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Friday, November 15, 2019 | Vol. 38, No. 41

Indo American News

Published weekly from Houston, TX

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Sikhs in Houston Join Celebration of Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth Anniversary

LEFT: The Sikh Center of the Gulf Coast leaders welcome Houston Sylvester Turner to the gurudwara . See article on Page 5. ABOVE: The Sikhs of Houston volunteers at the Emergy Aid Coalition facility to provide backpacks full of useful products for the homeless. See article on Page 6.

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

November 15, 2019

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

DIASPORA

November 15, 2019

Sikhs Worldwide Celebrate Founder Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth Anniversary Amritsar: It is one of the biggest birthday celebrations in the world: millions of Sikhs will today mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of their religion. The annual celebration has been given extra significance this year with the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, a secure, visa-free passage between India and Pakistan that gives Indian Sikhs access to the place where the guru breathed his last in 1539, now one of the religion’s holiest sites. Guru Nanak was born in 1469 to a Hindu family at Nankana Sahib, a city about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Lahore. Some legends say there were signs of divinity around him from the start, such as the time a cobra was found rearing over his head — not to attack him, but to shade him from the sun as he napped. As he grew older the Guru began travelling, preaching a faith based on equality and one God. He died in 1539 in Kartarpur, where his remains are buried. Nine gurus followed Guru Nanak and there is no living human successor, but

550th birth-anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The organization’s goal is to reach out to Sikhs all across the globe to plant 550 trees at 1,820 locations in different parts of the world or in Punjab, as a gift to the entire planet. EcoSikh will initiate this plantation drive at a select location related to Guru Nanak in Punjab, India and in Punjab, Pakistan. In New York, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin on Tuesday participated in the celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev held in New York. A video shared on the official twitter handle of the Indian mission to the UN shows Akbaruddin serving langar to the devotees gathered at the premises of the mission located here. the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy book — is considered the 11th and eternal. Sikhs around the world, but especially on the subcontinent, will come together to sing, pray, eat and hold sprawling processions to different gurdwaras. Some of

the biggest celebrations will be the site of their one of their holiest shrines, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Apart from it being the 550th anniversary, this year also saw the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor — a secure land link allowing In-

dian Sikhs to visit the gurdwara in the Pakistani town where the Guru died. EcoSikh, an environmental organization based in Washington, is planning to engage the Sikh community to plant 1 million trees throughout the planet to mark the

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

CRY Takes to Feet to Raise Money, Awareness By Jawahar Malhotra

Sugar Land: You couldn’t have ordered a more perfect day for a walkathon than Sunday, November 3 as a slight chill hung to the sunshine of the morning with not a cloud in the sky. It brought out a crowd of Indians to support the CRY – Children Rights and You Houston Walkathon and help raise, at final count, $10,000. The organizers were elated by the turnout and had to thank their sponsors, well wishers and many volunteers. Grand Sponsors were Juuhi Ahuja of Wise Men and Dharam Bali of Vantive Consulting.; Gold Sponsors were Rakesh Shah of Centennial Shingle Roofing, Shalin Patel of Vibe Restaurants, Pranav Patel of Executive Baskets and Irfan Motiwala of Aling’s Chinese Cuisine Others who donated their time and services were Murali Santhana (the official photographer), Meena Datt Radio, Ruchika Singh Diaz Bollywood Shake Houston; Umang Mehta Deep Foods; DJ Sage Nirmanz Food Boutique Nirman Shah; Bhojan Restaurant Haren Mathuria; Radio Dabang 99.5FM Moid Khan Namaste Radio Vanshika Vipin Varma; Sandeep Sulhan (DJ Dholi Deep); Udipi Cafe Houston; Sathish Marathe-Rao Mahesh Shah Sunil Srivastava; TV ASIA Manisha Gandhi Gautam Jani; Indo-American News Jay Malhotra. The event’s emcee was Guddi Shah, Realtor with Maha KayKay,

and featured two great guest speakers Dr. Hema Patel and Me Versus Me MAYKR Shana Parikh. The CRY America Houston team came in early and set up for the walk and had a different table for those who pre-registered so that they could pick up their Walk t-shirts. Ruchika Singh Diaz of Bollywood Shake kicked off the walk with a Zumba-Bollywood warm up class to warm people up before the walk. Besides this, there was a dance

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COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

Sikh Center of Houston Hosts Mayor Turner at Guru Nanak’s 550 Birthday Services

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON: Four years ago

when he last visited the Sikh Center of the Gulf Coast on Prairie St., it was completely different. This past Tuesday night, November 12, when Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner visited on the occasion on Guru Nanak’s 550th Birthday services, he came to a totally remodeled gurdwara with all the conveniences of a modern building. The building itself has been enlarged by 40 feet giving both the langar hall and kitchen below a lot more space and expanding the upstairs worship hall added seating area. The altar is larger and the Sikh faith emblem is softly backlit. There are larger and more organized rooms for the shoes and an elevator flanked by two stairs provides access to the upper floor. Outside, a covered porte cochere accesses the front entrance, emblazoned with “Welcome” in English and Gurmukhi. “The Mayor wanted to be part of the congregation on a very special occasion for the entire community”, said Bobby Singh, who often volunteers at the Sikh Center, as he escorted the mayor, “and we were delighted to host him”. On the first intensely cold day of winter, there was a steady stream of worshippers coming to the gurdwara to participate in the pious kirtan and gurbani sung by granthis in honor of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary prior to the arrival of Mayor Turner a little after 8 pm. Sukhdev Singh, the Board Secretary welcomed the worshippers and Dr. Kamaljit Singh, a founding member of the gurdwara introduced the Mayor. “The Sikh Center is the oldest gurdwara in the region,” Kamaljit Singh intoned, “having been formed in 1973. At that ceremony, then mayor Louie Welch came to the

Mayor Sylvester Turner addresses the congregation.

