Ambassador Navtej Sarna given a warm send off

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Ambassador Navtej Sarnagiven a warm send off : Harsh

Vardhan Shringla succeeds WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian

Ambassador to the United States NavtejSarna was given a warm send off onDecember 13th, as diplomats from both thecountries praised the Trumpadministration and the state of bilateralrelations. Sarna, who took over asAmbassador in November 2016, ends anillustrious 38-year foreign service career.

In an extraordinary move and toshowcase the strength of the ties that bindthe two countries, the farewell was hostedby the State Department at Blair House,opposite the White House, a residencereserved for heads of state during visits tothis country. Principal Deputy AssistantSecretary of cont on page 32 Navtej Sarna (left ) and successor Harsh Vardhan Shringla

President Trump says US can't be world's policemanWASHINGTON (TIP): Defending his decision to withdraw

troops from the war-torn Syria, US President Donald hasTrump said America cannot be the world's policeman.

President Trump and First Lady Melania secretly leftWashington on Christmas night and visited Iraq onWednesday, December 26 to deliver holiday greetings to UScombat troops."President Trump and the First Lady travelledto Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops andSenior Military leadership to thank them for their service,their success, and contd on Page 32

US President Donald Trump (File photo )

Adieu 2018 As I sit down to pen the last editorial comment of the year for TheIndian Panorama, a few days before the end of the year, onDecember 27 evening, to be exact, my thoughts go to millionsacross the world who suffered on account of Nature's fury, or weresubjected to man's inhumanity, in 2018. I think of the wild fires inCalifornia which, besides causing colossal damage to property anddisplacement of people, caused hundreds of deaths. Theearthquake and Tsunamis which struck Indonesia on twooccasions in 2018 , mowed down hundreds of lives and causedhuge damage to property. The volcanic eruptions in some parts ofthe world were responsible for much loss of life and property. Then,all the storms and hurricanes in US and elsewhere, mudslides andfloods in Japan, dust storm in India, and many other naturalcalamities in various parts of the world played havoc with humanlife.

I am also reminded of the destruction and misery caused by manwhich is much greater in proportion than Nature's wrath couldcause. In the armed conflicts across the world hundreds andthousands of lives have been lost .Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria,Yemen have killed thousands. In 2018 alone, some 40,000 havelost life in Afghanistan; 5000 in Iraq; 30000 in Syrian Civil war;25000 in Yemen. Then there are many countries having internalconflicts which caused a heavy loss of human life, besides bringingmisery to many more.

Mass shootings in USA in 2018 which included shootings inschools and public places, numbered more than 300 and claimedlives of thousands who ranged from schoolgoing small kids of 5 toold people.

On this day, I remember all those who fell to Nature's fury or man'smadness and pray for their souls. For all the sufferings of thepeople affected by the unfortunate incidents of 2018, I have deepregret and great sympathy. For all their sufferings, I have prayersto make that it does not happen again with God's own people.

I have also to make an appeal to rulers all over the world to alwayskeep in mind that their first obligation is to people and theirwellbeing. Let them not sow the seeds of conflicts to satisfy theirego and please themselves. Let them work to ensure that peacealone prevails.

However, let me add, 2018 has not only been a year of terriblesuffering for many; there have been considerable achievementsand accomplishments to be proud of. Scientists and technologistsmade new discoveries, including that there is mineable ice onMars, and there is a way to grow vegetables without earth ordaylight. Many more. And many more in various other spheres.

We will follow up with details of what 2018 meant to the world, inour New Year special edition next week.

For now, it is adieu 2018 .

COMMENTProf I.S.Saluja

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Queens Indian American communityextends a reception to Melinda Katz

RICHMOND HILL, NY (TIP): The QueensIndian American community organized areception to Melinda Katz, the QueensBorough President who is completing twoterms this year.

Melinda is now eying the post of DistrictAttorney of Queens. It was a public relationsexercise for Melinda who is admired for herwork, in particular by the Punjabicommunity.

A Punjabi community leader Jarnail Singh

Gilzian who owns the famous banquet andRestaurant Richie Rich in Richmond Hillhosted the reception which was attended by alarge number of community leaders fromQueens and Long Island.

The more prominent amongst them whoalso spoke on the occasion included MohinderSingh Gilzian, President of Indian OverseasCongress, Harbans Singh Dhillon, formerElection Commissioner, Gurdwara SikhCultural Society, Harpreet Singh Toor, former

Chairman, Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society,Satnam Singh Parhar, Former President,India Association of Long Island, and BhindaBegowalia, President of Begowal Society.Each speaker spoke highly of Melinda andpledged support in her bid for DistrictAttorney of Queens.

Speaking on the occasion, Melinda spoke ofher work as Queens Borough President. Shepledged her support to the community whichhad always supported her. She thanked

Jarnail Singh Gilzian for organizing areception to enable her to reach out to a largenumber of her supporters and voters.

Earlier, on her arrival, Melinda waswelcomed with a bouquet presented to her byJarnail Singh Gilzian's family.

During her more than an hour- stay,Melinda went around meeting everyoneindividually and obliging them withphotographs.

Prof. Indrajit Saluja emceed the event.

Melinda Katz is received with bouquet by Jarnail Singh Gilzian, his wife (right) and othermembers of family

Jarnail Singh Gilzian and Melinda Katz

Melinda Katz addresses the gathering. Seento her right is Jarnail Singh Gilzian

Sections of the gathering

Gilzian family with Melinda Melinda Katz poses for a photograph with community leaders

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018INDIANS ABROAD

Indian Teen Siblingsdie in US Home fire

NEW YORK (TIP): Three youngsiblings from Telangana died in a fire onSunday, December 23 night at the home ofan American family they were stayingwith. The three, all missionary students,were guests for the holidays with thefamily in a suburb of Memphis,Tennessee.

Aaron Naik, 17, Sharron Naik, 14 andJoy Naik, 15, were killed along with 46-year-old Kari Coudriet, the owner of thetwo-storey home. The fire broke outaround 11 pm and left much of thebuilding charred. Only Kari's husbandDaniel Coudriet and their son Cole, 13,survived the fire, according to a statementby the Collierville Bible Church.

The three deceased teenagers attendedFrench Camp Academy in ChoctawCounty. "Friends and family, please be inprayer for Pastor Naik and his wife. Theysent their three precious children toAmerica from India to complete theireducation and during the break a fire tooktheir lives. They have been a blessing tothe French Camp community and areloved by our whole town. I cannot fathomthe grief of their parents as I know howmuch our town is grieving", Town ofFrench Camp wrote in a Facebook post.

Indian American philanthropistDr. Kiran C. Patel offers

tuition-free education in FloridaTEMPLE TERRACE, FL (TIP): Indian

American entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr.Kiran Patel in this northern Tampa suburb willprovide free quality education to students fromthe area and beyond through a new state-of-the-art charter school.

The construction of Dr. Kiran C. Patel HighSchool will be completed in the summer of 2019and classes will begin in August. Ground for themore than 60,000-square-foot school, which willinclude a 11,000-square-foot gymnasium, wasbroken on December 13. The $20 million highschool building, located on a 32-acre plot nearthe University of South Florida, will be fundedfully by the Tampa-based philanthropist.

The groundbreaking in the waning days ofthe year marks the end of a hectic 15-monthperiod for Patel and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel,during which they committed approximately aquarter-billion dollar for various philanthropiccauses and made their second billion-dollar-plus exit from health insurance business in adecade and a half.

In September 2017, the Patels had committeda whopping $200 million - the single largestdonation by an Indian American to date - toNova Southeastern University (NSU) in FortLauderdale. The gift, the largest in theuniversity's history, will impact healthcaredelivery in the United States, India and globally.

Like the NSU donation, the latestphilanthropic commitment also focuses on anarea that's close to the Zambia-born Patel'sheart, education. In fact, a vast majority of Drs.Kiran & Pallavi Patel Family Foundations'

works globally - including in the United States,India, Africa and the Caribbean - have been inhealthcare and education.

Noted Indian American entrepreneur andphilanthropist from Tampa, Dr. Kiran Patel isthe Chairman and President of FreedomHealth, Inc. and Optimum Health, Inc. inFlorida. He sees philanthropy as hisresponsibility and passion. Dr. Patel built theWellCare Management Group which he sold in2002 to a private equity group. The Patel's haveused these proceeds to continue their generousphilanthropic work in the Tampa Baycommunity. Recently, Dr. Patel purchased theformer Clearwater Christian College property

and has plans to create a college of osteopathicmedicine to attract more doctors to this area.Their non-profit organization, the Kiran andPallavi Patel Foundation for GlobalUnderstanding, funds a number of initiativesin health, education and culture. It even offersan annual scholarship to the underprivilegedyouth in the United States.

As longtime residents of the Carrollwoodcommunity, the Patels have been giving backto the Tampa Bay area for decades. In additionto their previous accomplishments, Dr. Patelserved as an accomplished Cardiologist andhis wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel specialized inPediatrics.

The three deceased teenagers attended French Camp Academy in

Choctaw County

LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin man who wasjailed for 13 years for killing three teenage boys inan accident in January has been given relief of two-and-a-half years on his sentence.

Jaynesh Chudasama, 29, admitted to driving atmore than two-and-a-half times over the alcohollimit on January 26 evening, when the fatal collisionoccurred near a bus stop at Hayes in west London.

Traces of cannabis were also found in the car hireworker's system following his arrest.

At the latest hearing, the Court of Appealconcluded that there had been an error insentencing him to 13 years behind bars for the crimeand cut his sentence down to 10 and-a-half yearsinstead to take his guilty pleas into account.

"Prior to consideration of his guilty pleas, thiswas a case for the maximum sentence of 14 years.The appropriate discount for the pleas, however, was

not one third but one quarter," said Judge BrianLeveson at a judgment hand-down hearing, duringwhich the victims' families shouted slogansopposing the ruling.

"The death of each of the victims in this case is adisaster and tragedy of almost unimaginableproportions for them, their families and theirfriends. We have read many statements about thecatastrophic impact each has had on so many lives.No sentence of the court can assuage that loss," thejudge noted.

The trial had heard how Harry Rice, 17, GeorgeWilkinson and Josh McGuinness, both 16, wereinstantly killed as they were hit by Chudasama'sspeeding car while on their way to a friend'sbirthday party. Family members of the boys wereamong around 30 members of the public whoattended the Royal Courts of Justice in London forthe decision and chanted "disgrace" as the judgmentwas handed down. The judge had to move thehearing to a different court room due to thedisruption. Besides his jail sentence, Chudasamawill also be disqualified from driving for 12 yearsand three months and have to pass an extendeddriving test.

He had been described as a "coward" in court fortrying to escape the scene, leaving his victims to dieon the road, but was chased down and caught by theboys' friends.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, all three boyswere pronounced dead at the scene. Photographsfrom the scene showed the smashed wreckage of acar, including a caved-in fence.

Some of the victims' relatives believe the crashwas deliberate and want Chudasama charged withmurder.

aynesh Chudasamajailed for 13 years for killing threeteenage boys (in the pic) in an accident in January has

been given relief of two-and-a-half years on hissentence

Indian-Origin Police Officer shot dead inCalifornia

NEWMAN, CA (TIP):

An Indian-origin policeofficer in California hasbeen killed after beingshot by an "armed"unidentified gunman.Corporal Ronil Singh wasshot and killed whileconducting a vehicle stopat the intersection ofMerced Street andEucalyptus Avenueshortly before 1:00 am onDecember 26.

Approximately threeminutes after initiatingthe stop he radioeddispatch that shots hadbeen fired. Respondingofficers found CorporalSingh at the scenesuffering from multiplegunshot wounds. He wastransported to a localhospital where hesuccumbed to his wounds.

The subject he stopped fled the scene and remains at large. Police havelaunched a manhunt to find the suspected gunman. They also sharedimages on Facebook in the hopes that someone will spot the suspect. Thesuspect's vehicle has been recovered. The Stanislaus County Sheriff'sDepartment says police agencies throughout California and out of statehave been alerted.

33-year-old Singh had served with the Newman Police Department forseven years. Newman is located in Stanislaus County in centralCalifornia, east of San Jose. He had previously served with the MercedCounty Sheriff's Office and the Turlock Police Department.

The Stanislaus Sworn Deputies Association has established a CorporalRonil Singh, Newman PD Memorial Fund.

33-year-old Singh had served with theNewman Police Department for seven years

Indian-Origin Man gets reduced sentencefor drunken drive killing

5THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 ADVERTISEMENT

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018NY/NJ/CT

Officials: Explosion at Astoria Con Ed plant

QUEENS, NY (TIP): An explosion at anAstoria Con Edison substation knocked outpower at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday,December 27 night, lit up the night sky formiles in any direction with flashes of brilliantblue and yellow light, and rattled New Yorkersacross a wide area, a Newsday report said.

In tweets, the NYPD and Con Ed said theywere responding to the explosion, whichcaused a brief fire at the plant at the corner of20th Avenue and 31st Street.

Con Ed officials described what happenedat the plant, which is just to the southwest ofLaGuardia Airport.

Uh, the sky over Astoria right now...pic.twitter.com/mSWS8T2IxU

- Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December28, 2018

#FDNY units have responded to 1740 31St in Astoria. The incident is under control.There are no injuries reported, and no fire.

- FDNY (@FDNY) December 28, 2018

"There was a brief electrical fire at oursubstation in Astoria which involved someelectrical transformers and caused atransmission dip in the area," the tweet said."We're currently investigating the cause ofthe incident."

Shortly after the explosion, multiple videosposted on Twitter showed the night sky in thearea around the plant light up with blue andyellow flashes. Multiple television newsreports said there were sporadic poweroutages.

In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio said: "Whatwe know: - Light was caused by electricalsurge at a substation. - No current fire, noinjuries. - MTA has power, but there are delayson the 7 train. - Power coming back on at LGAbut expect delays. - Con Ed evaluating outagesnow. More soon."

Port Authority advised travelers to allowfor extra time because of the power outage atLaGuardia Airport.

In a tweet at about 10:30 p.m., airportofficials reported partial flight operations.

"Many flights are departing, some are not.Please check flight status with carrier," thetweet said.

Multiple television news reports said

passengers on planes approaching the airportsaid LaGuardia Airport buildings were in thedark.

At 11 p.m., the airport said in a tweet thatthe power was "operational" at all terminals.

The NYPD advised residents to avoid thearea of 20th Avenue and 31st Street where thepower plant is located.

"The lights you have seen throughout thecity appear to have been from a transformerexplosion at a Con Ed facility in Queens," theNYPD said in a tweet just before 10 p.m.Thursday. "The fire is under control, willupdate as more info becomes available."

In a tweet, NYPD Chief of DepartmentTerence Monahan said there were no injuries.

A transformer explosion at the Astoria East & North Queens Con Ed plant, the NYPD said, lit upthe sky around 10 p.m. on Thursday. Photo Credit: @JesseSpector via Twitter

Monthly South Asian B2B Networking event Launched

H1-B Visa regulationsbring 'good news' forIndian students

NEW YORK (TIP): The US should selectthe "very best" among the applicants underthe H-1B visas, the Trump administrationtold lawmakers Thursday, December 27,asserting that it was determined to ensurethat the temporary work permits, mostsought by Indian IT companies, do not harmdomestic workers.

The H1B visa, popular among Indian ITcompanies and professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies toemploy foreign workers in specialtyoccupations that require theoretical ortechnical expertise.

The technology companies depend on it tohire tens of thousands of employees eachyear from countries like India and China.

Perhaps no other visa category hasreceived as much attention in recent years asthe H-1B, as reports of abuse of the programhave caused outrage among the public,Homeland Secretary Kirsten Nielsen toldmembers of the powerful Senate JudiciaryCommittee during a Congressional hearing.

"No qualified hardworking Americanshould be forced to train their H-1Breplacement, and then let go," she said.

"The number of H-1B petitions routinelyexceeds the statutory cap, and among thatpool of petitions, we should endeavor toselect the very best for the privilege ofcoming to the United States for work,"Nielsen said.

The Department of Homeland Securityseeks to ensure that American workers arenot pushed aside for the promise of cheaper,foreign labor, and the employers, recruitersor any of their agents do not exploit foreignworkers, she said.

The Trump administration has stepped upits measures to detect employment-basedvisa fraud and abuse, but certainnonimmigrant visa programs need reform inorder to protect American workers better, shesaid.

"While current law only requires it forcertain employers, which are few in numberand can easily meet the wage and degreeexemption, all employers should be requiredto certify that they have made a good faitheffort to recruit US workers before filing anH-1B petition and have offered jobs toqualified and available Americanapplicants," Nielsen said.

Although current law prohibits some H-1Bemployers from displacing US workers, thereare loopholes that must close, she told themembers of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"We have to make sure the H-1B programdoes not harm American workers who maybe as qualified and willing to do jobs thatforeign workers are imported to fill," shesaid.

As per US President Donald Trump's 'BuyAmerican, Hire American Executive Order,the Department of Homeland Security isreviewing current guidance and regulationfor opportunities to protect Americanworkers while also providing good faithemployers the opportunity to recruit H-1Bworkers where needed.

"This balance is consistent with the statuteand President Trump's priorities. We alsoseek to work with Congress to makelegislative changes that would provide moreprotections to the United States workforce,"Nielsen said.

New York South Asian Chamber of Commerce ( NYSACOC) launches monthly business to businessnetworking event with a kickoff event in Hicksville NY., Dec 4th, 2018

NEW YORK (TIP): NYSACOClaunched a monthly Business to BusinessNetworking event in Hicksville in aneffort to strengthen the South AsianBusiness community in NY. Town ofOyster bay Deputy Supervisor MrGregory Carman along with DeputyCommissioner of Planning andDevelopment connected with localbusiness owners and made a promise tohelp the business owners in the Townsucceed.

The event was attended by over 120business professionals and govt. officialsand was held and sponsored by CheersBar & Grill of Hicksville.

President of Chamber Dilip Chauhansaid "Networking is not about justconnecting people. It's about connectingpeople with Passion for community,people with ideas, and people withopportunities." he also added thatchamber will help our community byhelping new business owners withdifficulty in opening business andworking together with bringingGovernment and prospectiveentrepreneurs and also helping minorityand women-based business to grow ingovernment contracting opportunities.Also Chamber will allow entrepreneurs toconnect with other business owners andsuccessful entrepreneurs, as well asmentors who will provide their valuabletime to help new businesses andbusinesses established already to helpthem grow and provide some tips ofsuccessful business and future vision

Chairman of NYSACOC Shan Shaheen said" We are here for you, we are here to help you,educate you and advocate for you."

About New York South Asian Chamberof Commerce

New York South Asian Chamber ofCommerce (NYSACOC) mission is toadvance and promote the economicgrowth that open the government andbusiness resources to South Asianbusiness owners in New York. We willadvocate their issues with respectivegovernment agencies, along withproviding technical and educationalsupport to South Asian Americanbusinesses by building a relationshipbetween local community organizations,govt. agencies, community leaders and

South Asian businesses that rests on asolid foundation. Such a foundation thatrests on respect for each other's culturesand values; and overall acceptance ofeach other's legitimate needs, concerns,interests, and objectives.

Officials of Chambers are:Dilip Chauhan -President, Shan

Shaheen- Chairman, Junaid BawanySenior Vice President, Harry MalhothraDeputy Chairman BOD, Jose Jacob -VicePresident, Board of Directors are RizwanQureshi , Nehal Trivedi, MehakMahmood, Nadia Pervez, Paresh Shah,Satnam Singh Parhar, Amita Karwal,Farrah Vaswani, Aurangzeb Pirzada, SeniPopat, Sheetal Desai and Raj Shah.

(Press Release)

NYSACOC Officials -Dr. Sheetal Desai,Farrah Vaswani,Nadia Parvez, Paresh Shah, MehakMahmood,Nehal Trivedi,Dilip Chauhan President of Chamber,Shan Shaheen Chairman of BOD,

Junaid Bawney, Harry Malhotra, Jose Jacob and Zeb Pirzada.

7ADVERTISEMENTTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018EDITORIAL

If South Asia is one of the world's leastintegrated regions, India is one of the world'sleast regionally-integrated major powers.

While there indeed are structural impediments(posed by both India and its neighbours) infostering regional integration, the mostsignificant handicap is New Delhi's ideationaldisinclination towards its neighbourhood.Successive regimes have considered theneighbourhood as an irritant and challenge, notan opportunity. Seldom have India's policiesdisplayed a sense of belonging to the region or adesire to work with the neighbourhood forgreater integration and cooperation. Today, wehave become even more transactional, impatientand small-minded towards our neighbourhoodwhich has, as a result, restricted our space formaneuver in the regional geopolitical scheme ofthings.

AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE: Whicheverway one looks at it, India's neighbourhood policyis at a critical juncture: while its past policieshave ensured a steady decline in its influenceand goodwill in the region, the persistentabsence of a coherent and well-planned regionalpolicy will most definitely ensure that iteventually slips out of India's sphere ofinfluence. India's foreign policy lannerstherefore need to reimagine the country'sneighbourhood policy before it is too late.

The Narendra Modi government'sneighbourhood policy began exceptionally wellwith Mr. Modi reaching out to the regionalcapitals and making grand foreign policycommitments. But almost immediately, itseemed to lose a sense of diplomatic balance, forinstance, when it tried to interfere with theConstitution-making process in Nepal and wasaccused of trying to influence electoraloutcomes in Sri Lanka. While India's refugeepolicy went against its own traditional practices,it was found severely wanting on the Rohingyaquestion, and seemed clueless on how to dealwith the political crisis in the Maldives. Despitetheir characteristic bravado and grandstanding,the BJP government's foreign policy mandarinslooked out of their depth.

