Friday, June 26, 2015 • Vol. 34, No. 26
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June 26, 2015
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Friday, June 26 2015 | Vol. 34, No. 26
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From left: Shriram Sarvotham, Beth Reese, Dr. Harish Chandra, Alejandro Chaoul, Consul General of India Harish Parvathaneni, Daksha Shah, Charles McInerney, Billie Gollnick, Robert Boustany, Jennifer Buergermeister, Kay Westcott, and Shekhar Agrawal (honoree).
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June 26, 2015
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June 26, 2015 COMMUNITY Anupam Kher Visits Houston for “Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha” Promotions
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: Just couple of months to go when Anupam Kher with his “Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha” Team will be performing at the Stafford Center (New) on Friday, August 7, at 9:00 pm. The play written and directed by Rakesh Bedi has been able to gain popularity from across the globe. The entire cast of the show will be on a tour from Friday, August 7 and will be performing all over the United States and Canada. The proud International Promoter of “Mera Who Matlab Nahin Tha,” Rajender Singh from Star Promotions, organized a press conference for the plays promotion at the Hilton Southwest (6780 SW Fwy), Houston on Tuesday, June 16, at 12:30 pm. Light snacks were served from 12:30pm
- 1:00pm, just before the press conference began as the entire Houston media had attended the event. As the event begun Anupam Kher entered the room where the entire press conference system was set up. Audiences and the media people greeted Anupam Kher with standing ovation and loud cheers. Meena Dutt, the emcee of the event introduced him to the audience and first asked Rajender to speak a few words after which a small audiovisual was played about the show. Soon after this, Anupam Kher greeted everyone for attending the press conference as Houston was experiencing really bad weather on that day. Anupam Kher whole-heartedly thanked everyone present at the event for making it to the conference even after heavy rains and thunderstorms. Anupam said that he was here only
to promote the play. He is very excited about the play and is happy with the kind of responses he has received so far. He has done 491 movies but has done 3 plays and it has taken him 3 decades to do 3 plays and doing a play is very close to his heart. He said that they have done 11 shows of the play in India and all 11 shows have been sold out online, days before the date of the show. He also added saying the reason why the play is being liked by everyone is because, the play is the story of a common man, his or her first love, people will be able to relate to it. Saying this he concluded and then begun the most awaited question & answer session with the audiences. One of the many questions was, ‘Compared to movies and theater, his first love seems like theater, is it right or wrong? To this Anupam Kher very joyfully responded saying, “Absolutely right, because I started my career as a theater artist, and theater will always remain close to my heart.” Soon after another question came up which was ‘Do u think the attention span of the audience has changed over the years while they come to see a play? To which he answered saying, “Yes the attention span has changed, and people are impatient now, especially with their phones available all the time. But in spite of all this being able to maintain the attention of the audience during the play is the key and this is what this play does.” Soon after the Q&A session everyone lined up to get photos and selfies with the star after which the event concluded, leaving everyone behind waiting patiently for the play on August 7. For further information call 281-222-4500 or go to Sulekha. com to get your tickets Or visit www.starpromotioninc.com
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COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
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Houston’s First Inaugural International Day of Yoga: A Successful Invocation Toward Oneness
BY JENNIFER BUERGERMEISTER HOUSTON: The Consulate General of India in Houston is in partnership with Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) and supporting organizations which contribute by helping in organizing this huge undertaking at the George R. Brown convention center. The Consul General (CG) of India Harish Parvathaneni and Congressman Al Green spoke on Sunday with great enthusiasm about the future of human wellness to a crowded room of over 3,000 people. All gathered in honor of the very first International Day of Yoga recognizing yoga as a practice toward peace and harmony. An opening ceremony beautifully honored India, The United States and 12 community leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary service to communities in the promotion of yoga: Robert Boustany, Jennifer Buergermeister, Dr. Harish Chandra, Alejandro Chaoul, Lorenzo Cohen, Billie Gollnick, Ann Klein, Charles McInerney, Beth Reese, Shriram Sarvotham, Daksha Shah, and Kay Westcott. The honoring ceremony was followed by a morning yoga session with Shriram Sarvotham who began with an invocation followed by a few light exercises. Billie Gollnick at age 87 with her favorite student Robert Boustany conducted the Yoga Asanas (postures) session. Shekhar Agrawal followed with Pranayama (breathing exercises), and the morning sessions ended with a meditation led by Dr. Harish Chandra. The afternoon began with an amazing 30-minute yoga demonstration by “The Masters” - Robert Boustany, Catherine Allen, Ann Hyde and Kabir Samlal - whose beautiful practices thrilled the whole audience with awe. After the lunch break, 30 children from Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh demonstrated yoga. Beth Reese and her group led Yoginos: Yoga for Youth and energized the crowd with a spectacular and funfilled class for kids and families. The children program was followed with a workshop on the therapeutics of yoga, a session
peace by doing yoga. We joined together yesterday in a real sense… just as it should be.” The world is seemingly ready for an integration of mind/body/planet health like never before. We have reached a new age where wellness is recognized as more than just exercise and diet. Health is a complete system that combines the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and planetary components of being. We have reached the tipping point where our conscious actions are crucial, and every aspect influences a world of concerns from climate and environmental contamination to human faction and war. It’s time to remember oneness for all. “Yoga is a great Indian gift to the world,” said Latafath Husain, president of the Association of Indian Muslims in Greater Houston and one of the sponsors of the event. He said, “We wanted to help spread the word and show the world how proud we are of our heritage.” If we adopt yoga in our daily life, the world will be filled with harmony and peace. This is an invitation from the International Day of Yoga to join us again each year and help us beat our record of 3600 registrants. “It is an honor to be a volunteer at the ‘International Yoga Day’ – because we feel that we made an effective contribution to serve humanity and promote peace on earth, said volunteer Bhagwan Bhutada. Photos: Bijay Dixit
moderated by Robert Boustany and three panelists - Charles Maclnerney, Sat Siri Sumler, and Smitha Mallaiah. Attendees were able to ask many open-ended questions and discuss considerations in a therapeutic yoga practice. A beautiful performance called “Upa Yoga” was presented later in the afternoon by Ravi Bommu and Vasanth Balasubramani of ISHA Yoga. The performance attracted a large afternoon crowd. Afterwards, the attendees fully appreciated the Yog Nidra session led by Robert Boustany to relax and restore. A Patanjali Yoga Meditation with Dr. Harish Chandra then finalized the day and left the crowd fully rejuvenated. “It was a unique experience to organize the first International Day
of Yoga celebrations in Houston on 21 June. Houston is not only a diverse, inclusive and welcoming city but also has a rich "Yoga ecosystem" spanning different schools, practices and lineages. The fact that Houston is the only city where all branches of the 'Yoga tree' got together to celebrate is testimony to the overall message of Yoga of unity and harmony - between East and West, man and nature, mind and body, thought and action,” said CG Parvathaneni, “This is the first year of such an annual get together and celebration, and I am confident that with the dedication and contribution of so many aspirants, practitioners and gurus of yoga, the International Day of Yoga will find its rightful
place in Houston's calendar.” Houston has become a mecca for yogic practices and the overall vision for humanity. The event was congratulated and supported by state officials and diplomats, and also by the Chancellor and President of the University of Houston Renu Khator. Khator said, "I do yoga every day." She has been a long time advocate of yoga since her youth living in India. She practiced yoga up front on the second row near the Consul General of India and his lovely wife. Organizer and Honoree Shekhar Agrawal said, “It was a proud moment in Houston as East met the West and thousands of Houstonians came together under one roof for a united purpose of harmony and
Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Darshak Thacker of Krishna Sounds provided live surround sound and stage lights at the International Yoga day celebration, it is always a big challenge to cover all areas of the GRB for non-music events but KS set speakers at all pole locations to make sure sound reached all areas without making it too loud, also provided very bright stage lights using new LED lights so that people on stage wouldn't feel blind but the audience could see the stage very clear. Mona Thacker took care of all back ground music
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COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
IACF Gives High Schoolers a Headstart to Begin the Journey to College BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: The focus of the evening of awards was certainly on the high school kids who were being honored for their hard work and determination to overcome odds, both personal and academic, and their tenacity to still achieve excellence among their graduating peers. “It was a difficult task to make our selections from among the 53 applications we received,” remarked Alpa Shah, chair of the selection committee. “Each one of us on the IACF Scholarship Committee - Ramesh Cherivirala, Prem Cholia, Rathna Kumar, Mahesh Wadhwa and myself - spent 25 hours a piece to review the applications and narrow the search down to 23 deserving graduating high school kids.” Of the 53, four applications came from the IACF online website and the rest were passed along from Ft. Bend ISD, which had partnered with IACF, like it had done last year. Scholarships ranged from $2,000 to $500 and totaled $24,000. Last year’s event was a boisterous affair which was coupled with a donor appreciation and reach-out Casino Night at the Aloft Hotel on Westheimer (see IAN dated August 8, 2014). This year’s event was much more subdued, focused on the scholarship recipients, and held at the FBISD Annex Building meeting room on Sweet Water Blvd. in Sugar Land on Wednesday evening, June 17. Among the guests was Allan Owen, the Mayor of Missouri City who expressed his admiration for the hard work the students put in and wished them well in
The recipients of the IACF Scholarships which totaled $24,000, with the selection committee and Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen Photos: Murali Santhana
their future careers. Over 150 people attended the annual Indo American Charity Foundation’s Scholarship Awards event, including the scholarship winners and their parents and friends as well as most of the IACF Board of Directors and former presidents like - Prabha Bala and Paul Likhari - who were presenters of the certificates. Among the presenters were community leaders like Latafath Hussain, President of the IMAGH; Sam Kannapan, who serves on the Texas Professional Engineers Licensing Board; Sam Merchant, who is on the Board
of India House and representing US Congressman Al Green; HCC Trustee Neeta Sane; S.G. Appan, a respected agricultural businessman and Harris County 127th District Court Judge Ravi Sandill. One Scholarship was named for a former IACF president, David Raj, who passed away at a young age two years ago and left a deep indelible mark on the organization, but was passionate about education. It was presented by his close friend and personal physician Dr. Dominic Sreshta to Sydney LeFlore Murphy.
