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Friday, October 12 2012 | Vol. 31, No. 41
Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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Indian Films Rule the Day
P6 Walk for Peace at Hermann Park The three winning entries, clockwise from top : Pad Yatra, An Unknown Guest, Gattu
Movie Review
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Indian Actress Raveena Tandon with a poster of her movie at the Indian Film Festival, Houston last week.
Win Free Tickets
See details on page 23
DANCE LIKE A MAN
A Comedy Play in English
Stafford Civic Center Thurs, Oct 21, 5pm
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For details see pg7
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Introducing all Indian Authentic Veg. Menu
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October 12, 2012
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
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Nine Unique Movies Splash Through the City in 4th Indian Film Festival
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: Just four weeks ago at a red carpet reception at the Marque Houston in CityCentre off Beltway 8 and the Katy Freeway, the Board of the Indian Film Festival of Houston gave a glimpse of what audiences could expect in the upcoming five day Fourth Annual Festival to be held October 3 through 7. Festival founder and Director Sutapa Ghosh promised some rare treats for Indian film lovers and dedicated this year to Celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. The lucky ones who managed to catch the nine movies that were screened at the Studio Movie Grill, also in CityCentre, saw a cross section of feature films (Gattu, Shobhna’s Seven Nights and Shanghai), three short films (Jameela, Mumbai and An Unknown Guest) and three documentaries (Decoding Deepak, Pad Yatra and White Knight), that are on the Indie circuit and may otherwise never get a screening in the Bayou City. (Two in the originally announced line up – Sarsa directed by Jatinder Mauhar and Saving Face directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy – had to drop out due to last minute hitches in post-production work, and Shobhna’s Seven Nights directed by Sudipto Chattopadhya was a late submission.) That has been the formula for the Festival since its inception; to be able to showcase not only Indian cinema, but also movies about India and what Indians across the global diaspora have to offer. It is not limited only to the perspective of Indians - as in Pad Yatra which is by Taiwanese-American writer, producer, director Wendy J. N. Lee, born and raised in Los Angeles but drawn every year to the remote region of Ladakh from which the film took form. But the festival aims to present the unusual angle by which Indian movie makers view their own country and culture and give their finished product a
Raveena Tandon with Rhythm India dancers
From left: Consul General P. Harish with Wife; Sutapa Ghosh, Festival Director; Ellen Goldberg, IFFH Board Member; Iqbal Khan, an Indian television and Bollywood actor with a guest at the Film Festival Awards Night. Photos: Navin Mediwala
Bollywood Actress Raveena Tandon (left) with Carolyn Farb, Socialite and Philanthropist.
chance to be appreciated in a manner that the film may otherwise not experience in India itself. Just as importantly for the Bayou City is the cross-cultural exchange that comes from the festival, a point made by Ghosh as she came to the stage last Sunday evening at the colorful and elegant awards ceremony at the Hotel Sorella in CityCentre to mark the end of this year’s festival. “The IFFH is like
no other festival in Houston as it appeals to cross-over audiences,” Ghosh said in her brief appreciative remarks, beaming at the select group of about 130 guests who included an early supporter; socialite and philanthropist Carolyn Farb, radiant in a mirrored, deepred lenga-choli (“its so heavy,” she proclaimed) and matching heavy jewelry. Indian Consul General P. Harish and his wife attended the function and he paid compliment to Ghosh on her persistency with the festival. “She has pulled off the impossible,” Harish said admiringly, “to make this Festival mainstream, as is evidenced from the audience.” He appreciated the emphasis on the evolution of Indian cinema as “it shows how it has come about and also is a glimpse of Indian civilization.” The evening started with a social hour in the small but tasteful lobby outside the banquet hall on the first floor across from the hotel. Emcees for the event, Pooja Lodhia, reporter for ABC Channel 13 and Fox 26 news anchor Jose Grinan guided the program along with humor and appreciation as they called out the three
award winning movies as well as the tradition of recognizing five people for their talent in the arts, philanthropy, business, literature and film (see box for the winners). Presenting the awards were Harish, Indian film actress Raveena Tandon who starred in Shobhna’s Seven Nights, Ghosh and Farb. This year’s program had two added attractions: a medley of dances to snippets of songs from Indian movies over the past fifty years performed by the dancers of Rhythm India, featuring its Winners of the 4th Annual IIFH: • Short Film: An Unknown Guest, directed by Durba Sahay • Feature Film: Gattu, directed by Rajan Khosa • Documentary: Pad Yatra, directed by Wendy J. N. Lee IFFH Special Recognition Awards • The Arts: Rathna Kumar, Houstonian; Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer • Literature: Chitra Divakaruni, Houstonian; Novelist, Poet, Professor • Philanthropy: Drew Wilson, Houstonian; Community Activist, Public Service • Business: Craig Dehmel of Los Angeles; Sr. VP, 2oth Century Fox International • Film: Raveena Tandon, Bombayite; Actress
founder and Director, the energetic Arzan Gonda and a live auction of four items, which became five with the spontaneous inclusion of a dress by Tandon. Rhythm India tailored the dances to fit the small stage, limiting the dancers to small groups, each performing in period costume to match the song and trailing off as the other group came onstage for their performance; eight groups in all told the story of Bollywood (from when it was just Bombay Talkies) down to the last gunshot fired during the “Laila, oh Laila” number. The auction started with bids for a Drive Your Dream Car from Houston Motor Club to a catered dinner at home by Chef John Sikhattana of Straits Restaurant; necklace and earrings from India and a dinner with Raveena Tandon. Tandon threw in a designer dress (by Amita Dougre) that she was wearing the night before at the screening of her movie to up the ante, and the dinner-dress combo were scooped up by local businessman Sanjay Rao. Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036, tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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October 12, 2012
Hungama Mela 2012 Thank you for making Hungama Mela 2012 a grand success
- Sridhar Dadi & Radio Hungama Team
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 12, 2012
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
The Mahatma Walks Again Among Houstonians, for Peace BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The bronze busts of great men from the past stare out vacantly at those who walk by along the curving path in the Rose Garden at Hermann Park, certainly one of the most serene places in this bustling city. Simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Benito Juarez of Mexico, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca of Spain and General Bernardo O’Higgins of Chile give you pause to reflect on the deeds that immortalized them. Just ahead in a clearing before the parking lot and adjacent to the trellises that encompass the herb beds, a tall bronze statue of the Mahatma, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, greets you, in full stride with a wooden walking stick, a gift to the city by the India Culture Center and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, erected on the occasion of his birth on October 2, 2004. At the base are engraved passages from other great luminaries honoring the man who brought non-violent disobedience to the masses and threw off the yoke of British colonialism in India.
Manish Wani (left) of the Mahatama Gandhi Library; Sesh Bala, Walk for Peace coordinator; Raj Bhavsar, Olympic Bronze Medalist; Suresh Shah as Gandhiji and Dr. Randeep Suneja. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
who gave a short speech, followed by Wani who garlanded Gandhi’s statue and appreciated everyone’s attendance. Coincidentally, Raj Bhavsar, the Bronze Medalist from the US gymnastics team in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 was in town to visit his parents after completing his contract with Cirque de Soleil and also led the
RICK
Katy McMeans Junior High School band
“We’ve met here every year on Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary since 2006 and this is our seventh Walk for Peace,” recalled Sesh Bala as he greeted those who came to take part in this year’s walk. His wife Prabha and other volunteers handed out leaf-green t-shirts to those who had signed up to attend. “About 800 people have gone through over those years altogether and a dozen of them do the walk every year,” Sesh continued. What started as an idea by community activist Sonal Bhuchar to commemorate Gandhi’s Birth and make it a statement for Global Peace is being continued on by a loosely knit group of die-hards – the Balas, Prem and Suranga Cholia, Vatsa Kumar and Srini Vasan – committed to keeping Gandhi’s legacy of non-violence, peace and love alive in a place some 9,000 miles away from the coastal city of Porbandar, Gujarat where Gandhi was born. It is a labor of love for most of them, all also active in other community projects. Among them is Manish Wani who has taken over the Mahatma Gandhi Library project from its founder, Atul Kothari who left the Bayou City last year to re-settle in Ahmedabad. “The first walk was fantastic. We had
300 people walk from this spot to City Hall Plaza where a thousand attended the rally and lit candles that floated in the reflecting pool,” remembered Sesh wistfully. “Now we get about 150 and we walk around the three-and-a-half mile trail here,” he pointed in the direction, “and end onstage at Miller Theatre.” There, the walkers take a bow and light candles from an Olympic Torch from the Athens Games. Outside the Theatre, booths were set up to show a photo exhibit on Gandhi’s life and also winning essays and drawings on Gandhi from local area high schoolers during a week-long awareness campaign coinciding with the anniversary. As in past years, the Lamar High School Band played on stage and students also performed a Changing of the Guard flag ceremony. Later, in the evening, the “1,000 Points Of Lights” program concluded with musical and dance performances (see page 16). This year the Walk started with music played on the Rose Garden lawn by the Katy McMeans Junior High School band, with many adoring parents and walkers looking on. The Grand Marshall this year was Dr. Randeep Suneja, a renowned cardiologist
MILLER
Dr. Randeep Suneja was the Grand Marshall for this year’s walk.
procession. Bhavsar gave out token medals (plastic, not bronze!) to the seven people who have done this walk every year. With some instructions from Sesh on the route and safety procedures, the walkers grabbed bottles of cold water and set off on their trek for Peace on the first sunny but mild Fall day of the season.
Born to lead.... Prepared to serve
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy followed by an outstanding 30-year career, retired as a Captain… a successful small businessman, now a public servant. Rick is a family man with strong family values. Married to “Babs”, they have three children and three grandchildren. He and Babs moved to Sugar Land in1999.
REPUBLICAN FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
m letter. I a presentative, read my Re to : te t s n n ta e e S iz m r g a mo rned Cit nning fo in e k c ru n ta o r n C a fo c ow s nk you Republi Dear Fell our voice and I tha ve leader - and to make n k Miller ti o ic a ti R te c rv o e le is v s e n is Th of us to olid co e of this -s h c k m c a o for e ro tc e r u m ly fo o t it is the on 6. The s outco importan vember e with it 6. o v w 2 li N o l t , il h y ic a w d tr D e e is D not, w discuss lection t letter, I Like it or y or on E In my firs either voting earl ilies, our friends. m y heard - b ur nation, our fa vel.... nt to tra to c e ff a l il . T: e s not wa w U e m o -C o d c R n A stores to o E L ons ARE C our nati e that re generati HOICES : a path NGE, on s C A u E H d H C e T il , D ALLY that fa a GOO NATION n a path this time nue dow irection: ti d n e o c g r n e a Eith hip ... ch e leaders : Or chang rvative values as our lives se erence in rf te ice in such con t n as of cho overnme ed in are e c Ě Less g c u s to on ant freedom r protecti s import Ě More s - issue t these issues. izens ck borde e it lo u c c s r is e u l o th a d critic ok a y for all Ě Aroun ith many a close lo portunit ill deal w tter we will take s and op s w e n n ir io s a s F le Ě e se my next concerns. egislativ onally, y ounty. In 3 Texas L ve... nati ti a rv e s The 201 and Fort Bend C r concerns are m n ight co e ou ting stra state-wid input because y me by vo r in u jo o y to d u I nee urage yo g, I enco In closin and locally. N... e, UR NATIO state-wid S YOU, O S E L B D MAY GO , AS Sincerely AND TEX
Rick r
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
Dance Like A Man, a Play from India HOUSTON: A close-knit family of Bollywood celebrities perform ‘Dance Like A Man’ on Thursday, October 21, 2012 at the Stafford Civic Center (old). Mahesh Dattani (writer), Lillete Dubey (director/ producer/actress) , Suchitra Pillai, Joy Sengupta and Vijay Crishna (actress and actors) have performed over 300 shows around the globe. Travelling to many countries including India, Dubai, Sri Lanka, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, England and to the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, “This show has become universally appealing,” stated Suchitra Pillai. ‘Dance Like A Man’ is the longest running English language play from India and has achieved great success in 13 years. This play has been strongly recommended by some of the popular newspapers, “Stunning play with stunning performances!” by the Daily Mail, UK and “Delightfully stimulating…a production to rave about” by The Times of India, Delhi. Suchitra Pillai tells us, “the combination of the serious theme and the comedy in Mahesh Dattani’s script, attracted her to act in this play.” She feels that Mahesh and Lillete have done a great job by engaging the audience with laughter as they watch a play on a serious social drama. She also adds, “there is so much comedy for people to laugh about and the crux of the play is quite an eye- opener.”
