The Canadian Parvasi – Issue 06

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Email: editor@canadianparvasi.com Contact Number : 905-673-0600 August 04, 2017 | Pages 24 

13 more red-light 

cameras to catch 

drivers in Mississauga 

and Brampton 

The Canadian Parvasi 

MISSISSAUGA: Drivers 

beware! There are 

now red light cameras 

in many new locations 

in the Peel Region to 

catch you. In all, 28 

intersections the Peel 

Region are now under 

camera observation. 

The fine for jumping 

red lights is $325. A 

municipal press release 

says, "At the beginning 

of the month Peel Region 

had cameras at 13 

new locations to catch 

drivers running red 

lights. 

The region also 

took the devices out of 

service at 11 of the 26 

existing intersections 

and refurbished the 

others. 

Continued on page 06 

NEW DELHI: India has 

okayed a proposal to give 

proxy voting rights to overseas 

Indians. The cabinet 

cleared the proposal to allow 

proxy voting for NRIs o 

amend the Representation 

of the People Act to include 

proxy voting for NRIs. This 

Baba Ramdev's 'desi ghee' 

may not be cow ghee at 

all, says new book 


Rising from a Haryana 

village to yoga stardom, 

Baba Ramdev has virtually 

become a household 

name in India. He 

has a huge following 

across the world and 

he is credited with 

reviving the ancient 

Indian medicine of 

Ayurveda. 

With a kindly 

BJP government 

at the helm today, 

Baba Ramdev has 

taken his Patanjali 

Group to become 

India’s fastest growing 

company in the fastmoving 

consumer goods 

(FMCG) sector. 

The Pajanali Group, 

he founded, crossed revenue 

of Rs 10,000 crore this 

year, leaving behind the 

option is currently available 

to only service personnel. 

Currently, the non-resident 

Indians can by being 

physically present in constituencies 

where they are 

registered. But only a few 

thousand NRIs – 10,000 to 

12,000 – have exercised their 

iconic companies such as 

Britannia, Godrej and the 

hotel-chain ITC. 

The popularity of 

his ayurvedic products 

has a lot to do with his 

claims that the products 

are made from pure 

home-grown ingredients 

because anything that is 

'shudh desi' sells quickly 

in India. 

Continued on page 13 

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Demolition of Brampton’s 

monster house begins 


BRAMPTON: Demolition 

of the controversial monster 

house at 443 Centre 

Street North in Brampton 

has begun after five years 

of controversies and court 

battle. 

The demolition began 

on Monday after the Ontario 

Superior Court in 

its order on July 25 asked 

house owner Ahmed Elbasiouni 

to destroy the unfinished 

6,600 square-foot 

building within 120 days. If 

he failed to do so, the city 

would be forced to destroy 

the house and charge him 

the costs of demolition, the 

court ordered. 

Elbasiouni has also 

been restrained from 

building anything on the 

plot without a new building 

permit. 

India to allow proxy voting to NRIs 

franchise by being physically 

present in the constituencies 

where they are registered.w 

But the proposed amendment 

to the Act, NRIs would 

also be allowed to use the option 

of proxy. An expert committee 

in the Election Commission 

working on the issue 

had, in 2015, forwarded the legal 

framework to the law ministry 

to amend electoral laws 

to allow overseas Indians use 

proxy voting. Agencies 

Amandeep Nijjar 

Insurance Broker 

Dir: 416-838-4161 

anijjar@multirisk.ca 

In 2012, the city planners 

mistakenly approved 

a building permit to Elbasiouni 

for the monster 

house. When residents 

started complaining about 

the size of his house, the 

city revoked its approval 

its building permit in 2013. 

The monster house was 

to have eight bedrooms, 

10 bathrooms and about 

13,000 square feet of living 

space. 

A legal battle ensued. 

Elbasiouni dragged the 

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city to court, saying that 

he was building as per the 

specifications he submitted 

to the city. He slapped a 

$20-million lawsuit against 

the city. He also filed a a 

$7 million lawsuit against 

area councillors Elaine 

Moore and Grant Gibson 

and the late councillor Paul 

Palleschi for defamatory 

statements. But the city 

maintained the approval 

happened because of a “computer 

mapping error.” 

Continued on page 04 

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The International News Weekly REGIONAL 

August 04, 2017 | Toronto 02 

NEWS 

Three Brampton teens 

who rammed stolen car 

into hydro box, charged 


BRAMPTON: Three Brampton teens, who slammed a 

stolen car into a hydro box in Brampton on Tuesday 

morning, have charged with stealing. 

The teens, all under the age of 15, rammed the stolen 

Honda Civic with Nova Scotia number plate into 

a hydro box in a Brampton residential area between 

Rutherford Road North and Vodden Street East. 

No one was injured. After ramming the vehicle into 

the hydro box, the three fled from the scene. 

The accident caused power outage in the area. Residents 

called police who arrested the three teens. 

Police said the teens are 13, 14 and 15 years old. The 

eldest of them was said to be at the wheel when the accident 

happened. 

They have been charged with possessing stolen 

property. 

Jagmeet can make a 

big impact, says BC 

MP as he announces 

support for him 


Royal Punjabi Cup raises $50K for charity, 

Kash Dharni and Rao Gohal emerge winners 


BRAMPTON: Kash Dharni 

and Rao Gohal were winners 

at this year’s Royal 

Punjabi Cup held last week 

at the Glencairn Golf Club. 

They beat out competition 

from over 250 golfers. 

Held by the Punjabi 

Golfers Association, the 

event saw largest-ever participation 

this year. 

The tournament raised 

$50,000 for charity, with the 

Seva Food Bank being its 

major beneficiary. 

On a beautiful day, the 

successful participants enjoyed 

additional tee times 

at the neighbouring Rattle- 

Snake Point golf course. 

While the championship 

fight for the coveted 

Royal Punjabi Cup took 

place at RattleSnake, the 

scramble tournament and 

intermediate golfers played 

at Glencarin. 

Delicious food from 

Punjabi by Nature and a 

beautiful tribute to Shiv 

Kumar Batalvi after dinner 

by special guest musician 

Mohsin Shaukat Ali added 

to the fun. 

While Kash Dharni and 

Rao Gohal walked away 

with winners’ awards, other 

winners from the scramble 

tournament, the all new 

women’s flight competition, 

chipping and putting 

contests also took home 

great prizes ranging from 

cash awards to weekend 

getaways and golf memberships. 

The major beneficiary 

of this golfing event has 

been the Seva Food Bank 

for its great work in supporting 

struggling families 

in the local community. 

Jagmeet Singh leaves behind Trudeau 

and Andrew Scheer in fund-raising 


BRAMPTON: Jagmeet Singh, Ontario 

NDP deputy leader, who is in the race 

for the federal NDP leadership, has 

raised more funds than other four contenders 

in the second quarter of 2017. 

In fact, his fund-raising accounts 

for 60 percent of all the money raised 

by the four contenders. The federal 

NDP will elect its new leader in October 

to replace Tom Mulcair. Elections 

Canada says Jagmeet Singh raised 

$356,784 from 1,681 individual contributions 

during the April-July period. His 

fund-raising assumes even more significance 

as Jagmeet entered the NDP 

leadership race only in mid-May, halfway 

through the reporting period that 

stretched from April 1 to June 30. What 

is even more important is that Jagmeet 

Singh has already been able to rope in 

more donors than Justin Trudeau (854 

donors) in his Liberal Party leadership 

race in 2013 and the current Conservative 

leader Andrew Scheer (1,049 donors) 

in his 2017 leadership bid. "We’re 

most proud of how we fundraised. 

Across the country, we built from the 

community out & mobilized 1,517 donors 

in just 47 days,’’ Jagmeet said in a 

post on social media. 

At number two is Ontario MP Charlie 

Angus who raised $123,577 from 1,285 

individual contributions. 

Manitoba MP Niki Ashton comes 

third by raising $70,156 from 1,006 

contributors. Quebec MP Guy Caron 

comes fourth, having raised just $46,970 

from 568 contributions. BC’s Peter Julian, 

who withdrew from the leadership 

race last month, raised $28,673 in 

the second quarter. Before Jagmeet 

entered the race, Angus was the lead 

fundraiser in the first quarter, collecting 

$110,765. 

TORONTO: There is more support for NDP leadership 

aspirant Jagmeet Singh. Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malaha-Langford 

in British Columbia, has thrown 

his weight behind the young Indo-Canadian leader. 

In a statement, MacGregor, who is the NDP’s Justice 

Critic, said on Tuesday, “I’m 

endorsing Jagmeet Singh 

to be the next leader of the 

NDP because I think he has 

a unique ability to inspire a 

new generation of Canadians 

away from the cynical, status 

quo policies of the Liberals 

and Conservatives.” 

MacGregor said, "Whether 

it’s his charming and engaging 

personality, his organization and endless energy, or 

his strong stand on issues of social justice, I truly believe 

Jagmeet is a leader who will make a profound impact in 

Canada at the helm of our party.” 

Highlighting the importance of rights and freedoms in 

democracy, he said, "Jagmeet has a long history of standing 

strong for these rights, and he will ensure the NDP 

leads the way on environmental, economic, and social 

justice issues.’’ 

He said, "The NDP needs to be the vehicle for real and 

meaningful progressive change in Canada. To do this, we 

need a leader who can generate excitement, grow our party, 

and generate a buzz about our policy ideas. Jagmeet 

Singh is that leader.’’ Thanking MacGregor, Jagmeet 

Singh said he was humbled to accept his support. “I’m so 

happy to have Alistair’s endorsement as a justice advocate,’’ 

Jagmeet added. 

Film on great Borg-McEnroe rivalry to 

open Toronto film festival on Sept 7 


TORONTO: Borg/McEnroe, 

the film on the tennis 

court rivalry between 

Swedish Bjorn Borg and 

American John McEnroe 

in the 1980s, will kick off 

the 42nd Toronto International 

Film Festival on 

September 7. Directed by 

Janus Metz, it will be the 

Opening Night Gala film at 

Roy Thomson Hall. 

The film revisits the 

epic rivalry between the 

cool Björn Borg (played by 

Sverrir Gudnason) and the 

mercurial John McEnroe 

(Shia LaBeouf) on the big 

screen. Borg and McEnroe 

were rivals like no one and 

this rivalry came to a head 

at the 1980 Wimbledon 

Championships. 

According to Piers 

Handling, director and 

CEO of TIFF, "The story 

of this nail-biter matchup 

changed the sport of tennis 

forever, and the outstanding 

performances from 

LaBeouf and Gudnason 

will be a spectacular way 

for Festival-goers to kick 

things off.” 

Cameron Bailey, artistic 

director of TIFF, says, 

"Janus Metz's Armadillo is 

a gripping war documentary 

that took home the Critics 

Week Grand Prize at 

Cannes. Amazingly, Metz 

brings that same urgent 

tension to Borg/McEnroe. 

"The on-court scenes 

have the dynamism of 

a street battle, and the 

drama peels back layers 

from what we know about 

both players. This was 

more than a simple conflict 

pitting an icy European 

against an impulsive 

American. Audiences are 

in for one hell of a showdown.” 

Reacting to the selection 

of his film as the opener 

of the Toronto film festival, 

director Janus Metz 

, ``I am extremely honored 

by TIFF’s selection 

of Borg/McEnroe as the 

opening film. It is a great 

celebration and recognition 

of everyone in the cast 

and crew who worked so 

hard to make this film what 

it is. We had very high ambitions 

for this project and 

have come such a long way 

together. I'm very excited 

that we can finally let the 

film out into the world, and 

I couldn't dream of a better 

way of doing this.” 

The Toronto film festival 

runs from September 7 

to 17.


August 04, 2017 | Toronto 

03 

Brian Mulroney's daughter seeks Ontario 

Progressive Conservatives nomination 

The Canadian Press 

TORONTO: Former prime minister 

Brian Mulroney's daughter 

is seeking to run for the Ontario 

Progressive Conservatives in next 

year's provincial election, adding 

some potential star power to a party 

looking to unseat an unpopular 

government. 

Caroline Mulroney, the 

vice-president of an investment 

firm, announced on social media 

Wednesday that she will seek the 

nomination in York-Simcoe, north 

of the Toronto area. 

The riding has been held since 

1995 by Progressive Conservative 

Julia Munro, who is retiring. Munro 

tweeted Wednesday that Mulroney 

has her full support. 

In an announcement on Facebook, 

accompanied by a YouTube 

video, Mulroney said that as a 

working mother of four she knows 

change is needed in Ontario so people 

can thrive. 

"To do that we need a government 

that focuses on affordability, 

manages our taxes properly, so we 

get the services we expect — like 

reliable health care and a quality 

education system that links to 

jobs," the 43-year-old said in a statement. 

The Progressive Conservatives 

attracted the star potential 

candidate at a time when they are 

polling consistently ahead of the 

governing Liberals. 

Mulroney's polished nomination 

campaign launch echoed familiar 

Progressive Conservative 

messaging as she positioned herself 

as a solid Tory choice. 

"After 14 years of Liberal governments, 

life has become more 

difficult for hard-working Ontarians," 

Mulroney wrote in her Facebook 

announcement. "With my 

experience, I will be a strong team 

member that will help form an effective 

PC government in 2018." 