While it is true that 2018 seems to havebrought some good news from the regionalcapitals, it has less to do with our diplomaticfinesse than the natural course of events there.The arrival of an India-friendly IbrahimMohamed Solih regime in Male has broughtmuch cheer, and the return of RanilWickremesinghe as Sri Lankan Prime Ministeris to India's advantage too. Nepal has reachedout to India to put an end to the acrimony thatpersisted through 2015 to 2017. Bhutan,Myanmar and Bangladesh are also positivelydisposed towards India, though the relationshipwith Pakistan continues to be testy anddirectionless. What this then means is that New

Delhi has a real opportunity today to recalibrateits neighbourhood relations.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST: First, let'sbriefly examine what should not be done indealing with a sensitive neighbourhood. For one,India must shed its aggression and deal withtricky situations with far more diplomaticsubtlety and finesse. The manner in which itweighed down on Nepal in 2015 during theConstitution-making process is an example ofhow not to influence outcomes. The ability ofdiplomacy lies in subtly persuading the smallerneighbor to accept an argument rather thanforcing it to, which is bound to backfire.

Second, it must be kept in mind that meddlingin the domestic politics of neighbor countries isa recipe for disaster, even when invited to do soby one political faction or another. Preferringone faction or regime over another is unwise inthe longer term. Take the example of incumbentSri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.There was a great deal of cheer in New Delhiwhen he took office in January 2015 (with somesaying India helped him cobble together awinnable coalition) after defeating MahindaRajapaksa, considered less well disposed towardIndia. However, Mr. Sirisena's politicaltransformation was quick, as were India'sfortunes in Colombo, at least temporarily.

Third, New Delhi must not fail to follow up onits promises to its neighbours. It has a terribletrack record in this regard.

Fourth, there is no point in competing withChina where China is at an advantage vis-à-visIndia. This is especially true of regionalinfrastructure projects. India simply does nothave the political, material or financialwherewithal to outdo China in buildinginfrastructure. Hence India must invest whereChina falls short, especially at the level ofinstitution-building and the use of soft power.However, even in those areas China seems to beforging ahead. India must therefore invest agreat deal more in soft power promotion (and notthe Hindutva kind of outreach). To begin with,India could expand the scope and work of theSouth Asian University (SAU), including byproviding a proper campus (instead of allowingit to function out of a hotel building) andensuring that its students get research visas to

India without much hassle. If properly utilized,the SAU can become a point for regionalintegration.

LOOKING FOR CONVERGENCE: Finally,while reimagining its neighbourhood policy,New Delhi must also look for convergence ofinterests with China in the Southern Asianregion spanning from Afghanistan to Nepal toSri Lanka. There are several possible areas ofconvergence, including counter terrorism,regional trade and infrastructure development.China and India's engagement of the SouthAsian region needn't be based on zero-sumcalculations. For example, any non-militaryinfrastructure constructed by China in theregion can also be beneficial to India while ittrades with those countries.

A road or a rail line built by China inBangladesh or Nepal can be used by India intrading with those countries.

Going forward, New Delhi must invest inthree major policy areas. There needs to bebetter regional trading arrangements. Thereason why South Asia is the least integratedregion in the world is because the economiclinkages are shockingly weak among thecountries of the region. The lead to correct thismust be taken by India even if this meansoffering better terms of trade for the smallerneighbours. While it is true that long 'sensitivelists' maintained by South Asian countries are amajor impediment in the implementation ofSAFTA, or the South Asian Free Trade Area,India could do a lot more to persuade them toreduce the items on such lists. Second, several ofIndia's border States have the capacity to engagein trading arrangements with neighboringcounties. This should be made easier by thegovernment by way of constructing borderinfrastructure and easing restrictions on suchborder trade.

Resurrect SAARCSecond, India prefers bilateral engagements

in the region rather than deal with neighbourson multilateral forums. However, there is only somuch that can be gained from bilateralarrangements, and there should be moreattempts at forging multilateral arrangements,including by resurrecting the South AsianAssociation for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Third, India must have a coherent and long-term vision for the neighbourhood devoid ofempty rhetoric and spectacular visits withoutfollow up. We must ask ourselves, as the biggestcountry in the South Asian neighbourhood,what kind of a region do we want to be situatedin, and work towards enabling that.

(The author is an associate professor at theJawaharlal Nehru University and the author of'The Line of Control: Travelling with the Indian

and Pakistani Armies')

THE INDIAN PANORAMA PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT//PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR: Prof. Indrajit S. SalujaVVIICCEE PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT:: Chitagam SalujaCCHHIIEEFF EEDDIITTOORR:: Prof Indrajit S. SalujaAASSSSIISSTTAANNTT EEDDIITTOORR:: Bidisha RoyGGRRAAPPHHIICCSS DDIIRREECCTTOORR:: Om Parkash MalikDDIIRREECCTTOORR AADDMMIINNIISSTTRRAATTIIOONN:: Gauri BeriCCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTIINNGG PPHHOOTTOOGGRRAAPPHHEERRSS:: Baldev Singh / BJ VideosGunjesh Desai / Masala JunctionJay Mandal, Mohammad Jaffer/ SnapsIndia

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AS I SEE IT

By Happymon Jacob

India must shed its zero-sum style foreign policy-making, and work towards South Asian integration

Being a good neighbor“The Narendra Modi government's neighbourhood policy began exceptionally well with Mr. Modi reaching out to the regional capitalsand making grand foreign policy commitments. But almost immediately, it seemed to lose a sense of diplomatic balance, for instance,when it tried to interfere with the Constitution-making process in Nepal and was accused of trying to influence electoral outcomes inSri Lanka. While India's refugee policy went against its own traditional practices, it was found severely wanting on the Rohingyaquestion, and seemed clueless on how to deal with the political crisis in the Maldives. Despite their characteristic bravado andgrandstanding, the BJP government's foreign policy mandarins looked out of their depth", says the author.

Whicheverway one

looks at it,India's

neighbourhoodpolicy is at a criticaljuncture: while itspast policies haveensured a steady

decline in itsinfluence and

goodwill in theregion, the

persistent absenceof a coherent and

well-plannedregional policy will

most definitelyensure that it

eventually slips outof India's sphere ofinfluence. India's

foreign policyplanners thereforeneed to reimagine

the country'sneighbourhoodpolicy

before it istoo late.

Robert Mueller is the most unknowableman in Washington

9THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 PERSPECTIVE

By Roxanne Roberts

Bob Mueller isdoing exactlythe right thing

by simplyfocusing on this

investigationand trying todetermine the

truth," saysPanetta. "I don'tknow what thefinal result is

going to be, butI have a sensethat whatever

that final reportshows that

people are goingto thank Bob

Mueller for theway he handled

this.

Special counsel Robert Swan Mueller IIIis the second-most famous man inWashington. Time Magazine just ranked

him No. 3 on their Person of the Year list,after crusading journalists and PresidentTrump. It is impossible to spend a day in thistown without hearing or reading Mueller'sname. He will go down in history, for better orworse, as one of the pivotal figures of theTrump era.

All this for a man who seldom speaks and israrely seen. He is omnipresent and absent,inescapable but elusive, the invisible yang toTrump's gold-plated yin.

"Mueller's silence has invited noisyspeculation from partisans," writes Time. "Tocritics on the right, he is an overzealousprosecutor drunk on power and roamingbeyond his mandate in a bid to drum Trumpout of office. To liberals, he is a crusadinghero who won't quit until he brings thePresident to justice. The public narrative ofMueller's investigation this year has oftendescribed its central character more as myththan man."

Such is the peculiar nature of Washingtonthat a powerful man who shuns the spotlightshould become an object of fascination, andthe specific character of Mueller - an old-school WASP indifferent to entreaties forspeeches, interviews and photo-ops. Morepeople have seen Robert De Niro playingMueller on "Saturday Night Live" than haveseen the special counsel himself.

"I always joke that Bob Mueller has turneddown more interview requests in his careerthan most people in Washington ever get inthe first place," says Garrett Graff, author of"The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller'sFBI and the War on Global Terror" andMueller's de facto biographer. "Contrary toevery single thing that the president tweetstoday, Mueller is and always has beenprobably the most apolitical nonpartisanperson in the city. He does everything that hecan to avoid the public spotlight and anythingeven slightly resembling politicking."

Mueller is content to be known andrespected within a very small circle of closefriends and colleagues. That's rare in a townfilled with former high school class presidentswith enough egos to "float battleships," asformer senator Alan Simpson put it.Politicians love cameras - and Twitter feeds,Instagram and more - but Mueller's onlypublic statement as special counsel came onMay 17, 2017, the day he was appointed: "Iaccept this responsibility and will discharge itto the best of my ability."

More than anything, silence has come todefine Mueller. He's become a meme, a cartoonsuperhero or supervillain, more powerfulwith every word he does not say.

"Like all the FBI directors I have known,including myself, Bob is not about to try hiscase or run his evidence by the court of publicopinion," says William Webster, the only manto head both the FBI and the CIA. "That's nothow our FBI works. It's not how Bob Muellerworks. It might make for good tv ratings, but itleaves too much open for misunderstandingand, in my opinion, creates a circusatmosphere around critically importantcases."

Kenneth W. Starr, the independent counselinvestigating President Bill Clinton, had adifferent approach: He spoke to reportersduring his five years in that job in hopes itwould help Americans better understand thereasons for the investigation.

"Relationships between prosecutors and thepress are inherently difficult and sensitive,"he says. "A federal prosecutor wieldsimportant powers and thus should always beheld accountable by the American people.That accountability carries with it, in myview, a role for providing public information.?.?. without transgressing importantlimitations - especially the protection ofgrand jury secrecy."

Mueller, says Starr, may have beenchastened by former FBI director James B.Comey's "inappropriate public relationsapproach" and wants the charging documentsto speak for themselves. "All thingsconsidered, I think he has followed a wisestrategy, albeit at the expense of a morecomplete public understanding of hisimportant work."

Leon Panetta, former White House chief ofstaff and head of the CIA, says there's anotherreason for Mueller's silence: He doesn't wantto give President Trump any ammunition thatcould compromise the case. "He really feelsthat the integrity of the investigation has tobe protected and not allow the president toundermine it."

Mueller is not instinctively somebody whoplays the political game, says Panetta, whohas known the prosecutor for years. "He didn'teven particularly like to testify beforeCongress, but he knew that he had to do it. Hereally thought that those who were out therein the press were only undercutting theirposition rather than strengthening it."

In fact, Mueller - by temperament andprofessional experience - has always preferredto be judged by his deeds, not his words. Hegrew up in Princeton, a childhood of privilegeand private boarding schools, where self-aggrandizement and promotion wereconsidered poor form. His stints as a Marineplatoon leader during the Vietnam War and asa federal prosecutor emphasized teamworkrather than any individual effort. During his12-year tenure as head of the FBI, he rarelyappeared at public events and turned downvirtually all the A-list invitations that camewith that title.

During his trip to the Capitol to briefCongress in June 2017 - one month afterbecoming special counsel - Mueller and histeam navigated back hallways and stairwellsto avoid the media. There have been only threewidely circulated sightings in the wild sincethen: One photo of Mueller standing on astreet corner in March, one in July withMueller and Donald Trump Jr. both waiting tocatch a flight at Gate 35X at Reagan NationalAirport and one of Mueller and his wife inSeptember at the Genius Bar in Georgetown'sApple store, where they were getting helpwith a laptop.

The dearth of images led to this plea bySlate staff writer Heather Schwedel earlier

this year: "Why are we clamoring for newMueller pics like paparazzi stalking JenniferAniston? Because every time his investigationinto Russia's interference in the 2016presidential election makes news - which is alot these days - sites like Slate must use thesame photos of Mueller we've been usingsince this past summer .?.?. . Our nation's poorphoto editors are stuck with a cache ofboring, already-used shots of one of the mostnewsworthy figures of our political moment."

Who is Robert Mueller?By now, it goes without saying that Mueller

and his prosecutors run the tightest ship inWashington. No interviews, no leaks, nowhispers, no jokes, no nuthin'. In August,members of his team were spotted by thepress waiting for a Shake Shack delivery at anAlexandria hotel during Paul Manafort's trial.Shake Shack, huh? joked a reporter. PeterCarr, Mueller's spokesman, would not evenconfirm the order.

Mueller rarely ventures outside histemporary office in a nondescript federalbuilding. Even in his most public role beforethis, as head of the FBI, Mueller onlyappeared in public when it was important tothe bureau. Most photos of him are fromtestimony to the Senate several years ago. Hislast speaking appearance (announced beforehe was named special counsel) was in May2017 at the graduation of his granddaughterfrom a small boarding school inMassachusetts.

"One of the things that I think is importantin understanding him is understanding theperspective that he brings to this job," saysGraff. "If you got him in a moment of candor,he would say that this is no more than thethird-hardest job that he has ever had after theMarines in Vietnam and after being FBIdirector in the wake of 9/11. In that sense, thephoto of him at the Apple Store is indicativeof a lot: He's just continuing to lead his life.His life has always been under the radar andnon-showy, and that's exactly how he hascomported himself as special counsel."

Mueller's private life is even morecircumspect. It is possible, after following thebread crumbs of his biography, to determinehis comings and goings. He lives in a gatedcommunity in Georgetown with his wife of 52years, Ann. They have two daughters, Melissaand Cynthia, seen only when they attendedhis 2001 confirmation hearing as head of theFBI. The couple regularly attends services atan Episcopal church in downtownWashington. They both play golf, althoughAnn's the better golfer of the two.

And they have a weekly dinner date,usually at their favorite Italian restaurant afew miles from their home. The Muellers havebeen regulars for years, typically sittingunnoticed behind the bar in the back of theroom. How, in this age of smartphones andcameras, does Mueller pull that off ? Slip in aside door? The owner, as did everyonecontacted for this article, declined tocomment.

In fact, virtually everyone within Mueller'sorbit refused to talk about him. "I'll pass alongyour request, but she never returns callsabout Mueller," explained the assistant of alawyer who worked for him many years ago."The people that he has surrounded himselfwith throughout his career aretemperamentally very like him," explainsGraff.

contd on page 32

“More than anything, silence has come to define Mueller. He's become a meme, a cartoonsuperhero or supervillain, more powerful with every word he does not say".

Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Mueller.Mueller. Everywhere, at any hour, it's Mueller

time.

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018SOUTH ASIA

Indonesia raises alert, widensdanger zone around volcano

CARITA (TIP): Indonesia raised thedanger level for an island volcano thattriggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing atleast 430 people in Sumatra and Java, andwidened its no-go zone.

The country’s volcanology agency on Dec 27increased the Anak Krakatau volcano’s alertstatus to the second-highest and more thandoubled the exclusion zoneto a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius. The eruption on Saturdayevening caused part of the island in the SundaStrait to collapse into the sea, apparentlygenerating tsunami waves of more than 2meters (6 1/2 feet). Most tsunamis are causedby earthquakes.

The government has warned communitiesin the strait to stay a kilometer (less than amile) away from the coastline because of therisk of another tsunami triggered by AnakKrakatau’s eruptions. A navy vessel wasexpected to pass by the island, which couldgive scientists more information about therisks of a second collapse.

“There’s still a chance of a landslide, evenunder the sea level or on the sea level,” saidRudy Sunendar, head of the EnergyMinistry’s Geology Department. “Based onthe satellite imagery interpretation, there iscollapse of some area of Mount AnakKrakatau,” he told The Associated Press atthe volcano’s monitoring post.

Saturday’s disaster struck withoutwarning, surprising people in a country thatregularly suffers landslides, earthquakes andvolcanic eruptions. No earthquake shook theground beforehand, and the waves surgedinland at night on a holiday weekend whilepeople were enjoying concerts and otherbeachside activities.

Indonesia’s tsunami warning system relieson land seismometers and buoys connected totidal gauges and is not equipped to detectunderwater landslides. The system, in any

case, has not operated for years because thebuoys have been vandalized or notmaintained because of low funding.

Heavy rains and high seas have hamperedthe search for victims. Some bodies werefound at sea and at least 159 people aremissing.

On Dec 27, residents of badly affectedBanten province on Java island weresearching through the debris of destroyed ordamaged homes for anything salvageable.

“I’ve lost everything I have, my house andall belongings inside it,” said farmerMuhamad Sarta.

“I just hope for some help from thegovernment,” he said. “Hopefully there willbe some repairs. I have nowhere to go. I haveno money. Whatever I had was lost in thewater.”

Radar data from satellites, converted intoimages, shows Anak Krakatau shrunkdramatically following Saturday’s eruption.

Satellite photos aren’t available because of

cloud cover but radar images from a JapanAerospace Exploration Agency satellite takenbefore and after the eruption show thevolcano’s southwestern flank hasdisappeared.

JAXA’s post-eruption image showsconcentric waves radiating from the island,which experts say is caused by its ongoingeruptions.

Dave Petley, head of research andinnovation at Sheffield University whoanalyzed similar images from a EuropeanSpace Agency satellite, said they support thetheory that a landslide, most of it undersea,caused the tsunami.

“The challenge now is to interpret whatmight be happening on the volcano, and whatmight happen next,” he wrote in a blog.

Anak Krakatau, which means Child ofKrakatau, is the offspring of the infamousKrakatau volcano that affected the globalclimate with a massive eruption in 1883.(AP)

3G, 4G services shut down in Bangladesh ahead of elections

DHAKA (TIP): Hours before electioncampaigning in Bangladesh comes to a close,3G and 4G services were shut down on mobilephones across the country as part of what wasseen as enhanced security measures.

Elections will be held on December 30 inBangladesh, where the ruling Awami Leagueparty, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, isfacing an anti-incumbency challenge from theJatiyo Oikyo Front, an Opposition alliance ledby the Bangladesh Nationalist Party — whoseleader Khaleda Zia is in jail on corruptioncharges.

Late on Dec 27, BangladeshTelecommunication Regulatory Commission(BTRC) asked all mobile network operators toblock their 3G and 4G services across thecountry instantly. Only 2G services (both voiceand data) will remain active. The order will bein place until further instructions are given.Earlier on Dec 27, Awami League president andBangladesh PM Hasina urged all party leadersand activists to guard polling centres across thecountry.

“You’ve to guard every polling centre so thatthey (the BNP-Jamaat alliance) can’t conductterrorist activities, because they haven’tchanged their character… They believe inmilitancy and terrorism,” she said.

Calling upon all to stage a vote revolution,Jatiyo Oikyo Front chief Kamal Hossain saidon Thursday, “We won in the past; we’ll achievevictory this time, too. December 30 will beanother Victory Day after December 16,” hesaid at a press conference. Bangladeshcelebrates Victory Day on December 16 tocommemorate victory over Pakistani forces inthe 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War,

Meanwhile, journalists covering theDecember 30 national election will be able touse motorcycles, the Election Commissionannounced. The EC withdrew the ban onmotorcycles a week after imposing it, followingsevere criticism from journalists. (PTI)

Pak says Kartarpur corridor ‘high point ofdiplomacy’ for Imran Khan govt

ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan onDec 27 described the Kartarpurcorridor as the “high point ofdiplomacy” for the Imran Khangovernment while admitted that therewas “no progress” on the contentiousissues with India. Foreign Officespokesperson Mohammad Faisal alsosaid that the Kashmir issue remained“on top of Pakistan’s priority”.

At the weekly media briefing here,Faisal said that the Kartarpur

corridor was the “high point of diplomacy for Pakistan’s new government, along with Afghan(peace) developments.” He said Prime Minister Khan in a letter to his Indian counterpartNarendra Modi in September gave a detailed roadmap to move forward but New Delhi failed toreciprocate.

Faisal said that despite India’s refusal to start a dialogue, Pakistan went ahead with thegroundbreaking of the Kartarpur corridor. Prime Minister Khan in November laid thefoundation stone for the corridor linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur – thefinal resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev – to Dera Baba Nanak shrine inIndia’s Gurdaspur district to facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims.

“It was very positively received all around the world, especially by the Sikh community. Weare actively working to develop infrastructures at Kartarpur,” Faisal said.

Faisal said, however, there was “no progress” on contentious issues with India and theKartarpur corridor was the only positive development. “We were not successful…we made aneffort but they were not reciprocating. You can say it was not successful,” the spokesman said.

Condemning the violence in Kashmir, he said Pakistan would “observe Kashmir Solidary onFebruary 5, 2019 in London where the foreign minister will be present.” Faisal said 341Pakistani prisoners were in India, including 154 civil prisoners and 187 fishermen. He said 12civil and 33 fishermen have completed their jail terms and Pakistan is working to bring themback. To a question about India’s role in the Afghan peace process, Faisal said, “India has norole in this”. Faisal said Pakistan wanted to develop peaceful ties with all neighbours andForeign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s four-nation visit this week was to explore thepossibility of a win-win framework for regional connectivity, economic development with theobjective economic growth and prosperity. (PTI)

Afghanistan postpones presidential electionKABUL (TIP): Afghanistan’s

presidential election, initiallyscheduled for April, will bepostponed for several months toallow time to fix technicalproblems that surfaced duringOctober’s parliamentaryelections, officials saidDecember 26.

More time is needed to verifyvoter lists and train staff on abiometric identification systemdesigned to reduce fraud, saidAbdul Aziz Ibrahimi, deputyspokesman for the Independent Election Commission.

Parliamentary elections were fraught with delays after the few staff trained on the biometricsystem did not show up at the polling booths and countless registered voters could not findtheir names on voter lists. Polling had to continue for a second day after hundreds of pollingstations opened several hours late. Several legal complaints have been filed to challenge theresults. No new date for the presidential election has yet been set.

The last presidential election, held in 2014, was mired in controversy and widespreadallegations of fraud.

