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Friday, August 24 2012 | Vol. 31, No. 34
Indo American erican News
www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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India Turns 66!
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CG P. Harish at YLDP Graduation
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Festival Dedicated to Swami Vivekananda
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Leading the parade at the India Festival at the Stafford Civic Centre are from left, Event Chair Mahesh Wadhwa, ICC President Raj Bhavsar, Congressman Al Green, India Consul General P. Harish, Sugar Land State Rep hopeful Mike Lasater, Mrs. Wadhwa, Chan Patel, Sugar Land Councilman Himesh Gandhi, an actor portraying Swami Vivekananda, Hasu Patel, Manisha Gandhi and Davesh Pathak with his son. Photo: Jawahar Malhotra
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August 24, 2012 Thanks to everyone for putting together such a wonderful event for everyone to enjoy
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Photos: Jawahar Malhotra. Visit www.indoamerican-news.com for a slideshow INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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August 24, 2012
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At This Year’s Independence Day Festival, the Old Coziness Returns
For a slideshow and video, visit www.indoamerican-news.com BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA STAFFORD: I have been going to the Indian Independence Day celebration every year since it was first conceived by the India Culture Center in 1983 when I coordinated a group of a dozen dedicated volunteers who worked all night long to set up booths after having attended the Ms. India pageant and dinner the evening before. We called it the India Bazaar and many long time residents of the Metroplex probably still remember the long lines to get into the Sharpstown Center where it was held. In the ensuing years, the event has morphed into the I-Fest and been held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel (now the Marriott Westchase); the Reliant Center and for the last 25 years at the George Brown Convention Center. The attendance has risen and ebbed but the layout and concept has always been the same, booths, food and a stage show. It was an occasion to meet some old faces that you didn’t see on a regular basis. Sadly, many of those
people have stopped coming, as have their children who have now grown older and have kids of their own. But there are others who have taken their places, while the vanguard who took over the reins stays with the same formula. After seeing a contraction in attendance in the last few years, they finally tried something new – a new venue at the Stafford City Centre – and surprisingly for us all, the crowds, coziness, chumminess and community interaction is back with this year’s celebration without the awful sound reverberations of the cavernous GRB Convention Center hall! The venue turned out to be the right size for a pared down production. The ICC should consider rolling this festival in with the Republic Day one to create an “India Day” festival. This year’s India’s 66th Independence Day celebration was held last Sunday, August 19 and drew as estimated 3,800 people, despite the thunderstorms that brought down much needed rain all over
the city and threatened to cancel the parade around the parking lot. Thankfully, the rain stopped just in time, as if on schedule, and the parade went on, with a high school band at the front, the dignitaries just behind, including the new Indian Consul General P. Harish as the Marshall and groups clustered behind their organization banners. A Punjabi dhol drummer brought up the end with seven drummers from South India. After the parade moved back inside, the Indian and US National Anthems were sung played out on the alto saxophone by Dr. Sunil Gadgil, an adjunct professor at Prairie View A&M University who drove down just to play at the event. The Event Chair, Mahesh Wadhwa welcomed everyone and introduced the many dignitaries as they came on stage to say a few words. Among them were ICC President Rajiv Bhavsar; Consul General Harish who delivered the keynote speech; Rep. Al Green (D), Rep. Pete Olson (R); Stafford Mayor
Photo: Jawahar Malhotra
Leonard Scarcella; Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia; Stafford Councilman Ken Mathew; Sugar Land Councilmen Himesh Gandhi and Harish Jajoo; Consul General for Sri Lanka Dr Bandula Wijay; a representative from Sen. Kay Hutchinson’s (R) office and a representative from Rep. Ted Poe’s (R) office. This year’s celebration was dedicated to Swami Vivekananda on the sesquicentennial of his birth and a skit honoring him was played out on stage by members of the Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, while the Tagore Society of Houston had a display of his life in one of the booths. A moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Oak Creek Gurudwara tragedy. The ICC gave out awards for Outstanding Community organizations to the Greater Sharpstown Management District, the Tagore Society of Houston, the Foundation for India Studies, Hindus of Greater Houston, Jain Society of Houston and the JVB Preksha
Center. The afternoon cultural program, which carried the event till 7pm, had over 120 performers from ten area dance schools and was coordinated by ICC Directors Sridhar Dadi and Sarada Akunuri. A Kal Aaj aur Kal dance competition was the highlight of the evening, interspersed with songs from local artists Sarada Akunuri, Salil Bhadekar, Avinash Gadkari and Manik Joshi in tribute to Bollywood screen legends Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. The winner for the competition were the students from Sunanda Nair School of Performing Arts who choreographed dances to the movies of Hrithik Roshan. Apart from this, the over 55 area businesses, cultural and religious booths were set up behind the audience area, while others lined the lobby to the Centre. And in a nod to giving some rest for the ears and body, an dining hall, separated from the music and commotion, allowed four area eateries to do a brisk business all day long.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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August 24, 2012
Only Now, Years Later, He Realizes Why the Profession Chose Him
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: After he had finished his medical degree at Kansas City College of Medicine and Biosciences in 2000, Dr. Alpesh Desai figured he was all set and focused on a residency in facial plastic surgery for the next five years. “But, for some reason I quit and went into dermatology,” he said, sitting in his newly constructed office, his foot tapping quickly with nervous energy. He spent the next three years finishing a residency in dermatology - one of the hardest fields of medicine to get into – at the renowned Western University of Health Sciences in Torrance, California (just south of Los Angeles) and rose to become the Chief Dermatology Resident. He was soon joined there by his brother Dr. Tejas Desai, six years his younger, who followed his footsteps into the same field. “I figured, ‘well, he’s doing great so why not follow his lead’,” smiled Tejas as he dove into a cup of nonfat yogurt in-between procedures at the Heights Dermatology Clinic where the two brothers practice. There, the brothers met Dr. William Kirby and a camaraderie formed as the three were assigned to spend Mondays in the tattoo removal clinic. “At first, it was exciting but it quickly wore off as we got used to routine of the laser treatment procedures,” recalled Alpesh. The three saw that there were a lot of people who came – almost 30 a day – for the procedure, but the number of treatments and the costs were all estimated according to the expertise of the doctor and it could be a hit-or-miss proposition. The three conceived the idea of laser removal a step further by developing a business plan, with Kirby taking the lead, to take the guesswork out of the treatments,
Heights Dermatology & Aesthetic Center
Dr. Alpesh Desai and Dr. Tejas Desai Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
develop a standardized pricing plan and use top-notch equipment to start a clinic specializing in it. After doing some research in the subject, they published a “KirbyDesai Tattoo Removal Scale” that pinpoints how many treatments will be required based on skin type and texture, tattoo location and layering, ink and color. “With a 95% degree of confidence, we can identify the type of laser to use and the cost,” explained Alpesh. The K-D Scale is now used as a tool in many medical schools. Alpesh finished his residency in 2006 and left for Houston to be near his parents, with whom both brothers are very close, and Tejas and Kirby opened the first Dr. Tattoff Laser Tattoo Removal Clinic in Beverly Hills. Encouraged by the initial success, they soon opened clinics around the LA area in Montclair, Santa Ana and Encino, then one in Dallas and the latest in the Galleria area in Houston this past June (IAN, July 5). There are plans for clinics in Phoenix and Ft. Worth and the company plans to re-file its IPO once the financial markets are settled.
For Alpesh, home was where his parents were, so he bought out the 42 year-old Heights Dermatology & Aesthetic Center from its owners, Dr. Barry Harrell and Dr. Troy Felber, the oldest dermatology practice in Texas, originally started by Dr. Benjamin Wells who had passed away. Alpesh, who is 39, had to convince his younger brother to come back to Houston, lure him away from the Southern California lifestyle and join the practice and help to enlarge it both figuratively and physically. The two have since expanded the facility by adding 2,000 sq ft and over the past 11 months completely rebuilding it in four phases, while still seeing patients. They now have a total of 10,000 sf with 16 patient rooms, including four surgical suites, 15 staff and have added another dermatologist, Dr. Parul Shah. Tejas did a Fellowship at Loma Linda University, California in Mohs micrographic surgery which is used for removing several types of skin cancers, an expertise that only few dermatologists specialize in. He offers his skill as a surgeon and pathologist rolled into
one, to their patients. “Getting back together with our parents was the overall plan,” Alpesh explained, particularly as he is very close to his mother. It became clear to him that this profession and this city is where the Universe was steering him when one day he had to examine his mother for some blistering he had on her lips. Much to his shock and surprise, it turned out to be Pemphigus Vulgaris, the worst possible form of dermatology affliction, which is an autoimmune disorder that involves blistering and erosions of the skin and mucus membranes, making moving and even eating painful. What made this diagnosis even more startling and a twist of fate was that several years earlier, in 1998, Alpesh had been invited to Harvard Medical School for three months to do research on this same disorder, even co-authoring a published paper. “My professors told me that Pemphigus Vulgaris was so rare that I would probably never see a case in my life,” recalled Alpesh, obviously dismayed by his mother’s worsening condition, “and now I found out that my mom had it. ” His mother’s condition and ongoing care has forced many
changes on the family. Alpesh’s father, Dilip, 71 is a retired nuclear engineer who worked all over the US, taking his family with him and resulting in his sons going through 15 schools before they graduated from High School. Suddenly, he found himself having to navigate the arcane world of buying and administering specialty drugs for his wife. Last year, he used this newly acquired knowledge to set up a full-time business serving other patients too. Alpesh is still amazed how his decision to become a dermatologist has come full circle and encompassed so many of his loved ones. Both he and Tejas are consumed by their practice and profession and hardly have time for other pursuits, apart from taking time with their young families. Their practice has become certified through the University of North Texas (Tejas’ alma mater) for the much-sought after dermatology residency program and so they now have a three-year resident with them. Both are thinking about staring a non-profit to educate future dermatologists. But even as they venture into other areas, they remain focused on building a strong dermatology practice together.
Syamantak Payra: 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee Champion Syamantak Payra correctly spelled the word ‘dghaisa’ during the 2012 South Asian Spelling Bee Finals to clinch the title of National Champion. During the event on August 17, which was taped live for broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television, Syamantak along with 21 other finalists competed for the title. Chetan Reddy from Plano, TX was the National Runner-Up. Twenty-two top spellers from the 11 regional centers gathered at the Rutgers College auditorium to battle it out for the title of champion and a $10,000 Grand Prize from MetLife. It took spelling words like ‘drahthaar’, ‘Neufchâtel’ and ‘wappenschawing’ for the winner to emerge. The event was organized by leading South Asian advertising firm, Touchdown Media Inc. and sponsored by MetLife, a leading provider of insurance, employee benefits and other financial ser-
From left: Laurel Daring, assistant vice president of Marketing at MetLife with 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee National Champion Syamantak Payra of Friendswood, TX alongside MetLife brand icon Snoopy and Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. Photo: Vijay Shah
vices. Sony Entertainment Television is the exclusive rights holder and will be broadcasting the event across the globe in over 119 countries. “An elite group of 22 spellers from across the country gathered here tonight and the contest was tough! The best finally prevailed,
so heartiest congratulations to Syamantak, our youngest champion so far, and all the spellers”, says Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. and Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. The special guest at the Finals was Narahari Bharadwaj, 2011 South Asian Spelling Bee National
Champion, who helped co-host a portion of the event. The champion received a $10,000 grand prize from MetLife along with the South Asian Spelling Bee trophy. “It was an honor to once again serve as the title sponsor of the South Asian Spelling Bee. The competition this year was remarkable, says Laurel Daring, assistant vice president of Marketing at MetLife. The event was open to children up to 14 years of age and was held in 11 regional centers across the United States. Jaideep Janakiram, Head – North America, SET Asia commented, “Sony Entertainment Television Asia is delighted to have been able to partner with the South Asian Spelling Bee since its inception five years ago. Over these past years, South Asian Spelling Bee has been consistently making a positive impact amongst the youth
across the US. Spelling Bee is a fantastic platform for youth of all ages to showcase their language skills, dedication and self-motivation. SET Asia is always looking to entertain and to involve our international viewers in shows such as the Spelling Bee and look forward to broadcast this exciting event to all its viewers around the globe.”
