Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 A NUWAY MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION Shah Rukh Khan on1 his TED talk debut

Voice of South Asian Community Since March 2002 Vol. 14 Issue 35 Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 $1 www.thesouthasian.info In Ransomware Attack, Where Does Microsoft’s Responsibility Lie?

STORY STORY ON page ON page 21 29 Why Is Trump So Angry ? The President’s End Of A Dream uncontrollable rage Kapil Mishra’s charges conclusively prove that the AAP is powers his ruthlessness now just another political party, that too a below average one. and his ineptitude. (Special Feature) Allegations of corruption because we believe those allegations. against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Nobody believes charges made by a loser. and his trusted lieutenant Satyendra Jain Kapil Mishra, the former water minister in have turned a dream into a nightmare. Not the Kejriwal government, (Contd on page 20) Forced Surrogacy

(Special Report) Donald Trump is upset. He’s Trafficked, traded, enslaved, raped and made to conceive not happy about America’s preoccupation with babies for adoption. Adivasi girls are turned into baby- the “Russia narrative.” He’s angry that we’re bothered by the possible damning ties making machines that fetch Rs 1-4 lakh per child. between his campaign and a hostile foreign (Insider Bureau) There’s body. The terms of abuse go beyond power. He’s seething over the Senate Judiciary something almost eerily Nazi about even sadism; the •human body here Committee’s insolent insistence on this. Not in terms of formal politics, is just a device and also its product. scrutinizing his people. “He would sometimes of course. Only •ordinary people are The stories offer no great cause for contains resonances. She is at an scream at television clips about the probe,” involved here. But their actions speak optimism, but avoiding the dark of a rarefied universe of cruelty— dramas, and pretending they don’t undisclosed location in Bihar at present, in Politico reports, in a piece that characterizes •elevated to an organised, clinical, exist, is precisely what allows them hiding, fearing for her life, recuperating from the president as “enraged” and “fuming.” He coldly amoral enterprise. At the heart to grow.The first story. We’ll call her the injuries to her soul. She breaks down has sent furious tweets. of it is the idea that one can •exert Soni, as many of them are •indeed often over the phone as she narrates her (Contd on page 22) •absolute control over anot•her’s called—an adivasi name that story. (Contd on page 21-22) Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 COMMUNITY 2 New Delhi must ensure that rights of NRIs in Saudi Arabia are protected ItIt isis notnot enoughenough ifif thethe ministryministry ofof externalexternal affairsaffairs intervenesintervenes toto rescuerescue IndiansIndians trappedtrapped inin WestWest Asia.Asia. TheThe governmentgovernment mustmust getget assertiveassertive toto ensureensure thatthat casescases ofof humanhuman rightsrights violations,violations, especiallyespecially asas seenseen inin SaudiSaudi Arabia,Arabia, areare notnot passedpassed offoff asas aa routineroutine mattermatter (By Our Staff Reporter) government approached messages pleading for It’s a dream of a better life the MEA, 29 workers held help and finally the MEA that has been conclusively captive in Saudi Arabia steps in to their rescue. shattered. Recently the were rescued. In July, the In many cases Ms ministry of external affairs MEA intervened to help Swaraj has personally (MEA) had to step in to more than 10,000 Indian intervened to ensure the rescue 24 Indians “held workers who had lost their safe return of these NRIs. captive” by a company in jobs in Saudi Arabia and The role of the ministry in Saudi Arabia over salary were short on food this matter has been disputes. The matter was supplies. nothing short of advised job seekers to go prevent this economic imports most of its oil brought to the notice of the Like a record stuck in commendable. But rather through recognised migration. But until then, and gas, West Asia is not MEA after Odisha chief a loop, horror stories of than effectively dousing employment agencies. To to stop this trend, those the market dictator it minister Naveen Patnaik Indians working in West fires, the effort should be assist, the MEA and Indian dealing in illegal labour used to be. Shale gas sought the help of external Asia, especially Saudi to prevent it. Unauthorised embassies in the host export must face stricter from the United States affairs minister Sushma Arabia, keep repeating recruitment agencies and countries have special punishment and there’s and Iran’s re-entry into Swaraj. This is not an themselves with visa dealers are the main cells. a need for more the market has weakened isolated incident. Last frightening frequency. culprits here. They sell But, as repeated cases awareness through the Arab oil card and month a woman from Most of the times it runs false promises and trap show, more needs to be effective ICTs. New Delhi, India, the buyer, is at an Hyderabad who was like this: On the promise gullible people who often done. Of course, the on its part, must also get advantage here. This reportedly “sold and of better pay and working realise their plight much primary focus of the assertive on ensuring coupled with the Modi tortured” in Saudi Arabia conditions Indians go to later. government should be on that such cases of human governments positive was rescued after Ms the Gulf but are duped into The government on its providing avenues for rights violations are not outreach to countries Swaraj intervened. In March, working in inhuman side has mechanisms to employment here in passed off as a routine across the region should after the Telangana conditions; they send out prevent such fraud: It has India, which would matter. While India still help the case of such NRIs. Very proud of my Indian heritage, Preet Bharara says Three of Britain’s four last week with New York would ask him whether his has given them.He recalled University's School of Law being of Indian heritage and how his father came to the Dean Trevor Morrison member of a minority group US with nothing but 40 wealthiest are Indians here. made him more years later his son became Asked about his compassionate and the chief federal law heritage and background tolerant towards other enforcement officer in the has shaped his personal people. "I say I suppose it financial capital of world. and professional life, does. But what has "The first Indian-American (By Our Staff Reporter) Bharara said he comes mattered more to how I US attorney appointed by New York : India-born former from a multi-cultural think about things is not the the first African-American top federal prosecutor in background and his fact that I am an Indian- President. That is not a Manhattan Preet Bharara children know about their American but that I am an small thing in the minds of said he is very proud of his "Indian heritage and also immigrant," he said adding some people ... So I began Indian heritage which made about being American". that he and his family are to appreciate that," he said. him more compassionate Bharara said people grateful to what America and tolerant towards other people. Bharara, who was fired I was done with him: Preet Bharara on not returning Trump's call by President Donald Trump (Agencies) New York : India-born there are lots of regulations (By Our Staff Reporter) The wealthiest persons in as US Attorney for the former top federal prosecutor Preet regarding how contact should be Britain are India-born, according to the Sunday Southern District of New Bharara, who received a phone call made between the White House Times Rich List 2017 which places the Hinduja York after he refused to quit, from US President Donald Trump and the Justice Department. brothers Srichand and Gopichand+ at the top of is now a distinguished just two days before being fired, "This is a man who campaigned 134 billionaires. The brothers' estimated riches: scholar in residence at New said he "was done with" the day after day after day on the 16.2 billion pounds, 3.2 billion pounds more than York University's School of American leader and did him a argument that (former President) last year. Overall, the United Kingdom has Law where he continues favour by not returning his call. Bill Clinton met with the sitting witnessed, contrary to all expectations, what can working on issues like "I was doing everyone a favour Attorney General during the only be described as a Brexit boom. Its billionaires criminal and social justice, by not returning the call. I was pendency of an investigation," are richer than before, so much so that the honest government, doing the President a favour by not Bharara said, referring to the combined wealth of the top 500 individuals and national security, and returning the call," Manhattan's controversial meeting in Phoenix families is more than the total put up by last year's corporate accountability. former prosecutor said during a between Clinton and Loretta wealthiest 1,000, the Sunday Times reported. And "I am an American, I conversation last week with New Lynch. Trump had repeatedly said there are more of them; together, they have earned happen to be an Indian- York University's School of Law during the campaign trail that he a staggering 658 billion pounds, a record. The list American. I am very proud Dean Trevor Morrison. did not believe that talks about compiler credited their growing fortunes to a revival of my background, my Two days before he was fired, investigation into Hillary Clinton's in the stock market. David and Simon Reuben, of roots and my heritage. I am 48-year-old Bharara had received use of a private email server had Iraqi Jewish origin but Mumbai-born, have slipped a huge Springsteen fan ... a phone call from Trump's office not come up during that meeting from first to third place this year+ with an estimated but I also listen to Bhangra asking him to call the President between her husband and Lynch wealth of 14 billion pounds. Steel magnate Lakshmi music, which is a kind of back. Bharara did not return the and that the two had just talked N Mittal is fourth with 13.2 billion pounds; the Punjabi music," Bharara call. Asked if he had considered about their grandchildren and other increase in his wealth from last year is quite said during a conversation returning that call, Bharara said frivolous things. phenomenal at 6.1 billion pounds. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 COMMUNITY 3 Donald Trump is CEO of the country, can fire anyone he wants: Nikki Haley Haley said she believed that Asked whether the president consensus to impose further the criticism of Trump stems sought a pledge of loyalty from sanctions on North Korea over from discomfort with his her, Haley replied, "No". its nuclear programme and that propensity to act on his At the same time, she said the US will "tighten the screws" decisions. that during her tenure as South on North Korean President Kim "The president is the CEO Carolina's governor Jong Un's government. of the country," Indian-origin demonstrations of "loyalty and Trump has said in the past Haley told ABC News Chief trust" were important to her. that he would be willing to sit Anchor George Stephanopoulos Regarding the president's down with Kim Jong Un, but on "This Week" on Sunday. "He tweet this week warning the fired Haley said such a meeting can hire and fire anyone he FBI director that he better hope would only happen if North wants." there are no "tapes" of their Korea meets certain She was responding to a private conversations, Haley conditions."A missile test is not question if she found herself seemed unconcerned by the the way to sit down with the having to explain to foreign possibility that the president president," Haley said. diplomats Trump's domestic was taping conversations. "I On May 10, Trump fired 56- policy decisions. assume I'm being taped year-old Comey, abruptly "I think what you can see is everywhere," she said. Haley removing the top sleuth that this is a president of also addressed a range of other overseeing a criminal probe into (Agencies) New York : US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley has action," she said of Trump. "The topics, including North Korea's whether the Trump campaign President Donald Trump is said, while defending him for reason people are latest missile launch Saturday colluded with the Russian "CEO of the country, he can fire firing former FBI director James uncomfortable is because he night. She said there is a government to influence the anyone he wants", America's Comey. acts." growing international 2016 presidential election. Indian man, in US for Indian-origin couple's murder in US: Family in shock nearly two decades, (Agencies) Mangaluru : town. Wilfred, who presently The relatives of Raynah Prabhu, stays at Raynah's ancestral a native of Mangaluru who was home, added that she visited ordered deported gunned down with her husband the house on several (Agencies) Los Angeles : An Indian Naren Prabhu at their Willow occasions when she was man who fled persecution in home Glen home in San Jose (USA), young. "She loved to call country and has been in the US for nearly are in a state of herself a Mangalurean," two decades was detained in California shock.Raynah's relatives - Wilfred added.Raynah married after losing his latest appeal over a mother Lila Sequeira, 86, and Naren 25 years ago and deportation order. sisters Diana and Zina - have migrated to the US in 1997. Gurmukh Singh, who is married to an left for the US to attend the The couple visited Mangaluru American citizen and has two daughters, funeral scheduled for May 10. 20 years ago, when Rachel, was taken into custody on Monday by Lila was born and brought up their daughter, was a child. Her federal agents after failing to get a stay in Karambar near Mangaluru sister Ina is also settled in the in his case, his attorney and family said. International Airport in Bajpe. US. Naren was the vice- The 46-year-old Sikh taxi driver from She moved to Mumbai when president at Sunnyvale-based Punjab state sneaked into the United she was 20. Later, she married Juniper Networks. However, States without a visa through the border Stephen Sequeira, a Lila has many relatives in and with Mexico in 1998. businessman. around Bajpe and Mangaluru. handing over the property to Raynah were fatally shot by He later applied for asylum, citing "The couple has four She would visit Mangaluru Mangaluru airport for its Rachel's spurned former religious persecution. But his family and daughters - Ina, Raynah, Diana often. "During the feast of expansion. Before that, she boyfriend Mirza Tatlic, 24. lawyer say he failed to properly pursue and Zina," recalled Wilfred Nativity of Mother Mary on participated in an ordination Before being shot down by the case and was ordered deported. Mathias, Raynah's cousin who September 8 last year, my ceremony of her relative in police, Mirza had briefly held Singh married a US citizen in 2010 is an electrical contractor and aunt (Lila) was here. That time, April." the couple's 13-year-old son but his deportation case resurfaced when local politician in the coastal she received compensation for On May 5, Prabhu and hostage. he applied for a residency visa in 2012 given his new status. He was subsequently jailed for about Three Indian-origin South Africans held for medical school scam five months but after rights activists posted his bail, he was released and his case (Agencies) Johansburg : school teacher, are facing when they appeared in court The three accused faced has since been going through the appeals Three Indian-origin South charges. on Monday and were raids on their homes and process. Africans have They were a charged with fraud and businesses by members of His family said in the past several been arrested in part of a contravention of the the elite Hawks Organised years, he had been checking in with the a massive syndicate Prevention and Combating of Crime Unit and spent the office of Immigration and Customs corruption scam allegedly selling Corrupt Activities Act. weekend in jail. Enforcement (ICE) on a regular basis for allegedly places to study The arrest of the accused At Hiramun's home, pending the outcome of his appeals selling seats to medicine and follows a sting operation by laptops were found hidden against the deportation order. Alexis Indian students other health the weekly Sunday Tribune. in a washing machine. Perez Nava, with Resilience Orange to study science courses A reporter posing as a Hawks investigator Mandla County, a group helping with his case, medicine and at the Nelson R parent was allegedly told by Mkhwanazi told the court said Singh was detained on Monday after other health Mandela School Hiramun, a former teacher at that more arrests were the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to quash the deportation order. science courses at a of Medicine at the University a government school, that likely as the investigation "We are completely devastated. This university in the of KwaZulu-Natal, where places for studying continued, with possible has completely broken us apart, country.Varsha, 44, and racial quotas restrict the pharmacy could be secured links to a second university emotionally and physically," Singh's 18- Hiteshkumar Bhatt, 46, number of places for Indian for $18,987 while a place for in the country, but would not year-old daughter Manpreet told AFP. She owners of 'Little Gujarat' students. studying to qualify as a give details due to the said her father has no criminal record, had restaurant in Durban as well The trio were later granted doctor would cost twice that sensitive nature of the always paid his taxes and just sought to as Preshni Hiramun, 55, a bail of over $3,000 each amount. probe. "live a normal life and feed his family." Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 OP-ED 4 It is time to shed these ‘watershed’ moments in Kashmir From ‘time to act’ to ‘about time the Kashimiri issue is settled’, the response of those who shape our national discourse has grown stale. The Indian Army oversteps and ties up an innocent Kashmiri to a jeep as a human shield and we are told the army leadership must be more mature. When militants kill an unarmed soldier, our conscience-keepers take the high moral ground and decry violence.

