South Asian Generation Next Isue 215

02 | SOUTH ASIAN GENERATION NEXT | 09-12-2010 www.sagennext.com




Contributors:

Kuldip NayarDr. Hasan AskariSuresh MadanNatascha TrivediAnurag GuptaYesha ShahDr. Hassan AbbasDr. Farooq HasnatSona DhawanWaris HussainAsma AmanatRahul MehtaRupinder KaurHarminder KaurSaniya ZahidAnuj SharmaQasim A. NihangBillal M. SarwarKartiga ThavrajMyuri KomagiriSarah ZahidMewren D. MartinsPaul BhasinSana HashmiRamya BajajPoonam PatelAli AbbasNamrita KhatriBilal RajanNida ShamsiSanchari Sur

Tani RaviZareen MuzzaffarFatima KazmiZarish AhmedDaanish MaanTania JauraRuby LatifKiran TakraniNabeel AhmedIqra AzharTehreem RehmanVijay MehtaAunt SassyJacaquline ChatterpaulRavinder Virk.

Special Thanks to ourElected Representatives:

MP Deepak ObhraiMP Micheal IgnatieffMP Rob OliphantMP Jack Layton

Minister Kathleen WynneMinister Deb MatthewsMinister Harinder TakharMinister Micheal ChanCouncillor Carolyn Parrish

PublisherAfaq Farooqi

South Asian Generation Next is a weekly magazine published by South Asian Generation Next Inc. Generation Next provides information on wide range of subjects andissues in good faith and broader interests of the community. The content of Generation Next may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the pub-lishers. The views and opinions expressed in Generation Next are not necessarily shared by the publisher. Generation Next does not endorse views or opinions of its writers,

but gives opportunity to its readers to express themselves through opinion pieces and emails and letters to the editors at [email protected].

Canadian PoliticsBill C - 49: Tough on Smugglers or Victims?

Ontario Short-changed by Feds for Immigrant

Settlement Services

By Rob Oliphant. M.P.

World AIDS Day: Let' not Play Politics

By Rupinder Kaur

30 per cent new Canadians are failing

Citizenship test

Is there transparency in funds promised in

COIA ?

By: Staff Writer

South Asian Politics

A question of ethicsBy Kuldip Nayar

Key Issues for Afghanistan as Withdrawaldate Looms Dr. Hasan Askari

InterviewEnlightening Children - Bhumi Patel

Loblaw companies has a process to evaluateinternational education and experience Nan Oldroyd

Politics

Culture One Hot Night on a Cold December Night -

Malaysian Style

By:Deepak Jalandhari

Relationship To tell the truth or not to tell the truth

By VijayUncle Mehta

Community Is Your Car Safe to Drive?

Opinion of Automakers

By Staff Writer

No Canadian Experience, No Job: A reality for

skilled immigrants

Society Samosas and Chai for World AIDS Day?

By Imran Patel

Bhutto

By: Hajra Malik

ShowbizThe Slumdog Millionaire that never was…

By Sanchari Sur

Horoscope

Culture & Society

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When Rob Ford as a mayoral candidate said "It's moreimportant that we take care of the people now, beforewe start bringing in more," he was criticized for his

remarks. Some said the remarks were anti-immigrants. Now he isthe Mayor of one of the largest cities in North America, represent-ing more than 2.7 million Torontonians. Among those who were surprised is Mr. John Parker, Toronto

City Councillor from Ward 26. He took Mr. Ford's comments as"Oh gee Rob what are you saying!"

It is the reality of the Canadian society that Canada's populationis aging. The Canadian economy needs labour force. And thislabour force is not there or at least not ready to take over the jobsthat will be vacated by baby boomers. Experts have expressed thisopinion and they unanimously agree on these facts. How to regulate immigration policy so that new comers benefit

from what our society has to offer them is an entirely differentstory though? Councillor Parker suggests that we need "properlymanaged immigration policy" that attracts immigrants to con-tribute to our economy. But he also notes that Mayor Rob Ford has a point. "We have not

done a very admirable job in integrating these new arrivals,"Councillor Parker says. These new Canadians come with hopesand expectations that their skills will be utilized for the bestresults for Canada as well for their individual growth. There is much truth to those words. However, those who follow

politics notice that new Canadians have become the subject ofpolitical games between different levels of governments and

among political parties. So for example if Liberal Party of Canadadisagrees with a Bill that is intended to change the Immigrationand Refugee Protection Act, the message it sends to human smug-glers is "Canada is open for their criminal business." Doesn't thissound like dividing Canadians on an issue that tests Canadians'humane values? Of course we want to be tough on criminals whotake advantage of the most vulnerable, but doing so in a mannerthat divides us is probably not the best of the policies. The federal government is rightfully proud of investing in new

Canadians to integrate them sooner into the Canadian job market.At the same time it demands transparency in the use of funds,which obviously is the right thing to do. Here, the Ontario gov-ernment should really look into how it uses the funds allocated forOntario's new comers. Though Canada Ontario ImmigrationAgreement Resolution has been passed in Ontario Legislatureunanimously gaining all-party support, opposition's amendmentto demand more transparency was legitimate and a fair amend-ment. And such should have been adopted by Ontario Liberals. As Minister Jason Kenney announced funding for a local

Immigration Partnership (LIP) and a City of Toronto Newcomerinitiative, Mayor Ford didn't even stop for a photo-op. His abruptdeparture left many reporters to wonder if he was happy that hisCity is getting funding for his city's new comers. Councillor Parker tells us "Rob Ford you see is the Rob Ford

you've got for the next four years." And Mayor Ford will proba-bly not changed "his unique and straightforward manner."

INTEGRATING NEW CANADIANS

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Addr ess: 776 Dundas St. East, Suite 203, Mississauga, ON L4Y2B6 Ph: 905-279-5600 | Fax: 905-270-0046 Website: www.sagennext.com

www.sagennext.com06 | SOUTH ASIAN GENERATION NEXT | 09-12-2010

The opposition par-ties have decided tokill Bill C-49. Bill

C-49 proposes changes tothe Immigration andRefugee Protection Actthat centre on prohibitinghuman trafficking inCanada. The Bill has beenproposed against the back-drop of arrival of over 490Tamil migrants who landedon the shores of Vancouver.

"It's the entire oppositioncoalition opposed to thebill. They would send avery clear message to thesmugglers that Canada isopen for their criminalbusiness," said Mr. JasonKenney, Minister ofCitizenship andImmigration andMulticulturalism.

"We cannot let the poli-tics of fear undermine theCanadian commitment toprotect the rights and free-doms of those fleeing per-secution who come to ourshores," said Liberal leaderMr. Ignatieff.

"There's a lot of fearmongering and alarmismabout aspects of the bill. Iwould point out, for exam-ple, that with the adoptionof our new refugee reformsystem which will comeinto effect sometime in2011, refugee claimantswill have a hearing withintwo or three months and sobona fide refugees who

need Canada's protectionwould receive that andeven those who havearrived in an identifiedsmuggling arrangementwould be released fromdetention at the end of their

claim, at approval of theirclaim in two to threemonths. That's not unrea-sonable to give our securityagencies the time that theyrequire to do the necessaryidentity work and securitybackground checks, all ofwhich is essential to theoperation of our immigra-tion law," said Mr. JasonKenney, Minister ofCitizenship andImmigration and

Multiculturalism. "The Conservatives' leg-

islation isn't tough enoughon smugglers and insteadtargets their victims," saidMr. Ignatieff. "We mustcrack down on human

smugglers and those withterrorist or criminal links,but this bill doesn't get thejob done. This bill wouldharm refugees who arelegitimately fleeing perse-cution - people who wehave a responsibility tohelp."

"This legislation breach-es the Canadian Charter ofRights and Freedoms andour obligations under theRefugee Convention and

related international instru-ments," said Irwin Cotler,Special Advisor to theLiberal Leader on HumanRights. "The legislationdoes not so much sanctionsmuggling as it victimizes

the very asylum seekers thelaw should be protecting."

Responding to the beliefthat Bill C - 49 in unconsti-tutional, Minister Kenneysaid "the government isconfident that Bill C-49conforms - is in conformitywith the Charter of Rightsand Freedoms as well asour other domestic andinternational legal obliga-tions. But the position ofthe Liberal Party is bizarre

because it's not for them orpoliticians to decide what -whether a law complieswith Charter. That's for thecourts."

In response to a questionby Generation Next that

isn't it unfair to legitimaterefugees to abide by thefive-year probationaryperiod whereby they can-not be reunified with thefamily and cannot obtaintravel documents, MinisterKenney retorted "I do notaccept for a moment thatwe should consider peoplewho are paying the crimi-nal gangs money to comehere are all refugees. Somemay be. Each case will be

determined by the RefugeeBoard and the changes wepropose would continuethat system. Anyone who'sfound to be a refugeewould be able - would notbe returned. But we haveto find a way of sending amessage to people that ifthey want to come toCanada, paying a criminalgang $50,000 is not theright way of doing it. Andwe believe the five-yearperiod is entirely reason-able."

"Missing from this billare effective measures thattarget those who profitfrom human suffering,"said Liberal Public SafetyCritic Mark Holland."We're looking for strongerprovisions for the crews ofthese smuggling boats,stronger seizure provisionsfor the smugglers' assets,and greater resources forlaw enforcement efforts topursue these criminalsabroad - none of which arein Bill C-49."

"The Conservatives tookadvantage of the arrival oftwo boats carrying refugeeapplicants to divideCanadians and are nowreferring to immigrants andrefugees interchangeablyto mislead Canadians abouttwo distinct processes,"said Liberal Citizenshipand Immigration CriticJustin Trudeau.

BILL C - 49: TOUGH ONSMUGGLERS OR VICTIMS?

The entireoppositioncoalition issending a

message to thesmugglers thatCanada is open

for their criminal business- Min. Kenney

We must crackdown on

human smugglers..This

bill wouldharm refugees

who are legitimately fleeing persecution

- Opposition leader Ignatieff


The province ofOntario has alwaysbeen a destination

of choice for new immi-grants coming to Canada.The goal of ensuring newCanadians become, notonly integrated, but fullyengaged in the social, cul-tural and economic life ofOntario is a challengingone that needs to beaddressed by all levels ofgovernment, by civil socie-ty and by Ontario's busi-ness and professional com-munities. Of primaryimportance is the true part-nership between theprovincial and federal gov-ernments. It is now thefoundation for providingeffective, streamlined pro-grams to assist new immi-grants in adjusting to life inthis country.

Unfortunately, theOntario provincial govern-ment is being left to fend

for itself on this issue. Thishas been most recentlyhighlighted through theConservative government'srefusal to come to the tableand re-negotiate theCanada OntarioImmigration Agreement(COIA). The originalagreement, signed with thefederal Liberal governmentin November 2005, provid-ed $920 million dollars innew federal funding forsettlement services over afive-year period, including$540 million in base fund-ing. A one-year extensionwas announced in May ofthis year, which promised$428 million. However,under the Conservativesonly $713 million of thenew money was spent fromthe original agreement. Ashortfall of $207 milliondollars still remains.

Also shocking is theConservative government'sholding back of one-thirdof the language trainingbudget in 2008-2009.Every community and set-tlement worker, everyemployer and neighbourknows that language train-ing is essential for full inte-

gration into Canada. Youcan't work, contribute,enjoy Canada (and paytaxes!) without fluency inone of Canada's officiallanguages. Language train-

ing, including professionaland technical capacity is abuilding block for success-ful immigrants and a suc-cessful Canada.

The Conservatives boastof a funding increase to set-tlement services since theytook office. Unfortunately,this cannot be provenbecause of their changes inpublic accounting: they no

longer break down theirexpenditures, denyingCanadians the ability toreview the changes them-selves. The Conservativesclaim to have increased

investment in settlementservices when, in fact, allthey have done is continuean agreement originallynegotiated and signed bythe Liberal Governmentunder Paul Martin in 2005.This is a government that islong on promises and shorton action. This is evi-denced, not only by theirrefusal to fulfill their fund-

ing commitment throughCOIA, but by lapsing $21.2million of the funding com-mitted for Multiculturalismspending and the grantsunder the CommunityHistorical RecognitionProgram.

