E newspaper 07212017 by Indo American News

Friday, July 21, 2017 | Vol. 36, No. 29

Indo American erican News

www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX

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This Week Inside

The IIFA Awards Winners

RAM LEELA, A Treat for the Eyes

P20 Movie Review

P2 & 3

P23

TERROR ATTACK ON AMARNATH YATRIS

Word Search / Sudoku

P8 & 22

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July 21, 2017

See article on page 3 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

July 21, 2017

A Ram Leela in Kuchipudi Ballet Style with a Blue Avatar Lord Rama BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

STAFFORD: It did seem odd

that the marquee sign at the corner of the Stafford Civic Centre on Cash Road was off and wasn’t flashing all the upcoming evens as it usually does, and in particular the main event – the Ram Leela – scheduled for that evening. Despite the thunderstorm, pouring rain and the gusty winds, the audience kept streaming in to the auditorium lobby, to be welcomed by a giant bronze Ganesh, this past Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm, July 15 and soon the space was packed to capacity. Then, someone broke the news that the Centre, and most of the area around it stretching into Sugar Land, had lost electricity and Centerpoint Energy was working hard on restoring it. People waited patiently, some sitting on the stairs to the balcony, others even started to sing some bhajans in front of the three religious booths setup to highlight the efforts of the Sri Rama Jaya Niketan, a new nonprofit, to establish a new temple in Katy. Dr. Arun Verma and his wife Vimmi of the Shri Sita Ram Foundation who had organized the event, along with others from the SRJN and supporting organization Jeeyar Educational Trust USA Houston Chapter had worried looks. The Indian Consul General Anupam Ray and his wife Amit came, mingled for sometime and then left, and many others followed suit as the disruption lingered on. Rumors spread that the emergency generator didn’t work and there were no emergency lights. And then, around 5:15pm – nearly 75 minutes after the event’s scheduled time, the lights suddenly came back on to a collective yell from the crowd which rushed in to their seats. Nina Magon, the Verma’s daughter wasted no time in welcoming everyone in. “We were just about to postpone the event when the lights came on!” she said, intoning the audience in three rousing “Jai Shri Ram!”s and keeping the formalities abbreviated. Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella walked up to the podium to “applaud the Indian community for making this center a place for your events” and admired the patience of those who stayed despite the electricity disruption.

Dr. Arun Verma of the Shri Sita Ram Foundation with the Indian Consul General Anupam Ray and his wife Amit at the Ram Leela program at Stafford Civic Centre on Saturday, July 15

Dr. Verma presenting a token of appreciation to Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella

Rama (Vedantam Ragahava) with Sita (Sharmi Padmaja Vedantam) in exile

Special tokens of gratitude were handed out to Scarcella, dancer and choreographer Rathna Kumar and tireless volunteer Ravi Shankar Puri. Later, before intermission, all the large donors to building the temple were honored onstage and the inaugural issue of the Katy temple souvenir was unveiled. The SSRF has been holding the Ram Leela performance for many years, and usually these are in the popular version of the play that is conducted in Northern India at the conclusion of Dusserah,

which is a well-known pantomime with Hindi narration. This year, Dusserah is on September 30, but the event organizers decided to fast forward the performance to match the SRJN fundraising efforts. The SSRF will continue with its hugely popular Dusserah and Diwali Mela at Skeeters Stadium in Sugar Land on October 28. This early Ram Leela was a departure from the traditional play as it was performed as in Kuchipudi dance ballet style with its heel-totoe steps, and called the Sri Rama

Hanuman (Murali Lanka) meets Rama and Lakshmana (Huma Morpathi)

Katha Saram. For most Northern Indians in the audience, it was a huge change in depiction, though the story of Lord Rama and all the other characters was essentially the same. One important difference was the depiction of Rama as a blue bodied avatar, so ably and precisely produced and acted out by Vedantam Ragahava, the Executive Director of Vedantam Ka-

The monkey army follows Rama and Lakshmana to ﬁght Ravana

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

lakshetram (based out of the Asthalakshmi Temple) which staged the play, supported by his wife Sharmi Padmaja Vedantam who played Sita. The play started with an introARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