This play is about two Bharata Natyam dancers, Ratna and Jairaj; who despise their daughter Lata (played by Suchitra Pillai), who who is on the brink of establishing herself as a brilliant South Indian classical dancer. Ratna driven by ambition and fame, becomes jealous of her own daughter Lata. Suchitra comments that at this point, “the play smoothly moves from comedy to the serious genre.” The story probes the surface of the characters to question their deeper motivations, but the mode is comic rather than tragic, even though the concerns are serious, and you are never sure whether to laugh or cry. The play has had great response as it has resonated with the personal experiences of some families across the world. Lillete Dubey has been a source of encouragement for play writers. Lillete and Mahesh Dattani collaborate to give voice to unconventional writers of Indian plays and theatre. Prime Time Theatre Company is one of India’s best known companies. It has held a high reputation for targeting a variety of cultures around the globe,. Lillete Dubey has also done several television serials and films, of which Zubeida, Gadar, Monsoon Wedding, Baghban, Kal Ho Na Ho, My Brother Nikhil, Corporate and Pinjar have received wide acclaim. Recently she won the Best Actress award at the Madrid international film Festival2008 for her film Bow Barracks Forever.
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October 12, 2012
COMMUNITY
AADA Draws Wide Support in Fund Raiser
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HOUSTON: Asians against Domestic Abuse (AADA), a support group that helps victims of domestic abuse in the Asian community, raised $50,000 for its ongoing work of helping Asian women who are victims of domestic abuse. The fund-raiser on Friday, October 5, at the Safari Ranch was attended by several high profile elected officials from Fort Bend County and supported by an array of businesses who donated goods and services in an aucAADA Board members: Shantha Raghuthaman,President tion. The program started with a (left); Sunil Sharma and wife Rashmi. Lion Dance by two dancers of the Shaolin for help this year. Merhar returned to read Wushu Center. It was followed by introduc- out a couple of letters from survivors of tion of Michelle Marhar, the emcee, who is abuse who expressed their deep gratitude a Channel 26 traffic reporter. Merhar has a for AADA’s generous and robust support in BA from Texas State University and a na- rebuilding their life. Before dinner, Rhythm India’s dancers tive of Houston. She is currently pursuing a presented Bollywood dances to a medley of Master’s degree in Business. She acknowledged the presence of some of the dignitar- popular Hindi film songs. Major sponsors of AADA included Cenies in the audience — Bob and Pat Hebert, District Attorney John Healey, Sugar Land terPoint Energy, Classic Chevrolet, Fort City Councilman Himesh Gandhi, District Bend Rotary Club, Sima Dalvandi of Keller 26 State Senate candidate Rick Miller, Williams Realty, Dr Mehrinfar, Shanta Raghuthaman and Dr. A.P. Raghuthaman, Reamong others. “AADA does so much for abused women hana and Syed Sarwar, Mr and Mrs Riaz in the community,” she said compliment- Sidiqi and Vista Bank. Live auction donore included Abraham’s ing the hosts. “Sixty-five women have been helped and resettled this year,” Merhar said. Oriental Rugs, Namita Astana of Curry Cup, “They could be your friend, neighbor, co- Homi Davier, among others. AADA’s board members are: Shantha worker or someone in your family. Half of them could speak no English; AADA Raghuthaman (president), Rashmi Sharma matched them with counselors who spoke (vice president), Sudha Menon (secretary), their native language and helped them with Frederic A Navarre (treasurer), Alice McCarthy, Meera Kapur, Pervin Sagar, Sima housing, food, clothing, etc.” Frederic A Navarre, AADA treasurer, Dalvandi and Kate Suh (members). AADA provides free confidential support said the organization had fielded 300 calls to women victims and their children that reside in the greater Houston area. AADA’s trained volunteers are fluent in native languages and familiar with the culture of its cleints. AADA provides confidential emotional support in Arabic, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Malayalam, Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese, Filipino, Punjabi, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Urdu. If you or someone you know is in need of AADA services, call their Help Line at 713Rhythm India’s dancers presented Bollywood dances 339-8300. to a medley of popular Hindi film songs.
Announcement INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
Radio Hungama Mela: An Extraordinary Outdoor Gala
HOUSTON: On Saturday, October 6, there was one place where you could find the entire Houston Indian community- at Radio Hungama’s outdoor extravaganza “Hungama Mela” in Durga Bari temple grounds. The event was a grand success with an outstanding turnout of over 2000 people. The weather was perfect for an outdoor event, with a spectacular sunset as a backdrop for the kick off and a gentle breeze throughout the rest of the evening. The crowd started piling in at around 5.30pm and the programs on stage were so entertaining that the ground was packed with enthused audience till the end. The Mela was definitely a sight worth watching – beautifully dressed men and women and bubbly kids in the open grounds with everything you could ask for under one roof, from Curries to Camry cars. The man behind the Mela, Sridhar Dadi expressed his heartfelt thanks to the grand sponsors Houston Community College (HCC), Emirates, Zee TV, MetLife and Don McGill Toyota of Katy. Don McGill Toyota’s display of 2013 cars was quite a crowd pleaser. The event was off to a great start with Ganesh Pooja performed by current ICC President Rajiv Bhavsar, past President Swapan
Sridhar Dadi, Raaga Vahini, Archana Vuppulancha and Pallavi Chilappagari engaged the crowd right from the beginning with their ever energetic persona.
Dhairyawan and the Radio Hungama team. It was followed by a devotional song by Radio Hungama’s own RJs Raaga and Archana. Sridhar Dadi, Raaga Vahini, Archana Vuppulancha and Pallavi Chilappagari engaged the crowd right from the beginning with their ever energetic persona. Participants from various dance schools in Houston put together a stunning performance. Katy Rising Stars, Nupur Dance School, Bollywood Shake and Infused performing arts brought energy to the event with their dance moves. Students from University of Houston captured audience hearts with their Tollywood medley dance and songs. Suman, Akhila, Jagrut (UHCL)
and Ramya (UHCL) sang beautiful duets and Raj Kumar Vedam’s team played guitar to the tunes of Bollywood. To showcase the diversity of the event, there was a folk dance by Nappinai’s students, classical dance by Crescendo School of Arts, drum beats on dustbin by Karthik, a UofH student and various other wonderfully choreographed dances. The highlight of the night was RaazMazzTazz Fashion walk choreographed and directed by Geetha Ravula and Sreedhar Ravula. The walk was a well choreographed program with stunning models, exquisite contemporary and bridal
wear from Sari Sapne and Sapna Boutique and great makeup and hair do by Pro-clips beauty salon and Xpressions Threading and Spa in Katy. The Mela was complete with great food by Mayuri Indian Restaurant, Chat by Kurrywalah Indian Cuisine and Dum Biryani and Hyderbadi Irani chai by Paradise Biryani. The gorgeous women at the Mela were more than pleased with the fashion jewelry and Indian wear booths. Sridhar Dadi announced the launch of the first ever 24/7 Telugu Radio in Houston, now available at www.radiohungama.net. At the Mela, Zee TV
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launched their new Telugu channel, Zee Telugu. The Hungama team thanked all the supporters, vendors, media partners (Indo American News, Sulekha and ZEE TV), ICC and several other Indo-American associations and groups, participants and audience for making it a “Dhamaka” event. Hungama team also thanked Prudential Insurance, Vonage, Vishala Grocery, Camelot Integrated Solutions, Dr. Suresh Reddy, Dayaker Moparthy and ENOPI (Eye Level Katy). Radio Hungama expressed special thanks to Kohinoor Diamonds for sponsoring the “Feel My Love” photography contest and conveyed hearty congratulations to Abhinav Sagar, the contest winner. Houstonians are raving about the Hungama Mela and sure are eagerly waiting for their upcoming events. Listen to Radio Hungama on KCHN AM 1050, Sunday at 12 PM CST and live on the Internet 24/7 at www.radiohungama. net. For more information, call Sridhar Dadi at 281-217-9736 or email houstonradio@yahoo.com.
Spotted in the City!
On Tuesday, October 2, citizens and City officials participated in the 29th Annual National Night Out. This event encourages citizens to socialize with their neighbors, as a way to help law enforcement deter crime in their area. Seen in the picture above are HPD Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi with Houston Mayor Annise Parker.
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COMMUNITY
OvarRock: Melody for Life Concert for the Cause of Curing Ovarian Cancer in India BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: Better Bangla Radio and Ovarcome joined hands in organizing a night of fun filled entertainment at the Sugar Land auditorium on Sat., October 6. The event was held to promote the noble cause of raising awareness and raising money to aid the underprivileged women in the Indian subcontinent who have been affected by ovarian cancer. The event was very well planned and organized with plenty of saree, jewelry stalls and food booths doing brisk business. The delectable fish chops, ghugni, samosas and chumchums prepared by the Bengali ladies were selling like hot cakes. The evening’s entertainment program started with Kakoli and Rajeev Mukerji of Better Bangla appreciating the community for participating and aiding in a good cause. They went on to introduce the local talent Ruma Zaman who opened the show with a few Bengali modern songs in her melodious voice. The next performer was Deepayan Bhattacharya, who is quite a hit with the local Bengali crowd. With his good looks, great stage presence and impeccable voice, he kept the audience engaged with some popular Hindi film songs and a Bengali song Shei rate raat chhilo. The soiree continued with Gopa Mallick of Better Bangla reading the congratulatory note by congress-man Pete Olson. She introduced Runsi Sen, the president of Ovarcome who was instrumental in getting the Bangla band “Brishti” from Seattle to perform in Houston. It was indeed a treat listening to this young band of 9 members perform the rest of the evening. They started their show with a stotram and then a song about Dosti to form a bond between Houston and Seattle. The band-members,
The Bangla band Brishti” from Seattle performed in Houston on October 6.
whose ages range from 19 to 40 have an intense passion for music and despite all being full time students, software professionals and software managers, the fact that they have managed to find the time to put together the only, one of a kind Bangla band in the USA, miles away from the homeland is definitely very commendable. Their repertoire spanned the entire gamut of Bengali music starting from Rabindra Sangeet, to folk songs in classical style, old Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey popular hits, Laalan Fakir songs, to the very recent Bangla band songs. Their forte is in the Bangla band style genre which got popularized in the 80s with Anjan Dutta,
Gautam Mukhopadhyay and Kabir Suman, and then by groups like Mohiner Ghoraguli, Bhoomi, Cactus, Fossil, etc. They sang a few of their songs including Bela Bose, Bhebe Dekhechho Ki and Tomake chai. They got the crowd on their feet and on to the dance floor with renditions of popular hit numbers like Sohaag Chand, Sadher Lau and Jibone ki. The crowd was thoroughly enjoying the performance and did not want them to stop. They decided to conclude the evening’s show with the nostalgic Miss you Kolkata, but on the request of the audience, they ended the evening with the befitting We shall overcome and the crowd sang along.
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COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
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Diverse Dance Showcase Captivates Audience at Rhythm’12 BY JINCY C JOSE STAFFORD: The audience at RHYTHM ’12 was blown away by the fourth annual nonstop, energetic showcase by Shingari’s School of Rhythm on October 7 at Stafford Civic Center. From bhangra to Bollywood and Moses to Ganesh, the program lineup offered a huge variety of themes and dance styles that kept all engaged and looking forward to more. 200 performers lit up the stage with colorfully tailored costumes and innovative choreography. “Our fourth an- Of the various themes presented during the show, there was a touching nual show was nothing tribute to people with disabilities encouraging them to find strength less than amazing,” said during difficult times. School Director Clair year with more studio locations Johny. “The performers really put developed her skills and became opening in the greater Houston on a great night of entertainment. a well-respected young artist. area as well. They showcased what Shingari’s After completing classical trainIn addition to expanding its School of Rhythm is all about and ing in Bharatnatyam, she began Being Sold by Order of the Corporate Owners Due to Partnership Dissolution program, Shingari’s School of were committed to sharing stories choreographing and specializing Rhythm continues to prioritize its 6789:7;<94=!>! and important messages through in semi-classical and cinematic styles. Shingari’s choreography community involvement and partdance.” 5?--76594=!@A:!:7"7=?@-7;<!=4;: ners with several local organizaIn addition to cinematic-style has garnered numerous awards 4JJ,+Q$U!V+,!WDH20!AL#)(!JSC(!5+KK$,E#MS tions in fundraising and cultural dancing to recent Bollywood hits, and her students have performed awareness efforts. The School Greensboro, NC - Guilford Co. <BC,(1D!?E)+'$,!2FD!GH2G!I!GJK the show also included interpre- on stages around the world. Shinwas invited by Indo-American Astive dances about creation and gari’s School of Rhythm offers a Selling to the Highest Bidder Regardless of Price at the End of Auction! sociation (IAA) to headline ‘Dancself-worth and awareness. There unique dance training experience 4CE)#+L!=+EM)#+LN!O+C,P!5+LQ$L)#+L!5$L)$,! es of India’ on November 3, at the was a powerful tribute to those for its students, focusing on develR#S)K+,$!6++KD!T,$$L('+,+D!;5 Wortham Center in Houston. Spewith disabilities and moving piece opment of innate talents and Bol"#$%!&$'(#)$!*+,!-+,$ NCAL 3936 ~ 800.997.2248 cially commissioned by IAA with WWW.IRONHORSEAUCTION.COM! portraying the story of Moses. A lywood cinematic style. Over the past year, the School a Diwali theme, the dance concert world tour dance took everyone will also into all ends of the earth, and the has expanded nationally, making it clude three October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month show’s powerful finale with musi- one of the fast-growing and largest other schools cal chanting of Shri Ganesha kept Bollywood dance schools in the to showcase everyone at the edge of their seats. country. In addition to the home a variety of The non-stop show was presented studio in Missouri City, there are styles and is to a sold-out crowd from various also studios in the Dallas area a community IN ASSOCIATION WITH backgrounds including dance en- (Farmer’s Branch, TX and Mesevent with thusiasts, cultural buffs, commu- quite, TX) and the Los Angeles free admisnity partners and proud parents. area (Santa Clarita, CA and Chatssion. All are PRESENT With a significant following on worth, CA). On Saturday, October 13, Shin- invited to exFacebook and numerous online change Diwali recommendations from supporters, gari’s School of Rhythm will preswishes over the School was excited to welcome ent a dance show that is free and sweets and several patrons who witnessed an open to the public as an official snacks in the Please join us in forming a human kick-off of its Dallas program that Indian show for the first time. Grand Foyer began in April of this year. The Shingari’s School of Rhythm chain and spreading the message of following the was founded in 2008 by Clair show will be held at 7pm in the show. “Shingari” Johny. It had been her Performance Hall Christ the King violence-free Homes. Shingari’s life-long goal to share her pas- Knanaya Catholic Church (13565 School of sion for Indian dance by owning Webb Chapel Rd., Farmer’s Rhythm is now her own studio. Since taking her Branch, TX. 75234). In response SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012 accepting new first dance step at the age of four to public demand, further expanstudents for TIME: 10.00 AM to 1.00 PM in Kerala, India, Shingari quickly sion is planned for the upcoming its upcoming HUMAN CHAIN : 11.00 AM to 12.00 PM dance season. For more inVenue : 5810 Hillcroft St, Houston TX 77036 formation, (Register Here to get a free T-shirt) visit www. schoolofrhythm.org, email info@ SPONSORS: schoolofSIMMONS FOUNDATION rhythm.org or call 713-8064679. Follow them on Bring your family and friends to join the cause. FREE food, Facebook and view more DJ ASIM’s entertainment, T-shirts and Giveaways. event photos at www. For Registration facebook. Visit - www.dayahouston.org , Email - contact@dayahouston.org Call -713.981.7645 com/schoolofShingari’ School of Rhythm presented its fourth annual show rhythm.
