Friday, August 7, 2026 | Vol. 45, No. 32
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August 7, 2026
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Indo American News
Published weekly from Houston, TX
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Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News
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CGI Supports Genuine Cup for Athletes with Disabilities
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Why India Cannot Be Cape Verde
Meet Japan’s Winner for Biryani
Recognition for Houston Health
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W E D D I N G S , S P E C I A L E V E N T S , T E N T E D E V E N T S , O U T D O O R C O U R T YA R D
3 3 3 0 F M 1 4 6 3 | Ka t y, T X 7 7 4 9 4 | 8 3 2 . 8 5 5 . 5 5 2 0 | p a l m r o y a l v i l l a . c o m Indo-American News • Friday, august 7, 2026, 2026 • www.indoamerican-news
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COMMUNITY
CGI Supports Genuine Cup for Athletes with Developmental Disabilities Houston: The Consulate General of India, Houston, is pleased to associate with the Genuine Cup (https:// genuinecup.org, a global movement advancing inclusion, teamwork, and humanity through sport. Launched in 2024 by the Houston-based Genuine Foundation, the tournament has grown from 12 teams to a gathering of 50+ nations in just three years, bringing together athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and autism on a single, unified field. This noble initiative reflects values that resonate deeply with the Indian community and our shared commitment to building compassionate and connected societies. On 29 July 2026, Consul General D C Manjunath, was delighted to welcome #TeamIndia for an evening of warm interaction and appreciation. He congratulated the young and enthusiastic players participating for the first time in the third edition of this unique international tournament, encouraged them to play with spirit and integrity, and appreciated their dedication to representing India on a global stage. On 31 July 2026, the Consulate joined the organizers, sponsors, supporters, and fellow members of the Consular Corps at the Partnership Celebration, honouring the values of sportsmanship, inclusion, charity, and the essence of humanity that define the Genuine Cup. On the concluding day, it was a moment of pride that #TeamIndia reached the final of its group in its
The athletic competitions took place at Rice University stadium.
Reception at CG home.
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CG Manjunath (right)
debut participation in the tournament. Consul General D C Manjunath and a large number of supporters joined the team to cheer them on. Although the tournament concluded on 1 August 2026 in an impressive closing ceremony, it marked the beginning of a larger journey of assimilation and empowerment for all participants, setting a roadmap for inclusion and opportunity for the wider IDD community. CGI Houston conveys its sincere appreciation to the Genuine Foundation, Torras Lombana Foundation, Tricon Energy, Rice University, and all stakeholders whose vision, action, and generosity continue to make this global tournament a powerful platform for unity and positive change.
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4 August 7, 2026 COMMENTARY Why India Will Never Be Football’s Next Cape Verde By J. Suresh New Delhi: Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has raised pertinent questions regarding an upcoming glamourous friendly match between India and Brazil. There’s no doubt that the match will draw a lot of excitement. But will it really help football in India? A big question that emerged from the just-concluded Fifa World Cup is if Cape Verde, a tiny island nation with a population smaller than a single Mumbai neighborhood, can go toe-to-toe with three-time world champions Argentina, why can’t India, a nation of 1.4 billionn, do the same? The customary excuses are always lined up on cue: dry corporate funding, lack of govt support, and scarce infra. But this economic diagnosis mistakes the symptom for the disease. To build worldclass champions, a nation requires a massive pyramid base of everyday grassroots participants. Infra does not create a sporting culture; a sporting culture demands and eventually builds its own infra. To understand why India wins where it wins, we must untangle how our shared history, social structures, and cultural psychology dictated which sports captivated the masses and which remained on the sidelines. Cricket, from elitism to democratization Post-Independence, In-
dia’s educated class sought an aspirational lifestyle to cement their social status, and cricket became the ultimate conduit. Turbocharged by the glamorous patronage of princely states like Holkars and Scindias, the sport flourished in elite urban clubs and British Presidencies. Well into 1970s, the national team remained heavily dominated by these affluent hubs in south and west Football culture in Brazil’s favela. India. Cricket’s cricket out of exclusive clubs, true genius, however, lay in its broadcasting it directly into lowerradical democratization. As mid- middle-class living rooms. This dle-class aspirations expanded, the media explosion happened in locksport achieved escape velocity due step with a rising mass consciousto its incredibly low barrier to en- ness, ignited fully by the legendary try. A child in a Tier-3 town need- 1983 World Cup victory. ed no manicured grass; they easily Hockey, a matter of national swapped bats for wooden planks pride Unlike cricket’s elite origins, and cricket balls for rubber ones. hockey grew from British military Tech bridged the final divide. barracks and cantonments. It was In 1970s and 80s, transistors and rapidly adopted because it served Doordarshan television snatched as a flawless canvas for the spe-
cific physical vocabulary – artistry, wrist-work, and clever deception – that Indian athletes naturally possessed. By perfecting the unique ‘Indian Dribble’, players used delicate body swerves to bypass physical European tactics with pure finesse. This high-risk, high-reward style gave a colonially oppressed nation its first taste of absolute global dominance. India’s historic run of six consecutive Olympic gold medals (1928-1956) elevated the sport to a matter of fierce national identity,
turning legends like Major Dhyan Chand into folklore. The flaws in our current ecosystem are clear: lack of persistent international exposure, lack of specific physical training for the sport, and lack of an informal, everyday playing culture similar to the favelas of Brazil. Plus, the 1990s cable TV boom created a culture of passive spectatorship. The urban middle class bypassed domestic football to pledge allegiance to European clubs. Wearing a Real Madrid jersey became a socio-cultural status symbol, but it never translated into a youth culture of actually kicking a ball on the streets. The hard truth remains: you can build state-of-the-art, billion-dollar academies in every metropolitan city, but you cannot manufacture the soul of a sport. India would do well to stop agonizing over a highly improbable Fifa World Cup qualification. -- ToI The writer is a management consultant.