For photo collage, see page 2

Photos: Bijay Dixit

July 21, 2017

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

July 21, 2017 5 COMMUNITY A Prayer Meet for Amarnath Victims BY VANSHIKA VIPIN VARMA

HOUSTON: Scattered fragments

of broken glasses are probably the only remains of the terror attack that took away 7 precious lives of Amarnath pilgrims, and injuring 14 others, on July 10. Indian media reports indicated that militants attacked a yatri bus and a police party in Anantnag, along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway in South Kashmir. The bus carrying pilgrims was on its way from Baltal to Jammu when it came under militants’ fire. This attack was the second instance of the terrorists targeting the Hindu pilgrims. There has been a unanimous condemnation of the attack on Amarnath pilgrim and an outpouring of support and solidarity for the victims. Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), in support with India House, India Culture Center (ICC) and other Indo American organizations, assembled for a prayer meeting, on July 13, at India House. The objective of this meeting was to convey to the Hindu sisters and brothers in India, in unambiguous terms, that they are not alone in this hour of grief. Lord Shiva is extremely popular deity not only amongst Indians but also amongst the people of other nationalities. To pay obeisance to their much-worshipped Lord, who appears on this earth in the unique form of an Ice Lingam, millions of devotees trek through the taxing mountains to Amarnath Cave, a Hindu shrine located in Jammu & Kashmir, each year during summer. This pilgrimage symbolizes the legacy of a composite culture and communal harmony. Nobody in the Valley expected the attack on yatris, and that too at a spot few miles away from the army sector headquarters and the joint interrogation centre of the police in the Khanabal locality of Anantnag town. The prayer meet started at 6 pm and Partha Krishnaswamy, President of HGH welcomed everyone.

From left: Krishan Gupta, Arjun Luthra, Col. Vipin Kumar, Rev. Gregory Han, Sunanda Vashisht, Ramesh Shah, Rahul Pandit, and Dr. Falguni Gandhi.

Deputy Consul General Surendra Adhana

In his emotive speech, he read out the names of the seven victims. He condemned this dastardly attack and expressed the concerns of the Hindus in Houston, on their behalf. He mentioned, “We want to send a strong message across the word that such horrifying acts should not go unpunished and we want to urge all leaders across the world to deal with terrorism seriously.” His statement was followed by a prayer and mantra recitals for the departed souls. This was performed by the head Priest of Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple,

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Pradip Pandya. This was followed by condolences being offered by the ones present. Ramesh Shah, the ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Samman’ recipient for this year, who has been actively involved in the community and supported many organizations, offered condolences on behalf of the Houston community. In his statement he mentioned,“We should come forward and support the families of the victims and urge the government to take more serious steps to stop this from happening”. His fiery speech was followed by the emotional journey of Sunanda Vashisht, a writer, who spoke about the struggles of Kashmiri Pandits. Sunanda also recounted the dark chapter of terror in Kashmir, in the year 198990 when hundreds of temples were demolished, and the pandits tortured and killed. Sunanda, a Kashmiri pandit, narrated how 27 years ago the barbarity started in the beautiful land of Jammu & Kashmir, and tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits across the valley had to take a painful decision to flee their homeland to save their lives from rabid jihadis. She shared some horrifying and cruel tales that have been wiped out

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from public memory. Describing Kashmir as the first laboratory of Islamist terror, she stated that if Islamist terror is defeated in Kashmir it will be defeated across the world. Her emotional yet powerful speech has already become a viral on YouTube. Following this Pramod Burravali of Indic Book Club, talked about the geopolitical games being persistent in this region, which may be responsible for such terrorist attacks. He implored the Houston Indian community to boycott Pakistani products and services, which would serve as a true tribute to those massacred, and as he said in his words, will be his Shraddanjali. Rahul Pandit, also a Kashmiri pandit, said that he had to leave Kashmir at the age of 6, and though he would love to see his kids go back to their ancestral home, it does not seem safe. He hoped that the government would take measures for people to visit. Deputy Consul General Surendra Adhana, condemning the attack, mentioned that the Government of India will never bow down to such kind of acts. He applauded the work of Indian American community in getting the US politicians to denounce this act of

