Friday, March 14 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 11
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Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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IACCGH Shell Distinguished Lecture Series
UH Under Khator: Securing a Niche in Present and Future BY PRAMOD KULKARNI
HOUSTON: The higher education sector, in general, and the University of Houston, in particular, is undergoing a tremendous tranformation lately through the influence of the Internet and ethnic diversity of urban centers. University of Houston Chancellor and President Renu Khator examined how the university system is coping with changes by creating a value niche in the present as well as the future at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) Shell Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday, March 4. IACCGH Executive Director Jagdeep Ahluwalia welcomed the audience and distinguished guests, which included representatives of the American Leadership Forum (ALF) and the Colombian Chamber of Commerce. Newly installed IACCGH President Sanjay Rambhadran introduced Dr. Khator as a leading member of the IACCGH board of advisors, first Indian American to lead a major research university in the United States, and member of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Global Advisory Council. After she was appointed as UH Chancellor, Dr. Khator’s first goal was to create a niche for the university in the present tense. She was surprised to find that despite Houston being the energy capital of the world, UH did not have a petroleum enginnering curriculum. “We now have 600 students in the petroleum engineering pro-
From left: Dacun Li, Ken Coon, Mubarik Choudry, Dr. Renu Khator, Joya Shukla, and Sudini Padmasiri. Photo: Bijay Dixit
gram and we’ve started the first subsea engineering degree program that has 200 students taking courses online,” Dr. Khator proclaimed with pride. The second problem that Khator surmounted was that of a low graduation rate. “I told the UH faculty that I was ashamed to be the chancellor of a university that had a graduation rate of only 39%. Now ,the graduation rate has reached 50%, but we can have no excuses until the graduation rate reaches 60%,” Dr. Khator affirmed. In view of the world class medi-
cal center in Houston, Dr. Khator established two new dual-degree programs that will put UH undergraduates on a fast track to becoming physicians. Partnering with The UT and UTMB will allow entering students to earn credit hours toward both a BS degree from UH and an MD in seven years instead of the usual eight. Dr. Khator’s other value-adding achievements include creating the leading America’s entrepreneurship program and establishing an Office of Technology Transfer to increase earnings from technology
licenses from $600K seven years ago to $17 million in 2013 In terms of the future, Dr. Khator talked about making the university relevant to her 2.5-year-old grandson, Kai, who has learned, on his own, to call her on Facetime. “We cannot educate tomorrow’s students with yesterday’s technology,” she asserted. “How can we capture Kai’s attention and cultivate his imagination?” Dr. Khator mentioned three transformative trends in higher education: 1. The current financial model
is not sustainable because state funding is diminishing. “We have to accomplish a public mission with restricted public funding in a publicly accountable manner,” she lamented. 2. Disruptive technologies such as Wikipedia, Google search and free online courses. She said, however, that it is universities that are providing credentials and creating a collaborative environment for young people to experiment with their life. 3. Survival of the fittest. For 800 years, universities have survived by reshaping their agenda. Of the 4,600 universities, only half will survive. “UH will survive only if we can create a niche, something of value that the students cannot get online.” Dr. Khator thought it may be possible that in the future, the professors could be retail providers of education, just as you can now buy songs on iTunes. “There will be tremendous opportunities for Kai, but I’m worried about myself,” Dr. Khator admitted. With such actute awareness of the present and the future, there’s no doubt that both Dr. Khator and UH will carve out a niche at the top of the educational arena of the future, whatever that might be.
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BY MALAY VYAS HOUSTON: March 7, 2 AM IAH Arrivals, a group of tired and yet enthusiastic ladies were responsible for setting the Bollywood tweeting world abuzz. “Landed in Houston & was touched 2 see All Girls come 2get me at the airport considering it was SO late & most of them had early mornings :-)” was Preity Zinta’s tweet as she arrived in Houston. The Bollywood star was in town to attend the first evern Miss Bollywood Pageant in Houston. The receiving party was headed by Ruchika Dias, the Bollywood Shake founder and her ‘all-women’ organizing committee. The idea of having a Miss Bollywood Pageant in Houston was conceptualized in November 2013. Ruchika and her Bollywood Shake group had already run this show successfully in Austin. “this show is aimed at empowering women, to encourage and enable them to showcase their talent” said Ruchika adding that the timing of the show was deliberately scheduled around the International Women’s Day that was on March 8, 2014. The organizers had originally planned to invite actor Zeenat Aman to grace the show which was an automatic first choice selection since she won the Miss India second runner up title in 1970 and then went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific – a first for an Indian. However, the organizers were dismayed with Aman had to cancel her visit for health reasons. Ruchika informed Indo-American
March 14, 2014
Miss Bollywood Pageant Graces Houston
Photos: Murali Santhana
News that Zeenat was very excited about this event and was looking forward to it earnestly. “It was a set back and for two weeks in January we felt like the earth beneath our feet was taken away, however Preity Zinta confirmed her availability and we were back on our track”.
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This Bollywood pageant was different from typical beauty pageants. Here was a chance for the participants to actually display their inner Bollywood Diva. With talents like dancing, singing and acting making up the judging criteria, this was truly a Bollywood style event. Held at the Signature Manor in West Houston, the much awaited Bollywood Pageant was a sellout and a grand success. “We would definitely like to thank Kohinoor Diamonds for supporting this event unwaveringly” says Ruchika. The pageant featured a Fashion Show featuring the diamonds from Kohinoor worth over $100,000. The finalists of the pageant were spectacularly dressed up in elegant outfits designed by Al-
mas Tejani of Almas Tejani Desi Couture. The volunteers who ran the show behind the scenes including the ushers, ticket vendors and backstage helpers were all members of the volunteer driven non profit organization, Vibha. Food is essential in every “desi” event and Miss Bollywood Pageant was no exception. The attendees were treated with free food from Hot Breads, Shiv Sagar and Barbeque Tonight. With a Bollywood star in attendance, diamonds and couture on display and sumptuous desi food in the house, Miss Bollywood Pageant was truly all round entertainment for all. “Because this was a Bollywood Pageant, we were always sure about having a Bollywood Star at-
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tend the show” said Ruchika in an interview after the show. “Just the knowledge that someone like Preity Zinta is coming to grace the occasion inspired me and my team to work harder in order to make this event a grand success” she added. “Although she is a star, Preity is a very humble, down to earth person and we were lucky to have her for our show – in fact she had more suggestions for me and my Bollywood Shake team on how to grow this event more and take it to different cities” exalted a relieved Ruchika after the show. Preity Zinta actually went back to the hotel and called up Ruchika and her team and congratulated them for a great event. To confirm that she had a good time in Houston, just look what Preity tweeted after the show “The Crowd is Houston was nice & polite ! I’m always amazed when people come real close & say - “Oh U look like U do in Movies in close up !” Haha”. If there was a Miss Bollywood Pageant in Houston how can a Mr. Bollywood contest be far off ? Bollywood Shake plans to have two such shows in Houston every year. So all you desi dudes out there, get ready to show your ‘jalwa’ at the Mr. Bollywood contest coming soon. After all, Preity Zinta did suggest that winners of this contest may have an opportunity coming up in a Bollywood movie, so all you winners, please be on your toes…
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Winner Rafiah Khan, 1st Runner Up Sukrutha Sujai 2nd Runner Up Shareen Memon
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COMMUNITY
March 14, 2014
Saumyakasi Sivalaya Shines During Mahasivaratri weather in Houston added to the feeling of being transported to the Himalayas. Somehow, the cold air only warmed the hearts of the thousands who thronged to the temple to participate in the puja and abhishekam that started on the morning of Thursday, February 27. The day began with an adored activity of Lord Siva – his bath! Devotees felt blessed to do the Ksirabhiseka seva, to the Sivalinga, guided by Shri Ganeshji, the temple priest. The Mahanyasam, meaning the great nyasa (purification) is recited to purify the body, mind, and soul of all the impurities. Recited before performing the rudrabhisekam of Lord Siva, the ritual came alive as the linga was bathed in milk, water, yogurt, and hon-
ey. All agitations of the mind and senses felt cooled further when the linga was adorned with turmeric, kumkum, chandan, and vibhuti. This sacredness echoed through the evening when devotees got the opportunity to repeat the Ksirabhisekam amid the incessant Vedic chanting of the laghunyasa ekadasa rudrabhisekam, a summarized alternate of the mahanyasa form of abhisekam. To make worship more personal, a beautiful lingam was created in a special altar under the Sivalaya where every devotee could do the abhisekam (pouring milk over the lingam). Devotees could experience the quiet in their minds when they could focus their
The priest, Sri Ganesh, Sri Harish and Sri Chandrasekhar performed the abhisekam of the glowing Sivalinga in complete harmony with his chanting of the Rudram. Photos by Jayesh Mistry and Rohith Kudrathaya
BY PADMASHREE RAO AND UMA AGGARWAL HOUSTON: The great auspiciousness of Mahasivaratri glorified Saumyakasi Sivalaya in Chinmaya Prabha, Houston, when more than five thousand devotees gathered over three days between Feb.27 and March 2, to invoke the blessings of the Lord Siva. The spirit of one of the holiest nights of the Hindu calendar became manifest in thought,
word and action when the Chinmaya family of Houston welcomed the community at large to pray together during Mahasivaratri. The events were planned with careful dedication to blend joyful celebrations, collective prayers, and silent hours of meditation. Saumyakasi Sivalaya had the touch of the holy Mount Kailas as preparations began to propitiate the perfect atmosphere for tuning to the Highest. Even the unseasonal chilly
Family performing the Ksirabhiseka to the Utsava Linga. All the devotees had an opportunity to offer abhisekam with milk to the Utsava Linga. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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Saumyakasi Sivalaya Shines During Mahasivaratri CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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Sunday March 2, Mahasivaratri came to a beautiful culmination with the Maha Mrtunjaya Homa. Praying for spiritual upliftment and good health for everyone, hundreds of families chanted the Mrtyunjaya Mantra 108 times.
