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the weekly voice
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Friday, February 13, 2015
Leader in South Asian News
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Vol 19 No. 13 PM: 40025701
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Is This The Beginning Of
The End Of Modi?
by BINOY THOMAS
Here's a cup of tea to wake up
those BJP fans who are in a state
of disbelief. The Delhi state election results, so totally one-sided,
sweeping both BJP and the Congress out of the field, was not what
was expected to happen. True, a
BJP victory became less and less
likely in the waning weeks of the
campaign. AAP leader Arvind
Kejriwal, who was out the gate
last, began picking up speed midway, and came blazing through
the bend to breast the tape. The
Congress horse stayed in the paddocks, and the BJP bronc limped
in the distance.
Of course, depending on
whose side you are on, it's either
utterly depressing, (hence the
need for a cup of hot and sweet
tea) or absolutely delightful.
In some quarters, this is seen
as the beginning of the end for
Prime Minister Modi. 'Friends'
are coming out of the woodwork,
like the Shiv Sena, in Mumbai,
who have now given a call to
Maharashtra to follow Delhi and
reject the BJP. With friends like
that, BJP doesn't need enemies!
In the gloom of defeat, even
an otherwise secular Kiran Bedi
is playing the communal card.
She said that the 'fatwa' issued by
Shahi Imam Bukhari of Delhi to
vote for AAP was the reason why
she lost. First of all, that is not
true, and let's remember Arvind
Kejriwal had firmly rejected the
offer of support from the same
Imam.
It's not the Muslims that gave
AAP 54% of the popular votes.
If this is the way BJP is going
to deal with its defeat, then they
have bigger problems coming up
in the path ahead.
First of all, they need to accept the results for what it is, a
complete rejection of the party
by a majority of Delhiwallas.
And then they can sit down and
take stock, analyze the event and
come up with what needs to be
done going forward.
Multiple Wives Not A
Fundamental Right, Rules
India’s Supreme Court
New Delhi: Although their personal law permits men to have
four wives, India's Supreme
Court ruled this week that a Muslim's fundamental right to profess
Islam did not include practicing
polygamy.
"What was protected under
Article 25 (right to practice and
propagate any religion) was the
religious faith and not a practice
which may run counter to public order, health or morality. Polygamy was not integral part of
religion and monogamy was a
reform within the power of the
State under Article 25," said a
bench of Justices T S Thakur and
A K Goel.
The bench said that polygamy was not integral to religion
and the practice of polygamy did
not acquire sanction of religion
simply because it was permitted.
It upheld the UP government's decision to sack one of
its employees on the ground of
misconduct for opting for a second marriage during existence of
the first marriage without its prior
permission.
Continued on page 2...
And yes, the deliberations
have to be honest, not superficial.
There is already a section that
would like to believe the big mistake was to choose Kiran Bedi as
BJP's chief ministerial candidate.
No, it wasn't. Because Kejriwal
had effectively called into question the character of the longterm serving BJP functionaries
in Delhi, including its President
Satish Upadhyay, who, Kejriwal
Where was the first test match during India's first tour of
Pakistan 1954-55 held?
Email your answer to admin@weeklyvoice.com.
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AAP’s
Wrecking Ball
Demolishes
BJP, Congress
New Delhi: In one of the most
stunning comebacks in Indian political history, Arvind Kejriwal's
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Tuesday scored a landslide victory in
Delhi, delivering to the BJP its
first defeat since its historic Lok
Sabha triumph and reducing the
Congress, which ruled the capital
for 15 years till 2013, to a virtual
nonentity.
Tens of thousands of
jubilant AAP activists celebrated
across the capital and in many
other cities as the 27-month-old
party grabbed a sensational 67
of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly, leaving just three seats to
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
-- the highest victory margin for
any party in Delhi so far. Although Delhi accounts for only
70 of the 4,120 assembly seats in
the country, the AAP's spectacular
showing had its predictable fallout, with opposition parties and
even BJP ally Shiv Sena taking
potshots at Modi. The win gave
the AAP, India's youngest political outfit, 96 percent of seats in a
legislature - another record - and a
new lease of life after it was written off following its earlier turbulent 49-day stint in Delhi and the
later humiliating rout in the 2014
Lok Sabha battle.
So stunning
and sweeping was Tuesday's victory in what was supposed to be
a tough election with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself leading the BJP's charge that many
AAP leaders and workers who
had slogged for months broke into
tears. Kejriwal, 46, had teary
eyes as AAP colleagues repeatedly hugged him and lifted him in
Did Pakistan Hand Over
Osama To US?
Islamabad: The former chief of
Pakistan's intelligence agency,
ISI, Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani (retd)
has said that the Government of
Pakistan is likely to have sheltered slain terror mastermind
Osama bin Laden and handed
him over to the US as part of a
deal. "I cannot say exactly what
happened but... it is quite possible
that they (the ISI) did not know,
but it was more probable that they
did," Al Jazeera quoted General
AsadDurrani (retd)as saying.
The ex-Al Qaeda chief and
the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US was killed in
a US raid on his house in Pakistan's garrison town of Abbottabad in May, 2011. Officially,
the ISI maintains that it did notharbour bin Laden and played no
part in the US raid.
Durrani told Al Jazeera that
he doubted the official line given
by the ISI that it was unaware
of the Al Qaeda leader's whereabouts until his death, implying
that Pakistan would only have
exchanged knowledge of his location in a quid pro quo deal.
Durrani, who served as director general of the ISI from 1990
to 1992, asserted that bin Laden
was handed over in exchange for
an agreement on "how to bring
the Afghan problem to an end".
Asked whether bin Laden's
compound was an ISI safe house,
Durrani responded: "If ISI was
doing that, then I would say they
were doing a good job. And if
they revealed his location, they
again probably did what was required to be done."
Commentators have questioned how bin Laden could have
eluded the ISI in the years leading
up to his killing, given the location of his compound in a garrison town.
According to the US, the raid
on bin Laden's compound was
deliberately conducted without
the knowledge of the Pakistani
government or its military.
The Abbottabad Commission, which was set up by Pakistan
to investigate the circumstances
surrounding the raid, charged the
military and the government with
"gross incompetence" leading to
"collective failures" that enabled
bin Laden to reside in Pakistan
unnoticed.
The ISI had previously
helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) detain a
number of high-ranking suspects,
including Ramzi Yousef, one of
the men who planned the 1993
World Trade Centre bombing in
New York, and Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed, one of the alleged
masterminds of the 9/11 attacks
on New York and Washington.
Coming from an ex-ISI directory, the so-called media revelation, might be yet another red
herring to confuse the people,
and create another narrative other
than what was crystal clear - ISI
and the government protected
Bin Laden.
A-2 | Friday, February 13, 2015
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PDP-BJP Alliance To
Take Power In J&K
Srinagar: The PDP-BJP alliance
is all set to put an end to the
Governor's rule in Jammu and
Kashmir and finally provide the
state a government. According
to an NDTV report, the two parties reached a consensus on key
issues. Reports indicated that
PDP's Mufti Mohammed Sayeed
would be the chief minister while
the BJP's Nirmal Singh will be
the deputy chief minister.