Every time violence a solution over decades we still need to know would the Kashmiri youth to our side to has not changed rocks Kashmir, inflicting is certainly far easier. how the moment youth come around, after ending violence has anything on the ground more human misery, the But it is time to cut translates into a being on the other side come to nothing. Amid for almost 30 years. It immediate aftermath is out the empty talk and watershed.Does the so steadfastly for so all the noise that we will not even in the invariably followed by a get down to some work. Army expect one killing many years? hear, we have not heard future. For a window of set pattern of platitudes. A day after the soldier’s to turn the mood on the In the absence of anything on how exactly opportunity to open From ‘time to act’ to killing, the Army said it ground against the clarity, we can only India plans to win hearts itself, we should stop ‘about time the was a ‘watershed militants? Or will it serve speculate. We are also and minds.As copious the talk and get down Kashimiri issue is moment’. True, some as provocation to let forced to speculate tears are shed on the to some real settled’, the response of Kashmiris have loose the State about almost everything plight of Kashmir, the business. A concrete those who shape our condemned the killing of machinery with fuller that is talked about, region promises more road map is the need of national discourse has a local by militants, but might? And why on earth from weaning away bloodshed. Empty talk the hour. grown stale. The Indian Army oversteps its limits and ties an innocent Three years after becoming PM, the Kashmiri to a jeep as a human shield and we are told the army pradhan sevak has not lost his magic touch leadership must be more Three years ago, on currency notes, he has mature. When militants May 16, the people of displayed an kill an unarmed soldier, this country put a stamp irrepressible capacity to our conscience-keepers of approval on Narendra take big decisions. The take the high moral Damodardas Modi people have appreciated ground and decry becoming Prime this because the largest violence. Minister. In response democracy in the world The talk is also Modi had politely has discovered that it peppered with described himself as has the capability to suggestions that the pradhan sevak (principal become a powerful Indian government must servant). Three years nation. That is why it do what it takes to win later, it may be has begun to admire over alienated Kashmiri appropriate to ask how strong leaders. Narendra youth. The die-hard Modi has fared during Modi and his colleagues nationalists amongst us his tenure of service. recognise this. call for decisive action. The people’s verdict Modi also knows that But as we talk, can be interpreted as a many of the promises Kashmir continues to report card for most that he made haven’t elections have dashed patriotism have touched himself with words he hurtle towards more politicians. He has done been fulfilled. The the Opposition’s the people’s hearts. The focused on changing his chaos and anarchy. The well on this parameter. incidence of Maoist hopes.The reasons are common man loves his appearance. sound bites clearly lack Whether it was smaller terror hasn’t come down clear. Over the past way of doing things. He realises that no substance with the civic body elections in despite demonetisation. three years, the Prime It is not as if there is electoral victory is rhetoric failing both the Mumbai and Delhi, or Pakistan has responded Minister and his a drought of honest and meaningful without a Kashmiris and us. the assembly polls in to the surgical strikes ministers have set new hardworking leaders in strong organisational But amid the Uttar Pradesh, Modi was by mutilating our records for productivity the country. Their structure. Which is why orchestrated din, what the BJP’s face. In the soldiers. The stone- and hard work. There is political adversaries he appointed his is not asked is what beginning his party may pelters are back in no significant corruption don’t raise questions trusted colleague Amit purpose all the talk have faced defeat in the Kashmir. The promises charge against his over the personal Shah to the post of serves if it is not Delhi and Bihar to create one crore jobs colleagues or him. Not integrity and honesty of party president. As implementable. It is assemblies, but in the every year and just this, on every Nitish Kumar in Bihar was expected, Shah easy to say that the other elections it got the depositing Rs 15 lakh in occasion, Modi has and Manik Sarkar in has not left any stone government now must numbers required for a every account are yet to projected himself as a Tripura. I also wanted to unturned in making the seize the initiative in the majority. How do you be met. The Opposition person from humble mention Arvind Kejriwal BJP relevant in the aftermath of the see it? Modi has was expecting that after origins. You would in this list of upright current context. Today unarmed soldier’s emerged as the boldest the passage of two remember that after CMs but…The PM’s if some of the faces of killing. Or, that the incumbent prime years, the shadows of attaining a majority, penchant for change the party are people alienated Kashmiri youth minister since Indira unfulfilled promises will before climbing up the management has who earned their spurs must be won over. Gandhi. take some sheen off flight of stairs, Modi had compelled the in the RSS shakhas, But no one seems Whether it is talking Modi’s magic. Even the touched the steps of Opposition space to there are other office- interested in giving us a tough with China, brute majority enjoyed Parliament with his shrink. When he faced bearers who’ve blueprint as to how. teaching a lesson to by Indira Gandhi and forehead like a devotee. criticism about wearing studied at Wharton Armchairterrorists flourishing in Rajiv Gandhi was That is not all. The a suit priced at Rs 10 and Cambridge. If army commentary by Pakistani territory or eclipsed by these way he has addressed lakh and that his was a generals occupy key eloquently holding forth suddenly deciding to factors. But the results issues such as VIP ‘suit-boot’ government, party positions, so do on the Kashmir stop circulation of large of the five assembly culture, cleanliness and instead of defending farmers. imbroglio that has defied Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 EDITORIAL 5 Digital Insecurity Is the New Normal Russia is playing games with Trump The latest widespread ransomware attack, which has locked up computers in nearly 150 countries, has rightfully captured the world’s attention. But the focus shouldn’t be on the scale of the attack and the immediate harm it is causing, or even on the source of the software and pushing its own global agenda code that enabled it (a previous attack against the National Security Russia has gone from complaining about not knowing who to call at the US Agency). What’s most important is that British doctors have reverted State Department to getting on with the job on its own. to pen and paper in the wake of the attacks. They’ve given up on insecure If Vladimir Putin was disappointed that Donald Trump has failed to cozy up digital technologies in favor of secure but inconvenient analog ones. to the Kremlin in the months since entering the White House, he's put it behind This “back to analog” moment isn’t just a knee-jerk, stopgap reaction him. Instead, he is now focusing on exploiting Trump's plodding, glacial grasp of to a short-term problem. It’s a rational response to our increasingly global affairs. insecure internet, and we are going to see more of it ahead. A case in point: In the past 24 hours, the Kremlin has been running rings As part of our research, in 2015 we developed a scenario for the not- around the White House's stumbling protocol, publishing its own cringe-worthy so-distant future called “the New Normal,” in which consumers’ baseline photos of Trump shaking hands with the Russian ambassador to the United belief has flipped from “the internet is basically safe unless I do States -- the man at the center of the Russia scandal. something stupid” to “the internet is fundamentally insecure, a This debacle taking place the day after Trump sacked the man investigating dangerous neighborhood in which my safety is always at risk.” The the Russian connection is hugely embarrassing to the White House. To the impetus for the flipping in that scenario was a flurry of larger, ever more outside world Trump appears snow-blinded to his own hubris. visible hacking attacks — of personal email accounts (Colin Powell The Russian calculus appears to have caught up with the rest of the world and John Podesta) and corporate data (Yahoo and Sony), not to mention that Trump's White House is learning on the job -- and that gives Russia space bank account information. Last week’s ransomware attack may start to to ram through its own agenda.While Putin says that firing FBI Director James tip a significant proportion of internet users over the edge. Comey was Trump's right and not Russia's business, he'll be reveling in the The surprise is not that the frequency of such attacks is accelerating; political undertone of the FBI chief's departure: Don't look too closely at Russia. it’s that it took so long. There are at least three reasons for this Trump wants "America First," and Putin is only too happy that America is acceleration. First, the internet has a fundamentally insecure now looking the other way -- on Syria, in particular. infrastructure that was initially made for interoperability among a small President Barack Obama, who failed to act when Syrian President Bashar number of trusted parties, but is now being used by billions who do not al-Assad crossed a "red line" in 2013, now looks far more like a hawk than know and should not trust one another.The second reason is that Trump. increasingly inventive criminals have become today’s most ambitious John Kerry, Obama's secretary of state, was ceaseless in his diplomatic internet entrepreneurs. Their work has been made easier by the theft of efforts parrying Russia's pushiness to dictate the Syrian agenda. powerful hacking tools created by and for state security agencies but Whether face to face or behind the scenes at peace talks in Geneva, now available for sale. Switzerland, Kerry was there, looking out for US interests, backing the opposition Third is the commercial innovation imperative. Consumer demand for and blocking Russia's efforts to keep the killer tyrant Assad in power. digital devices and services keeps pushing companies to the limits of For sure, Trump made a huge splash when he fired a salvo of cruise missiles what is technically possible, and then pressing them to go even a little at Assad's forces following a chemical weapons attack in April. But gone is bit further, where security often becomes nice to have but not a Kerry's insistent diplomacy, curbing Russia's excesses. necessity. In December 2015, Putin supported a UN Security Council resolution, 2254, Silicon Valley has responded creatively, but there’s no silver bullet. to end the fighting in Syria and transition Assad out of power within 18 months. Experts have encouraged us all to use two-factor authentication, but Russia has since proved an unreliable partner, not only refusing to pressure text messages can be intercepted even with it. We’ve moved to Assad to step down but also doubling down on his attacks on civilians, helping biometrics, but once a fingerprint or iris scan is stolen, there is no way him grab territory such as Aleppo and torpedoing UN peace talks. to change it the way you can change a password. Such security All the while, Russia has steadfastly tried to turn Assad's transition from measures are better than nothing, but they won’t repair the internet’s power into an ambiguous outcome. Kerry, backed by Obama and the United underlying structural flaws. Nations, stood in the way.Far from enforcing UN Resolution 2254 to establish a So what would it mean if we crossed the threshold to digital new government and remove Assad, Russia wants Assad's government left in insecurity? One possibility is that some things we now take for granted office with a token nod to the idea of an opposition: way short of what Putin first — from banking online to electronic medical records — will shift from signed up for. being seen as common sense to being viewed as scary, dangerous, even reckless. We know what it looks like when expectations of security in physical environments degrade: People put triple locks on their doors, retreat into gated communities, look over their shoulder as they walk down the street. In our scenario, we’ve imagined the digital equivalent. Will you ISSN No. 1554 06X soon be asked to place your phone and laptop in a locker before you are allowed to enter an office building or a friend’s home? Will you tell Chairman & Publisher : Karam Singh Thind your colleagues to call you before they send you an email with an Editor in Chief : Bhupinder Kaur Thind attachment? Governments will start worrying more about protecting themselves than Editor (Political Affairs-India) : Aruna Singh about innovating in services. Industries like health care and finance will go Chief Photographer : Vijay Shah Special Correspondent : back to basics. Getting paper money from a bank teller may be less a novelty than a necessity. What happens if your hospital has fully converted to digital Photographers: Ruth Alvarez/Hamad Gagandeep Singh (INDIA) X-rays and doesn’t have an analog backup machine lying around? (The British Editorial Intern: Aman Thind Web Coordinator : Jatinder Kumar National Health Service is already finding out). A society and economy that moves in this direction would be different A Publication of NuWay Media Group from the one we have today, and very different from what Silicon Valley is looking to build. Security needs to be made a priority at least as great as REGD & MAILING OFFICE : innovation right now. We recognize that the consequences of prioritizing security are not all good, and the slowing or reversal of digitization will be a P.O Box 7005 Hicksville New York 11801 significant headwind for the United States economy even more than for other countries, at a time and in a political environment that really can’t afford such a setback. But there is no other viable choice. You can’t fix a broken TelFax : 516 342 1076 foundation by simply building more stories atop the house that rests on it. [email protected], [email protected] The world spends a lot of time right now thinking and dreaming about how www.thesouthasianinsider.com life will be digitized, mostly for the better. We don’t yet have a word for even Disclaimer The South Asian Insider is a weekly newspaper published every week by The South Asian Insider. It's available in a partial “return to analog,” but we will have to start looking for one at the community & religious centers, ethnic grocery stores and also available by mail, email & online to subscribers. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various writers, authors and forum participants in The South Asian Insider do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints same time as we work to create a much more secure internet. of the Editor. All advertisers advertising in The South Asian Insider assume responsibility for accuracy of their advertisements. The South Asian Insider and/or people associated with it are not responsible for any claims made by the advertisers and don't endorse any product or services advertised in The South Asian Insider. We strongly urge consulting your lawyer before buying/contracting /hiring through the ads published in the newspaper. We are in the business of selling space and claims made by the advertisers are not authenticated or confirmed by an independent source Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 OPINION 6 The World Is Getting Hacked. Why Don’t We Do More to Stop It? The World Is Getting On May 12, a massive unable to check on vulnerability still lives in Hacked. Why Don’t We Do “ransomware” attack using patients’ allergies or see unpatched systems, and More to Stop It? one of those vulnerabilities what drugs they were the next one may not have The path to a global hit hospitals in Britain, taking. Labs, X-rays and a convenient kill switch. outbreak on Friday of a telecommunication diagnostic machinery and ransom-demanding companies in Spain, information became While it is inevitable computer software FedEx in the United inaccessible. Surgeries that software will have bugs, made much sense to but they had not. This isn’t (“ransomware”) that States, the Russian Interior were postponed. There there are ways to make spend the extra money and just because their crippled hospitals in Britain Ministry and many other was economic damage, operating systems much time required to make information technology — forcing the rerouting of institutions around the too. Renault, the European more secure — but that software more secure departments are ambulances, delays in world. They had either not automaker, had to halt costs real money. While quickly. Indeed, for many incompetent (though there surgeries and the applied these patches to production. this particular bug affected years, Facebook’s mantra are surely cases of that, shutdown of diagnostic systems where it was both new and old versions for its programmers was too). Upgrades come with equipment — started, as it available for free, or had not The attack was halted of Microsoft’s operating “move fast and break many downsides that often does, with a defect in paid the extra money for by a stroke of luck: the systems, the older ones things.” make people reluctant to software, a bug. This is older ones. ransomware had a kill like XP have more critical This isn’t all Microsoft’s install them. For example, perhaps the first salvo of a switch that a British vulnerabilities. This is fault though. Its newer the more secure Windows global crisis that has been Computer after employee in a partly because our operating systems, like 10 comes with so many brewing for decades. computer froze, their files cybersecurity firm understanding of how to Windows 10, are much privacy concerns that the Fixing this is possible, but inaccessible, with an managed to activate. make secure software has more secure. There are Electronic Frontier it will be expensive and ominous onscreen Shortly after, Microsoft advanced over the years, many more players and Foundation issued require a complete message asking for about finally released for free the and partly because of the dimensions to this ticking numerous alerts about it, overhaul of how technology $300 worth of “bitcoin” — patch that they had been incentives in the software bomb. and the European Union is companies, governments a cryptocurrency that withholding from users that business. Since most During this latest still investigating it. My and institutions operate allows for hard-to-trace had not signed up for software is sold with an “as ransomware crisis, it current Windows 10 and handle software. The transfers of money. expensive custom support is” license, meaning the became clear there were machine is more secure alternative should be Ambulances headed for agreements. company is not legally many institutions that but it advertises to me in unthinkable.Just this children’s hospitals were But the crisis is far from liable for any issues with it could have patched or the login screen. March, Microsoft released diverted. Doctors were over. This particular even on day one, it has not upgraded their systems, (Contd on page 20) a patch to fix vulnerabilities in its operating systems, which run on about 80 percent of desktop Those who kill for partisan ends cannot be patriots computers globally. Shortly after that, a group Patriotism and nationalism are two different called “Shadow Brokers” concepts. We must not confuse the two. It is not released hacking tools that took advantage of unpatriotic to oppose the government when it vulnerabilities that had is behaving dishonestly, foolishly or viciously. already been fixed in these patches. I love my country, right protect an identity of which love her. Today, the flag has It seemed that Shadow or wrong, is an attribute of we are an integral part. been made a logo – the Brokers had acquired tools nationalism. But is it That identity is the result “trademark of a monopoly the National Security patriotism to stand up and of cultural, ethnic, and on patriotism”. I do not Agency had used to break be counted when my linguistic affinity shared doubt the patriotism of into computers. Realizing country led by the historically over a period of those in government; I only government navigates a time. Within the contours question their policies. a part. Only in situations considered patriotic and these tools were stolen, which should evoke such a thus justified. the N.S.A. had warned path which is inconsistent of territory, shared Those who pin the national with our constitutional experiences of people flag on their lapels are no response is true patriotism Instead such acts of affected companies like tested. Patriotism and violence create fissures in Microsoft and Cisco so values. Was it unpatriotic identifying with each other greater patriots than those to be a conscientious become the foundation of who don’t. nationalism are two an identity which is they could fix the different concepts. We historically shared by vulnerabilities. Users were objector to the Vietnam nationalism. The symbol of Now, our patriotism may War? Was the ‘Arab that identity, and every be questioned if we do not must not confuse the two. people, who together have protected if they had Is it then patriotic for fought wars and shed their applied the patches that Spring’ at Tahrir Square nation has one, is its stand up in a cinema hall unpatriotic? Was it national flag. When when the national anthem vigilantes who in a show of blood to assert their were released, but with a patriotism for the sacred identity. They together catch: If an institution still patriotic for the RSS to unfurled, people identify is played. I wonder how have attempted to disrupt themselves with it. Their many of us stand up in our cow, insult, beleaguer and challenged the supremacy used an older Microsoft not hesitate to kill ordinary of the white man and operating system, it did not the national movement and patriotism does not depend homes watching the support a colonial power? on externalities. People national anthem on folk? Vigilantes do it to humbled a colonial empire. receive this patch unless it protect their misplaced They together forged a paid for an expensive Was it patriotic for the should not be forced to television. If we don’t, are Sangh not to have demonstrate that they love we to be regarded as cultural identity. Their permanent identity based “custom” support response is not emotive for on cultural, linguistic, agreement. participated in the their country and respect unpatriotic?My problem Satyagraha? their flag. I do not wear my with this mandating the sacred animal. It is in religious diversity The cash-strapped fact motivated to coalescing because of National Health Service in We must not confuse patriotism on my sleeve. prescription is that it is our love for the country in Others should also not be fundamentally wrong for demonstrate and shared values and a shared Britain, which provides propagate that identity with history. That is what we health care to more than 50 protecting her identity with required to do so. people to have to our right to dissent. It is not I am a patriot as long demonstrate that they are which the victims of need to protect. True million people, and whose violence have no emotive patriots are those who hospitals still use unpatriotic to oppose the as I respect the rights and patriotic. The act of government when it is sensibilities of others, pay standing up in a cinema hall affinity. The victims may be protect diversity – Windows XP widely, was dealing with the sacred linguistic, cultural and not among those that behaving dishonestly, my taxes, inculcate the is not an act of volition. foolishly or right values in my kids. I Patriotism reflects in my animal to trade or