The two leading candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, fought a tight race thatwent to a second vote. But before the results of the runoff could be announced, Abdullahalleged massive vote fraud and warned of widespread protests.

John Kerry, the then US secretary of state, interceded and helped cobble together a unitygovernment and convinced the election commission to hold off on announcing the results ofthe runoff, which Ghani seemed poised to win.

Ghani was named president and Abdullah was given a newly created title of Chief Executive.The arrangement was intended to last only two years but has continued up to the present,resulting in a government marked by deep divisions that has struggled to combat a resurgentTaliban.

The postponement of the election could give more time for U.S. efforts to end the 17-year war.US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has crisscrossed the region several times since hisappointment in September, reportedly meeting with the Taliban on several occasions.

Khalilzad has said he would like to see the Taliban and the Afghan government devise a“roadmap” before the April vote. Both sides have said that was an unrealistic deadline. (AP)


12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018US

for morenews, views

& reviews log on to

www.theindianpanorama.news

Harsh Vardhan Shringlaappointed Ambassadorof India to the US

WASHINGTON (TIP): Harsh VardhanShringla, presently High Commissioner tothe People's Republic of Bangladesh has beenappointed as the next Ambassador of India tothe United States of America. The 1984-batchIndian Foreign Service diplomatsucceedsNavtej Sarna.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla's diplomaticcareer spans over 30 years in which he hasheld various positions in New Delhi and inIndian missions in Paris, Hanoi and Tel Aviv.Before his assignment in Bangladesh, heserved as Ambassador of India to theKingdom of Thailand. He has also served inFrance (UNESCO); USA (UN, New York);Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City);Israel and South Africa (Durban).

Shringla has served in the Ministry ofExternal Affairs, New Delhi as JointSecretary (Director General) responsible forBangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and theMaldives. He has also headed the UnitedNations Political and SAARC Divisions in theMinistry. Earlier, he served as Director of theNorthern Division dealing with Nepal andBhutan and as Deputy Secretary of theEurope West Division.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla has graduatedfrom St. Stephen's College, Delhi Universityand has worked in the Corporate and PublicSectors in India prior to joining the IndianForeign Service. He has pursued a course inconflict prevention in Columbia University,New York, a subject on which he haspublished an international paper. He has alsopublished Papers on economic diplomacyand the Indian diaspora.

Shringla is expected to take up theassignment shortly, the Ministry of ExternalAffairs said in a press release.

Former Consul General of India in NewYork, Riva Ganguly Das, presently DirectorGeneral of Indian Council for CulturalRelations, has been appointed as new HighCommissioner to Bangladesh.

1984-batch Indian Foreign Service careerdiplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla succeeds

Navtej Sarna who has retired

Indian American Democrat Ro Khannasupports Trump on troops withdrawalWASHINGTON (TIP):Indian American

Democrat Ro Khanna, a fierce critic of DonaldTrump, has come out in support of thePresident's decision to pullout US troops fromSyria and Afghanistan, saying his partycolleagues should not pile on without offeringan alternative vision.

The 42-year-old Congressman, whorepresents Silicon Valley, has surprised manyby coming out in strong support of president'sdecision to withdraw American troops fromSyria and his reported plans to bring backnearly half of the 15,000 of his troops fromwar-ravaged Afghanistan.

Khanna said that he is doing so in thenational interest.

"A few days ago, I was with Trump as hesigned one of my bills. I said Mr President,China has not been in a war since 1979. If wewant to win the race against them, we shouldnot get bogged down in war. He nodded andthen observed that they have enrichedthemselves without firing a shot," Khannawrote .

Khanna, who is on the Armed ServicesCommittee, was re-elected for the second termin the November mid-term elections.

"President Trump is receiving an onslaught

of criticism for his decision to withdrawtroops from Syria and Afghanistan.Congressional Democrats should not pile onwithout offering an alternative vision," hewrote. He said that though the president'sdesire on troops withdrawal should be

applauded, but he should be challenged toassemble a team that does so with betterplanning.

"We should applaud the president's desire toput an end to these interventions but shouldchallenge him to assemble a team that does sowith better planning and diplomacy. Weshould articulate a foreign policy doctrine ofresponsible withdrawal that prioritizesrestraint and human rights," he said.

Khanna said that Trump's instincts as acandidate of ending the war and bringingtroops home were spot-on.

"There should be a short timeline forbringing home our troops to allow for asmooth transition. We should engage in directtalks with the Taliban and seek a negotiatedsettlement, involving regional actors such asPakistan, Iran, Russia, China and India,"Khanna said. However, his open support andpraise of Trump has angered his own partycolleagues. The entire Democratic leadershiphas rallied behind the outgoing DefenseSecretary James Mattis for his opposition toTrump's move on Syria and Afghanistan.

The decision to withdraw troops fromAfghanistan has not been officiallyannounced yet.

Khanna said that he is doing so in thenational interest

President Trump isdestabilizing theeconomy, saysKrishnamoorthi

WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian AmericanCongressman Raja Krishnamoorthi,representing Illinois' 8th District, heavilycriticized President Donald Trump inresponse to new developments threateningthe nation's and Illinois' economies as aresult of the government shutdownpredicated on President Trump's demand fora border wall that was supposed to be paid forby Mexico in the first place:

"President Trump is destabilizing andhobbling an already wobbly economy to fulfilonly half of a campaign pledge he has madesince 2015. After abandoning a bipartisanbudget compromise the Senate passed lastweek unanimously, the President has shutdown the federal government to appeal to ashrinking minority of Americans and right-wing talk show personalities. Instead ofhaving Mexico pay for the border wall as thePresident has promised since 2015, he isasking for as much as $5 billion fromtaxpayers for a wall that will not accomplishits stated goal and which most Americans donot want.

contd on Page 32

Krishnamoorthi pledged President Trump toend the shutdown

The US-India Chamber of Commerceorganizes Seminar on Economic Reformsand Fresh Strides in US India Relations

CHICAGO, IL (TIP): The US India Chamber of Commerce, Midwest organized its "2018Annual Gala Dinner" on December 07, 2018 at Ashyana Banquets, Downers Grove, Illinois. Thetheme of the event was "The New India-Recent Economic Reforms and Fresh Strides in USIndia Relations". The event was graced by Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India, Ms.Nicki Anderson, President/CEO, Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Amit Jhingran,CEO, State Bank of India, Chicago, Commissioner Frank Avila, Commissioner, MWRD. Theevent was also attended by distinguished guests Pastor Larry Bullock, CEO,US MinorityContractors Association, Ms. Malini Vaidyanathan, Manager Midwest, Air India and Dr.Bharat Barai a prominent Physician and Indian Community Leader from Indiana and manyother industry leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals

Mr Porus Dadabhoy made the initial welcome and invited the gathering to take their seatsand invited Dr. Ajit Pant, President of the Chamber to address the gathering.

In his address Dr. Ajit Pant gave a brief description of the activities of the Chamber andexplained the "Future Vision of the Chamber". He also discussed the chosen theme andmentioned that the recent far reaching economic changes made in India as well as the latestprogress in US India relations needed to be discussed so as to create positive awareness amongthe Indo American Community.

Consul General of India Ms Neeta Bhushan spoke on the topic Transforming India. Shementioned that over the last 4 and half years the Government of Prime Minister Modi hadaccelerated the reform process and brought a number of changes which had resulted in worldclass infrastructure, introduction of bullet trains, up gradation of urban as well as ruralconnectivity, ports, airports etc. The make in India policy had led to increased jobs for theyouth. The policies of startup India, Mudra scheme had spurred greater entrepreneurial spiritas well as economic activity in the country. IMF had described India as an Elephant that hasstarted to run. The growth rate of 7.2 percent was amongst the highest in the world.

The rating agency Moody has enhanced its rating from Stable to positive. In terms of Ease ofdoing business India ranked 77 and could soon be in the top 50. Reforms such as Goods andservices tax, Bankruptcy and Insolvency code had been welcomed by the companies in a bigway. It was easier for companies to get construction permits pay taxes and trade across borders.Access to sanitation has increased to over 90 percent. Ayushmann Bharat or the PradhanMantri arogya yojna launched in sept 2018 has already seen a large number of beneficiaries.Atal pension Yojana. (Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news)

Ms Neeta Bhushan, ConsulGeneral of India, Chicago,Dr. Ajit Pant, Dr. PrakasamTata, Ms. Nicki Anderson,President/CEO, Naperville

Area Chamber ofCommerce, Mr. Amit

Jhingran, CEO, State Bank ofIndia, Chicago,

Commissioner Frank Avila,Commissioner, MWRD with

invited guests

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 US

In a first, 4 South Asian Americansappointed chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): At first therewere none, and now there are four. The116th U.S.Congress, scheduled to convene on Jan. 3, willhave four South Asian and Indian-Americanchiefs of staff in U.S. lawmakers' offices inWashington, D.C., according to a report by AzizHanifa in India Abroad.

These unprecedented number ofappointments, though made only by theprogressives among the Democrats, have beenhailed as a boon to diversity in the legislativebranch.

Perhaps the most significant of them all wasthe recent appointment of Rohini Kosoglu asthe new chief of staff to Kamala Devi Harris,the first Indian- American U.S. Senator, whorepresents California and is mulling a run forthe presidency in 2020.

Kosoglu, who is Sri Lankan American,currently deputy chief of staff, will replaceHarris' longtime aide Nathan Barankin who isleaving to run Harris's Fearless for the PeoplePAC (Political Action Committee), a move thatsignals preparations for her launch of apresidential bid.

Announcing Kosoglu's elevation as chief ofstaff, Harris said, "Rohini has been aninvaluable leader on our team as we've foughtfor our shared values and the best of who we areas a country during these first two years."

Kosoglu, who has been a Congressionalstaffer for over a decade in the U.S. Senate andprior to joining Harris when she was elected tothe Senate in 2016, served as policy director andsenior adviser to Sen. Michael Bennet (D.-Colo.)and legislative aide to Sen. Debbie Stabenow(D.-Mich), said, she is "proud to continue to workalongside Sen. Harris as we fight to protecthealth care and civil rights, and economicopportunity for working families."

An alumna of the University of Michiganand the George Washington University, Kosoglunow becomes the only Asian Americancurrently to serve as a U.S. Senator's chief ofstaff.

Meanwhile, Ven Neralla, CongresswomanPramila Jayapal's deputy chief of staff isjoining Congressman-elect Andy Levin as theMichigan Democrat's chief of staff and on Dec.3, Jayapal announced that she had namedformer senior Obama administration officialGautam Raghavan, currently executive directorof the Indian American Impact Project & Fund,as her new chief of staff.

Raghavan, who also currently serves as anadvisor to the Biden Foundation, served as vicepresident of policy for the Gill Foundation, thenation's oldest funder of LGBTQ Civil RightsAdvocacy.

From 2011 to 2014, Raghavan served asPresident Barack Obama's liaison to the LGBTQcommunity as well as the Asian American &Pacific Islander community, and from 2009 to2011, as Acting White House Liaison for the U.S.Department of Defense and as Outreach Leadfor the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"Working Group.

The Honolulu, Hawaii-born and raisedNeralla, before coming back to Capitol Hill towork for Jayapal in 2017, served for eight yearsas a political appointee in the Obamaadministration, most recently as senior advisorfor House Appropriations and Global Health atthe U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID).

He previously served as Director ofCongressional Affairs for the Research,Education, and Economics bureau and theNational Institute for Food and Agriculture atthe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Neralla also spent eight years on the Hill aslegislative director to Rep. Barbara Lee (D.-Calif.) and earlier on the staff of the staff of

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D.-Ore.).The fourth South Asian American chief of

staff is Saikat Chakrabarti, a Silicon Valleytechie and Harvard University alumnus, whowas campaign manager to nowCongresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and comes to D.C. with her to run heroffice.

Chakrabarti co-founded Mockingbird, anonline tool for wireframing websites and webapplications and then built up the product teamat the payment processor Stripe, before leavingSilicon Valley to jump into the political fray in2015 as director of organizing for VermontSenator Bernie Sanders's presidentialcampaign in 2015-2016.

He then co-founded and served as executivedirector of Justice Democrats, a political actioncommittee and among the candidates theysupported was Ocasio-Cortez, ending up as hercampaign manager and being a catalyst in herupset victory over Democratic incumbent JoeCrowley in New York's Queens district.

Moh Sharma, president of the CongressionalAsian Pacific American Staff Association, whoalso recently took over the reins of the SouthAsian Bar Association, D.C. Chapter, told IndiaAbroad, "It is very exciting to see more AAPI(Asian American and Pacific Islander) and inparticular South Asian American chiefs of staffworking in the 116th Congress."

Sharma, one of the senior-mostCongressional staffers, who is currently asenior policy adviser and the director ofoutreach and member services for the HouseCommittee on Small Business, noted, "Diversityadds value and it is great to see the South Asianstaff in more leadership positions in the 116thCongress."

In an interview with India Abroad, Don Bell,one of the authors of the recent report, 'RacialDiversity Among Top U.S. House Staff,' by theJoint Center for Political and Economic Studies,a D.C.-based think tank, said, "We've seen somenotable gains when it comes to senior levelpositions both in the House and Senate and wecertainly commend those members for makingdiversity and inclusions as a piece of theirstaffing."

Bell acknowledged that the promotion ofKosoglu "is particularly great," and described it"as a meaningful moment for the Senate,although they've certainly a long way to go inmaking sure that senior staff in the Senate aretruly reflective of all Americans."

He reiterated that "Rohini's appointment for astate as diverse as California by Sen. Harris iscertainly an important moment," and alsolauded Jayapal, Ocasio-Cortez and Levin for"taking the wonderful step," of appointingRaghavan, Chakrabarti and Neralla as theirchiefs of staff.

Bell said, "So far, we've seen more senior hiresamong Democratic members, but I've also seensome diverse hires among Republican memberstoo. I think people are starting to recognize thatit's not enough to have diverse coalitions to winelections - you need people at the table makingpolicy decisions for their communities."

The Joint Center's report had found thatalthough people of color account for 38 percentof the U.S. population, they constitute only 13.76percent of all top staffers in the House ofRepresentatives, and that of the 329 personaloffices of white representatives, only 16 (lessthan 5 percent) are led by chiefs of staff of color.Six of those work for Democrats; 10 forRepublicans.

The report defines top, key or senior staff toinclude: chiefs of staff, legislative directors, andcommunications directors in the Washington,D.C. personal offices of House members; chiefsof staff, policy directors, and communicationsdirectors in the top four leadership offices ofeach political party; and staff directors assignedto full committees.

It said in the personal offices of whiteDemocratic lawmakers, fewer than 8 percent oftop staff are people of color, even though theseoffices represent districts that are, on average,more than 37 percent populated by people ofcolor. Just more than 2 percent of whiteDemocratic lawmakers' top staffers are black,the report said.

In the personal offices of white Republicanlawmakers in the House, only 3 percent of topstaff are people of color, even though thesemembers represent districts that are, onaverage, 26 percent people of color. Less than 1percent of these members' top staffers are black,the report said.

It said, nearly three-quarters of Housemembers -313 - have no top staff of color andthat more than one quarter of the House, 114members, do not have any top staff of color eventhough they represent districts that have morethan 33 percent people of color living there.

The report said: "Hiring top staffers of coloris not an act of charity. It is the right thing to do,and it results in better public policy."

Kapil Sharma, an erstwhile Congressionalstaffer in the 1990's, who was a senior aide toRep. Frank Pallone (D.-N.J.), the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India andIndian Americans, and then later went on towork for then Sen. Robert Torricelli (D.-N.J.),said, "It's great how we went full circle. In the90's we had several Indian Americans who werein senior leadership positions."

"We then went through a drought and now wehave four," said Sharma, now vice president,government and public affairs for Wipro, NorthAmerica, said, "The goal should now be to avoida future drought of members of our communityserving in key staff positions in Congress."

Anurima Bhargava, another longtimecommunity activist and former senior Obamaadministration official who served in theDepartment of Justice's Civil Rights Division,recently appointed by Democratic leader NancyPelosi to the U.S. Commission on InternationalReligious Freedom (USCIRF) said, "It isincredible to have these new chiefs of staff - whowill shape the agenda and the environmentwithin key Congressional offices - contributetheir considerable wisdom and perspective toaddress the most pressing and difficultchallenges to our well-being and democracy."

She said, "We need Congressional andcampaign staff - just as we need members ofCongress - who bring broad and rich experienceand judgment to the political process, and whounderstand how to build and represent strongand diverse communities."

Harin Contractor, who resurrected theWashington Leadership Program founded byIndia Abroad founder and publisher GopalRaju, said, "The fact we are seeing four Desichiefs of staff and a number of other topstaffers of Indian origin hired in the comingCongress is an incredible sign of progress."

Contractor, a WLP alumnus himself, whoalong with another alumna Nisha Jain,rebooted the program in 2009 after it gonedormant for a few years following Raju's demise,said, "The goal of the Washington LeadershipProgram is to develop more leaders in thepolicy/politics space and for these individualsto breakthrough to the highest positions on theHill is promising."

"Over the last two decades we have seen oneor two chiefs from time to time, whether it wasMini Timmaraju, Neil Dhillon, or Rohit Kumar,but for this to happen at once is unprecedented."

Contractor said, "The four members thathired South Asian staffers also represent areaswith a high desi population," and added, "Weneed to ensure this continues and ourcommunity needs to be vocal to push Membersto hire and promote senior staffers from ourcommunity."

"Take Georgia as an example, the 6th and 7thCongressional districts outside Atlanta havesome of the largest South Asian populations inthe country, but Congressman Bob Woodall,Congressman Price, and CongresswomanHandel never hired a top staffer of South Asiandescent."

Contractor said, "I personally hopeCongresswoman Lucy McBath andCongressman Woodall do so in the coming year.Far too many Members are okay with hiringSouth Asian staffers for entry-level or mid-levelpositions, but not for the positions of influencelike chief of staff, legislative director, orcommunications director, our numbers are fewand far between."

"The WLP will continue to identify, train, andbuild a pipeline of policy and political leaders,but the community needs to push Members tohire talented individuals from our community,so we can ensure we have a voice at the table," hesaid.

From top left, Rohini Kosoglu, new chief of staff to Sen. Kamala Devi Harris; Ven Neralla, newchief of staff to Congressman-elect Andy Levin of Michigan, Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to

Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Saikat Chakrabarti, chief of staff toCongresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 INDIA

INDIA BANS KHALISTANLIBERATION FORCE

NEW DELHI (TIP): A year after attacks against RSSleaders and attempts at revival of militancy with support ofISI were traced to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), theMinistry of Home Affairs has now banned it.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, MHA added KLF asthe 40th organisation to the banned list which also includesfour other Sikh extremist groups - Babbar KhalsaInternational, Khalistan Commando Force, KhalistanZindabad Force and International Sikh Youth Federation.

KLF has been banned under the Unlawful ActivitiesPrevention Act (UAPA) for committing and promotingvarious acts of terrorism in India as well as recruitment ofyouth for terrorist activities in the country.

"The KLF was engaged in killing of innocent persons andpolice officers, several bombings on civilian targets inIndia,collection of funds for terror activities throughextortion, kidnappings, bank robberies, etc., andassassination attempts of important governmentfunctionaries, says the official circular.

According to sources, the National Investigation Agency(NIA) gave detailed recommendations earlier to ban theorganisation that came into existence in 1986 with theobjective of establishing an independent Khalistan. A five-member KLF module was busted by the Punjab Police whichresulted in resolving two cases relating to planting of IEDsin Nabha.

Another KLF module was busted in Gurdaspur and fourterror accused arrested for conspiring to disrupt communalharmony in the state by targeting a specific community.

Earlier, on November 7, 2014, Jalandhar police busted aKLF/Khalistan Zindabad Force module of four membersand arrested the KLF chief along with legal arms andammunition.

In its proposal, the NIA claimed that the KLF, revived bynow dead Harminder Singh Mintoo in 2010 is being run byUK and Pakistan based terrorists with funding from severalcountries, including UK, UAE, Pakistan and Australia . TheNIA in its charge sheet named some NRIs and Britishnational Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi for conspiring tocarry out attacks in India.

Source: The Tribune

Govt mulling farm packageahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls

NEW DELHI (TIP): Under attack for the agrarian crisis,the government is contemplating several incentives,including a big financial package, to woo farmers ahead ofthe 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.

The government's likely announcement of incentives toboost rural income will come following feedback given byBJP leaders and MPs, besides other stakeholders, theyadded.

Sources said the Agriculture Ministry has prepared aroad map and made a presentation to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi suggesting both short and long term"sustainable" solutions to various issues that are impactingfarmers and causing agricultural distress in the country.

TIES BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA BACK ON NORMAL TRACK: REPORTNEW DELHI (TIP): Ties between India and China have

returned to a "normal track" and there have been positivedevelopments like Beijing giving market access to Indianproducts, but much is yet to be done in addressing thewidening trade deficit, official sources said.

Relations between the two countries were severely hit by the73-day face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies at thestrategically sensitive Doklam tri-junction in the Sikkimsector last year.

Sources told news agency Press Trust of India that that thepolitical relationship between the two countries not justrestored, but heightened in the past one year.

At the same time, they said India was seriously concernedover China's Belt and Road Initiative and the wayinternational norms and standards in giving contracts underthe project were being flouted.

The sources also told news agency PTI that India expectsChina to walk the talk on the issue of giving market access toIndian products. "The positive development is that relationswith China have returned to the normal track," said a seniorofficial, while summing up India's diplomatic engagement in2018.

Calling the Indo-Pacific a major area of India's interest, thesources said that New Delhi was keen to talk about it with

Beijing and the issue was likely to figure regularly in bilateraltalks between the two nations.