Sikh Center Secretary Sukhdev Singh makes opening remarks

Sikh Center founding member Dr. Kamaljit Singh welcomed the Mayor

Above: Mayor Turner with a young worshipper Bottom from left: The Sikh Center of the Gulf Coast Board of Directors presented a plaque to the Mayor; Mayor Turner, seated with the congregants, listens to a sermon

inauguration and now, 46 years later, we welcome you to this holy celebration.” He described the many accomplishments of Turner’s almost four years in office. Singh favorably compared Turner’s abilities with the values Guru Nanak preached and said, “by visiting this place today, you will have definite success in the runoff on December 14”. In response, Turner said he “felt blessed to be here – and it’s not my first time” (he has visited the Center twice before). He expanded on a salient point of his campaign – diversity and inclusiveness – and pointed out to Bobby Singh who he has appointed to the Houston First Board and Manpreet Kaur, a young attorney in his former law firm. “From our diversity, we seek to be one and uplift every single person”, he added. He spoke about his own upbringing as one of nine children of poor, struggling parents who instilled in them the same values as what he saw among the Sikh community. “Open your hand to help others and God will give back to you”, he said. Turner remembered Harris County Deputy Constable Sandeep Dhaliwal who was killed in October and remarked about the values of honesty, respect and service that he exemplified. Touching on Dhaliwal’s induction with the Sikh articles of faith into the Harris County Sherriff’s office, a first for the largest such department in the country, Turner revealed that on Monday, November 18, he would announce that, in consultation with Chief Art Acevedo, the Houston Police Department would also allow the same accommodation. “It was past due”, Turner remarked. “We must tear down the walls of division and make this our city for our families”.

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Publisher: Jawahar Malhotra Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Advertising Administrator: Sarita Mehta Correspondent: Sanchali Basu ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. Deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 212, Houston, Texas 77036.Tel:713-789-6397, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: www. indoamerican-news.com

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

Sikhs of Houston Bring Hope to the Homeless thru Donations By Jawahar Malhotra

Houston: In the large warehouse of Jee Tires on the far east side of Houston, it was an assembly line of assorted items, powered by a small platoon of motivated volunteers, who worked quickly to stuff them into seablue backpacks emblazoned with “Sikhs of Houston God is One’ on its back flap. Some unpacked the cartons on the pallet and refilled containers on the tables, others folded towels and placed them in the bag, passing it down to be filled with socks, a stick of deodorant, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a comb. At the last table, a bottle of water and snacks were slid in and a small printed card with the message of hope and love for mankind that Guru Nanak preached. By the afternoon of Saturday, November 9, the 17 volunteers who formed the Sikhs of Houston had finished stuffing 500 backpacks and placed them, along with 600 more that were prepared by Jasdeep Lamba in the week before, in cartons. All of the items had been donated: the backpacks, a towel and toiletries by the SOH volunteers; another large towel by Alsco; Canteen Vending donated water bottles, cookies, crackers and Cheetos; and Subway sandwiches for lunch were donated in equal share by Prithpal Singh Ghumeer and Pritam Singh Toor.

The Sikhs of Houston volunteers making up the backpacks on Saturday, November 9. A much beloved elder of the community, Shakuntla Malhotra came by to bless the project to serve the homeless.

“At the occasion of Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth Anniversary – which falls during the beginning of the Holiday Season and a prelude to Thanksgiving - a few of us wanted to do something for the community”, explained Jasdeep Lamba whose husband Dev owns the warehouse. “Rani Juneja came up with the idea and we ran with

it”. Altogether, the ad-hoc group of people who have become wellestablished in the Bayou City decided to prepare backpacks and deliver to 10 different homeless shelters across the area. On Monday morning, November 11, they showed up at the Emergency Aid Coalition on 5401 Fannin near the

Museum District to hand them out to the homeless who line up early each morning. Among them, they were surprised to find, was an Indian woman in her 30’s who was a victim of domestic abuse. “She came in flip-flops and said she was going to a job interview. We told her she needed to go in shoes and

asked around if anyone had any to share”, recounted Jasdeep. It turned out that one volunteer, Priti Singh, was the same size – 6 ½ and she donated her shoes to the woman! By 1:30 in the afternoon, the volunteers had served the Subway sandwiches for lunch to the homeless who came and handed out 300 backpacks. Then, as each went back to their homes, they took along cartons to deliver the backpacks and sandwiches to the nine other homeless shelters along their way. These were Covenant House (90 backpacks); Turning Point Webster (80); Turning point Katy Freeway (100); Ft. Bend Women’s Center (65); Salvation Hope Army Galveston (125); Spirit Key Transitional Shelter (35); Sunrise Shelter (40); Mission a Yah Weh (130) and Northwest Assistance Ministry (125). Exhausted but elated by the activity over the past week, Jasdeep, Rani and the others were thrilled that they had been able to give back to the community they have come to call home. The volunteers – Harrdeep Singh, Ranjit Arora, Gogu Sonal, Jai and Lalit Jallan, Taranjit Singh, Kuldip and Seva Legha, Pammy Hayre, Aku Bedi, Anita Mueller, Pinder Gill, Jyoti Kochar, Priti Singh, Rani Juneja and Jasdeep and Dev Lamba plan to take on some other ways to serve the homeless in the upcoming months.

