Friday, May 02 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 18
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Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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Anand Ramaswamy and Vyoma Majmudar Banker stand before the highly successful “Lotus for Hope” donation board during Daya’s “Dine and Disco for Daya Gala 2014.
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DAYA: GREATER HOUSTON AGENCY SERVING SOUTH ASIAN FAMILIES IN CRISIS
Appealing As a Local Charity, Daya 2014 Gala Raises Awareness
Daya board, staff members and volunteers gathered for a group photo with Gala chairs Annu Naik-Rao and Charu Verma. Dance instructor Anjali Thakkar (far right) led gala enthusiasts, such as advisory board member Sheela Rao (far left), in disco dancing as part of the “Dine and Disco for Daya” theme. Photos: Andrew Wolf
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: Successful members of our community are often besieged with worthy appeals for charitable donations. But the donors at Daya’s 2014 Gala felt emotionally satisfied as they helped families that are truly besieged— victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, in our own greater Houston region. Daya Inc. a local agency serving Houston’s South Asian families in crisis, staked its claim as a local charity. “Daya was started by Houstonians, for Houstonians, and so, together we can help make Houston a better community,” explained Daya President Jyoti Kulkarni. Founded in 1996, Daya is a nonprofit organization with a mission to serve South Asian families, whose lives are marred by domestic violence and sexual assault. Daya’s 18th annual gala revolved around the theme of “Dine and Disco for Daya”. The event brought more than 200 South Asian donors and their mainstream guests to the Rice ballroom in downtown Houston on Sunday, April 27. Donors pledged more than $122,000. A silent auction, and a “Lotus for Hope” dona-
Both emcees, Dr. Sapna Singh and Mustafa Tameez, made emotional appeals for Houstonians to open their hearts to Daya. President Jyoti Kulkarni (right) urged greater community participation to rebuild lives affected by domestic violence. Visit DayaHouston.org for more information.
tion for specific needs, such as rent and transportation, raised an additional $9,000 for a total of 131,000 and counting—highest in Daya’s history. Special guests at the gala included Indian Consul General P. Harish, and his wife Nandita, who serves on Daya’s advisory board. Also in attendance were Pakistan Consul General Afzal Mehmood and his wife, Harris County Judge Steve Kirkland and Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey. Special guests also included Houston Police Department representative Muzaffar Siddiqi and Githa Hariharan, an author visiting from India, who has been involved for 35 years in the women’s move-
ment in India. Serving as the emcees were Dr. Sapna Singh and Mustafa Tameez. Sapna is a pediatric physician, who is the daughter-in-law of Ramesh Parikh, who was one of the initial supporters of Daya by providing much needed office space. Mustafa is the founder and managing director of Outreach Strategies, a public affairs and communications firm, based in Houston. Mustafa provided a background on Daya’s current operations. “Daya has experienced an exponential increase in the number of calls and clients,” he explained. “In 2013 alone, Daya handled 5,837 client calls, which comes out to about 22 calls per work day. Of the 310
total clients, 265 are new clients, who required help in 2013.” According to Mustafa, the average of a Daya client is 34, and includes mostly South Asian women, but a few men as well. “In addition to the type of abuse that most of us are familiar with—physical, emotional, sexual and financial—clients also experience in-law abuse and immigration abuse.” An example of in-law abuse is monitoring via Skype. Immigration abuse is the witholding of green cards, work permits and passport by the abusive spouse or in-laws. About 46% of Daya’s clients are of Indian origin; 25% originate
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
from Pakistan; and 5% from Bangladesh and small percentage from other South Asian countries. A majority of Daya’s clients (51%) live in Harris County and 21% in Fort Bend County. The emotional highlight of the evening came when Daya presented two current clients—a man and a woman—who made a heart rendering public disclosure of their experience of domestic abuse. Daya is now a full-service agency with three full-time and two part-time staff members, 11-member active board and also an advisory board of community leaders. Daya recently set up its transitional home- Harmony House, which is used to provide long-term housing to the clients. In 2014, Daya received a grant from the Department of Justice Office of Violence against Women (OVW) to meet its current expanding needs and also offer more sexual assault counseling, and education. Daya also receives grants from Houston Endowment, Simmons Foundation and IndoAmerican Charity Foundation, George Foundation of Fort Bend and Asian American Bar Foundation.
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SWARALAYAM ARTS FORUM ANNUAL STUDENT RECITAL
Laya-Taal-Saadhna 2014: Inspired Performances Thrill Audience
An ensemble of young tabla students are accompanied by Pandit Shantilal Shah (center) and Ambarish Prabhukote on the harmonium. A total of 72 students performed.
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: One of the highlights of the annual Hindustani classical student recitals in Houston is the Laya-Taal-Saadhna program of precussion ensembles on the tabla by students of Pandit Shantilal Shah. The students ranged in age from preschoolers to retired professionals. This year’s recital, by more than 72 students, was held Saturday, April 19 afternoon at the UC Theater on the University of Houston central campus. Chief guests at the recital were Indian Consul General Parvatheni Harish and his wife Nandita. Special guests included Indian classical music patrons Dr. Virendra and Nalini Mathur and India Music Society President, Govind Shetty and renowned vocalist Pt. Suman Ghosh. Nine student ensembles performed, each grouped according to their skill level. Most of the ensembles performed Kaida (first lesson), Paltas (improvisations) and Tihaee (rhythmic end) in Teentaal (16-beat rhythmic pattern). The most accomplished students in the Rela group performed Peshkar (opening composition), Kaida, Rela (aggressive play), and Tukras (brief passage) in Jhaptaal (complex 10-beat pattern). While Pandit Shantilal Shah, who his students affectionately refer to as Guruji, accompanied most of the
Indian Consul General P. Harish (center right) lauded the guru-shishya parampara (student-teacher tradition) fostered by Pandit Shantilal Shah. Joining them on stage were Hema and Ravi Iyer, founders of the Swaralayam Arts Forum (far left and far right) and Mrs. Nandita Harish.
The climactic abhivadan (offering) was performed by Aparna Shah, to the accompaniment of Guruji and all the students.
ensembles, he allowed the skilled Rela group perform on their own. One of the interesting performances was that of laggi nada, a series of fast rhythmic variations, by the accomplished Atheet ensemble. Also of interest was the bandish played by the senior students, with the left and right side set of students performing as part of a sawal/jawab (question/answer) dialogue. The program concluded with Abhivaadan (offering) with Aparna Shah, wife of Shantilal Shah, and an accomplished vocalist in her own right, singing the vocals,
Guruji and senior students accompanying on the tabla and rest of the students performing bols (audibles). Dr. Keyuri Popat served as the emcee, introducing each student group, and revealing stories of how Guruji and the students are devoted to each other. “Guruji might forget his wedding anniversary, but never the birthdays of the students,” she suggested. There was obvious reluctance on part of the students to leave the stage after their short performance. “They are used to playing at least ten times each time they sit down to practice in class,” explained Guruji. “Each year, I’m inspired by the children’s enthusiasm and their performance skill,” enthused Dr. Mathur. CG Harish admired the dedication of the Guru and the shishyas (students). “There are a hundred distractions at this age,” Harish explained. “Dedication to this art, week after week, is a demonstration of the guru-shishya parampara (teacher/student tradition).” A student of Pandit Mahadev Prasad Misra of the Banaras gharana and disciple of Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, Pandit Shantilal Shah came to Houston in 2003 to join the Anjali School of Performing Arts faculty. Since 2010, Pt. Shantilal Shah has been on the faculty of the Swaralayam Arts Forum as the tabla guru.
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.