nourish ethnic. Patriotism is not signed up to purchase the it for their livelihood. Yet to paying lip service to a custom support from viciously.Patriotism is an should not have to carry my response to protect the emotive response, which mother’s photograph in my identity of not just myself do such acts under the perceived identity. Microsoft.They were out in present dispensation is (Contd on page 20) the cold. manifests itself in action to wallet to prove to her that I but of millions of which I am Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 OPINION 7 Banks must be the change agents in the digitisation of the rural economy Over a span of 6 years, the number of banking outlets in villages has increased 8 fold, basic savings bank deposit accounts by 6 fold and agriculture credit off-take has doubled. The focus of the Government on the Jan Dhan – Aadhaar – Mobile (JAM) trinity and more recently demonetisation, have induced a behavioural change in hitherto unbanked masses towards banking services. In the last decade, the the united payment continuous availability needs to be ingrained, records, setting up availability of financial face of the rural economy interface (UPI). Processes: More via efficient frontline staff financial literacy centres, services is a necessary has undergone a From the bank’s efficient monitoring and Protection: Adoption and a shift in policy building block for the metamorphosis both from perspective, digitalisation tracking of underlying of appropriate risk priorities towards sustainable growth of the an economic and social offers low hanging fruit; credit generation to practices to ensure that encouraging savings, country. Digitisation has perspective. The rural however to reap the full enable stronger intent banks protect provision of insurance allowed this transformation clientele is no longer benefits of the evolving from organised financial themselves against flow products among others in to become quicker, easier limited to farmers and the winds of change banks sector to extend last of any uncertainty in the rural economy. and at lower costs. I believe uneducated, but has come must adopt a 4P approach - mile funding. credit cultureAchieving The fact that the rural the rural economy has to include a generation Product strategy: For People: The 100% financialisation of economy largely never been more ready to which can use and adapt catering to the varied experience of plastic the rural economy will withstood the impact of embrace this change and technology effectively. This needs of small ticket money, internet require further demonetisation is a it is imperative that banks evolution of the rural size transactions, banks availability in the smart strengthening of reflection of the evolved must adopt the role of economy has dictated a must identify how best to phones at negligible institutional face of the rural ‘change agents’ to become change in the nature of the deploy technology to costs, e-commerce mechanisms, including economy. Ensuring the spark plugs in this supply of banking services, ensure flexible and boom in youth crowd digitisation of land access and equity in the endeavour. adopting a more inclusive approach combined with innovative digital solutions. Over a span of six India has its reasons to boycott China’s Belt Road Initiative years, the number of banking outlets in villages It is increasingly difficult to buy Beijing’s arguments that their plan to has increased eight-fold, basic savings bank deposit splash a few trillion dollars around the world is a benign gift to the world accounts six-6 fold and agriculture credit offtake construction of ports the world is a benign has doubled. The focus of and highways have gift to the world. This the government on the Jan resulted in huge should not be a surprise Dhan – Aadhaar – Mobile debts, usurious to anyone and is not (JAM) trinity and more interest rates, bribing necessarily an recently demonetisation, of political leaders argument against BRI. have induced a behavioural and — once the Great powers often end change in hitherto government in up providing global unbanked masses towards question is public goods through banking services. India is now at the cusp sufficiently entangled selfish actions. In any of the great collision of the — attempts to case, India has never 3Ds of disruptive forces – influence that said it would try to demographics, country’s foreign undermine or block (de)regulation and policy. Chinese projects in digitisation, and banks This is not true in other countries — need to be ready to fully all segments of the merely that it would not seize this “once in a BRI, but it seems be signing up for the centennial prevalent in the areas initiative. It remains an opportunity”.There has closest to India. Even open question why been early identification of in the case of the Beijing is so insistent the propellers of rural digital Pakistan corridor, the that India endorse the banking and the The only major regarding what was through territory that debt obligation is such BRI, especially given government has moved fast country to openly originally called the it claimed. More that the main lesson is that it has seen fit to to lay the foundations for boycott the Belt Road One Belt, One Road has important was the that Beijing is happy to turn against New Delhi cash alternatives such as Forum, India has evolved over time — unwillingness of entrap even its closest in almost every other debit/credit cards, mobile/ emerged as the most and become Beijing to agree to New internet banking, e-wallets allies. The layout of international fora vocal opponent of increasingly hostile as Delhi’s requests for and Aadhaar merchant pay. most of the land-based including the Nuclear China’s continent- the nature of China’s consultations on the Cheaper mobile projects is telling — Suppliers Group. At the spanning infrastructure plans in the objectives, nature and handsets and the spread of almost of all it connects very least, there needs project. The reasons for subcontinent and financing of the BRI. cheap data networks have countries to China but to be a far more New Delhi’s skepticism Indian Ocean area However, as China’s enabled the mobile phone very little connects transparent dialogue to become a virtual bank in about the Belt-Road become clear. New infrastructure projects other countries to with New Delhi that, so the hands of rural masses. Initiative (BRI)? may Delhi’s began with have begun to roll out each other.It is far, the Middle Kingdom This trend is going to not seem evident. They pointing out that the the alarm bells have increasingly difficult has refused. The recent strengthen as BHIM USSD become clear, however, China-Pakistan been ringing. In many to buy Beijing’s forum should have been 2.0 kicks in, to empower when seen through the Economic Corridor, countries, notably Sri arguments that their a lesson on the limits 350 mn feature phone prism of geopolitics. the flagship project of Lanka but also plan to splash a few of geopolitics through users to take advantage of India’s position the BRI, would run elsewhere, China’s trillion dollars around Chinese whispers. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 INDIA CURRENT AFFAIRS 8 Supreme Court questions CBI books 13 firms in foreign WhatsApp’s move to tweak privacy policy remittance scam of over Rs 2,200 crore As per the new policy the Whatsapp CBI claims accused companies indulged illegal remittances under can share data with the social fraudulent imports of goods due to which at least six banks incurred loss. networking platform Facebook. (Agencies) The Central Bureau of 680.12 crore was remitted by SIPL using Investigation (CBI) has filed a criminal six accounts for imports but in reality, case against 13 private firms for allegedly they filed only 25 bills of entry during this remitting over Rs 2,200 crore to foreign period with a declared value of Rs 3.14 entities against bill payments of imports crore with the customs. Thus, an excess of only Rs 24.64 crore. of ?676.98 crore was “illegitimately” The agency claimed that unknown public remitted abroad by SIPL. Many of these officials were also part of the alleged transactions were carried out through the scam and have been listed as accused company’s account at Punjab National in the FIR filed. A case under sections Bank. According to the agency, 12 other for criminal conspiracy, cheating and companies remitted Rs 1,572.7 crore criminal misconduct was registered abroad using similar modus operandi. against the accused companies, The companies allegedly submitted (Agencies) The Supreme Court including Stelkon Infratel Ltd (SIPL). non-existing or forged import questioned WhatsApp over its change CBI officials said SIPL allegedly indulged documents to the banks. “All these in privacy policy after Facebook in large-scale illegal foreign remittances six banks, including Punjab National firms were floated using IEC’s acquired it in 2016. As per the new under fraudulent imports of goods Bank and Canara Bank, incurred major registration at fictitious or non- policy the instant message service can between 2015 -16 due to which at least loss. In its FIR, the CBI stated that Rs existent addresses” the CBI alleged. share data with the social networking platform. A five-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra raised the query India can play important role in Palestine issue, says President Mahmoud Abbas while it was hearing petitions (Agencies) India can play “a very military intervention to resolve the challenging WhatsApp’s privacy policy important role” in resolving the dispute dispute, said Abbas who will also be The Palestinian President on the ground it allegedly infringed a between Palestine and Israel, meeting his Indian counterpart Pranab said India’s role will have user’s fundamental right to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Mukherjee on Tuesday. communicate freely. said on Monday, on the eve of his talks Abbas’ comments assume significance as it had good Monday was the first day of the with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. significance as Modi is slated to visit relations with both hearing. During the arguments the court Abbas, who is being hosted by India Israel in a couple of months, which will Palestine and Israel. was told that the messaging service ahead of Modi’s first ever visit to Israel, be the first by an Indian Prime Minister. provider’s pre-2016 policy did not said New Delhi’s role will have India has been a vociferous supporter ISIS in the region. We condemn all their include data sharing. Senior advocate significance as it had good relations with of the Palestinian cause. barbaric activities,” he said. Siddhartha Luthra, lawyer for both the countries. The Palestinian president said during The Middle East region, Abbas said, WhatsApp, denied the assertion. He “There should be a role for India in his meeting with Modi and Mukherjee, was living in a state of instability and said the company never snooped on making peace in our region. India has he will also apprise them of the ongoing conflict, especially after the Arab Spring, messages or shared the content. played this role (by supporting the political developments in Palestine and which is “castastrophic” for the region and “What is shared is the phone Palestinian cause) and we are looking the Middle East. its people. “It has inflicted severest number of the user, the identification forward that India continues to play the Condemning terrorism by ISIS, Abbas damage to the stability and integrity of number of the device used, user’s same role,” he said while delivering a said ending the “Israeli occupation” will the social fabric,” he added. registration detail and last access of the lecture in New Delhi. greatly help in countering terrorism in the Abbas also pitched for an agreement service by the user,” Luthra said. The He said he will ask Modi on Tuesday region. with India on religious tourism as court then asked him: “But why did you to use India’s “good offices” in bringing “So, achieving this justice is the basis Palestine has several religious shrines. change the policy and what is the in peace between Israel and Palestine. for success in fighting terrorism being The Palestinian president is on a four purpose for sharing the data.” Palestine is against any kind of practised by terrorist groups such as day visit to India from May 14 to 17. Land deal scam : CBI questions Bihar CM Nitish Kumar favours a second ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda term for President Pranab Mukherjee Monday in connection with an alleged that the land was (Agencies) PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar favours a second alleged land deal scam in purchased from the farmers term for Pranab Mukherjee, saying on Monday there would be no Haryana’s Manesar area. Hooda between August 27, 2004, and better "idea" than to re-elect him as President. was questioned at the August 24, 2007, by threatening Nitish then asked the Narendra Modi government to talk to all Chandigarh office of the agency, them that the state government opposition parties and try for a consensus candidate for the post. where he arrived at noon. The would soon acquire it. “It is "It's the responsibility of the ruling party at the Centre to contact all former chief minister was alleged that in this process, opposition parties and try to build a consensus on the presidential quizzed earlier this month too by initially, the Haryana government candidate," he said. CBI officials in a case of alleged issued a notification under the "If there is no such effort by the ruling party, the opposition will irregularities in allotment of Land Acquisition Act for have no option but to field their joint candidate for the President's industrial plots in Panchkula. acquisition of land measuring post," Nitish told reporters.N itish Kumar reiterated that he wasn't Monday’s questioning was about 912 acres to set up an a "claimant" for the prime minister's post in the 2019 general (Agencies) The former chief related to a September 2015 industrial model township at election as he led a "chhoti-moti" (insignificantly small) political minister was quizzed earlier this case in which it was alleged that villages in Manesar, Naurangpur party. month too by CBI officials in a private builders, in conspiracy and Lakhnoula in Gurgaon. After "We have a 'chhoti-moti' party. That is why I am being targeted. case of alleged irregularities in with unknown public servants of that, all the land was allegedly I have been given the mandate for leading the grand alliance allotment of industrial plots in the Haryana government, grabbed from land owners by government in Bihar. I am not a claimant for the PM's post in 2019," Panchkula. purchased around 400 acres of private builders under the threat Nitish said. Observers felt this was a time-tested way of attracting The Central Bureau of land from farmers and land of acquisition at meagre rates,” political attention. Flanked by deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav Investigation (CBI) questioned owners of villages Manesar, the agency officials said. A loss of RJD and education and information technology minister Ashok former Haryana chief minister Naurangpur and Gurgaon at of ¹ 1,500 crore was caused to Choudhary of the Congress, Nitish also said that he did not possess Bhupinder Singh Hooda on throwaway prices. The CBI has the land owners of the villages, the "capability to become PM". the agency said. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 INDIA CURRENT AFFAIRS 9 3 years on, Modi remains people’s PM but key issues remain unaddressed: Survey Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political capital has largely remained intact even though his government has not done enough to create jobs, check inflation, improve healthcare and prevent crime against women and children.

direct benefit transfer got scrapping of the high-value the highest approval (47%) notes had reduced and Make in India the corruption. lowest (8%). The contradiction Modi’s signature Clean reinforces the goodwill the India campaign seems to PM continues to enjoy fail to impress as 57% of despite poor rating of his the people responded in government’s schemes negative when asked if their that have a bearing on daily cities were cleaner.The life.People have a grim view areas in which the Modi of parliamentarians, with government scored high 69% citizens saying their were foreign policy, elected MPs did not especially vis-à-vis address problem of their (Agencies) Three out of was on track to fulfil pre- Pakistan, its handling constituencies. This was five Indians are satisfied poll promises, says a communalism, the third annual survey of with Prime Minister survey by LocalCircles. infrastructure development the government’s Narendra Modi’s More than 40,000 and performance in performance by performance though a respondents in around 200 Parliament in terms of LocalCircles. Compared to majority feels his cities participated in the delivery on key bills. last year, there was a government is sliding on exercise conducted by the While 81% marginal fall in the checking prices, online citizen engagement respondents felt that percentage of people who generating jobs and platform. India’s image and influence felt the government met preventing crime, an online Modi’s political capital in the world had improved, their expectations — from poll has found. has largely remained intact 64% approved of the 46% to 44% — while Tuesday marks three even though his handling of Pakistan, a dissatisfaction rose by 3% years of the BJP-led NDA government has not done significant increase from to 36%. “Overall, as storming to power at the enough to create jobs, last year when the figure change hasn’t come fast Centre. The Modi check inflation, improve stood at 34%. About 51% enough for most people, government, in these healthcare and prevent said demonetisation of 500 there is a decline in years, either met or crime against women and and 1,000 rupee banknotes citizens’ rating of the exceeded expectations of children. was successful in cracking government in most areas 61% of the people Of the missions the down on black money. But compared to last year,” surveyed while 59% felt it government has launched, only 37% agreed that stated LocalCircles. 6-inch worm was making baby’s liver sick, pulled out in a rare op previously. was inserted into the since a roundworm had The first case was bile duct, which had to reached his liver," reported in Brazil. be cut to extract the Farheen, the infant's There, Puri said, the roundworm. mother, told TOI. doctors removed the "The whole Doctors said parasite using a procedure took us 20 roundworm infestation paediatric endoscope of minutes. But we had to is common in urban 9mm in diameter from do a lot of brainstorming slums where sanitation the liver of a one and-a- before making this is not proper and half-year-old patient. attempt. The food pipe children often consume However, GB Pant did is next to windpipe and contaminated food and not have this equipment, any complication could water. "The government so they had to use an have proven fatal," said has been conducting de- adult endoscope, which one of surgeons. The worming programme is bigger in size. GB Pant doctors are but many children still "We took a chance happy at their feat— have the problem. To because if the child they successfully prevent this, we need to wasn't operated upon in removed a roundworm improve hand hygiene time, he could have from a small child's and create awareness died. Thankfully, the organ using adult about importance of procedure was endoscope. And the eating freshly-cooked uneventful," the doctors parents look much food," said a doctor. The said. The endoscope is relieved to see their son worms, mostly found in (Agencies) NEW ingestion of perhaps the second a flexible tube with a regain his health."For intestine, affect a DELHI: Doctors at contaminated food and such case in the world," camera attached to the past one and a half child's ability to grow— Delhi's GB Pant water. Dr A S Puri, professor it.During the procedure, months, Dawood had both intellectually and Hospital recently Commonly, they are and head of which was conducted been in pain and crying physically—and removed a six-inch long found in the intestine gastroenterology on Friday, doctors incessantly. He used to develop into a fully roundworm from the liver but this was a rare case department of the inserted it into the pass worms in stool and functioning adult, of an 18-month-old in which the parasitic hospital, said. He added child's food pipe via vomit. We took him to capable of contributing infant. Roundworms are organism managed to that in older children, mouth. It went up to the local doctors, but to wider society, parasitic organisms, travel to the liver via bile above three years of small intestine. Then, medicines failed to according to World which get into the duct of the baby boy, age, roundworm has an endoscopic knife bring him any respite Health Organisation. human body through doctors said. "This is been found in liver Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 INDIA CURRENT AFFAIRS 10 PM to states: Follow Madhya Pradesh to breathe life into rivers (News Agencies) Amarkantak been successful in carrying out bhagidari’ (people’s MP’s action plan that details emulate it for their respective (MP): PM Narendra Modi the Centre’s ambitious Ganga participation).We are seeing with timelines how the state river rejuvenation plan,” said praised Madhya Pradesh on rejuvenation programme. great enthusiasm in people here would go about reviving Modi. There are many rivers in Monday for turning the Referring to the state’s time- to save the river Narmada,” Narmada’s sources of water to India, he said, that are visible only conservation of its “lifeline”, the bound plan, he said no Modi said, addressing a function the river through a massive on the map and non-existent on Narmada, into a “mass programme could be to mark the conclusion of the plantation exercise in the the ground. MP’s Narmada action movement”, and urged other successfully implemented ‘Narmada Sewa Yatra’, which catchment area and also plan lays great emphasis on states to follow its example in without the involvement of was flagged off on December 11 along the banks of the river afforestation as trees, with their their own river-cleaning people, no matter what kind of last year as part of a campaign that originates from water retention\absorption campaigns. policy it has or how effective the to create awareness among the Amarkantak.”I wish this capacities, in the Vindhyas are the The plea was a clear message leadership is. “The biggest masses for rejuvenating the document should go to all main source of water to the river to states that have so far not strength of democracy is ‘jan Narmada.He also released states so that they can and its tributaries. Will bring in new law if triple talaq WannaCry ransomware cyberattack fails to paralyse India; some businesses hit nixed, Centre tells Supreme Court (News Agencies) operationalise their ATM normally," said "If the court takes the Barring sporadic networks only after Ashishkumar Chauhan, first step and quashes incidents in a few states, software updates are MD & CEO, BSE.Among talaq in entirety, we will most institutions and installed . cities in which sporadic take the next step of industries across India The social network attacks were reported are enacting a new law," continue to remain was abuzz with talk on Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rohatgi replied. Rohatgi insulated from the effects Monday that ATMs in Chennai and Kolkata. argued that triple talaq was of the 'WannaCry' many places were not Dhananjay Dwivedi, bad in law as it gave men ransomware cyberattack+ functional. However, secretary in there Gujarat unilateral right to that has affected bankers said this was government, said there irrevocably end a marriage. computers in likely because the were 120 incidents across He appeared to prefer, approximately 100 machines had run out of the state. "However, there for the present, the other countries worldwide. cash. Corporate houses is no harm on government two forms of talaq, which Banks, government urged employees to back functioning," he added. have inbuilt process of departments and up their data and refrain In Kerala, computers (News Agencies) New ceremony. reconciliation and corporate houses have from opening unfamiliar in panchayat offices in Delhi : The Centre assured The manner in which revocation of divorce. issued messages of file attachments. "We are Wayanad and the Supreme Court on you (the Centre) are When the bench sought caution and reinforced also urging all Windows Pathanamthitta districts Monday that it would bring arguing, it will finish all a clarification, the AG said, in a law to oversee divorce personal law rights. Some "If all three forms of talaq online security. However, users to install software were affected. "The staff among Muslims if all forms religious rights are given to are struck down, then we business was unaffected upgrades and firewalls," found Microsoft Word and of talaq were struck down, all under Article 25. will not leave a vacuum. as markets and offices said the IT head of a MS Office files prompting the court to The way you argue, it Triple talaq is not part of opened on Monday after media group. inaccessible," said observe that this might would mean that religion religion." He went on to list a weekend during which The broking and Thariyode panchayat erase personal laws and it and religious practices can a large number of ripple effects of the mutual fund industries president Reena was bound by the be thrown to the wind," the Muslimmajority countries malware were witnessed were not affected by the Sunil.Meanwhile, the Constitution to protect the bench said. However, the that had repealed triple across the globe. malware attack, said top Oragadam, TN, factory rights of minorities. SC said the ball was in the talaq as an irrevocable For now, the RBI has officials. "All exchange of alliance partners Attorney general Mukul Centre's court. mode to end marriage. asked banks to operations went on Renault & Nissan Rohatgi's assertion came restarted production on when a five-judge bench India can play important role in Palestine Monday after a headed by CJI J S Khehar, disruption on Saturday. taking note of his argument issue, says President Mahmoud Abbas The attack had affected that all three forms of talaq (News Agencies) India can play India’s “good offices” in bringing in “Israeli occupation” will greatly help production of 1,200 needed to be struck down “a very important role” in resolving peace between Israel and Palestine. in countering terrorism in the region. vehicles.In Gorakhpur, as they violated a Muslim the dispute between Palestine and Palestine is against any kind of “So, achieving this justice is the UP, a motorcycle women's right to equality, Israel, Palestinian President military intervention to resolve the basis for success in fighting dealer was asked to dignity and gender justice, Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday, dispute, said Abbas who will also terrorism being practised by terrorist pay $300 to access asked, "If talaq in entirety on the eve of his talks with Prime be meeting his Indian counterpart groups such as ISIS in the region. files on his PC in a pop- is erased, how will a Minister Narendra Modi here. Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. We condemn all their barbaric up on Muslim man walk out of Abbas, who is being hosted by Abbas’ comments assume activities,” he said. The Middle East Saturday.Computers in at bad marriage?" India ahead of Modi’s first ever visit significance as Modi is slated to region, Abbas said, was living in a least three locations in The bench, also to Israel, said New Delhi’s role will visit Israel in a couple of months, state of instability and conflict, West Bengal, including comprising Justices Kurian have significance as it had good which will be the first by an Indian especially after the Arab Spring, those of a power discom, Joseph, R F Nariman, U U relations with both the countries. Prime Minister. India has been a which is “castastrophic” for the also came under attack. Lalit and Abdul Nazeer, “There should be a role for India vociferous supporter of the region and its people. “It has inflicted "The disruption said if the Centre wanted in making peace in our region. Palestinian cause. severest damage to the stability and caused was local. It did uniformity in marriage, then India has played this role (by The Palestinian president said integrity of the social fabric,” he not affect power it should do away with all supporting the Palestinian cause) during his meeting with Modi and added. Abbas also pitched for an distribution, customer other laws and tell citizens and we are looking forward that Mukherjee, he will also apprise them agreement with India on religious data or commercial that all must marry India continues to play the same of the ongoing political tourism as Palestine has several according to the secular role,” he said while delivering a developments in Palestine and the religious shrines. The Palestinian operations," said West Special Marriages Act. lecture in New Delhi. He said he Middle East. Condemning terrorism president is on a four day visit to Bengal State Electricity "Marriage is a religious will ask Modi on Tuesday to use by ISIS, Abbas said ending the India from May 14 to 17. Distribution Co Ltd MD Rajesh Pandey. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SOUTH ASIA 11 India must cash in on the change in Sri Lanka’s earlier pro-China tilt India’s response has been suitably measured. New Delhi has declined to help Sri Lanka reduce its debts but has signed up for a number of projects and investments to help the country grow itself out of its debt problems (Newsdomestic dominance by went down poorly with New Agencies)Through a accepting billions from Delhi, it helped precipitate combination of bad luck and Beijing. Either one of these the coalition that brought poor calculation Sri Lanka policies would have led India Maithripala Sirisena to office has emerged as a point of to take countermeasures. and left Sri Lanka saddled contention between India The consequences of Sri with huge debts, there can and China. It is not a source Lanka of all this be no getting away from a of military confrontation, for manoeuvering: A mountain permanent China presence all the noises about of high-interest Chinese on the island. India’s submarines that may or debt, a number of response has been suitably may not be docking in economically questionable measured. New Delhi has Colombo. It is not even a infrastructure projects and declined to help Sri Lanka source of diplomatic far too much attention from reduce its debts but has sparring. Sri Lanka made the world’s major signed up for a number of itself a geopolitical concern, powers.Prime Minister projects and investments it did two things that small Narendra Modi -- in keeping to help the country grow criticise China’s plans. Sri conference and then to the overly suspicious of the countries should avoid. with his ‘Neighbourhood itself out of its debt Lanka’s problems are acute Indian-origin plantation designs of external players One, it sought to play a First’ policy -- has now problems. Fortunately, enough that they have workers, earning points and prone to judging third China card to fend off Indian sensibly visited Sri Lanka Beijing’s extortionist raised alarm bells in other with both communities. countries on the basis of pressure over a political twice in as many years. interest rates and its countries who have signed The island nation is deeply ethnic biases rather than the settlement with the Under former president attempts to convert the debt up to China’s Belt Road polarised thanks to the merits of actual policies. country’s Tamil minority. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri into land holdings have Initiative.The other side to all bitterness of the civil war, Many more visits and Two, part of the Lankan Lanka came to see China resulted in strong civil this is a broader hearts and even within the Tamil and considerable attention will political leadership decided as a solution to all its protests in Sri Lanka and minds issue. Mr Modi Sinhalese communities. be required by India to bring it could guarantee its problems. While all this led even Mr Rajapaksa to spoke at a Buddhist This makes its public true serendipity to the bilateral relationship. US urges India, Pak to Beijing plans to turn Pakistan into its economic colony engage in direct dialogue (Agencies) NEW China would be infringement on their land contained in the plan, it DELHI: China's longterm uncomfortably close to and culture. appears access to the full The US said the two countries would plans for Pakistan would India's borders in the east Others have pointed to supply chain of the agrarian benefit from a ‘practical cooperation’. do the East India and west. It would be a virtual strings attached to economy is a top priority for Company proud. ring-fence of India. Chinese aid. It was noted the Chinese.After that, the Proposals for the China Thousands of acres of that the "CM" of Gilgit capacity of the textile Pakistan Economic Pakistani agricultural land Baltistan was not involved spinning sector to serve the Corridor+ revealed in will be leased to Chinese in the One Belt, One Road raw material needs of Pakistani newspaper enterprises, according to discussions in Beijing Xinjiang, and the garment Dawn envisage thousands proposals for the China- attended by PM Nawaz and value added sector to of acres of agricultural Pakistan Economic Corridor Sharif. absorb Chinese land being leased to (CPEC). The Dawn report said, technology is another Chinese enterprises to The land will be leased "The plan envisages a deep priority. Next is the set up demonstration for projects ranging from and broad-based growing domestic (Agencies) The US on dialogue aimed at reducing projects and a fibre-optic seed varieties to irrigation penetration of most sectors market, particularly in Monday urged India and tension.” Jadhav was system that will facilitate technology. A full system of of Pakistan's economy as cement and household Pakistan to engage in direct arrested in March last year the dissemination of monitoring and surveillance well as its society by appliances, which receive dialogue to reduce tension and sentenced to death by Chinese culture. will be built from Peshawar Chinese enterprises and detailed treatment in the The proposals seem to to Karachi, with 24-hour culture. Its scope has no plan.And lastly, through as they faced-off at the a Pakistani military court on confirm that Pakistan will video recordings on roads precedent in Pakistan's greater financial integration, International Court of charges of espionage and become an economic and busy marketplaces for history in terms of how far the plan seeks to advance Justice (ICJ)?over the death subversive activities. His colony of China as CPEC law and order. it opens up the domestic the internationalisation of penalty given to Indian sentencing has become the will help Beijing tighten its A national fibre optic economy to participation the renminbi, as well as national Kulbhushan latest flashpoint in India- strategic embrace of its backbone will be used not by foreign enterprises." diversify the risks faced by Jadhav, a former Navy Pakistan ties. Pakistan ally and provide it only for internet traffic but The report concluded, Chinese enterprises officer accused of spying. denied India consular connectivity from Xinjiang also terrestrial distribution of "In the areas of interest entering Pakistan." “We believe India and access to Jadhav 16 times, to the Arabian Sea at broadcast TV, which will Gwadar in Balochistan. cooperate with Chinese Pakistan stand to benefit claiming he was an agent The range and scope media in popularising from practical cooperation,” of the intelligence agency of the plan is breathtaking, China's culture.The a state department Research and Analysis showing a deep Pakistani government has spokesperson told media. Wing. His execution was penetration into argued that CPEC will spur When asked about the US’ stayed last week by the ICJ, Pakistan's economic life. the economy and its stand on Jadhav, who is which on Monday heard This could have several linkages with agriculture and facing the death penalty in arguments presented by both implications for India - power will benefit citizens. Pakistan, the official said, the sides. The court reserved Pakistan's sovereignty Its critics, particularly in could be forfeited to Gilgit-Baltistan and “We encourage India and the order and will set a date Chinese interests and Balochistan+ , feel it is an Pakistan to engage in direct for the verdict later. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SOUTH ASIA 12 UN report slams ‘opaque’ Pak military courts; Let civil courts try Jadhav-like cases, says panel (Insider Bureau) New Delhi: Even as in its findings published last week, has Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav of courts of cases involving civilians already India has gone to the International Court expressed concerns over Pakistan spying without providing consular access adjudicated under military jurisdiction”.It of Justice (ICJ), terming the sentencing government “authorising military courts to India+ and without any evidence. says that Pakistan’s counter terror of Kulbhushan Jadhav+ by a Pakistani to try civilians for terrorism related There are reports that Jadhav was legislation, particularly the Anti-Terrorism military court as “premeditated murder”+ offences”. “The committee is also picked up by Pakistani agencies from Act 1997, “eliminates” legal safeguards , the United Nations has come down concerned by the very broad powers Iran. against torture that are otherwise provided heavily on the military courts system in given to the army to detain people The UN panel has asked Islamabad to people deprived of their liberty, like Pakistan, lack of independence of suspected of involvement in terrorist to “end the resort to military courts for prompt presentation before a magistrate military court judges who are within activities without charge of judicial terrorism-related prosecutions and and the possibility of a habeas petition, military hierarchy and the practice of supervision in internment centres”, the transfer criminal cases against civilians and to ensure that “confessions obtained holding “closed trials”. UN panel said in its report. from military courts to civilian courts and outside the presence of a magistrate are The UN Committee Against Torture, Incidentally, Pakistan has accused provide the opportunity for appeal in civilian inadmissible as evidence”. Pakistan signs nearly $500 million OBOR meet Only promises, no in China deals at Silk Road summit framework for plan rollout (Insider Bureau) Pakistan signed new and one of the most enthusiastic initiative. deals with China on Saturday worth nearly supporters of the One Belt-One Road Among the 3.4 billion yuan ($492.95 $500 million ahead of Beijing’s initiative, in part because many projects million) in deals Sharif’s office said were international forum on its “Silk Road” trade are for power plants to alleviate the signed on Saturday were: and infrastructure initiative for Asia, Africa country’s decade-long energy-shortage * Two cooperation agreements worth and Europe, the Pakistani government crisis that sees frequent blackouts. 2.3 billion yuan for an airport in the said. “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is southwestern town of Gwadar, site of a The memorandums of understanding a core component of your visionary deep-water port that is to provide an outlet add to $57 billion already pledged for the initiative of the ‘One Belt-One Road’,” to the Arabian Sea from the far western (Agencies) BEIJING: The two-day China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Sharif told Xi when they met at the Great Chinese region of Xinjiang. Belt and Road Forum ended in Beijing (CPEC), a network of rail, road and Hall of China on Saturday, according to * Establishment of the Havelian Dry on Monday evening with promises of energy infrastructure that is part of the the Associated Press of Pakistan. Port in Pakistan.Agreement on economic joint action by participating countries, wider Chinese project also known as the Xi called for a swift completion of and technical cooperation worth 1.1 billion but without establishing an institutional Belt and Road initiative, or One Belt, One projects involving Gwadar Port and special yuan for the East Bay Expressway linking framework for implementing the planned Road. economic and industrial parks along the Gwadar to Pakistan’s existing highway construction program. The deals came as Pakistani Prime corridor, state Xinhua news service system. Though India is the only major Minister Nawaz Sharif met Chinese reported. China says that between 2014 and country to boycott the event, its President Xi Jinping ahead of the Beijing In a separate meeting, Premier Li 2016, its businesses signed projects presence was felt during discussions summit expected to be attended by Keqiang told Sharif that China hopes worth $304.9 billion in Belt and Road between China and other South Asian leaders from at least 29 countries to Pakistan “will intensify its efforts in countries. Some of the projects could be countries on different programs. promote Xi’s vision of expanding trade protecting the safety of Chinese in development for years. For instance, China signed an links. personnel in the nation, and ensure the Some countries are wary of the debt agreement to lay a $8 billion railway line Delegates in Beijing will hold a series security of related projects,” Xinhua burden that the Chinese financing could connecting it to Nepal. But this rail line of sessions on Sunday to discuss the added. create. Pakistan, however, has cannot be sustained economically if plan in more detail, including trade and Wary of Islamist militants, Pakistan expressed an optimistic view, with the Chinese goods cannot access the Indian finance. has set up a new army division to protect government’s chief economist telling market. Proposed in 2013 by Xi, the project is the economic corridor. Ten Pakistani Reuters this week that the repayments "India is in the room without being in broad on ambition but still short on labourers were gunned down on Saturday will peak at around $5 billion in 2022, but the room," Laurence Brahm, founding specifics. while working on link roads to connect will be more than offset by transit fees director of Himalayan Consensus, told Pakistan has been a flagship country outlying towns to the Belt and Road charged on the new transport corridor. the official China Global Television. Chinese expert and former counselor in Mumbai, Liu Youfa, said, "India has problems with the China Pakistan Nepal in talks with China to build $8 billion cross-border rail link - fin min official Economic Corridor. But it can still join (Insider Bureau) Nepal is in talks with Beijing. kilometres in China to the Nepal the Belt and Road projects even if it has China to build a cross-border rail link that "Now we are a member of (the border, and then about another 150 not come here". may cost up to $8 billion, and funding initiative) we can get some specific kilometres from the Nepali border to The official Chinese media took a could be expected after Nepal formally project assistance from China's Kathmandu, he said. "Our first priority somewhat different view saying that India signed up to Beijing's Belt and Road government. We expect it for the is railway, and second will be cannot keep other countries from joining initiative, a Nepali finance ministry official railway," he said. "Once we connect by hydropower projects and cross-border the program even if it decided to stay said on Sunday. railway then we can increase our trade transmission lines between Nepal away. Yug Raj Pandey, an under secretary and invite more tourists to Nepal." and China," he said.China last year The meeting was attended by the at Nepal's Ministry of Finance, told Pandey said the two countries had been agreed to consider building a railway prime ministers of Pakistan and Sri Reuters the proposed 550 kilometre-long in discussions for the past five months into Nepal and to start a feasibility Lanka, the deputy prime minister of railway would connect China's western about the project, which could cost $7-8 study for a free trade agreement with Nepal and the state counsellor of Tibet region to Nepal's capital of billion and take up to eight years to impoverished, landlocked Nepal, Myanmar. Kathmandu and will carry goods and complete. which has been trying to lessen its "While India recently issued an passengers. He said Nepal planned to start dependence on its other big official statement saying it would not be The Himalayan nation officially signed preparing a detailed project report for the neighbour India. part of the "One Belt and One Road" an agreement two days ago to be part of railway, and that they had yet to decide Pandey declined to comment about (B&R) initiative, it will not affect the trend President Xi Jinping's ambitious plan to how much funding they will seek from India's opposition to parts of the Belt and towards cooperation in infrastructure build a new Silk Road, he said on the China. Road initiative, in particular an economic development among its neighbouring sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in The railway will travel over 400 corridor China is building in Pakistan. countries at all," Global Times said in its online edition. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 ADVERTISMENT 13 Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SPECIAL FEATURE 14

