Friday, April 17, 2015 • Vol. 34, No. 16
Indo American News READ US ONLINE at www.indoamerican-news.com | Published weekly from Houston, Texas. USA 7457 Harwin Dr, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 • PH: 713 789 6397 • Fax: 713 789 6399 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com
Like Indo-American News on Facebook
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
W2 April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Friday, April 17 2015 | Vol. 34, No. 16
$1
Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
7457 Harwin Dr, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 713.789.NEWS (6397) • Fax: 713.789.6399 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com
Partnered & Syndicated with Times of India, Sulekha.com, Google, Yahoo & Bing
Grand
Weekend
P5
Vishala #3 Opens
Generation Next
P3
MITRA / CAMDEN TRAVEL Consolidators for Turkish Airlines and Asiana Airlines
We have completed 20 successful years 12375 Bissonnet, Ste. B Houston, TX 77099
We have special low fares on Emirates Indo-American News © 2014
WHOLESALER FOR S MAJOR AIR CARRIER • Emirates • Gulf Airways • Kingfisher • Singapore Airlines • Jet Airways • Sahara Airlines • Indian Airlines • Eva Airlines • Asiana Airlines • Qatar Airways • PIA • Air India • Royal Jordanian • China Airlines
281-530-3000, 1-888-811-LESS Please call us to get these special fares
WHOLESALE CONSOLIDATOR OF QATAR & EMIRATES AIRLINES Call us for competitive and confirmed seats on all major cities in Texas to any city in India.Call us for Summer and December seats now
Last minute fares to Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore,
Calcutta and many more...
For December fares please call us now.
Special Student and Teacher discounts www.faregurus.com/ camdentravel@aol.com
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
2
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
3
Vishala-3 Opens in Masala Style
BY SHAH AHMED HOUSTON: April 11, may have been just any other Sunday, but leave it to three enterprising businessmen, and the grand opening of the third location in their growing chain of grocery stores, it was a Sunday to be remembered. At the intersection of Westheimer and Eldridge, Vishala-3 opened in style – Masala Radio style – with Sunil T, Masala Radio’s lead RJ and CEO. Co-owners, Virendra Thakkar, Sanjay Patel, and Vyomesh Patel, beamed as a steady stream of customers lined up. “The number of Indo-Americans, particularly Gujaratis, has exploded in all areas of Houston. When we saw this shopping center on Westheimer at Eldridge, we knew this would serve the need for the rising population currently not served in the Energy corridor,” Virendra Thakkar recalled. As soon as Sunil T made his entry in his red SmartCar, the music was revved up. Eagerly anticipating his antics, the crowd that had now formed, cheered along. The DJ mixed in popular Bollywood tracks, which led to unrehearsed dance performances with Sunil T and the Crazy Masala Crew encouraging onlookers to join in. Virendra-Bhai happily rewarded selected participants with tenpound rice bags. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was graced by Sugar Land City Council member, Himesh Gandhi. He also helped draw winners for the grand prizes, which included a free round-trip air ticket to India and two free cruise tickets courtesy of Ketki and Travelguzs. The gloomy weather couldn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Free silver coins and saffron boxes were distributed to the first 50 families who braved the weather. Shoppers enjoyed complimentary Deep fruit
juices, savory pani puris, Royal India tea, Chatpat snacks and a lot more. Masala Radio’s Jay-Bhai played rickshaw driver, offering rides in the parking lot to children in the adorable red Masala rickshaw. As he saw everyone enjoying the party atmosphere and snacks, Vishala-3’s general manager, Sanjay-Bhai, smiled saying “…the fun started as soon as Sunil T showed up. He knows how to keep everyone entertained. Of course, especially the ladies love him and his recitation of shayaris, and unprepared humorous audience interactions.” Priyanka Madhavaram, a first-time Vishala-3 shopper, noted “There’s no Indian grocery store in this area. I was so happy when Vishala-3 opened. The prices are so reasonable; they have all the varieties I need. I loved the pani puris and the grand opening party!” A spur-of-the-moment miniVishala-Idol competition was held
Photos: Pinky Hajra
where contestants randomly picked from the rapidly expanding crowd that had now formed, sang patriotic songs. Manoranjan Inc.’s Ajit Patel and Nisha Mirani presented a ticket to their upcoming event, Jaago Hindustani, to the best contestants. Vyomesh-Bhai said, “This is exactly how I had envisioned our grand opening – fun and familyfriendly. I just love how Masala Radio conducts these events. I remember when Vishala-2 in Katy opened. Sunil T was there and turned our grand opening into one big party. For us, our customers are always #1! We do our best to make the grocery shopping experience as pleasant and smooth as possible. I want to thank our customers and Houston for making Vishala stores a success.” Masala Radio Events specializes in grand openings with everything from DJ/music, decorations, tents, Indian-themed wind dancers covering the opening of the store. Vishala -3 is located at 13314 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX, phone #281496-7864. Vishala-2 Katy is at 5205 S. Mason Rd, Katy, TX 77450; phone #281-492-2020 and Vishala-1 Sugar Land is at 9410 Hwy-6 South, Houston, Texas 77083; phone #281498-0220. Call for sales and store hours.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
4
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
5
Ankit Tiwari, Akriti Kakar & Shilpa Rao Create Magic in Houston
Photos: Meedu’s Fotografy
BY ARIF MEMON HOUSTON: Houston is no new city when it comes to Bollywood concerts and so is Bollywoodshows4u, Moid Khan and Irfan Moosa together have brought most of the biggest names in the Indian and Pakistani Entertainment Industry, so when they decided to make a come back together, they wanted to start with Artist’s who are new in the Industry, have never toured the US and are just new entrants in the Entertainment Industry so they decided to take on Generation Next featuring Ankit Tiwari, Akriti Kakar and Shilpa Rao. Doing a concert with Artist who have already been to US several times and those show being Sold Out for various reasons is not the challenge that Moid and Irfan wanted to take, the challenge was to have a SOLD OUT concert with new artists as that takes a lot of effort from the promoter’s side. Having about 8 weeks in hand and the support of Houston and the entire media of Houston they announced the concert. Arena Theater which has been a venue for many Indian and Pakistani artist was chosen for the concert. The day of the concert came in – the artists came down from Dallas where they had a concert before Houston and as the time of 8.30 was approaching the venue started buzzing with activities. Sound check was being done, the video
was being checked, the lighting was being programed, the event managers from Cineyug’s side were co ordinating this event for about a month with Arif Memon and his company DMMS. 8.45pm the show started with a guest performance by Payal Mitra a local artist who has been featured in SAREGAMA also. Then the lights went off – the AV started and with a bang the foot tapping music started and Akriti Kakar came up on stage as the first artist of Generation Next and right from the first song Iski Uski she had the control of the audience this was followed by Saturday, Saturday and London Thumka. She was followed by Shilpa Rao who sang Khuda Jaane, Ishq Shava, Meherban Hua and Malan Malang the kind of energy that she was giving out on stage and getting the audience fired up was a surprise coming up from such a artist as looking at her no one would imagine the power in her voice. The auidience was finally ready for Ankit Tiwari who made an entry singing Sun Raha Hai tu from backstage and running in the aisle towards the stage, the 2700 plus audience was going mad at his each word and so that made Ankit moe aggressive in his singing and he was toally the Rock Star of the evening. Tu Hai Ke Nahi was followed after the previous song and then he sang Katra and a special Medley of A R Rahman songs in
his own style. There was a small break in the concert to present the plaques to the presenting sponsors, Sunil Thakkar was the emcee for this part of the stage and Nilofer Ali of Kohinoor Diamonds and Malik Jamal for Discount Power came on the stage and received recognition from the Promoters Moid Khan and Irfan Moosa and the audience of Houston. The wait was finally over and
Ankit sang the song Teri Galiyaan, the entire Arena Theater was singing with him and that brought in the end of the Generation Next. One thing that everyone noticed was that the Artist’s had the entire stage for themselves and the Orchestra was placed in the Pit which was quite a novelty to see or maybe we can say to hear. This being a start from Bollywoodshows 4 u will be followed by Shaan in Concert with LIL Champs
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 INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
on May 23 at the Arena Theater. The promoters would like the audience to voice their opinion about the concert and post pictures on the FaceBook page of this concert. Moid Khan and Irfan Moosa thank each and every one for lending their whole heated support and welcoming Bollywoodshows4u with a SOLD OUT CONCERT and they are promising a big concert featuring Indian Film stars in the month of September 2015.