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BUSINESS
August 7, 2026
Why is Russia, an Oil Superpower, Buying Petrol from India?
Mumbai: India has become the largest buyer of Russian crude shipped by sea. Russia, meanwhile, was not a significant market for Indian petrol till recently. But now, in an unusual reversal in the countries’ energy trade relationship, one of the world’s largest oil producers is forced to turn to India for fuel. On July 6-7, it transferred its entire cargo to another tanker Garnet, at Damietta Light, off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, according to Kpler, which said it used satellite imagery to track the operation. Garnet then headed north along the Norwegian coast towards the Beloye More (White Sea) near Vitino, Russia, where it was expected to arrive by the end of July. This shipment appears to be the largest single petrol cargo imported by Russia since its present fuel crisis began. Shipping sources said another tanker, Varg, also loaded with petrol at Vadinar, was heading towards Suez, where its cargo is expected to be transferred to another vessel off Egypt’s coast for onward journey to Russia. Reuters had reported in early July that at least 60,00 tonnes of petrol had been dispatched from India aboard two tankers carrying 30,000-40,000 tonnes each. for Indian petrol before the current shortage. But now, one of the world’s largest oil producers is turning to India for fuel it can no
India imports Russian crude, refines the crude, and exports petrol back to Russia.
longer refine in sufficient quantities at home, marking an unusual reversal in the countries’ energy trade relationship. The irony goes further: according to Kpler data cited by the Financial Times, more than 90% of the crude processed at Vadinar in 2026 had come from Russia. Much of the petrol being sent back in this particular cargo may well have been produced from Russian oil. How India became
Russia’s fallback refinery India imports most of the crude oil it requires. But it has also built one of the world’s biggest refining industries. It is the world’s fourth-largest refiner, with capacity of 258.1 million tonnes a year across 22 operational refineries. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said India consumed 243.2 million tonnes of petroleum products in 202526, while exporting 61.5 million tonnes. Indian refineries buy raw oil
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and convert it into petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, naphtha and other products for domestic and overseas markets. Russian oil was marginal in India’s crude basket before the Ukraine war. But after many Western countries stopped buying its oil, Moscow redirected barrels to India and China, often at discounts. In June 2026, preliminary Kpler and LSEG data put India’s Russian crude imports at a record 2.7 million barrels a day. Russia supplied more than half of India’s total crude imports in the month, up from 36.5% in May. The increase was partly driven by disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, which reduced some West Asian supplies and encouraged refiners to buy more Russian barrels. Vadinar sits at the centre of this trade. Nayara Energy, formerly Essar Oil, which can refine 20 million tonnes a year, is India’s second-largest single-site refinery. Nayara is incorporated in India, but has no major Indian promoterRosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil company, owns 49.13%. Another 49.13% is held by Kesani Enterprises, an investment vehicle backed by Russia’s United Capital Partners and Hara Capital, a subsidiary of Italy’s Mareterra Group. Essar sold the business to the Rosneft-led consortium in 2017. -- ToI
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8 August 7, 2026 CUISINE Meet the Japanese Chef Who Won a Michelin for Biryani By Sneha Bhura Tokyo: Osawa, a Japanese chef working out of a ten-seat basement in Tokyo’s Kanda district, won a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026 for his restaurant Biriyani Osawa, which serves exactly one thing: a single pot of biryani per meal. Little wonder Osawa uses ‘Biryani or Die’ as his motto and tagline, a conviction he once called “biryani fundamentalism”. This past week, the chef with that single-minded focus travelled to Mumbai for a sold-out two-day pop-up at Indian Accent, serving three expressions of his biryani: shiitake mushroom, chicken and lamb. But Osawa isn’t interested in playing it safe. “Indian guests know their biryani. They are strict
judges. I want them to judge my biryani. My mission is to create more and more delicious biryani,” says the 36- year-old, who flew to Hyderabad in Jan to cook for Telugu superstar Ram Charan. Osawa spent his early career at a biofuel company, drawn to the work because “I like chemistry.” That instinct for measuring and retesting was redirected, first toward a pan of fried rice and eventually toward a beloved South Asian rice staple that entered his life almost by accident. In 2009, on a tourist trip to India with a friend, Osawa walked into a restaurant in Coimbatore and
ordered a dish without knowing what it was. “It was so delicious. I ordered another biryani and then tried one at another restaurant.” He doesn’t remember the restaurant’s name, only that he ordered at least three more biryanis that day. That chance encounter over 15 years ago became an obsession with a dish whose history remains as fiercely contested as its recipes. From Mughal courts and Nizami kitchens to Persian rice traditions, regional styles from Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Sindh and Malabar all lay claim to the
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‘real’ biryani. But Osawa doesn’t pick a side. “I learned to make biryani across South Asia, in Hyderabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Kolkota, Delhi, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,” he says. “I create my own recipe by bringing together the best of what I learned. The base is Hyderabadi biryani, but I use Kolkata-style spices, Pakistani-style gravy and a Balochistani method for tenderizing the meat.” He talks about each region like someone comparing laboratory notes. His favourite is Tamil Nadu. “Every grain carries flavour and umami there. The Hyderabadi one is more layered; the flavour keeps changing. Kolkata biryani is the best example of how to make a delicious potato, which I sometimes enjoy more than the meat!” says Osawa. -- ToI
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Recognition for Houston Health Department
COMMUNITY
Houston Health Department staff at the NACCHO360 conference in Louisville, KY.