barbarity. Col. Vipin Kumar, an army veteran, and the Executive Director of India House, offered his condolences and spoke about his experiences in Kashmir, while being posted at Anantnag. He mentioned a very strong point, that these cowardly acts have been occurring since years and they will continue if we remain silent. In a true Gandhian spirit, he urged everyone to join hands and fight against terrorism in every way other than bullets. Rev. Gregory Han, Director, Interfaith Relations, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston offered his sympathies to the slain. He stated, “We offer our sympathy and condolences, but let our sympathy be emboldened by the spirit of outrage that these attacks happened, that pilgrims on a spiritual road were targeted. Let our outrage be tempered by compassion, that justice and not violence may be the response. Finally let us remember that we are bound by our common humanity, that though this pilgrimage is not mine, the victims are my spiritual kin.” His note was followed by Dr. Falguni Gandhi, President of ICC, who too ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

July 21, 2017

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands (HTW) Hosts 6th Annual Hindu Mandir Priests’ Conference BY BETH KULKARNI

HE WOODLANDS : Hindu Temple of The Woodlands (HTW) on July 14 and 15, 2017 hosted the 6th Annual Hindu Mandir Priests’ Conference at its beautiful temple in its far northern suburb of Greater Houston. Priests from as far away as Minnesota and Massachusetts participated in the conference along with priests, community members, and youth from the Greater Houston area and elsewhere in Texas and the USA. The conference was initiated six years ago by World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) as a part of the Hindu Mandir Executive Conference. This year’s theme was “Temple’s Role in Educating Our Youth in Spirituality”. The vision of the conference was to promote the sustainability and advancement of Sanatana Dharma by making Hindu modes of worship meaningful and relevant for the younger generation of Hindus. To help the priests attending the conference to better understand the needs of the children, teens, and young adults, a number of local youth volunteers had the opportunity to ask questions of the priests in an open session, as well as provide suggestions as to how their needs can be better met by the priests and the mandirs. The youth wanted to know what importance the precise dates and times for various events had and what the consequences for not following those were. Others wondered why they should wear traditional Hindu dress when visiting the temple. In response to a question about whether daily prayer is

Hindus of Greater Houston gives check to Hindu Temple of The Woodlands in support of 6th Annual Hindu Mandir Priests’ Conference. From left: Vijay Pallod, HGH director; Mukesh Mittal, President of HTW; Beth Kulkarni, founding member of HGH and HTW; Jagan Allam, Chairperson, HTW; Girish Naik, former chair of HGH and director.

Priests honored at the conference.

“complained” that the food was so tasty he over-ate! Others were very impressed that the temple volunteers prepared all the food and did not have it catered. The opportunity to prepare the food while chatting and enjoying the comradery was an added benefit for the volunteers themselves. Other volunteers helped with logistics, program planning and scheduling, overnight hosting of the priests, and more. HTW has become known as a temple with a very strong volunteer base and a commitment to service to the community. Both the planned chanting by the priests as a group at the beginning of the conference and Saturday morning, as well as the spontaneous group chanting, gave a very special atmosphere to the conference. One of the community workers who attended mentioned how great it was to be in the presence of all the priests from the various temples receiving blessings from them all on his birthday! A special feature of the conference was the honoring of the priests with twenty or more years of experience as priests in America with the Archaka Bhushana Award. In addition, all the presenters and all the priests attending were recognized. The conference’s success was due in large

important, one of the priests, stating that it was important, also indicated that even taking two or three minutes for prayer before leaving home and starting the daily routine would be beneficial. Several of the attendees mentioned the fact that many of the priests are not proficient in English is an impediment for priests and