6
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
April 17, 2015
SPRING INTO SUMMER !!!
HURRY ! OFFER ENDS APRIL 30, 2015
Call For More Details. Restrictions Apply. When vacation time rolls around, every one wants to save big, but vacation even bigger !!
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
7
8
April 17, 2015
MEDICAL ASSISTANT / SCRIBE NEEDED International Medical Graduates looking to work in a busy cardiology practice in Katy are welcome to apply for this position. If interested, please email at jbaker@houstoncardiology.com
LAW OFFICES OF ZAINAB K. RIZVI DEDICATED DEPENDABLE & PERSONAL ATTENTION IMMIGRATION LAW Non Immigration and Immigrant Visa, Family & Employment Immigration. Citizenship/Naturalization, Asylum,VAWA
WILLS/TRUSTS
Power of Attorney, Estate Planning
BUSINESS FORMATION Partnerships, LLC, LLP
WE ALSO SPEAK URDU & HINDI CALL TODAY FOR FREE CONSULTATION
713-297-9131 www.zkrlaw.com
2425 WEST LOOP SOUTH SUITE 200, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77027 Principal office located in Houston, Texas
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
9
Self-Restraint- Key to Fulfill Life - JVB Conducts 15th Annual Family Camp
BY SEEMA JAIN HOUSTON: Under the spiritual guidance and presence of Samani Parimal Pragyaji and Samani Maryada Pragyaji, JVB Preksha Meditation Center, Houston conducted its 15th Annual 3-day Family Retreat Camp at 66-acre facility of Camp Woodmen in Bellville, TX from April 3 to 5. About 85+ participants from the Greater Houston area, San Antonio and Austin came along to enjoy the calm and scenic surroundings while nurturing their soul through powerful discourses, yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques. This year we had a special guest, Shri Kamlesh Shah, Chairman of JVB Or-
lando who also participated in this camp. Shri Swatantra Jain, Chairman of JVB Houston delivered the welcome note. New attendees introduced themselves and shared their anxiety to experience this special camp. The emcees of the evening, Shashank and Mukta Jain kept the audience engaged with their witty humor and interactive activities. Parallel session for kid’s meet and greet from ages 4 to 14 yrs. was also held under the supervision of Samini Maryada Pragyaji and Seema Jain. Samani Parimal Pragyaji initiated the programs with an ever interesting topic“Self Restraint-key to fulfill life.” Saturday morning session
conducted by Jeetendra Tannaji aimed at recharging everyone’s battery through various laughing exercises followed by a Powerful yoga class held by certified yoga instructor, Upma Chauhan. Samani Parimal Pragyaji & Samani Maryada Pragyaji led various interactive & learning sessions throughout the day which included multiple lectures/presentations on meaningful topics such as “Words create the world”, “live in nature- live with nature” and “Talk show”. Samanijis used everyday examples in their presentations & delivered tips that can be utilized to transform one’s habits via different discourses. The audience appreciated situational examples that they could relate to their daily lives; which led to thought provoking discussions and ideas to overcomethem.Participantsrelaxed and meditated during various meditation sessions during the course of the day with focus on relaxation. The retreat had concurrent kids programs, where they focused on Learning, Yoga, Pranayam, and other creative activities conducted by Samini
Maryada Pragyaji, Shashi Jain , and Seema Jain. Some of the highlights of the children activities were interactive sessions on “My choice-stress or peace ” by Samanjis, “Jainism in today’s world ” conducted by Kajal and Udai Jain, “Non- Violence beyond Vegetarianism” led by Kamleshbhai Shah and Jigisha Doshi. All participants, especially kids participated in a cultural eve on Saturday night, where they expressed and shared their views on Jainism in today’s world through presentation slides. For the adults, 10 different teams were formed to make a 4 minute silent skit (mime) on pre-assigned topics given to each team. Creativity peaked in each of the team skits, and the audience enjoyed the entertaining & fun presentations. Nitesh Jain played the perfect host for the evening. Families also enjoyed the excellent recreational facilities like paddle boats and canoe in the beautiful spring weather. Seema Govil from TV Asia Austin covered the event. Audio, Video &
pictures were done by Ashok Jain & Jigar Dedhia. All participants appreciated the great bouquet of programs, activities, and the way arrangements were handled professionally by the JVB team. Food arrangements, which were handled by Anju Bengani, Ritu Jain, Anusha Jain, Bimlaji Jain and Meena Shah were also highly talked about. The Annual camp concluded with a one hour interactive session with Samanijis. Rajat Khater and Mukta Jain joined in and moderated a feedback session, & JVB President, Nikhil Jain, expressed his thanks to Samanijis, all attendees & volunteers for making this a memorable and successful event for one and all. Samaniji brought the event to a successful close by reciting mangal paath, with everybody taking the resolve of implementing things learned during the camp and to come back next year. JVB Preksha Meditation Center is home to a specially designed Preksha Dhyan ‘Pyramid’ Meditation Hall and is located at 14102 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082. For more information and for current and upcoming programs please visit www.JVBHouston.org or call 281.596.9642.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
10 April 17, 2015
Job Posting:
Associate Broadcast Systems Specialist
KTRK-TV ABC13 located in Houston, TX is seeking an Associate Broadcast Systems Specialist. This is a great opportunity for someone to broaden their knowledge of computerized television broadcast equipment and systems in a fast paced everchanging environment. Candidates experience must include level 1 help desk support, working knowledge of Windows and Macintosh desktop and server operating systems as well as troubleshooting software and hardware components and basic networking skills. The ideal candidate will have experience providing technical support in a broadcast environment. We are looking for someone that is motivated to excel and possess strong interpersonal skills. Candidates must be willing to work a schedule that will include nights, overnights and weekends throughout the year. All interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Interested applicants should also send video tape samples of your news related work to: Human Resources, KTRK-TV, 3310 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005. Please Reference Job ID: 265630BR on all materials submitted. No Telephone Calls
KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability
Read us online at
www.indoamerican-news.com
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
Samarpan
BY SASI RAGHAVAN HOUSTON: Samarpan - a Bhajan Festival, held on March 28,featured about 90 chosen disciples of Pandit Suman Ghosh in 70 solo and 2 group performances making it perhaps, the first of its kind in this field. The Festival, conceptualized and directed by Pandit Ghosh under the banner of the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH), was dedicated to the late Shri Anil Kumar-ji, founder and executive director of Samskriti, and was graced by his wife, Dr. Rathna Kumar-ji, the celebrated Dance maestro. Every aspect of the event bore the stamp of the impeccable organizing skills of CICMH and the Gurukul- Saadhana Pariwar. The stage for the performers, an altar for the Musical GrandGurus of the performers, and another altar dedicated to Shri Anil Kumar-ji, created a befitting devotional mood for the event. The MCs, Smt. Sucheta Roy and Shri Ram Seetharam, introduced the performers, 5 to 65 years of age, who presented bhajans in various ragas and emotions, with the blessings and support from by their own Guru on the Harmonium. The common thread of spiritually surrendering oneself to the higher form of God, Guru and Music, “Samarpan”, held the music connoisseurs and the casual listeners alike in silent contempla-
tion throughout the afternoon. During the break, Pandit Ghosh shared his thoughts behind the concept of the event and invited Dr. Rathna Kumar-ji to say a few words. Rathna-ji was deeply touched by the respectful gesture by Pandit Ghosh and the Saadhana Pariwar, of dedicating the event as a tribute to her late husband. She also mentioned that it was one of the best decisions of Shri Anil Kumar-ji and herself to bring Pandit Ghosh to Houston. Smt. Archna Tripati, a director of CICMH, expressed gratitude on behalf of all disciples for countless hours of Guruji’s Taalim and unconditional support. The evening ended with a scrumptious dinner from Madras Pavilion. The first quarter of 2015 has seen Pandit Ghosh offering exemplary musical treats on three different occasions. The Bhajan Festival comes right on the heels of two scintillating performances by Pandit Ghosh. Basant Utsav, a concert of Springtime Ragas on Feb 28, at the Ashtalakshmi Temple had witnessed a fascinating portrayal of complex and delicate springtime ragas like Basant, Khamaj Bahar, Basant Bahar, Bhairav Bahar and others. In the season opener for Indian Music Society of Houston on March 14, 2015, he captivated the audience, yet again, with his own compositions in the rare raag, Rasik Priya in the beginning and transcending into the lovely Tilak Kamod, Hamsadhwani, Kaunsi Kanada and Kirwani. The knock-out performance, further en-
riched by Pandit Shantilal Shah’s superb accompaniment on the Tabla and Shri. Sammer Kotasthane’s soulful harmoniumplaying, left the audience yearning for more. This past weekend (April 11), Pandit-ji was also featured in the popular radio program, Open Forum, in a 2 hour long talk show. Houston is blessed to have a versatile and accomplished vocalist and a Guru, a rare combination, rolled into one person, as Pandit Suman Ghosh - committed and devoted to the growth of his disciples and enrichment of the community through unique efforts, commendable vision and amazing allround musicianship.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
11
12 April 17, 2015
COMMUNITY
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue…It’s National Poetry Month!