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love towards the divine during these special moments. It is said that the stars are most conducive for meditation on Mahasivaratri. Indeed, as Lord Siva is the greatest Yogi and Meditator in the Universe, ardent devotees found the right atmosphere for deep, silent meditation after a slow melodious chanting of “Om Namah Sivaya” subdued the mind. The intense prayers culminated in a Maha Arti at midnight on Thursday Feb 27 in the temple. On Friday Feb 28, the Mahanyasa Purvaka Rudrabhisekam was repeated, so that the devotees who missed it on Thursday had another chance to participate. Every year, the crowds increase at the Sivalaya, knowing that the vibrations of Sivaratri ring out strong in the festivities. Finally, on Sunday March 2 Mahasivaratri came to a beautiful culmination with the Maha Mrtunjaya Homa. The Maha Mrtyunjaya Mantra is one of the most popular and powerful mantra that is chanted for healing the body, mind, and soul and helping devotees to move from mortality to immortality. Acarya Gaurangbhai Nanavaty of Chinmaya Mission Houston explained the significance of every word of the mantra and encouraged everyone to let the mantra soak into their consciousness during the ceremony.
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With Sri Ganeshji of Saumyakasi Sivalaya conducting the homa and energizing it with his powerful chanting, each family was given their own plate with yantra and black sesame and flat rice for offerings, so that each devotee could feel part of the homa. The 108 chants of the Mrtyunjaya mantra infused great energy in the families who prayed, leaving no doubt in the power of selfless, collective prayers. Then, as the homa concluded, all of the puja offerings from the devotees were collected by the volunteers and offered as Purnahuti at the main fire altar on the stage. Every Sivaratri at Saumyakasi Sivalaya shines because of the incredible teamwork of the Chinmaya volunteers. The wellplanned parking, the arrangements to accommodate the growing rush of devotees, and the careful attention to every detail in the festivities, bring true holiness and give birth to auspiciousness, keeping with the real essence of Sivaratri. For further information on Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi.org or call temple 281 568 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-9330233
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Holi Festival Celebrated at Sri Guruvayurappan Temple
HOUSTON: Holi, an ancient festival of India is known as the “festival of colors”. This festival was celebrated at Sri Guruvayurappan Temple (Krishna Temple) at the onset of the spring season with several hundreds of devotees from diverse communities on March 9. This carnival style festival reminded of a typical Holi celebration in Northern India. This grand event had many attractions including color play, carnival games,
food mela, carnatic music, dance programs and the grand finale
with spectacular fireworks. The event was organized by the
education committee and youth group of Sri Guruvayurappan Temple, Houston. During the Holi festival several new devotees had the opportunity to participate and support the temple projects through various fund raising programs. The program started with traditional lamp lighting ceremony followed by dance and music programs. Shri Sita Ram foundation
president, Dr.Arun Verma was the special guest and he inaugurated fund raising lottery tickets. Temple president, Shanmughan Vallullissery conveyed his support to youth members. Trustee board chairman, Dr. Biju Pillai gave the welcome speech and extended all support from trustee board to education committee for their endeavors. As the programs continued, children and youth enjoyed face painting, carnival games and color play. Traditional food was a delicious treat for all throughout the day. The evening ended with temple bhajan and deeparadhana. Afterwards, families gathered together for the grand fireworks and returned home with bliss of joy. Traditional, religious and cultural programs are common at Sri Guruvayurappan temple. This event is one of many for the upcoming year. All the devotees had a memorable and joyous time, especially the youth and children. The program ended with a Vote of thanks from Vice president Rajagopala Pillai. For further details about the Sri Guruvayurappan Temple, call: 713-729-8994.
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Sangamam – An Extraordinary Performance by Young US Based Dancers
F r o m To p l e f t : Megna Murali, Sangita Rangala, and Sophia Salingaros. Photos: Amitava Sarkar
BY THARA NARASIMHAN AND RATHNA KUMAR HOUSTON: On February 22, Indian Performing Arts Samskriti presented Sangamam, a confluence of three Indian classical dance forms, at JCC’s Kaplan Theater. This was the curtain opener for Samskriti’s 2014 calendar of events and its year long celebration of twenty years of service to Houston arts, and also the inaugural performance for its Stars on the Horizon initiative, with three exceptionally talented dancers presenting an impeccable and thoroughly professional performance. Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak were seen in all their distinct beauty, making one proud of the richness and diversity of Indian classical dance. The juxtaposition of the dances, with the three forms cleverly mixed and matched throughout the performance, gave the audience a better insight into the differences and similarities between the three. The evocative facial expressions, subtle shifts of mood and emotions and complex rhythmic patterns that each dancer demonstrated showed their cali-
ber as performers par excellence. The Stars on the Horizon series, initiated by Samskriti’s Artistic Director Rathna Kumar, will stage performances twice a year by young talented artistes based in the United States. The exquisitely beautiful Sangita Rangala, originally a Houstonian and currently a Medical Director of the Edward Hospital Care Center in Chicago, is a disciple of Rathna Kumar and Padma Bhushan Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam and his son Vempati Ravishankar. Her three Kuchipudi were a study in grace and beauty and revealed Sangita’s maturity and emotive skills. It was quite obvious that for Sangita dance is a passion, not a choice. Nineteen year old Megna Murali of Dallas, endowed with enviable artistic talents that cover Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Modern and Flamenco dance styles as well as Carnatic Music, chose three excellent Kathak dances for her presentation. Her Guru, Murali Mohan Kalvakalva of Nartan Academy of Dance and Music (NADAM), Bangalore, would have been immensely proud of his sishya had he been in the audience. In her exciting finale, Megna’s prodigious talents came to the fore, and her infectious smile and joyous abandon showed her immense love for dance. Sophia Salingaros, 17, proved that dance and music have no geographical or linguistic barriers. The naturally talented Greek-Bel-
gian American teenager displayed perfect technique and powerful emotions and captivated the audience with her sculpturesque poses and her amazing steadiness. Sophia is passionate about Bharatanatyam and wishes to pursue it professionally, and is also learning Carnatic music to complement her dance. She also performs ballet and piano and loves to draw. Sophia was accompanied by her proud and happy Guru, Dr. Sreedhara of Kaveri Natya Yoga Dance School, San Antonio. Chief Guest Nandita Parvathaneni, wife of the Consul General of India in Houston, an eloquent speaker in her own right, praised the dancers and congratulated the Samskriti Board for bringing such incredible performances and artists to Houston. Thara Narasimhan, President of Samskriti introduced the current Board & Advisory Board members, who were all in attendance – Prabha & Sesh Bala, Roopa Gir, Deepthi Raju, Vish Bhaskaran, Sheela Rao, Suma Mudan, Anil Kumar and Anuradha Subramanian. Samskriti’s next major event is DASHAVATAR, The Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu, on Sunday, April 6, 2014, at the Wortham Center. All of Samskriti’s programs are funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts & the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Asia Society Texas Center is its Arts Partner.
