Friday, September 20 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 38
Indo American erican News
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www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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The Faithful Flock to
Ganpati Visarjan
Miss America the New Face of USA
Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, a 24 year old Syracuse native, is the first Indian American to ever be crowned Miss America. Though she hails from the Syracuse, NY area, she was born to Telugu parents from Andhra Pradesh, India.
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Convention Energizes Seniors
Judge Ed Emmet and ISCA president Lalit Chinoy at the convention. P3
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September 20, 2013
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
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First Indian Senior’s Convention a Beautiful Twilight for the Young at Heart
ISCA Houston Committee Members and other dignitaries on stage.
BY MALAY VYAS STAFFORD: “Live in the Now”, proclaimed the banner proudly as it hung over the entrance to the first ever North American Indian Senior Citizen’s National Convention that was held at the Stafford Civic Centre on the weekend of September 14 and 15. The group about a thousand senior citizens from across North America - and even India - were certainly living by that motto as gathered in the Metroplex to celebrate Life. Judging by the excitement and hustle and bustle of activities on Saturday morning, you would have assumed that there was a huge college reunion going on. “We were in the midst of our Silver Jubilee celebrations in 2010 when we thought about a national level convention. The idea was to bring seniors from all over North America under one roof to celebrate life and live in the now”, explained Lalit Chinoy, President of the Indian Senior Citizen Association of Houston, excitement in his voice. “I am thankful to have such supportive committee and Board members; as a team we worked hand in hand”. He also singled out Devendra Patel who managed the kitchen and food arrangements; Shailesh Desai who managed the
Backstage; Arvind Patel for helping in registration of all participants and Neetin Vyas for his IT and computer expertise. On opening day, after the Indian and American National Anthems, the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish delivered the keynote address lauding the seniors for setting an example for others to emulate followed by encouraging words from Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Sugar Land Councilman Harish Jajoo. Harris County along with cities of Stafford, Sugar Land and Richmond all gave Proclamations making September 14, 2013 Indian Senior Citizen Association. The program brochure included Texas Governor Rick Perry and even Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi among the event’s well-wishers. The convention program was both informative and entertaining. Parag Mehta explained the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare; followed by bhangra and garba performed on stage. After lunch on day one, various ISCA presidents, as well as Ramesh Butada – the chief guest - addressed the gathering. Then the seniors took to theatre in the first skit of the convention - “Swami Vivekananda’s
Life Journey”. This was followed by break out meetings on informative subjects such as “Challenges of Bones & Joints after 60” by Dr. Vishal Shah; “Social Security Retirement benefits” by the local social security outreach office; “Long term Care” by Nationwide Insurance; Supplementing Retirement Income Insurance by Gita Patel of AGLA Insurance. This was followed by the semifinals of a talent show aptly titled “Sing for Seniors Talent Hunt”. Late afternoon information sessions included “Choosing your retirement path and strategies” by Dr Ramesh Cherivirala of New York Life. Entertainment after the tea break was provided by the Matki band as well as local Houston singers. Dinner was preceded by another skit enactment titled “Aao Khushiyo Se Phool Sajaaye” by JVB Preksha Meditation Center. After a sumptuous dinner catered by Madras Pavilion, the seniors settled into a calm evening listening to soothing ghazals by Atul Brahmbhatt followed by the finals of the Talent Show. The second day opened with a yoga session for all attendees followed by information sessions on US Federal Income Taxes – FBAR by Ajit Thakur CPA; Social Secu-
Ghazal Singer Atul Brahmbhatt (right) who flew in from India.
rity Disability Benefits by Brent Klender; a Medical/Medicare Q&A session; Will, Trust and Estate planning by attorney Deepa Thakur as well as “Indians and Diabetes” by Dr. Alok Kalia followed by “How to Save Money and Protect Yourself in the Present Healthcare System” by Dr. K T Shah. To switch moods, Dr. Subodh Bhuchar came on stage to do “Hasyaras” creating a laughter riot among the seniors. The post lunch session saw ISCA Houston’s members performing a satirical play on the Indian government office system by enacting “Jamun Ka Ped” to roaring laughter from the audience. The afternoon session had more entertainment in store as Salil Bhadekar performed a musical program, ISCA Austin members performing “Thakur Rangla Sathe” and “Shaakwali”. There was a garba session involving senior citizens, kabir vani, lok geet and kathiawadi duha by the ISCA Dallas group, which brought the convention to a close. The final ceremonies included awards followed by dinner and more ghazals by Atul Brahmbhatt, who had flown in all the away from India. After the convention, Chinoy and his team, had a great sense of
satisfaction of a job well done, an event well conducted. As Chinoy put it, “we thank all our donors and sponsors. The key challenges were the logistics in getting people from outside Texas to join us”. The ISCA Houston team more than just overcame this challenge, the convention had attendees flying in from Connecticut, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida as well as major Texas cities like Austin and Dallas. Of course, Houston had the most members attending. The Houston Chapter of the Indian Senior Citizens Association has about 800 members who meet twice a month at India House and often plans excursions and day trips. In the twilight of their lives, these young at heart seniors and members of ISCA Houston have made the community proud by setting an inspiring example in hosting such a national event in Houston for the first time in North America. Their success can be gauged by the fact that other ISCA associations are already lining up for future conventions. New Jersey is keen to host in 2015 while Orlando, Florida wants to host the seniors convention in 2017. Photos: Priyan Mathew, Shobana Muratee and Navin Banker.
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September 20, 2013
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COMMUNITY
BY MALAY VYAS HOUSTON: This past Sunday, September 15, around 4PM, somewhere in the Gandhi District, a unique street scene was getting enacted. A nine foot statue of epic proportions was being loaded on to the back of a truck to embark on a four-hour journey through streets, parking lots, freeways and ultimately to a suburban subdivision lake. Throughout this trip, there were passionate passengers joining the rally dancing, praying, throwing colors in the air and having fun. Welcome to Ganpati Visarjan, a day of goodbyes which was being celebrated for the third year in running in Houston. Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated on fourth day of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar. The festival typically lasts for ten days and ends on “ananth chaturthi” or the fourteenth day of the same month. Early history suggests that Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated as a public event in the 1600’s under Shivaji’s reign in the Maratha Empire. The festival took a socio-political turn in 1893 when Lokmanya Tilak transformed Ganesh Chaturthi into its current form as a public event. The festival brought together Hindus of different caste levels uniting them against the British rulers. It was during this time that Ganesh Chaturthi became a true community festival adorning the streets of western and southern India. The philosophy behind the festival is unique as well. As a devotee, you welcome Lord Ganesh into your home and he stays as a part of your family till the “visarjan” or the departure. Both his arrival and departure is celebrated with equal gusto and pomp. The “visarjan” however brings the festival to a crescendo. Celebrating a separation is very unique to this festival and no where else is this more visible than the bylanes of Mumbai. “I was a shy thirteen year old when I took
September 20, 2013
Shiv Shakti Mandir Bids Farewell to Houston Ka Raaja, Ganpati Bapa Morya
part in my first Visarjan”, says Sunil Thakkar of Masala Radio. “I am still reliving those days by celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with the Indian community in Houston”. Thakkar along with the Shiv Shakti Temple’s members like Ashok Bhambani and Dhirubhai Kotak have been instrumental in putting Ganesh Chaturthi on the calendar for the last three years. Named after the Ganpati at Mumbai’s “Laalbaugh Cha Raja”, the Ganesh statue in Houston “Houston Ka Raja” or the King of Houston stands a majestic 9 feet tall. “The Raja” arrived at his special “pandaal” within the serene Shiva Shakti temple on September 8 this year. Under the watchful eyes of respected priest Viratji Mehta, the “staphna” took place exactly per the “mahurat” . Devotees lined up the temple aisle day after day for “darshan” and “Prasad”. After the daily puja at 5 PM, the temple hosted cultural programs every day. Daily “arti” was at 7 PM followed by prasad at 7:30 PM. The temple and its volunteers worked the daily schedule like a clock work. Masala Radio and the Shiva Shakti Temple coordinated the “visarjan” to the same precision. On Sunday, the devotees started coming in at about 2 PM for the puja followed by an impromptu round of garba around the departing Lord Ganesh. At exactly 4 PM, the “mahurat” decided by Shri Viratji Mehta, “Houston Ka Raja” left his “pandaal” on to a pick up truck. Accompanied by temple volunteers the procession began with the Masala Hummer and DJ Zee on top of it playing songs of Lord Ganesh following the truck. Scores of devotees in their cars followed through the back streets of Gandhi districts on towards the Olympic Center at Hillcroft and 59 where the “King of Houston”
rested for about two hours as his devotees celebrated his “visarjan”. In a true community spirit that Ganesh Chaturthi evokes, restaurants in the area donated food, juices and water for devotees. Shiv Sagar donated dabelis, Neeta’s donated vada pao, the vegetarian biryani came from Himalaya, Chandrika Masala served Jal Jeera, Deep Food provide juice and Subh Laxmi gave away bottled water and masala tea to everyone who attended. “To ensure that we pass on our culture and festivals to the younger generation we encouraged kids to participate and India Jewellers donated silver coins for all children who danced at the
Visarjan”, said Thakkar. Sunil, in his own inimitable style danced on top of the truck’s cab. The Ganesh Visarjan is one such festival that actually goes places. From the temple to the Olympic Center where about two thousand devotees and onlookers got to gather to dance amidst flying
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“gulaal” truly making it a colorful event. “Houston Ka Raja” then travelled to Sugar Land for the actual departure. Immersion of clay Ganesh idol symbolizes the final goodbye till He returns next year or “Purcha Varshi, LuvKar Ya”. Amongst the chants of “Ganpati Bapa Morya”, there were families with young children waiting patiently for the celebration. Shipra and Kirti Sharma travelled all the way from League City with their children Shivansh and Vivan. Shivansh, a fourth grader proudly recited the mythological story of how Ganesh got the elephant head while occasionally glancing at his father cellphone to check NFL scores. Vivaan, his younger brother, was quick to come up with the arti “Jai Ganesh Deva” as the proud parents looked on. The Sharmas moved to Houston from Minnesota and were impressed with the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. “This brings a lot of awareness of our cultural celebrations to the community and specially our children”, said Shipra. The Sharmas encourage their children to read Amar Chitra Katha and watch Ganesha, the TV series on DVD. At the Olympic Center, Bijal and Bankim Shukla enjoyed the prasad with their three daughters. They drove in from Baytown to participate in their first Ganesh Visarjan and were very happy being in the festive atmosphere. Bijal said “the 100 degree heat is nothing compared to the enthusiasm I see around me, this is what makes me proud of being an Indian living in Houston”. The large scale participation is noticeable in a public event like the Ganesh Visarjan. “We’ve planned for this event for more than eight weeks, with weather being the main challenge”, says Sandhya Thakkar of Masala Radio and adds “We feel blessed because the rain ended at 2 PM just before “Houston Ka Raaja” took his farewell trip.