Happy National Poetry Month! Introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, the celebratory month was initiated as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. Poetry is a rich tool for the creative mind, especially in the classroom. A well-rounded
English curriculum should include poetry as it encourages students to use language to express thoughts, feelings, new ideas, and unique perspectives. Students who study poetry tend to have a better understanding of their surroundings. By bringing poetry into our classrooms, we’re able to teach children a lot more about the world they live in. Creativity Poetry instills a sense of freedom in the mind of a child to explore daily life, wants, and wishes. Encouraging children to write freely about less tangible concepts creates an opportunity for children to express themselves. . Whether the poem has structure or no rules at all, poetry writing can tap into a student’s artistic mind. Community Sharing poetry in the classroom empha-
sizes speaking and listening skills – both vital in a well-rounded education. It can also allow students to practice using metaphors, imagery, and symbolic language to paint a picture about parts of themselves they may not feel comfortable sharing directly. Poetry allows students to find their voice. Language The study of poetry enables students to read, write, and understand text. By reading and studying poetry, students are able to expand their existing oral and writing capabilities. They can string together words to create meaning and images in a more flexible environment. Analysis Poetry uses numerous techniques and there are many ways to write a poem. The art of writing and reading poetry guides stu-
dents to think critically about the words on the page in a more cognitive manner, thus developing their interpretive skills. Emotional Learning Schools are designed to teach students lessons they take with them as they grow. Emotional learning is no exception. Adding poetry to a student’s education can help them see the world in a new way while also helping them tap into other methods of learning. Celebrate this month with your child and encourage them to put pencil to paper. The best part? It doesn’t even have to rhyme. For more information about Best in Class services for your student, or about current franchising opportunities, visit www. bestinclasseducation.com or call toll-free at 1.888.683.8108. Best in Class is targeting 20 additional units in 2015. The state of Texas has been identified as a key state for growth. The current team behind Best in Class is looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join this premier franchise family and ensure our youth will excel academically.
Consulate General of India, Houston It is for the notice of Indian citizens normally residing within the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of India, Houston that the Consulate will meet Indian citizens, including those having no legal status in the US, on every Thursday of a week between 1000-1230 hrs at the Consulate General of India, Houston 4300 Scotland Street, Houston, TX-77056 to redress their grievances relating to issuance of Indian passport. Those who wish to visit the Consulate for this purpose may kindly seek prior appointment with Mr. N.P.S. Saini, Consul or Mr. Amrit Paul, Consul. The applicants can send a detailed e-mail about the grievance along with supporting documents on the following e-mail IDs: (i) Mr. N.P.S. Saini, Consul – passportcgihouston@swbell.net (For Indian citizens having legal status in USA) (ii) Mr. Amrit Paul, Consul - renunciation@swbell.net (For Indian citizens having NO legal status in USA) WARNING: No agents/ touts/attorneys will be entertained. This is a specific service for Indian Citizens only.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
IITAGH and ASIE Advise University of Houston Graduate Students
Pratish Kanani, President IITAGH, addressing the students
Raj Basavaraju, President ASIE, shares his perspective
Puneet Agarwal, VP IITAGH, and Ratan Bhagat
HOUSTON: It took a bit of time, but after a while the students started asking all of their questions. What should I say when the interviewers asks me, “Where do you expect to be five years from now?” What else can I be doing to get more interviews? How do I approach the question, “Do you need sponsorship?” The University of Houston Graduate Indian Student Organization (GISO) partnered with the IIT Alumni of Greater Houston (IITAGH) and The American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects (ASIE) to host a Career Mixer event on Thursday, April 9th. The session was moderated by Pratish Kanani, President of IITAGH, who shared what his company looks for in college hires. Ratan Bhagat, who recently started a second career at the University of Houston after spending 33 years at FedEx, talked about how to best leverage networks. Shiladitya Basu with Granherne/KBR discussed how he transformed his background in Aerospace engineering into working with Offshore & Subsea structures. Surajit Dasgupta talked about how he found his job at KBR through a connection with a friend. Anand Chauhan talked about how to be passionate and let that show through in the interview. Puneet Agarwal discussed what it takes to submit a strong application to post graduate programs and how to build on a diverse set of skills. Aaggrim Sabharwal discussed being in their shoes and how to keep their morale high and stay focused. Raj Basavaraju, President of ASIE emphasized the importance of understanding social cues. Hari Jaswal, also with ASIE, talked about the persistence it takes to find a job and shared a personal situation. “We have all been where these students are, and we are looking for ways to help them, boost their confidence, and give them the right pointers to be successful,” said Pratish Kanani at the end of the evening.