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May 02, 2014
Chitram: A Portrait of India BY SUVEENA GUGLANI HOUSTON: Forty-six singers, 48 dancers, one stage. For over 1200 attendees at University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hallon Saturday, April 26, CHITRAM was a journey into the richness and grandeur of everything that is India. Kanniks Kannikeswaran, once again managed to hold Houston spellbound as he captured the essence of Indian art and culture showcased with a variety of dance forms and the oldest dance form of all – Yoga. Leading dance schools and singing enthusiasts came together in a multimedia mega production simply titled Chitram – A portrait of India. CHITRAM is a production of Kanniks Kannikeswaran, noted composer, music educator and writer of with
several stage productions to his credit. “The Magical Music Man from Madras,� as he is called is a pioneer of the Indian American choral movement and had Houston audiences mesmerized with his spectacular Shanti A Journey of Peace a few years ago. CHITRAM tells the story of Indian cult u r e through styles of traditional and various other art dance including Kanniks’ mesforms, ing choral compositions. merizArtists from all over the city joined hands to take part in a production unlike any other. The choir alone comprised of 46 people and the dancers from various dance forms captivated the audience with the blend of the choral and visual excellence. The costumes, lighting, as well as the harmonious notes of the orchestra, all blended in perfectly as the rich culture began to unfold. The evening began with a soulful invocation rendered beautifully by Houston’s own songbird Mahalaxmi Krishnan. This was followed by the folk sounds of Indian dance as the Bihu Japi group, Mizoram dancers and Dandiya dancers tapped their way to the delight of the audiences. Following this was a serenely powerful depiction of Yoga set to the spiritually uplifiting score of Kanniks – “Chaitanyam�. The synchronized Yoga team was a powerful backdrop to the advanced Yogasanas showcased by Yogacharya Shriram
Photos: Navin Mediwala
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Sarvotham. Next, Odissi and Classical folk mesmerized the audiences to a mellifluous composition of nine Ragas. Kathak, a
northern Indian dance form, was beautifully blended into the show depicting the assimi-
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lation of dance forms from various cultures, proving that India is truly a rich blend of many diverse cultures. The evening concluded with the Dance of Life-Thillana in the Bharata Natyam dance form as trained dancers brought Kanniks mellifluous compositions to life. Of particular note was the beautiful voice of Vidita Kanniks that added the soul to the compositions of Kanniks. It is no mean feat to bring 48 dancers from leading Indian dance schools in Houston as well as 46 singers together onto one stage in such a grand manner, but Kanniks has managed to do so once again. Said choir team captain, Bhagyashree Dhavale that this was a “spiritually uplifting journey that would forever stay with her”. Emcee Sonal Bhuchar capably handled the introductions and gave a brief background of Chitram to a sold out audience. Counsel General of India P. Harish said about Chitram and Kanniks: “ We have seen several cultural programs but none that matches the energy and positive vibes about India. It was better than any professionally done shows. There should be more shows like this”. Chitram was a fundraiser for the Hindu Temple of the Woodlands – EYS program. HTW-EYS is a comprehensive initiative to strengthen young minds through education and provide leadership training to youth and outreach to the surrounding community by the temple members. The EYS program envisages a center which will have a Montessori School and a Sunday school where Hindu values, heritage and culture will be emphasized as well as ongoing classes for
adults in Hindu philosophy and scriptures. According to Dr. Urmil Shukla, spokesperson for EYS, there is an opportunity and need to go beyond ritual worship and festival celebrations. We need to strengthen the character of our youth; we have to make them proud, confident and contributing American Hindus. HTW-EYS already has a youth club which has a venture program to foster creativity and frequently holds day camps to develop faith and conviction in growing up Hindu in America. It also inculcates the idea of service and giving back to the community through volunteering. The S in EYS stands for service, said Shukla. Members take part in the clean our streets program, volunteer at senior care centers. A primary care free clinic is also in the works. These are lofty ideals, Shukla allowed, but attainable with cooperation of members who share in the vision. Also honored that night for their dedicated service to the EYS program, were four individuals who were recognized as faculty. They were Dr. Peter Han – a pioneer of the Venture program at HTW; Sunil Gopalakrishnan for the ongoing scripture classes; Kanniks Kannikeswaran for his part in collaborating with HTW and training the choir for CHITRAM as well as Dr. Shriram Sarvotham for his part in the Yoga training for the show. The evening left the audience with a sense of completion, yet wanting more. We look forward to Kanniks bringing many such shows to Houston. For further information about the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands and its activities, please visit www.woodlandshindutemple.org.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Houston Rocks On with Farhan
Masala Radio’s Sunil and Sandhya Thakkar with Farhan Akhtar
BY MALAY VYAS HOUSTON: Rarely does a Bollywood show resemble a rock concert, rarely does the Arena theatre see a full house, standing up and dancing, rarely does a Bollywood Superstar perform for a show for no charge at all, rarely does a singer stop and do 50 push ups during a song, rarely does Houston get blessed with the only concert on Farhan Akhtar’s North American calendar. Farhan arrived, Farhan rocked and Farhan conquered…. all for a great cause. The show was brought to Houston by Magic Bus USA for the benefit of Magic Bus India
programs. The latter is an NGO based in Mumbai with a vision to give millions of children living in poverty the opportunity to control the way they view the world, the freedom to choose the role they will play in it, and the power to define their own destiny. Mathew Spacie – the Founder and CEO of Magic Bus India Foundation –was the COO of Cox and Kings in Mumbai when he started with a simple gesture of inviting the slum kids to join in a game of rugby that changed lives of many a street urchin. Mathew and his team of volunteers would take the street kids in buses to various beaches
of Mumbai and hence the name “Magic Bus”. A mere sum of $25 a year can bring positive changes in life of a street child in Mumbai and the aim of Magic Bus Foundation is to reach out to over 1 million street children in India. Sunil Thakkar of Masala Radio emceed the show in his own inimitable way walking through the audience and interviewing people at their seats. As the concert got underway, Houston’s own dancers took stage with Naach Houston setting the evening alight with medley of dances followed by a performance from the Infused Performing Arts group. Rahul Brahmbhatt, Executive Director, Magic Bus USA then addressed the audience with a short film about
the activities of Magic Bus India. Next Amit Bhandari articulated about how he and Arpita spent over six hours in Mumbai slums with the street children to understand how Magic Bus volunteers worked. Clearly impressed with the efforts of Magic Bus, Amit requested Houstonians to donate for this noble cause. Arpita then announced the names of major donors and plaques were given away as a token of appreciation. Houston was now set to receive Farhan with open arms and wild catcalls. The audience chanted “Farhan, Farhan” as Sunil announced his arrival. The nowfamous shayari from “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” rang across the theatre as Farhan entered the hall. “Zinda Ho Tum…” dialogue got the audience in raptures. The multi-talented Farhan Akhtar then took the mike with band member Shannon Donald on vocals with hits such as “Sindbaad the Sailor”, “Socha Hai”, “Pichhle Saat Dino Mein” and “Tum Ho To” from Rock On; “Dhadakne Do” and “Senorita” from Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara. During an epic rendition of “Tum Ho To…” Farhan got the audience in a frenzy as they counted down his random fifty pushups
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on stage before he completed the song – the 2500 strong audience singing all along. Then came the songs from Dil Chahta hai – on audience demand - followed by hit songs from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Shannon had her own solos – the soulful “Yeh Baatein” from Rock On. Farhan also crooned his favorite “One Love” from U2 – India has an answer to Bono. No band, not even a Bollywood Star’s band is complete without the orchestra - Sarosh Izedyar (lead guitarist), Dibyajyoti Nath (bass guitar) Darshan Doshi (drums) and Umaang Doshi (keyboard) brought together a complete Rock Concert feel to the evening. For 90 minutes, there was hardly anyone who sat down in the theatre, least of all the “head-banging” teens. Farhan radiated unbelievable energy after spending 5 hours co-hosting the IIFA Awards in Tampa, ending at 3AM Sunday April 27, during which he won the award for Best Actor - Male for his role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Truly a magical evening, there was magic in the air, the magic of Farhan Akhtar and of Magic Bus. Photos: Meedu/Meedu Photography and Yasir Raza/ Pixel Studio Productions
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s���T 713-806-7490 www.carolinasart.com Ramesh Cherivirala, who is seeking his first elected post by running for the Fort Bend ISD Trustee Position 1, with supporters at the meeting he held on Saturday, April 27 at Udipi Café in Sugar Land,. From left, Naren Patel, Sugar Land Councilman Harish Jajoo, Cherivirala, Dinesh Shah and a supporter and volunteer
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: Ramesh Cherivirala has been a man on a mission ever since he announced his candidacy for Fort Bend ISD Trustee Position 1 in mid-February and he has been burning up the hours in each day reaching out to the public. This past Sunday, April 27, he was late coming to his own campaign supporter’s reception at the Udipi Café as he was running from one meeting to another. “This is my sixth event so far today”, he said with a smile as he entered, looking not the worse for it. But characteristically, Cherivirala enjoys making contact with people, so he took all this in stride. Naren Patel, who has previously run for Fort Bend County Treasurer position in the Republican Party primary in 2006 and is a community activist, spoke to the audience of about 30 people about the tremendous penetration into local Ft. Bend County politics by the IndoAmerican community, pointing to the positions that Sonal Bhuchar as FBISD Trustee and Harish Jajoo as City Councilman, both of whom were in attendance, among others, have had. “There are two important places for people to be involved in civic programs – the School Board and Homeowner’s Associations”, he said, “and Ramesh has both”. Harish Jajoo remembered how his first run for council in 1994 was “a leap of faith” but “we had the community support and my family behind me”. He ran against an incumbent but didn’t win by 1,200 votes, but he made a lot of friends. “Ramesh has a lot of energy, even when he isn’t in his comfort zone and he needs our support whether he wins or not”, Jajoo said, urging everyone to get their friends out to vote. “Bad people are elected by
Ramesh Cherivirala
good people who don’t vote”, he added. Sonal Bhuchar chimed in on the importance of voting early, as these votes give a measure of interest in the election and the candidates. Having been on the school board before, she said that $500 million budget that they oversaw for the facilities that educate 70,000 students in a 171 square mile area was an important position to run for. Cherivirala has three other opponents for Position 1 and has looked at all the statistics that could influence the outcome of the vote. In the past elections, of the 200,000 voters in Ft Bend, only 8,000 actually make it to the polls and of that, only 350 were Indian Americans. “The combination of our community’s wealth and voting power
could be formidable”, he said, “but we all need to exercise our right to vote”. Cherivirala sees every vote as being important as the outcome is based on the numbers, not on a percentage. He sees his experience having worked on the Ft Bend School Boosters Clubs and being on the Boards of several IndoAmerican organizations (he is a past president of the India Culture Center and a present president of the Indo American Charity Foundation) as being important to his candidacy since none of his opponents have that experience. He also has a great deal of experience in managing money due to his work in the insurance industry. Cherivirala and his supporters handed out yard signs and other postcards to those who attended and urged them to vote early at the 18 locations across the county. The election is scheduled for Saturday, May 10. (Another IndoAmerican candidate, K.P. George is also running for FBISD Trustee Position 5 in the same election.)
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
12 May 02, 2014
COMMUNITY
14th Annual BAPS Charities Health Fair in Stafford
Dr. Brotherton, Monzer Hourani and other guest kick of the 14th Annual BAPS Charities Health Fair.
Many informative booths were on hand at the BAPS health fair.
STAFFORD: A steady group of people began to flow in by 8:00 am for the 14th annual BAPS Charities Health fair on Saturday, April 26, at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, Texas. One of the organizers, Dr. Keyur Patel, states “it’s amazing to see the multitude of specialists come here and offer their expertise.” Over 100 health care professionals like pediatricians, gynecologists, cardiologists, ophthalmologists, dentists and orthopedics were on hand for examinations and consultations. Saturday’s health fair drew in close to 1500 individuals that took advantage of variety of tests from free physical examinations, dental screenings, vision screenings and some at very nominal costs, such as an echocardiogram or an executive blood analysis. With all the tests that were offered, a one-on-one review was also made by each specialist. BAPS Medical Services member Dr. Jay Chavda says, “Taking all these tests mean nothing if the person does not know what to do next. The test is the first step for a healthier living and the consultation directs them for their future.”