The final details of the political arrangement is expected
Multiple Wives Not A
Fundamental Right, Rules
India’s Supreme Court
by next week. The state had witnessed stalemate since the assembly elections held last year. The
hung assembly gave the PDP - 28
seats, BJP - 25 seats, the National
Conference (NC) - 15 seats, Congress, - 12, and others - 7.
Continued from page 1...
Referring to its earlier verdict, the bench said that Article
25 protects religious faith, not a
practice. It noted that the court
had upheld the views of the
Bombay, Gujarat and Allahabad
high courts in this regard.
The bench upheld conduct
rules framed by UP Government
Servant Conduct Rules, saying
that it did not violate Article 25
of the Constitution.
In this case Khursheed Ahmad Khan, employed as irrigation supervisor, had married
Anjum Begum during existence
of first marriage with Sabina Begum. Sister of his first wife had
filed a complaint before Nation-
al Human Rights Commission
which ordered a police probe in
the case.
The police submitted its
report before the commission
saying that Khan had married a
second time during the existence
of the first marriage. On this
basis, the state government had
initiated proceedings and later
removed him from service for
failure to take prior permission
for second marriage as was required under rule 29 of the conduct rules.
Khan had then approached
the Allahabad high court and
challenged his removal from service. The HC had dismissed his
plea.
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India Keen To Collaborate With Diaspora: Sushma
New Delhi: India shares a symbiotic relationship with its 25
million diaspora spread across
the world and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has welcomed
entrepreneurs, investors and professionals from the diaspora to
take part in the India growth story, said External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj.
Speaking at the
inauguration of the International
Conference on "Indian Diaspora
and Cultural Heritage: Past, Present and Future" organised by the
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the minister said
the Indian diaspora "has emerged
as an important and unique force,
making a positive difference in all
fields of human endeavour, from
economics to politics".
"We hold
our heads high when members of
the diaspora are appreciated, honoured, respected and recognised
for their outstanding contribution in their respective countries
of residence. The success and
prosperity of the diaspora is our
asset, as much as a strong and a
self-reliant India is to the diaspora. We are determined to work
closely with the diaspora for mutual benefit," she said.
"We share
a symbiotic relationship. To put it
simply, in India's march forward
to its rightful place in the comity
of nations, our fates are bound
together."
Sushma Swaraj said
India To Become
Fastest Growing
Major Economy
In The World
New Delhi: The Central Statistics Office (CSO)
said this week that India is set to grow 7.4 per cent
and cross the $2.1-trillion mark this year against
6.9 per cent in 2013-14. India grew 7.5 per cent
in the October-December quarter, according to
the estimates released, overtaking China’s 7.3 per
cent growth in the same quarter, to become the
fastest growing major economy in the world.
The smart economic pick-up is largely on
the back of robust manufacturing sector performance and a surge in public expenditure. Capital
formation, an indicator for the investment growth
in the economy, dropped to 29.8 per cent during
April-December 2014 from 30.7 per cent in AprilDecember 2013.
The overall economic situation in the country
is looking better and the basic parameters of the
Indian economy are moving in the right direction,
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said ahead
of the release of the advanced estimates by CSO.
“India’s growth rate would be better than last year
as per the old system,” he said addressing a parliamentary consultative committee.
Releasing the advance estimates based on a
new way of calculating gross domestic product
(GDP), CSO Additional Director-General Ashish
Kumar told reporters that the methodology was
consistent with global norms.
Continued on page 5...
that India is today "witnessing an
unprecedented resurgence of interest from around the world. The
intense exchange of high-level
visits and the qualitative change
in the nature of our interaction
with the world since our govern-
ment has taken over is proof, if
proof is required, of the growing
esteem with which the world sees
us".
This, she said, "needs to
be buttressed and reinforced by
presenting a more sophisticated
and evolved understanding of In-
dia".
She mentioned the recent
adoption of the International Day
of Yoga by the UN, with a record
177 countries co-sponsoring it, as
an example of the global appeal
of India's soft power.
"This soft
power is anchored in our philosophical traditions, our consistent message of peace, harmony
and co-existence, the attractiveness of our customs and traditions, textiles and dresses, dance
and music, and, of course of our
cuisine. The Indian diaspora has
not just preserved these but has
also played an important role in
promoting and propagating these
valuable symbols of who we are."
o p i n io n
A-4 | Friday, February 13, 2015
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Kejriwal Has No Option But
To Work With Modi
By Sreeparna Chakravarty
With the overwhelming vote from
the people of Delhi in his favour,
Chief Minister-designate Arvind
Kejriwal has been saddled with
the challenging responsibility of
meeting the collective and varied aspirations of the 17 million
residents inhabiting one of the
world's largest and most densely
populated cities.
Delhi's unique
law and order, legalising squatter settlements and shantytowns
-- called unauthorised colonies -and even providing housing, he is
likely to have a tough time keeping his promises - a fact repeatedly raised by former Delhi chief
minister Sheila Dikshit.
Kejriwal's promise of building permanent houses for slum dwellers can
only be termed lip service as not
all land in Delhi belongs to the
institutions and hospitals, then
nothing much can be done by
the Delhi government."
"As far
as passing bills in the assembly
is concerned, it will be difficult
as almost all laws go to the Centre for approval," Chandra, who
was chief secretary from 2001
to 2004 during Dikshit's tenure,
said, adding this is ensured by
the capital's status as a union territory.
"This has traditionally
(to raise money)," she said. "As
far as cheap power and water are
concerned, the only option is giving subsidies," she said.
Former
Delhi lt governor Tejinder Khanna said that though Kejriwal has
got a stupendous majority, what
he now has to ensure is that he
bridges the political divide.
"Kejriwal now has to ensure that he
keeps channels open with the
Centre as well as the municipali-
position as a city-state and India's
capital ensures that the four civic
bodies, the Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) and last, but
not the least, the Delhi Police, are
controlled by the union government of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. While DDA falls under
the urban development ministry,
the civic bodies and the Delhi
Police are under the home ministry.
So, it's one thing for Kejriwal to promise subsidised water
and power, but when it comes to
state government. One of the first
things Kejriwal did Wednesday,
a day after the election results
were announced, was to meet
Urban Development Minister M.
Venkaiah Naidu.
According to
Shailaja Chandra, a former Delhi
chief secretary: "If some land belongs to the Delhi government,
only then it can be used for such
purpose. Otherwise, if according to the Delhi Master Plan, the
demarcated land has to be used
for forest cover or educational
been difficult as both the Centre
and the state have to be on the
same page on each and every issue," Chandra said.
According to
Chandra, what Kejriwal can do is
to order constructions like hospitals and schools and the like,
but the Delhi government coffers
do not have enough money for
that.
"Money will be a problem.
Unlike the common perception,
Delhi doesn't have a sound monetary backup as, not being a full
state, it cannot go to the markets
ties... Only then can he deliver,"
Khanna said.
He said the success of the Delhi government
now depends on how it is able to
ensure a joint effort.
However, a
political leader from a rival party
pointed out that what Kejriwal
can do is to use whatever powers
he has to bring about a sense of
participation and justice to Delhiites by opening more hospitals
and OPDs and stopping bribery
and corruption.
