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Friday, March 07 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 10

Indo American erican News

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March 07, 2014

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COMMUNITY

March 07, 2014

Holi Ke Hindi Bol.... First of its Kind

Dr. K D Upadhyaya BY SWAPAN DHAIRYAWAN HOUSTON: International Hindi Association (IHA) Houston Chapter held its first event of the year 2014 on Sunday, March 2, at the JVB Preksha Meditation Center by celebrating the traditional Holi, Festival of colors with Hindi poetry recitation on the theme of Holi. This event which was conceptualized by Swapan Dhairyawan, received accolades and strong support from Hindi lovers. The event was coordinated by Sarita Mehta, a Lecturer of Hindi at the Rice University and Dinesh Singhal, a practicing accomplished Attorney at Law. They both planned and meticulously presented this Event which in-

cluded 15 participants from the local Houston community. These poets had their own creations of poetry which were themed on Holi through different moods like Hasya, Vyang, Bhakti, Karuna and Shringaar. The participants were Om Gupta, Saroj Gupta, Nausha Asrar, Dr. K D Upadhyaya, Arun Prakash, Sanjay Sohoni, Krishan Sharma, Uma Aggarwal, Sarita Mehta, Khalid Razvi, Devika Dhruv, Pravina Kadakia, Sunita Bhambani, Dr. Suresh Moonat and Sangeeta Pasrija. The program was held in the pyramid hall of the JVB Center and attracted 140 plus audience. The program started with the introduction of Holi by Dinesh Singhal

Swapan Dhairyawan (left) with Pramod Bengani.

and was followed by welcome address by the Chapter President Swapan Dhairyawan. He updated the current activities of IHA which include online Gunjan magazine and the upcoming Hasya Kavi Sammellan on May 3 at India House. He recognized the entire Core Committee members who have been enthusiastically working for the cause of Raj Bhasha Hindi. This was followed by the Deep Prajvalan. It was done by the kids ages 5 to 9. These kids Aditri, Eesha, Arjun, Rohan, Aayan and Tanvi then sang a Holi welcome song in Hindi written by Sarita Mehta. This was appreciated by the audience. Thereafter Pramod Bengani, Ambassador Community

Outreach for JVB spoke about the activities at JVB. “ Bura naa Mano Holi hai” resonated the entire time and yet all the participants had their clear and clean message on the occasion of Holi. The event was a non stop marathon of 15 poets who recited beautifully and got continuous applause from the audience. The introduction of every poet was related with their background state/ province and the Emcee Sarita thrilled the audience by giving the anecdotes of how Holi is celebrated in those regions. The poets backgrounds were varied and they came from nearly 8 different states of India. The program ended with the

Photos: Sanjay Sohoni

vote of thanks from Swapan Dhairyawan. The IHA Executive Committee also recognized the efforts, by giving momentoes to the Event Coordinators Sarita Mehta, Dinesh Singhal and the Partnering organizations JVB and India Culture Center for their continuous support to the Hindi cause. Light refreshments and delicious Thandai was served to all the attendees. The core committee of IHA was instrumental in serving the snacks in a very homely ambience. For further information about the organization and events call 281 3820348 or email at info.ihahouston@gmail.com

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March 07, 2014

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COMMUNITY

March 07, 2014

Vedic Fair Brings a Cool Flair to Spiritualism

Participants, organizers and volunteers at the Vedic Fair - 3 held on Saturday, March 1.

Winners Ruthvik Jonna (left) and Anika Ravishankar (right).

BY MALAY VYAS KATY: ‘Ashirwad A Blessing’ organized the third Vedic Fair at the Cinco Ranch High School on Saturday, March 1. ‘Ashirwad’

translates into “Blessing” and the temple’s mission is to preserve age-old Spiritual knowledge and impart the same to the next generation”. The Vedic fair went a

Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036

long way in further enhancing the strength and value of the mission that Ashirwad is built on. The idea of a community outreach event based on the ‘Veda’ and ‘Puranas’ – the ancient scriptures of Hinduism is unique to the Ashirwad temple and its founder Geeta Ravulu. Hosting an event like this in a suburban high school speaks volumes of Ashirwad’s commitments to its own mission.

The Cinco Ranch High school was a calm setting as one drove into the parking lot. Hindustani Classical music wafted out of the single speaker set at the entrance. After appreciating the banners that invited the visitors, one couldn’t stop and wonder how the grand rotunda of the school was converted into ‘Kailash’ Mountain , abode of lord Shiva. Visitors including young children stopped in front of the faux and yet impressive replica of Kailas Mountain to take pictures with ‘live’ Shiva and Parvati seated in the middle of the diorama. Aptly called “Kool Kailash”. The physical structure of Kailash and Mansarovar was built by IACHF architects Sachin Sharma and Sukhi Kohli. Where did they draw their inspiration from? Sachin said “When Geetha and Sri narrated the theme of Vedic Fair-3 to us, we started to visualize Mahadev’s abode and started thinking about how many of us ever dreamt of visiting Kailash. That is when we decided to take on this mammoth task to replicate Kailash and bring it to Houston community”. Sukhi added” It is over 6 months of intense hard work at Sachin Sharma’s house, working most of the weekends, resulted in over 15 feet of magnificent work of art. It was at this Kool Kailash that young Vamshith Kundoor shared her experience of visiting 18 shakthi peetas along with archana kumkum (vermillion) with many visitors. Going past the main rotunda, the left hallway hosted numerous food booths serving fresh vegetarian food. There were tables lined up for convenience of the visitors and it was refreshing to see all three generations of same families sitting down for a hearty meal after enjoying the fair. You could see youngsters in deep conversation with their grandparents on the significance of ancient Hindu

scriptures. The hallway to the right accommodated the various vendors that have been supporting the Ashirwad temple for a long time. From little toys that would entice small children to traditional Indian jewelry and even Lengha-Cholis for girls and women were available for purchase. The bookstalls carried books on varied topics in Hindu religion, philosophy and ancient scriptures. It was encouraging to see young visitors to the Vedic Fair stopping and glancing through various books at these bookstalls. In total there were more than fifty exhibitors at the Vedic Bazaar. At 4 PM India Exhibit Presentation Competition began where 50+ diverse presentations on Gods, Temples, Places, Festivals, Lifestyle, Yoga, Health, Languages, Rivers, Dance, Music, Kings & Scientists were excellently presented by young generation of Indo-American descent. Divena Donthi was winner and Anika Ravishankar was runner up in 10 and above category. Ruthvik Jonna and Vishnu Nataraja were winner and runner up in 9 and below category. Cooking Competition winner was Manjari Guturu for her dishes: Cranberry Fiber Rice and Quinoa Veggie Delight (Salad)) and Renu Ahuja was runner up for her dish Dahi Gujia. At 6 PM Vedic Fair 3 Talent Showcase started with Slokathon recitation of Vishnu sahasranama slokas without seeing by Ashirwad’s students Rhea Bhat, Shreya Sarathy, Pritam Hegde and Saanika Halapeti. This was followed by classical music performance by Swarasudha Music Institute students and a flamboyant Bho Shambho dance performance by Abhinaya School of Performance Arts students choreo-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 SEE PHOTO COLLAGE ON PG 14 & 15