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

7 Arya Samaj Houston Celebrates Diwali with Grand Festivities

COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

Arya Samaj Diwali evening celebration took place outside with DAV Montessori and DAV Sanskriti Elementary School children performed Diwali cultural songs with their teacher sweets and food prepared and served by DAV volunteers. Smriti ji.

Houston: Arya Samaj Houston celebrated Diwali on Sat Nov 2nd evening in a grand manner as a fitting tribute to its founder Maharshi Dayanand Sarasvati. Diwali symbolises the spiritual “Victory of Light Over Darkness, Good Over Evil, and Knowledge Over Ignorance”. In the Main Hall, many great Indian cultural performances took place. Different age groups each performed different activities. Some of the groups that performed were kids playing the Tabla accompanied by Chiddanand ji, with many singing and dancing performances, and the amazing yoga group which demonstrated many unique poses and sequences. The kids that are in the performance,

attend Arya Samaj DAV Sanskriti school every Sunday or DAV Montessori School year around and they have practiced all year to be able to put on an amazing show. These amazing performances help kids learn more about their culture and enjoy fun activities at the same time. The last event which takes place in Arya Samaj is the Raffle. This is organized by the help of AYM youth group. The festivities then kicked off with beautiful weather and many activities. There were numerous booths lined along the front of the DAV Montessori with activities ranging from face painting and games to kulfi stands and pizza. DAVSS & DAV Montessori stu-

dents, AYM kids, and adults all enjoyed the booths. A wide variety of delicious Indian foods like Pav Bhaji, Papdi Chaat, and Chole Bature were also served throughout the evening. The evening came closer to the end with the Diwali raffle winners announced and a beautiful display of fireworks. Finally, Arya Samaj has emphasized the importance of bone marrow donations over the past few years. Recently our very own Rita Gulati Ji gave a life-saving bone marrow donation. Her selflessness serves as a reminder that those of us who are able to donate should definitely do so. In order to further promote this, Arya Samaj hosts a health fair annually where volunteers can sign up to donateー

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

SOUTH ASIA

November 15, 2019

Moody’s Cuts India’s GDP Growth to 5.9% Mumbai: Global ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday slashed India’s 2019-20 GDP growth forecast to 5.8% from 6.8%, citing multiple factors, including a slowdown in investment and consumption. This is the sharpest cut in growth estimates by the agency. The RBI slashed its GDP growth estimate for 2019-20 to 6.1% from 6.8%, also its sharpest reduction in nearly seven years. Several other multilateral agencies have also cut the country’s growth projection against the backdrop of the slowdown that has gripped Asia’s third-largest economy. The projection is lower than 6.1 per cent that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had forecast just last week.

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Moody’s attributed the deceleration to an investment-led slowdown that has broadened into consumption, driven by financial stress among rural households and weak job creation. “The drivers of the deceleration are multiple, mainly domestic and in part long-lasting,” Moody’s said in a report. It expected the growth to pick up to 6.6 per cent in 2020-21 and to around 7 per cent over the medium term. “Although we expect a moderate pick-up in real GDP growth and inflation in the next two years, we have revised down our projections for both. Compared with two years ago, the probability of sustained real GDP growth at or above 8 per cent has significantly diminished,” it said.

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

ENTERTAINMENT

November 15, 2019

‘Bala’ Movie with Ayushmann Khurrana: Hair We Go Again

By Shubhra Gupta Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Yami Gautam, Dheerendra Kumar, Saurabh Shukla, Jaaved Jaaferi, Seema Pahwa, Deepika Chikhalia, Abishek Bannerjee Director: Amar Kaushik Rating: Three and a half stars It’s funny how being hirsute is equated with manliness: a prematurely balding man often becomes the object of juvenile derision; worse, he becomes less than optimum in the sexual attraction-bedmate stakes. Ayushmann Khurrana’s playing of the once- plentiful-now-scarcesar-ki-kheti Balmukund Shukla is so spot-on that you forget the man ever had any hair on his head. And on his chin, arms, chest, and err, presumably, nether regions: all those body parts usually covered with a healthy, glossy, manly pelt. Amar Kaushik’s film is both loud and subtle as it tracks Bala’s journey from a boisterous chickmagnet adolescence to a craven manhood: our hero is the kind of guy who tapes the upper part of his bathroom mirror so that his receding hairline stays out of his line of vision. He has sloping shoulders, slightly protruding teeth, and a belligerence belonging to a fellow wronged by fate. Some of those loud parts are cringe-making. Would you slather on a mix of bodily fluids from a bull (yes, that’s a ‘nuskha’ we see

being used, and it reminds us of Khurrana’s feat in his debut Vicky Donor) in the hope of hair-growth? No? Then you don’t know what true desperation is, even if your household, and audience, is holding their nose in disgust, and their bellies with helpless laughter. But both Kaushik and Khurrana get the vulnerable parts really well too, and that’s where the film scores. The Kanpur-Lucknow locations are still fresh enough (though the next time I hear ‘kantaap’ and Kanpur in the same breath, I will use a right upper cut of my own); the accent is kind-of-there even if not perfectly consistent. The only