Urmil Shulka Founding Trustee of HTW Honoring Sriman KV Doraiswamy Bhattar

youth to communicate directly. A number felt it was appropriate for temples to provide opportunities for priests to learn English while others were of the view that also the children should be taught their “mother tongue” at home by parents so that communication with priests might be in an Indian language. A number of temples, including HTW, also offer language classes for children and youth. Teaching the basics of Sanatana Dharma and its practices by parents and well as in various temple classes was also emphasized by a number of attendees and implemented in many temples. Many of the priests insert a few sentences in English about the various steps of the rituals as they were performed, feeling it was beneficial to all devotees, not just to the youth. Other sessions of the conference provided opportunity for the priests to learn about the challenges found in various mandirs and ways in which the challenges were met. The priests, other attendees, and youth all benefited from their interactions and proposals by some of the speakers including representatives of VHP of America and Hindu University of America who are jointly developing an online chaplaincy certification program. All the attendees appreciated the hospitality of the host temple. One of the attendees

part to the cooperative efforts of the World Hindu Council of America (VHP America) and HTW. Volunteer leadership and interest of the priests and community members, including youth, helped make it a success that other temples and communities will strive to emulate. The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands was pleased to host this conference. Hindus of Greater Houston, sponsors of the first community-wide Krishna Janmashtami celebration in North America, generously donated to HTW to help meet the expenses of the conference. Jagan Allam, Chairperson, and Mukesh Mittal, President, gratefully accepted the check. The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands is located at 7601 S Forestgate Drive, just off Woodlands Parkway, in The Woodlands (Spring), TX 77382. Established in 2005 and inaugurated in 2011, it serves the religious, cultural, educational, and social needs of the surrounding community. It also provides services, such as five free yoga classes per week to non-Hindu neighbors and donations of food, clothing, and other items to the less fortunate through local non-profit agencies. More information is on the temple’s website, www.woodlandshindutemple.org.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

July 21, 2017

Sri Meenakshi Temple Annual Dinner - Prahara Sumpurnam This year we had a unique and entertaining magic show by David Hira. David amazed everyone with his magic to the point that the audience could not believe what they were seeing. He connected his childhood story and showed us that anything can be done if we believe in it. All in all, the magic show, which was done for the first time at the annual dinner, was a big hit. The construction commit-

BY: S. NARAYANAN

PEARLAND: “Prahara Sumpur-

nam”, the Sri Meenakshi Temple annual dinner was held on Sunday, July 9th. Fundraising was done for the Corner Temple Renovation Project, the third phase of the religious renovation project at MTS. The decorations including beautiful temple golu figurines were mesmerizing. The social hour began with a silent auction, as well as an awe inspiring magic act that entertained the guests. The devotees enjoyed the social hour so much that it was a feat to move everyone into the Youth Center for the program. The program started auspiciously with the priest’s invocation and was then handed over to the two vibrant masters of ceremony, Anu Narayanan and Haripriya Sundar, who did a wonderful job keeping the program enjoyable and on time. Chairman Narayanan welcomed everyone and talked about the

Photos: Setty

phenomenal fundraising success so far, including having raised over 1.3 Million dollars for the project with more donations forthcoming. Honorable Pearland Mayor Tom Reid discussed the long-term growth of the Temple and associated the growth with the city of Pearland. The Mayor was proud to say he is an honorary member of the Temple family. Divyaa Unni’s Sreepadam School of Arts performed a captivating Ganesha dance as the audience watched with pin drop

silence. Secretary Prasad thanked everyone on the fundraising committee for their outstanding job. Dr. Appan, one of the co-chairs of the fundraising committee, spoke about the amazing success MTS has had in raising money. Over the last six years we have done three major projects without any loans as the devotees have continuously supported the Temple. Dr. Appan also emphasized the many young devotees donating to the project, highlighting the importance of this for the future growth of the Temple.

tee chair AVN Reddy gave a brief description of the project and provided a detailed report about the construction progress. Vinod Kaila joined with AVN and acknowledged all the construction committee members. Treasurer Sasi announced the amount of total funds raised and thanked all the donors for their contributions. The second dance for Lord Siva by the students was unbelievably good. Dr. Kamala Raghavan then announced all of the scholarship winners