Raj Basavaraju shared, “It is important that students take a longer view when approaching jobs, especially at the entry level. They really need to understand that fit is more important rather than salary. It is also crucial to be confident and not undersell. Finally, they should never underestimate the value of an internship especially in this age of reference hiring.” According to Neha Jhinge, Vice President Public Relations for GISO, “the students will definitely use a lot of the tips given by all the industry professionals.” One of the students shared, “It cleared a lot of the dilemmas that we are going through during this time.” Thanking all the IITAGH and ASIE professionals who made it to the career mixer event to guide the UH GISO students, Dr. Phaneendra Kondapi, KBR Adjunct Professor of Subsea Engineering and faculty advisor to GISO, said “Coming from a different educational and cultural background from India and entering into a new professional life here in the US, there are many parameters to consider while choosing a right career path and job prospect. Expert advice from experience professionals will enhance their career opportunities and certainly this career mixer is an excellent platform to get one. I am sure students have benefitted from this and took away some strategies and tips like preparing a job oriented resume, acquiring soft skills, etc.” IIT Alumni of Greater Houston (IITAGH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We help our members connect, develop, and give back to the local community. For more information, please visit www.iitagh.org American Society of Indian Engineers (ASIE) is a Houston, Texas based non-profit organization, tax exempt under IRS Rule 501(c)(3). ASIE was established in 1994 with specific objectives for engineers, architects, and engineering technicians of Indian origin.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
13
14 April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
15
16 April 17, 2015
COMMUNITY
From Bollywood to Houston: Celebrity & Music Director Jatin Pandit Named Brand Ambassador for the World Congress on Preventive Healthcare 2015 HOUSTON: Dr. Sumita Chowdhury, Chairperson for the World Congress on Preventive Healthcare, at a press conference at Signature India, Houston, on Thursday, April 9, announced that Bollywood celebrity and music director Jatin Pandit will be the Brand Ambassador for the World Congress on Preventive Healthcare 2015. This Congress will be
held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from July 10 to July 12, 2015. The World Congress on Preventive Healthcare (Prevention2015. org) is a part of the North American Bengali Conference (NABC) 2015, a non-profit organization that will attract more than 10,000 visitors from all around the world. Entry is free and is open to all
(NABC2015.org) and the primary focus of this Congress will be on the local South Asian community. Press reporters from the Voice of Asia, Urdu Times, Pakistan News, Duniya TV, and the Health Line attended the event. The President of the NABC, Tapan Das, and the Secretary of the NABC, Partha Chatterjee, presented its mission: to make From left: Jatin Pandit, Kainaz Pandit, Dr. Sumita Chowdhury, and Dr. Palash a significant and sus- Chowdhury tainable difference to the global community. States. These include individuals Preventive Healthcare is organizThe mission for the World Con- with ancestry from India, Paki- ing free screenings for clinical cargress on Preventive Healthcare is stan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri diac risk parameters, blood tests to: Lanka. The risks for heart attacks for advanced lipid parameters, Educate communities on risk and cardiovascular death can be diabetes testing, cardiac rhythm factors and preventive strategies up to five times higher for South evaluations, and endothelial funcEnact healthy lifestyles, best Asians when compared to other tion tests. practices, and equity in access ethnic groups. Dr. Chowdhury invites all memEmpower each individual to At the event, Dr. Chowdhury ap- bers of the South Asian commuimplement early intervention and pealed to the South Asian commu- nity to come in after a 12 hour resuscitation, as knowledge is nity to unite and conquer the epi- fast to the Screening Pavilion at power. demics of cardiovascular diseases the George R. Brown Convention One American dies every 40 and diabetes and called on each Center, on July 11 and 12. Free seconds in the United States from member of the community to join breakfast will be served after the cardiovascular diseases. A dis- the South Asian blood tests and all Registry participroportionate burden of this risk Cardiovascular Registry and pants will be treated to live music is seen in the 3.4 million South contribute to the advancement of from the Brand Ambassador, Jatin Asians that live in the United science. The World Congress on Pandit!
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 17, 2015
iEducateUSA Hosts Career Day at HISD Schools
Career day professionals along with the school Principal Claudia Chavez, Vice Principal Dina RayoKirkconnell, and iEducateUSA team
as the kids. Some of the comments from the presenters included “we were amazed by the number of questions”, and “the kids were like sponges that instantly absorbed the information.” The Crockett Elementary student orchestra greeted the guest speakers with a phenomenal 15-minute performance, much to the surprise of the career day professionals Graphics designers from Herring Design talking to 3rd grade at Crockett who were in awe of the talent displayed by the kids. Known for being an artsfocused school, Crockett has shown extraordinary progress in science & math since adopting the iEDU program, rising from 28th to 76th percentile in the state of Texas, in two years. Crockett Elementary is currently applying for designation as a magnet school. While iEducateUSA has been at Crockett for two years, we recently added Braeburn Elementary as Crockett Elementary school Children playing the orchestra to greet the career our pilot’s second school day professionals. in September 2014. Braeburn educates more than HOUSTON: iEducateUSA recently artist, and chef. Students from third to hosted its annual Career Day at Brae- fifth grade were able to ask questions 900 students in Southwest Housburn on March 27, and at Crockett and had the opportunity to learn about ton, 99.6% of who are economiElementary School on April 2. In a wide variety of career choices. They cally disadvantaged (compared to the addition to in-class tutoring, one of were actively engaged in activities 85% at Crockett). Since adopting the the important aspects of the iEDU planned by the volunteers, and were iEDU program, Braeburn has seen program is mentoring; without role given small takeaways to savor the an increase in science passing rates up to 80%.Both schools have seen models in their lives, children may experience. have limited aspirations and expo“The career day event was exciting phenomenal success with the iEdusure to careers choices in the future. and it exposes our students to a vari- cateUSA program, where iEDU FelThis is increasingly a reality at HISD ety of career fields and professions,” lows (tutors) work alongside teachers schools, where over 80% are eco- said Claudia Chavez, Crockett El- across grades 3-5. We are very excitedabout our next nomically disadvantaged students. ementary School principal. “It was About 30 professionals volunteered a victorious day! I was mesmerized signature events this summer, betheir time to speak about their careers with all the presentations. Thanks ginning in June with the 3-day Exto over 300 children across the two to a wonderful vision on the part of plore! Science Workshop and 3-week schools. Guest speakers included a iEducateUSA.” Carmen Johnson, Bridge Summer Camp (to bridge variety of career fields and profes- the 5th grade math teacher, added the curriculum gap between grade sions including an entrepreneur, attor- that “the children truly enjoyed and levels). Visit www.iEducateUSA.org to ney, doctor, nurse, engineer, scientist, learned so much.” graphic designer, astronaut, dancer, The presenters were just as excited learn more or get involved. INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
17
18 April 17, 2015 Economy: At Home and Abroad Economic relevance seems to be the driving force behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice of France, Germany and Canada as he begins his tour of these countries. Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, is India’s largest trading partner in the continent with 1,000 German companies operating here and a two-way commerce of $16 billion. In an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times, Mr Modi stressed the need for more active trade diplomacy as a means of pushing India towards greater global engagement. The visit to Germany will also serve to restart the stalled Broadbased Trade and Investment Agreement with the EU, which covers a vast array of areas ranging from intellectual property rights to technical barriers to trade. With France, the meeting point is its strategic support of India’s nuclear programme and defence ties, with negotiations continuing over the procurement of the fighter aircraft Rafale. Discussions on the free trade agreement are on with the EU and this will be a focus of his visit. What India needs, Canada has in terms of energy sources and minerals. Canada has been off the foreign policy radar for quite a while with the last prime ministerial visit being in 2010 but which was part of a multilateral summit. This diplomatic outreach is of a piece with the one with the Saarc nations. This has resulted in cooperation on road services, commerce and security and has given a fillip to a relationship long held hostage by India-Pakistan bilateral problems. With Pakistan, the outstanding issue of terrorism prevented the sort of progress seen with other Saarc nations and the PM laid down the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration as the basis for further negotiations. The economic agenda at home too features high on the PM’s priorities. While the focus on the common man would form the fulcrum of economic policy, it by no means suggests being antiindustry. But industry would not be given any hand-outs; rather it was encouraged to make use of the conducive business climate that had been created. There have been recent rumblings that the government is too lenient towards industry and this was Mr Modi’s answer to that charge. He did, however, allude to the fact that industry had been hobbled by various unfair legislative provisions and that his government has tried to correct them. It has barely been a year since the NDA came to power on a wave of great expectations. The PM’s free-wheeling interview seeks to present a realistic picture of what has moved ahead so far and what has not and the reasons for both. Ratings agency Moody’s Investor Services last week raised India’s credit outlook to “positive” from “stable”, saying that recent policies will result in healthier public finances and push growth in an apparent endorsement of the Narendra Modi-led government’s reformist moves. Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY
Gen Singh, We’re Proud of Yemen Evacuations BY RAJESH KALRA Former army chief, Gen VK Singh (Retd) continues to have a lovehate relationship with the media. The combative soldier, now a minister of state in the external affairs ministry, came home last week after a hugely successful mission to evacuate Indians from a war-torn Yemen. Irrespective of how the national media treated the evacuation mission done under his leadership, by all available bits, Gen Singh did a remarkable job. Then what explains this strange relationship with the media, some of who he referred to as ‘presstitutes’? We all know that the general wears his emotions on his sleeves, which is not a bad thing, but for someone in a position that he is, it can prove to be a disadvantage, especially if there are those who want to misinterpret what he says. But, has the media really been fair to him? Let us look at the time he attended the reception at the Pakistan High
Gen. VK Singh with Yemen evacuees. American citizens are suing the U.S. for evacuation.