one who gets it all the way right is the young actor who plays Bala’s put-upon young brother: Dheerendra Kumar is a hoot. And that brings me to the two ladies in this loop. Bhumi plays Latika, the dark-skinned childhood pal of Bala’s who has grown up tormented because of her complexion, but has been able to put it to a side even if it still hurts. Pednekar was Khurrana’s co-star in one of their best films (‘Dum Lagaa Ke Haisha’), and they bring some spark to their scenes, even if her dark-darker skin tone keeps varying. But conflating bald patesdark skin-short-stature feels like a

bit of a stretch, and a tasteless convenience. I wanted more of Latika, her heart-to-heart chats with her mooch-wali-mausi (Pahwa, always so solid), and her inner turmoil. Why is Latika’s face so disturbingly black, when she herself labels it being ‘saanwli’? Why is the aunt’s hairy upper-lip not been seen to by a beautician? This could have been much more, but is let down by a plot always in a hurry to get back to the male hero’s predicament. The strand that belongs to the fair, beautiful Pari (Gautam) is looser and laxer, but more convincing. Gautam was Khurrana’s Vicky Donor co-star, and we see them

slip smoothly in a groove. The use of the current tik-tok culture raises it up a notch, and I liked that the girl who lives only by appearance is not vilified, because the guy is doing exactly that, too. There are, in fact, so many points that ‘Bala’ is busy raising, while using baldness as a chief peg, that it feels overstuffed at times. And though Bala is meant to be a stand-up comic, his mimicry of Bollywood greats becomes tiresome and repetitive, and a terrific supporting cast is reduced to propping up the hero. And yes, all over again, the third act turns into a moral science lesson: with our hero pontificating on inner and outward beauty, turning his lines into preachy pulpit patter. Yes, we know that fair is not lovely, but society, you know.. Yeah, we know. Still, Khurrana’s Bala is an achievement. He’s perfected the art of playing people who are not instantly likeable, and he works the characters’ kinks to the point where we can see them, and yet sympathise. This is an unfiltered, bare performance, unafraid to be seen as ridiculous: this kind of shucking of vanity, even if it is self-aware, is rare amongst Bollywood actors. Bala is human, he is flawed; he is one of us. He makes us smile. So does this delicious line, Kaushik throwing in a politically acute curveball, just like he did in Stree — ‘poora Uttar Pradesh chal raha hai bhagwaan bharose, aur bhi chal jayega’. Or words to that effect. -- IE

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

“Ekal Vidyalaya” Makes History – Reaches 100,000-School Milestone By Prakash Waghmare New York: November 9, 2019 will remain as the historic day in the annals of “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)”. On this day, in star-studded, glamour filled “Future of India” Gala in New York City, Ekal reached 100,000 school milestones within minutes of its beginning. Going into the ‘Gala’, Ekal had 99,200 schools and so the evening was full of anticipated excitement to ring the bell for magical 100,000-school landmark. As soon as ‘Mohan Wanchoo’, took the reins of the evening as the chairperson of the gala, he took everyone by surprise with his trailblazing announcement. He pledged $1 Million over the period of 5 years patching, with immediate effect, shortfall amount for 800-schools to reach the magical figure of 100,000-schools. These additional schools will be established shortly and will benefit 25,000 children bringing annual literacy total to 2.7 Million children. Mohan Wanchoo’s pronouncement was not only celebrated with thunderous applause and sparkling ‘fireworks’, but it also set in motion exuberant outpour of generosity, for the rest of the evening. By the end of the evening $3.1Million were raised. This was in addition to Los Angeles Gala were $2 Million were raised. This year, NYC magnificent Gala was hosted at lavishly decorated majestic ‘Gotham Hall’ and was attended by the elite of the society and Ekal’s dedicated supporters. Although rooted in literacy, Ekal has blossomed into empowerment of rural-tribal folks across India. The evening’s keynote speaker and star-attraction was Bollywood celebrity and philanthropist ‘Vivek Oberoi’. In addition, distinguished speakers included ‘Raju Reddy’, a successful entrepreneur whose company was acquired by Hitachi, and ‘Ragy Thomas’, leading social-media management & marketing enterprise. ‘Ranjani Saigal’, the Executive Director of Ekal, traced 32-year history of the Ekal, including its transition into a nation building movement. Vivek Oberoi completely stole the show with his

L2R - Rakesh Shreedhar, Suresh Iyer, Raju Reddy, Pradeep Goyal,Vivek Oberoi,Sandeep Chakravorty, Ragy Thomas, Ranjani Saigal.

pledge to put all his entrepreneur might behind rural issues and spearhead small-scale solar power solutions for energy requirements of villages. He said,” I have already received a commitment of over half a million dollars for such initiative”. At the conclusion of his captivating speech, he applauded Ekal getting Iconic “Gandhi Peace Prize” from the government of India for its social work in rural-tribal areas with gender equality. This award, which is given to only one organization each year was recently bestowed on ‘Ekal Abhiyan’ by Hon PM Modi and President Ram Kovind. For the benefit of people assembled, the ‘Peace Prize’ itself was ushered on the stage by a select group of people and presented to the gathering by Prakash Waghmare, a member of PR national committee and Suresh Iyer, President of Ekal-USA. There was a brief panel discussion also moderated by ‘Amrita Saigal’, a young entrepreneur to highlight various aspects of Ekal that appeal to the Donors. Ragy Thomas pledged strong support to education and pledged $100,000 to accelerate its pace. Raju Reddy, partnering with