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Canada’s Bombardier Sees
$7-8 Billion Potential In India
Mumbai: With the Modi government opening up Indian railway
infrastructure projects to foreign
investments as part of its larger
Make in India push, Canada's
transportation giant Bombardier
is eyeing key projects worth at
least $7-8 billion that will come
up for grabs over the next 5-7
years. According to a report appearing in the respected financial
newspaper, the Economic Times,
the company has zeroed in on
projects in four of its core areas
of expertise--high and semi-high
speed trains, locomotives, signaling systems and integrated urban
transit systems such as metro,
light ..
The Montreal-based com-
pany, the world's third largest
commercial jet maker as well,
is also planning to push its new
short-haul commercial, C Series
aircraft in India, said Pierre Beaudoin, Bombardier's 52-year-old
president and chief executive officer "as the market is coming out
of its phase of turmoil and reorganization."
However, to make Modi's
dream of turning India a global
manufacturing and export hub,
he said Indian contracts must
emphasise local content and indigenization.
Bombardier is today the largest contractor for Delhi Metro,
having received orders of close to
$1 billion dollars since 2007 for
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-5
India To Become Fastest
Growing Major Economy
In The World
rolling stock (614 cars) and signaling solutions. Since 2012, it
has been exporting components,
rakes, bogie frames, and metro
cars for various projects in Australia, Saudi Arabia and even Brazil from its unit based in Gujarat.
"We are scaling up now to
cater to global orders. We shall
scale up for India, depending on
how fast domestic projects come
to fruition. From the big locoproject that is stuck for years to
inter-city trains or even the highspeed train corridor, we would
like to pursue several initiatives.
India today represents a great opportunity as China has been for us
in the recent past," said Beaudoin
told the ET.
Continued from page 3...
“The government can immediately use these numbers for
policy-making,” he said, replying
to a question on a reported statement of Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian about
his reluctance to use the revised
estimates for policy purposes.
Mr. Kumar also said that though
the estimates put India’s growth
ahead of China, the fact was India’s economy was many times
smaller in size than China’s and,
therefore, the two could not be
compared.
The manufacturing sector
grew 10.1 per cent in the OctoberDecember quarter, against 8.7
per cent in the previous quarter.
Public services grew 20 per cent
against 6 per cent. The estimates
show a sharp unexpected dip in
construction growth to 1.7 per
cent in the three months from October to December in 2014 from
7.3 per cent in the July-September
quarter. Agriculture output contracted minus 0.4 per cent during
the October quarter on the back of
the unfavourable kharif harvest.
With the advance estimate for
the nominal GDP for 2014-15 of
Rs. 126 trillion being somewhat
lower than the level assumed
in the Union budget Mr. Jaitley
presented in July, the Finance
Minister’s stated challenge of restricting the fiscal deficit to 4.1
per cent of GDP has become more
stringent, said Aditi Nayar, Senior
Economist, ICRA.
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A-6 | Friday, February 13, 2015
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The Real Man Behind The Muffler!
New Delhi: For one dubbed a
maverick and written off politically less than a year ago, Arvind
Kejriwal has proved to be more
wily than his seasoned political
rivals who underestimated this
slightly built, doughty fighter who
has made an incredible comeback
by scripting his second sensational election victory in the space of
just 15 months.
After being a
lone ranger for years when he battled corruption by contractors and
officials in a Delhi slum, the former government official-turned
activist-turned-chief minister has
become a household name across
India with his direct style and unconventional dressing that earned
him this time the sobriquet of
"Muffler man" because of the
way he campaigned through Delhi's severe winter wrapped in colourful mufflers. But those who
have known him for long say Kejriwal is much more than an activist-turned-politician devoted to
battling corruption. He knows his
mission.
"AK is really focussed,"
said Pankaj Gupta, a former IT
professional who has known the
46-year-old leader for 15 years.
"He has clear thinking. He is a
very tough taskmaster."
Gupta, who has been with the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) since it was
born in 2012, says the former
Delhi chief minister, otherwise
a diabetic, is very energetic -- a
trait he shares with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But what
friends like about Kejriwal is that
despite his stunning political success, he lives and dresses simply,
has no airs about himself, has a
spiritual bent of mind and respects elders. In fact he displayed
a puckish sense of humour when
he reportedly told the online chat
show The Viral Fever: "Political
parties criticise me for my political statement; you are criticising
me for my fashion statement. At
home my wife criticises me for
my bank statement. Everyone
just criticises me."
After the AAP
was routed across the country in
the 2014 Lok Sabha election, and
Kejriwal personally lost a prestigious battle to Narendra Modi in
Varanasi, there was gloom in the
party. Kejriwal - who had earlier
quit as Delhi's chief minister after just 49 days - became a butt
of jokes.
The I-care-a-damn Kejriwal was the first to come out of
the shock. Showing uncommon
resilience for a political rookie,
he immediately began to rebuild
the bruised AAP, now determined
to claw back to power in the capital. His personality ensured that
despite some desertions, the bulk
of AAP's volunteers remained
with him, sharing his idealism
and confidence that the the party
could bounce back.
And when it
did in Saturday's Delhi election,
the BJP and the Congress -- who
had mocked at him a "bagoda"
(quitter) -- had egg on their face.
There was also a grudging respect
for the born fighter.
Much before
embracing politics, Kejriwal for
years fought for the rights of the
urban poor as he took up issues -from transparency to corruption.
But few knew him, even after he
got the Ramon Magsaysay award
in the Philippines, an honour of-
ten described as Asia's Nobel
Prize. It was Kejriwal who dramatically transformed the anticorruption movement of social
activist Anna Hazare into a successful political party in just two
years and took to politics much
against his mentor's wishes as
he knew that, if he had to change
things in the country, there was
no other way but the political
route.
Kejriwal was born Aug 16,
1968 in a middle class family in
forms to make itself more transparent and less capricious.
While
on leave, Kejriwal unleashed a
"Don't Pay Bribes" campaign at
the electricity department. He
asked visitors not to pay bribes
and offered to facilitate their
dealings for free.
By then, he
had founded an NGO, Parivartan (Change), which put to use
the Delhi Right to Information
Act of 2001 to expose mindboggling swindling of money by
Siwan village in Haryana where
he had early education in English-medium missionary schools.
The eldest of three children grew
up with a Hindu religious mindset. But religion faded away in
college.
Kejriwal wanted to be
a doctor. But he went to the Indian Institute of Technology at
Kharagpur instead, studying mechanical engineering. He went on
to join the Indian Revenue Service. He married a colleague, and
they have two children, Harshita
and Pulkit.
As an officer in the
income tax department notorious
for corruption, Kejriwal did what
few would have dared -- he tried
to clean up the system within. A
chastened income tax department
was forced to implement his re-
corrupt officers and contractors at
Sundernagari, a slum area.
His
dedication fetched him the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2006
-- for "emergent leadership". But
it was his decision to join forces
with Hazare that made Kejriwal
a household name in Delhi in
2011.
While Hazare returned to
his village in Maharashtra after
the government caved in to mass
protests, Kejriwal kept up the
tempo, branching off from the
India Against Corruption group
to form the AAP in November
2012.
The AAP steadily expanded its influence in Delhi as
it took up one public issue after
another, undermining the Congress and the BJP.
Kejriwal was
not content with just fighting
petty officials. He called Congress president Sonia Gandhi's
son-in-law Robert Vadra corrupt.
And he also targeted then BJP
president Nitin Gadkari.