Reckless stock trading leaves Congress rife with conflicts After the furor over Tom Price’s investments, four more members quietly bought shares in the same firm. Even a looming scandal decried as an abuse of power Congress made no stock trades dividends from the bank while drug approval. In the months wouldn’t deter some of reflects Congress’ anything- over the past two years. chairing the committee, which is leading up to the vote, more Congress’ most eager stock goes culture around stock Meanwhile, the lawmakers who on the front lines of deciding than 1,000 lobbyists flocked to traders. investments. In the pursuit of are active in stock trading whether to roll back Dodd-Frank Capitol Hill to make their case Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), wealth, even obvious conflicts of conducted a total of more than regulations on banks. Under for what should be included in President Donald Trump’s interest are routinely ignored by 21,300 trades during the past congressional rules, owning the legislative package. It was nominee to be Health and members who feast on daily two years, but a small group of companies and sitting on a rare opportunity to dramatically Human Services secretary, was trades. Long, for instance, very wealthy lawmakers corporate boards is permitted so increase the amount of federal under siege, the harsh lights of serves on a committee accounted for a significant share long as members don’t draw a money going into a Senate hearing upon him. overseeing Obamacare, and of those trades. salary. Rogers didn’t respond to pharmaceuticals. It was also, as News reports showed he had Conaway is a deputy House Texas Republican Rep. Mike requests for comment, and a it turned out, a time when some bought shares in a tiny whip. McCaul — whose wife, Linda, is McCaul spokesperson said that of the members who contributed biotechnology company while The health care lawmakers the daughter of Clear Channel the congressman is not involved to the writing of the bill boosted sitting on committees that could who invested in Innate communications founder Lowry with trades made in his wife’s their own portfolios of drug influence the firm’s prospects. Immunotherapeutics are hardly Mays — reported approximately accounts. Ethics-concerned stocks, POLITICO found. A colleague, Rep. Chris Collins alone in trading in companies 7,300 stock transactions in an lawmakers and experts who Whitehouse, Collins, Price (R-N.Y.), had tipped him off to that have a major interest in array of industries over the two- have labored for years to and Fleischmann all invested in the investment.A Washington federal legislation, according to year period. Oregon Democratic persuade Congress to regulate pharmaceutical companies over Post editorial called Price “a a three-month investigation and Rep. Kurt Schrader, who sits on itself over apparent conflicts of the months that the bill was walking, talking example of the examination of all stock trades the House Energy and interest were surprised by being pulled together. Price ways in which congressional by members of Congress. Commerce Committee, has POLITICO’s findings because traded and held multiple medical ethics requirements are too lax.” POLITICO found that 28 made a substantial number of Congress passed a law stocks, including McKesson, Sen. Chris Murphy demanded: House members and six trades so far this year in designed to curb lawmaker while contributing to the 21st “Tell me how it can possibly be senators each traded more than companies that have an interest insider trading and stock trades Century Cures Act. Collins sat OK that you were championing 100 stocks in the past two in the committee’s health and just five years ago. They had on the boards of multiple positions on health care issues years, placing them in the energy work, including Exxon assumed 2012’s Stock Act, medical companies and bought that have the effect of increasing potential cross hairs of a conflict Mobil, Marathon Oil and Gas, which created new disclosures and sold health care stocks your personal wealth?” Sen. of interest on a regular basis. Conoco Philips, Pfizer and Eli about the stock trades and for while authoring parts of the bill. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked him, And a handful of lawmakers, Lilly. Schrader has made close the first time explicitly barred Whitehouse, the veteran “Doesn’t this show bad some of them frequent traders to 700 stock trades over the past lawmakers from insider trading, Democrat on the Health, judgment?” and some not, disproportionately two years. had deterred most lawmakers Education, Labor and Pensions But what many saw as a trade in companies that also have In some cases, these very from engaging in conflicts of Committee, began a series of scandal, others saw as an an interest in their work on wealthy lawmakers own interest. At the time the bill was purchases in health care opportunity. On the very day that Capitol Hill.House and Senate significant stakes in private passed, many thought the stocks related to the bill in Wyden was decrying Price’s members who are active traders companies that are affected simple fear of exposure and mid-November, through his bad judgment, Rep. Doug insist their buying and selling is by their legislative work. political embarrassment would own accounts and family Lamborn, Republican of a normal part of managing their Conaway maintains partial stop the conflicts of interest. accounts. At the time, Colorado, bought shares of the finances, as with any American ownership in oil and gas “I’m deeply concerned,” negotiators were wrestling same tiny Australian company, who wants to save for retirement companies that stand to said Minnesota Democratic over the final version of 21st Innate Immunotherapeutics. or put their kids through school. benefit from energy-related Rep. Tim Walz, an early Century Cures and hoping to Within two days three more But their colleagues don’t seem bills he’s sponsored in supporter of the Stock Act vote on it in a matter of weeks. members also bought in — to agree. The clear majority of Congress. GOP Kentucky who does not himself trade Eager to battle prescription- Republicans Billy Long of lawmakers avoid potential Rep. Hal Rogers traded stocks. “If you buy stock and drug addiction in his home Missouri, Mike Conaway of conflicts of interest by buying dozens of stocks while then do something that state of Rhode Island, Texas and John Culberson of mutual funds, putting their serving as chairman of the changes that stock, you’ve Whitehouse pushed leaders Texas. Conaway added more portfolios in blind trusts or House Appropriations got to know what’s going to include funding to fight shares the following week. simply staying out of the stock Committee, which affects a on.”In December, Congress opioid abuse, as well as These brazen decisions to market. broad array of policy areas. approved the 21st Century health IT legislation. Both of gobble up shares of a little- POLITICO found that 384 Rogers also maintained partial Cures Act, a bill stocked with Whitehouse’s measures were known firm at the very moment House members and senators ownership of a small bank and $6.3 billion in new funding for eventually included in 21st when such trading was being who served in the 114th collected at least $100,000 in medical research and faster Century Cures. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 US & WORLD 15

(Insider Bureau) House paving the way for both Republicans just voted to chambers to use the slash hundreds of billions of powerful budget dollars in health care for the reconciliation process to poor as part of their push a partisan tax bill Obamacare replacement. through Congress on Now, they’re weighing a simple majority votes, as plan to take the scalpel to well as the $400 billion in programs that provide meals mandatory cuts.“The to needy kids and housing critique last time was that and education assistance we didn’t embed enough for low-income families. Trump agenda items into President Donald our budget,” said Rep. Dave Trump’s refusal to overhaul Brat (R-Va.), a budget panel Social Security and member. Trump has "made Medicare — and his pricey it clear it will be embedded wish-list for infrastructure, a in this budget. … And so border wall and tax cuts — people will see a process is sending House budget much more aligned with writers scouring for pennies President Trump’s agenda in this forthcoming budget.” New spending, however, Republicans plan massive cuts to programs for the poor makes already tough math even trickier for a party Under pressure to balance the budget and align with Trump, the House GOP whose mantra is “balance the budget in 10 years.” has its eye on food stamps, welfare and perhaps even veterans’ benefits. Lawmakers need to cut roughly $8 trillion to meet in politically sensitive idea. While that proposal is Cole. Republicans have for anybody, no matter funding agreement, White that goal, budget experts places: safety-net more symbolic and won’t long sought to tackle the where you’re at on the House officials in recent say. And while a quarter programs for the most become law under this nearly $20 trillion debt, but political spectrum.” weeks have pressed Hill of their savings in vulnerable.Under enormous budget, it’s just another Trump has tied their hands While budget writers are Republicans to include previous budgets came internal pressure to quickly thorny issue that will have by ruling out cuts to Social well aware of the sensitive more Trump priorities in from repealing balance the budget, Democrats again accusing Security and Medicare. nature of their proposal, the fiscal 2018 blueprint. Obamacare and slicing Republicans are Republicans of “pushing The Oklahoma they feel they have no House Budget $1 trillion from considering slashing more Granny off the cliff.”“The Republican, however, choice if they want to Republicans hope to Medicaid, Republicans than $400 billion in Budget Committee is trying acknowledged that balance the budget in a incorporate those wishes cannot count on those spending through a process to force the entire mandatory spending decade, which they’ve and are expected, for savings anymore to evade Democratic conference and committees reductions could become proposed for years, and give example, to budget for because their health care filibusters in the Senate, of jurisdiction to focus on “very tough issues” — Trump what he wants. Trump’s infrastructure bill sucked up all but $150 multiple sources told ways to bring down this though he declined to name Enraged by Democrats plan. Tax reform billion of that stash — POLITICO. deficit,” said senior budget which programs would see claiming victory after last instructions will also be relatively speaking, mere The proposal, which panel member Rep. Tom major cuts: “These are hard month’s government included in the budget, pocket change to play with. would be part of the House Budget Committee's fiscal 2018 budget, won't specify China's silky threat to American leadership which programs would get the ax; instead it will instruct Turkey, Pakistan, the economies to be partners, China wants to committees to figure out Philippines and 25 other modernized,” says build a port in Pakistan, what to cut to reach the countries, most of them Sourabh Gupta, a senior complete a China-to- savings. But among the with developing fellow at the Institute for Myanmar pipeline, giving programs most likely on the economies. The United China-America studies. it access to Middle East chopping block, the States, trapped in political “There are real political, crude oil, and dredge and sources say, are food navel-gazing, could only economic and strategic deepen the historic Greek stamps, welfare, income ante up an assistant to the goals at stake. It is China port of Piraeus. assistance for the disabled president. effectively applying soft The stakes for Xi are and perhaps even veterans For Xi, the initiative is power in a very visible way. high. China’s economic benefits. a brazen attempt to seize It wants to become what growth has been slowing. (Insider Bureau) This sounds like a convention If enacted, such a plan worldwide economic the United States has Its vassal state, North weekend, while the of car parts to curb safety-net programs leadership from the United been until now – the leader Korea, is increasingly Sunday talk shows manufacturers, think — all while juicing the States. With official of the world economy.” rebellious, and banks and obsess about Trump, again. The BRI is Xi’s $1 Pentagon’s budget and Washington bogged down There is, of course, a bond markets are showing Comey and secret trillion – yes, with a T -- slicing corporate tax rates on President Trump’s catch: Xi will ask the signs of stress. recordings, a top-level plan to build state of the — would amount to the tweets and his relationship heads of state that he is Xi hopes the conference gathering in China will kick art roads, ports, pipelines biggest shift in federal with Russia, Xi sees an wining and dining to sign will cement his position as off the biggest challenge and airports that will link spending priorities in opportunity to bind a joint communique a global leader in advance ever to America’s place in China to 110 countries decades. emerging trade partners to endorsing Beijing’s claims of the 19th congress of the the world economy: the around the world and Atop that, GOP budget him by offering them that Taiwan is part of Communist Party, which creation of a 21st Century make Beijing the writers will also likely access to China’s vast China, and that it has he heads. The summit’s version of the ancient Silk epicenter of world trade for include Speaker Paul consumer market. legitimate territorial slogan is “One Belt, One Road travelled by Marco decades to come. Ryan’s (R-Wis.) proposal to “Xi is offering a lot of rights in the South China Road.” For Xi, that means Polo.President Xi Jinping Russia’s Vladimir Putin essentially privatize money and infrastructure Sea. showing that the rest of will host the so-called Belt thinks the BRI is important Medicare in their fiscal 2018 to a lot of recipient Among the massive the world is girded to and Road Initiative (BRI) enough for him to attend. budget, despite Trump’s countries who have a infrastructure projects China, and that all roads Summit. If the name So do the leaders of unwavering rejection of the pressing need for their being offered to potential lead to Beijing. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 ADVERTISEMENT 16 Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 ADVERTISEMENT 17 Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 18

Recently, Asian-American Heritage month celebrations were organized at Nassau County Legislative Cham- ber. Program was organized by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Human Rights Commission of Nassau County , led by it's Chairman Zahid Syed. Nassau County Legislature's Presiding Office NORMA L. GONSALVES, Comptroller George Maragos and Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Chairman of All American Political Party were also among those who graced the event. (Exclusive Pictures by South Asian Insider) Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 ADVERTISEMENT 19 Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 CONTD. 20 The World Is Getting Hacked. Why Don’t We Do More to Stop It? (Are they also profiling The next crisis facing us essential services on it. This however, many technical issues. It also means attack. Those hospitals me to target is the so-called “internet of has to be through a system measures that can be taken helping develop standards may never get their data advertisements? A fair things”: devices like baby that incentivizes institutions to build operating systems for higher security — back. The last big worm like question in this monitors, refrigerators and and people to upgrade to that are structurally less something an agency this, Conficker, infected environment.) lighting now come with more secure systems and vulnerable to bugs. In other devoted to finding millions of computers in Further, upgrades networked software. Many does not force choosing words, we can’t eliminate weaknesses is very well almost 200 countries in almost always bring such devices are terribly between privacy and bugs, but with careful suited to do — as well as 2008. We are much more unwanted features. When I insecure and, worse, don’t security. Security updates design, we can make it so identifying systemic dependent on software for was finally forced to upgrade even have a mechanism for should only update security, that they cannot easily cybersecurity risks and then critical functions today, and my Outlook mail program, receiving updates. In the and everything else should wreak havoc like this. For helping fix them, rather than there is no guarantee there it took me months to get current regulatory be optional and unbundled. example, Chromebooks using them offensively, to will be a kill switch next used to the new color environment, the people The United States and Apple’s iOS are spy on others. time. scheme and spacing who write the insecure government has resources structurally much more There is also the thorny It is time to consider somebody in Seattle had software and the and institutions to help fix secure because they were problem of finding money whether the current decided was the new look. companies who sold the this. N.S.A.’s charter gives designed from the ground and resources to upgrade regulatory setup, which There was no option to “things” bear no liability. it a dual role: both offensive up with security in mind, critical infrastructure without allows all software vendors keep things as is. Users If I have painted a bleak and defensive. That the unlike Microsoft’s operating crippling it. Many to externalize the costs of hate this, and often are picture, it is because things agency discloses software systems. institutions see information all defects and problems to rightfully reluctant to are bleak. Our software vulnerabilities it finds to It is past time that the technology as an their customers with zero upgrade. But they are often evolves by layering new companies more quickly N.S.A. shifted to a afterthought and are slow in liability, needs re- unaware that these systems on old, and that may be a good idea, but defensive posture and the upgrading and investing. examination. It is also past unwanted features come means we have constructed doing so doesn’t solve this United States government Governments also do not time for the very profitable bundled with a security entire cities upon crumbling problem, since finding bugs focused on protecting its prioritize software security. software industry, the update. swamps. And we live on the is not limited to the N.S.A. citizens and companies This is a sure road to institutions that depend As an added fault lines where more — criminals and other from malware, hacking and disaster. on their products and the complication, the ways earthquakes are inevitable. nations can keep finding ransomware — rather than As a reminder of what government agencies companies communicate All the key actors have to them. Nor are bugs in focusing so much on is at stake, ambulances entrusted with keeping about upgrades and work together, and fast. limited supply, so we spying. This isn’t just about carrying sick children were their citizens secure and unilaterally change the user First, companies like cannot get to the bottom of disclosing vulnerabilities, a diverted and heart patients their infrastructure interface make people Microsoft should discard the problem by fixing them hot-button topic that often turned away from surgery in functioning, step up and vulnerable to phishing, since the idea that they can one by one. There are, distracts from deeper Britain by the ransomware act decisively. one is never sure what is a abandon people using older real login or upgrade software. The money they the Electronic Voting message and what is a made from these End Of A Dream Machine controversy to bogus one, linking to a fake customers hasn’t expired; respond to the corruption made these accusations municipal corporation poll losing a cabinet berth. The website trying to steal a neither has their charges. The demonstration only after he was sacked debacle. worst part about AAP’s login. responsibility to fix defects. of the possibility of hacking from the government. So, his Another great failing of the conduct was in employing a The problem is even Besides, Microsoft is sitting an EVM and, thereby, rigging credibility is zilch. Yet, it is a AAP is a distinct lack of diversionary tactic to worse for institutions like on a cash hoard estimated of polls was ill-timed. It is a big turning point in the course ideological cohesion. The counter Mishra’s charges. hospitals which run a lot of at more than $100 billion very serious issue, which, if of Aam Admi Party politics. anti-corruption plank is Mishra was terribly software provided by a (the result of how little tax true, und•ermines the Mishra’s charges always ideologically neutral. discourteous to have variety of different vendors, modern corporations pay country’s electoral process conclusively prove that the In fact, Hindutva leaders attacked Kejriwal’s often embedded in and how profitable it is to and its very existence as a AAP is now just another off•ered Kejriwal his first brother-in-law the day he expensive medical sell a dominant operating democracy. Unfo•rtunately, political party, that too a political platform. On died. The most damaging equipment. For them, system under monopolistic the questions over the below average one. Kejriwal’s February 27, 2011, Kejriwal allegation made by Mishra upgrading the operating dynamics with no liability for credibility of the EVM have biggest failure is in admitting shared the dais with the then is about Kejriwal’s brother- system (a cost itself) may defects). got mixed up with charges and rewarding crass BJP MP, Ram Jethmalani, in-law being favoured also mean purchasing At a minimum, of nepotism and corruption opportunists like Mishra. Subramanian Swamy, who through Public Works millions of dollars worth of Microsoft clearly should against Kejriwal. How many more Mishras later bec•ame a BJP MP, Department contracts. new software. Much of this have provided the critical Nevertheless, the Election would be waiting to pounce Hindutva proponent Baba Kejriwal is still silent about software also comes with update in March to all its Commission of India on their leader, when they Ramdev, RSS ideologue this grave allegation. He problems, and the “no users, not just those paying should offer the AAP an lose out?The next big failure K.N. Govindacharya and could have remained so. liability” policy means that extra. Indeed, “pay extra opportunity to prove its of the AAP is in addressing others to kickstart the anti- But he should not have used vendors can just sell the money to us or we will charges. dissent. In hindsight, one has corruption movement that product, take the money withhold critical security to admit that Kejriwal was brought the UPA government and run. Sometimes, updates” can be seen as its Those who kill for partisan ends cannot be patriots harsh with founder leaders down. Once this movement medical equipment is own form of ransomware. In The State and Institutions including courts should not Prashant Bhushan and turned into a political party, certified as it is, and an its defense, Microsoft test patriotism. Our patriotism is tested on a daily basis by Yogendra Yadav. He should a lot of BJP and Congress upgrade brings along re- probably could point out that our activities in the way we live and the way we deal with have given them a longer activists joined Kejriwal. The certification questions. The its operating systems have each other. A soldier’s patriotism is tested when he is rope because the ruthless only professed ideology of machines can (as they come a long way in security confronted with the enemy and is willing to risk his life to sacking of these two leaders this motley crowd was anti- should) last for decades; since Windows XP, and it save the identity of which he is an integral part. The patriotism keeps haunting the party and corruption, and as power that the software should just has spent a lot of money of a lawyer is tested when he is, despite opposition, prepared gets reflected in how the corrupts or at least attempts expire and junk everything updating old software, even to protect the victims of injustice. A doctor will emotively party responds to dissent to corrupt this party in every 10 years is not a above industry norms. demonstrate his patriotism when he goes out of the way to and discord. Mishra’s government, there is nothing workable solution. However, industry norms save lives though in the process he might endanger his own. sacking was a result of the left to hold it together. Upgrades can also are lousy to horrible, and it A patriotic businessman will not participate in transactions rumblings within the party set Thus, the AAP has introduce new bugs. How do is reasonable to expect a that are dishonest and adversely impact the economic off by another senior leader. degenerated into a party of you test new software when company with a dominant interests of his country. Smugglers, terrorists and perpetrators That leader was allegedly power-seekers, opportunists the upgrade can potentially market position, that made of violence who kill for partisan ends cannot be patriots. It is mollified with the promise of and even blackmailers. The freeze your M.R.I.? Last so much money selling possible that courts wish to instil a sense of patriotism by a Rajya Sabha seat. But after Congress is no better. But an year, a software update software that runs critical having audiences stand up in a cinema hall. We cannot placating that leader, his experienced leadership “bricked” Tesla cars: they infrastructure, to do more. doubt the intention of the court. But standing up in a movie prime aide, Mishra, was handles all of them with care, could not be driven Microsoft should spend hall for the National Anthem is not necessarily an emotive sacked from the cabinet. patience and generosity. It is anymore until another more of that $100 billion to response. The audience must stand up because otherwise There was no need to turn very rare to see a update fixed the problem. help institutions and users under the law, they will be prosecuted for insulting the flag. against Mishra so soon after Congressman or a BJP Many large institutions are upgrade to newer software, The mandate of the law does not make true patriots. the Punjab and Delhi leader erupt like Mishra in thus wary of upgrades. especially those who run Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 CONTD. 21 In Ransomware Attack, Where Does Microsoft’s Responsibility Lie?