Harris County Medical Society President, Erin Asprec, CEO of Memorial Hermann SE, Monzer Hourani of Medistar, Dr. Michael Lyons, CEO of Bay Area Regional Medical Center and many others. In 2013, BAPS Charities organized 40 such events throughout North America. In total, 1,720 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 12,000 participants across the nation. Throughout the year, BAPS Charities hosts medical fairs, walkathons, education and career development seminars, disaster relief operations, blood drives and much more. About BAPS Charities: BAPS Charities is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities. It is affiliated with BAPS as an independent charity and social services arm. The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 9,090 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually. Among social service charities, BAPS
Along with the tests, visitors were able to participate in interactive health awareness seminars. Dr. Nalini Dave treated the audience with healthy and tasty smoothies using fruits and vegetables without any artificial ingredients. Dr. Dave comments, “Integrative healthcare is a new and fast-evolving way of modern medical practice. It strives to strike a balance in the elements of life in order to achieve good health.” Other seminars such as cancer prevention, heart disease risk factors and yoga were presented to the visitors. BAPS Charities health fair was a great experience for each visitor from receiving routine health checkups to educational seminars. BAPS Charities believes in striving to keep healthy individuals, families and communities. Texas Medical Association, president Dr. Stephen Brotherton said, “The scale of this health fair is tremendous and the doctors volunteering their Saturday is commendable.” Along with Dr. Brotherton other guest that were present at the health fair was Honorable Judge Robert Herbert of Fort Bend County, Dr. Elizabeth Torres,
One of the many screenings offered at the BAPS Health Fair.
BAPS Charities visitors wait to get routine health checks.
Charities is a well-respected and trusted name. It has amassed over 50 years of firsthand experience in initiating, managing, and sustaining 160 humanitarian operations throughout the world in such diverse fields as: medical services, environmental services, community services, tribal services, and disaster relief services. For further information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, visit www.bapscharities. org
TRANSCENDENT D E I T I E S of I N D I
A
THE EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE of THE DIVINE
ON VIEW
MAY 2
–
SEPTEMBER 14
in the Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery at Asia Society Texas Center 1370 Southmore Boulevard in Houston’s Museum District OPENING RECEPTION
FRIDAY, MAY 2
•
6 – 8 PM
Enjoy food trucks; cash bar available.
More information at asiasociety.org/texas or 713.496.9901 THE EXHIBITION IS FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
Vishnu-Garud Wahan, Ravi Varma Press, Karla-Lonavla, Paper, ink, fabric, metallic thread, Courtesy of Ramchander Nath Foundation, New Delhi
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Indo-American News Ad size is 10 w x 6.5 h
May 02, 2014
13
Early Voting: April 28 to May 6, 2014 May 10, 2014 Excellence in Education Safe and Secure Environment Fiscal Responsibility Community Involvement
ZZZ UDPHVKIRUIELVG FRP Endorsements from current and former elected Officials: Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen; Sugar Land City Council Member Harish Jajoo; Missouri City Council Member Floyd Emery; Stafford City Council Member Ken Mathew; Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Constable Trever Nehls; Former FBISD Board President Sonal Bhuchar; Former Houston City Council Member MJ Khan; Former Sugar Land City Council Member Thomas Abraham.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
14 May 02, 2014
COMMUNITY
Colorful Vaisakhi Celebrations by the Indo American Forum of Fort Bend
Photos: Navin Mediwala
BY SANCHALI BASU SUGAR LAND: The serene, picturesque locale of the Sugar Land Country Club provided the setting for the celebration of Vaisakhi by the IAF, Fort Bend. The evening was bustling with gorgeous women clad in their exquisitely beautiful Punjabi suits with Phulkaaris and men in their ethnic Kurtaa Pajamaas and Punjabi Juttis. One was met at the registration desk by helpful volunteers and the evening began with delectable appetizers provided by Bombay Brasserie. Wine and drinks flowed freely as the guests gathered to mingle and socialize. DJ BJ Josan invited the guests in and the festivities started with the Jaago, a welcoming dance number performed by members of all age groups including some members of the Board. Hardeepak Munday, the Event
Chair and IAF Board Secretary explained the significance of the Vaisakhi celebration, which is not only a celebration of the Punjabis to mark the end of the harvest season, the birth of Khalsa, the solar new year, but is also celebrated in various other parts of India. In Punjab, it is like a thanksgiving day for farmers by visiting the Gurdwara and dancing the Bhangra and the Giddha. A solo by young dancer Amitoz Singh was well appreciated by the audience, but the Bhangra performance by Rockers a group of 7 young dancers got the crowd going. Jasmine Patel, the Chairman of the organization introduced and thanked the board members and was very excited that they were able to add 30 new life members, which exceeded their expectations. She went over their various multicultural, civic, charitable
and humanitarian activities and encouraged the youth to get involved and help with the organization’s causes. The latest feather in their cap was a donation to help build a Children’s Museum in Sugar Land where IAF donated $10,000. She thanked all the donors for making the evening possible. Mallika Ghei then entertained the audience with a couple of songs - “Heer” and the popular “Kamli Kamli” was a major hit. The super energetic group, Maajaajna a group of 12 young girls led by Preet Kaur invigorated the audience with their lively
Giddha performance and every member in the crowd was clapping and lapping it up. A typical Punjabi feast with Kadhi, Sarson da Saag, Makki di Roti, Jalebis with Phirnee, Ras Malai and other Punjabi delicacies helped end the evening on a high note. The DJ kept entertaining the audience with one lively Bollywood number after the other and some danced till late hours of the night to his tune. The organization did well in being able to sell out the event and spreading its message.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
May 02, 2014
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
WF_2014_GoldenHarvest_AI_FP_Hou_IAN_Final.indd 1
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4/22/14 9:59 AM
16 May 02, 2014 1 BUSINESS & POLICY
Asia Society Texas Center in collaboration with McKinsey & Company Present All-Star Panel to Discuss Book
Reimagining India: Unlocking the Potential of Asia’s Next Superpower
Contributors to the book include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Reliance Industries Limited CEO Mukesh Ambani, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, The Coca-Cola Company chairman Muhtar Kent, and many more leading executives, entrepreneurs, economists, and foreign policy experts and more.
Featuring Leading Thinkers on India
Thursday, May 22 Asia Society Texas Center 5:30 pm Welcome and Networking 6:30 pm Panel Discussion
Vishakha N. Desai
Ed Emmett
Patrick French
Barnik Maitra
Drayton McLane
Adil Zainulbhai
President Emerita of Asia Society
Harris County Judge
Writer and Historian
Partner at McKinsey & Company
Chairman of McLane Group
Former Chairman of McKinsey India
To purchase tickets, please call 713.496.9901 or visit AsiaSociety.org/texas. 1370 Southmore Boulevard at Caroline Street | Houston, TX 77004 | AsiaSociety.org/Texas |
Facebook.com/AsiaSocietyTexas
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
OBITUARY
FOR ADVERTISEMENT
CALL: 713-789-6397
India Culture Center Houston (ICC) Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, mourn the demise of Dewan Ahmed, CPA. Ahmed had passionately and professionally served as CPA for ICC for over 25 years till 2003. May his departed soul rest in peace and may the Almighty give strength to his family to cope this loss.
May 02, 2014
Sri Meenakshi Temple Society 17130 McLean Road, Pearland, TX 77584 Invites all Devotees to the Grand
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Thirukalyana Utsavam Thursday May 1st to Sunday May 11th 2014 Thursday, May 1st
5:00 PM to 8:30 PM -Anugnai, Vigneswara Puja, Vasthusanthi & Mruthsangrahanam
Friday, May 2nd
10:00 AM - Dwajarohanam 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM - Raksha Bandhanam & Yagasala Puja begins.