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March 07, 2014

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graphed by Guru Indrani Parthasarathy. At 6:30 PM Ashirwad’s Vedic Walk a colorful show case of Shiva Puran Icons by 25 kids (4 to 10 years) was cheerfully applauded by the audiences. During the course of the Vedic Fair, there were numerous workshops hosted for the benefits of the participants – the ‘How To’ workshop aimed at explaining little nuances of Hinduism such as basic puja to complicated procedures such as ‘conducting a Hindu wedding. The Sanskrit workshop was another popular workshop that was well attended by the young and old alike. Other informative “how to” workshops covered subjects such as Yoga, Classical Dances, Styles and Ways of Wearing Sarees, Meditation, Importance of Ayurveda, how to adorn a dhoti, drawing a rangoli as well as Dandiya. The highlight of the evening was the play “I am Shiva – The Mahadev”. In tune with the tradition that has been followed every year, Ashirwad puts one particular Hindu diety in focus for every Vedic Fair. Vedic Fair 2 saw the theatrical presentation of “Arjun the Chosen”. “I am Shiva – The Mahadev” was a dance – drama created and directed by Geeta Ravulu. She was also an actor in the play. Before the play opened, there were recitals and bhajans inside the auditorium. Chants of Hare Rama Hare Krishna echoed through the highschool hallways. The play with a cast of 46, opened with creatively set screen backdrop with tranquil scenery and calm music. This year’s play was even more interesting because it was on ‘Shiva’ – the Mahadev. Often misunderstood as the “destroyer” or the “angry god who chopped off his son’s head”, this play showed the human side of the “Neelkanth”. Geeta Ravulu and her onstage cast as well as the back stage crew ensured that the play including the audio visual part of the show went off without a hitch. The Vedic Fair is also a brain child of Geeta Ravulu – she has been teaching Hindu Spirituality and Puranas for over ten years now. The challenge was to get the kids to retain more of the heritage knowledge and information imparted to them. Just teaching them from books wasn’t helping. The Vedic Fair helps the children from the Ashirwad Temple School learn and present on various topics of heritage and spirituality. It enables the older children to work one on one with the younger children benefitting both the age groups. The Ashirwad temple school started with six children – now there are

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over a hundred students. “We want to involve people of all ages – little kids to senior citizens but the idea behind hosting the Vedic Fair in a highschool is to involve middle and high schoolers” adds Geeta. As was evident from the Vedic Fair attendees, there were a lot of young volunteers working enthusiastically to make sure that such a spiritual event was a success. Geeta explains that the initial challenge was to explain to the community what the Vedic Fair was about. Once she and her excellent organizing committee overcame the ‘reaching out’ challenge, Vedic Fair 2 and 3 were well attended. Infact, Geeta added “we are already planning for Vedic Fair 4 in March 2015. Next year along with India exhibits and Workshops, they will show case the diorama of GOLOK and the prime time play will be “KRISH - The Blue Man” . The Ashirwad Temple school along with Geeta Ravulu and Sri Ravula, are very thankful and appreciative of the support provided to them by their sponsors and volunteers. Sponsors such as Shri Sita Ram Foundation, IACHF, ISKCON, Hindus of Greater Houston, Mandap Creations, Katy Indian Cultural Association, Frontier Consulting and Voice of Sanatan Hinduism ensured that the Vedic Fair was a success. It is because of such sponsors that a sense of competition is generated amongst the participants. The winning presentation amongst more than fifty exhibits this year won a handsome prize of $1001. As the Vedic Fair wound down, parents were amazed by the enthusiasm of their children towards the various events. As R. Ramalingam of Katy explained “my teenage daughters rushed out of the LEGO movie to get here on time”. It is probably inherent amongst Indian parents to pass on the legacy of spirituality to the younger generation. The Vedic Fair is a unique event on the Houston Calendar – it is an independent event that has seen success because of the participants and the organization. The Ashirwad Temple firmly believes in enriching the community by spreading the knowledge of Hindu Spirituality. The belief of Ashirwad Temple is “One-ness of God” and the Vedic Fair shows us how. Houston now looks forward to Vedic Fair 4 where the theme is Golok (land of the sacred cows) with “Krish-The Blue Man” as the main play. For updates visit FB page facebook.com/ VedicFair or AshirwadABlessing.org. SEE PHOTO COLLAGE ON PG 14 & 15

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9 March 07, 2014 COMMUNITY IACF Distributes Funds, Offers Proactive Assistance BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

HOUSTON: Indo-American Charity Foundation held its 26th annual funds distribution event last Wednesday, Feb. 29 evening at the Madras Pavilion restaurant in Sugar Land. Funds were distributed to a total of 22 organizations. The group included mainstream charity organizations as well as organizations catering to the local South Asian community. The types of services provided by these organizations ranged from social services to healthcare and education. The mainstream organizations included long-time recipients such as Casa de Esperanza, Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Fort Bend Women’s Shelter, YMCA Summer Camp, Turning Point, Search Homeless Serices, Turning Point, Literacy Advance, Reach Unlimited, Houston Greeters, Meals on Wheels, Houston Area Women’s Center, Richmond State Schools, Meals on Wheels and Life Beyond Cancer Foundation. South Asian organizations included Daya Houston, Indian Senior Citizens Association,

IACF President Ramesh Cherivala (left) with Daya Houston President Jyoti Kulkarni, IACF Board Member Lachman Das, IACF President Elect Shesh Bala and IACF Director of Couseling and Client Services Vyoma Majmudar-Banker.

IACF Treasurer Neeta Balsaver (left), IACF Board Member Nanda Vura, IACAN Treasurer V. K. Dorai, IACAN Board Member Indu Gosar, IACAN President Kanchan Kabad and IACF President Ramesh Cherivirala.