Commission last month for their national day celebrations, the one which started this newest bout of acrimony with the media. First of all, I think it was a wrong call on part of the government to send him, so what if he is a minister and was duty bound to go, for THAT function. He is after all an army man, and all know the relationship we have with Pakistan, especially the fact that their army is openly hostile, foments trouble in India, even as our politically controlled response
is invariably a measured one. At a time like that, when the general reacts, the media’s response should’ve borne in mind the sensitivity, but we chose to sensationalize instead. Then came the incident in Yemen, where he said that evacuating Indians from Yemen was less exciting than going to the Pak embassy. Let’s be fair, it was a sarcastic comment, perhaps a dig at some of us too, but it was just that, and no more. I am sure he was still smarting under the undue chatter that accompanied his Pakistan High Commission visit. But our media raked it up, totally unnecessarily. Should the general, now that he is a minister, have been mindful of what he said, and to make it worse, followed it up by calling some in the media ‘presstitutes’? He shouldn’t have! It appeared flippant’ Having said that though, we too perhaps need to accept things in the spirit that they are said and not latch on to every word just because we may have a score to settle. Times of India
The American Boss BY VIDULA JOSHI A man in his mid-thirties wearing a dark blue suit walks into the cafeteria. He pulls out his wallet and pays the cashier $2:50. He orders a breakfast taco. His name is Brady B. He is our company President and CEO. But, just call him Brady. I am overwhelmed: The boss doing his own ordering? Not unique in America, but it is in the rest of the world. In the late 80’s when I worked as a French teacher, the reverse was true; the Indian workplace steeped in hierarchy led to some pretty bizarre scenarios. While I loved my job, I could have used a little “DIY”. Our school had a small staff lounge with a long table in its middle. During our free period we took a break here: Sit, chat, correct student notebooks, or sip chai. At lunch we ate out of our lunch boxes or ordered in. Sometimes
we shared what we brought. This homey scene was rudely interrupted however, when our principal walked in, which she did often: Huffing over a parent encounter, irate over a trustee’s disapproval, or angry over something because of someone, everyone. We received the brunt of her wrath while we stood and listened. Stand up and submit to a superior was the protocol. Students- TeacherPrincipal, in that order. Eyes straight on, voices off, attention focused on our boss, military style. Soon after came the appeasement. Turning into a friendly person, our boss chatted us up even before we had time to recover. All was well. Then she departed quickly. Still rattled, we never once questioned this routine. We always complied. Not a big deal, just a cultural thing, a remnant of 90’s India, maybe. However, compared to the unassuming demeanor of our company President, (caught on the sly), it
Indo American News FOUNDER: DR. K.L. SINDWANI PUBLISHER: JAWAHAR MALHOTRA EDITOR: PRAMOD KULKARNI BUSINESS & PRODUCTION MANAGER: VANSHIKA VIPIN GRAPHIC DESIGN: BHUMI PARMAR CORRESPONDENTS
HOUSTON: MALAY VYAS CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR INDIA: RAJ KANWAR, ASEEM KULKARNI ®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
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
draws up a sharp contrast. Consider the American workplace and you see many “Brady” moments: My doctor, stopping to chat with the electrician, on a Friday afternoon, as he is making his way to his repairs; senior engineers making conversation with old Raymond, (the moving guy) as he limps along in the lobby, the yard man shooting hoops with the boys in between mowing the lawn These interactions, regardless of social strata make everyone equal of sorts. We all work. We all get paid. We all have families. And we all enjoy leisure. Somewhere along these lines we crisscross and meet as regulars. Why not? So, young M. B needs his breakfast. And he must order and pay for it in line. So must I. Vidula Joshi is a Houstonian with an extensive career in teaching and working for an engineering company.
COMMUNITY
Protest High-Rocketing Property Taxes but there are certain time frames that must be followed in order for you to receive it. Type of exemptions – Homestead, Optional 65 or older, disabled veteran exemptions and religious or charitable organization. How can we help you? To save your time and hassle, let us help you. You pay nothing in advance or nothing later, unless we save you money in taxes. We have a team of licensed consultants, property tax professionals, and experts with over twenty five years of diversified experience and knowledge in property valuation, engineering, architectural, construction, legal and business administration. We specialize in residential, commercial, business personal property, and vacant land. We can help you in all counties of State of Texas, but focusing to all counties of Greater Houston Area. For further questions or filing the protest early before May 31, deadlines, please feel free to contact Property Tax Protest Professionals @ 281-242-8464.
April 17, 2015
19
“IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA”
Stay tuned every Sunday,
HIREN JOSHI
to from 2.30pm to 3.30pm
832-646-2116 hjoshi7@hotmail.com
www.shobajoshi.com
SHOBA JOSHI OWNER, PROMOTER AND HOST OF
Geetanjali Radio AM 1320 Sat & Sun 2-6 PM For your business ads
Tel: 281-909-0825 713-545-4749 Cell: 832-878-4338 shobajoshi999@gmail.com
BY DINESH SHAH, MBA, PE HOUSTON: Why other 90 % home owners do not appeal? 1. They do not know the appeal process. 2. They think the process is overpowering. 3. They are uncertain about the successful outcome after the appeal. 4. They think it is a waste of time. 5. They think their property assessed value is below market value, so no need to appeal. 6. They do not understand they can appeal on unequal appraisal for their property in the same subdivision or area. 7. Some believes that by reducing the assessed value will reduce the selling price. 8. They do not know that it is an annual process, and they should file an appeal every year. Where to file an appeal? You can file an appeal on line or in person to the appraisal district office in the county where the property is exist. How to appeal? You should always appeal on both market value and unequal appraisal, based on condition, desirability and utility for the property. In general, you can appeal in two steps - informal hearing and formal Arbitration Review Board (ARB) hearing. In addition, you can also appeal by legal judicial process. You must know the facts – 1. You can appeal though your taxes are lower than last year or assessed for less than market value. 2. For Homestead Property, tax increases are capped at 10% per year. But the appraisal district can increase your assessed value 10% plus the market value of any improvements. 3. The value cannot be increased at the informal hearing, where most accounts are settled. The assessed value rarely increases at the ARB. 4. The appraisal district will not take revenge, if you or your agent protest for you even every year. 5. If the district has wrong square feet area of your property, and if you request, they will come and measure the property again. 6. Taxes payments dates - Taxing units usually mail their tax bills in October. In general, January 31 is the deadline for paying property taxes. Taxes that are unpaid on February 1 are delinquent, so penalty and interest charges are added to the original amount. 7. Do not consider your tax assessed value to be indicative of your true market value. The property value changes each year depending upon the market and the comparable sales during the calendar year. 8. Exemptions – There are several exemptions available. It is not an automatic. You have to apply for the applicable exemptions. Qualifying and receiving an exemption is an easy process INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
20 April 17, 2015
ALEXANDER P. MATHEWS, CPA For Services In:
INDIVIDUAL & BUSINESS TAXES • BUSINESS TAX CONSULTATION INCORPORATION, FORMATION OF LLC CERTIFIED QUICK BOOK ADVISOR AVAILABLE
25 Years in Public Accounting 11104 West Airport, Ste 114, Stafford, TX 77477
(281) 564-9500
COMMUNITY Abraham’s Support Houston Grand Opera 2015 Espana Ball
HOUSTON: Houston Grand Opera celebrated their 60th year Opera ball on April 11, chaired by Robin Angly and Miles Smith. With this year’s theme as “Espana”, it was indeed a sold out and successful event. According to the many guests, this entertainment, performed by Juan Siddi Flamenco, was absolutely stunning and unique. Through this annual ball, HGO successfully raised $1.39 million in most needed funds for the season through its ticket sales and auction items. Corporate business and community leaders including Houston’s Indo-American community leaders attended and supported the event. Abrahams Orientals rugs is an avid supporter of HGO’s many philanthropic, community, educational, cultural and art events for over 21 years. This year Abrahams donated one of the main auction items; a fabulous antique Persian Farahan Sarouk rug, circa 1880. The rug was sold at the HGO’s auction for $18,500, with all proceeds benefiting the HGO. Abrahams new showroom, located at 2515 Bartlett st. 77098, had their grand opening in September 2014 also supported the Houston Grand Opera. For any additional information please get in touch with Sam Abraham, 713.622.4444 or mail@abrahamsrugs.com.