Friday May 2nd thru Saturday May 10th
Daily Morning 10:00 AM & Evening 6:00PM - Puja, Homam and Abhishekam for Utsava Murthis
Saturday, May 3rd 6:00 PM -
Sri Meenakshi Pattabhishekam Followed by (Poo Pallaku) procession of Utsava Murthi
Sponsorship: $ 51
Dinner will be served for all after the Pattabhishekam
Sunday, May 11th
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Thirukalyanam, 9:30 AM – Seervarisai, Procession from Ganesh Temple
10:00 AM – Oonjal in front of Kalyana Mandapam 10:30AM - Kanyadhanam, Mangalya Dharanam, Mangala Aarthi
Rathotsavam
A magnificent procession around the temple with all the Utsava Murthis in their respective Vahanas
Sponsorship: Kalyanam $31, Kanyadhanam $51, Kalyanam & Kanyadhanam $81 Grand Sponsor $251 Sit down Lunch on Banana leaves will be served after the Thirukalyanam
For information, contact Bala at bala@anbsystems.com or Vijayarajan at C_vijayarajan@yahoo.com or Sriram at mksriram.mts@gmail.com or Sasidaran Pillai at nsapillai@aol.com Or the Temple Office at 281-489-0358 Extn 100, 101. Please sponsor online at www.emeenakshi.org Chithirai Mahotsavam Cultural Events daily: For details contact Mala Gopal gopal.mala@gmail.com
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
17
18 May 02, 2014 Time for Fresh Ideas and Faces
We still don’t know which way the dice will roll in these elections, but it is fairly clear that the Congress does not have too many aces. In this context, Union minister Jairam Ramesh’s remark that the old must make way for the new seems one way in which the grand old party can reinvent itself. It has tried a number of ways in this election to market itself — projecting its secular credentials, its track record over the last 10 years, its entitlement-driven legislation, its foreign policy achievements, etc. None seems to have caught the popular imagination. This suggests that the party has to undertake some serious introspection once the elections are over. In many ways, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was on the right track when he tried, though not too successfully, to democratise the party. To this end, he tried to choose party workers through interviews, opting for the US-type primary system when it came to candidates. He has tried time and again to project the party as being inclusive. All these are welcome but they cannot be done in fits and starts. The party has to now sit down and chart its course irrespective of the outcome of the election. Mr Ramesh is right in saying that the young in the Congress must be given their place in the sun. The older leaders have to know when to call it a day in active politics and function as mentors. This would be in keeping with India’s youth demographic and their desire for a break from the baggage of the past. The Congress has, in its political pantheon, several young and experienced ministers and leaders. If the party is to be led by Rahul Gandhi, now is the time to let them flourish. Whether Mr Ramesh agrees or not, the old guard have been grudging in allowing the younger generation to come into their own. Many of the more talented among them are in thirties and forties — not exactly young by any standards. Many have proved themselves in politics. Mr Ramesh has raised this point before, advocating a cut-off in age for politicians to be in active service. At that time, his suggestions were either played down or rejected outright. But, now the Congress has to try every strategy in the book to change itself and make it once again relevant to a new India. Dynasty and pro-poor policies alone will not do. The party needs fresh and vibrant thinking with the guidance of the more experienced leaders. This is the first thing the party must do when the final vote is counted in May. -Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a Charismatic Enigma
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra waves during her public meeting for giving final touch to Sonia Gandhi poll campaign in Raebareli. (HT photo/Deepak Gupta) BY NAMITA BHANDARE If the Congress campaign suddenly seems to have shifted to a more combative mode, it has one woman to thank and her name is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. After a month of a wishy-washy, hand-wringing, limp-salad of a campaign, the Priyanka roadshow has begun and, no surprise, it’s taken a woman to show the boys how to fight. Priyanka’s pitch is limited to Rae Bareli and Amethi. She moved swiftly to scotch rumours that the party had wanted her to stand against the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, in Varanasi. No one would stop her from contesting if she had wanted to, she said. But no, she didn’t. Yet, the media frenzy has begun. Hours after the Congress picked MLAAjay Rai to stand against Modi, Priyanka met Rai to give him a ‘pep talk’ — and her mobile number. Earlier, her remarks about her cousin, Varun — he has ‘strayed from the right path’ — invited a response from Varun’s mum: “Voters will decide who has strayed”. It was an innocuous enough exchange that the media termed, with typical hyperbole, a ‘war of words’. Speculation about Priyanka’s political intentions has dogged her ever since her mother, Sonia Gandhi entered active politics in 1998. In 1999, Priyanka campaigned in Rae Bareli
for family friend Satish Sharma against her uncle, the BJP’s Arun Nehru. Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai recounts running into her during Sonia’s 1999 Amethi campaign. She was “made for television”, he wrote in a 2012 column. “We were, well, bowled over.” I saw Priyanka campaign in the 2009 election and she is a natural. Dressed in understated handloom saris, she had no inhibition in hugging old people and babies. In her speeches, in an easy Hindi, she rarely raised her voice, smiling and nodding her head at her audience, as if sharing a private joke. That Priyanka is in evidence this year too. Still telegenic, still charismatic, still a news magnet. In a made-by-TV political era, Priyanka’s appeal is easy to understand. Her unaffected style is easy on the eye (and, more crucially, ear). Moreover, Indians love an enigma and Priyanka remains guarded about her private life, revealing only tiny nuggets — she bakes, she has studied Buddhism and so on. “I like my ordinary life,” she told Sheela Reddy of Outlook in 2009. Who is this person who has turned her back to fame? We don’t know, but we’re fascinated by it. And finally, there is no nice way to say this, but compared to the geeky earnestness of her brother, Priyanka is a star. In the decade or so since he’s chosen to be in public life, Rahul has played
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
the reluctant politician. If there is a leadership vacuum into which Modi is neatly stepping, then the Congress has only itself to blame. Rahul has, until this campaign, fobbed off interviews, (can you be in public life and not speak to the Press?), refused to take on public roles (a ministry-ship might have sexed up his resume) and revealed little about how he thinks. The difference between 2009 and 2014 lies in Priyanka’s chink, her husband Robert Vadra. Perhaps, aware of this, she took the offensive, saying the ‘personal’ attack on him by Modi has hurt her terribly. Of course she is wrong. An allegedly dodgy land deal cannot be a personal matter. But in addressing the issue head-on, she has wrested a strategic advantage. The Congress has spent much of this campaign allowing Modi to lead its tempo. Already allies are talking about possible alternatives to head the NDA as the Congress stares at the next few years in opposition. It took just one question from Priyanka — what about Snoopgate — to send the BJP bleating about ‘personal’ attacks and for one brief moment, the roles were reversed. Priyanka’s belated entry will not stop a likely UPA defeat, but you have to credit her with putting up a fight. And as for that perennial question: Will she? Well, we’ll have to wait for the next election to find out. -Hindustan Times
COMMUNITY
May 02, 2014
19
IMAGH Launches South Asian Youth Alliance (SAYA)
BY HAFEEZA SHAIK HOUSTON: After months of planning and anticipation, the South Asian Youth Alliance (SAYA) was launched on April 27, at the Turkish Raindrop Center. SAYA is the second organization under the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH) banner. (The first organization is Club 65, an association for Seniors in the community). The organization focuses on engaging young adults, between the ages of 16 and 25 to promote social, educational, and cultural responsibilities by becoming more involved in the community. It is the first organization run FOR and BY the young adults of the South Asian community. The event began with Latafath Hussain, President of IMAGH, welcoming the distinguished members of the community and to the many young adults to an informative and exciting afternoon. He said that he was grateful that the young people had taken a break from their studies for on- going Finals to attend this event. Hussain was followed by a famous South Asian comedian, Sai Ranade. He conveyed a subtle message to the audience addressing the needs and cultural issues South Asians face in the Western world through his comedy and shared his journey of personal struggles after coming to America. The mission of SAYA was introduced by two outstanding young leaders, Irfana Hussain and Mohammed A. Khan, who have been collectively working with a dedicated team for several months. This team consists of Khushboo Bansal, Yan Digilov, Adeelah Nasser, Hafeeza Shaik, Joel Kurien, and Zain Hussain along with the Chairman, Dr. Moyeen Haque. The presentation was very informative and discussed the various activities that the organization has planned. The main goal of SAYA is to create an interactive group of young adults of South Asian heritage to connect to similar individuals who have reached the pinnacle of success. Hussain and Khan discussed the proposed activities which include a mentorship program, a networking program and a multimedia storytelling project. Rahil Jafry, the great South Asian local entrepreneur presented a much anticipated speech which motivated everyone in the room to never stop learning and growing. He shared stories of his journey from Pakistan to Houston. He also talked about his illustrious elder brother Adil Jafry and how after losing everything to the Enron debacle, they went on to create a multi- million dollar company, TARA energy. He gave credit to the South Asian community, which believed in them, and the network of friends and family, who contributed with their money and advice. He expressed his gratitude to the community leaders, his teachers and the various mentors who helped them along the way. He also shared
various business principles and suggested the most important lesson he learned was to never stop learning. “You must learn to learn, unlearn,
and relearn,” he said. After Rahil Jafri’s speech, the crowd was split into two groups: the young adults broke into a discussion group to talk more about SAYA’s objectives while the adults had a treat listening to Biki Mohindra. Col. Raj Bhalla, a Board ofAdvisor member of IMAGH, introduced Biki Mohindra. Mohindra talked about the challenges the young people face growing up in this country, and how we as parents, can help them meet those challenges and help them become great leaders. Dr. Moyeen Haque, summed up the meeting and explained that SAYA was created to help the young adults of the South Asian community to connect back to their heritage and cultural roots as well as grow and succeed in their careers. The organization is there to help and reach out to every individual who would like to benefit from this group. If someone was unable to attend this great
event and wants to join, then the next meeting is on May 17 at 11am at Platform Houston in Rice Village (5504 Morningside Dr, Houston, TX 77005). RSVP is required as free lunch will be served. For further information, call Latafath Hussain at 713-269-6171 or Email: saya@imagh. org or Facebook: www.facebook.com/SAYouthAlliance
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
20 May 02, 2014
COMMUNITY
Meenakshi Temple Embarks on Expansion of Main Sannidhi and Praharam for Mahalakshmi
Godess Lakshmi Sannidhi display on stage with the Core donors gathered for the launch of MTRP project. PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) launched the Main Temple Renovation Project (MTRP) on April 24, with a fundraising kick off meeting at Sri Meenakshi Temple Kalayana Mandapam. MTS is the first traditional Hindu religious landmark in the Southwest United States; built over three decades ago the MTS facility has been attracting thousands of devotees on a regular basis. What started in 1977 as a humble dream for a small group of supporters has gradually blossomed into a magnificent complex meeting the religious needs of the vast, growing community. This is the first such temple outside India with Goddess Meenakshi as the main deity, constructed with guidance and assistance from the original Sri Meenakshi temple in Madurai, India. Before the main temple was built, and as the conventional custom of Hindu faith dictates, a small Sannidhi for Lord Ganesha was consecrated in 1979. The main temple was constructed in 1982 followed by the majestic and ornate ‘gopurams’at the four entrances along with the traditional surrounding walls. The supporters have been generous with their time, resources