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
From Dream to Reality – Unveiling of Tagore’s Statue in Houston HOUSTON: On Friday, September 13, a life size statue of Rabindra Nath Tagore was unveiled at Ray Miller Park on Eldridge Parkway by the Consul General of India Parvathaneni Harish, before an enthusiastic, energetic, inspired crowd who were present to witness history unfolding. The Tagore Society of Houston had the honor to create Tagore Grove and place a full figure bronze statue of Tagore at Ray Miller Park located in the Energy Corridor. This is the sixth full figure statue of the poet that has been erected outside poet’s birth place, Kolkata, India and first in the US. The TSH, led by President Ruma Acharya (DeSarkar), visualized a memorial for Tagore in the heart of Houston, known for its diverse international population, with his message of universalism and world peace, so very appropriate for such a city. After sustained efforts, the Harris County Commissioner Pct. 3, Steve Radack approved the erection of a full figure (6’4”) bronze statue at the northwest corner of the Ray Miller Park. The statue stands inside a fenced enclosure with an arbor with flowering vine behind. The fenced enclosure is surrounded by 20 rose bushes as well as three Weeping Willows and nine Magnolia trees to create the kind of natural setting which Tagore envisioned as the route to environmental education and sustainable living based on preserving nature. The setting will serve as a place for peace and introspection. The unveiling ceremony was eloquently emceed by Sanchali Basu and began with Acharya introducing special guests and dignitaries who came to celebrate the historic event. Among them were Harish; City of Houston District G Councilman, Oliver Pennington; Harris County Pct 3 Parks and Recreation Director Steve Dorman and all the way from Washington DC, keynote speaker and an expert on Tagore, Dr. Anandarup Ray who is also the son of the Late Litterateur Annadasankar Ray, an authorized custodian of Tagore’s works and assets and a compatriot of Tagore. Acharya detailed the steps and the story of this $45,000 project becoming a reality from a dream inspired by the drought a few years back when Houston parks lost many trees. Tagore Society wished to donate trees to the parks and the
and Sriniketan. Tagore believed it was only through education that India would gain true nationalism and independence. The program ended with a group song, a patriotic composition by Tagore – Jodi tor daak shune keo na aashe tobe ekla cholo re… (If they answer not to thy call then walk alone...) and thanks to the guests by TSH Secretary Partha Ghoshal. A boxed light dinner and soft drinks were served at the end of the program. The Tagore Grove is dedicated to all the communities in the City, as a symbol of universal peace and love. The grove will be open to public and TSH welcomes all to visit the site and pay tribute to a cultural genius and a global icon, who transcends time.
dream of Tagore Grove was born, aligning with Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of the preservation of the environment and extensive writings on man’s relationship with nature. Acharya thanked all individuals whose donation of finance, time and labor made this project and this event possible, and specifically the two grand corporate sponsors, PFP Industries of Houston and Techno India - headquartered in Kolkata, India. The owners of each of these companies are staunch believers in Tagore’s philosophy and vision. Consul General Harish unveiled the statue and went through a symbolic and traditional Indian ceremony of lamp lighting and tree plantation. Throughout the unveiling ceremony , the TSH youth orchestra provided soothing
back ground music playing songs composed by Tagore. Harish elaborated on the relevance of Tagore’s travels, writings and visions of international brotherhood of man in the world of today and of the city of Houston in particular being a melting pot of different cultures. He also spoke of the close relationship between Tagore and Gandhi, two very different thinkers of nationalism yet respectfully influenced by each other’s philosophies and visions. Penington spoke of the need and effect of such monuments in the city, to show what this multicultural city stands for and inspire to work better together. Dorman , representing Commissioner Radack, spoke of the joy of working with Acharya on the project, her dedication and diligence and
that he was looking forward to taking care of the maintenance of the grove. Ray elaborated on the many faceted talents and the staggering size and diversity of the works of Tagore. He emphasized not only on the writings of Tagore but actions on education aligned with the environment and rural development in his founding of Santiniketan
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September 20, 2013
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
Washington Shooting Victim Had Houston Connection
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BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: One of the victims of the shooting rampage that began at the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters building in Washington, DC has a strong connection in the Houston area, it was learnt on Monday shortly after the names of those who were killed was released. Vishnu Pandit, 61, was best friends with Prasad Mantravadi, husband of the locally well known immigration attorney and singer Uma Mantravadi. Prasad and Vishnu were classmates and friends from Marine Engineering College in Calcutta, India, and Prasad also completed his Marine Engineering & Naval Architecture at University of Michigan with the help and advice of Vishnu. Prasad said, “He was a very loving, caring human being and always reached out to
help everyone.” Uma called in tears after she learnt the news and despite her raw emotions, said she and Prasad would be planning a vigil for Pandit and the other victims this weekend, most likely at India House. According to the Huffington Post, Pandit was an engineer and a suburban family man who had immigrated to the US from Mumbai in the mid 1970s. He received his second undergraduate degree in marine engineering from the University of Michigan and then a master’s. Pandit, who was also known as “Kisan”, and his wife lived on a leafy section of North Potomac, a well-to-do part of Maryland about 30 miles outside of Washington, DC and raised two boys and they had a baby granddaughter.
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IMMIGRATION
September 20, 2013
International Student to Temporary Worker Dealing With the Transition
BY EMILY NEUMANN HOUSTON: International students in the United States on F-1 visas often transition to an H-1B visa following graduation. A period of training called Optional Practical Training (OPT) available for up to 29 months after completion of the degree aids the student in obtaining real-world experience and helps with the timing of the H-1B visa application. For those applying for an H-1B visa for the first time, the visa will usually have an effective start date of October 1, which coincides with the beginning of the government’s fiscal year. While the visa begins in October, the filing window opens six months earlier, in April. The delay between the time of filing and the effective start date can create issues for a student wishing to travel, change jobs, get married, or otherwise deal with life in general. In the past, graduation timings lead to the inability of students to maintain status between April and October. This gap in status created by the H-1B filing cap is referred to as the Cap Gap. USCIS created a temporary fix for the problem by providing a Cap Gap extension of status for students with a pending or approved H-1B petition. This meant that a student whose OPT period expires between April and October would obtain an automatic extension of the OPT through September 30 if an H-1B petition was filed on their behalf requesting a change of status. In addition, the creation of a 17-month extension of OPT for graduates with degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM extension) provided additional relief from the H-1B cap. Here are some of the most common questions regarding the transition period between F-1 and H-1B status: Q: My employer filed an H-1B petition on my behalf, and it was approved as a change of status. Can I change employers before October 1? A: Yes, but your new employer will need to file a new H-B petition requesting a change of status again. Because you were already
counted in the H-1B cap when you obtained the earlier approval notice, you do not need to wait for the next filing window to open in April. Q. What if my H-1B petition is still pending, can I also change employers? A. This would not be recommended. If you change employers before the H-1B petition is approved, your pending H-1B could be withdrawn. In this situation, you would no longer be considered “counted” in the H-1B cap. Q. My H-1B petition is approved as a change of status, but my OPT is valid beyond October 1. Can I continue on my OPT after October 1st? A. No, the H-1B automatically becomes effective on October 1st and the OPT is no longer valid. If you want to continue on OPT and are no longer interested in the H-1B status, you would need to request your employer to withdraw your approved H-1B before October 1st and inform you school. Q. My H-1B is pending, can I visit my home country for summer break? A. Technically yes, but this is not recommended. When you leave the country while a change of status is pending, your request to change status is considered to be abandoned. Even if your H-1B were to be approved later on, you would need to wait until October 1st before you can return to the U.S. and must obtain the H-1B visa stamp. Q. What if my H-1B change of status is already approved, can I visit my home country and return to the U.S. before October 1? A. If you have a valid F-1 visa stamp, an unexpired OPT card, and an I-20 endorsed for travel, you technically can leave and come back in F-1 status before October 1st without impacting your approved H-1B according to a 2004 advisory letter from USCIS. However, it is still best to avoid travel in this situation. The advisory letter is not binding on officers at the port of entry. Also, while you are out of the country, you may be considered to be unemployed for purposes of the OPT rules on
unemployment. Finally, some students have faced heavy scrutiny at the port of entry upon their return and were refused admission back into the country. Q: Can I travel during the Cap Gap extension using my expired OPT card? A: No. Although the Cap Gap allows you to remain in the U.S. and continue working after your OPT period expires, it does not allow you to travel. You would lose the Cap Gap protection by leaving the country and would need to remain outside the U.S. until October 1st. Q: I am on OPT with an approved H-1B. Can my spouse apply for an F-2 visa to join me? A: It is recommended for your spouse to apply for an H-4 visa and travel to the U.S. on or after October 1. Emily Neumann has practiced immigration law in Texas since 2005, representing both employers and immigrants. Neumann writes a blog on immigration law (immigrationgirl.com) and shares updates on Twitter (@immigrationgirl) and her Facebook page to help her clients stay informed of the latest news. She is a partner in Reddy & Neumann, P.C. in Houston and Dallas.