About Touchdown Media Inc.: Touchdown Media Inc. is a specialized South Asian advertising and promotions firm based in New Jersey. Now in its 9th successful year, Touchdown has helped clients- both mainstream and otherwise, reach out to the lucrative South Asian market, Touchdown Media represents more than 35 years of collective experience in this niche market. As a full service ad firm, Touchdown has helped many clients achieve their media and marketing goals within the South Asian Diaspora in the US. For more information, please visit www.touchdown-media.com.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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August 24, 2012
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YLDP’s New Graduates Share What Leadership Means to Them
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA STAFFORD: It could have been just another routine graduation party except for those special moments that made it memorable, and at India House last Friday evening, August 17 after the mad rush hour drive, those moments were worth it as the Youth Leadership Development Program felicitated its fourth graduating corps. The mostly high school seniors, all 29 of them, were agog with excitement in their suits and dresses, as their proud parents beamed while they said a few words at the podium to express what they had learnt about leadership and in the process, about leading. They all understood that it was a role that varied with the circumstances and the goals one set in life; one went so far as to say that it could even mean to follow, if that’s what the moment called for. And after each spoke, they received an award for their performance in several categories and, at the tail end, after dinner catered by Udipi restaurant, a few performed songs and dances. To make it even more poignant, they heard from Sandhya Rao, the visually and physically challenged attorney who has made a mark as an assistant to Judge Michael Rosenthal. Rao is a graduate of Bellaire High School and has excelled in spite of her handicaps, earning a JD from Stanford University. She cautioned the graduates to measure success at every milestone in each episode of life and to define it more broadly – having a good friend, an enjoyable day – but to remember that lots of pressure is self imposed. This was YLDP’s maiden event as an independent, 501 (c) non-profit organization after it spun off from the ICC last year and the keynote speaker was also a fresh face to Houstonians, the new Indian Consul General, P. Harish who has taken over from Sanjiv Arora who left to become Ambassador to Qatar. Harish has met with many commu-
nity leaders and attended several events already, particularly relating to the Sikh tragedy in Wisconsin, since he first took over in early August. He has already won praise for re-opening up the Consulate to visitors and taking away the portable toilets intended only for visitors and were an eyesore, both points of discontent among the community, and has promised to streamline the visa issuing process. Harish spoke briskly and without the excessive acknowledgements that were a hallmark of his predecessor, about the value of mentoring to both parties and applauded the YLDP for doing so with these young people. He noted that the approach varied with the locale and culture. “Leadership is not about success,” Harish continued, “Sure it is important and should be according to your terms and conditions, but the means are equally important.” He added that “many decisions will pose ethical dilemmas and then character will come out to judge what is right or wrong.” He advised the young adults to “build your own philosophy of life and your own yardstick of success, don’t adopt those that are alien to your system.” YLDP President Sushma Bhan started off the evening with a quote from a poem by the late Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran that is equally memorable and pertinent now for its insight and grace as it was when he penned it in the early 20th century. Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
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From left: Nath Krishnamurthy, Consul General P. Harish and YLDP President Sushma Bhan
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August 24, 2012
Nine Years of Dedication to Bharatnatyam Pinnacles at a Successful Arangetram for Sungita Kumar
BY SOWMYA NANDAKUMAR On Sunday, Aug 19th Sungita Kumar presented her Arangetram performance to a packed house at the Berry Center, Houston. Sungita wanted to learn ballet at three years. Since her mom had not promptly followed up on it, Sungita, with the help of her nanny, brought home ballet class information for her mom’s consideration, resulting in ballet classes. She expressed her desire to learn Bharatnatyam after witnessing a performance. Her mom told her that she could, at seven years. Sungita turned seven and reminded her mom about Bharatnatyam. Living in Paris, her dedication to Bharatnatyam began there under Guru Murugiah Arulmohan, (student of Adyar K. Lakshman) and continued to flourish under the tutelage of Guru Padmini Chari in Houston, culminating in her Arangetram. The arangetram performance theme was an electrifying blue. Sungita’s family, friends, Guru and the stage musicians, were all dressed in shades of blue or green representative of the splendor of the dancing peacock. Sungita too, was clad in blue for the first part of her performance. She began in an energetic fashion, and presented a vibrant Pushpanjali, succeeded by an aptly ex-
pressive choreography to Ganesha Sloka (Mooshika Vahana) and the Thirupugal in praise of Lord Muruga. This was followed by an enthralling Jatiswaram piece, which is always a pleasure to watch in a Bharatnatyam performance. The melody is weaved in with rhythmic patterns, vocally articulated by the Natuvangam specialist, (who calls out rhythmic syllables that refer to specific dance movements), and expressed in pulsating movement by the dancer. Sungita demonstrated good technique skillfully synchronizing the melody, and the rhythmic pattern in her Adavus. The Varnam is perhaps the magnum opus for any arangetram performer, simply because of the duration of the piece and the intricacies involved. In this piece the dancer is the devotee in search
of the spiritual truth, the object of his/her devotion. Sungita performed to Sakhiye Inda Velaiyil, composed by the Tanjore Quartet in the ragam, Ananda Bhairavi. In this Varnam, the dancer urges her friend to fetch Lord Krishna, whose memory haunts her, and whose absence increases her longing. Sungita commenced her Varnam, demonstrating the concept of Abinaya, to the English translated reading of a few verses of the song. A 20-minute long solo is a challenge for any dancer, especially in an arangetram. Sungita lived up to the challenge, alternating beautifully between the various elements of the Varnam performance - intense Abinaya, (incorporating expressions/acting/role playing) followed by long Adavus,
performed to elaborate Swarajatis and rhythmic patterns. Sungita demonstrated stamina, focus, adroit expressions and footwork. She was particularly riveting in the fast paced Jatis. In her depiction of the Devi’s traits in the Devi Stuti to the song Devarkalai Kaarthida Devi Thondrinaal in Kedaragowla ragam, Sungita transitioned through expressions with finesse - going from being pleasant, docile and shy to gracious and nurturing, to fearless, courageous, and awe inspiring. In Idhadhu Padam Thooki, in Kamas ragam describing the cosmic dance of Shiva, Sungita
held, some statuesque poses with poise. In the world of Yoga these postures would classify as Natrajasana, (the dancer pose) and two variations of Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (the one leg pouted pigeon pose), which are very difficult balances especially after a whole sequence of movement and foot work. Sungita further defined her abilities with Abinaya in Chinna Chinna Padam Vaithu in the the ragam Kapi. She portrayed admirably, Yashoda’s emotions of maternity towards the child Krishna. She switched with ease from that softness of depicting ‘Krishna the child’, to the ferociousness of ‘Krishna the Lord who suppressed the snake king, Kalinga’. The Thillana and Mangalam concluded the performance. Sungita performed her Thillana, (incorporating elaborate footwork and some majestic poses) to a rhythmic piece set to ragam Kathana Kuthuhalam. Her Thillana was upbeat and performed as energetically as the Pushpanjali. The choreography resonated with the joyous feel of the ragam and reflected her involvement with the piece. She finished with an elegant Mangalam performance, (a reverence to God, the Guru and the audience) The Guru and the musicians, CONTINUED ON PAGE
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August 24, 2012
Vote for Shamita Bhattacharya Shamita Bhattacharya will represent Texans as well as Indians at the Miss India American 2012 in Los Angeles, CA on August 25. Shamita is a third year student at Universtity of Texas, Austin and is a daughter of Radio Masti’s Shyamal Bhattacharya. “After becoming ICC Miss Teen India Texas 2010, I gained the confidence I needed to ambitiously dream. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to compete among the best of the best at Miss India America 2012 in Los Angeles, California on August 25th. I have grown up with the support and love of my South Asian community and I continue to feel blessed with all of your well wishes as I prepare for the big day ahead”said Shamita. Like Shamita’s page on facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/SharmitaMIA2012 This will count as a vote for the People’s Choice Award
Sangita Kumar’s Arangetram CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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whose expertise brought indispensable flavor to the performance, were Guru Padmini Chari – Natuvangam, Pusthakam Ramaa - vocal, K.S. Jayaraman - flute, Mahesh Iyer - violin, Janardhana Rao - Mirudangam, and Bhargava Halambi -rhythm pad. It was an immense pleasure to listen to them. The arangetram was an exceptionally well organized event. The contributions of Sungita’s well-wishers (parents, family, friends, etc.) to the ambience, planning and the overall success of the evening were terrific! The guest of honor for the performance was Guru Murugaiya Arulmohan, Sungita’s first Bharatnatyam teacher in Paris. He had flown in for the occasion. Guru Padmini Chari presented Sungita with her arangetram certificate, and Guru Arulmohan bestowed the grand stole upon her. Indeed a moment of crowning glory for a student of any art form is to receive accolades from none else but the teachers!
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August 24, 2012
India House Celebrates India’s 66th Independence Day
HOUSTON: India’s 66th Independence Day was celebrated with fanfare in a festive atmosphere on the grounds of India House Houston on August 15, 2012. With a large crowd in attendance, Dr. Virendra Mathur, Jiten Agrawal and Paul Likhari did the honors of hoisting the flags.
India House Houston is a 501( c )3 organization located in Houston. India House is a non-religious, non-regional, non-political and non-profit organization. Its mission is to unite cultures, create bridges, and serve human needs by bringing resources, education, services and India’s culture to Houstonians.
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NEW YORK (TOI): Leading New York university, The New School, has named Indian American academic Sanjay Reddy as one of the two directors of the India China Institute (ICI), a leading centre of trans-regional study. Reddy, associate professor of economics, and Mark Frazier, professor of politics, will develop the ICI’s exploration of the relationships between India, China and the US by launching new research programmes and partnerships with other global institutions, the school announced. “India and China represent rising nations states and civilizational spaces which scholarship and teaching in the United States cannot afford to ignore,” said Reddy. “They are jointly reshaping the world economy, polity and society.” Founded by The New School in 2004, ICI supports research, teaching and discussion on the relationships between India and China, two of the world’s emerging economic and political powers, and their interactions with the US. Sanjay Reddy has served at The New School for Social Research in 2009. His research focuses on global political economy, development and poverty, with a particular focus on contemporary India. In addition to having taught at Columbia, Princeton, and Harvard, from where he earned his PhD in economics, Reddy has consulted for development agencies and institutions like Oxfam, UNICEF and the
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COMMUNITY
IMAGH To Celebrate Eid Milan on Sept 1
HOUSTON: On September 1, Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH), in association with India Culture Center, will be celebrating Eid Milan with a lot of pomp and show. The last two years, about four hundred adults and children, Muslims and Non-Muslims, have gotten together to celebrate Eid- ul- Fitr and spread the message of Peace, Harmony, and Tolerance. Nooruddin Yamani, Amil Saheb, is the Grand Patron of the event. A graduate of Al-Jameatus Saifiyah Arabic Academy in Surat (India), he has served the Dawoodi Bohra Community in various capacity for the last four decades
Amilsaheb Nooruddin Yamani
in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States (New York, Detroit, and Houston). A longtime resident of Houston, he is the President of the Houston Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat. Consul General of India, Hon. P. Harish will be the Chief Guest of the event. Dignitaries from different communities, leaders from political, social and cultural organizations across the Greater Houston have also been invited. Catering is being done by Le Virage, and according to owner Azam Hasan, “this will be the best Hyderabadi food anyone has ever eaten”. Noted lawyer and talented singer, Uma Mantravadi, is the Chair of Entertainment Committee. She has so much faith in vocal artists, Hardik Jani and Salil Bhadekar, that she is afraid that the audience will be so mesmerized with their talent that they will refuse to leave. Hardik Jani, learned Indian Classical music for six years at Baroda Music School. He was among the final fifty of Indian Idol 1; won the
August 24, 2012
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ICC Houston Idol in 2011; Houston Talent Showcase 2012; and has a fusion music band, Brahmand in Houston. Salil Bhadekar has performed with Usha Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Winner of SaReGaMaPa Award in 2002, Salil also has two albums, Acoustics Rafi and Ek Hasin Shaam Ko, to his credit. Dr. Maqbool Haq, Chair of the Board of Directors, said,” IMAGH brings together Muslims of vari-
ous regions and groups along with fellow non-Muslims to foster and strengthen the bonds of understanding and cooperation between Cultures, Communities and Religions.” In his message to the organizers, Consul General of India, Hon. P. Harish said,” I heartily congratulate Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH) and India Culture Center, (ICC)
and their partners, for enthusiastically organizing Eid Milan for the third year in succession. This is an important occasion to celebrate the secular and plural ethos of India with its linguistic, cultural and religious diversity. Let us pray for peace, prosperity, and happiness for everyone.” For more information about the event, call Latafath Hussain, at 713-269-6171.