Party leader Patrick Brown 

wrote on Twitter that he is "thrilled 

to see such exceptional individuals 

like (Mulroney) step up to seek a 

nomination" for the party. 

The meeting where Mulroney 

will learn if she has secured the 

nomination to run in York-Simcoe 

is set for Sept. 10. The provincial 

election will be held in June 2018. 

Mulroney is the vice-president 

of Toronto-based BloombergSen 

Investment Partners. 

Formerly, she worked at a venture 

debt fund, as a lawyer in New 

York City, as the associate director 

of the New York University Center 

for Law and Business, and an analyst 

in investment banking at Bear 

Stearns & Co. Inc. 

She also co-founded the Shoebox 

Project for Shelters, which collects 

and distributes gifts to women 

who are homeless or at risk, and is 

on the board of directors of the Hospital 

for SickKids Foundation and 

the Fraser Institute. 

Mulroney also used to be a 

member of the board of directors 

of the Windsor Detroit Bridge 

Authority. Her father, Brian Mulroney, 

was the Progressive Conservative 

prime minister of Canada 

from 1984 to 1993. 

United Punjabi Heritage Organization of Canada honoured special guests Satnam Singh Kahma, a young community leader from 

Nawanshar in Punjab, and Harnek Singh Aujla, another community leader from Kapurthala this week. At a lunch meeting, they 

discussed the current state of affairs in Punjab. Seen in the picture are: Jaspal S Gahunia, Rakash Joshi, Gurcharan Bhaura, 

Baljinder Sandhu, Harvinder Dulku, Gurdeep Chera, Gurbaxx Kassowal, Dr. Jaspal Bhandal, Sukh Bhaura, and Nick Gahunia. 

Week-long zero-tolerance traffic 

campaign by Toronto Police 


TORONTO: Toronto police 

launched a week-long rush-hour 

traffic campaign on Monday to 

enforce traffic rules and issue 

tickets to offenders in the downtown 

core. 

Extra police officers have 

been deployed for the campaign. 

Apart from showing zero tolerance 

for traffic violations, police 

are also towing away offending 

vehicles. Since January, Toronto 

Police have issued 46,000 parking 

tickets and towed away about 

10,000 vehicles during rush hours 

to enforce traffic sense. 

But Toronto Mayor John 

Tory in in favour of making 

strict enforcement of traffic 

rules as a permanent campaign 

because once police ease up the 

violators again offend."People, 

I guess, have short memories 

and they seem to think once the 

blitz is over it’s okay to start going 

in and getting dry cleaning 

and a coffee again but they are 

fundamentally important to getting 

the city moving again,'' the 

mayor told CTV. 

“I’m determined, if we have 

to have these blitzes as often as 

the police can do them, to keep 

doing it so people keep getting 

reminded and maybe one day 

they’ll get it permanently.” 

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As road deaths by 

distracted driving double, 

police launch Distracted 

Driving Campaign 


MISSISSAUGA: With road deaths rising rapidly over 

the years, Peel Regional Police has launched a Distracted 

Driving Campaign to create awareness about dangers of 

distracted driving and enforce zero tolerance against this 

behaviour on road. 

The campaign will run through mid-November 2017. 

In a release, police said the goal of this region-wide 

campaign is to improve road safety by reducing distracted 

driving. Enforcement of driving rules deters people 

and educate them about the danger of distracted driving. 

People will be warned that there is zero tolerance for 

distracted driving. 

"The text message or phone call that is apparently 

important CAN WAIT, and if it can’t, pull off of the roadway,’‘ 

says the release. 

Figures with the Ministry of Transportation show 

that road deaths caused by distracted driving have doubled 

since 2000. 

Studies show drivers distracted by cellphone are four 

times more likely to crash than a driver 

ONtour Concert in Mississauga 

Celebrates Ontario's 150th Anniversary 

BRAMPTON: As part 

of a year-long line-up of 

events marking Ontario’s 

150th anniversary and 

celebrating the province, 

the free ONtour concert 

series will provide the 

soundtrack for the Summer 

of ’17, stopping in 

more than 20 communities 

across the province 

and in Mississauga on 

September 2, showcasing 

some of Ontario’s brightest 

musical talent. 

The ONtour concert 

will partner with Soundbites 

at Celebration 

Square. ONtour Mississauga 

will feature Tom 

Cochrane, Francesco 

Yates and Anjulie. All of 

Music is magic -- able to cross 

generational, cultural, and linguistic 

boundaries. ONtour is an opportunity 

for people from all walks of life to 

share in this communal experience, 

to build community pride, and to 

create cherished memories for years 

to come. 

Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, 

Culture and Sport. 

Music is a fundamental, much-loved 

part of celebrating, and it brings 

people out to meet, have fun and be 

positive. Our community loves every 

opportunity to come together and 

ONtour is going to be a great part of 

our 150th summer. 

Amrit Mangat, MPP for 

Mississauga–Brampton South 

the ONtour concerts are 

free and open to musiclovers 

of all ages and there 

are no tickets required. 

From Peterborough to 

Blind River, from Ajax to 

Kenora, from Hamilton to 

Sudbury, audiences will 

have the opportunity to 

attend a free concert featuring 

at least three acts. 

More than 50 Ontario 

artists will be part of the 

ONtour Concert Series 

and approximately 80,000 

people are expected to 

attend the free concerts 

across the province. Follow 

the ONtour schedule 

online and check often for 

updates at ontario.ca/ontour. 

(From press release) 

Demolition of Brampton’s monster house begins 

Continued from page 01 

Angry neighbours and councillors 

wanted the monster house to go as it violated 

city bylaws. In its earlier ruling 

in the case in September last year, the 

court had given Elbasiouni to either demolish 

the building or bring it in compliance 

with zoning laws or get fresh 

approval from the city’s committee of 

adjustment for necessary changes. 

Elbasiouni chose the last option 

and appeared before the committee 

of adjustment seeking change in his 

property from non-conforming use to 

duplex use. But the committee rejected 

it. In April this year, he was also fined 

$51,000 by court for submitting false 

information while seeking to appeal 

the city order to revoke his building 

permit. 

Elbasiouni had filed a false document 

showing that changes to zoning 

introduced more than a decade ago 

would support his land use. But no 

such zoning document was found in 

city records. Fining him $50,976.96 in 

indemnity costs, the court said, “The 

appellant provided sworn information 

to the court that he knew was false. The 

appellant’s conduct is unacceptable.’’ 

Before Elbasiouni, his father and brothers 

had purchased this property in 

2010 for $381,000, it used to be a a 2,000- 

square-foot bungalow. Elbasiouni had 

planned to build it into a multi-family 

house for his extended family. 

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The International News Weekly REGIONAL/CANADA 


05 

Surrey RCMP cautions people about 5 desi 

gangsters who are target of shootings 

SURREY: Surrey RCMP is warning 

citizens to stay away from five 

young men linked to the drug trade 

who have been targeted in recent 

shootings. 

Asst. Commissioner Dwayne 

McDonald said the five — Karman 

Grewal of Vancouver, Manbir 

Grewal and Ibrahim Ibrahim 

of Coquitlam, and Indervir Johal 

and Harmeet Sanghera of Surrey 

— have refused to cooperate with 

police despite being victims in recent 

attacks. 

“They have each been spoken 

to by investigators and although 

their lives are in danger, they have 

not provided statements to police,” 

McDonald told a Surrey news conference 

Monday. 

“As such, Surrey RCMP believes 

these people have become 

a risk to public safety.” McDonald 

said though the release of victims’ 

photos by police is an unusual 

step, it is a reasonable one given 

the potential risk to the public and 

a tactic they have used in the past 

during escalations in gang violence. 

The Mounties have issued 

photos of all five men. He said 

their friends, associates and relatives 

may not understand how serious 

the problem is and he is hoping 

the public warning will make 

the risk clear to them. 

McDonald said there have been 

27 shootings in Surrey so far this 

year — down 47 per cent from the 

same period last year. But in July 

alone, there were six shootings 

and no cooperation from victims. 

“I know the residents of this 

city are frustrated. I hear your 

concerns and I share your frustration,” 

McDonald said. “However I 

want you to know that we are making 

headway and we are aware of 

a number of people who are involved.” 

He said police will keep 

the pressure on the suspects in 

the violence until it stops. (From 

press release) McDonald said the 

shooters are often lying in wait 

and therefore sitting suspiciously 

in idling vehicles. He urged the 

public to be vigilant and call 911 if 

they see any suspicious activity. 

After Surrey RCMP released 

the photos in 2015 of victims in an 

earlier rash of gangland shootings, 

several of the men targeted ended 

up being charged. (From press release) 

Minister Navdeep 

Bains views demo 

of self-driving car 


WINDSOR: Canadians 

and Americans working 

in the auto sector will 

benefit from new jobs and 

business opportunities 

as emerging technologies 

lead to the development 

and production of selfdriving 

cars. 

Navdeep Bains, Minister 

of Innovation, Science 

and Economic Development, 

viewed a 

demonstration of a vehicle 

here that has the ability 

to take over driving, 

monitor the surrounding 

environment and inform 

the driver where and 

when human interference 

is needed. 

This innovative crossborder 

event demonstrates 

technology that 

goes beyond human driver 

assistance to partial 

and conditional automation. 

This marks a milestone 

in the development 

of self-driving cars. 

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The International News Weekly REGIONAL/CANADA 

06 


Sending money to India on Raksha 

Bandhan is easier than ever 

Much of Canada’s multicultural 

identity is shaped by the unique heritage 

& traditions that immigrants 

bring with them to their new Canadian 

lives. In today’s global world 

and internet age, it is now easier 

than ever for them to stay connected 

to their families and friends back 

home, and this is especially true 

during the festive seasons. 

With Raksha-Bandhan coming 

up this August 7th, many Canadian 

Hindus will be celebrating this special 

occasion dedicated to the sibling 

bond between brothers & sisters. 

Despite being physically away 

from home, brothers in Canada will 

send money back to their sisters as 

a symbol of his best wishes. Money 

transfers sent during special occasions 

make up a large portion of 

Canada’s global remittance, since 

it is a great way for immigrants to 

send home their wishes and join in 

on the festivities. 

The challenge for senders, however, 

is deciding which service 

provider to trust when sending 

the funds. The associated costs are 

of different types – fees, exchange 

rates, etc., and ease and speed of 

transfers also vary by banks/financial 

institutions. It’s important to 

do a little bit of the homework upfront 

and know the right questions 

to wask before choosing who to go 

with. 

THE CIBC GLOBAL MONEY TRANSFER ADVANTAGE 

These are the questions that CIBC hoped to address when it created the Global Money 

Transfer Program for their customers. With the changing face of Canada, the bank repeatedly 

kept getting requests from customers for an affordable and safe way to send money to their 

native countries. In response to the request and understanding the customer pain points, 

CIBC decided there would be zero transfer fee for CIBC customers, while offering competitive 

exchange rates. Between these two factors alone, customers are often saving a significant 

amount of money. In all cases, the foreign exchange rate is calculated at the time the money 

is sent. In most cases, money arrives within a day of transmission. No premium is charged 

for this quick service. Also in response to customer needs, CIBC has one of the highest daily 

transfer amounts available, i.e., $9,999.99 to India and over other 40 countries ($6000 to 

China). CIBC takes pride in the convenience our customers enjoy when making a transfer. 

Six Things to Consider When You Want to 

Send Money Home 

• Is there a transfer fee? 

Certain companies charge separate 

transfer fees, which can make up a 

large percentage of the money you are 

sending, depending on the amount you 

are sending. 

•What’s the most convenient method of sending 

money home? 

Some companies make transferring 

money a challenging & unpleasant process. 

You may be required to be physically 

present, and also be asked to fill 

in plenty of paperwork every time you 

try to make a transaction. Then there 

are others that offer the convenience 

of making international transfers 

straight from your smartphones. 

•What is the foreign exchange rate being utilized 

to calculate how much your intended recipient is 

going to be receiving? 

Watch out for the fine print. Is the exchange 

rate being calculated at the 

time when you are sending or when it 

arrives there? Sometimes a day or two 

can make a big difference. 

•How long is it going to take for your remittance 

to get to your intended recipient? 

Much like a courier service, you can 

pay for next day or it can take a number 

of days. A premium should be attributed 

to companies that get your 

money within a day. 

•What are the limits on how much you can send? 

Sometimes the amount you need to get 

to your family can be larger than the 

supplier limit. 

•Can you trust the company that you are sending 

the money with? 

Check the financial viability of the 

transfer service provider – is it a stable 

organization that you are relying on? 

After all, it is money that you are sending. 

Goverment approves 

funds for Clean Water 

Ruby Sahota, Member 

of Parliament for Brampton 

North, on behalf of the 

Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, 

Minister of Infrastructure 

and Communities today 

announced that two new 

projects in Brampton have 

been approved under the 

Government of Canada’s 

Clean Water and Wastewater 

Fund. 

The federal government 

is providing up to 50 per 

cent of funding for these 

projects— $1,746,192.00. 

Thanks to this investment, 

residents of Brampton 

will benefit from 

improved stormwater quality 

to rehabilitate Loafer’s 

Lake and stormwater pond 

rehabilitation to restore 

capacity and function to 

stormwater management. 