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COMMUNITY
WATCH Children’s Health Fair Brings Over 4,000 Attendees to Sugar Land Town Center Free Health Screenings, Immunizations Interactive Education and More
SUGAR LAND: The annual WATCH Children’s Fair in Sugar Land Town Center gathered record crowds on Saturday, March 1. Over 4,000 people were drawn to the “Ready, Set, Go” event for the free health and dental screenings, immunizations, games, prizes, helmet giveaways, interactive games and fun at WATCH Health Fair. WATCH an acronym to ‘watch’ for weight, activity, tobacco, cholesterol and hypertension is an initiative of the Ft. Bend Medical Society Alliance, in collaboration with Ft. Bend Independent School District. Since the year 2000, the physician spouses of FBMSA have organized the program and worked with FBISD schools to instill pre-
ventive healthcare in early childhood. Over the years, the program expanded to a children’s health fair and is now a community collaborative program. “We are now beginning to see results in our students,” said FBMSA president, Nomita Bajwa. “Now, after 14 years, we know we are making a difference!” The WATCH program as part of the FBISD curriculum has been awarded by the Texas Medical Association Alliance for three consecutive years as an outstanding and innovative program. In addition to the partnership between FBMSA and FBISD, local business and non-profit organizations have been instrumental in making the event
possible each year. Methodist Hospital Sugar Land, Memorial Hermann, Kelsey Seybold, United Healthcare, Ft. Bend County Prevention Coalition, KBRZ Sports Radio, MetLife, along with Oliver Foundation, American Diabetes Association and others provided funding or in-kind donations for the event. UT School of Dentistry, UH School of Nursing, UH School of Pharmacy, UT Physicians Bone Density and Blue Cross Blue Shield Van provided the screenings and immunizations. Children of all ages flocked to over 60 partner booths which were fun and interactive. Whether it was food demos or learning about tobacco risks or the proper use of
sunscreen the crowd enjoyed the beautiful, sunny day, the fun and the exciting performances. WATCH Fair included student groups from schools throughout FBISD who entertained the crowd with music, dance, yoga, roping, tinikling (performance art form from Philippines) kung fu, drill, color guard and other more. Mo of Sugar Land Skeeters Baseball and HEB Buddy kept everyone entertained by mingling with the crowd and joining the student performers on stage! The health and wellness fair has been so popular that FBMSA has already received requests to participate next year. Visit www.fbmsa.org for further information.
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TRAVEL
Morning to Asia by Tunnel – and Back to Europe over Bridge by Evening
Jawahar Malhotra at the Obelisk in the Hippodome in Istanbul
The Uskander Mamaray Station in Asia
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA ISTANBUL, Turkey: The haze that had descended overnight like a thick grey veil over the mouth of the Bosphorus had brought all ship traffic to a halt, with visibility over water down to nil and over land to just 400 meters, and forced many Istanbulites to make huge changes to their commuting patterns. Thousands fled to the security of the Mamaray line – the name used for the underground subway line that crosses under the Sea of Marmara - with chaotic scenes of huge, hours long lines to get into the stations. Others, dreading the worst, made the trek over the bridges connecting the peninsulas of Europe and Asia and retold tales of their own immensely long journey back home. “I was stuck at Takshim”, related Justine Duchanoy, a pretty, young Frenchwoman with green eyes who had just graduated from Hotel Management school in this ancient city and is now Director of Guest Relations at the Deniz Houses Hotels group, the next morning as she sat in the reception area talking of her ordeal. “I decided to go by
taxi across the Bosphorus Bridge, and we barely moved 20 meters in one hour. It took three hours to get home by 10pm. I wanted to get out and walk”! And of course that would have been impossible, as all foot traffic across the bridge has been closed ever since someone jumped to their death in a suicide several years ago. Reception Desk Manager Kerem Benlicil, a long-time resident of the city with a thick moustache, nodded in commiseration, though he had not had as far to go or the water to cross. Wednesday morning had started on an ominous note, with the fog just rolling in and barely lifting a bit by midday. Realizing that the ferry tour of the Bosphorous would be impossible to take, after the rush hour, I walked down to the Sirkeci Marmaray station in the Sultanahmet District and headed down the five escalators to the platform below, about 200 feet below the surface. The barely five month old station was starkly clean, Spartan and devoid of the type of the huge advertisements displays that you normally find in the subway systems across the
world. The platform was beige tile and bare save for blue directional signs and, on the concrete, unfinished far tunnel wall, a long, 6 m (20 ft) long, painted tile mosaic showing the silhouette of the major mosques on the three peninsulas and a length of train crossing below the waters between them. The whole ride between the four stations – two on each side of the waters – was just 4 TL (or US$1.80); just as affordable as the 3 TL (US$1.30) for a ride along the entire length of the extensive tram or bus - and much smaller subway – systems. The Mamaray – the name comes from the Sea of Marmara and “ray”, the Turkish word for rail is the twenty-first century crowning achievement for this ancient city and came at a cost of nearly US$3 billion and nine years of construction (which began in May 2004), the last four of which were delayed due to the discovery of Byzantine era and 4,000 year-old archeological finds along the paths of the subway. It starts in the touristic and commercial area of Fatih in Europe and ends in Uskandar,
Malhotra at the Topkapi Palace with tthe Bosphorus River and Asia in the background
Asia. The 1.4 km (0.87 mile) immersed tube tunnel is the deepest of its kind in the world; 67 m (197 ft) below sea level, with 4.6 m (15 ft) of earth and 55 m (180 ft) of water above it. The overall 13.6 km (8.5 mile) long project will eventually add more stations and upgrade the existing subway lines. On the platform, a uniformed guard shouted commands in Turkish, and I followed the stream of commuters to the far side, behind a red ribbon cordoned off section; a few benches to one side and a slotted metal plank false ceiling above barely hiding the power cables and the lights above. The train whooshed into the platform and disgorged its passengers. Walking through the sliding doors, the carriage had the familiar look of those used in Beijing, New Delhi and Hong Kong – rows of stainless steel benches on each side, with a wide aisle for standing passengers – and above, over the doors was a graphic cross-section of the entire passage under the sea and between the two peninsulas showing the path the train used to slide underground gradually, then rise up sharply as it came to Uskandar, about seven minutes later. Above ground, in Asia, if the weather had been clear, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia would have been visible about a mile away, but on this hazy day - a little less so at the lunch hour - all one could see was a grey fog that had drifted back about 80 m (260 ft) from land, allowing the ferry boats to ply carefully hugging the coastline. Across from the station, people loitered at the ferry plaza, catching a quick lunch of Donner Kebabs, gyros or sandwiches from the kiosks, or a donut of large Mediterranean bagels for 1 TL, or a small bag of roasted chestnuts or steamed yellow corn-on-the-cobb from the hawkers who are ubiqui-
tous all over the city. Almost 12 million tourists visit Istanbul every year, a city of 14.1 million – though local say unofficially 20 million – spread over 5,343 sq km (2,063 sq mi), and for a city that large it is friendly and meticulusly clean, unlike any other urban metropolis I have visited recently. Istanbulites have taken care to blend the best of the two continents to create a unique melting pot of a western looking society and lifestyle with equal emphasis on Asian hospitality and the warmth of human contact. The people are welcoming and caring, yet not aggressive or oppressive in hounding tourists for money, but leaving them to their own privacy, unlike the persistent clamor you receive from local hawkers in other developing cities, like New Delhi. Istanbul fashions range from the mostly hip “world styles” of young people all over the world and the less malleable, more conservative attire of the middle aged middle class. As a tourist, I received few curious stares; but then again it may have been because it was usually mistaken for being another Turk. The road to the north, Pasa Lamani Cardesci, followed the coastline with small parks every so often punctuating between rows of private homes that had tall brick walls and ornate wrought iron gates enclosing the front courtyards and opened to a waterside vista. A narrow, asphalt paved sidewalk, sometimes barely there was all that stood between the walls and the roadway that was busy with public buses and vehicles; with an occasional kiosk for the attendant who sold parking time for those drivers brave enough to park alongside the house walls. On the other side of the street, on the rocky slopes, four and five story
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CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
March 14, 2014
15
Radhe.. Radhe.. Dance Ballet This Saturday
PEARLAND: “Radhe…Radhe…-- A Story of Love for the Supreme”, the much awaited bharatanatyam dance ballet produced by Global Organization for Divinity (G.O.D.) and put together by young Houston talent will be presented this upcoming Saturday, March 15 starting at 4:15 pm at the CA Nelson Auditorium located at 2337 N Galveston Ave, Pearland TX 77581. Seating for the event will begin at 3:30 pm, and the audience is requested to arrive well on time for the program. Attendees are also encouraged to purchase tickets in advance ($10 general, $25 preferred seating), online at events.sulekha. com or by calling 281-516-1596 or 281402-6585, to save time on day of event. The presentation will be in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of G.O.D.’s prayer house, Namadwaar, located in the Pearland/Manvel area, and is supported by a City of Pearland cultural arts grant through the Pearland Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. The bharatanatyam dance ballet will depict the divine love of Sri Radha Rani, who stands for the epitome of devotion to God (Lord Krishna). The performance will weave an English narrative with the beautiful classical compositions of His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. The choreography and music direction have been put together completely by Houston artistes Surabi Veeraragavan and Uma Ranganathan. And the production brings together several young accomplished dancers from the Houston area – Surabi Veeraragavan, Anu Nagasimha, Maya Iyer, Shubha Soman, Akila Raman, Nisha Gosar, Kavya Rajan, Roopa Nagarajan - who are disciples of eminent Houston dance gurus Smt. Padmini Chari and Smt. Indrani Parthasarathy, along with Suwetha Kalyan from Dallas (disciple of Smt. Vani Iswara) and Nrithi Subramanian from Minneapolis (disciple of Smt. Priya Murali). This unique dance ballet is sure to delight the audience with its spiritual, musical as well as visual grace and beauty. After the dance program, Indian snacks and boxed dinners will be available for sale at discounted prices, courtesy Indy Cravings.