They said that there was no total unanimity between Indiaand the US on all issues relating to the Indo-Pacific and thatNew Delhi wants all major powers to be engaged over keymatters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President XiJinping have held bilateral meetings three times and also hadan informal summit in Wuhan this year, which the sourcesdescribed as "unprecedented".

They said the second informal summit between theleadership of the two countries is likely to be held in thesecond half of 2019.

On partnerships with leading powers, the sources saidIndia's ties with the US proceeded on a positive track, while"significant trust" has also been built with Russia.

The sources reiterated that the so-called 'China-PakistanEconomic Corridor' or 'CPEC' is a direct challenge to India'ssovereignty and territorial integrity.

India has been strongly opposing the so-called 'CPEC', whichis part of the Belt and Road Initiative, as it passes throughPakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Lok Sabha passes tripletalaq bill amid protests

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Lok Sabhaon Thursday, December 27 passed TheMuslim Women (Protection of Rights onMarriage) Bill, 2018, after a heateddebate. The opposition Congress and AllIndia Anna Dravida MunnetraKazhagam (AIADMK) staged a walkoutbefore the voting.

The two parties through their floorleaders, Mallikarjuna Kharge and P.Venugopal of the AIADMK had earlieropposed the Bill during the debate andasked that it be referred to a Joint SelectCommittee for consideration rather thanbe debated and passed. However, LawMinister Ravi Shankar Prasad askedmembers to pass the Bill citinghumanitarian considerations withregard to Muslim women sufferingunder triple talaq.

The Bill to make the practice of tripletalaq among Muslims a penal offencewas introduced in the Lok Sabha onDecember 17 to replace an ordinanceissued in September. Under the proposedlaw, giving instant triple talaq will beillegal and void, and will attract a jailterm of three years for the husband. Thefresh bill is proposed to supersede anearlier bill passed in the Lok Sabha andpending in the Rajya Sabha.

In the face of strong objections by theopposition, led by leader of the Congresslegislative party in the Lok Sabha,Mallikarjuna Kharge, Mr. Prasad in hisreply said as many as 477 cases of tripletalaq have been reported since January2017 with over 200 coming after theSupreme Court verdict declaring Talaq-e-Bidat as void. He explained the penalprovision in the Bill as a deterrent,stating, "deterrent is also importantwhile combating a crime."

"I am surprised that this House saysthat triple talaq is wrong but that itwants to keep silent on combating it.When penal provisions were introducedfor the Anti-Dowry Act, this Housepassed such a Bill, penal provisions arethere in the Domestic Violence Act aswell and this House passed it. So whythat objection with regard to this Bill?"asked Mr Prasad.

He said he had incorporated severalsuggestions made by the oppositionduring the debate last year on the Bill,including removal of the clause thatneighbors of the victim could file a case."Conditions for bail and mediation havealso been added to the Bill as suggestedby members," he said.

The Congress' attack during thedebate was led by president of itswomen's wing Sushmita Dev who saidthe Bill would do nothing to amelioratethe condition of Muslim women otherthan saddling them with a criminal case.

"This law is not about empoweringMuslim women; it is about criminalizinga Muslim man," Ms. Dev said.

N.K. Premachandran of theRevolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) whoalso moved several amendments said his"strong objection was to the fact that theBill criminalizes a civil wrong when it isnot so among statutes regarding Hindupersonal law or even [for] Christians."

Anwhar Raajhaa of the AIADMKdemanded to know why Muslim menwere being singled out for punishmentunder penal provisions. He also saideducational and social backwardnesswas responsible for the condition ofMuslim women far more than tripletalaq. "Who will provide maintenance to

the wife if the husband is in jail?" heasked.

'Targeting minorities'All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen

(AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi in animpassioned speech, accused thegovernment of wanting to "go after"Muslim men. "Why have youdecriminalized homosexuality andcriminalizing triple talaq? Because itwould be used against us. Sexual minoritygot choice in Section 377, then why notreligious minorities," Mr Owaisi said. "Ifyour faith is your faith, then my faithshould also be my faith. Your(Government) intentions are not clean.You can bring your own law, but we willnot forfeit our religion," Mr. Owaisi said.

The government also saw ministerialinterjections by Minister for MinorityAffairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and TextileMinister Smriti Irani. "There should befear in the hearts of those who commit thiscrime, and the tendency to sell fatwas(religious interpretations) on the streetslike vegetables should stop. This countryruns on the Constitution and not Sharialaw," Mr. Naqvi said.

The Bill was passed after the Congressand AIADMK walked out and will now betabled in the Rajya Sabha.Source: Agencies

Congress, AIADMK call for deliberation by select committee, walk out before voting

15INDIATHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

FIRST TIME AFTER 2013FREEZE, PAKISTAN GETSSPACE AT GUJARAT SUMMIT

NEW DELHI (TIP): For the first time since 2013,business delegations from Pakistan will be attending thebiennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit scheduled to beheld this time from January 18-20, 2019, the organisersconfirmed. According to records reviewed by The IndianExpress, at least seven delegations from different regions ofPakistan are expected to take part, making it the largestcontingent ever from the country at the summit.

They are among the 52 delegations representingcommerce and trade bodies from various countries whohave confirmed their participation for the Global Conclaveof International Chambers, which is one of the events at thesummit.

In 2013, a 22-member delegation from Karachi Chamber ofCommerce and Industry had arrived for the summit andattended a pre-event buyer-seller meet on January 9-10.However, with bilateral tensions rising following the killingof two Indian soldiers in a ceasefire violation at theMendhar sector of J&K’s Poonch on January 8, thedelegation left without attending the main summit onJanuary 12-13.

INDIA SNUBS PAK, SAYSKARTARPUR NO DIPLOMATICMOVE, BUT LINKED TO FAITH

NEW DELHI (TIP): India on Thursday underscoredthere was no change in Delhi’s approach towards Islamabadand viewed Kartarpur corridor development as one ofculture and faith.

Stating that it was PM Narendra Modi who called upImran Khan to congratulate him on being elected thePakistan PM, sources said a meeting between ExternalAffairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistancounterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi was called off after thekilling of policemen in J&K as it showed there was nodiscerning change in Islamabad’s approach towards NewDelhi. The sources said for India, the corridor was not adiplomatic move but one related to culture and faith. Earlierin the day, Pakistan described the corridor as the “highpoint of diplomacy” for the Imran Khan government whileadmitting that there was “no progress” on the contentiousissues with India. Source: The Tribune

BJP sets ball rolling for 2019,appoints in-charge for 17 states

NEW DELHI (TIP): After a rather dismal performancein recent Assembly elections, the BJP on Wednesday set theball rolling for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, appointing in-charge for 17 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Telangana and thethree states it lost to the Congress- Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Haryana's Finance MinisterCapt Abhimanyu has been give the charge of Chandigarh'sone seat and also Punjab, where the BJP normally contestthree of the 13 constituencies, leaving the major chunk forally Akali Dal. Meanwhile, Union minister ThawarchandGehlot will oversee the affairs of Uttarakhand and its fiveseats and tested state leader Tirth Singh Rawat HimachalPradesh's four constituencies.But for key state UttarPradesh, which sends as many 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha andwhere regional parties-Mayawati-led SP and AkhileshYadav's SP-are posing a serious threat to the BJP prospects,Amit Shah has sent key lieutenants Govardhan Jhadapia, aGujarat leader, Dushyant Gautam, a party vice president,and Narottam Mishra from Madhya Pradesh.

NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Congressleader Sajjan Kumar is likely tosurrender before a court here onDecember 31 to serve the lifeimprisonment awarded to him by theDelhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikhriots case.

“We will comply with the high court’sjudgment,” his counsel Anil KumarSharma told PTI.

The counsel said Kumar’s appeal inthe Supreme Court challenging the highcourt verdict is not likely to be taken upfor hearing before December 31.

The 73-year-old former Congressleader was sentenced to life for the“remainder of his natural life” by theDelhi High Court on December 17 in a1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The case relates to killing of fiveSikhs in Raj Nagar Part 1 area in PalamColony in South West Delhi onNovember 1-2, 1984 and burning down ofa gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part 2. Riotshad broken out after the assassination ofthen prime minister Indira Gandhi onOctober 31, 1984 by her two Sikhbodyguards.

The high court had on December 21rejected Kumar’s plea seeking extensiontill January 30 to surrender.

The former Congress leader hadsought more time to surrender, saying

he had to settle the family affairs relatedto his children and property and alsoneeded time to file appeal in theSupreme Court against the high courtverdict.

Sharma said they had removed theobjections in their appeal filed in theapex court but since the court was onvacation till January 1, it was not likelyto be taken up for hearing by December31 and also the chances of mentioningfor urgent listing of the appeal were notthere. The Supreme Court will open onJanuary 2 after the winter break.

“We have removed the objections andthe appeal in the apex court has beennumbered. At present, there are nobenches in the Supreme Court. Even ifwe mention the matter for urgenthearing, the registrar will decide

whether it will be heard by the bench.No time is left now,” Kumar’s counselsaid.

He said they were yet to engage asenior counsel who would representKumar before the apex court.

The former Congress leader had onDecember 22 approached the SupremeCourt challenging the high court’sjudgment.

Senior advocate HS Phoolka, who isrepresenting the riots victims, hadearlier said that they had already filed acaveat in the apex court to pre-empt anyex-parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

The high court had set aside the trialcourt’s 2010 verdict which had acquittedKumar in the case. The six accused,including Kumar who was a Member ofParliament at that time, were sent to betried in 2010.

The high court had also upheld theconviction and varying sentencesawarded by the trial court to the otherfive-- former Congress councillorBalwan Khokhar, retired naval officerCaptain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal andformer MLAs Mahender Yadav andKishan Khokhar.

All six, including Kumar, weredirected by the high court to surrenderby December 31, and not leave Delhi inthe mean time. Source: PTI

SAJJAN KUMAR LIKELY TO SURRENDERBEFORE COURT ON DECEMBER 31

Over 90% electoral bondssold are of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 1 crNEW DELHI (TIP): Notwithstanding the aim to bring in

transparency in funding to political parties by giving analternative to cash donations, the latest data reveals that aftersix rounds of sale of electoral bonds, donors continue to beanonymous, as the norms allow them to remain secretive.

Sources reveal that as per the data, despite being availablein five denominations - Rs1,000, Rs10,000, Rs1 lakh, Rs10 lakhand Rs1 crore - more than 90 per cent of electoral bonds weresold in the top two units, which apparently were purchased bybig business houses.

It is also learnt that the total number of bonds sold in sixphases were 2,134 of which 2,007 went for higherdenominations of Rs10 lakh and Rs1 crore, as they were mostlybought in metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and thenational capital.

Incidentally, for financial year 2017-18, the ruling BJP in itsdeclaration to the Election Commission said it received anincome of Rs210 crore from contribution through electoralbonds. Sources said during this period (2017-18) electoralbonds worth Rs 222 crore were sold. Therefore, it is clear fromthe figures that almost 95 per cent of the total bonds went tothe BJP account.

On several occasions, experts and even the poll panel raisedthe issue of secrecy norm in the electoral bond, saying it willonly cement the nexus between political parties and corporatedonors.

As the government, while notifying the electoral bondscheme, had claimed it envisaged total clean money andsubstantial transparency coming into the system of politicalfunding, the Election Commission had raised concerns andhad written to the Law Commission in May 2017 overamendments in the Finance Act, 2017, which brought aboutchanges in the Income Tax Act, the Companies Act, 2013, andthe Representation of People Act, 1951, to enable the launch ofthe electoral bonds scheme.

Former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat is also

reported to have talked about grey areas with respect toelectoral bonds. "Earlier, we had expressed concern regardingtransparency and the possibility of shell companies, whichcan buy electoral bonds," he had said.

Donation process Electoral bonds are available in five denominations: Rs

1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore Bonds will not carry the name of the payee and will be

valid for 15 days Can be used to donate funds to registered parties only Can be encashed only through that party's bank account

Denomination Bonds sold Rs 1 crore: 950 Rs10 lakh: 1,057 Rs 1 lakh: 25 Rs 10,000: 0 Rs 1,000: 2 Source: Tribune

BJP gets Rs 210 cr of Rs 222-cr bonds soldin FY18; donors remain anonymous

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018THEATER

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes BackFrom NJSO

By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra(NJSO) presents screenings of theiconic film Star Wars: The Empire

Strikes Back with Oscar®-winning composerJohn Williams' scores performed live in RedBank, Newark and New Brunswick.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Jan3-6, 2019

Fans will be able to experience the scopeand grandeur of these beloved films in a livesymphonic concert experience at the CountBasie Center for the Arts in Red Bank onJanuary 4, New Jersey Performing ArtsCenter on January 5 at Newark and The StateTheatre New Jersey on January 6 in NewBrunswick.

Since the release of the first Star Warsmovie nearly 40 years ago, the Star Wars sagahas had a seismic impact on both cinema andculture, inspiring audiences around the worldwith its mythic storytelling, captivatingcharacters, groundbreaking special effectsand iconic musical scores composed byWilliams.

After the destruction of the Death Star, theEmpire has regrouped-with Darth Vaderleading the hunt for Luke Skywalker. StarWars and the New Jersey SymphonyOrchestra join forces for Star Wars: TheEmpire Strikes Back in concert, featuring the

iconic movie on the big screen with the NJSOperforming John Williams' legendary scorelive.

PROGRAMS

STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKIN CONCERT

Fri, Jan 4, at 8 pm | Count Basie Center forthe Arts in Red Bank

Sat, Jan 5, at 3 pm and 8 pm | NJPAC inNewark

Sun, Jan 6, at 3 pm | State Theatre NewJersey in New Brunswick

CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS conductorNEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAFor more information, visit

njsymphony.org/starwars.

TICKETSFor tickets, visit the NJSO online at

njsymphony.org, or in person at 60 Park Place,Suite 900, in Newark or call 1.800.ALLEGRO(255.3476)

Tickets for the January 4 performance areavailable from the Count Basie Center for theArts online at thebasie.org, or in person at 99Monmouth Street in Red Bank, or by phone at732.842.9000.

For tickets for the January 5 performances,visit njpac.org, or in person at 1 Center Street

in Newark or call 1.888.GO.NJPAC(888.466.5722).

Tickets for January 6 performance areavailable from State Theatre New Jerseyonline at stnj.org, or in person at 15Livingston Ave in New Brunswick or by phone

at 732.246.SHOW (7469).

JOHN WILLIAMSLegendary composer Williams is well

known for scoring all eight of the Star Warssaga films, beginning with 1977's Star Wars: ANew Hope, for which he earned an AcademyAward for Best Original Score. His scores forThe Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jediand Star Wars: The Force Awakens and StarWars: The Last Jedi were each nominated forOscars for Best Original Score.

For more information on iconic JohnWilliams, visit johnwilliams.org.

DISNEY CONCERTSDisney Concerts is the concert production

and licensing division of Disney MusicGroup, the music arm of The Walt DisneyCompany. Disney Concerts produces concertsand tours and licenses Disney music andvisual content to symphony orchestras andpresenters on a worldwide basis.

Disney Concerts' concert packages includea variety of formats, such as "live to picture"film concerts and themed instrumental andvocal compilation concerts, and range frominstrumental-only symphonic performancesto multimedia productions featuring livevocalists and choir.

Current titles include the Star Wars Film

Concert Series (Episodes IV-VII), Beauty andthe Beast, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, PixarIn Concert, The Nightmare Before Christmas,Alice In Wonderland, Frozen, Ratatouille, ThePirates of the Caribbean series (Episodes I-IV)and Silly Symphonies, which last year

collectively accounted for more than 400performances in many of the world's topconcert venues, including Lincoln Center,Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House,Tokyo Forum and the Hollywood Bowl.

Numerous new concert packages andtouring productions from Disney's portfolio ofstudios, including Disney's feature animationand live-action studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm andMarvel, are currently in development.

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRANamed "a vital, artistically significant

musical organization" by The Wall StreetJournal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestraembodies that vitality through its statewidepresence and critically acclaimedperformances, education partnerships andunparalleled access to music and theOrchestra's superb musicians.

Music Director Xian Zhang-a "dynamicpodium presence" The New York Times haspraised for her "technical abilities,musicianship and maturity"-continues heracclaimed leadership of the NJSO. TheOrchestra presents classical, pops and familyprograms, as well as outdoor summerconcerts and special events. Embracing itslegacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO isthe resident orchestra of the New JerseyPerforming Arts Center in Newark and

regularly performs at State Theatre NewJersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Centerfor the Arts in Red Bank, RichardsonAuditorium in Princeton, Mayo PerformingArts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC inEnglewood. Partnerships with New Jerseyarts organizations, universities and civicorganizations remain a key element of theOrchestra's statewide identity.

In addition to its lauded artisticprogramming, the NJSO presents a suite ofeducation and community engagementprograms that promote meaningful, lifelongengagement with live music. Programsinclude school-time Concerts for YoungPeople; NJSO Youth Orchestras family ofstudent ensembles, led by José LuisDomínguez; and El Sistema-inspired NJSOCHAMPS (Character, Achievement and MusicProject). NJSO musicians annually performoriginal chamber music programs atcommunity events in a variety of settingsstatewide through the NJSO CommunityPartners Program.

For more information, visitnjsymphony.org or [email protected]. Tickets areavailable for purchase by phone at1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on theOrchestra's website.

COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is NewJersey's premier center for the cultural arts,dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusiveartistic experiences and creative exchange ofideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educateand entertain through its distinct andengaging cultural and artistic offerings thatreflect the diversity of the region.

The Basie Center has hosted an array ofworld-class artists, including BruceSpringsteen & the E-Street Band, Jon BonJovi, John Legend, Crosby Stills & Nash, TonyBennett, Sophia Loren and Ringo Starr.

For more information, visit thebasie.org.

STATE THEATRE NEW JERSEYState Theatre New Jersey-creating

extraordinary experiences through the powerof live performance. The theater exists toenrich people's lives, contribute to a vitalurban environment and build futureaudiences by presenting the finest performingartists and entertainers and fostering lifetimeappreciation for the performing arts througheducation.

For more information, visit stnj.org.

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts &Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and

Health & Wellness)

NJSO/movie screen composite shot.

Scenes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Photos /© 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY

17ADVERTISEMENT

Bollywood star Aditi Rao Hydari hasjoined the list of luminaries’ vocalagainst the prevalent culture of sexual

harassment in the industry by sharing herown #MeToo experience.

The 34-year-old Padmaavat actor addressingthe India Today Conclave South 2018 inVisakhapatnam shed light on the unwantedadvances she encountered upon her entranceinto the industry.

"I remember when I started, I was extra-naive because I came from a protectedbackground. I didn’t know that the rumourswere true, that things like this did happen.And honestly, I have not had such a bad time. Ihad one incident which actually didn’t harmme very much. But yes, I did lose workbecause I was given a choice - it’s either this orthis. For me, it was a no-brainer. I had to walkaway," she stated.

She went on to add: "I think you shouldspeak about something only when you areready. And when you don’t talk about it,people are like, ‘Oh, they were paid off ’ or ‘oh,they were silenced.”

Moreover, the actor revealed how theinjustice had affected her personally as wellas in her professional life: “I did lose work andI cried about it. I didn’t regret it but I criedabout it because I felt so upset that this wastrue and this is how girls are treated. I was

like, how dare someone speak to me like that!For about eight months [after the incident] Ididn’t get work, but I feel that decision mademe stronger in my intention about the kind ofwork I wanted to do.”

“I think that everybody should do what theyneed to do, when they think it is right. That iswhat empowering a person is. This #MeToomovement is turning that on its head andtaking that power away by putting theseconditions and saying, ‘You must speak. If youdon’t, that means you are giving in,’” sheconcluded.

18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 BOLLYWOOD

FATIMA SANA SHAIKH OPENSUP ABOUT LINK-UP RUMOURS

WITH AAMIR KHAN

PRIYANKA CHOPRA,NICK JONAS’ JODHPURWEDDING PICS GET ASIMPSONS MAKEOVER

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas arecurrently in London, celebratingChristmas with their loved ones. In the

meanwhile, two pictures from their twinwedding ceremonies in Jodhpur have beenconverted to look like they belong in the worldof the popular American sitcom, The Simpsons.Priyanka took to Instagram to share thepictures.

In one picture, which is from her Christianceremony, she is dressed in a white RalphLauren gown while Nick sports a tuxedo, asNick’s dad Paul Kevin Jonas Sr officiates theceremony. In the second, Priyanka is dressed ina red Sabyasachi lehenga while Nick has asherwani on.

It is not clear, however, if the pictures will beused in any upcoming episode or not. It ay benoted that the said cartoons have been createdby Italian web artist Rino Russo (Hinduwedding) and Stefano Monda (Christianceremony) respectively. While it is not clear ifRusso works for Simpsons, Monda’s Instagrampage clearly states “Not associated, sponsoredby Fox or other programs”.

Meanwhile, Priyanka posted another picture,of her family, from their family Christmas evecelebrations and wrote: “Love you family#famjam #christmaseve.”

Ever since Fatima Sana Shaikh made asmashing debut in Nitesh Tiwari'ssports drama Dangal, whispers have

been doing the rounds that something isbrewing between her and her co-star AamirKhan. When Fatima landed a second film,Thugs Of Hindostan, with Aamir, therumours only intensified.

In an interview with an entertainmentwebsite, Fatima admitted that she was reallybothered by the link-up. "It's very weird. Mymother keeps on watching TV and the otherday she showed me 'Your photo has come'and I was like 'Read the headline to knowwhat's written.' I used to get disturbed and Ifelt like I should explain myself," she said.