These projects are essential 

to keeping our waterways 

clean and our communities 

healthy and livable. 

This investment is part 

of an agreement between 

Canada and Ontario for the 

Clean Water and Wastewater 

Fund. 

“Investing in water 

and wastewater treatment 

infrastructure is essential 

to maintaining a healthy 

environment and providing 

access to clean, reliable 

drinking water. 

The Government of 

Canada is working with 

provinces, territories and 

municipalities across the 

country to support important 

projects like those in 

Brampton, which ensure 

that Canadian communities 

are healthy and sustainable 

now and for years 

to come,’’ said Sahota on 

behalf of minister Amarjeet 

Sohi. (From press release) 

13 more red-light cameras to catch drivers in Mississauga and Brampton 


Staff evaluated intersections 

and consulted with police to determine 

where to locate cameras, according 

to the region.'' 

So watch out these 13 new 

locations which have traffic 

cameras now: 

• Steeles Avenue East at Bramalea 

Go Station Entrance 

• Derry Road West at Financial 

Drive 

• Dixie Road at Orenda Road/ 

Birchbank Road 

• Winston Churchill Boulevard at 

Bromsgrove Road 

• Derry Road West at Meadowvale 

Boulevard/Creditview Road 

• Britannia Road West at Latimer 

Drive 

• Derry Road West at Shelter Bay 

Road/Copenhagen Road 

• Airport Road at Steeles Avenue 

East 

• Dixie Road at Queen Street East 

• Queen Street East at Torbram 

Road 

• Airport Road at Bovaird Drive/ 

Castlemore Road 

• Bovaird Drive West at Brisdale 

Drive/Pertosa Drive 

• Steeles Avenue West at Tait Boulevard/Windmill 

Boulevard 

The 15 maintained locations: 

• Derry Road at Rexwood Road 

• Erin Mills Parkway at Folkway 

Drive 

• Queen Street East at Laurelcrest 

Street/West Drive 

• Erin Mills Parkway at Credit Valley 

Road 

• Steeles Avenue East at Rutherford 

Road/First Gulf Boulevard 

• Steeles Avenue East at Bramalea 

Road 

• Airport Road at Williams Parkway 

East 

• Derry Road at Airport Road 

• Steeles Avenue East at Resolution 

Drive/Home Depot Entrance 

• Airport Road at Queen Street 

East 

• Mississauga Road at Meadowvale 

Boulevard 

• Derry Road at Tomken Road 

• Derry Road at Hurontario Street 

• Erin Mills Parkway at Eglinton 

Avenue 

• Derry Road at Winston Churchill 

Boulevard 

Peel Police issued 7,170 redlight 

tickets in Brampton and 8,023 

in Mississauga last year. 

A traffic camera is activated 

when a vehicle enters the intersection 

when the red light is on. Police 

post these pictures to offenders 

with the fine amount. 

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The International News Weekly CANADA 

07 


Tim Hortons set to enter Spain 


OAKVILLE: Restaurant Brands 

International Inc. has signed a deal 

with a joint-venture partner to take 

Tim Hortons to Spain, the latest in a 

series of aggressive expansion plans 

to dominate the global coffee business. 

The company, which also owns 

Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana 

Kitchen, has made forays into several 

new markets recently, including 

Mexico, Britain and the Philippines. 

"We are thrilled to announce plans 

to launch the iconic Tim Hortons 

brand in Spain, which is one of the 

largest cafe markets in Europe," 

CEO Daniel Schwartz said in a statement. 

The announcement comes as 

RBI faces an internal revolt by Tim 

Hortons franchisees in Canada and 

the U.S. who have accused the company's 

head office of penny pinching, 

driving up their expenses and overall 

mismanagement. RBI has denied 

the allegations. Schwartz took note 

of the efforts of all RBI franchisees 

as the company reported its secondquarter 

financial results. 

"We appreciate all of the hard 

work from our franchisees and their 

teams to deliver a great guest experience, 

and we are confident in our 

ability to create further value for all 

of our stakeholders for many years 

to come," he said. 

RBI, which keeps its books in 

U.S. dollars, said it earned a profit 

attributable to common shareholders 

of US$89.5 million or 37 cents per 

diluted share for the three months 

ended June 30. That's down slightly 

from a profit of $90.9 million or 38 

cents per diluted share a year ago. 

On an adjusted basis, the company 

said it earned $241.7 million or 51 

cents per share in its latest quarter, 

up from $192.4 million or 41 cents per 

share in the same quarter last year. 

Revenue totalled $1.13 billion, up 

from $1.04 billion a year ago, boosted 

by the acquisition of Popeyes. 

Home Capital posts $111-million 

loss after Buffett lifeline 

Ontario women get free access to 

abortion pill as of Aug 10 

TORONTO: Women in Ontario will be able to get an abortion pill for free 

with a prescription as of Aug. 10. Mifegymiso, an alternative to surgical 

abortion, is a combination of the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. It 

can be used to terminate pregnancies at an early stage, up to seven weeks 

from the start of a woman's last menstrual period. Government says it 

will be available next Thursday at participating pharmacies for women 

with a valid health card and prescription. Status of Women Minister 

Indira Naidoo-Harris says publicly funding Mifegymiso gives women 

across Ontario fair and equal access to safe abortion. The Canadian press 

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TORONTO: Home Capital 

Group, the alternative 

mortgage lender that was 

on the brink of collapse earlier 

this year, has reported 

a loss of $111.1 million in 

its latest quarter compared 

with a profit of $66.3 million 

a year ago. 

In its first earnings report 

since famed investor 

Warren Buffett came to its 

aid, the Toronto-based company 

says the loss amounted 

to $1.73 per share for the 

quarter that ended June 

30 compared to earnings 

per share of 99 cents a year 

ago. 

Home Capital says its 

bottom line was weighed 

down by elevated expenses, 

including $213.6 million 

pre-tax from its liquidity 

crisis earlier this year. 

In April, Ontario's securities 

regulator alleged the 

company had not satisfied 

its disclosure obligations 

in a scandal about falsified 

loan applications, sending 

its shares on a nosedive that 

became worse as customers 

pulled their deposits. 

The liquidity crisis at 

Home Capital, which uses 

its deposits to fund its mortgage 

lending for borrowers 

who can't qualify for loans 

from the big banks, gave 

rise to questions about 

whether it represented bigger 

problems in Canada's 

real estate market. 

But those concerns diminished 

as the company 

took steps to rebuild investor 

confidence. 

It secured an emergency 

loan from the Healthcare 

of Ontario Pension 

Plan and then an investment 

and line of credit 

from Buffett's Berkshire 

Hathaway. The company 

also appointed a new CEO 

and settled its case with 

the Ontario Securities 

Commission. 

Its shares have also 

recovered somewhat, closing 

at $13.77 on Wednesday 

on the Toronto Stock 

Exchange, up from its low 

this year of $5.85 on May 5. 

"The company's business 

plan and cash flow 

forecast suggest that the 

current liquidity and 

credit facilities are sufficient 

to support ongoing 

business for the foreseeable 

future," Home Capital 

said in a news release late 

Wednesday. "Management 

has concluded that there 

is no longer material uncertainty 

that casts significant 

doubt as to the ability 

of the company to continue 

as a going concern." 

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The International News Weekly EDIT 


The 

Why the honour 

www.canadianparvasi.com 

killing of Jassi Sidhu 

Publisher & CEO 

Associate Editor 

Editor (India) 

Online 

Graphic Designer 

Contact 

Editorial 

Sales 

Rajinder Saini 

Meenakshi Saini 

Gurashish 

Kshitiz Dalal 

Naveen 

editor@canadianparvasi.com 

sales@canadianparvasi.com 

Letters to the Editor 

Dear Brigadier Sahib, 

Another excellent topic, another hard-hitting article 

from you. 

One thing I would like to mention relates to the disconnect 

felt by the second generation immigrants vis-avis 

their religion. My observation is that the majority of 

preachers or priests that are brought here from India are 

lacking in secular education (some are actually pretty 

much illiterate except for religious texts), and they do not 

have any experience of the Canadian life. This applies 

even more to the visiting babas and gurus (who visit only 

in the summer months), but is relevant for even the ones 

staying here in that they rarely have any meaningful or 

extensive interaction with Canadian society. Their circle 

is limited to their temple or congregation (and the occasional 

white politician looking for a few votes). 

As a result, they are unable to engage with the children 

who grew up here. These children have an outlook 

and lifestyle are vastly different from that of the clergyman. 

It is well nigh impossible for the priest to express 

the religious message in a manner that resonates the 

young people. The plain truth is that these preachers and 

the second generation Indo-Canadians inhabit two different 

worlds, with almost nothing in common (barring a 

smattering of the mother tongue that the young person 

is able to follow). 

Our children have gone through a different system of 

education, and are tuned to receiving messages in a way 

that is totally alien to the preacher. Until this issue is addressed, 

the problem that you highlighted will keep on 

festering. 

Best regards, 

Darshan 

----- 

Good luck, Saini Saab, well needed community paper 

in English. We need to involve Canadian friends and non- 

Punjabi too. 

Harkanwal Thind 

---- 

Hi Parvasi team, 

Great job and good work. Keep it up. 

Puri 

---- 

Rajinder Ji, 

Heartiest congratulations on your work. May 'The 

Canadian Parvasi' newspaper of yours be followed by 

several others. Again, thank you for thinking of me. 

Regards, Dr. Bagga 

------- 

Very good... works well on mobile as well. 

Mandir Sandhu 

Computer Window 

Thought for the week 

In the end, only three things matter: 

How much you loved, how gently you 

lived and how gracefully you let go 

of things not meant for you. 

Buddha 

As most people in India, many in 

the Indian diaspora in North America 

too frown upon inter-caste marriages. 

In any diaspora family where the 

first-generation immigrant parents 

and their North American-born and 

educated children stay together, we 

can very well see that they follow two 

parallel beliefs, values and systems. 

Having spent their childhood in 

India, the parents stick to beliefs which 

were prevalent in India. But their 

children have learnt different beliefs 

from the local society and their peers. 

Many differences are resolved when 

parents understand the views of their 

children. But often many parents also 

find it very difficult to accept views of 

their children on traditional issue. 

One such belief is that children 

should marry a mate of parents’ 

choice. Most conservative parents 

would accept their children’s marriage 

to the mate of their choice. However, 

the mate must be of the same caste or 

community. 

Actually, many parents have 

also started reconciling to intercaste 

marriages as long as either the 

spouse is from the same religion or 

background or from a respectable 

family. 

The real problem occurs when 

the girl or boy happens to belong to 

a different religion or ‘lower’ class. 

Many such high-profile cases have 

made headlines in recent years 

because parents went to the extreme 

extent of harming or even killing 

their children to stop such marriages 

because such union will sully their 

social standing. 

One such case happened in Maple 

Ridge near Vancouver in the year 2000 

which is still casting its shadow on 

the Indo-Canadian community. There 

was this 25 years old young beautiful 

girl called Jassi Sidhu who while on a 

visit to her mother’s place in Punjab in 

1994 fell in love with an auto rickshaw 

driver belonging to a lower caste. 

Having born and grown up in 

Canada, this young lady was oblivious 

to the deeply entrenched caste system 

in India. On getting back to Canada, 

she shared her wishes to marry this 

boy with her mother. 

Now it was very hard for the 

mother belonging to an upper caste to 

accept such a poor, low-caste person 

as her son-in-law. Her major worry 

was how to face the social stigma of 

her child marrying into a lower caste. 

She vehemently opposed it and tried 

to dissuade her daughter. 

Now as per the young girl, there 

was nothing wrong in marrying a boy 

of her choice and it did not matter to 

her that he was poor and hailed from 

the low caste. It was perfectly okay 

as per the Canadian values that she 

Brig Nawab Heer and 

Ms Preet Heer 

had learned in school. So one fine 

morning this girl took a flight to India 

to reunite with the boy. 

Jassi’s act of revolt was not 

acceptable to her mother and her 

family, since they felt that their family 

honour will be ruined forever. They 

felt so humiliated that they planned 

to hire goons to carry out the so-called 

honour killing of the couple in India. 

As we all know, with money 

you can get anything done in India. 

So Jassi’s mother along with her 

brother planned the honour killing - 

also called supari killing in India - by 

paying the goons who killed the girl 

and injured the boy in June 2000. 

The case was handled by the 

Indian police and they established 

beyond doubt that the mother of the 

girl and her brother were behind 

ordering this honour killing. The 

persons involved in the killing were 

arrested and punished. 

Since her mother and uncle in 

Canada were the real brain behind 

the killing, Punjab Police sought their 

extradition to India. But 17 years later, 

they have still not been extradited to 

face trial in Punjab. 

This has become a real test case on 

two counts - one about human rights 

and the other about the Extradition 

Treaty between India and Canada for 

pursuit of justice. 

Indian courts have asked that 

these Canadian criminals should 

be extradited to face trial in Punjab. 

But the court in British Columbia 

has refused India’s request on the 

grounds that “the pair could be 

subject to violence, torture or neglect 

on India’s human rights records”. 