The Government ofOntario is now responsiblefor providing immigrationprogramming, includingsettlement services, lan-guage training and labourmarket integration servic-es. Money for these pro-grams is vital to ensure thatservices for new immi-grants to Canada do notlapse. Since April 2009,the Conservatives haverefused to formally discussa new agreement whichwould transfer federalfunding and programs tothe province. Quite simply,this is irresponsible. Mr.Harper has a $207 milliondebt that he owes toOntario's immigrants and anew agreement for the nextfive years so that planningand programming can con-tinue with some degree ofcertainty.

Currently, Ontario wel-comes nearly half of all

immigrants that come toCanada. These newcomersare integral to the econom-ic, social, and cultural fab-ric of Ontario and the coun-try. However, for them tocontribute fully and suc-cessfully to the economy,they need efficient andeffective language training,settlement services, andeducational opportunities.By failing to live up to itsside of the Canada-OntarioImmigration Agreement,the Conservative govern-ment is failing our immi-grants and therefore allCanadians.

The Liberal Party hasalways demonstrated acommitment to newCanadians. Ours is theparty that formed the multi-cultural vision that is at thefoundation of this country.We introduced theCanadian Charter of Rightsand Freedoms to protectthat vision. We remaincommitted to providing fornew Canadians throughboth the honouring of pastsettlement services agree-ments and the expansion offunding in the future.

ROB OLIPHANT . M.P.Liberal Party Critic for

Multiculturalism

ONTARIO SHORT-CHANGED BY FEDS FORIMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT SERVICES

Also shocking is the Conservativegovernment's holding back of one-

third of the language trainingbudget in 2008-2009. You can'twork, contribute, enjoy Canada

(and pay taxes!) without fluency inone of Canada's official languages.Language training, including pro-

fessional and technical capacity is abuilding block for successful immi-

grants and a successful Canada.


The second phase ofCanada OntarioI m m i g r a t i o n

Agreement (COIA) willbegin this week, saidMinister Jason Kenney,federal Minister ofCitizenship andImmigration andMulticulturalism. In mak-ing the announcement tothe media, MinisterKenney noted Dr. EricHoskins, Ontario Ministerof Citizenship andImmigration, "tenacity" inpursuing Minister Kenneyto open the second phase ofCOIA negotiations.

$207 million from pre-vious COIA

Dr. Eric Hoskins, hasrepeatedly said that Ontariois waiting for $207 millionfrom the federal govern-ment. This sum was com-mitted by the federal gov-ernment as a result of theprevious agreement. It isn't"an inspirational amount ofmoney..it was agreedamount of money," he toldreporters after the federalgovernment announced $2million in funding for alocal ImmigrationPartnership (LIP) and aCity of Toronto Newcomerinitiative.

Will Ontario get $207million?

"The reality is when wetripled the settlement fund-

ing in 2006, frankly we putso much new money intothe system that it could notall be spent responsibly in ashort period of time. Andso there was a lapse offunds..collectively of about$200 million over thecourse of five years..so, no

we are not going to spendin the future $200 millionthat could not be spentresponsibly in the past. Ourfirst obligation is to taxpayers whether oldCanadian or newCanadians and to spendtheir tax dollars responsi-bly," Minister Kenney saidin response to a questionfrom Generation Next.Minister Kenney was

addressing the media andmembers of general publicat Punjabi CommunityHealth Services inMississauga.

"We refuse to writechecks unless we can beassured that that money canbe spent responsibly. And

so that is why we wereunable quite frankly to findenough eligible projects,grants and contributions tospend all that money," hecontinued.

The Ontario governmentmaintains "These funds[provided by the federalgovernment] are responsi-bly managed and go direct-ly to immigrant servingagencies." It is seeking

"more responsibility..foradministration of funds" inthe next COIA. The currentCOIA does not seek to helpCanadians and refugeeclaimants.

Dr. Eric Hoskins insiststhat Ontario understandsthe needs of new

Canadians better and byhaving greater administra-tive authority, Ontario can"avoid duplication of serv-ices" and fill in the gapsand collaborate with

Ontario ministries better. Minister Hoskins has

introduced COIA resolu-tion in Ontario legislature.He is seeking all party-sup-port in Ontario to assert tothe federal government togive the promised $207million to Ontario. So farDr. Hoskins is "surprised"that the opposition partieshave not even asked for abriefing from OntarioMinistry of Citizenship andImmigration.

PC MPP Steve Clark,Citizenship andImmigration critic in a con-versation with GenerationNext, noted that "TimHudak's amendment onMinister Hoskins resolu-tion about $207million..was voted out byOntario Liberals. "

"Where we stand differ-ent from the [Ontario] gov-ernment is we have to havesome accountability as part

of the agreement[COIA]..all we were ask-ing for was a system wherewe can get some details onwhere the funds weregonna be spent," MPPClark adds.

He also referred toOntario's Minister of

Citizenship andImmigration Mike Colle'sresignation in 2007. Mr.Colle resigned after theauditor-general's reportdeemed that Citizenship

and Immigration depart-ment of Ontario did notprovide an accountable andtransparent process forawarding millions ingrants.

"Reallocation" ofFunds Nationally

A few days ago, the fed-eral governmentannounced that it will becutting funding form settle-ment organizations acrossCanada by $59 million in2011 and by $53 million in2012.

Responding to these cuts,Minister Kenney stated "Infact what we call cuts areessentially reallocations."

Dr. Eric Hoskins, OntarioMinister of Citizenship andImmigration notes thatOntario's new Canadiansare "shortchanged" whilegetting funds from the fed-eral government.

"What has happened inlast four years is that thenumber of immigrantscoming to Ontario has goneway down. Ontario used toget about 140,000 new per-manent residents a year,that's down to about105,000. Instead people aregoing to places likeManitoba, Saskatchewan,Alberta, British Columbiaand the Atlantic provincesand so we have to makesure that they are not short-changed. Right now,Ontario's level of settle-ment funding is based onthe number of immigrantscoming in 2005. That'sgone down by 25 per cent.But the immigration to theother provinces has goneup. And so we are going toreallocate through per capi-ta funding formula."

In response to a questionabout the number of immi-grants arriving in Ontariofrom Generation Next,Ontario Ministry ofCitizenship andImmigration responded "In2008, Ontario received110,878 immigrants, and in2009 we received 106,867immigrants. This is morethan the two next provincescombined, and the most inall of Canada."

The Ontario governmentbelieves "While Ontarioand Toronto remain thenumber one destination forimmigrants in Canada,Ontario has seen a signifi-cant decline in federallyselected skilled workers inrecent years. That'sbecause the federal govern-ment has cut the number offederally selected skilledworkers arriving inOntario."

Minister Kenney'sresponse is that as a federalgovernment, the responsi-bility of the federal govern-ment is toward allCanadians. As such thefederal government has torespond to the needs oflabour shortage acrossCanada including Prairieprovinces. "Thefunding..will be allocatedmore fairly on the nationalbasis," he indicates.

For provinces likeOntario, Minster Kenneysays "our government hasexpanded the ProvincialNominee Program (PNP)which allows for typicallypre-arranged employ-ment."

MPPClarke says "Peopledon't want constant bicker-ing between the feds andthe provincial govern-ment..they want results."

"W e refuse towrite checks

unless we canbe assured that

money can bespent

responsibly" - Min. Kenney

IS THERE TRANSPARENCY INFUNDS PROMISED IN COIA ?

"The funds[pr ovided by

the federal gov-ernment] are

responsiblymanaged andgo directly to

immigrantserving agencies"

- Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario Minister ofCitizenship and Immigration

"Wher e westand different

fr om the[Ontario] gov-ernment is we

have to havesome accounta-bility as part of

the agreement [COIA]" - MPP Steve Clark Ontario Citizenship

and Immigration critic


I ntegration "cannot becomplete and suc-cessful unless there is

meaningful employment"for new Canadians saidMayor Susan Fennell in acommunity presentationtitled "BramptonCelebrates Diversity."

The mayor of Bramptonnoted that with 57 per centvisible minorities residingin Brampton, they are actu-ally now "visible majori-ties" and are "the greateststrength of Brampton andOntario's economy," giv-ing Brampton an opportu-nity "to speak to the world"in the world languages.

The first obstacle to"meaningful employment,"she said, was a languagebarrier. To address City ofBrampton allocated abudget for "a deliberatesystem" that providessophisticated informationto the residents ofBramptonians about Cityservices. Soon, significantdocuments in Bramptonwill be translated into vari-ous languages.

"No Canadian experi-ence, no job" is a realitythat a number of skilledimmigrants face as theyarrive in Canada, she said.These new Canadians face

"incredible and unaccept-able challenges" in findingjobs in areas where they

are skilled in and haveexperience in. MayorFennell urged the federaland the provincial govern-ment to collaborate andaddress the challengesfaced by new Canadians infinding meaningfulemployment. MayorFennell also stated that intough economic downturn,Ontario and Brampton'sdiversity kept its economyafloat.

Brampton Board ofTrade, Access

Employment, COSTIImmigrant services,TRIEC and several other

organizations have part-nered up to help skilledimmigrants find suitablejobs.

Addressing the audienceof almost 40 people, Ms.Laureen Rennie, Director,Peel Newcomer StrategyGroup(PNSG) said that itis a reality that "33% ofPeel's immigrant popula-tion lives below povertyline."

In the neighbourhoodslike Brampton-Springdale"services have yet to catch

up with the rapid develop-ment" that has taken placein the neighbourhood. (MP

Ruby Dhalla representsBrampton Springdale fed-erally. Provincially thisneighborhood is represent-ed by MPPLinda Jeffrey.)

PNSG's survey in 2009had concluded that theemployers were under uti-lizing their employees'skills. "If you have to findPhDs, you only have tolook at your factoryfloors," she observed.

At Loblaws companies,52 per cent women makeup their work force, 80 per

cent of the decisions aboutbuying are made bywomen and 70 per cent of

their clients are women.These statistics were givenby Ms. Nan Oldroyd,Senior Director, TalentLoblaw Companies Ltd.

She further noted that ifnew Canadians are notintegrated into labour mar-ket, that means "we're outof touch with our talent."

To use this talent skillful-ly, Loblaw companies pairup a new employee with anexperienced employee sothat "the right knowledge

and attitude" is learned asemployees integrate andmove ahead in Loablawcompanies.

She noted that the com-mitment of inclusion hasto be made by the top exec-utives rather than givingthe inclusion portfolio tothe most junior member of

the team.The participants of the

community presentation "I n t e g r a t i o n ,

Collaboration andEmployment" - MayorSusan Fennell, Mr.Stephen Rhodes, Presidentof BBOT, Mr. GaryCollins, CEO of BBOT,Ms. Rennie and Ms.Oldroyd - highlighted theneed to work in close part-nership to get results forskilled new Canadians.

NO CANADIAN EXPERIENCE, NO JOB:A REALITY FOR SKILLED IMMIGRANTS "33% of Peel's immigrant population lives below poverty line."

Mayor Susan Fennell,Mayor of Brampton

Gary Collins, CEO ofBrampton Board ofTrade

Stephen Rhodes,President of BramptonBoard of Trade

Laur een Rennie,Dir ector, PeelNewcomer StrategyGroup

Nan Oldroyd, SeniorDir ector, Talent LoblawCompanies Ltd.

By Staff Writer


With winter justaround the cor-ner and

Environment Canada pre-dicting more snow than lastyear, the City of Bramptonhas started its annual cam-paign to educate residentson what to do once thesnow starts to fall.

"Winter maintenance onCity streets is an importantservice for all Bramptonresidents," says Tom

Mulligan, Commissionerof Works andTransportation. "We takepride in clearing City roadsof snow and ice in a timelyand efficient manner, sothat our residents can trav-el safely throughoutBrampton."