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COMMUNITY ISKCON of Houston Celebrated Radhastami
September 20, 2013
BY VIRGINIA M. FORD HOUSTON: The Hare Krishna Dham, ISKCON of Houston, was lively on Thursday, September 12 as devotees celebrated with ecstatic loving devotion Radhastami. Radhastami is the appearance of Srimati Radharani, Lord Krishna’s greatest devotee. Radha is the feminine facet of the Absolute Truth and Krishna’s feminine energy. Just as the sunshine is the energy of the sun, Radha is the sum of Krishna’s energy in the mood of love. Her very name means “one who worships Krishna best”. Additionally, this is the only day of the year that the public has the opportunity to view Radharani’s lotus feet. This privilege is known as taking “darshan” of Radharani’s lotus feet as they remain covered the remainder of the year. The glowing deities, Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava, dressed in a beautiful shimmering silver hue outfit called Aradhita which is gleamed as bright as the sun. They were decorated with fresh colorful flowers of orange carnations, yellow and hints of red roses. At the deities feet were an array of fruit offerings of watermelons, bananas, plums and pears
Sri Sri Radha NilaMadhava on Radhastami Photos: K R Thejas & Nagalla Nagaraj
along with sweet cakes specially prepared for Radharani. Radharani beamed upon the devotees and guests who appeared as she was surrounded by colorful decor of red apples, lemons and red bell peppers by ISKCON volunteers who worked diligently in preparation for this jubilant celebration. This auspicious festivities began at 6:30pm with kirtan led by Vatsal Das and by the Kirtan Rasa Group from the Philippines. HH Giridhari Swami blessed all with his presence and shared glories of Srimati Radharani. He took sanyas in 1986 and serves ISKCON in the regions of Hong Kong, Tai-
Devotees Celebrating Radhastami
wan and the Philippines. He shared sweet nectar of how Radharani is the most compassionate and with her mercy, naturally we receive the mercy of Krishna. He assured, “No matter what a fool we are, if we receive the mercy of Radharani, Krishna cannot fail to accept us.” Radhastami was even more special this year with Consul General of India, P. Harish, his wife Nandita and their daughter gracing the function. Devotees were honored for sharing his realization on the importance of practicing bhakti for attaining the perfection of life. On this occasion, members of the media: Shobana Muratee,
editor of “Voice of Asia” and Rajeev Gadgil, editor of “India Herald” were recognized for their contributions for promoting ISKCON Houston’s events. Then, HH Giridhari Swami started the chanting of the holy names in a kirtan that started out with a rhythmic of clapping and chanting leading to an intoxicating, electrifying atmosphere. Many devotees that filled the temple jumped to their feet to chant and dance for Radharani as the kirtan progressed! At one point of the kirtan, the ambience became so charged with the chanting that the beautifully dressed women in their multihued
saris, dancing on one side of the temple room broke out in chanting “Radhe! Radhe!” while the men dancing on the other side of the temple echoed “Shyam! Shyam!”. How does one explain how beautiful a rose smells or the feeling of a morning seabreeze? Sometimes, it is simply best to show them and have their own senses experience it for themselves. One could tell everyone present cherished this festive occasion as smiles and eyes glowed with bliss filled the temple room. My surmise, is that everyone directly observes and participates in an event with an overflow of love as displayed at Radhastami. No festival is complete without a sumptuous prasadam! And Radharani’s appearance day would be no exception. The highlights of the menu were dokla, jamun, mutter paneer and specially made cakes. The deities of Sri Sri Radha Nila-Madhava presides over a welcoming aarati and kirtan each Sunday at 5:30pm at ISKCON Hare Krishna Dham located on 1320 W 34th St Houston TX 77018, close to the Heights and Galleria. For further details, visit www.iskconhouston.org or call 713-686-GITA (4482).
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
Spiritual Workshop on Practices of GURU Basavanna
Basava Kammata Participants
Guru Basavanna
Basava Divine Center (BDC), Austin, Texas, USA and Basava Yoga Trust, Bangalore, India conducted a two-day family workshop, ‘Basava Kammata’, during the Labor Day weekend for the followers of Guru Basavanna. This instructive workshop, guided by Poojyashree Allamaprabhu Swamiji and Poojya Rupaka Akka consisted of programs for both adults and children. It was well attended with around 50 members from various parts of the country. The workshop, which started with a Pooja to Guru Basavanna, had a balanced blend of lectures, practical sessions, discussions, and activities. On the first day, participants learnt few techniques of Omkara dhyana, meditation, and Pranayama from Poojya Swamiji. The lectures covered the importance and the need for daily Pooja and the concepts of Panchaachaara. The talk on Panchaachaara ended with an interactive session, evoking a great deal of interest from participants resulting in a lively discussion. Poojya Swamiji’s responses clarified the doubts and helped participants absorb the principles to elevate their moral standards. There also was a demo of Ishtalinga Pooja revealing how people can connect to the supreme power through simple, yet effective and powerful practice of Ishtalinga Pooja. Rupaka directed several activities for the children. Following this, the youngsters had an opportunity to quiz the adults with thoughtprovoking questions on ethical standards laid down and practiced by Guru Basavanna. Children also got to learn simple principles of yoga and Surya Namaskara. On the second day, participants worked on enhancing the techniques of Omkara dhyana, meditation, and Pranayama. The lectures reemphasized the importance of daily Pooja by all members of the family and introduced in a simple and meaningful way the concepts of Ashtaavarana and Shatasthala, which are essential for the spiritual development of the self. Participants appreciated the value of these novel concepts. Participants performed a group Ishtalinga Pooja led by Poojya Swamiji. This day, it was the turn of the
Poojya Rupaka Akka
parents to evaluate the work done by the children with guidance from Rupaka. Interactions of this kind between the parents and children exposed the participants to the concept of equality and openness, which is one of the core principles laid down by Guru Basavanna. Rupaka explained to the group the growth of BDC and its current activities. The workshop ended with mangala aarati following the closing remarks from Rupaka and Poojya Swamiji. The members of BDC from Austin were thanked for their effort in making the workshop a success, especially for arranging sumptuous prasada during the entire workshop. Participants felt that the workshop was a great experience. They learnt the need to grow spiritually and its importance to lead a balanced life in the midst of neverending materialistic needs of the daily life. The guiding factor of the workshop was the writings of Guru Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas, including Vachanas. These writings chronicle the principles laid down and practiced by Sharanas led by Adi Guru Basavanna in the 12th century. The discussions were interactive, thoughtful, clear, concise, and fun filled. They reflected the style of Poojya Swamiji and Akka Rupaka, who make concepts easy and fun to understand and follow. Basava Divine Center is committed to bringing the universal message and spiritual practices of Guru Basavanna to the global community. This novel spiritual path can enrich all facets of individual’s life. The Center is dedicated to cultivating a global community of spiritual practitioners in the footsteps of Guru Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas. In addition, BDC also offers special services of Mantra Deekshe, Ishtalinga Deekshe, Guru-Linga-Jangama Pooje, Weddings, Housewarming Ceremony, Naming Ceremony, Birthday and Anniversary Cel-
Poojyashree AllamaPrabhu Swamiji
ebrations, and Funeral Services. Poojya Allamaprabhu Swamiji is the driving force behind Basava Divine Center. A scholar in Vachanas and Basava Philosophy, he is an accomplished practitioner and researcher of Basavayoga. He is dedicated to the cause of researching and propagating the precepts and practices of Guru Basavanna towards the betterment of individuals and society. Along with Poojya Allamaprabhu Swamiji, Rupaka Akka has been instrumental in establishing Basava Divine Center. A spiritual soul from her childhood, Rupaka has practiced various disciplines like Vedanta, Yoga, and Shakti Upasane prior to entering the path of Guru Basavanna. True to the traditions of Guru Basavanna, she is performing her Sadhana, Kayaka, and propagation of Basava teachings with dedication. Further information on BDC can be found at http://basavadivinecenter. org/home.html and they can be contacted at 512-697-8700/ info@basavadivinecenter.org
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
HMM Gives Ganpati Bappa a Grand Welcome in Houston BY ADITYA ANIL RAJE HOUSTON: On Sep 14, Houston Maharashtra Mandal (HMM – www.hmmhouston.org) celebrated the annual Ganeshotsav festival at VPSS Hall, 11715 Bellfort Village Dr, Houston, TX. Given the popularity of this festival, HMM expected a fantastic response from the Maharashtrian community this year as well. It was a sold-out event with a record breaking 750 people in attendance. Public Ganeshotsav celebration was initiated by Lokmanya B. G. Tilak in the year 1893 in Pune to promote social reform and the Indian self-rule or Swarajya movement. The festival is popular in Maharashtra and widely celebrated with a lot of pomp and enthusiasm. HMM celebrates this festival every year by bringing the Houston Maharashtrian community together for this festival. Preparations were started about a month in advance to put the event together. This year’s biggest attraction was the miravnuk (a procession to welcome Lord Ganesh). Traditional percussion instruments like dhol and tasha were especially imported from Pune this year for use in the miravnuk. Also a part of the miravnuk this year was the troupe of ladies and children who performed lezim while leading the miravnuk. Lezim is a popular
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dance/exercise routine encouraged ence as Chief Guest. In his ad- Chinese Restaurant and BEST Enin schools in Maharashtra. It was dress to the gathering, Harish said gineering for their generous supa great experience to see young he forgot he was in Houston for a port. children participating in lezim and while and got transported to the The next event in the HMM calperforming an art that their parents Ganesh Chaturthi of his memories endar is the Diwali program for grew up doing back in India. The in Hyderabad. He congratulated which HMM has already started miravnuk was so well appreciated HMM for organizing an event on its preparation. A magazine called that footage of it was carried by such a scale and for promoting Sneha will be published and HMM Marathi news channel TV9 in In- Indian culture. Sunil Thakkar and is seeking advertisements, articles, dia the next day. Preanka of Masala Radio were poems, etc. The miravnuk was followed by also present at the event and enterHMM is a non-profit organiseveral cultural programs. At the tained the audience. zation that has been organizing end of the programs all the atFirst time attendees Atharva Maharashtrian cultural events, entendees participated in the maha- Barve and Rucha Nirantar, when couraging Maharashtrian arts and arti with cheers of Ganpati Bappa asked for their impression, said promoting the Marathi language Morya. This was followed by a they were thoroughly impressed in the Houston area since 1976. sumptuous prasad dinner. Modak, by the program and the activities HMM acts as a medium for Maa special sweet,the a favorite of Lord ofin ExploreExplore the world inworld comfort comfort with... HMM and would likewith... to par- harashtrians in the Houston area Ganesh, was enjoyed by all. ticipate in future events. HMM to connect and network with each "#$%&'$%(&) #,&#$-.'/#(&)0#()'$$)1'2#() The Consul General of India, also extends its heartfelt thanks to other by giving them a common "#$%&'$%(&)Houston, #,&#$-.'/#(&)0#()'$$)1'2#() P. Harish and his family Sindhutai Hardikar, Aling’s Hakka platform to come together. '-($-,%& the gracedworld the event with presExplore intheircomfort with...