Ultimately, the case will be decided 

by the Supreme Court of Canada. No 

one can predict the outcome. 

Apart from the above legal debate, 

the internal social debate in the Indo- 

Canadian community is whether 

Jassi Sidhu was right or wrong in 

her choice or whether her mother 

and uncle were wrong in what they 

did to her or was the girl enticed by 

her fiance to secure an easy route to 

Canada? 

We know that our North 

American-born children and many 

in the India diaspora will agree that 

the girl had the right to choose her 

partner irrespective of his caste 

and social status. Opposing her or 

dissuading her from marrying this 

boy was wrong on the part of her 

mother. Everyone will also oppose 

the cowardly decision by her mother 

and uncle to hire goons to kill her 

and injure her fiance. 

But on the other hand, we hear 

this hush hush talk among Indian 

parents expressing sympathy for 

Jassi’s mother because how she 

could accept her daughter getting 

married to a rickshaw driver from a 

very lower class. 

Incidentally, most of us are also 

familiar with a similar case that 

happened to the daughter of a top 

religious leader in Punjab. This 

religious leader got her daughter 

killed after she got pregnant by her 

boyfriend or paramour (later her 

husband). It became a huge scandal 

in Punjab. 

Despite being a senior leader, the 

mother was tried by the courts and 

sentenced. 

But despite her gruesome act 

in getting her own daughter killed, 

this woman got sympathy from 

senior Punjab leaders who felt that 

she could not have done anything 

else. They felt the innocent girl was 

enticed by her boyfriend. 

We Indians are at times in our 

lives when our centuries-old, deeply 

entrenched social values are at odds 

with modern legal mores, particularly 

in the western world which many os 

us have made our new home. 

Lastly, let us honestly speak 

about the boy in the Jassi Sidhu case. 

We all know that many in India are 

always on the lookout for someone 

to provide them an easy passage 

to the West - Canada, the US or the 

UK - through marriage or whatever 

means. There could odd cases of true 

love. But there have been many cases 

where gullible boys and girls visiting 

India have been enticed to get an easy 

route to Canada, the US, the UK, etc. 

The mainstream Canadians and 

their media would never be able to 

visit such issues as the Jassi Sidhu 

case from the angles we discussed 

above because they have no 

knowledge about the inner workings 

of centuries-old Indian society and 

its deeply entrenched social values 

and biases. 

To that extent, the Indian 

diaspora needs to open up and 

discuss these social challenges so as 

to keep up with the modern world. 

Else we will always be in a perpetual 

state of conflict with the local society 

on many social and cultural issues 

such as inter-caste or inter-faith or 

interracial marriages. 

No mother, having raised her 

child for 25 years, would ever like to 

get her killed. What compelled Jassi’s 

mother to do so? This is the question 

which we must find an answer for. 

(Brig Nawab Heer can be contacted at 

nawabheer@gmail.com) 

Parvasi weekly & people associated with it are not responsible for any claims made by the advertisement & do not endorse any product or service advertised in Canadian Parvasi. Please consult your lawyer before buying/hiring/contracting through the 

advertisement Publised in this newspaper. The Canadian Parvasi is in the business of selling space and the clains made by the advertisement are not tested/confirmed by an independent source.

The International News Weekly INTERVIEW/OPED 

09 


Why Amarinder Singh should revive annual 

Pravasi event to engage Punjabi diaspora 

Ravinder Pal 

Singh Walia 

On the lines of Pravasi 

Bharatiya Divas (PBD), 

the Punjab government 

too started its annual sammelan 

for non-resident 

Punjabis (NRPs) in 2011. 

It was curtailed to Sangat 

Darshan Programme in 

2015. 

The purpose of this 

event was to interact with 

sons of the soil to know 

their problems in Punjab 

and solve them. 

These meetings provided 

an opportunity for 

building trust and exploring 

new ways of utlising 

the potential of the Punjabi 

diaspora for mutual 

benefit. Though the previous 

Punjab government 

tried hard to come to the 

expectation of NRPs, it 

failed to have a level of 

dialogue with the Punjabi 

diaspora that was expected. 

The Punjabi diaspora 

now has high expectation 

from the government o 

led by Captain Amrinder 

Singh. It is high time the 

government started formulating 

its target for the 

NRP sammelan 2018. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Punjab government's 

decision to hold 

low-profile Sangat Darshan 

in 2015 was not liked 

by Punjabi NRIs. 

But now we need to 

forge strong bonds with 

our people settled abroad. 

Everybody knows that 

Punjab's bonds with its 

NRIs look very fragile at 

the moment. 

If steps are not taken 

to deepen these bonds, 

the diaspora will get even 

more alienated from Punjab. 

So it is all the more 

reason for us to be more 

progressive and not retrogressive 

in our thinking 

and take action. 

The Punjab government 

should lose no time 

in making its intention 

to revive the annual NRP 

from 2018 very clear. 

Here are some suggestions 

to bring the diaspora 

closer to Punjab: 

We need to make NRI 

congregations a sober but 

professionally organised 

event. Rather than organizing 

this event at various 

cities at a great cost 

to the government, keep 

the capital city of Chandigarh 

as its venue. We 

need not spend crores 

of rupees on transportation 

or board and lodging 

of NRIs. Further, these 

events need not be glittering 

affairs. Moreover, 

Punjab is not a big state 

requiring multiple venues 

for such events. 

We need to put in 

place a grievance redressal 

mechanism to address 

all NRI complaints on a 

continuous basis, including 

police complaints in 

the office of the Commissioner 

for NRIs. The Commissioner 

for NRIs should 

be a senior administrative 

officer of impeachable integrity. 

All complaints 

should be first scrutinised 

by a team of experts and if 

found to be fit for further 

action these should be forwarded 

to the concerned 

departments for action. 

The Punjab government 

should present some 

solid projects to the NRIs 

so that they are enthused 

to make investment in the 

state. If presented properly, 

the service sector can 

be an attraction for NRI investment 

- schools, health 

services, senior homes, 

tourist resorts and IT industry-related 

projects. 

It is time to re-engage 

with the Punjabi diaspora. 

Since NRIs were - and still 

are - the part of the same 

system, I think they can 

be made willing partners 

for the betterment of their 

ancestral place. It will be 

a win-win situation for 

the Punjab government 

and NRIs. 

(A former PCS offi cer, Walia 

is an expert on NRI affairs. 

An advocate in Punjab & Haryana 

High Court at Chandigarh, 

he is the author of `Legal Guide 

for NRIs’. He divides his time 

between Punjab and Canada 

and can be contacted at walia. 

rps@gmail.com) 

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10 


Turmeric can be used to fight cancer in children 

By K.S. Jayaraman 

Bengaluru: Medical 

scientists in the US have 

found yet another use for 

curcumin, the bioactive 

component of turmeric 

that is widely used in Indian 

cuisine, this time to 

cure cancer in children. 

Researchers at Nemours 

Children's Hospital 

and the University of Central 

Florida (UCF) have 

found that nanoparticles 

loaded with curcumin can 

offer a novel treatment to 

target and destroy neuroblastoma 

tumour cells. 

Neuroblastoma is the most 

common cancer in children 

younger than five 

years old. 

High-risk neuroblastoma 

can be resistant to 


TORONTO: About a year 

after Yi Jiang and her family 

moved to Ottawa from 

China, they found themselves 

sharing a two-bedroom 

apartment with her 

parents. 

After living together in 

Shenzhen, it seemed only 

natural that once the entire 

family was in Canada, 

her parents would live 

with her, her husband and 

their young son, she said. 

The couple has since had 

another child, and last year 

all six moved to a house in 

the suburbs. 

"It's very important for 

me to live with them ... they 

are the most important 

people in my life and I am 

the only child," said Jiang, 

a producer for a Mandarin 

radio show. 

Such arrangements are 

very common in China and 

many continue the practice 

after they immigrate, 

she added. 

Such appears to be the 

case in Canada, where the 

latest tranche of Statistics 

Canada data from the 2016 

census shows a significant 

spike in the growth rate of 

multigenerational households 

— a 37.5 per cent increase 

since 2001, surpassing 

the 21.7 per cent rate 

of growth in households 

overall. 

Some 2.2 million people, 

6.3 per cent of the population 

living in private 

households, were part of a 

multigenerational living 

arrangement — at least 

traditional therapy, and 

survival can be poor. The 

cancers start in early 

nerve cells and commonly 

form in the tissue of the 

adrenal glands, near the 

kidneys. They are also associated 

with developmental 

delays, hearing loss, or 

other disabilities even after 

traditional treatments 

three generations under 

one roof — last year, the 

agency reported Wednesday. 

Statistics Canada attributes 

the increase, in 

part, to "Canada's changing 

ethnocultural composition," 

as well as "housing 

needs and the high cost of 

living in some regions of 

the country." The aging 

population has also played 

a role, experts say. 

The trend is also prominent 

in Indigenous communities: 

in Nunavut, one 

in eight households was 

multigenerational, while 

in the Northwest Territories, 

the living arrangement 

makes up 4.3 per cent 

of all households. 

The ratio was 3.9 per 

cent in Ontario and 3.6 per 

cent in B.C., two provinces 

that are home to the bulk 

of Canada's immigrant 

population. Cities such as 

Abbotsford and Mission, 

B.C., Toronto and Vancouver 

recorded the highest 

percentages locally. 

Such communal living 

arrangements may seem 

like a novel new trend, but 

in fact it's a long-standing 

practice, said Nora Spinks, 

CEO of the Vanier Institute 

of the Family. 

"Right now the proportion 

of multigenerational 

households is high, relative 

to recent history, but if 

you go back pre-war, most 

households were multigenerational; 

somebody always 

took in Mom or Dad," 

Spinks said. 

"It was only through 

have ended. 

In their study, the researchers 

attached curcumin 

to cerium oxide 

nanoparticles and tested 

the nano-curcumin formulation 

in cell lines of a 

high-risk form of neuroblastoma. 

"This formulation induced 

substantial cell 

that weird blip post-war 

1950s, 1960s where every 

generation had their own 

household, and you moved 

out at 18 or 19, and you got 

your own apartment and 

you never returned home 

and everybody had their 

own toaster and everybody 

had their own everything." 

Some families end up 

living together by choice, 

some by necessity, she 

added. 

There may be a cultural 

expectation that adult 

children welcome their 

parents into their home, 

or a need for grandparents 

to provide child-care, or a 

push to split living expenses 

in the face of a housing 

crunch, Spinks said. 

Sometimes the move 

is initiated by parents or 

grandparents who need 

care, sometimes by 20- 

somethings who "boomerang" 

home after going 

through a breakup or layoff, 

she said. "It goes in all 

directions," she said. 

Indeed, the boomerang 

effect got special treatment 

in Wednesday's census 

data. Statistics Canada reported 

that 34.7 per cent of 

young adults aged 20 to 34 

were living with at least 

one parent last year, up 

from 30.6 per cent in 2001. 

And where it was previously 

assumed that those 

20-somethings would move 

back out after landing on 

their feet, Spinks said the 

latest data show many 

have continued to live 

with their parents even after 

forming unions of their 

death in neuroblastoma 

cells while producing no 

or only minor toxicity in 

healthy cells," says their 

report in the journal Nanoscale. 

Curcumin has been 

shown to have substantial 

anti-cancer ability, but its 

low solubility and poor 

stability have restricted 

own or having children. 

The percentage of 

young adults living with 

a family of their own and 

without their parents 

dropped from 49.1 per cent 

in 2001 to 41.9 per cent in 

2016 

Regardless of what 

causes families to pool 

resources, such arrangements 

have a ripple effect 

on the economy, Spinks 

said. And some may find it 

difficult to untangle their 

finances down the line — 

particularly when it comes 

to real estate — putting a 

strain on relationships. 

"You might be subsidizing 

your parents by 

giving them your Netflix 

password or putting them 

on your cell plan or something, 

and so there is a 

cash value of that — if they 

wanted it and you didn't 

give it to them they would 

be spending $10 a month 

for Netflix," she said. 

"So it does have positive 

and negative economic 

and social implications." 

Living together also affects 

family dynamics, said 

Kenise Kilbride, an adjunct 

professor at Toronto's Ryerson 

University who has 

studied multigenerational 

living in immigrant families. 

Older relatives may 

wish to maintain a more 

traditional lifestyle, while 

children want to fit in with 

their peers, she said, putting 

pressure on parents 

from both sides. 

The transition may 

be easier in families with 

a history of multigenerational 

living, she said. 

Having her parents so 

close has spared Jiang and 

her husband — who both 

Nasir Bhasir 

Photographer 

Glamor/Fashion Portfolios 

Family / Children Portraits 

Weddings / Engagements & Other Functions 

Product Photography 

Passport / ID Photos 

E: bnasir88@hotmail.com 

its use in therapeutic applications. 

According to a 

statement from UCF, the 

study conducted by its 

scientists demonstrates 

a novel method of treating 

this tumour "without 

the toxicity of aggressive 

therapy" and shows that 

nanoparticles can be "an 

effective delivery vehicle" 

for cancer drugs. 

"We are hopeful that in 

the future, nanoparticles 

can be utilised to personalise 

care to patients and 

reduce the late effects of 

therapy." 