SEATTLE — When malicious latest vulnerability appeared to have the company after a wave of malicious people using older software,” Zeynep software first became a serious problem been leaked from the National Security software began infecting Windows PCs Tufekci, an associate professor at the on the internet about 15 years ago, most Agency. connected to the internet. school of information and library science people agreed that the biggest villain, after On Monday, a Microsoft spokesman “As software has become ever more at the University of North Carolina, wrote the authors of the damaging code, was declined to comment beyond Mr. Smith’s complex, interdependent and in a New York Times opinion piece over Microsoft. post. interconnected, our reputation as a the weekend. “The money they made from As a new cyberattack continues to To prepare for fallout with customers, company has in turn become more these customers hasn’t expired; neither sweep across the globe, the company is Judson Althoff, a Microsoft executive vulnerable,” Mr. Gates wrote in an email has their responsibility to fix defects.” once again at the center of the debate vice president, sent an email to the to employees identifying trustworthy But security experts challenged that over who is to blame for a vicious strain company’s field sales team on Sunday computing as Microsoft’s top priority. argument, saying that Microsoft could of malware demanding ransom from encouraging them to be supportive of “Flaws in a single Microsoft product, not be expected to keep updating old victims in exchange for the unlocking of businesses targeted by the attack, or service or policy not only affect the software products indefinitely. Providing their digital files. even those who were simply aware of it. quality of our platform and services updates to older systems could make This time, though, Microsoft believes “Our key direction to you is to overall, but also our customers’ view of computers more insecure by removing an others should share responsibility for the remember that we are in this with our us as a company.” incentive for users to modernize, Mikko attack, an assault that targeted flaws in customers — we are trusted advisers, Since then, the company has poured Hypponen, the chief research officer of the Windows operating system. counselors, and suppliers to them,” he billions of dollars into security initiatives, F-Secure, a security firm. On Sunday, Brad Smith, Microsoft’s wrote. “More than technical guidance, I employing more than 3,500 engineers “I can understand why they issued an president and chief legal officer, wrote want you to make sure you are spending dedicated to security. In March, it emergency patch for XP after WannaCry a blog post describing the company’s the time needed to understand the released a software patch that addressed was found, but in general, we should efforts to stop the ransomware’s concerns they have and that they know the vulnerability exploited by the just let XP die, ” Mr. Hypponen said. spread, including an unusual step it we are here to help.” ransomware, known as WannaCry, Despite the high profile of took to release a security update for While Microsoft’s reputation has protecting systems such as Windows WannaCry, widespread malware versions of Windows that Microsoft no suffered in the past because of security 10, its latest operating system. outbreaks have become less common longer supports. Mr. Smith wrote, “As problems, the company’s stock is barely Yet security flaws in older editions over the years, as Microsoft has a technology company, we at down from the close of trading on of Windows persist. The company no improved the security of its systems, Microsoft have the first responsibility Thursday, just before reports of the longer provides regular software said Ziv Mador, vice president for to address these issues.” ransomware. updates to Windows XP, a version first security research at Trustwave, a He went on, though, to emphasize “People have extremely short released in 2001, unless customers security services firm. But the profits that the attack had demonstrated the memories when it comes to this,” said pay for “custom support,” a practice that criminals can make through “degree to which cybersecurity has Jan Dawson, an analyst with Jackdaw some observers believe has put users ransomware and other malicious code become a shared responsibility Research. “I think, realistically, people at risk. Late Friday, Microsoft took the ensure the problem will never vanish. between tech companies and will move on pretty quickly.” unusual step of making patches that “Even though it’s becoming harder customers,” the latter of whom must Microsoft has recognized the risk that protect older systems against and harder, the incentives have update their systems if they want to cybersecurity poses to it since about WannaCry, including Windows XP, free. increased tremendously,” said Mr. be protected. He also pointed his 2002, when Bill Gates, the former chief “Companies like Microsoft should Mador, who previously worked on security finger at intelligence services, since the executive, issued a call to arms inside discard the idea that they can abandon response at Microsoft. never heard the English word the child but they were caught, when he found her gone, but “baby”, so she didn’t catch on. “I brought back and beaten. I used there was no police investigation. Forced Surrogacy just didn’t have the brains to to get scared but kept quiet, as Now she registered a case, and know what was happening. I was if I was fine,” she says. Slowly promptly started getting threats 15 or 16,” she says. After three she won their trust and one night to her life. “The agents tore up Trafficked, traded, enslaved, raped and made to conceive months of regular hospital she slipped out at 3 am. Where my FIR and threw it away,” she visits—always in a curtained she went, how she went, is a blur. says. She did not mention the babies for adoption. Adivasi girls are turned into baby- vehicle—Soni was taken for an She asked a taxi driver, “Bhaiya pregnancy in the FIR. “My FIR making machines that fetch Rs 1-4 lakh per child. ultrasound. “Back home, I humko station chhod dijiye— was only about agents selling pestered the caretaker, ‘Kya hai please take me to the station”. girls for Rs 40,000-50,000 but the Of how she came to Delhi as house were nice, relatively. They didi, dikhaiye na, dikhaiye na’. Using some of the Rs 10,000, police didn’t probe even this. a minor and, in sta•ges, passed slipped her Rs 10,000, which And she showed me. There was she finally escaped the city with Nobody supported me,” she through a dark mirror—to enter she concealed in her salwar. a photo of a very small child— that grey moral smog hanging says.From a sense of sheer an unreal world of slavery that The new house was tiny and ekdum chhota sa bachcha tha.” over it, and reached Ranchi. isolation, a sense of community awaited on the other side, a tiny sur•rounded by narrow lanes. It was like a pane of glass Back in her village, still began growing in her. The pattern house, where unknown men set Soni was made to sign papers getting shattered inside her. The pregnant, Soni wandered alone started sinking in. Soni met in motion a whole cycle of sowing she couldn’t read, something news would have come as a in the forest, trying repeatedly to another girl from Jharkhand who and harvesting on her body. And written in English. Then a profound shock to any woman, kill herself. By hanging, by told her of having given birth six that of other girls like her. strange rout•ine started—regular but it was natural for a girl her pouring kerosene…but always times, until her body gave way. As the story starts, life check-ups at a hospital, blood age and level of emotional survived. “I knew there was a “She got Rs 50,000 per child. It looked cheerless but sufficiently tests and, most importantly, maturity to be thrown totally off- child inside me but didn’t know is such a sad thing. I believe her. normal. Soni was 15 in 2010 strange injections. She didn’t kilter. The coldness of the how to tell anybody, how to Nobody can live with a lie this when she, along with four friends, understand why she needed system rel•ies on their naivete— exp•lain how it happened,” she big. I cry so much. Why did this moved out from her village in them. There were other girls at underage girls are especially says. Girls in her situation, Soni happen to me? Why does it Jharkhand, joining the tide of the house, all sec•luded. The vulnerable to this exploitation realised later, often end their happen to unmarried girls? I didn’t humankind flowing out from that curtains were alw•ays firmly because, by the time they realise lives—as a friend of hers did love anybody, had no friend. Why immiserated state. Volitio•nal, but drawn. There were guards, they are pregnant, it’s often too recently. In her own case, a male does god do this to us—how have only to a degree. For there was agents, staff members and a late for abortion. Soni managed friend finally arr•anged a doctor. we ever harmed anybody?” an agent, as always, and then a caretaker, a woman from to stay on her feet, though. The An abortion ens•ued, at almost Depleted of her inner resources sale and transfer of ownership to Jharkhand she called ‘didi’. The caretaker told her to win the four months. of vitality, it was a slow an agency, and then the drudgery rhythms of life seemed regular— confidence of those running the The village was where it recovery—and a vague of housework in a typical Delhi sleeping, waking, cleaning, house. She found enough steel started. Soni recalls, through apprehension about the future home. She lost track of her eating. “I would want fish and inside her to play along, hoping tears, leaving her mother crying kept Soni silent in public. “Tell friends. Six months on, a man they would get me fish. Nobody to run away one day. She stayed at the bus stand, asking her not the police? What will they do? came to see Soni, and said he refused me any•thing. They were in the house for another three to leave for Delhi. “I didn’t listen— They will only ridicule me and I’ll was from the “off•ice”. He said nice to me, I didn’t know why,” months—in all, around six. They meri zidd thi—I was set upon never be able to marry. My nothing else—just saw her and she says. took her for walks at a local park going. The agent was from my parents will be defamed, that’s left. Days later, another agent One day a girl whispered to or to buy vegetables. “Other girls village so I believed him,” she all. What choice do I have? What came, took her along to a new Soni in the bathroom that a baby would run away to try and abort says. Her father had filed an FIR can anybody do for me?” house. The people at the first was growing inside her. She had Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 CONTD. 22 Forced Surrogacy Trafficked, traded, enslaved, raped and made to conceive babies for adoption. Adivasi girls are turned into baby- making machines that fetch Rs 1-4 lakh per child. The second story has conversation with Rashmi, overlaps with the first—the same roughly five minutes long, is one points on the physical and social of the rare testimonies of what map—but this time it’s an eye- was always suspected happens witness. Her account helps us in Jharkhand but has not been map out the territory from the acknowledged so starkly— outside, as it were. Rashmi is adiv•asi girls are trafficked, then only about 20 but solemn-faced, raped, compelled to conceive, as if the weight of years has worn and finally their children sold in her down slightly. She was all of the flourishing adoption black 13 when the system smoked her market. A whole assembly-line of out of her village home up on the organised cruelty. Simdega plateau in southern The price of a child secured Jharkhand, bordering Orissa. through forced conception One day in September 2014, ranges between Rs 1-4 lakh, say lackadaisical CWC, Shakti statements against me, but they Anita Devi—also related to Rashmi escaped from seven activists. Besides the Vahini, an NGO, sent a fact- backed out before the SP,” she Manpower Bureau—of “spreading years of domestic slavery. The desperation of those seeking a finding team to meet Rashmi at says. a rumour in the village that her placement agent who had lured child, the fluctuation is on her home. “We heard of a How does one square these daughter is pregnant.” Anita, her her to that city back in 2008, put account of the money the agents rescued girl going to her village blurred circles? “The police husband and son were her on a train back to Ranchi. invest in adivasi women and the and telling people she was forced should have investigated the chargesheeted, the police say, Rashmi travelled another 100 km risk and problems encountered to have a child in Delhi so we allegations when she first made on December 27, 2015, for by bus, crossing jungle and river to have them conceive—the cold went to meet her,” says them. We keep hearing of such keeping bonded labour and to reach familial territory. A house chain logistics, essentially. The Rishikant, who runs Shakti cases but the victims are poor trafficking—charges softer than in the town of Gumla. Her own commodification of the human Vahini. He and Baidnath, a tribal girls. They recant under rape and impregnation of minors. people at last. body is abject, merciless and Ranchi-based activist who was pressure from agents,” says The case is still on trial. It was the house of her sister complete. In this economy, the also in the fact-finding team, Shashi Kant. It seems too After the FIR, Vinati’s and brother-in-law. Soon after, the adivasi woman and her womb are pieced together Rashmi’s story coincidental that Rashmi’s daughters returned to Basia two of them accompanied turned into •money-making and the NGO later publicised the actual testimonial reached (through an agent), visited the Ras•hmi to the Child Welfare devices. facts in a report. The essential everybody’s ears except the police station and were taken to Committee (CWC) office in When reports about Rashmi elements go thus: CWC and the police. At any rate, the SP’s office in Gumla. “I myself Gumla. Yes, it was a child’s were splashed in the papers, it An agent named Chayin there’s a pattern in the took the girl (Mamta) to the SP’s story—a tale about the lost was initially assumed she was a Singh delivered Rashmi to Delhi. testimonials—an initial burst of office. After the mother’s years of childhood—that she had victim too. One news report Not to any ordinary placement candour, then reticence, even allegations of pregnancy to relate. The CWC is the only talked of a “rescued girl who had agency but to the Moti Nagar retractions. appeared in the news, the DG, government body authorised to had six babies”. Another said she office of Manpower Bureau, run Similar graph was marked out IG, everybody took notice. But the hear and record such had been asked, and she refused. by Naina Kumari, allegedly one when, three months after girl denied being forced to have testimonies. But its officers were Indeed, some tell-tale signs fit of Jharkhand’s three most Rashmi, another woman, Vinati children,” says a police officer. away that day. “Our team was the pattern, but Rashmi herself notorious traffickers. Whenever Bhuiya, app•roached the Basia The flurry of attention did not attending a UNICEF function in denies it. Anyway, all the buzz she visited that office, one thing police’s AHTU (Anti Human escape Naina Kumari either. It Ranchi that day so we didn’t meet spurred the CWC into action— struck her as odd: the number of Trafficking Unit) and also was three months after Rashmi’s Soni,” says Targen Panna, but even then, not much of it. “We babies and pregnant women. On complained before the CWC. Her FIR that Vinati’s daughters were CWC’s Gumla chairperson at the didn’t visit her village but we kept one such visit, she met four girls, daughters, aged 15 and 17, had sent back home from Delhi— time. Nice touch that…UNICEF. ask-ing her to come to us. two of them pregnant, who gone to Delhi in October 2013 another sign that she too could Anyway, outside the CWC Rashmi never responded,” says explained things to her. As with an agent and her older have been a victim. “Naina campus, Ras•hmi bumped into Panna. “Tell me—you are a Rashmi recounted even in her daughter, Mamta, was forcibly became afraid after the FIR,” says news reporters and activists. One victim, you have a problem, video, “Girls who get pregnant, impregnated, she said. “The Alakh Narayan. In September of them brought her to Shashi shouldn’t you at least tell us their children are kept in the mother told us this in a written 2016, she came down to the Kant, an anti-trafficking activist about it? She is also over 18, so agency office and sold after they complaint, filed before me,” says CWC office in Gumla straight from who heads an organisation of his what could we do? Yes, even if are around one year old.” Alakh Narayan Singh, then a a court appearance. “She Chik Baraik tribe and is a such a crime occurred, she From here on, the trail goes CWC member. “She wanted her •created a ruckus. She accused journalist for a district paper. In should have come to us.” hazy. As Rishikant admits, “We daughters returned but her us of harassing girls, of the nondescript, white-walled In a tangential way, the could not verify her claims.” The allegations were not confirmed,” pressurising them to make courtyard of his house, Rashmi episode cuts to the nub of why NGO recommended an official says Panna. statements against her,” recorded, on videotape, what she this phenomenon is hard to track investigation, which never took Strangely enough, the CWC recounts Alakh Narayan. “Naina had witnessed in Delhi. down, let alone establish. The place. Trouble is, the complaint soon received a letter signed by is very dabang—bold. She’s “Bachcha bechne waala traumatised women often don’t Rashmi later filed with the pol•ice the two girls saying they were young and looks innocent but kaam,” she called it. Baby- want to talk—and for a variety of (FIR No 08/15) in Basia, near well and the rumours about don’t be fooled; she can kick up selling. A racket that’s evolved in understandable reasons. Victims Gumla, also does not mention pregnancy were untrue. “Two a storm, trick anybody.” the shadow-zones of modern life feel vulnerable in surroundings the allegation she made before barely educated girls could not It was clear that the FIR had to cater to demand. Or rather, alien to them—and revisiting rape the media, act•ivists and the fact- have written such a long, had its effect—but the crucial gap many demands. For, baby-selling in front of strangers can be akin finding team. “Rashmi’s case is articulate letter. We dem•anded in incrimination remained. is only the last link in the chain. to a second violation. Two, they only about rec•overing dues they be produced before us and Without a high-level inquiry into Baby production is a necessary may simply not want the fact of under labour laws and accuses then the girls returned,” says placement agencies, the sheer interim stage. The laws of the rape or pregnancy disclosed. Chayin Singh and Naina Panna. Alakh Narayan says the enormity of the phenomenon market dictate that supply will The stigma is overpowering, and Kumari with trafficking and agency wields inordinate power escaped notice. Meanwhile, the rise up to meet demand. And that thoughts can turn to mere keeping bonded labour,” says an over the girls—“they were simply driblets of information kept latter is a primordial word that survival. A testimony such as officer who investigated the case. afraid to speak”. coming. Other girls have returned can encompass many meanings. Rashmi’s, therefore, is valuable Naina, of course, denies The FIR (No. 38/15, May 6, pregnant to Jharkhand. Some To reveal the full variety of in the extreme, and likely involvement and claims a witch- 2015) once again omitted the had their children taken away at exploitative practices, throw in a rev•eals just the tip of the iceberg. hunt. “Some journalists and the most ser•ious charges. Instead, birth. All stories have the same form of slavery. The video But in contrast to the CWC coerced three girls to give Vin•ati only charged the agent, depressing arc. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 CONTD 23

result in an unpredictable mix of Achilles heel. His hasty executive real assaults on the republic and orders, his quick-twitch violations Why Is Trump So Angry ? inept tantrums. Is Trump evil, or of diplomatic norms, have already is he a moron? Is he the guy tarnished his young presidency. “The Russia-Trump collusion the disobedience of his subjects. ignorance alone. But the cannily dismantling checks on There were the impotent ravings story is a total hoax,” he ranted On Tuesday, that rage resulted motivations run far deeper than his power, or is he the old coot about inauguration crowds and during Sally Yates’ testimony on in the most famous Trumpian act: that. Trump wants the Russia shaking his fist at CNN? embarrassing (to some, effective Monday. “When will this taxpayer a firing. Citing a Justice story to go away. This is not It turns out this was always the to others) cries of “fake news.” funded charade end?”It is such Department memo that he simply a matter of political wrong question to ask. We On the campaign trail, much an odd, ubiquitous detail—that commissioned, the president pragmatism. The allegations Trump-watchers have spent far was made of the Republican Trump is “enraged.” He is ejected James Comey from the attack his legitimacy, striking at too long trying to figure out mogul’s fluency in the language apoplectic, incensed, irate, driver’s seat of the FBI—the the tender root of his self-image. whether he is a savant or a of anger, his surprising and vexed, sore, peeved, tantrum-y, agency that has placed Trump’s James Comey has the power to clown—whether he plays 11- intuitive connection to a similarly mad online, mad offline, mad in campaign under a microscope. In stop these blows; he hasn’t. dimensional chess in his leisure inflamed white working class. a boat, mad with a goat, mad in Slate, Phillip Carter called the Therefore, Trump is angry at hours or drools onto his robe We were slower to realize that the rain, mad on a train. The axing a “public execution” and Comey, and his fury, like a while turning the White House his fury was no posture—that president’s rage, his defining argued that POTUS had declared molten reactor core, powers lights on and off. The truth is that there was no “real” Trump characteristic, is not of the “war on justice … there are no every impulse radiating from the the president has one eternally preparing to take his solemn seat contemporary political moment. shoes left to drop.” Press West Wing. According to the rageful mode, which sometimes on Jan. 20. For better or for It is something archaic, secretary Sean Spicer, fumbling New York Times, Trump’s blows up in his face and worse, being mad was his way mythological, like the rage of among the bushes on the advisers must indulge a “ritualistic sometimes greases the cogs of of being in the world. Achilles. How can you be darkened White House lawn, need to criticize the Russia the highest office in the land. So here we are. It beggars belief “enraged” about an investigation seemed about as prepared as investigation to assuage an Trump’s ire is a form of genius, that the White House would sack that has already found clear one might expect (from a person anxious and angry president.” and not just because it made him Comey for any reason other than evidence of your team’s hiding among bushes) to explain According to the Washington a wild card that status-quo-weary to thwart the Russia probe (or wrongdoing and yet that your his boss’s decision and assuage Post, Trump is “angry” at Americans thrilled to empower. maybe to punish a parvenu given allies have moved mountains to the public’s concerns. Comey’s lack of support, is During the campaign he excessive credit for Trump’s hinder? Why is it infuriating that Trump’s circle thought “frustrated” at his testimony, has deployed his permanent victory). To pretend otherwise, as the American people want to Republicans and Democrats “fumed” at the lack of attention resentment as an effective Michelle Goldberg observed, to resolve the question of whether would all rejoice to see Comey to leaks. There is only one thing showtime staple, railing against think we would actually believe an authoritarian country go. The former FBI director was to do. Such a solution seems swamps and job-stealers. While Trump fired Comey for being meddled in their election? A man unpopular; Hillary Clinton’s born of instinct—removing the his opponent ran on unfair to the woman he calls with nothing to hide would feel supporters blamed him for guy who’s the biggest threat to togetherness, he chanted “lock “Crooked Hillary,” is deeply indignant, surely, but not this all- handing Trump the presidency. your continued employment may her up” and the rally-goers stupid. The frantic violence of the consuming rage; a man with With the ouster, the not be a sage move in the long followed suit. He rolled the dice president’s feelings—anything to secrets would presumably feel administration had anticipated a term, but it will definitely make on repealing Obamacare (he sweep the Kremlin back under dread or guilt. But Trump’s wrath “win-win.” you feel better for the next five to hated Obama, his cool, the rug—has produced what is is not the response of a Really? 