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2013_Con2_Security_Backyard Splashing_AI_FP_Houston_IAN_Final.indd 1
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8/21/13 10:22 PM
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September 20, 2013
Ram Jethmalani
Member of Parliament | Former Minister of Law of Government of India
Tuesday, September 24, 2013, 7:00 PM Light Reception, 6:30 PM
Asia Society Texas Center welcomes Mr. Ram Jethmalani in conversation with Texas Center Chairman Charles C. Foster as he discusses the rule of law in India and the country’s changing social dynamics in an emerging world. Asia Society Members $5 | Nonmembers $8 To learn more and purchase tickets, visit AsiaSociety.org/Texas
STAY CONNECTED Facebook.com/AsiaSocietyTexas
Engaging, Alluring, & Provocative. Immerse yourself. 1370 Southmore at Caroline | Houston, Texas 77004 | 713.496.9901
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
September 20, 2013
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
Tiny Tots Register for Classes as Others Petition the Lord with Prayers BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA LEMONT, IL: It was a overcast, drizzly Sunday last September 15, with just a slight chill in the air hinting that cold weather was around the corner, but the parking lot was busy with a steady stream of cars driving around to the cul de sac in front of the classroom building. Tiny tots and little kids were running up the stairs and to classrooms, jostling for space at the desk, their proud and dutiful parents in tow, and to register for the Fall semester Hindi and religion classes. Just up the stairs was the auditorium which had classes and lectures for adults; and beyond lay the Ganesh-Shiva-Durga Temple and the ornate entrance from the second cul de sac at the top of the hill. In the other direction, down one flight of stairs was the temple store selling religious artifacts and silk saris once draped (and so, blessed) on the deities and just beyond the dining hall, up three flights of stairs was the main entrance and the access to the Rama Temple, which is the largest in the complex. Both temples had pujas being conducted by at least two priests, with bare bellies and a dhoti and sacred thread, who were reciting verses, tag team style, in rapid fire succession as the pious and dutiful party who had commissioned the rite sat crossed-legged on the carpeted floor. The amplified sounds of recitation reverberated through each temple, even as other people walked by each deity and paid their obeisance. Off one side anteroom to the Rama Temple, in the Balaji temple, a small class of young adults sat on the floor around a teacher, in discussion. In the opposite anteroom to Radha Krishna, older adults on chairs listened to a discourse on the Gita by a learned teacher. Down the stairs, the dining hall was packed with temple goers and their young kids who stayed for the South Indian food prepared in the kitchen one level below. A temple organizer spoke out loudly to explain that the opening of the new kitchen had been delayed due to the permit checker’s
A view from the main entrance to the Rama Temple, situated on top of a hill.
Priests lead a sanctifying puja as the faithful follow along.
schedule but it would surely be open by the following weekend. Other organizer’s were proudly giving tours of the stainless steel kitchen with an epoxy floor and one mentioned that the next project would be an elevator to assist the elderly, like my 85 year-old mother, get up all the stairs to the temple above. “We are in the process of raising money for that now”, he smiled in explanation.
Art23
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The archway over the entrance to the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago is along Lemont Ave. in Lemont, Illinois. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
A flower-petal rangoli design in the Rama Temple just before the sanctuary to the main deities. A silver statue of Hanuman stands guard
The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago has evolved since it was first established in 1977 and continues to expand with newer structures like the yellow Swami Vivekananda Spiritual Center and next to it on the same hillock, a canopied statue of the great sage, modeled from a photograph of his taken at the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893. It is the first statue of Vivekananda installed in
SE I H C N A R F
a public place in the US. The large white rectangular cone of the Rama Temple soars up 100 feet in the Chola architectural style prevalent in South India. The smaller Shiva Temple is built in the Kalinga style. The temple complex lies just two miles south of Interstate 55 west (that heads off to St. Louis, Missouri), down a long incline off the gently rolling hills that are
so characteristic of this part of the Des Plaines River Valley, and about an hour’s drive from downtown Chicago. A white, ornately Indian archway drapes the two lane entrance and a wrought iron gate that slides shut after hours. The Rama Temple at the top of the hill, behind a dense row of trees is hard to miss as it rises up along a sweeping curve in the main road.