The fact that curcumin, 

when formulated as 

nanoparticles, is able to 

increase its bioavailability 

and thereby improve 

its therapeutic ability has 

earlier been shown by Indian 

scientists as well at 

the Jawaharlal Nehru University 

(JNU) in New Delhi 

in the case of tuberculosis 

(TB). Current therapy for 

TB involves treatment 

with antibiotics such as 

Isoniazid (INH). But the 

long treatment required 

with INH invariably leads 

to premature withdrawal 

by patients resulting in the 

TB organism developing 

drug-resistance. 

Prof. Gobardhan Das 

and his colleagues at the 

JNU had reported their 

study last month which 

showed that mice treated 

with curcumin nanoparticles 

-- as an adjunct to INH 

-- "exhibited a dramatically 

accelerated clearance 

of the TB organisms in a 

short time". IANS 

Immigration, ageing, housing costs fuel 

rise in multi-generational households 

work outside the home — 

a mountain of stress and 

expenses. They help with 

child care and prepare 

most meals, she noted. 

It has also allowed her 

children, 5 and 2, to receive 

care in Mandarin and grow 

closer to their grandparents. 

"I know there are always 

barriers, cultural 

differences, and lack of understanding 

around us in 

Canada, but it is beneficial 

for my parents and I to live 

together," she said. 

"My parents are getting 

older, we are sensitive to 

each other's needs and to 

help each other, not only 

in life, but also in psychology. 

I think multiple generations 

under one roof 

may alleviate a lot of social 

burden and be beneficial to 

society." 

Award 

Winning 

Photographer

The International News Weekly INDIA 

11 


Punjabi Cultural Council honours MP 

Dhesi with 'Punjab Gaurav Award' 

CHANDIGARH: Indian origin 

and first turbaned Sikh 

Britain parliament member 

Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi has 

been bestowed with 'Punjab 

Gaurav Award' by Punjabi 

Cultural Council in its annual 

function for his illustrious 

achievements in 

social work and promotion 

of Punjabi and martial art 

Gatka in United Kingdom. 

This glittering ceremony 

was organized by 

Punjabi Cultural Council 

(PCC) in collaboration with 

International Sikh Martial 

Art Academy (ISMAA) 

here at Rajiv Gandhi IT 

Park where various speakers 

lauded the services rendered 

by Tan Dhesi for the 

community. Addressing 

the gathering Vice Chancellor 

Central University 

Bathinda Dr. R. K. Kohali 

and Chairman PCC Harjeet 

Singh Grewal commended 

the efforts Mr Dhesi, who 

is also president of Gatka 

Federation UK and hoped 

that the British MP would 

raise the issues of immigration 

problems being faced 

by the Indian students aspiring 

for higher studies in 

UK and the NRIs especially 

related to wearing Turban 

in France. 

Speaking on the occasion 

Dhesi extolled the efforts 

of PCC and ISMAA for 

the preservation of mother 

Baba Gurdev Singh Nanaksar, Sukhwant Singh Sarao and Harjeet 

Singh Grewal presenting 'Punjab Gaurav Award' to MP Tanmanjit 

Singh Dhesi at Chandigarh. 

tongue Punjabi and martial 

art Gatka respectively and 

assured that he would do 

his best for the sake of Punjabi 

and Gatka in UK. He 

informed that all communities 

from Slough had whole 

heartedly supported in 

his election campaign and 

would work untiringly for 

the welfare all the sections 

of society in the Britain. 

He promised to raise the 

problems of students in the 

parliament as his Labour 

party had already included 

this issue in its manifesto. 

Prominent among other 

present on the occasion included 

Baba Gurdev Singh 

Gurdwara Nanaksar Sector 

28 Chandigarh, former 

member PPSC Sukhwant 

Singh Sarao, former chairman 

Improvement Trust 

Jalandhar Parmjit Singh 

Raipur, Bai Avtar Singh 

Samadh Bhai, Councilor 

MC Chandigarh Hardeep 

Singh, renowned lyricist 

Raj Kakra, journalist Bhupendra 

Narayan Singh, 

entrepreneur Vinod Joshi, 

Senior vice chairman 

Punjabi Cultural Council 

Raghbir Chand Sharma, 

Joint Secretary Kamal Attari 

and Tejinder Singh 

Gill, Executive Member 

Harkirat Singh, Finance 

Secretary International 

Sikh Martial Art Academy 

Baljeet Singh, Press Secretary 

Harjinder Kumar, 

General Secretary Gatka 

Association of Punjab 

Gurmeet Singh, Secretary 

District SAS Nagar Gatka 

Association Yograj Singh, 

Secretary Global Organ 

Donors Foundation Chitmanjeet 

Singh Grewal, 

Jathedar Pritpal Singh 

Nanaksar, Senior Congress 

leader G.S. Riar were 

also present. 

Kuwaiti NRI student hands 

over prize money to Modi 


Kuwait NRI student Ma. 

Riddhiraj Kumar presented 

a cheque for Rs 18,000 to 

Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi to be handed over as 

donation to the Army Welfare 

Fund in New Delhi on 

Thursday. 

A student of the Indian 

Educational School in Kuwait, 

Riddhiraj Kumar was 

given 80 Kuwait Dinars as 

prize money after he won the 

International Bench Mark 

Test for Improving Learning 

Award for Excellence 

conducted by the Australian 

Council for Education Research 

(ACER). He met the 

Prime Minister along with 

his mother to donate the 

money to the Army Welfare 

Fund. Modi congratulated 

the boy for his generosity 

and excellence in innovation 

and academics. 

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Sushma slams Rahul Gandhi for 

meeting Chinese ambassador 

IANS 

New Delhi : External 

Affairs Minister Sushma 

Swaraj on Thursday hit 

out at Congress Vice President 

Rahul Gandhi for 

meeting Chinese Ambassador 

Luo Zhaohui here last 

month, amid the Doklam 

border standoff instead of 

trying to understand the 

situation from the Indian 

government. 

"I was very saddened 

that the opposition, instead 

of considering the 

point of view of the Indian 

government, went and met 

the Chinese Ambassador," 

said Sushma Swaraj, replying 

to a discussion in 

the Rajya Sabha on foreign 

policy. 

"They did not try to 

understand the situation 

(the border standoff) from 

the Indian government, 

instead approached the 

Chinese counterpart to get 

their point of view," she 

added. 

The Chinese Embassy 

in New Delhi had posted 

on its website about the 

July 8 meeting between 

Gandhi and Luo, but later 

withdrew it. 

The embassy had said 

in its WeChat account: "On 

July 8, Ambassador Luo 

Zhaohui met with Rahul 

Gandhi, vice-president of 

the Congress party. The 

two sides exchanged views 

on the current China-India 

relations and other business. 

Counsellor Zhou 

Yuyun attended the meeting." 

Gandhi had defended 

his meeting with Ambassador 

Luo, saying it was 

his job to be informed of 

critical issues. He had also 

met the Bhutanese envoy 

and former National Security 

Adviser Shivshankar 

Menon, among other officials. 

Swaraj also took a 

dig at Congress MP Rajiv 

Shukla, who had said: 

"Why India did not take 

part in the One Belt, One 

Road (OBOR) meeting and 

also referred to China Pakistan 

Economic Corridor 

(CPEC)." 

"Why did the Congress 

allow him to say this. How 

did this crop up in his 

mind? It is a matter of India's 

territorial integrity 

and sovereignty as POK is 

an integral part of India," 

Swaraj said. 

Leader of Opposition 

Ghulam Nabi Azad stood 

up said that Shukla's remarks 

were his individual 

views. 

Over 370 scientists 

returned to work in India 

Former President Pranab 

Mukherjee shares 

" the last letter 

Prime Minister 

Modi wrote to him 

IANS 

New Delhi: The government on 

Wednesday said that a total of 373 

scientists have returned to work in 

India in the last three years leaving 

reputed foreign institutions. The 

government said that 125 of the 373 

scientists had been absorbed in different 

schemes initiated by the government. 

"Department of Science and 

Technology (DST) through Ramanujan 

fellowship and Department of 

Biotechnology (DBT) through Ramalingaswami 

re-entry fellowship 

provides attractive avenue and opportunities 

to Indian Researchers 

of high calibre, who are residing in 

foreign, to work in Indian Institutes 

and Universities of their respective 

interest and domain," Minister of 

state for Science and Technology 

Y.S. Choudhary stated in the Parliament. 

He informed that under the 

ministry's Innovation in Science 

Pursuit for Inspired Research (IN- 

SPIRE) faculty scheme, young Indian 

citizens and people of Indian 

origin across the world with PhD 

in science, mathematics, engineering, 

pharmacy, medicine, and agriculture 

related subjects are offered 

contractual research positions in 

Indian institutions to carry out independent 

research. 

Beside that the Council of Scientific 

and Industrial Research (CSIR) 

has a scheme to attract scientists 

and technologists of Indian Origin 

(STIO) under which they are appointed 

at an identified CSIR laboratory 

so as to nurture a research 

field in their area of expertise. DST 

had recently also initiated named 

VAJRA -- Visiting Advanced Joint 

Research Faculty Scheme -- that 

offers NRIs and people of Indian 

origin abroad to work as adjunct or 

visiting faculty for a specific period 

of time in Indian Public funded academic 

and research institutions. 

"The Ministry has ensured sufficient 

funds depending upon the 

availability of brilliant scientists 

and engineers from all over the 

world to take up scientific research 

positions in India," the Minister 

stated. 

'Suggestions on NRI marriages' issues not final recommendations' 

Agencies 

New Delhi: The Indian government 

has clarified that the 

suggestions received on issues 

related to NRI marriages are not 

final recommendations but part of 

the review process. 

A statement issued by the 

Women and Child Development 

Ministry said that an expert committee 

has been set up the External 

Affairs Ministry to look into 

the issues and difficulties faced by 

Indian nationals married to overseas 

nationals of Indian origin 

and suggest amendments in existing 

policies. 

Noting that the committee is 

taking into account suggestions 

from a variety of stakeholders including 

individuals, civil society 

organisations and institutions on 

the subject, it said: "Any news reports 

mentioning the suggestions 

as formal and final recommendations 

are completely misleading 

and incorrect." 

It stressed that the suggestions 

will be examined by the government 

in consultation with a larger 

group of stakeholders to decide on 

future course of action. 

These suggestions include 

amendments in certain acts including 

the Foreign Marriage Act, 

1969; constitution of separate cells 

in embassies/missions abroad to 

coordinate with local authorities; 

circulation of do's and don'ts on 

the subject, pre-marital and marital 

counselling etc. 

The committee, headed by 

Justice Arvind Kumar Goel, ex- 

Chairperson, Punjab's NRI Commission, 

includes Professor Pam 

Rajput, former MP Balwant Singh 

Ramoowalia, and senior officers 

of Women and Child Development, 

Home, External Affairs 

Ministries and Department of 

Telecommunications. 

It has held four meetings till 

date to discuss the issues related 

to the subject of NRI marriages.



13 

Tharoor moves HC to stop Republic TV from defaming him 

IANS 

New Delhi: Congress 

leader Shashi Tharoor on 

Thursday filed an application 

before the Delhi High 

Court seeking to restrain 

Republic TV from making 

defamatory publications 

against him with regard 

to the death of his wife Sunanda 

Pushkar. 

Tharoor has already 

filed a defamation suit 

against journalist Arnab 

Goswami and his news 

channel Republic TV and 

claimed Rs 2 crore damages 

from them for defamatory 

remarks against him. 

On May 29, the High 

Court had said the TV news 

channel can air stories by 

stating the facts related 

to the investigation into 

the death of Pushkar, but 

cannot call the Lok Sabha 

MP from Thiruvananthapuram 

a "criminal". 

The court said that 

they (Goswami and his 

channel) cannot use such 

language and had sought 

response from the journalist 

and channel on the 

defamation suit by August 

16. In a fresh application 

through advocate Gaurav 

Gupta, Tharoor said: "Despite 

the assurance given 

by the counsel of the defendants 

(Republic TV) on the 

last date of hearing, the defendants 

are still engaging 

in defaming the plaintiff 

(Tharoor) and maligning 

his image." The application 

stated: "Numerous shows, 

debates, interviews etc. 

are being broadcast repeatedly 

on the New Channel 

of the defendants, wherein 

innuendos are being used 

to portray that the plaintiff 

was complicit in the 

unfortunate death of the 

deceased." 

"There have also been 

instances when the plaintiff 

has been categorically 

called to be the killer of 

the deceased," it added. 

The Congress leader 

pleaded that the expression 

"murder of Sunanda 

Pushkar" should not 

be used as it is yet to be 

established by a competent 

court of law that the 

death of his wife was a 

'murder'. 

The High Court will 

hear Tharoor's application 

on Friday. Republic 

TV had recently aired 

what it called an expose 

in the death of Pushkar, 

playing tapes of a purported 

conversation between 

a reporter and Tharoor's 

assistant Narayan on the 

night of Pushkar's death. 

Pushkar was found dead 

in a five-star hotel in south 

Delhi on the night of January 

17, 2014. 

Tharoor, in his defamation 

suit, said he has 

suffered humiliation and 

severe loss of reputation 

in the eyes of the public. 