Ekal expressed desire to bring transformation to rural Telangana. ‘Sarva Mangal Family Trust’ and ‘Keshap Group’ confirmed to match technological intervention in education in ‘digital-tablets’ format. A momentous turn occurred when 13-yr ‘Riya’ donated $1000 from a fund-raiser she had at her home. Vivek Oberoi was so

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touched by this that he appealed to the gathering to match her cute gesture and the gathering responded by additional $30,000. Several dignitaries were honored, including India Consul General of New York, Sandeep Chakravorty and New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. Ekal also recognized several supporters for their distinc-

tive projects. Among them were Dr Kavita Navani of ‘Sankalp’ for aiding 625 Ekal schools; Himanshu Shah of ‘Shah Capital’ for supporting ‘Gramothan Resource Ctr’; Adish & Asha Jain and Vandana & Vivek Sharma for corroborating in integral village development; Subra & Anu Dravida for promoting digital literacy through ‘Ekal-on-Wheel’ project. ‘Perfection of Man Foundation’ made significant announcement at the end of the evening to support planting of 1 Million trees in Ekal villages. Pradeep Goyal, Chairman of ‘Ekal Abhiyan Trust’ and S.K. Jindal, a Trustee had specially had flown from India to grace this occasion and to boost the morale of everyone to make gala a grand success. No gala is complete without the musical treat and this was no exception. To preserve the upbeat nature of the Gala’s success, Bollywood singer Shibani Kashyap kept the crowd sizzling with her singing and enticed them to dance to her tunes. Unlike most of such events, the remarkable thing about this event was the participation of young professional in large number. This is an indication that Ekal’s future is on rock-solid foundation.

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

November 15, 2019

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Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

SPORTS

November 15, 2019

Explained: Kapil’s Natraj Shot in ‘83 By Abhishek De Mumbai: Actor Ranveer Singh on Monday shared a still from his upcoming film ’83’ on his social media handle where he can be seen playing former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev’s iconic ‘Natraj shot’. Donning a curly hairdo with a moustache, Ranveer nails the look of Kapil Dev in the still that is a throwback to India’s improbable win over Zimbabwe in the 1983 Prudential World Cup at the little-known and quaint Neville Cricket Ground at Tunbridge Wells, Kent. While Tunbridge Wells may not ring a bell to the modern generation, it is the ground where arguably Indian cricket’s most defining innings was played by the ‘Haryana Hurricane’ on a cold, windy day in front of 4,000-odd people, 36 summers back on a June Saturday morning. “The match that was never televised… a world record in- Actor Ranveer Singh’s reenactment of Kapil Dev’s famous Natraj shot nings that India never saw… in 1983. this April the world will see how When Kapil walked in, there was Fletcher said to espncricinfo in an history was made on that cold genuine concern that the match interview. windy day in Tunbridge Wells…” The 9th wicket unbroken 126’83’ director Kabir Khan captioned might be over by lunchtime. And run partnership with Kirmani catathen, Kapil got going. the photo on Instagram. He began cautiously, but quickly pulted India to 266/8. At the end Kapil’s feat could not be recordchanged gears to frenetic and bru- of his marathon innings, Kapil’s ed on camera since the BBC was on strike on that day — it remains tal strokeplay, increasing the mo- stats read: 181 minutes, 6 sixes, 16 confined to the memory of the mentum constantly. He reached fours, and a century off 72 balls. However, the match was far spectators and ground staff at the his first 50 only in the 26th over, from over. Zimbabwe had a forbut the next 50 came in 13, and the rhododendron-lined ground. Inmidable middle order in the form terestingly, that India-Zimbabwe third in 10. With him on the other end were of Andy Pycroft, Dave Houghton 1983 World Cup game on June 8 remains the only men’s inter- first Roger Binny, who scored 22 and Fletcher himself. A steady opening stand between national fixture ever held at Tun- before departing with the score at 77, and then Madan Lal and Syed Robin Brown and Grant Paterson bridge Wells. It was a typical English summer Kirmani, who scored 17 and 24 re- was broken after Madan Lal ran out Brown with a superb throw and after winning the toss, India spectively. directly to the stumps from the The rest of the side failed g; bedecided to bat against an opponent that had punched above its weight sides the ducks by the openers, square boundary. Another turning point in the in stunning Australia. Zimbabwe- there were four other single-digit an quicks Peter Rawson and Kevin scores — Amarnath (5), Patil (1), match came when Kapil grabbed a one-handed catch to send back Curran were no Marshall-Holding, Yashpal (9), Ravi Shastri (1). What aided Kapil’s iconic knock Fletcher when he was at just 13. but on that day, they obtained Curran made a gutsy 73, but in sharp seam movement and lift off was the fact that the match was the wicket, and wrecked the Indian played on a pitch at the very edge the end, Zimbabwe folded for 235, of the square, making fours and 31 short of India’s 266/8. The Intop order. dian medium pacers did a good Openers Sunil Gavaskar and K sixes easier to hit on one side. Also, Zimbabwe captain Dun- job, Madan Lal taking 3 wickets, Srikkanth were sent packing without opening their accounts, and can Fletcher chose to take Rawson Binny 2, and Kapil, Amarnath, Mohinder Amarnath, Sandeep Pa- and Curran off the attack at the and Balwinder Singh Sandhu one til, and Yashpal Sharma followed time Kapil came to the crease — apiece. -- Indian Express a decision he regrets to this day, soon afterward. India were 17/5.