For advertising 13100 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.testmasters.com
281-564-7700
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
in Indo-American News call 713.789.6397
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
21
d in
22 April 17, 2015
PUZZLES/RECIPES
SUDOKU
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Namkeen Mutter or Namak Parre (Fried Salty Flour Sticks)
If you like matthis (fried crackers), then you’ll surely love namak pare (fried salty flour sticks) as Send us the correct answer before April,22 2015 to win they are made of one and the same two complimentary tickets to Houston Museum of ingredients but the results in savoring them are vastly different. This Natural Science. (for first three entrees only) is a case where size does make Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to the difference!! Unlike matthis, 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036. there are seldom variations using kali mirch (black peppercorns) or jeera (cumin seeds). But the texture makes all the difference. Like matthis, there is usually a huge demand for namak parre 2. Add some warm water to make mutter rest on some paper towels to soak up any excess oil. during the winter months when the dough a little hard. people will eat them over hot tea, 8. Once the mutter have cooled and people can go through a whole 3. Take some dough and roll into bag in one sitting! But the taste – a 2 inch ball. Flatten it with a rolling down, you can store them in a conand the enjoyment - depends on pin till it is round and about 1/4 inch tainer with a tight lid. They will keep for many weeks. one secret ingredient - or should thick. I say the absence of one ingrediShakuntla Malent: baking soda. This is used to 4. Take a sharp edged knife and hotra is a skilled produce carbon dioxide bubbles cut strips of the dough, about ½ inch cook of Punjabi that rise at high temperatures wide. Then cut diagonally across to dishes made in and cause baked and fried items make 4 inch long pieces that resemble the old-fashioned to become fluffier. The result is peas in pods: hence the name mutter softer, less crispy foods, which (peas). style that she is not what you want when you learnt as a young make matthis and namak parre!! woman in her an5. Continue to roll out the rest of the I did not believe this until we dough as you finish off each batch. cestral home in had a taste test between the namak Lyallpur, India before it became part parre made by one halwai close to 6. In a kadai or wok, warm some of Pakistan after the Partition in our relatives’ house in West Delhi oil over medium heat. When warm, 1947. People have often admired her who uses baking soda and by an- gently slip the cut pieces into the oil cooking for its simplicity and taste other a few miles away who does and fry till they are golden but not that comes with each mouthful. Even not. The results were surprising to very brown. in her mid-eighties, she continues to our relatives who quickly gobbled cook daily and agreed to share some up the crispy, soda-free ones! 7. Take out of the oil and let the of her delectable Punjabi recipes. Just like matthis, you can make namak parre out of wheat flour at home. If you prefer using only MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK maida (bleached white flour), just MAKE INDIAN SWEETS TASTIER WITH replace the atta with it in the reciSOAKED, PEELED ALMONDS pe.ner, dipping it in some tomato L��� W���’� ketchup! Hmmm! Delicious!! Many people make Indian sweets at home using dry SUDOKU S������� fruits, but most of them take a short-cut when it comes Ingredients: 2 cup atta (whole wheat flour) to adding dried fruits, especially almonds. Some people 1 cup maida (bleached white throw in the almonds whole and unpeeled; others will flour) crush unpeeled ones and mix them into the halwa, pin1 cup tael (oil: sunflower or nis or kheer. For those who know the difference, there canola is best) is something lacking as you get the taste of raw nuts. 1 cup pani (warm water) 1 tsp namak (salt) Tael (oil) to fry the dough For a more refined taste, it is always better to ei) L��� W���’� SUDOKU W������ inmirch (red pepper) ther comfort roast the unpeeled almonds, or better still, ExploreExplore the world theinworld comfort in with... with... 1) Rekha Trivedi Directions: soak them in boiling water and then peeled and ) 1. In a large bowl, pour in the atta comfort 2) with... slice them into slivers. I personally prefer soakSudipta Datta ) ! "#$%&'$%(&)and ) *)+ the#,&#$-.'/#(&)0#()'$$)1'2#() oil and mix well. Add the ing them overnight as this makes the almonds salt and knead the mixture with your ) 3) Bhavna Patel ) ) muchwith... softer and adds more flavor to the sweets. ) hands. world in comfort '-($-,%& ) Explore the
Solution Next Week
Explore the world in comfort with...
)
Explore the world in comfort with...
)
)
) ) # $ - . ' / # ( & ) 0 # () ' $ $) 1 )') 2)# ( ) ) )
)
) ) )
)
)
)
) )
)
Explore the world in comfort with... )Explore ! "#$%&'$%(&) " #world $ % & 'the $*)+ %! ( &"#,&#$-.'/#(&)0#()'$$)1'2#() )world *# )$+%# &' ,$&%#($in & - ).*' ) comfort + /#( ,&&)# 0# $ -(.)' '/$with... # $)( 1&' ) 02# ( ) ' $ $) 1 ' 2 # ( ) Explore ! the in comfort with...
)
)
' - ( $)- , % & ) '-($-,%&
'-($-,%&)
!"#$%&' $ %" ( &# ) *$) % +& #' ,& ) '$ $ $- ). 1' '/ 2# ! $#%$(- .&') */ # ) +( &#) 0,#&( # #(() & ) 0 # ( ) ' $ $ ) 1 ' 2 # ( )
! " # $ % & ' $ % ( & ) * ) + # , & # $ - . ' / # ( & ) 0 # ( ) ' $ $) 1 ' 2 # ( ) ! $ %%&&' ' - ("$#- , ) $ % ( & ) * ) + # , & # $ - . ' / # ( & ) 0 # ( ) ' $ $) 1 ' 2 # ( ) '-($-,%&) '-($-,%&)
'-($-,%&)
Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pakistan / Cochin, Delhi, Cochin, Hyderabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Chennai,Pakistan Kolkata, /Pakistan / Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Africa Bombay / Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pakistan /
Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Sri / Chennai, Africa Lanka / Africa Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Bangalore, Africa Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai,Delhi, Kolkata, Pakistan / Ahmedabad, Colombo / Bangladesh Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pakistan / Instant Reservation/Ticketing Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel Bookings Instant Reservation/Ticketing Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel BookingsBookings ri Lanka / Africa - Instant Reservation/Ticketing - Instant Reservation/Ticketing - Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel - Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel Bookings Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Africa 713-271-1000 / 713-493-8981 TOLL FREE: 1-888-468-8786 Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pakistan / ackages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel Bookings Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pakistan 713-271-1000 713-271-1000 / 713-493-8981 / 713-493-8981 TOLL FREE: TOLLKolkata, 1-888-468-8786 FREE:Pakistan 1-888-468-8786 Instant Reservation/Ticketing Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel Bookings // 713-271-1000 / 713-493-8981 TOLL FREE: 1-888-468-8786 Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Africa Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Bangladesh Sri Lanka / Africa INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • /ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM TOLL FREE: 1-888-468-8786 / Sri Lanka / Africa - Instant Reservation/Ticketing Bangladesh - Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel Bookings
713-493-8981 / 713-271-1000 713-271-1000 / 713-493-8981- Vacation Packages/Leisure/Escorted/Cruise/Car/Hotel TOLL FREE: 1-888-468-8786 - Instant Reservation/Ticketing Bookings
April 17, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Review: Dharam Sankat Mein
23
Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi Team up for a Film on Teachers
BY SRIJANA MITRA DAS ‘Dharam Sankat Mein’ says it all - here’s a movie that reflects a dilemma. Dharampal Trivedi (Paresh) is Ahmedabad’s leading caterer, a happy Hindu with a dislike of Muslims, extending to his quarrelsome neighbour Mehmood Nazeem Ali Shah Khan Bahadur (Annu). Dharampal’s son Amit wants to marry Shraddha, fervent follower of motorcycle-riding Neelananda Baba (Naseeruddin). Amit pleads with Dharampal to become more devout and impress Baba and Shraddha’s dad - Dharampal agrees but suddenly discovers he’s adopted, his real father’s Muslim and to meet him, he’ll have to learn Muslim ways. This quirky film follows 2012’s hit OMG, further inspired by British comedy The Infidel - but DSM lacks the cutting edge of either. What works here is the perfect Paresh Rawal - the actor again delivers a terrific performance, fuelling the film purely on his wonderfully delivered dry one-liners (‘Jab miyan biwi razamand, toh kya karega Neelanand?’), ironic glances and anguished eyes as he becomes stranger to his own world. Annu Kapoor matches Rawal well, their
scenes frequently crackling. There are chunks of pure comedy (confused with all his religious training, Dharampal greets a punditji with ‘Salaam Aleikum’) and dialogues whistling with wit - confronted with being Muslim, Dharampal asks his temple deity, ab ye kya locha hai? Alongside, Ahmedabad and its charms (prohibition plays a cameo) show up, with references to bhangra kings, dupatta-clad swamis and controversies on conversion and caps. But there’s simply too much here. The story tries to accommodate a
whole host of issues, fake babas to real crimes, and fails. The Neelananda track is overplayed while the music is underdone. Given its realistic detailing, this could have been a livewire of wry wit - but it ends up a feather-duster of fuzzy philosophy instead. Caught between wise-cracking veterans and wise-sounding vachans, large sequences look low on energy and stereotypes, from lusty swami to kajal-eyed imam, stretch to yawning point. -Timesof India