He has baselessly been 

declared by them as the 

alleged murderer of his 

wife, said the defamation 

suit, seeking a permanent 

injunction against the 

channel from reporting 

or broadcasting any news 

regarding Pushkar's death 

until investigations are 

complete. 

Baba Ramdev's 'desi ghee' 

may not be cow ghee at all, 

says new book 


But in her book, Godman to Tycoon: the Untold 

Story of Baba Ramdev, journalist Priya Pathak- 

Narain has cast doubts over the yoga guru’s claims 

about his products and that his cow ghee may not 

be cow ghee at all. 

In an article in Caravan which carried some excerpts 

from her book, Priya quotes a former executive 

of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved as saying 

that the cow ghee that Baba Ramdev sells is not 

cow ghee. 

SK Patra, who as the former CEO of Patanjali 

Group led the the foundation of its phenomenal 

growth, has been quoted 

as saying that the 

exponential growth in 

sales of Patanjali products 

actually began 

with honey in 2013. 

"We simply bought 

honey from many different 

suppliers, refined 

it, processed it, 

packaged it, put our 

label and sold it. As Patanjali 

honey was the 

cheapest, it quickly swept up the market,” Patra 

says. 

The success of honey made Baba Ramdev think 

of launching his own cow ghee. So what did Baba 

Ramdev and Patra do to launch cow ghee? 

They first rented a ghee-making plant. As Patra 

says, "We (then) started sourcing white butter . . 

. in truckloads . . . A few hundred tonnes was produced 

at first. Now, every day, Ramdev is manufacturing 

100 tonnes of ghee. Can you imagine? And 

every ghee bottle is giving him a profit of fifty to 

sixty rupees.'' 

The baba sells is ghee made from white butter. 

The white butter, in turn, is made of the milk of 

various animals, not just cows. 

According to Patra, the white butter supplied 

to Ramdev’s factories is derived from the milk of 

cows, buffaloes and goats. All that Ramdev does 

is to melt the white butter, strain it and add some 

herbs to it to convert it into ghee and then claim 

that it is cow ghee. 

Patra says that Ramdev "claims this is all cow’s 

ghee . . . but who knows? Is it cow ghee or buffalo 

ghee or goat ghee . . . even Ramdev does not know! 

He cannot know! But there it is . . . 1500 crore of his 

business.’’

The International News Weekly VIEWS 


Deeply disturbed over increasing bigotry under 

Modi government: Gopalkrishna Gandhi 

IANS 

New Delhi: The opposition's 

vice-presidential 

candidate Gopalkrishna 

Gandhi says that he is 

deeply disturbed over increase 

in bigotry and suppression 

of dissent under 

the Modi government. 

Gandhi, 72, who faces 

the ruling National Democratic 

Alliance's candidate 

M. Venkaiah Naidu in the 

Aug 5 vice-presidential 

election, also feels that 

there is need to be vigilant 

against cow vigilantism. 

"I am deeply disturbed 

over the increase in bigotry, 

intolerance and the 

direct and indirect suppression 

of dissent. This is 

not democratic. This is not 

republican," Gandhi said 

in an interview to IANS. 

Answering a query on 

incidents of cow vigilantism, 

Gandhi said, "Be vigilant 

against vigilantism, 

our former President said. 

I believe that." 

Gandhi said the objective 

of his contesting elections 

was to offer a choice 

to the electors worthy of 

their attention. "And to 

respond to the invitation 

from several parties to 

contest as an independent 

candidate standing for the 

values of our republican 

constitution." 

Asked about his assessment 

of Venkaiah Naidu, 

who is seen to have a clear 

edge in the election in 

which MPs vote through 

secret ballot, Gandhi said: 

"He (Naidu) is a veteran political 

leader with vast experience 

of public affairs." 

Gandhi, who is a former 

civil servant, diplomat and 

governor, said he had written 

to the NDA MPs saying 

that he was not asking 

for their votes but seeking 

their "kind attention" for 

his candidature. 

"I have requested 

them to look upon me not 

as an adversary but a fellow 

citizen who believes 

in our country's diversity 

and pluralism and in the 

criticality of democratic 

rights," he said. 

On his prospects in the 

vice-presidential election, 

Gandhi said: "Some contests 

are valuable in themselves, 

irrespective of winning 

or losing." 

Asked about the role he 

sees for himself if does not 

win the election, Gandhi 

said: "Life is larger than 

elections." Gandhi did not 

comment on his nephew 

Shrikrishna Kulkarni 

writing an open letter 

against his nomination as 

candidate of Congress and 

some other major opposition 

parties. Asked about 

the prospects of the opposition 

in the 2019 general 

election, Gandhi said people 

will use the opportunity 

wisely and noted that 

every election conducted 

in freedom and with fairness 

is in itself a victory. 

To a question about 

the possibility of Rahul 

Gandhi being the pivot of 

opposition unity in 2019 

elections, Gandhi said 

the people were their own 

pivot. 

Asked what "nationalism" 

meant to him, Gandhi 

said nationalism and 

patriotism were natural 

instincts and their manipulation 

was outrageous. 

Gandhi also said he 

agreed with former President 

Pranab Mukherjee on 

his advice against taking 

the ordinance route repeatedly 

and against disruptions 

in the parliament. 

How Hindu nationalist agenda 

is linked to Doklam stand-off 

By Arnab N. Sengupta 

The depressing drumbeat 

of bad news from 

Jammu and Kashmir and 

Bhutan's Doklam plateau 

may or may not be a consequence 

of the policies or 

actions of Narendra Modi's 

government. 

Yet it should serve as 

a wake-up call for the governing 

Bharatiya Janata 

Party (BJP), which seems 

blithely oblivious to India's 

external and internal 

security vulnerabilities as 

it single-mindedly pursues 

its implicit goal of Hindu 

nationalist domination of 

the political landscape. 

Take the standoff in 

Doklam. On the face of it, 

the Chinese decision to 

build a road through the 

disputed Bhutan territory 

-- the "routine affair of a 

sovereign nation", according 

to Beijing -- is a challenge 

India could not have 

planned for. 

While flare-ups along 

the northeastern border 

are nothing new, the primary 

lesson of the 1962 

war for India has been to 

avoid giving China any 

pretext to inflict yet another 

defeat. 

It is also an indisputable 

fact that there was no 

serious Indian provocation 

in the run-up to the 

Doklam stand-off, unless 

its refusal to join China's 

Belt and Road Initiative or 

attend the Belt and Road 

Forum in Beijing in May 

could be considered one. 

The question thus arises 

as to whether renewed 

religious and political tensions 

in India emboldened 

China to size up its rival 

on the picturesque meadows 

of the Sikkim-Bhutan- 

Tibet tri-junction area. 

With the level of violence 

confronting the 

army and paramilitary 

forces rising in Jammu 

and Kashmir, both along 

the Line of Control and in 

the Valley, the temptation 

for China to stir things up 

must have been strong, 

well before Indian troops 

crossed into Doklam on 

June 16 and physically 

blocked Chinese road-construction 

activity there. 

What possibly added 

to the temptation was the 

spectre of ferment conjured 

up by the rash of attacks 

on Muslims by cowprotection 

vigilantes and 

mobs, events that have 

projected a picture of instability 

and lawlessness 

which in turn has been 

magnified by social media 

and the international media. 

The alarming news 

headlines would hardly 

have gone unnoticed in 

the corridors of power in 

Beijing, ever watchful of 

opportunities to pursue 

the "recovery" of territories 

it believes China lost 

to Western or Japanese 

imperialism. 

The government of 

Xi Jinping is, of course, 

scarcely a paragon of 

peaceful accommodation 

with China's Muslim and 

Buddhist minorities, respectively, 

in Xinjiang 

and Tibet. Even so, the 

perception that the Modi 

government is inimical 

to minority rights serves 

the interests of China (and 

ally Pakistan) by virtue of 

its potential for exacerbating 

India's religious and 

societal cleavages. 

Against this background, 

Bhutan, which 

acts as a buffer between 

China and India's Siliguri 

Corridor, may have provided 

the perfect location 

for a major power to wage 

a phony war on a rising 

but weaker rival without 

actually starting a confrontation. 

Whether or not this 

was the strategic calculation 

of the People's Liberation 

Army is hard to ascertain, 

but what is clear 

is that the conditions for a 

little military experiment 

were conducive, to say the 

least. 

To its credit, the Modi 

government has of late 

taken a number of administrative 

and legislative 

steps that are likely to 

prove economically beneficial 

in the long term. 

It is also courting foreign 

investors and technology 

companies, encouraging 

import substitution in the 

defence sector and promoting 

skill development and 

entrepreneurship to tackle 

youth unemployment. 

Where the government 

is falling short is in its understanding 

of the possible 

strategic repercussions of 

its narrow Hindu nationalist 

agenda and its attempts 

to control the message. 

With everyone from regional 

politicians and police 

officers to army chiefs 

and TV news anchors trying 

to jump onto the bandwagon 

of hypernationalism, 

sound judgement and 

constructive criticism 

are being drowned out by 

the din of competitive patriotism 

on critical issues 

ranging from Kashmiri 

youths' alienation to mob 

lynchings. 

Public discourse in 

India may be inexorably 

on an insular and inwardlooking 

trajectory but, 

alas, in the age of Twitter, 

social videos and Facebook, 

what happens inside 

the country does not stay 

inside the country. 

Furthermore, South 

Asia continues to be a 

rough neighbourhood 

where both state and nonstate 

actors are constantly 

on the lookout for opportunities 

to stir up trouble. 

Going forward, India's 

political parties, be they 

ruling or opposition, need 

to be disabused of the notion 

that they enjoy unfettered 

rights but no responsibilities 

in their pursuit 

of domestic popularity and 

power. 

For his part, Modi, as 

the Prime Minister, needs 

to put -- in words, deeds 

and tweets -- the national 

interest ahead of the BJP's 

interests, regardless of 

the exigencies of electoral 

politics. 

If the Doklam crisis 

ultimately succeeds in firing 

a warning shot across 

the bows of India's armchair 

Hindu nationalist 

warriors, then it will have 

been a salutary lesson for 

them: Identity politics and 

polarising rhetoric may 

make them feel stronger, 

but they leave the nation 

weaker and vulnerable. 

(Arnab N. Sengupta is a 

Qatar-based journalist. The 

views expressed are personal. 

He can be contacted at arnabnsg@yahoo.com)

The International News Weekly August 04, 2017 | Toronto 

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The International News Weekly WORLD 


NEWS 

US woman to be 

sentenced in teen 

texting suicide case 


TAUNTON (Mass.): A Massachusetts woman who encouraged 

her boyfriend to kill himself in dozens of text 

messages and told him to "get back in" a truck filled 

with toxic gas faces up to 20 years in prison when a 

judge sentences her on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. 

Michelle Carter was convicted in June by a judge 

who said her final instruction to Conrad Roy III caused 

his death. Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz will 

sentence Carter Thursday. 

Carter was 17 when the 18-year-old Roy was found 

dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014. 

In dozens of text messages, Carter urged Roy to 

follow through on his talk of taking his own life. "The 

time is right and you are ready ... just do it babe," Carter 

wrote in a text the day he killed himself. 

The sensational trial was closely watched on social 

media, in part because of the insistent tone of Carter's 

text messages. 

"You can't think about it. You just have to do it. 

You said you were gonna do it. Like I don't get why you 

aren't," Carter wrote in one text. 

Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, argued that Roy 

was determined to kill himself and nothing Carter did 

could change that. He said Carter initially tried to talk 

Roy out of it and urged him to get professional help, 

but eventually went along with his plan. Cataldo also 

argued that Carter's words amounted to free speech 

protected by the First Amendment. 

In convicting Carter, the judge focused his ruling 

on Carter telling Roy to "get back in" after he climbed 

out of his truck as it was filling with carbon monoxide 

and told her he was afraid. 

The judge said those words constituted "wanton and 

reckless conduct" under the manslaughter statute. 

Carter and Roy met in Florida in 2012 while both 

were on vacation with their families. After that, they 

only met in person a handful of times. Their relationship 

consisted mainly of texting. 

Both teens struggled with depression. Carter had 

been treated for anorexia, and Roy had made earlier 

suicide attempts. 

Roy's aunt has asked the judge to sentence Carter to 

the 20-year maximum. Carter's father said his daughter 

made "a tragic mistake," and is asking for probation 

and continued counselling. 

Carter was tried as a youthful offender, so the judge 

has several options for sentencing. He can commit her 

to a Department of Youth Services facility until she 

turns 21 on Aug. 11. He could also combine a DYS commitment 

with an adult sentence, or can give her an 

adult sentence of anything from probation to the maximum 

20-year term. 

Indian athlete indicted on 

sex abuse charge in US 

Agencies 

New York: Indian snowshoe 

athlete Tanveer Hussain 

Parra has been indicted 

in the US for allegedly 

having inappropriate contact 

with a 12-year-old girl. 

The Essex County 

grand jury charged the 25- 

year-old with one count of 

first-degree sexual abuse, 

a felony, two counts of endangering 

the welfare of a 

child and misdemeanour, 

according to a statement 

from Essex County District 

Attorney Kristy Sprague. 