Deepak Chahar’s 6 W for 7 Runs, Men’s Record Hat-Trick in T20Is

Bowler Deepak Chahar celebrating his record achievement.

Indore: Deepak Chahar on Sunday broke Yuzvendra Chahal’s records for the best bowling figures by an Indian male in T20I cricket and for that the 27-year-old received ‘besharam’ award by the latter. Chahar bettered Chahal’s figures of six for 25 off his four overs in a T20I match against England in 2017. Deepak Chahar also became only the second Indian after women’s cricketer Ekta Bisht to take a hat-trick in T20Is, and the 12th bowler overall take a T20I hattrick in men’s cricket. He credited his Indian Premier League (IPL) experience with Chennai Super Kings for his knowledge about how to counter the dew in the sultry conditions of the Tamil Nadu capital, because of which he turned up with a record 6/7 against Bangladesh in the series-deciding third T20I in Nagpur on Sunday. The medium-fast bowler, who became the first male Indian cricketer to take a T20I hattrick, has been one of the Chennai Super Kings’ successful new-ball bowlers, used judiciously by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “Playing in Chennai, I have now realised how to counter dew and sweat. How to keep my hands clean. At times, rub dry soil in your hands and then bowl (so that hands don’t get slippery),” said Chahar in an interview on Chahal TV hosted by teammate Yuzvendra Chahal for the BCCI’s official

website. On being asked about his strategy against Bangladesh in the third T20I, which India won by 30 runs, the Rajasthan seamer threw light on his plan considering there was no nip in the air and the ball wasn’t swinging a lot on Sunday. “Since the side boundaries (at VCA Stadium) were big and that was the plan that we will have to force the batsman to play shots on the sides. I also wanted to vary the pace as the ball was getting wet because of the dew and it was difficult to grip,” Chahar explained. For the 27-year-old, never even in his wildest of imaginations, he could have thought about incredible figures of 6 for 7 in just 3.2 overs. “I came to know in the end that I got a hat-trick since I got the first wicket off the last ball of previous over. Even if you sit back at home and dream, you will not think that in four overs, you will get six wickets for 7 runs,” said Chahar. Chahar also expressed his delight that stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma used him a bit differently in the middle overs instead of exhausting him early on. “I’ve just been wanting to work hard. It’s all God’s help that I’m here. Today the plan was to bowl upfront with the new ball. I was told I’ll be bowling the crucial overs. I’m happy the team management gave me that responsibil-

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

November 15, 2019 13

COMMUNITY

Assamese Bihu at Diwali Celebrations at Hemisfair Park and Riverwalk By Runmee Barbara San Antonio: On Saturday, November 2, people from all cultures gathered together at the Hemisfair Park and Grotto to witness San Antonio’s 11th annual official Diwali celebration, a tradition which began in 2009 to launch its official Sister-City relationship with Chennai, India. San Antonio’s Diwali celebration is one of the largest citysponsored Diwali festivals in the United States and it draws tourists from all over the country. Traditional Indian folk dances from 12 states, a river barge parade showcasing the culture of India’s diverse states, ceremonial lighting of diyas, colorful handmade Indian attire, jewelry, henna and delicious Indian dishes provide a glimpse at the multifaceted Indian culture. The event was organized by the Indian Association of San Antonio which is very active and supports cultural, religious and charitable activities throughout the city. Special guests who attended the event this year were Mayor Ron Nirenberg, State Senator Jose Menendaz besides other council women and dignitaries. Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and author of the book “The Gift of Anger”, was this year’s special

guest of honor. The state of Assam was represented by the Assam Association of San Antonio which is composed of a few Assamese families living here who follow and celebrate

their culture. For the past few years, Dr. Lopita Nath, Professor and Chair, Dept. of History at the University of Incarnate Word has been performing the Bihu dance and training non-Assamese danc-

ers to represent the state and be a part of this grand event. This year, out of the eight dancers, three were Assamese, two were North Indians, one Marathi, one Mexican and one Vietnamese.

Even though the non-Assamese dancers did not understand the language, they were able to follow the steps and put their best foot forward. We enjoyed performing and presenting our traditional state dance wearing Mekhela Chador( and using japi (conical bamboo hat) and kahor thal (bell metal plate) as symbolic props of Assam. The event exhibited the rich diversity within our country in a distant land. It presents a great opportunity to celebrate Diwali and keep our rich culture alive. Since it was a free public event, most of the non-Indians were able to witness this grand event as well. From delicious Indian street food to authentic dishes, mithai (sweets) and paan, from wearing Pagadi (turban) to buying Indian sarees and jewelry and then dancing to the tunes of Bollywood songs, the event bestowed the feeling that we were in India. The event concluded with multicolored fireworks display and foot tapping Bollywood DJ music which left everyone mesmerized. It gave the Indians a satisfying feeling of coherence, acceptance and appreciation by the other communities in this country.