Sunday, March 16th, 2014
Maha-Abhishek Maha-Arati Kirtan Katha Cultural Event Prasadam Feast
For further information about the program call 281-303-5828 or 281-402-6585 or visit www.godivinity.org or email houston.god@godivinity.org. INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
16 March 14, 2014
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The sign that welcomes travelers to Asia CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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condo buildings held water views over the tops of the homes, and an occasional intersection led up the side of the hill to neighborhoods beyond. One couldn’t help but wonder how cold these decades old homes – mostly 60’s designs would be when the frigid northerly winds blew through them. Halfway up the 3 km long slope that led to the Bosphorus Bridge, the Pasa Lamini Café beckoned with its open gate and brown, wooden arched trellises that ran over long tables, all the way to the edge of the water and provided an excellent vantage point to view the continent crossing. The waitress brought the menu and cleared the table next to mine, tossing the leftover sliced country bread from the basket overboard into the water below, prompting a flock of seagulls – the pigeons of the seas – to descend and scoop up the pieces in their beaks, beating back competing birds with their flapping wings. Some conservative young Muslim women walked in, attired in the modern version of the chador or burkha – bright, patterned satin headscarves tied tightly around the head, the triangular corner pointing downwards behind their head, long dark trousers and long sleeved top under dark – usually brown - overcoats with a wide
belted waist and flat walking gym shoes or pumps. They asked for some tables to be joined together for what became a group of twenty women, all similarly dressed, the colors and patterns of their scarves radiating their personality – bright ones more talkative, cheerful; darker ones, quieter, somber - and all of them cheerfully and excitedly chatted away, some texted on their cellphones and ordered lunch. Across from my table, three middle aged women with short hair and in casual pants and blouses exchanged gossip, smoking cigarettes and one of them draped herself in one of the brown blankets the restaurant provided against the chill of the breeze from the water. Further north on Pasa Lamini Caddesi, a man watched over as his grandchildren played in the small park by the water’s edge and above him loomed the western support tower of the 1,560 m (5,118 ft) long, 41 year-old Bosphorus Bridge, and halfway northward over the river, the 33.4 m (110 ft) wide main deck disappeared into a mist of fog, like a portal into the sky. I trekked along, past a military encampment on the left and a park on the right – and up to the right, at the end of the deck a sign proclaimed “Welcome to Asia”. Up the slope that reached through the other side of the road-
way tunnel under the bridge and I asked directions from a young blonde woman with dark maroon fingernail polish the way back over the bridge. “I think you can still walk across”, she said in halting, accented English, unaware of the sign posted just before the bridge that said it was a crime to do so. She was studying to become a nutritionist, and as she was going to her college in the same direction as I wanted to go, she got on the packed Metrobus with me, to guide me across the bridge to my other bus. The doors whooshed shut and I clung to the hand strap from the bar above as the river that separated the continents flowed below us, out of sight 64 m (208 ft) below. A man with graying temples motioned at the buildings outside as we entered Europe and said something to me in Turkish, which I surmised sounded like a complaint about the distance or all the new residential tower construction that was passing by, and I instinctively mumbled in assent. He gave me a look of affirmation and we both gazed out of the windows. At the next stop, the young woman got off and asked me to follow. “Go through that way”, she pointed to the exit turnstile, “and take the bus to Kabatas, the tram to Sirkeci is there”. I nodded as if I followed her accented, but fumbled words, “I go here, this way”, hoping I understood, as she turned. I took the way forward but there were two paths to go and a bus stop guard I enquired from motioned me to the right. After a few steps, I entered a passageway with most people rushing only in one direction but my intuition told me it was the wrong path, so I paused to ask another guard, who spoke only Turkish and ran into the young woman again, coming down. Surprised to see me, she asked, “What are you doing her? I told you straight …”, then she turned to tell the guard where I wanted to go. A young man passing by who overhead us, threw out some words in Turkish, and the woman asked him, motioning with her arm, “Go with him, he will go to the bus you need”, as she rushed to her subway. I followed quickly after him as he took fast steps and he took me to the bus stop, where my connecting bus was just about to take off. He ran to the still open door, shouted to the driver to tell me when to get off and said to me “Bus, bus … Kabatas”, motioning me to get on. I fumbled for my three fare pass, scanned it and confirmed with the driver “Kabatas?”, motioning for him to tell me, then settled in just within eyesight of him, for the long ride down the sloping road towards the Tophane tram station on the Europe side of the dark, wide Bosphorous river.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
March 14, 2014
High School Students Win 1st Place at Science and Engineering Fair of Houston
Thyagaraja Aradhana Celebrated at HTW
Andrea Francis
Andrea and Shangyi shall be competing for 2014 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, March 20-23, in San Antonio, Texas. By competing in the state competition in San Antonio, they will be able to gain new experiences and interact with new people in order to gain more knowledge about the areas of science. By looking into environmental problems, they are able to solve not only for the benefit of aquatic ecosystems, but potentially for the agricultural industry as well. They wish to research more into the benefits of their project in order to yield the best results in the real world.
HOUSTON: Andrea Francis is a sophomore at DeBakey High School, who won the 1st place in the life science division with her partner Shangyi Fu in the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston 2014 (SEFH). Andrea Francis parents are Suresh and Sreeja Francis who are from Kochi, Kerala, India. In their project, They found an alternative fertilizer that would be environmentally and economically beneficial. By looking into different fertilizers, they were able to find an organic fertilizer, Vitamin C, which could potentially solve run-off problems. Since they are first place winners,
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BY PRIYA SUBRAMANIYAM THE WOODLANDS: The Hindu Temple of the Woodlands (HTW) hosted their second annual Thyagaraja Aradhana Music Festival on Saturday, February 22. The festival received a very enthusiastic response from participants from all over Houston, including Sugar Land and Pearland. This year, the temple board, along with the members of The Woodlands Carnatic Music Group, organized the
event and encouraged participants to offer musical homage, not only to Saint Thyagaraja, but also to other popular Indian classical composers such as Shri Purandaradasa and Saint Meerabai. The program commenced with the lighting of the lamp by temple priest, MNC Bhattar. This was followed by a traditional group rendition of Saint Thyagaraja’s magnum opus creations, the Pancharathna Krithis- Jagadanandakara-
ka and Endaromanhanubhavulu. The presence of some of Houston’s renowned musicians such as Rajeshwari Bhat (Vocal), Mahesh Iyer (Violin), Geetha Jayaraman (Veena), Dexter Raghunanan (Tabla), and Aparna Ganti (Vocal) enhanced the overall beauty of this performance. Although just a drop in the ocean of music composed by these great legends eons ago, individual and group performances that followed suit, included songs that reflected a multitude of moods, and were presented with great fervor. Participants included singers, dancers and instrumentalists from the Greater Houston area. One of the highlights of this year’s festival was an exhibition by Govinda Radhe Childrens’ Music Group of The Woodlands, who delightfully recreated the life and times of the great composers. Displays included collages of the life of Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa and Meerabai, explanation of Thyagaraja’s Pancharathna Krithis, a model house of Thyagaraja, a comic strip to showcase Meerabai’s love for Krishna and also a PowerPoint presentation on Indian Classical Music. Only in its second year of inception, the Thyagaraja Aradhana at the HTW is growing in popularity amongst music lovers in The Woodlands, Conroe, Spring, and Cypress areas. About 250 people attended the event. A light dinner, entirely prepared by volunteers from The Woodlands, was served on the occasion.