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DAYA
HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
ONE VOICE 2012
Rhythm’12 on October 7.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
12 October 12, 2012
Indian American Oncologists Educate Community For Advertising in IAN on Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention at IACAN
BY MIKA RAO KALAPATAPU SUGAR LAND: On Saturday, September 29, Meena’s Udipi Café Sugar Land was filled by nearly 100 community members interested in learning more about the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. The event was hosted by the Indian American Cancer Network (IACAN) a 501(c) (3) organization in Houston and made possible through the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s support in Houston. IACAN was founded in 2009 with a mission to promote cancer awareness and to support Indian Americans affected by the disease. The featured presenters were breast oncologists Julie Nangia, MD and Polly Niravath, MD, both assistant professors with the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine in The Medical Center. The event was timed with breast cancer awareness month, typically observed in October each year. IACAN Board member and Houston-native Dr. Nangia kicked off the presentation with a look at the statistics. “One in eight wom-
en will be diagnosed with breast cancer,” she shared. “Contrary to what many believe, those numbers are equally high among Indians in America. In other words, as we have adapted to this culture, we are seeing the same level of risk of breast cancer as the general population.” Dr. Nangia shared an estimate that, in 2012, 226,870 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. She discussed the risk factors that may predispose some women to breast cancer. These include being identified as carrying the BRCA-1 gene – which can be carried by either a patient’s father or mother. “Often, we believe that we inherit breast cancer only from our mother, aunts, and sisters,” shared Dr. Nangia. “In fact, it is important to look at the father’s side of the family as well since men can also be silent carriers.” Dr. Nangia was quick to point out that only five to ten percent of breast cancer cases are linked to the BRCA-1 gene. The vast majority of cases occur in women with no prior family history. “We
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iACAN President Kanchan Kabad speaks to a packed audience at the IACAN Breast Health Lunch and Learn at Meena’s Udipi Café Sugar Land. Breast oncologists Dr. Julie Nangia and Dr. Polly Niravath. Photo: Bijay Dixit
know that both environment and genetics play a role in who develops cancer,” she said. “Lifestyle changes and avoiding carcinogens can significantly decrease a woman’s risk of breast cancer,” she shared. “We recommend exercising three to five hours per week.” She went on to explain this can be accomplished easily with just a thirty minute walk daily. “Exercise decreases breast cancer risk by decreasing estrogen levels in the body.” An audience member asked if vegetarians can expect to be at lower risk for developing breast cancer. Dr. Nangia and the other oncologists clarified that studies do show that vegetarians may be less likely to develop breast cancer but these studies include vegetarians who also tend to be more health conscious in general. However, in the Indian culture, being a vegetarian often includes a diet high in fat and calories – leading to obesity - which would not help lower the risk of developing cancer. Other factors that influence one’s risk of developing breast cancer include early onset of menses, and the number of years a woman has taken hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Nangia pointed to studies which report that women who are off HRTs for three years or more can neutralize any additional risks associated with taking the hormone. She also pointed out that breast-feeding has been proven to have beneficial effects on reduc-
ing the risk of breast cancer. For every 12 months a mother breastfeeds a child, her risk is reduced by 4.5 percent. Next, Dr. Niravath shared information with the audience on screening techniques and survivorship. “Many women delay or avoid mammograms because they find them scary or uncomfortable,” she stated. “However, very often we can detect cancer through mammograms so early that it does not require the patient to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.” For this reason, Dr. Niravath implored the audience to commit to regular screenings. Women should do monthly self-exams beginning at age 20 and then have yearly mammograms starting at age 40. Women without health insurance can still receive mammograms at little or no cost. In Houston, the non-profit organization, The Rose offers mammograms for $100 or free if family income is low. Clinical exams by a physician should also be done on a yearly basis. For women with two or more female relatives on the same side of the family who have developed breast or ovarian cancer, it is recommended that a risk assessment be performed by a medical oncologist. These are typically covered by insurance. Dr. Niravath described the steps in the process of breast cancer diagnosis. After the biopsy, depending on the size of the tumor, the surgeon will perform a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit area) will be evaluated to determine if the cancer has spread. Lastly, breast reconstruc-
tion is a consideration and can be done either utilizing implants or the patient’s own tissue. “Today, thanks to early detection and improved treatment options, the survival rate for breast cancer patients in the United States is 90 percent,” shared Dr. Niravath. “Studies have repeatedly shown that breast cancer survivors with a solid support system have improved outcomes compared to those without a network,” she said, “The Indian community tends to hide news of a diagnosis but it is very important for women battling breast cancer to lean on others during their treatment.” The IACAN breast cancer support group is one forum for survivors to find fellowship, information and understanding. Following the presentation, IACAN guests were treated to a complimentary lunch and an informal opportunity to interact with the health experts in the room. “We are very pleased with the turnout today,” shared Dr. Sewa Legha, Houston oncologist and IACAN Vice President. “These two presenters represent the new generation of Indian American physicians – they are born and raised in this country. Our community is very proud of their accomplishments and IACAN is grateful for their commitment to helping and healing those with this disease,” She added. October marks breast cancer awareness month. To learn more about the disease, visit www.komen-houston.org. For more infromation about IACAN, visit www. iacannetwork.org.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 12, 2012
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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14 October 12, 2012
COMMUNITY
The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi’s Impact in South Africa
The story thus far… Gandhi arrives in South Africa and is rudely made aware of the rampant racism in that country when has to visit Pretoria on work. He is unceremoniously thrown off a 1st class compartment on a train to Johannesburg. He manages to board another train where his white fellow traveler is quite willing to share the compartment. They travel harmoniously on to Pretoria. It was late in the evening when the train pulled into Pretoria. Gandhi, relieved to reach his destination stayed at a hotel that night and moved into a lodge the next day. There he began to study the Abdulla lawsuit. While he was working on it, he made the time to call a meeting of the Indians in Pretoria. This he did with the help of Tyeb Haji Khan Muhammad, an influential Indian merchant. Only a handful of Indians attended. It was the first time Gandhi had addressed a meeting. “There is too much division among us,” he said. “Why should we be kept apart by differences in birth, family, caste, and religion? Let us form a league, representing every group, and keep the Government informed of our difficulties and our needs.” The audience listened to him
with great interest. It was decided to hold regular meetings of all the Indians in Pretoria. Involved in his work, Gandhi was entrusted with the task of translating into English all the correspondence between Dada, Abdulla & Co. and the rival party. After studying all the facts, he was convinced that his client’s claim was just and true. He knew, however, that if the case were taken to court it would drag on for a long time, so he called together representatives of both parties. “Why don’t you choose a good
man, whom you both trust, to arbitrate between you?” he said. Both parties were astonished at this new idea. This young man was not the kind of lawyer they were familiar with; they appreciated his stand and agreed to his suggestion. An arbitrator was appointed, and he gave his award in favor of Gandhi’s clients. Although they had won, Gandhi persuaded his clients to be lenient with their opponent. They agreed not to demand the money due all at once, but in easy installments spread over a long period. Both parties were happy over the settlement. Gandhi’s first success as a lawyer was not a crushing victory over an opponent, but the triumph of good sense and humanity. In the Orange Free State, Indians had been deprived of all their rights by a law enacted in 1888. They could stay there only if they did menial work. Traders were sent away with nominal compensation. Under a law passed in 1886, Indians who wanted to live
in the Transvaal were forced to pay an annual poll-tax of £ 3 per head. There they were not allowed to own land except in certain locations. They had no freedom to move about. If they wanted to go out of their houses after 9 p.m., they had to carry a permit with them. They were not allowed to use certain highways at all. Gandhi felt personally humiliated at the way Indians were treated there. He thought it was his duty to defend their rights and remove their grievances. He often went out for an evening walk with an The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi is brought to you courtesy Mahatma Gandhi Library. www.gandhilibrary.org English friend, Mr. Coates, and he rarely reached home before 10 p.m. He had obtained a letter from the State Attorney allowing him to be out of doors at any time without police interference. Walking alone one evening, Gandhi was suddenly attacked and knocked down. He was injured. He struggled to his feet to face a police constable. “That will teach you to obey the
law,” shouted the policeman. “No Indian has the right to walk past the President’s house. Didn’t you know that?” The policeman kicked him. “Gandhi, are you hurt?” asked a familiar, friendly voice. It was Mr. Coates. He happened to be passing that way when he saw Gandhi being attacked. Mr. Coates warned the policeman. “This man is my friend and a distinguished lawyer,” he said. “If he brings a complaint against you, I shall be his witness.” Then he turned to his friend and said, “I am very sorry, Gandhi, that you have been so rudely assaulted.” “You need not be sorry,” said Gandhi. “How is the poor man to know? All colored people are the same to him. I have made it a rule not to go to court in respect of any personal grievance.” Coates turned again to the policeman and said, “You should tell an Indian politely what the regulations are - not knock him down.” “Never mind,” said Gandhi. “I have already forgiven him.” Now that the Abdulla case had been settled, Gandhi thought there was no need for him to stay on in South Africa. Towards the end of 1893 he went back to Durban to CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
Gandhi Arrives in South Africa
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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book his passage to India. Abdulla arranged a farewell party in his honor. While going through the newspapers that day, Gandhi was surprised to read that a bill was pending before the Natal Legislative Assembly that would deprive Indians of their right to elect members to the Assembly. He brought this to the notice of the people gathered there for the party. “What do we understand about such matters?” Abdulla Seth said. “We only understand things that affect our trade.” Gandhi responded that the bill, if it passed into law, would make it extremely difficult for Indians. “It is the first nail in our coffin. It strikes at the very root of our self-respect,” said Gandhi. The Indians now realized what was at stake; but they were unable to decide what to do. They requested Gandhi to postpone his departure and help them. He agreed to stay on for another month and organize resistance to the new bill. Late that night the Indians held a meeting
in Abdulla Seth’s house under the presidency of Seth Haji Muhammad, the most influential Indian merchant there. They resolved to oppose the Franchise Bill. Telegrams were sent to the Speaker of the Assembly and the Premier of Natal requesting postponement on further discussion of the bill. The Speaker promptly replied that the discussion would be put off for two days. The Natal Indians then drew up a petition to the Legislative Assembly pleading against the bill. This was followed up by another petition to Lord Ripon, the then Secretary of State for the Colonies. More than 10,000 Indians signed the petition. Copies were circulated in South Africa, England, and India. There was much sympathy for the Natal Indians’ plight, but the campaign had started too late to stop the bill becoming law. However, the campaign did do some good. For the first time, the people of India came to know of the conditions in Natal. An even more important result was the new spirit that now awakened the Indians in South Africa. — To be Continued
October 12, 2012
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
16 October 12, 2012
COMMUNITY
Manav Kanya: A Spectacular Dance Drama at Miller Outdoor Theatre
HOUSTON: The Mahatma Gandhi Library of Houston at the Miller Outdoor Theater hosted a much-awaited annual Houston event, ‘1000 lights for Peace’ on Sunday, October 7. The event showcased dance and music of various ethnicities from across the globe and was enjoyed by the audience. This year, the Grand Finale of the event was a spectacular Dance Drama - ‘Manav Kanya’, presented by a cast of truly enthusiastic, colorful and talented dancers from the Greater Houston area. Manav Kanya was conceived and directed by Piyal Sen Gupta and presented the story of a young girl ‘Prakriti’ born to an “untouchable” caste and the trials and tribulations she faces within her society. ‘Manav Kanya’ was inspired by the famous Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Chandalika’. Ananya Sen Gupta, who played the protagonist, opened the act with a graceful dance, with Piyal Sen Gupta dancing as her shadow. Their elegant opening with spectacular light effects left the audience spellbound. Uma Nagarsheth’s Natya Upasana Dance Academy students presented the second act, a vibrant village scene with a snappy and energetic Garba presented by more than twenty kids of various age groups. Next came the bangle sellers or ‘Chudiwalas’ and the maidens of
by a group of colorful and lively dancers. The impressive media and background for this production was done by Sailaja Bandyopadhyay and the Miller Outdoor Sound and Light team once again excelled in giving the production a whole new dimension. Manav Kanya was a perfect amalgamation of a novel concept, gorgeous costumes, interesting choreography and beautiful execution by the 46 dancers and all those who were involved in this production. It was a compact and crisp presentation just like the unusually cool weather that evening!