The actress added, "If someone accusesyou of something, the first instinct is to comeout and tell, 'Listen, why do you think it islike this?' If you are an aggressive person,you will attack. If you are a submissiveperson, even then you will talk about it."However, Fatima is no longer affected by therumours. "Now, I do not feel the need toexplain because I feel no matter what you do,people will talk about you. 'Logo ka kaam haibolna woh bolenge.' No point getting affectedby it. People, who write these things, are thepeople who will meet me nicely. I know it'stheir job but I hope they sleep well," she said.

On the work front, Fatima is currentlyshooting for Anurag Basu's next, which isrumoured to be the sequel of Life In A Metro.

I lost work and I cried about it: Aditi RaoHydari on her #MeToo story in Bollywood

Fatima Sana Shaikh,who has worked opposite Aamir

Khan in Dangal and Thugs ofHindostan, has opened

up about the link-up rumoursthat have hounded them

for years

Aditi said that though herexperience with sexualharassment in the film

industry wasn’t as severe asthe accounts of other women,it still made her lose work for

eight months

19HOLLYWOOD THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

NATALIE PORTMAN OPENS UP ABOUT BEING SEXUALISED

AS A CHILD ACTOR

HAYLEY ATWELL'S NUDE PICTURE LEAKEDON X-RATED SITE

It's being claimed by hackers that they haveleaked naked images of Hayley Atwellonline, who is known for Marvel's Agents

Carter and Captain America.An image of the 36-year-old British actress is

reported to have been posted on a "seedy"website which reveals a "selfie" of HayleyAtwell in the nude. It's further said thatadditional naked images of Hayley Atwell willbe released. It's also said the comments made bythe website are too raunchy to print.

The image is said to only feature half her faceand is a pic of herself in the bathroom, whichalso includes her buttocks.

The UK's Daily Star reports that it is likelyAtwell will take action over the alleged hackingand notes sharing intimate shots of someonewithout their consent is a crime under revengeporn laws in England and Wales.

According to the site's industry insider, "Thisis a nightmare for Hayley. In recent years shehas hit the big time in Hollywood, so this is thelast thing she will have wanted to happen."

Hayley Atwell recently starred in Disney'sChristopher Robin and has Blinded by the Lightcoming out next month.

The leak follows the massive 2014 Hollywoodleak of naked images featuring X-Men'sJennifer Lawrence, Jessica Jones' KristenRitter, Kate Upton, Victoria Justice, ArianaGrande, Spider-Man's Kirsten Dunst, Hope Solo,Yvonne Strahovski, Teresa Palmer, Mary E.Winstead and others.

It hasn't yet been revealed how the HayleyAtwell naked images have been leaked byhackers.

Hayley Atwell rose to stardom playing PeggyCarter in 2011's Captain America: The FirstAvenger, 2014's The Winter Soldier, appearing inepisodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., beingfeatured in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man,the Marvel TV Agent Carter ABC series thatlasted for one season, and she also most recentlyappeared in The Avengers: Endgame trailer.Fans have been speculating that Atwell's PeggyCarter and Chris Evans' Captain America mightget some sort of sendoff in The Avengers:Endgame as well.

Being famous comes with its ownhazards. After spending about 25years in the show business,

Hollywood actor Natalie Portman onTuesday said that being sexualised as achild star made her feel unsafe.

The 37-year-old actor who made herdebut at the age of 13 in 1994's 'TheProfessional' at the Women's March lastJanuary, revealed that her first ever fanmail was a rape fantasy written by a man.

Reflecting on it further, Portman said, "Iunderstood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myselfsexually I would feel unsafe and that menwould feel entitled to discuss and objectifymy body to my great discomfort."

She added that she felt like she has tocover herself up to ensure that she isrespected by others, "I felt the need to covermy body and to inhibit my expression andmy work in order to send my own messageto the world that I'm someone worth ofsafety and respect," she added.

However, this was when she was just ateenager. Today the actor says she has cometo terms with the situation. "I know I wassexualized in the ways that I wasphotographed or portrayed, and that wasnot my doing. That becomes a part of yourpublic identity," People quotes Portman assaying.

The academy award winner, whose pastcredits include 'Annihilation', 'Black Swan'and 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' will benext seen in Jude Law starrer 'Vox Lux'.

The film tells the story of a pop star(played by Portman) who survived a schoolshooting as a young girl and is still dealingwith the aftermath of the horrifyingincident.

"She is such a wild character, but she'salso someone I felt was a real person, who isthe product of this life that has happened toher," Portman said about her character inthe movie.

The flick is slated to release on February23 in the US.

Keira Knightley considered quittingHollywood after early breakdown

Actress Keira Knightley almost turned her back onHollywood for good after suffering a mental breakdownduring her early rise to fame.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star recently admitted she crackedunder the pressure of blockbuster fame at the age of 22 asphotographers followed her everywhere, hoping to get snaps andvideo footage of the young Brit in the middle of a meltdown.

In the candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter in October,she revealed the media mauling forced her to retreat from thelimelight and take a year off.

"I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),because of all of that stuff," she explained. "I went deep into therapyand all of that, and she (the therapist) said, 'It's amazing, I normallycome in here and have people that think people are talking aboutthem and they think that they're being followed, but actually they'renot. You're the first person that actually that is happening to!'"

Now Knightley, 33, has confessed that at the urging of her lovedones, she seriously considered quitting acting for good to escape theunwanted intrusion in her personal life, but she ultimately refused tolet the tabloids and paparazzi bully her into giving up her dream job.



22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

#MeToo movement:Wave of sexual abuseallegations shakesArgentina

BUENOS AIRES (TIP): For months,Claudia Guebel could only tell family andfriends about a traumatising encounterwith a colleague in Argentina’s Senate.

At the beginning of this year, she said,Pedro Fiorda, a senator’s chief of staff,grabbed her violently by the arms like a“hunter who catches prey”. Then, she felthis tongue inside her mouth. The terrorthat seized her made those minutes seemeternal, she said.

“I didn’t know how to react, I wasparalysed,” said Guebel, a congressionalaide who previously worked for the samesenator.

In December, she was finally moved tofile a formal complaint with judicialauthorities after actress Thelma Fardinpublicly accused actor Juan Darthes ofraping her in 2009 when she was 16 and hewas 45. Writers, politicians and journalistsexpressed support for Fardin on socialmedia.

“With Thelma’s statements, everythingwas awakened in me,” said Guebel, 52.

Fiorda could not be reached forcomment by The Associated Press, andDarthes says he is innocent.

But Guebel is now part of a wave ofwomen who have come forward in theSouth American country with sexualmisconduct accusations in what hasinevitably been compared to the(hash)MeToo movement in the UnitedStates, where the worlds of media,business, entertainment and politics havebeen roiled by allegations againstpowerful men.

Women say they are also taking a cuefrom “Ni Una Menos”, an Argentinegrassroots movement that emerged in 2015and spread globally. The movement hasdrawn thousands into massivedemonstrations against feminicide andviolence against women in Argentina,where a bill attempting to legaliseabortion was defeated in August.

“For a while in Argentina we have beenwitnessing a paradigm shift … where thevoices of women are beginning to beheard, understood and, most importantly,accompanied by others,” said FabianaTunez, executive director of the NationalInstitute for Women in Argentina, whosaid the accusations by Fardin lent themovement more visibility.

On December 11, the actress announcedshe had filed a criminal complaint inNicaragua, where she says she was rapedby Darthes in a hotel during a promotionaltour for “Ugly Duckling”, a children’stelevision series. Darthes, who has sincemoved to his native Brazil, has denied theallegation. Three other women also haveaccused him of harassment or abuse.

“We are all very shocked,” said SabrinaCartabia, Fardin’s lawyer. “It is opening upthe possibility of talking about somethingvery painful.”

In Argentina, there is no nationalregistry of victims of sexual abuse. But asurvey found that 45 per cent of the 2,750students polled at public and privateuniversities in Buenos Aires reportedsuffering physical or psychological abuseand 9 per cent had suffered sexual abuse.The survey was published in a 2016 reportby UNICEF Argentina. Another pollconducted by the Argentine ManagementSociety of Actors found that 66 per cent ofactresses said they had suffered some typeof harassment or abuse while exercisingtheir profession. (AP)

WORLD

Syria faces brittle future,dominated by Russia and Iran

BEIRUT (TIP): Turkey is threatening toinvade Syria to eradicate Kurdish fighters.Syrian forces are rolling toward territory theAmericans will soon abandon. Israel isbombing Iran-backed militias deep insideSyria. And Russia could soon move to crush thelast vestige of the Syrian anti-governmentinsurgency.

The Syria that the U.S. military is vacatingon President Donald Trump’s orders is aBalkanized version of the country that plungedinto a calamitous civil war nearly eight yearsago.

Now, with the U.S. troop withdrawal and thedemise of the insurgency against PresidentBashar Assad, Iran and Russia will be evenfreer to flex their power in Syria.

“Welcome to the post-American MiddleEast,” Richard N. Haass, a longtime diplomatand president of the Council on ForeignRelations, said in a Twitter post on Dec 26.

A look at the changing complexities of theSyria conflict:

What could postwar Syria look like?After years of bloodshed set in motion by the

Arab Spring protests that had inspired hope fordemocratic change, the most likely Syrianfuture, Middle East analysts project, is a farmore brittle version of what existed before thewar: Assad leading a repressive governmentpuppeteered by Russia and Iran.

Both countries are longtime allies of Assad’s.By rescuing him with Russian airpower andIranian manpower, they have embeddedthemselves even further.

Shiite Iran, which competes with Sunnipowers led by Saudi Arabia for influence acrossthe region, has sent tens of thousands ofIranian and proxy fighters to Syria. It isbuilding Shiite shrines and strengtheningShiite militias that it hopes to use as leverageagainst Israel.

Russia, which already exerted considerablepolitical influence in Syria, holds sway over itsforeign policy, military and security services.That is part of the price Moscow exacted forhaving protected Assad, a brutal autocrat oncedescribed by Western leaders as finished.

What do Russia and Iran get in return?Although they may find staying in Syria

costly, frustrating and unpopular back home,Russia and Iran have secured an advantagefrom outlasting the United States: regionalclout.

For both countries, this is “the dreamscenario,” said Daniel Benaim, a fellowfocusing on the Middle East at the Center forAmerican Progress, a liberal research group inWashington. “They get to tell the story thatthey’ve been telling to every actor on theground — America’s friends and America’s foesalike — that America is no longer a reliablepartner in the Middle East.”

Why were U.S. soldiers in Syria?Two thousand Americans were deployed in

northeast Syria, collaborating with Kurdish-ledforces to wipe the Islamic State from the area.But that partnership angered neighboringTurkey, which sees the autonomy-mindedKurds as a dangerous enemy.

How — or even if — the fight against theIslamic State in Syria will now proceed remainsunclear. An estimated 30,000 Islamic Stateadherents are believed scattered in the country.

Many experts anticipate that a hasty U.S.pullout could spawn another major battle,either as Turkey moves to crush its Kurdishfoes, or as Assad’s forces retake the northeast,or both.

It is possible that the Kurds and Assad couldcome to a deal first. If not, a new round offighting could send new waves of refugees —Kurds and others — fleeing toward Iraq in anew round of mayhem that could also helpincubate the Islamic State’s revival.

“That’s absolutely a possibility, the risk oftotal chaos,” said Aron Lund, a Syria analystand fellow at the Century Foundation, a thinktank, “when the thing that’s been keeping thesituation stable — not saying it was good orbad, but stable — just disappears in a puff ofsmoke.”

Who will occupy the territory vacated by theAmericans?

According to the Institute for the Study ofWar, Russia, Iran and Iran-backed militias,including the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah,are well-positioned to seize territory innortheast Syria abandoned by the UnitedStates. They occupy 29 nearby positions,according to the group, and a further sevenacross the Iraq border.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights, which tracks Syria’s war via anetwork of citizen monitors, said Sunday thatthe Syrian government had dispatchedthousands of fighters toward the Islamic State’slast patches of territory in the northeast.

What remains of the anti-Assad insurgency?The last major redoubt of the rebels opposed

to Assad are crowded into Idlib province innorthwestern Syria, neighboring Turkey.Russia may help Assad’s forces retake theprovince eventually. But Russia also is expectedto first negotiate with Turkey, which hassupported anti-Assad groups and has a vestedinterest in what happens along its border withSyria.

How have the changes affected Israel?Analysts say Iran can now link Shiite

partners in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon in aunified front against Israel. In Syria, Iran andHezbollah aim to strengthen a militarypresence near the Golan Heights, annexed byIsrael after it was captured in the 1967 war.

Israel has made clear it will not tolerate anincreased threat from Syria, which the Israelisdemonstrated Tuesday with airstrikes nearDamascus.

The Russians, who have good relations withIsrael, have tacitly allowed it to conduct suchoperations in the past. Still, the Kremlinprotested Wednesday what it called Israel’s“gross violation” of Syrian sovereignty.

How is Iran changing Syria?The Iranian-led Shiite partnership in Syria

faces a basic shortcoming: few Shiites in aSunni-majority country. Still, Iran has extended

its influence among both Syrian fighters andcivilians.

In some parts of Syria, Iran has distributedcash to pay for housing to people displaced bythe war; in others, it has established Shiiteshrines that, according to the Observatory, havedrawn visitors from Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Defying the Syrian government’s historicsecularism, Iran and Hezbollah have infusedparts of the country with a strikingly religioustint. It was rare in the past, for example, to seecelebrations for Ashura, a major Shiite holiday,in non-Shiite areas of Damascus. Now, however,Ashura parades and rituals are much morevisible.

Some soldiers in the historically secularSyrian army have become more religious afterjoining Iran-backed Shiite militias. Others haveswitched to such militias for nonreligiousreasons. Fighters in Iran-backed groups receivebetter pay and more days off than the armyoffers, and joining a Shiite militia does notnecessarily mean converting to Shiism. But it isa marked shift from the old way.

“It’s no longer purely secular,” said Ali Rizk,a Beirut-based analyst who writes about Iran.He said Iran and Hezbollah have spread theirShiite beliefs among some of the Syrian forces.“It’s only human — after all, these units werecoordinating with each other, fighting side byside.”

Are Russians welcomed in Syria?Russia has cemented ties with Syrian

leaders, strengthened relations with Turkeyand eclipsed the United States as the power tocontend with in the Middle East.

The Russians have also demonstrated acanny understanding of Syrian sensitivities —dispatching military policemen from Russia’spredominantly Sunni Muslim Chechnyaregion, for example, to negotiate rebelwithdrawals and keep the peace in Sunni areasretaken by Assad’s side.

On a visit to the formerly insurgent-heldsouthern suburbs of Damascus in October,three Russian military policemen werepatrolling with a green armored vehicle thatbore the Russian flag. Syrians greeted them inArabic, sometimes throwing in a “privyet” —“hi” in Russian.

Many have welcomed the Russians,preferring them to the government’s securityenforcers or to Shiite militiamen backed byIran. Those in the area who still opposed thegovernment said they were heartened in thespring, when a YouTube video showed Russianmilitary policemen arresting Syrian soldiersaccused of looting. Then, in June, when Shiitemilitiamen arrested two Sunni men, theRussians pressured the militias into releasingthem, residents said.

(the new york times)

23WORLDTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Iraqi lawmakerscriticize Trump visit asblow to Iraqisovereignty

BAGHDAD (TIP): Iraqi political andmilitia leaders condemned US PresidentDonald Trump’s surprise visit to UStroops in Iraq on Dec 26 as a violation ofIraq’s sovereignty, and lawmakers said ameeting between Trump and Iraqi PrimeMinister Adel Abdul Mahdi was canceleddue to a disagreement over venue.

Sabah al Saadi, the leader of the Islahparliamentary bloc, called for anemergency session of parliament “todiscuss this blatant violation of Iraq’ssovereignty and to stop these aggressiveactions by Trump who should know hislimits: The US occupation of Iraq is over.”

The Bina bloc, Islah’s rival inparliament and led by Iran-backed militialeader Hadi al-Amiri, also objected toTrump’s trip to Iraq. “Trump’s visit is aflagrant and clear violation of diplomaticnorms and shows his disdain and hostilityin his dealings with the Iraqigovernment,” said a statement from Bina.

Abdul Mahdi’s office said in a statementthat US authorities had informed Iraq’sleadership of the president’s visit ahead oftime. The statement said the Iraqi primeminister and US president talked bytelephone due to a “disagreement overhow to conduct the meeting.”

Iraqi lawmakers told Reuters that thepair had disagreed over where theirplanned meeting should take place: Trumphad asked to meet at the Ain al-Asadmilitary base, an offer which Abdul Mahdideclined.

Trump’s visit comes amid a backdrop ofescalating tensions between Washingtonand Tehran, as Washington seeks tocounter Iran’s sway in the Middle East.The formation of Iraq’s government hasstalled as well amid intensifying discordbetween the Islah and Bina blocs.

Falih Khazali, a former militia leaderturned politician allied with Bina, accusedthe United States of wanting to increaseits presence in Iraq. “The Americanleadership was defeated in Iraq and wantsto return again under any pretext, and thisis what we will never allow,” he said.

Bina said Trump’s visit “places manyquestion marks on the nature of the USmilitary presence and its real objectives,and what these objectives could pose to thesecurity of Iraq.”

While there has been no full-scaleviolence in Iraq since Islamic Statesuffered a series of defeats last year, some5,200 US troops train and advise Iraqiforces still waging a campaign against themilitant group. Islah is headed by populistShi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Sadr haslong opposed the US presence in Iraq sincethe US-led invasion toppled SaddamHussein in 2003. He led two uprisingsagainst US forces in Iraq and is one of thefew Shi’ite leaders to also distance himselffrom Iran. Iraq’s Shi’ite militias, alsoknown as the PMF, many of which aresupported by Iran, oppose the presence ofUS troops in the region. The PMF wasmade formally part of the security forcesthis year after helping the military defeatIslamic State in Iraq in 2017.

Qais al-Khazali, the leader of thepowerful Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haqmilitia said on Twitter, “Iraqis will respondwith a parliamentary decision to oust your(US) military forces. And if they do notleave, we have the experience and the abilityto remove them by other means that yourforces are familiar with.” (Reuters)

Sikh group hosts Christmasfeast for homeless inside

Birmingham railway stationBIRMINGHAM (TIP): A Sikh charity

group on Christmas Eve hosted a feast for 200homeless people inside a train station inBirmingham, England. Midland Langar SevaSociety (MLSS), an organisation run byRandhir Singh Heer and Parmjit Singh,converted a part of the New Street Station inBirmingham into a temporary dining areawith rows of tables and chairs.

Speaking to The Indian Express, ParmjitSingh said, “We served langar to over 200homeless people in Birmingham among otherfood items. Their joy and happiness knew nobounds. This is the true spirit of Christmas —to serve those who are in need. The homelesspeople have no one to provide them with food.We decided to rope them in the celebrations sothat they do not feel left out.”

The all-vegetarian feast included tomatosoup, roasted vegetables and cakes andcustard for dessert. The guests also receivedgifts from Santa Claus who distributed winterwear donated by the local community.

Parmjit also said that the concept of GuruNanak’s langar is not limited to any religionor festival.

“We keep distributing langar on a dailybasis but here, the idea was to do it for thehomeless. The volunteers prepared deliciousfood and served the homeless people we hadinvited to the station,” he said.

In June this year, the society had won the

prestigious Queen’s Award, the highesthonour given to local volunteer groups acrossthe UK to recognize the outstanding workdone in their own communities. Currently, thesociety serves langar in 17 cities across theUK. (The Indian Express)

To stop a new Ebola outbreakin Congo, four health workers

put their lives on the lineLUSEGHE CONGO (TIP): Democratic

Republic of Congo — Four health workersthreaded their way cautiously down a steepvalley in their rubber boots, into a forest sothick and so tall that the air around themturned suddenly cool, trying to reach a remotevillage in the eastern part of the DemocraticRepublic of Congo where a woman hadrecently succumbed to Ebola.

Dr. Kasereka Bernardin, a vaccinologist,looked over his shoulder, made the sign of thecross, and acknowledged that the lethal viruswas not his most immediate fear “We’rescared of the Mai-Mai,” he said, using a localterm for militias, his forehead lightly beadedwith sweat. “We’re afraid they might kill us.

The trip had already been delayed byclashes between government forces and amilitia group in the surrounding Kanyihungadistrict, an emerging hot spot in a newoutbreak of Ebola, and nerves were on edge.The team — an epidemiologist, two contacttracers and Bernardin — had not been able toline up guarantees of safe passage from themilitia leaders, or even to make contact.

As concerned as they were about security,however, with every passing hour, the doctorswere even more fearful that the deadly viruscould spread to the entire village, Luseghe —or, worse, expand beyond its borders.

There have been many hopeful advancesrecently in the battle against the deadly Ebolavirus. A vaccine is now available, andexperimental treatments appear to be helpingto save lives. With international help, Congowas able to quickly snuff out an earlieroutbreak in its Équateur province this year.

Yet eastern Congo, teeming with no fewerthan 100 armed groups, has been gripped bynear-constant conflict since the uprising thatled to its independence in 1960, as well as the

1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda and thecivil war soon after that eventuallyestablished the regime of Joseph Kabila.

Millions are thought to have died from thechronic violence, many of them at the handsof government forces. The insecurity isfrustrating efforts to combat this latest Ebolaoutbreak — now the second largest in history,after one that tore through West Africa from2014 to 2016, claiming 11,310 lives — makingthe current crisis almost entirelymanufactured.

Ebola still kills most of the people whocontract it. Since the outbreak here wasdeclared in August, health officials haverecorded 583 confirmed and suspected casesas of December 25. About a third of thepatients have recovered, while 354 have died.