In December 2013, the AAP stunned
everyone by bagging 28 of Delhi's 70 seats, reducing the then
ruling Congress to a single digit
and preventing the Bharatiya
Janata Party from getting a majority.
Kejriwal himself created
history by defeating three-time
chief minister Sheila Dikshit by
over 25,000 votes.
But the 49
days he was chief minister with
Congress backing proved to be
tumultuous. Kejriwal lost much
of middle class support as he
took to the streets against Delhi
Police and did a two-night long
'dharna' (sit-in) close to Rajpath
just before Republic Day 2014.
Critics declared the man would
always be a street fighter and
an anti-establishment protester,
never an administrator.
Kejriwal re-invented himself after
the Lok Sabha debacle, rebuilding the AAP brick by brick, with
the help of close associates and
dedicated volunteers. By the time
Delhi elections were announced
for February 2015, the man had
gained much of the goodwill he
had lost.
For all his activism and
politics, Kejriwal is a movie buff
and loves to crack and hear jokes.
Friends say he would often pull
others' legs. "He is honest to the
core," says Manish Sisodia, who
was a minister in Kejriwal's government. "And courageous. It
is not often you find a man both
honest and courageous."
NRI Convicted After Bizarre Allegation By Woman
Sydney: In one of the most bizarre cases that provide a
pointer to how crazy Western jurisprudence has become
when it comes to matter relating to women and sex, an
Indian-origin man in the Australian state of Victoria has
been charged with deceiving a woman about his appearance on a dating website and then engaging in sexual activity with her, media reported Tuesday.
Deepak Dhankar pleaded guilty to the charge of procuring sexual
penetration by fraud in October 2012, the Melbourne
Age reported. Dhankar, a man of Indian descent and of
average build, deceived the woman into believing that
he was a muscular, blond-haired Caucasian man named
"Jamie" while chatting on dating website Oasis, the
Victoria County Court in Melbourne heard Tuesday.
He
engaged in sexual activity with her only on the condition she kept her eyes closed. And the court believe
her story. Prosecutor Russ Hammill said the woman
kept her eyes closed while with the man, and that it was
only when they were in the shower -- when one of the
woman's children stirred in bed -- that she found that
the man's skin was dark.
The court was told the woman
consented to the sexual activity, but only because she
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thought she was with "Jamie" at the time.
Hammill said
once the woman realised who she was actually with, she
became fearful for her safety and that of her children,
and decided to "play along" until he left her home.
Afterwards, she confronted him over the deception, at
which Dhankar pleaded with her not to report him to
the police, the court heard.
He called her repeatedly that
night and the next day sent her a photograph of two girls
and claimed they would be without a father if he was
sent to jail, the court was told.
The woman said she had
been humiliated, angered, and saddened by the ordeal,
which had also left her suffering anxiety and panic attacks.
The court heard Dhankar had never shown any
intention to harm the woman.
Dhankar is on bail and
will be sentenced later this month. Perhaps, Dhankar
now countersue alleging discrimination, and trauma as
she was clearly a racist!
www.WeeklyVoice.com
community
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-7
GRAND
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Offers expire Feb 25, 2015. Offers subject to change without notice. Taxes extra. Offer available at participating Wireless Guru Dealer only. 1. Up to $100 Bill credit (not to exceed device
purchase price) with purchase and new activation on select 2-yr Share Everything plan. Bill credit will bill be applied to customer's 2nd monthly invoice. A Connection Fee of $20 per line
also applies (to first invoice, applicable to new line/device only) to activate your service on the Rogers network. A device savings recovery fee applies in accordance with your service
agreement. 2. Additional $100 In-store bonus must be used at time of purchase. In-store bonus has no cash-value and can only be used on accessories. © 2015 Rogers Communications.
A-8 | Friday, February 13, 2015
community
www.WeeklyVoice.com
Brampton Man Charged Homicide
Brampton: On Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. Peel Regional Police were called to Melanie Drive, in Brampton where
they found a female with no vital
signs. The investigation led to
the regions first charge of murder
for 2015.
The victim, Shariyfa
Birkett, a 29 year old female, was
located in a vehicle at an address
on Melanie Drive in Brampton.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death was
initiated and the victims death was
eventually deemed suspicious.
The Homicide Bureau continued
the investigation and has charged
a male in relation to the investigation.
The accused, Amit Kalia, 31 years of age from Mississauga, was arrested and charged
with Second Degree Murder. He
appeared at the Ontario Court
of Justice in Brampton for a bail
hearing on Sunday February 8,
2015.
Anyone who may have
information with respect to the
homicide is asked to call investigators in the Homicide Bureau at
(905) 453-2121, ext. 3205.
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www.WeeklyVoice.com
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-9
Arshad Mahmood’s Vision
For Downtown Mississauga
Mississauga: Freezing rain and cold temperatures could not stop Arshad Mahmood’s supporters from gathering at a local restaurant in Mississauga’s city centre
to show their support last Sunday evening.
“This restaurant is the warmest place in the
whole of GTA this evening, thanks to the
warmth that you all bring with you. Thank
you thank you thank you, acknowledged
Arshad Mahmood as he presented his in-
spiration to run in the Ward 4 by elections
taking place on April 27th this year.
“This initial platform is based on extensive consultations with the residents
over the years that I have lived in Mississauga, especially the last 12 years that I
have worked on “Putting Citizens into the
City” through many of my projects, Mosaic festival, Rock the Coliseum and MISAFF film festival, to name a few.”
After 11 years of outstanding service
with Royal Bank in Canada, he launched
his own Mortgage Brokerage business together with his colleague Viera Kononenkova, where they have helped hundreds of
families to buy their dream homes.
Arshad's passion for media made him
the anchor of Breakfast Show at Pakistan
Television where he reached millions of
households in 53 countries live via satellite. He hosted the flagship talk show Studio One with Arshad Mahmood at TV One
Canada for two seasons and makes frequent appearances as political analyst on
local television.
Arshad has been a Mississauga resident since he moved to Canada and holds
Ward 4 very near and dear to his heart,
which he bought his first house in Mississauga Valley neighbourhood.
His vision is to convert Mississauga's
City Centre into a thriving community and
a tourist destination and cultural, social and
commercial hub of Mississauga inspired
him to start Mosaic Festival in 2006 which
saw the evolution of Civic Square into the
Celebration Square, the largest such place
in the GTA inviting millions of visitors to
the city centre of Mississauga. The festival and eventually the Square have come
to create opportunities for hundreds of artists and add millions of dollars to the local
economy. Arshad also spearheads Rock
the Coliseum independent music festival
and MISAFF film festival, engaging hundreds of local artists and volunteers each
year. Arshad has raised millions of dollars in corporate funding and government
grants to be used for community benefits
through many of his fund raising projects
focusing on youth, seniors and art and culture in general.
His desire to contribute to the community and to serve the new immigrants to
Canada inspired him to accept the Region
of Peel request to represent Mississauga on
the Committee for Development of New to
Canada web portal which has since been
guiding new comers in settling down in
Peel Region.
Arshad's passion for volunteerism and
his hard work for the communities he lives
in has won him the Mayor Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year Award in 2012
and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee
Medal in 2013. He was also shortlisted
for Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in
2010.
February 16,
2015
Join us for a free
Family Skate Day.
