vol-8-issue-37 jan-30- feb-5 - 2016
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The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vol.8 No. 38 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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New Delhi : Over the years, the Republic Day
parade in the national capital has come to be
associated with an equal mix of military preci‑
sion and a glimpse of the country's diverse cul‑
tural heritage and so it was this 26thJanuary ‑
except that everything this year was rather busi‑
ness‑like and minimalistic. The display of mili‑
tary prowess was without
flourish. President
Pranab Mukherjee
took the salute from
an enclosed
podium on the magnificent Rajpath boulevard as
the Chief Guest for the occasion, French
President Francois Hollande, looked on at the
passing men and machines of the services. For
the first time, a contingent from the
French 35th Infantry
Regiment ‑ elements of
which had served in
India in 1781‑84 ‑
was given the honor
of leading the march‑
ing contingents and it performed with panache,
preceded by a pipes and drums band and salut‑
ing in a rather unusual style with the right hand
held straight across the chest. The celebrations
began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‑
dressed in a brown bandgalla suit and sport‑
ing a saffron Gujarati turban ‑ driving to
the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial to the
Unknown Soldier at India Gate and lay‑
ing a wreath in honor of the countless
Indian soldiers who have died in bat‑
tles since World War I.
Modi then drove up to
the saluting base to
receive President
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
excellence in journalism VOX POPULI 32 US AFFAIRS 39
Vol.8 No. 38 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
BOLLYWOOD 40 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 44
A birdʼs‑eye view of Rajpath with the 67th RepublicDay Parade in progress in New Delhi. (Photo: PIB)
RepublicDaycelebratedacross US
For the first time, a
contingent from the
French 35th Infantry
Regiment was given the
honor of leading the
marching contingents at
the parade celebrating
India’s 67th Republic
Day in New Delhi.
President Pranab Mukherjee, French President Francois Hollande and PM Narendra Modi at the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.RDay Special pages 532
Snow in DC andNYC could not
dampen the spiritW a s h i n g t o n D C : Indian
Ambassador to the US, Arun K.
Singh led India's 67th Republic
Day celebrations across thecountry, unfurling the tricolor at
the Indian Embassy here on
January 26.
A large number of eminent
Indian Americans gathered at
the embassy on Tuesday even as
the capital city and its surround‑
ing areas were yet to recover
from a major blizzard over the
weekend that dumped two feet
of snow.
Ambassador Singh addressed
the Indian community and read
out the speech of President
Pranab Mukherjee delivered on
the eve of Republic Day.
Similar Republic Day celebra‑tions were held at other Indian
diplomatic missions in New
York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta
and San Francisco and the
Permanent Mission of India to
the UN.
In New York, Consul General
Dnyaneshwar Mulay hosted a
reception attended by a large
number of prominent communi‑
ty leaders and dignitaries includ‑
ing PR of India to the UN, Amb.
Syed Akbaruddin, Consul
General of Bangladesh Md.
Shameem Ahsan and TV Asiaʼs
HR Shah..
The Federation of IndianAssociations (FIA) hosted the
Republic Day celebrations over
the weekend in Chicago on
January 24. Said Ausaf Sayeed,
Consul General in Chicago, who
Continued on page 6
Continued on page 6
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016REP U B L I C DAY S P EC I AL
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Across the country,governors and chiefministers unfurled thenational flag and took salutefrom military and policeunits. Despite the terrorthreats, the celebrationswent off peacefullyeverywhere.
New Delhi India's 67th Republic
Day was celebrated across cities
and towns with the country's mili‑
tary might on display in the capitalwhere French troops made history
by joining the impressive parade.
French President Francois
Hollande, the chief guest, watched
admiringly the 90‑minute splen‑
dour where President Pranab
Mukherjee took salute from the mil‑
itary. It ended with colourful
tableaux marking India's cultural
diversity, a daredevil motorcycle
show and a grand flypast by air
force fighters.
Across the country, governors and
chief ministers unfurled the nation‑
al flag and took salute from military
and police units. The celebrations
went off peacefully everywhere.A contingent from the French
35th Infantry Regiment ‑ elements
of which served in India in 1781‑84‑ got the honor of leading the
marching contingents and it per‑
formed with panache, preceded by a
pipes and drums band. It is the first
time a foreign army unit took part
in the event.
The French apart, there was much
that was different this time. The
armored element was bare‑boned ‑
just the T‑90 Bhishma main battle
tank and the BMP infantry combat
vehicle ‑ the marching contingents
were fewer, as were the massed
bands. In another break with tradi‑
tion, the young recipients of the
National Awards for Bravery came
up towards the end.At the official function at the
Maualana Azad stadium in Jammu,
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N.
Vohra hoped the state will get an
elected government soon.
He also paid tribute to late chief
minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,
whose death on January 7 led to
Governor's Rule in the troubled
state. Peoples Democratic Party
president Mehbooba Mufti, tipped
to lead a new PDP‑led government
in the state, attended the Republic
Day event in Srinagar.
In Srinagar, separatist leaders
were put under house arrest to foil
protests.In Maharashtra, Governor C.V.
Rao unfurled the national flag and
took the ceremonial salute in
Mumbai. Lakhs of people enthusias‑
t ically took part in events in
Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and
elsewhere.
The day was celebrated across
Karnataka with patriotic fervour.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala hoisted
the tricolour and reviewed guard of
honour at the Manekshaw Parade
Ground in Bengaluru.
Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah
unfurled the national flag at the
Marina beach in Chennai and tookthe salute from contingents of the
armed forces. Chief Minister J.
Jayalalithaa and thousands of peo‑
ple enjoyed the colourful floats.
The main event in Rajasthan took
place in Bikaner, where Governor
Kalyan Singh unfurled the Indian
flag in a packed Karni Singh
Stadium. Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje attended the event.
Odisha Governor S.C. Jamir
unfurled the tricolor in
Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik hoisted it in
Cuttack. Maoist calls to boycott the
celebrations failed to evoke anyresponse. Punjab Deputy Chief
Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal
unfurled the national f lag at
Bathinda as his father and Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal, 88, is
unwell. Haryana Governor Kaptan
Singh Solanki unfurled the flag in
Chandigarh. Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar did so in
Gurgaon.
West Bengal Governor K.N.
Tripathi took the salute at a colorful
marchpast from the army, navy and
air force personnel on the Indira
Gandhi Sarani in Kolkata. Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee alsoattended.
N e w D e l h i Only the financial
details need to be worked out infinalizing the much‑awaited pur‑
chase of Rafale fighter aircraft
from France, adding that it wouldbe concluded soon, said Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as India
and France signed the Rafale deal.India and France also came out
with a joint statement whichtalked about the need for "all
countries to effectively deal with
terrorism emanating from theirterritory or territories under their
control".
"Only financial aspects of theRafale deal is left. The inter‑gov‑
ernmental agreement has been
finalised. It will be done soon," theprime minister told reporters
after delegation‑level talks withFrench President Francois
Hollande here.
On his part, Hollande said: "We
signed an inter‑governmentalagreement (IGA) on Rafale deal. It
is a decisive step for India to pur‑chase the fighter jets and also for
France to make them available to
a great country like India."
Referring to the financialaspects of the deal, Hollande said:
"That will be sorted out soon.""Dassault Aviation is very pleased
with this progress, and is actively
supporting French authorities in
their efforts to finalize a completeagreement within the next four
weeks," the company said in astatement from Saint Cloud in
France. The Indian Air Force (IAF)
had shortlisted Rafale for induc‑
tion into its frontline combat fleet,
replacing the ageing Soviet‑eraMiG‑21 squadron but the deal did
not materialize for long. Theyagreed to intensify cooperation in
homeland security, cyber security,
special forces and intelligencesharing. Terrorism, they said, can‑
not be justified under any circum‑
stance, regardless of its motiva‑tion. Earlier in Chandigarh,
addressing the India‑FranceBusiness Summit, Modi said India
and France had huge potential to
work together in various fields.Modi pitched for investment in
India by French companies, say‑
ing India had a lot to offer interms of skilled workforce and as
a market for French products.CEOs of 25 Indian and French
companies attended the business
summit. Modi earlier received
Hollande at the Rock Garden,after the president flew into the
city created by French architectLe Corbusier to start his three‑day
official visit to India.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Guest French President Francois Hollande at the saluting dais at Rajpath. (Photo: PIB)
HOLLANDE PRAISES
COFFEE'S JOURNEY
5Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016TheSouthAsianTimes.info C E LEBRAT IONS
DESPITE TERROR THREATS,
R-DAY ENDS IN PEACE
Rafale done,Pakistan given a snub
Karnataka tableau during the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.(Photo: IANS/PIB)
Modi and Francois Hollande at theIndia‑France Business Summit in
Chandigarh. (Photo: PIB)New Delhi French President Francois Hollande was among the digni‑
taries who paid special attention to a depiction of how coffee is grown
and brewed in Kodagu on the Karnataka tableau at the 67th Republic
Day parade, a official said. "Our tableau depicting facets of coffee from
beans to beverage made an impressive show at the R‑Day parade on
Rajpath, drawing special attention of VVIPs, including Hollande,
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," state
information deputy director H. Srinivas told IANS.