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COMMUNITY
Solemn MTS Vigil for Sikh Victims
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A youth representing the Sikh community assists Meenkshi Temple priests light one of nine candles in the memory of Sikh victims at Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Andhra Pradesh students killed in a car accident in Oklahoma. MTS Chairman Tupil Narasimhan is seen at far left.
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Sikh priests perform a kirtan at the MTS temple sanctuary in memory of the victims.
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI PEARLAND, Texas: One of the most gratifying moments occurs after our diverse community comes together as one in mourning. Such a moment occurred last Sunday when the Meenakshi Temple Society held a candle light vigil in support of the Sikh community in Houston. Representatives of all the local gurudwaras attended the memorial service. The temple priests first performed pujas in front of the three main dieties at the temple. Subsequently, the priests helped representatives of the Sikh
community light nine candles in memoery of the Sikh victims of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin massacre. Also remembered were five students from Andhra Pradesh, who were killed recently in car crash in Oklahoma. After the lighting of nine candles, the priests recited the shanti path, a prayer to seek peace for the departed souls. The memorial service was conducted by Peri Vaduganathan, Vice Chairman of the MTS. Dignitaries who spoke at the service included MTS Chairman Tupil Narasimhan, Pearland MayorT:6” Tom Reid, Gurudwara of Southwest Trustee Prith-
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vipal Likhari, and ICC President Raj Bhalla.”We as a community would like to offer our prayers for the departed souls, who were suddenly snatched away from us,” said Chairman Narasimhan. “What happened at Oak Creek, Aurora and Bryan was an aberration, and not a true representation of the American society,” averred Mayor Reid. “Instead, we are a natio where people come to escape violence. My heart goes out to all the victims and their loved ones.” In the recent past, the MTS has organized payer vigil for the 9/11 and 26/11 tragedies.
COMMUNITY
August 24, 2012
Avyay and Harsith’s Manch-Pravesh: Beginning of a Promising Journey
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Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.
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Over 25 year experience
BY SASI RAGHAVAN HOUSTON: Avyay and Harsith Reddy (18 and 16 years old) enthralled an audience of music lovers at their Manch Pravesh on Saturday, July 21st at the Performing Arts Center at the John Cooper School. The two brothers have been learning this ancient traditional art form from their Guru Pandit Suman Ghosh-ji for over 7 years. Manch Pravesh, or stage debut, is a major milestone in a performing artist’s musical journey. It is an important occasion involving a formal concert, where before an audience of family, friends, music lovers and connoisseurs, the disciple(s) portrays his/her journey thus far with the promise to pursue this wonderful art and continue the tradition with his/her Guru’s blessing. Typically, a Shishya (disciple) of Hindustani Classical Music performs at a Manch Pravesh only after the teacher (Guru) considers the student ready and eligible for such a performance. Upon earning the Guru’s approval, the disciple goes through a painstaking and committed process with guidance (Taalim) from the Guru and rigorous and continuous practice (Riyaz) leading up to the event. Avyay and Harsith started the program with Sakal Ban Phooli, a Vilambit Ektaal (slow-tempo, 12
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beats-cycle) bandish (composition) in Raag Puriya Dhanashree, gently unfolding the aesthetic beauty of the raag. This was followed by Shyam Murari Banwari Giridhari, a Drut Teentaal (fasttempo, 16 beats-cycle) composition displaying the energetic and rhythmic aspects of the raag. The brothers rendered this melodious twilight raag by beautifully blending sur, laya and rasa. Then, Harsith Reddy performed a solo on the popular composition Mata Kaalika, in Raag Adana, Taal Addha. Harsith demonstrated his mastery over this raag with his voice resonating with raudra rasa, making the audience feel that they are in the presence of the great Mata herself who slayed all the evil in the world and established the triumph of goodness. Avyay Reddy provided an equally scintillating rendering on Raag Miyan Malhar, a composition in praise of Lord Krishna, Shyam Bina Unye Ye Badra in Taal Addha. The fluidity in his voice was apparent in his deliverance and he showed tremendous control over the notes in the higher octave. Avyay’s confidence was evident in his portrayal of this raag, a crown of the Indian raga system. Harsith and Avyay, proved that they have gone through the rigorous process of Taalim and Ri-
yaz when they moved to the next composition in Raag Darbari Kanada – Har Har Har Bhootnath in Drut Teentaal. The inter mingling of their voices presented a feeling of wonder and curiosity. The brothers demonstrated exceptional virtuosity in taal by delivering the delicate and aesthetically rich Taans in very fast, yet difficult and melodious rhythmic patterns. Translation Services The final piece, Pashupathyashtakam was in Raag Malkauns in Drut Teentaal. The Ashtakam was presented beautifully in a devotional style and kept the audience We offer Notary Public services when required captivated and spellbound and yearning for more. •Birth Certificates •Marriage Certificate •Hindi •Gujarati •Tamil •Driver’s License •Diploma and Transcript •High Avyay and Harsith were blessed •Telugu •Malyalam School Certificate •Immunization Card •Agreements •Kannada by their Guruji, Pandit Suman Ghosh-ji’s presence on the stage, 281-677-4619 • info@envytranslators.com • www.envytranslators.com who also played the Harmonium with them. The duo was accompanied on the tabla by Shri Nishad Kanhere-ji. Pandit Suman •Quality Advocacy •Creating Working Relationships •Honesty and Objectivity Ghosh is a present generation The law firm of Donnelly-Ashby & Nguyen, PLLC is stalwart of the dedicated to providing quality immigration advice and Mewati Ghalegal counsel to domestic and international rana and torchcompanies and individuals. bearing disciple of the great liv-
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
12 August 24, 2012
Vy Nguyen Strives to Make History as the First Vietnamese American Woman to Serve in the Texas Legislature
HOUSTON: Vy Nguyen, 34, is running for State Representative of House District 26 which encompasses Sugar Land, Richmond, and Four Corners/Mission Bend areas in Fort Bend County. As a first generation Asian American, Nguyen understands the needs of House District 26’s diverse constituency. When elected this November, Nguyen would also be the first Vietnamese American female State Legislator in the United States. Nguyen was born outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania whose family immigrated to the United States after the Fall of Saigon City. She is proud to be part of a U.S. Military family. Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the
University of Houston. She then attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree with Honors. Nguyen strongly believes that her extensive background as a lawyer, adjunct professor, woman small business owner, and a working mom will enable her to be a strong voice for her constituents. Nguyen stands for proper funding for public education, better access to higher education for all students, healthcare for all groups, and interests of small business owners. Nguyen has received significant endorsements from respected community leaders from US Congress, Texas Senate, and Texas House of Representatives. The Honorable
Gordon Quan serves as her Campaign Treasurer. U.S. Congressman Al Green (CD-9), who represents one of the most diverse Congressional Districts in Texas, announced his formal endorsement of Nguyen’s campaign. Congressman Green believes that Nguyen’s experience as a working parent makes her passionate about public education. Nguyen’s son is a student council member and Honor Roll student attending public school in Fort Bend ISD. Nguyen wants to ensure that our young generation receives the proper quality public education and easier access to higher education. Moreover, Nguyen’s background as a small business owner and practicing attorney works closely with the
Vy Nguyen, Democratic Candidate for State Representative of Hd 26
Asian community, thus, she wants to be a resonating voice for all diverse groups in House District 26 to bring balance to the Texas Legislature. Nguyen has also been appointed to be a member of the Standing Rules Committee at this year’s National Democratic Convention in Charlotte, NC. “I am truly proud to receive Congressman Green’s endorsement in my candidacy for State Representative of HD 26. With his endorsement and along with the many significant endorsements, I hope to emulate the great qualities that they exemplify and be a strong advocate for Texas working families, women, children, senior citizens, veterans, and all groups in HD 26.”, said Nguyen.
New Consul General of India Visits MTS
CG Parvathaneni Harish, along with his wife Srimathi Nandita and daughter Amani at Meenakshi Temple
PEARLAND: The new Consul General of India, Honorable CG Parvathaneni Harish, along with his wife Srimathi Nandita and daughter Amani, visited Sri Meenakshi Temple (MTS). After participating in the arathi for the presiding deities, the CG’s family witnessed Sri Balaji’s Abhishekam. During Alankaram, the CG and his wife recited the Vishnu Sahasranamam in its entirety with great devotion. They later took a tour of the MTS campus and arrived at the Youth Center where all the MTS Scholarship recipients had gathered, awaiting their special guest of honor, the CG, who graciously accepted to award the scholarships. The CG spoke eloquently about the students’ journey to college as he gave out the scholarships. Each student received the award from the CG and spoke briefly about the university they were going to attend and their academic plan. The following students received scholarships from MTS: Priya Ramachandra , Arjun Rao, Tejas Dave, Meghana Golla, Malavika Chander, Niraj Jayant, Pragathi Prasad, Aditya Srivatsan, Gopal Timsina, Saritha Sampath, and Arti Alagappan. A special scholarship awarded in the name of “Sri Raja Rathna Bhattar”, our late priest emeritus of Sri Meenakshi temple went to Priya Ramachandra. The CG expressed his appreciation CONTINUED ON PAGE
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
August 24, 2012
Avyay and Harsith’s Manch-Pravesh
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legend Padma Vibhushan Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj-ji. He has dedicated his life to spreading this ancient Indian art form in this part of the world. He is the founder of the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH) which is an organization dedicated to serving the cause of Indian classical music in the greater Houston area. The entire event was organized meticulously by Smt Ajitha Reddy, with active support from the CICMH, especially its Director Smt. Archna Tripathi, who is also one of the senior-most disciples of Pandit Ghosh. Smt. Pat Penukonda, another senior disciple of Pandit Ghosh, and also a dear family friend who has known the brothers for years, was the Master of Ceremonies and conducted the proceedings with great poise. After the inaugural words by Smt. Archna Tripathi, several speakers including Piano teacher Ms. Fran Young, Guru bandhu Nivva Emmi, sister Amsha Reddy, and family friends Mrs. Belu and Mr. Jagan Allam spoke about Avyay and Harsith and their dedication to this form of music. The capacity audience in the state-ofthe-art auditorium had a number of other disciples of Pandit Suman Ghosh-ji, mem-
bers of the extended Reddy family from all over Texas as well as many music-lovers and well-wishers from the Woodlands and Houston. Shri Govind Shetty, a founder of the Indian Music Society of Houston, a true connoisseur and a staunch supporter of Indian classical music in our city, was present too. Finally, Guruji himself congratulated the brothers on their hard work and dedication towards this first step in their musical journey and said “to be able to sing for such a long period of time so confidently and so perfectly is nearly impossible at this stage, and the boys have made us proud today. Much of the credit should also go to Dr. Balakrishna Reddy-ji and Ajitha-ji, the parents of Avyay and Harsith, whose dedication and support is obvious to all”. Avyay Reddy will be going to college at Vanderbilt University this fall and Harsith Reddy will be continuing at John Cooper as a Junior. The brothers have made their parents, Guruji and their Guru Bandhus proud with their perseverance in this grand old Indian music tradition. Their performance added yet another feather in the cap for the Saadhana-Pariwar, the musical family formed around Pandit Suman Ghosh and his disciples in Houston.