*
Pleasure skaters, hockey players and first-timers alike
are invited to bundle up, lace up and come out for a
spin on the ice at one of 35 locations across the GTA and
Southwestern Ontario.
#freeskate
For more information on locations and skate
times, please visit rbc.com/familyday.
® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. * RBC® will pay the cost of admission to select arenas only.
Please visit www.rbc.com/familyday for participating arenas.
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A-10 | Friday, February 13, 2015
community
www.WeeklyVoice.com
www.WeeklyVoice.com
community
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-11
community
A-12 | Friday, February 13, 2015
www.WeeklyVoice.com
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For more information on RDSPs, please call your financial advisor at
SHAH Financial Planning Branches across the GTA
Ajax Brampton Downsview Etobicoke
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Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments and the use of an
asset allocation service. Please read the prospectus before investing. Where used, the indicated rates of return are the annual compound
total returns for the periods shown and, where applicable, the calendar year rates of return, including changes in unit value and assuming
reinvestment of all distributions, do not take into account sales, redemption or optional charges or income taxes payable by any security
holders, which would have reduced returns. The rate of return shown is used only to illustrate the effects of the compound growth rate
and is not intended to reflect future values of the Excel India Fund, or returns on investment of the Excel India Fund.Mutual funds are not
guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
Sponsored in part by: BMO Investments Inc. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated
with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus of the mutual fund before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their
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® “BMO (M-bar roundel symbol)” is a registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence).
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Ajax | Brampton | Downsview | Etobicoke | Markham
Mississauga | Pickering | Scarborough | Toronto | Vaughan
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Since inception: July 2010 ** As at December 31, 2014 – Class A Shares returns are shown.
Marquest Funds are managed by Marquest Asset Management Inc. Commissions, trailing commissions, management
fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing.
The indicated rate of return is the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in unit value and
reinvestment of all distributions and does not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges
or income taxes payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. Mutual funds are not guaranteed,
their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Paid in part by Marquest Asset
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For more information, please contact:
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www.ShahFinancial.ca | 416-298-4900
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with
mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Except as described below,
mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be
repeated. Bank of Montreal guarantees that, following the five-year Accumulation Phase of the fund,
an amount equal to the greater of the net asset value per unit or the original amount you paid for the
unit will be paid back to you over a 20-year period in equal monthly instalments. This guarantee does
not apply to units redeemed before the end of that period. You will receive the net asset value per unit
for any unit redeemed early. Mutual fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance
Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. BMO Financial Group and Bank of Montreal
are marketing names (also referred to as trade names or brand names) used by Bank of Montreal.
“BMO”, “BMO Financial Group”, “BMO (M-bar roundel symbol) Financial Group”, “Bank of Montreal”
and “BMO Capital Markets” are trademarks owned by Bank of Montreal. This communication is paid
for in part by CI Investments Inc. 01/15
Vijay Pandya 647-229-5953
Pickering:
Pramod Chopra 416-560-6951
Markham:
Ajai Srivastava 647-244-8915
Scarborough:
Guru Desu 647-896-0487
Hasmukh Murabia 647-449-7527
Mukund Sheth 416-839-9645
Mississauga:
Tanzila Amin 416-686-6626
Atul Prakash 647-833-7161
Kwame Yeboah 416-302-0945
Toronto:
Lata Pandey 416-822-4137
Devangkumar Shah 416-846-5837
Manpreet Jaffary 647-987-0934
Neil Kumar 647-864-0093
Nainesh Shah 416-720-9249
Raj Saraf 416-951-8228
Vaughan:
Vikas Saraswat 416-839-4561
Dipesh Chauhan 416-435-6096
Shah Financial Planning Inc. Branches Across the GTA
Head Office: 3459 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 204, Scarborough, ON M1T 3K5
Tel: 416-298-4900 | Email: info@ShahFinancial.ca | www.ShahFinancial.ca
Head Office:
Hardip (Dipa) Shah 416-298-4900 x105
Narendra Shah, 416-298-4900 x104
Ekta Chauhan, 416-298-4900 x 106
Ajax:
Ajay Khanna 647-237-8237
Brampton:
Abha Jain 416-841-4050
Amit Shah 647-296-2609
Donald Peace (Don) 905-846-6999
Gurdeep Pasricha (GP) 647-339-0142
Hari Iyer 416-473-5243
Jaswinder Dhillon 416-278-6869
Lachman Balani 647-902-3580
Manohar Sahota 416-845-2559
Manmeet Nibber 647-400-4781
Nikunj Shashtri 647-802-5227
Ravinder Singh 416-303-2828
Vikas Yadava 416-560-8276
Zehir Lehri 416-821-2658
Downsview:
Domenic Spinosa 416-892-6779
Etobicoke:
Ashish Shah 416-833-7172
Mehul Shah 416-748-0830
Suraykant Patel 416-745-6233
www.WeeklyVoice.com
community
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-13
Parents Express Concern
At Sex Ed Syllabus
By Surjit Singh Flora
Brampton: Parents and community members concerned over the implementation
of the syllabus for sex education from
September 2015 onward participated in
a town hall meeting held last Sunday in
Brampton. The speakers raised their concerns about the syllabus and demanded
that changes be made keeping their sensitivity in mind.
A former teacher of Toronto Catholic
School Board, Lou Iacobelli, and a volunteer with Every Day Life for Canada,
said that Premier Kathleen Wynne is getting the political benefits by preparing a
petition for giving ‘permission for sex’
to two underage girls. Lou discussed in
detail as to how the new syllabus will
push the young children towards a culture which is not right according to their
age. He said government's plan to provide
same sex education to students of grade 1
and by providing education regarding oral
sex, anal sex and other sensitive issues to
students of grade 6 and 7 will be harmful
to society. While addressing Billy Pang,
trustee of York Region School Board
Trust said that government is implementing new syllabus in a hurry, whereas what
is required is the structured discussion
with the parents across Ontario.
While accusing Liberal party of playing with the life of Canadian public, the
member parliament Param Gill said all
needs to unite to raise voice so that the
Liberal Party does not spoil the Canadian
System. He said being the father of three
children; the new syllabus is a cause of
concern for him. Gill said the Liberal party has already destroyed the institution of
marriage and now it is on its way to put
our children on the wrong track.
Former minister in the McGuinty
cabinet, MPP Harinder Takhar, while
addressing the meeting said he is present in the meeting not as a politician but
rather as a parent. He said when in 2010
the then Premier Dalton McGuinty tried to
bring the sex syllabus,
he had advised him
not to do so. Takhar
said a serious debate
is required on this issue in the community.
Takhar also mentioned
about the meeting held
by education minister Liz Sandles a few
days back with some
15 people. He said ever one except one
person in the meeting supported the new
syllabus. This meeting was organized by
MPP Amrit Mangat and no one in the
community was aware about this meeting.
It is worth mentioning that, Sukhwinder Singh Sandhu of Ontario Sikh
Temple Council was the one who opposed
the new syllabus in the meeting held. Jotwinder Singh Sodhi of Home Owners
Welfare Association who made the Town
Hall meeting a reality and provided the
leadership said that the meeting is just a
start for creating awareness about the upcoming sex syllabus. He said that parents
are worried about the future of their children. He said parents are not against the
sex education, but they want right information to be provided at right time and to
right age group.