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

and Mayor Tom Reed and Frost Bank Chairman Mike Clements distributed the scholarships to the 14 students. The names of the recipients is given at the end of this article. To conclude the program Sreepadam students showcased a beautiful performance about Goddess Devi. The sit-down family style dinner catered by Udupi was served sharp at 8:30 pm and enjoyed by all the guests. Chairman Narayanan thanked the Board and Advisory Council for their support for the project and hard work for the Temple. Secretary Prasad thanked everyone who helped for the annual dinner. The event was a huge success, including fundraising, a beautiful program, and a delicious dinner. The guests had a marvelous time. Scholarship Winners • Sanjay Annigeri • Tanuj Girish • Peyton Green • Maya Iyer • Divya Jain • Preeti Kannan • Avinash Kotecha •Ambhika Maharaj • Tejas Murali •Avinash Nair •Shruti Narayanan • Vyas Ramankulangara • Shil Shukla •Hannah Spencer

WORD SEARCH

July 21, 2017

Solve Word Search & the names of the winners will be published in our next issue

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R�� W��: • Like us on Facebook, Indo-American News • Solve the Word Search puzzle • Email us the screenshot of our liked Facebook Page, and the solved puzzle at indoamericannews@yahoo.com • Email by Wednesday, July 26, 2017 • For ﬁrst 3 entrees only, 1 submission per month, 1 per Household

Last Week Word Search Winners 1) Anjali Sinha 2) Bhakti Punjabi 3) Nisha Kanabar INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

July 21, 2017

Festivals of India: Quiz Contest @ I-Fest

Hanmi Launches Instant Issue Debit Card Service Instant Issue Debit Card Service to be available at all branches by the year-end

HOUSTON:

ICC has planned Quiz Contest during this year’s I-Fest, which is going to take place on August 20, 2017. The topic for Quiz is Festivals of India. We have invited entries from the interested participants from Indo-American society. There will be preliminary screening rounds conducted during which three pairs of final contestants will be short

listed. These three finalists will contest from the stage on the day of I-Fest. Three rounds of 10 minutes each will be played and at the end winner and runners up will be decided. During the quiz contest, few questions will also be posed to the crowd to generate interest and enthusiasm. Prizes in the form of gifts will be distributed to the winners. The idea behind the quiz contest is to generate interest, enthusiasm

and awareness about the rich culture of India. Date: August 20, 2017 Place: Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, Texas 77477 Time: 4.00 to 4.45 pm Contact: Sanjay Sohoni (281) 943 – 9758 / Falguni Gandhi - (281) 844 - 4604 Visit website to fill in the entry form: www.icchoustontx. org

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HOUSTON: Hanmi Bank cus-

tomers can now enjoy the benefits of debit card instant issue service. ‘Instant Issue’ allow customers to receive his/her debit card immediately at a branch, instead of having to wait weeks to obtain a new debit card. Previously, customers had to wait 2-3 weeks to receive a new debit card or replace a lost or stolen debit card. The Instant Issue service is currently available at the participating 3 branches; Wilshire-Hobart branch in Southern California, Silicon Valley branch in Northern California and Houston-Spring branch in Texas. Hanmi Bank customer can receive either a new or replacement debit card in less than 10 minutes simply by visiting one of these branches.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Hanmi plans to implement the Instant Issue service at all of its branches by the end of the year. During the implementation period, Hanmi will offer reduced Debit Card issue processing time at non-participating branches in order to improve customer convenience. Customer requesting a debit card at these branches can receive a new card in about 3 business days. C. G. Kum, CEO of Hanmi Bank, said “Hanmi is committed to incorporating newest technologies into our products and services in order to enhance our customer experience.” Please visit www.hanmi.com to find the branches that offer the instant issue service.