As the 11th state tableau to roll on Rajpath, the theme in sculpturesshowed a woman in traditional garb plucking red berries in a planta‑
tion, another drying them, a third carrying them in a basket, while a
man processed the beans in a roaster and converted them into powder
for brewing into steaming aromatic cup of coffee in a steel filter.
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By Arul Louis
United Nations Promising India's
unwavering support for UN's devel‑
opment and peace ideals, Syed
Akbaruddin presented his credentials
Monday to Secretary‑General Ban Ki‑
moon as the 21st Permanent
Representative of India to the world
body.
Welcoming him, Ban said that he
appreciated India's significant role at
the UN as a long‑trusted partner of
the multilateral system. Reiterating
India's commitment to the UN,Akbaruddin assured the secretary
general of his fullest support in help‑
ing fulfill the priorities the latter had
set for this year, including the quest
for peaceful political solutions for
international conflicts and working
towards the developmental goals of
Agenda 2030.
Akbaruddin brings to the crucial
diplomatic posting at the heart of the
193‑member organization a trove of
rich experience and contacts from his
stints at an international body, as the
organizer of the recent India‑Africa
Summit and from serving as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's de facto
spokesperson during his many for‑eign tours.
Akbaruddin succeeds Asoke Kumar
Mukerji who retired at the end of last
year.
This is the second turn at the UN
for Akbaruddin, who joined the
Indian Foreign Service in 1985. He
served in India's UN Mission as a first
secretary from 1995 to 1998, when
he focused on Security Council
reform, a matter that assumes
urgency in his current role as the
long‑delayed process is finally gain‑
ing traction.
Another topic he specialized in the
1990s assignment was peacekeep‑
ing, which continues to be an area of
Indiaʼs major contribution to the UN.
Currently 7,798 Indians are serving
in UN peacekeeping operations.
Historically India has been the
biggest contributor to UN peacekeep‑
ing, having sent more than 180,000
Indian troops to 48 of the 69 UN mis‑
sions so far.
Akbaruddin also brings an insider's
insight into the workings of interna‑
tional organizations from his work at
the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in Vienna from 2006
to 2011. He worked at the IAEA as
the head of external relations and as
the special assistant to the director‑
general. His most recent position at
the External Affairs Ministry was as
Chief Coordinator of the India‑Africa
Forum Summit held last October in
New Delhi with all 54 African nations
participating. With Africa forming
the largest single group at the UN,
this experience gives him a rich
Rolodex of contacts.
Before that he was the External
Affairs Ministry' official spokesper‑
son from 2012 to 2015 when he
attended several multilateral and
bilateral meetings at the ministerial
and prime ministerial levels.
‑‑IANS
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Military precision, glimpses of heritageContinued from page
Mukherjee and the visiting French President.
The President's Bodyguard presented the national salute,
the tricolor was unfurled and the national anthem was played
to set the tone for a rather poignant moment ‑ the posthu‑
mous presentation of the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest
gallantry award in peacetime. It was presented this year to the
widow of Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of the Parachute
Regiment, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists in
Kashmir last September.The French contingent apart, there was much that was dif‑
ferent this time around. The armored element was bare‑boned
‑ just the T‑90 Bhishma main battle tank and the BMP infantry
combat vehicle ‑ the marching contingents were fewer, as
were the massed bands.
Then, instead of a marching continent of ex‑servicemen,
there was a tableau dedicated to them in the first part of the
parade, an army dog squad with handlers made an appear‑
ance after 26 years, and the camel‑mounted troopers of the
Border Security Force brought up the rear of the parade's mili‑
tary element.
Still, there were the perennials, most notably soldiers of the
Parachute Regiment trotting down in quick time in full battle
gear, tableaux and marching contingents of the Indian Navy
and the Indian Air Force, and also a representation of the cen‑
tral paramilitary forces like the CRPF and the Assam Rifles.
But, in another break with tradition, the young recipients of
the National Awards for Bravery came up towards the end, fol‑
lowed by the children's pageant, a daredevil motorcycle dis‑
play by the Corps of Signals, and a grand flypast by fighters,
heavy‑lift transports and helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
In between all this were the tableaux, 23 of them, represent‑
ing 17 states and six central ministries, showcasing among
others the government's flagship Digital India and Swachh
Bharat initiatives. As the event ended, the stands quickly emp‑
tied out, with many perhaps wondering what Beating Retreat
ceremony on Friday, the precision display by the massed
bands of the three services which brings the Republic Day cel‑
ebrations to a close, would have in store. ‑IANS
Republic Day celebrated across USContinued from page
was the chief guest, "While different organizations represent‑
ing Indian‑Americans may separately celebrate different
events under their respective banners, all of them should
come forward to join hands to have one single united celebra‑
tion for two events of great national importance ‑
Independence Day and Republic Day."
Indian Americans in Houston too observed the Republic Day
with great fanfare and patriotic fervor. A flag hoisting ceremo‑
ny was held at the residence of Consul General Parvatheneni
Harish. Despite a chilly morning and a working day, a large
number of guests attended the event.
Source: PTI
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin presenting credentials toUN SecretaryGeneral Ban Kimoon.
Akbaruddin presents
credentials as UN
Permanent
Representative of India
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New Delhi President Pranab
Mukherjee has urged Indians to
shun "violence, intolerance and
unreason" and said that decision
making must be based on coopera‑
tion and consensus‑building.
In his annual Republic Day eve
address, the president also said
that while rebellion was also a
virtue of democracy, "let us also
applaud what our democracy has
achieved" since independence in
1947. Saying reverence for the
past was one of the essential ingre‑
dients of nationalism, he said thatit was important to ensure that all
citizens got justice, equality, and
gender and economic equity.
"When grim instances of vio‑
lence hit at these established val‑
ues which are at the core of our
nationhood, it is time to take note,"
he said.
"We must guard ourselves
against the forces of violence,
intolerance and unreason."
The president said that to revi‑
talize the forces of growth, the
country needed reforms and pro‑
gressive legislation.
"It is the bounden duty of the law
makers to ensure that such legisla‑
tion is enacted after due discussion
and debate.
"A spirit of accommodation,
cooperation and consensus‑build‑
ing should be the preferred mode
of decision‑making."
Saying no one nation could be an
oasis of growth, he pointed out
that India's economy also faced the
blowback. Nature was also unkind
to India last year, he added, refer‑
ring to drought and floods, affect‑
ing rural income and employment.
India, he said, was building and
implementing strategies to solve
these problems."This year, with an estimated
growth rate of 7.3 percent, India is
poised to become the fastest grow‑
ing large economy. Contraction in
global oil prices has helped main‑
tain external sector stability and
control domestic prices. Despite
occasional setbacks, industrial per‑
formance this year has been
strong."
Mukherjee said there "will be,
amongst us, occasional doubters
and baiters. Let us continue to
complain; to demand; to rebel. This
too is a virtue of democracy.
"But let us also applaud what ourdemocracy has achieved."
He said with investments in
infrastructure, manufacturing,
health, education, science and
technology, India was positioning
itself to achieve a higher growth
rate which in 10‑15 years will help
banish poverty.
The president said that as the
20th century ended with a remark‑
able revolution in science and
technology, there were reasons for
optimism that the 21st century
would see the last of extreme
poverty.