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
September 20, 2013
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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18 September 20, 2013 244.6% Rise in Onion Prices The uptick of wholesale prices to a six month high of 6.1% in August, largely fuelled by a 244.6% increase in onion prices, is bad news for the economy. Not only does it set back hopes of a rate cut to boost investments in the monetary policy review by the RBI at the end of the week, it also highlights the government’s continuing inability to manage the food economy and rein in volatility of food prices. Blaming bad weather doesn’t cut much ice. The rising prices of essential food items like rice despite good monsoons are mainly due to the large stocks accumulated to meet the needs of the food security Act. The continuous increase in minimum support prices for rice and wheat by the government has also proved counterproductive as it has discouraged a shift in cropping patterns to vegetables or the diversification of production to livestock, fish and poultry. Consequently, prices of vegetables and high protein foods like milk, eggs, fish and meat have shot up, making them unaffordable to the poor. Inadequate storage facilities and the failure to modernise the food supply chain have also added to the problem. Curbing volatility in food prices and improving supply would require strong measures by both state and Union governments. States have to reform the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act to allow for contract farming, direct marketing and setting up markets in the private sector. Adequate credit has to be ensured for setting up cold storage chains. The bias against large organised retailers, including foreign chains, has to be dropped. Given their global supply chains, they would have cooled domestic prices by realigning their procurement orders. The government should also shift to direct cash transfers from food subsidies, thus reducing the need to build huge stocks. It is pertinent that onion prices have remained high for almost a year with no signs of an end to the supply shortage. A kitchen staple across the country, the price of the bulb is not only linked to the health of the economy but also to political fortunes. It will be recalled that soaring onion prices had cost the BJP government in Delhi in the 1998 elections. With assembly polls only a few months away, the onion could come back again to sting political ambitions. While addressing the convocation of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bhubaneswar’s Centre for Management recently, President Pranab Mukherjee remarked on the deteriorating state of the economy. The rupee had depreciated by 18%, there was high food inflation and manufacturing growth had slowed down, he pointed out. The President’s critical observations did not escape the government. Congresspersons feared it reflected Mukherjee’s annoyance that some sections in the Congress had been trying to blame the downslide in the economy on the policies taken by the government during 2009-12, when Mukherjee was finance minister. The Congress is keen to clear up the misunderstandings and hurt feelings on this score and to keep the President in good humor. Times of India
EDITORIAL
Smiling Amongst the Haters BY SUSHILA RAO Here’s the silver lining to the xenophobic and inappropriate tweets after Nina Davuluri became the first Indian-American to win the crown: people are talking about diversity and inclusiveness. Presciently enough, that’s basically what Nina Davuluri wanted. Miss America hopefuls must espouse a platform that will become the overarching theme for their yearlong speaking tour, if they win. Miss Davuluri’s platform is “celebrating diversity through cultural competency”. In other words, she wants to promote effective interaction in cross-cultural contexts. The offensive tweets directed at Miss Davuluri followed the predictable trend of an obnoxious but vocal minority airing its discomfiting kneejerk reactions. What made her antagonists particularly galling – and spectacularly culturally incompetent – was the multiple levels of indiscriminate hostility that they exhibited. Was it her skin color (brown=not American enough) that rankled? Or was it an expression of misdirected contempt for working-class, brownskinned immigrants (hence, the 7-11 and motel owner jibes)? Were her detractors blithely equating brown people with terrorism, with the alarming suppositions that brown=Arab=Al Qaeda=terrorist? It was certainly a show of American stupidity that some couldn’t figure out Davuluri is of Indian descent, not exactly a nation on the US terrorism watchlist. These Twitter trolls don’t merit any more publicity. However, showcasing and shaming them serves a purpose. Herein lies the enduring genius of America’s free speech model: hate speech sows the seeds of its own destruction by spawning a valuable backlash. It propels the US towards a better place as it strives to be a “post racial” society. But here’s something else we should be talking about: such blinkered reactions to unconventional beauty role models are hardly unique to America. In recent times, pageants have become a veritable
India’s Euro-centric beauty standards have arguably been even worse. Some question whether Miss Davuluri would even have a chance to win Miss India because of her dark skin tone. battleground for exposing and enforcing mainstream notions of national and ethnic identities. In Vladimir Putin’s fair Russia, Miss Russia 2013 – ethnic Tatar beauty Elmira Abdrazakova – was barraged with thousands of hate messages and ethnic slurs from alleged Russian nationalists. Accused of “not looking Slavic enough”, Miss Abdrazakova eventually shut down her social media pages. Some detractors demanded a ban on ethnic Tatars and Shors from participating in beauty contests, and others decreed, “a gypsy woman cannot be the face of Russia”. One critic obligingly explained that owing to her “oriental parts of face”, Miss Abdrazakova could aspire to be Miss Uzbekistan or Miss Tajikistan, but not Miss Russia, which apparently requires a European countenance. Meanwhile, in Fiji in 2012, a mixed-ethnicity Miss Fiji with straight hair was castigated for not being “Fijian enough”. The choice
of Torrika Waters, who is partEuropean and part-Fijian, was denounced by many indigenous Fijians, who felt that her mixed heritage did not represent Fiji accurately. She was also criticized for not having a buiniga, the colloquial term for the naturally frizzy hair indigenous to Fiji. And what of staggeringly diverse India, where public reaction has oscillated between euphoria about Miss Davuluri’s breakthrough, and scorn for “bigotry” endemic in America? India’s Euro-centric beauty standards have arguably been even worse. Some question whether Miss Davuluri would even have a chance to win Miss India because of her dark skin tone. Moreover, xenophobia and racial profiling of Indians from the north of the country – whose features are often distinctive from the majority of India’s population – is rampant. There is not one prominent mainstream film actress of northeastern descent. Make no mistake; in the 60-year-long history of Miss India, there hasn’t been one northeastern winner, or even one who deviates from the (relatively) light-skinned prototype. And let’s not pretend that a nonconventional Miss India wouldn’t elicit debilitating backlash. Slurs like “blackie” and “chinkie” for fellow Indians are routinely used without provocation, without inhibition, and importantly, without repercussion. While in school, I recall teachers and strangers alike accosting an Indian classmate with dark skin and a curly mane of hair, inquiring whether she was visiting “from Africa”. Granted, “racism” has unique connotations in India, which is beset with starker linguistic, caste and communal divisions, but the overarching point stands: seeking to represent “authentic” Indian beauty abroad continues to be an exclusionary enterprise. The national conversation after Miss Davuluri’s win has turned into a teachable moment. Let’s hope other nations, including India, are also learning this lesson. Guardian
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CORRESPONDENTS
HOUSTON: MALAY VYAS CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR, INDIA: RAJ KANWAR ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
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AIM for Seva is Proud to Bring Rukmini Vijayakumar of “NAYANI” to Houston….Again HOUSTON: Aim for Seva is at its annual fundraising. And, Rukmini Vijayakumar (Rukku) and her troupe, who dazzled Houston’s crowd of some 900 last year, is helping ..Again. Rukku is a ballet and bharatnatyam dancer, model, and film actress. An Honors graduate from the Boston Conservatory , she has performed in forums across the world. She recently received the Title of Arsha Kala Bhushan from Swami Dayananda Saraswati, and the Big Fm award for dancer of the year from Jaya TV. She is an empaneled ICCR artist, and NY Times described her as “A slender supple dancer, with burning eyes and authoritative form” Rukmini has acted in full feature films “Bommalatham” in Telugu, “Bajarangi” in Kannada and her newest release “kochadaiyaan”, with Rajanikanth. After enthralling Houston audience last year with “Nayani”, she is presenting “Prabhavati”, a classical dance drama. The story is adapted from the 16th century Telugu poem by Pingali Suranna. The eternal love story of an asura princess Prabhavati and Pradyumna, Lord Krishna’s son, has already received raving reviews in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Detroit. The event is being performed at Berry Center, on Friday October 4, at 8 PM. Tickets are available online at www.sulekha.com and www.tickets2events.com.
Fifth Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston HOUSTON: The Fifth Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston is next month from October 4 – 6. The festival will be screened at the Asia Society. The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to education in the fields of film and television and in creating a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing quality films that honor entertainment industry performers and film makers while promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora through an annual event. The Indian Film Festival of Houston returns for its 5th year in 2013. The inaugural festival’s success led to an even greater desire to spread the awareness of the Indian culture by expanding the horizons of an international audience through the film medium. The festival will span 3 nights and will present more than 12 screenings. This makes it one of the most unique and original Indian film festivals in the south. The festival will feature film screenings, special symposia and educational events presented throughout the Houston area. IFFH offers Jury awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short and Special Recognition Awards for Industry Leaders.
Sutapa Ghosh is the Founder and Festival Director of Indian Film Festival of Houston. Sutapa was born in Kolkata, India and moved to USA, twenty years ago. She earned her Master’s Degree (MS) from Rhode Island, USAand also has a Bachelor’s degree in Music (Sitar). Sutapa has produced two Bengali Feature Films, Utsab and Titli, both directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Sutapa was also
recognized as the 100 most Creative People in Texas in 2012. Some of the Films Selected for this year are Goynar Baksho, Celluloid, Afterglow, The Golden Hour, Silvatein, and When Hari Got Married. For further details log on to www. iffhinc.org. Also see ad on Page 7.
WRITERS . . TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more information, Call 713-789- NEWS (6397) or email us at: indoamericannews@yahoo.com
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20 September 20, 2013 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!
COMMUNITY
GHRCF Golf Tournament
Ganesh Anand Catering Services Pure Vegetarian South & North Indian Dishes. Chaat & Snacks Contact Babulbhai: 832-891-1421 13180 West Park Dr. @ Synott Houston, TX 77082
GHRCF Board of Directors & Volunteers, in the center (black shorts) Timothy Oettmeier, Executive Assistant, Chief of Houston Police Department.
HOUSTON: On August 21, 100 golfers participated in the first annual Greater Houston Retailers Charitable Foundation’s (GHRCF), golf tournament at Windrose Country Club. The event was very successful and through the generosity of individual donors, participants and sponsors, the GHRCF team raised over $29,000. Many thanks to GHRCF’s partners for their support . About GHRCF: A recognized 501(c)(3), is a NonProfit Organization. GHRCF Mission Statement:
GHRCF commits itself to provide assistance to programs that contribute to the safety of Houston area Peace Officers and Firefighters and is devoted to providing financial and non-financial support to the families of Houston Area Peace Officers and Firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty. It is founded by Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association, Inc. (GHRA). GHRA is a cooperative of independently owned Convenience Store Owners in and around the greater Houston area. Because
part of GHRA’s mission is to give back to the community, the GHRA Members formed GHRCF to show their appreciation of the dedication and hard work of the area Peace Officers and Fire Fighters that serve and protect their families and businesses. GHRCF is currently funded by donations from GHRA Members and through collection boxes placed at GHRA store locations. For further details visit their website www.ghrcf.org
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COMMUNITY
September 20, 2013
21
Hindu Mahasabha of America Observes Hindu Memorial Day
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” -George Santayana HOUSTON: Hindu Congress of America observed Hindu memorial day in Houston. Hindu Memorial Day is observed to commemorate (Shradhanjli ) to Hindus who died by Muslims and British atrocities. The program began with a silent prayer in memory of Hindus who laid down their life in defending Hinduism. Many eminent speakers from various faculties spoke during this event. Dr. Babu Suseelan, one of the directors of New York based Indian Intellectual Forum (IIF) mentions that currently Hindus, Hinduism and motherland is in crisis. The biggest problem is Hindus are not participating in democratic process via voting whereas Muslims in India are voting in large numbers—as a result more and more elected representatives are more inclined to serve Muslim interests and ignoring Hindus requirement towards developing social—political and religious policies at state and national assembly. He requests all Hindus to vote for Narendra Modi for Hindutva, which is an ideology for peace and prosperity. Ravindra Shukla, a prominent social activist and author of book “A Maverick Heart: Between Love and Life”
Spoke on ‘Terrorism around the world” . He presented some real scenarios where systematically one by one key nationalist institution in India is diluted to embolden anti –Hindu agenda. Increase in Beef exports from India, communal violence in Mumbai, UP, Kishtwar, Assam, Bikers gang in Delhi etc. Similarly how armed forces and intelligence agencies in India are being targeted and demoralized, appeasement of ISI and Pakistan based terror outfits by some politicians for cheap vote bank politics. Professor T. R. Narasimha Rao, past president of Hindu University of America, Florida spoke on how
brainwashing of Hindu youth is rampart with a pro-Islamic mindset. Why with an 80% majority Hindus are being politically suppressed. He said Hindus should be optimistic and confident as even after 1000 years of suppression by Islamic and British Raj—Hinduism is still flourishing. Dilip Mehta was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award for Global Hindu Unity. Rahul Chandra, a distinguished Hindu scholar on socio - political activism and Governing Council member of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) educated audience on strategic and tactical approach to prevent further Hindu human rights
violations. He mentions that its anti— Hindu ideology that is leading to formation of institutions, and institutions promotes projects impacting Hindus at social, religious and political platforms. Currently three prominent ideologies are against Hinduism - Radical Islam, Communism and Missionary based conversions. One of the key reasons for suppres-
sion of Hindus and Hinduism is because Hindus don’t know who their enemy is. Neither they are aware of anti-Hindu ideology, nor associated institutions nor as per war methodology literature ‘Art of War’ by Sun Tzu and Chanakya’s niti— if you don’t know your enemies—how can you develop a strategy? As a result Hindus are missing a uniform long term sustainable global strategy to counter such attacks. It’s a syndicate of organizations with vested interest which are working in unison against Hindus and Hinduism. Once Hindus are aware of such syndicates, they would be in a better position in developing both offensive and defensive counter strategies. Dilip Mehta, President of HMSA educated the audience on HMSA mission, goal and objectives — to fight for Hindu cause socially and politically with worldwide scope. He referred to Gita verse: Ahimsa paramo dharmaha, Dharma himsa tathaiva (‘Non-Violence is the greatest Dharma, so too is all righteous violence to protect Dharma’).