10 July 21, 2017 Job Posting:

ASSIGNMENT DESK INTERN

KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for assignment desk interns for the upcoming summer semester. Internships are available to undergrads currently enrolled college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The successful applicant will be responsible for assisting the assignment desk, which includes but is not limited to making beat-checks, answering phones, monitoring police and fire radios, getting information and developing stories. The candidate should be detail-oriented and able to handle many different responsibilities at the same time. The ideal intern knows how to multi-task and set priorities. Good news judgment and strong communication skills are essential, along with strong writing skills. The candidate should have a good working knowledge with the use of social media for news gathering. Must be willing to work evenings and weekends. To be considered you must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req. #472771BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and will be required to supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. No telephone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Job Posting:

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, NEWS & DIGITAL

KTRK-TV, Houston’s leading news organization, is looking for an Executive Producer with a proven track record in broadcast and digital. This person must be a strong team-leader, effective communicator, with a ‘can do’ attitude. Consistently able to solve problems, turn visions into reality, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure, especially in breaking news situations. Must have exceptional news judgement. Will be required to do some hands-on producing, writing, and publishing for all digital platforms. Needs to be passionate about the news. Quick at identifying, promoting and executing great content. Must be organized, efﬁcient, and capable of juggling multiple projects and staffers. Candidates should have at least 5 years producing experience in a major market, and some managerial experience. Will be supervising and motivating a diverse group of broadcast and digital employees, as well as mentoring and coaching less experienced staff. Must be willing to work overnights, early mornings, weekends and/or holidays.

Job Posting:

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Are you a rising-star newscast producer who’s ready to move up to a top 10 market? Here is your chance to work for one of the best companies in the country dedicated to covering local news. KTRK-TV, the ABC owned and operated station in Houston, TX is looking for an associate producer. The person hired for this position will line produce a section of our weekend morning newscasts and have opportunities to ﬁllin producing other newscasts as well. Applicants must have experience as a line-producer. You must be comfortable with the last technology, breaking news, and know how to command a control room. You’ll need to demonstrate a good understanding of social media and how it can be used to reach viewers and create content. Candidates must be able or willing to learn both non-linear editing and writing & posting for our digital platforms. Applicants must be willing to work overnights, weekends, and holidays. To be considered all interested applicants must apply online at disneycareers. com, reference job # 473412BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. No telephone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Job Posting:

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS INTERN

KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid COMMUNITY AFFAIRS INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to currently enrolled undergraduate college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies. Interns will have an opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As an intern you will attend help in the production of community affairs shows, including scheduling of guests, help gathering and editing video, assist with community drives, forums and outreach. Each area requires significant planning, scheduling and execution. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. Additionally, applicants must be able to work on a daily basis and the hours may vary depending on scheduling and may include some weekend and early morning and evening hours.

To be considered all interested applicants must apply online at disneycareers. com, reference job # 473413BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references.

To be considered you must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req. #472768BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and will be required to supply written veriﬁcation of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship.

No telephone calls please.

KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Job Posting:

PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCTION INTERN

KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a multimedia programming and production intern for the upcoming summer semester. . Internships are available to undergrads currently enrolled college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media ﬁeld and must receive college credit for the internship. The intern will assist Producers, Directors and Photojournalists with executing all aspects of the broadcast and digital storytelling process and will be expected to assist producers and directors with original content weekly for broadcast and digital platforms. Applicants must be comfortable juggling multiple projects at once and needs to be a strong researcher, writer, and communicator. Responsibilities will include working on a variety of programming, and digital projects. Opportunity to assist on producing/ shooting live and taped ﬁeld stories, studio newscast production, and live special event programs. To be considered interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers. com, Job Req. #472770BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. No telephone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Job Posting:

NEWS EDIT INTERNSHIP

KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid NEWS EDIT INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to currently-enrolled college students in their junior or senior year who are pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies by using a “real world” hands-on environment. News Editing Interns will have an opportunity to observe, participate, and contribute in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As a News/Technical Intern you will primarily assist in editing for air-- being creative and precise, while also learning the ins and outs of working behind the scenes for live newscasts. Interns will work under the direct supervision of the Digital Media Coordinator and other staff members. Additionally, applicants must be able to work at least two days per week between the hours of 2PM and 10PM. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and will be required to supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. To be considered you must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req. #472774BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and will be required to supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. No telephone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