TELICA Brings Yet Another Diwali Bonanza to Telfair Subdivision Sugar Land: With Diwali right around the corner, it was time for Telfair and Sugarland residents to don their beautiful ethnic Indian attire and join the nearly 1000 others in celebrating the 2019 TELICA Diwali at Cornerstone Elementary. The attendees were welcomed by a large statue of Lord Ganesh, the Hindu God of prosperity. The statue was surrounded by a beautiful rendering of Rangoli, and flanked by a spectacular arch. “Diwali is a special holiday for the Indian families, and here at TELICA we try our best to make it special for all of our attendees,” said Suhas Narendrula, the event’s Lead Coordinator. Once inside, the familyfriendly intent of the event was clear – there were numerous activities for children and adults alike. As the little ones busied themselves with arts and crafts activities including building paper lanterns with LED lights, the older kids put their skills to work at the beanbag game. The “Giant Jenga” game was a huge draw for the teens and tweens alike. “The fun environment is so reminiscent of our childhood in India, it is so wonderful to see the kids just having a great time,” said Devi Koppulu, Activities Coordinator. As the kids enjoyed themselves, the lovely Telfair women took advantage of traditional favorites such as the Henna and Nail

Art booths to give their hands a festive treat. The afternoon merriments started with TELICA Officers, Srilatha Vutalooru, Deepak Kanwar, and Raju Mupalla, handing plaques to the event coordinators, Suhas Narendrula, Sowmya Erukulla, Devi Koppolu, Ravi Ranjan, Ananya Bommakanti and Anika Bajpai. They were then joined on the stage by Mr. KP George, Honorable Fort Bend County Judge, Mr. Naushad Karmally, Sugar Land City Councilman, and Mr. Ibrahim Khawaja, First Assistant to the Fort Bend District Attorney. Telfair Community Association board members including Board President Srini

Chittaluru and elected delegates also joined them on the stage, to participate in the celebratory Diya Lighting. Following the soulful Ganesh Vandana, the audiences were treated to over 3 hours of exhilarating performances that included divine classical Indian dances, energizing folk dances and jump-out-of-myseat Bollywood Dhamaka. The amazing choreography was provided by dance hobbyists and professional dance schools. “Telfair’s immense talent pool never ceases to amaze me; children and adults alike come well-prepared and deliver an amazing performance,” said Sowmya Erukulla, the event’s

Cultural Coordinator. The event concluded with a high-energy Fashion Show parade featuring over 50 participants. The 5-year-olds and the 65-year-olds paraded down the stage exuding confidence and proud to be part of this wonderful Telfair tradition. The youth volunteers, led by Ananya and Anika, juniors at Clements High School, were visible throughout the day and were integral to the success of the event. “TELICA Diwali is one of the most fun events to volunteer and get your YES hours; it is like getting a free ticket to a concert,” adds Ananya. “By all counts, this was a very

successful event, big thanks to our coordinators, our performers, and so many wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this happen,” said Deepak Kanwar, TELICA President, “and thank you to all the Telfair and Sugarland friends and families who come here each year to support all the performers!” The event was sponsored by TransAmerica (Abha Dwivedi), Schlumberger, Awake Solar, Vikas Patel CPA & Associates, Cambridge Montessori School, Best Brains, Kurt H. Goedecke, and Capital Internal Medical Associates. “We are very fortunate to have dedicated supporters who grace us with their presence and allow us to keep this event free and open to all our residents,” said Sponsor Coordinator Ravi Ranjan. Additional TELICA volunteers included Vijaya and Sridhar Makkapati, Anu Pansare, Arun Narayan, Roopali and Ambuj Bajpai, Ganesh Botcha, Vanita Ranjan, Rani and Satya Narendrula, Sumathy Muppala, Sundar Moorthy, Praveen Bhavani, Sapna Kanwar, Kalayani and Krishna Narendrala, Somesh Janjirala, Mona and Sanjeev Kumar, Madhavi Khakkar, Jhilmil and Sanjeev Yamdagni, Ekta and Chirag Patel, Jignasa Patel, and Hema Dave Visit www.telica.org for festival pictures or to join the TELICA family.

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

COMMUNITY

November 15, 2019

Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction in Ayodhya May Start Early Next Year By Akhilesh Singh New Delhi: The construction of Ram Mandir is likely to start from Makar Sankranti next year and is unlikely to involve a fresh ‘shilanyas’ (ground breaking ceremony). Sources said the government is likely to move fast to comply with the Supreme Court’s directives for setting up a trust, and will coordinate with all the stakeholders to speed up construction of what has been promised to be a “grand Ram Mandir”. “Sankranti is an auspicious time to start the project and we expect the government will complete the formalities by then,” a senior functionary said. Sources also said they expect good progress by 2022 when UP will go to polls. UP CM Yogi Adityanath is sure to pull out all stops for the Mandir project which has been a key objective of the Goraksh Peeth he heads. The VHP on Sunday said the Centre should take swift action on the apex court judgment and demanded the structure be built as per the design prepared by archi-

tect Chandrakant Sompura on its request. Renowned temple architect Sompura was asked to prepare the design in 1989 by then VHP chief Ashok Singhal and it was circulated among devotees across the country, organisation’s working president Alok Kumar said. “We expect the new temple to be build

accordingly,” he added. According to VHP office-bearers, work on carving stones and building pillars for the temple has progressed a lot and these should be used in the construction. In a special meeting of VHP officebearers here, it was decided to urge the government to take swift action in building temple.