CGI P. Harish Visits Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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for the MTS Board for encouraging these young and talented students. The students and their families interacted with the CG’s family during lunch, which was prepared at the MTS kitchen. The CG was impressed that the temple has served as a ground for building a strong community in addition to offering religious services.
Tupil Narasiman, the current Chairman welcomed the CG and the scholarship recipients and their families and Padma Golla, the joint Secretary of the temple board introduced the scholarship recipients and thanked all those who attended the event. A sumptuous lunch was served by MTS. Many MTS board and the advisory council members attended the event.
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Rahul Reddy
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August 24, 2012
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ENTERTAINMENT
Ek Tha Tiger: A Typical Masala Film
August 24, 2012
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Who will Get Buried: Abhishek, John or Arjun? BY DIBYOJYOTI BAKSI (HT) First-time producer Saurabh Varma has bought the rights of Hollywood film Buried (2010). A source close to Varma reveals that he is planning to rope in John Abraham or Abhishek Bachchan to play the lead in the Indian remake. When contacted, Varma didn’t deny the news, but didn’t divulge much. an A-list actor for the lead. Right now we are looking to develop a good script because it is a Hollywood concept, and needs to be Indianised. We need some desi elements that are acceptable to the audience,” says Varma. Apparently, he has also discussed the idea
with Arjun Rampal. “It’s in a nascent stage. I will approach the actors once I have a bound script in hand,” says Varma, who feels it is his honest approach that got him the rights of the film. “I have been a fan of this film for a long time. I approached the studio with an idea and they liked it. It will be a commercial film. It’s a challenge for any actor to keep audiences engrossed for 120 minutes.” Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds starred in the original, which is about a US truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack, he finds himself buried inside a coffin with a lighter and a cell phone and tries to escape this death trap.
Shekhar-Adhyayan Suman for Bhanwari Devi Film?
BY MEENA IYER (TOI) Story: Tiger is one of India’s most effective espionage agents. But when this brave heart falls in love, even he has to seek cover to realise his dream. Movie Review: Kabir Khan’s movies— Kabul Express; New York, Ek Tha Tiger start with the similar sepia-toned skyline montages of what could be Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq; striferidden country associated with extremists. In ETT, the montages pass quickly. A voice-over tells you of how Governments fight shadow battles of espionage and intrigue with faceless agents. Cut to India’s finest RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) agents Tiger--Salman Khan. He enters the screen, dramatically, shoes first, kicking butt in a crowded bazaar; with his trade-mark checked scarf around his neck. He ambushes a handful of traitors single-handedly in a long-drawn high octane action sequence that is clearly inspired by Jason Bourne(Bourne Identity/Supremacy series) and James Bond ( Quantum of Solace). Mission one successfully completed Tiger returns home to a middle-class neighbourhood in New Delhi. Barely have his wounds from Iraq healed when his boss, Girish Karnad, (impressive performance) packs him of to Ireland to spy on a professor (Roshan Seth) who may be trading missile technology secrets with Pakistan. Before he sets out, the boss ominously warns Tiger how agents must never let their hearts rule their head. But when Cupid strikes even Tigers become pussy-cats. The spy is drawn to college girl Zoya( Katrina Kaif) and he’s almost
www.
ready to settle down with her, when the twist in the plot is revealed. Kat is a secret agent for the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence); she owes allegiance to India’s archenemy Pakistan. Post interval, ETT goes on to focus on the Tiger-Zoya romance. Since they have unfinished business, the plot allows them to lock eyes at a peace summit in Istanbul. Passions are rekindled. This time they let their own feelings rule and elope. Chased by their own people and the enemy, the couple traipse in Cuba and other foreign locales, riding bikes and cuddling up while some lack-lustre songs play in the backdrop. One must say there is nothing raw about the Kat-Sallu romance in ETT; it’s synthetic. Leaving the plot open for a sequel, just in case Salman’s fans demand one; ETT ends with telling you how Tiger’s file went missing because, once this super-spy decided to go off the radar, no intelligence agency could actually track him down. Tip off: ETT is no Dabangg, Ready or Bodyguard. It’s more evolved, less chalu( read entertaining.) Salman`isms’ are rationed. And the hero does so many unbelievable stunts, it makes you ponder on whether- Bollywood’s answer to Spider Man, Superman and Batman; is apna Sal`man.’
Filmmaker Nikhil Tonk is keen to cast father-son duo - Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman - for his upcoming film, based on Bhanwari Devi murder MUMBAI (Mid-Day): “We have approached Shekhar Suman for the Thakur’s role who rapes Bhanwari and Adhyayan for the guy who is fooled by Bhanwari. I will also be acting in the film,” Tonk told IANS. He has been associated with the small screen as creative producer of TV shows and this is his first feature film production. Earlier, reports had suggested that Tonk was keen on casting an A-list actress for the role, but he has finalised TV actress Sara Khan. “There was some date issue, so we felt that Sara Khan was the right choice. She has been finalised for the role,” he added. Bhanwari Devi, a lowcaste woman from man u S Bhateri village in Rajasthan, was allegedly n a hyay and Ad gang raped in 1992 and the subsequent court r a h k She case attracted media attention. Tonk will focus on the controversial death of the woman and clarified that it is “not really about revenge”. The shooting will begin in December this year and will be held in different places in India and abroad. “We will be shooting in Jaipur, Calcutta and Mumbai. We will also be shooting in Greece and Dubai,” he said. This won’t be the first movie on Bhanwari Devi. In 2001, Jag Mundhra made “Bawandar “ with Nandita Das in the lead role and the movie renewed people’s interest in the case. Meanwhile, the trial of the 13 accused in the Bhanwari murder case is still in progress.
A Lonely Eid for SRK Away from the hustle-bustle of Eid-ul-Fitr festivities in tinsel town, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan spent the festival in solitude in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, where he was busy shooting for Yash Chopra’s yet-untitled romance drama. The 46-year-old wanted to be with his family in Mumbai to ring in the festival. But work commitments for the last schedule of his new film didn’t allow him to travel home. Shah Rukh, who reportedly plays an army man in the film, himself suggested that some portions should be shot in Ladakh. The movie, slated for a Nov 13 release, also stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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EDITORIAL
August 24, 2012
The ‘Other’ Indians
Is India the target of a ‘psy-jihad’, by way of an e-war waged against it by hostile forces, many - if not most - of whom are located in Pakistan? Very likely. Doctored images of death and destruction in China, Myanmar and elsewhere spread on various cyber sites have been circulated and passed off as documentary evidence of Muslims killed in the Assam violence. The result has been a vicious backlash against people from all the northeastern states in the cities of Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, in turn leading to an internal exodus which evokes the spectre of Partition. Even as the government has taken steps to quell fears and stem the spread of subversive mobile messages and images, security analysts have raised a warning that the country must prepare to guard itself against a new form of terrorism, a new form of psy-war, or psychological-war, which uses fear and disinformation as its weapons in its assault on the integrity of India. While Islamabad has denied involvement in this new offensive against India, New Delhi must certainly further pursue the matter which constitutes a clear and present danger to the unity of the Republic. But Pakistan - or any other external source - is only one of the fronts on which this battle must be fought. The other, even more dangerous frontline, is within. The question that needs to be asked today is this: Could the alarm and panic that spread like bush fire among migrants from the northeast if all northeasterners have not long felt that they are socially and otherwise discriminated against in day-to-day life by so-called ‘mainstream’ India which treats them like second-class citizens of a lesser Republic? Almost all people from the north-eastern states - particularly the womenfolk - who have come to work or study in other parts of India can recount instances of racial and ethnic profiling that they face on a daily basis and which taken together constitute a narrative of narrow-minded, ignorant bigotry that gives the lie to that old mantra of national integration on which the Union of India, the very idea of India, is based: that in our diversity lies our unity. It would seem that the very opposite is true; that in our diversity lies a dangerous disunity. People from the north-east are routinely described by other Indians as ‘chinky-looking’, and hence ‘alien’ in appearance. They are often asked if they eat dogs. Northeastern women are deemed to be sexually promiscuous - because of their so-called ‘westernised’ ways, which often include the ability to speak English well - and are subject to physical and verbal harassment by landlords, co-workers and neighbours. This persistent and pernicious discrimination inevitably engenders a sense of separateness, fertile ground for the sowing of the seeds of poisonous propaganda. While we defend ourselves against the psy-war being waged on us from outside, let’s also guard against the war waged on us from within by our two greatest enemies: the twin demons of prejudice and intolerance. Times of India
Bollywood’s 100 Club
BY SHOBHA DE
Bollywood’s latest obsession with movies that gross 100 crores in record breaking time, is both amusing and somewhat alarming. It has given birth to a brand new caste system in which the film industry is neatly divided into those who belong to the elite club and those that don’t. The latest entrant is Ek Tha Tiger, a movie riddled with so many absurdities, it’s pointless to list them. Not that it matters. It has crossed the magic number and who cares about anything else? The box office is king. And nobody argues with that. The problem is not with mass entertainers like Ek Tha Tiger raking in the big bucks, it is with the less than enthusiastic response to the real gems that fail to make this kind of insane money. Also, because of this 100 crore divide, movie makers have started to judge talent and success using this single yardstick and scoff at those who disagree. The 100 crorewallas really don’t care a damn what anybody thinks of their films. Most have taken to mocking movie critics who don’t gush over these crazily successful blockbusters. I have read interviews in which producers/directors sneer, “Who cares for critics? We pay zero attention to reviews and reviewers… we only look at the box office returns.” In such a complacent environment, there is no room for healthy debate, which is a pity. Given the profile of movie goers, there is ample space for all sorts of films… as the modest success of several indies has convincingly established. But so long as we only measure success using the 100 crore benchmark, we will be stuck with movies like ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ or ‘Bol Bachchan’, which are fun, but certainly not brilliant on any level. Tiger is not Chulbul Pandey, and Ek Tha is not a patch on Dabbang. But its stupendous commercial success will be thrown in the face of anybody who displays a less than ecstatic response to the movie. The pressures on any ambitious film maker now is to aim for that 100 crore target – that’s it. And stars who have been a part of this 100 crore phenomenon are suddenly throwing attitude and jacking up their fees, even if their performances have been lousy… and their roles, idiotic. I watched Gangs of Wasseypur-2 inside a half empty hall at a multiplex. This was on a Saturday night. A few hours earlier, Mumbai had been ravaged by rioting mobs, and the atmosphere at the multiplex was tense. I attributed the thin attendance to the fear factor. There was a red alert in