the village adding the flavors of a typical Indian village scene. When Prakriti enters, the village girls and ladies shun her and forbid the bangle vendors to sell her bangles since she is an untouchable- This was very well presented by the boys and girls. Prakriti’s despair was well expressed by Ananya and her anguish was presented in the form
of a beautiful classical piece by six dancers. This dance ended with Anand, a Buddhist monk and his followers passing through the village with Prakriti looking on, mystified by the strangers… The next scene, and perhaps the most profound one of the production, depicted Anand asking Prakriti for a drink of water, and her refusing since she was an
untouchable. Anand goes on to convince Prakriti, that all men are created equal by God and it would be an honor to drink water from her hands. Prakriti obliges…this scene was beautifully executed with stunning lighting and media effects. Prakriti’s happiness and exuberance at being accepted as a human or a ‘Manav Kanya’ was presented in the gorgeous finale
Manav Kanya participants include: Prakriti: Ananya Sen Gupta; Anand: Sabarno Datta; Prakiti’s Mother/ shadow: Piyal Sen Gupta; Chudiwala: Shayak Sen and Wrik Chakrabarti; The village Girls: Joyee Chakrabarti, Shinjini Bhattacharya, Nikita Ghosh, Anusha Sen Gupta, Kasturi Bandyopadhyay, Ahana Biswa, Remi Mookerjee and Sanjana Jhaveri; The Village Ladies: Arpita Mukhopadhyay, Paromita Sarkar, Monidipa Sinharoy, Chandrani Datta, Aditi Chakraborty, Swati Chakrabarti, Raakhee Chaudhuri and Sanchali Basu; Monks: Sabarno Datta, Anwesh Datta, Wrik Chakrabarti, Shayak Sen, Prasidh Chakrabarty, Argha Bandyopadhyay and Abhi Adhikary Village Scene Garba- Natya Upasana Dance Academy students: Minor girls- Urvi, Priya, Anjuli, Anika, Khyatee ; Jr. girls- Seema, Megha, Arushi, Divya, Isha, Disha, Riya, Hemali, Bhumika, Nikita, Nishita Senior girls- Ruchi, Akanksha, Juhi, Seema,
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ENTERTAINMENT
English Vinglish: A Film that Creates a Heroine Out of a Homemaker
BY MEENA IYER (TOI) Story: Shashi Godbole is a supersensitive wife, mother and daughter-in-law; a perfect homemaker and small-time entrepreneur. Her only handicap is English. Does she manage to master the Queen’s language? Movie Review: Shashi Godbole(Sridevi) is your average, upper-middle-class mother of two, whose special skills also include making ladoos. In fact, she’s so good in her sweetmeat that she even markets it. But one skill that Shashi lacks is speaking English. This makes her the constant butt of jokes and rebuttal with her husband ( Adil Hussain) and teenage daughter (Navika Kotia). The film drives home the point that those who speak English fluently usually adapt a condescending attitude towards those who don’t. M i n d you;Shashi is not your average Jane. When opportunity takes her to New York for a niece’s wedding; the sari-clad Shashi, steals a few hours each day and enrolls for a four-week crash course in English. Here begins a hilarious yet heart-rending tale where Shashi and a motley bunch of a Spanish nanny, Eva (Ruth Aguilar); a Tamil software engineer, Rama (Rajeev Ravindranathan), a Chinese beautician, Yu Son (Maria Romano), a French cook, Laurent ( Mehdi Nebbou), and a Pakistani cabbie, Salman Khan (Sumeet Vyas), an African dancer, Udumbke (Damian Thompson) guided by an English tutor, David (Cory Hibbs) show you spunk and determination which can help you overcome obstacles anytime or anywhere. The students of the English class also act as a support system to the protagonist, who despite her own dedication, finds that complacency has slipped into her marriage and there’s selfrespect lacking in her relationship with her teenage daughter. In Laurent, the Frenchman’s attraction for her, Shashi rediscovers her own self-worth.
Equipped with his attention and her now newfound knowledge of English, she finds wings to soar. Easily one of the best films of 2012; is tale of women empowerment (actually it is bound to empower every viewer) because it strikes a chord, right from the start to the end titles. Debutant Gauri Shinde, who made advertising films before she ventured into the feature area; proves she’s an ace cinema writer-director. The result is a sweet, sensitive and superlative film that makes you laugh, cry and smile. Every emotion is identifiable, every nuance is balanced. The characters are real, the performances effortless. Amit Trivedi’s music is hummable. The title track, Gustak dil, the Marathi remixes of the Navrai Mazhi; all of it is mesmerising. The beauty of the soundtrack is that flows naturally, without disturbing the narrative. Trivedi’s track also gets you to question—why other mainstream filmmakers— make such a song-`n’-dance of bawdy lyrics and item songs, when there is such joy in simplicity. Sridevi is the backbone of EV. Anxiety, anger, arrogance, anguish, attraction, the actress conveys emotions effortlessly with or without words. Returning to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus; Sri’s performance here is a master-class for actors. So much so, that you keep applauding her, long after the lights come on. One must also put in a word of praise for the performances of Sri’s son-Sagar (Shivansh Kotia); an adorable moppet who you want to take home with you. And her ma-in-law, Mrs Godbole (Sulabha Deshpande); a delight to watch, as always. Tip-off: English Vinglish has the feel-good factor. It’s the movie to which you must take your grandmother, mother, sister, wife, sweetheart and saas. Final word: Request you to make a little place next to you, Rajkumar Hirani; Gauri Shinde has taken a bow in mainstream Bollywood.
Singer Asha Bhosle’s Daughter Varsha, 56, Commits Suicide MUMBAI (Zee News): Legendary singer Asha Bhosle’s daughter Varsha who was suffering PHONE# from depression, committed suicide on Monday, October 8. A singer and columnist, Varsha, 56, shot herself in the head with a pistol718-395-8065 of Belgian make at her residence in ‘Prabhu Kunj’ apartments on posh Peddar Road in South Mumbai. She has not left behind any suicide note, Additional Commissioner of Police (South) Krishna Prakash said. Police are trying to find out in whose name the pistol was registered. She was alone in the house at the time of the incident, police added. Prakash said Varsha’s maid servant Deepali Mane knocked on the door of Bhosle’s house around 10am but no one answered. Worried, she contacted Asha Bhosle’s driver who told her that Varsha might be sleeping. After some time the maid went to the flat again but nobody opened the door. The driver then entered the flat through Asha’s elder sister Lata Mangeshkar’s adjacent flat and found Varsha lying in a pool of blood on a sofa. Police were called in and Varsha was taken to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead, the officer said. Varsha had married a sports writer and public relations professional but the couple divorced in 1998, sources close to the family said. Prakash said police had learnt that Varsha wanted to start an orphanage with famous fashion photographer Gautam Rajadakshya, who passed away last year. Varsha, who was said to be very close to Rajadhyaksha, was distraught after his death and was under medication for depression. Asha Bhosle, who is away in Singapore, has cut shot her stay and taken a flight back, sources close to the family said.
October 12, 2012
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Deconstructing the Jab Tak Hai Jaan Trailer BY NANDINI RAMNATH 3. Shah Rukh Khan is an Army officer (Mint) The trailer for the new Yash Chopra posted in Kashmir. He is in love with Anushka romance, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, is tantalising, Sharma. He loses his memory, leaves the to say the least. All we know is that Khan Army and Kashmir, and travels to Europe, plays an Army officer (a role he has previ- where he falls in love again, this time with ously essayed in Army, Main Hoon Na and Katrina Kaif. But Anushka Sharma tracks Veer Zaara). But what is the plot of the 13 him down. November release? Who does Khan really 4. Shah Rukh Khan is an Army officer postlove, Katrina Kaif ed in Kashmir. Anushor Anushka Shar- A still from the movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan ka Sharma loves him, ma? Who does he but he doesn’t. He falls walk into the sunin love with Katrina set with? Which Kaif, but she has a past actress gets to that she can’t run away wrap the white from – something that sari, a Yash Chopmay endanger the sera trademark? We curity of the Indian offer seven posstate. sible scenarios. 5. Shah Rukh Khan Take your pick – is playing a double or share your theorole: one brother (the ries below. musician) romances 1. Shah Rukh Katrina Kaif in LonKhan is an aspirdon and the other (the ing musician in soldier) woos AnushLondon. He falls kaSharma in Ladakh. in love with Ka6. Shah Rukh Khan is trina Kaif, but dean Army officer posted cides she wants more out of life than romance, in Kahsmir. He gets injured in the war, leaves so they break up. He returns to India and because he can’t face his lover Anushka joins the Indian Army, where he runs into Sharma, and travels to London to recuperate. documentary filmmaker Anushka Sharma, There, he is cured by Katrina Kaif. whom he knows from his London days. But 7. Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif are he can’t forget Kaif, nor she, him. lovers in London. Khan is not really the musi2. Shah Rukh Khan is an Army officer cian he says he is, but an undercover agent on posted in Kashmir. He falls in love with a mission. Anushka Sharma is his co-worker, Anushka Sharma, a television reporter. She who is secretly in love with him. Khan has to dies in a blast, so he leaves the Army and return to Kashmir along with Sharma once the travels to Europe, where he finds love again mission is over. Kaif tracks Khan down, and in Katrina Kaif. he must decide between the two women.