Saranac Lake Village 

Police arrested Hussain 

on March 1, two days after 

he competed in the World 

Snowshoe Championships 

at Dewey Mountain Recreation 

Centre, the Adirondack 

Daily Enterprise 

newspaper reported. 

"Hussain is alleged to 

have subjected a 12-yearold 

female to sexual contact 

and engaged in inappropriate 

conversations 

with said child during the 

time he was in Saranac 

Lake," Sprague said. 

Indian-origin doctor charged 

with 118 sex crimes 

IANS 

London: A London-based Indian-origin doctor has been 

formally charged with 118 sex crimes, including one involving 

a 13-year-old girl, police said. 

According to the London Metropolitan Police, Manish 

Shah, 47, allegedly assaulted at least 54 different victims 

at his practice in Havering in east London between June 

2004 and July 2013, Efe news reported on Thursday. 

The Met Police, who began to investigate accusations 

against Shah four years ago, said he will face court with 

65 counts of sexual assault by penetration and 52 sexual 

assault allegations. 

The charge of sexually assaulting the minor will be 

prosecuted separately. 

Shah, who speaks Hindi and Gujarati in addition to 

English, was not born in the UK. He is a registered doctor 

with the UK's National Health Services. 

He is slated to appear on bail on August 31 at the Barkingside 

Magistrates' Court. 


WASHINGTON: President 

Donald Trump denied 

Wednesday that he called 

the White House a "dump." 

Trump responded on 

Twitter to an article posted 

Tuesday on the website golf. 

com. The story recounts a 

scene in which Trump was 

chatting with some club 

members at his golf course 

in Bedminster, New Jersey. 

Trump reportedly told 

the members he visits the 

property so frequently because 

"That White House 

is a real dump." 

The girl from Saranac 

Lake Village in New York 

told police that on the 

night of February 27, Hussain 

groped her and inappropriately 

touched her. 

Hussain denied the 

charges and declined a 

plea deal that would have 

let him return to India. 

For the past five 

months, Hussain has been 

living in the home of village 

Trustee Rich Shapiro 

and his wife Lindy Ellis, 

who bailed him out of the 

Essex County Jail, awaiting 

the next court proceedings 

in the case, the daily 

said on Tuesday. 

Hussain's lawyer Brian 

Barrett of Lake Placid said: 

"(Hussain) is presumed innocent 

by law, and certainly 

no one has any reason 

not to presume him innocent 

in this case." 

Hussain was earlier denied 

a visa by the US Embassy 

in New Delhi to attend 

the World Snowshoe 

Federation (WSSF) World 

Championship on February 

25 in Saranac Lake, 

New York. 

Chinese military daily asks 

Indian troops to withdraw 

IANS 

Beijing: The flagship newspaper of China's People's Liberation 

Army (PLA) on Thursday demanded the immediate 

withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam on the border, 

warning New Delhi not to harbour any illusions about Beijing's 

resolve to defend its territory. 

"The Chinese government will make no concession on 

territorial sovereignty, and any country should not underestimate 

our resolve to uphold territorial sovereignty," 

said a commentary in the PLA Daily, reports Xinhua news 

agency. Over 270 Indian troops crossed the Sikkim section 

of the China-India border and obstructed Chinese road 

work in Doklam on June 18. As of the end of July, over 40 

Indian soldiers and one bulldozer remain in Chinese territory, 

it said.Chinese troops have taken initial counter measures 

at the area and will step up targeted measures, the 

commentary said. "The Chinese military does not demand 

a single inch of other's land and it won't give an inch of its 

own territory to others," it said. 

Trump denies he called 

White House a 'dump' 

Trump took to Twitter 

Wednesday night to deny he 

made the remark. "I love the 

White House, one of the most 

beautiful buildings (homes) I 

have ever seen," he tweeted. 

"But Fake News said I called 

it a dump - TOTALLY UN- 

TRUE." Trump has spent 

nearly every weekend of 

his presidency visiting various 

properties he owns and 

leases, including Bedminster. 

He is expected to leave 

Friday on his first extended 

vacation from Washington 

since the inauguration — a 

17-day getaway to the Bedminster 

club.

The International News Weekly WORLD 


17 

US to cut legal immigration, 

increase skill-based intake 


WASHINGTON: President 

Donald Trump has 

embraced legislation that 

would dramatically reduce 

legal immigration 

and shift the nation toward 

a system that prioritizes 

merit and skills over 

family ties. 

Trump joined with Republican 

Sens. David Perdue 

of Georgia and Tom 

Cotton of Arkansas to 

promote the bill, which so 

far has gained little traction 

in the Senate. 

"This legislation demonstrates 

our compassion 

for struggling American 

families who deserve an 

immigration system that 

puts their needs first 

and puts America first," 

Trump said during an 

event Wednesday in the 

White House's Roosevelt 

Room. 

It was the latest example 

of the president championing 

an issue that animated 

the core voters of 

his 2016 campaign, following 

decisions to pull out 

of the Paris climate treaty 

and ban transgender people 

from the military. 

Perdue and Cotton's 

legislation would replace 

the current process for 

obtaining legal permanent 

residency, or green 

cards, creating a skillsbased 

point system for 

employment visas. 

The bill would also 

eliminate the preference 

for U.S. residents' extended 

and adult family members, 

while maintaining 

priority for their spouses 

and minor children. 

Overall, immigration 

would be slashed 41 per 

cent in the legislation's 

first year and 50 per cent 

in its 10th, according to 

projection models cited 

by the bill's sponsors. 

The bill would also aim to 

slash the number of refugees 

in half and eliminate 

a program that provides 

visas to people from countries 

with low rates of immigration. 

The rollout included 

a combative press briefing 

led by Trump policy 

aide Stephen Miller, who 

clashed with the media 

over the plan and accused 

one reporter of being 

"cosmopolitan" when he 

suggested it would only 

bring in English-speaking 

people from Britain and 

Australia. 

The president has 

made cracking down on 

illegal immigration a 

hallmark of his administration 

and has tried 

to slash federal grants for 

cities that refuse to comply 

with federal efforts to 

detain and deport those 

living in the country illegally. 

Global blind population to triple 

by 2050: Study 

Agencies 

London: The prevalence of 

blindness and vision impairment 

worldwide is set to triple 

from nearly 36 million to 38.5 

million by 2020 and 115 million 

in 2050 due to an increase 

in the ageing population, a 

study has claimed. The study, 

published in the journal Lancet 

Global Health, showed 

that in 2015 an estimated 36 

million people were blind, 217 

million were moderately or 

severely vision impaired, and 

188 million had mild vision 

impairment. 

Near-vision impairment 

due to uncorrected presbyopia 

affected 1.09 billion people 

aged 35 years or older. Most of 

the blind people live in South 

Asia (11.7 million, 80 per cent), 

followed by East Asia (6.2 million) 

and Southeast Asia (3.5 

million). Some parts of sub- 

Saharan Africa also have particularly 

high rates. "There is 

an ongoing reduction in the 

age-standardised prevalence 

of blindness and visual impairment, 

yet the growth and 

ageing of the world's population 

is causing a substantial 

increase in number of people 

affected," said Rupert Bourne, 

Professor at the Anglia 

Ruskin University in the UK. 

Further, there are more than 

200 million people with moderate 

to severe vision impairment, 

which is expected to 

rise to more than 550 million 

by 2050. 

For the study, the team 

estimated trends in prevalence 

of vision impairment 

and their uncertainties, by 

sex, for 188 countries in the 

21 Global Burden of Disease 

(GBD) regions, from 1990 to 

2015. "Even mild visual impairment 

can significantly 

impact a person's life. For 

example, reducing their independence... 

as it often means 

people are barred from driving," 

Bourne was quoted as 

telling the BBC. 

Visual impairment also 

limits people's educational 

and economic opportunities, 

Bourne said. The study 

calls for better investment in 

treatments, such as cataract 

surgery, and ensuring people 

have access to appropriate 

vision-correcting glasses. 

"Interventions provide some 

of the largest returns on investment. 

They are some of 

the most easily implemented 

interventions in developing 

regions," Bourne said. 

'Unruly' passenger arrested after 

Air Canada flight returns to Toronto 


TORONTO: An Air 

Canada flight en route to 

Hungary was flown back 

to Toronto's Pearson International 

Airport early 

Thursday after an unruly 

passenger was allegedly 

involved in an altercation 

that left a flight attendant 

injured. 

Peel regional police 

said they received a call at 

12:32 a.m. for an incident 

involving a 57-year-old 

man on board the flight to 

Budapest. 

Const. Bancroft Wright 

said a passenger became 

disruptive, but was being 

controlled by airline staff. 

"There was an altercation 

when he was being 

controlled," Wright said. 

"During that altercation 

one of the stewardesses 

was injured." 

Wright described the 

flight attendant's injury as 

minor, but said it required 

treatment from paramedics 

at the airport. 

Air Canada said the 

plane was just past Montreal 

when it had to turn 

back. The aircraft was 

carrying 267 passengers 

and eight crew members, 

according to Air Canada 

spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick. 

"The customers will 

be travelling on another 

flight later today," Fitzpatrick 

said. John Svab, 

57, of Hamilton, has been 

charged with uttering 

death threats, aggravated 

assaulted and endangering 

an aircraft while in 

flight. 

He was expected to 

appear in court on Thursday. 

Nawaz Sharif's brother barred from campaigning 

Agencies 

Islamabad: The Election Commission 

of Pakistan (ECP) has barred 

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz 

Sharif from taking part in his own 

poll campaign for a by-election to a 

National Assembly seat left vacant 

after the disqualification of his elder 

brother and former Prime Minister 

Nawaz Sharif. 

The ECP code of conduct barred 

constitutional dignitaries, including 

the President, the Prime Minister, 

chairman and deputy chairman senate 

as well as provincial Chief Ministers 

from visiting the area of any 

constituency that is going to polls, 

the Dawn newspaper reported. 

The code of conduct came into 

effect immediately after the ECP 

announced the election schedule 

for Lahore National Assembly seat 

(NA-120). The polling for the seat 

will be held on September 17, the 

report said. The ECP warned that 

legal action would be taken against 

any individual found in violation 

of the rules. Political observers in 

Pakistan called the ECP code of conduct 

"confusing" and wondered how 

the holder of a public office could be 

barred from taking part in his own 

election campaign even though the 

law permitted a legislator to contest 

election for another house without 

tendering resignation. 

A senior official of the ECP said a 

clear picture would emerge after the 

submission of nomination papers by 

Shehbaz Sharif for the by-election to 

NA-120. 

"This is a unique situation because 

if the Chief Minister of Punjab 

files nomination papers, he will not 

be campaigning for somebody else 

but for himself and this right can in 

no way be taken away from him." 

The ECP also told candidates 

that their election expenses should 

not exceed Rs 1.5 million and they 

must use a dedicated account for 

all transactions related to poll expenses. 

B.C. wildfire season 

worst in six decades in 

terms of area burned 


VANCOUVER: British Columbia 

is experiencing its 

most destructive wildfire 

season in 60 years. 

Kevin Skrepnek of the 

BC Wildfire Service says 

4,910 square kilometres of 

forest, brush and grassland 

have been torched, making 

this year the second 

worst in recorded history 

in terms of land lost. 

Skrepnek says it is too 

early to tell whether this 

year will surpass the 1958 

season, when wildfires 

engulfed more than 8,500 

square kilometres. 

He says the season is far 

from over, and that August 

is usually a busy month for 

fires. The BC Wildfire Service 

is also reaching further 

afield for reinforcements, 

with negotiations underway 

to bring in firefighting 

crews from Australia and 

New Zealand, possibly as 

early as next week. 

Skrepnek says a forecast 

change in weather 

is expected to shift wind 

patterns and cut back the 

smoky haze that has settled 

over much of B.C.'s coast in 

recent days.

The International News Weekly MONEY/REAL ESTATE 

18 


Toronto home prices fell by 6 per cent in July 


TORONTO: The average 

home price in Toronto in 

July fell by 6 percent from 

June, though it is still 5 

percent higher from the 

same period last year. The 

average home price in Toronto 

in July was $746,216. 

Year-over-year, the home 

sales have dropped by 40.4 

per cent. 

But Toronto Real Estate 

Board (TREB) CEO 

John DiMichele has 

sounded a note of caution. 

In a press release, he 

says, “We generally see an 

uptick in sales following 

Labour Day, as a greater 

cross-section of would-be 

buyers and sellers start 

to consider listing and/or 

purchasing a home.'' 

According to him, 

the full impact of higher 

mortgage rates and new 

provincial housing policies, 

including a foreign 

buyers’ tax, will be felt 

only by the fall. 

In the detached home 

market, transactions have 

dropped 47.4 per cent year 

over year. 

In condo sales, there 

has been a drop of 30 

per cent year over year. 

However, condo pries are 

up 23 per cent year over 

year. But there is an uptick 

of just 4.9 per cent in 

prices of detached homes. 

The number of new listings 

is up 5 per cent year 

over year despite drop in 

prices. 