This is your City.
Your tax dollars.
Get involved!
Let’s Connect Community
Dialogue #1 February 18
City Hall
Local City Services Marketplace (5 - 7 pm)
Introduction to Budget 2015 Planning (7 - 9 pm)
Let’s Connect Community
Dialogue #2 March 24
Gore Meadows Community Centre and Library
Local City Services Marketplace (6 - 7 pm)
Preliminary Budget Presentation (7 - 9 pm)
A short online survey is also available on our website.
Feedback received from the survey and from all other
public meetings will help shape Budget 2015.
A-14 | Friday, February 13, 2015
community
www.WeeklyVoice.com
Half Love, Half Arranged
'Rhea Kanwar is 30, unmarried and 15 kgs
overweight. She’s afraid that if she leaves
things too long, she’ll turn into Bubbles
Aunty. Bubbles Aunty is her mom’s best
friend who says things like “I’m a recycled
virgin,” and “I’ll be needing a cementbreaker to get through my hymen this time
round.” Bubbles Aunty also has to be invited to every family meal because she “has
no one.”
Rhea is both protagonist and commentator. As she often claims, “It’s not like I’m
a virgin.” She’s been subjected to ‘fumblings’ by her ex-boyfriend, Slime, who
left her after a nine-year relationship that
started in school.
Then there’s Arf-“the only thing she
didn’t return when she broke up with
Slime.” Arf is funny, gentle, and has always been there for her-whether it’s picking her up from a booty call gone wrong
or rescuing her from a party that stopped
being fun.
The ride begins when she finds out that
her parents have put out feelers for a groom
for her and her entire sense of self-crumbles. As a project lead in an Agile software
firm, she believes that she has enough
substance for marriage to not be her only
validating factor. But she’s curious about
her suitor, and afraid of her father. And so
agrees to meet the prospective in-laws.'
The rest, as author Itisha Peerbhoy
takes the readers on a hilarious journey in
her Half Love, Half Arranged, (published
by Penguin) is both entertaining as well as
thought-provoking.
Itisha Peerbhoy, herself a funny girl, is
also extremely serious, intense, and sometimes morose. This impossible combination of contrasts has made her, into a seriously funny author. She has the unfailing
ability to see the hilarious in tragic situations and the sensitivity to handle delicate
situations with humour. Turning even the
most lost of cases in to a conversation that
can be had.
No stranger to tragedy and hardship,
she learnt this skill ‘on the job.’ An unpopular, introverted, fat little girl, with practically no friends until she was sixteen, she
had to reinvent herself, learn social skills
and find a way to create a life she was happy with. All while being true to herself. A
sense of humour was the deadliest weapon
in her arsenal.
Itisha is a child of divorce, and also
one who frequently said controversial
things in a society that treasures tact over
truth. Being disruptive at a time when the
word was not fashionable. So, she began to
see the merit in being able to make people
laugh very soon. Of course it also helped
to recognize and make fun of her own ridiculous situation-all of five feet one inch,
with a supermodel older sister who was not
only movie-star beautiful, but five feet ten
inches tall.
She writes about the crazy ones. And
about a world that is unfair and full of pain,
and situations that never come wrapped in
a pretty pink bow. Her heroines are complicated and achingly frank about what they
face on a daily basis. They come from families who aren’t perfect-there are alcoholics and food addicts and often worse. They
battle uncomfortable consequences and societal judgment so often, they have stopped
finding it objectionable. This world is also
full of humour. The ‘sadsmiles’, the failures, the
silly things people do
when they’re cornered,
all turn in to rib-tickling
situations where the innate joy we human beings are born with is
celebrated with radical
humour and sometimes
almost slapstick situations that are typical of
Itisha’s writing.
She currently lives
in Bangalore with her
Businessman husband
and wise beyond his four
years, son, although her
heart, like the proverbial
cabbage, is divided between her childhood city,
Bombay, and her chosen
one, Bangalore. This is
her first novel.
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www.WeeklyVoice.com
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-15
India A-List Presented To Harper
Ottawa: Prime Minister Stephen
Harper was recently presented
with a book, The A-List authored by Toronto based journalist Ajit Jain. It profiles 48
eminent people - 41 of them
are Indo-Canadians and seven
are ‘Friends of India’ and they
include two federal ministers –
Jason Kenney and Ed Fast. The
third federal minister featured is
Gosal, an Indo-Canadian, same
as Grewal.
These 41 Indo-Canadians
come from varied fields- doctors, engineers, academics, and
business persons, each with his
or her unique story to tell. They
are all mentors and leaders within the community; they represent
all faith groups.
Jain says, "An emphasis was
laid that 30 percent of those pro-
filed in the A-List are women and that shows that gender-equation even in the Indo-Canadian
Naach Meri Jaan
Auditions To Start
Toronto: Her attempt to promote dance and
extreme drive to explore the untapped potential in the South Asian youth in the Greater
Toronto Area (GTA) led Puja Amin to establishing Sanskriti Arts in Toronto. In her latest effort to make a difference in the lives of
youth living the GTA, Amin has teamed up
with Naved Jaffrey and Pria
Haider to host North America’s
first reality dance competition,
Naach Meri Jaan.
The event aims to find the
next “dancing superstars” from
11 cities in the USA and Toronto. And the prizes are too good
to resist.
While Toronto finalists
will receive a gift hamper and
dance scholarships, the New
York Grand Finale winner will get to be part
of a Bollywood movie and receive a portfolio
shot by a renowned Bollywood photographer.
“Naach Meri Jaan will be the first of its
kind and the biggest dance competition in
North America. We will be challenging this
year’s artists to interpret Bollywood music, to
explore classical, freestyle and new forms of
cultural fusion in performance,” says Amin.
“Contestants will be divided into five categories – kids solo and group, adult solo and
group and all ages duet and the contestants
will be judged by the likes of Javed Jaffrey,
Rujuta Vaidya and Vatsal Sheth.”
Amin is no newbie to the trade. An internationally renowned Bollywood name, folk
and kathak instructor, owner and
director of Sanskriti Arts, Nrityapuja and Bollycore, she is well-aware
of the intense preparation that goes
into hosting and being part of such
a reality talent hunt.
“Dance is a means not only
to showcase artistic talent, but also
to develop self-confidence and enhance awareness about health, fitness and musical sensibilities. The
main motivation behind this competition is to create a platform and bring together the best of contemporary, fusion and
classical Indian culture for the
entire family.”
Naach Meri Jaan was created to promote the awareness of
talent revolving around the South
Asian dance forms including
Bhangra, Bollywood, Fusion, etc.
and designed to showcase some
of the most talented children,
men and women comprising individual contestants, couples and
dance teams. The first of its kind
to bring an Indian reality dance
competition to North America,
Naach Meri Jaan is a collaborative effort between renowned
Boogie Woogie judges Javed Jaffrey, Ravi Behl and Naved Jaffrey
with Pria Haider and Sparks to help make this
the biggest dance competition for the continent. Naach Meri Jaan Toronto auditions begin on March 6 and Toronto finals will take
place on April 25 at the Toronto Centre of the
Arts, viewed by thousands of people on local
television and Star Plus, India.
community is changing – as
more and more women from the
Indian community are breaking
what’s called the ‘glass ceiling’
and are succeeding in their respective fields and playing leadership roles."
