesisCoupe. Whichbrings us to the ge-nius of Hyundai.

They give you the

driving pleas-ure of the GTcar, whilebeating theprice of thepony cars tocarve out acorner of theperformancecar market itcan have all toitself. Becausefrankly, the psy-chology of anyoneseriously consider-ing a Camaro,

Mustang, or aChallenger proba-bly blinds them tothe charms of theHyundaiInto that corner ofthe market,Hyundai has in-troduced a hand-some coupe withsleek styling—derivative ofnothing else (OK,well, maybe ahint of the Pinin-farina Ferraris).The 306-horse-power 3.8-literV6 propels thecar strongly andconfidently, whilewinding rela-tively freely andgenerating somed e l i g h t f u l l yadrenalin-induc-ing noises. Maxi-mum horsepoweris made at 6,300rpm, while the266 ft-lbs of max-imum torque aregenerated at4,700 rpm. Weconsistently got60s in just undersix seconds andHyundai limitstop speed to 149mph.To qualify as a“Track” version,the base Genesis

Coupe 3.8 gets

stiffer springs andshocks, as well asBrembo four-pis-ton brake caliperschomping into13.4-inch venti-lated rotors upfront; 13-inch inthe rear. A stag-gered tire andwheel set (225/40-19s in front and245/40-19 in therear) and a limited-slip differentialspeak to the sincer-ity with whichHyundai has ap-proached the per-formance potentialof the car. TheGenesis Coupe 3.8Track is also avail-able with yourchoice of a six-speed manual, or asix-speed auto-matic transmissionwith paddleshifters mountedon the steeringwheel.Underway, theCoupe is reassur-ingly stable at asporting pace, andbites nicely intocorners with theTrack package. Ad-ditionally, the en-gine has enoughpower to induceoversteer, so theGenesis Coupe 3.8Track can rotate incorners and driftthrough them aswell.

Our test car fea-tured the six-speedmanual, and whilewe enjoyed thesmooth clutchtake-up and theease with whichthe Genesis Coupelaunched, wefound the shift ac-tion could be a bitbetter calibrated.Additionally, thesteering feel of thecar was a tad off interms of the sharp-

ness we’ve experi-enced in other carsof this nature.However, it wasn’tenough to make uscome away goingthis SUCKS. It wasmore like observa-tion of an opportu-nity forimprovement.In the corners, the3.8 Track demon-strated nice bal-ance; a propensityto grip really welland again, you cankick the back endaround with thethrottle, so it’s a lotof fun. You do payfor that fun in theform of a stifferride around townhowever. Thoselooking for a morecompliant ride—with the V6 en-g i n e — m i g h tconsider the GrandTouring version ofthe Hyundai.Either way, you’llfind the GenesisCoupe nicelyequipped, engag-ing to drive and af-fordably pricedcompared to itscompetition. Gene-sis Coupe 3.8Track pricing startsat $30,750 with thesix-speed manualand $32,250 withthe automatic.

By: Lyndon Conrad BellAuto Section

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track

June 23, 2011 09Courageous Journalism


A year a go he was

just shy of 700lbs,

had a hernia and

was staring death in

the face.

But with the help of

TV trainer Chris

Powell, James,

from Fort Worth,

Texas, lost an as-

tonishing 313lbs in

a single year.

The loss was a

record for Powell,

who stars in ABC's

E x t r e m e

Makeover: Weight

Loss Edition, and it

has no doubt

changed 26-year-

old James' life.

Before and after:

James, 26, from

Fort Worth Texas,

tipped the scales at

651lbs when he

first appeared on

E x t r e m e

Makeover: Weight

Loss Edition, left,

but a year later he

was down to

338lbs, right

Before and after:

James, 26, from

Fort Worth Texas,

tipped the scales at

651lbs when he

first appeared on

E x t r e m e

Makeover: Weight

Loss Edition, left,

but a year later he

was down to

338lbs, right

'I'm glad I'm able to

share this story

with the world,' he

told an assembled

crowd of his fam-

ily, friends and sup-

porters during the

show which aired

last night.

'Cause I remem-

ber how lost I felt

when I was over

700 pounds. And

just knowing that

maybe somebody

out there is going

to have some

form of inspira-

tion from what I

was able to ac-

complish.'