The Works andTransportation Departmentis responsible for clearing

City roads and side-walks within 24

hours of theend of a

snowfall.A heavyor con-tinuouss n o w-f a l lm a yextend

this to48 hours

or more.When it

snows, primaryroads (like Main

Street and BramaleaRoad) and roads onBrampton Transit routesare cleared first. Oncethose roads are finished,work starts on local resi-

dential streets, which aretreated with a sand/salt mixto provide traction.Residential streets are onlyplowed when a singlestorm results in 7.5 cen-timetres or more of snow.

According to the City'sby-laws, residents inBrampton are responsiblefor clearing the sidewalk infront of or beside theirhouse by 11 a.m. the dayafter the snowfall ends.Snow must be shoveledback onto the homeowner'sproperty, as shovelingsnow onto the road from aprivate property poses adriving hazard and is pro-hibited by the City by- law.

Residents can also helpby not parking vehicles onthe street during or after asnowfall, until City crewshave sanded or plowed thestreet. Vehicles parked onthe street block access forsnow clearing equipment,preventing crews from pro-viding full winter mainte-nance and delaying serviceto the neighbourhood.

"It's very important forresidents to understand thatcars parked on the roadway

limit the ability of the snowplow to maneuver thestreet," says CommissionerMulligan. "We ask that res-idents avoid parking on thestreet during and immedi-ately after a major snowfallso that snow plows havethe room they need toeffectively clear the road."

In accordance with Cityby-laws, vehicles parkedon the street and interferingwith snow clearing are sub-ject to a fine and could betowed at the owner'sexpense. This also includescars parked over side-walks, curbs or boulevards.

The City of Bramptonis encouraging residentsto stay informed aboutsnow issues by visitingwww.brampton.ca/snowor following@BramptonSnow onTwitter. Updates are pro-vided from 7 a.m. to 11p.m. daily, includingweekends and statutoryholidays. Residents canalso call the Works andT r a n s p o r t a t i o nDepartment at905.874.2500 or [email protected].

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWWHEN IT STARTS TO SNOW

Here is some holi-day shoppingsafety tips for

everyone to follow:1. When parking, lock

your car and take your keyswith you

2. Do not leave valuablesin plain view in your car.Lock all valuables in thetrunk

3. When shopping afterdark, ask a friend or familymember to accompany you

4. Park in a well-lit areafor your car and path tomall. Make note of whereyour car is parked and whatmall entrance you use

5. Have your keys readyin your hand when leavingthe shopping centre toreturn to your car. Do notoverburden yourself withpackages. Make multipletrips

6. Scan and look insideyour car before gettinginside. Lock your doorspromptly

7. Use a debit and credit

card and small amounts ofmoney. Keep them in afront pocket and only carrywhat you need for the day

8. Keep your purse closeto you and never wraparound you neck or wrist

9. Be discreet when pay-ing for merchandisewith cash

10. Beaware ofyour sur-round-i n g sa n ds t a yalert.If younoticea n y -thing thata p p e a r ss u s p i c i o u s ,report it immedi-ately to mall security, astore employee andToronto Police.

Remember to LOCK ITOR LOSE.

HOLIDAYSHOPPING

SAFETY TIPS BY: TORONTO POLICE

The main reasonwhy the pass ratehas gone down is

because we're not scram-bling the questions andanswers, a very simpleanti- cheating device -Minister Kenney

In response to a questionabout more newCanadians failing citizen-ship test, Minister JasonKenney said "The realityis that the old citizenshiptest saw about 97 percentof people passing. Manyimmigrants complained tome that it was insultingly

easy and one of the bigproblems we had wasthere were only five seriesof questions and answerswhich were circulating onthe black market. Peoplewere able to buy theanswers and memorize theanswers before taking thetest. So there was prettywidespread cheating asfar as we can tell. Themain reason why the passrate has gone down isbecause we're not scram-bling the questions andanswers, a very simpleanti- cheating device. Yes,

the information is morecomprehensive and, youknow what? We don't takethe condescending viewthat new Canadians aren'tsmart enough to learnabout the basic facts ofCanada's history, geogra-phy and democratic tradi-tions."

If you are your lovedone has to take a citizen-ship test, you can practiceonline at

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publica-tions/discover/questions.asp

30 PER CENT NEW CANADIANSARE FAILING CITIZENSHIP TEST


A v o nCanadah a s

recalled selectshades ofH e a l t h yMakeup EyeShadow. Sevenshades areaffected and arebeing recalled:Platinum, RoseSatin, TigersEye, Ice Mocha,Lilac Ice,Limestone andViolet Dusk.

Roman shadesof all styles andsizes sold byLowe's storeshave beenrecalled.

Westinghouse-brand seasonalindoor/outdoorstring lightbulbs come inone colour or avariety ofcolours, and areLED-lit. Theselights have beenrecalled byZellers.

All 2010 Holiday LEDlight strings by HomeAccents Holiday &Martha Stewart Livingsold by The Home Depot

Canada stores have beenrecalled.

All these recalls arevoluntary to protect con-sumers and have beenreported on Health

Canada's site.But this is not it. We

have heard about recallsof toys and cribs andother baby products.

Now the consumers are

not sure what to make ofall these recalls. What todo with the products theyhave already bought. Inmost cases they can bereturned with full refund.

However theGovernment of Canada isseeking more authority torecall the unsafe productsfrom the market.

In a teleconference,

Ms. Leona Aglukkaq,Minister of Health statedthat "our government hasintroduced the legislationcalled Consumer ProductSafety legislation. It isbefore the Senate. It's a40 year old resolutionbefore the Senate. If thelegislation is passed,Health Canada will havethe authority to makemandatory recalls ofthose unsafe productsfrom the shelves. Rightnow we do not haveresources to find wherethey [the products] weredistributed ."

The Government ofCanada has alsolaunched a campaign forchildren health and safe-ty campaign. The gov-ernment is promoting awebsite where parents,caregivers and organiza-tions can go to see forthemselves what unsafeproducts have beenrecalled.

Minister Aglukkaqnoted that website isinteractive sending emailnotifications to anyonewho has signed up on thewebsite any time a prod-uct is recalled. The webaddress is www.healthy-canadians.gc.ca/kids.

www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, launched the "Children's Health andSafety" multimedia campaign, at the Robert Lee YMCA, Coast Capital Savings EarlyChildhood and Family Development Centre, in VancouverB.C., December3, 2010.

The Canadian gov-ernment hasextended the date

of projects that have beenfunded by stimulus pack-age. Honourable LisaRaitt, Minister of Labour,in a tour to BramptonSocial Services Centre sitesaid "this is good news forthe people of Ontario.While the vast majority ofthese infrastructure proj-ects are expected to becompleted by March 31,2011, I know that someproponents will appreciatethe extra time to put thefinishing touches to theirproject."

"The Government ofCanada is confident thatthis extension will allowsufficient time for impor-tant projects to be com-pleted" added MinisterRaitt. "By extending thedeadline, we don't want topenalize communities thatdelivered their projects ontime, and that is why thereare important conditions tothe extension," she added.

"It allows for flexibilityfor municipalities whomay be facing challengesin meeting the originaldeadline. The City ofBrampton has workedvery hard to keep our stim-ulus projects on track and,barring any unforeseencircumstances, our proj-ects will be completed ontime by March 31," says

Mayor Fennell. "As thestimulus

program winds down,

we look forward to contin-ue working with our feder-al and provincial partnersto protect the gains we'vemade and to plan for thelong term."

Mayor Fennell has, with

her past work with FCM,helped to secure for theCity of Brampton morethan $41 million in fund-ing from both the federaland provincial govern-ments through the eco-nomic stimulus programsand more than $47 million

through the Gas Tax pro-gram. This has helped toaddress Brampton's cur-

rent 10-year $380 millioninfrastructure deficit. Inaddition to sitting on theNational Board, MayorFennell is also a memberof the FCM's Big CityMayors' Caucus, and is

serving her fourth consec-utive term as FCM OntarioCaucus Chair.

In order to qualify forthis extension, projectsmust have incurred eligi-ble costs before March 31,2011. This is the case forthe Brampton Social

Services Centre, which isreceiving up to $2.2 mil-lion in federal fundingunder the InfrastructureStimulus Fund. The new

Brampton Social ServicesCentre will provide a one-stop central location forindividuals, couples andfamilies who are in need

of counseling or supportservices. The centre willbe home to a variety ofpublic and non-profitagencies.

STIMULUS FUNDED PROJECTS GETEXTENSION ON MARCH 31ST DEADLINE

"The City of Brampton has workedvery hard to keep ourstimulus

projects on track and, barring anyunforeseen circumstances, our

projects will be completed on timeby March 31," says MayorFennell

"By extending the deadline, wedon't want to penalize communities

that delivered their projects ontime, and that is why there are

impor tant conditions to the exten-sion," Minister Raitt.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper chats with Sheridan presidentJeff Zabudsky Thursday as he toured the construction site ofthe Sheridan College Campus being built beside Mississauga'sSquare One shopping mall. (Dec. 2, 2010)


I n recent months wehave heard and read alot about vehicle

recalls by automobile man-ufacturers. Almost allbrand names have maderecalls at one time or theother, however withinjuries on the road manu-facturers have become cau-tious and recalls of vehicleswith defects are made assoon as they are noticed bythe manufacturer or arenotified by a consumer.

Manufacturers, con-sumers as well as the gov-ernment's interest hasheightened in the safety ofconsumers. Without adoubt, consumers pay highprices for brand new vehi-cles to ensure that there areno problems that used carsmight have.

Transport Canada con-ducts a compliance verifi-cation program that pro-vides assurance that com-panies are meeting their

obligations under theMotor Vehicle Safety Act(MVSA). There are threesegments involved in thisprogram: (1) Audit andInspection, (2) ComplianceEngineering Testing, and(3) Defect Investigationsand Recalls.

Toyota

With defects in Toyotamodels, Mr. Akio Toyoda,

the president of Toyota,had to give testimonybefore the House ofCongress in the UnitedStates earlier this year. Atthe Committee meetingsMr. Toyoda reassured theAmerican lawmakers that"I have personally placedthe highest priority onimproving quality overquantity..And I have sharedthat direction with ourstakeholders."

To that end Toyota hasdelivered. Toyota Canadahas included six activesafety technologies as stan-dard equipment on eachand every Toyota vehicle.These safety measuresinclude Vehicle StabilityControl (VSC)[1], TractionControl (TRAC), Anti-lockBrake System (ABS),Electronic Brake-forceDistribution (EBD), BrakeAssist (BA)[2] and Smart

Stop Technology (SST)[3].

"Toyota continues todevelop and incorporatetechnologies that advancethe safety and performanceof our vehicles, and theStar Safety System embod-ies this commitment," saidStephen Beatty, ManagingDirector at Toyota CanadaInc. "The Star SafetySystem is a clear commit-ment to our customers thatno matter which Toyotathey choose, safety comesstandard in every vehicle."

One of the first vehiclesto feature the Star SafetySystem as standard is alsoToyota's most popularmodel - the 2011 ToyotaCorolla, which goes on salein January in Canada.

Nissan

"Manufactures take qual-ity issues veryseriously…should theycome across a quality ques-tion..they do the right thing

to ensure that everybody issafe," says Allan Smerek,Director in charge of Aftersales & Quality Assuranceat Nissan Canada.

"There are very strictgovernment rules in manu-facturing process and everymanufacturer follows itsown guidelines and thegovernment's guidelines"to ensure the safety of con-sumers, Mr. Smerek says.Mr. Smerek has 40 years ofexperience working inautomobile industry. Assuch he notes that there are"hundreds, possibly thou-sands of quality checks"before a car is sent out to ashowroom. Nonetheless"the sensitivity of a qualityissue [in certain situations]has heightened the interestof the consumers as well asthe media," he says.

At Nissan Canada, Mr.Smerek has "zero evidencethat our sales are affected.Our sales are increasing,our market share is increas-ing."

By Staff Writer

2011 Ford Edge

Kia

Mo

tors

– S

ed

on

a

IS YOUR CAR SAFE TO DRIVE? OPINION OF AUTOMAKERS



GM

If you have been watch-ing General Motors ofCanada (GM) commercialson TV, you might have

noticed the safety line inthere.