July 21, 2017

Amit Sood Leads Google’s New We Wear Culture Site on Fashion

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all those fashionistas, and others who struggle with the right terms, like pret-a-porter or haute couture, life just good a little easier with Google’s latest foray into the world of fashion with We Wear Culture, a website which was launched last month and is being unveiled at events across globe. And it’s no coincidence that this initiative is being led by a Bombay-born Indian in his mid-30s, Amit Sood who works out of a Manhattan office. The internet giant is well known for the number of Indians at its helm, chief among them being Sundar Pichai who once ran Google Chrome and later the Android division and now is Google’s CEO. Then there are Nikesh Arora, the Sr. VP and Chief Business Officer; Amit Singhal, Sr. VP and Google Fellow; Vic Gundotra, Sr VP, Engineering; Krishna Bharat, Principal Scientist; Lalitesh Katragadda, Head of research for emerging markets; and Manik Gupta, Sr Product Manager, Google Maps. This is in a company where 30 percent of the workers are Asian, 12% of which is made up of Indians, and Google expects to have 13,000 people working India, most at its Hyderabad office. In such an environment, it didn’t seem unusual for Sood, a novice

in the world of fashion, to take the top post at the new initiative, which is actually an expansion of Google’s Art & Culture project, an online platform which he formed in 2011, and became available in 2016 as an app you can download. The app boasts you can visit “1,000 museums in 70 countries” and has many large partners like the British Museum, the Getty in Los Angeles and many other smaller, lesser known museums including many in India. The new We Wear Culture initiative allows fashion lovers to view over 39,000 garments in collections at more than 180 museums, schools and fashion institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. The site which Google says “brings three millennia of fashion at your fingertips,” allow users to peek into exhibits, search by designers or the even things or people which influenced them and offers virtual videos, like the 360-degree display of the Frida Kahlo’s fashion dresses at her namesake museum in Mexico. Sood, a 10-year veteran of Google, has been the director of Google Cultural Institute, a non-profit initiative that runs the Google Arts and Culture platform, which was an outcome of the 20 Percent Time policy in Google to encourage creative ideas and personal projects that might help the

company. A novice in the world of fashion, he struggled with its subtleties but had a vision to make fashion accessible to people the world over. Sood was a quick study into the subject. He has met with many well-placed people in the industry, including designers and museum curators and traveled to many countries to piece together the elements of the site. And in doing so, he has changed the way that people can access and appreciate art, culture and fashion without even leaving their homes on a computer or a smartphone. There are many Indian partner sites too which are featured and this offers many noteworthy collections and designers, who would otherwise not get such exposure, to be able to reach a wider global audience. One subject of the new website could be the works of fashion designers Donatella Versace who has turned to another South Asian, the British born 24 year-old Zayn Malik (whose father is Pakistan) as a lead designer for her contemporary line, Versus. Malik recently decided to quit as the lead singer for One Direction.

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12 July 21, 2017 A Ram Leela in Kuchipudi ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

duction to the period setting and invocations by the Nandi Stuti Dancers and the Bala Bhogam Dancers, with a prelude to the Rama Avatar by dancers Niharika Pakala, Sanjana Kasetti and Sinzita Cheruvu, as well as Aparna Kambhampati, Bhavya Kethireddipalli, Sahiti Rudravajhala and Yuthika Gundamaraju and the Ananda Hela Dancers. All the other actors - who also were dancers – are Raghava’s students from various schools and universities across this part of Texas and it was obvious that they had rehearsed their lines and moves till it was second nature to them. Many received wild ovations and yells of support from the audience, like Sandhya Muchimilli who played Surpanakha with such glee and abandonment, Huma Morpathi who played the de-

voted Lakshmana and Murali Lanka who played Hanuman with vigor and poise, jumping out of a tree to make his entrance. Not to be left out is the formidable presence of Ravana played by Aruna Jyothi Nanduri. Raghava’s Rama had a stage presence that stood out and every movement he made – like resting his hand standing by a tree prop - was a measured portrayal. The attention to detail of every pose, expression and collective episode, like the Sugriva Mattri, showed the ease of the actors with their roles. And that is not to forget the pre-recorded music and narration by singers DVS Sastry and Padma Ramalinga Sastry, which was mostly in Sanskrit with a mix of Telegu, to which the actors and dancers timed their moves. There were so many positives in the overall play that it would take another column to describe it. But the proof was in the thun-