Congolese health officials and theirinternational partners expect the fightagainst Ebola to drag on well into next year.The biggest worry is that, unchecked, theepidemic could reach Goma, the regionalcapital. “If it hits Goma, we’re done for,” saidDr. Jean-Christophe Shako, the director of alocal Ebola response team whose tasksrequire negotiating with the militia so thathealth workers can enter their territories andhave their safety guaranteed. The city sits ona busy border with Rwanda and has aninternational airport that could disperse thedisease globally.

Venturing into militia territoryThe people in the Ebola zone are deeply

suspicious of outsiders, whether governmentsoldiers or health workers, and they oftenshun visitors, sometimes threateningly.Before setting off for Luseghe, the healthworkers discussed the security risksanimatedly, and particularly whether it was

safe to bring along two Western journalists.They finally decided it was safe enough,

and as we headed toward Luseghe, we couldnot help but wonder what sort of greeting wewould receive.

Leaving Butembo, a bustling city in easternCongo, the shops quickly give way to woods.The region is mountainous, with plungingvalleys packed with eucalyptus, avocado andbanana trees, their broad leaves blockingsunlight from the dark entrails of the forest.

The vegetation grew so dense that it washard to see more than a few feet in anydirection to make out what — or who — mightbe lurking there.

At length, as the road dwindled, the soldiersand police officers who had been escorting usturned around. From there, we would proceedto Luseghe on foot and without escort, as thehealth workers needed to show theirneutrality to the villagers.

As we approached Luseghe, we had reasonto be apprehensive. Ordinary citizens areroutinely brutalized by armed groups butequally by government forces, who areaccused of exacting illegal taxes and rapingand killing civilians with impunity. Many ofthe Mai-Mai began as self-defense groupsformed to protect villages against maraudingsoldiers. Civilians often do not know whom totrust, and end up fending off all outsiders.When the police recently tried to take aninfected two-week-old baby from his family,the child’s grandmother charged out of herhouse with a machete and threatened to killthem. Suspicions have been compounded bylocal opposition politicians who haveexploited the crisis ahead of nationalelections this month, spreading rumors thatEbola was concocted by the government toexterminate them. (NYT)

Faces that are seen as competent or talented are perceivedas more masculine than feminine, say researchers whilenoting that this can pose a threat to social justice.

In the study, the team from the Princeton University in theUS were interested in identifying the “visual ingredients” thatinfluence how we perceive competence from individuals’appearance.

They found that participants perceived more competentfaces as more confident and more masculine, impressions thatare not explained by attractiveness.

“Our research sheds light on the pernicious gender bias inhow we perceive others -- we judge masculine looking people ascompetent, a judgement that can affect our leadershipchoices,” said DongWon Oh, researcher from the varsity.

Importantly, research also showed that individuals withmore competent-looking faces are more likely to be elected ashigh-ranking politicians such as the heads of large companies.

“Problematically, how competent someone appears does notguarantee their actual competence,” Oh said.

“Needless to say, these gender biases pose a threat to socialjustice, creating unfair environments for everyone,” Oh noted.

In an online experiment, participants involving a smallgroup rated how competent the faces were, while others ratedtheir attractiveness.

The results, published in the journal Psychological Science,showed that the faces designed to look more competent wererated as such, and rated as more attractive.

Another online experiment revealed that when participantswere asked to identify faces as either male or female, theytended to rate more competent faces as male and lesscompetent faces as female.

The study suggests that competence and masculinity arecorrelated components of first impressions based onappearance.

You’ve heard a lot of contradictingadvice on how to care of yourskin. The fact is, one’s skin needs

changes with the seasons. So let’s notforget the importance of caring for yourskin type, too! After all, the last thingyou want to deal with is acne, breakoutsor allergies. More often than not,skincare seems a lot more complicatedthan it has to be. If you’re confused, andcan’t figure out why your skin isn’tcooperating with you, we suggest youtake a step back and get down to thebasics.

Sometimes, something as simple as 1-2-3 can be just what the dermatologistordered! And when going back to thebasics, it’s best to stick to one brandthat’s ideal for your skin, and get thebasic kit from there. A little goes a longway. You’ll see!

CleanseIt’s no secret that cleansing is the first

and most important step in a healthyskincare routine. If you’re living in acity, there’s little chance that you won’tencounter dust, grime and pollution on aregular basis. Hence, this is one step youshouldn’t skip out on. That said,understand your skin type also goes along way in ensuring your skin getsexactly what it needs. After all, using agood cleanser is non-negotiable as it willdo some heavy lifting, and suck offimpurities to prevent clogged pores,irritation and acne.

ToneWhile most of you will agree that

cleansing is the most important step inyour skincare routine, toning is perhapsthe step that given the least importance.Think of toning as cleaning+. Why? It’sa sure-shot way to enhance the effects ofyour cleaner, as it serves to purify pores,reduce their appearance and maintain ahealthy pH balance of your skin. Whatthis basically means is that toning yourskin will lead to no inflammation.Moreover, there won’t be excessivedryness or overproduction of sebum.

HydrateThe key here, is hydrate. While your

skin may already feel soft and suppleafter steps 1 and 2, in order to lock inmoisture, make sure to hydrate yourskin thoroughly. In fact, we think youshould opt for a hydrating moisturiser toimprove the water levels in your skinand restore your skin’s natural bounce.You really can’t go wrong with this.Besides, it’s the easiest way to get baby-soft skin.

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 WOMEN

FOLLOW THIS THREE-STEPSKINCARE ROUTINE

CHICKEN CURRYIngredients 2 Tbsp Oil, 1 tsp Ghee, 1 Cup Onion paste, 1 Tbsp Garlic paste,1 Tbsp Ginger paste, 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1Cup Tomato Puree, 2 tsp Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp Red chillipowder, 2 tsp Cumin powder, 1 tsp Garam Masala, 6 NosChicken leg pieces, 1 Cup Coriander leaves, 1/2 Cup Water

Method In a large saucepan heat oil and ghee together over a

medium flame.

Add onion paste and cook for a minute or two to get agolden pink color.

Then add ginger and garlic paste. Mix well.

Cover the pan and let it cook for few minutes to get alittle thick paste. Make sure the paste doesn’t burn.

After it has cooked, open the pan and add turmericpowder along with salt. Stir well until it appears as ayellow thick paste.

Add tomato puree and cook for a minute.

Add coriander powder, red Chilli powder, cumin powderand Garam Masala.

Put the chicken leg pieces in the gravy and cook for 5minutes.

Make sure that chicken is well coated and then addcoriander leaves.

Add some water to it and bring it to the boil for about 2minutes.

Transfer this curry to a pressure cooker.

Give it 4-5 whistles for the chicken to get soft.

Cook more if it is not cooked properly.

Put the curry in a serving bowl. Garnish with freshcoriander leaves and serve hot.

FOOD CORNER

AMLA: SUPERFOOD FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN

Amla is one of the most ancient fruits now recognizedas one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C.The desi superfood can fight off cough, ulcers,

constipation, manage diabetes, cholesterol and give youamazing skin and hair. One of the most remarkable andpopular qualities of amla is its impact on skin.

Eat it Raw Since the fruit is quite bitter, it can get quite hard to ingest

all by its own. However, there are people who do that too. Rawamla is the best way to make most of its nutritious andbeauty benefits. To have them raw, wash the Indiangooseberries and cut them in small pieces. You can dip themin honey or sprinkle some chaat masala to make it morepalatable.

Juice ItThe most palatable way to have amla without losing its

benefits according to experts is by juicing it. Amla juice isconsidered to be an effective home remedy to managediabetes, cholesterol levels, weight loss and is used to treatcold and cough. The health beverage is quite easy-to-prepare.You just have to blend the chopped amla with water. Filterand discard the pulp. If you happen to have amla powder, youjust have to mix the powder with water and you are good togo.

Face Mask You can combat majority of regular skin and beauty woes

with easy DIY amla face packs. For a smooth and radiantskin, you can mix amla powder, honey and yogurt to make aquick face mask. Leave it on till it dries (approximately 15-20min) and then rinse it off with cold water.

MASCULINE FACES PERCEIVED AS MORECOMPETENT THAN FEMININE: STUDY

25HEALTH & FITNESSTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

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PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

Antibiotic overuse ishigh in common

urology procedures

Antibiotics are being overused in patients undergoingcommon urological procedures, which exposes themto potential harm including an increased risk of

infection by C. difficile bacteria, researchers warned.Clostridium difficile, often called C. difficile, is a

bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhoeato potentially fatal inflammation of the colon.

The study showed that almost 60 per cent of patients wereprescribed antibiotics in a way that did not follow theAmerican Urological Association (AUA) guidelines, whichrecommends that antibiotics should be given for no morethan 24 hours following most urological procedures.

"This study shows that antibiotics are often continued forseveral days after common urologic procedures, even whenthere is no clear indication for antibiotics," said lead authorDaniel Livorsi from the University of Iowa in the US.

"Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in this setting is justone example of how physicians can be better stewards ofantibiotics," said Livorsi.

It is common for patients undergoing a urological or anyother surgical procedure to be given antibiotics as aprecaution to prevent a surgery-related infection. However,overuse of antibiotics can promote antibiotic resistance,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the study, the researchers investigated whetherurologists are following the AUA guidelines for prescribingantibiotics. They manually reviewed the medical records of375 patients who had one of three common urologicalprocedures.

The findings, published in 'JAMA Network Open', showedthat 217 patients (58 per cent) were prescribed antibiotics in away that did not follow the AUA guidelines.

The most common deviation from the guidelines involvedantibiotic-prescribing after the procedure: 211 patients (56percent) were given antibiotics for longer than 24 hoursfollowing a procedure, the team said. In fact, patients wereoften given antibiotics for three to five days following aprocedure instead of the 24 hours or less that the guidelinesrecommend, the team added.

The study did not investigate why urologists areprescribing antibiotics for longer than recommended after aprocedure. Source: IANS

‘VILLAINS’ CAN INFLUENCEYOU TO BUY HEALTHY

FOODS: STUDYPeople are likely to pay more for a

healthy food item if the labelfeatures a negative character, say

scientists who found how pictures ofvillains and heroes on product packagescan influence buying behaviourResearchers from Brigham YoungUniversity (BYU) in the US also showedthat indulgent foods with hero labelswould be more compelling than the samefoods shown with villain labels.

"If someone wants an ice cream barand it is packaged with a hero on thelabel, the kind and benevolent charactermakes the indulgent product seem lessvice," Masters said.

"But a product that is already healthy,like water, would benefit more fromvillain labelling because it makes thewater seem more edgy and exciting,"said Tamara Masters from BYU.

In one experiment, half theparticipants saw an image of a Fijibottle of water and half saw an icecream bar.

The description of the water bottlewas either "Villainous Spring Water—unforgiving, cunning, and dangerous" or"Heroic Spring Water—patient,courageous, and with integrity."

The ice cream bar also showed one ofthe two descriptions. The resultsrevealed that the participants werewilling to pay more for the bottled waterwhen it was offered with a villainouslabel than a heroic label, and they werewilling to pay more for the ice cream barshown with the hero label.

The researchers also tested theirhypothesis in the real world by settingup a sampling table for cheese curds in agrocery store.

They changed the sign describing thecheese curds throughout the day to showimages of either Luke Skywalker orDarth Vader with the words "Healthyand Nutritious" or "Tasty andDecadent."

The participants sampled the cheesecurds and then wrote how much theywould be willing to pay for a package of10 curds.

The data revealed that consumerswere willing to pay an average of USD3.45 when the curds were described ashealthy and nutritious with a picture ofDarth Vader, but they would pay onlyUSD 2.17 with the same descriptionaccompanied by an image of LukeSkywalker. Conversely, when the curdswere described as tasty and decadent,consumers were willing to pay morewhen the picture showed Luke

Skywalker. The researchers also studiedgrocery store sales data to determine ifconsumers followed the pattern withtheir purchases.

They tracked sales of a vice product,Betty Crocker fruit snacks, that werepackaged with either a heroic image ofScooby Doo or a villain from Star Wars.

They found that consumers favouredthe hero labelling with the vice product,with 289 Scooby Doo sales compared to156 Star Wars sales.

"We see hero and villain labellingeverywhere we go, and people don'trealise how they use these labels tojustify their buying decisions," Masterssaid. "People may want to be healthy andspend less, but they still want somethingthat is exciting, and the right labellingcan make this possible," he said.

Source: PTI

Exercise, healthy diet mayimprove brain power in elderly

Just 35 minutes of walking or cycling three times a weekalong with a healthy diet may improve brain poweramong the elderly, a study claims.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, found thatregular exercise and a healthy diet improve the heart andcardiovascular health and with this improvement in"neurocognitive functioning" can also be seen.

"You're improving brain health at the same time asimproving heart health," said James Blumenthal, a clinicalpsychologist at Duke University in the US.

"I don't think there is another study that looked at theseparate and combined effects of exercise and diet in slowingcognitive decline in patients who are vulnerable to developdementia in later life," said Blumenthal.

The team included 160 adults who were suffering from highblood pressure or other heart disease risk factors.

These adults never exercised and had some degree ofcognitive impairment such as difficulty concentrating orremembering or making decisions.

The average age of these individuals was 65 years and twothirds of them were females.

One group was put on the DASH diet or diet that preventshigh blood pressure (Dietary Approaches to StopHypertension). DASH diet reduces salt and fat and sugar richfoods and increases fruits and vegetables and whole grains indiet.

This group was not encouraged to exercise but was asked toadhere to the diet.

The second group was asked to exercise regularly but theirdiet was not regulated. For the first three months theseindividuals did non-strenuous exercises thrice a week.

This included a 10 minutes warm up and 35 minutes ofcontinuous walking or stationary cycling. For the next threemonths they exercised at home with periodic supervision.

The third group was asked to follow a regulated DASH dietand also made to exercise at least thrice a week.

26 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 SCIENCE & TECH

NASA TO CONTINUE FLYINGASTRONAUTS ON RUSSIANSOYUZ: REPORT

NASA is likely to continue flying its astronauts on theRussian Soyuz vehicle even after US commercial crewvehicles arrive, media report said.

However, nothing has been signed officially yet, an agencyspokesperson said.

“Bill Gerstenmaier and senior NASA leadership havestated their intention to have US crewmembers on Soyuzvehicles after 2019 and (to have) Russians on US crewvehicles,” Stephanie Schierholz, who works in public affairsat NASA Headquarters in Washington, was quoted as sayingto Space.com on Tuesday.

Gerstenmaier is the associate administrator for humanexploration and operations for NASA.

The US space agency retired its space shuttle program in2011 and has relied on Russian vehicles since then to go to theISS. The US space agency has an agreement with Russia to flycrews on Soyuz through at least 2019, and some of thosecrewmembers are already announced, the report said.

NASA has partnered with two commercial crewproviders—Boeing and SpaceX—to bring vehicles for crewsonline. While SpaceX announced its first uncrewed test flightof the Dragon human spacecraft in 2019, Boeing is expectedto launch its own uncrewed flight in the following months.Once these vehicles are certified for flight, astronauts willride them to the ISS.

In August, NASA revealed the names of nine USastronauts who will fly on the first certification flights forBoeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon. Source: IANS

IBM develops fingernail sensorthat uses AI to monitor health

IBM researchers have developed a first-of-a-kind“fingernail sensor” prototype that uses ArtificialIntelligence and machine learning to monitor and

analyse human health as well as disease progression.The wearable, wireless device continuously measures how

a person’s fingernail bends and moves, which is a keyindicator of grip strength.

Although skin-based sensors can help capture things likemotion, the health of muscles and nerve cells, and can alsoreflect the intensity of a person’s emotional state, these canoften cause problems, including infection with older patients.

But the new system uses signals from the fingernail bendssuch as the tactile sensing of pressure, temperature, surfacetextures.

“Our fingernails deform -- bend and move -- in stereotypicways when we use them for gripping, grasping, and evenflexing and extending our fingers. This deformation isusually on the order of single digit microns and not visible tothe naked eye,” said Katsuyuki Sakuma, from IBM’s ThomasJ Watson Research Center in New York.

The new device, reported in the journal Scientific Reports,consists of strain gauges attached to the fingernail and asmall computer that samples strain values, collectsaccelerometer data and communicates with a smart watch.

SMALL CHANGES IN OXYGEN LEVELS HAVE BIG

IMPLICATIONS FOR OCEAN LIFEEven slight levels of ocean oxygen

loss, or deoxygenation, have bigconsequences for tiny marine

organisms called zooplankton,according to a study.

Zooplankton are importantcomponents of the food web in theexpanse of deep, open ocean called themidwater, said researchers from theUniversity of Rhode Island in the US.

Within this slice of ocean below thesurface and above the seafloor areoxygen minimum zones (OMZs), largeregions of very low oxygen, according tothe study published in the journalScience Advances.

Unlike coastal “dead zones” whereoxygen levels can suddenly plummet andkill marine life not acclimated to theconditions, zooplankton in OMZs arespecially adapted to live where otherorganisms—especially predators—cannot.

However, OMZs are expanding due toclimate change, and even slight changesto the low oxygen levels can pushzooplankton beyond their extraordinaryphysiological limits.

“Although the animals in the ocean’soxygen minimum zone have adaptedover millions of years to the very lowoxygen of this extreme and widespreadmidwater habitat, they are living at thevery limits of their physiologicalcapability,” said Karen Wishner, aprofessor at University of Rhode Island.

“Our research shows that they are

sensitive to very small changes inoxygen, and decrease in abundancewhen oxygen gets just a little bit lower,”Wishner said.

The research team found morenatural variability in oxygen levels inthe OMZ than previously known.

This has a direct effect on thedistribution of many types ofzooplankton because, as the teamdiscovered, the organisms respond to aless than one per cent reduction inoxygen levels.

While zooplankton have had millionsof years to adapt to conditions in theOMZ, these low oxygen zones mayexpand rapidly due to climate change,leading to major unanticipated changesto midwater ecosystems.

For example, an expansion of theOMZ into shallower waters may makezooplankton more susceptible topredators like fish.

If this leads to a zooplanktonpopulation crash, it will have impacts allthe way up the food chain, researcherssaid.

“Further loss of oxygen in oceanwaters is predicted in the future as aresult of global warming, and theseanimals may be unable to adapt andpersist,” Wishner said.

“They are important components ofthe food web of oceanic ecosystems, andtheir loss could potentially impact toppredators, including whales andcommercially important fisheries,” saidWishner. Source: PTI

New laser sensor to helpcombat counterfeit oil

Researchers have designed a laser-based sensor that can detectcounterfeit olive oil labelled as extra virgin or protected designation oforigin.

The tool, described in the journal Talanta, can distinguish betweenapparently similar oils that present notable differences in quality.

This is possible thanks to the use of laser diodes, because the fluorescenceemitted by adulterated oils is slightly different to that of pure extra virginolive oils.

The 3D-printed tool is inexpensive both to use and to manufacture, saidresearchers at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) in Spain and theScintillon Institute in the US.

“Other clear advantages of our tool include the possibility of conductingon-site analyses, because the equipment is the size of a briefcase and thereforeportable, and of generating results in real time,” said Jose S Torrecilla, asenior lecturer at the UCM. The tool offers the olive oil sector a means totackle a problem that generates large economic losses, researchers said.

“The quality of olive oil is recognised nationally and internationally. It istherefore necessary to protect this quality and combat the fraudulentactivities carried out with increasing frequency and skill in the sector,” theysaid.

TOYOTA WANTS TO PUT A ROBOT FRIENDIN EVERY HOME

Toyota Motor Corp. has sold enoughcars to put one outside every Japanesehome. Now it wants to put robots

inside.Well-known for its automated assembly

lines, Toyota sees a not-so-far-off future inwhich robots transcend the factory andbecome commonplace in homes, helpingwith chores -- and even offeringcompanionship -- in an aging society where aquarter of the population is over 65 andmillions of seniors live alone.

Machines have become much smarter inthe last decade or so. Yet, every attempt tobuild one that can do simple things like loada washing machine or carry groceriesencounters the same basic, physicalproblem: the stronger a robot gets, theheavier and more dangerous it becomes.What Toyota has going for it are $29 billionin cash reserves, a new artificialintelligence research center and a well-respected inventor, Gill Pratt, heading itseffort.

“This is a company with so manyresources that you can never ignore them,”said Morten Paulsen, a Tokyo-based analystat CLSA Japan Securities Co., who’s coveredthe robotics industry for decades.

Toyota has been experimenting withrobots since at least 2004, when it unveiled atrumpet-playing humanoid with artificiallips, lungs and movable fingers that couldaccompany an actual human orchestra.

27BIZ & FINANCETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

GOVT INFUSES RS 2159 CR INUNITED BANK OF INDIANEW DELHI (TIP): State-owned United Bank of India

said the government has decided to infuse Rs 2,159 crore inthe bank as part of Rs 28,615 crore capital infusion to be donein about half a dozen banks.

The Finance Ministry had informed the bank about thecapital infusion on December 26, United Bank of India said ina regulatory filing.

"The bank proposes to secure the shareholders' approval tothe proposed preferential allotment by a Special Resolutionby convening an Extraordinary General Meeting shortly. Tillsuch time all formalities are completed and allotment made,the amount shall remain in Share Application MoneyAccount," it said.

According to sources, government has decided to pump Rs28,615 crore into seven public sector banks (PSBs) throughrecapitalisation bonds soon.

Out of these seven PSBs, Bank of India, is likely to get thehighest amount of Rs 10,086 crore, followed by Oriental Bankof Commerce, which might get Rs 5,500 crore throughrecapitalisation bonds, sources added.