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18 March 14, 2014 Do Politicians Think we’re Fools? BY KARAN THAPAR
NEW DELHI: ‘Do politicians think we’re fools?’ It was an odd question but then I’m used to Pertie springing surprises. This, however, was exceptional. “What’s prompted that question?” I felt I had to first understand his thinking. “Just look at what the government tried to do. Having failed to use Parliament effectively for five years they now want to push ordinances on a range of issues from prevention of corruption, scheduled caste and tribe atrocities, the rights of the disabled and, even, Telangana! They believe this last-minute burst of activity can persuade us they’ve delivered on every front. Doesn’t it follow they think we’re fools?” Pertie’s point set me thinking. The election speeches we’ve started hearing — and there are a lot more in store for us! — make a very similar assumption. For instance, when Narendra Modi claims Gujarat has electricity “24/7, 365 days of the year” he must be believing that farmers who receive three-phase electricity for only eight hours, often at night, either can’t hear him or won’t resent this untruth. Arvind Kejriwal, though new to politics, is no different. He boasts he’s halved electricity rates and provided free water but fails to add that all of this will cease on the 31st of this month. In his haste to resign and claim political martyrdom he either failed or forgot to make provisions beyond that date. Given that he knew he was resigning, what’s his explanation? The truth, I suspect, is that other concerns took precedence. This wasn’t a priority. Now he must be hoping that come April 1 the good denizens of Delhi won’t notice. That, too, assumes we’re fools. Come to think of it most of the rally speeches we’re subjected to treat us as driven cattle. They assume rhetoric about 56-inch chests or emotional appeals to caste and religion or the mocking ridicule of opponents can sway our minds. Instead of elaborating their policies in detail and accurately costing their promises, which would assume we care and are intelligent enough to understand, politicians tempt us with vague promises which, like candyfloss, taste sweet but don’t last very long. That’s how you lure children. But if that’s also how they reach out to us aren’t they treating us as fools? So is Pertie right? The more I think about it the more I fear he is. Let me explain. When people keep voting for you regardless of your tainted character, pathetic performance and with no credible expectation of change, then you probably do look upon them as fools. At any rate, you take them for granted, which comes to the same thing. The Association for Democratic Reforms regularly informs us of the percentage of candidates who face criminal charges, lack a credible education or have inexplicably increased their wealth whilst in office and yet we vote for them. In fact, they often win. Won’t such people look upon voters as fools? Let me give you a final example. In 2011 Parliament passed a resolution promising the nation a Citizen’s Charter and Grievance Redressal Bill. It hasn’t delivered. But do you hear many voices of objection? A few, no doubt, but what impact will they have on the politicians who lied and deceived us? And when we vote for them — I won’t say if — what view will they take of us? That we’re fools? I don’t want to overdo this analysis. That would be unfair. But Pertie’s point is worth remembering as the elections get underway. The views expressed by the author are personal - Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL
UPA hurts India as it Exits BY ARVIND PANAGARIYA Legend has it that 2,500 years ago to the year, when Darius the Great invaded Scythia, retreating Scythians destroyed food supplies and poisoned the wells. Starved and dehydrated, a large number of soldiers in Darius’s army died and he eventually conceded defeat. The only plausible interpretation of the actions by Congress in the last several months is that it has adopted this scorched earth strategy as it retreats from government. Its recent actions seem to serve one principal purpose: make the restoration of growth and the task of rebuilding the nation as difficult as possible for the successor government. The greater the failure of the successor government, the better would the outgoing government look by comparison. Ironically, the most pernicious act of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is related directly to land: the new land acquisition act. The latter administers an all-round preemptive blow to efforts of a future government to put India back on its feet. For most public projects, the act makes land acquisition such a longdrawn-out affair and land prices so high that only a handful of projects will remain economically viable and capable of being implemented. A recent report in this newspaper has this to say about the act: “The new land acquisition law that came into force this January, touted as one of the signal achievements of the UPA government, is turning into a major obstacle in the way of a key infrastructure project being pushed keenly by the Prime Minister’s Office.” The report goes on to describe how cost of land required to build the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway has trebled to Rs 18,000 crore, with total cost rising to a gigantic Rs 32,000 crore as a result of the money that must be paid as compensation for the land on which the highway is to be built. The government is now back to the drawing board to figure how the project can be made viable. Even building rural roads under Pradhan Mantri’s Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a programme expressly meant to aid India’s rural poor, will turn into a
nightmare. And this will be in the name of protecting ‘poor’ landowners, notwithstanding the fact that land reform has had little success in India. Except in a handful of states, much of the land is actually owned by large and wealthy farmers. The new land acquisition act will also make already hard to implement large-scale private projects yet harder to implement. All the provisions of the new act on compensation apply to all private acquisitions of 50 acres of land in urban and 100 acres in rural areas. According to some calculations, this would render land an order of magnitude more expensive in almost all locations in India than in any other country on the face of the earth. This is why entrepreneurs looking for land will first look on Mars before doing so in India. Sadly, the national leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP), which loathed the idea of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi coming to rule at the Centre for fear that he would destroy the cozy existence it has enjoyed for the last decade even sitting in opposition, unwittingly and shortsightedly aided UPA in scorching the earth. It went on to vote for nearly every populist bill UPA brought to the floor of Parliament without stopping to think that it, and not UPA, might have to live with the consequences. But now that the chances of a Modi victory look bright, it will find out
how it has shot itself in the foot. UPA sins do not end with the land acquisition act. Appointment of the Seventh Pay Commission and hike in subsidised gas cylinders from 9 to 12 are part of the same strategy. So also the increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 175 per day on average and the last-minute attempt to raise dearness allowance to 100% of the base salary, notwithstanding the fact that it was raised to 90% only this past July. But perhaps the worst poison pill is UPA’s attempt to push as many as nine ordinances and clear vast numbers of projects on literally the last possible day before Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct was expected to kick in. Only sage advice from the president held back the government’s hand from pushing the vast majority of these ordinances. Even so, it was not deterred from introducing reservation for the 90 million-strong Jat community in nine states in central government jobs and admissions to central educational institutions — and from granting special category status to the newlycreated Seemandhra state for five years. Rarely has a democratic government consciously inflicted such damage on the nation at its exit. The writer is professor of Indian political economy at Columbia University. -Times of India
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20 March 14, 2014
INDIA
Indian Americans Get Place of Pride in US History and Smithsonian Gallery
Swami Vivekananda and guests at Green Acre School, Eliot, Maine, ca. 1894. (Photo courtesy: Eliot Baha’i Archives and Maine Memory Network/Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Program)
Indian immigrants work on railway construction, Pacific and Eastern Railroad, Oregon, ca. 1906. (Photo courtesy: Southern Oregon Historical Society (#1603)/Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program)
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BY YASHWANT RAJ The first Indian came to the United States in 1790, just 14 years after the country was born. He came on a ship with British crew, stayed for a while perhaps and left. Or so it seems. Though there are plenty of references to the man — no name, though — in literature from that time, he didn’t leave behind much of a story. Nothing actually. Many more Indians followed over the next centuries, and stayed. They helped build railroads, till the land, make and change laws, fight bigotry, and, ultimately found a place in US history: a gallery at the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The gallery called Beyond Bollywood opens on February 27 as a tribute to Indian Americans, whose role has received scant or no attention yet in the making of this country. “It is not a hall of fame. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive record of individual achievements of all Indian Americans,” said Masum Momaya, who has curated the exhibition. “It’s about what we, as Indian immigrants and Indian Americans, have contributed to shaping this country,” she added. Her parents came here from Gujarat
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in the 1960s. For instance, the turbaned men standing stiffly by railway tracks in a black and white picture from Oregon in 1906, that welcomes visitors at the entrance. “They helped build the railroads as much as Chinese immigrants, but not many people know that,” said Momaya. And, the picture is indeed stunning in its starkness. Sikh immigrants from India usually landed on the west coast, as the railroad workers in the Oregon photograph. And that is a story told many times before. Dalip Singh Saund came here in 1920. He studied maths but had to turn to farming for a living. He became a citizen in 1949, ran for the Congress eight years later, and won. Little known, however, are the stories of Bengalis who came to the east coast and brought exotic eastern items such as silk. And settled down, traveling south to Louisiana and married Creoles. Spread over 5,000 square feet, the gallery has 200 historical and contemporary images, three dozen works of art, two dozen historical objects and artifacts. They include the helmet of Brandon Chillar, who played football for one of the top teams Green Bay Packers, and Mohini Bhardwaj’s 2004 Olympic silver medal in gymnastics. The Smithsonian has hosted such galleries before recognising the role of immigrants such as Chinese Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Korean in the making of the country. “We were looking for another interesting idea when some friends suggested the ‘greatest idea ever’,” said Konrad Ng, director of the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center. That was in 2008-2009. Five years hence, the gallery is ready. When asked if President Barack Obama knows of the Beyond Bollywood gallery, Ng, who is married to Obama’s sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, said he does and wants to visit. “(But) you know when you are president, you can’t show up for things,” said Ng, adding, “He is looking forward to being able to check out some of the things.” So Ng told him: “Any time, we will open the door for you.” A dress used by the first lady Michelle Obama is among the exhibits, as it was made for her by Naeem Khan, an Indian-American designer based in New York. -Hindustan Times
Congressman Dalip Singh Saund, with senators John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, 1958. (Photo courtesy: Eric Saund) INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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March 14, 2014
21
CANCER CURE & PREVENTION SERIES
Steady Progress in the War on Cancer ress into the future with increasingly limited resources, however, we will have contributed greatly to the victory I hope will eventually be realized in the War on Cancer. Vivek S. Kavadi, MD, is US Oncology’s medical director for Radiation Oncology and a practicing radiation oncologist at Texas Oncology in Houston, Texas.
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Cancer cells. A research team led by two scientists at Penn State University has developed a promising cancer-fighting strategy for “reactivating” genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die. The discovery may aid in the development of an innovative anti-cancer drug that effectively targets unhealthy, cancerous tissue without damaging healthy, non-cancerous tissue and vital organs. Credit: National Cancer Institute.