"That optimism has faded in thefirst 15 years of this century," he
said, adding the scourge of terror‑
ism had reshaped war into its most
barbaric manifestation. "Terrorism
is inspired by insane objectives,
motivated by bottomless depths of
hatred, instigated by puppeteers
who have invested heavily in havoc
through the mass murder of inno‑
cents.
"This is war beyond any doctrine,
a cancer which must be operated
out with a firm scalpel. There is no
good or bad terrorism; it is pureevil."
He said terrorists seek to under‑
mine order by rejecting the very
basis of strategic stability, "which
are recognized borders. If outlaws
are able to unravel borders, then
we are heading towards an age of
chaos". Without taking any coun‑
try's name, the president said that
there were bound to be disputes
among nations.
"As is well‑known, the closer we
are to a neighbour the higher the
propensity for disputes. There is a
civilized way to bridge disagree‑
ment; dialogue, ideally, should be a
continual engagement."But we cannot discuss peace
under a shower of bullets."
The president lauded the many
government schemes including
Aadhaar, the Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana, the Saansad Adarsh
Gram Yojana, the Digital India pro‑
gramme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana and MGNREGA.
The Make‑in‑India campaign, he
said, will boost manufacturing by
facilitating easy conduct of busi‑
ness and improving competitive‑
ness of domestic industry.
"The Start‑up India programme
will foster innovation and encour‑
age new‑age entrepreneurship.
The National Skill Development
Mission envisages skilling 300 mil‑
lion youth by 2022."
The president ended his speech
with Tagore's immortal words:
Move ahead, the roll of drums
announce your triumphal march;
With feet of glory, you shall cut
out your own path;
Delay not, delay not, a new age
dawns.
On the eve of the 67th
Republic Day of our
nation, I extend warm
greetings to all of you in India
and abroad. I convey my special
greetings to members of our
Armed Forces, paramilitary forces
and Internal Security Forces. I
pay my tribute to the brave sol‑
diers who made the supreme sac‑
rifice of their lives in defending
India's territorial integrity and in
upholding the rule of law.
The year 2015 has been a year
of challenges. During this year,
the global economy remained
subdued. Unpredictability ruledthe commodity markets.
Uncertainty marked the institu‑
tional responses. In such troubled
environment, no one nation could
be an oasis of growth. India's
economy also had to face the
blowback. Weak investor senti‑
ments led to withdrawal of funds
from emerging markets including
India putting pressure on the
Indian rupee. Our exports suf‑
fered. Our manufacturing sector
is yet to recover fully.
In 2015, we were also denied
the bounty of nature. While large
parts of India were affected by
severe drought, other areas
reeled under devastating floods.
Unusual weather conditions
impacted our agricultural produc‑
tion. Rural employment andincome levels suffered.
Aadhaar, with its present reach
of 96 crore people, is helping in
direct transfer of benefits, plug‑
ging leakages and improving
transparency. Over 19 crore bank
accounts opened under the
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
is the single largest exercise in
the world at financial inclusion.
The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
aims to create model villages. The
Digital India programme is an
effort to bridge the digital divide.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana targets farmer's welfare.
Increased spending on pro‑
grammes like MGNREGA is aimed
at enhancing employment gener‑
ation to rejuvenate the rural
economy.The Make‑in‑India campaign
will boost manufacturing by facil‑
itating easy conduct of business
and improving competitiveness of
domestic industry. The Start‑up
India programme will foster inno‑
vation and encourage new‑age
entrepreneurship. The National
Skill Development Mission envis‑
ages skilling 300 million youth
by 2022.
Reverence for the past is one of
the essential ingredients of
nationalism. Our finest inheri‑
tance, the institutions of democ‑
racy, ensure to all citizens justice,
equality, and gender and econom‑
ic equity. When grim instances of
violence hit at these established
values which are at the core of
our nationhood, it is time to takenote. We must guard ourselves
against the forces of violence,
intolerance and unreason. Peace
is the primary objective of a
rational consciousness as well as
our moral universe. It is the foun‑
dation of civilization and a neces‑
sity for economic progress. And
yet, we have never been able to
answer a simple question: why
does peace remain so elusive?
Why has peace been so much
more difficult to attain than
degenerate conflict?
Terrorism is inspired by insane
objectives, motivated by bottom‑
less depths of hatred, instigated
by puppeteers who have invested
heavily in havoc through the
mass murder of innocents. This is
war beyond any doctrine, a can‑cer which must be operated out
with a firm scalpel. There is no
good or bad terrorism; it is
pure evil...
7Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016TheSouthAsianTimes.info PRES ID EN T ’S S PEECH
President Pranab Mukherjee addresses the nation on the eve of 67th Republic Day ce lebration atRashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/RB)
Guard against intolerance,embrace consensus: Pranab
EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S R-DAY EVE SPEECH
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By Sushil Kumar
New Delhi They are young, ener‑
getic, brave and are even willing
to risk their lives to save that of
others.
They are the special 25 brave
sons and daughters of India, who
saved several lives while putting
themselves in life‑threatening sit‑
uations and not worrying about
their own well‑being. Hailing from
different parts of the country,
they received the National
Bravery Awards for 2015 from
President Pranab Mukherjee at
the Rashtrapathi Bhavan for show‑
ing exemplary courage without
expecting anything in return.On Tuesday, these bravehearts
were part of the Republic Day
parade on the magnificent
Rajpath, with the president taking
the salute and his French counter‑
part Francois Hollande the chief
guest.
Two of them ‑ Gaurav Kawduji
Sahastrabuddhe of Maharashtra
and Shivansh Singh of Uttar
Pradesh ‑ were honoured posthu‑
mously as they died while helping
others in trouble.
Sahastrabuddhe died on June 3,
2014 while trying to save four
boys from drowning in a lake.
They were playing near Ambazarilake in Nagpur district when one
of them slipped and fell into it.
On seeing this, the other three
dived into the water to rescue him
but they too started drowning.
Sahastrabuddhe then jumped into
the lake and saved them one by
one but he himself got so tired in
the process that he could not save
himself and died.
Similarly, Shivansh Singh diedwhile trying to save his friend
Vivek, who fell in the Saryu river
while bathing. Vivek was in deep
water and was drowning when
Shivansh Singh reached there to
help him. He tried his best and
brought Vivek near the shore.
However, Vivek had died by that
time and Shivansh Singh also died
after a while as he got very tried
in the process.Their mothers received the
award from the president on
behalf of their brave sons.
The bravehearts, who looked
cheerful after receiving their
awards, had one sentiment in
common that they would serve
the country or would continue
helping people in need as they
grow up.
"I would like to serve the nationas I grow up," Rakeshbhai
Shanabhai Patel told IANS, adding:
"We all should help each other in
whatever way we can."
"Serving the nation is my dream.I think we should continue to
serve our country in whatever
way we can," he said.
Patel had saved a boy from
drowning. He struggled for over
35 minutes in a well that the boy
had fallen into while playing.
Joena Chakraborty helped her
father retrieve his mobile phone
from a miscreant as she caught
him the leg while he was trying to
run away after snatching the
device. "Anybody who has done
something wrong is to be chal‑
lenged," Chakraborty told IANS.
"The moment I realised that my
father's mobile phone wassnatched by a man, I, without
loosing a second, started chasing
him. He had a blade in his hand
but it did not deter me to grab
him by his legs," she said. Passers‑
by caught the snatcher and hand‑
ed him to the police.
Sarwanand Saha of
Chhattisgarh, who saved a man
from drowning in flood water,
said that helping others in diffi‑
cult situations should come natu‑
rally to people.
"I was returning from school
when I saw a man drowning. I
immediately jumped into the
water and pulled him out of it," hetold IANS, adding that he did not
fear for his own life as "it all hap‑
pened without any warning".
8 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 TheSouthAsianTimes.info THE P ARADE
By Mohd Asim Khan
New Delhi It was a somewhat dif‑
ferent experience for thousands of
people who braved the early
morning chill to witness the
parade on Rajpath on the 67th
Republic Day. The parade was
shorter compared to previous
years and contingents, bands and
tabaleux coming in quick succes‑
sion meant people had less time to
soak in the experience. Many went
happy and content while others
expected more.People started pouring in at the
Rajpath from early morning with
parking enclosures full to capacity
almost two hours before the
parade commenced at 10 am.
As Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, elegantly dressed in a fawn
bandhgala suit and a saffron tur‑
ban alighted from his vehicle, peo‑
ple cheered and clapped with
many standing up to catch a
glimpse of him. People had to wait
in long queues, sometimes stretch‑
ing half a kilometre, due to strin‑
gent security checks. While the
children were joyous in anticipa‑
tion of exhilarating sights, adults
seemed to be filled with a sense
pride at the prospect of watching
the country's defence prowess and
cultural diversity from up close.
The enclosures were packed to
capacity. “The police refused to
allow my car's central locking key
inside at any cost. I didn't know
what to do as my car was parked
far away. There were more people
like me. So we hid the keys in the
parking lot. Hope we find them,”
said Rahul Sharma from Rohini in
west Delhi.
The sky was hazy and the low‑
flying choppers at the beginning
of the parade were visible for
barely a few seconds. The India
Gate was just a silhouette from the
press enclosure ‑ which was diago‑
nally opposite the saluting base
where the VIP's were seated ‑ and
the Rashtrapati Bhavan was com‑
pletely invisible.
The sight of army dogs, that
returned to Rajpath after 26 years,
and the gaily caparisoned BSF
camels, made the crowd stand up
and cheer. The children looked
particularly charmed with the so
well‑behaved dogs and the swag‑
gering camels. “I had to jostle in
long queues and had to endure
early morning chill. My little kid
was even tired of walking down
from the parking lot to here. But in
the end it is rewarding,” said
Fatima, who came from Old Delhi
to watch the parade.
The huge T‑90 main battle tanks
did inspire awe, which was further
complimented by the Brahmos
missile coming after them, butthere wasn't much after that in
terms of weaponry.
The tableaux, however, did not
evoke much cheers, neither did the
motorcycle stunts elicit the
expected ovation.
“The themes of tableaux seemed
familiar and the design elements
did not impress me,” said Vikas
Singh, a resident of Gurgaon.
People also could not get the full
thrill of flypast, the concluding
part of the parade, due to fog. The
Sukhoi SU‑30 MKI “Trishul” forma‑
tion and the breathtaking vertical
charlie by another SU‑30 was a
barely two‑second sight. Theplanes quickly disappeared into
the sky, their roar heard till long
after.
Anjali Vyas, who came all the
way from Jaipur to watch the
parade, said she had more expec‑
tations. “I came with so much
expectations. But it was not as
good as I had thought. The contin‑
gents came close on each others'
heels and there was no time to
soak a sight in. Everything looked
hurried and mechanical,” she said.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollandearriving at saluting dais at Rajpath. (Photo: PIB)
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi felicitated the winners of theNational Bravery Awards in New Delhi. (Photo: PIB)
Many happy,
others wanted more
MEET INDIA'S BRAVEHEARTS
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Wishing our patients,staff, and friends
Happy New Year
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016REP U B L I C DAY S P EC I AL
Wishing our patients,staff and friends
Happy Republic Day
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10 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 TheSouthAsianTimes.info THE S TATES
Jaipur The 67th Republic Day
was celebrated with gaiety, fervor
and enthusiasm in Rajasthan.
Governor Kalyan Singh unfurled
the national flag in a packed‑to‑
capacity Karni Singh Stadium
during the state‑level function in
Bikaner, over 340 km from here.
Singh took salute and inspected
the guard of honour amidst
cheers and applause from the
spectators.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje
and senior officials were also
present on the occasion.Personnel from the Rajasthan
Armed Constabulary (RAC),
Rajasthan Police, government
railway police (GRP), home
guards, traffic police, NCC cadets
and school children participated
in the parade.
School children and artistes
then performed folk dances to
patriotic songs. Daredevils team
of police performed acrobatics on
motorcycles.
The governor also honoured
officers, employees and police
personnels for distinguished and
meritorious services.
There was tight security inplace in and around the stadium
and in Bikaner town.
In Jaipur, Bharatiya Janata
Party's state unit president Ashok
Parnami unfurled the national
flag at the BJP state head office
while state Congress president
unfurled the national flag at
Pradesh Congress Committee
office.
Reports of similar functions
also came in from Bharatpur,
Tonk, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota and
other major cities of the state.
Chennai Tamil Nadu celebrated the 67th
Republic Day with patriotic fervor on
Tuesday, with Governor K. Rosaiah
unfurling the tricolor at the Marina
beach here. He also took the salute from
the armed forces and other security
forces. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, her
ministers and a large number of people
enjoyed the colorful floats. District collec‑
tors across the state unfurled the nation‑
al flag and took salute from police con‑tingents.
Rajasthan celebratesR-Day with fervor
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh unfurling the national flag in Jaipur.
Vijayawada With the double digit growth in
the first half of the current financial year,
Andhra Pradesh is making big strides on the
path of development despite the hurdles it
faced in the wake of bifurcation, Governor
E.S.L. Narasimhan said. Speaking at the 67th
Republic Day celebrations here, he said the
state achieved the growth rate of 11.77 per‑
cent in first half of 2015‑16 as against the
national average of 7.2 percent.
"This is a remarkable achievement for a
state whose prospects were far from bright
just 19 months ago," he said at the main of fi‑
cial celebration held at Indira Gandhi munici‑
pal stadium. The governor said while agricul‑
ture and allied sectors registered a growth of
29.17 percent, the manufacturing and servic‑
es sectors recorded 6.77 and 9.10 percent
growth respectively. Stating that sustainable
development and inclusive growth are the
guiding principles of the government, he said
"while sustainable development is our aim, we
never lose focus on welfare of common man".
He claimed that both development goals as
well as fruits of the welfare policies were
being realized as planned. "While targeted
double digit growth is becoming reality, the
fruits of welfare schemes are reaching the
needy," said Narasimhan. The governor saidsurpassing all expectations, the state succeed‑
ed in grabbing the eyeballs of the investors at
the recent CII Partnership Summit in
Visakhapatnam by attracting investment of
Rs.4.70 lakh crore.
The governor called birth of new state capi‑
tal Amaravati as dawn of a new era. It will be
one of the best cities in 21st century.
Within a short period, the state achieved
second position in the World Bank ranking of
states in the ease of doing business. Andhra
Pradesh is aimed to become the number one
state. He described infrastructure mission as
a catalyst for development. It envisages excel‑
lent global and domestic connectivity through
multi‑model transportation to steer the econ‑
omy in the right direction.
Under the infrastructure mission, the statewill have Visakhapatnam‑Chennai industrial
corridor, Bengaluru‑Chennai industrial corri‑
dor, two special investment regions, four
major ports, four active airports, national
highway 7, , several SEZs and industrial parks
The government is trying to make the state
drought free by adopting a strategy which
includes prioritizing irrigation projects, inter‑
linking of rivers and large scale promotion of
drip and sprinkler irrigation.
He listed various steps being taken to give
fillip to agriculture. The state is also ensuring
seven hour free electricity to farmers.
Narasimhan said the government launched
state enterprise architecture e‑pragati which
will change the way citizen services will be
offered. Designed in collaboration with
Wipro, it offers a bouquet of 600 services to
people across the state. The first phase of e‑
pragati will be completed by October 2016
while the whole project will be completed by
October 2017 Andhra Pradesh is also set to
become first state in the country to introduce
overhead optic fibre cable network for cable
television and internet connections
Earlier, the governor unfurled the national
flag and reviewed a colorful parade. Various
departments highlighted their initiatives
through tableaux. Chief Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu, his cabinet colleagues,
Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Ksirhna Rao, DirectorGeneral of Police J.V. Ramudu and other top
officials attended the celebrations.
Bengaluru The Republic Day was celebrated
across Karnataka with patriotic fervor as
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala hoisted the tri‑
colour and received guard of honour at the
Manekshaw Parade Ground in the city cen‑
tre. Clad in a light grey suit, Vala went
around the rectangular‑shaped ground in an
open jeep and reviewed the parade, waving
at and greeting about 8,000 people who
flocked to the venue on a sunny morningwith winter chill in air.
A military helicopter showered rose petals
over the dais on the ground where Vala
unfurled the national flag and took salute
from military and police battalions and other
contingents. After addressing the gathering
in Hindi, Vala witnessed a colourful march
past by about 20 contingents, including
armed forces, state reserve police, Border
Security Force, civil defence forces, home
guards, fire brigade, Bharat Scouts and
Guides, National Cadet Corps and their
bands.