The latest entrant is Ek Tha Tiger, a movie riddled with so many absurdities, it’s pointless to list them. Not that it matters. It has crossed the magic number and who cares about anything else? The box office is king. And nobody argues with that. The problem is not with mass entertainers like Ek Tha Tiger raking in the big bucks, it is with the less than enthusiastic response to the real gems that fail to make this kind of insane money. the city, and I had been advised by concerned friends to stay home. As the movie unfolded, I started to get goose bumps – the violence on the big screen was as grisly as the one Mumbai had endured a couple of hours earlier. An eerie case of life imitating art – or the other way around? I was totally riveted from the opening scene itself and found it difficult to breathe normally. Every aspect of the movie was powerfully dealt with – from the characterisation, dialogues, costumes, cinematography, music (Oh! What music!) to the gory dance of death during the climax. Despite the bloodbaths that splatter across the screen at regular intervals, there was no gratuitous violence… and that’s precisely what made the film so chillingly real. As for Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Faisal Khan, it is one screen role that will go on to define the genre. Much like Bhiku Mhatre or Langda Tyagi. Zeeshan Quadri as ‘Definite’ is an amazing find, and will go places really fast. But it is Huma Quereshi’s raw sexuality that sets the movie on fire. Huma makes most of our Bollywood’s 100 crore ladies look like insipid, sexless nannies. She is earthy, voluptuous and
effortlessly gobbles up the screen. By any standards, GoW-2 is superb cinema. A must watch just to observe how seamlessly one gets drawn into the most terrible tale of revenge and retribution. But will it ever crack that 100 crore club? Naah. And that ‘crime’ will be held against it while a pretty shallow Ek Tha… will keep the industry folks rocking till the next monster hit comes along at Diwali. If great movies were only about great destinations, would we need the ‘Discovery Channel’? Times of India
Reader Feedback
So you have taken to movie reviews. What next- food reviews and then fashion reviews, art reviews etc etc. (nothing wrong with those though. I just thought you had more in you!). When you get time from all these important reviews do speak about some petty issues facing the nation such as corruption, intolerance, poverty, development etc etc. Rajiv Kumar Patna. Bihar
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INDIA
August 24, 2012
Lured by Cheaper Cost, Many Indians Opt for Chinese Medical Colleges
BY RICHA BHATTACHARYA MUMBAI (ET): From swanky cellphones to sleek Android tablets, China makes everything affordable. And now, even Indian doctors are ‘Made in China’, and that too for only 25-50% of the cost in India. For 20-year-old Anusree Ravi from Kerala, the dream of becoming a doctor was nearly dashed when she failed to qualify in entrance examinations for government medical colleges in India and the course fees for private colleges turned out to be beyond her parents’ means. However, unwilling to give up hope, Anusree decided to apply to universities in China, which she had heard were a cheaper option. “When I enquired about course fees at private medical colleges in India, it was not affordable. But China was affordable for my parents,” says Anusree, who has just completed the first year of MBBS at Wuhan University School of Medicine, situated in China’s Hubei province. “In my batch, there are about 70 south Indians and one north Indian, though my senior batches have many from the north,” says Anusree. She is part of a batch of international students numbering 90. Like Anusree, Devu, Ameena Kamaruaheen and Balu Vallatheril are in various colleges in China, chasing their destiny to be doctors. The first trickle started about a decade ago, but the pace has picked up over the past couple of years. Now, medical colleges in China are attracting an increasing number of Indians who dream of becoming doctors, but fail to qualify in competitive examinations for state-run subsidised medical colleges, nor can afford the steep fee structure of local private colleges. “The primary lure of governmentrun Chinese medical colleges is their cheaper cost structure. There is no capitation or donation, as is usually charged by private colleges in India,” says Neyas Mohammad, head of consultancy firm Asian Educational Consultancy. In 2011, Asian Educational Consultancy placed 100 aspiring doctors from India in medical colleges in China, compared with about 60 in 2009 and 80 in 2010. China encouraging foreigners So far this year, Asian Educational Consultancy has got applications from more than 150 aspiring medical students. “It started in 2008. Since then, many Indians have been coming to China to study medicine. The Chinese government is encouraging foreign students. Internationalisation of students and faculty is key for
colleges (in China) to secure government funding,” says an official from the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, who did not want to be named. An MBBS course from a government medical college in China will cost about Rs 15-20 lakh, including tuition fee, food and accommodation. In India, just the tuition fee and donation in private colleges will amount to Rs 45-75 lakh, according to education consultants. Medical colleges in China have separate batches for Chinese and international students, where the me-
dium of teaching is English and majority of the class are Indians, mostly from the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and some from north India. In addition to affordability, Chinese medical colleges have robust infrastructure, advanced technology and good living conditions, claim students and doctors. “Studying MBBS in China is not only less expensive than India, but colleges there also provide better facilities and teaching atmosphere,” says Somasekharan, who got his MBBS degree from Wuhan University, and currently works with the Government Medical College in Kerala. Currently, there are about 50 universities in China offering medical courses in English, though students have to learn Chinese as a compulsory subject to interact with patients. After the US, UK and Australia,
China is the fourth most popular destination among Indians for a medical degree. “All other destinations are far more expensive than China. A fiveyear medical degree course will cost more than Rs 1 crore in the US,” says Neyas, himself a radiologist. About a couple of decades ago, a similar interest was seen among Indian students to study medicine in Russia, which gradually waned after the collapse of the Soviet Union and also due to racial issues. “An MBBS in China is a kind of a backdoor entry to becoming a doctor. However, it can be a good stepping stone for people who want to become doctors, but do not have the means to do it in India or in other popular destinations such as the US or UK,” says Shamin Karbhari, an eye surgeon in suburban Mumbai. Apart from China, other cheaper options for Indians to study medicine include Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and the Philippines. But China far surpasses others in terms of number of Indian students. However, to be eligible to practice in India, doctors graduating from these universities have to clear a screening examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations under the directive of Medical Council of India. “The quality of education is poor even in many private colleges in India and most of them have zero hands-on experience. One can make up for the practical part during year-long internships,” says Karbhari. Most students use this opportunity to get the basic MBBS degree and later move to the US or UK to pursue post graduation. Some even opt for higher studies back home - like Saleel PA from CTGU University, who is pursuing post graduation at the Nellore Medical College, and Jaison James, also from CTGU, who is doing masters in family medicine from Kerala. While state governments like Uttar Pradesh have recently started appointing Indian doctors graduated from China to work in remote areas due to a severe shortage, their acceptability may be an issue. Do the doctors made in China face an acceptance issue? Says Karbhari: “When a patient goes to a doctor, it depends on his expertise.
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August 24, 2012
Gayatri Homam in Houston
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BY DR. VIVEK NATARAJAN HOUSTON: Gayatri Mantra is extolled as the highest mantra in the Vedic texts. Any human being who has been initiated into the worship of this sacred mantra is extolled to perform the japa (conscious repetition) of Gayatri everyday without fail. This daily worship is very meritorious and bestows the practitioner with all benefits. Once a year, all initiates are supposed to do a japam of 1008 repetitions of the Gayatri mantra as a Samvatsara prayaschitta( repentance) for all sinful acts that may have been performed in that year. This annual ritual is called Gayatri Pratipad and is done a day after Shravana Purnima (day of Yajur upakarma and Rakshabandhan). In the spirit of Gayatri japam, the southern chapter of the Sringeri Vidya Bharati foundation (based in Houston) organized a Gayatri Yagnam. Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation is the overseas affiliate of the Dakshinamnaya Sharada peetham. The peetam is established by the world renowned Vedic philosopher and teacher Adi Sankara from 5th century CE . The Event was attended by 30 Ritwiks (devotees) ranging from ages
Ritwiks Performing Gayatri Homam
eight to eighty, on August 11, 2012. The event began with Guruvandam –a reverential prayer to Acharyas of the Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetam. It was followed by Ganapathi Pooja, Punyahavachanam, Kalasha Stapana and Shodasaupachara poojas to Sri Adi Shankaracharya and Sharadambal- the presiding deity of Sringeri . Braving the Houston heat, several of the Ritwiks sat in the fierce Houston sun for about 2 hours and unflinchingly did the japam. Every japam must be followed by dashamsha homa( homam for one tenth the count of Japam) and dashamsham tarpanam( offering of water for one tenth the count of
Japam). The Ritwiks did the Gayatri homam for 108 Ahuti( 108 offerings of Ghee accompanied by the chanting of Gayatri mantra). It was followed by a Purnahuti( final offering) and the feeding of the Ritwiks. A Short Message from our Chairman Sri. Srinivasa Yegnasubramaniam was conveyed on the occasion of event followed by Sri. Viswasankaran Kartick highlighting the overseas activities of the Mutt Center and its future plans for expansion in USA . Each of the participants went home spiritually recharged with a sacred promise to keep the practice of Gayatri japam every day and eager wait for the event next year.
HGH to Present Life-time Achievement Award to Kokila Shah on August 25
ceived many honors and awards for academic and extra-curricular activities. She worked on a rural Initiative in a village in Madhya Pradesh along with city-based non- profits. Also, she performed in over 30 street plays all over Delhi on social issues with Ahwaan Foundation. She is a human development professional, nutritionist and a teacher, with a humanitarian outlook towards life and world.
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Kokila Shah
Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) will present a Life-time Achievement Award to Kokila Shah and Akhil Chopra Memorial Service Award for Community Service to Kirti Dogra at the Janmashtrami celebration on August 25. Kokila Shah is a wife, mother of three , grandmother, community worker and friend to anyone and everyone. Her greatest and most admirable attribute is her willingness to love unconditionally. In Hinduism, the scriptures remind us offer our services unconditionally. For many, this is an aspiration. For Kokila Shah, this is how she lives her life. Kokila Ji always has a kind word and a mother’s concern for everyone. She does not distinguish between her children and other children. She does not distinguish between her family and other families. She keeps an eye out for those who are far away from their family. For Kokila, there is no need for formal organizations to do social work. Dozens of nieces and nephews, friends, and family
Kirti Dogra
have transitioned through Kokila’s home. She has been active in Swadhyey, VHP summer camps, Ekal Vidyalaya, Indicorps, and dozens of other organizations throughout the Houston area. Kriti Dogra, daughter of Ashok and Vinita Dogra, was born in New Delhi, India. She completed he bachelors’ from Delhi University and masters from Mumbai University. Kriti re-
After completing her Masters’ in Human Development, she did her summer internship, 2012 with Sewa International. Since then she has never looked back. She coordinates the Bhutanese Empowerment project and has facilitated the process of obtaining an Americorp Grant, which got Sewa two volunteers to serve the Bhutanese community for three years. She is continuously working towards growing Sewa’s effort in serving the local community. Thus, she is helping in initiating a new program “Family Services”, designed to serve our local south Asian population. She has been instrumental in strengthening Sewa’s effort towards community locally and nationally.