and emotions, the temple doing exceedingly well, attracting visitors and adding more facilities such as gopurams, corner mandapams, outer praharam, kalyanamandapam, Youth Center, Ratham and visitors center, staff quarters, as dictated by the needs, over a two decade period. Sri Meenakshi Temple has become a sacred Indian monument in Pearland, suburb of Houston, and recognized by the state and the city, as an attraction for visitors. To quote Texas Traveler “seeing a gleaming white Hindu temple rising from the grass in the middle of Texas cornfield is a thing to behold”, should give an impression of how it is perceived as an established landmark of the area. With the steady growth of the devotee population, time has come to expand the religious facilities built thirty five (35) years back. The series of expansion was started last year with the Ganesh Temple, the 4000 sq.feet facility with granite sanctum, gopuram and with granite floor. Main Temple Renovation Project (MTRP), the second stage of the essential development of MTS, with highlight of the project being the sublime realization of creating
an edifice for Goddess Padmavathy with a Praharam around Her Sannidhi. The expansion will have several other attracting features to improve the access for more devotees with expansion of the main temple with the Pradhana Sannidhi (for Meenakshi, Siva and Venkateshwara) to increase the floor area by approximately 2500 sq.feet. This million dollar project is expected to complete by end of year 2015. The MTRP fund raising kick off meeting on April 24 was a great success with near one hundred of the core support of devotees gathered in the Kalyana mandapam where the Lakshmi sanctum on the stage was very impressive. After the opening remarks by MTS chairman Dr. Vaduganathan, one of the stalwarts of Fund raising, AVN Reddy hosted the attendees with speeches from the Fund raising committee, as well as several prominent Patrons and Supporters. A highlight of the evening was the presentation by Padmashri Muthiah Sthapathi, temple architect and builder, who explained and answered questions relating to the architectural details of the exquisitely beautiful proposal. The next milestone on the historic expansion will be the auspicious Lakshmi Puja on June 1, at 10am. Devotees and supporters of MTS wishing to be part of the auspicious and historic expansion can become Gold brick Lakshmi Sannidhi sponsors by emailing your pledge to avnreddy. nata@gmail.com or can visit www. emeenaksi.org. (Contributions to the article: Dr. Venugopal Menon, AVN Reddy and Dr. SG Appan; photo: S. Balakrishnan)
Through Wello, Ek Disha Reaches Another Milestone
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BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: The very well organized annual luncheon by Ek Disha (A Direction) at the Asia Society of Texas on April 23 was packed to capacity with donors, well-wishers, media and organizers – all for a good cause. The society which has been around since 2005 is guided by the simple philosophy of recognizing and resolving basic human needs. Swati Narayan, President introduced the board and touched upon the mission of the organization “To make a difference” through their various projects. Neil Sen (Gopal), an artist and a board member was introduced with his creation, “Prioritize” a special painting for this occasion. The beautiful painting was auctioned and managed to fetch a handsome $2500 at the end of the event. The current project that was pre-
sented to the audience is a simple but innovative project created by Cynthia Koenig to bring water to the rural remote corners of Rajasthan which is currently dependent entirely on water fetched from the wells by womenfolk in pots carried on their heads. This arduous task proposes a constant challenge to health, time, hygiene and education. Cynthia with her team has designed the “Wello” technology which is a low-cost, multifunctional rollable water wheel that allows easy
transportation of uncontaminated water, thus removing the burden of water collection from the shoulders of women and girls. Cynthia described her experience living for months with the villagers in Rajasthan and how gradually but surely, she was able to create an impact and make a difference not only to the women folk but also to the men, and also touched the heart of every member in the wellattended event. Her project has received several accolades throughout the world and also been approached by the UN for use in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan. The organization is still in need of a lot of help from every corner possible and all were invited to be a part of the collective journey that is EK DISHA. For further information, to help the organization serve to foster change, visit: www.ekdisha.org.
Read us online at www.indoamerican-news.com INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
May 02, 2014
21
The Connoisseurs Learn and Share What They Know
The founding members of the Connoisseurs Club in the tropical backyard setting of Atul Vir’s (standing, fourth from right) home on Friday, April 25, 2014. BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA Club, the newest iteration of the Whisky EnthuSPRING BRANCH, TX: Earlier in the twi- siasts Club that held a few meetings two years light, the breeze knocked down the foldable ago (see IAN August 17, 2012), but the basic projection screen and the camera tripod – all of premise remained the same: share the appreciawhich were easily fixable - but that didn’t deter tion for the finer things in life and learn from the small group of frequent travelers from hear- others experiences. To that end, the first meeting ing about Ajay Sarpeshkar travels to Bali later in was held at Vir’s home – the backyard of which the evening. The images shone brilliant against is modeled after the tropical lifestyle they had the dark Friday evening sky in the little backyard come to appreciate from years in the western tropical Paradise setting of Atul and Aarti Vir’s African nation of Togo – last Friday, April 25, home in Spring Branch as Sarpeshkar described with a dozen discriminating participants from his travels this past January to the far off tropical the community. haven where he visited relatives who live there The experience started with sipping from and own a hotel. four different brands of Scotch Single-Malt It was the first meeting of the Connoisseurs Whiskies and appreciating the subtleness of
Bali: A picture from the travelogue that Ajay Sarpeshkar, a promising young film maker, presented from his visit to the island of Bali. their bouquet and smoothness while the person who brought it to the gathering explained its background – where it was made, the history, the ingredients - and the Connoisseurs offered their experience of tasting it. These “founding members are interesting people, but not pretentious”, as Vir put it, and would meet every two months to share their experiences on subjects that caught their eye. Along with the whiskies, Vir expected them to share presentations on travel, art, antiques, watches, pens, cars and any other discriminating item. The membership would be by Invitation only from another member, with no fees other
than to rotate the hosting of the gathering with food from the featured country. Vir envisions a lavish year-end gala and perhaps even a field trip to Scotland to tour a distillery or two. In keeping with the theme of Bali, the Virs presented a platter of delicacies from Indonesia, finished off with samplings from an assortment of Dutch, Chinese and masked Cuban cigars and Sarpeshkar took the group away on a flight of fancy to the gorgeous tropical, colorful vistas of Bali. “A place to visit for rejuvenation, knowledge, entertainment and mainly for its endless greenery”, he said, as he narrated the highpoints of his trip.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
22 May 02, 2014 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!
COMMUNITY
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Vishaka Tripathi_President of JKP Education AUSTIN, TX: JKP Education, a non-profit organization supported by Radha Madhav Dham Hindu Temple in Austin, has won the Nelson Mandela Peace Award for its contribution to the education of underprivileged girls in rural India. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Education, located in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, provides 100% free education, from kindergarten to postgraduate studies, to more than 5,000 girls living in impoverished rural areas.
With 430 million children in India, every 6th child in the world originates from India. Unfortunately, girls in India are robbed of an education on account of poverty even today. School dropout rate among adolescent girls is as high as 63.5%. Through its initiatives, JKP Education attempts to correct this situation and give back the birthright of education to girls living in poor rural areas of UP, India. JKP Education’s President, Vishaka Tripathi, accepted the prestigious award in Delhi on April 19, from a member of Indian Parliament and former Minister of State of Home Affairs, Shripad Yesso Naik. G.S. Sachdeva, General Secretary of the Economic Growth Society of India, commented, “These awards have been instituted with the goal of honoring individuals and organizations that have made selfless contribution towards the growth of India”. In addition to free education, students are provided transportation, uniforms, school bags, and other school-related items at no cost. “Our aim is to remove any obstacle to the girl’s education that is likely to be induced by poverty”, said Vishaka Tripathi.
Swami Nikhilanand, a US based preacher of Radha Madhav Dham in speaking to supporters about the award remarked “Leading a spiritual life and helping the less fortunate go hand in hand. We are very happy about this recognition. These awards inspire us to strive ever more diligently towards helping our fellow human beings and expand our future charitable works.” The efforts of JKP Education have been recognized in the past as well. It has received Rajiv Gandhi Global ExcellenceAward (May, 2013), Naari Today Award of Jagran group (May, 2013), and Mother Teresa Excellence Award (September, 2013). Nestled in the beautiful Hill Country of Austin, on a 200 acre property, Radha Madhav Dham is one of the largest Hindu temples in America. In addition to contributing to several health and educational related charitable projects aimed at improving the quality of life for poor in India, Radha Madhav Dham also supports Shiksha, a non-profit Sunday school providing enriching educational experience in India’s Arts and Culture for children living in the Greater Austin Community.
Ever Smiling and Loving, Radha Golikeri Turns 90 to a Warm Celebration
The Golikeri family enjoys a light hearted moment at the 90th birthday celebration of their matriarch, Radha, who was feted at a large gathering of friends and family last Saturday, April 26. Grandchildren (left to right) Rohit, Reema and Rita and daughter-in-law Ranjana and son Sudhir enjoyed the moment. They also celebrated Sudhir’s upcoming birthday (the next day) with a crown and impromptu flute in the traditional Marathi style.
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: “What most people don’t know is that my amma is an avid sports fan”, revealed Rita Golikeri to titters from the crowd. “Ask her what the stats are on any player or how the Houston Rockets did in the playoffs (they won the third game) and she’ll tell you!” she added as the crowd of well-wishers laughed out loud and amma smiled broadly in her front row seat. With about 150 people, including many young kids, who came to wish
her well, Radha Golikeri, fondly known as amma by one and all, stood to accept their warm embrace as she turned 90 this past Saturday, April 25 at the T. E. Harman Community Center off Hwy 90 across from the Imperial Sugar building. Some close family and friends staged a few songs, bhajans and a short dance to Bollywood music before dinner catered by Udippi Café. Golikeri has lived with her son Sudhir and his family – wife Ranjana and children Reema, Rohit and Rita -
in the Houston area since 1984 when her husband passed away in India. In the ensuing years, she pursued outlets for her active mind and body, getting involved with the Clear Lake community’s seniors, the India Culture Center and – her favorite – holding an annual ceremony for graduating Indo-American high school seniors for the past 17 years, a total of over 625 students. “Amma would scan all the yearbooks to find Indian names, then locate the kids parents and call them up, inviting them to come”, explained Rita, marveling at her grandmother’s tenacity and determination. It was these same skills, as well as a need to support her family and her ailing husband that pushed Golikeri to work as a young woman at Hindustan Levers in Bombay doing market research and collect data in the six Indian languages that she knew. She traveled often for her work and retired after 30 years with the firm. She has stopped her graduation parties now, especially after the family moved across town to Richmond, but she still remains very active, attending many community functions and writing her thoughts in English in essays and poems. Still vigorous at her age, one of the people who feted her said that he had known amma since he was 60 years old. “Now that I am 70, I have asked her to be the chief guest at my 90th birthday party and she has gladly agreed”, he chuckled.