GOLD PRICES FALL, BREAK 3-DAY RISING STREAK

NEW DELHI (TIP): After rising for three straightsessions, gold prices on Thursday declined slightly by Rs. 50to Rs. 32,450 per 10 grams at the bullion market in thenational capital, due to weak trend overseas, reported newsagency Press Trust of India (PTI). Silver, however, witnesseda jump of Rs. 525 to Rs. 38,650 per kg on increased buying byindustrial units and coin makers. Weak trend overseas andlacklustre demand from local jewellers put pressure on theyellow metal in the domestic market, reported the agencyciting traders. In Delhi, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per centpurities lost Rs. 50 each to Rs. 32,450 and Rs. 32,300 per 10grams, respectively. Sovereign gold rose by Rs. 100 to Rs.25,100 per piece of eight grams. The precious metal hadgained Rs. 100 in the previous session.

Globally, gold inched higher on Thursday as global growthworries and volatility in stock markets boosted demand forthe safe-haven metal, but gains were capped by a sharprebound in equitis, reported news agency Reuters.

Spot gold was up 0.1 per cent at $1,268.21 per ounce inintraday trade, after hitting its highest since June 19 at$1,279.06 in the previous session. US gold futures fell 0.2 percent to $1,271 per ounce.

HDFC GROUP OVERTAKES TATASIN MARKET CAPITALISATION

NEW DELHI (TIP): HDFC group, with just five firmsunder its fold, has outpaced Tata group to become thecountry’s largest conglomerate in terms of marketcapitalisation, a sign of financial firms’ rising clout in theeyes of investors. HDFC Bank, in fact, is only the thirdcompany in Indian corporate history to cross the Rs 5-lakhcrore market capitalisation threshold.

At Wednesday’s close, the market capitalisation of HDFCgroup stood at Rs 10.40 lakh crore, which is Rs 1,185 croremore than that of Tata Group, according to Bloomberg data.

The steel-to-software conglomerate was valued Rs 2.5 lakhcrore higher than the HDFC pack as recently as September2018. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group is third in marketcap ranking at Rs 7.06 lakh crore.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) accounts for two-thirds ofthe group’s market valuation. HDFC Bank has a share of 55per cent in its group’s market capitalisation. Excluding TCS,Tatas have lost about a quarter of their value so far in 2018,with Tata Motors plunging 60.4 per cent.

Amazon’s record holiday sale shows consumers still have appetite for spending

Amazon.com Inc. reported arecord-breaking holiday seasonas shoppers loaded their online

baskets with items from Echo speakersto Calvin Klein clothes, suggestingconsumer optimism isn’t being deterredby a tumbling stock market.

The internet retailer said “tens ofmillions of people worldwide” signed upfor its Prime service, which offers freetwo-day shipping on millions of items aswell as video and music streaming. Inthe US alone, more than 1 billion itemswere shipped for free using Prime,Amazon said in a statement Wednesday.

The U.S. was already headed into ablow-out Christmas shopping spree, asAmericans are benefiting from higheremployment and wages, fuelling higherhousehold cash flow. Consumers seemedto be merry despite a S&P 500 Index thathas tumbled, a government shutdownthat’s entering its fifth day and ongoingtrade tensions with China.

Amazon wasn’t the only onebenefiting from an insatiable consumerappetite. Mastercard Inc. and Visa Inc.rebounded after four days of declines.Mastercard said holiday sales increased5.1%to more than $850 billion this year,the strongest growth in the last sixyears. Online shopping saw gains of

19%compared with 2017, according toMastercard SpendingPulse. Brick-and-mortar retailers also gained. Nike Inc.,Macy’s Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and PVH Corp.were all higher mid-morning in NewYork.

People bought “millions more” ofAmazon’s own devices compared withlast year, including the new Echo Dotspeaker and the Fire TV Stick, theSeattle-based company said. At the sametime, Amazon said more than 50%ofitems sold in its stores came from small

and medium-sized businesses.Among the most popular items under

the Christmas tree were the LOLSurprise! Glam Glitter Series doll, BoseCorp. wireless headphones and clothesfrom Carhartt Inc. Other popular brandsbought through Amazon’s PrimeWardrobe service, which allowsconsumers to fill a box with selecteditems and return anything that theydon’t want, included PVH Corp.’s CalvinKlein, and Hanesbrands Inc.’sChampion. Source: Bloomberg

US oil prices rise to claw backsome ground, but oversupply

worries persistUS oil prices rose on Friday to claw

back some of the ground they lostin the previous session, but

growth in U.S. crude stockpiles andongoing concerns about the globaleconomy kept markets under pressure.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI)crude futures <CLc1>, were up $1.37, or3.07 %, at $45.98 per barrel at 0042 GMT,having earlier rising as high as $46.05per barrel. They ended Thursday down3.48 percent, or $1.61, at $44.61 a barrel.

Brent crude <LCOc1> had yet to trade.It dropped 4.24 % or $2.31, the day beforeto settle at $52.16 per barrel.

Oil prices fell to their lowest in morethan a year on Thursday, a day aftertheir biggest one-day rally in two years,pulled down by worries about the globaleconomy and a supply glut.

Stephen Innes, head of trading forAsia-Pacific at futures brokerage Oandain Singapore, said crude prices had beenpressured by slowing economic growth“coupled with the expectation of strongU.S. production in the new year”.

U.S. crude inventories for the week toDec. 21 rose by 6.9 million barrels to 448.2million barrels on increased refineryoutput, according to data released onThursday by industry group theAmerican Petroleum Institute. OfficialU.S. government data is due on Friday.

The United States has emerged as theworld’s biggest crude producer, pumping11.6 million barrels per day (bpd) ofcrude, more than both Saudi Arabia andRussia.

Meanwhile, Russian Energy MinisterAlexander Novak said on Thursday thatrising protectionism and theunpredictability of the U.S.administration had greatly contributedto global oil price volatility over the pasttwo years.

Novak also said Russia would cut itscrude output by between 3 and 5 million

tonnes in the first half of 2019 as part ofa deal between producers

Earlier this month, the Organisationof the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) and its allies including Russia,agreed to curb output by 1.2 million bpdstarting in January in a bid to clear asupply overhang and prop up prices.

Source: Reuters

28 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018ASTROLOGY

W E E K LY H O R O S C O P EDECEMBER 31, 2018 – JANUARY 6, 2019

Aries: Ganesha says you live large. You look atmajor expansion. Business folk will besigning important deals. This is also a goodtime for creative folk who can monetize theirtalents. The self – employed garner lucrativefreelance opportunities. You are also in aphilanthropic mode. Your heart strings arepulled and you take time out to help with theless fortunate. You are also attracted tohigher philosophies and may go searching forgurus or delve into yantra, tantra and mantrawith great passion.

Taurus: This is new energy. You want to be a winnerin life and not a whiner. You are inundatedwith domestic responsibilities. You areconcerned about the health of a parent orsibling. If it is chronic problem, it could turncritical. There misunderstandings and secretdeals. Parents, siblings, cousins and distancerelatives want your time, and it is not allpleasant. Ganesha blesses you

Gemini: ‘The three grand essentials to happiness inthis life are something to do, something tolove, and something to hope for,’ said JosephAddison, the writer. As you go down memorylane, you look for all three. You realize thatthere are no regrets, but some aspects of yourlife need tweaking. This is also a powerfullycreative phase. Writers, painters, singers andactors do exceedingly well. There is powerfulbonding too as you take intimacy to etherealheights.

Cancer: ‘The miner does not sit at the top of the shaftwaiting for the coal to come bubbling up tothe surface. One must go deep down, andwork out every vein carefully,’ said ArthurSullivan, the composer. You realize thatfinally it is only hard work that pays. Hardwork is inspiration; it is genius. Nothing elsematters. You have to get down to the slog. Allelse is an excuse. Ask me. How do you think Iwrite my books? It is sheer hard work,dedication and belief.

Leo: You look for intense and powerfulexperiences to learn more about yourselfand the inner workings of the world andyour relationship to it. This is a propitioustime for serious study or investigation. Yougo inwards and examine your motivations.If something doesn’t fit in you are preparedto make the necessary changes. There arepowerful transformative and regenerativeenergies in your life now.

Virgo: There is a lot of movement. There could alsobe international travel. You impresseveryone with your ability and confidence.The employed are enriched with pay hikesand perks. You earn the respect of yourpeers and seniors. You also stand yourground in an affirmative yet non-antagonizing manner. You make innovativeand bold plans and excel in all types ofnegotiations. You are also filled withcompassion and help out anyone in needwith material, spiritual and emotionallargesse.

Libra: You are charged and raring to go. Thedestination is not too clear but you are alldressed for the party. The big question is:Where is the party? And are you invited?But you are ready to gatecrash. This is agreat phase for personal relationships. Youare able to express your love and affectioneasily. You also get large doses of love inreturn. You seek them out and maybe planan outing together.

Scorpio: Your energies are high and scattered. Youwant to accomplish a great deal, and that isthe problem. You want to do too many thingsat the same time. In the end, you don’tachieve much because your substantialenergies are diffused. Emotions also drainyou. There is a dichotomy between yourhome and your professional life. You willhave to bridge that to be more effective.

Sagittarius: You are spurred by ambition. You don’t wantthe crumbs. You want the big things of life.You want to reach the summit of Everest.The ordinary, everyday life is not for you.You are restless, as naked ambitionoverpowers you. You are filled with energy,positivity, determination and confidence.You want to reach the acme in your chosenfield of activity. You realise that yourlimitations were of your own making andthat you have it in you to be able to make asignificant mark in life.

Capricorn: The rebel in you wants expression. You areindependent and rebellious and will notlisten to anyone. You are in a hurry and areimpatient. You want to float like a butterflyand possibly sting like a bee. You want to doaway with shackles like duties andresponsibilities. You want to be the wildchild of the great plains all over again. Youwant to visit your childhood and relive thedays of innocence. You want to be carefreeand irresponsible.

Aquarius: There is significant progress in your life.There are hard work and success. You makenew discoveries as new windows open inyour life. The adrenaline is pounding andyou are filled with a sense of excitement.Your communications with others isexcellent and you are brimming withstartling new ideas and creativity. You thinkout of the box as new aspects of life open upall around you.

Pisces: You are an overdrive. You are on a bull runand nothing can stop you now. Work is goingon well and on the personal front there couldbe health issues that need attention. You willalso be looking for freedom fromconstructing relationship. There are alsodomestic issues to handle, like children’seducation and the possibility of a childleaving home for higher studies. Ganeshawatches over you and that is a big load offyour back.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

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

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

[email protected] and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

Just as many ancient civilizations hadtheir own versions of astronomy,Hindus had their own version from

very ancient times. The Hindu astronomy,whose origins are in the Vedas, is basedupon the configuration of the nine planets(grahas) and their collective influence onthe world in general and each individual inparticular.

Depending upon where these planets arelocated at the time of a person's birth,Hindus believe that the possibilities andpotentialities of his life and energies aredetermined well in advance. Just as manyother concepts in Hinduism, the wordgraha has multiple meanings. TheUpanishads describe the senses as grahas,since they are the grasping (grahnam)ones. The deities that preside over them arecalled atigrahas, or their controllers. Forexample the mind and the breath areconsidered atigrahas because you cancontrol your senses with their help.

Who are Navagrahas?The nine planets are collectively known

as Navagrahas. They are worshipped inHinduism for good luck or to overcomeadversity, bad luck or misfortune arisingfrom past karmas or birth related defects(dhoshas). They are found in most Hindutemples either grouped together on a panelor on a pedestal in commonly visible areasof the temple. Devotees usually propitiatethese gods before offering prayers to themain deity in the sanctum sanctorum ofthe temple. Of the nine deities, seven arenamed after the planets in the solar system,and correspond with the names of theseven days in the week of the Hinducalendar.

Rahu and KetuThe remaining two deities are actually

demons who managed to gain a place in thepantheon through an act of trickery. Theirnames are derived from either comets orfrom the dark and somewhat hostile planetsof the solar system (Neptune and Pluto).Depending upon their location in theplanetary system and their associationwith the remaining deities, they aredeemed either auspicious or inauspicious.

Significance in astrologyThe nine planetary gods have a great

significance in Vedic astrology. Hinduastrologers draw the birth charts ofindividuals based upon the their position atthe time of their birth. Depending uponwhere they are located in the astrologicalchart at a given time, they exert positive ornegative influence upon people and theirdestinies. The position of Sani, Rahu andKetu are especially considered important.If their positions are not favorable,astrologers suggest remedial measures topacify the planets and ward off theirnegative influence.

Navagraha templesWhile Navagrahas are usually found in

many temples as subordinate deities, thereare some temple which are exclusively builtfor them where they are worshipped as themain deities. One such temple is theNavagraha temple located on the banks ofthe river Kshipra in the outskirts of Ujjain,a famous pilgrim center of Saivism incentral India. Some times we also comeacross temples built exclusively for onlyone of the Navagrahas such as the templesbuilt for Surya and Sani in many parts ofIndia. For example, there is a famoustemple of Sani near Hindupur, which isfrequented by many devotees.

Description of NavagrahasA brief description of each of the

Navagrahas is given below:SURYA (SUN): He is the Sun god, also

called Ravi. In the company of the otherplanets, he generally stands in the centerfacing east, while the other planets standaround him in eight different directions,but none facing each other. He rides achariot that has one wheel and pulled byseven while horses. The seven horsessymbolically represent the seven colors ofthe white light and the seven days of theweek.CHANDRA (MOON): Also knows as Soma,and probably because of his waxing andwaning qualities, in the images he is neverdepicted in full. We see him with only hisupper body from chest upwards, with twohands holding one lotus each, riding upon achariot drawn by 10 horses.MANGALA (MARS): Also calledAngaraka, Mangala is a ferocious god withfour hands. In two hands he holds weapons,generally a mace and a javelin, while theother two are held in abhaya and varadamudras. He uses ram as his vehicle.BUDHA (MERCURY): We generally seehim depicted with four hands, riding upon achariot or a lion. Three of his hands hold asword, a shied and a mace respectively,while the fourth one is held in the usualvarada mudra (giving gesture).BRIHASPATHI (JUPITER): Brihaspatialso known as Brahmanaspati is the teacherof gods and is praised in many hymns of theRigveda. He is generally shown with twohands, seated in a chariot driven by eighthorses. The eight horses probably representeight branches of knowledge.SUKRA (VENUS): Sukra is the teacher ofthe demons and the author of Sukraniti. Heis generally shown with four hands, ridingupon a golden or a silver chariot drawn byeight horses. Three of his hands hold astaff, a rosary, a vessel of gold respectivelywhile the fourth one is held in varada

mudra .SANI (SATURN): Sani is a turbulent andtroublesome god who makes and breaksfortunes by his influence and position in theplanetary system for which he is invariablyfeared and especially worshipped by thosewho believe in Hindu astrology. He isgenerally shown with four hands ridingupon a chariot, or a buffalo or a vulture. Inthree hands he shown holding an arrow, abow and a javelin respectively while thefourth one is held in varadamudra.RAHU: His image resembles that of Budha(Mercury) in some respects but both godsdiffer fundamentally in their nature andtemperament. He is generally shown ridinga dark lion, in contrast to the white lion ofBudha. But just like the other god, hecarries the same weapons, namely a sword,a javelin and a shield in his three hands,while his fourth hand is held invaradamudra.

KETU: In Sanskrit Ketu (Dhuma ketu)means comet. The scriptures describe himas having the tail of a serpent as his body, adescription which very much matches withhis connection to the image of a comet.However in the images, he is usually shownwith a poke marked body, riding upon avulture and holding a mace.

SymbolismOf the nine planets, only seven are

actually gods and the other two, Rahu andKetu are demons. The seven are usuallyspoken as planets, while the two arecompared to comets and the like, having ashadowy influence upon the destinies ofpeople. The names for the seven days in theweek are derived from the planetary gods.As can be seen from their names, some ofthe deities included in the Navagrahas areactually Vedic gods. Most likely, the conceptof Navagrahas may be a later Vedic concept.

The Navagrahas are not mentioned in theearly Upanishads. The BrihadaranyakaUpanishad speaks of eight grahas and eightatigrahas in the body as the grasping deities(sense-organs) and overseeing graspingdeities (sense-objects). The eight grahaswho are mentioned in the Upanishad are theincoming breath (prana), speech, tongue,eye, ear, mind, hands and skin. Theiroverseeing grasping deities are apana(downward breath), name, taste, color, ear,desire and touch.

We do not know whether this earlierVedic concept of grahas in the bodysubsequently underwent a transformationto fit into the Puranic narratives. TheNavagrahas are not actual planets in themodern sense, although they are calledplanets. They are deities in the CosmicPerson (Purusha), with correspondingpresence in the microcosm of every livingbeing. Their positions in the body as well inthe world influence the course of eventsboth at the universal and individual planes.

The Navagraha concept justifies the ideathat creation is a projection of God and itsdifferent aspects are interrelated and exertinfluence over each other. In the body theyfacilitate the working of individual karma,while in the macrocosm, the unraveling ofcollective karma as well as the fate of theworld. Their association with the days inthe week also suggest that they aremanifestations or aspects of Time (Kala)only.

29SPIRITUALITYTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

NAVAGRAHAS: THENINE PLANETARY GODS

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30 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018FEATURE

By Harbans Lal, Ph.D. D.Litt. (Hons).

Books and Journals as GiftsAlthough every day is an occasion to exchange gifts, the new year is a unique

opportunity to do so according to Western culture.

I hope that you must be sick

of receivingfashion

magazines andHollywood

magazines asNew Year gifts.They contributelittle to today's

problems ofhumankind. A

journal issue onthe subject of

the Guru Granthscripture andanother on

ghalughara of1984 will be

excellentreading material

for you, yourfamily and your

friends.

While thinking of gifts, it came to my mind that why not, thisyear, I share gifts of spiritual values. That way, we may createan occasion of sharing Guru's Wisdom as a new year's gift.

Sharing grace and blessings of knowledge with the people around usshould be a pride privilege. This is especially true on days like NewYear Day.

Following this idea, I am presenting you my gifts. These are selectedpublications as gifts for you all, my friends, and your friends. They areall through the courtesy of the generous writers and publishers. Youmay feel free to share them with your friends. That should make yournext year more meaningful and overwhelming with intellectualpleasure.

Everyone asks this question: "How to be truthful and live a life ofgoodness". Guru Nanak answers this, and other similar issues in histreatise translated and expounded most recently by Prof. Balbir SinghMakkar of Guru Nanak Dev University, Professor Devinder SinghChahal of the Institute of Understanding Sikhism and Dr. KulbirSingh Thind. MD.

https://seekingwisdomblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Japuji_Makkar_12-2-2018.pdf

Among the world scriptures, the Japuji is considered Guru Nanak'soriginal composition, thereby qualifying it to be the essence of Sikhthoughts and Sikh teachings. Some find it an inspiring prologue to theuniversal Sikh scripture, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, as the Japujiprefaces it.

On this account, the Japuji has attracted the attention oftheologians and scholars alike so that they rendered it into many worldlanguages including Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish,Hebrew, all the European languages, and so on, and over a hundredtranslations into English.

The Punjabi translations dated back to the times of Guru Arjan Dev(1563 -1606); and an Arabic rendering going back to the times of GuruNanak (1469-1539). We are indebted to Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi and RajaMrigindra Singh for exploring many of them and giving us acomparative overview.

With a few exceptions, the available translations are regurgitationsof what has been published centuries ago. Then, some versions werejust devotional, others were outlines of the philosophical traditions ofthe time, and still, others were the interpretations of a class of god-men and clerics who toed the themes of their times when religions

were replete with Man-Made rituals, superstitions, and beliefs inoccult traditions.

https://seekingwisdomblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/jap2016_DS_Chahal.pdf

Until the advents of the Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar), thePunjabi University (Patiala), and alike, the god-men were devoid ofmodern education and were ill-trained to interpret Sikhism to themillennial generation. Instead, they propagated ethnocentrism andblind faith in the local lingua franca that benefited them by promotingtheir commercial and political interests or enterprises. Theircompositions were devoid of modern exegesis of the scripture, or thepractices of Sikhism as a more contemporary global dharma orreligion that was initially founded for the benefit of the wholehumanity. The illiterate kept on harping on the ancient concepts oforthodox schools of ancient philosophy.

More recently, Sikh academia felt challenged to the necessity ofinterpreting the Japuji for the Millennials. They began to makewelcome efforts. I recall with appreciation, the translation andcommentary of Japuji by Dr. Diwan Singh and his contemporaries asthe very first ones in the new series. Professor Makkar's rendition andthat of Dr. Devinder Singh Chahal are the most recent contributions.

Both of the recent translations in English are included here as theNew Year gifts to all of you. Please feel free to share with your familyand friends.

I hope that you must be sick of receiving fashion magazines andHollywood magazines as New Year gifts. They contribute little totoday's problems of humankind. A journal issue on the subject of theGuru Granth scripture and another on ghalughara of 1984 will beexcellent reading material for you, your family and your friends. I havepermission to distribute these issues widely free of cost for yourreading and hopefully subscribing when you realize their worth.

Send all communications to:

Harbans Lal, Ph.D.; D.Litt (Hons) at [email protected]

web: https://seekingwisdomblog.wordpress.com(The author is Professor Emeritus & Chairman, Dept of Pharmacology &

Neurosciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center,Professor Emeritus, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India, and

President, Academy of Guru Granth Studies)

31CLASSIFIEDSTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

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32 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018MISCELLANY

contd from page 1

Ambassador Navtej Sarna given awarm send off : Harsh VardhanShringla succeeds

State for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells told thegathering that President Trump calls India a "true friend," andpointed to the two years during which the "Indo-Pacific" regionwas renamed, And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "hascharacterized the U.S.-India bilateral relationship as onedeeply bound by our shared values," Wells is quoted saying innews reports, at the event attended by top White House andState Department officials.