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COMMUNITY
Kerala Medical Graduates Convention in Houston HOUSTON: Association of Kerala Medical Graduates (AKMG), 34th Annual Convention concluded in Houston with a Grand Gala at Hilton Americas in Downtown. A musical concert lead Malayalam’s music legends KS Chitra and MG Sreekumar, featuring a 12 artist live orchestra followed the Gala and entertained the guests till late at night. The convention started when Convention Chairman Dr. George Mammen opened it on Friday evening with a Reception held at Regal Ranch and which was aptly called “Western night”. The evening was packed with food and entertainment in true Texas style. Guests, numbering about 300, arrived in Western attire, wearing Cowboy Boots, Jeans, Hats and the Bandanas. They had an opportunity to ride and take pictures with Texas symbol, The Longhorn bull. Barbeque Dinner followed. The entertainments for the night included Western dancers and live music. Guests joined the dancers learning Texas two steps and line dancing. Dr. Dominic from Houston coordinated these events. Saturday morning started with CME (Continuing Medical Education), led by Dr. Lavannya Pandit.. Eminent faculty members from various Universities across the USA and Canada spoke on various Medical topics. Non physician guests including family members spent their morning with Yoga, Bollywood dancercise and Tennis, co ordinated by Geetha Mammen and Sreedevi Venugopal. Lunch on Saturday was a traditional Onam sadya accompanied by entertainment programs including Thalapoli ezhunnallathu of Maveli, Thiruvathira and vallamkali. Indian Consul General of Houston, Mr. Harish was the Chief Guest at the lunch. Conference attendees and
their guests numbering almost 400 arrived in traditional Kerala attire for this event. Dr. CV Sathees, Sathya Sathees, Dr. Jay Raman and Viji Raman coordinated Onam programs and the Sadya. Dr. Chithra Chandrasekhar served as emcee. Saturday’s dinner followed family entertainment, called “Campus Comedy” which was co ordinated by Dr. Lila Cherry. AKMG’s physicians and their family members displayed their talent at this event. Entertainement programs included many dances, comedy programs and a live orchestra. Younger physicians got together at one of city’s prominent nightspots. Sunday morning started with CME again. During that time, family members had an opportunity to tour Houston’s famous Mahatma
Gandhi district (Hillcroft) were they could shop for traditional Indian goods at the district’s many Ethnic shops. Lunch conference was specifically addressing Kerala Health initiative where Dr. Enas Enas and Dr. Mohandas, vice chancellor of Kerala Health University, presented the plans. Other speakers included KHI leaders, Dr. Freemu Varghese; Dr. Basil Varkey, Dr. Pichchumoni. This was another well-attended event. Main programs of the convention concluded with the Sunday night Gala at the Grand ballroom of the Hotel. AKMG members and their guests numbering more than 400 attended this Black-Tie event, coordinated by Dr. Mohan Kumar. Speakers at the podium included ConMADRAS N PAVILIO T & DAAWA CATERING
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“Incredible India” Marks Milestone 5 Years
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Local Dance School Expands Nationally and Celebrates Fifth Anniversary For Services In:
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MISSOURI CITY: For the fifth year, Shingari’s School of Rhythm (SSR) brings their beautiful, intricate and high-energy Indian dance program to the Houston area Saturday, October 5. Incredible India is a onenight extravaganza of ethnic dance at the Stafford Civic Center and tickets are now available at rhythm13.com. Award-winning choreographer, Clair “Shingari” Kuriakose, leads the audience on an upbeat and cultural tour of India through dance. Genres range from classic storytelling styles to action-packed, cinematic numbers with pulsing beats, fast footwork and complex choreography. Nearly 200 performers in this stage spectacular bring Shingari’s work to life, weaving an exquisite display of unmatched talent, and paying tribute to a wonderful,
mystical country. Shingari is a dance powerhouse and successful young business woman, with her popular dance studio, Shingari’s School of Rhythm, numbering seven locations. She opened the first Bollywood dance studio in 2008 in Missouri City, fulfilling a lifelong dream to open a dance school, teach students and share her passion for dance. Quickly establishing a strong presence in the Houston performing arts scene within a few years of opening her first studio, she began expansion in 2011. In just two short years, she has grown the program significantly, with students and staff in four Texas cities, and three cities in California. In September, she launched the latest SSR location in San Jose, CA.
SSR follows a unique management model, maximizing technology and enabling the school to maintain its commitment to high-quality instruction and authentic dance styles. Along with in-studio instruction, the school also has a significant following on its online dance training portal, BollywoodTrainer.com, which gives students around the world access to the dance classes. Among the South Asian community, Shingari has become a household name. The schools, and their founder, have become known for exceptional choreography, community involvement and elaborate performances. Incredible India is a celebration of the studio’s five-year anniversary, and this powerful dance production will feature top SSR dancers from across the country.
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Sarson ka Saag (Mashed Mustard Greens) Sarson ka saag (mashed mustard greens) is a dish that even those not from the Punjab know very well for its wonderful slightly bitter taste and the wonderful, thick makki di roti (corn flour bread) that it is devoured with. If you add a slice or two of homemade mango pickles (made in mustard seed oil and with fennel seeds) the enjoyment of the dish is complete! Mustard greens are commonly harvested only in the winter months, so this dish has a special significance during the cold months, along with all the halwas and gajaks (sesame seed crackle). Sarson ka saag is not to be confused with the more common saag paneer which is made with spinach leaves, is found in all the North Indian restaurants in the world and is immensely popular with the young and old alike. Sarson ka saag is more rustic, but there are a few secrets to make it taste authentic at home. Since mustard greens are normally bitter, it is important to add a little sugar to cut the taste so that the dish does not irritate the back of the throat. Also, to add some body and consistency, it is important to add a little corn flour. I will give the recipe for the makki di roti next week. Since Fall is fast approaching, these two recipes will bring the taste of the Punjab to your house on a cold day! Ingredients: • 1 kilo sarson (mustard greens) • 2 medium shalgum (turnips) • 2 cups pani (water) • 2 tbsp makki ka atta (corn flour) or gyon ka atta (wheat flour) • 1tbsp gur (crystallized molas ses) or chinni (sugar) • 1 medium payaaz (onion) – peeled and finely chopped • 1 medium adrak (ginger root) – peeled and finely chopped • 3 mirchen (green chillies) – stems removed and finely chopped • 1 cup tael (olive oil or sun flower seed oil) • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper)
Directions: 1. Cut the mustard green leaves finely and then place in a sieve and wash thoroughly, since these are generally full of loose dirt. Wash twice to ensure that all the dirt has been rinsed out.
7. In a small frying pan, warm up the oil and throw in the onions, ginger and chillies till they are brown. Throw them into the saag and mix well. Add salt and red pepper to taste. Some people like to add a tablespoon or two of butter for taste.
2. Peel the turnips and cut into small pieces.
8. This dish is best served with makki di roti (corn flour chappatis) in a typical Punjabi fashion. I will write that recipe next week.
3. Place the cut mustard greens and turnips in a large pot with 2 cups of cold water and bring to a boil for 30 minutes over medium heat. Do not use high heat otherwise the water will quickly evaporate. 4. Test the leaves to make sure they are soft. Then drain over a sieve and collect the water for use later. 5. Mash the leaves and turnips well. Then mix 2 tbsp of corn flour into a ½ cup of the saved water and add to the saag, stirring well all the time. Let the saag come to a slight boil but keep stirring so that it does not stick to the pot and start to burn. 6. Add the gur or sugar to cut the bitterness of the mustard greens. Keep stirring till you no longer see the water and saag is separate, then remove from the heat and keep to the side.