Kumar said they are expecting that while setting up the Supreme Court mandated trust, the government will incorporate members of the existing Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, who had been looking after preparations for temple construction so far. “Once the trust is formed, which has to be done within three months,

temple construction will start immediately,” a senior functionary, privy to the developments, said. While Adityanath will be in the forefront of overseeing construction work as chief minister, he was a frequent visitor to Ayodhya after taking over. Yogi visited the holy town 18 times in two-anda-half years. His last visit was to celebrate “Deepotsava” on the occasion of Diwali, which has been celebrated in a grand way since he took over as CM. “The SC decision has removed the hurdles and paved the way for construction of a grand temple ,” he said after the verdict. The CM welcomed the verdict, saying a 492-year-old dispute had been ended in a peaceful manner, strengthening India’s democracy. In a blog on his official portal, he wrote, “Due to political interests, some outfits had, under a conspiracy, turned Ayodhya into a very sensitive issue. However, Ayodhya was solely a matter of faith. Everyone Indian who believes in a supreme power, irrespective of their faith, considers Ram to be their ancestor.” -- IE

Indian-Americans React to Supreme Court Decision on Ram Janmabhoomi Washington DC: The IndianAmerican community on Saturday lauded the Supreme Court’s historic verdict in the Ayodhya case, saying the decision in the decadesold land dispute is equally a victory for both Hindus and Muslims. The Indian Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict on Saturday cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque. In one of the most important and most anticipated judgements in India’s history, a 5-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put an end to the more than a century old dispute that has torn the social fabric of the nation. “The ruling by the Indian Supreme Court is equally a victory for Hindus and Muslims, as it is for archeologists, historians, and the Indian legal system,” the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said in a statement. There was no immediate reaction from the Muslim-American groups in the US.

“This balanced judgment sets precedent for all the future disputes and shows the maturity of the Indian judicial system to resolve a challenging situations in a calm, collected and fair manner,” said the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), USA in a statement. In a statement, FIIDS thanked

the Supreme Court of India for delivering a historic verdict on Ayodhya Ram Temple, one of the most sensitive issues of India. “We welcome a well-balanced verdict that the SC handed over the entire land to Hindus and allocated land for a mosque,” FIIDS said. “We observe that the Modi Government, various State government

and socio-political leaders from all communities of India are trying to maintain law and order,” it said. The World Hindu Council of America or VHPA, that seeks its inspiration from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said that for Hindus around the world, the Ram Janmabhoomi movement is a symbol of their centuries old struggle

against colonialism and the brutality and tragedy that came with it. On Twitter, Huma Qureshi asked the nation to ‘move on from this’. “My dear Indians, please respect the Supreme Court verdict on #AyodhyaCase today. We all need to heal together and move on from this as one nation !!” PM Modi wrote on Twitter, “Even after the decision of the court, we all have to maintain harmony together.” “Keeping the honour of the judiciary of the country paramount, all the sides of the society, socio-cultural organisations, all the parties who have made efforts to create a harmonious and positive atmosphere in the past are welcome,” PM Modi wrote. “Whatever is the decision of the Supreme Court on Ayodhya, it will not be a victory or defeat for anyone. My appeal to my countrymen is that it should be the priority for all of us that this decision should further strengthen the great tradition of peace, unity and goodwill of India,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter. -- Times of India

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

November 15, 2019 15

TECHNOLOGY

India Tech for Cancer Radiology Receives US FDA’s ‘Breakthrough’ Tag By Bhupinder Singh Bengaluru: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Centre for Devices and Radiological Health has designated a medical invention by a Bengalurubased scientist as a “breakthrough device” in the treatment of liver, pancreatic and breast cancers. Cytotron, developed by Rajah Vijay Kumar, aids in tissue engineering of cancer cells, altering how specific proteins are regulated to stop these cells from multiplying and spreading. “We are pleased to inform you that your device and proposed indication for use meet the criteria and have been granted designation as a breakthrough device,” states a communique from the FDA wing to Shreis Scalene Sciences, the company that had taken the device to the US. Cytotron is intended to cause degeneration of uncontrolled growth of tissues. “It is indicated for treating protein-linked, abnormally regenerating disorders such as neoplastic disease, and allowing extended progression free survival, with pain relief, palliation, improved quality and dignity of life,”

Breakthrough cancer radiology treatment technology Cytrotron (left) with its developer, Professor Rajah Vijay Kumar.

says the letter. Kumar had developed Cytotron at the Centre for Advanced Research and Development, which is headquartered in Bhopal, after nearly 30 years of research into cellular pathways and interactions with specifically modulated fast radio bursts. “It is a great feeling that after so

many years of hard work, against all odds, an institution like the USFDA is designating our work as a breakthrough in the treatment of three types of cancers,” Kumar said. New technologies in the battle against cancer have generally been hard to come by. It’s even rarer for an Indian device to get

breakthrough status in the US. The Centre for Devices and Radiological Health is responsible for premarket approval of all medical devices in the US, ensuring they are safe for use and effective. “The devices will all be made in India, given that there are hardly any imported components. And our American partner will take the

device to the US. Cytotron is already an approved medical device and is in use in the UAE, Mexico, Malaysia and Hong Kong, among others,” Kumar said. Generically known as rotational field quantum magnetic resonance, Cytotron uses fast radio bursts (FRB), high energy and powerful short radio bursts in which both electric and magnetic components of the electromagnetic signals are “circularly” polarised. FRBs are produced when a radio signal travels through a powerful instantaneous magnetic field on its path to the target. “FRBs can be used to communicate with the cellular command and control, to up or down regulate a specific protein or gene,” Kumar said in a statement. He added: “In cancer cells, Cytotron does two things: First, it alters the protein pathways of a pro-apoptosis protein called p53 via p21 inducing programmed cell death in the cancer cells. Second, exposure to Cytotron stops metastasis by inhibiting the epithelial mesenchymal transition cells, responsible for spread of cancer; 90% cancer patients die due to metastasis. -- Times of India

Indo-American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 15, 2019 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

November 15, 2019

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