Toronto home sales tank 40 per cent, 

prices down nearly $175,000 since April 

Salmaan Farooqui/The Canadian Press 

TORONTO: After 16 

years, Dina Alker is going 

to put her house in 

Toronto up for sale Monday, 

joining the throngs 

of others in the city who 

have decided to downsize 

as a chill gripping what 

was once one of the hottest 

real estate markets 

in North America takes 

hold. 

"I'm at a turning point 

in my life," said Alker, 58, 

who plans to buy a condo. 

"It's a big responsibility 

in a house. You're never 

really worry-free." 

Alker is unfazed by 

data released Thursday 

showing that sales in the 

Greater Toronto Area 

tanked last month by 40.4 

per cent compared to July 

2016 after a bout of frantic 

buying at the start of the 

year. Instead, she sees 

a silver lining — prices 

dipped for the third consecutive 

month. 

"It may be not as favourable 

(to sell), but 

when I go to buy, there's 

an advantage there." 

The decline in property 

transactions was 

driven by fewer sales of 

detached homes in Toronto 

and its surrounding 

areas, the Toronto Real 

Estate Board said. 

The average selling 

price of all properties 

in July was $746,218, 

roughly triple what it 

was when Alker bought 

her home and up five percent 

from the same month 

last year. 

But that's down nearly 

$175,000 since April, when 

the Ontario government 

introduced more than a 

dozen measures — including 

a 15 per cent tax on 

foreign buyers — aimed 

at improving home affordability. 

Tim Syrianos, president 

of the Toronto Real 

Estate Board, said the decline 

in activity has less 

to do with foreign buyers 

and more to do with potential 

homebuyers waiting 

to see how the market 

plays out. 

"Clearly, the yearover-year 

decline we experienced 

in July had 

more to do with psychology, 

with would-be home 

buyers on the sidelines 

waiting to see how market 

conditions evolve," Syrianos 

said in a statement. 

Sal Guatieri, a senior 

economist with BMO 

Capital Markets, said Toronto's 

housing market is 

starting to come back to 

normal levels after going 

through a "frenzy" early 

this year. 

"Buyers are stepping 

back, there's more sellers, 

and that just seems to be 

contributing to greater 

downward pressure on 

detached home prices in 

the Toronto region," said 

Guatieri. 

"That was just not 

sustainable and certainly 

not healthy, and greatly 

increased the risk of a 

severe correction if economic 

circumstances 

changed." 

A year ago, foreign 

buyers in Vancouver also 

had to pay a 15 per cent 

tax. The effect was immediate: 

the number of 

transactions tumbled in 

the ensuing months. However, 

Vancouver did not 

see the plunge in prices 

Toronto is now experiencing. 

Tom Storey, a sales 

representative with Royal 

LePage, said he believes 

Toronto's market will rebound 

much like Vancouver's 

did. 

"If you cross-reference 

what happened in Vancouver 

after the (foreign 

buyers' tax) announcement, 

they went through 

four-to-six months of people 

cooling down," said 

Storey. "Then it ramped 

up again." 

Guatieri said it's 

worth noting that while 

detached housing was 

what drove the drop in 

sales, condo sales have 

remained strong, helped 

in part by their relative 

affordability. 

"But I wouldn't be surprised 

if we see a little 

bit of cooling in that department 

in the next few 

months," he said. 

The average price of 

condos throughout the 

GTA in July was $501,750, 

an increase of 23.2 per 

cent from a year ago. Detached 

homes on average 

sold for $1 million, up 4.9 

per cent. 

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The International News Weekly BOLLYWOOD 

20 


'Jacqueline one of the 

most versatile actresses' 

Dilip Kumar doing 

well in hospital 

IANS 

MUMBAI: "Chandralekha", featuring 

Jacqueline Fernandez, has just 

arrived, and the song's choreographer 

Adil Shaikh says the actress 

is very versatile. 

The track from the forthcoming 

film "A Gentleman: Sundar, Susheel, 

Risky" released on Thursday. 

Adil is the man behind Jacqueline's 

pole dancing moves in the song. 

The video shows her and other actors 

at an office party "gone wild". 

Talking about "Chandralekha" 

and Jacqueline, Adil told IANS: "I 

think she is one of the most versatile 

actresses I have ever worked 

with. The best part about her is at 

every rehearsal, she is so full of energy." 

"While shooting this song, even 

if she was not in the frame... in real 

time her camera was always rolling. 

Everyone is definitely talking 

about Jacqueline's pole dance in 

'Chandralekha' as she has put so 

much of hard work, but I feel her 

co-star Sidharth Malhotra will 

surprise everyone with his dance 

moves." 

"We are definitely going to see 

a different Sidharth Malhotra in 

this song and everyone will love 

it," promised the choreographer, 

who bagged a trophy at the International 

Indian Film Academy (IIFA) 

Weekend and Awards last month. 

He won the Best Choreographer 

award for "Kar gayi chull" song. 

Adil said: "While I was shooting 

with Alia Bhatt and Sidharth for 

'Kar gayi chull', I never thought this 

song would become an award winning 

dance move until I received a 

Filmfare for it. 

"I never imagined I would bag 

IIFA award as well as there were 

apprehensions about receiving 

such a big industry award. Finally, 

when my name was called on stage, 

it was a dream come true to win 

such a prestigious award. Awards 

are just motivation to make you 

work harder and better," he added. 

His upcoming projects include 

"Kaalakaandi" and "Bazaar" with 

actor-producer Saif Ali Khan. 

IANS 

MUMBAI: Legendary actor Dilip Kumar, 

admitted to the Lilavati Hospital 

and Research Centre here for dehydration, 

is recovering. 

"Dilip Sir is doing well. He will remain 

under observation for a couple 

of days. Sairaji (his wife and actress) is 

with him," Saira Banu's manager Murshid 

told IANS. The 94-year-old was 

admitted to the hospital on Wednesday 

night. "He was admitted with dehydration. 

He is stable," Ravishankar, CEO of 

the facility at Bandra West, told IANS. 

Dilip Kumar has been ailing due to 

age-related problems in recent years. He 

had been running a fever for two days, 

a family friend, Udaya Tara Nayar, told 

IANS. Last seen on the big screen in 

"Qila" in 1998, the actor was honoured 

with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 

1994 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. 

Known for films like "Devdas", "Mughal- 

E-Azam" and "Karma", Dilip Kumar got 

married to Saira -- over 20 years younger 

to him -- in 1966. 


MUMBAI: Bollywood’s Iranian actress 

Mandana Karimi, who filed a domestic 

violence case against her husband 

Gaurav Gupta and her in-laws 

about a month ago, has now decided to 

withdraw the case. 

She has filed her application to 

withdraw the case in the Andheri Metropolitan 

Court. Interestingly, her 

husband and in-laws opposed her application, 

but the court allowed to file 

it 

Mandana, who married Gupta in 

January, had filed the case in the same 

court earlier this month, alleging 

that she was barred from entering her 

home by Gaurav. 

"I was thrown out of my matrimonial 

house seven weeks ago. I made 

desperate attempts to reconcile with 

them, but my in-laws didn’t allow me 

back. Gaurav has cut me off,’’ she had 

said in her complaint. Mandana also 

alleged that her husband had forced 

her to convert to Hinduism ahead of 

their wedding and wanted her to quit 

her acting career. 

She had demanded Rs 10 lakh as 

monthly support and Rs 2 crore in 

damages for loss of career and business 

and trauma. 

Moving her application to withdraw 

the case, Mandana said she "intends 

to save her marriage and is not 

desirous of any monetary gains from 

her in-laws”. 

She also says in her application 

that she wants her belongings and her 

pet dog back. But her husband and inlaws 

are in no mood to reconcile with 

her. Her husband Gaurav Gupta has 

been quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror 

that he does not have any of her 

personal belongings and that she could 

take her dog. 

He has been quoted as saying that 

Mandana wants to withdraw the complaint 

because she did not wish to occupy 

the flat offered to her by him on 

rent, but if she was genuinely interested 

in an amicable settlement, he would 

leave it to the court to pass its orders. 

Mandana has responded angrily to her 

husband’s allegation. She has been 

quoted as saying, ``I am not doing this 

to clarify my position or justify certain 

steps I was compelled to take to protect 

myself physically and emotionally. I 

never intended to, in the past, nor at 

any point in the future, get into a union 

with Gaurav for monetary gains. That 

he, of all people, should misinterpret 

my intentions, a man I intended to 

Actress Mandana 

Karimi now wants 

to save her marriage, 

but husband is in 

no mood 

spend the rest of my life with and start 

a family with would stoop so low as to 

stand against me instead of with me, is 

equally devastating.’’ 

Karimi, who came to Mumbai to 

participate in Bigg Boss 2015, has featured 

in Hindi films such as Kyaa Kool 

Hai Hum 3 and Bhaag Johnny. Delhibased 

Gupta is the son of a film 

financier. He and Karimi met 

two years ago. He was also seen 

in a TV reality show which featured 

Karimi. While Karimi is 

an Iranian Muslim, Gupta is a 

Marwari Hindu. There were also 

reports of Karimi being involved 

with Parth Pawar who is the son of 

politician Ajit Pawar. 

There were also rumours 

of her being 

married to model 

Lalit Tehlan.

The International News Weekly SPORTS 

21 


Harmanpreet gets DSP’s job in Punjab 

Police, listed for Arjuna Award 

Agencies 

NEW DELHI: Cricketer 

Harmanpreet Kaur, who 

has just been appointed a 

DSP in Punjab Police by the 

state government for her 

brilliant performance in the 

women’s world cup in England, 

cricketer Cheteshwar 

Pujara and Paralympian 

Mariyappan Thangavelu 

are among 17 sportspersons 

selected for the prestigious 

Arjuna Awards this year. 

Former India hockey 

team captain Sardar Singh 

and Paralympian Devendra 

Jhajharia have been 

shortlisted for the Rajiv 

Gandhi Khel Ratna award. 

Jhajharia, 36, who has won 

gold medals in two consecutive 

Paralympics is 

the first para-athlete to be 

Harmanpreet Kaur with Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh and 

DGP Sudesh Arora 

recommended for the Rajiv 

Gandhi Khel Ratna award. 

Thangavelu won gold in the 

men's high jump T-42 

category at the 2016 

Paralympic Games 

in Rio de Janeiro. 

Harmanpreet became a 

national hero after an unbeaten 

171 runs off just 115 

balls to help India beat the 

formidable Australia in 

the semi-finals. She met 

chief minister Amarinder 

Singh in Chandigarh on 

Wednesday. The chief minister 

gave her a cheque for 

Rs 5 lakh and also directed 

Punjab Police chief Suresh 

Arora to start the process 

to appoint Harmanpreet 

as a DSP. The chief minister 

promised her to get an 

early release from her current 

employer Railways so 

that she can join Punjab Police 

at the earliest. Punjab 

Police plan to use services 

of Harmanpreet to start a 

women’s cricket team in 

the police department. 

Rohit Sharma to fly back 

for a medical check-up 

IANS 

Mumbai: Star India batsman Rohit Sharma, who is 

currently in Sri Lanka for the Test series, will fly back to 

India for his scheduled medical check-up, the BCCI said 

on Thursday. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also 

clarified that there were no health or fitness issues with 

Rohit. After the check-up, the right-hand batsman 

will join the team on Friday. 

"The BCCI medical team confirms 

that batsman Mr. Rohit Sharma 

will undergo a scheduled medical 

check-up, as a follow-up after his 

recent surgery," the BCCI said in a 

statement. 

"There is no health or fitness 

concern and Mr. Rohit Sharma 

will fly to Mumbai later today, 

i.e. August 3, 2017, and will rejoin 

the team tomorrow i.e. 

August 4," it added. 

Pujara, Rahane tons put 

India on top against Sri 

Lanka in second Test 

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IANS 

Colombo: India rode on undefeated centuries from 

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to post 344/3 

at stumps on the opening day of the second cricket 

Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club 

here on Thursday. 

At stumps, Pujara, who was nominated for this 

year's Arjuna Award, was batting on 128 while Rahane 

was unbeaten on 103 as the right-handed duo 

guided India to a strong position, adding 211 runs 

for the fourth wicket. 

Pujara, who is appearing in his 50th Test, continued 

from where he left off in the opening match at 

Galle, securing his 4,000th run and his 13th century, 

three in a row against the islanders. 

Putting behind him the mix-up that led to opener 

Lokesh Rahul's run-out for 57, Pujara shouldered 

the responsibility of carrying the Indian innings to 

safety after skipper Virat Kohli's (13) soft dismissal. 

Joining forces with Rahane at the fall of Kohli, 

Pujara nearly edged to slip when on 1 and only just 

avoided short-leg's hands in the last over before 

lunch. In the second session, the Saurashtra righthander 

switched gears to reach 89 off 140 deliveries 

at tea and finished unbeaten on 128 at stumps. 

Rahane, on the other hand, played the perfect 

second fiddle to Pujara to end his 10-match wait for 

what was his 9th Test hundred, and sixth outside India. 

He got to his ton, second against the islanders, 

off 151 deliveries when he pushed Rangana Herath 

for a single on the off. 

Earlier, Rahul celebrated his comeback with a 

half-century. The opener's sedate 82-ball knock contained 

seven hits to the fence. 

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera notched up figures 

of 1/68 while veteran left-arm spinner Herath returned 

1/83. 

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