Editor’s Note
A folk tale describes a young woman, who wanted Gautama Buddha to revive her dead child. Buddha told her he could do so, if she could bring mustard seed from any household that had not experienced a death. In modern times, cancer seems to be a pervasive cause of chronic disease and death. Each of us knows at least one one family member, relative or friend, who is a cancer victim. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1,665,540 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2014. More than 13 million people are either cancer-free or receiving treatment. Indo-American News is pleased to support the work of the Indo-American Cancer Network (IACAN) in promoting cancer awareness in the South Asian community. We’re also pleased to introduce this monthly series, in association with Texas Oncology, about cancer cure and prevention. Our series begins with a hopeful article from Dr. Vivek Kavadi about progress made in cancer diagnosis and treatment in recent decades. BY VIVEK KAVADI, MD Over the past 40 years, since the declaration of the War on Cancer in 1971, we have seen tremendous advances in our struggle with this deadly disease. This is evidenced by 3 important facts: • The most recent statistics show that 68% of all new cancer patients survive for at least 5 years. Just 20 years ago, when I was in training, that number was only 58%. A 10% improvement in 20 years represents a significant achievement.
•
The cancer mortality rate first started dropping in 1992, a trend that has continued. • The incidence rate for all new cancers combined has been decreasing since 1999. How did we get here? Is it because of more and better cancer screening, with mammograms for breast cancer, colonoscopy for colorectal cancer, and PAP smears for cervical cancer? Has greater overall awareness of cancer risk resulted in earlier diagnoses? Have the various antismoking measures had an effect on the number of people engaging in this dangerous activity? Is it because of the newer treatments being used; are they curing more people? Is it because of the advances in technology? Clearly, all these things have contributed greatly to the improvements we have seen. In addition to prolonging survival, treatments have become less disfiguring and allow greater tissue and organ preservation (eg, lumpectomies versus mastectomies for breast cancer). Surgeries have become more refined with laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Combined modality approaches have become standard with many types of cancer. Each of these measures has improved the quality of patients’ lives. Today, cancer is becoming more of a chronic disease than an acutely fatal one as it typically was decades ago. Although we have come a long way, we still have much further to go. How will we get there and what challenges will we face along the way? Coordinated, multidisciplinary, integrated care is essential in oncology today. As a society we need to continue to enhance how this is accomplished in the community setting, where the majority of patients get treatment. In these difficult economic times, we must do this with greater focus on quality
and efficiency. This inevitably involves more reliance on treatment pathways. The point above notwithstanding, we are in an era where treatments are becoming more tailored to each patient and the molecular characteristics of his or her cancer, while assessing risks, benefits, and toxicity profiles. The inherent diversification that targeted therapies bring means that we will have to navigate through the paradox of standardizing treatment paradigms for the overall group while still individualizing treatment for a given patient. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must continue to invest in the research that brought us this far. This involves not only finding the necessary funds but also, as a society, structuring our delivery systems so that important questions are asked and answered in a time-sensitive manner— questions such as whether to use surgery or radiation therapy for favorablerisk prostate cancer or when to use expensive treatments such as proton therapy. In the last decade, I have noticed that more of the defining studies are being done in Europe, like those involving patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Are European societies better suited to do large population-based studies in a handful of regional centers of excellence? Does a central controlling authority facilitate such research? I do not know the answers to those questions, but we will have to do a better job applying our incredible talent and intellectual know-how toward better optimization of our research approaches. My last 21 years in the field of oncology have been exciting ones, and I look forward to the second half of my career with great enthusiasm despite significant concerns about the effects of economic practicalities on availability of care and research funding. If we are able to maintain our recent pace of prog-
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Kush Sharma of Kansas City, Mo., is headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, after winning a spelloff Saturday. After his win, he posed with students and teachers from his school, the Frontier School of Innovation.
BY BILL CHAPPELL It took more than 90 rounds and a delay of two weeks, after judges ran out of words. But Jackson County, Mo., finally has its spelling bee champion, after two stellar spellers broke a tie Saturday. Fifth-grader Sophia Hoffman and seventh-grader Kush Sharma became celebrities after they essentially broke the bee in February, as Maria Carter of member station KCUR reported Friday. At that competition, they lasted 66 rounds before organizers said they needed time to gather more words. Today, the pair dueled for nearly 30 more rounds in a special spelloff held before an overflow crowd. In the end, Sharma prevailed, after Hoffman spelled “stifling” incorrectly, according to the Kansas City Star. Sharma took the win by spelling “definition.” The competition ended after Hoffman’s parents unsuccessfully appealed to the judges, believing that the pronunciation of “stifling” might have confused her, KCUR reports. The judges reviewed a recording of the proceedings and found nothing amiss. The judges might want to start getting some extra words together
for next year: As KCUR’s Carter reports, Hoffman and Sharma could be back in the same spot next year — they’ll both still be eligible for the 2015 bee. “It took us an hour to find more words,” head judge Kaite Stover, a librarian at the Kansas City Public Library Central Branch, told Carter of the competition’s first day, on Feb. 22. “And we were looking for words that were not completely archaic and uncommon.” But Hoffman, 11, and Sharma, 13, answered the challenge each time, relying on their knowledge of word origins and prefixes to see them through. After more than five hours, organizers threw up their hands to set up today’s event. The judges brought a fresh batch of 200 words to bear Saturday, from a list provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. They also had around 60 backup words just in case they’re needed, the library says. “I was a little nervous,” Hoffman told Carter, recalling how she felt about the Jackson County Spelling Bee earlier this week. “I knew that Kush and I had both really prepared.” While they’re sometimes portrayed
as rivals, Sharma says the contestants don’t see it that way. “I don’t think we see at as I beat her or she beats me,” he told KCUR this week. “I think it’s like the word beat me.” After the delay was declared, the two contestants and their families tried to get officials to agree that both of them should move on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. But as Carter reported Friday, that idea was rejected. Local officials tried to take the “sting” out of losing the bee Saturday, posting a photo on Facebook of Sharma and Hoffman clowning around while wearing bee caps. “We will long ‘bee’ proud of what both Kush and Sophia did and the grace with which they did it,” the caption read. The Jackson County bee isn’t the only one that went to overtime to determine a winner. The spelling contest in DeKalb County, Illinois, was also postponed until today, after two contestants — Matthew Rogers and Keith Mokry — went more than three hours and 74 rounds without a winner being declared, as the DeKalb Daily Chronicle reports. -www.npr.org
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March 14, 2014
Job Posting:
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Are you a newscast producer who’s ready to move up to a top 10 market? Here is your chance to work for one of the nation’s best broadcasting companies that is dedicated to covering local news. KTRK-TV, the ABC O&O station in Houston, TX is accepting applications for an Associate Producer. The person hired for this position will line produce a section of our weekend morning newscasts and have opportunity to fill in on other newscasts as well. Applicants must have at least two years of experience working as a line producer. This is a newsroom that embraces new technology. ENPS /Aurora/Ignite experience a plus – as is good understanding of social media and how it can be used to reach viewers and create content. Candidates must be able and willing to learn both non-linear editing and writing for our digital platforms. Applicants must be willing to work overnights, weekends and holidays. All Interested applicants must apply online at disneycareers.com, ref job #168940BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. In addition, please mail writing samples and a DVD of or link to your latest newscast to: Robin Freese, Executive Producer, KTRK-TV, 3310 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005. No phone calls please, and no third parties. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
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DIGITAL PRODUCER
KTRK-TV, the ABC O&O located in Houston, TX, is looking for a Digital Producer who can do it all. The ideal candidate will have minimum three years of experience working in major market television or print news Internet operation or a comparable digital background, Photoshop experience and experience creating and editing video for distribution on multiple platforms and social media. A strong writing ability is a must, in headline, copy and tease-writing. Candidate must thrive on breaking news and have a ‘Do-it-now’ mentality to excel in our fast-paced environment. Though the primary function of this position is the create news content for distribution on web and mobile platforms, the ideal candidate must be able to adapt to any changes deemed necessary for the benefit of the department. Absolutely no beginners. This position does involve evenings and weekends. All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please Reference Job ID: 170468BR on all materials submitted. No phone calls please, and no third parties. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
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ENTERTAINMENT
March 14, 2014
Movie Review: Gulaab Gang
BY SRIJANA MITRA DAS Story: Fearless Rajjo runs a martial academy for rural women. What happens when she faces ruthless politician Madam ji? Review: Straight on, Gulaab Gang’s deepest colour comes from its villain, Madam ji, a politician of supreme ambition and total crassness, played with aplomb by Juhi Chawla. The film’s central pro-
tagonist is rural Rajjo (Madhuri), who runs an academy where women wield weapons and weave pink saris. Rajjo’s Gulaab Gang takes on oppressive elements - dowry-demanding husbands, bribe-demanding babus, grain-hoarding traders, the rapist son of the local neta. The gang, led by Rajjo’s merry women including Mahi (Jagdale) and Kajri (Chatterjee), succeeds by winning hearts or breaking
bones. But does Rajjo meet her match in unforgiving Madam ji? Gulaab Gang captures the deep oppression the vulnerable face. Some moments - Rajjo’s face falling when Madam ji, presented with a rape charge against neta Pavanji’s lout son, responds, “Aaj kal balatkaar ka kya rate hai?” - are memorable. The action is crackling and Madhuri looks great, going from dhak-dhak to thak-thak with a big stick. Alongside, Juhi shines with malicious pleasure as Sumitra Madam ji whose ambition - to become raja from patrani - is ferocious. Chawla makes you cringe as she wreaks revenge on anyone who crosses her, the actor getting into her role with lip-licking gusto. But the dramatic tension simply doesn’t hold. Every time there’s a face-off between Rajjo and Madam ji, a diversion - a song, a character cracking a joke, guns fired - occurs, breaking the build-up. There are too many tangents, navels and noserings, diverting focus from Rajjo, the story’s driving force. Instead of knowing how and why she becomes the tigress of Madhavpur, we’re given mellifluous songs, intercut with soon-repetitive scenes of exploitation. Considering the subject’s intense power and the charisma of these stars, the movie’s hesitation with how to proceed stands out. At one point, Rajjo asks a woman, “Soch soch ke kaahi maarte ho?” That goes for Gulaab Gang too. -Times of India
Kochadaiiyaan Becomes a Trend Setter on Twitter, iTunes
Merely hours after the audio release of acting legend Rajinikanth’s epic drama ‘Kochadaiiyaan’, the film’s music was ruling the iTunes. In Pics: Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padkone at ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ music launch The film’s music, which was launched at an event in Chennai on Sunday (March 9), in the presence of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, among others gained the top position on the iTunes charts in India. The film’s music is composed by music maestro AR Rahman. Also Read: Rajinikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan’s music out now At the music launch, ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ became the first Tamil film to trend on Twitter! An expected feat from a Rajinikanth starrer.