"Consumers purchasingnew vehicles can restassured that they are pur-chasing safe vehicles. Ifany issues are discoveredwhere a recall is deemedappropriate, we ensure thatthe public is notified in atimely and transparentfashion, and reach outdirectly to customers tomake sure they are aware.As a last line of defence,when your vehicle isbrought in for service at adealership, the vehicle'sVIN is checked for anyoutstanding identifiedissues," wrote Mr. JasonEaston, spokesperson forGM Canada in an email toGeneration Next.

Mr. Easton further notedthat "as an automaker thatcreated the modern crashtest dummy and pioneeredunique customer serviceinitiatives such as OnStar,we have an excellent repu-tation for safety that cus-tomers can remain confi-dent in."

Their message of reliabil-ity and safety for con-sumers is reaching acrossto consumers to the endthat GM Canada's year-to-date retail sales are up by26.6 % with sales rising forChevrolet, Buick, GMC,and Cadillac.

Volkswagen

"We havebeen quitefortunateof late toh a v eavoidedt h e

negative implications of alarge scale recall," statedMr. Thomas Tetzlaff,spokesperson forVolkswagen. VolkswagenCanada sales are up by23% above last year's 13%.

Ford

Ford Canada hasIndustry's First Inflatable

Seat Belts that are designedto provide additional pro-tection for rear seatoccupants, oftenchildren and

older passengers who canbe more vulnerable tohead, chest and neckinjuries. It is also providinga system whereby you canadjust the car speed not toover-speed and to save

fuel. "We are leading the way

in developing new safetytechnologies for millionsof customers, and continue

t o

work tirelessly to designnew ways to keep our cus-tomers safer in our vehi-cles. Ford also leads theindustry in InsuranceInstitute for HighwaySafety "Top Safety Pick"ratings," says KerriStoakley, CommunicationsManager at Ford Canada.

Ford's

sales increased 16%, mark-ing the best November innine years.

Kia

'Kia Motors mandate is toprovide our customers withthe latest safety and tech-nologies on our entire

product line-up and contin-uously evolve

these important items as aleader in the automotiveindustry,' wrote Ms. CathyLaroche, spokesperson forKia Motors of Canada.

If you (the consumer) isstill not satisfied with yourcar manufacturer'sresponse to a defect,Transport Canada hasestablished a PublicComplaints System. Hereyou can report safety-relat-ed incidents that you mayhave experienced with yourvehicle or equipment (tiresor restraints for children ordisabled persons).

"These reports haveproven to be essential to usin that they have served asthe origin of the over-whelming majority of thedefect investigations thathave been conducted byTransport Canada over theyears," writes Ms. MaryseDurette, Senior Advisor atTransport Canada toGeneration Next in anemail.

Complaints may be madeby telephoning 1-800-333-0510 or by registering thecomplaint online at:https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Sa f - S e c - S u r / 7 / P C D B -B D P P / f c -cp.aspx?lang=eng.

Nonetheless, rise in carsales indicate that to greatdegree consumers feel safebuying a new vehicle andtrust that their governmentas well as the auto manu-

facturers will do the rightthing to ensure the safe-

ty of consumers.

Nissan

Volkswagon

Chevrolet

2011 Toyota Corolla2011 Toyota Corolla


With a degree in EarlyChildhood Education fromSheridan College, BhumiPatel has always been inter-ested in teaching. She feelsthat finding opportunities forteachers to work at Peelregion is not challenging. It

is also to be noted that Peel Public Board has decided toclose down some of the full-day kindergarten classes in2011 unless they are fully funded by the province. Bhumihas been working at Royal Day Care and Learning Centrein Mississauga for past three years as early childhood edu-cator.

Bhumi is actively involved in various community eventsperforming for them as a model. Part of Shiamk Davardance team, Bhumi is also interested in dancing.

Ten years from now, she sees herself happily marriedwith kids and her own day care centre.



A s new Canadiansarrive in Ontario,their first order of

business is to find a job.Any job at first will dobecause they have to sur-vive in a new country witha new work culture. Inorder to integrate into thelabour market, these newCanadians are offered anumber of advices by peo-ple they have casuallyknown. One of thoseadvices is to perk up yourresume a bit, so that youget hired.

Talking to GenerationNext, Ms. Nan Oldroyd,Senior Director, TalentLoblaw Companies Ltd.said " as part of the inclu-sion tool kit , we actuallyhave a process where wecan evaluate internationaleducation and experienceon equivalent level toCanadians experience. Thishas really helped us to helpnew Canadians to workwith us."

Over 138,000 full-timeand part-time employeesexecute its business strate-gy in more than 1,000 cor-porate and franchisedstores from coast to coast.This makes Loblaw one ofCanada's largest privatesector employers. It strivesto contribute to the com-munities it serves and to beproactive in corporate citi-

zenship.Ms. Oldroyd's title

'Senior Director Talent' isunique. We asked her what

her responsibilities are? As such "diversity and

inclusion is part of myrole." 'Great place to work

initiative' whereby employ-ees are engaged in a surveyis under her responsibility.Loblaw companies have

set a goal to hire 1,000graduates by 2014, sorecruitment and leadershipare a few other of hereveryday jobs.

Loblaw CompaniesLimited ("Loblaw" or the"Company") is Canada'slargest food distributor anda leading provider of gen-eral merchandise products,drugstore and financialproducts and services.

"Treat people as theywant to be treated" is themotto with which Ms.Oldroyd encourages peo-ple to work with.However, new Canadianswho already have hardtime finding jobs areafraid to share theirthoughts with an employ-er. Cultural barrier canlead them to believe thattoo much talking mightnot be good for their job.Instead they nod theirheads and move on.

"Part of our responsibili-ty as employer is to startthat two way dialogue toask them questions abouttheir experiences, what'simportant to them..in thisway they can also makegood decision of wherethey want to work with,"

says Ms. Oldroyd. Almost 50 per cent of

Loblaw companiesemployees are female. Ms.Oldroyd noted that in asurvey of Fortune 500companies, where womenwere in a leadership posi-tion, the companies weredoing a lot better than theirmale counterparts.

However women haveunique challenges as well."We provide them mater-nity leave and parentalleave and benefits aroundthat. We work with womenas they leave and as theycome back to bring theirtalent to work place," sen-ior leader at Loblaw com-panies stated.

If there is a problem atworkplace, Loblaw com-panies have "an open doorpolicy" that encouragesemployees to share theproblem with a manager oran HR person.

Loblaw Companies alsohas an Inclusion Council.This Council is made up ofpeople from different cul-tures and perspectives. Assuch the company ensuresthat people can celebratetheir diversity by havingtime with their families.

LOBLAW COMPANIES HAS A PROCESS TO EVALUATEINTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Nan Oldroyd, Senior Director, Talent Loblaw Companies Ltd.

By Staff Writer

City Clerk Peter Fay introduces the newly-sworn in Brampton CityCouncil at the Inauguration for the 2010-2014 Council.

BRAMPTON CITY COUNCIL SWEARING-IN CEREMONY


I t's not every day thatCanadians can cometogether to make a

spectacular, life-saving dif-ference in the world.However, December 1st isone of those days - itsWorld AIDS Day.

Every day, more than16,000 people die in thedeveloping world fromtreatable illnesses, liketuberculosis, malaria, andcertainly HIV/AIDS.

In developing countries,as many as 10 million peo-ple need life-saving, anti-retroviral drugs right now.

But on this World AIDSDay, six million of themare going without. They'regoing without becausethese brand name drugs areso expensive to bring intoplaces like Africa andSouth Asia.

On this World AIDS Day,there are some Canadianparliamentarians trying tochange that and pass legis-lation that will get low-cost, generic drugs intodeveloping countries.

Did you think this wasachieved six years ago?You're right. Parliamentunanimously supported aplan to ship life-savingmedicines into the devel-oping world. But the devilwas in the details. Thelicensing scheme didn'twork. That means, if you'rea generic drug producer,

and if you need a newlicense for every order, andgetting one takes yearsthrough lawyers, it's notgonna happen, folks. It'snot happening.

We've seen one lonelydrug shipment under thisregime. It took four yearsto arrange. And the compa-ny is saying "never again."So millions are still goingwithout medicines theyneed to live. Canadianswho wanted so badly tohelp are disheartened. Andthe only ones smiling are afew super-profitable brand-name drug giants whosevirtual monopoly lives on,with inflated prices andprofits secured.

But we're on the cusp ofchanging this. Bill C-393will finally fix what'swrong with Canada's

Access to MedicinesRegime. This NewDemocrat bill will imple-ment the one-license solu-tion generic producers needto get medicine flowing.

Virtually every internation-al health NGO agrees. MPshave already voted to passthis bill through two read-ings in the House. Makingthis law is simply the right

thing to do. But with one vote left,

this bill has run into trou-ble. Conservative MPs andthe Liberal Industry Critichave come together toamend this bill, by remov-ing the one-license solu-tion. And they need tounderstand: this stopseverything we're trying todo.

If they kill the one-license solution: genericproducers will still belocked out, those low-costdrugs still won't ship, andmillions will still be suffer-ing needlessly in the devel-oping world.

It need not be. Canada isso close to doing the rightthing, and that is whatCanadians want. AndParliament should start lis-tening to Canadians, notthe lobbyist for the phar-maceutical industry. Africaonly accounts for two per-cent of sales of brand namedrugs - saving lives shouldbe more important thanearning profits.

Wouldn't it be great if wecould stop marking WorldAIDS Day because we'vefound a cure or becausepeople have access to themedicines they need?

BY STAFF WRITER ONE HOT NIGHT ON A COLDDECEMBER NIGHT - MALAYSIAN STYLE

M. Hatimi Abas,Minister Counsellor

Zalela Jaafar,Malaysian TradeCommissioner toCanada

Mike Philippillai, owner of Villa Malaysia withher sister Regina


A s the hub of mostSouth Asianactivity in

Toronto, Gerard IndiaBazaar is no stranger tolights. But on the eve ofSaturday, Dec 4th, a fewdozen people from acrossToronto lit over a hundreddiyas to shed light on anissue most Desi folkswould rather not talk about:HIV/AIDS.

Around the globe, Dec1st is commemorated asWorld AIDS Day - achance for communities to

remember those who'velost the battle against

HIV/AIDS, and to remindthose present about the rel-evance and unyieldingthreat of the epidemic.

But does conversationaround safer sex and STIssit well with the typicalSaturday night fare oftikkas and lassi with thefamily? "I think the point isto bring the conversationsto the heart of the commu-

nity", explains Shazad Hai,MSM Outreach Co-ordina-

tor at the Alliance for South

Asian AIDS Prevention(ASAAP), and organizer of

the event. "It'd obviously

be safer for us to do some-thing like this on ChurchSt, or in downtown core,

where people are moreaccustomed to such initia-tives, but how does thatserve the Desi communi-ty?... you can't divide thecity into sex-positive zonesand denial-friendly zones-the fact is that this is athreat to the Desi commu-nity, and if conversationsneed to happen, they needto happen where Desi peo-

ple actually are." While ASAAP's

approach may be bold, it'snot devoid of the hospitali-ty one would expect at aDesi event. Those whoattended were treated tosamosas and masala chaiinside the warm lounges ofthe newly-openedRiverdale Hub, while adesignated Henna artistembellished hands forthose looking to completetheir Gerard St. experience.One such attendee was CityCouncillor Paula Fletcher,who left the event withHenna designs worthy ofan Eid/Diwali soiree, and astack of safer sexresources.

The event not onlyhelped spark dialoguearound HIV and its rele-vance within the SouthAsian community, but italso took leaps in advanc-ing the visibility of SouthAsian PHAs (People liv-ing with HIV/AIDS), aminority often overlookedand underrepresented dueto a prevalent fear ofstigmatization or ostra-cization. As PHAs andtheir well-wishers seam-lessly integrated into acrowd that exuded positiv-ity and warmth, the pre-vailing sentiment through-out the event was one thecommunity could trulyimbibe- of embracing theknowledge, not the myths,and of fighting the virus,not those living with it.