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August 24, 2012
Another Successful Year for Hindu Heritage Youth Camp
BY PUJA CHUGH RICHMOND, TX: I slowly removed my sandals and gazed at the white tables smothered in what looked like hundreds of shoes. As I approached the “sign in” table, I managed to put on an uneasy smile as I anxiously looked around for my friends. It was my first year at Hindu Camp and I had no idea what to expect. I was worried about not knowing enough about Hinduism to be included in discussions, or worse, what if everyone made fun of me? “What if I was supposed to know everything about the Ramayan and Bhajans and Aarti? And educations? What are those? Does that mean people can call on me for answers? I can’t have that. I cannot believe I just strolled into a Hindu camp knowing just what I was taught in grade school; some of these kids have been coming since 2nd grade!” These thoughts swarmed around in my head as I sought out a familiar face for comfort. Luckily, I found that comfort sooner than I thought. As I approached the crowd of high school campers, little did I know that in this group I would find brothers, sisters, and life-long friends. Not only had camp rewarded me with new friends and memories, but it also revived my eagerness to learn more about my religion and customs. I had been given the opportunity to ask questions, seek meaning, and develop an understanding through deep conversations. Camp impacted me personally because it had offered me the ingredients to learn more than I could elsewhere. Whether I sought a mentor, a peer, or a Guru, I had everyone and every opportunity to delve into the Indian culture and understand my religion. This was an opportunity that I was, and still am, so grateful for. That one-week of camp had exceeded all my expectations and left me excited for years to come. I attended camp for two years as a camper, and this year I concluded my third year as a counselor. I have made
High school campers in traditional dress ready for Raas
Jefferey Armstrong addressing VHPA camp in Houston
a point to stay involved with this camp because I appreciate the impact it has on my life every year, and I strive to provide the same opportunity for campers each year. Somewhere in between the late night dodge ball tournament and camp’s famous pau bhaji rests the heart and soul of Hindu Heritage Camp. After 28 years, the camp continues to nurture and stimulate the minds of young Hindus nationally. As a returning counselor and alumni camper, I can honestly say that this camp is the highlight of my every summer. Knowledge, compassion, and friendship compose the foundations of this camp and are weaved into every moment of this 5-day adventure. This year, the adventure began on July 24 as excited campers and counselors rallied into the main hall to participate in “ice breakers”. During this time, campers immersed them-
selves into their new camp family for the week and participated in various games that made them learn about everyone. After 160 campers had checked in, camp’s schedule kicked into gear and campers engaged in early morning Shakha, in-depth educations on Hindu topics, recreation, Bhajans, Aarti, Garba, Holi and late night activities for the rest of the week. This year, special guest Jefferey Armstrong from Vancouver,
Canada spent three days at camp to educate campers on Hindu values and how to answer questions associated with Hinduism. Campers and volunteers appreciated his involvement in camp for the 3 days, especially when he danced at Garba! His presence at camp was truly rewarding. This Hindu camp serves well to address different aspects of Hinduism. Through recreation and yoga, campers are encouraged to care for their body and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In order to stimulate the campers’ minds, each counselor prepares and perfects their educations to present to campers each day. Educations are important to campers and counselors alike. During education time, the counselors present a topic of interest in Hinduism and campers are given the opportunity to share their knowledge, ask questions, and feed into deep discussions. Personally, I feel that as both a camper and counselor, educations are significantly rewarding. Whether I am teaching the lesson or expected to learn, there is always a flow of information that allows me to understand Hinduism in a clearer way. Spirituality is embraced throughout camp in the form of Bhajans and Aarti. From years of being a counselor it is true that every activity, education, and experience is carefully planned so campers can benefit from everything camp has to offer. The impact of camp not only affects campers for days, weeks, and months to come, but like me, this camp has left a lifelong impression on many
who take on this week of adventure. As another successful year of camp has passed, I am thankful for being able to help create this wonderful adventure. This year’s success must be accredited to the counselors, parents, and volunteers that worked at camp. A big and special thank you to Hindu Heritage Youth Camp Director Kavita Pallod. She did an outstanding job coordinating everything and pulling off yet another successful year at camp. Kavita and thirty counselors put in a lot of effort for camp to run smoothly every year. For many people who have attended camp, it has been so worthwhile that they have made the transition from camper to counselor to camp director and even camp doctor. It is safe to say that this year, three generations of campers filled the main hall. It is truly a rewarding and team building experience to be involved in camp, and I would encourage many people to partake in being a volunteer counselor every summer. Cheers to another successful year at Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America Hindu Heritage Youth Camp. For more More information about the 28th Annual Hindu Heritage Camp, visit www.hinducamp.com Puja Chugh is going to be a junior at the University of Texas in Austin pursuing Nutrition with a minor in Biology on the pre-medicine track. She is currently working for CB&I as an Engineering and Project Management Intern. She is adventurous and welcomes the opportunity to try something new. Her involvement at camp spans 5 years.
Concluding day of VHPA Youth Camp
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August 24, 2012
VSGH Receives Accolades for Photo Exhibition at ICC Ifest
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HOUSTON: Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, (VSGH) participated in the ICC – IFEST on Sunday, August 19 held at the Stafford Civic Center, with a five – panel photo exhibition on the Life of Swami Vivekananda. ICC dedicated this year’s Ifest to Swami Vivekananda in honor of his 150th Birth Anniversary. Vedanta Society of Greater Houston (VSGH) is a volunteer, non-profit organization that tries to spread the idea of harmony of religions and unity of fellow human beings based on Sri Ramakrishna’s (the 19th century Saint from West Bengal, India), His Divine Consort Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s, and His foremost disciple Swami Vivekananda’s, (who incidentally was the first person to make an impression about the Hindu religion in the West) experience and teachings. It was formed in 2003 by the amalgamation of two smaller organizations, the Ramakrishna Vedanta Center & the Vivekananda Vedanta Society. From March 2012 to January 2013, VSGH is celebrating Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary. The photo exhibition, which was sponsored by the “Hindus of Greater Houston”, was viewed by multitude of people. Swamiji’s life was portrayed chronologically through photos and short texts on five panels. The photo gallery had some wonderful and a few rare pictures on Swami Vivekananda. The area was always full of viewers and they all complemented VSGH highly for the beautiful arrangement. The
Pete Olson, the U.S. Representative for Texas’s 22nd congressional district at the the VSGH booth.
members of VSGH enthusiastically answered all the queries and questions that the viewers had. VSGH had the great fortune of showcasing the exhibition to some of the VIPs attending the Ifest as well. The new Consul General of India in Houston, Hon. P. Harish came to see the exhibition with his wife, and highly commended VSGH for the effort in putting up this wonderful display. He is very knowledgeable about the Ramakrishna Order, since he used to visit the Ramakrishna Math in Hyderabad. Pete Olson, the U.S. Representative for Texas’s 22nd congressional district, was another VIP who visited the VSGH booth. He was absolutely amazed at the showing and was there viewing and commenting on the display for quite a while. Furthermore, he really
admired Swami Vivekananda and all the work that he had accomplished in his short life of only 39 years. Apart from the photo exposition, VSGH also collaborated with the Tagore Society of Houston in presenting a short skit on the life of Swami Vivekananda, and monitoring & judging the children who participated in the “Multi –media presentation on Swami Vivekananda” and the “Sit & Draw Competition” at the event. VSGH also had a book stall with books for adults and children on Hinduism, Vedanta, Meditation and Lives of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and other saints. VSGH will be presenting this same photo exhibition with more information and panels at the Annual Janamashtami event hosted by “Hindus
of Greater Houston” on Saturday, August 25, 2012, at the George B. Convention Center. If you did not have a chance to see this wonderful presentation at the ICC - IFEST, do come to the Janamashtami function with your family and friends and enjoy this magnificent display of Swami Vivekananda’s life by VSGH (sponsored by “Hindus of Greater Houston”) and all the other myriads of programs that will take place that evening. This week VSGH was also very honored by the visit of one of the Trustees of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission – Srimad Swami Gautamanandaji, the President of the Chennai Ramakrishna Math. Swamiji gave a talk on “Sri Ramakrishna’s Message to Modern World”.
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HOUSTON: Recent riots have pushed Assam into a nightmare. Burnt villages, butchered bodies, overflowing refugee camps and stranded families point to a massive crisis that this state known for its natural beauty can barely handle. While new bodies are being found in riot hit districts every day, more than 200,000 people have been driven out of their homes. Diseases are rampant in refugee camps and cries for help seem to reach nowhere. As its partner organizations have started relief operations in Assam, Sewa International USA has stepped up to help by releasing $5000 to aid the riot victims right away. “Volunteers from Sewa’s partner organizations have started relief operations in Kokrajhar and Chirang, the districts hit hardest by riots. Sewa volunteers are currently running 303 refugee camps in Assam” Prof. Sreenath, President of Sewa International USA informed in a statement. “People are rushing to Sewa’s refugee camps as violence flares up in some parts and families are fearful of fresh attacks. Sewa volunteers are working round the clock to provide relief,” Sreenath stated.
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OPINION INDIA
August 24, 2012
23
Trains Bring Thousands Home to Assam
BY NITIN GOKHALE GUWAHATI (NDTV): As the overcrowded train from Bangalore chugged into Guwahati railway station early on Saturday morning, the occupants let out a spontaneous scream. More out of relief I think than joy. They had arrived home safely. After all they had travelled more than 56 hours in unreserved compartments in searing heat, fleeing a perceived or real threat to their lives in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Tired, unwashed and vaguely afraid, most of the young men (there were hardly any women on this train) worked as security guards, hotel, restaurant and hotel boys. Most of them, leading a hand-to-mouth existence. But at least they were fending for themselves without burdening their poor parents back home. Some had spent over nine years in the Garden city; some just about six months. But all of them said physical and verbal abuse of some of their friends and panic calls from parents and families back home forced them to leave in haste. Most were hesitant to put a timeline for their return. Some others were defiant. A young security guard, Bikash who has spent over three years in Bangalore told me at the railway station: “We are Hindustanis, we have the right to stay to anywhere in the country. I will go back when situation
Hundreds of fearful migrant students and workers from northeastern part of Assam gather at the Bangalore railway station after a rumour of possible violence spread.
is better.” He won’t specify what his definition of “better” is. Bikash and his friends who alighted from the train on Saturday morning with just one bag each, also could not put a finger on why, who and where the rumours of attacks on people from north-east, particularly Assam started. Some said they were stopped on the road and asked: “Are you from Assam?” That was enough to spark fear. Bikash and friends had been watching the ethnic clashes in Kokrajhar on Assamese satellite channels and had heard rumours that there would be a backlash of that violence. Others heard from friends that an SMS had warned of “something” terribly wrong happening after Id on August 20. This was immediately after the Mumbai riots last Saturday.