He added, “In selecting
these 41 people, we had one criteria in mind: to cover as many
fields and disciplines as possible;
make it as representative of Canada as possible; consider gender
balance; and also balance, as
far as possible, the sub-cultures
within Indo-Canadians."
The A-List project – a pilot
project in Canada – will now be
replicated in other countries that
have large Indian populations
and where the Indian community
has a significant public profile.
Islamic School Student
Wins Art Award
Mississauga: On February 5th, 2015
the Minister of Natural Resources and
Forestry presented a grade five student
with a provincial award: the 12th Annual Kids Fish Art Award. This young
student’s name is Aaminah Kidwai.
What makes Aaminah stand out is that
she doesn’t attend a public school, nor
does she attend a conventional private
school or Catholic school. She attends
an Islamic School, Maingate Islamic
Academy.
In light of the whirlwind of negative press surrounding the Islamic
faith—from the Charlie Hedbo attacks
to ISIS’ gruesome media stunts—the
idea of an Islamic school may seem
foreboding to many. With Islamic
schools often viewed as breeding
grounds for Muslim fundamentalists
who see the world through a black
and white lens, it may come as a surprise that children who attend Islamic
schools enter mainstream, provincial
competitions, let alone win art competitions.
But they do. In fact, Muslim educators strive day in and day out to teach
students to integrate into the fabric of
their broader societies while maintaining their distinct heritages and spiritual
identities. Not only must Muslim children learn to balance their level of integration versus distinctness, but they
must also grapple with the challenge of
finding their own, individual voices in
a world that will label and pigeonhole
them all too quickly.
The teachers and administration
at Maingate Islamic Academy, Aaminah Kidwai’s school, work tirelessly to
equip their students to confront these
challenges. For one, the administration
at Maingate has designed a unique curriculum that integrates Islamic teachings into the Ontario Ministry Cur-
riculum. By learning this way, students
at this school do not feel alienated as
a result of their religion; rather, they
stay in sync with other students in the
province while recognizing that their
faith adds a unique dimension to their
schooling. Working further to combat
negative, anti-Islamic stereotypes and
to instill positive values in Maingate’s
students, the teachers and administration at Maingate engage their students
in numerous community activities
such as fundraisers to built wells, raising money for Sudanese children, and
growing an organic garden.
"A fifth grader winning a fish art
competition may seem like an insignificant event. However, it means much
more. It means that an education that
is different from the mainstream is not
necessarily an education that conflicts
with the mainstream. If Aaminah can
enter and win a fish art competition
then the children in thousands of Islamic schools around the country can
hold on to their faiths and simultaneously have healthy interactions with
the broader Canadian society," noted
the school's principal.
community
A-16 | Friday, February 13, 2015
www.WeeklyVoice.com
Georgian College Leaders At CIIS Campus
Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab: Representatives of Georgian College - the
Canadian partner of Continental Institute for International Studies
(CIIS) – visited CIIS campus today. The president of Ontario (Canada) Georgian College Dr MaryLynn West-Moynes, her husband Mr.
Douglas Gordon Moynes, international education and training director
Leslie Palson and course coordinator for College of Engineering and
Technology Prof Garry Harris especially reached the CIIS campus.
Executive director of the institute Brig (Dr) J K Jha and institute’s principal Harpreet Kaur welcomed the delegation. The WWICS
Group’s CMD Col B S Sandhu conducted a meeting with the delegation discussing the achievements of CIIS. The delegation later interacted with the students of CIIS.
Col Sandhu said that the WWICS and Georgian College are partners for the past 14 years. Georgian College is the first international
partner of CIIS. The collaboration is rooted
so deep that many people from Georgian
College keep on coming back to CIIS. The
partnership has now turned into a warm
friendship wherein the staff members are
emotionally attached. “This friendship has
brought many laurels for the CIIS. Our students get opportunity to study abroad and
get wings,” he said.
Georgian College’s president Dr Merilyn said 2000 students are welcomed to college every year. “We enjoy a symbiotic relation with CIIS that has helped us to prosper
and bloom. We have 11500 students and we
run 120 diploma courses in collaboration
with seven universities. Very soon we will
launch 25 new degree courses. We associate like a family and have students from 52
countries,” he said.
The delegation then awarded degree to
the students and also gave 2014 best student honors. The guests also danced to the
beats of bhangra with performing students.
After the question-answer round, Brig Jha
thanked the guests and faculty.
Lt. Col. B S Sandhu (Retd.), President of CIIS Educational Services Society felicitating Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes President of
Georgian College and A delegation of 4 members from Georgian College, here today at CGI Jalvehra Campus
Dr. Shivani
Sharma Passes
Away
Dr Shivani Sharma passed away peacefully on February 9th. She was a devoted
mother and a kind hearted person and will
be missed by her family and friends.
Dr.Shivani Sharma was a well known
and respected as a physician and a leader
of the Canadian & South Asian Community.
She was very generous and kind - always donated money to various charities
In Canada and abroad. In South Asian
Community,Dr.Sharma has contributed
generously towards bringing the diverse
communities together. Dr. Sharma's social and philanthropic activities will be
remembered forever supporting and contributing to the diverse communities in
Canada, for all individuals, organizations
that came in contact with her.
Dr. Sharma dedicated and contributed her time, efforts and financial support to the Hindu cultural Society .That
will stand as memorable example to the
whole society.
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community
www.WeeklyVoice.com
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-17
Crombie Defends $10 Million Investment In UTM’s Innovation Centre
Mississauga: Mississauga Mayor Bonnie
Crombie spoke at length on tapping Mississauga's innovation potential during the recent
opening of the I-CUBE (Innovation Cube)
at the University of Toronto at Mississauga
(UTM). I-Cube is an accelerator located at
UTM that will provide business development
services for students and community partners,
to pursue entrepreneurial activities. She said,
“Local government does not have the same
the powers as senior levels of government.
We cannot offer tax cuts; tax credits; or sign
treaties. Like entrepreneurs, we need to think
outside the box. We need to come up with
innovative solutions to build a 21stcentury
economy for our city’s promising future. It’s
what residents expect. It’s what I demand of
myself, as your Mayor.
“So how do we do this? My answer
has been clear: we leverage existing assets;
strengthen professional networks; invest in
human capital; build knowledge infrastructure; and bring people together. This is why
City Council chose to support the 2015 Young
Entrepreneurs Conference. This is why I
championed - and voted for - the City of Mississauga to invest $10 million dollars toward
developing UTM’s new Innovation Complex.
I proudly stood beside Hazel McCallion last
fall to officially open the complex."
Texas Allows
Beards, Turbans
Washington: In one of the biggest goodwill gestures to
one of the largest communities in the US -- the Sikhs -the state of Texas has allowed on-duty Sikh officers to
sport essential Sikh religious symbols like beards and
turbans.
According to a Washington Post report Friday,
the decision of the county sheriff of greater Houston fulfilled one of the long standing demands of the Sikhs and
made the county's police force one of the first few in the
nation -- along with those in Washington DC and Riverside, California -- to permit Sikhs to wear their “articles
of faith” on patrol.
“By making these religious accom-
modations, we will ensure that (our) office reflects the
community we serve, one of the most culturally rich and
diverse in America,” Sheriff Adrian Garcia said in a statement. “Deputies need to not only understand, respect
and communicate with all segments of the population,
but represent it as well,” he added.