Referred to as India’s answer to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, ‘Kochadaiiyaan’is being touted as the country’s first to be made using motion capture technology. Rajnikanth’s daughter Soundarya hopes her directorial debut vehicle ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ to be a gamechanger for Indian cinema at the international level. Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff will also be seen in a pivotal role in the film, which is slated to release on April 11. -Indian Express
Merely hours after the audio release of Kochadaiiyaan. The films music was ruling iTunes India.
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Ranbaxy Recalls Over 64,000 Bottles of Generic Lipitor in US Drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has recalled more than 64,000 bottles of the generic versions of its cholesterol-lowering drug in the United States due to reports of a dose mix-up, US regulators said. Ranbaxy recalled tablets of atorvastatin calcium, the generic name for Lipitor’s active ingredient, after a pharmacist found a 20-milligram tablet in a sealed bottle marked for 10-milligram tablets, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on its website. The FDA declared a Class II recall, which signifies a remote chance of severe adverse consequences or death due to the product flaw. Ranbaxy could not be reached for comment outside of India’s business hours.This is at least the third recall of generic Lipitor over the past two years.
Hit by regulatory scrutiny, India’s biggest drug maker by revenue had recalled 480,000 bottles of the cholesterol fighter in November 2012 after the company discovered contamination with tiny glass particles. Worries about quality control in India’s $14 billion drug industry have come to the fore in the past year as plants run by Ranbaxy and local rival Wockhardt Ltd have been barred from sending drugs to the United States after falling short of the FDA’s “good manufacturing practices” -Hindustan Times
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India Economy to Grow at 5.6% in 2014-15: India Ratings NEW DELHI: India is likely to grow by 5.6 % in 2014-15 against a projected growth of less than 5 % in the current fiscal, a report by India Ratings and Research has said. “The global economy in 2014 appears to be in a better shape than what it was in 2012 and 2013. India Ratings forecasts India’s GDP to grow at 5.6 % in 2014-15,” the rating agency said. “The economic growth in FY15 is likely to be contributed majorly by the industrial sector, which is estimated to grow by 4.1 %. This is good news for centre as well state government finances,” it added. The rating agency also expects merchandise exports to grow by 8-10 % in the next fiscal year. It expects a minor slippage in consolidated state deficit from the budgeted FY14 estimate.
“Aggregate state’s fiscal slippage in FY14 is estimated at 0.1 % of GDP. Consolidated state fiscal deficit in FY14 is likely to 2.3 % of GDP visa-vis 2.2(BE),” the report said. It further said that state governments’debt in 2013-14 is estimated to increase marginally to 21.7 % of GDP from budget estimate of 21.5 %. The agency, however, said that it
maintains a stable outlook on state government finances for the next fiscal. “India Ratings maintains a stable outlook on state government finances for FY15 as it expects consolidated state finances to remain resilient to the on-going economic slowdown,” the rating agency said. -Hindustan Times
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28 March 14, 2014
SPORTS
So Where Are Those Grey Cells? BY PRACHI PINGLAY-PLUMBER It’s one of the most durable of cliches on Indian cricket. It lies dormant in a domestic series, rears its head obstinately after a foreign disaster, as now—that we are tigers at home, chokers abroad. Its handmaidens— after every overseas tour, there will be a brief call to sack the captain (this time, the coach was spared). That as soon as the team wins anything— odis, T20s—we will not only forgive but also forget, as always, the ignominy of losing Tests overseas. So, predictably, the recent New Zealand Test series loss and the Test defeats before that prompted raucous cries for stripping Mahendra Singh Dhoni of his Test captaincy. While Dhoni himself may well be introspecting as the team plays the Asia Cup, opinion in the cricketing world on his fate is divided. After all, did he not lead India to the World Cup win in 2011, the T20 World Cup win in 2007 and the top Test ranking in 2009? To balance that is a bitter pill: we have also lost 14 Test matches played on foreign soil in the past three years. And won none. However, has there been no positives at all from the New Zealand series, or are all Test losses the same? Are poor records enough reason to replace a captain? Also, is there any other reason for the sudden drop in the popularity ratings of Mahi, the blue-eyed boy of BCCI supremo N. Srinivasan and acclaimed leader of Chennai Super Kings? Then there is the practical problem of having different captains for Tests, odis and T20s, with the 2015 World Cup only a year away. “Whenever we lose, the captain and the coach are blamed. The players are equally responsible. What plagues the team is inconsistency,” says Anshuman Gaekwad, former batsman and India team coach. “If the players can perform once, they can perform other times as well.... Also, no team has done well overseas except South Africa.” India’s away record is terrible, but experts say it is important to see how the team performed in those lost matches. “India should have won in New Zealand. We have never lost in Auckland and this time we lost by 40-odd runs. The team management is to be blamed for not selecting five bowlers instead of four,” says former
M.S. Dhoni
spinner E.A.S. Prasanna. However, the murmurs of Dhoni’s record as Test captain have been around for some time. When England beat India 2-1 on home turf in 2012, his captaincy was questioned. Referring to Dhoni’s criticism of the pitch after the win in Ahmedabad, K. Srikkanth, former selector, said: “Why do you go with a negative mindset after winning....Dhoni is confused. When things go out of control, he lets things drift.” Former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar too had openly criticised his captaincy, but noted the paucity of any other options. The deprecations are louder now— Sourav Ganguly recently termed Dhoni’s captaincy ‘obnoxious’ and Ian Chappell made a case for Virat Kohli as his replacement. “While overseas wins are an indicator of a successful captain, traditionally we have not been competent abroad—which is why away performances have great relevance. If numbers are any indicator, the performances on foreign tours have been bad. But the captaincy situation is very complex right now,” says former Mumbai player Shishir Hattangadi. Firstly, Dhoni’s suc-
cess as ODI and T20 captain and above-average performance as a player will make it tough for selectors to look elsewhere, especially to a younger and inexperienced Virat as a Test captain. “Even if you want to replace Dhoni, one needs to look at options. Virat has barely captained Delhi. A captain has to go through extensive grooming and training, and takes a few years to settle down,” says Gaekwad. Secondly, the absence of senior players such as Tendulkar and Dravid, while infusing a much-needed youthful energy, has also left the team with fewer leadership options. India’s next overseas tour, to England in July, has five Tests and five odis. Test captaincy on such an obviously important overseas tour may put too much burden on Virat. Before that, there is the IPL razzmatazz to reckon with. Indeed, former players have regularly deplored a packed calendar and preference for odis and T20s for its impact on players’ Test abilities. “Players do not have the attention span anymore for five days and 90 overs per day. They can only think through shorter formats. The Board needs to look into this matter. They have appointed so many experts for this job,” says a livid Bishen Singh Bedi, critical as always of the glitz and money that has “corrupted the game”. Earlier, a tweet of his spewed venom: “All ills o Indn crkt’ll b forgoten 1ce IPL starts again!Money cn buy many a crktr/votes bt money can’t buy team performance!!” Despite Dhoni’s unmatched success as T20 captain and being retained by CSK for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore,
it is the IPL match-fixing issue that now nags him. The betting controversy, arguably more damaging to CSK than Rajasthan Royals—whose players were caught for alleged spotfixing—is about to take a serious turn. The Supreme Court will opine on the Mudgal Committee Report on March 7. “Yeah maybe, but the media needs to segregate the IPL controversy from cricket. It has got nothing to do with cricket,” reacts Hattangadi, insisting that India is still better off with Dhoni. “Controversies exist, but Dhoni will take it in his stride,” says Gaekwad. He echoes the need for consistent performance, acclimatisation on overseas turfs and “focus on solutions, not problems”. Dhoni’s successes, terrible overseas record and its effect on his popularity vis-a-vis the heir apparent, Virat Kohli, will have the advertising world glued to this unfolding play of fortunes. Is Dhoni past his sell-by date? No! goes the chorus. “It is the law of the jungle. As long as the alpha male lion is the strongest in the pride, all others remain on the periphery licking their wounds and waiting for him to weaken. The moment he starts limping, there are many to pounce on him and claim his position. There is no equitable distribution, it is all or none,” says Prahlad Kakar, ad guru and Dhoni supporter. “However, your fall is determined by how arrogantly you moved up. Dhoni has managed well until now and is loved by all. I don’t see any threat to his brand image. He will manage just fine.” So the stage is set for the rigours of another season. The team’s losses in New Zealand, South Africa or before are unlikely to affect Dhoni’s captaincy chances. The reasons are the absence of a viable option and the impending World Cup. The threat lies elsewhere. Ominous as it may sound, there will be many ready to pounce on Dhoni if his name crops up in the SC verdict. Ironically, it is the outcome of this grave issue which has besmirched cricket that may impact Dhoni’s role. But relief may follow soon, for the IPL should blitzkrieg its way through our senses and may just dull painful memories that whimper in corners of foreign fields. That old cliche won’t just die. -Outlookindia.com