SAMOSAS AND CHAIFOR WORLD AIDS DAY?

"Y ou can't divide the city into sex-positive zones and denial-friendly

zones- the fact is that this is athr eat to the Desi community, andif conversations need to happen,they need to happen where Desi

people actually are."

By Imran PatelToronto

I t's not every day thatCanadians can cometogether to make a

spectacular, life-saving dif-ference in the world.However, December 1st isone of those days - itsWorld AIDS Day.

Every day, more than16,000 people die in thedeveloping world fromtreatable illnesses, liketuberculosis, malaria, andcertainly HIV/AIDS.

In developing countries,as many as 10 million peo-ple need life-saving, anti-retroviral drugs right now.

But on this World AIDSDay, six million of themare going without. They'regoing without becausethese brand name drugs areso expensive to bring intoplaces like Africa andSouth Asia.

On this World AIDS Day,there are some Canadianparliamentarians trying tochange that and pass legis-

lation that will get low-cost, generic drugs intodeveloping countries.

Did you think this wasachieved six years ago?You're right. Parliamentunanimously supported aplan to ship life-savingmedicines into the devel-oping world. But the devilwas in the details. Thelicensing scheme didn'twork. That means, ifyou're a generic drugproducer, and ifyou need a newlicense for everyorder, and gettingone takes yearsthrough lawyers,it's not gonna hap-pen, folks. It's nothappening.

We've seen onelonely drug ship-ment under thisregime. It tookfour years toarrange. Andthe companyis saying" n e v e ragain." Somillions arestill going with-out medicines theyneed to live. Canadians

who wanted so badly tohelp are disheartened. Andthe only ones smiling are afew super-profitable brand-name drug giants whosevirtual monopoly lives on,with inflated prices andprofits secured.

But we're on the cusp ofchanging this. Bill C-393will finally fix what's

wrong with Canada'sAccess to MedicinesRegime. This NewDemocrat bill willimplement theo n e - l i c e n s esolution gener-ic producersneed to getmedicine flow-

ing. Virtuallyevery internation-

al health NGOagrees. MPs have

already voted topass this bill

through tworeadings in

t h eH o u s e .Making

this law issimply the

right thing todo.

But with one vote left,

this bill has run into trou-ble. Conservative MPs andthe Liberal Industry Critichave come together toamend this bill, by remov-ing the one-license solu-tion. And they need tounderstand: this stopseverything we're trying todo.

If they kill the one-license solution: genericproducers will still belocked out, those low-costdrugs still won't ship, andmillions will still be suffer-ing needlessly in the devel-oping world.

It need not be. Canada isso close to doing the rightthing, and that is whatCanadians want. AndParliament should start lis-tening to Canadians, notthe lobbyist for the phar-maceutical industry. Africaonly accounts for two per-cent of sales of brand namedrugs - saving lives shouldbe more important thanearning profits.

Wouldn't it be great if wecould stop marking WorldAIDS Day because we'vefound a cure or becausepeople have access to themedicines they need?

RUPINDER KAURis Press Secretary for

Canada's NewDemocrats

LET'S NOT PLAYPOLITICS

I have experienceddiscrimination withthe medical profes-

sion. Not long after I gotan operation, I had a 'dan-gerous infection' notice atthe end of my hospital bedand I just kicked off aboutit I just said "No no, you

can't do that. What is thisabout?" Another experi-ence: one dentist kept can-celling the appointmentand eventually I got warn-ings and Friday afternoonthey were all gowned upand it looked like I was inan open out surgery and Iwas saying "What are youdoing? Why are youdressed in that way? It'sridiculous. Why don't youdress like that for every-

body? And if you do thatit's absolutely cool, but ifyou're dressed like that forme then it's completelyunnecessary."

I suppose I haven't real-ly felt massive angerabout it. I just feel like it'sludicrous. I feel moreangry about people get-ting deported and peoplewho I have made friendswith that are gettingdeported back to countrieswhere they're told "Ohyes, there's universalaccess" when we knowthere's no universalaccess. So when someidiot says "Oh I'm goingto wear a green surgicalgown", I feel like that isdirected at me and I cando something about it. Ican directly challenge theperson I am dealing with,but it's the bigger scalething that I get more angryand frustrated aboutbecause I can't changethose things, I suppose.

Source: http://www.nat.org.uk/Livi

n g - w i t h - H I V / R e a l -S t o r i e s / t a c k l i n g -s t i g m a / S t i g m a - i n -Healthcare-story.aspx

STIGMA INHEALTHCARE



THE voice ofSecretary of StateHillary Clinton

lacked the ring of sincerity.True, she had to defend theindefensible but she couldhave been more forthcom-ing on the leakage of theUS classified documents.

This might have revivedthe confidence of the coun-tries the US has hurt in theWikiLeaks scandal. MsClinton's statement that theleakage was an attack onworld peace does not wash.Nor does it condone thebreach of faith that thenations repose inWashington. The publishedcomments made by topAmerican diplomats werenot off the cuff. Some dev-ilish thought went intothem.

How can the leaders ofthese countries trust the USwhich says somethingpleasant in their presenceand entirely the oppositebehind their backs? This isno diplomacy. It is sheerbetrayal. President Obama,who swore by transparencywhen he was electioneeringfor the presidency, hascome out as a double-facedpersonality after the disclo-sures.

His oratory cannot hidethe fact that countries havebeen taken for a ride. Whatcan be the moral stance ofthe president when his sec-retary of state tells the USdiplomats at the UN to spyon their counterparts? Butthen America has theexample of Watergatewhich led to ex-PresidentNixon's resignation on theground that he had misusedthe government machinery.

It seems as if Washingtontreats other countries asfodder for its mighty diplo-macy machine. Ms Clintonis right in her remark thatPresident Obama and sheframed a world policywhich America is trying toimplement. But what sortof policy is she alluding to?No doubt, national interestscome first. The US is noexception. But then whydoes it delude the world bypretending that Washingtonis guided by altruisticmotives?

WikiLeaks has done agreat service to the world.US citizens should beindignant because theirgovernment has put a ques-tion mark over their credi-bility. If such are the meansthat the most powerfuldemocracy adopts toachieve its ends, the veryideology becomes dubious.How is the US differentfrom dictatorships sincethey too use oily words inpublic and cut throats inprivate?

That America wanted tohave a nuclear transfer pro-gramme for Pakistan'senriched uranium to some'safe place' has been knownfor some time. ButPakistan did not allow the

US to remove the enrichedfuel.

Pakistan's Foreign Officespokesman clarified that"reports concerningPakistan's experimentalnuclear reactor acknowl-edge that Pakistan did not

allow any transfer of thefuel from the experimentalreactor". In other words,the US suggestion to have

the fuel transferred wasplainly refused byPakistan.

The disclosure onAfghanistan has annoyedIndia the most. BothTurkey and the UAE used

their clout to keep NewDelhi out of a meeting onthe future course of actionat Kabul. Both countries, asUS documents reveal, didso to 'appease' Pakistan.

Since this informationhas came out within 24

hours of President PratibhaPatil's return from theUAE, India is wonderinghow the relationship would

develop. It has a goodunderstanding with theUAE and wants to sustainit.

India is upset with MsClinton's message to ascer-tain deliberations regarding

the Security Councilexpansion among "self-appointed front-runners"for permanent seats. NewDelhi has been hurt by thecable sent to the Americanambassador at New Delhi.At present, its position is tolet things stay as they arealthough a spokesman hassaid, more for US con-sumption, that the relation-ship between the two coun-tries is too deep to be dis-turbed by external consid-erations.

WikiLeaks has in its pos-session thousands of cableswhich the US embassy inNew Delhi has sent toWashington. The worse isyet to come. India suspectsthat since the leaked docu-ments are dated between2005 and 2008, therewould be a lot of materialon its nuclear and defencedeals negotiated between2005 and 2008.

It is an open secret thatthere was a lot of pressureon the Manmohan Singhgovernment on the nuclear

deal. The CommunistParty of India (Marxist)left the alliance headed byCongress president SoniaGandhi, making the deal acrucial issue. Any conces-sion shown by either

Washington or New Delhican be disastrous for thebattered Congress-ledcoalition. India is facinganother embarrassing situ-ation concerning the NiiraRadia tapes, disclosing hertelephone conversationswith industrialists and topjournalists. IndustrialistRatan Tata has approachedthe Indian Supreme Courtfor an injunction on theleaks which, he alleges,have violated his right toprivacy.

He has questionedwhether India has turnedinto a banana republic andasked the government topunish those responsiblefor it. He could havenamed them because theincome tax departmentsays that it authorised thetapping of phones. Thehome ministry says that ithad given the permission.It is a questionable orderbecause in a democracythe tapping of private tele-phones is an attack on per-sonal liberty.

Only a part of the con-versations has been tran-scribed but it establishesthe nexus between thebusiness houses, the politi-cians and the journalists. Ido not know why only afew journalists werepicked up because some 30of them figure in the tapes.The Indian media has tohave a code of ethicswhich journalists shouldadhere to in all situations.

Unfortunately, somejournalists have not comeup to the standard they areexpected to maintain. Inthe few cases which are

in the public domain,they have been foundgoing beyond the limit.They behave like power-brokers and cross the linebetween legitimate news-gathering and lobbying.Politicians are naturallyjubilant because they cannow say 'physician, healthyself'.

A QUESTION OF ETHICS

KULDIP NAYARis a senior journalist

based in Delhi.WikiLeaks has done a great serviceto the world. US citizens should be

indignant because theirgovernment has put a question

mark over their credibility . If suchare the means that the most

powerful democracy adopts toachieve its ends, the very ideologybecomes dubious. How is the USdif ferent from dictatorships sincethey too use oily words in public

and cut throats in private?


President BarackObama's specialvisit to Afghanistan

on December 3, 2010underscores the importancethe United States attachesto breaking out of the cur-rent military and politicalstalemate in Afghanistan soas to be able to honor thecommitment made at theLisbon conference in thethird week of Novemberfor the withdrawal ofNATO/U.S. troops by theend of 2014.

This visit was also part ofthe on-going review of theAfghan policy by the U.S.This is the third majorreview of the Afghanistanpolicy since Obama cameto the Presidency.

The new review isexpected to update or finetune the current policy inview of the experience ofcounter-insurgency inAfghanistan in 2010. It isalso expected to addressthe concerns of the Kabulgovernment and the neigh-

boring states on the with-drawal of American troopsfrom Afghanistan. Most oftheir concerns relate to theproblems and issues theyare likely to face the DAYAFTAR foreign troops quitAfghanistan.

The worries about theday after are caused by theinability of U.S./NATOtroops to secure an endur-ing military victory againstthe Taliban. Various mili-tary operations in 2010 donot inspire confidence thatthe Taliban are losing thewar. The latter appear to bepresent in large number inSouthern parts ofAfghanistan with an effec-tive control of some areas.If the U.S. /NATO troopswithdraw fromAfghanistan in a hurry andwithout creating an effec-tive administrative struc-ture, Afghanistan willplunge into civil strife andthe neighboring stateswould compete with eachother for increasing theirinfluence in Afghanistan.

An unstable and strife-ridden Afghanistan is ananathema to the states thatshare border. This willhave far greater negative

implications for Pakistanbecause the Afghan strifewill quickly spill intoPakistan's tribal areas andthe adjoining districts ofthe Frontier Province (nowcalled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) wherePakhtuns constitute the

majority. Some of the mil-itant Islamic groups,including the Tehrik-i-Taliban-i-Pakistan (TTP),would join their favoritesin Afghanistan. Others willwork towards strengthen-ing their domain in the trib-al and/or reinforce their tieswith the militant groupsbased in mainlandPakistan.

There are three millionAfghan refugees based inPakistan. Most of themwill get involved with oneAfghan group or the other.