Boys and girls representing Congress SevaDal and about 2,500 students from state‑run
and public schools and colleges from across
the city also took part in the marchpast.
Later, the students staged cultural pro‑
grammes and sang patriotic and devoted
songs, drawing applause and cheers from the
audience. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state
Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Bengaluru
Development Minister K.J. George, a host of
VIPs, dignitaries and officials, including top
police officers were present on the occasion.
According to reports, the Republic Day was
celebrated with gaiety and fervour peaceful‑
ly in cities, towns and district headquartersacross the state.
TAMIL NADUCELEBRATES
REPUBLIC DAY
ANDHRA MAKING BIG STRIDESDESPITE ODDS: GOVERNOR
Telangana and AP Governor ESL Narasimhan
inspects Guard of Honor in Hyderabad.
Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala hoists thenational flag in Bengaluru.
Governor K Rosaiah.
Patriotism marks R-Day in Karnataka
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Guwahati Amid a boycott and
shut‑down called by northeastern
militant outfits, the 67th Republic
Day was celebrated peacefully
across Assam with official func‑
tions well attended by people from
different walks of life.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi hoisted the tricolor at a
function here and said the govern‑
ment would set up a memorial in
the state to honor the people who
laid down their lives for the free‑
dom of the country from the colo‑
nial rule."To show our deepest respect
and gratitude to all freedom fight‑
ers for their selfless service to the
nation, my government has decid‑
ed to set up a Freedom Fighter
Memorial," Gogoi announced.
Steps have also been taken forraising freedom fighter's pension
to Rs.20,000 in the current year,
he said, noting that the pension in
2001 (the first of his 14 consecu‑
tive years of chief ministership)
was only Rs.1500.
Gogoi said his government
would deal with all kinds of terror‑
ism strongly and has brought 13
militant outfits of the state to the
negotiating table so far.
He hoped that the peace talks
with the United Liberation Front
of Assam (ULFA) faction that sup‑
ports negotiations would get
momentum now after the extradi‑
tion of the outfit's general secre‑tary Anup Chetia from
Bangladesh. The chief minister
appealed to the anti‑negotiations
faction of ULFA led by Paresh
Baruah to shun the path of vio‑
lence and join the national main‑
stream. Highlighting the develop‑mental works of his government,
Gogoi announced that all the col‑
leges in Assam were to be connect‑
ed with Wi‑Fi network for the bet‑
terment of the students communi‑
ty. "Assam has also become the
first state in the country to adopt
sustainable development goal mis‑
sion," he said.
Gogoi took the opportunity to
criticise the central government,
saying Assam has been suffering
because its 'special category' sta‑
tus has been curtailed.
"There have been fund cuts
under some of the flagship pro‑
grammes and other importantcentral funds in the past one year.
The development programmes
have been stagnant due to the
fund cut," said Gogoi. He said he
has given several memorandums
to the Prime Minister, appealing to
him to continue the 'special cate‑gory' status for the state and the
centre‑state funding pattern of
90:10 for all centrally sponsored
schemes.
Gogoi slammed the central gov‑
ernment for suspending the North
East Industrial and InvestmentPromotion Policy (NEIIPP) without
which, he said, "no one will come
to invest in the state".
Lucknow The 67th Republic Day
of India was celebrated with usual
fervor across Uttar Pradesh.
Governor Ram Naik took the salute
at the ceremonial parade here.
After hoisting the tricolor, he
called on the people of the state to
work for unity and prosperity of
the state and the country.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadavalong with his family, ministerial
colleagues and bureaucrats were
also present at the event as dozens
of tableaux rolled down on the
Vidhan Sabha road as part of the
pageant. As school children, attired
in colorful dresses marched past
the VVIP enclosure, while the polit‑
ical leaders and general public on
both sides of the road loudly
cheered and applauded.
The tableau depicting the
Lucknow Metro Rail evoked
biggest cheer.Similar functions were held in
many parts of the state where min‑
isters, senior officials and district
magistrates took the salute.
The Bharatiya Janata Party also
celebrated the Republic Day at the
party office.
Congress party celebrated the
day at the party office, as former
minister Ram Krishna Dwivedi
unfurled the national flag. Various
state party leaders attended the
special occasion.
Security was beefed up acrossthe state on the Republic Day in
the light of intelligence inputs that
terrorists might target the parades
and functions at some places.
Jammu Indian and Pakistan armies exchanged greetings
and sweets on the occasion of the Republic Day at the Line
of Control (LoC) here.
"On the occasion of the 67th Indian Republic Day, troops
of India and Pakistan exchanged sweets at Poonch‑
Rawalakot crossing point and Mendhar Hot Spring cross‑
ing point in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir,"
Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS here. The offi‑
cers of the two neighboring armies have been holding peri‑
odic flag meetings to ensure peace on the LoC in Kashmir.
Indian, Chinese armies
hold border meetsJammu Indian and Chinese armies held bor‑
der personnel meetings on the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh
region to commemorate India's 67th Republic
Day. The Indian Army's Udhampur headquar‑
tered Northern Command spokesman, Colonel
S.D. Goswami told IANS here: "On the occasion
of the 67th Republic Day of India, Ceremonial
Border Personnel Meetings between thetroops of Indian Army and Chinese People's
Liberation Army were held in eastern Ladakh."
"At the Chushul‑Moldo Meeting Point, the
delegations were led by Brigadier R.S. Raman
and Senior colonel Cheng Zheng Shan while at
the Daulat Beg Oldie Meeting Point, the dele‑
gations were led by Colonel B.S. Uppal and
Lieutenant Colonel Duanyug Kang," Goswmi
said. "The proceedings commenced with cere‑
monial flag hoisting of both the countries fol‑
lowed by the military commanders of both
sides delivering speeches which exuded
warmth and a spirit of friendship and bon
homie." "Thereafter, a cultural programme
showcasing vibrant Indian culture and tradi‑
tional grandeur was organised."
11Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016TheSouthAsianTimes.info THE S TATES
Despite militants' threat, R-Daycelebrated across Assam
R-Day celebrated with
traditional fervor in UP
Stunts during the Republic Day parade inGuwahati, Assam. (Photo: IANS)
Mumbai A parade here com‑
memorating the 67th Republic
Day saw a large number of
school children along with car‑
toon characters marching away
with smile and pride.
The parade was led by a caval‑
cade of horses trained and pro‑
vided by the Amateur Riders
Club here, along with contin‑
gents of security forces from the
navy, air force and army.
There were various cultural
performances like the Lazim,
Bhangra, Gujarati folk songs and
more at the event , where
Poonam Mahajan and Priya Dutt
hoisted the national flag.Nickelodeon Toons from "Motu
Patlu", "Pakdam Pakdai" and
"Dora The Explore" walked the
parade, and the entertainment
channel's 'superkid' Shiva led the
cycle group with more than 150
children. Together, they promot‑
ed 'The Big Green Help', an ini‑
tiative for a greener environ‑
ment.
"We are happy to have associ‑
ated with Nickelodeon for the
annual Republic Day Parade in
Mumbai. We loved the Nicktoons
being a part of the parade along
with the children and marching
in respect for the country," said a
source close to the organising
committee.
With over 40 schools partici‑
pating for the parade and more
than 20,000 spectators, thechannel along with the children
had a one‑of‑a‑kind experience
to salute the country and honour
the heroes, read a statement.
KIDS, CARTOON
CHARACTERS PARADE
ON R-DAY IN MUMBAI
INDIAN, PAK ARMIES
EXCHANGE GREETINGS
AT LOCKids in cartoon characters during the
parade in Mumbai. (Photo: IANS)
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New Delhi India and France signed
14 pacts to bolster ties and con‑
cluded an inter‑government agree‑
ment for the purchase of 36 Rafale
fighter aircraft by New Delhi but
with financial issues yet to be
resolved.
The two countries also decided
to bolster cooperation against ter‑
rorism, and told Pakistan to bring
to justice those responsible for ter‑
ror strikes in Gurdaspur and
Pathankot and the November
2008 terror attack in Mumbai and
ensure that such attacks do notrecur. French President Francois
Hollande and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi also agreed to col‑
laborate to construct six nuclear
power reactors at Jai tapur in
Maharashtra instead of two decid‑
ed earlier.