Read us online at www.indoamerican-news.com INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
INDIA
May 02, 2014
23
Will Modi be a Lone Ranger as Prime Minister?
BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT By general consensus, Narendra Modi is expected to become India’s 14th* Prime Minister. Is he by temperament well-suited to govern a highly complex and heterogeneous country such as India, already torn asunder by a divisive and warring polity? Is he capable of shouldering the onerous responsibilities that the world’s most thorny job will demand of him? And will he give India’s wounded polity a healing touch or will he further widen the existing chasm? Though the issue may now just have an academic relevance yet it needs to be answered. India’s parliamentary democracy is patterned on the United Kingdom’s Westminster model in which the prime minister holds a key position. Gladstone had once described the British prime minister as “the key stone of the cabinet arch”. The reputed constitutional scholar Ivor Jennings likened a prime minister to the sun around which the planets revolved. However, the most popular of the Jennings’ quotes was, “prime minister is the first among the equals” in the cabinet, though that is not very true today. Be that as it may, is Modi a consensus man who will work in consultation with his fellow ministers or is he an authoritarian individual, believing in riding roughshod even over a minor dissent by a colleague? Modi loves himself most It is generally agreed that Modi is very much his own man; if he loves anyone at all, that is he himself. Like any narcissist, Modi too lacks empathy and is incapable to relate or even understand the feelings and emotions of others. A classic case in point is of his legally wedded wife Jashodaben Chimanlal who he had abandoned 45 years ago without any rhyme or reason soon after their marriage; he was then 18 and she 17. It is shameful now to justify this abandonment on the ground that it was a child marriage. Pray how a girl of 17 could be called a child when teenage marriages those days were more of a rule than exception. A brother of Modi now brazenly claims that the marriage was not even consummated. So what! Legally, Jashodaben and Narendra Bhai were deemed to have been married. She has mutely suffered her ignominy and lived an ostracized existence in that backward Gujarat village for all these 45 years. Modi had always claimed that he was a bachelor and never ever had disclosed his marital status. Doesn’t that make Modi a man devoid of any human emotions? Both Modi’s admirers and detractors believe that he is very much like the Lone Ranger of the American Wild West, a cult figure popularized by the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and Paul Newman in the 1930s-40s, taking up guns against the bad guys and at times against a crooked Sheriff. Hereafter the two perceptions differ. Modi’s admirers credit him with a single minded deter-
Lone Ranger
mination to root out single-handedly all that is evil in the country and usher in Ram Rajya whatever that may mean. His detractors on the other hand strongly believe that Modi has in him a dictatorial streak that per se precludes any need for consultation, advice or arriving at a consensus. Even as a prime ministerial candidate, Modi projects himself as towering much above the rest of the BJP’s mainstream top leadership headed by Lal Krishan Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley or for that matter the party’s national president Rajnath Singh. Modi authoritarian like Indira Gandhi Noted historian and a Dosco Dr. Ramachandra Guha believes that Modi is “instinctively and aggressively authoritarian” and that makes him unfit to be the prime minister of the country. “Like Indira Gandhi once did, Narendra Modi seeks to make his party, his government, his administration and his country into an extension of his personality,” Dr. Guha had made this prophesy as far back as February 2013. Let it be recalled that Indira Gandhi had dispensed with the entire original leadership of the Congress giving it the bad name of SYNDICATE as if it was a fly to be swatted. Likewise, Modi too will put in the doghouse all the old fogies, whose ‘use-by-date has expired’. There have been clear indications of Modi riding roughshod over any dissent in the selection of the candidates for the parliamentary elections. He had, as if by a divine right, arrogated to himself the sole power of deciding who will contest from which constituency and if there were any murmurs, they were either muffled or simply withered in due course. Flashback to Wednesday the 26 December 2012, it was another big day in the life of Narendra Bhai when he was ceremoniously coronated as the chief minister of Gujarat for the fourth time. The Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad had been decorated over the preceding days in a truly royal motif. The giant stage on which the governor Kamla Beniwal sworn
Modi as chief minister was chockablock with who’s who of the BJP’s top leadership including octogenarian LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari. Modi strode like a peacock dressed in finery, truly believing himself as the monarch of all that he surveyed and standing head and shoulder above the rest. Modi that day was arrogance personified. One could really revisit those vainglorious moments on the images that were splashed across the TV channels that afternoon. All the VIP guests were pushed away in background. It was Modi, Modi all the way. It was that day that Narendra Bhai decided that he had found the key to Raisina Hill in New Delhi. And today Modi stands at the threshold of becoming India’s prime minister, a fulfillment of a dream that he had dreamt and meticulously nurtured with a single minded devotion. Modi sees BJP as necessary evil Modi and his acolytes has already started licking their lips in anticipation. When the victory comes on May 16, Modi will start showing his not-so-hidden fangs. The first sign will be in the choice of the ministers to be included in the cabinet. No interference will be allowed by anyone and Modi will include his yes-men in the cabinet; there will be others in the cabinet by sheer weight of their standing in the party but they too will have to toe the Modi line or else…? Shiv Vishvanathan, a professor at Jindal School of Government and Public Policy says that Narendra Modi sees the party as a necessary evil. “No leader seems more hostile to his party than Mr. Modi. The party seems uneasy and even wary with him. Recent events indicate that the unease is a deep fault line,” he had written in a recent article. India today needs someone as its helmsman, who can not only soften the frayed tempers but also bring about a climate of consultation, of consensus and of harmony and someone who can heal the wounds. Modi may have many qualities but he is certainly not a consensus man. He is arrogant to a fault and the proof of that lies in his propensity to use the first person singular in all his speeches with droning regularity. Modi considers himself as the repository of all the wisdom and does not believe that he has any equals. That is a big flaw in his character. But who else is there as a potential prime minister? Modi is riding on the waves largely of negative sentiments. In a vast country like India, there is such a paucity of capable leaders? What a pity! What a tragedy! *Excluding multiple terms and acting prime minister Gulzari Lal Nanda. Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun-based author and freelance journalist.
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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. Send us the correct answer before MAY 07, 2014. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036. Send us your picture and we will publish it if you are a winner (for first three entrees only).
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Moong Di Dhuli Daal De Namkeen Laddu (Skinless Moon Daal Salty Balls) Indians love to eat fried foods, whether its pakoras, samosas, puris, kulchas or so many other things. The power of deep frying – and then eating the food hot – makes the average Indian’s mouth water! Namkeen laddus are a cross between a bhalla – which is made with urad daal - and a pakora, which is made with besan, which is after all just ground up channa daal. Namkeen laddus are not the same as sweet laddus, which are made of small granules of fried gram flour that are cooked in oil and then rolled into shape. Namkeen laddu is made of skinless moong daal, which has a different, crunchier granule texture and a unique taste when eaten alone with a sauce. These are also easily used to make a curry or can be soaked in plain yogurt and eaten with imbli (tamarind chutney). The green moong daal comes from the moong beans and is high in carbohydrates and protein as well as Vitamin B3 (Niacin), calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. This daal is universal to all parts of not only India but the rest of Southeast Asia where it is prepared in regional dishes. When the skin is removed, the daal is light yellow in color which tastes different when cooked. It is this skinless daal – also called dhuli moong ke daal – that can be used in the preparation of namkeen laddus. Ingredients: • 2 cups dhuli moong daal (skinless moong daal) • 4 cups vegetable or sunflower seed oil • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala, adrak powder (ginger powder)
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Directions: 1. Soak the dhuli moong daal for at least two hours in cold water.
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2. Pour the water out of the saucepan through a sieve and then run the daal thru a grinder set on fine so that it comes out like a paste and mix in the spices. 3. Pour the oil into a wok or kadai and warm it up to hot.
4. Take a spoonful of the paste and gently place it into the oil. Continue to add more spoonfuls but do not crowd them in the kadai. 5. The laddus will immediately fluff up, so turn them frequently till they are light brown and take them out of the oil quickly, placing them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil and cool down. 6. These taste best with chutney or they can be set aside to be used in making a curry or served soaked in yogurt.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK HOW TO KNEAD ATTA (WHEAT FLOUR) INTO DOUGH
In the US, many people are now choosing not to make roti (flat bread) at home and instead are buying them ready made in the frozen section or freshly made from local restaurants or even using substitutes such as tortillas or pita bread or other Middle Eastern flat breads. But making rotis on the tava at home is quite simple and you can control the type of flour, the texture and the sugar or salt content (you put none in the atta). Once you get in the habit, it is quite fast and your family will enjoy the rotis. One of the most basic things to remember is to only pour the atta into a dry bowl to begin with and then slowly add the water to make the dough. If you pour it into a wet bowl, the atta will stick to the sides and won’t come off, making a mess of the bowl. By the way, a wet dab of atta is often used in rural India to join pieces of paper as it is excellent glue once it is dry.