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ENTERTAINMENT
September 20, 2013
Movie Review: ‘Grand Masti’
MEENA IYER Story: Three married men plan to get up to some bachelor pranks during their college reunion. Do they go all the way or do they chicken out? Review: Grand Masti stakes its claim to being Bollywood’s first adult comedy. And, just like the innumerable puerile potboilers that India’s dream factory churns out with a warning that says — leave your brains behind, this one should have a disclaimer that reads, ‘Leave your pretensions behind’. Once you do this, you can sit back and laugh aloud at the crass jokes this film throws up at regular intervals. College mates Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh and Aftab Shivdasani have uncontrollable libidos, but get very little sex in their married lives. Their mundane existence stems from the fact that their wives —- Karisma Tanna, Sonalee and Manjari Fadnis -- give more attention to work, the baby and family, in that order. But there appears to be someone listening to their prayers. A college
reunion gets them together. And they fervently hope this would be their chance to chase skirts and their fantasies. On campus, the men reunite with an over-sexed teacher, Rose ( Maryam Zakaria), a vacuous brunette, Mary ( Bruna Abdullah) and Marlow (Kainaat Arora), whose names, when pronounced together, beat most expletives. A lot of double-meaning jokes, oohs and aahs reveal that the women in their lives are related to their college principal, who lands up at the doorstep just when the action is getting heated. Some
more sexual mayhem follows and before you know it, the irrepressible threesome is lying on hospital beds with multiple fractures. They sheepishly vow never to stray. Riteish, Vivek and Aftab are comfortable in their roles and even manage to say some of the most terrible things with a poker face. The girls are not really required to act. While the wives are shown to be particularly dumb, the temptresses with vacuous expressions and ample cleavage make the impact they are required to.
-Times of India
25
My “Krrish 3” Role is Chance of a Lifetime
NEW DELHI: Vivek Oberoi’s super villain lookin sci-fi franchise, Krrish 3, has been kept under wraps but the actor, who has not tasted success at the box office for sometime, is confident that the role will be a game changer for him. “It’s once in a life time character. He is a super villain and an aristocratic prince of darkness. He hates human race because he is not accepted in the society. His vengeance is so strong that he has created his own universe to fight against them. It’s one of the scariest baddies onscreen,” Vivek said. The 37-year-old actor said he did not face any problem in playing a dark role because he feels he got maximum appreciation from audience by portraying such edgy roles in films like Company and Shootout at Lokhandwala. “I enjoy doing such characters. I am constantly looking for roles which are new for me and challenging to
do. With Krish 3 I jumped at it. I was very impressed with the script and character,” said Vivek, who was here to support a cause for underprivileged girls in Vrindavan. Directed by Rakesh Roshan, the film will see Hrithik and Priyanka reprising their roles while Kangana Ranaut is the new addition. It is slated to hit theatres this Diwali. Vivek designed the look and mannerism of his character in the film and he opted not to watch any sci-fi film to bring originality to the role. “I wanted to stay away from taking any inspiration from other films because I felt there will be no originality. It is a tricky character. Rakesh uncle gave me enough space to experiment with my role. It’s my interpretation right from its costume to mannerism,” he said. -Hindustan times
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Busting Six Myths About A Falling Rupee BY DEEPAK SHENOY Myth 1 Weaker currency means a weak country Would you say Kuwait is stronger than America? After all, it’s now 3.52 dollars for one Kuwaiti dinar. Exchange rates don’t indicate weakness of countries. A weak currency can spur exports and cut imports, a mechanism that helped China grow to a giant economy. A higher exchange rate will cause Indians to choose locally made goods because the foreign ones are now more expensive, and make our exports cheaper (and thus more desirable). These are not signs of weakness. Myth 2 This is the end. We are going back to 1991. While we are in a crisis, it’s not like 1991. We’re a much bigger economy now and we have more open markets. Currently, foreign investors are exiting; in 1991, we didn’t have any foreign investors. However, how we react to a relatively minor issue of a rupee collapse can set us back to the times before 1991, when we restricted both dollar inflows and outflows, when we created barriers because we wanted a “controlled economy”. Myth 3 We need six months of ‘import cover’ as our foreign exchange reserve. With a six-month emergency buffer, you can use it when you lose your job. But you’ll try to find another job, or, much before the buffer runs out, accept a lower paying job which ‘stretches’ the buffer. That is how countries work too; our reserves don’t pay for our imports—’flows’ do. Someone
wants to invest, or remit money; that money is rotated to pay for what we import. When inflows slow, the rupee falls. When the rupee falls, people import less and export more, and voila, our import cover suddenly increases. Reserves are not required to pay for imports as they are today. If we pass on diesel and lpg prices, and make the rupee convertible, we wouldn’t care about reserves. Indeed, India has much more foreign exchange reserves than France, Italy, Germany and the UK. It has the 10th highest forex reserves in the world; the top 9 are net exporters. (India is a net importer.) Myth 4 The whole current account deficit is because of our massive purchases of gold. A bigger problem is crude. Because we import that much crude
oil, $170 bn worth last year (gold worth $60 bn). Yet, because we don’t pass on the price of oil through higher diesel and lpg prices, people use these fuels liberally. If we did let them go up, people would moderate their use, reduce frivolous consumption, cutting crude imports. Gold is the refuge of people trying to save themselves from inflation, a beast the state hasn’t tamed. Myth 5 Rupee is falling because the RBI is allowing speculators to run amok. A George Soros might have fought and won against the British pound in the ’90s, but he’d be very unwelcome here. The RBI limits trading avenues, also who can trade, and how much they can trade. Soros won not from his speculation influence but because
the pound was fundamentally weak (the rupee is sliding for the same reasons). It would be strange to blame rupee-dollar trading when the real problem is: we export too little, we import too much. Myth 6 Rupee is falling because the foreign hand wants to weaken it. Or a political party wants more rupees for its dollars that it has stashed away as black money all these years. This is logic-defying because we will import less from that foreign hand, or export more to it. Also blaming outside forces is the second line of defence by the RBI in the past. At best, the foreign hand wants its money back—the same money it had lent us many years back. On the political parties, sure, people will show you fancy graphs where it looks like the dollar went up just before elections in the past. The cynic in you might ask that if they truly did bring dollars back in, why didn’t the dollar fall dramatically just before polls? The rupee falls largely because there aren’t enough buyers for what we make and export. But, of course, that is not a glamorous answer.
Mallya Seeks Outof-court Settlement with Creditors MUMBAI: The debt-ridden United Breweries Group, led by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, hopes for an out-of-court settlement with some of its creditors, who filed winding up petition — a move that seeks compulsory liquidation of the company. Addressing shareholders at the annual general meeting in Bangalore, group chairman Mallya said, “there are five winding up petitions that have been filed before the company court in Bangalore. And, out of these five, we have serious counter claims against three of the petitioners, which basically leaves two petitioners with whom we are in dialogue for an out of court settlement”. UB Group is estimated to have a debt of over `7000 crore, mainly on account of its loss-making airline venture Kingfisher. Mallya, also said that the court has given the go-ahead for the Diageo deal. The UK-based Diageo has acquired 25% stake in UB Group’s flagship company United Spirits for Rs.5,236 crore. “The honourable court was pleased to grant us permission to go ahead with the Diageo deal but directed us to deposit Rs.250 crore in the court to take care of these 5 winding up petitions, which we have dutifully done,” said Mallya.