Both Wells and Sarna dwelt on the accomplishments of thepast two years, the highlight of which was the state visit ofPrime Minister Narendra Modi; as well as the inauguration ofthe new 2+2 Dialogue on security and strategic priorities

"Under your leadership, our countries have negotiated andfinalized a landmark communications compatibility andsecurity agreement, which makes our military cooperationmore profound and advanced. We have also taken significantsteps to build on India's status as a US major defense partner,including elevating India to strategic trade authorization, tierone status," Wells is quoted saying in a Financial Express newsreport. She also praised Sarna for engaging the 3-millionstrong Indian-American community in the U.S., to strengthenrelations.

Sarna noted that the "personal chemistry" between Modiand President Donald Trump "were so strong" and "so, soevident," resulting in the joint statement which would set thechart for bilateral relations in coming months

"We have found a huge amount of understanding for ourpolitical space, for our strategic autonomy, for the needs of oureconomy, for our role, for our taking into account our arthistory and our regional position vis a vis several othercountries," Sarna is quoted saying, adding that the twocountries had found ways to serve their own national interestsand still grow the relationship.

Seasoned diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a 1984-batchIndian Foreign Service diplomat will succeed Navtej Sarna.

"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," theMinistry of External Affairs said in its statement today.

At present, Mr Shringla is serving as the Indian HighCommissioner to Bangladesh.

Incidentally, his place in Dhaka is being taken by a seniordiplomat Riva Ganguly Das, who was Consul General in NewYork only 2 years ago . She is presently Director General ofIndian Council for Cultural Relations.

President Trump says US can't beworld's policeman

their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas," WhiteHouse press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a tweet.

Trump delivered a speech to around 100 uniformed servicemembers at an air base west of Baghdad where he defended hisdecision to pull American troops out of Syria.

"The US cannot continue to be the policeman of the world,"Trump said after he addressed American soldiers. He said theUS could use Iraq as a regional launching pad to carry outoperations against the IS and Syria.

Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq BillThe two parties through their floor leaders, Mallikarjuna

Kharge and P. Venugopal of the AIADMK had earlier opposedthe Bill during the debate and asked that it be referred to a

Joint Select Committee for consideration rather than bedebated and passed. However, Law Minister Ravi ShankarPrasad asked members to pass the Bill citing humanitarianconsiderations with regard to Muslim women suffering undertriple talaq.

The Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslimsa penal offence was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December17 to replace an ordinance issued in September. Under theproposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal andvoid, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.The fresh bill is proposed to supersede an earlier bill passed inthe Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha.

In the face of strong objections by the opposition, led byleader of the Congress legislative party in the Lok Sabha,Mallikarjuna Kharge, Mr. Prasad in his reply said as many as477 cases of triple talaq have been reported since January 2017with over 200 coming after the Supreme Court verdictdeclaring Talaq-e-Bidat as void. He explained the penalprovision in the Bill as a deterrent, stating, "deterrent is alsoimportant while combating a crime."

"I am surprised that this House says that triple talaq iswrong but that it wants to keep silent on combating it. Whenpenal provisions were introduced for the Anti-Dowry Act, thisHouse passed such a Bill, penal provisions are there in theDomestic Violence Act as well and this House passed it. So whythat objection with regard to this Bill?" asked Mr Prasad.

He said he had incorporated several suggestions made bythe opposition during the debate last year on the Bill,including removal of the clause that neighbors of the victimcould file a case. "Conditions for bail and mediation have alsobeen added to the Bill as suggested by members," he said.

The Congress' attack during the debate was led by presidentof its women's wing Sushmita Dev who said the Bill would donothing to ameliorate the condition of Muslim women otherthan saddling them with a criminal case.

"This law is not about empowering Muslim women; it isabout criminalizing a Muslim man," Ms. Dev said.

N.K. Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party(RSP) who also moved several amendments said his "strongobjection was to the fact that the Bill criminalizes a civil wrongwhen it is not so among statutes regarding Hindu personal lawor even [for] Christians."

Anwhar Raajhaa of the AIADMK demanded to know whyMuslim men were being singled out for punishment underpenal provisions. He also said educational and socialbackwardness was responsible for the condition of Muslimwomen far more than triple talaq. "Who will providemaintenance to the wife if the husband is in jail?" he asked.

'Targeting minorities'All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief

Asaduddin Owaisi in an impassioned speech, accused thegovernment of wanting to "go after" Muslim men. "Why haveyou decriminalized homosexuality and criminalizing tripletalaq? Because it would be used against us. Sexual minoritygot choice in Section 377, then why not religious minorities,"Mr Owaisi said.

"If your faith is your faith, then my faith should also be myfaith. Your (Government) intentions are not clean. You canbring your own law, but we will not forfeit our religion," Mr.Owaisi said.

The government also saw ministerial interjections byMinister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi andTextile Minister Smriti Irani. "There should be fear in thehearts of those who commit this crime, and the tendency tosell fatwas (religious interpretations) on the streets likevegetables should stop. This country runs on the Constitutionand not Sharia law," Mr. Naqvi said.

The Bill was passed after the Congress and AIADMK walkedout and will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

(Agencies)

contd from page 9

Robert Mueller is the mostunknowable man in Washington

"And he has a good set of longtime friends in D.C. that heprimarily socializes with. He's someone who draws a prettyfirm line between work and home in terms of socializing. Partof the answer is just that the people around him don't share thethings that they do with him. And he has developed a series ofplaces that he likes to go where I think that privacy isrespected - and they're also not the trendiest restaurants on14th Street where he would be recognized."

Even the press has been unwilling to cross Mueller'sinvisible line. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Thomas Burrtweeted that he saw Mueller in June: "Gotta love DC. Walk intorestaurant, run into the special counsel." But Burr declined tosay which restaurant, despite a flurry of responses to thetweet.

Some of this is respect for Mueller. Some of this is the fearof unintentionally providing a piece of information that couldcompromise the Russia investigation. And some of this is justfear for Mueller himself. Given the heated rhetoricsurrounding President Trump - and a gunman who shot upComet Ping Pong over the Pizzagate conspiracy theory -friends and colleagues are reluctant to say anything that couldharm him in any way.

"Bob Mueller is doing exactly the right thing by simplyfocusing on this investigation and trying to determine thetruth," says Panetta. "I don't know what the final result is goingto be, but I have a sense that whatever that final report showsthat people are going to thank Bob Mueller for the way hehandled this."

We asked Mueller's spokesman if he had a response to .?.?.well, anything. "We appreciate your reaching out," repliedCarr. "But we'll decline comment at this time."

(Source: Washington Post)

contd from page 12

President Trump is destabilizingthe economy, says Krishnamoorthi

The President stubbornly keeps pushing for a wall to protecthimself from the far right's criticism. America needsenhanced border security using smart technology and borderagents treated with respect by not being forced to work withoutpay during the Christmas holidays", he said.

Krishnamoorthi pledged President Trump to end theshutdown for the health and stability of nation's economy."The stock market is in a record freefall, he is attacking theindependence of the Federal Reserve, and Treasury SecretaryMnuchin called leading banks in an unsuccessful effort tostabilize the markets, all at a time when working familiesacross the country are relying on a strong economy to start2019. The Trump shutdown is a self-inflicted wound that putsour economy and these families in jeopardy and that damagewill only grow worse if the President drags this shutdown outto January 3rd and into the new Congress."

He also feels that theshutdown will lead to thousands ofIllinois workers being furloughed.

"Some 6,200 federal workers in Illinois are beingfurloughed or forced to work without pay over theChristmas holidays, and tours of the Lincoln Home inSpringfield have stopped during the 200th birthday of theState of Illinois. The President needs to stop playing therole of the Grinch and start showing the American peoplehe can fulfil his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief."

Donald Trump finally hews to ritual ofmeeting troops in harm’s way

IRAQ (TIP): President Donald Trump onceopined that it wasn’t “overly necessary” forhim to visit troops in danger zones abroad.But with the lights of Air Force One out andwindow shutters drawn, the president did justthat, slipping into Iraq at night to greet USservice members and show that his norm-busting presidency would hew at least to thistradition.

Addressing troops at an air base in westernIraq Wednesday, Trump defended his decision

to pull forces from neighbouring Syria,declaring of Islamic State militants: “We’veknocked them out. We’ve knocked them silly.”

His appraisal is at odds with that ofmilitary officials, aides and allies whoconsider IS a diminished but deadly force. Hisdefence secretary and envoy to the anti-IScoalition quit after Trump blindsided much ofthe national security establishment with hiscall.

Trump had faced criticism for not yet

visiting US troops stationed in harm’s way ashe comes upon his two-year mark in office.George W. Bush made four trips to Iraq andtwo to Afghanistan as president; PresidentBarack Obama made four to Afghanistan andone to Iraq.

Such trips are typically unannounced andthe subject of extreme security. Trump’s wasno exception as he flew overnight fromWashington, spent three-plus hours on theground and stopped at Ramstein Air Force

Base in Germany for refuelling and to greetservice members in a hangar there beforeleaving.

Trump told his audience in Iraq that thedecision to withdraw the roughly 2,000 troopsfrom Syria illustrated his quest to put“America first.”

“We’re no longer the suckers, folks,” Trumpsaid at al-Asad Air Base, about 100 miles or 60kilometres west of Baghdad. “We’re respectedagain as a nation.” (AP)

33TRAVELTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Darjeeling, nestled among rollingmountains, is a perfect destination foroutdoor enthusiasts. Popular places to

visit include Tiger Hill, Batasia Loop and theWar Memorial, and the Himalayan ZoologicalPark and Snow Leopard Breeding Center.What should you bring home? Tea, tea, andmore tea—and beautiful local handicrafts.

Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also

referred to as the DHR, and lovingly calledthe 'Toy Train', is a 2 feet narrow gauge trainthat runs between New Jalpaiguri andDarjeeling, in West Bengal, India. Theconstruction of this 88-kilometre longrailway line took place between 1879 and 1881,and a ride on this train route has been acoveted experience ever since. A journey inthis Toy Train has amazing sights on display.Passengers on the train witness pleasingmountain views and pass by villages andlocal shops on the way, with children merrilywaving at them. The pace of the train is soslow that local children often hop and off themoving train. Modern diesel engines that arenow used are however faster and morepowerful. A ride in the much-loved train is anopportunity only few would like to miss.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railwayprovides significant transport links betweenvarious parts of the Darjeeling hills andlower plains and is a piece of sheerengineering inventiveness and vision. Howelse can a small steam engine pull minicoaches up the steep mountains byovercoming almost unfeasible curves andgradients? This is perhaps why theDarjeeling Himalayan Railway was declaredas a World Heritage Site on 2 December 1999by UNESCO. Later on, two more railway lineswere added, and the site came to be known asthe Mountain Railways of India. A ride onsuch a heritage transport is no doubt arelaxing and charming one but is alsoprestigious because this train is what onceprovided the first and most importantmountain transportation link in the country.

The Toy Train JoyrideThe joyride from Darjeeling up to Ghum

and back is a two-hour round trip that coversa total distance of 14 kilometres. Located atthe height of 2225.7 metres above the sealevel, Ghum is the highest altitude station onthe entire DHR track. The train stops for 10minutes at the Batasia Loop, where it makesa loop around a beautiful and well-maintained garden. From here, one caneasily get a bird's eye view of the Darjeelingtown, and the snow-capped Kanchenjungapeaks. The War Memorial in honour of theGorkha soldiers is also located here, in thecentre of the garden. The train also stops for30 minutes for a visit to the DarjeelingHimalayan Railway museum. This museumis located on the station premises and boastsof having the oldest toy train engine safelypreserved here.

Tiger HillLying at an altitude of 2590 meters and a

distance of 13 kilometres away from theDarjeeling, Tiger Hill is most famous for itssplendid sights of the morning sunrise fromwhere you can see the peaks ofKanchenjunga illuminate before the sun isseen at lower elevations. The magnificentview of snow - capped mountains sittingamidst cotton clouds attracts tourists toTiger Hill from all over the country.Interestingly, this is also the summit ofGhoom, which is the highest railway stationin the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, aUNESCO World Heritage Site.

This vista point of Tiger Hill is a pristinenatural beauty where you can enjoy thevirgin charm of Darjeeling in its mostendearing form. At sunrise, the peaks ofKangchenjunga are illuminated before thesun is seen anywhere else in the city, which is

an amazing thing to experience. Anothernotable thing of beauty here is the pristinenatural beauty of Tiger Hill, which isenveloped in gentle verdant foliage coupledwith sublime clouds in the background. Thefresh morning air as you make your way tothe summit is a refreshing experience awayfrom the banter of city life.

Batasia LoopPerhaps one of the most picturesque train

routes in all of Darjeeling, the Batasia Loopis a lush green toy train pathway that ismeant to minimise the elevation of theDarjeeling Himalayan Railway. The uniquedesign of this magnificent attraction allowsthe track to wrap around itself through ahilltop tunnel. One of the most enchantingaspects of the Batasia Loop is its unmatchednatural beauty which is a wonderful sight tobehold. Located on Hill Cart Road (NH 55),you can enjoy a panoramic view of theDarjeeling in all its verdant glory.

Situated in Ghum which is about 5kilometres from Darjeeling, the Batasia Loopwas commissioned for construction in theyear 1919. A memorial dedicated to theGorkha soldiers of the Indian Army who laiddown their lives during the war of Indianindependence is situated close by as well.Batasia Loop rises from the midst of emeraldcarpets of mountain vegetation andoverlooks the snowy peaks ofKanchenjungha on one side as well.Endearing flowers line the way, which makesa trip through this attraction a must after youhave witnessed the fascinating sunrise ofTiger Hill. The view of the train tearing pastthe white of the clouds and deeper into thegreen beauty of the terrain is a refreshingand enchanting expedition which should notbe missed.

Japanese Peace PagodaAs you climb up from Clubside along

Gandhi and AJC Bose roads, you see thisglistening white structure standing out -that's the Peace Pagoda. The Peace Pagoda,

one of the 70 odd such structures built underthe guidance of Japanese monk NichidatsuFujii, is worth a visit during the daily pujas.

DARJEELING: THEQUEEN OF HILLS

34 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 SPORTS

Bumrah breaks 39-year-oldIndian record at the MCG

MELBOURNE (TIP): Fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah hasadded a new feather into his illustrious cap after he broke a39-year-old Indian record during the third day of the thirdTest against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground(MCG) on Friday.

Bumrah was chief architect of Australia’s top-ordercollapse in the first two sessions of the day and because ofhis exploits, the star pacer has now surpassed Dileep Doshito take the top spot in the list of most wickets taken by anIndian bowler in debut calendar year.

Travis Head became Bumrah’s 41st scalp of the calendaryear after he was comprehensively castled by the Indiapacer. Before this, Bumrah had picked up the wickets ofMarcus Harris and Shaun Marsh in the first session of theday.

Following Bumrah’s dismissal of Head, former Australiaskipper Michale Clarke heaped praise on the Indian seamerand said that he will go onto become the top-ranked bowlerin the longest format as well.

“He (Jasprit Bumrah) must be a great guy to play withand to captain. He doesn’t mind the pressure or theexpectations. He wants to learn and is a workhorse. Not toolong before he will become the best bowler in the world,”Clarke said while commentating during the match for theofficial broadcasters.

New Zealand Vs Sri Lanka

BOULT TAKES 6 WICKETS FOR 4 RUNS IN 15 BALLS TODISMANTLE SRI LANKA

CHRISTCHURCH (TIP): A sublime six-wicket haul byTrent Boult and half centuries from Tom Latham and JeetRaval gave New Zealand a vice-like grip on the second Testagainst Sri Lanka in Christchurch on Thursday.

At the close of the second day, New Zealand were 231 fortwo, holding a commanding 305-run lead in their secondinnings with eight wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of taking the series-deciding Test wereseverely dented in a 15-ball master class of swing bowlingfrom Boult when he took six wickets for four runs.

It gave New Zealand a 74-run first-innings lead, whichLatham and Raval extended to 195 with a century openingstand.

Kane Williamson and Latham added a further 68 for thesecond wicket until Williamson played a lazy shot to LahiruKumara and was caught at first slip for 48.

At the close of the second day, Latham was on 74 with RossTaylor on 25. Latham, who starred in the first Test with anunbeaten double century, has faced 213 deliveries.

He received a life on 32 when he top-edged SurangaLakmal to fine leg where the ball slipped through the fingersof a diving Dushmantha Chameera.

Shastri hits back at Aus commentatorfor jibe against Mayank Agarwal

MELBOURNE (TIP): India head coach Ravi Shastri hitback as Australia commentator Kerry O’Keefe for hisunsavoury comments against opener Mayank Agarwal duringthe first day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground(MCG).

O’Keefe — who was commentating for the officialbroadcasters — had taken a dig at debutant Agarwal by sayingthat he scored a triple century against Railways ‘canteen staff ’in the Ranji Trophy.

“Apparently, he (Mayank Agarwal) got a triple (ton) againstthe railways canteen staff,” O’Keefe said on-air. Agarwal hadhit a scintillating triple century (304*) against Maharashtrawhile playing for Karnataka at the Maharashtra CricketAssociation stadium in Pune in the 2017 edition of the RanjiTrophy.

After the completion of day two of the Test, Shastri wascalled by the official broadcasters for an interview withrespect to India’s position in the MCG Test and that is whenthe India coach ‘delivered’ a message to O’Keefe from Agarwal.

“Let’s not take it from (Mayank Agarwal). India could haveeasily been three down for 80 and it would have been adifferent ball game,” Shastri told Fox Sports.

“He dug deep and he’s got a message for Kerry – when you doopen your canteen, he wants to come and smell the coffee. And

he wants to compare it to the ones back home in India. Is thecoffee better here in your canteen, or the one back home?”

Legendary Australia spinner Shane Warne, who was seatedon the right of O’Keefe, burst in laughter upon hearingShastri’s words.

O’Keefe had already apologised for his remarks after hereceived heavy backlash from fans on social media.

AUS 151 ALL OUT, BUMRAHPICKS SIX WICKETS

MELBOURNE (TIP): JaspritBumrah scalped his sixth wicket of theday as Australia was dismissed for 151 inreply to India’s 443/7 declared in the firstinnings of the third Test in Melbourne.

Jos Hazlewood was the last Australianwicket to fall as he is castled by the Indiapacer. Meanwhile, India did not opt toenforce the follow-on.

On day 2 of the Test match,Cheteshwar Pujara produced yetanother classy hundred, combining withcaptain Virat Kohli (82) to put India incommand. After India declared at 443/7,Australia responded with 8/0 in sixovers. Pujara was the dominant figure ofthe day for India with his second centuryof the series, a dogged, faultless 106 off319 balls which helped India consolidatethe good start they had got yesterday.

However, it was Pujara’s slowestcentury in Test cricket yet, coming off280 balls. India’s scoring rate today was ashade over 2.82 runs an over,significantly higher than the 2.41 theyrecorded yesterday in scoring 215/2. Theoverall scoring rate was 2.61 an over.

Kohli’s recordKohli’s knock helped him to a

personal milestone as he surpassedRahul Dravid for the highest number ofruns in a calendar year in overseasTests. Dravid had notched up 1137overseas runs in 2002, while Kohli nowhas 1138 overseas runs this year.

Pat Cummins was the pick of theAustralian bowlers, with 3/72 in a back-breaking effort of 34 overs.

It was a solid batting effort by theIndians, something that was emphasisedendlessly by Kohli in his pre-matchstatements. What stood out for thevisitors was the patience they showed inthe first two sessions, which ultimatelyleft them in an assured position at close.

Pujara 100In the morning session, Pujara scored

his 17th hundred as India reached 277/2at lunch. Starting at the overnight 215/2,India looked ready for another hardday’s grind, with Kohli reaching his 20thTest half-century, off 110 balls, in thevery first over of the day.

The two batsmen scored quickly in thefirst hour and kept the scorecard tickingover, before Australia went back to theirtactic of choking the flow of runs.

Cummins bowled another wonderfulspell, extracting more out of the pitchthan any other Australian bowler, and hebeat the edges of both batsmen on acouple occasions, but without luck. Lyonbowled with a predominantly leg-sidefield and into the batsmen. His duel withPujara was entertaining as the batsmankept turning him to the onside again andagain, whilst stepping out on occasion toplay him through the offside.

After lunch, Kohli-Pujara took theirpartnership to 170 runs before the gameturned. The skipper took medication forback trouble and then stepped up thescoring, striking Mitchell Starc for twofours in the 123rd over. But going foranother boundary, he cut a short ball cut

straight to third man.Three overs later, Pujara got a delivery

from Cummins that kept a tad low andknocked back his stumps, and India weresuddenly reduced to 299/4. Rahane thentook charge and played a breezy knock,not allowing the Australian attack to geton top. In comparison, Rohit was moresedate and took his time at the crease.

Dropped catchesAfter tea, India were helped by a string

of fielding errors by Australia. The homeside missed three easy catches, all offNathan Lyon (1/110), in what proved tobe a frustrating 48 overs from him. First,in the 147th over, substitute Peter Siddledropped Rohit (on 15) at backwardsquare leg. Next ball, Ajinkya Rahane(on 32) got lucky when Travis Head wascaught napping at short leg when the ballsailed past him.

Rishabh Pant (39) played anuncharacteristically defensive innings,and the only aerial stroke he played wasin the 159th over off Lyon, whenCummins dropped the catch at long on.He was on 15 then.

Mayank Agarwal sparkled on his Test debut with a fine 76.

35ADVERTISEMENTTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018


Ambassador Navtej Sarna given a warm send off

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