The two sides had "a very pro‑
ductive discussion" during the del‑
egation level talks at Hyderabad
House here which lasted 90 min‑
utes, beyond the expected dura‑
tion. Earlier Modi and Hollande
had "restricted talks" for about anhour.
Hollande and Modi later took a
Delhi Metro train to attend a func‑
tion in Gurgaon in Haryana to lay
the foundation stone of the
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
headquarters and inaugurate its
Interim Secretariat. The two lead‑
ers jointly launched the ISA at the
Paris Climate Change summit.
India and France came out with a
joint statement which talked about
the need for "all countries to effec‑
tively deal with terrorism emanat‑
ing from their territory or territo‑
ries under their control".
They agreed to intensify cooper‑ation in homeland security, cyber
security, special forces and intelli‑
gence sharing. Terrorism, they
said, cannot be justified under any
circumstance, regardless of its
motivation.
Both leaders called for decisive
action against the Pakistan‑based
Lashkar‑e‑Taiba, Jaish‑e‑
Mohammad, Hizb‑ul‑Mujahideen
and Haqqani Network as well as
groups such as Al Qaeda. Modi and
Hollande praised each other after
the signing of 14 agreements.
Earlier, Hollande, who flew into
Chandigarh on Sunday, was given
a ceremonial welcome at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on the second
day of his three‑day visit to India.
After the bilateral talks, Modi
said financial details need to be
worked out in finalizing the much‑
awaited purchase of Rafale jets
from France, adding this would be
concluded soon.
Modi had, during his visit to
Paris last year, announced India's
intention to buy 36 Rafale medium
multi‑role combat aircraft built by
Dassault. The deal is valued at
around Rs.60,000 crore (almost
$9 billion). "Only financial aspects
of the Rafale deal is left. The inter‑
governmental agreement has been
finalised. It will be done soon,"
Modi said.Hollande said: "It is a decisive
step for India to purchase the
fighter jets and also for France to
make them available to a great
country like India."
On the financial aspects, he said:
"It will be sorted out in a couple of
days." Foreign Secretary S.
Jaishankar, who briefed the media
after the bilateral talks, said 30
agreements were signed between
the two sides since Sunday.
Referring to the civil nuclear
cooperation, he said: "At Jaitapur,
we will collaborate to construct six
nuclear power reactors."
The joint statement said Modiand Hollande encouraged their
industrial companies to conclude
techno‑commercial negotiations by
the end of 2016 to build six
nuclear power reactor units at
Jaitapur, with due consideration to
"localisation of manufacturing in
India". France reaffirmed its sup‑
port for India's candidature for a
permanent seat on the UN Security
Council.
New Delhi Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is said to
have had a "hospitable" experience when she met
French President François Hollande at a special lunch‑
eon here on Tuesday, looking radiant and ravishing in a
red Banarasi sari.
Their conversation ranged from talking about movies
to her experiences at Cannes, a guest at the lunch told
IANS, adding that Hollande even made Aishwarya join
him at his table.
"The French president was very warm," the insider
said. Aishwarya, who has been in the midst of shooting
her new film "Sarbjit", took out time from her busy
schedule to attend the lunch, which was hosted by
French Ambassador Francois Richier here.
The former beauty queen, a past recipient of the pres‑
tigious 'Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters', a civil‑ian award by the French government, was the only
Indian actor to be present.
Hollande attended the lunch following his appearance
at the country's colourful Republic Day parade on
Rajpath as the chief guest. Other guests at the lunch
included designers Ritu Beri, who has earlier received
the Chevalier Des Arts et Des Lettres award, one of the
highest civilian awards by the French government, for
her contribution to the enrichment of Indo‑French cul‑
tural relations; and Manish Arora, who shares a deep
connect with Paris, the source said. There were other
politicians and businessmen at the gala. For the occa‑
sion, Aishwarya chose a perfectly suited ensemble ‑‑ a
sari from designer duo Swati and Sunaina.
Made in Banaras ‑‑ age‑old weavers from where are
poised for a facelift courtesy Prime Minister Narendra
Modi ‑‑ the six‑yard wonder that the actress wore, waswoven with fine mulberry silk and zari made from pure
silver threads dipped in gold.
Only natural fibres and eco‑friendly dyeing was used
in the making of the sari, a source close to the design‑
ers, told IANS.
It was only fit that that Aishwarya chose a creation so
deeply rooted in Indian technique and craft to meet the
president of France, a country that she's had a great
connect with for long.
She's a regular at the Cannes International Film
Festival, where the first look of "Jazbaa" ‑‑ her come‑
back film post pregnancy ‑‑ was launched last year.
An actress who has featured in Bollywood films like
"Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Dhoom 2", "Guru" and
"Devdas", Aishwarya is also an ambassador of Frenchcosmetics and beauty company L'Oréal Paris, for which
she recently starred in an ad with Eva Longoria.
In fact, she even shot for her international film "Pink
Panther 2" in Paris.
PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande during a
joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.(Photo: IANS)
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ina red Banarasi sariwith President Hollande. (Photo: Facebook)
Gurgaon
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said the
International Solar Alliance will
"work l ike a l i fe ‑giver to
mankind". At a function held
here to lay the foundation stone
of the International Solar
Alliance (ISA) headquarters and
inaugurate an interim secretariat
of the ISA, Modi said it will be
like an "international organisa‑
tion" like the WHO and the UN,
"but headquartered in India".
The International SolarAlliance will "work like a life
giver to mankind", Modi said.
Modi said that at the recent
COP 21 climate conference in
Paris, two major initiatives were
launched ‑‑ one was by the US
and France on innovation on how
to fight global warming and cli‑
mate change, and the other was
by India on the solar alliance.
An initiative of Modi, the ISA
was jointly launched by him and
Hollande on November 30 last
year ahead of the Paris climate
summit. It is an alliance of some
120 countries situated between
the Tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn.Hollande also boarded a Delhi
Metro train along with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to visit
Gurgaon in adjoining Haryana.
Modi and Hollande travel on Delhi Metroon way to Gurgaon. (Photo: PIB)
Aishwarya talks films, Cannes
and more with Hollande
15Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016TheSouthAsianTimes.info HOLLANDE I N I ND I A
INDIA, FRANCE TAKE A STEPON RAFALE, DISCUSS TERROR
Solar alliance will be life-
giver to mankind: Modi
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16 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NAT I ONAL HONORS
Padma Awards 2016 announcedRELIANCE FOUNDER DHIRUBHAI AMBANI , ACTOR RAJINIKANTH ,
ART OF LIVING'S SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR , MEDIA BARON RAMOJI RAO
AND INDIAN-AMERICAN ECONOMIST AVINASH DIXIT
AMONG 10 EMINENT PEOPLE CHOSEN FOR PADMA VIBHUSHAN
Founder of the Reliance empire late
Dhirubhai Ambani, Superstar
Rajinikanth, Art of Living founder Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar and media baron Ramoji Rao
have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan,
country's second‑highest civilian award, this
year.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor
Jagmohan, former DRDO chie f V K Aatre,
cancer specialist and chairperson of Adyar
Cancer Institute Dr V Shanta and eminent
Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini
Krishnamurthi and classical vocalist Girija
Devi and Indian‑American economist
Avinash Dixit have also been named for
Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of this
year's Republic Day celebrations.
Noted actor Anupam Kher, singer Udit
Narayan, former CAG Vinod Rai, chairperson
of media group Bennett, Coleman & Co. Indu
Ja in , spor ts st ar San ia Mirza and Sai na
Nehwal, spiritual leaders late Swami
Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Tejomayananda
and former US Ambassador to India Robert
Blackwill are among the 19 eminent people
chosen for Padma Bhushan.
Industrialist Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry,
Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava and
eminent architect Hafeez Contractor also fig‑
ure in the l ist of Padma Bhushan awardees.
Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was theprosecution counsel in the Mumbai terror
attack case, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka
Chopra get Padma Shri besides a posthu‑
mous Padma Shri for actor Saeed Jaffrey.