Staying in a closed group, hardly interacting with the rest of the cosmopolitan society in Bangalore or Hyderabad, the fear felt by a couple of these boys was immediately transmitted to the rest of the group, inducing large-scale panic. Absence of any social links with local residents because of the tendency to live in close-knit, cloistered groups, further aggravated the problem. As I wrote in Outlook in May this year in a different context: “Clan and ethnic loyalties often take precedence over regional identities. A larger community often discriminates against a smaller ethnic group. A surfeit of student groups and associations formed on tribal lines in most big cities bears testimony to this reality. All of them prefer to keep to themselves, trying to find protection in numbers.” With no one to counsel them or offer assur-
ance, these boys started landing up at the railway station on the evening of August 15. As images of the huge rush started flashing on local channels in Karnataka, Assamese channels picked up the news, feeding the frenzy back home, forcing anxious parents to call up their children in panic. As Abhijit Miri told me: “My parents saw reports on TV and said come back. Money is not important.” When Abhijit said he was hopping on to the next available train, a couple of his his friends too decided to leave! No amount of assurance by the government and allurement by the employers could keep these professional back in Bangalore or Hyderabad. All of them simply wanted to go back home even if for a few days. As national channels and newspapers picked up the story, the exodus got radiated to other cities too. In Pune, attacks on North-Easterners further added to the fear. A clueless government initially blamed the social media and offending SMSes or MMSes for the panic but later realised that the establishment was not reacting fast enough. It took close to 48 hours for the Central government as well as state governments in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra to take a grip on the situation. On Saturday afternoon, when I spoke with Assam Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi, he said: “Our desire is that they go back. We will arrange for special trains from here to southern states whenever they want.” (Watch: Tarun Gogoi appeals them to go back) Mr Gogoi said he had spoken to all Chief Ministers, the Home Minister and the Prime Minister too. The government meanwhile has promised to track down those who triggered panic in the North-Eastern community in Bangalore and other cities by sending out threatening and incendiary messages. As tempers cool down and the huge rush of returning migrants gets reduced to a trickle, a calmer rethink will prevail among all stake holders. All those who have worked, studied and lived in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune or Chennai, they will certainly like to go back. The service industry and employers in other sectors are heavily dependent on the north-easterners and would like them back at work as early as possible. The professionals would also like to restart their livelihood. It is therefore incumbent on each one of us to ensure that life goes back to normal by ensuring that rumour mongers are meted out exemplary punishment and at the same time genuinely assuring North-East migrants that they are an integral part of the idea that is India. We owe this to ourselves.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
August 24, 2012
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Serve Others - Be Happy, Says Sunny Sharma BY MANU SHAH refurbished and sold them to cost HOUSTON: The tried and tested conscious hospitals across US and path was never for him. internationally. Some of Sunbelt’s Sunny Sharma was the first mem- key projects are a 50 bed hospital ber of his family to come to the US. in Guinea and a 40 bed hospital in While not totally comfortable with Baton Rouge, Louisana which was the idea, his father eventually came completely outfitted with refurbished around on one condition. He would as well as new equipment. support Sunnys’ tuition in the US but However, Sunny Sharma’s passion would choose his bride from India. is clearly Rotary and his involvement Today no one is more glad than Sunny with the organization makes for an in- he is happily married to Rashmi who teresting story. As a Charter member he says has been a great wife, mother of Sugar Creek Rotary, now known and friend these past 36 years. Armed with a Masters in Industrial Engineering, Sunny joined St Joseph’s where he was responsible for evaluating and cutting costs in almost every department of the hospital. He soon went on to become the Director of Department of Management Engineering for St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Texas Sunny Sharma with wife Rashmi Children’s Hospital and Texan Heart Institute in Houston. as Fort Bend Rotary, the Club started A wanting-to-do-something-on- with a membership of 55. Busy his-own entrepreneurial spirit helped climbing the career ladder, Sunny had Sunny co- found Medical Enterprises little time to attend meetings or play International, Inc. in 1983. In 1987 he an active role in Rotary. In 1996 he sold it to Medical Systems Support, walked into a meeting of 6 remaining Inc. and became Director of Clinical members but that was not the worst Marketing Systems. of it - $4000 in awards had been anIn 1989, Sunny hit upon a novel nounced but there was a slight hitch. concept and Sunbelt Medical Cor- There were no dollars! poration was born. Demolishing the What’s life without challenges! notion that only medical equipment Sunny became President of the Club manufacturers could sell and service and during his tenure not only inmedical equipment, he acquired used creased the membership to 22 but also medical equipment from hospitals, raised $20,000. It was this defining
year that he realized the power of Rotary and what an organization can do to help those not as fortunate. Not one to do things by half measures he hired two people to run his business and began devoting more time to Rotary and its projects. While Rotary prospered, the same could not be said for the business. He came to a point where he had to choose between Rotary and his work. Fate intervened and his son Rajan stepped in. In a short time Rajan proved himself more than capable and Sunny could devote all his time to Rotary. In 2010 Sunny Sharma became the District Governor of 64 Rotary clubs. He credits Rotary with bringing his family closer as his wife, three sons and his 86 year old mother, rallied around and encouraged him every step of the way. In his many years as a Rotarian and District Governor, Sunny worked tirelessly to raise thousands of dollars for several projects in Mexico, India, Haiti and Nicaragua as well as Rotary’s key project - eradicating polio worldwide. Sunny has been donating medical equipment to several Third World countries as part of Rotary’s humanitarian efforts but now he went a step further. 24 students have been hand- picked in Haiti as part of a bio medical training program which aims to train these students to repair the donated medical equipment as well. Haiti’s medical community was profuse in its thanks as their medical efforts no longer came to a standstill due to equipment breakdown. So what is it that drives Sunny Sharma to reach out to the less fortunate? Probably a piece of advice someone once gave him – “If you want to be happy, serve others”
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August 24, 2012
NAME CORRECTION/CHANGE
25
(1) OLD NAME: Mumtaz Saiyadali Karediya NEW NAME: Mumtaz Nisar Momin
DOB : 01/06/1971
(2) OLD NAME: Krinza Saiyadali Karediya NEW NAME: Krinja Nisar Momin
DOB : 25/03/1997
(3) OLD NAME: Saif Saiyadali Karediya NEW NAME: Saif Nisar Momin
DOB : 18/03/1994
OLD NAME : MOMIN MOHMED YAHYA NEW NAME : MOMIN MOHAMMED YAHYA
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(4) OLD NAME: Saiyadali Sultanbhai Karedia DOB : 01/16/1967 NEW NAME: Nisar Sultanbhai Momin
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SPORTS August 24, 2012
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Doing Business in India is Difficult: Dell
NEW DELHI (ET): A combination of power blackouts, uncertain tax rules and contracts that are not honoured make India a difficult place to do business, a senior Dell Inc executive said on Friday in unusually blunt comments by a foreign investor. India’s economy is growing at its slowest pace in nearly a decade, with stubborn inflationary pressures and high interest rates. But what global firms often find hardest is the red tape and the policy paralysis that has stalled major reforms. “Doing business in India is difficult because the problem is there are too many decision makers,” Amit Midha, president ofAsia Pacific and Japan for Dell, said in an interview. “And decision makers change quite often. New decision makers come and they don’t honour the contract previously signed.” Irked by a lack of opportunities, Germany’s Fraport - the world’s sec-
in a growing list of companies exiting Asia’s third-largest economy. “When a company is trying to leave India and that company is well
respected, then clearly it suggests that there is something, this place is not easy to work,” Midha said. A lack of clarity in recent proposals aimed at targeting tax evasion, including retrospective taxation on foreign corporate deals involving Indian assets, panicked foreign investors. Those rules have now been put on hold. “Policies like retroactive taxes...are a huge risk for us to make an investment. We just do not know how to assess our results and how to report our results globally,” said Shanghaibased Midha during a visit to New Delhi. “That sort of a set-up doesn’t work for any global company for that matter.” Dell has operations in eight cities in India, where it has had a presence since 1996. With 27,000 employees, India is Dell’s biggest employee base outside the United States. Chief Executive Officer Michael
MUMBAI (The Hindu): Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India today inaugurated the largest workshop by any automobile manufacturer at suburban Andheri. Spread over a covered area of 100,000 sq ft, the Rs 52 crore ‘Auto Hangar’ is the biggest such service centre set up by any car maker in India, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Direc-
tor & CEO Peter Honegg said after inauguration. The Auto Hangar has 54 bays capable of servicing 60 cars per day and employs 159 personnel to take care of customer requirements, he said. “Going forward,
“Doing business in India is difficult because the problem is there are too many decision makers,” Amit Midha, president of Asia Pacific and Japan for Dell, said.
ond-biggest airport operator - recently decided to shut its development office in India, becoming the latest
Dell said in July that Dell is bullish on India, along with China and Brazil. Dell’s experience in India has helped it deal better with the complications of doing business in a high-growth, but poor-infrastructure market, Midha said. “From our experience, we tell people, in India, the initial gestation period can be hard, but once it’s over, it can be a lot smoother,” said Midha, who is also the chairman of Global Emerging Markets for Dell. “If you don’t have the resources, don’t get into it. Because you need to make sure you have some staying power to go through the initial gestation period.” Midha said Dell had no plans to leave India and is now familiar with how to “navigate” in the country. “There is a lot of progress made here in terms of infrastructure, but things like blackouts and other things doesn’t give India a good position in the global stage,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz India Opens Largest Workshop in Mumbai world-class servicing standards will be the key differentiator and Mercedes-Benz will continue to create new benchmark and take a lead. We have been focusing on strategically expanding our network in India and this new world-class workshop is yet another step to move closer to the customers,” Honegg said. Mercedes-Benz is present across 31 cities through its 72 touch-points. The company recently unveiled Mercedes Benz B-Class ’Sports Tourer’ in India.
Peter Honegg, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes Benz India, with MD, Auto Hanger,Mohan Mariwala and Director, After Sales, Mercedes Benz, D Chandavarkar at the inauguration of a workshop in Mumbai on Monday
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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SPORTS
August 24, 2012
India Reinventing Itself for NZ After Loss of Dravid, Laxman HYDERABAD (PTI): in the squad after a knee A reality check awaits surgery, looks to make the Indian cricket team the grade, while Raina as it gears up to begin life after a fine performance without the famed batting in the limited overs series duo of Rahul Dravid and in Sri Lanka may get the VVS Laxman when they captain’s faith one more take on a lowly New time to prove himself Zealand in the first Test in the Test scheme of of the two-match series things. on Thursday. The opening slot looks Sachin Tendulkar is the all set with the left-right only player left of the combination of Gautam ‘Fabulous Five’ brigade Gambhir and Virender after Sourav Ganguly, Sehwag, but youngster followed by Anil Kumble, Ajinkya Rahane, who Rahul Dravid, and most is yet to play a Test, recently, VVS Laxman may have to wait for bid adieu to international his turn. cricket. The absence of Dravid Now the challenge for (a record 210 catches India is to overcome the from 164 matches) and transition phase in the Laxman (135 from 134) upcoming home season, Indian cricket team coach Duncan Fletcher (left) and would mean India would in which the team would Captain M.S. Dhoni strategize for the upcoming test have to fill in the void in play 10 Tests, 13 ODIs series.against New Zealand. the slip position also. It and three Twenty20 was also evident during Internationals, apart from the season with rigorous training at the net sessions of the team as ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka in NCA and with two centuries in special attention was given to slip September. local matches, surprised everybody catching practice. It is no secret that the mighty by announcing his retirement with World No. 8 New Zealand, Australians are still struggling immediate effect, withdrawing however, are excepted to give a after the fading away of their himself from the Test squad against perfect chance to India seniors to cricketing greats. Thus, India’s New Zealand just days before the get over the England and Australia young brigade would be keen to start of the first match at his home blues. overcome this tough phase with ground here. While Tendulkar is excepted the help of Tendulkar’s experience It highlighted communication to play without pressure, having before their real test starts in 2013 loopholes in the team’s think-tank, achieved his 100th international when they take on the current No. and Laxman’s open admission century mark, Sehwag, after 1 Test side, South Africa. that he could not reach his skipper failing in the seaming and bouncy Moreover, the Indian team is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, only overseas conditions, will look to returning to Test action after a fuelled more speculation. plunder the weak Kiwi attack, gap of seven months, which was Without the local hero, the which is without their star spinner preceded by two disastrous Test interest in Thursday’s match is at Daniel Vettori. series. an all time low and it remains to In the bowling department, After being drubbed 0-4 in be seen how Dhoni’s men wriggle Zaheer Khan will spearhead the England that stripped India off themselves out of this situation. pace attack, while Ishant Sharma, their No. 1 Test status, an identical Having slipped to No. 5 in less who took only five wickets in rout followed in Australia. than a year’s time in Test rankings, four matches in Australia, is back The aftermath of the debacle was the youngsters would be keen after an ankle surgery and his even more disturbing as Dravid bring the team back on track match fitness would be closely and Laxman, the two important during the home stretch before monitored. pillars of Indian cricket, retired next year’s South Africa tour. Meanwhile, Rajiv Gandhi ahead of the start of the new With stunning performances International Stadium strip season. over the last few years, Virat Kohli promises to offer something for Their absence would mean that looks set to fill in the no. 3 void, but the spinners, especially after it India would be without the two filling no. 5 and 6 slots still remains was criticised when it last hosted prolific scorers, who had a total a challenge for the team, even as the same opponents in November tally of 22,069 Test runs in 298 Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara 2010 that saw a drab draw with matches, almost after 16 years. and Subramaniam Badrinath are Harbhajan Singh slamming an While Dravid quit in March, in contention. unbeaten century. Laxman, who geared up for the Pujara, who has been included The Test also saw Brendon
McCullum notch a career best 225 in the second innings, while opener Tim McIntosh was the other centurion. But this time around, the curator assured that the ball would turn from second day onwards. And that should inspire the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Piyush Chawla. With Harbhajan sidelined, Ashwin would look to cement his place in the Test side after making a splendid debut against the touring West Indies last season. Often in and out of the side, Ojha would also look to fox the Kiwis with his left-arm orthodox. It remains to be seen whether legspinner Chawla, whose selection after a poor first-class last season surprised many, gets a chance to prove himself once again. But Indians will look to relish the home conditions and would be upbeat to take on the Black Caps, who have come here after demoralising back-to-back defeats against South Africa (0-1 at home) and the West Indies. The Kiwis had performed well in patches in their last tour with two draws in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad before they went down in the three-match series with an innings and 198-run defeat in Nagpur. However, without veteran Vettori, their highest wicket-taker (14), the visitors would have to reinvent their spin attack through offie Jeetan Patel and leggie Tarun Nethula. In the pace department, Tim Southee, who was effective in West Indies, would be a key to their success. Teams: India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Subramaniam Badrinath and Piyush Chawla. New Zealand: Ross Taylor (captain), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Daniel Flynn, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tarun Nethula, Jeetan Patel,
HPL Returns After Break
HOUSTON: The Houston Premier League (HPL) returns to a full slate of matches on the weekend after the Ramdhan break. On Saturday, August 25 at 10:30 am, the Arc Gladiators take on the Avengers in a must-win game. Two games are on slate on Sunday-- Lions vs. Stallions at 9:30 am and Stallions vs. Rangers at 2 pm. All matches take place at the Sardar Patel stadium at 18700 Madden Road, Richmond, TX 77469
South Africa on Top
LONDON: South Africa replaced England as the world’s best Test side after neutralising most of the hosts’ key players during a 2-0 win in a three-match series. The Proteas went to the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table after completing a 51-run victory in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday. But they’d already done one of the most important things in a short series by winning the first Test at The Oval, before drawing the second in Leeds. And their opening success was not just any win but a crushing innings and 12-run triumph. They demoralised England by compiling a mammoth 637 for two declared featuring Hashim Amla’s national record 311 not out. Importantly, Amla was dropped early in his innings, setting the tone for a series where England’s normally reliable fielding let them down. And to think this was an area where many felt South Africa might struggle after veteran wicket-keeper Mark Boucher was ruled out before the series started with a career-ending eye injury. “We were able to post totals and build partnerships to get scores on the board which allowed out bowlers a little more freedom,” said South Africa captain Graeme Smith. “It allowed them to attack and get the rewards. We caught well, too. To have won 2-0 is a great feeling.” On paper, South Africa appeared to have the stronger batting lineup and so it proved with England, despite a hundred from Alastair Cook.