10 minutes. (The TV, on the other constitutional opposite) and it surely one of the all-time great conventional politician. It is the It would be easy to blame such hand, doesn’t care if you scream sort of worked. But Trump’s mindfucks in American history. lashing out of a mad king against shortsightedness on stupidity or at it.) The president’s grievances Achilles-like choler is also an The problem with a doctrine of wrath—in the presidency as in other walks of life—is that the rationale so clear to the boiling brain can appear ridiculous to the outside observer. The administration’s babbling excuses have a knee-jerk quality; it’s as if the president so desired to disappear his Putin problem that he was willing to embrace whatever absurd explanation came to hand (and then became surprised—and angry all over again—when we didn’t fall for it). Don’t look at Russia! our commander in chief shouts in fury, and of course our gaze stays fixed on Moscow. Such transparent terror is contagious: Republican senators this week tried to make the Trump–Russia hearings about the travel ban, leaks, and Clinton’s emails—anything but Trump and Russia. After a certain point, this is no longer strategy. It is reflex. It is a child covering his eyes to make the loathsome object in front of him vanish. Trump may be a politician, but he is also a man consumed with desperate, narcissistic rage. Easing that pain will always be his primary goal. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SPECIAL FEATURE 24 Will Trump Be the First to Politicize the FBI ? Shortlist names like Kelly Ayotte and John Cornyn sound like ideal Washington department heads—until you realize why the FBI has never had a political leader. The news Thursday attorney’s office in that Kelly Ayotte, the Washington, D.C. During former New Hampshire that 2001 search by senator, was being George W. Bush, perhaps considered by President the closest any candidate Donald Trump to be FBI came to having political director met with nods ties was George across official Terwilliger, a former U.S. Washington, where people attorney and deputy tend to like former attorney general who, boldface names for while in private practice, boldface jobs. By day’s had helped with Bush’s end, Representative Trey legal strategy during the Gowdy’s and Senator Florida recount. (It’s worth John Cornyn’s names were noting that Terwilliger, being mentioned too. though, didn’t ultimately At first blush, these get the job.) names seem like exactly The three men who the type of Washington headed the FBI before appointment trial balloons Mueller were all longtime you’d see for any federal prosecutors- ambassadorship, turned-federal judges: commission or Cabinet director’s term has been corruption and espionage grown too powerful and during transition periods), Louis Freeh, William appointment—widely expressly designed by cases, as well as a wide- untouchable. The post of and even the fact that Sessions and William respected and serious- Congress to avoid any ranging set of criminal FBI director is uniquely Comey during his Webster. Meanwhile, the seeming elected officials taint of political influence: violations that range from situated to learn and confirmation hearings first director of the FBI who have some expertise A 10-year nonrenewable tribal reservations to deploy all manner of acknowledged political post-Hoover, Clarence in the subject. Ayotte was term is meant to ensure counterterrorism cases. It compromising political donations to Mitt Romney Kelly, was a respected a former state prosecutor that an FBI director can operates in every state in and person information— and John McCain marked police chief and former FBI and the attorney general in seek justice without fear or the country and more than which Hoover uniquely a departure from past agent. New Hampshire; Cornyn favor, straddling multiple 60 foreign countries. The exploited. After Hoover, nominees. These leaders have by was attorney general in presidential FBI’s power over the life, Congress agreed that all During the Obama no means been without Texas and an elected administrations and never freedom and liberty of the future directors should be administration’s search for their own faults. Sessions associate justice of the currying favor for a future American people is prevented from an FBI director, there was was fired by President Bill state’s supreme reappointment. At least unparalleled in U.S. accumulating such power, not a single former or Clinton in 1993 after a court.Lost, though, amid since the days of J. Edgar government, and at key yet doing the job well also current elected official George H.W. Bush this week’s spiraling Hoover, presidents points in the bureau’s required a certain freedom seriously considered. By administration controversies is the fact likewise have carefully history—from Hoover’s from day-to-day politics and large, Comey’s investigation found that that appointing any of steered clear of treating attempts to blackmail and short-term thinking, background—as well as Sessions had abused them to lead the FBI the directorship as a Martin Luther King Jr., to hence the decade-long the backgrounds of others expenses and travel would mark a radical political tool. its pursuit of political term. who were floated in 2013 privileges. And Clinton’s departure from the entire This unique activists in the 1960s, ’70s Ever since, there has as Barack Obama relationship with history of the century-old background and historical and ’80s —we have seen always been a clear considered that Sessions’ successor, law enforcement agency. legacy is especially the cost of the FBI’s abuse dividing line between the appointment, like Ken Freeh, grew so poisonous From its founding over a important to consider of Americans’ civil FBI and the normal and Wainstein, Patrick amid the scandals of the century ago until Tuesday given the circumstances in liberties. That unique routine “politicization” of Fitzgerald and Lisa 1990s that the two men afternoon, when James which Trump will name his power was actually the Justice Department by Monaco—was typical of stopped speaking. Freeh Comey was summarily new nominee for the post: something that Comey presidential appointees— bureau leaders past: also gave up his White fired as director, the FBI The FBI was plunged and previous directors including the attorney Comey was a career House visitor badge, even has been led exclusively Tuesday into what is have sought to underscore general, deputy attorney federal prosecutor, former as the threat of Al Qaeda by nonpartisan career law almost inarguably the to their ranks: FBI agents, as general and the half-dozen U.S. attorney and one- rose across the globe—a enforcement professionals most politically fraught and part of their training, tour both assistant attorneys time No. 2 in the Justice sign that FBI directors can with no background in weighted moment in its the King Memorial in general who head the Department. actually become too elected politics. history, a situation that has Washington, D.C., as well as department’s various The man he replaced, independent. The bureau, in fact, has only been heightened in the Holocaust Museum, to divisions. “The FBI is in the Robert Mueller, had Even so, that been perhaps the last the past 24 hours, after the learn and witness the executive branch,” Comey precisely the same independence is a bastion of nonpolitical White House admitted damage that can come from often said as director, “but résumé—a career federal fundamental bulwark of leadership in that the president fired this the abuse of civil liberties and not of the executive prosecutor, former U.S. our impartial justice Washington—an agency nonpolitical appointee in the corruption of legal branch.” attorney and one-time No. system, the idea that no whose powers are so the interest of slowing or systems. In the FBI’s entire 2 in the Justice individual in the country is extensive and potentially stymying the FBI’s Until now, that’s a lesson centurylong history, it has Department. Mueller was above the law. The Trump damaging to American investigation into Trump’s that’s been carefully applied never had an expressly so driven by the Justice administration appears to citizens that it has been campaign and its possible to the selection of the political director. Hoover, Department’s mission be considering undoing kept clear of direct political ties to Russian nation’s top cop, too. for all his machinations as that, after a stint heading that long-standing influence. Whereas even agents.With a $9 billion The FBI director’s 10-year director, had actually its criminal division under tradition for no apparent sensitive jobs like CIA annual budget and 35,000 nonrenewable term was spent his career at the George H.W. Bush, he reason—and without any director and the director of employees—including the legislated by Congress in the Justice Department. stayed only a brief period real protest from official national intelligence are core of some 13,000 wake of Hoover’s death in Comey was just the in private practice before Washington. Anyone seen clearly as political special agents—the FBI 1972, recognizing that the seventh confirmed director starting over again at the like Cornyn, Ayotte or positions that change from investigates the nation’s man who had invented the in the bureau’s history (a bottom of the department’s Gowdy would be administration to most sensitive cases, modern bureau and led it further half-dozen officials hierarchy as a line criminal historically administration, the FBI including both political for nearly 50 years had have been acting directors prosecutor in the U.S. unprecedented. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SPECIAL FEATURE 25

(Insider Bureau) But some other Experts fear further waves technology industry of cyber attacks may be on executives said privately the way, as criminals race that it reflected a widely to re-purpose hacking tools held view in Silicon that were stolen from the Valley that the US US National Security government is too willing Agency and leaked last to jeopardize internet month. security in order to After WannaCry, a preserve offensive cyber ransomware program capabilities. based on the leaked NSA The NSA did not exploit EternalBlue that hit respond to requests for hundreds of thousands of comment. machines last week, The NSA and other criminals have adapted intelligence services another NSA tool called generally aim to balance EsteemAudit, security disclosing software flaws analysts tell the Financial they unearth against Times. keeping them secret for EternalBlue and espionage and cyber warfare purposes. On Monday, senior Hackers 'have adapted a second cyber weapon administration officials defended the government’s handling of software flaws, without stolen from the NSA called EsteemAudit' confirming the NSA link to WannaCry, the tool used in EsteemAudit are among Windows 2003 and recent version of the flaws that it often cannot scenario with the global ransomware several zero-day exploits Windows XP, allowing an operating system. protect, citing recent conventional weapons attack. ‘The United States, released last month by a attacker to install and The unprecedented leaks of both NSA and would be the US military more than probably any group calling itself the execute malicious code, WannaCry global cyber CIA hacking tools. having some of its other country, is extremely Shadow Brokers, although according to an analysis attack beginning on Friday ‘Repeatedly, exploits Tomahawk missiles careful with their EternalBlue is believed to by Fortinet. has unleashed a new wave in the hands of stolen.’ processes about how they be the most powerful Microsoft, which no of criticism directed at the governments have leaked Some major handle any vulnerabilities among them. longer supports those NSA.Microsoft Corp into the public domain technology companies, that they’re aware of,’ Tom EsteemAudit takes versions of Windows, says President Brad Smith and caused widespread including Google and Bossert, the White House advantage of a vulnerability that the vulnerability does sharply criticized the US damage,’ Smith wrote in Facebook, declined homeland security adviser, in Microsoft’s Remote not affect anyone using government on Sunday a blog post. comment on the said at a press briefing on Desktop Protocol in Windows 7 or any more for ‘stockpiling’ software ‘An equivalent Microsoft statement. Monday. Assad's murder machine Syria has executed thousands of prisoners - mostly civilians opposed to the government - and burned the dead bodies in a giant crematorium, US administration claims (Insider Bureau) The sunk to a new level of satellite images, provided Syrian government has depravity' as he revealed by the State Department been accused of carrying the photographs.The State and taken from commercial out mass killings of Department says about 50 satellites in January 2015, thousands of prisoners by detainees a day are being shows the building that the the US government - which hanged at the military US says was modified to released satellite images to prison, which is located support a crematorium. prove it. about 45 minutes from The snow on one The Trump Damascus. section of the roof is Those photos do not intelligence agencies and 'the young ones' - are too administration claims the 'Credible sources have melted in the photo, definitely prove the building 'credible' humanitarian light for the rope, and so bodies of those killed were believed that many of the showing that it was taken is a crematorium, but they organizations as sources officers' assistants will burned in a large bodies have been disposed in the winter. show construction for the claims about the pull down on their feet to crematorium attached to in mass graves,' Jones Three other photos were consistent with such use. crematorium. break their necks. the Saydnaya prison told reporters as he also released, with two - It's not clear why the US He added that 'The Others are left complex outside the showed them aerial photos taken in August 2013 and has waited until now to regime holds as many as hanging for 10-15 Syrian capital of of the alleged building. April 2016 - showing a release this information, 70 prisoners in Saydnaya minutes. Damascus. 'We now believe that the side-by-side comparison of but Jones told reporters: 'I in cells that have a five- Amnesty International The allegation matches Syrian regime has installed the building believed to would say that this person capacity.' released the shocking an Amnesty International a crematorium in the house the crematorium, information has been It's not yet clear exactly claims in February, along report released in February Sednaya prison complex before and after it was developing.' where the prisoners are with statistics about the which claimed up to 13,000 which could dispose of altered. The final photograph, killed, but a judge who secret hangings, saying up people - mostly civilians detainees' remains with The latter of those two taken in April 2017, shows witnessed the executions to 13,000 people had been opposed to the government little evidence.' images shows what are how close the alleged told Amnesty International executed there. - have been hanged in He added that the believed to be air intake crematorium building is to that they are taken in the It said the executions secret at the prison. crematorium - construction vents, air conditioning units the prison - easily just a night to another building. have happened at a rate of Stuart Jones, the acting on which began in 2013 - and a 'discharge stack' that few minutes' walk for a There they are beaten around 50 a day between US assistant secretary for esd 'an effort to cover up could be used to expel the condemned man, and before being hanged to 2011 and 2015 - the first five Near Eastern Affairs, said the extent of the mass smoke created by moments for a vehicle. death. years of the country's ongoing Syrian President Bashar murders taking place in thousands of burning Jones cited US Some - described as civil war. Assad's government 'has Saydnaya.'One of the bodies. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 SPECIAL REPORT 26 Rising cases of student suicides sound alarm bells across India prestigious colleges. The most Facebook before jumping to only 0.06% of our national recent casualty, a 16-year-old his death from a Mumbai health budget is dedicated to it, from West Bengal, committed hotel. The student’s father along there is 87% nationwide suicide allegedly after failing to reportedly told the police that shortage in mental-health clear the IIT-JEE- Mains this his son was depressed “due professionals. On ground, this April. Earlier in January, the to repeated failure in exams”.Of means that a majority of same step was taken by a 19- late, the unsettling frequency of schools, universities, and year-old medical-school suicides has also drawn the institutions lack trained staff for aspirant from Himachal attention of administrators and counselling students caught on (Agencies) Student life in highest in the world. This is Pradesh, who, like many others, celebrities alike, while even the brink of despair. From a popular culture is often even more significant when you had made their way to the town reputed universities are talking national perspective, student envisioned as a happy-go-lucky consider that with suicide being with dreams of a brighter of changing their curriculum. suicides glaringly highlight our period, devoid of the worries illegal, several cases are future.In the past six years, Earlier this year, PM Narendra failure to protect and nurture our and responsibilities that define hushed up as accidents or left Kota has seen over 60 student Modi urged students young and call for a critical review adulthood. In India, however, unreported. suicides, with a majority of undergoing depression to seek of the education system and this assumption couldn’t be For a typical class-XII student, them attributed to exam help, during his radio speech. social structures. As adults, farther from the truth. Students stress levels run especially high failures. In a video message The thought has since been parents, teachers, and leaders, have consistently faced as scores from board exams recovered after his death last echoed by Bollywood actors safeguarding the interests of our tremendous pressure in this and the various entrance tests year, Aman Kumar Gupta, a Anupam Kher and Akshay students is a responsibility we bear country, where the opportunities that follow determine not only student from Bihar, apologized Kumar as well, both urging collectively. And the fact that more are limited, the competition college placements but also to his parents for not being able youngsters to speak up and and more children are driven to fierce, and where futures are their careers—a fact that to live up to their expectations. look for other ways out. suicide instead of seeking help determined by mark sheets. To parents cannot drive home “Everyone at the coaching That India urgently needs to indicates that we are failing this make matters worse, Indian enough. And with no respite institute and my friends helped start prioritising mental health duty, over and over again. families are known to set either at home or among me but I am not been able to goes without saying: Currently, incredibly high expectations peers, a student is often do it right,” he said in the when it comes to academic forced to consider irreversible 11.14 minute long video clip. results, which further intensifies measures. Even outside Kota, the alarm the burden on The year 2017 alone has bells have been ringing for students.Unfortunately, not thrown up several cases years now. Students from everyone emerges from this across the country, where regions as diverse as nightmare with flying colours. exam-related stress has Phagwara, Udupi, Noida, and Statistics from the National caused a student to take the Mumbai have all taken their Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) extreme step. One major lives within these first five reveal that close to 40,000 concentration of this months of 2017, due to students in India committed unfortunate epidemic is in study-related stress and suicide from 2011¬ to 2015, Kota, Rajasthan – India’s burden of family with 8,934 cases in 2015 alone. coaching hub where, expectations. In the most Another report from 2012 according to estimates, over recent case, 24-year-old discloses that India’s suicide 1.75 lakh aspirants gather management student Arjun rates for people between 15 and annually to battle for limited Bhardwaj, streamed his 29 years, are among the seats in the country’s most suicide as a ‘live tutorial’ on Delhi High Court says marital rape a serious issue, has become part of culture marital rape an offence?,” the bench his wife who is above 15 years. The said. It added: “Marital rape is part PIL has sought to declare the of the culture. See, how difficult is it provision unconstitutional as it for women to register a rape case.” discriminates against married women The court’s remark came while sexually assaulted by their own hearing a PIL filed by NGO RIT husbands. The plea has said that the Foundation, challenging Indian Penal law as it stands today amounts to Code’s Section 375 saying it does a state-sanctioned license granted not consider sexual intercourse of a to the husband to violate the sexual man with his wife as rape.The Union autonomy of his lawfully wedded wife government had earlier defended the and is therefore, a violation of the provision saying “exception 2 (to Right to Privacy guaranteed to the Section 375 IPC) deals exclusively wife under Article 21 of the with private affairs of husband-wife Constitution. “The exception to based on traditional social structure section 375 arbitrarily and hence can’t be said to be discriminates between women as (Agencies) The Delhi High Court on penal code provision that protects unconstitutional and in violation of it keeps the age of consent at 15 Monday said marital rape was a husbands from being tried for the rape Articles 14 to 21 of the Constitution”. years for women who are in a “serious issue” which had notoriously of their wives, also asked how many Section 375, which defines “rape” wedlock whereas the same is 18 become a “part of the culture”. A countries have made marital rape an also contains the exception years in case of any other woman,” division bench of acting chief justice offence. “It’s (marital rape) a very provision which states that the rape it has stated. The court posted the Gita Mittal and justice C Hari serious issue... Is it an offence in law would not apply to assault or matter for the next hearing on July Shankar, hearing a PIL against the the world? In how many countries is sexual intercourse by a husband on 18. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 BUSINESS 27 How India Eats: The class structure of food consumption in India A look at food consumption trends and food expenditure in Rural and Urban India shows nutrition levels are still low in large swathes of the country stretch of the imagination, that the top 5% of the urban population are gluttons. Far from it. Let’s take their intake of fresh fruits. Their per capita consumption is 15 bananas a month, or one in two days. They have less than half a kilogram of mangoes a month and 200gm of watermelon. They have one coconut, 700gm of apples and 200gm of grapes in a month. This is very modest consumption. Let’s take beverage consumption. The top 5% in (Agencies) We all know that fish and meat, the multiple is 14.5 urban India drink 11.3 cups of ours is a very unequal society. times, on milk products 23.8 tea, 1.9 cups of coffee and 20gm The gulf between the rich and the times. And on fresh fruits, which of coffee powder and 0.335 litres poor in terms of wealth and are obviously a luxury, they spend of fruit juices. This can hardly incomes is enormous. Inequality 61 times what the poorest 5% be called splurging. is also very wide in consumption spend. The accompanying chart So how much does the 40- of luxury goods. But is has the grim details. 