Devi, 86, already a Padma Shri and Padma
Bhushan recipient, is known as thumri queen
for popularizing the genre. She is also an
exponent of khyal and tappa.
Kher, known for his outstanding character
roles in a career spanning over three
decades, will receive Padma Bhushan with
Narayan, who ruled Bollywood playback
singing in the '80s and '90s.
The "Saaransh" actor said he was "happy,
humbled and honored" to be recognized.
"Today the son of an exiled Kashmiri
Pandit, who worked as a clerk in the forest
department of a small town, has received the
coveted Padma Bhushan in recognition of his
hard work. Thank you my country," Kher
tweeted.
Both Kher and Narayan are already Padma
Shri winners.
Actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra,
33, have been named for Padma Shri awards,
Devgn, a two‑time National award winner, is
known for his intense performances in films
like "Zakhm", "The Legend of Bhagat Singh",
"Omkara", "Gangajal", "Apaharan" and
"Drishyam."
"I feel deeply humbled yet elated to receive
such honor from my own country. This
announcement today makes it special for me
when I'm filming abroad for my new
film 'Shivaay'. I'd like to acknowledge
that Padma Samman puts an extra
responsibility on me and I promise to
serve my country for as long as I can,"
Devgn, 46, said in a statement.
Padma Awards ‑ one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred
in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma
Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.‑ art,
social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, lit‑erature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
ʻPadma Vibhushanʼ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ʻPadma
Bhushanʼ for distinguished service of high order and ʻPadma Shriʼ for distinguished
service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every
year.
This year the President of India has approved conferment of Padma Awards to 112
persons. The list comprises 10 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 83 Padma
Shri Awardees. 19 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons
from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs (including one posthumous) and 4
Posthumous awardees.
Legendary entrepreneur Dhirubhai
Ambani has been named for this
ye ar 's Padma Vibhu sha n aw ar d,
India's second highest civilian honor, for
his "exceptional and distinguished" serv‑
ice.
Ambani will be conferred the award
posthumously for his contribution to
trade and industry ‑‑ the only person cho‑
sen for the Padma Vibhushan this year
under this category.
The president of India confers the
award around March‑April. Both his sons
‑‑ overseeing the empire he created ‑‑ felt
overwhelmed and honored by the
announcement.
"The Padma Vibhushan awarded to Shri
Dhirubhai Ambani is an honor to the
indomitable spirit of Indian entrepreneur‑
ship, innovation and ambition to always
do better than the best in the world," said
Mukesh Ambani, his older son. The
younger son Anil Ambani, who oversees
the Reliance Group, said the honor was a
recognition of Indian entrepreneurship.
"I personally, and the entire Reliance
family, are truly overwhelmed and deeply
humbled at the award of this great
national honor, the Padma Vibhushan, for
the greatest entrepreneur and wealth cre‑
ator in the history of India, my beloved
father, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani," he said.
"The true legacy of Dhirubhai lies in the
inspiration that he continues to provide
to millions of young people, who are
dreaming impossible dreams, and setting
out to achieve their entrepreneurial ambi‑
tions." "In his lifetime, Dhirubhai created
and shared more wealth with Indians
than anyone before or since."
Padma Awardees
from the US
Economist Avinash Dixit, former US envoyto India Robert Blackwill, educator Sal
Khan and Master Card CEO and
P r e s i d e n t
Ajaypal Singh
Banga have been
selected for
Padma Awards,
announced on
the eve of Indiaʼs
Republic Day.
Dixit bagged
P a d m a
Vibhushan in the
foreigner catego‑
ry. Khan
Academy fame
Salman ʻSalʼKhan, and
Ajaypal Singh Banga have been selected for
Padma Shri awards.
Indian Americaneconomist Avinash Dixit
Superstar Rajnikanth Media mogul Ramoji Rao
Industrialist Dhirubhai Ambaniwill be awarded Padma Vibhushan
posthumously.
AMBANI SONS ‘PROUD, HUMBLED’
Art of Living founder and spiritual leaderSri Sri Ravi Shankar
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THE PARADE IN P IX17 Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
Over the years, the Republic Day parade in the national capital has come to be associated with an equal mix of mil itary precis ion and a gl impse of the country’s diverse cultural heritage and so it was this year. A glimpse.. .
(Photos: IANS/PIB)
WHEN RAJPATHCAME ALIVE
he French Army ma rchin g cont ingen t pas ses through th e Rajp ath on the occas ion of th e 67th Repub licay parade in New Delhi. (right) Smerch Multiple Rocket Launcher System passes through the Rajpath.
Rajpath comes alive with the daredevil stunts of motorbike riders of Corps of Signals in New Delhi.
The table au of the Elec tionCommission of India passes
through the Rajpath.The BSF Ca mel co ntingent p asses throu gh th e Rajp ath.
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18 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 TheSouthAsianTimes.info THE S TATES
Patna Bihar celebrated the
67th republic Day, with
Governor Ram Nath Kovind
hoisting the tricolour in the
state capital city.
The governor took salute at
an impressive parade by securi‑ty forces and, in a short speech,
lauded the state government
for development activities and
combating corruption and
crime.
Kovind said rule of law pre‑
vailed in Bihar and motto of the
Grand Alliance‑led government
was development of the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
hoisted the tricolor at his offi‑
cial residence here.
Imphal The 67th Republic Day was
celebrated in all nine districts of
Manipur without any major unto‑
ward incident despite calls for boy‑
cott and general strike.
The call for boycott and dawn‑to‑
dusk shutdown was given by thebanned underground militant
organisation United Naga Council,
among others. Several hundred
trucks, buses and other vehicles
were stranded along the national
highways in the wake of the shut‑
down call.
There were some incidents on
Monday night of burning down of
the decorative gates erected by gov‑
ernment departments for the
Republic Day celebrations in
Tamenglong district.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh
was the chief guest at the main
function held at Kangla, where over
100 contingents and tableaux par‑ticipated in the parade and display.
On the occasion, the chief minister
sought public cooperation to ensure
the overall development of the
state. There were state and central
forces, school and college students,
cultural and sports contingents and
tableaux highlighting the achieve‑
ments of the government depart‑
ments.
All shops and commercial estab‑lishments remained shut, with the
Republic Day being a national holi‑
day. Police had beefed up security
measures throughout the state.
The chief minister decorated six
police personnel with medals for
meritorious service. One Fire
Service Medal was also given.
It was also officially announced
that the President's medal for dis‑
tinguished service was awarded to a
policeman and the Presidential cor‑
rectional medal for meritorious
services was given to two jail staff.
Meanwhile, in the Jiribam sub‑
division of Imphal East district, the
main function was held at theGovernment higher secondary
school. Despite the call for a boycott
and general strike by some tribal
organizations, a function was held
in the district headquarters of
Churachandpur.
At Saprameina, in the Sadar Hills
sub‑division, tribal groups per‑
formed cultural dances at an official
function.
In Tamenglong, District CollectorM. Luikham hoisted the national
flag as 19 contingents participated
in the function.
Reports of peaceful celebrations
of the Republic Day were received
from other parts of the state as well.
Meanwhile, there were some
reports saying that some of the par‑
ticipants of the parade in Imphal
were hospitalized after being indis‑
posed.
They complained about having
not been provided blankets and
other warm clothes despite severe
cold and given insipid food.
Lucy, one of the girls, told IANS
that they were given Rs.200 eachper day. Several participants were
unhappy with the management,
including provision of basic ameni‑
ties, including washroom.
Bihar celebrates 67th Republic Day
Manipur celebratesRepublic Day peacefully
Republic Day celebrations underway at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence in Patna.
Panaji Goa Governor Mridula
Sinha called on people to stay
united in the face of divisive
and anti‑national forces.
Speaking at the 67th
Republic Day parade here, the
governor said the biggest duty
of the citizens is to stay alertand cooperate with state and
national agencies to maintain
security and harmony.
"Our biggest duty is to stay
united in the face of divisive
and anti‑national forces.
Staying alert and (showing)
cooperation with security agen‑
cies can help both the state as
well as central agencies to
maintain security," Sinha said.
Lamenting that a combina‑
tion of poverty, malnutrition
and unhygenic conditions was
taking a toll on the health of
the nation's citizenry, she also
said the country needs to com‑plement modern medicine with
ancient Indian medicinal wis‑
dom.