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EDITORIAL
October 12, 2012
Maya Memsahib
One can’t help but appreciate the attitude of Mayawati. Seven months after she quit the Chief Ministers post after losing 2012 elections to the Yadav family of Uttar Pradesh, she came out of her fortified bungalow as queen bee today to address a mammoth crowd. The crowds that she had gathered don’t make headlines. Who can match her organisational skills or the details she goes into, from the sound system to the green carpet? As far as we know the BSP has six permanent stage, smooth and safe, ready to move. They just have to be fabricated. Second she has allotted districts to the two famous sound system guys. It’s her style; it’s her attitude that actually impresses me. Sample this: “I wanted to come to the venue by chopper( which is barely 10 or 15 Kms from her bungalow at Mall Avenue) to save my people from any inconvenience. But the state government did not give us permission to land near the venue. How sad! As she was saying this I was looking at the gathering wondering what exactly they thought about this. I am sure the committed cadre’s anger with the Yadavs (who have withdrawn the facilities they enjoyed for five years) grew. After all their behenji had to travel by road, must be seething with anger. Kya baat hai! She perhaps was talking about her own inconvenience. She hardly used the road during her five year long stint when she used to monitor the progress of her favourite projects by chopper which used to fly quite low for her to observe the minute details. Once when a colleague of mine stopped over at one of the projects while she was up in the air reviewing the progress, the engineer grew so jittery that he told him to leave else behenji saw them conversing. A confused scribe had no option but to leave. Then the roads were washed for all her travels by road, something public always appreciated. But they detested the wait, sometime over half an hour. On the serious note, it’s her political strength, her political acumen that one will have to appreciate. She hit out at Yadavs where it hurt them most. Law and order is a challenge and she reminded people their failure on the front. Second she told her cadre not to remain wary of the backwards in their villages. “ Had Baba Ambedkar not given quota, they would have been taking out cows for grazing to agriculture fields. Read the inherent message- you are where you are because of the champions of Dalits. Sometimes coincidences really amaze me. Today when she was schedule to announce her decision on support to UPA 11, the disproportionate case was listed in the apex court which had agreed to hear the review petition after it had given a clean chit to her in the DA case. It could be a coincidence that she decided to convene the meeting of the party’s national executive to take a final call on withdrawal of support. The central government has its own ways of mustering support. She was out of their clutches after clean chit. Now she is once again in their net. But she is a gutsy woman. Sunita Aron in HT
India’s Open Scandal
BY SAGARIKA GHOSE Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh’s statement that a nation’s salvation lies in more toilets than temples has incurred the wrath of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. But how many Hindutva activists have bothered to clean up the immense filth scattered around most temple precincts? And how many of us have pondered on the utter scandal that 626 million Indians (more than half of our population) still defecate in the open, making India the world’s open defecation capital? Brahmanical notions of purity and pollution mean an acceptance of the horror of manual scavenging and a belief that Dalit castes are born to clean human excrement. The caste Hindu shuns everything that is expelled from the body, probably a reason why we have been in collective denial about the need for universal modern toilets. But a reforming nation needs to not only challenge caste beliefs but also broadbase the idea of reforms. Before the government embarked on attracting FDI in retail and aviation, how much more tangible and real the reforms process would have been for the aam aadmi if a gigantic drive to provide clean toilets to all had been undertaken and even partially implemented. No wonder reforms suffer from an image crisis: they are seen as elitist and beneficial to the sharp suited corporate class. Reforms in India are desperately in need of a common touch; to quote a senior journalist, reforms should be re-christened as garibi hatao abhiyaan. Politicians have run from the UPA’s “big bang” reforms like hysterical chickens squawking in panic at the approach of a predator in the chicken coop. Why should they not squawk? Reformist chief ministers and “business friendly” governments have repeatedly bitten the electoral dust. Chandrababu Naidu and SM Krishna, poster boys of India’s IT dream, were both defeated because their efforts were seen as benefitting only rich “high-tech” people in Hyderabad and Bangalore. “Shining India” of the BJP became identified with too many Five Star hotels and foreign brands and was trumped by the “aam aadmi” slogan of the Congress. Buddhadeb
How many of us have pondered on the utter scandal that 626 million Indians (more than half of our population) still defecate in the open? Bhattacharjee lost his three-fourths majority almost overnight when his government was perceived as appeasing industrial elites. Yet it is not as if a development agenda by definition makes you politically unpopular. The present crop of successful chief ministers is development and industry-oriented. Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, Sheila Dikshit, Raman Singh and Naveen Patnaik are all working towards vikaas in their respective states with no dent yet in their popularity. The difference between the popular word “development” and the unpopular word “reforms” is not just tautological, but reflects the context in which both are uttered and whether or not they are accompanied by economic pragmatism. For reform announcements to be greeted with applause rather than brickbats, for reforms to be politically popular, for a political constituency to be created for reforms, it is essential that reforms are located bottom up, not top down. This means undertaking tangible acts of “development” before announcing big bang “reforms.” This means providing mass toilets, low-cost housing, roads and electricity at the same time as, if not before, preparing the ground for Wal-Mart to enter India. Narendra
Modi may charge for electricity but does provide uninterrupted power supply. Dikshit has agreed to FDI but has also overseen a vastly improved urban infrastructure in Delhi. Nitish Kumar is inviting industry but has made the streets of Patna safe. Reforms are publicly acceptable when they come as part of a package deal of visible daily improvement. Why should “big bang” announcements be made only about FDI? Why no similar “big bang” announcements for a massive restructuring of government hospitals on a war footing, or a “big bang” announcement on a programme of urban hygiene or a “big bang” announcement of a drive for clean drinking water for all? The vagaries of international oil prices are meaningless to most Indians. We understand what we see, namely if urban facilities improve, if we get better hospitals and if public transport improves dramatically. FDI announcements, if they occur in a vacuum of no tangible on-the-ground development, can easily be exploited by anti-growth forces to say that “reforms” are simply sops for tycoons. Already an important lesson has emerged from the FDI debate, and this is the almost complete federalisation or decentralisation of economic policy. It is increasingly the states, not the Centre, who are interpreting and becoming accountable for their own development agendas. FDI in retail contains an opt-out clause for states. Chief ministers like Dikshit have already raised the subsidised LPG cap that the Centre pegged at six to nine. Manohar Parikkar in Goa last year hived off sales tax to reduce the price of petrol. FDI, economic reforms, price hikes may indeed be, as the prime minister said, urgent. But “selling” reforms can’t be done simply through speeches. Reforms will only be politically acceptable if they become part of a constant and visible effort towards the improvement of day-to-day facilities for the average citizen. At the moment “reforms” are an unseen abstraction: they must be seen and sold as perceptible living realities. The Indian citizen has every right to shop at Wal-Mart, but he has an equal right to go to a clean loo. IE
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October 12, 2012
Ex-HPD Officer Sentenced to Life in Rape
BY JAYME FRASER (Houston Chronicle) Jurors sentenced a former Houston Police Department officer to life in prison for raping a cantina waitress while he was on duty in January 2011. Abraham Joseph, 28, shook his head and began to cry when the judge affirmed the verdict. He was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault. He’ll be eligible for parole after 30 years. Joseph told the judge he plans to appeal, but cannot afford to hire his own lawyer. Once he’s filed the appropriate paperwork, the court will appoint a lawyer for him. The waitress, 37, testified that Joseph detained her at 3am outside the cantina where she worked, put her in his patrol car, took her to a dark park and raped her while she was handcuffed. She alleges that Joseph assaulted her on the trunk of his police cruiser. Prosecutors Eric Bily and Heyward Carter attributed the life sentence primarily to the courage of the victim to come forward and move ahead with a trial that had her on the stand for three days. “Without her, who would know the extent of the damage to this city?” Carter said.
Jurors sentenced a former Houston Police Department officer to life in prison for raping a cantina waitress while he was on duty in January 2011.
The prosecution also credited the testimony of other victims during the trial. After the guilty verdict, three other women took the stand in the sentencing phase to talk about their alleged attacks over a four-month period in late 2010 and early 2011. All worked at nightclubs in the southwest Houston neighborhood Joseph patrolled, and all live in the U.S. illegally, making them part of what the prosecution called “the per-
fect pool of victims.” Defense attorney Nicole DeBorde, who had asked the jury to consider community supervision, said she was disappointed with the decision. “I’m not surprised with sentence given the accusations made in the punishment phase,” DeBorde said. She insisted from the beginning that Joseph’s sexual encounters with his accuser were consensual. Carter said the evidence gathered by HPD’s sex crimes unit left Joseph with few options for defense. “There was only one thing he could say because they were so proactive,” Carter said. Members of the jury declined to comment on their decision. Friends, family and members of the Catholic church Joseph attended asked the jury for leniency in their sentencing. The prosecution had asked jurors to give Joseph a life sentence to send a message that he should never be released on parole. The defense asked them to consider granting community supervision so he could have a chance “to go back and make something right.” Joseph’s accuser, along with two of the other women who testified, have filed a civil suit against him.
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A Birthday Bash for a Cause
HOUSTON: Chanel, Champagne and Cake, a birthday bash for a cause. Approximately fifty socialites and media friends of local South Asian TV Anchor, Lights Camera Action digital magazine host Ruchi Mukherjee were spotted unleashing their inner erotica at the very posh Hotel Icon in Downtown Houston last week to celebrate her birthday and highlight the Alliance Multicultural Community Services Tailoring work. With fall around the corner and leather being the latest trend the theme for the party was ‘Fifty Shades of Black and White: Bring Out The Erotica In You’. With black and white as the focal point guests got a chance to flaunt their Chanel favorites of Latika Bathija (left), birth-day black and white ensem- Girl Ruchi Mukherjee and Asha ble, tight leather dresses, Dhume and boots. Some went risqué with props like whips, masks, were displayed at the party and chains. The party was co-hosted and proceeds from shopby prominent socialite Mandy Kao, ping at the bash will be a good friend of the birthday girl used to fund scholarships and ardent supporter of the Alliance for refugees. The evening kicked off Center. The Alliance promotes the well-be- with the perfect mood as ing of refugees, immigrants and low- party goers, mostly ladies, income residents of Harris County in strolled around the properorder to provide a better quality of life ty that boasts a vintage look by making themselves self-sufficient. and enjoyed Line & Lariat, A lot of their hand made products Executive Chef of Hotel
Icon David Luna’s select light bites in the stunning lobby and swaying to the songs from the Broadway hit ‘Chicago’. Amongst the VIP guest list for the party that thronged around the Chanel inspired birthday cake, help raise awareness for a worthy cause and celebrate a birthday were: Yasmine Haddad, Karina Barbieri, Hanh Tran, Indian American socialites and philanthropists: Latika Bathija,Asha Dhume, Tanaz and Chesley Charles Choudhry, Lauren Pray, Shiva Rafferty, Mandy Kao, Connie Kwan Wong, FOX 26’s Rita Garcia, John Bradshaw Jr, NASA Administrator Sabrina Singh Gilmore, Tracy Orolin Harry Faulkner and others.
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Disney UTV Launches Cricket Fever Challenge BY GOPAL SATHE With the ICC World Twenty20 Cup over, people will have to wait a little for their next cricket fix—the South Africa-Australia Test series only starts on 9 November. In the meantime, Cricket Fever Challenge by UTV Indiagames is one option— it’s a simple mobile game which is enjoyable in short bursts, but unless you can get your friends playing as well, it won’t hold your attention for long. It’s an asynchronous multiplayer game— you can add your Facebookfriends to the game and challenge them to meet different objectives. This means that while you’re playing against a friend, both of you don’t need to be online at the same time, and you’re not bowling while your friend is batting. Instead, both players are put to bat, and whoever hits the maximum runs in six balls is the winner—so you can, for example, challenge someone, set your score and then log off, and whenever the friend you’ve challenged logs into the game, they can accept and play the challenge, and try and beat
easy to beat. The game is a multi-platform title available for Android and iOS users, and can also be accessed through Facebook on a computer. You log in with your ID on any platform, and the game picks up where you left off— this means that you can start playing on your mobile, and then continue on
your computer when you get home. The other advantage is that both players don’t need to be on the same platform—an Android user can play against someone using an iPad, for example. Cricket Fever Challenge is hardly the first game to support the set-up, but it’s a good option that more games should add support for. The game looks good on the various platforms (we checked the app on the iPad and on an Android phone) and, according to UTV Indiagames, the animations were made using motion-capture technology, so the different strokes look authentic. There are a few shortcomings, however. For one thing, while it is free to download, you need to pay to unlock the game features, and at $4.99 (around Rs.255), it is a little expensive by App Store standards. The game also lacks depth— after you’ve played it a few times, there’s little new left to do, and this is a weakness considering that there are many completely free alternatives on the App Store. The App Store also had some user comments about frequent crashes, but we didn’t experience this on either the iPad or on the Android version of the app.
BY SUNEERA TANDON eyeing the Indian market. NEW DELHI (Mint) Swedish fur“Once our application is approved, niture maker Ikea completed filings we will develop a solid plan for this week as part of a Rs.10,000 the establishment of Ikea stores for crore plan to start selling its products many years to come, generating inin India after the government eased vestments and new employment,” some conditions related to overseas Ohlsson said. “At the same time, we investment in single-brand retail. will continue to increase our sourcing “After 25 years of sourcing many in India from both existing and new Ikea products in the country, Ikea suppliers, building on long-term relaGroup has, as of end June this A car drives past an Ikea store in Dresden, year, submitted eastern Germany. Photo: Marko Foerster its application to start retail operations in India and has filed the final document this week in accordance with the amended policy,” Mikael Ohlsson, president and chief executive of the Ikea Group, said in a statement. tions and shared values.” Ohlsson told commerce minister For most overseas firms, a rule to Anand Sharma in June that Ikea will source 30% of all material from small invest as much as €1.5 billion (around Indian businesses has been a point of Rs.10,740 crore) to set up stores in the contention. Ikea had raised concerns country. On 14 September, the gov- on the mandatory sourcing norm and ernment relaxed norms on foreign had asked the government to review direct investment (FDI) in single- the requirement and provide some brand retail on sourcing clauses and “flexibility”. brand ownership, helping to lower The latest set of policy reforms entry barriers for foreign companies eased the 30% rule on products sold
through single-brand outlets by making it optional. “Ikea’s concerns have been addressed with the last amendment so there should not be any problem that the company should face now,” said Arpita Mukherjee, a professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, a Delhi-based think tank. “Overall it is a great development not in specific to Ikea but for other retailers at large. These investments and the entry of such global brands will only help galvanize the supply chain in the country,” said Mohit Bhal, partner, transaction services at consulting firm KPMG. “The sentiment such a move evokes is certainly positive and will help consolidate the unorganized furniture market in the country.” Ikea Trading (Hong Kong) Ltd-India, headquartered in Gurgaon, employs 140 people and sources Indian textiles, rugs, plastics, lighting and metal products for its global supply chain. As of June, it worked with 70 suppliers and 1,450 sub-suppliers, including many small industries. “India is an important market for Ikea, both from a retail and a sourcing perspective,” Ohlsson said.