Further, ethnic dimensionof such strife needs to betaken into account. ThePakhtuns of Pakistan areexpected to support vari-ous Pakhtun groups inAfghanistan in their com-petition with smaller eth-nic groups that are current-

ly over-represented in theKarzai government.

The key issues that willhave major implicationsfor the future ofAfghanistan are: capacitybuilding of the Afghangovernment and its securi-ty forces, economic recon-struction with the objec-tive of creating jobs for theAfghans and the extensionof the political supportbase of the Kabul govern-ment by winning oversome Taliban groups andtribal chiefs or other localinfluential people.

The Afghan state'scapacity building is a mul-tifaceted process thatrequires improving gover-nance, increasing profes-sionalism of the officialsand reducing, if not elimi-nating corruption. Thestate resources and patron-age need to be used in ajudicious and equitablemanner. The mismanage-ment of the parliamentaryelections in September2010 shows that the statemachinery lacks experi-ence and professionalismto manage major tasks.The administration needsto pay more attention toimproving the quality oflife to ordinary people andgiving them hope for abetter future.

The major challenge isto train the new AfghanNational Army and thePolice to such a profes-sional level that they cantake-over the securityresponsibilities by 2014.This training has beengoing on for over one yearbut so far no Afghan Armyunit is in a position to takeover the full securityduties in an area.Currently, the Afghantroops are working alongwith the U.S. troops.There are complaints ofdesertions both in theArmy and the Police. Thistrend will have to be dis-

couraged and the Afghanyouth have to be turnedinto a professional and dis-ciplined security andpolice force. Pakistan hasoffered to open its trainingfacilities to the AfghanArmy personnel.

Another important aspectof capacity building isreduction of ethnic dispari-ties in the state machinery,including the army. Thesingle largest ethnic group,the Pakhtuns, is under-rep-resented in the civilian andmilitary state structurewhich has alienated a largenumber of Pakhtuns.

The dialogue optionneeds to be pursued withthe dissident and insurgentelements by the Karzaigovernment in order todelink some groups fromthe Taliban leadership andthe Al-Qaeda. It can seekthe cooperation of Pakistanand Saudi Arabia for inter-

action with the Talibangroups. If some of themdecide to work with theKabul government theyneed to be provided withjobs and societal support toreturn to normal life.

Thee cooperation amongthe U.S. Pakistan andAfghanistan can ensurethat the Afghan govern-ment develops enoughadministrative and securitycapacity to stand on itsfeet. This withdrawal doesnot mean that the U.S.would abandonAfghanistan. It will contin-ue to support Afghanistanbut in a different capacity.A message of strongPakistani support wasgiven to Afghanistan dur-ing the visit of Pakistan'sPrime Minister, YousafRaza Gilani, to Kabul onDecember 4-5, 2010.

DR. HASAN ASKARILahore

KEY ISSUES FOR AFGHANISTANAS WITHDRAWAL DATE LOOMS

This withdrawal does not meanthat the U.S. would abandon

Afghanistan. It will continue tosupport Afghanistan but in a

dif ferent capacity. A message ofstrong Pakistani support was given

to Afghanistan

D a t e2 0 0 9 - 1 0 - 1 913:58:00

Source Embassy KabulClassification SECRETS E C R E T SECTION

01 OF 02 KABUL003364SIPDISDEPTPASS TO S/SRAP,

S/CT, EEB, and SCA/AE.O. 12958: DECL:

10/19/2019TAGS: EINV,EFIN,

KTFN, PGOV, AFS U B J E C T :

AFGHANISTAN: CAPI-TAL FLIGHT AND ITSIMPACT ON FUTURE

STABILITYREF: A. KABUL 2791B. KABUL 3326Classified By: CDDEA

Ambassador E. AnthonyWayne for reasons 1.4 (b)

and (d).1.(S) SUMMARY:

Afghanistan's is a cash-based economy, relying on

historic trade linkageswith neighboring andregional partners.

Given Afghanistan'sstrategic location, ongoingconflict, and deep

involvement in illicittrade (e.g., narcotics), aswell as some

neighboring country cur-rency exchange policies,vast amounts of cash

come and go from thecountry on a weekly,monthly, and annual basis.

Before the August 20election, $600 million inbanking system

withdrawals were report-

ed; however, in recentmonths, some $200

million has flowed backinto the country. In termsof total money

leaving the country, ana-lysts are uncertain whetherit is generated

within Afghanistan or ismoving throughAfghanistan from other

countries such asPakistan (Pakistan's strictcurrency controls makes

smuggling through KabulInternational Airport (KIA)an attractive

option). Experts also donot know the ratio of licitand illicit

monies leaving the coun-try. Given Afghanistan'sgeneral political

uncertainty, lack of credi-ble and safe investmentopportunities, and

unsettled election, itappears that individualsmoved more money than

normal out of the Afghanbanking sector and countryas a hedge before

the elections. While someof the money appears to bereturning,

Mission -- with supportfrom Washington agenciesand other posts in

the region -- will work toclosely monitor the cashmovements, both

as a sign of public confi-dence in GIRoAand forpossible illicit

financial activities. Endsummary.

WikiLeaks "classified"cables from Afghanistan


A s I have saidmany timesbefore, we all

have our personal truths.These personal truths arebased on our DNA, lifeexperiences, background,education, peer (Samaj)generated, or our personalbiases do play a major rolein our decision making. Tome personal truths are likeour spouses. We can't livewithout them and sometimes we can't live withthem! I simply can't imag-ine life without my wifebut there are momentswhere I have a trouble sur-viving with her! (Shhh,make sure you do not gotell her!)

What I propose we do isthis. We start out with ourpersonal truth - becausethat is what we havebelieved to be true andover all has served us well,but at the same time we putit under the microscope

and critically examine if itis really true or not. This isa very difficult (and forsome of us it is an impossi-ble) process.

Personal truth should notbe changed from outsideforces but it must happenfrom our core. Only rolethe others need play is topoint out the alternativetruth and then you need toengage into the hard part.Question your personaltruth and figure out if theyneed stay or go! The mostimportant test you need toapply is to question. "Doesthis truth serve my longterm need?" or "Does thisparticular truth serve me orscrew me?"

Once you identify theneed to change the person-al truth at cerebral level thedifficult task it to change atcardiac level. After all todeprogram some thing that

has been programmed for30 years is going take sometime.

I plan to post many truestories where in my opin-ion the personal truth maybe more harmful than help-ful. Mind you these arebiased views of one per-son. I think a public dia-logue may help differentpeople to change or rein-force their own personaltruths. Please forgive me ifI happen to make fun ofyour personal truth it justshows my strong biasagainst it. And feel free tochange your personal truthif you are suddenly enlight-ened and realize thatchanging your personaltruth is likely to server youbetter.

I think our brain is like acomputer hard drive and itcollects garbage and harm-ful viruses over time.

Smart ones among usdo regularly clean uphard drive to keep infunctioning at anoptimal level.

Edited bySneha Sharma

We all have our ownpersonal truths - butthey are changeable

and should bechanged PRN

1.

Y o udeepen yourr e l a t i o n-ships. Social

support is avery important ele-ment of self-care.When you assumesomeone can handle

hearing the hardtruth, they usually rise toyour expectations. When

you learn to tell the hardtruth in a relationshipyou can be yourself inthat relationship.2. You lose the stress.

Hiding the truth and/or liv-ing a lie is very stressful!Telling the hard truth is theantidote.

3. You feel better aboutyourself. When you'vedone something coura-geous like telling someone

the hard truth, you're send-ing yourself the messagethat maybe you can doOTHER hard things.

4. You create evidencethat your own thoughtsmake you suffer - look atan experience where youtold the hard truth andnotice that it was the antic-ipation of telling that creat-ed your worry and stress.Things that hadn't hap-pened and may never hap-pen, things you were creat-ing in your own mind. Andthe reality rarely lives up toour feared expectations.

5. You can learn from thehard truth. Has someonetold you a hard truth? Useit as a way of deepeningyour relationship or toimprove something aboutthe situation or yourself.Thank the person and rec-ognize their courage fortelling the hard truth.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the authorof "The Everyday Self-CareWorkbook".

Telling HardTruth forSelf-CareVIJAY UNCLE

is the coolest Desi uncle inNorth America. He gives rela-tionship advice and motivatesyouth to register to donatebone marrows.

“W I N T E R ’ SBone,” a starktale of a young

woman trying to keep her fam-ily together, won best featurefilm on Monday night at theGotham Awards, a key eventfor independent movies.

The film revolves around asmall group of people living inthe rural mountains of southernMissouri who are involved inmaking a form of crystalmethamphetamine, commonly

called “crank.” It also won bestensemble performance at theNew York-based awards.

The best documentary tro-phy was given to “The Oath,”which tells parallel storiesabout Abu Jandal, Osama binLaden’s former bodyguard anda free man who drives a taxi inYemen, and Salim Hamdan, aformer Guantanamo Bay pris-oner caught up in a legal battleto win his release.

The Gotham Awards are

held annually by theIndependent Feature Project,an nonprofit organisationfounded in 1979 that supportsindependent filmmaking. Theawards give film fans an indi-cation of the top independentmovies of the year heading intoHollywood’s film award sea-son. Ronald Bronstein wasnamed breakthrough actor forhis work in “Daddy Longlegs,”playing a divorced father oftwo young boys whom he sees

only a couple of weeks a year. Kevin Asch won the break-

through director category forhis debut feature, “HolyRollers,” which starred JesseEisenberg as a young man froman Orthodox Jewish communi-ty who is lured into dealingdrugs.

“Littlerock,” was namedbest film without a distribution

deal, while special tributeawards were given to actorRobert Duvall, actress HilarySwank, “Black Swan” directorDarren Aronofsky and produc-er and screenwriter JamesSchamus.

The documentary “Waitingfor Superman,” which exam-ines problems in the US schoolsystem, won the festival genius

audience award, a new GothamAwards category this year.

“Winter’s Bone” was madefor a budget of around $2 mil-lion and also won the topaward at the Sundance FilmFestival earlier this year. At lastyear’s Gotham Awards, “TheHurt Locker” won best featureand went on to winbest film at the Oscars.

‘Winter’s Bone’ wins best film at Gotham Awards


NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone arrives for a promotional event for

the upcoming Hindi film ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se’. AFP

S EXY lass KatrinaKaif, who sizzleswith oodles of atti-

tude in the chartbuster‘Sheila ki Jawani’ fromher upcoming flick ‘TeesMaar Khan’, says thatthe number is one of herraunchiest songs.

Talking to reportersabout the song, the stun-ner said, “It had be oneof the raunchiest songs Ihave ever shot.”

And the beauty doesnot mind being named anitem girl as she believesit has been a good learn-ing experience for her.She said, “It was kind ofa learning experience forme. I don`t take the song

being called item numberas an offense. There isexposure in the song but

it is more about attitudeand I was specific aboutit...”

‘SHEILA KI JAWANI’ IS THE SEXIEST SONGI HAVE EVER SHOT, SAYS KATRINA

Y ES, it is true. Theperpetually cussingand surprisingly

violent Dolly Bindra,known for looking to picka fight has extended anolive branch to her archenemy Shweta Tiwari.

The Colors channelspokesperson toldHindustan Times thatDolly Bindra apologised toShweta Tiwari for all thefights they had on theshow ‘Bigg Boss Season4’. What’s more? ShwetaTiwari, who couldn’t bearthe sight of Dolly, gra-ciously accepted the apol-ogy and forgave her.

Dolly has been knownto have picked a fight withalmost everyone in the

house at some point oftime or other. However, itwas ultimately a tiff shehad with Sameer Soniover hitting ShwetaTiwari, which snowballedinto a huge fight and

resulted in the eviction ofboth the participants.While Sameer hadreturned more than a weekback, Dolly made a wild-card entry in the weehours on Sunday.