"Many of the diseases are
rooted in poverty, malnutrition
and poor hygiene. We can stop
these illnesses to quite an
extent if we can provide people
with nutrition, healthy environ‑
ment, clean water and educa‑
tion," Sinha said. "Today, the
health condition of citizens of
our country are worrisome and
deplorable. While we are using
modern medicine to overcome
many fatal diseases, we are
confronted with newer illnesses
creeping up," she said, while
advocating adaptation of
ancient medicinal systems.
Mumbai Bollywood celebrities
Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor,
Akshay Kumar, and Anupam
Kher among others wished their
fans and friends a Happy
Republic Day, hoping that there
be progress and equality in the
country in the years to come.
On the country's 67th Republic
Day, here's what the cine stars
had to share on Twitter:
A m i t a b h B a c h c h a n HappyRepublic Day ...2016! January
26...
Rish i Kapoor Happy Republic
Day to one and all!
Anupam Kher My India. Happy
Republic Day.
Akshay Kumar Just holding this
flag swells up your chest in pride.
She did what no other country
did for its people. Happy
Republic Day.
Varun Dhawan Happy Republic
Day.
Pulkit Samrat Let's all pledge to
be more deserving of the rights
granted to us. Happy Republic
Day folks!
Alisha Chinai Jai Hind. .. Happy
Republic Day... Love and light to
my fellow Indians everywhere in
the world!
Preity Zinta Happy Republic Day
Folks. Ask not what your country
can do for you, but what you can
do for your country!
N e h a D h u p i a Following our
annual tradition of breakfast in
bed and watching the parade on
TV with family and lots patriot‑
ism in the air! Happy Republic
Day
Dino Morea Happy Republic Day
my India!
Esha Gupta Happy Republic Day.
Mallika Sherawat Here's wishing
everyone a very happy Republic
Day, Jai Hind.
Stay unitedagainst divisive,anti-nationalforces: Goagovernor
Filled with pride,
B-Town celebswish Happy
Republic Day
Governor of Goa
Mridula Sinha.
Jharkhand celebrates Republic DayRanchi Jharkhand cel‑
ebrated the 67th
Republic Day, with
Governor Draupdi
Murmu hoisting the tri‑
color at Morabadi
Ground here.
Murmu became
Jh ar khan d' s fi rs t
women governor to
hoist the flag on
Republic Day. She also
took salute of the
armed forces and other
security forces.
Chief Minister
Raghubar Das hoisted
the tricolour at the sec‑
ond capital, Dumka. Republic Day Parade underway at Morabadi Grounds in Ranchi.
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016REP U B L I C DAY S P EC I AL
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New York The Consulate General
of India in New York, hosted a
reception to celebrate the 67th
Republic Day of India on January
26. A large number of guests con‑
sisting of prominent dignitaries
like PR of India to the UN Amb.
Syed Akbaruddin, Consul General
of Bangladesh Md.Shameem
Ahsan ndc, Commissioner
Upendra Chivikula, , TV Asia CEO
Mr. H. R. Shah besides a large
number of community leaders and
representatives both from local
and Indian community were pres‑ent. The evening began with
singing of the national anthems of
the two countries, and reading out
excerpts of the President's mes‑
sage on the eve of the 67th
Republic Day of India, by Deputy
Consul General Dr. Manoj
Mohapatra.Following this, Consul General,
Amb Dnyaneswar M. Mulay wel‑
comed the guests to the Republic
Day celebrations and highlighted
the notable achievements India
has made in the past year.
Addressing the gathering, he said
that the true beauty of India lies inits diversity. He further said that
India is a country with collection
of different views, cultures, sub‑
cultures people, and when we cele‑
brate Republic Day we are actually
celebrating this unity in diversity.
On this occasion Amb. Syed
Akbaruddin also spoke about thenon‑resident Indians who are the
real Ambassadors of India and
they should also support the
efforts in making India a global
leader and he is ready to take up
their matters in the United
Nations.
The event concluded with cakecutting ceremony followed by
classical dance performance by
Arya Dance Academy of New York.
Guest were then invited for an
authentic Indian dinner and the
opportunity to interact with all
Consulate officials.
S t o n e h a m M A :
Th e
Government of India has
awarded Madhu Pandit
Dasa, founder and chair‑man of Akshaya Patra, the
Padma Shri Award for dis‑
tinguished service ren‑
dered by Akshaya Patra for
children in government
schools in India.
Madhu Pandit Dasa
received the Padma Shri
award on January 26th;
the Award is traditionally
given on Indiaʼs Republic Day. Upon receiv‑
ing the Award, Madhu Pandit Dasa said,
“This award is recognition of our humble
service of leading this cause of nutrition for
education amongst the government school
children through the Akshaya Patra pro‑
gram. It is an inspiration for me and the
entire team at Akshaya Patra to reach out
the work of our foundation to many more
hungry children of this country. Quality
food for these children is a need for quality
education that will in turn create citizens of
great character. Our children are the real
asset of our nation”. Madhu Pandit Dasa has
been a visionary leader for Akshaya Patra
and designed the first cen‑
tralized kitchen to provide
school meals to underprivi‑
leged children in theGovernment schools of
Bangalore Rural District
during July 2000.
Akshaya Patra works with
the Government of India
and state governments and
is one of the most admired
public‑private partner‑
ships in the sphere of edu‑
cation and child welfare.
Under Madhu Pandit Dasaʼs inspirational
leadership, Akshaya Patra has grown from
providing 1500 children with school meals
to 1.5 million children in 15 years, becom‑
ing the worldʼs largest NGO‑run school
lunch program. Madhu Pandit Dasa com‑
pleted his Bachelor in Civil Engineering
from IIT‑Mumbai in 1980. While he was
doing his Masters in 1981, he dedicated
himself to the service of humanity by
becoming a full‑time member of ISKCON.
Upon founding Akshaya Patra, Madhu
Pandit Dasa had the foresight to set it up as
a fully separate and secular 80G not for
profit organization.
20 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TR I S TATE COMMUNI TY
Indian Consulate in NYcelebrates 67th Republic Day
Prominent community leaders from Tri‑State attended the eventConsul General Dnyaneswar Mulay addressing the crowd.
(Photos: Facebook page of CGI‑NY)
(Photo: Twitter)
Padma Shri for Akshaya Patrachairman Madhu Pandit Dasa
Republic Day celebrations at Indian
Embassy in Washington DC
Ambassador ArunK. Singh paying floraltributes to the statueof Mahatma Gandhion the occasion.
(Photos: Facebook page of Indian Embassy in Washington, DC)
Remarks byAmbassad
or Arun K.Singh andreading of
thePresident's
RepublicDay
Message..
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THE CONSTITUTION21 Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
S
ixty six years ago, on January
26, 1950, India’s Constitu-
tion came into force - replac-
ing far away England’s Govern-ment of India Act of 1935.
That India chose Dr. B.R. Ambed-
kar to give birth to the legal archi-
tecture that would unleash every
Indian’s best urges while minimiz-
ing their worst - a durable com-
pact between India’s citizens and
their government - is perhaps the
best compliment any nation can
bestow upon a single individual to
do the job that took all of Ameri-
ca’s best in Philadelphia in 1789
after a tumultuous 1776.
Plato, the cherished author of
the Republic, laid out a Greek
merit-based caste system - albeit,
it was never so labeled. While rea-sonable minds can dier if India
borrowed from Plato, or Plato bor-
rowed from India, the simple fact
is that Plato and the Indian caste
system are inseparable.
The Indian Constitution, the
longest of any sovereign
nation in the world, pro-
vides a comprehensive framework
to guide and govern the country,
keeping in view her social, cultur-
al and religious diversity.
The Constitution was framed by
the Constituent Assembly of India,
established by the members of the
provincial assemblies elected by
the people of India. Dr B.R. Ambed-
kar, the chairman of its Drafting
Committee, is considered the chief
architect of the Indian Constitution.
It establishes the main organs –
executive, legislature and judiciary,dening their powers, demarcat-
ing their responsibilities and reg-
ulating the inter-se relationship.
It inter alia lays down the basic
What is also true is that rules
without individual exibility be-come rigid and unfair - which is
why we have the noble judiciary
toiling to fashion justice one case
at a time. India’s caste syst