your score. The game looks good, with highquality graphics, and uses simple onetouch controls to let you choose different strokes. You can see the bowler and get a prompt about the kind of ball to expect. Pick the right stroke and get the timing right and you’ll hit a six, complete with the sound effect of the leather ball hitting wood. Time it wrong though and you’ll walk away from the crease with your head hanging, and a low score that’s
Sweden’s Ikea Files Final Papers in Rs.10,000 Crore Retail Plan for India
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 12, 2012
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October 12, 2012
India’s Schoolchildren Face Deadly Roadways
BY SRUTHI GOTTIPATI NEW DELHI (NYT): On the day Japneet Singh died, his father dressed him neatly in his crisp school uniform for picture day at his nursery school. At school, Japneet, 4, smiled shyly for the camera. But he never made it home. That afternoon, when Japneet’s grandfather arrived to pick him up at the bus stop, he found him lying on the roadside in a pool of blood. Japneet’s schoolbooks were scattered on the ground, and his brother, Parmeet, was kneeling beside Japneet’s crumpled body, shaking him. “Get up, Cherry!” Parmeet implored, calling his brother by his nickname. “Get up!” Such scenes have become all too familiar in India, which leads the world in total traffic fatalities. A startling number of the victims are schoolchildren. Horrific school bus accidents occur with alarming regularity. At least 14 students died and 21 were injured in March when a school bus plunged into a canal in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. In July, one student died and dozens were injured when their bus fell into a gorge in Kashmir. And often the accidents are like the one that killed Japneet — he exited the bus and was crushed beneath its wheels. Experts attribute the accidents to a deadly combination of bad roads, chaotic traffic, poorly enforced safeguards, badly trained bus drivers and a lack of political will to address the problem. Safety analysts also say that the Indian public has failed to demand safer services. “There is no public anger,” said Harman S. Sidhu, president of ArriveSafe, a nonprofit group focused on improving road safety in India. “It’s accepted as part of India’s road crashes.” In any Indian city or village, schoolchildren can be seen hunched under heavy backpacks in matching uniforms, dodging traffic as they walk to or from school or a bus stop. India’s school enrollment has exploded as the country’s economy has taken off, with elementary schools alone adding about 34 million children in the past eight years. But the number of vehicles tearing through India’s roads has increased even more sharply,
One student was killed and 52 others were injured when their school bus fell into a gorge in Kashmir in July. Photo: Tauseef Mustafa/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
doubling to 74 million vehicles in the same period. More than 14 million were added last year alone. This combination of more students and more cars has resulted in far more accidents. No statistics are available on school bus accidents or deaths, but overall traffic fatalities have markedly risen during the past decade. Nearly 134,000 Indians were killed in traffic accidents in 2010, the most recent year for which government figures are available. For many children, the journey to school is often filled with hazards. Roads are poorly planned and rarely maintained. Only half are paved. Drivers often lack much formal training and recklessly navigate through choked city streets. Crosswalks, road signs and even sidewalks may be missing. Fifteen years ago, India enacted its first laws regulating school bus safety, after a Supreme Court judgment demanded, among other guidelines, that buses have doors that can open and close, a mechanical device to limit the vehicle’s speed, a qualified conductor and an experienced, lawabiding driver. “Now it’s a question of enforcement,” said Mahesh Chander Mehta, the lawyer who filed the case, noting that existing regulations are often ignored. “The laws are there. But all over the country awareness is lacking.” Ameeta Mulla Wattal, vice chairwoman of the National Progressive School Conference, a coalition of 130 schools, said the lack of enforcement was compounded by a lack of punishment after an accident occurs.
“I’m sure there are hundreds and thousands of schools that don’t follow it,” Wattal said of the guidelines. She said that more stringent rules were needed to address matters like the overcrowding of school buses, which are currently allowed to be stuffed to one and a half times their capacity. Bus operators do this to save money, Wattal said. “This should be contested,” she said. “It is ridiculous.” Safety analysts emphasize the need for government action but argue that the onus is also on schools, which need to take safety more seriously. Many schools collect transportation fees from students and then contract with a private bus operator to provide the services. “If there’s a crash, the school management passes on the responsibility to the bus driver and operator,” said Sidhu, president of ArriveSafe. “They pass the buck.” This year, officials in the western state of Maharashtra introduced measures to address a spate of bus accidents. The new proposals called for tougher rules for the licensing of operators, the replacement of older buses and stricter enforcement to ensure the installation of devices that limit speed. In response, an association of school bus owners, complaining of higher costs and calling the measures impractical, staged a strike. Moreover, school buses are only part of the scrambled student transportation network. In the New Delhi metropolitan area alone, several thousand students cram into vans, euphemistically referred to as school
“cabs.” Others across India are ferried in auto-rickshaws, a popular threewheel vehicle in the country that has no doors, with children often spilling from the sides. Arvinder Singh, the father of the boy killed by his school bus, said he had thought the school bus was a safer option than the vans and auto-rickshaws. Yet, school and government officials were callous and apathetic, he said, when he looked to hold someone accountable after Japneet’s death. “I handed over my child to them,”
INDIA
Singh said on the first anniversary of his son’s death last month. “It’s basically a trust we give to the school that they’ll keep our children safe.” The school bus driver was arrested, and the case is now in court. Singh said that the school had offered him about $5,400 but that he had refused the money, saying he wanted justice. “I have lost my child,” said Singh, who plans to start a nonprofit group committed to child safety. “I know he won’t come back to us. But I don’t want other parents to suffer like I have.”
U.S. Visa Process to Take Two Days BANGALORE (SI): The U.S. consulate has come up with some changes in the visa process and from now on a visa interview will be a two-day affair instead of one, reports Yahoo. According to officials, this new approach will make the process more easy and smooth. On the first day, photos will be taken and finger prints collected. The interview will be conducted on the second day. “On the first day, a person applying for the visa will have to visit the offsite facilitation centre to get the photograph clicked and give his fingerprints,” said Lauren B.Armenise, viceconsul, ConsulateGeneral of the US, in Calcutta, reports Ya h o o . “The second visit will be made to the consulate for the interview.” Earlier visa-seekers had to spend one whole day at the consulate, but now on each of the days, they will have to spend just one hour, reports officials. The US embassies and consulates in India have introduced the new method. “People will now be able to make appointments by calling up the call centres. They will be able to telephone and get dates according to their convenience. The two dates could be between a day and 10 days apart,” said Wendy Kennedy, consular section chief of the Consulate General of the United States of America. “A call centre has come up at Hyderabad, apart from the one at Noida,” she added.
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October 12, 2012
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BY ESTHER DYSON NEW DELHI (Mint): Last month, I visited the Jaipur Foot clinic in New Delhi. You may have heard of the Jaipur Foot. It is both an invention— a prosthetic foot made from cheap materials costing about $45 (versus $8,000 for a similar device in the US)—and an amazing, low-cost network of clinics around the world that has served more than 1.3 million people with new limbs, calipers, and crutches. I was expecting something like a hospital—saintly ladies bustling around in white uniforms, earnest doctors with stethoscopes, and, of course, hospital beds. Instead, I found a hole in the wall; it looked more like a place where mechanics strip down used motorbikes. A group of people, some of them missing limbs, sat on a bench waiting to be served; others were limping or walking from one small room to another—from assessment to fitting to testing. Overall, there were roughly 50 customers (who paid nothing) in a set of six cramped rooms, plus a courtyard in the back with another six sheds. In those sheds, a dozen men were shaping rubber and plastic, baking the fake feet in autoclaves, and stretching molten plastic pipes over fiery molds to make the fittings that would connect feet with stumps of amputated legs. I stayed for a couple of hours, during which I followed three people as they progressed from the fitting stage to walking around to test their new limbs. A doctor watched critically as each of the patients tested their new feet. One was still limping; so the doctor examined the foot and its fitting, and sent it back for more work. Fifteen minutes later, the man was walking normally. Lost limbs are a huge problem in India. Most cases result from traffic accidents, including car crashes and falls from overcrowded trains, buses, and trucks. But there is also polio (now eradicated, though many still suffer from its effects), diabetes, civil strife, and other causes—10 million people in all. Earlier in my trip, I had visited a team developing a curriculum for plumbers. So now, I wondered, why not provide training for the amputees as they return to their new lives? But
It is a truism that China is home to cheap manufacturing, while India specializes in cheap processes.
Illustration: Shyamal Banerjee/Mint
in fact, they do not return to “new” lives. Now able to walk normally, they return to their previous careers. One Jaipur Foot owner is a runner; another is a dancer. But many of them had no careers to begin with. Perhaps in the six months between the amputation and the new limb, someone could arrange for them to learn a new trade, such as plumbing. (I doubt that many people would intentionally lose a limb to get a free training course.) Such a scheme would be consistent with the growing attention in India nowadays to addressing root causes, rather than just dealing (ineffectively) with bad outcomes. Indeed, despite India’s complex political and economic situation, its great expertise in scaling processes could have great impact if applied to the country’s own development. It is a truism that China is the place to go for cheap manufacturing, whereas India is the home of cheap processes—call centres, X-ray reading, and the like. So far, much of that expertise has been used for the benefit of foreign customers and domestic businesses; but there is increasing interest in deploying it for broader public benefit. That includes miracles of personal service—not just the Jaipur Foot, but also the Aravind Eye Hospital. Yet hundreds of millions of Indians remain illiterate and unskilled. Indian businesses and other institutions are finally beginning to see opportunity in addressing their
country’s problems—which brings me back to plumbing. The training programme I have in mind is part of a broader initiative that I saw at Amrita University, founded by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (known as Amma). I was lured to the computer centre at Amrita’s Ammachi Labs by a haptic simulator—in essence, a device that lets you feel directed pressure and vibrations (accompanied by an infernal noise!), like when one is cutting plumbing pipe. But in fact, sexy as the technology is, I was more impressed by the overall notion of practical courseware—and not just in plumbing—that could give millions of people marketable skills at a fraction of the cost of conventional vocational training, ultimately in many other fields, such as welding, carpentry, painting, and the like. The plumbing course includes taps and faucets, how to lay and cut piping, and, finally, “plumbing ethics”. What was that? I asked. Partly, it addresses safety, cleanliness, and how to charge for one’s work; but it also concerns respect for plumbers and the dignity of the individuals taking the course. In India, plumbing is a low-caste job (because it is connected with toilets and human waste); the course tries to fight that perception and instill pride in its students. As it happens, plumbing is fraught with social significance in India; many girls do not go to school, owing to inadequate or broken plumbing. The course teaches women as well as men, and many of the women plumbers work in female sections of schools, hospitals, and other institutions where male plumbers are unwelcome or forbidden. And that is just plumbing. The lab acknowledges that online videos alone cannot effectively train most people; but they can provide a baseline of competence, to be supplemented by local training and practical exercises. India has more than a billion people. The challenge is to think of them not just as mouths to feed, but also as minds to educate and skilled workers to employ. And, with a steadily widening focus on the causes of India’s problems, a few million more will be able to stand on their own feet.
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World Class Mathematician Sells Papads, Trains Students PATNA (The Indian Panorama): Anand Kumar developed an indomitable affection and love for mathematics and possesses exceptional mathematical abilities. His role model is great Indian mathematician Ramanujan. During graduation, he submitted papers on Number Theory, which were published in Mathematical Spectrum and The Mathematical Gazette. He worked hard and dreamed of getting into one of the world’s best university, Cambridge. And one day he got admission to Cambridge. But very soon he realized that his father could not afford his education at Cambridge. He and his father searched helplessly for a sponsor all over India but nobody came up. And one day his family’s only breadwinner, his father died and his last hope of getting good education diminished. He gave up the dream of studying at Cambridge and came back to his home in Patna, Bihar. He would work on Mathematics during day time and sell papads in evenings, with his mother, who had started a small business from home, to support her family. He also tutored students in Mathematics to earn extra money. Since Patna University library did not have foreign journals, for his own study, he would travel every weekend on a six-hour train journey to Varanasi, where his younger brother, learning violin under N. Rajam, had a hostel room. Thus he would spend Saturday and Sunday at the Central Library, Benares Hindu University (BHU) and return to Patna on Monday morning. He rented a classroom for Rs.500 a month (around $10.00), and began his own institute-the Ramanujam School of Mathematics (RSM). Within the space of a year, his class grew from two students to thirty-six, and after three years there were almost 500 students enrolled. Then in early 2000, when a poor student who couldn’t afford the annual admission fee due to poverty, came to him seeking coaching for IIT-JEE, Kumar was motivated to start the Super 30 program in 2003, for which he is now well-known all over the world. Every year in August, since 2003, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics, now a trust, holds a competitive test to select 30 students for the ‘Super 30′ scheme. About 4,000 to 5,000 students appear at the test, and eventually he takes thirty intel-
Anand Kumar is an Indian mathematician and a columnist for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines
ligent students from economically backward sections which include beggars, hawkers, auto-driver’s children, tutors them, and provides study materials and lodging for a year. He prepares them for the Joint Entrance Examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). His mother, Jayanti Devi, cooks for the students, and his brother Pranav Kumar takes care of the management. Out of 270 students he tutored from 2002-2011 236 students have made it to IITs. All of them came from poor parents who were Hawkers, Auto-drivers, laborer etc. In 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared IIT JEE entrance making it a three in a row for the institution. Anand Kumar has no financial support for Super 30 from any government or from private agencies, and manages on the tuition fee he earns from the Ramanujam Institute. After the success of Super 30 and its growing popularity, he got many offers from the private – both national and international companies – as well as the government for financial help, but he always refused it. He wanted to sustain Super 30 through his own efforts. After three consecutive 30/30 results in 2008-2010, in 2011, 24 of the 30 students cleared IIT JEE. Anand’s work is now well received and recognized all over the world. US president Obama read about Anand in TIME magazine and sent a special envoy to check the work done by him and offered all the assistance. However, Anand never accepts help irrespective of helper. Discovery Channel broadcast a one-hour-long
program on Super 30, and half a page has been devoted to Kumar in The New York Times. Actress and ex-Miss Japan Norika Fujiwara visited Patna to make a documentary on Anand’s initiatives. Kumar has been featured in programs by the BBC. He has spoken about his experiences at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Kumar is in the Limca Book of Records (2009) for his contribution in helping poor students crack IIT-JEE by providing them free coaching. Time magazine has selected mathematician Anand Kumar’s school – Super 30 – in the list of Best of Asia 2010. Anand Kumar was awarded the S. Ramanujan Award for 2010 by the Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS) in July 2010. Super 30 received praise from United States President Barack Obama’s special envoy Rashad Hussain, who termed it the “best” institute in the country. Newsweek Magazine has taken note of the initiative of mathematician Anand Kumar’s Super 30 and included his school in the list of four most innovative schools in the world. Anand Kumar has been awarded the top award of Bihar government “Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar” in November 2010. He was awarded the Prof Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar 2010 by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bangalore. In April 2011, Anand Kumar was selected by Europe’s magazine Focus as “one of the global personalities who have the ability to shape exceptionally talented people”.