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August 24, 2012
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Does Marriage Still Define the Life of Indian Women? BY NILANJANA S ROY NEW DELHI (NYT): What does young India want? At the launch of his sixth book, on just this subject, the popular author Chetan Bhagat offered an inadvertently revealing comment: Naukri aur chokri - jobs and girls. “Today’s youth,” he said, “wants a good, well-paying job and a nice girlfriend in a decent urban city.” Bhagat, whose five novels have sold far more briskly and consistently than most Indian writing in English, is widely credited with understanding the mind-set of young urban Indians. And yet his statement like most of the essays in his new book, a collection of his journalism and nonfiction reflected how easily the aspirations of young women are rendered invisible, not just by Bhagat, but by mainstream Indian culture. There was no reference in his speech to what the girls might want for themselves. In a country where more than 65 percent of the population is under the age of 35, most girls and women are still defined by one major life event - marriage. The most popular television soaps demonstrate this to the point of exhaustion. “A Sacred Relationship” is about a mother’s search for the perfect husband for her daughter, while “Child Bride” follows the life of a young girl, married at the age of 8, trying to find an identity for herself as an adult. “Looks Good to Me” plays on the old Indian standby of mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dramas to explore the complex relationships in the new Indian household, but its focus remains steadily domestic. “What Do You Call This Relationship?” examines the ups and downs of life in a young couple’s arranged marriage over more than 900 episodes. Ira Trivedi, a best-selling author who both holds an M.B.A. and was a contestant in the Miss India beauty pageant, has some perspec-
A bride at a wedding in a village in Punjab, in this April 14, 2011. File photo. Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse, Getty Images
tive to offer. “Marriage still remains of prime importance, family is still the central unit,” she said of her generation of young urban women. “Bollywood and TV, mass media in general really shape their mores, especially when it comes to marriage and relationships.” There is, Trivedi said, a lack of role models for young Indian women, especially those in their 20s. “They can’t look to their mothers, who had arranged marriages instead of the love marriages they want,” she said. “And they don’t have too many role models beyond Bollywood, or a few media figures, perhaps successful professionals like Chanda Kocchar,” the chief executive of ICICI Bank, the largest private bank in India.
Some statistics reinforce Trivedi’s point. The starkest figure comes from the Indian government’s National Family Health Survey, the largest survey of its kind. In 2009, it found that 47 percent of Indian women were married by the age of 18. Many of these women have entered the paid work force, especially in urban India, but tend to look for jobs that will not interfere with family life. The findings of another recent study, the Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia 2011, conducted by Community Business, a nongovernment organization, caused a few ripples of discomfort. Of the Asian countries surveyed, India had the lowest percentage of women in the work force, and they tended to drop out before
reaching midlevel corporate positions. When the report was released, one of its co-authors, Shalini Mahtani, told reporters: “Culturally, Indian women are under the greatest pressure to get married at a young age.” Marriage comes with pressures of its own. Aside from additional housework and childrearing responsibilities, many Indian women also find themselves juggling the tensions and demands of a large extended family, or looking after family elders. But the relative absence of role models and goals other than marriage can change rapidly. In a 2011 study of 495 villages in West Bengal, a team of researchers found that the presence of women in positions of power had a major, positive effect on girls’ aspirations and their family’s aspirations for them. In villages where there had been no female leaders, 86 percent of parents wanted their daughters to be housewives or to let their in-laws decide what they should do. But in villages where a woman had been in charge for at least two election cycles, parents were far more likely to envision other possibilities for their daughters’ lives and careers, with just 66 percent seeing their daughters in those traditional roles. “I think there’ll be rapid change in another 10 years,” said Trivedi, pointing to another factor in changing ambitions, the number of women migrating from small towns and villages to large cities. “When women move away from their hometowns and their families, suddenly they’re in very open and anonymous workspaces. Marriage stays important, but their lives change, and open up, in other ways.” What will young women want in 2022? The majority might still find themselves defined by marriage. But perhaps there will be a larger shift, and more of the chokris will want naukris of their own.
Annual Health Survey: Private Hospitals Fuel C-Section Epidemic BY SUBODH VARMA MUMBAI (TOI) An epidemic of caesarean deliveries seems to have overtaken hospitals and government data indicates that private hospitals are largely responsible for this. According to the recently released Annual Health Survey deliveries by caesarean sections (C-section) are 3 to 10 times more prevalent in private institutions compared to government institutions. In several states, the gap is jaw dropping. In Assam, only 10 percent of deliveries in government hospitals were by C-section while in private hospitals, the share was 41 percent. Similarly, in Bihar only 3 percent of deliveries were done by C-section
in government hospitals while this share rose to 22 percent in private hospitals. The data was collected in a huge survey carried out by the Census office during July 2010 and March 2011 covering a sample of 1.8 crore people spread over 284 districts in 9 states - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. These are states with poor health outcomes in the past and have been targeted by both the government as well as non-governmental agencies for special attention. Previous surveys have shown that at the national level, C-section make up about 9 percent of all deliveries
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but with huge regional variations, and also, a large rural-urban differential. Clearly, as private facilities have expanded, so has the rate of operated deliveries. A Caesarean section is the technical name for delivering a baby by operating the mother under anesthesia rather than allowing normal labor and delivery. It is recommended
in cases where there is distress due to wrong positioning of the baby in the womb, obstruction, etc. On an average, a caesarean delivery costs anything upward of Rs 25,000. Why is this happening? Public health experts were aghast at these figures and blamed the irrational practices of the private sector. There is complete lack of regulation of services being provided by the private sector, said pediatrician Vandana
Prasad, convenor of National Public Health Resource Network. “No one knows what private hospitals are doing, why they are doing it, at what cost and how rational it is. The problem is that there is no system for oversight. These figures reflect an obvious problem and are far higher than expected in the private sector,” adds Prasad. While there is no doubt that these are appallingly high figures of Csection in the private sector, there is need to consider the failing public health facilities too, says public health expert Amit Sengupta. “Poor facilities at community health center) level in the rural areas may force people to go to private hospitals,” he says.
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INDIA
August 24, 2012
Tech Mahindra Appoints C P Gurnani as Managing Director
C P Gurnani
Job Posting:
MUMBAI (BS): Tech Mahindra has appointed C P Gurnani, credited with the turnaround of the scam-hit Mahindra Satyam, as Managing Director. “C P’s journey as the turnaround CEO is now complete and I congratulate him as he takes on this additional critical responsibility,” Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said in a statement today. The decision was taken at the Board meeting which was held in Mumbai on August 10, 2012, the statement added. Mahindra Group had announced amalgamation of its
TEMPORARY PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
two technology companies under which Mahindra Satyam was merged with parent Tech Mahindra, creating a $2.4-billion entity. In April 2009, Tech Mahindra took over the reins of Satyam Computer Services which was hit by multi-billion dollar accounting scam by its then promoter B Ramalinga Raju by picking up 31% stake for $351 million in a deal monitored by the government. The company was rebranded as Mahindra Satyam. “Tech Mahindra has been instrumental in shaping my career and the opportunity at
Job Posting:
Mahindra Satyam helped me build on that foundation,” Gurnani said. Earlier, he headed Tech Mahindra’s global operations, sales and marketing functions, and led the development of the company’s competency and solution units. He is an alumnus of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, and has held several leading positions with IT companies such as Hewlett Packard Ltd, Perot Systems (India) Ltd and HCL Corporation in his career of over 31 years.
PART TIME PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
KTRK-TV, the ABC O&O located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a temporary full-time PRODUCTION ASSISTANT. This is a great opportunity for an aspiring news producer – as this position involves writing scripts several days a week.
KTRK-TV, an ABC O&O located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a Part-Time Production Assistant. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants a career in broadcast journalism.
In addition, duties include, editing stories, sorting newscast scripts, and running the teleprompter. Candidates must be willing to work overnights, weekends, and holidays. College degree preferred. Preference will be given to those with previous experience in a television newsroom.
Duties include, but are not limited to, sorting newscast scripts and running the teleprompter. There may also be opportunity to write and edit stories. Candidates must be willing to work overnights, weekends, and holidays. College degree preferred. Preference will be given to those with previous experience in a television newsroom. No relocation assistance provided.
All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. Additionally, please mail writing samples to: Robin Freese, Executive Producer, KTRKTV, 3310 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005 and reference JOB ID #61289BR. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
All interested candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file. Please reference Job ID: 61290BR on all materials submitted. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
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