At school James

had hopes of be-

coming a pro

football player.

But a knee injury

saw him drop out

and he quickly be-

came depressed,

turning to food as a

comfort.

'It wasn't uncom-

mon from me to

have two lunches

or two dinners,'

James said on the

show, adding he

could 'rinse' all-

you-can-eat buf-

fets.

The turning point

came when James

was at home in his

G r a n d p a r e n t s

garage, watching a

700lbs man being

cut out of his home.

James' weight had

reached the same

dangerous levels.

He decided to do

something about it,

starting with a short

walk.

But after he got to

the lamp post just

down from his

house he was out of

breath and wonder-

ing how to get

back.

He joined a gym,

working out in the

middle of the night

so 'no one's there to

see me or see my

fall flat on my face.'

Powell surprised

James at one of his

2am gym sessions

and the pair jetted

off to Los Angeles

for boot camp and

an initial weigh-in.

When he got home

James discovered

Powell had turned

his bedroom into a

gym and tasked

him with losing

150lbs in just a

month.

The next month it

was 80lbs but a

spell of pneumonia

put James in hospi-

tal. He had only

lost 11lbs at the

next weigh in, but

was lucky to be

alive.

To get him back on

track Powell took

him to meet former

Dallas Cowboys

stars Nate Newton

and Michael Irvin.

They put him

through his paces

during a gruelling

work out.When day

270 rolled around

James had lost an

incredible 257lbs in

nine months.

Then 365 days after

Powell first inter-

rupted his gym ses-

sion, James

unveiled his new

body at the site of

Super Bowl XLV to

a crowd of cheering

supporters.

At the final weigh

in James tipped the

scales at 338lbs and

as a reward for all

his hard work Pow-

ell gave him two

tickets to the big

game.

Some feet! The inspirationalmechanic with no arms who can

still change a tyre in minutes Gifted archer hoping to make

paralympic team for London 2012

Proving determination can overcome

the most debilitating handicaps is a 28-

year-old born without arms who can

still be a big help around the place.

Matt Stutzman an Olympic-standard

archer, who can turn his toes to any-

thing - even intricate jobs such as

changing the tyres on his car.

Most people would simply take their

vehicle to the garage to be checked but

Matt refuses and uses his feet to do the

job himself in just nine minutes.

In the Iowa resident's own home video

he does every part of the job starting by

carefully raising the car using a jack be-

fore loosening the wheel's nuts one by

one with a tool held between his toes.

Then removing the wheel, he deftly

takes apart the brake and checks it be-

fore putting it all back together without

any help.

The car-lover, who is one of very few

children born without limbs each year,

was desperate to drive at 16 like all his

friends but his local public school sys-

tem refused to cooperate.

But after two years of fighting the sys-

tem, he finally got his driving licence.

He uses his left foot to operate the brake

and accelerator pedals, his right foot is

used to turn the steering wheel, put the

car in gear, turn on the indicators and

adjust the lights.

His proud mum Jean says her son is

uniquely talented.

'Matt had become increasingly irritated

at being treated as a disabled person by

people who didn’t know him. You see

Matt does not see himself as disabled,'

she says on his official website.

Half the man he was: James loses a record-breaking313lbs in just one year on weight loss show

June 23, 2011 11Courageous Journalism

Actors Shahid Kapoor and

Priyanka Chopra may not

be a couple any more and

if the buzz is anything to

go by then the two did not

apparently part on an am-

icable note either. How-

ever, the two will soon be

seen romancing each

other in Kunal Kohli's

next. Similarly, actors

John Abraham and Bi-

pasha Basu went on to

honour their professional

commitment despite their

split and shot for an ad

together. On-and-off cou-

ple Salman Khan and Ka-

trina Kaif too have been

signed for a romantic

film. There are talks of

actors and exes Ranbir

Kapoor and Deepika

Padukone too being ap-

proached for films to-

gether and both have

admitted that they are

open to working with each

other too. According to in-

dustry observers, these de-

cisions by actors to not let

their personal equations

dictate their professional

ones have definitely come

as a breather for both the

filmmakers and the fans.

Apart from saving huge

losses for filmmakers if

they decide to back out at

the last moment, due to

personal conflicts, they

also don't disappoint fans

who'd want to see a certain

jodi on screen. "It's a re-

freshing change in an in-

dustry where we have seen

in the past how spoilt per-

sonal equations prevented

some of the hottest pairs

from being seen on screen

together again," agrees a

veteran filmmaker.

The reason, trade analyst

Taran Adarsh points out is

also that letting emotions

take over automatically re-

duces the choices for these

actors and they cannot af-

ford to limit themselves to

working with a few stars

and alienating others. "Af-

terall, how many young

star actresses are there to

be cast opposite younger

heroes like Shahid or Ran-

bir if they refuse to work

with their exes. So, you

can either cast a lesser-

known name or a new-

comer then. It won't be as

viable as casting

the 'star' heroine.

It'll be a night-

mare for film-

makers if these

stars refuse films

with each other.

In fact, even the

stars tend to lose

out plum proj-

ects," he ex-

plains.

What about their

off screen cold

vibes affecting

the onscreen

c h e m i s t r y ?

"They are thor-

ough profession-

als and smart

enough to not let

their professional

lives suffer due to personal

issues," shares a film-

maker. Taran adds, "As

long as they give convinc-

ing performances, a jodi

would always work,

whether or not they are

fighting off camera and

that's all that matters."

Filmmakers are increasingly using old

tracks or remix version of classics in their

films for novelty. But they'll now have to

think twice as few of those versions are

facing copyright issues.

Film Yamla Pagla Deewana is one such

example. A music company had appar-

ently filed a case against the makers of

the film for using few of their songs in

the film without obtaining the required

rights.

While most prefer to take the official

rights from the original music composers,

there are a few who have taken the easier

way out. Old numbers, Khoya Khoya

Chand and Hawa Hawai that have been

remixed and used in a recently released,

Bejoy Nambiar film are missing from its

audio CD. A source reveals, "A lot of fans

have been asking the film's team to re-

lease the song officially as it is not avail-

able on either the internet or the CD.

However, a video has been leaked on

video channel despite all their attempts.

They cannot release the songs officially

because they are yet to take permissions

from the concerned people involved."

Music composers have given this trend

of remixing old numbers a thumbs up,

Shekhar of the Vishal-Shekhar duo who

worked on the remixed version of famous

song, Bachna Ae Haseeno has earlier

said, "Though I prefer listening to origi-

nal songs, I'm always open to listening to

the modified version," he says. But an-

other famous music composer expressed

his displeasure, "It is so wrong to remix

these songs. Besides, some of them are

remixed in such bad taste. The way com-

posers are taking it for granted, by not

obtaining the official rights legally, is not

a healthy trend at all."

Being lovey doveAy? FOR

FILMSONLY

Copy at your own risk

Hrithik Roshan goes Aamir Khan wayActor Hrithik

Roshan seems

to be following

in the footsteps

of none other

than actor

Aamir Khan.

By following

his footsteps we

don’t mean that

Hrithik will be

launching his

nephew or niece

(actually they

are too young for Bolly-

wood), nor will he be bid-

ding adieu to popular

awards. What we mean is

that Hrithik’s turning a

perfectionist like Aamir.A

source from Hrithik’s

dance show revealed that

he is particular about the

smallest details about the

show as it marked his TV

debut and refuses to com-

promise on anything that

he felt could be done bet-

ter.

Recalling an incident, the

source says, “He made the

production team change

the background of the life-

size hoardings that were

put up all around the city

with him posing in a

dance move several

times. The reason

being that the back-

ground colors didn’t

highlight his chiseled

body enough. So the

actor himself helped

the team and finally

used colors that high-

lighted it.”

Well, Hrithik you

surely know the

weakness of al your

fans who go crazy for your

toned abs and flexing bi-

ceps. Seems like Hrithik is

not just being perfect on

screen, but with marketing

too!


In over 1,000 published re-

search studies, various methods

of meditation have been linked

to changes in metabolism,

blood pressure, brain activation,

and other bodily processes.

Now, meditation has been used

in clinical settings as a method

of stress and pain reduction. A

recent study shows that only a lit-

tle over an hour of meditation

training can dramatically reduce

both the experience of pain and

pain-related brain activation.

Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D., lead author

of the study and post-doctoral re-

search fellow at Wake Forest Uni-

versity Baptist Medical Center,

was quoted as saying. "We found

a big effect -- about a 40-percent

reduction in pain intensity and a

57-percent reduction in pain un-

pleasantness. Meditation produced

a greater reduction in pain than

even morphine or other pain-re-

lieving drugs, which typically re-

duce pain ratings by about

25-percent."According to David

E. Yocum, MD, director of the Ari-

zona Arthritis Center in Tucson.

“Relaxing and quieting your mind

by focusing on your breathing can

reduce stress – even the stress that

comes with arthritis flares”

Both before and after meditation

training, study participants' brain

activity was examined using a spe-

cial type of imaging -- arterial spin

labeling magnetic resonance imag-

ing (ASL MRI) -- that captures

longer duration brain processes,

such as meditation, better than a

standard MRI scan of brain func-

tion. During these scans, a pain-in-

ducing heat device was placed on

the participants' right legs. This

device heated a small area of their

skin to 120° Fahrenheit, a temper-

ature that most people find painful,

over a 5-minute period.

The scans taken after meditation

training demonstrated that each

participant's pain ratings were re-

duced, with decreases ranging

from 11 to 93 percent, Zeidan said.

At the same time, meditation dras-

tically reduced brain activity in the

primary somatosensory cortex --

an area that is significantly in-

volved in creating the feeling of

where and how extreme a painful

stimulus is. The scans taken before

meditation training showed activ-

ity in this area was exceedingly

high. Nevertheless, when partici-

pants were meditating during the

scans, activity in this vital pain-

processing region could not be de-

tected.

The research moreover illustrated

that meditation improved brain ac-

tivity in areas including the ante-

rior cingulate cortex, anterior

insula and the orbitofrontal cortex.

Suggesting Some Meditation

Techniques

* Each morning and evening, start

and end your day with a two-

minute session of focused breath-

ing. Sit in a comfortable chair that

supports your back, relax, inhale

for four seconds and then exhale

for six seconds.

* Concentrate intently on your

body movement while walking or

doing any physical activity.

* Visualize your “helper” cells

healing your joints. Focus on a

word, phrase, prayer, sound or

piece of music. Meditate for a few

minutes but aim to work up to 20

minutes per session and two ses-

sions per day.

* Love is the one element that

heals all things. If you are looking

to heal your mind and restore

yourself to that quiet place within,

relate to yourself, your mind, and

everything you become aware of

with Love, and watch the miracles

unfold.

* Practice Progressive Muscle Re-

laxation: Begin by tensing all the

muscles in your face. Make a tight

grimace, close your eyes as tightly

as possible, clench your teeth,

even move your ears up if you can.

Hold this for the count of eight as

you inhale. Exhale and relax com-

pletely. Let your face go com-

pletely relax, as though you were

sleeping. Feel the tension seep

from your facial muscles, and

enjoy the feeling. Next, com-

pletely tense your neck and shoul-

ders, again inhaling and counting

to eight. Then exhale and relax.

Continue down your body, repeat-

ing the procedure.

The more that these areas in the

brain are activated by meditation

the more that pain was reduced.

One of the reasons that meditation

may have been so effective in

blocking pain was that it did not

work at just one place in the brain,

but instead reduced pain at multi-

ple levels of processing.

This rice salad

is packed with

the flavors of

the Mediter-

ranean and

would make a

good accompa-

niment to all

sorts of fish, poultry and meat dishes.

1. Cook the rice for

10-12 minutes until ten-

der but still slightly

firm. Do not overcook.

Drain and rinse with

cold water.

2. Allow the rice to

cool completely and

then place in a large

serving bowl. Add the

spring onions, peppers,

tomatoes and coriander.

3. Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in

a jar with a tight fitting lid and shaking vigorously until well

blended. Stir the dressing into the rice and adjust the sea-

soning.

4. Cover and chill for about 1 hour before serving.

* 75ml/5 tbsp mixed sunflower and olive oil

* 15 ml/1 tbsp rice vinegar

* 5ml/1 tsp Dijon mustard

* salt and ground black pepper

* 275g/10oz long grain rice

* 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

* 1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced

* 1 yellow pepper, seeded and finely diced

* 225g/8oz tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

* 30ml/2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

Meditation forPain Management

SpanishRice Salad

Ingredients

For the dressing

Directions

23-06-2011, issue

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