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Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ENTERTAINMENT
May 02, 2014
Movie Review: Kaanchi
Story: A mountain girl crosses swords with marauders because they threaten her love, land and life. Can she singlehandedly bring down a bunch of corrupt men? Review: Kaanchi (Mishti Mukherjee) is a virginal beauty from Koshampa in Uttaranchal who gets into brawls with the local bullies. And yet, there is an innocence about her that is alluring. We’re told that her late father, an army man, is whom she has got her spirited nature from. Of course, her homemaker ma admonishes her and tells her that girls shouldn’t behave like goondas. But Kaanchi, who is also called ‘Sigdi’ (a hot stove) doesn’t subscribe to her mom’s views. Her lover Binda (Karthik Aaryan) is the local fitness
consultant who trains the neighbourhood in combat. Like Kaanchi, he too is obsessed with keeping his town in the hills safe. Patriotic intentions apart, a lame love story with limp kisses follow. Before Kaanchi and Binda embark on their journey of bliss, the antagonist Sanjeev Kakda (TV hottie, Rishab Sinha), who desperately needs a haircut and acting lessons, comes into the picture. Coming back to the plot, Kakda is infatuated with Kaanchi and when she resists, he recoils. From here the film descends into a mishmash. Hell hath no fury than a Subhash Ghai heroine scorned. Kaanchi goes from Koshampa to Mumbai to seek revenge. In what is the most childish plot ever, she
masquerades as a domestic help in the Kakda household (comprising Rishi, Mithun and bad-hair boy). She conducts a sting operation, throws open a can of worms and blows the cover on this family, who have political leanings and havala earnings. And by the time she’s done with her Mother India act, you’re too tired to seek reason. Mishti looks a cross between Rani Mukherjee and Mandakini. Hoardings proclaim she is Kaanchi the unbreakable, but her voice is so shrill, it can cut glass. And Mr Ghai you’re the maker of Kaalicharan, Vishwanath, Karz, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Pardes and Taal. Permit us to just rewind to your past glory. -Times of India
IIFA 2014: Complete List of Winners Farhan Akhtar starrer ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, a biopic on sportsman Milkha Singh, walked away with nine trophies at the IIFA Magic of the Movies and Technical Awards here. Milkha Singh was in attendance at the last night’s ceremony with director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan, who was seen hugging the sportsman after performing on his hit songs like ‘Zinda’ from ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Senorita’ from ‘Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. In pics: Big winners at IIFA 2014 ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’won the Best Cinematography (Binod Pradhan), Best Screenplay (Prasoon Joshi), Best Dialogue (Prasoon Joshi), Best Editing (P S Bharti),Best Sound Design (Nakul Kamte ), Best Sound Mixing (Pranav Shukla),Best Background Score (Shankar-Ehsaan- Loy), Best Costume Designing (Dolly Ahluwalia), and Best Make-Up (Vikram Gaikwad). Hrithik Roshan starrer superhero film ‘Krrish 3′ won BestAction (Sham Kaushal & Tony Ching Siu Tung) and Best Special Effects – Visuals (Keitan Yadav & Haresh Hingorani – Red Chillies VFX), awards. “It feels great to be here and get IIFA award for Krrish 3,” Hrithik said. Hrithik grooved on stage with singer Mika Singh on Shahid Kapoor’s hit song ‘Agal Bagal’ from ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’.
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Mika was a hit with the crowd as he sang ‘Subah Hone De’ and other hit songs. Sonakshi Sinha gave an enthralling performance on her hit masala songs while Bipasha Basu performed on ‘Kamli’, ‘Baby Doll’. Director Rohit Shetty’s blockbuster hit ‘Chennai Express) won Best Song Recording (Vinod Verma for Lungi Dance) and Best Sound Mixing (Anup Dev) along with ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ at the ceremony hosted by Saif Ali Khan and Vir Das. Bollywood actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Parineeti Chopra, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ramesh Sippy, Vaani Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra, Arshad Warsi, Vive Oberoi and others attended the award ceremony. Complete list of winners: Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) – Deepika Padukone Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) – Farhan Akhtar for ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) – Divya Dutta for ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) – Aditya Roy Kapur for “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ Best Debut (Male) – Dhanush for ‘Raanjhanaa’. -Indian Express
26 May 02, 2014
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The Texas Lottery Commission Invites You to Attend:
“Doing Business Texas Style” Spot Bid Fair
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Monday, May 12, 2014 | 1:30 pm - 6:00 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2014 | 9:15 am – 11:30 am & 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Small, minority-owned, and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) will have a unique opportunity to compete for bid awards and network with state agencies and institutions of higher education. Bids must be submitted to agency staff on-site. Bid opportunities available for view and download at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/bidops/current_bid_opportunities/index.phtml For more information contact: Tiffany Dockery Mays: (512) 471-2863 or tiffany.dockery@austin.utexas.edu Dominik Mendoza: (512) 389-4538 or dominik.mendoza@tpwd.state.tx.us
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Indian-origin Tech CEO Ducks Jail Despite Beating Girlfriend 117 Times
LOS ANGELES: Indian-origin internet advertising mogul Gurbaksh Chahal has escaped jail despite beating and kicking his girlfriend 117 times, according to a media report. Chahal, 31, pleaded misdemeanor, domestic violence and battery charges
last week, dodging 45 felony counts for the videotaped 30-minute beating of his girlfriend, The Huffington Post reported. The CEO of RadiumOne - a Silicon Valley company that focusses on realtime advertising across web, mobile
and Facebook - faces no jail time. Chahal was sentenced to three years’ probation, 52 weeks in a domestic violence training programme and 25 hours of community service. The Internet mogul was arrested in August last year after police re-
sponded to a 911 domestic violence call at his San Francisco penthouse apartment. His girlfriend told the officers that she was unable to breathe and that Chahal had told her four times, “I’m going to kill you,” a police officer said, adding: “She stated she was in fear for her life.” Home security footage reportedly showed Chahal beating and kicking his girlfriend 117 times during the 30-minute attack. Prosecutors said Chahal lashed out at his girlfriend after learning that she had cheated on him during a trip to Las Vegas, according to court documents. Soon after Chahal posted his USD 1 million bail and hired former federal prosecutor James Lassart as his attorney, his girlfriend stopped cooperating with the investigation and refused to testify against him. During a preliminary hearing, Lassart did not deny that Chahal repeatedly beat his girlfriend, but insisted the physical damage was overblown. In a crippling blow to the prosecution, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Brendan Conroy ruled the surveillance video could not be used
as evidence because police seized it illegally from Chahal’s apartment. The prosecution argued it likely would have been erased if police had waited for a warrant. Alex Bastian, spokesman with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, issued a statement after the guilty plea yesterday, saying: “We disagree with the judge’s suppression of the video. The judge’s ruling substantially weakened the evidence we had for prosecution.” Chahal, once named one of America’s “most eligible bachelors” by ExtraTV, managed to advance his online- advertising network into its final stages for an initial public stock offering despite his arrest. He also secured a new partnership with publisher Conde Nast in April. Chahal sold his first online-ad network at the age of 16 for USD 20.5 million in stock. Seven years later, he sold another company he founded to Yahoo for USD 300 million. He authored a book about himself in 2009 titled ‘The Dream: How I Learned the Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship and Made Millions’. -Times of India
India’s FDI Inflows up 12% at $2 Billion in Feb NEW DELHI: Foreign direct investment (FDI) into India grew for the second consecutive month in February this year to $2.01 billion, up 12.29%. In February 2013, the FDI was at $1.79 billion according to the data by the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP). However, for the April-February period of last fiscal, FDI inflows dipped 0.6% to $20.76 billion, from $20.89 billion during the first 11 months of 2012-13. The highest FDI came in services
($2.18 billion), followed by automobiles ($1.28 billion), pharmaceuticals ($1.27 billion) and construction development ($1.05 billion) in the 11 months of 2013-14. Mauritius led the inflows into India with $4.48 billion, followed by Singapore ($3.91 billion), the UK ($3.21 billion) and the Netherlands ($2.20 billion). In January 2014, FDI had increased 1.5% at $2.18 billion. The country needs foreign investment to help regain its growth mo-
mentum. India’s economic growth slowed to a decade’s low of 4.5% in 2012-13. India is estimated to require about $1 trillion between 2012-13 and 2016-17, the 12th Five-Year Plan period, to fund infrastructure projects. A decline in FDI would hurt the rupee, which depreciated to a record low of 68.85 against the US dollar on 28 August last year. Since then the local currency has rebounded and is hovering at 61 per dollar. -Livemint.com
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28 May 02, 2014 Royals Win on Boundary Count after Tie and Super Over
Steve Smith and Shane Watson celebrate Rajasthan Royals’ dramatic Super Over heroics, Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals, IPL, Abu Dhabi. A few days ago, individual brilliance from Chris Lynn had given Kolkata Knight Riders a win from nowhere, which sparked wild celebrations. Today they experienced what it was like to be on the receiving end of such an unexpected result. Knight Riders needed only 16 off 12 balls with six wickets in hand, when their middle and lower order capsized against James Faulkner in the penultimate over. Shakib Al Hasan forced the match into a Super Over and Knight Riders would have been confident of Sunil Narine defending 12. But with three needed to win off the last ball, Steven Smith played a smart dab into the vacant space at extra cover and ran an easy two, levelling the match again and taking Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling win on the basis of a greater number of boundaries scored in the match. For Knight Riders, it should have never come to that stage. Faulkner hadn’t had the best of times in this year’s IPL and was benched for a match after ordinary outings in his first three games, but bowled an inspirational over to turn the game on its head. Cameos from Suryakumar Yadav and Shakib had almost brought
Knight Riders on the doorstep of a smartly constructed innings and a win seemed there for the taking. They had added 49 runs in 26 balls. Then, Faulkner’s slower balls, so effective last year, made a sparkling re-entry. Yadav, looking for a big hit, sliced the first ball of the 19th over to longoff to fall for a 19-ball 31. It was still Knight Riders’ game, but Faulkner’s fourth and fifth deliveries proved to be the icing on his birthday cake as Robin Uthappa and Vinay Kumar missed straight deliveries to be bowled. Six balls, three wickets and 12 off nine became 12 off 6. With Shakib still around, Knight Riders still had some chance - they kept up with the task as Shakib squeezed a boundary off the first ball off the last over. Kane Richardson did not bowl the best of overs, serving leg-side balls and half-volleys. Shakib failed to connect properly again in the over, but managed to tie the game. However, Smith’s presence of mind off the last delivery of the Super Over that won them two points showed Royals were in no mood to spoil Faulkner’s birthday party. One of the heartening side stories for the Knight Riders to emerge despite the loss was Gautam Gambhir’s return to form. Gambhir didn’t
set the stage on fire - the slower Abu Dhabi pitch was never going to allow that sort of strokeplay and that’s not Gambhir’s game anyway - but his 45 from 44 deliveries was the ideal platform for the middle-order strokemakers. Such had been the drought that Gambhir would have been satisfied with anything of substance; he had hardly spent any time in the middle. He ended up playing the solid knock that was needed at the top of the order following the template Ajinkya Rahane, who top-scored with 72, had set in the first half of the match. A pull shot off the gentle medium pace of Stuart Binny didn’t run to the boundary but was the ideal tonic for a sagging spirit. Once he had played a few balls though, Gambhir was in familiar territory, comfortably nudging the ball into the gaps and using his feet to the slower bowlers. Familiar with Rajat Bhatia’s tricks, Gambhir handled his Delhi teammate with ease, once using his feet to carve a slower delivery over extra cover in trademark fashion. But he was caught in the boundary to a sweep shot, five short of his halfcentury. His team’s fate followed a similar course: Solid, but not being able to finish it off.
