The South Asian Times excellence in journalism Vol.6 No. 44 March 1-7, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info Day dedicated to Lord Shiva 75% Indians Celebrated by Hindu devotees all over the world, Shivaratri is want BJP to dedicated to Lord Shiva, and holy men mark the occasion by praying. Pictured is one of the sadhus from Nepal and India who gathered at the lead India: Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu to take part in the Shivaratri festival, which fell on Feb 27. US survey Russian war games heighten tensions in Ukraine crisis Simferopol, Ukraine: Masked gunmen stormed the parliament of Ukraine's strategic Crimea region as Russian fighter jets scrambled to patrol borders, while Ukraine's newly formed government pledged to prevent a national breakup with the strong backing of the West — the stirrings of a potentially dan- gerous confrontation reminiscent of Cold War brinksmanship. Meanwhile, Moscow granted Pro-Russian demonstrators wave Russian flags during a protest shelter to fugitive Ukrainian presi- in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Feb 26. dent Viktor Yanukovych, state media said. interim prime minister declared ing further, prompting Western As gunmen wearing unmarked that the Black Sea territory "has leaders to prepare an emergency And 8 in 10 Indians have a camouflage uniforms erected a been and will be a part of financial package. Yanukovych, sign reading "Crimea is Russia" in Ukraine." The escalating conflict whose approach to Moscow set off favorable view of Modi. the provincial capital, Ukraine's sent Ukraine's finances plummet- Continued on page 4 Washington: A survey by a lead- Indians (78 percent) have a favor- ing US think tank has found that able view of Modi, compared with UK spy agency snooped on Yahoo webcam chats Indians expect the BJP to do a bet- 16 percent who hold an unfavor- ter job in facing the various chal- able view. Rahul Gandhi is seen London: Britain's communications lenges faced by India. By a margin favorably by 50 percent of those spy agency intercepted and stored Yahoo called it a of more than three-to-one, Indians surveyed and unfavorably by 43 screenshots from hundreds of thou- whole new level would prefer the BJP to lead the percent, the survey said. sands of webcams, and the multi- next Indian government rather than Seven-in-ten Indians are dissatis- year operation yielded a huge trove of violation of the the Congress, according a survey fied with the way things are going of intimate photographs of unsus- users' privacy. by Pew Research Centre of in India today. pecting users, media reports say. America. And by a margin of better than The Guardian says GCHQ inter- The survey also suggests that two-to-one, the public says the BJP cepted video chats of 1.8 million code-named "optic nerve," targeted data leaked by former US National BJP’s PM candidate Narendra would do a better job on each of a users in a six-month period of video chats such as those offered Security Agency contractor Modi is more popular than half dozen challenges facing the 2008, and that the program was by the Yahoo Messenger service. Edward Snowden. Yahoo said Congress vice-president Rahul nation -- from combating corrup- still active in 2012. The project, The Guardian report is based on Continued on page 4 Gandhi. Roughly eight-in-ten Continued on page 4 Indian Elections 13 Fashion 15 Smithsonian exhibition 16 Personal Finance 25 excellence in journalism TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY March 1-7, 2014 3 Leena Doshi’s diagnostic firm to pay Congressmen want Diwali holiday $15 mn for false claims New York: A diagnostic firm ment, the kickbacks were in in New York schools founded by an Indian-Ameri- the form of payments that the Washington: Noting that can physician has agreed to DIG made to physicians osten- Diwali has been gaining pay $15.5 million to settle sibly to supervise patients who increasing recognition in charges that it falsely billed underwent nuclear stress test- the US, six US lawmakers federal and state health care ing. These payments allegedly have urged New York programs and paid kickbacks exceeded fair market value City's education depart- to physicians. and were, in fact, intended to ment to include the Indian The Diagnostic Imaging reward physicians for their re- festival of lights among Group (DIG), founded in 1985 ferrals. new public school holi- by Mumbai native Leena "Paying physicians for their Doshi has not been days. Doshi, would pay $13.65 mil- referrals and submitting false charged or accused of The plea was made in a lion to the federal government claims to increase Medicare any wrongdoing. letter last week by Joe and an additional $1.85 mil- and Medicaid reimbursements Crowley, Democratic co- lion to New York and New Jer- Services, officials said. simply