Juhi Chawla and Shabana Azmi, along with actors Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Zarina Wahab and Divya Dutta, have joined hands to support Bollywood’s well-known makeup artiste Subhash Singh’s maiden production venture, Chalk n Duster. The film, also produced by Sonali Singh, is a coming of age story, dealing with the life of teachers — the hardships they have to face, keeping up with the ever-changing education system and societal norms. It also promises to entice the audience in
Read us online at
www.indoamerican-news.com
Last week’s edition can be found online. Issue dated June 27,2014. inyour Small Continuing, freeSpecializing radicals are made in body as byproducts of natural processes, called Business Commercial Loans oxidative processes. In the same way that car exhaust is created when you run an engine to power the car, free radicals are formed by the oxidative processes to power your body. Although these processes are very efficient, free radical formation is inevitable in small amounts—even the most efficient engine will produce exhaust. There are many healthy roles for free radicals, though. For instance, nitric oxide is a free radical that is used by cells to communicate with other cells. In fact it is necessary for proper nervous system function and blood pressure control. Of course, this type of process is very tightly controlled. But nitric oxide is not what has made free radi-
Commercial Real Estate Loans, Construction Loans, Equipment Loans, Working Capital Loans, International Trade Finance and more...
Jack Kuo Lending Officer, V.P. 713-995-3201
Winston Nguyen Lending Officer, V.P. 713-995-3226
Sally Li Lending Officer, V.P. 713-272-5027
Catherine Liang Lending Officer, V.P. 713-995-3210
finding superlatives for the wonderful phenomenon we call teaching. Juhi and Shabana were reportedly so moved by the poignant story that they decided to do the film. Directed by Jayant Gilatar, it is an out-and-out commercial venture with a socially relevant message. Arya Babbar, Upasana Singh and Ritu Shivpuri also play prominent roles in the film, which is written by Ranjeev Varma. It has background music by Sandesh Shandilya and lyrics by the seasoned Javed Akhtar. -Timesof India
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
24 April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Friday, June 10, 15 2011 m 17, 20 ws.co April y a id an-ne Fr c i r e m indoa www.
www.indoamerican-news.com
April 17, 2015
25
IndoAmerican News
Business IndoAmerican News
STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY
India Overtakes US as 3rd Biggest Steel Producer
PM Narendra Modi Invites Investments, Technology to India
India has overtaken the US to become the third-largest steel producer in the world with a production of 14.56 million tonnes (MT) in first two months of the year.
NEW DELHI: India has overtaken the US to become the third-largest steel producer in the world with a production of 14.56 million tonnes (MT) in first two months of the year. India has been the fourth-largest steel producer for the past five years, behind China, Japan and the US. Data compiled by World Steel Association (WSA) showed that the country’s production growth was the highest during the January-February period at 7.6 per cent as compared to the global average of just 0.6 per cent at 127.6 MT. Production in China, which accounts for nearly half of the global steel production, fell during the period by 1.5 per cent. It produced 65 MT steel during the period. Japan, the second-largest producer, reported a total output of 17.4 MT, but production in the country fell 2.2 per cent.
The US, which was the third-largest steel producer since 2010, produced 13.52 MT during the January-February period, giving away its position to India. On a yearly basis, India may retain the position given the fact that a lot of capacities are set to be commissioned during the year from its present installed manufacturing capacity of a little over 100 MT. Production in the US, on the other hand, is heading for a stagnation with no signs of growth in the immediate future. Output in the US has been hovering between 86 MT and 88 MT for the last four years. The gap of production between the two countries was just 5 MT last year. Interestingly, the US snatched the third slot from India in 2009. -Financialexpress.com
Read us online at
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indian employees at Space Centre in Toulouse, France on Saturday.
PARIS:Projecting India as a land of “immense opportunities”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited investments and technology from across the world, saying it will be beneficial for the entire globe. He specifically mentioned defence, urban development, railways and healthcare as some of the sectors where the world could look at India as he cited liberalisation in norms like raising the cap for foreign investment in insurance to 49 per cent and 100 per cent in certain segments of railways. Modi underlined that he wants the maximum investment and technology to be given to India so that the poorest of the poor get jobs and the
youth are not compelled to leave the country to work abroad. “The world is not aware of the greatness of India, leave alone its capabilities. I want the world to understand that and recognise that. I can assure you that the day will not be far when the world will both understand and recognise India’s potential,” Modi said addressing a congregation of NRIs here. Talking about his discussions in Paris over the last two days, he said he had invited French companies to invest in India and give technology. “There are immense opportunities in India. All that is available in the world, should be in India and much
more,” the Prime Minister said. Modi said he wants countries to compete among themselves in terms of doing business in India, contending that it will be beneficial for not only India but the entire world. Giving an example, he said, “the population in the whole world is ageing and whatever units any country might set up anywhere, they would not be able to find workers for them after 20 years. The only place that they can find workers will be India as this is the only country with the largest young population. So, I want to tell the world, why wait for 20 years? Come now.” -Financialexpress.com
www.indoamerican-news.com
127
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
26 April 17, 2015
SPORTS
Chennai Kings Win Close Match vs. Delhi Royals Keep Indians Winless CHENNAI (ESPN Cricinfo): Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni was pleased that his teammates could keep their cool when it mattered most, as the hosts edged past Delhi Daredevils by one run at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Super Kings had 19 to defend off the last over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo, and despite three meaty blows from Albie Morkel, including a four off the last ball, they held on to open their campaign with victory. “You have to hold on to your nerves,” Dhoni said after the game. “I thought the last one was in the slot, and Bravo won’t be happy with the ball he bowled, but it is good to win close games. It was important to win because this was our first match here in a long time. Not just for us, but for the crowd, because they appreciate opposition too. A crowd you want to do well in front of.” Super Kings, having been inserted, were restricted by spin to 150 for 7, but made a great start to their defence as Ashish Nehra ran through Daredevils’ top order to leave them rattling at 39 for 3. Dhoni had high praise for the seamer, who he believed bowled “effortlessly”. “Nehra is good, at times he is prone to injuries, but he backs himself, which is good for a fast bowler,” Dhoni said. “It is good to see him the way he bowls. He has kept himself fit. He is one Indian pace who bowls pace effortlessly.” Nehra, who collected 3 for 25 and was adjudged the Man of the Match, said that despite posting only a middling total, Super Kings always backed themselves to claw their way back into the game. “These totals of 140-160 are always tricky to chase,” Nehra told iplt20.com. “These are the games that get close in the end about 7080% of times. If you bowl well, you can really take it till the end. We did that today and kept our nerves in the end. “I have been someone who always looks to attack. When you’re defending a total of 150, you have to pick wickets upfront and that’s what we looked to do today. We
CSK Captain MS Dhoni: “You have to hold on to your nerves”
kept it tight and got wickets.” Coulter-Nile upbeat despite close defeat Daredevils seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile believes his team can take a lot of heart from their one-run loss to Super Kings. Daredevils, who finished bottom of the table in the last two editions of the IPL, came into the game with a completely revamped squad, but Coulter-Nile felt the team has much better depth this time to cope with the hectic two-month schedule. “If you don’t win games, they will either put you out of the team or they will change the team,” Coulter-Nile told iplt20.com. “Last year we won only two games and things had to change. That’s what
has happened. I believe we have a really good bunch of people around now and we have more depth than we did last year. I hope we see people filling the gaps and take us over the rope.” Coulter-Nile picked up 3 for 30, including the crucial scalps of Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina early in the innings, as Daredevils kept Super Kings to 150, a total Coulter-Nile felt his team shouldn’t have had trouble chasing down. “It was one hell of a game of cricket and that’s what everyone wants to see. You don’t take too much heart out of a lost game. We want to win every match, so it’s a bit disappointing.”