Friends Helping Friends, YLDP, AADA, Indian Doctors Clinic, Sewa International and AADA. IACF also supports the iEducate initiative to tutor local school children in math and science that was inspired by past President, the late David Raj. IACF Secretary Dr. Vanitha Pothuri described the mission statement of each of the recipient organizations and then asked the attending representatives to

President-elect Kamala Raghavan. In unison, the IACF office bearers said they wanted to go beyond just issuing donation checks and participate with each organization with the assistance of a board member and a host of volunteers. IACF also recognized the contributions of Madras Pavilion by presenting a shawl to partner Rajan Radhakrishnan. Shawls were also presented to Murthy Divakaruni and his wife, the

accept the donation check prepared by IACF Treasurer Neeta Balsaver and presented by one of IACF board members. During dinner, each of the recipient organizations received the opportunity to explain their organization’s relationship with IACF and how the funds were being used. Several of the IACF office bearers spoke to the audience—President Ramesh Cherivirala, Past President Murthy Divakaruni and

well known author Chitra Divakaruni, for their contributions to making IACF events, including the recent gala a great success. The evening concluded with the rendition of popular Indian film songs by Attorney Uma Mantravadi, TV Asia correspondent Manisha Gandhi and Madras Pavilion’s own Rajan and Alpa Shah., who is also an IACF board member. Even Murthy joined in the jovial Karaoke singing.

WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more information, Call 713-789- NEWS (6397) or email us at: indoamericannews@yahoo.com

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10 March 07, 2014

COMMUNITY

YLDP Students Meet a Real Leader: Dr. Robert Ivany

Dr. Robert Ivany (center) with students (above) and YLDP volunteers (below).

BY HARITHA JUPUDY HOUSTON: I thought of the ultimate response to Dr. Robert Ivany’s question. “What makes a leader?” he asked. In my head, I

had a jumble of words and sentences ready to blurt out my complex definition of a leader. It was an intricate description that probably only I out of the many people

in the room would have understood. As the son of Hungarian refugees from World War 2 who moved to Ohio to escape the “evil

empire” of communism, Dr. Ivany changed my definition of a leader. Dr. Ivany presided as the commandment of the U.S. Army War College and served as the Army Aide to President Reagan. He retired from the Army with the rank of Major General. So, where is Dr. Ivany now? He is at the University of St. Thomas. That’s right, the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Ivany became the eighth president of the University of St. Thomas and although an Army background is fairly different from a university, both require the ambitious leadership. Although Dr. Ivany uses his authority in a different way at the campus setting from his Army life, both require the qualities of a leader: a person who has faith and character. Dr. Ivany changed

the ambiance in the room with his perfect definition of a leadersomeone who not only has a stellar and confident personality, but also devotion. As a high school student, sometimes my faith gets pushed to the corner, as I have college applications and after-school activities taking up my time. There’s not a day where my faith is not tested, but it gives me a greater opportunity to stay true to my own values and build my own character- the person I want to become. Dr. Ivany reminded us that our beliefs make us the leader that we want to become. Besides, if a leader does not have their own faith in hand, how can one expect them to lead others to the top?

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 07, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

March 07, 2014

Project on Breast Cancer Secures Firt Place at the SEFH 1st place in Biochemistry/Microbiology at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH). He also won the Grand Award at SEFH. This qualified him for the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California on May 11-16. Participating at ISEF allows him to meet and greet with some of the worldâ€™s greatest thinkers. ISEF will place him and his project against some of the brightest, young minds on earth. However, he sees it as an opportunity to interact with likeminded peers, and he hopes to learn more about different advances in science and engineering while he is there. He envisions of one day bringing a breakthrough in cancer treatment and a remedy to millions of cancer patients worldwide.

WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE

HOUSTON: Sachindra Sanamvenkata is a sophomore at DeBakey High School for Health Professions. Born in New Zealand to parents of Indian origin, he is a US resident and local Houstonian. He has had a strong goal since child-

hood to become an Oncologist and a cancer researcher. He finds cancer as one of the few diseases that have ravaged society for centuries. As a testament to his dedication, on February 22, his science fair project on breast cancer placed

Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more information, Call 713-789- NEWS (6397) or email us at:

indoamericannews@yahoo.com

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COMMUNITY

Memorable Mahasivarathri at Sri Meenakshi Temple

PEARLAND: By the time the sun set on February 27, the parking lot at Sri Meenakshi Temple was full. Fervent devotees had the strong will to do the pradakshinam (circumbulation) around the temple despite the nippy weather, for they had the faith that an opportunity to be in the vicinity of a Siva sannidhi on Mahasivarathri at dusk is a blessing. There was an unusually large crowd this year for the worship due to the astrological significance to this year’s Mahasivarathri coinciding with Shravana nakshatram – the most venerated day for the worship of Sri Venkateswara. Sivaratri is observed on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha on the fortnight of waning moon every year on the month of Phalguni (Masi, or kumbham). As the twilight turned darker, most of the devotees were seated around the beautifully decorated pedestal at the center of the main temple. As the priests Sri Manicka Bhattar and Sri Kalyanasundaram initiated the sankalpam, the devotees were to witness a time honored ritual of high esteem. The major sequence of steps including Sankha pooja, Rudra homam, and Sivabhishekam, elevated the spiritual strength in every devotee. Simultaneously,

at the Venkateswara sannidhi, an elaborate Shravana pooja that accompanied abhishekam and a traditional aradhana was conducted. The entire hall reverberated with the sound of mahamantrams. Among the ways to adore and admire the majesty of Lord Siva, abhishekam of Sivalinga with the water poured from the Shankha (Shankha-abhishekam) is considered very auspicious. The priests ceremoniously carried the 108 shankha filled with the sanctified water to Sundareswara sannidhi to perform the abhishekam. The temple resounded with the esteemed divine words arranged in the most auspicious Sri Rudram, during the course of the abhishekam. The 108 gold bilva archana was one of the special highlights. The immaculate chanting of Veda by the priests supported by the ritwiks elevated the impact of the rituals to an exalted level. All the devotees assembled had the opportunity to perform the most auspicious abhishekam of Siva lingam in a specially arranged set up. Arrangement had been made at Natarajar Sannidhi for the sangeetha-nritha upasakas to offer their devotion through their artistic talent. It also added to the vibrant atmosphere of the evening. Fol-

lowing a prayer song by the MTS Vedic Heritage School, students from several local schools (such as Silambam, Anjali) danced before the Lord of dance, Nataraja. Music and Bhajans continued to echo through the evening, and was coordinated by MTS board’s Mala Gopal. Many Siva devotees continued to be present at Sri Sundareswara sannidhi to attend Chathurkala pooja by singing bhajans. As a tradition, abhishekam and archana were repeated every 90 minutes during the night. It has been the practice that Sivarathri is the only time the temple remains open to the public in the late night. This year, nearly one hundred devotees stayed awake throughout the night. Some believe that Sivarathri symbolizes the wedding day of Lord Siva and Parvathi, while others believe it is the night when Lord Siva performed the Tandava Nritya (the dance of primordial creation/preservation/ destruction). The MTS Religious activities committee (led by Narayanan, Sriram, Sasi Pillai), and the volunteers deserve appreciation for their tireless work to ensure a memorable experience for over 700 devotees who attended the great night of Lord Siva at Sri Meenakshi temple.

Mount Kailash at Sri Meenakshi Temple (decorated by MTS staff and volunteers), Photos:Sriram

Devotees observing the Rudra Homam at Sri Meenakshi main temple.

Beautifully arranged ‘Sangu’ (conch) for the Abhishekam of Sundareswara.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 07, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

March 07, 2014

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 07, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

18 March 07, 2014 LS Polls: Still Out of Focus The big picture of the general election isn’t quite in sight yet. But its contours are discernible. To begin with, the odds against Congress get heavier by the day. Other than in Maharashtra, where it has managed to strike a seat-sharing deal with NCP, Congress’s efforts to rope in allies before the polls have come a cropper. In Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan, a potential ally, staged a somersault and returned to the BJP camp in sackcloth and ashes. Meanwhile, in a reversal of roles, Lalu Prasad of RJD is playing hard to get. And Nitish Kumar of JD(U), after failing to get special status for his state, has expressed his unwillingness to break bread with the nation’s oldest party. Other developments have further eroded Congress’s credibility. Its last-ditch manoeuvre to adopt a clutch of anti-corruption Bills through the ordinance route came to nought, doubtless after the president signalled his inability to sign on the dotted line. Add to that the bumpy start of implementation of another piece of legislation — the Lokpal Bill. With the economy yet to show signs of a sustained revival, and with little evidence that this time around UPA’s entitlement-related programmes will fetch handsome electoral dividends, an exhausted and rudderless Congress goes into battle. Even more so would be the story of BJP that, under Narendra Modi’s leadership, shows every sign of gaining more and more ground every other day. That includes not only the massive turnout at his rallies but also the formations he has begun to attract. Ram Vilas Paswan may not be able to add much to NDA’s tally of seats but his ‘homecoming’ does suggest that Modi has begun to widen his party’s regional and social base. Trouble for Modi could come from two other sources. Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP may not garner more than a dozen seats. But it could well be a spoiler and deprive BJP of victory in more than a score of contests, especially in pockets of urban India. And finally, Modi will have to contend with the continuing hostility of a bulk of Muslims whose numbers matter in at least a hundred constituencies — a hostility that he will seek to neutralize by applying on their wounds the soothing balm of ‘development for all’. Against this background, it would be foolhardy to predict the nature of the next government though it would be just as misleading not to acknowledge the effect of the heady potion that Modi is offering to an impatient, angry and youthful India: robust nationalism, swift economic growth, greater emphasis on security issues, more attention to federal concerns and women’s rights, embrace of modern technology, and a muscular leadership. Whether this potion will turn out to be an elixir is, however, far from certain. Dileep Padgaonkar in Times of India

EDITORIAL

Is the American Dream Still Alive? BY FARIDA HASANALI I remember reading an old proverb that said, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, or NOW.” If the meaning of this proverb eludes you for some reason, it means it’s never too late to start something…anything! Some of us might feel the days of Google, Apple and Microsoft are over. The days of school dropouts becoming billionaires are gone; people just don’t succeed that way anymore. You may be right! But the days of educated men and women, especially our millennials becoming successful business people are far from over. Amongst just the Houston community, I’ve heard so many stories of young men and women who are shunning corporate America, refusing jobs with great salaries that would put them behind a desk every day and opting to work for start-ups or better yet starting their own companies. What is even more encouraging is kids born in families of generational doctors or lawyers or engineers are opting to start businesses in related fields, like a medical equipment company, or a genetics research firm rather than following exactly in their parent’s footsteps and becoming doctors or lawyers, or engineers themselves. I want to highlight a couple of young entrepreneurs who whilst studying to become doctors are pursuing the American dream to open their own business and follow their passions. Paul Leonard and Zainul Hasanali met in freshman year at Boston College. Zainul was a Chemistry major and Paul Math. They bonded over Computer Science classes, each bringing a different perspective to the other’s life and continued their friendship over the years. Paul was raised in Chicago, IL and grew up in a family that encouraged hard work, education and continuous intellectual growth. He tutored kids whilst applying for medical school and during that time started an interesting t-shirt company called UnderRepped. The company’s primary concept is to highlight

Did you know that a scientist named Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope? unsung heroes by featuring them on t-shirts. For instance, did you know that a scientist named Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope or that Victoria Woodhull was the first female candidate to stand for United States Presidential elections in 1872? Paul used crowdsourcing to fund his company, and sold it a year later to a larger t-shirt firm. If you are interested in representing some of these unsung heroes and shedding light on their careers invest in a t-shirt at www. underrepped.com. Paul is now not just starting his residency in emergency medicine, but has partnered with Zainul on their latest venture in selling Indian spice mixes. By the time Zainul Hasanali was a junior at Boston College he knew his path. He knew he wanted to be a doctor but he did not just want to treat the symptoms of a disease, he wanted to find a cure. This passion of his, led him to seek admission at Penn State University in an MD, PhD program where he is in his 5th year and has three more to go. Currently he is working on his PhD thesis to understand the mechanisms by which the Epstein Bar Virus (EBV) causes the upregulation of the CD30 protein expression in latently infected cancer cells. I won’t even pretend I know what that means, I just wanted you to get an idea of how technical his research is. Regardless of their professional fields, like Paul, Zainul also be-

lieves in the American dream, that anyone who truly wants to, anyone who puts in the effort, anyone who has a passion has a chance at being successful. Zainul’s other passion; one that equals his passion for medicine is cooking. Over the years, he has cooked great Indian food for all his friends and shared his recipes whenever asked. But interestingly most of his friends would come back with “we tried to make it, and it turned out ok, but not like how you made it. What do you do differently?” This led him to start wondering what the missing ingredient was and he came to the conclusion that what was missing was some of the experimental learning, or guidance he had received when he started learning how to cook. He discussed this with Paul one day and they decided to convert this need into a business. Today, Paul and Zainul have launched a company called Eastern Spice Company. You can find their product at www.easternspicecompany.com. Why would anyone buy their spices over going to a store? Zainul and Paul provide exact measures of spices needed to cook the dish and when you buy their spice, they have a QR code on the lid that takes you to picture guided step by step instructions with advice on little things like how not to change the color of the curry, or what overcooking a certain ingredient might lead to. I hope Paul and Zainul’s story inspires other young entrepreneurs to break the corporate shackles and follow their passions no matter what their professions might be. F a r i d a Hasanali is a freelance writer for several Indo American community publications. In her day job, Hasanali works as a Knowledge & Program Manager for BP’s Remediation Management Division.

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HOUSTON: MALAY VYAS, MANU SHAH CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR, INDIA: RAJ KANWAR ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com

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March 07, 2014

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20 March 07, 2014 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!

BOOK REVIEW

The Blood Telegram BY DR. KRISHNA DRONAMRAJU Book: The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. Author: Gary J. Bass, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2013.

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This is a very well written book about the events surrounding the civil war in East Pakistan, which eventually created the nation of Bangladesh, after the intervention by the Indian Army when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister of India. It is highly recommended reading for all. The title of the book is derived from the name of the U.S. Consul General in Dacca, Archer Blood, who is described in the Preface to the book as a “gentlemanly diplomat raised in Virginia, a World War II Navy Veteran in the upswing of a promising Foreign Service career after several tours overseas. He was earnest and precise, known to some of his more unruly subordinates at the U.S. consulate as a good, conventional man.” We also learn from this book that Nixon and Kissinger were driven not only by cold war strategy but also by “a starkly personal and emotional dislike of India and Indians.” White House recordings have shown that Both Nixon and Kissinger, in their private conversations, have referred to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an “old witch” and “a cold bitch” and more colorful abusive names! Blood sent the now famous telegram to the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. which informed them of the terrible genocide that was being carried on by the Pakistani Army to control in what was then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Ethnic cleansing was carried out, with public executions of peaceful Hindu professors at Dacca University, and setting fire to Hindu homes and businesses. Rape and killing of families including children were carried out with brazen disregard for any civilized behavior! The telegram was signed by Consul General Blood and twenty members of his staff. The reaction in Washington was fury against Blood for dissenting from the White House policy which was framed by President

Richard Nixon and his Advisor Henry Kissinger! Kissinger told Nixon: “The Dacca consulate is in open rebellion.” Their policy was to send more weapons to Pakistan and reassure Pakistan’s Military Dictator Yahya Khan that America was totally behind him. They received him at the White house with cordiality while the genocide was going on. In the meantime, Senator Edward Kennedy went to Dacca on a fact-finding mission and was horrified by the slaughter and rapes and the traumatized children who saw their whole family shot dead in front of their eyes! Kennedy returned to Washington and spoke to the National Press Club about these facts. He stressed the great humanitarian crisis that was being created by the genocide that was launched in Bengal by the Pakistani Army. Kennedy thundered: “This was what the United States

was supporting... it is our military hardware - our guns and tanks and aircraft delivered over a decade - which are contributing substantially to the suffering.” Kennedy pointed out that while the U.S. was supporting a failing government in Vietnam, they were ignoring the results of a free election to help the Pakistani Army suppress an electoral mandate. The NixonKissinger team interfered again in Chile, committing the same atrocities under General Pinochet, while ignoring the democratically elected government of Allende Blood’s career was blocked by these events. He decided to retire from the Foreign Service in May 1982. He became a diplomatin-residence at Allegheny College. After his death in 2004 at the age of eighty-one, the U.S. embassy in Dacca named its library for him, which would have made him a very happy man!

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COMMUNITY

March 07, 2014

Donating Bone Marrow: Win-win Situation

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HOUSTON: The main goal of our project is to bring awareness to the need for potential bone marrow donors and the importance of bone marrow donations. This applies to not only the public as a whole, but also to certain communities that are under-represented in the donor registry. Coming from the South Asian community, an under-represented population, means we have the opportunity to help our people understand the necessity to figuratively “give life”. In such a closeknitted community, it takes a little coaxing to help the folks realize that they are not at a loss. Donating bone marrow is effortless with no side effects, and provides the platform for saving another human being’s life; one could say it is a win-win situation. And simply put, being on the registry could mean that a potential donor may never get called to donate, but the possibility that he or she is willing to donate is the most important aspect. Yet, these scenarios also apply to the public in general, and not just a certain group. During our project, we aimed to register at least a hundred people, hundred being a moderate number. So far we have exceeded our goal and aim to continue doing so. In one of our drives, we registered nearly 61 people, most of whom from the South Asian community. We found that when we take our time and explain the entire registration process, the pros and cons (virtually no cons) of donating, and answer their questions effectively, our potential donor becomes satisfied with what he is about to do. We are capable of bringing him or her from a closed mind and provide the donor a means to save another person’s life. However, targeting South Asians is not enough. By conducting drives at the Houston Methodist hospital, we were able to help

a wide variety of people, not just a particular community, understand the necessity of bone marrow donations. An important aspect of our awareness is to increase the number of registrants from different ethnic backgrounds because patients with different backgrounds usually only find matches with in their own ethnicity. If there is no match in the immediate family, then the next best target group for donations comes from the ethnic group. The project has impacted a great deal of people including potential donors. When we brought most of our registrants to our drive booths, their faces would be grumpy looking, perhaps irritated, however after they had registered, we could see a genuine smile on their face from their ability to potentially help save a life. But over a year’s time, our project helped us realize that we too need to donate when we come of age. When we talk to patients, we can see in their eyes the gratitude towards the donations that they receive.

From left: Gaytri Kapoor, Sachin Sanam, Sachin Shetty.

Sunday, March 16th, 2014

Maha-Abhishek Maha-Arati Kirtan Katha Cultural Event Prasadam Feast

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COMMUNITY

US India Policy Institute Holds a Discussion “Inclusive Development Strategy for Minorities: In the Decade Ahead”

opportunities for all with a particular focus on marginalized communities

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HOUSTON: US India Policy Institute (USIPI) is holding a dinner discussion on Saturday, April 5 in Houston. The discussion topic is the challenges facing Minorities in India and the strategies needed to wrestle them. The dinner meeting will be held at Mezban Restaurant in Houston starting at 6:00 pm with networking and dinner followed by the presentations The theme of the presentation is “Inclusive Development Strategies for Minorities: In the Decade Ahead.” This discussion will be led by Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, the advisor to the Indian Prime Minister and the member secretary of the Prime Minister’s High Level Committee on the status of the social, economic, and educational conditions of the Muslim community of India also known as Sachar Committee. Dr. Shariff is a renowned economists and the Chief Scholar of USIPI. Dr. Shariff is also the founder and president of the Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy (CRDDP) and was the Chief Economist at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCEAR) prior to joining USIPI. The headquarters of US India Policy Institute is based in Washington D.C. USIPI works with policymakers and scholars to provide equal access to

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Dr. Abusaleh Shariff

in India. USIPI strives to keep the Minorities agenda in the forefront of the policy discourses. For further details about the dinner, you may call the local hosts Abbas Ali Khan at (713) 723-6325, Latafath Hussain at (713) 269-6171 and/or Dr. Maqbool Haq (281) 9965472 For further information about USIPI. visit www.USIndiaPolicy. org or email at info@usindiapolicy. org or call USIPI ofﬁce at (202) 688-1947. https://www.facebook.com/usindiapolicyinstitute

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COMMUNITY

March 07, 2014

DAVSS Children Raise $12036 for Jeevan Prabhat Readathon

BY ROMA S. NAYYAR HOUSTON: In December 2004, a terrible tsunami ravaged the east coast of India affecting not only the land and coastline but also destroying the lives of children who were left orphaned and families left sundered. Many were left without homes, and without family, and there was massive destruction and sorrow. Soon afterwards, various organizations started working towards rehabilitating these lives, a process that required time as well as funds. In 2005, Arya Samaj of Greater Houston started the Jeevan Prabhat Readathon to help raise funds for many of the children orphaned by the tsunami. All funds raised in the Readathon go towards benefiting Jeevan Prabhat Pondicherry, the orphanage that Arya Samaj Greater Houston helped to establish. The Readathon is unique to itself, and ever since its inception, it has been a way of not only uniting the children of Jeevan Prabhat and Arya Samaj but also uniting the members of the Arya Samaj Greater Houston community. The entire community comes together to give the kids at Jeevan Prabhat a better, brighter future. By doing this, they strive to make the world a nobler place, following one of the core principles of Swami Dayanand, the founder of Arya Samaj, “to

make the whole world noble”. During the Readathon, children read books and collect pledges from family and friends. The Readathon has been met with outstanding support from everyone at Arya Samaj, and each year, becomes bigger and better. The bar is raised every year with more kids participating, more books being read, and more money being raised. Jeevan Prabhat Pondicherry is a state of the art institution, and the children residing there are

provided with the best education, food, and clothing possible. It is a non-government institution, run and managed by volunteers, and in large part funded by support from Arya Samaj of Greater Houston including funds raised during the Readathon. It has been a phenomenal success story, with some of the children there now preparing to go to college to pursue their individual careers and dreams. Recently, a new pen pal program was started by some of the students in AYM,

the Arya Youth Mandal (a branch of D.A.V. Sanskriti School) a Sunday school program at Arya Samaj.

The first letters have been sent, and replies are being eagerly awaited. This year, the DAVSS children raised $ 12036, including matching funds from our patrons Ashutosh Garg, Ankur Sanghi, Sanjay Sood and Sushma Mahajan. Top fundraisers were Roma Nayyar, Shivam Nayyar and Anusha Sood, raising a total of $ 4120 between them. Our Star Readers were Mahi Tomar, Vipashchit Nanda and Siddhant Arora reading over 31000+ pages between them. In all, 17 of the participants raised more than $100 each during the readathon. The Readathon kicks off on 14th of November (Children’s Day and Chacha Nehru’s birthday), and runs through Martin Luther King Day each year. It has achieved such success because of the tireless dedication and commitment of Bharati Patil, Kiran Ahuja and Preeti Rana Tomar, with unstinting support of ASGH stalwarts Dev Mahajan and Shekhar Agrawal .

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Aaloo Methi (Sauteed Potatoes & Fenugreek) Methi (fenugreek) is a vegetable that, when dried, is also used as a spice for flavoring other dishes, like raita (yogurt sauce) or paranthas (crispy flat breads). In this way, it is unique among all the vegetables that are used in Indian cooking, which comes from the raw vegetable itself being no more than the small leaves that grow on long tender stems. Methi is a plant with three small oblong leaflets that is grown in many countries around the world in semiarid climates, especially in South Asia. It is used by the Iranians in their national dishes, by Ethiopians and Eritreans for treating diabetes and by Jews during celebrations of their New Year (Rosh Hashana). It is grown all across western and northern India, with Rajasthan alone producing 80% of India’s output. Though sold in bundles with the roots still attached, the leaves are removed from the stems and relished for their bitterness and sweet aroma that add extra flavor to the foods they are mixed with. About the only drawback to cooking with fresh methi is that it is labor intensive to pick the leaves and wash them thoroughly to get rid of the dirt around the stems. For this reason, it is widely available now in dried form in sealed packets. Still, you need a lot of methi flakes or leaves for a dish, as it shrivels up into a small pile after cooking. Methi is used in making pickles, daals (lentils), paranthas and vegetable dishes, but by far the most widely used and popular dish, as least in the Punjab, is aaloo methi (sautéed potatoes and fenugreek), best eaten with hot roti and a bowl of plain yogurt. If you are not fond of eating potatoes, you will certainly love the flavor that methi adds to them and eat them all up! Methi is hard to resist, though some western people may find it is an acquired taste. Used from ancient times in India, methi is also known for its medicinal qualities in home remedies which claim that it can soothe digestive problems, help control blood sugar and so reduce diabetes as well as cholesterol and is also and is an ingredient in some medicines in India. Methi is high in carbohydrates, protein and minerals.

Ingredients: • 4 medium bundles of methi (fenugreek) or use two packets of dried methi • 4 large aaloo (potatoes), peeled new potatoes are best • 2 tbsp tael (vegetable or olive oil) • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), haldi (turmeric) powder Directions: 1. Open the methi bundles and pick off the top portion of each stem with the leaves. Discard the rest of the stems. 2. To the masala add the rice and then the water, cover the pot and let it all boil for 5 minutes over high heat. 1.Place the picked leaves and tops in a strainer and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt. Let stay for the water to drip. 3. Peel the potatoes and then cut into medium pieces. Wash these and let them drip too. 4. In a wok or kadai or large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat and add the turmeric. Stir and let in warm up well. 5. Throw in the cut potatoes and the methi tops. Stir, then add the salt and pepper to taste. Now cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. 5. Reduce the heat to low, uncover and check if the potatoes are cooked and coated with the

5. Check again and if cooked, turn off the heat and leave uncovered for some minutes so that water does not condense on the dish. This dish is best when served with hot wheat rotis and plain yogurt. Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR COOKING

Many times, I have heard of people who add water when cooking vegetables and then finding that the dish comes out too watery and the flavor is diluted and not well infused in the dish. This is because the vegetables themselves give off a lot of water as steam when they are cooked and they do not need any extra water to start with. After washing the vegetables, always let them drain, then add to the pan and let them cook covered to begin with under medium to high heat. Later, uncover and check if the veggies are tender and you will see how much water vapor comes out as steam. If the veggies are not tender, then add two or three table spoons of water, place the cover back on and let them cook under low heat.

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methi. If not, then cover again and let it cook for a few minutes more on low. Be sure to check that the methi and potatoes are not sticking to the pan or getting burnt.

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ENTERTAINMENT

March 07, 2014

Movie Review: Shaadi Ke Side Effects

BY ANUPAMA CHOPRA Shaadi Ke Side Effects is actually two films in one. The first half is a sparkling comedy, which traces the metamorphosis of happily married couple Sid and Trisha, ayed by Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan. Sid and Trisha share a conjugal camaraderie that is rare and infectiously happy. But their first child puts a brake on their bliss. Trisha declares: we are pregnant and it’s all downhill from there. She becomes an overweight, emo-

tional wreck. He retreats into a sort of arrested development, longing for those carefree days when conversations weren’t about the colour of baby poo. Slowly, they become the sort of couple that has dinner together without speaking. Writer-director Saket Chaudhary makes this evolution laugh-out-loud funny. Trisha gets short shrift — Vidya works hard to give Trisha emotional depth but the ﬁlm is told from Sid’s point of view and Trisha mostly comes off as an unreasonable nag.

But Farhan, all charm and comic timing, carries the show. His confusion and frustration as his life goes out of control is both heartfelt and hilarious. He is effortlessly likable. There’s also Ram Kapoor, lovely as the brother-in-law, who offers this invaluable advice: “Log kehte hai ek happy married life ki buniyad hoti hai pyar, bharosa...bakwas...sach toh yeh hai ki happy married life ki buniyaad hotey hain woh chhote chhote jhooth.” But post-interval, another film begins. One that is curdled and contrived. New characters are introduced but instead of being organic to the narrative, they seem like an afterthought — tacked on simply to keep a movement going. Saket creates flashes of genuine insight into marriage and parenting — toward the end, Trisha finally gets a moment to articulate how overwhelming motherhood can be for a woman — but these get lost in the clumsy, overstretched plot. The screenplay lurches randomly, eventually leading to a climax so convoluted and false that much of the affection I had for Sid and Trisha evaporated. Which is such a shame because until then, I was having so much fun. Shaadi Ke Side Effects is in equal parts, enjoyable and exasperating. Pretty much like the average marriage. -Hindustan times

Shah Rukh Khan: Half of My Films Flopped but I’m Still a Superstar Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is happy that he has survived in the industry and is still a star despite having several flops behind him. “It has been an amazing journey till now. It is fantastic time to be here,” Shah Rukh said. The actor said one should not get disturbed by a film’s failure. “I have done 70-80 films out of which 50% are flops, still I am star... but those films are close to me,” the 48-yearold actor said. Talking about his favourite film, he said, “My favourite film is Paheli, (followed by) Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. The film that goes a little

wrong (kharab) that should be your favourite and you should be proud of these films.” Shah Rukh feels fortunate to be part of Indian cinema at a time when it is going through several changes. “There are so many wonderful filmmakers and actors who are edgy and want to take risk, chances and take Indian cinema forward, the extent to which Indian cinema has shifted from just being a trend and fad internationally to becoming part and parcel (there),” Shah Rukh said. “Bollywood was just a cool word earlier and it was all about singing and dancing... now when I travel abroad and talk about Bollywood, there is a sensibility and understanding of different mode of storytelling which is coming out of India.” Shah Rukh started his acting career with TV shows like Fauji and Circus. Apart from doing negative roles in films like Darr, Baazigar, andAnjaam during his early days in Bollywood, he acted in memorable films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Devdas, Swades, Chak De India and Chennai Express among others. -Hindustan Times

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India Home to 70 Billionaires; Mukesh Ambani Richest

NEW DELHI: India is home to the ﬁfth largest group of billionaires in the world and Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, is the country’s richest man with a personal fortune of $18 billion, says a report. According China-based research ﬁrm Hurun’s 2014 global rich list, Mukesh Ambani was ranked 41st in the list that was topped by Bill Gates, whose personal networth stood at a whopping $68 billion. Other noted Indians in the list include Lakshmi N Mittal ranked 49th with a personal net worth of $17 billion. Dilip Sanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Wipro’s Azim Premji both ranked 77th with a personal wealth of $13.5 billion each. Tata Sons’ Pallonji Mistry ranked 93rd with a personal wealth of $12 billion. SP Hinduja & family was ranked 93rd on the list, with a net worth of $12 billion. In the global rich list, Gates was followed by Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett (2nd) with a personal

wealth of $64 billion and Amancio Ortega of Inditex was ranked 3rd with $62 billion fortune. The fourth position was claimed by Carlos Slim Helu & family ($60 billion) while Oracle’s Larry Ellison with $60 billion was ranked ﬁfth. The report said that during the past year the Indian rupee weakened 12%

against the US Dollar, making it harder for Indians to make the cut-off. Despite the currency ﬂuctuations, India has improved its position over last year. In the 2014 Hurun global rich list, the country is ranked ﬁfth with 70 billionaires, 17 more than 2013. Interestingly, India has higher num-

ber of these super rich individuals than Germany, Switzerland, France and Japan. The combined wealth of the Indians billionaires comes to a staggering $390 billion. The US is home to 481 billionaires, followed by China with 358 billionaires. The US and China now have

half of all billionaires on the planet, the report said, adding that the UK, Japan, Switzerland, India and Russia are growing fast in terms of billionaires. Moreover, Mumbai is home to 33 billionaires and is among the top six billionaire cities in the world. New York is ofﬁcially the ‘Billionaire Capital of the World’ as 84 of the Hurun Billionaires live in the ‘Big Apple’, up 14 from 70 last year. The list is a compilation of US dollar billionaires and wealth calculations were a snapshot of the positions on January 17, 2014. The list ranked 1,867 billionaires from 68 countries. The total wealth of the these super rich people amounted to an eyepopping $6.9 trillion. Of the 1,867 billionaires, 946 saw their wealth increase and there were 482 new faces. Only 318 individuals saw their wealth decrease and 123 remained unchanged. The average age is 64, up one year from 2013. One in nine billionaires is a female, compared with one in ten last year, the report said. -Hindustan Times

Lucknow Police at Subrata Roy’s Door, but No Arrest NEW DELHI: Sahara chief Subrata Roy on Thursday offered unconditional apology for not appearing before the Supreme Court on a day the Lucknow Police, armed with the court’s arrest warrants, failed to ﬁnd him. Roy, in an application ﬁled through his counsel, also requested the court to recall its February 26 order issuing non-bailable arrest warrants against him, promising to present himself on March 4. The court had on February 26 ordered Roy’s arrest for not appearing before it in a contempt case over the failure of two of his group compa-

nies to refund Rs. 20,000 crore to investors. Roy said he was in Delhi to meet his lawyers when he received a call regarding his mother’s health. He immediately rushed to Lucknow to attend to his 92-year-old mother. In Lucknow, a team of nine-policemen searched the sprawling Sahara Shaher, a gated private township spread over 270 acre in the posh Gomti Nagar area, for two hours but failed to locate Roy. Read: Lucknow police search Sahara Shaher, serve non-bailable warrant for Subrata Roy’s arrest “We searched every nook and cor-

ner of the township but did not ﬁnd Roy. All other family members were there attending to his mother,” SHO Ajit Singh Chauhan, who led the team, told mediapersons. The court’s orders were communicated to the family, he said. The entire search operation, which started at around 4.15pm, was videographed. While Roy lives in the ﬁve-acre Sahara House, his ailing mother is lodged in a private hospital within the township, which has an electric fence with watchtowers manned by an army of private security guards. -Hindustan Times

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28 March 07, 2014 Asia Cup: Afridi’s Sixes Seal Final-Over Win vs. India BY ANDREW FIDEL FERNANDO Pakistan 249 for 9 (Hafeez 75, Shehzad 42, Afridi 34*, Ashwin 3-44) beat India 245 for 8 (Rayudu 58, Rohit 56, Jadeja 52*, Ajmal 3-40) by one wicket No other cricketer in his generation blends genius so liberally with lunacy as Shahid Afridi, and though there were glimpses of both in Mirpur, Afridi sent Pakistan’s fans into raptures and endeared himself to them again, as only he can, with two mighty blows during an incredibly tense final over. The India-Pakistan clash was given a finish deserving of its profile, as Pakistan ran India’s 245 down with two balls and one wicket remaining. Unless a major upset occurs over the next few days, Pakistan will most likely play Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup. Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood had massaged the chase to a manageable position in an 87-run fifth wicket stand, but they departed in quick succession and left their team’s fate in Afridi’s comically mercurial hands. Having run Maqsood out and played one of his no-look slogs second ball, Afridi proceeded to bat intelligently with Umar Gul - the pair struck calculated blows to reel in the target. With 11 required off the last 10 balls, and four wickets still in hand, Pakistan appeared to be cruising home. Then, three wickets fell in five balls. It was down to nine off four when Afridi took strike in the final over. R Ashwin had bowled beautifully throughout the innings, but he was no match for the Afridi whirlwind at the end. The batsman backed away and walloped one over extra cover to give voice to the Pakistan fans in the stadium, before, with only three needed off three, he sought to hammer Ashwin out of the ground again. This time he went over long-on, and though he seemed to have miscued it, sending the ball high into the night, it too sailed over the rope, gaining the few extra yards seemingly through nothing but Afridi’s force of will. Earlier, Pakistan had been 113 for 4 in pursuit of 246, when Hafeez

Shahid Afridi goes over the top, India vs. Pakistan, Asia Cup, Mirpur.

arrested the slide with a period of risk-free accumulation. Pakistan’s run rate had been excellent in the opening overs, which gave Hafeez room to breathe, as did the opposition’s expenditure of energy on dismissing an out-of-sorts Maqsood at the other end. Unsteadily Maqsood survived, with the aid of Hafeez’ advice, before he too began to exert some control on the innings. The pair were watchful against spin, but made headway in the overs from the quicks. Hafeez made his 19th ODI fifty during their stand, which did not gather pace until the dew both captains had dreaded at the toss began to materialise, at around the 40th over. That urgency brought wickets however. Hafeez top-edged a sweep off Ashwin to deep square leg, before Maqsood set out for

a tight single and was sent back too late by Afridi, with 44 still required off 36. Afridi then took control, with help from Umar Gul, who made a run-a-ball12. When Pakistan bowled, Saeed Ajmal had gone wicketless in his first eight overs, but that was largely because India had resorted to reticence as they collectively failed to decipher his doosra. As he sent down tight, menacing overs, Ajmal’s team-mates reaped the rewards of his control. Debutant Mohammad Talha’s two wickets came as he bowled in tandem with Ajmal, while Hafeez claimed Dinesh Karthik’s scalp in the 37th over as Ajmal operated at the other end. Ajmal would eventually have scalps to show for his mastery. He dismissed Ambati Rayudu in the 47th over, before striking twice in

the 49th, when he conceded only one run. Rohit Sharma’s 56 had given India’s innings the early impetus, before Ambati Rayudu gathered 58 through the middle overs, and Ravindra Jadeja struck an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls at the close. On a benign surface that provided no lateral movement for the seamers, Rohit was particularly severe on errant lengths. A shortof-a-length Junaid Khan delivery was whipped over the deep midwicket rope in the seventh over, before the next ball was clipped to the fine leg fence. When Misbahul-Haq kept Junaid on for another over, Rohit welcomed him with a lofted off-drive, before coming down the track to repeat the dose three balls later. Dhawan and Kohli’s dismissals did not cow him, but when Ajmal and Talha dried up the runs in tandem, his mistake came. He mis-hit a pull off Talha, and Hafeez took a good running catch over his shoulder to hand the seamer his first ODI scalp. Ajinkya Rahane also succumbed to Talha soon after, leaving India at 103 for 4, before Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik put on a measured 52 together. Jadeja worked the field superbly in his late charge, and twice he cleared the front leg and sent Ajmal and Umar Gul over the cowcorner boundary. That would be his most fruitful area, but though Rayudu and Ashwin contributed useful boundaries, Jadeja lacked sustained support. There were costly misses for India in Pakistan’s innings. Karthik failed to stump Sohaib Maqsood after Ashwin had set him up so beautifully on 21, and a run-out chance was missed a few overs later. But perhaps those errors simply evened out the reprieves they themselves had enjoyed. Jadeja should have been out lbw to Hafeez on 7 but was not given out, and he was dropped by Hafeez for 12 soon after. Jadeja’s next 40 runs would come off 24 balls, propelling India towards a competitive, but ultimately insufficient, total. Andrew Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s SL correspondent.

SPORTS

South Africa Stonewalls, But Australia Set to Win South Africa 287 and 71 for 4 (de Villiers 16*, Abbott 1*, Johnson 2-31) need another 440 runs to beat Australia 494 for 7 dec and 303 for 5 dec (Warner 145, Abbott 3-61) Adelaide, November 25, 2012. Set a record chase, South Africa go to stumps at 77 for 4 with AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis at the crease. Through the unwavering concentration of du Plessis, they salvage a miraculous draw. Cape Town, March 4, 2014. Set a record chase, South Africa go to stumps at 71 for 4 with AB de Villiers and nightwatchman Kyle Abbott at the crease. Faf du Plessis is next in. Surely they couldn’t do it again? Could they? Michael Clarke must have thought back to that Adelaide Test as he made his declaration calculations on the fourth day at Newlands. That match was an opportunity missed, and now his men had the chance to redeem themselves and secure an away series win over South Africa. They had dominated the match so far, in no small part thanks to David Warner’s twin centuries, but the job still needed finishing. A draw from this position might just feel like a win. At 15 for 3 after Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris skittled Smith, Alviro Petersen and Dean Elgar, the result seemed a formality. Clarke’s declaration 40 minutes before tea gave South Africa a nominal target of 511 runs, but their only realistic goal was batting out four and a half sessions to settle for a 1-1 series. A post-tea stonewalling effort from de Villiers and Hashim Amla gave them hope of achieving that feat. In Australia’s favour, the fifth day was due to start half an hour early to make up for the loss of play due to rain on day two. And unlike the Adelaide Test, where James Pattinson broke down and left Clarke a bowler short, here he had the complete artillery still at his disposal, including the allrounder Shane Watson. South Africa had added only 56 runs in the final session, but for the loss of only one wicket. That was important after the mini-collapse that occurred before tea.

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