DOLLY APOLOGISES TOSHWETA ON ‘BIGG BOSS’

Glimpses from the Bridal Couture Week 2010

T HE BridalCouture Week,a bright event

in the country’sfashion scene,gathered cheers fromall and sundry. Thethr ee-day event wasorganised by Style 360and showcaseddesigners, includingMuzaffar Ali, NiloferShahid, Amina Ajmal,Mehdi, Hoorain.Khawar Riaz, AtherShahzad and Toni &Guy were in charge ofthe makeup andstyling of the models.On the final day of theevent, HSY, Asifa andNabeel and Hoorainshowcased theirdesigns. The modelsreceived admirationfr om the crowd fortheir confidentwalks and expressions.


AB H I S H E KBachchan isback with hislatest film‘Khelein Hum

Jee Jaan Sey’. Digital Spycaught up with the ‘Dhoom’and ‘Dostana’ star to talkabout playing a freedomfighter, why he is not incompetition with Aishwaryaand his seven new releases.

To what extent is KheleinHum Jee Jaan Seya truestory?

“It is completely a truestory. The book it is based on,‘Do Or Die’, is a historicalaccount of what happened inChittagong during theuprising in 1930. So forexample, they raided thepolice lines, the armoury, thetelegraph office, the Europeanclub and the railway station.They basically took over theentire British cantonment.This acted as a hugeinspiration all over thecountry for freedom fighters.So this movie is based on thatincident, what happened andhow they prepared for it.”

It sounds like the filmhas a social message...

“I really believe at the endof the day, regardless of hownoble you are or how patrioticthe film might be, it has to

serve as entertainment inorder for your audiences tocome into the theatre andwatch it. Otherwise audienceswill wait and see it a fewmonths later when it is

premiered on television. Youknow, the main objective ofour cinema is to entertain. Ifyou can pass on a message at

the same time that is fantastic,but if the audience does notfeel they are going to beentertained by the film, theyare not going to watch it.There are many examples of

very responsible and greatfilms that are being made, butnobody goes to watch them.”

How did you prepare for

your role as freedom fighterSurya Sen?

“This is the third or fourthperiod film that I have done,but the first time I have playeda freedom fighter. In terms of

a performance, what is reallyeasy with a historicalcharacter is that there is a lotof information available. Youhave a very definiteframework and a skeleton toflesh out, compared to afictional character which youreally need to fabricate. Whenyou have a character that youknow what they did and howthey did it, and what theircharacteristics might havebeen, it makes the job a loteasier. When you have allyour research and informationit makes it simpler to createthe character.”

How was the experienceof working alongsideDeepika Padukone?

“Wonderful. This is myfirst film with Deepikaactually. For someone who isrelatively new in the industry,to take on the role that she hasdone is very brave andchallenging. I am very gladthat our actresses are also veryopen to doing these kinds ofroles, where in today’s day andage playing the glam queen isso rampant. I think it iswonderful that an actor withDeepika’s experience has

managed to pull it off, and shehas pulled it off with great easeand dignity, which I think isvery nice.”

Do you feel incompetition with AishwaryaRai, who has had a numberof back-to-back films thisyear?

“No, not at all. I havenever been that kind of aperson. Next year I actuallyhave seven releases. You haveto do the work and dedicate theamount of time the projectrequires.”

Your fans are eagerlyawaiting the delayed‘Dostana 2’ and ‘Dum Mar oDum’.

“If your films are lookedforward to, that is a good sign.‘Dostana’ got postponedbecause we weren’t ready withthe writing and Tarun[Mansukhani] was not goingon the floors without the entirescript in his hand. I respectthat, and whatever is for thebetterment of the film weshould do. If people arelooking forward to my films,then I am happy and I must bedoing somethingright.”

Abhishek speaks about playing a freedom fighter

WELL, this Bollywood oomph bala has made heads turnwherever she goes or whatever she does on screens. Yetagain looks like the actress is going to prove her calibre, bytaking a diversion. The latest buzz is that Kareena Kapoorhas been approached for a political drama, which will be

helmed by Sudhir Mishra and produced under Farhan Akhtar’s bannerExcel Entertainment.

According to the director, the film is titled “Bhrub”, which alsohappens to be the name of the central character around which the filmwill revolve. It’s about a man who’s an heir to a political family while

Kareena here is said to be playing an equally pivotal role.Earlier, all have tasted Kareena’s acting power in Mishra’s

“Chameli”, where she played a prostitute and now expectationswill surely rise to see her new avatar.

Mishra reasoned that Kareena broke free from commercialfilms in “Chameli” and that was when people realised the

potential that was hidden inside her as an actor. “I intend to do thatagain as she hasn’t been exploited enough as an actor consideringher immense talent,” added the director. Things about ‘Bhrub’will get started once Farhan wraps up the shooting of his “Don2”. COURTESY HINDUSTAN TIMES

Kareena to don serious shade

A LL is not well between‘once thick friends’Farah Khan and Shah

Rukh Khan. The choreogra-pher turned director has cashedin on her upcoming AkshayKumar starrer ‘Tees MaarKhan’ to take out her enmity atthe Badshah of Bollywood.Buzz has it that the film slatedto release this Christmas hasbold and direct spoofs on KingKhan. Apparently, the scripthas been penned by editor-director Shirish Kunder, whocannot tolerate Shah Rukh.

The script writer made themost of ‘Tees Maar Khan’,directed by hiswife, Farah.

The char-acter thatA k s h a y eKhanna essaysis sculpted onSRK. He isshown as suf-fering fromsevere backache who oftenflies to London to get his treat-ment done. There are also clearreferences to six-packs and

going topless for a scene,reminding audiences of Shah

Rukh Khan in‘Om ShantiOm’. To addon, AkshayeKhanna, inthe movie isapproachedby an interna-tional film-maker named

Danny. The actor, howeverdeclines the offer. Veteranactor Anil Kapoor who plays acameo in TMK is shown

replacing Akshaye in theInternational project whichgoes on to win the AcademyAwards.

This piece of story exactlyreplicates the situation SRKwas in, when he wasapproached by Danny Boylefor ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.Farah pretended as if she didnot understand the questionwhen a daily asked her abouther about her dig at the‘Badhshah of Bollywood’.Once best buddies, Farah andShah Rukh have constantlybeen sarcastic about eachother, off late. They have beenblowing things out and propor-tion by leaving no stoneunturned. Now, how is SRKgoing to retaliate to Farah’smock at him is left to us towonder?

Farah pokes fun at SRK in‘Tees Maar Khan’

Friends turned foes

PRAJAKTA Shukre andAbhijeet Sawant, theirbiggest claim to fame was

as participants of “Indian Idol”Season I, with the latter winning

the crown, are now making newsfor all the wrong reasons.

In what seems like a case ofa night out with friends goinghorribly wrong, Shukre andAbhijeet along with other friendswere said to be returning togeth-er – in different vehicles – afterpartying at a Juhu restaurant onTuesday night.

As per reports, on seeing anempty road in Daulat Nagar areaof Sanatcruz, a western suburb ofMumbai, they decided to racetheir cars. Shukre, driving aHonda City, smashed into two

teenagers on a motorcycle, griev-ously injuring them.

The report further says thatAbhijeet, who was driving anAudi, got down from his car and

defending his friend got into atiff with the crowd, followingwhich the crowd gave Abhijeetand his other friends a soundthrashing.

Prajakta on the other handwas arrested on charges of rashand negligent driving. As of nowPrajakta has been granted bail andreleased on a bond of Rs 3000.

The police is said to beinvestigating whether theygroup comprising Prajakta andAbhijeet was in an inebriatedcondition. More details areawaited.

‘Indian Idol’Abhijeet Sawant

beaten up,Prajakta arrested


Rank /Song-Name Film/Album 1 Sheila Ki Jawani Tees Maar Khan2 Tees Maar Khan Tees Maar Khan3 Adhoore Break Ke Baad4 Ajab Leher Break Ke Baad5 Ainvayi Ainvayi Band Baaja Baaraat6 Aadha Ishq Band Baaja Baaraat7 Dooriyan Hai Zaroori Break Ke Baad8 Tarkeebein Band Baaja Baaraat9 Dhoop Ke Makaan Break Ke Baad10 Tujhe Bhula Diya Anjaana Anjaani

Hindi Songs

Rank /Film-Name Director

1 Break Ke Baad Danish Aslam

2 Guzaarish Sanjay Leela Bhansali

3 Harr y Potter David Yates

4 Golmaal 3 Rohit Shetty

5 Allah Ke Banday Faruk Kabir

6 Unstoppable Tony Scott

7 Action Replayy Vipul Shah

8 The Social Network David Fincher

9 Red Robert Schwentke

10 Secretariat Randall Wallace

Bollywood Movies

Rank /Film-Name

1 Tangled (2010)

2 Harr y Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

3 Burlesque (2010/I)

4 Unstoppable (2010)

5 Love and OtherDrugs (2010)

6 Megamind (2010)

7 Due Date (2010)

8 Faster(2010)

9 The Warrior's Way (2010)

10 The Next Thr ee Days (2010)

Hollywood Movies

FRENCH singer VanessaParadis stole JohnnyDepp’s heart in an instant

with a flash of her swanlike neck,the Hollywood star told Reutersin an interview.

Speaking before next week’spremiere in Paris of his newmovie “The Tourist”, where hischaracter falls for a femme fataleplayed by Angelina Jolie, Deppsaid personal experience meanshe too believes in love at firstsight.

“I certainly believe in aninstant and profound connectionwith someone, which is what

happened to me,” Depp said,wearing his trademark fedorahat.”

“I had an instant connectionwith Vanessa’s back and neck ... Iwas fascinated with this neck andshe turned, looked straight at meand wandered across the roomand I thought: you’re done...”

Depp and Paradis, also amodel and actress, have becomeone of Hollywood’s favouritecouples since they met in 1998.They have two children togetherand split their time betweenParis, the south of France, NewYork and the Hollywood Hills.

One flash of her neckand Johnny Depp was

done for


BERLIN: Actress Cameron Diaz poses to present the movie ‘The Green Hornet’. The film,

which is directed by Michel Gondry, opens in German cinemas on January 13. REUTERS

THE thirdfilm in theC h r o n i c l e sOf Narniaseries has

had a chilly premiere inLondon’s LeicesterSquare, attended by theQueen and the Duke ofEdinburgh.

The Queen donned apair of 3D glasses towatch The Voyage of theDawn Treader after castand crew members. LiamNeeson and Simon Peggwere among the film’sstars to brave the Arcticcold on a snow-fleckedred carpet. Proceedsfrom this year’s RoyalFilm Performance willgo to the Cinema andTelevision BenevolentFund.

Other guests at theevent included 2009 XFactor winner JoeMcElderry, who

performed a song fromthe film’s soundtrack atthe gala. The premierewas also attended bycurrent contestants from

the ITV1 talent show,among them RebeccaFerguson and boy bandOne Direction.

“I’m told the Queen

doesn’t see manymovies,” Neeson said.“But they’re comingtonight and that’s prettyspecial.” The Chronicles

of Narnia: The Voyageof the Dawn Treaderopens in the UK onDecember 9. It isdirected by Michael

Apted, whose previousfilms include Gorillas inthe Mist and James Bondmovie The World is NotEnough. COURTESY BBC

Queen braves cold for‘Chronicles of Narnia’ premiere

(Left) Britain’s Queen Elizabeth meets the cast of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ at the Royal Premiere in Leicester

Square. (Right) The queen meets actors Anna Poppelwell and Will Poulter who star in the movie.

K ANYE West’s newalbum “My BeautifulDark Twisted

Fantasy” has stormed theUS album chart. West’s fifthstudio album marks hisfourth number one record inthe States, selling 518,775copies over the last week.

Behind West, NickiMinaj’s “Pink Friday”opens at number two with

sales of 371,049. The LPmarks the rapper’s first stu-dio effort, and featurescameos from Eminem,Rihanna and West.

Elsewhere, TaylorSwift’s “Speak Now” saw a71 percent sales surge, tak-ing it from ninth to thirdplace, while Justin Bieber’sacoustic take on his debutalbum “My Worlds” enters

at seven.Ne-Yo’s “Libra Scale”

debuts at eight havingsold 117,000 units, andMy Chemical Romance’s“Danger Days” lands atnine. Further down thechart Christina Aguileraand Cher’ s “Burlesque”soundtrack charts at num-ber 18, shifting 62,514copies.