50th urban percentile eat then? consumption of food too very But the bottom 5% of Indians They have 5.8 bananas per head unequal? After all, there’s a limit is destitute. How does the picture per month; three-fourths of an to how much a person can eat. change if we compare the 12th orange a month; 5 cups of tea; To understand which class of fractile of urban India, or the top 0.012 of a pineapple; almost 5 society eats what, we turn to the 5%, with the 6th fractile, or the litres of milk; and 2.8 eggs a NSSO survey on Household 40-50th percentile group in urban month, among other things. Consumption of Various Goods India, which is around the middle Indeed, even the relatively and Services in India 2011-12. consumption level? well-off 8th fractile in urban The report separates per capita Well, here too there’s a big India, or the 60-70th consumption into 12 divisions, difference in food intake levels. The percentile, had 3gm of called fractiles. Fractile 1 is the top 5% of urban Indians spend butter a month, Rs1.45 worth lowest 5% of the population in three times the amount spent on of ice-cream, 3.3 eggs, seven economic groups 2011-12 has Average per capita monthly terms of consumption, fractile 2 food by those urban Indians falling bananas, 1.1 oranges and 2.5 data on consumption by caste. consumption expenditure on is the next 5%, fractile 3 is the in 40-50th percentile. They lemons and 7 cups of tea a In rural India, the average per fresh fruits in rural India was lowest 10-20%, fractile 4 the consume 1.5 times more pulses, month. And if this is what capita monthly consumption Rs19.82 for ST households; lowest 20-30% and so on. 2.6 times more milk products, 2.4 those in the middle of India’s expenditure on food for Rs25.27 for SC households; Fractile 12 is the top 5% of the times more eggs, fish and meat. consumption ladder eat and Scheduled Tribe households in Rs33.30 for OBCs and Rs42.06 population in terms of As for fresh fruits, the top 5% drink, there’s not much point 2011-12 was Rs630.86; for for “others”. Among the “others”, consumption, fractile 11 the 5% consumed more than five times in looking at how much the Scheduled Castes households those who had more than four below it, fractile 10 the 80-90% as much. The chart shows that bottom 5% eats. But social Rs684.25; for other Backward hectares of land spent Rs58.28 group. In other words, the fractile the 6th fractile in rural India, or divisions in India are not on the Classes households Rs757.21 per month on fresh fruits. classes used are the percentile the 40-50th percentile in rural basis of class alone but also on and for “other households” it was In short, what the data throws classes 0-5%, 5-10%, 10-20%, India, consumes much less than caste lines. The NSSO survey Rs879.74. Clearly, caste up are stark facts of poor nutrition 20-30%, 30-40%, ..., 70-80%, its urban counterpart. of Household Consumer inequality is reflected in food among very large sections of the 80-90%, 90-95%, and 95-100%. This doesn’t mean, by any Expenditure across Socio- consumption. Indian population. These fractiles are taken separately for rural and urban India.The survey shows the per Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV flouting rules, says NBA in Trai complaint capita monthly consumption of the various fractiles, or classes. News Broadcasters Association says Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV has been registered by cable The richest 5% of the urban population spent Rs2,859 per platforms multiple times under different genres, in violation of Trai’s broadcasting rules head per month on food in 2011- (Agencies) New Delhi: The News “Republic TV is licensed as an English can only be classified in one genre. We 12, according to the survey, about Broadcasters Association (NBA), the news channel but for reasons best known are examining this issue and, accordingly, nine times more than that spent representative body of private television has been registered by several multi- will send notices to the parties involved,” by the bottom 5% of the rural news channels, has asked the Telecom system operators/distribution platform said a Trai official, who declined to be population. Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to operators/distributors multiple times under named. This is the first time NBA has The rich don’t spend too much intervene and take action against Arnab different genres in their EPG (electronic written to Trai to take action against a more on cereals—the top 5% in Goswami’s recently launched news channel programme guide) by listing it on multiple channel for distribution malpractices. urban India, or fractile 12, spent about 2.2 times the amount Republic TV over allegedly unethical logical channel numbers (LCN). We have Currently, Republic TV is not a member of spent by the poorest 5% of rural distribution practices. been informed of several infractions,” the NBA but has applied for membership. Indians on cereals. But go up the In a letter dated 12 May, NBA said letter said. Mint has reviewed a copy of “I am unaware about any issue raised nutrition ladder and a very Republic TV has been registered by various the missive. by NBA. I am very surprised to hear about different picture emerges. The cable distribution platforms multiple times According to Trai, every channel has it since most of the existing members are richest 5% spend around three- under different genres, making the channel to declare its genre to the regulator and currently using dual (feed) as a marketing and-a-half times more on pulses appear more than once in their electronic every distributor is mandated to assign a tool and have been using it actively during than that spent by the poorest programme guide (EPG), in violation of Trai unique channel number to each TV launch or on big events like budget and 5%. On vegetables, they spend interconnection regulations. channel. “It is implied that one channel elections,” said Vikas Khanchandi, chief around 3.8 times more. On eggs, executive officer at Republic TV. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 BUSINESS 28 Bill Gates reveals what he'd study if he were a college freshman today Monday, Microsoft companies use AI to impressive rates , automating menial jobs, cofounder Bill Gates said automate their factories, particularly as private eradicating disease, and if he were to enter college construction sites, and firms race to develop bringing alternative now, he'd major in artificial retail locations. smarter drugs and energy sources to its intelligence, energy, or Powering those treatment options for poorest regions. biosciences. systems will likely be antibiotic-resistant Bright-eyed 18-year- He called them all untapped sources of bacteria. Gates' advice olds should take "promising fields where renewable energy , like to pursue at least one of notice, he says. "You you can make a huge solar and wind power. these three fields comes know more than I did impact." Gates has predicted from personal when I was your age," he Experts in technology humanity will see an experience. As co-chair wrote in the Twitter thread. and economics generally "energy miracle" within of the Gates Foundation, "You can start fighting (Agencies) Take notice, world has some advice for agree that there will be the next 15 years. he has seen firsthand inequity, whether down the incoming college freshmen what you should study. profound changes in the And the US biotech how much progress the street or around the world, - the richest person in the In a Twitter thread on next 20 years in the way market is growing at world has made in sooner." AB InBev to pump $2 Eurozone needs more than Germany for breakout growth (Agencies) LONDON (AP) There is evidence, has stood above 10 percent another country that has been billion into U.S. business " Germany once again helped however, that the eurozone for years. advancing at a crawl. the 19-country eurozone eke could pick up pace in coming In particular, surveys of However, like France, there out steady, if unspectacular, months, especially as some business activity as are signs of improvement economic growth in the first of the political worries that measured by financial there, too. quarter of the year. The hope clouded its immediate future information company IHS "Looking ahead, is now that others, such as have dissipated, with the Markit are increasingly rosy economic data for the second France and Italy, will start to defeat of populist politicians about France. quarter suggest that growth pull their weight more and in elections, most recently The country certainly has could accelerate as we head push growth even higher this Marine Le Pen in France. some catching up to do, towards the summer year. French President particularly with Germany, months," said Oliver Eurostat, the EU's Emmanuel Macron, which has been driving Kolodseike, senior economist statistics agency, confirmed inaugurated Sunday, is eurozone growth in recent at the Centre for Economics Tuesday that the region, inheriting an economy that years. That was evident in the and Business Research. which spans from Ireland in appears to be gaining first quarter, when Germany's "Encouragingly, the data the west to the Baltic states traction, even before any growth was double France's signal a broad-based upturn." in the east, grew by a potential boon from his at 0.6 percent. Of the large majority that quarterly rate of 0.5 percent. economic agenda, which One of the major problems have released first-quarter The update also confirmed includes cutting taxes on afflicting the eurozone during figures, only Greece showed that the eurozone performed companies and labor, the recovery has been how output declining, albeit by a better than the U.S. in the first investing more in technology reliant it has been on bare 0.1 percent. Greece has (Agencies) Anheuser-Busch InBev, the quarter. The U.S. economy, and promoting freer Germany. The hope in Berlin now shrunk for two straight world’s largest brewer, plans to invest $2 according to Eurostat, trade.Expectations are high is that other countries will quarters " the technical billion in the United States, where its expanded by a quarterly 0.2 that the French economy will emerge as pillars of growth, definition of a recession. flagship Budweiser lager has suffered from percent. do better in the second especially now that the region The Greek economy is 25 The eurozone's growth quarter than it did in the first, appears to have set aside its percent smaller than it was declining volumes and a falling market rate isn't bad, but it's not great when it expanded by 0.3 debt issues.Italy, which is one eight years ago following a share over the past three years. The either " roughly in line with its percent. That's not enough for of the region's big debtors but brutal recession associated company, which recently bought nearest recovery from recession that France to really dent its avoided needing a bailout like with its debt crisis and rival SABMiller for nearly $100 billion, said started four years back. unemployment rate, which Greece or Portugal, is accompanying bailouts. it was launching one of the largest capital investment programs in U.S. brewing history, investing close to $500 million this year and a total of $2 billion through 2020. US industrial production posts biggest gain since 2014 In 2017, it will spend more than (Agencies) production has risen three $200 million on brewery and distribution WASHINGTON (AP) " of four months this year. projects, of which $82 million would be to American industry Manufacturing has improve national supply chains and to build expanded production last recovered from a rough distribution facilities in Los Angeles and month at the fastest pace patch in late 2015 and early Columbus. Investment in many of its 21 in more than three years 2016 caused by cutbacks U.S. breweries will also allow them to make as manufacturers and in the energy industry and different beers, or expand production of mines recovered from a a strong dollar, which aluminum bottles. March downturn. makes U.S. goods costlier The company will also push further The Federal Reserve in foreign markets. The into non-alcoholic drinks, such as the said Tuesday that overall U.S. economy grew ready-to-drink tea Teavana it is producing industrial production at at a lackluster 0.7 percent in partnership with Starbucks (SBUX.O). U.S. factories, mines and annual pace from January AB InBev’s beer sales in the United States utilities shot up 1 percent through March. But have fallen as Americans have developed in April from March, biggest economists expect growth to an increasing thirst for craft beer.AB InBev gain since February 2014 pick up the rest of the year responded in 2011 by taking over Goose and the third straight as consumers ramp up Island, and has since added 10 more U.S. monthly gain. The increase spending.A healthy job craft brewers. Its 12th planned addition, was more than twice what market bolsters consumer Wicked Weed, was announced earlier this economists had expected. confidence. Employers last month. It also holds a majority stake in Factory production rose 1 production increased 1.2 utility output rose 0.7 month added 211,000 jobs Virtue Cider. Its craft businesses grew by percent after declining 0.4 percent after falling 0.4 percent after surging 8.2 and unemployment fell to 4.4 a double-digit percentage last year. percent in March. Mine percent in March. And percent in March. Factory percent, lowest in a decade. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 BOX OFFICE 29 Pictures of Priyanka and Adriana frolicking on the beach are giving us BFF goals (Agencies) While raised the hotness quotient with hoop earrings. Those ous in her navy blue supermodel Adriana Lima in stylish bikinis .Interna- cat eye sunglasses looked bandeau bikini which she wore a side-tie black bikini, tional websites reported perfect on her. Priyanka , paired with a long khaki Priyanka Chopra looked that Priyanka and Adriana too, looked super glamour- shirt and stylish reflectors. super glam in a navy blue were seen cuddling on the bandeau top with bikini bot- beach. They both looked tom and a long khaki shirt. super hot. It seemed as if Actor Priyanka Chopra is they were together recreat- currently in Miami to pro- ing a scene from Baywatch mote her film Baywatch . movie.Adriana Lima wore a She was snapped on the black halter neck side-tie Miami beach chilling with bikini. She spiced up her her BFF supermodel look with red lipstick and Adriana Lima. The duo she accessorised her bikini No clash between Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Shah Rukh Khan on his TED talk Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor at Cannes debut: I had to bring to the fore the bal ambassador of a cosmetic giant. If you thought there could be sparks fly- personality of the Indian brethren ing on the red carpet, you are mistaken. (Agencies) Shah Rukh Khan's TED talk video Sources confirm that there won't be any which was recently released saw the actor clash as the actresses will make ap- throw light on his life as he spoke about fame, pearances on different days and are un- humanity and love. On a platform where in- likely to even bump into each other. spiring and change provoking speakers talk "Deepika Padukone will walk the red about education, busi- carpet on May 17-18, Aishwarya on May ness, science, tech 19-20, and Sonam on May 21-22," re- and creativity, Shah vealed a spokesperson for the brand. Rukh chose to be dif- When asked about sharing the platform ferent. The 17-minute with Aishwarya, Deepika was all praise talk saw Shah Rukh in for her. She added, "Our dates are dif- is usually best as he ferent but if our paths cross, I will defi- used wit and humour nitely catch up with her. She is some- to keep the session one who has represented not just the engaging and interest- brand but India so beautifully for ing. He kept the audi- While a bevy of Bollywood beauties are Padukone, who joins Cannes queen years. I know her otherwise as well ence enthralled slated to walk the Cannes red carpet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and and I've always admired the way she throughout and the this year, all eyes will be on Deepika fashionista Sonam Kapoor as the glo- conducts herself." room time and again was filled with ap- plause and laughter as Shah Rukh contin- Kendall Jenner and the brown backlash ued to share his thoughts.A leading tabloid recently asked Shah Rukh as to why he Twitterverse) and top Indian Shahrukh Khan and Inc chose an unusual topic on a platform where models were left out to cel- (Siddharth Malhotra, John people discuss their success stories. To this, ebrate Jenner instead repre- Abraham, Deepika the actor said, "People who come on TED sents numerous cross cur- Padukone, Shahid Kapoor Talks are amazing - achievers, thinkers and rents. etc) who sell fairness po- innovators. Being an actor known for ro- One is the cusp we are at in tions climb on to the glossy mance, I felt it was important for me to speak our socio-political con- covers. Or might this mean about love instead of just Indian films or structs. From being the that we would have been Bollywood. It would have been easy talking colonised we are learning to okay with the non-Indian but about how an actor thinks, or the pressures colonise ourselves. Where fabulously brown Naomi of it. I wanted it to be more universal in ap- we rebel against being Campbell but the chalky gra- peal, instead of what I do as an actor." boxed, defined or carica- dation of Jenner’s skin Shah Rukh is "extremely glad" over (Agencies) Indianness has called outrage over Vogue tured because of our colour is the real issue?The the kind of response his TED talk received. become a knotty idea. Those India’s May 2017 cover with Indianness wherever we Kendall on Vogue India fuss He further added, "I was actually trying to who don’t make it palpable-- by American model Kendall may be in the world. Yet we is more delicate than this put across something that I believe our coun- cow vigilantism, yoga adher- Jenner sits on that side of find those very peculiarities trite positioning, as some try instils in us. The speech was a summa- ence or swearing against Pa- that spectrum. useful in our nationalist self- will argue. It is perhaps tion of my life in my country and all that I kistani actors – don’t fit the That a section of Indians are definitions. The Indian nar- about Indian versus Ameri- have learnt so far. I have been lucky to get so new charter of a nationalist upset with the country’s rative is moving away from can, national versus global, much love. I had to bring to the fore the per- identity. Like a demanding de- most known fashion glossy validations or reflections of us versus them. What we sonality of the Indian brethren, which is noth- ity who must be regularly for putting an “all-white” India in a Western mirror to may be saying is that some ing short of overwhelming." "Logon ka dil jo appeased with ritualistic model on the cover of one of create new myths of kind of brownness validated hai hamaare desh mein pyaar se bhara hua fuss, Indianness is now a its special issues in its 10th Indianness back home. In by country of passport, some hai. So, if one is able to translate it for the mantra, a jap to be repeated anniversary year is a meaty this case, we favour brown kind of Indianness by origin, rest of the world, it will be phenomenal. We as proof of devotion. Not all enough piece of news to against an all-white fash- some kind of Bollywood-ness have amazing things happening around in such chants are divisive or make it to international ion model. If this about a by profession or some kind of terms of human achievements in all fields. If disappointing—Swachh newspapers is news itself. thoughtful stand against Priyanka Chopra-ness by achieve- love and these developments go hand in hand, Bharat positions certainly But this indignation that the white skin bias of fash- ment is now a requisite to be a we can create a happy place to live. With the are not, for instance. Yet many “deserving Bollywood ion magazines, we must cry cover girl for special editions of In- first speech, all I wanted was to give people some indeed are. The so- celebrities” (to quote from wolf every time the white-hot dian glossies. this message," continued Shah Rukh. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 BOX OFFICE 30 Nudity is beautiful, says Paris Jackson, sharing topless photo online “Nudity started as a movement for ‘going back to nature’, ‘expressing freedom’, ‘being healthier’ and was even called a philosophy. Being naked is part of what makes us human. For me, it helps me feel more connected to Mama Gaia. I’m usually naked when I garden,” Paris Jackson says (Agencies) Late star on Friday, reports Paris told her 1.4 showing yourself,” she Michael Jackson’s usmagazine.com. million Instagram wrote.“There’s different daughter Paris Jackson, “Nudity started as a followers that being ways of absorbing mother who has shared her topless movement for ‘going back naked is “actually a earth’s energy... The photograph online, says to nature’, ‘expressing beautiful thing” and human body is a beautiful nudity is beautiful. freedom’, ‘being doesn’t have to have a thing and no matter what “I’ll say it again for healthier’ and was even sexual connotation.“Not ‘flaws’ you have, whether it those questioning what I called a philosophy. only is your body a be scars, or extra weight, stand for and how I Being naked is part of temple and should be stretch marks, freckles, express myself,” the 19- what makes us human. worshipped as so, but also whatever, it is beautiful and this makes some of you any way,” she wrote. “It is year-old model captioned For me, it helps me feel part of feminism is being you should express upset I completely who I am and I refuse to shy a black-and-white shot of more connected to able to express yourself in yourself however you feel understand and I away and keep my beliefs herself smoking and Mama Gaia. I’m usually your own way, whether it’s comfortable.” Paris ended encourage you to maybe a secret. Everyone has an relaxing outside. She naked when I garden,” being conservative and her post with an no longer follow me, but I opinion and everyone has posted it on Instagram she added. wearing lots of clothes or unapologetic message.“If cannot apologize for this in their beliefs.” Is Sarkar 3 really the death knell for Ram Sunny Leone: Daniel makes me feel special Gopal Varma as a maverick auteur? every day; don’t need a birthday for that Actor Sunny Leone turns 35 today. She recounts her fondest birthday Sarkar 3 isn’t as bad as many of his recent films, but memories and the most cherished gift she has ever got from husband it hasn’t done justice to a franchise like Sarkar, and Daniel Weber. The two are celebrating in a quiet and intimate way in LA. certainly not to some amazing actors. (Agencies) Actor Sunny Leone turns 35 today, and she’s ringing in her birthday with her husband, Daniel Weber, in Los Angeles. The actor is quite unlike other Bollywood stars who celebrate their birthdays with pomp and big parties. About the birthday plans, she says, “I’ll hopefully get to see my friends and brother. That’s all I can ask for or need for my birthday. I just like quiet dinners (Agencies) Shiva tenth Hindi film. Till then became the epitome of bad and seeing family. I’m (1991), the Hindi remake of his only film that didn’t work filmmaking. It’s a standard quite simple that way Ram Gopal Varma’s first at the box office was that can’t be surpassed and not the birthday film Siva (1989), became Naach, but even it was easily. Critics and celebrating an instant hit, because praised for Varma’s audience started to realise type.”Recalling her there was a director who sensibilities. how Varma is losing grip fondest birthday understood the angst of the Here was the man who over his projects. The memories, Sunny goes youth and knew how to knew what he was doing. cocky director paid no down memory lane and encash that on celluloid. He was simultaneously attention to any sort of says it was with her His lead Nagarjuna training a lot of new talents criticism and continued to parents. “My last that she will never forget? birthday for that. He’s wasn’t shy of using crime that were to rule Bollywood find producers to make birthday that I cherish “An emerald necklace always thinking of me and as a means to clean in coming years.His more films.Thanks to films was when my parents that Daniel gave me. It getting me special gifts, politics, something that slackening began with the like Not A Love Story, were still alive — my has one of his mother’s small or big. It’s always with resonated well in the times Shiva remake of 2006 and Department, Satya 2 and mother baking me a diamonds in it — a family a lot of love.” Though Sunny when muscle men were continued with Darna other similar films, his cake, and the four of us diamond — because I admits that she likes trying their best to enter Zaroori Hai, Darling, brand value hit an all time together, and getting never got that from my surprises, she doesn’t look politics and hold Phoonk, Agyaat, Sarkar low. Occasional sparks in hugs and kisses and love parents when I got forward to her birthday for power.Raat, Rangeela, Raaj and Rann. All these Rakht Charitra, The from my family,” says the married.”Other than this, any surprise gifts. “I don’t Satya, Kaun, Mast, Jungle, films released between Attacks Of 26/11 and actor, who has been part has Daniel ever done actually expect anything Company, Bhoot, in film 2006 and 2010. But the one Veerappan didn’t help of films such as Jism 2 anything special to make from anyone,” she says. “I after film he kept redefining film, which also released much, and everything (2012), Ragini MMS her birthday memorable? only want my husband and genres, mostly gangster during the same period, finally came down to (2014) and Ek Paheli Sunny quips, “Daniel brother to wish me happy and horror. hurt him the most. Ram Sarkar 3, his vital ticket to Leela (2015). makes me feel special birthday and the rest is Sarkar (2005) was his Gopal Varma Ki Aag salvation. And any special gift every day. I don’t need a icing on the cake.” Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 31

SAPAC (South Asian American Political Committee) led by it's Chairman Zahid Syed and Event Chair Kawaljit Chandi recently held their Annual Brunch in prestigious Marriot of Uniondale. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, was among many Political and appointed officials from Town, County and State who were present during the event. Some prominent members of the community were honored for their contribution to the community. Wednesday 10 May to 16 May , 2017 ADVERTISEMENT 32