cannot be tolerated," chair of the Congressional sey under a settlement an- The settlement resolves alle- said Daniel R. Levinson, in- Caucus on India and Indian nounced by officials of the two gations that the DIG submitted spector general of the US De- Americans, along with states. claims to Medicare, as well as partment of Health and Hu- House members Charles B. Diwali is a festival of move to recognize Eid al- Doshi herself has not been the New Jersey and New York man Services. "Besides levy- Rangel, Grace Meng, great significance to mil- Fitr, Eid al-Adha and charged or accused of any Medicaid Programs, for 3D re- ing a hefty penalty, the settle- Gregory W. Meeks, Yvette lions of Indians and is Lunar New Year as New wrongdoing. The DIG, which constructions of CT scans that ment requires an independent D. Clarke, and Carolyn B. widely celebrated amongst York City public school operates a chain of diagnostic were never performed or inter- organization to review Diag- Maloney the three million-plus holidays and urged the testing facilities through its preted. Additionally, the DIG nostic Imaging Group's claims "We appreciate your con- Indian-American commu- chancellor to include subsidiary Doshi Diagnostic allegedly bundled certain tests for five years and to send re- sideration of school holi- nity, as well as others, Diwali on the list. Imaging Services, headquar- on its order forms so that ports to the government." days that reflect our noted a media release from "In fact, this year the tered in Hicksville, New York, physicians could not order The allegations resolved un- diverse city and ensure that Crowley's office. Congressional Caucus on was charged with billing for other tests without ordering der the settlement were raised students aren't forced to Crowley, who represents India and Indian- tests that were not performed the additional bundled tests, in three lawsuits filed in 2009 choose between attending Queens, led his colleagues Americans celebrated the or not medically necessary. which were not medically nec- and 2010 in federal courts un- school and observing in creating the first-ever first-ever Congressional The DIG previously operat- essary. der whistleblower provisions important holidays with Congressional celebration Diwali, and the White ed chains in New Jersey and The settlement also resolves of the False Claims Act. their families," wrote the in October 2013. House has recognized the Florida through subsidiaries allegations that the DIG paid The three whistleblowers lawmakers in the letter to The lawmakers repre- festival under successive Doshi Diagnostic Imaging kickbacks to physicians for the will receive a total of $2.77 schools chancellor Carmen senting New York City said administrations," the law- Services of New Jersey and referral of diagnostic tests. million as part of the settle- Fariña. they supported a potential makers noted. Signet Diagnostic Imaging According to the govern- ment. Curbs on US author's book on Hinduism ignites row Blakeman runs for Carolyn Washington: Penguin latest assault on free robust democracy, pluralism on a India's decision to with- speech in India", the grand scale, and the lessons of toler- draw from publication Times said in an editorial ance, with another India tiptoeing to McCarthy’s seat in Congress and pulp copies of an last week. avert hurt feelings", she wrote. American professor's "The publisher's move is Doniger told the Times that she New York: Republican Bruce book on Hinduism in an likely to encourage more expected the book to meet trouble in Blakeman launched his campaign to out of court settlement demands for censorship," India. Noting that "she wasn't the only succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn has ignited a fiery debate it said, suggesting "the author to face scrutiny by Hindu fun- McCarthy Thursday, attacking in the US on freedom of wanton abuse of laws damentalist groups", Doniger said President Obama and House the speech in India. restricting speech is creat- that "right now people are really wor- Democrats on the economy and the The reactions have ing a climate of fear" and ried about what's happening in India" health care law. ranged from anger to sad- "enemies of free speech and that has spurred "this tremendous Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) ness to jubilation depend- have pledged to get even outpouring of indignation" about the The controversy endorsed candidacy of Blakeman, ing on which side of the more books banned". fate of her book. the Nassau County Legislature's for- debate one is on. has sent the "The Alyssa Ayres, a senior In her book, Doniger said she want- mer presiding officer, at a meeting Bruce Blakeman has been If the New York Times Hindus: An fellow for India, Pakistan ed "to tell a story of Hinduism that's Alternative in Valley Stream.