The event was emceed by another IACF Director, Dr. Vanitha Pothuri who stood in for Pooja Lodhia, the KTRH news reporter who emceed last year’s event but couldn’t do so this year as she was covering the lingering effects of Tropical Storm Bill which had hit the day before. IACF President Kamala Raghavan gave a brief run down about the IACF and the areas it provides funding to charities across the Greater Houston area, adding that this event fit in nicely with
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June 26, 2015
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COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Commits Rs. 2 Crores for Nepal Victims
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On April 25, 2015 when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Himalayan range nation of Nepal, it took one of the worst catastrophic tolls in human history in terms of lives destroyed, lives lost and the economic damage it inflicted on all facets of poor country’s life. At last count, more than 9,000 people had reportedly lost their lives, 28,000 were injured, almost 40,000 people were homeless, millions were displaced and tens of thousands businesses were destroyed. Worst hit were the Villages. Unlike other rescue-relief Organizations that converged on Nepal in the aftermath of earthquake, ‘Ekal Vidyalaya’ already had deep roots in Nepal for years and therefore had personal stake in rebuilding this nation and its lives. As of April’2015, Ekal had 1,500 schools operating in Nepal’s rural areas. Ekal, was not only familiar with its people, its culture and life’s necessities, but also, had well-established rapport with the local governments. Shri Shyamji Gupta, Founder-Chairman of “Ekal-India” happened to be in Nepal when the earthquake struck and so he personally initiated the relief efforts after witnessing the tragedy first-hand that unfolded. As the news of destruction hit the world, ‘Ekal Orgz’ under the leadership of Ravidevji Gupta sprang into action to start coordinating rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts with its selfless volunteering force of 1,600 Nepali regulars, within hours. A comprehensive plan for helping out victims was charted. Food and water were made available immediately. Medicines and shelter equipment for the displaced were dispatched overnight from India. Considering the extent of mind-boggling human toll,
Bajrangji Bagra, President, Ekal-India immediately allocated Rs. 1 Crore for this humanitarian work. Within days, Ekal’s own survey indicated that 626 Ekal-Villages were affected, 365 Ekal teacher’s housings were destroyed and over 250 Ekal schools were badly damaged. In earthquake ravaged regions, Ekal extended help irrespective of people’s personal affiliations, caste, region and creed as its motto life is. Besides, essential food items and medicines, 9743 tarpaulin, and 11,500 blankets were distributed through Ekal-Parivar, which benefitted approximately 5,000 families in 400 villages. The team of Doctors also treated 500 patients in ‘Sindupalchowk’ district and 400 patients in ‘Lalitpur’ district alone for wounds, gastric problems, psychiatric interventions and orthopedic injuries. Ekal-USA, through its appeals to Donors raised hundred thousand Dollars for Nepal-relief. According to Subhashji Gupta, past President and current Advisor to Ekal-USA, total commitment of Ekal in Nepal is likely to exceed Rs. 2 Crores. Rehabilitation is the major task ahead and Ekal is into it for a long haul. Ekal-Pariwar’s future plans include building 4 hostels for earthquake-afflicted children where they could be appropriately looked after and groomed and also establishing community centers in badly affected village for collective activities. Ekal is also exploring possibilities of adopting ‘villages’ for rehabilitations. This is going to require lot more funding. Therefore, Ekal is currently seeking generous financial support from our community-at-large. Pl donate generously at www.ekal.org. “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation” is tax-exempt duly registered charity Organization in USA
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Sushain Cherivirala, Bhanu Chitturi, Arya Deshmukh, Shreyas Ganesh, Pratha Aggarwal, Renuka Gondi, Yuthika Gundamaraju, Neha Gupta, Bianca Bhakta, Bridgita Bhakta, Shruti Iyer, Anushka Kale, Priya Kane, Arun Kane, Dhwani Dawar, Sriharsha Kethireddipalli, Krishna Marepalli, Manaswi Marri,Sruthi Parameswaran Moothath, Karthika Krishnan, Sonia Mulayath, Neelesh Mutyala Choudary, Atul Nayak, Shivani Lallo, Tushar Patel, Sneha Peri, Aayush Prasanna, Millen Makkar, Srikar Ranga, Sanjana Rao, Kunda Rapolu, Isha Mehta, Pooja Reddy, Niti Sawant, Shivani Shah, Nandeeta Patel, Sai Samarchita Singh, Vibha Sripadam, Rahul Sirigiri, Jageeshadurga Ravipati, Vrinda Rajkumar, Manisha Vunnam, Shashank Vura, Reeya Upadhyay, Nidhi Wunnava, Bina Yarlagadda, Bindu Yarlagadda, Ashney Vyas. INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
June 26, 2015 9 COMMUNITY Hundreds Join in for the BAPS Charities Annual Walk
Over 800 walkers at the BAPS Charities walkathon
Pravin Kapadia, Tanna, Desai, Jarrod Turely, Jyoti Ghimirey, Dr Lopa Mishra, Anant Patel, Ronnie Patel, Tabitha Turley kicked off the Walk.
SUGAR LAND: When most of us looked at the weather forecast for the morning of Sunday, June 14, we focused on the 80% chance of rain. Yash Bhatt, age 13, chose to see it as a 20% chance of no rain, which would mean that the walk he had been waiting for would still take place. Along with hundreds in his community, Yash had been raising awareness for two of the beneficiaries of the BAPS Charities 16th annual walkathon, ADA (American Diabetes Association) and Stafford MSD (Municipal School District Education) Foundation. Yogin Patel, one of the organizers of the BAPS Charities walk in Houston said, “Despite what the forecast said, we had decided to continue with the walk rain or shine.” By 9:00 AM, Yash’s hopes of 20% turned into 100% as the clouds parted and the Sugar Land Town Center was filled with over 800 people ready to walk. This year the walk commenced with a moment of silence for the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal.
Adding to the previous donations that BAPS Charities has made of $25,000 to Direct Relief, $30,000 to Unicef, $25,000 to One Heart worldwide, a check of $5,000 was presented to the Nepalese Association of Houston for the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. Jyoti Ghimirey, president of Nepalese Association of Houston, emphasized the long road ahead of recovery for Nepal and thanked BAPS Charities for their efforts and contribution. The success of this year’s walk is due to the fundraising efforts of walkers just like Yash Bhatt and the generosity of our sponsors such as Piping Technology & Products, SDB Trade International, Quest Diagnostics, Eco Pharmacy, Akshar Properties, Entelrgy, Choice Specialty Pharmacy, AAUM Commercial Demolition Contractor, Dr. Lopa & Bibhuti Mishra, Pershant & Nidhika Mehta and Bharat & Rina Patel. Jared Turley of Quest Diagnostics commented, “In our minds the pairing
of Quest Diagnostics and BAPS Charities makes perfect sense and we are privileged to be part of that framework. BAPS embodies Health, Goodwill, Integrity, Compassion, Respect and Hospitality.” Yash echoes the sentiment of the hundreds that came out in support of this Sunday’s walk when he said, “I am glad that the walk continued and cannot wait to do it
again next year.” BAPS Charities aims to selflessly serve society through a variety of social projects and inspire tens of thousands of others to do the same. In addition to the 54 such annual walkathons hosted across North America this year, BAPS Charities hosts various programs to support and raise awareness for healthy liv-
ing, environmental sustainability and educational initiatives around the world. BAPS Charities strives to sincerely serve the community by improving the quality of lives of individuals and their families For further information, contact:Viral Desai at 832-4984725 or email at media@houstonmandir.org
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
10 June 26, 2015
Akshaya Patra Field Kitchen in Nepal Opens & Serves Meals for Earthquake Survivors
KATHMANDU: The kitchen, set up in Bhaktapur, began serving meals on June 19, 2015. Kathmandu, Nepal, June 22, 2015: The Earthquake Relief Centralised Kitchen Project, a joint initiative of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, Jamsetji Tata Trust and Sipradian Sahayata Sanstha prepared and served its first meals on Saturday, June 19, 2015. The Akshaya Patra Foundation builds and operates award winning centralized kitchens in India from which it delivers hot, nutritious meals to 1.4 million school children across India daily. As such, Akshaya Patra is uniquely qualified to set up an emergency field kitchen in less than one week’s time to aid the survivors of the two devastating earthquakes in Nepal. Shortly after these devastating earthqualkes it was found that tens of thousands of people were homeless and without access to clean water and food. Thirty-three members of Akshaya Patra’s
Team set up the kitchen in five days—a record for the organization. The kitchen is housed in a pre-fabricated structure. The kitchen contains three 600-liter cooking cauldrons to prepare rice, a 1,200-liter cauldron to prepare dal, and vegetable cutting machines. The kitchen follows stringent rules to ensure quality control and that food prepared is nutritious and hygienic. The kitchen began its operations on Saturday, the 19th, by serving 1,100 people living in camps in Bode, where survivors of the worst affected area of Sindhupal Chowk have been accommodated. The kitchen, which can prepare 10,000 meals an hour up to 100,000 people a day, will also serve survivors in Bhelukhel, Maheswari, Jella, Garun Kund, Kamal Binayak, Thulo Bayasee, Bayasee, Bode, Thali, Gokarneswar and Bhugmati. Speaking to Madan, Camp Coordinator at Bode, a homeless camp resident com-
DIVORCE
COMMUNITY
mented, “Despite all the things that have happened we will come up from this. The relief kitchen initiative has also given us the strength to look forward.” Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, expressed his gratitude saying, “I wholeheartedly thank the Government of Nepal, Jamsetji Tata Trust and Sipradian Sahayata Sanstha for their unflinching support in helping us set up this earthquake relief kitchen facility in the affected area. With their continued involvement, we are confident that we can provide wholesome, nutritious food to those affected in the region and offer comfort during this time.” Akshaya Patra USA (AP-USA), based on Stoneham, MA, is currently raising funds to support the continuation of the feeding of Nepalese affected by the earthquakes beyond what has already been generously contributed by the Jamsetji Tata Trust and Sipradian Sahayata Sanstha. “Hundreds of kind-hearted people throughout the US have already joined hands to lend their support to this vital humanitarian relief project,” noted Emily Rosenbaum
AP-USA CEO. “We are so immensely grateful, as are the people of Nepal.” Donors in the United States can help build Akshaya Patra’s Nepal Kitchen Fund and ensure hope and nutrition for these earthquake survivors by going online to www. foodforeducation.org/nepal or by sending checks to: Akshaya Patra USA, 92 Montvale Avenue, Suite 2500.Stoneham, MA 02180 ATTN: Nepal Kitchen Fund About Akshaya Patra: Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest NGO-run school meal program serving over 1.4 million children in 10,770 government schools in 10 states in India from 24 kitchens. All of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens meet the highest standards of safety and efficiency, and ten of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens have already been certified as FSMS ISO 22000:2005 compliant, which means they meet the standards of the International Food Safety Management System (FSMS). Akshaya Patra USA supports the mission of the organization by raising funds and awareness for Akshaya Patra amongst supporters in the United States.
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COMMUNITY Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan
Photos: Jaswant Singh
BY JASBIR SINGH HOUSTON: A three day event was held at the Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston located on 14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, Texas 77083 from June 19, 20 and 21, 2015. Participants of this event were: Padamshri Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, Hazoori Raagi of Shri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, India. Dr. Gurnam Singh, Professor & Head, Gurmat Sangeet Chair-Department of Gurmat Sangeet , Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India. Bibi Ishwanik Kaur, Classical sangeet performer , New Delhi, India and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Pa-
ras, Resident Raagi of Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston. For the first time in the United States a Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan of this style was organized by the management of Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston in which all the kirtan was performed and the gurushabads were sung in the raagas as specified in Shri Guru Granth Sahib as per the tradition and Parampara estiablished by the ten Gurus with instrumental and percussion accompaniments. The event was attended in great number by the sikh community from all over Houston and Texas. Tremendous success of the event was reciprocated by the audience for a request to orga-
nize such an event again next year which was readily approved by the management. The dates and time of next year event will be decided shortly by the management. Gurmat Sangeet or Shabad Kirtan is the singing of hymns or shabads from Guru Granth Sahib, the central text of Sikhism. Traditionally, the shabad should be sung in the Raagas as prescribed in Guru Granth Sahib. It began in the 16th Century as the musical expression of mystical poetry concieved by the founder of sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Following him. all the Sikh Gurus sang in the ten prevalent classical and folk music syles, accompanied by string and percussion instruments. The style was where the text was of prime significance and music played a supporting, albeit important, role. Thirty one main raagas and the same number of variants were named. Several raagas and variants are unique to the Sikh Music. While Hindustani music underwent significant changes in the setting of Mughal Courts, and a separate stream of Carnatic music develped in southern India, Gurmat Sangeet retained its identity encompassing a variety of melodic forms and a well developed percussive system. In the 20th century, the devotional Gurmat Sangeet sung in Dhrupad style was overtaken by Darbari Khayal style. the harmonium took the place of stringed instruments. and tabla replaced the pakhawaj and jori. Bhai Mardan (1459 - 1534) follower and long time companion of Guru Nanak was the first Sikh Musician. The Sikh musician were later on developed into three types: Rababis, Raagis and Dhadhis. For any comments orinformation regarding the event you may contact: Jasbir Singh, Vice-Chairman, Board of Trustees , 832-7219947or Dr. Tejindra Gill, Secretary, Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston. Email: secretarygsswh@ yahoo.com.
June 26, 2015
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COMMUNITY
The 2015 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee Kicks off Texas Winners Announced
Dallas :From left: 2nd Runner Up: Cristopher Cruz, Regional champ: Smriti Upadhyayula, 1st Runner Up: Rahul Karthi and Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee - Rahul Walia
HOUSTON: Continuing its quest for the best speller in the community, the 2015 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee (www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com) traveled to Texas this past weekend with stops in Dallas and Houston. MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management, is serving as the event’s title sponsor for the seventh consecutive year. With a huge turnout this year as well, the Bee attracted top talent as well as young and new spellers that competed for the coveted prizes and titles. “In almost every city we are seeing a majority of new talent and fresh faces which is testimony to the fact that this brain sport is close to the community,” said Rahul Walia, Founder - South Asian
Spelling Bee. In the Dallas Regional, Smrithi Upadhyayula (13) of Coppell, Texas was the regional champ, Rahul Karthi (12) of Irving, Texas , was the first runner up, and first timer Christopher Cruz (11) of Frisco, Texas, was second runner up. In Houston, the Dasari siblings spelt off with each other for a consecutive 12 rounds before Shobha Dasari (14) was named regional champ and brother Shourav Dasari (12) was first runner up. Abhirami Jeeyseelan (12) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana "MetLife is pleased to serve once again as the title sponsor of the South Asian Spelling Bee competition,” said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president, Communications, MetLife Premier Client Group. “This event allows youth
from across the country to test their spelling skills in a national forum and helps them gain a better understanding of how much they can achieve through hard work and dedication. For MetLife, it also underscores our commitment to serving and giving back to the South Asian community.” Along with MetLife, food brand Kawan is the Powered by sponsor for this event. As always, SONY Entertainment Television Asia is the exclusive broadcast partner for the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee and will be airing the series across 120 countries. “Kawan is proud to support this platform that helps in the overall growth of the child. We look forward to seeing this year’s talent and are happy to be part of the process to find the best speller from
Houston:From left: Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee - Rahul Walia, 1st Runner Up: Shourav Dasari, Champion: Shobha Dasari, 2nd Runner Up: Abhirami Jeeyaseelan
the South Asian community," said Tim Tan, Director - International Business, Kawan Food, makers of the world’s most popular Roti Paratha Brand in the world - Kawan Paratha. “Once again, we are proud to be associated with the Bee and are looking forward to showcasing the journey in the quest for the best speller. We look forward to yet another successful year.” said Jaideep Janakiram, Head of North America, Sony Entertainment TelevisionAsia. The winners received cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 respectively. Children up to 14 years of age are eligible to participate and the contest saw spellers of even 6 years of age compete and make it past a few rounds. There are 10 more cities
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
on the anvil and for more information and to register your child, please visit www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com. The top two winners plus one parent each from every city will be given an all expenses paid trip to NJ on August 14 for the FINALS. SONY Entertainment Television Asia is the exclusive broadcast partner for the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee and will be airing the series across 120 countries. Find us on Facebook at South Asian Spelling Bee and you can follow us on our Twitter handle at Spell South Asian. To reserve your FREE passes to the Finals, please log on to www. SouthAsianSpellingBee.com and fill in your details.
June 26, 2015
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14 June 26, 2015
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COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
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Girl Scout Troop # 26176 Earned Girl Scout Bronze Award
HOUSTON: One of the highest awards that a Junior Girl Scout can obtain is the “BRONZE Award”. When you go for the Bronze Award, you represent what Girl Scouts can achieve in their communities. And, of course, you want to do that in a way that’s fun for you— and for everyone else involved, too! Earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award involves the time to complete a Journey, and then a suggested minimum of 20 hours building your team, exploring your community, choosing your project, planning it, putting your plan in motion, and spreading the word about your project. The suggested hours help you think about your commitment to doing your very best with each step. You’re a Girl Scout, which means you will earn your award with courage, confidence, and character and make a difference in the world around you! In order to obtain this award Girl Scouts have to complete 20 hours of Community Service. The Girl Scouts from Troop # 26176 did much more than that. They chose to help out Friends of Koontze Animal Control Center, Koontze, Texas. They did this by sewing animal beds, braiding dog pull toys, making catnip sock toys, baking doggie biscuits, asking friends and neighbors for donations of animal toys, grooming tools, animal kennels, food, using their own money to purchase animal supplies and donating money to Dawlen Road Veterinary Clinic for spaying and neutering stray animals. As a part of the pre-requisites for this award Troop # 26176 completed a three part Journey badge. For their Community Service projects they chose to plant vegetables and paint row marker pavers for St. Christopher’s Plant a Seed, Feed the Need Garden. They went Christmas Caroling and collected canned food for the annual Leiss Food Drive. They donated to Lakeside Lutheran’s Thanksgiving Food Drive and helped fill their food baskets for distribution. They sponsored a coat drive and collected coats for “One Warm Coat” then helped distribute them to the needy throughout the community. In addition to this several girls earned their Junior Aide Badge by spending a weekend at camp teaching both older and younger brand new Girl Scouts how to cook, camp, and have fun. Junior Girl scouts are explorers when they go camping for the first time. They’re CEOs when they market and sell cookies. They’re scientists when they do energy audits and go on nature walks. And they’re product designers and writers when they earn their Innovation and Storytelling badges. Not to mention change makers, big-idea thinkers, and future leaders. Super girls, indeed! All of these Girl Scouts successfully completed the requirements for the Bronze Award as outlined by San Jacinto Council of Girl Scouts. Troop Leader Ms. Marlene Lewis has been a constant coach, highly encouraging, very supportive and always available for the Girl Scouts of Troop 26176.
Girl Scouts Bronze Aware team members from Troop # 26176 First Row: Emma Boland, Alexandria Horne, Katie Mobley, Pratishtha Sharma, Mia Lewis, Ashlee Zachary. Second Row: Aubrey Musquiz, Ms Marlene Lewis, Makenzie Skinner; not pictured are Payge Pugh and Hannah Strickland
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16 June 26, 2015
COMMUNITY
IACF Gives High Schoolers a Headstart to Begin the Journey to College CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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IACF’s mission and four pillars of activity. The event also recognized four charities - Child Advocates, Literacy Advance, SEWA Intl for Nepal Relief and Edstension - which were getting grants for the year: and handed out checks to them. And, in a twist, Raghavan recognized Jin Laxmidas and his wife Chandrika who came to donate to the IACF. “They came all the way to show they appreciate how four years ago their daughter received a scholarship from IACF,” exclaimed Raghavan, and, pointing to the new graduates added, “Years from now, when you have made it, that’s what we hope you’ll do too: remember to come back to help us help others.” Raghavan also recognized Roopa Gir, the president of iEducate, an organization that provides mentors to kids in three elementary schools in HISD where the children were failing in math and science, It was started by David Raj, who bequeathed money to keep the group running for a while and left it in Gir’s able hands. Gir, a retired executive from Schlumberger, has run the group ably since and has received commendations for the remarkable progress made by the schoolkids. She encouraged the
IACF President Kamala Raghavan addressing the audience at the annual Scholarship event.
high schoolers to work as tutors, for which they would be paid. IACF past-President Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala closed out the event by recognizing the efforts of Dr. Terry L. Sheneman, College and Career Readiness Coordinator of FBISD who had organized the event, including the snacks that were available to the guests, sup-
plemented by Indian snacks from Pavani restaurant. It was the second attempt in three weeks for the IACF to hold the event and, like the deluge that hit the region three weeks ago, this one almost got rained out again by Tropical Storm Bill, prompting Alpa Shah to wish all “a good night and a safe trip.”
2015 IACF Scholarship Winners, their High Schools & Career Goals Breona Autrey, Marshall, undefined Magdiel Bautista, Jr., Willowridge, Anesthesiologist April Brown, Hightower, Gynecologist Sandra Boadu, Hightower, Pedtiatrician
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Chelsea Jonaye Conaway, Marshall, Electrical Engineer Huy Dang, Travis, Neuroscience and Anthropology Stacy Anais Gallegos, Clements, Nurse Laura Patricia Guerra, Dulles, Psychology and Spanish Cameron Hubbard, Bush, Finance Bianca Igodan, Bush, Petroleum Engineer Sydney LeFlore Murphy, Ridge Point, Biochemistry Neelesh Mutyala, Austin, Physician Ginikachukwu Obi, Bush, Physical Therapy Caleb Oluwakayode Ola, Travis, Mechanical Engineer Yesika Vega Palacios, Willowridge, Computer Science Mohammad Sufyan Palwala, Kempner, Mechanical Engineer Samuel Quach, Clements, Economics Ashley Sanders, Marshall, Orthopedic Surgeon Joe Thomas, Elkins, Mechanical Engineer Tyler Nicholas Turner, Ridge Point, Accounting & Pre-Law Lexis Nicole Whiting, Hightower, Criminal Justice Omar Wilkins, Elkins, Engineering Grant Willis, Kempner, Chemical Engineer
STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI
June 26, 2015
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Gandhi Sets Up Ambulance Corps to Help British Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2015 Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests. Visit gandhilibrary. org for registration and more information. All school going children can participate! These contests are being organized to create higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhi to promote universal values of Truth, Non-Violence, Love and Service.
The story thus far…Gandhi’s activism on behalf of the Indians in South Africa, brought him much strife. The local Afrikaners and the British considered him as a troublemaker. He was attacked by angry mobs. With his calm demeanor, he wins over the people, and even gets to help create an ambulance corps. The Durban police rescued Gandhi from a bloodthirsty mob. He was escorted by the police to Rustomji’s house, where a doctor attended to his injuries. “They are sure to calm down when they realize their mistake,” he said. Late in the evening, another mob of white people surrounded the house. “We must have Gandhi,” angry voices demanded. The mob was getting more and more threatening. “Give us Gandhi or we will bum down the house,” they shouted. Gandhi knew that they might carry out their threat. To save his friend’s house, he slipped out in disguise, eluding the crowd. Two days later a message came from London. Joseph Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, asked the Natal Government to prosecute every man guilty of attacking Gandhi. The Natal Government expressed its regret for the incident to Gandhi and assured him that the assailants would be punished. When Gandhi was called upon to identify the offenders, however, he would not do so. “I do not want to prosecute anyone,” he told the Natal Government. “I do not hold the assailants to blame. They were misled by false reports about me and I am sure that when the truth becomes known they will be sorry for their conduct.” Gandhi’s statement suddenly changed the atmosphere in Durban. The press declared Gandhi innocent and condemned his assailants. The Durban incident raised Gandhi’s prestige and won more sympathy abroad for the Indians in South Africa. As the struggle in SouthAfrica continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was short-lived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting down his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. But soon he became quite an expert at this and his collars were no less stiff and shiny than theirs. Gandhi once went to an English barber in Pretoria. The barber insolently refused to cut a ‘black’ man’s hair. Gandhi at once bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair. He succeeded more
As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was shortlived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. or less in cutting the front part but spoilt the back. He looked very funny and his friends in the court laughed at him. “What’s wrong with your hair Gandhi? Have rats been gnawing at it?” they asked. “No,” said Gandhi proudly, “I have cut my hair myself.” Then Gandhi tried changes in his food. He started taking uncooked food. He believed that if a man lived on fresh fruits and nuts he could master his passions and acquire spiritual strength. He made many experiments with his diet. He even came to the conclusion that fasting increased one’s will power. While he was thus experimenting with himself, the Boer war broke out. The Boers were South Africans of Dutch origin. They were fighting the British. Neither of these two white nations had treated the Indians well. Gandhi did not want to support either of them, but his familiarity with the British made him organize an Indian ambulance corps to help them. To his puzzled followers, he said: “India can achieve complete emancipation only through development within the British Empire. Therefore we must help the British.” The British won the war and the ambulance corps was disbanded. The newspapers in England praised the services rendered by the Indians. The relations between the Indians and the Europeans had now become more cordial, and the Indians believed that their
grievances would soon be removed. It was now 1901, six years after Gandhi had brought his family to Durban. Now he felt that his future activity lay not in South Africa but in India. Also, friends in India were pressing him to return home. When he announced his decision to his co-workers, however, they again pressed him to stay on. After much discussion they agreed to let him go, but only if he would come back to South Africa if the Indians there needed his help. He agreed to this. There were farewell meetings and presentations of gifts. The gifts were so many and so valuable that Gandhi felt he should not accept them. The people who had presented them would not take them back. He then prepared a trust deed, and all the gifts were deposited with a of the Indian community. On his arrival in India, Gandhi went on a tour of the country. The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was being held in Calcutta under the presidentship of Dinshaw Wacha. Gandhi attended the session. It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future. The Indian National Congress was the only organization which gave the people of India a chance to express their political views. It was an influential body, as many important Indians were members, but its decisions had little affect on the Government. At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportunity to meet Congress leaders like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, Lokamanya B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale, and others. He was not impressed with the way the Congress was functioning. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates. Moreover, while they spoke English and affected the style of Westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facilities in the camp. Gandhi wanted to teach them a lesson. On his own he quietly started cleaning the bathroom and urinals. No one volunteered to join him. “Why do you undertake an untouchable’s job?” they asked. “Because the caste people have made this an untouchable place,” replied Gandhi. From Calcutta Gandhi traveled around India by train. As he moved from place to place, he was shocked to see the life of the common people – the famished, ignorant, and neglected masses. His heart was filled with sadness and anger. Gandhi settled down in Bombay and started practice as a lawyer. He did well, much better than he had expected. In December 1902, however, a cable reached him from South Africa requesting him to return as promised. Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, was arriving from London on a visit to Natal and the Transvaal, and the Natal Indian Congress wanted Gandhi to present their case to him. -To be Continued
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18 June 26, 2015 Where is the Rupee Headed?
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Apples and Oranges in Bihar
BY CHANAKYA
Yesteryear comedian Mehmood was more than symbolic when he crooned ‘Na biwi na bachcha, na baap bada na bhaiyya/sabse bada rupaiya’ in the 1976 movie Sabse Bada Ruppaiya. The movie, released a few years after a politically controversial rupee devaluation move in the Sixties, mirrored the inescapable importance of the currency in India’s socio-economic milieu. Now as the rupee hits a 21-month low, racing past 64 to a dollar, all seemed to have one question in mind: Is the rupee headed towards the lows it recorded in 2013? Two years ago the rupee went into a tailspin, hitting an all-time low of 68.85 to a dollar in August 2013, driven by fears that the US central bank will start unwinding its stimulus programme. This had prompted foreign portfolio investors to move funds away from emerging markets like India. The resultant dollar flight had pummelled the rupee’s value. The proximate reasons for the current fall of the rupee are both local and foreign. A spurt of tax notices to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) had roiled investor sentiment. This has spooked investors although the government has maintained that FIIs were asking for ‘retrospective exemption’ of minimum alternate tax (MAT). The selling by FPIs has set off a dollar outflow, pushing down the rupee’s value. While the MAT notices are a domestic issue, global markets will closely track the developments in the two-day U.S. Federal Reserve meeting that began on Tuesday. Higher interest rates in the U.S. could trigger a dollar flight, hurting India’s (and other emerging nations’) equity and currency markets. Besides, crude oil prices have been steadily rising over the last few days. Herbert Stein, a former economic adviser to US Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, had presciently observed: “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” India will only be hoping that Stein’s rule proves true for halting the rupee’s free fall. But, for that, we have to get the pace of reforms right for India to retain its status as an island of global growth and funds to flock back here. Hindustan Times
Aging politicians do not fade away into the sunset, they reinvent and refurbish their repertoire and make comebacks. And no one more so than Bihar’s Lalu Prasad, whose political fortunes after hitting rock bottom seem to be on the rise again in the state. Ever the consummate politician, he has put his ego aside for the movement and endorsed the chief ministerial candidature of chief minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) in a bid to project a secular front which can take on a resurgent BJP. And the real surprise of the day is the fancy footwork displayed by the Congress, particularly vice-president Rahul Gandhi, in providing the glue holding this fractious alliance together. Now the Congress does not really count for much in Bihar. But in its role as alliance partner, it has brought itself back into the reckoning again. It does not suffer from the syndrome that the BJP does, that of great expectations. The very fact that it has become something of a player again in the state is in itself a major achievement. Of course, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip but for the moment, the secular front as it fancies itself seems on course. Other states may have moved forward and embraced development as their main agenda. Not so Bihar. Nitish Kumar did in his earlier avatar and it did pay some dividends. But all his efforts fell flat in the Lok Sabha elections, leading him to now fall back on the no doubt comforting and familiar caste equations. So his JD(U) will bring to the table a section of the Yadavs, Kurmis, Dalits and Muslims. The RJD will bring with it the Yadavs and some Muslims and the Congress can also attract some of the extremely backward classes like the Mahadalits and the Muslims. In contrast, the BJP’s votebank is largely the upper castes. It has been trying to chip away at the Yadav vote in recent times with some success. But the real sticking point is Lalu’s disdain for Nitish. When his hand was forced, quite literally by the Congress and the pater familias of the Janata parivar in the making, Mulayam
Singh Yadav, Lalu accepted Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate. He said somewhat sadly, “To crush the cobra of communalism, I am ready to consume all kinds of poison.” Hardly a comforting thought for Nitish but it is one step forward from his implacable opposition to the chief minister. There are many imponderables here. The first is whether this alliance will hold until the elections, given the monumental egos involved. For the moment, the Congress seems to be the buffer between the two Bihar strongmen. As his rivals claim, Lalu’s tenure had become synonymous with corruption. Remember the huge fodder scam? But, in his own earthy way, he still has a connect with the people. His witticisms, once lapped up by the media, may be falling a little flat but his rustic charm still holds good. I remember the story told to me by the editor of a leading English daily many years ago when Lalu was chief minister. The said editor landed in Patna and called on Lalu, who invited him for a spin at night around the city. The editor agreed, thinking that this would involve no more than taking in the sights of a somnolent Patna. So at the appointed hour, he turned up in his smart Armani suit, Hermes tie and in a cloud of expensive aftershave. Off they went, to the editor’s discomfiture, to visit a gaushala. While the editor looked on aghast, the CM dipped his hand into a tub of desi ghee and fed it to him. Ghee dripping from Hermes tie, the editor smiled painfully through the ordeal. But at the end of this somewhat trying experience, the editor still had good words for Lalu, a man he said epitomises the dictum ‘what you see is what you get’. So his ability to draw crowds will come in handy as also Nitish’s track record on development. So where does this leave the BJP, which until now thought it would sail right through? It did really well in the Lok Sabha elections, which saw the decimation of Nitish and Lalu. It is quite clearly sheer worry that a repeat could happen in the assembly elections, which have brought these once sworn enemies together. In the case of Nitish, he will also be seeking
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to settle scores with his predecessor, Jitan Ram Manjhi, who did not want to return the chief minister’s chair to him. Manjhi is something of an icon to the Mahadalits, a constituency that Nitish too has been courting. Manjhi has now allied with the BJP. Nitish also wants to undermine Jankranti Adhikar Morcha chief Pappu Yadav, who has a bit of the Yadav votebank under his belt. Manjhi’s relationship with Nitish hardly inspires any confidence, but the BJP is looking at a challenge from the alliance it had not envisaged. Everyone had thought that the alliance would not take off, given how the Janata-type leaders always prefer the role of generals and never foot soldiers. The ebullient BJP president had earlier announced that he aimed at getting 185 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly. But that was before the equations changed with the alliance. Things have moved on since the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Modi is still very much on top but the sheen is wearing off. The people also know that Mr Modi will stay in Delhi and they will have to contend with a local leader. The BJP does have leaders like Sushil Modi but no one who can really be a game changer. Into this already fraught situation, the RSS has put in its two-bit worth. It wants the party to go into the elections with no chief ministerial candidate, a move which is bound to backfire. Here then is a situation which will require all of Amit Shah’s famed backroom skills. While alliances are made of people as disparate as apples and oranges, a controversy over other fruits has riveted Patna. The feisty Manjhi tried to help himself to a few mangoes from the chief ministerial residence, which he is refusing to vacate, only to find the chief minister’s guard standing in the way. While the chief minister has wryly remarked that he would buy Manjhi some fruits if he so desired, into the fray we find dear old Lalu, who has claimed the fruits in question, saying the trees were planted when he was CM. All I can say is that fruits or no fruits, the Bihar electorate is ripe for the picking. I wonder whose offer of political fruits they will find most palatable. IE
COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
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Counting Down to NABC
A Mid Summer Dream in the Heart of Texas BY PARTHA SARATHI CHATTERJEE HOUSTON: North American Bengali Conference 2015, organized by Tagore Society of Houston, is knocking on the door. Space City Houston, is awaiting the launch of Banga Sammelan to a new orbit at the George R. Brown Convention Center from July 10-12 (www.nabc2015.org). Using social media like Facebook and Twitter to introducing mobile apps for the first time will set a precedent in the history of NABC. The conference will kick off with the business forum on July 9 and 10 highlighting the future of energy, Port of Houston and fracking to LNG (www.houston 2025.org). A team of close to 200 volunteers led by the executive committee of Sanku Bose, Tapan Das, Partha Chatterjee and Gopendu Chakrabarti is working diligently – planning out every detail of the conference. T is going to be used to to bring exhibitors and companies from across India, Bangladesh and Middle East under one roof. We are also bringing handicrafts, gems, jewelry, fashion, sarees from not only Bengal, but Mumbai, Mysore, Hyderabad, Gujarat and Middle East. Fashion shows, involving some eminent personalities, will showcase apparel and jewelry – bring a glamour factor to the conference. Medical forums and preventive health care seminars, holistic wellness fair with YogaAyurveda-Acupuncture-Meditation-Massage sessions and most importantly free health screening sessions will be a big hit. We have enlisted the eminent music director Debojyoti Mishra and dance director Tanushree Shankar for putting together the opening and closing ceremonies, coordinating dances, skits and songs by a big group of domestic performers. Banga Sammelan is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the big name performers – Shreya Ghosal kicking off her US tour in Houston. Add to the list the sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, and the musical group of RED of Sivamani and Suchi fame. A total of 70 odd artists will bring their wide repertoire of music to Houston – Manomoy, Pramita, Sounak, Aditi, Ronu, Debojyoti, Kinjal, Parnava, Keka, Saikat, Saheb, Iman, Riddhi, Santanu, Biplab, Biswanath, Rini and so many. It will feature classical and traditional songs including Rabindra Sangeet and Baul to modern and fusion songs – it will be a musical feast. Film Festival committee has been coordinating with many film makers in bringinging a premium list of films to present to NRI Bengalis like Kadambari, Lorai, Bitnoon, Family album, 89 etc. Konkona, Paoli, Parambrata, Saswata, Gargi and others will be adding to the celebrity glamour quotient along with the famed director Gautam Ghose. NABC literary committee has put together a glittering list of names who will headline literary discussions – Sirshendu, Harsha, Chitra Divakaruni, Selina Hossain, Amarendra, Satyam, Bithi, Aryanil, Nabakumar, Satinath, and many more. It will be a good mix of NRI writers along with writers from Kolkata. NABC 2015 Drama Team will be staging a fantastic drama by Debesh and Debshankar group with eminent artists from Kolkata and twelve dramas some even from United Kingdom and Finland - a truly global but Bengali experience! Seminars with Krishna Bose, Sugato Bose, Swadesh Chatterjee and retired justice Shyamal Sen will discuss current topics and throw light on the past, present and future of India. Swami
Ishatmanada, head monk of Vedanta Society of Chicago, will speak on Future of Humanity. An incredible exhibition of Tagore Paintings and Art of Bengal with Shuvaprasanna, Ganesh Pyne, Subroto Gangopadhyay, and others will also be showcased at the conference. Techno India will share Bishwer Shera Bangali, CAB will also confer awards to distinguished Bengali personalities from all over the world. A sparkling awards ceremony is in the works, befitting those stars. Hopefully, the new NABC will be a revi-
talized conference, not only dedicated to the culture and arts but will contribute something concrete to the global community and Bengal, be it green initiatives or social entrepreneurship
bringing value to donors and sponsors from the US, India and beyond – thus realizing the goal and potential of the global platform of the conference.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
20 June 26, 2015
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FIS’s Indo-American Oral History Project Featured on ABC TV Channel
FIS’s Indo-American Oral History Project featured on ABC TV channel 13 Krishna Vavilala, Founder, Chairman of Foundation for India Studies (FIS) was interviewed by Miya Shay of ABC TV Channel 13 to discuss about the Indo-American Oral History Project. The interview was broadcast on June 7. HOUSTON:The Indo-American Oral History project is a signature project of Foundation for India Studies (FIS), a 501(c3) a non-profit organization, being done in collaboration with the Houston Community College (HCC) and Houston Public Library (HPL). The purpose of the Project is to permanently record the life stories
ALEXANDER P. MATHEWS, CPA For Services In:
and experiences of the first generation Indian immigrants and preserve them for posterity. The interviews will be transcribed and archived in the IndoAmerican Oral History collection of the Houston Public Library. Presently in its 10th year of operation, FIS has so far completed 33 interviews. For further information and to
schedule an interview, contact Veena Ponnaganti @281-323-9515 or Krishna Vavilala @ 713-795-5169. Interviews will be conducted on a first come first served basis. The ABC TV interview can be watched by clicking on the LINK: http://abc13.com/society/visionssegment-1-june-7-2015/775586/,
Shabeel by Sikh National Center
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HOUSTON: Sikh National Center organized a Shabeel (Free Drinks) on the occasion of Shaheedi “Martyrdom” Gurpurab of Guru Arjan Devji, the fifth Sikh Saint, who stood by his convictions and accepted death with grace. He was sentenced to death by Mughal Emporer Jahangir. Jahangir had given strict orders that saint should not be tortured to death in such a way that blood should not fall on the ground in the belief that a holy man’s blood spelling on the ground leads to further martyrs being born. He was made to sit on a hot plate when he refused to embrace Islam. In order to celebrate his martyrdom Sikhs all over the world setup free Shabeel for all. This event was organized by the
Youth Sub-Committee members at intersection of Beltway 8 and Fairbanks and SNC entrance. Volunteers
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
of all ages served around 900 people with free cold drinks, sodas, water bottles, juice and fruits.
COMMUNITY
June 26, 2015
21
Z Living/Veria Nature Cure & Ayurvedic Wellness Center Breaks Ground at Former Kutsher’s Property
Indian billionaire Dr. Subhash Chandra, chairman of the Essel Group of Companies, speaking at the Z Living/Veria Nature Cure & Ayurvedic Wellness Center golden shovel groundbreaking event on June 21.
MONTICELLO, NEW YORK: Under sunny blue skies with more than 150 people attending, entrepreneur Dr. Subhash Chandra, officials of Z Living/Veria Lifestyle and local and state dignitaries broke ground on the Z Living/Veria Nature Cure & Ayurvedic Wellness Center Sunday. The project is being spearheaded by Indian billionaire Dr. Subhash Chandra, chairman of the Essel Group of Companies. Chandra has invested $18 million thus far as part of a $90 million dollar plan for the first phase to turn the legendary Kutsher’s Country Club in Sullivan County into the 260,000-square-foot Z Living/Veria Nature Cure and Ayurvedic Wellness Center. This is just part of his total commitment to invest $250 million for the Wellness Center and overall wellness programming.
They broke ground on the first official International Yoga Day because the Wellness Center will also be practicing yogic sciences. Yoga will be one of the major daily rituals. “Z Living/Veria is honored to come to Sullivan County and create a project that will fit the surroundings and beauty of the region,” said Chandra. “The community of Sullivan County has welcomed us and supported us for this project. We will reciprocate by assimilating ourselves into the community. This Wellness Center will bring peace, harmony, jobs and a boost to the Monticello economy. Our project will create 1,000 construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs. These workers will no doubt benefit the greater community as their families live and grow in the area, and spend their incomes in the area.” The modern, unique and exclusive center will be based upon five ancient sciences 1. Nature Cure 2. Ayurveda 3. Yogic Sciences 4. Nutrition and 5..
Acupuncture, and will include treatments such as hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, in addition to a yoga center, fitness center, private and couple treatment rooms and a swimming pool with nature garden. A full service restaurant with a teaching and observation kitchen, nutrition center and several juice bars dispersed throughout the facility will complete the food and beverage services, and there will also be space for gift shops, essential shops, a salon and a theater. Also, it will include a museum, which will show the Center’s wellness philosophy, our body systems and how they work and also react in deviation from natural laws. It also introduces guests to naturopathic management of such aberrations. The golden shovel groundbreaking took place on the western bank of Bailey Lake on an undisturbed, maturely vegetated and sloping site in the Town of Thompson. These physical site features will provide
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CEO, Swadesh Chatterjee & Associates); Mr. Rashed Khan Menon (Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh); Prof. Sugata Bose (Member of Parliament - India and Gardner Professor of History, Harvard University); Dean Wenner (Executive VP - Richard Design System Inc.); Gary Iyer (FA, Morgan Stanley); Rajesh Dhruva - CA, Keynote consultant) Fracking to LNG: Optimizing Operation Costs on Surface Drilling July 10th, 2015; 10 am – 11:30 am; Hilton Americas Ballroom of Americas, Salon D Panelists: Rustom K. Mody (Baker Hughes Inc.); Akhil Datta-Gupta ( Texas A&M); Richard Green (DNV-GL); Nameer Siddiqui (Goldman Sachs); Mickey Callanan (PfP Industries); Vik Rao (RTEC) Fracking to LNG: Energy Infrastructure - Impact of HSE and Future Regulations July 10th, 2015; 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm; HiltonAmericas Ballroom of Americas, Salon D Panelists: Sean Riccardelli (Riccardelli Consulting Services); Tim Armitt (Lavender International) Fracking to LNG: Operations and
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all Wellness Center guests with a beautiful, natural, quiet and serene setting for exercise, meditation and reflection. The property is still being cleared and prepared for construction. The Kutsher Hotel has been partially demolished due to contamination and weak structure which was beyond repair. Portions of the hotel are still being preserved and will be strengthened to be open as part of the golf course. The property’s golf course is currently being revamped and will host events on a regular basis upon completion. “We will bring the Town of Thompson much pride, and we will make the Kutsher family proud,” Chandra said. “We will preserve the legacy of the Kutscher Hotel by keeping sections that could be saved, and adding to it, so that tourism activities can be continued at the original site.” To celebrate this major economic initiative, among the local dignitaries attending and speaking were Sullivan County Legislative Chairman Scott B. Samuelson, Town of Thompson Supervisor Bill Rieber, Sullivan County Partnership President and CEO Marc Baez and Christine Schiff from U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson’s office. “This project will invigorate the local economy by spurring job growth in Sullivan County, and has the added benefit of promoting health and wellness in our region amongst its residents, and visitors,” said Sen. John Bonacic, 42nd Senate District. “I am delighted to help welcome this exciting project to the Town of Thompson,” said Congressman
Chris Gibson. “Health and wellness programming is an important component of our efforts to create jobs, strengthen community life, and raise awareness of the amazing scenic and cultural resources of Sullivan County. Congratulations to the team at Z Living/Veria!” “Having a project of this magnitude come to Sullivan County is something we should all be proud of,” said Sullivan County Legislative Chairman Scott B. Samuelson. “Turning the historical Kutsher’s property into a new viable tourism project will be something special for county residents to see in the coming months and years ahead.” “The Town of Thompson is pleased to have this significant development project within its borders,” said Town of Thompson Supervisor Bill Rieber. “This project brings meaningful construction and permanent jobs and opportunities to residents and their families in both the town and the surrounding area.” Supervisor Rieber further stated, “Additionally it provides yet another recreation venue to strengthen our resolve to turn Sullivan County into a premier destination resort region.” “The vision for this project is extraordinary,” said Roberta ByronLockwood, president of the Sullivan County Visitors Association. “The Z Living/Veria Wellness Center will showcase Sullivan County and the Catskills on a world stage as it will be marketed to countries throughout the world and inspire international travel.” “This Z Living project is another game changer for Sullivan County that sends a clear message. The Town of Thompson and Sullivan County are ready for business now,” said Marc Baez, president and CEO of the Sullivan County Partnership. “We are very grateful but also proud that out of many sites considered by Dr. Chandra he chose Sullivan County. This is a great win for Sullivan County and the region.” “This is personal for me, the memories and nostalgia are extensive,” said Mark Kutsher, son of the late Milton and Helen Kutcher who ran the resort. “We hope that our property would go to someone who was going to make it special and we can be proud of, and that is what this project is.”
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PUZZLES/RECIPES
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Khamiri Roti (Sourdough Wheat Flatbread) In our ancestral home in Lyallpur, Punjab along the banks of the river Jhelum, during the summer months the temperatures would get so high that it wouldn’t be unusual if any atta (dough) left uncooked would naturally rise overnight. Though not frequent, the women folk wouldn’t panic, and instead would roll khamiri rotis (sourdough bread) out of the dough and cook them in the tandoor, which, of course, every home had. Years later now, many people live in crowded cities and don’t have home tandoors anymore. And though they might leave the atta in the fridge, after a few days it will turn khamiri due to the natural fermentation process. But most young cook aren’t aware of the how to handle the atta and simply throw it away, even though it cooks just as well on a tava (flatplate) or skillet and looks like a pita bread when finally ready. However, the soft, sponginess and slightly tangy taste of khamiri rotis has always appealed to people. Most people nowadays, including most restaurants, hurry up the process by adding yeast or baking soda to the atta while kneading and setting it aside to let the dough rise. There is another side to khamiri roti that many do not realize. The yeast itself has nutritional value: it provides higher immunity by providing 9 amino acids the human body cannot produce and high in protein and vitamin B1 and B2. It is the closest type of leavened bread that can be made on a tava (flat skillet). This is the Indian version of sourdough bread and tastes best with curried dishes and daals. Ingredients: 2 cups atta (unbleached wheat flour). Makes 10 rotis 2 cups pani (water) Tael (oil – use olive oil) for cooking Directions: 1. Pour the atta in a bowl and mix well. Slowly pour the water in while kneading the dough, adding the oil to make it softer, till it becomes a nice, tender but firm ball. . If the dough is too hard, the roti will also be hard. Note: This recipe does not use any baking soda.
2. Dab the surface of the ball with a little water to keep it moist, cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place or wrapped with a couple of towels for at least 2 hours.
3. Check to see if the dough has started to have large pores, rise a little and become slightly spongy to touch. This means that the natural yeast has started to ferment. If not, then let it stay a little longer. 4. Coat your palms with a little dab of oil so that the dough will not stick to them. Uncover the bowl, and pinch off a portion of the dough and make into a 2 inch round ball. 5. Pour a little dry flour on the counter and roll the ball in it to coat it. Now use a velna (rolling pin) to roll the ball into a nice round, flat pancake, about 1/8 inch thick. 6. Place the tava on the stove and heat on medium and coat with a small dab of oil. Now carefully place the flattened dough on the tava. Once the dough starts to show some bubbles, then turn it over and coat with a little oil. Let the other side also cook till bubbles appear. Now flip the dough again and when you see small brown spots, gently press the top with a flat spatula.
7. Take the khamiri roti off the tava and keep on the side. Both sides should be a little crispy. If it is overcooked it will show large dark spots. Cover with a clean soft cloth to keep warm; do not place in a plate right away as the roti will shed some water vapor. 8. Now repeat the process till the rest of the rotis are made and the dough is finished. Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK EAT SOAKED AND PEELED ALMONDS FOR BREAKFAST AND GOOD HEALTH
Since millennia, our sages have preached that badam (almonds) are beneficial for your health. Now, we know that they are full of protein, fiber, omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and zinc. If you eat a dozen in the morning, this will start you off on a balanced diet for the rest of the day. Soaking almonds is good as it helps the body absorb the vitamins and nutrients more quickly. Although peeling them reduces the fiber, it reduces tannic acid and an enzyme inhibiting substance in the brown coating which keeps the almond intact until it is ready to sprout into a tree. But this only works for almonds that are not pasteurized or roasted. Soak the almonds overnight and peel them in the morning. If they don’t pop out of the brown coating, then boil some water and let them soak in it for 5 minutes. The coating will peel off right away!
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June 26, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review: BY MEENA IYER ABCD2 (short for Any Body Can Dance) is a sequel to the 2013 film that definitely raises the bar from its first part. It gives you dancing delight Varun as its protagonist. And it takes you on a neon-light kissed tour of Las Vegas, the venue for an international hip hop competition. Both Varun and Vegas are easy on the eye as is the film's heroine Shraddha. However, this true-blue 3D dance film that serves us energy and verve while hiphopping, dishes out a stale plot. Suresh (Varun) and Vinnie (Shraddha) along with a bunch of friends, dream of making it big in the world of dance. Their journey starts with a local competition, where they are booed out because they have plagiarised their act. Labelled cheats, Suresh, who is a part-time waiter and Vinnie, a parttime hairdresser, continue with their dancing dream. They meet Vishnu (Prabhudheva) — India's answer to Michael Jackson, who speaks more Tamil than Hindi even in a Bollywood film. Vishnu is also an alcoholic and an insulting bad-ass but Suresh sees as their ticket to the stars. Frankly, this threadbare script throws up silly situations and characters that are caricatures. An attempt to get one person from each Indian com-
ABCD 2
Will Salman Khan’s Indo-Pak Flick Bajrangi Bhaijaan be Released in Pakistan?
BY ZOYA ANWER
munity, childish brawls and some insult-trading goras are cliches that are done to death in desi cinema. Like most dance movies (made in the West or Bollywood), the malady we are hit with is that while the dancing is professional, the writing is amateur. So, you whoop and whistle when the dances are on. But stifle a
yawn between the gravity-defying grooves. The music is a let-down as is the Shraddha-Varun-Lauren Gottlieb love triangle. The patriotic fervour in the climax brings a lump to the throat. If only the film had been 15 minutes shorter, the 'Jai Ho' would've resonated more! -TimesofIndia
It's a question on our minds about this Eid: Will Salman Khan come to Pakistan... on the silver screen? Since its release on Wednesday, the trailer of Khan’s upcoming drama film Bajrangi Bhaijaan has gone viral on the internet. We see Khan aka Bajrangi take the hand of a little Pakistani girl lost in India (who can’t say where she's from but can communicate the same through signs) and vow to take her back home. In the past, Bollywood films that dealt with contentious issues like
Last week’s edition can be found online. Issue dated June 27,2014. inyour Small Continuing, freeSpecializing radicals are made in body as byproducts of natural processes, called Business Commercial Loans oxidative processes. In the same way that car exhaust is created when you run an engine to power the car, free radicals are formed by the oxidative processes to power your body. Although these processes are very efficient, free radical formation is inevitable in small amounts—even the most efficient engine will produce exhaust. There are many healthy roles for free radicals, though. For instance, nitric oxide is a free radical that is used by cells to communicate with other cells. In fact it is necessary for proper nervous system function and blood pressure control. Of course, this type of process is very tightly controlled. But nitric oxide is not what has made free radi-
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Kashmir and agencies — films like Ek Tha Tiger, Agent Vinod, Haider and Baby — have failed to make it to the cinemas in Pakistan. Will the fate of the well-intentioned Bajrangi Bhaijaan be any different? It just might. Given the tumultuous relationship of Pakistan and India, especially in light of the recent exchange of heated words between officials last week, a film that touches on border politics is likely to be viewed unfavourably by the powers that be. -Dawn.com
24 June 26, 2015
COMMUNITY
Houston Zoroastrians Host Authors of The Book
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: The Man And His Times
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and country are legendary. The life of this distinguished soldier is portrayed by two distinguished authors who worked closely with him and shared many of the historic events that changed the geo-political landscape of the region. Through anecdotes related by Behram and Zenobia Panthaki we get a unique insight into the man’s ideals, his military acumen, his mannerisms, and his sense of humor. The author Brigadier Panthaki himself boasts a distinguished 30year military career that earned him twelve military honors. Zenobia Panthaki accompanied her husband on his frequent postings to many small cantonment townships all over
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HOUSTON: Zoroastrian Association of Houston is honored to present Brigadier Behram Panthaki and his wife Zenobia Panthaki, authors of the much acclaimed book: “Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw: The Man and His Times” at the Zoroastrian Heritage and Cultural Center, 8787 WAirport Blvd., Houston, TX 77071 WHEN: July 10, 2018 6:30 p.m. Meet and Greet 7:00 p.m. Authors’ Presentation WHERE: Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center – 8787 W. Airport Blvd. – Houston, TX 77071 Sam Manekshaw was India’s first Field Marshal and a distinguished war hero. His courage, his character, and the dedication to his troops
India and became involved with running welfare programs for soldiers' wives and children, has run the Army School, and worked for the World Bank for 28 years until her retirement in 2012. The book has received over 60 positive reviews. To quote: “From beginning to end this delightful narrative simply races along, providing an intimate, witty and scintillating story of a superhero − Sam’s humanism, his notations on official files, his colorful language and his doodling”. And again: “An excellent book that is a labor of love and a tribute to the great Sam Bahadur. A delightful tale woven with great dexterity and garnished with a profusion of photographs that brings out the well-rounded personality of a proud soldier, a military leader par excellence, and a great human being. This gem of a book is a must for your coffee table.” This book, with over 200 photographs, is dedicated to the men in uniform who have laid down their lives defending their country and to their widows who have also sacrificed so much. The book will be on sale at the discounted price of $35, and autographed by the authors. A major portion of the royalty will be donated to the War Wounded Foundation of India and the War Widows Welfare Assn. of India. Come and listen to the authors as they bring Sam Manekshaw back to us through their stories and insights. Please see the flyer for further details, and plan on joining us for this unique event. PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Available at event Contact: Arnavaz Sethna 281-4991832 ahsethna@yahoo.com
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Arun Jaitley Says Path to 10% Economic Growth Not Impossible Jaitley says it is important that India reach 10% growth target, but it is more important to sustain it for a couple of years BYLATIT K JHA WASHINGTON: Noting that a new aspirational India expects early results and decisive governance, finance minister Arun Jaitley has exuded confidence that with the government undertaking economic reforms, policy changes, pumping in money in key sectors like infrastructure, and with a possible good monsoon, the path to 10% growth is not impossible. “This (10% growth rate) is reasonably possible. That is where India’s potential is,” Jaitley told an audience soon after his arrival in Washington on the second leg of his nine-day US tour to attract American investors. “It is important that we reach that target, but it is more important that we sustain it for a couple of years,” the finance minister said in his remarks on ‘Putting India back on track: A pathway to double-digit growth’,
at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a top US think-tank. “If we are able to sustain it for a couple of years, then I think, we will be able to have direct benefits as far as India is concerned, more jobs, better economy and hopefully over the next 10 years or so deplete the poverty levels in the segments that are more impacted by it,” Jaitley said giving his overview of his government’s economic policies. “I can’t say as to what figure India’s growth rate would achieve. But I am certainly of the view that the 7 and 1/2% growth that we are presently at is not India’s optimum potential. This year, we hope to touch about 8%,” he said. Once the impact of all policy changes made by the new Indian government and investments in key areas like infrastructure, agriculture and industry is felt, Jaitley said, “I
think there could be a significant growth”. If inflation stays at moderate level, one should logically expect the interest rates to go down, which would directly impact and add to the Indian economy, he said. “Once the cumulative effect of all these plus favorable global winds, I think the journey between 8 and 10% is not an impossible journey,” Jaitley said. He said that India reached this seven plus percent growth rate in the backdrop of a terrible monsoon last year and there was a second round of crop destruction in March this year. The manufacturing sector was almost crawling, and the growth rate was around 5%, Jaitley said. “Now with a lot more money being invested in infrastructure and governments even conducting their fiscal policy in order to help the manufacturing sec-
tor, there is a significant growth possible as far as this area is concerned,” he said. “Therefore the Make in India programme, concentration on manufacturing, the impact of all these steps — coal mine auctions — I think in the coming years is going to up India’s manufacturing sector significantly,” he said, adding that the government has taken steps to boost up the small scale industries in the rural areas. Hopefully, with a better monsoon this year, agriculture must do better and would add to the nation’s economy, he said. Goods and Services Tax (GST) has the potential to add at least 1% to the GDP of India, he said adding that last year, India grew by 7.3% in terms of GDP. “In terms of fiscal deficit, from an all-time high of 6% plus, we brought it down to 4%. Our current account
deficit, last quarter was 0.2 which is quite an exciting figure for us. Capital formation has improved. Some trickling effect on the infrastructure area has just about started. Power sector has performed quite well,” he said. He said the government still has pending work at hand. “The land bill is a difficult challenge...I think, we will have to fight it out and explain the benefits of the land bill because it is intended for the development of India’s rural areas,” he said adding that he is very positive on GST. “We have several other reforms in the pipeline. The bankruptcy court, reducing the number of permissions required for setting up businesses in India, a public procurement law, a law on expeditious execution of disputes relating to big projects,” Jaitley said. The social programmes of the government, including the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, have become mass movements and therefore are producing greater results, he said. -livemint.com
RIL Buys World’s Most Sophisticated Armoured Mercedes for Mukesh Ambani MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Ltd has procured the world’s most sophisticated armoured vehicle for enhanced personal security of chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani. The fortified Mercedes-Benz is mounted on a normal S600. The RIL car has level-9 vehicle resistance (VR9), the highest available currently. It was customised at Benz’s Sindelingen plant in Germany. The vehicle was registered at the Mumbai Central Regional Transport Office (RTO) on Saturday, according
to people close to the development. An email sent to RIL spokesperson seeking details wasn’t answered. “As chairman of India’s largest private conglomerate, Mukesh Ambani is the custodian of the interests of more than 2.8 million shareholders. He has Z-category security since April 2013. An armoured vehicle complies with advice of the security establishment for protectees of this level,” said one of the persons close to the development. Demand for super-secure carriages for apex protectees in the world of
business, politics and the arts has been surging globally. RIL, the person quoted above said, was No. 57 on the global wait list for the 2015-model armoured S600. The base price of a 2015 model Mercedes Benz S600 is Rs.1.5 crore. RIL’s 2015-model S600 V-9 armoured vehicle is the first in India. Actor Aamir Khan has the 2014 model. PTI -Livemint.com
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26 June 26, 2015 India vs. Bangla: Mustafizur Stars in Landmark Series Win BY DEIVARAYAN MUTHU Bangladesh 200 for 4 (Shakib 51*, Ashwin 1-32) beat India 200 in 45 overs (Dhawan 53, Mustafizur 6-43) by six wickets (D/L method) Mustafizur Rahman was the hero in Mirpur again, (off)cutting through India’s batting with a six-wicket haul to add to his five-for on ODI debut, and launching Bangladesh to their first ever bilateral series win against India. Mustafizur’s 6 for 43, the second best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in ODIs, skittled India for 200, before Shakib Al Hasan steered the chase with a busy fifty, his second on the trot. With this six-wicket win, Bangladesh also cemented their place in the 2017 Champions Trophy. An overjoyed Mashrafe Mortaza, who has been a part of each of Bangladesh’s five victories against India, toasted his team’s “big achievement”. When the rains came, India were already eight wickets down after 43.5 overs. Because the game was revised to 47 overs per side, India lost out on some batting opportunity, but that loss was minimal as they were already eight down at the time of the interruption. According to the DLS calculations, the batting resources denied to Bangladesh at the start of their innings, compared to what they would have had in a full 50-over innings, was marginally more than the resources India lost out on. Had India been only five wickets down instead of eight at the time of the interruption, Bangladesh’s target would have been 214 even if India had eventually been dismissed for 200. That is because, according to DLS calculations, the potential to score runs in three overs would have been higher with five wickets in hand, than with two in hand. Mustafizur struck with the second ball of the game, having Rohit Sharma drive away from the body to point for a duck, before coming back to dismiss Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Axar Patel in a decisive batting Powerplay that yielded three wickets for 17 runs. When Mustafizur got R Ashwin, he became only the second bowler after Zimbabwe’s Brian Vitori to claim five-fors in his first two ODIs. Mustafizur clapped till his hands
Mustafizur Rahman took two wickets in the 40th over, Bangladesh v India, 2nd ODI, Mirpur, June 21, 2015.
hurt and he was mobbed by his team-mates. Mirpur raised itself to a big roar, lapping up its new hero. He would return after the rain break, which caused the target to be revised to 200 in 47 overs, to immediately bowl Ravindra Jadeja via a deflection off the pads. Bangladesh had a brisk start to their chase, slicing 71 runs off the target in 15 overs. Tamim Iqbal lobbed Dhawal Kulkarni to slip for 13 off 21 balls, Soumya Sarkar was pinged on the badge of the helmet, and there were edges aplenty, but all of it was brushed aside. Though Soumya was not in fluid touch, with drags and heaves counterbalancing the orthodox drives from the previous game, he added 52 with Litton Das. The spinners briefly helped India claw their way back, Sarkar and Litton falling within four overs of each other. Ashwin, aided by close catchers, preyed on Bangladesh
with sharp turn and extra bounce. Dhoni tried to manufacture a game with his spin quartet but Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, who was spilled by Raina on 9, assumed charge and added 54 in 9.5 overs. By the time Mushfiqur was run out for 31, the asking rate was under three, and eventually Shakib ‘s calculated 51 off 62 balls put the seal on the landmark win with 54 balls to spare. However, it was Nasir Hossain who had set the stage for Bangladesh earlier. After trapping Virat Kohli lbw in his second over with a skiddy ball to end a 74-run partnership, he beat a well-set Shikhar Dhawan in the 21st over. Nasir went on to complete his quota for only the second time in ODIs, conceding 33 on both occasions. Kohli’s 27-ball stay was an indifferent one. He missed out on a couple of half-volleys and even absentmindedly offered a back-foot defence to a
free hit. Upon Kohli’s dismissal, Dhoni hiked himself up to No.4 for the first time since July 2012. He began positively, unleashing a jabbing punch off the sixth ball he faced and sent it blazing through the off-side ring. He followed it with a similar shot for a similar result off his tenth ball. Dhoni and Dhawan then traded caps for helmets and kept the scorecard ticking, taking India to 100 by the 19th over. Despite the early loss of Rohit, Dhawan was fluent from the outset, lashing four fours on the off side, including successive drives off Mashrafe in the tenth over. He brought up his fifty off 54 balls but perished soon after when he charged down the track to Nasir and edged to Litton, who had taken over the gloves from Mushfiqur for this match. Litton had managed to redeem himself after dropping Dhoni on 20 three balls earlier. Ambati Rayudu, who replaced Ajinkya Rahane, did not last long and departed for a duck in the 22nd over. Taskin Ahmed and Mashrafe took a cue from Mustafizur and suffocated India further by pulling some pace off the ball. The visitors needed some breathing space, which was provided by Dhoni and Raina through a steady 53-run stand, only the second partnership of note. However, tight bowling, backed up by predatory fielding meant that no boundaries were scored for a period of 46 balls between the 27th and 35th overs. The pressure finally told with Mustafizur accounting for Raina off the third ball of the batting Powerplay with an offcutter. By the time Dhoni failed to pick another offcutter and chipped to Sarkar at short cover, India had slumped to 174 for 6. Axar was out off the next ball, bagging his third duck in his last four innings and the third duck of the innings. Ashwin averted the hat-trick but was out nicking behind for four in Mustafizur’s penultimate over. Rain soon arrived at the score of 196 for 8 to hand India a reprieve lasting a little under two hours, but the damage had already been done by Mustafizur. Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
SPORTS
Yasir Wins for Pakistan
GALLE: Pakistan 417 (Shafiq 131, Sarfraz 96, Dilruwan 4-122) and 92 for 0 (Hafeez 46*, Shehzad 43*) beat Sri Lanka 300 (Silva 125) and 206 (Karunaratne 79, Yasir 7-76) by 10 wickets A seven-wicket haul from Yasir Shah completed an emphatic turnaround from Pakistan, who took the Galle Test by 10 wickets after recovering from a precarious position at the start of the fourth morning. Pakistan had been five down and 182 behind Sri Lanka’s firstinnings total at the time; few could have predicted then that their openers would waltz to a target of 90 at eight runs an over a day and a half later. The revival, sparked by Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq’s sixthwicket partnership and carried forward by Yasir’s fizzing legbreaks on the fifth afternoon, also vindicated Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to bowl first. With the first day washed out, Pakistan’s best chance of winning lay in batting just once. As it happened, they almost pulled off an innings win; Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad only needed 11.2 overs to polish off the chase. Last year, in a Test match between the same sides at the same ground, Sri Lanka took an 82-run first innings lead. At the start of the final day, Pakistan were 4 for 1 in their second innings. A draw looked the likeliest result, but Rangana Herath spun Pakistan out for 180 before Sri Lanka galloped to their target of 99 at a run a ball, with rain lurking around the corner. Now, the circumstances were neatly reversed, and Pakistan needed someone to step up and match Herath’s performance. Yasir showed the earliest possible sign that he would be that man; his first ball of the morning was a perfectly pitched topspinner. Dilruwan Perera, the nightwatchman, didn’t pick it, and shouldered arms. It went through with the angle and pegged back his off stump. Sarfraz completed his third stumping of the innings, Yasir had picked up his first seven-for in first-class cricket. Karthik Krishnaswamy is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
June 26, 2015
27
Gujarat Farmer Paves Way for a New, Climate-Smart Cash Crop - Sunshine A pilot project by Sri Lanka-based IWMI offered farmers the opportunity to sell excess energy generated by solar panels that drive their water pumps BY MAGDALENA MIS LONDON: A pioneering project in one of India’s sunniest states has led to one farmer harvesting what could become the country’s most climatesmart cash crop yet - sunshine. A pilot project by Sri Lanka-based non-profit International Water Management Institute (IWMI) offered farmers the opportunity to sell excess energy generated by solar panels that drive their water pumps, and one farmer did just that. Instead of using the excess energy to pump more groundwater to irrigate wheat and banana crops, Ramanbhai Parmar from Gujarat sold the extra
energy he generated over four months back to the power grid. He received Rs7,500 ($120) for 1,500 kilowatt hours kWh of electricity which, if used to run his water pump, would have extracted extra 8 million litres of groundwater. “’Solar crops’ are a very exciting example of a triple-win,” Tushaar Shah, IWMI senior fellow, said in a statement. “Farmers, the state, and precious water reserves all benefit from a single intervention.” When solar-powered water pumps were introduced in Gujarat, it quickly transpired that farmers took advan-
tage of what they saw as free energy to extract more water than they needed and groundwater reserves were depleted. “We know that India’s farmers are extremely responsive to incentives that improve productivity and incomes,” said Shah. “By offering them the chance to sell the electricity generated by their solar-powered water pumps, we could make agriculture in India cleaner and greener.” Gujarat gets up to 3,000 hours of sunlight per year, but at the same time suffers from extended dry spells. Giving farmers an opportunity to sell
Lalit Modi Used British Royal Names for Travel Papers
Andrew—second son of Queen Elizabeth II—has known Modi for several years and met him at his London home last July, just days before his travel papers were granted, The Sunday Times says BY ADITI KHANNA LONDON: Tainted former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi invoked the names of British royalty, including Prince Charles and his brother Andrew, while seeking his travel papers from the UK home office, according to a media report on Sunday. According to the report in ‘The Sunday Times’, Andrew—the Duke of York and second son of Queen Elizabeth II—has known Modi for several years and met Modi at his London home last July, just days before his travel papers were granted. Buckingham Palace refused to say what the two men had discussed but denied “categorically” that the duke had lobbied the UK government on Modi’s behalf. Modi’s immigration status in the UK has provoked a storm in India after the UK-based newspaper disclosed that he rang up external
affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to help him acquire his British travel papers. Although she says she acted on “humanitarian” grounds, Swaraj has faced calls for her resignation over an apparent conflict of interest. Modi, 49, travelled to London in 2010 after the IPL became embroiled in allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting. He denies any wrongdoings and says he came to Britain because he faced death threats from criminals in India. In March 2014, Modi was granted leave to remain in the UK after a court battle with the home office. He later applied for British travel papers, known as a certificate of travel. In June 2014, Keith Vaz, a veteran British lawmaker of Indian origin, wrote to Sarah Rapson, director-general of UK visas and immigration, asking if the papers “could be made available” to Modi, the paper reported earlier this month. Vaz said he helped Modi because the former IPL chief had told him
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that his wife urgently needed cancer treatment abroad and that he needed to accompany her. On 2 July last year, Vaz raised Modi’s case with another home office official. He wrote: “Mr Modi informs me that he met the Prince of Wales (Charles)... and he also met Prince Andrew two days ago. Both offered to help resolve this matter as he was complaining about missing the wedding of his sister and the inability to meet amongst others the president of the Seychelles.” Vaz says he acted on the information given to him by Modi. Modi’s application for a certificate of travel was initially rejected the next day.
excess energy could encourage them to pump only the water they need, said IWMI. IWMI estimates that around 11 million farmers across India are currently connected to the electricity grid could install solar-powered water pumps and sell the extra energy produced.
According to the 2011 census, about 33% of India’s households lacked access to electricity. Scaling up the initiative could help relieve pressure on the state’s overwhelmed electricity board, said IWMI. -Livemint.com
How India Bent it Right with PM Modi and his Ministers on Yoga Day
NEW DELHI: Millions across India woke up early on Sunday to join the first International Yoga Day celebrations as Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the beginning of a new era of peace and goodwill as he led thousands in a mega event at Delhi's Rajpath. Enthusiasm was visible in states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, where people performed asanas as part of the government’s push to popularise the ancient discipline. Showers in some parts of the coun-
try could not cast a pall on the celebrations as India sought to break the world record for the biggest yoga gathering with the event at Rajpath. Modi kicked off the proceedings at the mega event at Rajpath, where he said: “Yoga is more than only physical fitness...We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace.” Many big names of politics, top bureaucrats, diplomats, students and security personnel sat on mats to perform asanas at the event that was closely followed by officials of the Guinness World Records. In the crowd were Delhi’s lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who studiously avoided each other. -HindustanTimes.com
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28 June 26, 2015
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June 26, 2015
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Wrap-3
June 26, 2015
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