Fletcher is a 1.5/10, Appoint Dravid as Chief Coach: Gavaskar NEW DELHI: Former captain Sunil Gavaskar on Monday lashed out at chief coach Duncan Fletcher and called for his immediate ouster while suggesting the name of Rahul Dravid as the next coach of the Indian cricket team. “For me, Duncan Fletcher would get 1.5 in a scale of 10 as far as his success is concerned. I believe a younger guy should be appointed as the coach of the Indian team,” Gavaskar said. “Rahul Dravid is one man who is enormously respected and is a successful captain having won series in West Indies and England. When he speaks, the Indian players, some of whom are superstars listen to him as they know how much preparation went into his game,” he told NDTV. He was very scathing while talking about Fletcher’s role as the chief coach since his appointment post 2011 World Cup win which has seen the performance of the Indian team go down abysmally. “I know it’s only 11 months for the World Cup and people don’t want to tinker with support staff. But had it been the staff of 2011 (Gary Kirsten, Paddy Upton and Eric Simons), I would have agreed. But what has Fletcher done. He has done nothing. His achievements as a cricketer wasn’t anything incredible. He was an ECB reject. The ECB dispensed with his services,” a livid Gavaskar said. “A coach has to be somebody who is in touch with the modern game and take the team forward. If Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh all stalwarts of Indian cricket can be dropped on poor form then why not drop support staff for poor performance. -Times of India
“For me, Duncan Fletcher would get 1.5 in a scale of 10 as far as his success is concerned,” Sunil Gavaskar said. (TOI Photo)
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LS Polls: Politicians Likely to Spend More Than Rs. 30,500 Crore Indian politicians are expected to spend around $5 billion (more than Rs. 30,500 crore) on campaigning for elections next month — a sum second only to the most expensive US presidential campaign of all time — in a splurge that could give India’s floundering economy a temporary boost. India’s campaign spend, which can include cash stuffed in envelopes as well as multi-million-dollar ad campaigns, has been estimated at 300 billion rupees ($4.9 billion) by the Centre for Media Studies, which tracks spending. That is triple the expenditure the centre said was spent on electioneering in the last national poll in 2009 — partly a reflection of a high-octane campaign by pro-business opposition candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi, who started nationwide rallies and advertising last year. “They started much before, and they are also focusing on states where they are traditionally not strong. They are leaving no area untouched,” said N Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the
Centre for Media Studies. The campaign spending for this election could give a boost to the economy, which has been heading for its longest slump since the 1980s. Economists have forecast a second year of growth below 5% in the financial year ending this month. Candidate and party funding in India is opaque and the source of much of the spending is hard to ascertain, but the Centre for Media Studies and other transparency advocates say the main contenders have built up large war chests. “This election spending largesse will help to boost Indian consumption expenditure over the second quarter of 2014, but this will be a temporary spike,” said Rajiv Biswas, the Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Global Insight. India’s projected campaign spending is only rivalled by the $7 billion spent by candidates, parties and support groups in the 2012 U.S. presidential race, the world’s most expensive, according to data provided by the US election commission.
Spending on previous Indian elections have benefited a wide range of businesses, from media groups and advertisers that rake in campaign-ad revenues to consumer-based firms that capitalize indirectly on the overall jump in spending, such as motorbike manufacturers and brewers like United Spirits. India’s advertising industry expects to see an $800 million injection during the election season, according to an outlook by the country’s largest local agency, Madison Media. CASH HIDDEN IN NEWSPAPERS Much of India’s campaign spend will remain in its thriving black economy. Rules allow candidates to spend Rs. 70 lakh on campaigns for a parliament seat but the real cost of winning is believed to be many times that, thanks to spending on rallies, fuel and media campaigns. Indian politicians regularly bribe voters with cash payouts or alcohol to secure their support. Recent state elections have seen innovations such
as getting money to voters via mobile phone credit and envelopes of cash delivered in morning papers. In the last three years, election authorities seized from politicians a total of about $32.65 million (nearly Rs. 200 crore at current exchange rates) in the form of concealed cash, some if it stashed in helicopters, milk trucks and even funeral vans, a former election commissioner said. The dates for the month-long election starting on April 7 were announced last week, with polls staggered in nine stages to help security forces prevent polling booth fraud. Despite evidence of vote-buying, India’s elections are now largely seen as free and fair on polling day. However, chief election commissioner VS Sampath said on Wednesday he was worried about “money power” — heavy spending and the use of illegal funds to influence the outcome. The Centre for Media Studies’ spending projections are based on analyses of rising costs in local and state elections in the past five years.
It also surveys voters on prevalence of bribes. MODI FUNDRAISING Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, got off to an early start in campaigning, pushing into the south where the BJP is weak and has avoided spending money in the past. Modi’s BJP-led coalition has a strong lead over the ruling Congress party in opinion polls, but most pollsters say it is unlikely to win an outright majority. Some of Modi’s fundraising is led by a seven-member team, including Deepak Kanth, a former investment banker previously with Citibank in London. This team has organised an online fund-raising drive in India and is also targeting donations from wealthy Indians living in Hong Kong and Singapore. This team has only raised $4 million (slightly more the Rs. 24 crore at present exchange rates), a party source said, but shows how far Modi is casting his net for campaign funds. -Hindustan Times
Kaif, Nilekani Among 194 Candidates in Congress’s First List for LS Polls
A file photo of Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi who will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Party officials say 35% of the 194 candidates in the first list are under the age of 50. Photo: Hindustan Times
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BY LIZ MATHEW New Delhi: The ruling Congress party on Saturday released its first list of candidates for 194 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections that includes leaders from all major states. The list, which was released on Saturday evening has names of predictables such as party chief Sonia Gandhi (from Rae Bareli), Rahul Gandhi (Amethi), Nandan Nilekani (Bangalore South) Deepender Hooda (Rohtak), Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar (Sasaram) and foreign minister Salman Khurshid (Farrukhabad). The surprise names are those of cricketer Mohammad Kaif (Phulpur, UP), Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla (Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan (Jaun-
pur, UP) From Maharashtra, state unit chief Gurudas Kamat (Northwest Mumbai), Priya Dutt (North central) and home minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur) are fielded again. The list has 13 candidates from Maharashtra, 49 from Uttar Pradesh, 16 from West Bengal, 10 from Bihar, 21 from Madhya Pradesh and 9 from Odisha. While Union minister Kamal Nath is fighting from his traditional seat Chhindwara, party lawmaker and vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s confidante Meenakshi Natarajan who won the primaries will fight from Mandsaur. According to a person familiar with the developments in the party, the first list released on Saturday has 35% candidates aged below 50 years.
Lok Sabha elections will be held in nine phases beginning on 7 April and the counting will take place on 16 May. -Livemint.com
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