AHMEDABAD (ESPN Cricinfo): A perfectly paced unbeaten 79 from Steven Smith anchored a chase of 165 and steered Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. It was Royals’ third win in three games and Mumbai’s third loss in three. Once again, Mumbai’s top order failed, and even though Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard gave their innings an explosive finish, their sluggish start proved the difference between the two sides. Royals kept wickets in hand through their chase, and built momentum steadily, with a 64run second-wicket stand between Ajinkya Rahane and Smith laying the foundation for the final charge. When Rahane was dismissed, Royals needed 73 from 41 balls, with eight wickets in hand. Deepak Hooda, promoted to number four, provided some of the impetus, lofting Shreyas Gopal for two massive sixes in one over, before Lasith Malinga took out his leg stump after spotting him walking too far across his stumps. This left 52 to get from 31. At the fall of Hooda’s wicket, Smith was on 35 off 31, and had struck two fours and no sixes. The change of gears was swift, and it happened in the 17th over. Malinga speared his first two balls into the blockhole. The first one was straight and Smith walked across to clip him over midwicket. The next one was a bit wider to compensate. Smith opened his bat face and steered him past backward point. Fifteen came off that over and Royals were left needing 24 from 18 balls; they got home with five balls remaining. Having chosen to bat, Mumbai were going well enough - 24 for 0 in the middle of the fourth over - when Aaron Finch, stretching for the final stride of a quick single, pulled up with what looked like a hamstring strain. That stalled the momentum the openers had gathered; only four runs came off that over, and Parthiv Patel, coming back on strike after Unmukt Chand managed only one run off the first three balls of the next over, miscued a Dhawal Kulkarni slower
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ball straight to mid-off. When Rohit Sharma nicked a Stuart Binny outswinger to slip in the seventh over, Mumbai were 31 for 2 - effectively 31 for 3 - and their runrate had dipped below six an over. By the 10-over mark they had lost Chand and were 45 for 3. Only one run came off the 11th over, bowled by Chris Morris, who kept cramping the left-handed Anderson for room, jagging the ball into him off the pitch and extracting awkward bounce on a couple of occasions to rap him on the handle and the gloves. With some balls skidding through and others stopping on the batsmen, runs were looking extremely hard to get. But Anderson and Pollard stayed alert for the slower balls, ensured they maintained stable bases, and began finding the big hits. Both picked up sixes off James Faulkner in the 14th over, and the run-rate climbed back above five an over. The recovery seemed to have ended when Anderson mishit another Kulkarni slower ball straight to long-off in the 15th over, but replays showed the bowler had overstepped, just about. It was just the sort of luck Mumbai needed after injury to Finch, and they made full use of it. They were 83 for 3 after 15 overs; over the next five overs they came within two runs of doubling their score. Tim Southee, bowling primarily length or just short of it, took the bulk of the punishment - his last two overs went for 36, with Pollard and Anderson hitting him for four fours and three sixes - but no one went unscathed. James Faulkner went for 17 in the 17th over, and Chris Morris, till then the pick of Royals’ seamers, went for 15 in the final over. Anderson kept his plans simple clear his front leg and swing freely to hit down the ground and over the leg side. Pollard dealt in his trademark one-handed clubs and flat-bat swats down the ground, but also pulled off a couple of stunning flicked sixes. By the end, though, Smith’s batting would ensure his tactics became a distant memory.
FOR ADVERTISEMENT CALL: 713-789-6397
April 17, 2015
First Ever
24 Hour
Telugu Radio in Houston
Online at www.radiohungama.net & Every Sunday 12 PM to 3 PM CST On
KCHN AM 1050 Contact: Sridhar Dadi at
281-217-9736
houstonradio@yahoo.com
MADRAS N PAVILIO T & DAAWA CATERING
Indo-American News
Rao’s Satish CA FE UDIPI
CPA DEV PATHAK RANCE BEMA INSU
EL AJIT PAT COOL AIR AN U
IONS CONGRATULAT TEAM
INDIA
RAJENDER SINGH OTION INC.
JUGAL & NI RAJ MALA
| Vol. 30, r 28 2011 Octobe
No. 43
ndo can IIn Ameri News
Friday,
Diwigahlits
NDIA IIN E WORLD ON TOP OF TH
Del
RA. One Breaks Barriers
STAR PROM
SWAPAN YAWAN DHAIR ingCIATES
GUJARATI SAMAJ
Infodat
CUP
RADWAJ ! Great ANDY BHA Team India aretoplayed: lations Teams Participating I MCC II LCC ECC HACC HOCC
LCC II MCC I
PCC STYXCC
www.htbc.net
setting d and Gold e Diamon Jewelry repairs and TX Exclusiv Houston,
ALI HAPPY DIW elers aja Jew MaharJewe lry Store
ESS PRINC CUISINE
matches All Congratu the boys! Dhoni and and full grounds job, pitches rd ball - On full - With a semi-ha on Saturdays - Exclusively ACC BZCC CMCC
page 34
Story on ali with nds & 14 Fri Frie brate Diw Family and pages 3,9 into Cash Story on ians Cele / Platinum metal Houston Feasts, Fireworks, Gold / Silver the above le prices $ for all Turn your at affordab on site We pay top Jewelry done Festivities,
STON
OF HOU 2011
SprASSO rnament Cricket Tou MD all Taped B
27
INDIAN
r at a custome hips one Diamond relations
ft, 5821 Hillcro
s North Deliciou • Serving Indian DishesSizes: & South of All g Events gs • Caterin te | Weddin Corpora | Anniversaries s Birthday
time
Building
h Satis
Subscribe to
s Rao’
ARIAN INDIAN PURE VEGET
afeusa.com
www.udipic
77036
673 713-784-5
CUISINE
ing: • Cater
16 281-914-27
Indo-American News Today
We cover your world!
Name: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________ Address:___________________________________ __________________________________________ Number of Years: (Circle One)
1 $40
3 $100
Credit Card: Master Card / Visa (Circle One) _________________________________________
Your Signature:
Exp Date: ___/___ 3 digit code:______
_______________
Do cut and mail to: 7457 Harwin Dr, Ste 262, Houston, TX 77036 (OR) Scan and E-mail to: Indoamericannews@yahoo.com • Call us at 713-789-6397 • Call us to sign up for E-mail Blast Indo-American News is community oriented. We thank you for your subscription & support.
Job Opportunity
Capricorn Travel Requires Full Time Experienced Travel Agent. For Appointment: Please Call: 713-339-2222
Award Winning Customer Service & Best Rates in Town Proudly Serving For Best Rates to: India, Europe, Cruises & Vacation Packages South Asian Community Toll Free: 1-866-956-0758 - Tel:713-339-2222 for Past 3939 Hillcroft Ave, Suite# 110, Houston, TX 77057 30 Years
CAPRICORN TRAVEL
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
28 April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
3
W3
April 17, 2015
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM