Friday, August 21, 2015 • Vol. 34, No. 34
Indo American News READ US ONLINE at www.indoamerican-news.com | Published weekly from Houston, Texas. USA 7457 Harwin Dr, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 • PH: 713 789 6397 • Fax: 713 789 6399 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com
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Friday, August 21 2015 | Vol. 34, No. 34
Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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History Made! ... & Celebrated!! P9 69th Indian Independence Day program held this past Sunday, August 16 at the Stafford Civic Centre.
P5 Mahatma Gandhi monument at the entrance of Mahatma Gandhi District on Sunday, August 16.
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Unity in Diversity at India House
Photos: Bijay Dixit
HOUSTON: India House hosted the 69th Independence Day celebrations along with their Summer Enrichment Camp Explosion on Saturday, August 15. The event was attended by 350 plus guests coming from a cross-section of the local Indian community, elected officials and neighboring community members.
City officials including Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson, Houston City Council Member Mike Laster, Sugar Land Council Member Harish Jajoo and representative from Houston City Council Member Larry Green’s office were present along with Trustees, Board Members and Council Members of India House to honor the Indian na-
tional spirit and encourage student presenters. Devon Anderson, India House President Dr. Manish Rungta, Dr. Virendra Mathur, Jugal Malani and Dr. Durga Agrawal together hoisted the American, Indian and Texas flags followed by the American and Indian national anthems. Devon Anderson congratulated
India House for uniting the cultures and serving the community. India House General Manager, Col. Vipin Kumar welcomed the guests and introduced the Summer Enrichment Camp students to the audience. India House president, Dr. Manish Rungta enlightened the audience about India’s Independence journey. He gave an overview of India House events and programs by showcasing the facility with its many free programs like, yoga & meditation; legal center providing legal advice for Family Law, Probate Law, Health Directives and Immigration consultation; nominal cost medical assistance at India House Charity Clinic and After School Program for community students. Dr. Virendra Mathur read out experts from the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s speech. The song, Aye mere watan ke logon by Maumita Chaudhary from Global Desis brought tears in many eyes. Hemant Bhavsar and Uday Shah’s song Jahan Daal Daal pe and Himalaya ki Bulandi Sey brought the audience into a patriotic fervor and emotional mood. The energy filled dance performance by non-Indian Summer Enrichment Camp students on Kehte hain humko pyaar se Indiawale, choreographed by Tina Bose
Kumar of Infused Performing Arts, brought a wave of vibrancy and received a standing ovation from the audience. The diverse ethnicity of the students represented the true Houston culture imbibing India House’s mission of bringing the neighboring communities together culturally. India House Program Manager, Michael Miller introduced his two student group teachers, Crystal Sanchez and Nasya Edwards along with the City of Houston interns at the Summer Enrichment Camp. Song written and rapped by the older students “India Oh Way!” featured interesting facts about India. The younger students’ skit featured a number of countries they had studied during their Summer Enrichment Camp here at India House. Through the skit and dance performances they travelled and educated the audience about France, Germany, India; and many countries in Africa and Latin America. Yellow Rose Clogger’s created a vibrant energy with their tap dancing, clickty-clacks and three generation of dancers. Students enjoyed colorful patterns and designs painted on their faces and hands at the exclusive face painting area. The students then moved outdoor to water slides and obstacle course slides to beat the summer heat. The events’ lite bites were sponsored by generous donors courtesy All Texas Vending, Charlie Patel of ICC, Deep Foods, Jimmy Johns, Madras Pavilion, Masala Munchies, Raja Sweets, Subway and Udipi. The celebrations closed with giving away of Back-To-School Back Packs filled with essential school supplies to every child present. The Summer Camp event was sponsored by Houston Community College and The Back-To-School Back Packs were sponsored by ICC (India Culture Center) and The Office of Council Member Larry Green. For regular updates like on Facebook/IndiaHouse Located at 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031. For further information and appointments contact: 713-929-1900 Email at Vipin@indiahouseinc. org Or visit www.indiahouseinc.org
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History is Made as South Asians Unveil a Simple Monument Honoring Gandhi BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: Under the shade of an ash tree, in the landscaped esplanade which butts into the traffic intersection at Hillcroft and US 59, more commonly known as the Southwest Freeway, a new monument sign proclaims the name that was bestowed on this area five years ago on January 16. Then, Houston Mayor Annise Parker unveiled the first sign, attached to poles under the street names, designating this area (which is better known as Little India) as the Mahatma Gandhi District, extending all the way on Harwin Drive to South Gessner and northward to Westpark. That event was held in the parking lot of East West Appliances, with snacks served in the vacant hall next door. As in 2010, the India Culture Center spearheaded the installation of the new monument sign this past Sunday, August 16, proclaiming the area the Mahatma Gandhi District, with side panels made of Indian redstone labelling it the South Asia Zone. The large panels that face the north and south lanes of Hillcroft are made of Egyptian cream colored granite, with a bronze medallion of Gandhi. On the bottom, in the same Callibri font as the district name, but smaller size reads “India Culture Center Houston” in homage to the efforts of the group in making this a reality. It was an effort that was four years in the making for the ICC and its then President retired Indian Army Colonel Dr. Raj Bhalla who tirelessly pursued it through the entire labyrinth of the Houston City apparatus. He brought in team players from the ICC: Swapan Dhairyawan, Charlie Patel and other members of the Executive Committees of the past four years. They turned for support to City Council, finding it in District J Councilman Mike Laster, and also got encouragement from the entire Board of the Southwest Management District and its Chairman Kenneth Li. Assisting them was the design architect Mahesh Wadhwa and his son Pankaj who developed the monument concept and other professionals from the City – Shailesh Patel and Jayant Patel – who helped
Photos: Raghu Thakkar
guide the plans and paperwork through. Dan Khatri of TDK Construction didn’t hesitate when he was asked to build the foundation and install the monument; Liyakat Maknojia donated the granite and Riyaz Momin provided the light fixtures. Tommy Schlitzberger of Schlitzberger Stone Designs com-
pleted building the monument and Prince Signs spent long hours over the last four days to install it. But nothing great ever goes off without a hitch, and in this project there were plenty. The cost came in at $25,000 and the team fanned out to raise it from local businesses bordering Hillcroft. “The first me-
dallion didn’t even look like Gandhiji,” exclaimed Bhalla with a chuckle as he spoke in front of the still unveiled monument to about 80 diehard supporters, local politicians and the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish. Four days before it was to be installed, the medallion was re-etched by Bronze Memorials and the rest of the assembly went at breakneck speed so that it could be unveiled the same day as the Indian Independence Day festival in the afternoon. It was bewildering for motorists to see a crowd at the esplanade posing for pictures with the monument as one lane of traffic in each direction was closed off for the ceremony. The rest of the installation – a concrete pedestal and an overhang, landscaping and façade
lights - are due to be finished soon and will make the spot a much visited photo-op landmark, no doubt. It was just this sort of branding of the area – and much more with arches, benches and other streetscapes – that Indo American News had written about in two articles 15 years ago, encouraging area businesses to forge together. Said Dhairyawan, “The unveiling of the Mahatma Gandhi monument in Hillcroft has been a dream come true!” After the ceremony, the supporters and guests moved to the nearby Bhojan restaurant for more celebratory comments by Bhalla, Dhairyawan, Charlie Patel, Congressman Al Green who lauded Gandhi for his influence on Dr. Martin Luther King and CG Harish who complimented the organizers for “thinking outside the box to make the world a better place.” The ICC presented etched glass tear-drop shaped awards to all those who helped with the monument, including Bhojan owners Haren and Protima Mathuria who donated the hall and the Gujarati buffet breakfast. And, as he was walking out of the door, Congressman Green outbid the others in the silent auction for a portrait of Gandhi made by Barkat Khowaja using 3,500 knob-head pins.
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, AUGUST 21, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
For photo collage, see page 4
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August 21, 2015
Independence Day Flag Hoisting at Consul General's Residence
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A few of the attendees at the Flag Hoisting function held at Consul General’s residence are seen. Photos: Bijay Dixit
300 guests from diverse walks of life, including elected representatives and their officials attended the Flag Hoisting. Representatives of business, universities, think-tanks, arts & culture, media, international students from India studying at various universities; and representatives of several Indian-American community fora also attended. The programme comprised unfurling of the Tricolor; singIn photo, Consul General and Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni ing of the National Anthem; singing the National Anthem of India on the eve of reading the President’s AdIndependence Day. dress; singing of patriotic songs by students of Krishna Gana HOUSTON: To celebrate India’s 69th Independence Day, Consul General, P. Harish Sudha Music Academy (KGSMA), Houston; hosted a Flag Hoisting for Indian Nation- cultural performance by student of Anjali als, members of the Indian American com- Center for Performing Arts; presentation of munity and Friends of India at his residence gifts to students; and serving High Tea. The Indian-American community has been on August 15, at 8.30 AM. This function was attended by a large expressing deep appreciation for successive gathering representing the Indian-American ‘Open Houses’ held at Consul General’s community in Greater Houston and neigh- residence to celebrate India’s National Days, boring cities in a broad based manner. Over with large and enthusiastic participation.
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A Non-Stop Stage Show, and the Crowd Kept Coming at I-Fest 2015 event focused on a musical concert, Ek Sham Azaadi ke Naam by the touring Indian group Mumbai Masti featuring singers K.K., Alka and Aman, which brought in a lot of audience participation till it closed at 9pm. The concert was made possible by sponsorship from Western Union and Discount Power. Gold Sponsor for the event
Photos: Raghu Thakkar
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA STAFFORD: All it took last year was a shift to a later starting time in the early afternoon at 2pm to get the crowds rolling in and the India Culture Center stuck to the same event format for this year’s 69th Indian Independence Day program held this past Sunday, August 16 at the Stafford Civic Centre on Cash Road, a site that has become synonymous with Indian programs over the past 15 years. Encouraged by the response last year, which was a turnaround from previous years of declining attendance, the organizers held true to the same formula to ensure a large turnout, which was estimated at 3,400 people during the seven hour event, down to a similar tagline “Colors of India” for the program. Over 54 vendors set up booths and three local eateries served food in the adjoining food court, which also had an inflatable jumping playpen for young kids and a first-ever craft, painting and educative corner run by Lana Ye. Over 16 area-wide organizations and groups participated to showcase their talents, many featuring dance and musical shows and a particularly anticipated moment was the children’s costume contest, to the delight of their friends and families. Among the crowd was visiting Telugu movie actor Raja (famous for the movie Anand) who was easily recognized and sought out for pictures. A 24-foot long LED screen on-stage flashed ads from sponsors, pictures of heroes of India’s Independence, and moments of ICC events from the past year, particularly the unveiling of the Mahatma Gandhi Monument
earlier in the day (see page 5), organized by Nisha Mirani, Ajit Patel and Yagnesh Patel; with a 36-page souvenir coordinated by Swapan Dhairyawan and Pramod Bengani. Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella, ever a guest at these ICC functions, dropped in for some brief congratulatory remarks as did Mayor-Protem of Sugarland, Harish Jajoo who came with proclamations; Sugar Land Councilman Himesh Gandhi and Missouri City Councilman Ken Matthew. US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee spoke of US- India efforts in the global economy and Houston Mayoral candidates Adrian Garcia and Sylvester Turner made appearances and brief remarks as did Indian Consul-General Parvathaneni Harish. ICC President Charlie Patel and Event Chair Nisha Mirani spoke about the event and ICC role and vision and the program emcee was Shweta Arora. Nandita Harish, the CG’s wife lit the ceremonial lamp and their daughter, Amaani, performed a Kuchipudi solo dance. Surene sang the US National anthem and Paarth and Madhuri sang the Indian anthem. The Kids Costume contest (coordinated by Sapna Shah) had 16 participants and was judged by Parul Fernandes and Sangeeta Dua, with prizes by Anand and Dr. Ashima Chauhan. The Teen Essay contest (coordinated by Veena Kaul) had 11 participants, judged by Col. Raj Bhalla and Col. Vipin Kumar, with cash prizes by Mu-
was Moparty Family and Silver sponsors were Wallis State Bank, Ramesh Cherivirala, Sling TV, Yuppy TV, North American Title Company, MD & Associates and Paradise Gifts.
For photo collage, see pages 14-15
nish Goel. The cultural program (coordinated by Swapan Dhairyawan and Saneeta Pasrija) consisted of a wide variety of songs and energetic dances from local schools, featuring 178 performers, ages 4 to 80 and highlighting the diversity of Indian cultures and involvement from all parts of the local community. The performance by the Tiyaagi group was outstanding for the 38 performers, ages 5 to 50, who participated in an 18-minute long portrayal of Freedom Fighters and the struggle for Independence. A surprise special recognition award was presented to Col. Bhalla and his wife Kanwal for dedicated service to the community. And closing out the community program was the announcement of raffle winners with great prizes from Travel Guzs, Sehgal Diamonds, Kohinoor Diamonds, Sara International and Parivar Grocers. Umang Mehta of Deep Foods provided all the volunteers and performers behind the scenes with complimentary juices, drinks and snacks. The sound system was by Krishna Sounds, with Darshak and Mona Thakkar handling the controls. The evening segment of the
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Mesmerizing Performances by LAASIKA School Of Dance
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HOUSTON: Houstonians were pleasantly delighted to see another promising school added to the array of dance schools in Sugarland & Katy. Pallavi Kumar, Artistic Director of Laasika School of Dance with more than three decades of experience in Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi dance styles, celebrated their first milestone with ‘Naatyopasana’ , at JCC Kaplan Theatre on August 15. Young and talented students of Laasika displayed such remarkable artistic acumen that it was hard to believe that it was their first annual recital with elaborate costumes, theatrical lighting and excellent synchronization of dances. Through ‘Natyopasana’, Laasika Dance Ensemble under diligent guidance of Pallavi Kumar, paid obeisance to various Hindu gods through mélange of
traditional items from repertoires of Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi. The ensemble made an impressive beginning with crisp ‘Pushpanjali’ in Bharathanatyam, a floral tribute dedicated to Lord Siva that set the tone and tenor of the show with high degree of discipline which was performed by Anuhya Juturi, Ayushi Aggrawal, Priyanka Bhavani, Ria Madhugiri, Shruthi Ezhilarasan & Tejaswi Sriram. Young students of Laasika, Himahasini Jammli, Jiya Jacob, Netra Tallavajhula & Simran Binnani – marked an auspicious beginning in Kuchipudi with ‘Naandhi Stuthi’ an excerpt from ‘Poorva Rangam’, a ritual that is performed at the beginning of a traditional Kuchipudi Performance. ‘Alarippu’ was impressively performed by Anuhya Juturi, Ayushi Aggrawal and Tejaswin Sriram. The composite story of Ramayana delineating the story of Rama from birth to corona-
tion was captivatingly narrated by Divya Aaloori, Kimeera Paladugu, Praharsha Sista & Sameera Goddanti. Anuhya Juturi & Ayushi Aggrawal executed the intricate footwork in ‘Jathiswaram’ with excellent grace and precision. Performance of Kavidi Chindu, a light hearted song set in a folk lore tune singing the praises of Lord Muruga was lively with folk element of rhythmic dance movements. It was performed by Divya Aloori, Nivedita Ramgopal, Pramila Nandigam, Rithika Satishkumar & Sameera Goddanti. Immaculate presentation of ‘Shiva Stuthi’ by Anuhya Juturi, Ayushi Aggrawal & Haripriya Mallidi propitiating Lord Siva with several arresting static Siva poses was spellbound and reflects the assiduous training imparted
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COMMUNITY
Houston Celebrates “Thanksgiving” Festival of Bonalu in August BY RAJENDER APARASU HOUSTON: With formation of state of Telangana, festivals like Bonalu and Bathukamma have gained widespread significance because of their sociocultural and religious importance. These festivals were declared as state festivals by the Telangana government because of their importance to the people of the newly formed state. The Telangana Association of Greater Houston (TAGH), a USA registered non-profit organization, was formed last year by the Telangana Non Resident Indians in greater Houston Area, to preserve the cultural identity and
contribute to its development. The organization provides a platform for literary, cultural, educational, social and developmental activities in Houston and in Telangana. For second time, the TAGH organized Bonalu Festival at Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir on August 8. Bonalu is an annual “Thanksgiving” festival for Goddess Mahakali, the life saver for good health and prosperity, for the fulfillment of vows. It is celebrated in greater Hyderabad and many parts of Telangana for Goddess Mahakali. It is also referred to as Ashada Jatra Utsavalu as it falls in the month of Ashada Masam or around July/August. The festivities are celebrated at temples of Mahakali or her other various forms such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Peddamma, Dokkalamma, Ankalamma, Poleramma, Maremma, Nookalamma etc. Bonam means Bhojanam in Telugu, a meal, which is an offering to Mother Goddess. Women prepare rice cooked with milk, jaggery in a new brass or earthen pot adorned with neem leaves, turmeric, vermilion and a lighted diya on the top of the pot. Women carry the pots on their heads and make offering of Bonam along with turmeric, vermilion, bangles and saree to the Mother Goddess across the temples. About 400 people attended the indoor and outdoor community event at the Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir. The sunny weather and the temple atmosphere provided an ideal stage for this summer event. The festivities started at 6:30 pm with a puja by Sri Madhusudhan Shastry, resident priest of Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir, with invoking the Goddess Mahakali to drive out evil and rein in prosperity. A special stage was created inside the temple for this purpose with alankaram, the decoration where people gathered to receive the blessings of the Goddess. Later everybody participated in a procession around the temple, the signature activity of Bonalu festival. Ladies wearing colorful festival sarees carried Bonam on their heads and men danced to the dole and music. The procession ended indoors with ladies and girls dancing around Bonalu and men and boys forming their own dance groups. The energy and enthusiasm for the dance and music for more than an hour showed the devotion to the Goddess Mahashakthi and her various forms. The Bonalu and other devotional songs energized the dancing crowd. The volunteers provided butter milk to participants to quench the thirst and to reenergize them. For many, it reminded the festivities of the childhood in their native land of Telangana. It was a teaching moment for the parents to pass their family rituals and values to their children. Finally, the program ended with delicious festive dinner exclusively prepared by Biryani Pot Restaurant. The families enjoyed the traditional dinner with their friends. This year’s event was led by Ram Surabi (Chair) and Saritha Gutha (Co-chair) with strong support from the organizing committee, volunteers, media sponsors, and local organizations. The committee thanked the volunteers for various activities ranging from stage set-up, food, and other arrangements. They also thanked Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir. The TAGH is reaching out to the communities for organizing festivals like Bonalu and Bathukamma. They are actively seeking support and contributions to their next signature event, Bathukamma, to be held in at Sri Ashtalakshmi temple on October 17, 2015. For further details visit: http://www.houstontelangana.org/ or www.tagh.org
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COMMUNITY
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by Pallavi Kumar. Striking presentation of Thillana by Nivedita Ramgopal & Priyanka Shastri’s brought student performances segment to an end. Much awaited performance of Pallavi Kumar commenced with
her evocative interpretation of Jayadeva’s ashtapadi “Sancharadhadhara” . Her involvement and impressive expressions in portraying ‘Krishna – Erotic Lover’ captured the audience. Her virtuosity in Kuchipudi was visible in
‘Tarangam’ ,a unique feature of Kuchipudi, when Pallavi brilliantly danced on rims of a brass plate to a set of Jathis. Pallavi concluded the show in Panache with ‘Mangalam’ & Indian National Anthem. Pallavi’s passion for perfection & quality in dance presentation and sincere objective to pass on the ancient dance forms onto next generation was vivid in every item. With her inspirational teaching and potential, Pallavi is sure to make a mark in classical art scene of Houston. Laasika School of Dance is offering Bharathanatyam & Kuchipudi dance classes in Sugarland & Katy areas. For more details visit:- www.pallavikumar.us . Register for FREE INTRODUCTORY CLASSES by email laasikaa@gmail.com
For advertising contact: Vanshika Vipin at 713.789.6397
AUSTIN: Rachana Sudhir, 12 years, won the Gold medal in the recently concluded USA Taekwondo (USAT) Nationals Competition held at Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX from July 4- 10. Being the youngest in the 12-14 years category, Rachana struck gold in Board Breaking and bronze in the Poomsae (forms) competition in the her belt category for girls. To win this highly competitive timed event, Rachana executed various breaking techniques using her hands and legs rapidly to break 13 boards adopting various Taekwondo styles. She competed with sev-
eral competitors who came from all over the country and took the honors to make Texas proud. This achievement of hers comes after several months of hardwork and determination and long late weekend practice hours. Rachana’s focus and commitment to the sport worked well in her favor to win her the coveted medals. Rachana has been attending the White Tiger UMA Taekwondo in Spring, TX for the last 2 years and is coached by Master Kim. She lives with her father Sudhir Padmanabhan and mother Lakshmi Gopinath in the Country Lakes Estates subdivision in Spring, TX.
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STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI
August 21, 2015
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Gandhi’s Arrest Creates Sensation Worldwide
Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2015 Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests. Visitgandhilibrary. org for registration and more information. Allschoolgoing children can participate! These contests are being organized to create higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhitopromoteuniversal values of Truth, NonViolence, Love and Service. The story thus far…Newspaper reporters from all over the world were there to report the progress of the Gandhi’s satyagraha. The march ended on April 5 at Dandi village. Gandhi and his selected followers went to the sea shore and broke the salt law by picking up salt left on the shore by the sea. Gandhi then gave a signal to all Indians to break the salt law and prepare to resist the police action in a nonviolent manner. Heeding Gandhi’s word, all over India people swarmed to the nearest sea coast to break the salt law. Great excitement was created everywhere. Only a few people knew how to make salt, but the people soon found their own ways of making it. All that mattered was the breaking of the salt law. Gandhi and other leaders had made arrangements for the continuation of the agitation if they were arrested. A chain of leaders had been chosen, so that as each leader was arrested another would be ready to take his place. The government waited for some time before taking any action, and then at last retaliation began. Gandhi was left at liberty, but many other leaders were taken into custody. Jawaharlal, Mahadev Desai, and Gandhi’s son Devadas were the first to pick up salt to break the law and be sent to jail. In dealing with the breakers of the salt law, the police resorted to their usual brutal methods. The Indian National Congress was declared illegal. Some newspapers, threatened with censorship, suspended publication. The people held hartaals (strikes) and demonstrations, and mass arrests were made. Soon the jails were overflowing. The people remained nonviolent, lest Gandhi should call off the movement. Gandhi then informed the Viceroy that he was going to raid the government salt works at Dharasana. Lord Irwin decided to act. Two English officers, with pistols, accompanied by many Indian policemen armed with rifles, arrived at Gandhi’s camp in the middle of the night. They woke Gandhi and said, “You are under arrest.” Gandhi was taken to Yeravda Cen-
Mahatma Gandhi Week is being observed in Houston from September 26 to October 2,2005. Various activities are being planned, including essay competitions for children, lectures, exhibitions, seminars, etc. This will be done in collaboration with several Houston area Indian and American cultural and religious organizations. For more information, call Atul Kothari at 713785-3900 or visit www.mahatmagandhilibray.org tral Jail and was thus absent for the raid on the Dharasana salt deposits. The salt deposits were surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and protected by four hundred Indian policemen armed with steel-toed canes. A few British officers were in command of them. Gandhi’s volunteers halted some distance away from the fence. Then a select group of them advanced towards the fence. Police officials ordered the volunteers to disperse but they ignored the warning. Suddenly the police rushed at them and rained blow after blow on the defenseless men. Not one of the volunteers even raised an arm to stop the blows. They fell down, some with broken skulls, some with broken shoulders, arms, or legs. When the entire first batch had been knocked down and carried off on stretchers, another batch advanced to meet the same fate. The campaign went on for hours. Finally, as the heat of the day increased, the volunteers stopped their activities for that day. Among the volunteers two had died and 320 were injured. Gandhi’s arrest had created a great sensation in India and abroad. Representations were sent from all parts of the world to the British Prime Minister asking the government to release Gandhi and make peace with India. Even those who were cooperating with the British demanded the release of Gandhi. Gandhi proved to be more dangerous inside the jail than outside. While he sat quietly in Yeravda Jail, countrywide outbreaks of civil disobedience were greatly taxing the British. The jails were full. The government was in distress and
finally, in 1931, had to release Gandhi, Nehru, and other leaders.As soon as Gandhi was out of prison he asked for an interview with the Viceroy, Lord Irwin. The interview was immediately given. Gandhi and Irwin met, but the two men seemed to have come from two different worlds. Gandhi did not go to seek any favors. He wanted to negotiate on terms of equality. The meeting went on for many days and finally the talks culminated in a treaty, the GandhiIrwin Pact. It embodied compromises made by both sides. Irwin agreed to release all the political prisoners, and Gandhi promised to suspend civil disobedience and send a Congress representative to the Round Table Conference. At the time, in London, the British government was holding aRound Table Conference on the future of India. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a victory for nonviolent resistance. But some of Gandhi’s Congress followers thought that he had not gained much as a result of the pact. Gandhi was designated as the sole representative of the Congress to the Round Table Conference. In August 1931 he sailed for London with a small party. Gandhi went to England with the object of reaching an agreement with the British on a fair Constitution for India and also of winning the hearts of the British people. In his first object he failed, and in the second he met with great success. Gandhi spent 84 days in England and most of the time he was meeting and talking to people. Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to see him but Gandhi captivated the hearts of many. He had tea with the King and Queen. When a reporter asked him if he thought he had been dressed well enough for such an august tea party, Gandhi replied, “The King had on enough for both of us.” At the Round Table Conference nothing was conceded to India. The Conference played up the differences between Hindus and Muslims, and this only served to worsen communal tension in India. Gandhi returned with nothing except warm goodwill for India from the hearts of many English people. At home, Gandhi found that the government had returned to the policy of repression. There were widespread arrests and seizure of property and bank accounts of people and organizations who were hostile to British interests. Early in 1932 Gandhi wanted to meet the new Viceroy, Lord Willlingdon, but the Viceroy made it clear that the days of negotiations were over. Gandhi informed the authorities that he was again starting a civil disobedience movement. The Viceroy thought it was a threat and had Gandhi arrested and lodged in Yeravada Central Jail. Several other leaders and many followers of Gandhi were also arrested and jailed. — To be Continued
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18 August 21, 2015
Oh, Snap
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY
Indian Without Being an Indian BY TUNKU VARADARAJAN
Each time Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a trip abroad, one of the outcomes is an image of him staring into a camera with his counterparts in whichever part of the world he happens to be visiting. Before he whipped out his cellphone outside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang tweeted a picture from Beijing that the Wall Street Journal labelled as perhaps “the most powerful selfie” ever. There was one in Fiji with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and another at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. (A notable absentee from Modi’s selfie bingo card is US President Barack Obama; instead of a selfie, the two were pictured embracing.) These images become wildly popular for one reason: They seem unburdened by the pomp and bombast of proper protocol. Instead, the awkwardly composed shots suggest informality. After all, it’s what ordinary folk — people who don’t run countries — would do to record a special moment. With a selfie, Modi and his companions indicate an offbook, impromptu interaction that comes from a place of genuine friendship, and so they become instantly more accessible to their constituents. Yet, for all their seeming spontaneity, these selfies are likely just as affected and carefully curated as the more traditional forms of diplomatic communication. The studied casualness of a selfie is a handy way to reflect a vision of diplomatic relations that privileges the personal equation between two leaders. As a side benefit, politicians come across as less stuffy and more in tune with the zeitgeist — also the reason why, say, the White House released Obama’s summer playlist. Still, such experiments with the cellphone are fraught with danger. Diplomacy is a deliberate art and mixing its natural tendency to caution with the selfie’s impetuousness is bound to create tension, as Obama, UK PM David Cameron and then Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt found out, to their own peril, when they decided to take a selfie at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Indian Express
What am I? I was born in Delhi, in a hospital in the military cantonment, my maternal grandfather having been a stiff-backed officer of the Indian Army. Every member of my immediate biological family resides in Delhi. I cheer for India at cricket, at hockey, and at every other sport worth shouting for, and follow Indian politics more closely than the politics of any other land — including that of the US, the country in which I live (and whose domestic politics I abhor). I am fiercely proud of India’s achievements, fiercely critical of its failings, and never neutral about anything of import that has to do with the land of my birth. I’m Rafi over Kishore Kumar, Vilayat over Ravi Shankar, Dravid over Tendulkar, langda over alphonso, and idli over dosa (as long as there’s good gunpowder). But I’m not Indian. Or, put another way: I’m not an Indian citizen. Every life has its trajectory and mine took me to Britain as a teenager. I chose to settle there after I finished my studies and lived there for two happy decades, retaining my Indian citizenship all the while. I became a journalist, and in due course my newspaper, The Times, sent me to Madrid as bureau chief. Getting a work permit for Spain was a chore, but the newspaper’s name carried some heft and the Spanish authorities fast-tracked my Indian passport through the bureaucratic labyrinth. One fateful day, a breaking story of significance required me to hop on the next flight out of Madrid to Casablanca, in Morocco. But I couldn’t: With my Indian citizenship, the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid said it would take two weeks for a visa. I watched as my competitors — Brits to the last man — hopped on that flight out of town and filed their stories. The Times carried wire copy instead, and my editor was pissed off. “Get a UK passport,” he said. “You can tell me you’re Indian all you like. But don’t tell me you couldn’t do the job.” So I got a UK passport. There was a breaking story out of Morocco two months later — and I was on a plane to Rabat in a flash. I had to surrender my Indian pass-
Why not extend the option of Indian nationality to those among this group of people who had once been Indian citizens? They would embrace it with gratitude and gusto. port, a fat, wedge-like thing, three books gummed together, with an insane (and dazzling) array of immigration stamps and visas. Only Nepal, I recall — and perhaps Mauritius, though I can’t be sure — let Indians in without a visa in those days. It was a serious professional liability to be a working journalist in Europe with one of the world’s leading newspapers and to have an Indian passport. My decision to surrender my Indian passport was wholly pragmatic. Did I love India less after I became British? Hardly. There are hundreds of thousands of people like me outside India who have had to surrender their Indian passports for foreign ones for purely professional and practical reasons. These are people who would gladly have retained their Indian citizenship, even as they took on the citizenship of another land, if India’s laws had permitted dual nationality. Sixty-eight years after Independence, India is an economic and political powerhouse. One of the keenest weapons in its arsenal is the Indian diaspora, which includes Indian citizens residing abroad as well as many millions of people of Indian
origin who are the nationals of other countries. Why not extend the option of Indian nationality to those among this group of people who had once been Indian citizens? They would embrace it with gratitude and gusto. At so many levels this would be the right thing for India to do. In a world where numerous countries offer dual citizenship, India is depriving itself, limiting the free flow of people and ideas for no advantage that I can see. The notion that it would be a security hazard is bogus. Dangerous infiltration isn’t deterred by passports and nationality. (Remember David Headley?) It would also show confidence and maturity, and a pride in people who may have left the Motherland, but for whom the Motherland is always a source of inspiration and love. Indian Express
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Tunku Varadarajan is the Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
August 21, 2015
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COMMUNITY
TCC Taped Ball Tournament Spring 2015 – SLCC Winners, ECC Runners Up
Winners SLCC With Chief Guest Jesal Patel
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HOUSTON: Another highly competitive tournament with 20 teams participating ended with the Spring Finals on 08/08/15. SLCC won the toss and elected to bat on a clear sunny day. ECC restricted SLCC to just 20 runs in the first power play period. Soon after they collected the wicket of Thilan(14), who was the top run scorer in the tournament. Ramesh(48*) and Ranil(23) put up a partnership with sensible shots. After Ranil got out caught behind, Dushan(27*) entertained with shots all around the ground. Both Ramesh and Dushan retired due to the heat in the 18th over. Gihan’s quick fire 19 elevated the final score to 150/4. Avinash and Chandu fished with the best bowling figures for ECC taking 2/26 and 1/23 respectively. ECC got off to a slow start scoring just 18runs in the power play period. Sandip and Gautam started to build ECC run chase with some help from SLCC poor fielding efforts, scoring 66/1 in the first 10 overs. After Gautam(20) was caught behind on the first delivery after the break, Sandip kept ECC run chase within reach with scoring big shots regularly. The turning point of the game came when Dushan took the wicket of Sandip (54), and finished with 3 wickets. Bernard ended the ECC run chase taking 4 wickets for just 10 runs, and
collecting his second consecutive Finals MVP award. SLCC won by a comfortable margin of 33 runs at the end, collecting back to back championships making SLCC only the third team to accomplish this feat, joining Cougars and Spartans. The game had quality umpiring provided by Spartans club. Complete match details are available at http://www.sportstatz.com/ss/web. aspx?club=779&mode=100&matc h=29421 The game was followed by a wellorganized prize distribution ceremony arranged by TCC and attended by number of friends and family members who had come to support the teams. Jesal Patel was the Chief Guest. She has been a financial or insurance planning adviser serving our community for years. She is also a proud sponsor of TCC youth program this year that helps with conducting youth tournament and training programs. She can be reached out for any assistance with finance or insurance queries. Contact info @ http://www. jesalzpatel.com/ . The other members were President Nanda Kumar, Vice President Krishna Shikaram, Secretary Krishna Kasturi and Board Member Surya Saladi. Nanda Kumar coordinated the presentation ceremony. Jesal Patel was presented with
a plaque by Nanda Kumar for her contribution to cricket in Houston. Gihan Fernando, the captain of SLCC was presented with the championship trophy and Kiran Muppala, the captain of ECC was presented with the runners up trophy. The players of the winners and runners up received individual trophies. Man of the match for the finals was Bernard from SLCC for a tremendous allaround performance. Indrasena Thilan from Big 12 won the Best Batsman trophy with 281 runs. Sunny Teli from Big 12 won the Best Bowler trophy with 14 wickets and Rajendran Nair from STYX won the best All-Rounder trophy with 170 runs and 12 wickets. Trophies were also given to the man of the match for Semi Finals, Quarter Finals and Pre QF. Thilan from SLCC and Kiran from ECC were the recipients of MVP for Semi Finals. Ranil from SLCC, Chandu from ECC, Ganesh from STYX and Abhishek from Cougars were the recipients of the MVP for Quarter Finals. Ranil from SLCC, Gaurav from HJCC, Anurag from HICC and Bharath from STYX were the recipients of MVPs for Pre QFs. Special prizes were given to Bhaskar Saripella from Houston Arrows and Indrasena Thilan from SLCC for a century, Jayalith Kalanka from SLCC B for a Hattrick.
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August 21, 2015
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22 August 21, 2015
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COMMUNITY
August 21, 2015
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Week-long Swara Raga Laya Carnatic Music Workshop 2015 Enlightens Numerous Youngsters the ways to identify the ragas based on the notes. In one of the exercises, the students were taught to create a swarajathi in the raga of their choice. Such a challenges and quiz made the camp extremely interesting to most students. The concerts rendered by the guest artistes were scholarly and informative. All participants had much to take home when they dispersed reluctantly. By entrusting senior aspiring musicians to assist to teach beginner level students in classes of smaller sizes, the time during the camp was well utilized. The camp was attractive to most students since it promoted confidence of their ability. A wide range of planned activities like Yoga exercise ( instructed by Poornima Bhat) , group practice, snack breaks etc. created a joyful time. In every aspect of the camp, including the curriculum, one could notice professionalism, passion and experience in conducting such instructional workshops. BY CHITTOOR RAMACHANDRAN HOUSTON: Houston’s aspiring Carnatic music enthusiasts had a great opportunity to participate in a week-long music camp during August 3 to 8 at Ashtalakshmi Temple. Krishna Gana Sudha Music Academy that organized this camp has built its reputation in Greater Houston, primarily due to the dedication of its director Vidushy Rajarajeswary Bhat. Over a period of the past 12 years, she has established an admirable history of training (Carnatic style of music) hundreds of children. Both as a performer and as a teacher, Rajarajeswari Bhat has earned the respect from connoisseurs of Carnatic music nationwide. In a magnified class room style of teaching, the camp created an atmosphere completely consumed by art, with over 60 aspiring youth and adults representing their families. Students at various levels of learning remained captivated throughout the long hours, as the curriculum included the discussions of numerous interesting aspects of music. While Rajarajeswari Bhat steered major part of the teaching, Vidwan Erode Nagaraj conducted several sessions of lessons on the importance of ‘ laya’ in music. Several invited musicians like Padma Saranathan, K.P. Nandini and Murali Parthasarathy contributed much to enhance the interest of each student by offering renditions highlighting various aspects of Carnatic music system. Krishna Gana Sudha Academy is considered as the forerunner of a singularly successful music school for its curriculum that merges ancient traditions of teaching with the need of youngsters growing up in US families. The music camp predominantly followed the regular class curriculum; In addition, it facilitated opportunities for self-assessment, self-reliance, team work, interaction between the students of different levels, presentation before the peers etc. Evidence of accomplishment gained by regular practice, as expressed in short presentations by senior students in the camp inspired attentive beginners. The divine ambience of Ashta Lakshmi Temple was an ideal setting for teaching and learning Indian classical music. Although it is understandable that in a camp like this, one could expect to have only a glimpse at the wide ocean of music, I noticed the progressive increase in the curiosity and passion in several children as the days progressed. During repeated singing of selected well known compositions in certain ragas, the basic notes in them intrigued several of the students. This camp also promoted creative challenge to understand the basis of raga classification and INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
24 August 21, 2015
PUZZLES/RECIPES
SUDOKU
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Send us the correct answer before August 26, 2015. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036.
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Daliya Palao
(Cracked Wheat Pilaf) Slow Cooker Recipe Daliya is nothing more than cracked, roasted wheat, but it is not so easily available in many stores as compared to coarse wheat flour or even suji (semolina); though it is not very expensive. Cooking with daliya requires a little patience, since it takes longer to cook than regular rice; but unlike rice, it is not usually eaten as a base to accompany other food. Rather, it is best appreciated when it is cooked with other vegetables, like a pilaf or as a porridge. When daliya is cooked sweet, it is in the form of a popular breakfast dish downed with hot tea of warm milk. But Indian palates can just as easily eat daliya salted with other ingredients, much like a rice palao, at breakfast or at any time of day. The advantage over rice palao is that daliya has much less sugar than rice (especially the white variety) and so is better alternative for those who have to watch their sugar or are diabetic. Since the daliya grain is thicker and denser than rice grain, it usually takes longer to cook. For this reason, it more convenient to make it in a slow cooker that allows the daliya to simmer over a long time. This allows you to take care of your other activities while taking the guessing out of the preparation. The slow cooker is very convenient for cooking ingredients that will take several hours to simmer and become easy to chew and digest. You can cook for several hours or overnight without concern for overheating or burning the food; yet the design of the slow cooker makes it safe for cooking for long periods. Ingredients :
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1) R. K. Babber 2) Trisha Shah 3) Shamit Gupta
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1 cup daliya (cracked wheat) 5 cups pani (water) 2 tbspn olive oil 1 small tamater (tamato) – cut into medium-thin half-slices 1/4 cup matter (peas) – fresh 1/2 cup phul gobi (cauliflower) – fresh 1 medium aloo (potatoes) – peeled and large cubes 1/2 cup gajjar (carrots) – peeled and 1 large piyaaz (onion) Spices: namak (salt), garama masala, lasan (garlic) powder – to your taste
Directions: 1. Pour 1 cup of daliya into 3 cups of water in the slow cooker and turn it on the high setting for an hour. 2. Check to see if the daliya has become a little tender then turn the setting to low for 30 minutes. 3. Open the slow cooker and add a tablespoon of olive oil and add the sugar to taste. Some people may prefer gur which gives the daliya a slightly brown color. 4. Soak the raisins and almonds in hot water for 30 minutes; then peel and split the almonds. If you prefer, use slivered almonds; but soaking them will make them softer.
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 USE AND REUSE KITCHEN SERVING CLOTHS Living in the US can force you into using lots of paper towels while cooking or cleaning up. Although this is can become a habit, most of the time, using a soft, clean cloth to handle hot pots and pans as well as while making fresh, hot rotis (flatbreads) is just as convenient. In Punjabi, these are called paundas (you have to roll the “d”, with a slight “r” sound) and are commonly used in kitchens. Paundas are also good for the environment as you can reuse them. The trick is not to throw these in the washer with the rest of your laundry. An ultimate, environmentally friendly idea is to collect all the small left over pieces of hand soap; throw them into a pot of boiling water, throw in all the used kitchen cloths and let the water boil for a few minutes. Then, let the cloths soak for a while, stirring often; then throw out the water and rinse. The cloths should be clean enough to be reused!
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August 21, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Review: Brothers
‘Brothers’ uses a form of kinetic martial arts to foreground its story of two warring siblings, but it stays, at heart, a Karan Johar film : the crunching bones and spraying blood is as heavily underscored by we-are-family soppiness as it is with deafening background music. Result : a film that actually has a plot (officially adapted from Hollywood film ‘Warriors’, with shades of ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Rocky’ thrown in) riding on competent acts, but which squanders its advantages because of the treatment. David (Akshay Kumar) and Monty (Sidharth Malhotra) are estranged brothers. A deep wound from their childhood festers strongly, and when they face each other in a ring, they go for the kill. Or do they?Their backstory with a dissolute, drunk fighter for a father (Jackie Shroff) and large-hearted loving woman for a mother ( Shah) is effectively executed. So are the fight scenes. In fact, it must be the first time that there has been such extensive detailing of a high-tech arena, glittering with strobe-lights, lusty spectators, foreign fighters, excitable commentators ( Zutshi) in Bollywood. All of it—snarling fighters, hooded faces, uniformed assistants marching up the ramp to swelling beats–feels very WWF and Hollywood and expensively bankrolled reality TV, rolled
into one. Both leading men are well muscled and handy with their slashing fists and feet : the ropey Akshay’s felicity with this `mixed martial arts’ makes his time in the ring believable ; the much more buff Sidharth too does what it is required, efficiently. Nice to see the near-forgotten Kiran Kumar, strutting his stuff in techni-coloured
suits-and-ties as the magnate who wants to bring ‘Right To Fight’ – this fictional form of commercial combat– into India. So too Ashutosh Rana, who really needs to be among roles again. Shroff’s haggard face and deeply pouched eyes fit his part : depicting being dead drunk on your feet minus exaggeration is an art, and he does it well ; Shah’s care-worn mother has impact. The trouble lies in the way it is done. You can show sentiment without dousing it in sentimentality. ‘Brothers’ gets dragged down by its over-wrought mawkishness. The subplot involving Fernandez and a little girl with a serious illness is designed to jerk tears. And it has entirely superfluous songs, particularly an item number by Kareena Kapoor Khan which is so generic that she must have taken expressions and ‘thumkas’from her previous ones and just rolled them out in this one. -Indianexpress
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Shah Rukh Khan Injured, Tweets About Tough Shooting
NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has tweeted about receiving an injury, apparently on the sets of his upcoming film FAN. In May, the actor had posted about a hamstring injury saying: "Serious Ouch time!" On Saturday, the King Khan posted about long days and tough shoot.
At present, Khan is shooting for FAN. The film, directed by Maneesh Sharma of Band Baaja Baaraat fame, will see Shah Rukh playing the role of both a superstar and his fan. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Fan is scheduled to release on April 15, 2016. -HindustanTimes
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
26 August 21, 2015
SPORTS
Super Saina Leads Badminton Revival
Herath’s Seven Wickets Razes India for 112, 1st SL Test Win
BY SIDHARTH MONGA GALLE (ESPN Cricinfo): Sri Lanka 183 (Mathews 64, Chandimal 59, Ashwin 6-46) and 367 (Chandimal 162, Mubarak 49, Thirimanne 44, Ashwin 4-114) beat India 375 (Dhawan 134, Kohli 103, Saha 60, Kaushal 5-40) and 112 (Herath 7-48, Kaushal 3-47) by 63 runs After having made 377 look like 150 against Pakistan recently, Sri Lanka were back to their old ways of making sub-200 targets appear 350-plus by choking the life out of India’s chase. Their bowlers had failed to build any pressure in the first innings, but they hardly released it on the fourth day. India needed 153 to win with nine wickets in hand at the start of the day, but Rangana Herath and Tharindu Kaushal bowled them out to complete a sensational win. Not counting the forfeiture of The Oval Test in 2006, this 192 was the eighth highest first-innings deficit turned around into a Test win. Dropped in the last match and lacking the bite in the first innings, Herath put more body into the ball, bowled hardly a bad ball in 21 overs, went past Bishan Bedi to become the third-most successful left-arm spinner in Test history, and registered the second-best figures in Galle. This was a return to what Sri Lanka do really well: runs to play with, in-and-out fields so they are both attacking and defending at the same time, and their spinners landing everything on a penny. The Galle International Stadium is an open venue with few stands in a sparsely populated city, but India would have felt there was no air to breathe on the fourth day. A day earlier they were almost certain of a win, but a turnaround began their inexplicable resistance to DRS and an excellent counterattack by Dinesh Chandimal. If that turnaround was unexpected, on the final day it was predictable that Sri Lanka would make India work hard for every run on a turning pitch. Eventually India did not work hard enough, in terms of applying themselves technically, folding for their lowest total against Sri Lanka.
Rangana Herath exults after trapping Ishant Sharma lbw © AFP
Working extremely hard was a 37-year-old portly spinner, fighting sore knees and a dodgy back, realising he needed to spin the ball harder to make a helpful pitch respond to him. And he did so emphatically. Having taken out KL Rahul on day three, Herath removed nightwatchman Ishant Sharma with the first ball he bowled in the morning. In an 18-over spell that followed, either side of lunch, he bowled just two half-volleys, one short ball and taking six wickets for just 35 runs. In the face of Herath’s unerring accuracy, the India batsmen seemed to overplay the threat of the arm ball, either staying leg side of the ball or pushing out in front of the pad. Herath still managed to produce a wicket each of four kinds: Ishant Sharma was out lbw although he might have been hit outside the line, Rohit Sharma was bowled staying beside the line of the ball, Wriddhiman Saha was stumped when beaten by one that dipped on him and ripped past him, Harbhajan Singh sensationally caught pad-bat, R Ashwin caught at midon in a desperate attempt to break the shackles, and finally Ajinkya Rahane through an edge to slip to end India’s final resistance. Credit was also due to Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep, who tested the overnight batsmen thoroughly. Ishant, the nightwatchman, was dropped at second slip in Pradeep’s first over, but Pradeep’s
bigger impact was in beating the first-innings centurion Shikhar Dhawan outside off on three occasions with balls that held their line. Dhawan, batting with a bruised hand, went to discipline over bravado. With Ishant as the other batsman, runs hardly came. Dhawan was exemplary in avoiding temptation, taking 36 balls to add to his overnight score of 13. Anything wide outside off Dhawan didn’t go after, and the quicks didn’t offer him anything on the pads. Dhawan was in a way the rock of the collapsing innings, but there could be a counter argument to playing yourself into a shell. After Herath got rid of Ishant with his first ball of the day, Rohit didn’t get to face a bowler other than Herath. It can be argued that had Dhawan been more urgent he could have possibly opened up the easier end for Rohit. That, though, is no excuse for having your front foot outside leg when playing a forward-defensive to a ball pitching on middle and turning to off. Nor does it absolve Virat Kohli, still looking for a win as a captain, of a rookie mistake of playing an offbreak well in front of his body with hard hands. When he did that to the last ball of the first over bowled by Tharindu Kaushal, he offered Kaushal Silva a sharp catch at short leg, and gave the error-prone Kaushal just the start he needed. At 45 for 4, the pressure became
unbearable for India. Even though Ajinkya Rahane looked solid and India still needed only 122, Dhawan became edgy after all the hard work in the first hour. In the 20th over the day, he shaped up to reverse-sweep Kaushal, saw the ball was not there, looked for a regulation sweep, and in the end patted it back. The next ball he managed a leading edge on a legside half-volley to give Kaushal a sharp return catch. That is the risk you always run when you defend for so long without scoring many runs. India’s last recognised pair was in with 116 still required. And Herath was in no mood to offer easy runs. Even when Rahane got shots away, the trademark Sri Lankan in-and-out field meant he didn’t get boundaries. And then Herath produced a gem for Saha, dragging him out with a flighted delivery, and getting it to turn and bounce alarmingly. Dinesh Chandimal, the man responsible for making India bat again, made a good rib-high collection and stumped Saha. The best piece of fielding, though, was reserved for the last wicket of the first session, a wicket that betrayed India’s muddled thinking. When Harbhajan was promoted ahead of Ashwin, you would have thought he would have been asked to pinch-hit and see if India could knock Sri Lanka off their rhythm. Harbhajan, though, failed to play a shot in anger and was caught superbly diving forward by Silva off a tame forward-defensive stroke. After lunch Ashwin tried to do what Harbhajan should have done, but fell to an unusually wide mid-on, another example of how it seems there are more than 11 fielders on the field when you are struggling. Rahane and Amit Mishra then added 21 in what was not only the highest but the most assured partnership of the innings. Herath finally got one on target to turn and take Rahane’s edge, and with 74 runs still required it was only going to be a matter of time. Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
NEW DELHI (Times of India): For a country which produces worldclass athletes miserly, something revolutionary is happening in the world of badminton with world No.2 Saina Nehwal leading the Indian charge. There is a steep jump in the number of Indians competing at the highest level of the sport in the last few years, with currently three men and two women in the top 15 of the respective world rankings. India had players like Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand, current national chief coach, in the past but they were exceptions at best. Padukone won India’s first World Championships medal, a bronze, way back in 1983 after winning the prestigious All England Championships in 1980, whereas Gopichand won the All England title in 2001. Padukone even rose to the pinnacle of the sport when he was ranked No. 1 in the world badminton rankings in 1980. But the real rise of Indian badminton in recent years can be credited to the emergence of Saina seven years ago, when as an 18-year-old she started making waves by giving tough competitions to the Chinese shuttlers who literally ruled the sport with an iron grip. Saina brought back memories of Padukone and Gopichand when she started winning Grand Prixs and Super Series tournaments, of which she won now 16. She came into prominence in 2008 when she reached the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics. Saina, who will be ranked No. 1 again when the latest rankings come out on Thursday, continues to inspire many in India with her grit and fighting spirit as her fans will hope for more next year at the Rio Olympics.
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Kellogg Plans First R&D Unit in India
BY NAMRATA SINGH CHENNAI: World's largest cereal maker, the $14.6-billion Kellogg Company, wants to triple the size of its Indian business. Kellogg India is a roughly Rs 800-crore company, contributing 10% to the parent's AsiaPacific revenues, making the country its fastest growing market in the region. The plan is to take this contribution to 20% in five years. Considering that Kellogg India is growing in double-digits, the Michigan-based parent is making large investments in manufacturing and also plans to set up its first R&D facility in the country at Taloja, near Mumbai. Emerging markets like India are key to Kellogg Company, whose second
quarter earnings fell 24% from a year ago, with persistent weakness in its core US cereal market. After making an investment of $60 million in its second manufacturing plant at Sri City (Andhra Pradesh), Kellogg Company is already planning to set up a third cereal facility in India in 3-4 years. The company expects the demand to grow in the wake of changing breakfast habits in India. In an exclusive interview to TOI, John Bryant, chairman & CEO, Kellogg Company, said: “In the last 12-18 months, we invested about $100 million in India, which gives the potential size of opportunity here.” Bryant said the cereal category in India is at an inflection point with consumers looking for healthier and
convenient alternatives. “We had one cereal facility for the last 20 years and we have opened a second one, and expect that in three or four years, we should be opening our third one to accelerate our growth. In the next several years, we should triple the size of the business in India,” he said. With an R&D facility in India, Kellogg Company is looking to improve upon its technical capability to make products specifically for India. The idea behind promoting Indian innovations follows the success of flavoured oats, which hinged on the insight that Indian consumers have different taste preferences, which veer towards a savoury breakfast. Kellogg India is often critiqued for the long time it took to reach the current size since it started operations in 1994. Over the last few years,
however, the pace of growth has accelerated. India got noticed as an important market when Kellogg’s global board met in Mumbai — the fourth venue after the US, the UK and Canada — two years back. Bryant, who also interacted with consumers here — and learnt how their aspirations were largely pivoted around their children — said breakfast was the hardest part to change a habit. “Once you break into the habit, you have a wonderful opportunity to drive consumption.” Besides cereal, Kellogg is also keen on bringing its snacking brands, such as Pringles, to India, a market which currently does not truly reflect the global portfolio. Globally, Kellogg is the second largest maker of cookies, crackers and snacks. “In the next several years, we could have a big foot-
print in snack as well as cereal. We could be much bigger in India across the entire portfolio,” said Bryant. Bryant’s visit coincided with Nestle India being slapped with Rs 640-crore damages suit by the government. When asked whether Kellogg Com pany was worried about the turn of events around Maggi, which faced a ban in India, Bryant said: “We would never like to see a situation like this. We have a very strong programme and processes in place to absolutely safeguard on food.” Although he did not specifically comment on Maggi, Bryant said safety was a top priority for Kellogg Company globally, given that “every time our board of directors meets, I present on food safety”. -TimesofIndia
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