Sikh leaders in Houston and Washington welcomed the announcement, and
the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund
(SALDEF) circulated Internet photos of Garcia shaking
hands with Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, 37, who was wearing a blue police uniform, navy blue turban and a short
beard.
“With this policy, one of the largest sheriff's offices in the country has affirmed that a person does not have
to choose between their faith and a career of service,” said
Jasjit Singh, executive director of SALDEF in Washington. The group's Houston representative said the move
would help the law enforcement agency to “attract the
best and brightest from across our community...”.
There
are at least 200,000 Sikhs in the US, mostly from India.
Some Sikh groups claim that the number is as high as
Continued on page 19...
community
A-18 | Friday, February 13, 2015
www.WeeklyVoice.com
Deadline For Hockey’s Hidden Heroes Contest Extended
The Cisco-initiated Hockey's Hidden Heroes Contest launched towards the end of
year 2014 has now been extended to February 27th, 2015. The response has been
overwhelming with nominations coming
in from all over GTA to honour those who
spend countless hours keeping their team
on the ice.
Featured are two of the eight weekly
winners so far.
Dave - Nominated by Julia Climie
Says Julia, "Dave is a volunteer with over
20 years of coaching at Cooksville. Dave
coaches two teams a year and sometimes
manages 3 teams with over 3 games and
3 practices per
week. Dave currently coaches
the Minor Novice Select team
and the Cooksville Midget Jr.
Select Team.
In all the years
of
Dave’s
coaching, he has never missed a practice
nor a game except when his daughter was
married last year and he called from the
reception to see how the team fared.
"Dave is one of the most committed,
passionate, respectful caring coaches in
the Mississauga Hockey League. Dave
has always demanded fair play, respect
for other teams, officials, coaching staff
and all parents from his players. He volunteers to run the power skating clinics
every year, every monday evening without fail from 7-9pm for as long as anyone
can
remember. Dave has coached well
over a thousand kids and has accumulated amazing friendships and respect both
inside and outside the Cooksville Hockey
Organization. You will not find a more
committed,
passionate person to coach and mentor homegrown Canadian Hockey Talent. His recognition is long overdue and
any past team member, coach, executive
member or parent would agree."
Rob Scott - Nominated by
Paul Sarazin
Says Paul "Rob Scott is married with a
busy career as Director of Finance for
Canada Bread. His home is one hour from
his office. Our arena is another ninety
minutes from his office. Rob often comes
to the rink directly from the office, with
no dinner, without changing out of his
dress clothes, for practice. He takes most
of his vacation for our tournaments and a
three day
training
camp at
the start
of the season which
this year
he hosted
and
housed
17 players and the coaching staff at his
house. He is always available to talk to
players and parents, often driving into our
town from his home to simply have a hot
chocolate with a couple of players and
talk hockey and our team. His practices
are superbly run with attention to every
detail. He has the total respect of our
players and parents and is as fair a coach
as we have had. Rob is always making
sure he develops his players in hockey
as well as in life, knowing full well that
hockey skills are very applicable in everyday life. In summary, Rob Scott has a
huge passion for the game, teaching and
continuing to learn and hone his craft as a
very good minor hockey coach."
This contest asks readers and the
public in general to nominate any hockey
volunteers who spend countless hours
keeping their team on the ice. It could
be a coach who goes into the office at
the crack of dawn to be on the ice after
school, or a trustworthy parent who runs
the team carpool and does office work
from the stands.
This initiative recognizes that Canadians as a whole love their national sport.
However, participating in hockey takes
more than an individual effort. Through
this initiative Cisco seeks nominations
of those Hidden Hockey Hero who balances work and life. Nominate them at
hockeyshiddenheroes.ca for a chance
to win weekly prizes plus a grand prize
of $20,000 (conditions apply) for their
hockey club.
• Entrants nominate their Hidden
Hockey Hero at www.hockeyshiddenheroes.ca
• Weekly winners selected by a panel
of judges and posted on Facebook
• One Grand Prize Winner will be
determined based on online votes and a
panel of judges
• Grand Prize Winner announced on or
around March 27, 2015
• Grand prize winner will receive a
cash prize of $20,000 for their hockey
club
• Other prizes include souvenir hockey
pucks
*Winner will be notified by phone, mail
and/or email.
* Panel's decision will be final in all matters. For full contest rules and guidelines
visit www.hockeyshiddenheroes.ca.
Contest Details
•
Contest closes February 27, 2015
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community
Texas Allows Beards, Turbans
Continued from page 18...
700,000. Many of them are middle class, educated professionals in a wide range of
occupations. Their numbers have grown significantly since the 1970s, with large concentrations in urban areas, including New York and Los Angeles. Community leaders
said that there were about 10,000 Sikhs in the Houston region alone.
Because of their
turbans and beards, Sikhs have often been mistaken for Muslims and have faced harassment and attacks, especially after the 9/11 attacks. In 2012, a white supremacist gunman attacked a Sikh temple in the state of Wisconsin, killing six Sikh worshippers.
In
Houston, a confrontation with deputy sheriffs at the home of a Sikh family in 2008
was the original impetus for Sheriff Garcia's outreach towards Sikhs after his election
in 2009. The family called to complain of a burglary, but deputies who arrived were
reportedly alarmed to find men in the home wearing beards and turbans and carrying
small ceremonial swords. They called for extra officers and began interrogating the
family.
“All that is in the past now,” said Bobby Singh, a SALDEF official in Houston.
Garcia, he said, sought to make a fresh start with the Sikh community and other foreign
minority groups in the diverse metropolitan area. “Now we have more opportunity to
serve in law enforcement. It's a win-win for everyone,” he said.
Friday, February 13, 2015 | A-19
Community events
Free English Language Courses For Newcomers
- 3038 Hurontario Street, Mississauga - Monday
to Friday - Morning / Afternoon / Evening
Childcare for children 19 months to 6 years available. Bus tickets provided to eligible candidates.
Citizenship test preparation classes available. Call
India Rainbow 905 273 4932 ext 231 or email
info@indiarainbow.org
Am and ParaPan Am Games. The match will be
projected from a Rogers feed on the back wall of
the school cafetorium. Admission free. Children
under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Entertainment begins Saturday 9 pm. The match begins
10.30 pm. Light meal and refreshments will be provided. Venue: 130 Overlea Blvd., Toronto (Northwest corner of Don Mills Road and Overlea Blvd)
Crazy For Cricket Sleepover Event - Valley
Park Middle School - Saturday 14 February - 9
pm onwards
Hosted by the Valley Park Go Green Cricket Field
Project this second annual event will celebrate the
2015 ICC World Cup match between arch rivals
India and Pakistan. The event is also part of the
TO2015 Ignite Spirit campaign ahead of the Pan
Mahashivratri Celebrations - Chinamaya Vedanta Heritage Centre - Tuesday 17 February
- 7 pm to 12 Midnight
Shiv Puja will be from 7 pm to 9.45 pm, followed
by Namaha Shivaya chanting, meditation with
Aarti at midnight. Venue: Chinamaya Shivalaya
8832 The Gore road, Brampton. For more information call 905 913 2377
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A-20 | Friday, February 13, 2015
community
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