Houston: The Houston Health Department has been recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for implementing best practices in local public health. HHD’s award-winning program brings together our Epidemiology, Information Technology and Informatics teams to provide near real-time Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) reporting for Salmonella cases. By quickly identifying linked cases, analyzing epidemiologic data and pinpointing potential food sources, the program helps contain foodborne outbreaks
faster and better protect Houston’s 2.3 million residents. Congratulations to the team behind this national recognition: • Dr. Varsha Vakil, PhD, MPH – Epidemiology • Aun Ali, MS – Information Technology • Dr. Louis Carillo, MD, MPH & Dr. Rakhee Sardar, BDS, MPH – Informatics This recognition was presented during NACCHO360 in Louisville, Kentucky, celebrating innovative local public health programs making a difference across the nation.
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ENTERTAINMENT
‘The Bose Files: Sach Ya Sazish’ : A Conspiracy?
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Send us the correct answer before August 11, 2026. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week
By archika Khurana Story: Aninvestigative drama explores one of India’s greatest historical mysteries, delving into the enigmatic disappearance and alleged death of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, challenging longheld beliefs and hidden truths. Review: History has always been fertile ground for cinema, but when filmmakers venture into unresolved historical mysteries, the challenge is balancing documented facts with speculation. The Bose Files: Sach Ya Sazish attempts exactly that by revisiting one of independent India’s most debated questions—did Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose really die in the 1945 plane crash in Taiwan, or was it the beginning of one of history’s greatest cover-ups? Writer-director Rajesh Gupta presents his version with unwavering conviction. While the film is undeniably ambitious and backed by extensive research, it struggles to translate its fascinating subject into an equally compelling cinematic experience. The narrative opens with the alleged 1945 plane crash in Formosa, the incident officially accepted as the cause
of Bose’s death. From there, it immediately questions the longstanding narrative and begins assembling an alternate version of history. Through flashbacks, the film chronicles Bose’s remarkable journey—from his ideological differences with the Indian National Congress to his daring escape from British surveillance and the formation of the Azad Hind Fauz. Running parallel to this narrative is the story of Veerali (Apoorva Arora), a college student whose relentless curiosity about Netaji’s fate leads her to a contemporary investigator and senior journalist, Anuj Gupta (Rajesh Gupta). Having spent over two decades poring over classified files and government records, Anuj is determined to uncover what he believes is the truth behind Bose’s disappearance. Together, they set out to prove that Bose survived the 1945 plane crash, lived incognito for years, and that successive governments deliberately concealed the facts from the public. The screenplay draws heavily from books such as Conundrum, The Bose Deception, India’s Biggest Cover-up and Bose: The Untold Story of an
Inconvenient Nationalist, particularly the theories propagated by researcher Anuj Dhar. The film’s biggest strength lies in its research. Rajesh Gupta clearly invests considerable effort in compiling historical references, political documents and alternate theories surrounding Bose’s disappearance. Rather than allowing events to unfold organically, the screenplay repeatedly pauses for lengthy explanations, with facts replacing emotional engagement. Much of the film unfolds through conference speeches, discussions and monologues, leaving little room for cinematic tension or dramatic progression. The result is a film that informs more than it entertains. The storytelling also suffers from modest production values that limit the scale the subject deserves. A story involving wartime espionage, political intrigue and one of India’s greatest freedom fighters demands visual grandeur and immersive recreation. Instead, the film frequently appears restrained and stage-like, reducing the impact of several pivotal moments. -- ToI
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