-Outlookindia
127
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-Hindustan Times
28 September 20, 2013
SPORTS
Rural Girls Learning Soccer from American Ice Hockey Player BY UTTAM SENGUPTA RANCHI (Outlook India): The ‘supergoats’ can bend it a fair way. Eighteen of them just got back from Spain, where they reached the quarters of a local tournament and slotted into third place in another. But who are the ‘supergoats’ and what game is this that they are playing? Well, for that you’d have to travel to Ormanjhi, some 25 kms from Ranchi, to a group of village girls who started playing football only some three years back but are already creating waves. “We don’t even have a proper ground for them to practice,” laughs coach Sandeep Chhetry who accompanied the girls. “In Spain, they were playing on natural grass and synthetic grass.” Their initial diffidence gave way soon enough because they were treated like royalty, Chhetry tells Outlook over the phone. Food, though, was an issue. The girls are used to eating rice gruel early in the morning (which sustains them through the day). Things like bread and cheese were a tad alien but the hosts, thoughtfully, went out of their way to arrange rice for breakfast. Franz Gastler, the US law graduate responsible for putting together the team, says “their opponents were noticeably bigger; many of our girls were playing together for the first time and that too in front of such a large number of spectators”. But they persevered, and won some. In the Donosti Cup, said to be Spain’s biggest tournament for budding footballers, the Yuwa India under-14 girls team made it to the quarters in a pool of 36 international teams. And at the venerated Gasteiz Cup, again pitted against an international field, they took bronze. A more memorable moment off the field was when, recalls Franz, “the girls were walking through the streets in San Sebastian and they passed a young boys’ football team. One
U.S. law graduate Franz Gastler takes the girls on a spin and soccer practice
of them began to chant “India! India!” and soon all the boys joined him. They weren’t jeering the girls or doing it in jest. They were actually cheering them.” It wasn’t something the girls were too used to at home and some of them were overwhelmed. Back home, the supergoats of Ormanjhi are now celebrities. They have had an audience with the chief minister at which a stadium was pledged within six months, besides cash awards for team members. Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh has also pitched for the football field, alloting Rs 21 lakh from his MPLADS funds. The TV channels and newspapers went to town about every little detail of their lives and the girls can’t stop smiling. (Another small but significant victory has been the suspension of the local block official who had jeered and even slapped some of the girls when they approached him for birth certificates for their passports and visa.) But why ‘supergoats’? Goats, explains Rose Thompson, an American on a fellowship who spent several weeks at Orm-
anjhi, are ubiquitous in the fields where the girls practice. It’s actually a grazing ground and the players have to tackle the goats too. On a more serious plane, goats, she adds, are “fast, wily, agile and persistent to the point of being annoying”. The girls share these traits and hence the sobriquet. But the club ‘Yuwa India’, isn’t just another football academy. Winning tournaments and even football was initially just incidental. The team game was just another conduit to instil confidence, build team spirit and promote discipline among the girls. Schooling is important here, so too is attendance. The girls learn English, attend classes on hygiene and sex education and, today, even dream of a better life. They had never thought of higher education, going abroad or having a job earlier, says Gastler. But now they believe nothing is beyond their reach. Football has even helped the girls resist child marriages. While earlier, most girls in the area were getting married by the time they were 15, now marriage before 18 is quite rare. Gastler is a Harvard Law
School graduate who had never played soccer before he arrived in Ormanjhi to work for an NGO and stayed to teach English to the girls. An ice hockey player himself, one of the girls initially requested that he teach her how to play football. And that triggered an idea which has transformed a small hamlet and hundreds of lives. He agreed to coach them provided there was a team of at least 15 girls and also provided they turn up for practice and classes without fail. Starting with 15 girls in 2009, Yuwa India now has some 250-odd girls attending practice sessions. Between 4-6 in the evening, after they are through their chores for the day, rows of girls can be seen lining up, doing their drills and playing practice matches. Initially, it was no easy task convincing the wary villagers. Many of them were hostile, some were even convinced that he was out to convert the girls. Others suspected that he was part of a trafficking racket. The mothers were protesting that they couldn’t afford to let the girls waste their time playing football and learning English. Who would collect the cow
dung, fetch the water, do the cooking...? Significantly, Gastler observed that the tribal boys were indifferent and refused to join unless they were promised T-shirts and jerseys. Indeed, the first lot of jerseys distributed to the girls were actually cornered by their fathers and brothers. Gastler put in his own money and that of a few friends back in the US into the project. (But he wisely decided that the girls would have to pay one-third of the price of the boots.) The experiment appears to have paid off. Three of the girls, Shivani Toppo, Neeta Kumari and Manisha Tirkey represented the national squad that toured Sri Lanka in March. Two girls have returned from a football camp in Washington DC (sponsored by the US state department). Seventeen of them have played for the state while six of them travelled to Mumbai to train girls in Dharavi, where Gastler has set up a branch of his fledgling foundation. Jharkhand, reminds Thompson wryly, isn’t the happiest place on earth. In some small way, the Yuwa experiment, exciting in its simplicity, has provided a ray of hope and a model which can be replicated elsewhere.
Swan Song for Sachin JAIPUR: Saturday could well be the last time that Sachin Tendulkar steps into the Sawai Mansingh Stadium ground for a competitive game of cricket. Rajasthan Royals take on Mumbai Indians in the inaugural match of CLT20 and the focus will be on Tendulkar and Royals skipper Rahul Dravid. Tendulkar has retired from one-day internationals and has said that he will no longer play in the IPL. Jaipur’s application for being declared a Test centre is pending with the BCCI. “We are aware of the significance of this match,” Rajasthan Cricket Association officiating secretary KK Sharma told TOI on Monday. “It will be a big match here.”
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September 20, 2013
PM Assures Justice to Riot Victims, Promises ‘Strictest Punishment’ to Perpetrators
Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi with riot victims at Bassi Kalan madrasa in Muzaffarnagar district on Monday.
BY MANOJ C G MUZAFFARNAGAR: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accompanied by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, visited the riot-hit areas on Monday, many of the victims complained of “police inaction”. Singh assured justice and promised “strictest punishment” to the perpetrators. The PM, Sonia and Rahul visited madrasa-turned-refugee camps in Bassi Kalan and Tawli and Jatdominated Bavrala and Khanjpura villages. “I, Soniaji and Rahul are here to share your sorrow and pain,” Singh told the victims. In a strong message to the state government, he said it was the duty of the government to protect its citizens. “This is a tragic incident. Whoever is responsible should be punished. It is the duty of the government to protect life and property. The Centre will provide all help to the Uttar Pradesh government and will try to ensure the strictest punishment to all those who are involved,” said Singh. The anger of the previous day, when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav faced black flags and protesting villagers, gave way to grief today. At Bassi Kalan, where hundreds have taken shel-
ter in a madrasa, victims said they were scared to return to their homes in neighbouring villages. “We told Rahul that we don’t want to return to our village. He assured us that something will be done in our favour,” said Jameel Bassi, 42, who broke down before the PM. Bassi and his family fled their home in Kutba village on the night of September 7. Many complained of “inaction” by the police and district administration. “We pleaded for help but the police did not come. We had to flee, leaving everything behind. All the local police officers should be suspended,” said Sultan Ahmed. There was anger at the district officials for allowing the Jat mahapanchayat despite the simmering tension in the area. “The slogans raised by those who came for the mahapanchayat were clearly provocative. They were shouting ‘Musalman Pakistan jao ya kabristan jao.’ I nearly lost my fingers after a sword was swiped at me,” said Arshad, who met Rahul. “We have told the PM and Soniaji everything. Our houses were torched, masjids were burnt,” said Aisha. After Bassi Kalan, the PM, Sonia and Rahul stopped at Jat-dominated Bavrala and Khanjpura villages, on
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the way to another madrasa-turned refugee camp in Tawli. There too, villagers complained of “police inaction” and a prevailing feeling of insecurity. The Jat representatives asked them to ensure a fair inquiry. Singh and Sonia asked everyone to maintain peace and calm and assured all help from the Centre. The priority, Singh said, was to ensure that those who have fled their homes can return to their villages with a feeling of security. The anger on the ground against the Samajwadi Party government was evident. “If we get justice and relief, we may forget everything. Otherwise, we will have to look for other options during elections,” said Shahnawaz Khan, who claimed he was a supporter of SP leader Azam Khan. “We will help those who help us. Like (Narendra) Modi, Mulayam is also a Hindu. That is not a consideration for us. We will help those who get us justice,” he said. The PM, Sonia and Rahul also visited the family of television journalist Rajesh Verma who was killed in the clashes. Singh promised an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh and educational aid for Verma’s children. Union Minister of State for Home R P Singh, who accompanied the trio, said the Centre had warned the UP government in advance about the possible communal flare-up, but the state government had failed to act. Meanwhile, before the PM’s arrival, some organisers were heard instructing the victims to tell the leaders and the media that they don’t want to return to their homes. The sub-divisional magistrate later thanked one of the organisers, Mohd Nafeez, for telling Sonia that they are getting adequate rations and other supplies. Sonia had made a specific inquiry about this.
-IndianExpress
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India Test-Fires Agni V with Range as far as China BHUBANESWAR: India has successfully conducted the second test-flight of Agni 5 – country’s most potent nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile -- from Wheeler’s Island, off Odisha coast. The missile, which is capable of reaching deep into China and as far as Europe, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 8.48 am and started rising exactly the way it was designed to, said an official of the Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). The maiden flight test of the indigenously built 5000-km-range missile on April 19 last year had catapulted India to an exclusive club of countries like the US, Russia, China, France and Britain that possess the technology to develop inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The 17-metre-high and twometre-wide missile, which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonne, has most of the countries in the world in its striking distance. The surface-to-surface missile witnessed an ‘auto launch’ and detail results of the trial will be known after thorough analyses of all data retrieved from different radars and network systems, defence sources said. “The sleek missile, within a few seconds of its blast-off from the Island launch pad, roared majestically into a clear sunny sky, leaving behind a trail of thin orange and white column of smoke and within seconds it pierced into sky,” said an eyewitness to the launch. Unlike other missiles of indigenously built Agni series, the latest one ‘AGNI-V’ is the most advanced version having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. Many new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in the first Agni-V trial.
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The redundant navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro-Navigation System (MINS) had ensured the missile reach the target point within few metres of accuracy. The high-speed onboard computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the missile flawlessly, said a defence official. After some more trials, Agni-V will be inducted into the services, the sources said. (With inputs from PTI) Must-knows about Agni V 1. Agni-V is India’s first longrange missile capable of reaching deep into China and as far as Europe. 2. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agni V weighs 50-tonnes and is 17-metres (56 feet) high. 3. The surface-to-surface, three stage solid propellant missile is designed to deliver nuclear warheads of 1000 kg at a range of 5000 km. 4. The launch of the Indian-made Agni V, if successful, would be the crowning achievement of a missile programme developed primarily to counter any threat from China. 5. Only the UN Security Council permanent members -- China, France, Russia, the United States and Britain -have such long-range weapons. 6. It was first tested in April 2012. 7. The DRDO is expected to conduct at least three more tests before declaring the ballistic missile operational and ready for being inducted into the military. That may take two to three years. 8. Agni-V is part of the Agni series of missiles developed by DRDO which includes Agni-I with a 700 km range, Agni-II with 2,000 km, Agni-III with a 3,000 km range and Agni-IV with 4,000 km range. -Hindustan Times
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