Kanye West stormsUS album chart


The focus on the sign ofCapricorn and your careerzone is good news. This is theseason of goodwill, socializ-ing, and holidays, and there isa promise of passion mid-week. Mercury turns retro-grade on Friday, so get yourpresents and cards postedsooner rather than later.

Aries /Mesha Rasi

In the run up to the holidayweek, and with Mercury turn-ing retrograde, there is a lot toget organized. find yourselfbecoming more physicallypassionate more often.Wednesday may coincide witha meeting that could be thestart of a rather intense rela-tionship. Be ready!

Gemini /Mithuna Rasi

The focus on your creativezone means it's time toexplore the full range of yourtalent. Mars moves intoCapricorn, retrograde onFriday, which means this isn'tsuch a great time to begin.Wait until next year and doyour research now.

Virgo /Kanya Rasi

If there's a club or groupthat you're particularly keen tojoin, this would be the time todo it. get great results. But dowatch out for the possibility ofmixed signals. Mercury turnsretrograde on Friday, whichcould confuse matters. Makesure your intentions are crys-tal clear.

Pisces /Meena Rasi

The more you can achievenow, the easier life will ofyour family members withyou. It doesn't help to get stuckin a rut, and it certainly doesn'thelp your relationship. Dare tobe different and aim for theexperience of a lifetime.Watch out for Mercury retro-grade on Friday.

YOUR WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

Taurus /Vrushaba Rasi

If there are any problemsthat have been swept underthe carpet, this is the time theywill tend to come out into theopen. it feels right, go for it. Ifnot, hold back. If you need abreak, it may be time to plan afabulous getaway and renewyour spirits.

Cancer /Karkataka Rasi

The focus is on home andfamily affairs. If you need tosort out any matters thatrequire negotiation, treat-ments or furnishings to spruceyour place up. With so manyfamily occasions coming up,get moving on any of theabove or finish those last-minute DIYprojects.

Libra /Tula Rasi

As Mercury is yourromance planet and turns ret-rograde on Friday, you shouldbe ready to meet with a pastlover. a raise, and see whathappens. But do it earlierrather than later in the week.After the weekend it would bebetter to bide your time.

Capricorn /Makara Rasi

This is a time of synthesisand integrating the variousfactors in your life into aworkable whole. staff, andperhaps a new boss. Whereyour health is concerned, youmay become very enthusiasticabout getting into shape.Overcome temptation!

Leo /Simha Rasi

Uranus, the planet of revo-lution, is in Pisces and stirringyou up in unexpected ways.meet new people who arefrom those you usually hangout with. A major focus onCapricorn is great for newrelationships and the conver-sations that can lead to newfriendships.

Scorpion /Vruschika Rasi

You may get a lucrativeoffer out of the blue, but youmight have to move out ofyour comfort zone plenty ofreasons to get out and meetnew people. Mercury turnsretrograde on Friday, so beprepared for double trouble.It's best if you can mail yourcards and gifts early.

Aquarius /Kumba Rasi

Pietro Ar etinoLet us love winter, for it

is the spring of genius.

George HerbertEvery mile is two in win-

ter.\Mignon McLaughlinSpring, summer, and fall

fill us with hope; winteralone reminds us of thehuman condition.

William BlakeIn seed time learn, in har-

vest teach, in winter enjoy.

Edith SitwellWinter is the time for

comfort, for good food andwarmth, for the touch of afriendly hand and for a talkbeside the fire: it is the timefor home.

Victor HugoWinter is on my head, but

eternal spring is in myheart.

William BradfordAnd for the season it was

winter, and they that knowthe winters of that countryknow them to be sharp andviolent, and subject to crueland fierce storms.

Boris PasternakIt snowed and snowed,

the whole world over,Snow swept the world fromend to end. A candle burnedon the table; A candleburned.

Virginia WoolfNever are voices so beau-

tiful as on a winter'sevening, when dusk almosthides the body, and theyseem to issue from nothing-ness with a note of intima-cy seldom heard by day.

Charles DickensLooking up, she showed

him quite a young face, butone whose bloom andpromise were all sweptaway, as if the haggardwinter should unnaturallykill the spring.

Elizabeth BowenAutumn arrives in early

morning, but spring at theclose of a winter day.

HeraclitusGod is day and night,

winter and summer, warand peace, surfeit andhunger.

Albert CamusIn the depth of winter I

finally learned that therewas in me an invinciblesummer.

Victor HugoLaughter is the sun that

drives winter from thehuman face.

Robert FrostYou can't get too much

winter in the winter.

Sinclair LewisWinter is not a season, it's

an occupation.

WINTER

March 21 - April 19 April 20 - May 20 May 21 - June 20

June 22 - July 22 July 23 - Aug 22 Aug 23 - Sept 22

Sept 23 - Oct 22 Oct 23 - Nov 21

Dec 22 - Jan 19 Jan 20 - Feb 18 Feb 19 - Mar 20

You may come up with anumber of interesting ways tospend your money, time tobecome a lucrative deal. Inorder to take advantage of it,you will need to listen to yourintuition. Mercury turns retro-grade, so keep all receipts incase you need to take any-thing back.

Sagittarius /Dhannus Rasi

Nov 22 - Dec 21

SUDOKU


Ruslaan Mumtaz.That name wouldnot mean much to

me (or, you) personallyunless you have had comeacross this piece of newsthat would hint at a filmhistory that could havewritten differently.

Think of that day whenDev Patel's face flashed atyou from the big screens.Even if you could ignorehis natural good looks(think of his pouty lips thathint at a youthfulness thatmany girls would admit tohave longed for), it wouldbe a little difficult to getpast Jamal's anguish whilehe searched wildly for hisLatika. And, you agreedamong your friends whileyou debated and discussedthe movie in detail, thatyes, this guy could act. Notonce was there any disputethat Patel was unfaithful tohis role.

But imagine a differentscenario. Think of anotherguy in Patel's place. Think

of Ruslaan Mumtaz.The guy missed out on

being the slumdog million-aire that we equate sofreely with Patel's anguish-filled eyes. As it turns out,at the time of the movie'sfinal auditions, the guy was"beefed up" for his role as a

movie star in the main-stream Bollywood movieJaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai.He was rejected for notbeing lean enough.

But wait.Before I could feel bad

for the baby-facedRuslaan…

Before I could start jump-ing to conclusions based onhearsay…

Before I could rely on thenews item…

Before making up mymind at all, my inner jour-nalist prodded me to watchhis movies. Had this guybeen capable of changinghistory, if not for his "mus-cles" at the time, as heclaims?

The next thing on theagenda was to watch hismovies Mera Pehla PehlaPyaar and Teree Saang,both of which have donewell commercially in India.Surprisingly, I found hisslight awkwardnessendearing. And, the irony isthat while this guy is now awell known face amongmovie goers in India, Patelhas lost himself in a streamof unknown faces inHollywood (let's not forgetthe bombed The LastAirbender blazing in histrail).

But do I think thatRuslaan could have been abetter slumdog than Dev?Could he have pulled off anauthentic Jamal being anIndian himself, instead ofthe British-born Patel?Would his anguish havebeen as great, if notgreater?

Probably not.By: Sanchari Sur

(http://sursanchari.word-press.com)

SANCHARI SURToronto

THE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRETHAT NEVER WAS…

But do I think that Ruslaan couldhave been a betterslumdog thanDev? Could he have pulled off anauthentic Jamal being an Indian

himself, instead of the British-bornPatel? Would his anguish havebeen as great, if not greater?

One unifying themof "Bhutto," afilm on the assas-

sinated former PrimeMinister of Pakistan Ms.Benazir Bhutto producedby Duane Baughman, is"everybody recognizedwhether they love her orhate her or appreciateher..that Benazir was agreat missed opportunityfor the West." Mr .Baughman mourns theloss of an opportunity toengage Pakistan througha historic figure whounderstood internationaland regional politics "notas a political pawn but agateway of understand-ing the region" said Mr.Buaghman in an exclu-sive interview.

The idea behind mak-ing the film "Bhutto" is"to enlighten the Westernaudience" and to start aconversation about theimpor tance of Pakistan inbridging cultural, r egion-al, gender and politicaldif ference.

Mr. Buaghman is theowner of The BaughmanCompany which has beenresponsible for helpingelect Michael R.Bloomberg mayor of NewYork City, and the historicpresidential campaign ofanother barrier breakingwoman, Hillary Clinton.

In spite of these creden-tials, "Bhutto" has not been

promoted as much as itcould have been.Responding to this, Mr.Baughman said "it's thesad curse of an Americandocumentary." Themovie has been shown inthe United Kingdom,Pakistan and 33 othercountries. Mr. Baughmanis negotiating in whetherto show "Bhutto" in the -atre or TV in India. "I'veput in $3 million of myown money" to make thefilm, says the producer of"Bhutto."

The key learning pointfor Mr . Baughman as heproduced "Bhutto" was"how tenuous and unsta-ble" security arrange-ments were made to pro-tect Ms. Benazir Bhuttowhen she decided toreturn to Pakistan inOctober of 2007."Nobody seemed to havethe clear sense of whathas happened" in spite ofthe death threats madeagainst her.

To depict a truest pic-tur e of Benazir Bhutto,Mr . Baughman has inter-viewed some of the keypeople like former

Secretary of StateCondoleeza Rice, formerPresident of PakistanGen. Pervez Musharraf,President of Pakistan andMs. Bhutto's husbandAsif A. Zardari, Ms.Bhutto's thr ee kids, her

sister and her estrangedniece Fatima Bhutto,Arianna Huffington andMark Siegel, the closestally and friend of BenazirBhutto.

There has been muchspeculation in the media

that the US had brokereda deal between Ms.Bhutto and Mr.Musharraf for Ms.Bhutto's return toPakistan. It's noted thatMr . Musharraf had trav-elled to Dubai for secret

meetings. However, MarkSiegel who has been withMs. Bhutto for over twodecades denies any dealbrokering. "Mark is in aposition to know. He wasthere. He was with her. Ifhe says there were no

deal, then his word onthat can't be questioned,"says Mr. Baughman.

General PervezMusharraf under whosewatch, Benazir Bhuttowas killed "flat outrefused" any involvementin Ms. Bhutto's assassina-tion. "W e asked him verydir ectly..to which he gotvery defensive," Mr.Baughman recalls. In anemail written to Mr. Siegelon October 26, 2007, Ms.Bhutto had wanted theworld to hold GeneralMusharraf accountable forher death.

The producer anddir ector of "Bhutto"noted that after theUnited Nation's inves-tigative report was madepublic in April, Mr .Baughman has remadeparts of the film to reflectthe report's findings. Thereport "of course contra-dicted" what Mr .Musharraf had told him.The United Nation'sreport "unequivocallypointed fingers atGeneral Musharraf'sa d m i n i s t r a t i o n . "Musharraf administra -

tion is guilty of not pro-viding adequate securityto Ms. Bhutto as well wip-ing out all critical for en-sic evidence that couldhave led to assassins.

Given the fact that Ms.Bhutto's husband is thePresident of Pakistan,one would have hoped formore aggressive responseform the Government ofPakistan to find herassassins. Mr. Baughmanhas hoped so too. But healso noted that "to crackthe case, the necessaryevidence was gone forev-er with the apparent com-plicity of the Musharrafgovernment."

Many people have losthope in Pakistan. Mr.Baughman is not one ofthose people. The debateand discussion that hasbeen stirred by showing"Bhutto" in Pakistan hasindicated to Mr.Baughman that "politicaldiscussion and debate isalive and well inPakistan."

Though the producer ofthe film has left it uponthe viewers to decide forthemselves who the assas-sins of the great politicalfigur e are, Mr.Baughman notes that thefilm points fingers at"Baitullah Masud,Musharraf, the Talibanas a whole, the militaryand the ISI."

BY HAJRA MALIK

BHUTTO




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