SPORTS
Atletico Madrid Braced for Counter Punching Chelsea F.C. LONDON (NDTV): Atletico Madrid will expect another exhibition of ultra-disciplined counter-punching from Chelsea F.C. when the teams reconvene for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Chelsea emerged from last week’s first leg with a 0-0 draw after a cautious display in which they enjoyed only 38 percent of possession and mustered five attempts at goal to Atletico’s 26. (Full match report) Jose Mourinho’s side were at it again on Sunday, relaunching their Premier League title bid with a 2-0 success at leaders Liverpool after again surrendering possession and playing on the counter-attack. Chelsea’s approach was criticised by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who dismissively described their tactics as “not difficult to coach”, but it was effective, and Atletico will be braced for more of the same. Chelsea’s form has oscillated wildly in recent weeks, with performances such as the victory at Liverpool, a 6-0 demolition of Arsenal and the 2-0 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final second leg interspersed with shock losses to Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Sunderland. While Chelsea’s title destiny is not in their own hands, as they need both Liverpool and Manchester City to drop points, full-back Cesar Azpilicueta believes that Sunday’s win at Anfield was ideal preparation for Wednesday’s assignment. “This victory has given us a lot of confidence to go into the match with Atletico,” the Spaniard told British newspaper the London Evening Standard. “We had a lot of difficulties (before the game at Liverpool). We had players missing and have the match of our lives to come on Wednesday. “But we played well and showed how strong our squad is. It’s an achievement from everyone. “After the Atletico game, we’ll see about the title. We have two more games in the league against Norwich and Cardiff, but all our attention is on Wednesday.” - History beckons for Mourinho Mourinho has declared that Chelsea do not have a chance of winning the league, but he stands on the brink
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of history in Europe. Success in the May 24 final in Lisbon would make the 51-year-old Portuguese the first manager to win the Champions League with three different clubs, and few coaches thrive on the tactical duels in Europe’s elite competition like he does. He will also be motivated by the desire to avenge his loss to Diego Simeone’s Atletico in last season’s Copa del Rey final, which brought his third and final season at Real Madrid to a trophyless conclusion. Atletico are unbeaten in this season’s Champions League, however, and having preserved their four-point lead in La Liga by winning 1-0 at Valencia on Sunday, they, too, have a trophy double in their sights. Complicating matters for Chelsea is the fact that Mourinho must select from a depleted squad, with midfielders Frank Lampard and John Mikel Obi suspended and injury concerns affecting several key players. Goalkeeper Petr Cech has been ruled out after dislocating his shoulder in the first leg, so Mark Schwarzer will continue to deputise, and striker Samuel Eto’o is doubtful with a knee injury. Mourinho says that John Terry has “a chance” of playing after sustaining a foot injury at the Vicente Calderon, while Chelsea are hopeful that newly crowned Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year Eden Hazard will be fit after a calf problem. Simeone has played down the potential impact of Chelsea’s selection issues and is also unconvinced that his side’s run of nine straight league wins will prove a factor at Stamford Bridge. “The league has nothing to do with the Champions League,” said the Argentine, who is bidding to become the first coach to lead Atletico to a European Cup final since 1974. “Chelsea have a great team, one that could be rotated and still win 2-0 at Liverpool. We know we are facing a very strong team and one that will give us a lot of problems.” Atletico will be without captain Gabi due to suspension, with former Chelsea midfielder Tiago Mendes expected to take his place, but Simeone otherwise has a full squad to choose from.
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Heavy Military Spending Hurting India, Pakistan: US Report
WASHINGTON: Heavy military spending in India and Pakistan has been detrimental to the citizens of both countries, a US think-tank said on Thursday while urging the two neighbours to reinvest in trade and confidence building. The Washington-based Atlantic Council warns that “Kashmir remains a potential global flashpoint that could escalate into a nuclear war very quickly.” The council’s report ---“India and Pakistan: The Opportunity Cost of Conflict” --- explains how high defence spending and low economic integration into South Asia’s re-
gional economy have come at the expense of those living in poverty. Although many in the two countries now favour rapprochement, the report argues that “unless both sides begin a dialogue on economic and military relations, these issues will only worsen.” Authors Suhja Nawaz and Mohan Guruswamy point out that today Pakistan has a population of 200 million and India 1.2 billion. The United Nations Development Programme’s human development indicators show that 21per cent of Pakistan’s population lives on under $1.25 a day. In India’s case,
while this has come down from 41.6pc in 2005, but it has now become relatively obdurate at 22.6 pc. The report notes that this coincides with a period when India’s gross domestic product grew at an average of over 7.4 pc, while Pakistan’s economic condition deteriorated very clearly suggesting the need to maintain high levels of GDP growth to make a dent on poverty. Yet both countries’ defence spending continued to rise in real terms, especially in the period 1998-2010, with India’s defence expenditures growing in constant dollars from some
$20 billion to over $45 billion and Pakistan’s from slightly below $5 billion to slightly more than $5 billion over this period. The share of this spending in the GDP of both countries has declined over this period, with India’s declining from under 5pc to under 3pc and Pakistan rising initially from below 3pc to over 3 pc in 1999 and 2000 to below 3 pc in 2010. In a foreword for the report, former US Secretary of State George P Shultz notes that the cost of the military itself is substantial. “But the cost of arms and armies is only part of the problem. Here we have two countries full of competent people and many complementary capabilities,” he writes. “In this setting, trade should be booming, much to the benefit of people in both countries. Instead, trade is at a mere trickle.” For confidence building, the report suggests increased people-topeople contacts which, it argues, will eliminate old stereotypes that fuel fears of each other. It also encourages direct communications between the two militaries, through exchange visits and more transparency about their military plans and movements. Open borders for trade and tourism and joint investments in energy, water, and export industries would also help. Showing the inadequacy of military build-up for strengthening national security; the report points out: “Increased spending has not brought foolproof security to either
country. Indeed, their threats have changed much over the decades. Internal militancy and insurgencies continue to bedevil both states.” It notes that “the production of newer missiles and tactical nuclear weapons adds further volatility and danger to this mix. Unless both sides can begin a dialogue on economic and military relations, they will continue to feed their defence budgets, increasing the opportunity costs of such expenditures.” It recommends that India and Pakistan should reduce the proximity of their land forces by increasing the distance from borders of their respective forces. While India and Pakistan may still be far away from evolving open borders to allow people to move freely, they could have open borders for trade. A big bilateral trade then invests in the peace constituencies in both countries. Business relationships make nations more pragmatic and accommodating,” says the report. “India and Pakistan seriously need to invest efforts in expanding trade and investment to the fullest extent possible. An annual bilateral trade between India and Pakistan may result in a GDP trajectory that could be as much as 1.5 pc more than present,” it adds. “This will represent a fourfold increase in trade and both sides have much to gain in terms of lower prices and timely supplies,” the Atlantic Council argues. -Dawn.com
350 Million Votes in, 349 Seats Decided; India on Course for Breaking 1984 Turnout Record Indian voters have hit high notes like never before in the first six phases of the Lok Sabha elections, setting the stage for a scorching turnout record in the summer of 2014. Traditionally, poll pundits see high turnout as a vote for change. Following Thursday’s vote in the sixth phase, 350 million Indian voters (more than the population of the US) have given their verdict in 349 of the 543 seats.
If the turnout trend holds, the record of 63.56% established in 1984 polls, held soon after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, will be eclipsed. “By this time, the national aggregate of turnout for all the elections held so far is 66%, as against 57.53% for the same constituencies in 2009 Lok Sabha elections,” Election Commission director general Akshay Rout had
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said on Thursday. “Of course, it is the highest ever.” (Figures may change with repolls ordered in certain polling stations and after factoring in postal ballots). The poll play is over in some key states such as Maharashtra (48 seats), Tamil Nadu (39), Madhya Pradesh (29), Karnataka (28), Rajasthan (25), Odisha (21), Kerala (20), Jharkhand (14), Assam (14), Chhattisgarh
(11), Haryana (10) and Delhi (7). Up ahead are big contests in Andhra Pradesh, where the political dynamics have changed with the Telangana statehood decision, and 47 remaining seats of Uttar Pradesh. The Congress had struck it rich in both states in 2009. While Andhra had given the party 33 of its 42 seats, UP yielded 21 of its 80. Big fights will also take place in West Bengal and Bihar, which
have already seen polling action. Bengal has had two phases of voting for 10 seats; 32 remain. Of Bihar 40 seats, voting is over in 20.
-Hindustantimes
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