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Every Party Swears by ‘Aam Aadmi’, So What is New, Mr. Kejriwal?
BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT Both hardened and wannabe politicians have a streak in common; they all wear on their shirt or kurta sleeves the proverbial badge of arrogance which is a hallmark of their political persona; and they all carry bloated egos. Yet, another group of disparate individuals from varied and some even from dubious backgrounds, led by Arvind Kejriwal, have formed a new political party on the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti. Kejriwal was the self styled number two in Team Anna and claimed ‘credit’, if any, for whatever little success or fame or notoriety ‘India Against Corruption’ (IAC) movement achieved. Interestingly, all these politicians or political parties solemnly swear by the ‘Aam Aadmi’ whatever it may mean. Kejriwal too swears by ‘Aam Aadmi’. What is so new, Mr. Kejriwal? Announcing his much advertised foray into politics at a gathering of his supporters, onlookers, bystanders and a large media contingent at New Delhi’s Constitution Club, Kejriwal too swore loudly by the same ‘Aam Aadmi’ and promised that HE i.e. the ‘Aam Aadmi’ would actually rule the country and even make laws, a la Greek Republics of the yore. The vision of this new party envisages that the people will ‘directly decide on every policy issue, be it the Budget or other policies’, as it is being practiced in Switzerland and Puerto Rico. Such a major policy smacks not only of mental bankruptcy but also of political dishonesty. What is feasible in Switzerland with a total population of just about eight million and Puerto Rico with barely three million people could not possibly be replicated in India, with the population of over one billion plus people. Delhi has a population of 14 million (New Delhi alone boasting of 11.6 million people), which is three million more than the combined population of Switzerland and Puerto
Kejriwal’s first major act in his new avatar as a political leader was to address a media carnival on October 5.
Rico. It would be virtually impossible to conduct a referendum in Delhi on a particular issue, with such a large population and divided by caste, region, religion and ideology. What a foolhardy plan, reminiscent of the misadventures of Muhammad bin Thughlaq, who ruled Delhi in 1300s and was known for his bizarre and outrageous decisions such as shifting the capital from New Delhi to Agra and introducing new coins. Tamilnadu’s famous satirist Cho Ramaswamy had produced a satirical movie under the title Muhammad bin Thughlaq which had caricatured the then Indian ruling elite comparing their acts of commission and omission to the stupid decisions of Thughlaq. Do the politicians imagine that the ‘Aam Aadmi’ by whom they all solemnly swear is so naïve as not to see through their political gimmicks? The politician should remember a popular song from a Hindi movie in 1960s that said, ‘Ye Jo Public Hai Ye Sab Jaanti Hai’. The birth of still to be christened political party came about despite stout opposition from its mascot Anna Hazare who had refused to join the new political band wagon, calling politics a ‘dirty game’. Trying vainly to justify the formation of a new political outfit in spite of Hazare’s disapproval, Kejriwal outlined that the new party would
conduct its affairs on the principles of ‘Swaraj’, ‘Right to Reject’ and ‘Right to Recall’ which too were the quintessence of Anna Hazare’s ‘India Against Corruption’ movement. Thus, this selfstyled ‘crusader’ against corruption labored to give an aura of ‘morality’ to his political baby. However, several other announcements made by him showed him and his newly born outfit in true colors. Making the coming Delhi assembly election as the first battle ground of his political outfit, Kejriwal declared that they would force the Delhi government to reduce water and power charges. In pursuance of this demand, citizens from all the 62 Delhi assembly constituencies would assemble and burn their power bills if the increase in the power and water rates was not rolled back by 7 October, he threatened. Displaying a bravado of a new convert, Kejriwal declared that ‘we will not only gherao the chief minister’s residence but will also cut off her power, should she dare to disconnect supply in even one house for non-payment.” Kejriwal’s first major act in his new avatar as a political leader was to address a media carnival on October 5 making wild allegations of financial ‘wizardry’ against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi. He accused Vadra of taking crores of rupees as interest free loan from DLF, and further alleged that the real estate major sold expensive apartments and other properties to Vadra at prices much cheaper than those it charged from other customers. Indian media loves ‘sensationalism’ and went to town with his allegations. However, both DLF and Vadra have denied these wild allegations and instead charged Kejriwal with indulging in sensationalism in order to gain cheap publicity. The second act performed by Kejriwal was that of a rabble rouser, instigating Delhi citizens not to pay their power bills and burn them. A spokesperson of Kejriwal’s unnamed party claimed
that his team members staged protests across Delhi burning electricity bills. Kejriwal himself climbed up an electricity pole to reconnect the power connection of one Banaram, which the utility company had earlier disconnected for nonpayment of the dues. Surprisingly, the average monthly consumption of Banaram, a mere daily wage-earner, was 850 units. This is too high a consumption for a daily wager. Even this writer, living in a spacious house with air conditioning and heating, doesn’t consume so much power. Perhaps, this individual illegally sells electricity to his neighbors. In an act of bravado, Kejriwal challenged the authorities to arrest him. Obviously, he seems eager to court arrest so that he could win some sympathy. Such gimmicks seem to have become corner stone of Kejriwal’s political outfit. From a high moral ground of a crusader against corruption, he has now descended so low with a view to attracting lumpen elements that are only too happy and always willing to jump into troubled waters. The formation of such a political party sans Anna Hazare had been the private agenda of Arvind Kejriwal right from day one, according to an insider. Kejriwal had brought Anna Hazare into India Against Corruption movement simply to take advantage of his clean image and project him as ‘mukhota’ or mask in order to win public support and trust. Once, Anna Hazare had served his purpose and ceased to be an asset, he was unceremoniously dumped. Funds running into a few crores had been collected by India Against Corruption both in cash and by checks and credited to the account of Kejriwal’s own non-profit organization, Public Cause Research Foundation which had a cash balance of Rs. 14,852,695.71 as on 30 September, 2011. Interestingly, the balance sheet shows an expenditure of over half a million rupees on conducting public meetings alone.
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Not Willing to be Typecast, Ash Shah Wants to Try Many Roles in Life BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: He’s a familiar face at most fundraisers donating generously to causes he feels strongly about. He downplays his achievements but chalks up his mistakes as a positive learning experience. He’s an astute businessman but there’s also a refreshingly whimsical side to him. All of these traits are rolled into one of the city’s better known faces, Ash Shah. At a friend Vaibhav’s urging, Shah, 21, left Bombay and hopped on a flight to do his undergrad in Iowa. Although his father had reservations about this spur of the moment decision, he knew better than to argue with his “I-have-decided” first-born’s decision. With an undergrad degree under his belt, Shah headed to the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona, one of the top ranking international business schools, for his MBA. A stint with Houston-based Vinmar International from 1990-94 helped him to learn the ropes of the petrochemical and polymers industry but the wish to strike out on his own was also taking shape. In 1994, Shah took a leap of faith, dug into his savings and started Impex International – a company that provides a wide range of plastic films for many of the country’s top brands. His gambit paid off as Impex today generates revenues over $28 million and has about 250 clients in the US, Canada, South America and Mexico. Shah has had talks with investment banking firms to bring in a private equity investor which he hopes will aid the firm to increase its volume and bring in new products.
the drawing table and during a brainstorming session came up with an organic farmto-the-table concept. A Public Relations agency was hired, the menu was revamped, décor changed, exclusive wines were offered and the location on Westheimer just east of Montrose came back as “Roots”. The bistro has since been steadily gaining a clientele who are more One of Houston’s well known couple, than happy with their Ash and Leena Shah. fresh, organic veggies “I credit my success to the people and meats. who work with me,” Shah said about Most people aren’t aware that Shah his firm. “A product’s success or fail- has always had a deep interest in Bolure is solely dependent on people.” lywood and even as a child, he wanted His team for the most part has the to act in the movies. Obviously that freedom to act autonomously but at isn’t the arc that his career has folthe same time expectations are well lowed, so he plans to do the next best defined and explains why employee thing, make them. Shah has been turnover is extremely low. talking to a few Bollywood directors Shah believes that people manage- but is very clear that it will definitely ment skills are the most important be a masala film. skills one can possess and it helped Giving back to the community is, to develop his own personality. He is according to Shah, a two way street. People’s Person and can put even the The recipient obviously benefits but crustiest persona at ease in a matter so does the giver. Shah’s wife, of minutes. His advice to would-be Leena, is equally supportive when it entrepreneurs?. Spend a lot of time in comes to social causes like Akshaya market research before you dive into Patra – a midday meal program for the business, be prepared to put in economically backward children in long, very long hours and don’t let that India and Pratham – a program that fire in the belly get extinguished. aims at making India more literShah has also made a foray into ate. The duo are generous with their the restaurant business, which is an time and money for these programs. interesting tale by itself. He bought Shah would like to see more people into a bistro which had its origins on starting a legacy foundation for any the back of a paper napkin as a French cause that is close to their heart. In food establishment, but apart from the time, he hopes to take a backseat French fries, it didn’t go down too on the business front and spend his well with Houstonians, resulting in time mobilizing support for various huge losses. Shah’s team went back to charitable causes.
Air India Receives First South Carolina-Made Boeing 787 Representatives fromAir India took delivery of the first Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner made in South Carolina and the first manufactured outside Boeing Commercial Airplane’s headquarters in Washington state. The delivery marks another milestone in Boeing’s efforts to broaden its production base beyond Washington, where all of its other jets have been built. The 787 is largely outsourced to
other countries, with wings and other parts shipped in for final assembly to Boeing facilities in Washington and now, South Carolina. Boeing’s corporate headquarters are in Chicago. “Airplane built, airplane completed, airplane flown and now today, airplane delivered,” said Jack Jones, chief executive of Boeing South Carolina whose $750 million final assembly plant in North Charleston was started in fall 2009. Production began in the summer of 2011. The first plane was completed in April. Boeing South Carolina also makes and assembles the mid-body and aftbody fuselage sections for all 787s at the plant. “Three years ago, nothing was here,” Jones said. “Some of these employees - a year and half of experience. That’s unprecedented. It’s also historic.” Today’s delivery was the third 787 for Air India. It took delivery of
two more last month, both made in Washington. By March 2013, the state-owned airline will have taken eight of the 27 Dreamliners it ordered in 2005. “We should have had all 27 aircraft by 2008,” said Air India board member K.M. Unni, speaking at a delivery ceremony in North Charleston. Boeing’s new, lightweight, fuelefficient passenger jet was plagued by years of supply chain problems and production delays. Delivery of Air India’s completed 787s was further delayed this summer by talks between Boeing and the Indian government over compensation for the production delays and by bureaucracy, said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing’s vice president of sales and marketing for Asia-Pacific and India. “These airplanes were late,” Keskar said. The decision to accept compensation “had to go all the way to the cabinet of the country.” The 787 is a key component of the troubled airline’s turnaround strategy, officials said. The jets are now in domestic service and also fly to Dubai, and by mid-October, the airline will open 787 routes to Frankfurt, Paris and London, Unni said. Next year, Air India will open 787 routes to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Osaka and Australia, he said. By 2031, India will have the fourthlargest economy in the world, Keskar said. “No place in the world, including China, has a greater rate of growth,” he said. Boeing forecasts that India will need 1,450 airplanes in the next 20 years, Keskar said. “Roughly 234 of those airplanes will be the 787, 777 type of airplanes,” he added.
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October 12, 2012
Does T20 Signal Windies Return to Top?
BY DAVID HOPPS COLOMBO (Cricinfo): There was a celebration after this World Twenty20 final, but it was not on the streets of Colombo. The thousands of people who streamed into the centre of Sri Lanka’s capital to dance the night away largely turned around and went back again. Instead, the carnival was in the Caribbean as West Indies kept their promise that their cricketing regeneration had begun. Rally Round the West Indies, Gangnam Style and a bit of Bob Marley, washed down by a dark rum or two, long into the night. Even those traditional cricket supporters most resistant to the attractions of T20 must concede that if it helps to reawaken Caribbean cricket after two decades of decline then it will have had a positive impact on the world game. And while they are in conciliatory mood, they can concede, too, that there was no better man to spark the rebirth than Darren Sammy, West Indies’ big-hearted, congenial captain, a man who has
followed their slogan of “One Team, One People, One Goal” to the letter, and whose unbeaten 26 off 15 balls, to follow Marlon Samuels’ 78, dragged West Indies out of inertia to what proved to be a matchwinning 137 for 6. Never say again that Twenty20 does not matter. Never say again that it is such an entirely inferior game that is not worth your attention, that it demands no intellect, creates no tension, bares no souls. If it is not a worthy addition to Test cricket, how can you explain the despair tonight for Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, two players who have offered Sri Lankan cricket wise counsel and stirring deeds for the past decade and who have failed yet again to win a major one-day trophy? They will fear that they may now never leap the final hurdle. This World Twenty20 tournament, run with a professionalism beyond anything that Sri Lanka has ever produced, has emphasised that T20 cricket must have a future in the international game and that those who
have suggested it should be left only to domestic franchise leagues have been entirely misguided. Sri Lanka, who coming into the final had struck 17 sixes to West Indies’ 42, seemed at times to be using the Early Curved Bat as they forgot the skills that had brought them to the final and tried to go big with disastrous effect. As Sri Lanka squeezed West Indies, and West Indies squeezed back in return, a new generation of cricket fans have emerged. With one over left of West Indies’ innings, it was time to grab a trishaw to Galle Face Green, in search of a celebration that never took place. Sixteen years ago, as Ranatunga’s team made history, it was a happier place. This must have been the only tuk tuk in Colombo with an in-built TV, the driver certainly claimed it to be so. Long before the end of the night, though, he had probably reached for the power-off button.
Veeru-Dhoni Rift Widening? NEW DELHI: There’s an air of unease and discomfort around Indian cricket at the moment. It stems from the senior national team, with the reputations of a few ‘big’ names overshadowing their performances in recent months. It may be far-fetched to blame India’s early exit from the World T20 in Sri Lanka on this; but there’s no denying that if this disquiet is not addressed quickly, the team will continue to struggle in all formats. The outspoken Mohinder Amarnath, who was expected to become the chief national selector, found himself out of the panel itself because he questioned Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retention as Test captain. VVS Laxman, who retired in pique, did not invite Dhoni to his little postretirement celebration at home that included all other team members. The two incidents clearly showed that all was not well in the team. Further, the fact that Dhoni and opening bat Virender Sehwag do not see eye-to-eye, to put it mildly, has been an open secret for some time now. There’s also very little doubt about where Sehwag’s opening partner Gautam Gambhir’s priorities lie. Until last year, all these stories were dismissed as ‘rumours’; but today, nobody even bothers to deny them. In fact, even players who have just about managed to warm the Team India bench a couple of times, are
privy to this ‘feud’. “Ego,” say some, while others point to “difference in thinking between Dhoni and Sehwag”. Whatever, it certainly isn’t helping India’s cause. It’s all the more worrying because the ‘rifts’ only seem to happen more often when at least two-three of these senior players are not exactly performing at even their half-best. “One of the biggest problems is lack of trust. When a player doesn’t trust his captain or the captain doesn’t trust his player, it has lead to trouble,” say those who track Team India. It is clear that at the moment that’s precisely what’s happening, with the senior players flexing their muscles to assert themselves. Those in the circuit are quick to point out that lack of runs or camaraderie hasn’t affected the same cricketers when they play for their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Speculation is already rife that Dhoni could make way for a new skipper in the Twenty20 format. He is likely to hold his position as ODI skipper, while Gambhir could take over in Tests. Team India’s two pillars - Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni - have been at the loggerheads for some time now. Looking back, the two had never been the best of friends and now, as the fraternity may like to suggest, things have only gone from bad to worse.
David Hopps is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 12, 2012
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Power Thieves Prosper in India’s Patronage-based Democracy BY SEMON DENYER MODINAGAR, INDIA (Washington Post) : It is no fun being an honest inspector for a state electricity board in India. All around you, consumers steal electricity on a massive scale. Businesses and ordinary people help themselves by hooking onto power lines illegally or bypassing meters. Vote-hungry local politicians protect the thieves, making any attempt to catch and punish the culprits a dangerous game. “There is a lot of political interference,” inspector Ved Prakash Agrawal said during a raid on the outskirts of the northern town of Modinagar. “The local politicians say ‘I will have you killed, I will have you suspended, I will have you transferred.’ They complain to our higher-ups. It is very difficult.” In India, about a quarter of all power generated is either stolen or lost in transmission, five times the figure for China. Still more is given away to farmers, while the rest is sold to
An electricity engineer inspects the electricity meter of someone suspected of stealing power in the town of Modinagar in India on Aug. 16, 2012. The widespread theft of electricity has helped push the power sector close to bankrupcty in India, and undermined the wider economy. Photo: Simon Denyer
consumers for a loss, pushing state electricity companies toward bankruptcy and resulting in the rolling blackouts that afflict almost the entire nation every day and undermine its
economic prospects. “Successive governments in India at the central and state levels have considered populism — the promise of cheap or subsidized power — an
effective strategy,” Arvind Subramanian of the Petersen Institute for International Economics in Washington recently wrote. “But the consequence has been either no power or highly interrupted power for a vast majority of Indians.” At its worst, India’s power sector is the perfect example of populism and patronage trumping sound economics, analysts say. Power symbolizes the way Indian democracy often fails to meet the most basic aspirations of voters for transparent government, jobs, power and opportunity. “Power is often an important source of the struggle between the politics of patronage and the politics of aspiration,” said Ashish Khanna, senior energy specialist at the World Bank in India. “The question is whether a credible promise of improved power delivery can be turned into a new narrative that meets those aspirations, and reaps political dividends.” India’s state electricity companies have run up losses of $46 billion, or 2 percent of national income, largely
financed by lending from public sector banks, straining the country’s financial system. As a result, the companies have little money to invest in equipment or pay salaries, or even to pay for the electricity they are receiving from newly built privatesector power plants. Aware that this liquidity crisis was threatening the solvency of the power sector, the Indian cabinet last week approved a debt-restructuring package for the state electricity boards — relief based on whether they improve their performance, do more to stem losses and strengthen regulation at the state level. While the package has given the sector some breathing space, analysts said there was no guarantee states would stick to their promises and undertake the fundamental reforms required to produce lasting benefits. “This is a bailout without any assurance that the underlying problem — people paying more for power, politicians stealing less etc. etc. — has been addressed,” Subramanian said.
Low Prices, New Vendors Drive Tablet Growth in India BY LESLIE D’MONTE MUMBAI (SI): Sales of tablet computers in India are gathering pace riding demand mainly for the several low-cost devices launched by local firms, led by Micromax Informatics Ltd. Of the 1.4 million tablet computers despatched by vendors in India since October 2010, when the devices were launched in the country, nearly 40%, or 550,000 units, were shipped between April and June this year, CyberMedia Research says in a report released on Monday. Gurgaon-based Micromax topped shipments with an 18.4% share in the June quarter, followed by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd with 13.3% and Apple Inc. of the US with 12.3%, the report said. To be sure, shipments need not translate into actual sales, which could be much lower. In the case of mobile devices, actual sales could even be 60% lower than shipments, said Jayanth Kolla, cofounder and partner at research firm Convergence Catalyst. “In the case of tablets, we are not sure of the actual numbers of ship-
Graphic: Prajakta Patil/Mint
ments versus sales as of now,” he said, but estimated that 760,000-825,000 tablet computers were sold in the country between October 2010 and end-June Though the tablet market in India is still nascent, it has become competitive with the entry of new vendors and average prices dropping to about Rs.13,000 between April and June from Rs.26,000 in the January-March quarter, the CyberMedia Research
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report said. Many vendors launched tablets in the Rs.5,000-10,000 price range in early 2012, it added. “During 2Q 2012, 47.4% of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the education and entertainment segments,” Faisal Kawoosa, lead analyst (telecoms practice) at CyberMedia Research wrote in the report. CyberMedia Re-
search sees vendors launching tablet computers for specific segments such as healthcare, retail and e-governance that it expects will drive growth of the devices. Convergence Catalyst’s Kolla said average monthly sales of tablet computers in India have trebled since December 2011. “This is primarily due to the increasing number of low-end (sub-$200, or sub-Rs.10,000) device models being launched by Indian OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), enabled by both hardware commoditization (driven by China/Taiwan-based suppliers and original design manufacturers) and OS (operating software) availability (most of these devices run on Google’s Android OS),” he said. Examples include that of Mumbaibased Wish Tel Pvt. Ltd launching a tablet computer, Ira Icon, with public sector telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on 1 October for Rs.10,500.
People have quickly adapted to using media tablets for daily personal activities, technology researcher Gartner Inc. said based on a survey done in July. The survey found that the main activities moving from personal computers to media tablets were checking email (81% of respondents), reading the news (69%), checking weather forecasts (63%), social networking (62%) and gaming (60%). “The rapid adoption of media tablets is substantively changing how consumers access, create and share content,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice-president at Gartner. “The survey found that more than 50% of media tablet owners prefer to read news, magazines and books on screen, rather than on paper. On average, one in three respondents used their media tablets to read a book, compared with 13% for mobile personal computers, and 7% for mobile phones.”
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SCIENCE
October 12, 2012
Indian-Origin Scientist in Cambridge Finds Black Hole Cluster
sucked in by the immense force of the blackBY SUBODH VARMA & ASHIS RAY hole’s gravitational attraction. LONDON: Billions of kilometers beyond Relatively nearer than the blackhole disthe constellation of Virgo, a zoo of monster covered by Banerji is the previously studied blackholes has been discovered by a Cambridge Markarian 231, located 600 million light years team led by Manda Banerji, an Indian-origin from Earth. Rings of gas and dust can be seen scientist. Radiation, hitherto not quite taken into around it as well as “tidal tails” left over from a account, is reaching the earth as a result of earlier recent impact with another galaxy. unidentified black holes in what astronomers Banerji is currently working on how galaxies call the “early universe”. and quasars evolve, using visible light as well The discovery has shaken up the scientific world because never has such a collection of monster blackholes remained hidden for so long. The research estimates that there are at least 400 blackholes in the cluster which is 11 billion light years away. Fiercely swirling giant clouds of thick dust had surrounded the blackhole zoo till Banerji’s team penetrated it with a cutting edge infrared telescope. “These results could have a significant impact on studies of supermassive black holes,” said A Cambridge team led by Manda Banerji, Banerji, lead author of the paper which has been an Indian-origin scientist, has discovered published in the journal Monthly Notices of the a zoo of monster blackholes. Royal Astronomical Society. “Although these black holes have been studied for some time, fact that that now scientists will have to take a the new results indicate that some of the most second look at many dust obscured corners of massive ones may have so far been hidden from the Universe searching for hidden blackholes. The newly discovered monster blackhole our view,” Banerji added. The zoo contains a monster black hole that has has been dubbed ULASJ1234+0907 by the more than 10 billion times the mass of the Sun scientists. It is one of the reddest objects in the and 10,000 times the mass of the supermassive sky. The red colour comes from the surrounding black hole in our own Milky Way, making it one dust which preferentially absorbs bluer light and allows only light in the red region to escape. of the most massive black holes ever seen. Result-Based Ayurvedic Therapy Supermassive black holes are now known to “Most black holes of this kind are seen for Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain reside at the centres of all galaxies. Scientists through the matter they drag in. As the neighavailable in Houston that they grow through violent collisions bouring material spirals in towards the black thinkNow holes, it heats up. Astronomers are able to see with other galaxies, which trigger the formation Therapies tothe Alleviate stars and provides food for black holes to this radiation and observe these systems,” Ba- ofAlso devour. TheseJoint violent also produce nerji explained. Arthritis Slip Disc Pains collisions Migraine Sinusitis Obesity Frozen Shoulder Depression Insomnia Diabetes Now available in Houston dust within the galaxies. The dust is ultimately The significance of this discovery lies in the Psoriasis Eczema Hypertension etc.
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