COMMUNITY

derous standing ovation from the audience which brought the hall down. Though many people had left due to the unfortunate late start, sixty percent of the auditorium was still filled to enjoy the spectacle and those who left missed a wonderful experience. For Arun Verma, firm in his dedication to Lord Rama, “in the play I saw devotion and perfection. It is worthy of a true Broadway production.” As they left, many encouraged the ensemble to take the production on a national tour. A particularly poignant moment was the opening to the program when a group of 4 boys and 10 girls, all less than 11 years-old, all chanted the Hanuman Chalissa in rapid unison, memorized and recited with the fluency and ease of much older people. It was a marvel in itself!

For photo collage, see page 2

A Prayer Meet for Amarnath Victims ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

condemned the attack. Post her statement, Arjun Luthra came up and read the statements from USA senators and congressmen, as well as the statements of Hindu politicians in USA. Delivering a vote of thanks, Achalesh Amar sent out a strong message of solidarity to Hindu sisters and brothers in this hour of grief. He emphasized that Hindu lives matter and any atrocity committed anywhere in the world on any Hindu would not be tolerated. Finally, he thanked everyone for attending this prayer meet, and also extended his thanks to the supporting organizations. Krishan Gupta concluded this emotional meet with a prayer for peace. Though the need of the hour is to ensure communal harmony in this region, it is also critical to ensure that ‘Kashmiriyat’ survives in its true essence and does not get sullied by those who seek to stir tension in a state already divided on religious lines. Just eight days after this attack, tragedy struck once again when at least sixteen Amarnath pilgrims were killed and over thirty sustained injuries after the bus they were traveling in skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and plunged into a gorge, on July 16. But, such is the resilience of the Amarnath pilgrims that within hours of this attack, hundreds of devotees set off for the shrine amid stepped up security. At Indo American News, we hope we can foster peace and dialogue through our medium. We hope and pray for peace and that we can choose love instead of hatred. Statements from USA senators, congressmen, and Hindu politicians: Pete Olson: The terrorist attack on #AmarnathYatra is deplorable & must be condemned. Prayers for the families of those killed. Ted Poe: The terrorist attack on #AmarnathYatra is reprehensible and must be condemned. Sheila Jackson-Lee: The terrorist attack on #AmarnathPilgrims is outrageous. Religion is a fundamental right and human right #AmarnathYatra #ReligiousFreedom John Culberson: Our hearts go out to the victims of the terrorist attack on #AmarnathYatra. We must stand united against these deplorable acts of terror. Al Green: An attack on any religion is an attack on all religions. We must end terrorism against the innocent or it will be our end. #AmarnathPilgrims Tulsi Gabbard: Hindus & pilgrims of every religion should be able to visit their holy places without fear of attacks by terrorists Raja Krishnamoorthi: My thoughts and prayers are with the victims in Amarnath and their families. Terrorism has no place in our world. Ro Khanna: The world must stand united against the heinous terorrist act on Amarnath pilgrims. It’s an attack on the freedom of religious expression. Pramila Jaypal: Deepest condolences to the victims & families impacted by the Amarnath attack. Violence has no place in our society.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

ADVICE

July 21, 2017

Understanding Therapy

BY AMY GREEN

Do you know the difference be-

tween a therapist, counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist? We’re clearing up the confusion and busting the myths that have created a stigma around therapy. Just like we’d talk to our health care practitioner about persistent back pain or a cold that won’t go away, talking to a therapist about preserving our emotional wellness is important to support overall well-being throughout our lives. What is therapy? Broadly speaking, therapy— also referred to as psychotherapy, counselling, or talk therapy— provides a supportive environment to help people talk openly about their concerns. Evidence from countless studies has revealed that therapy is helpful for a wide range of individuals experiencing a diverse range of issues, embodying what Dr. Marion Perpick-Breton, a Calgary-based psychiatrist, has learned from experience. “Good therapy can be one of the best investments a person can make,” Perpick-Breton says. “You treat one person and, the next thing you know, their spouse is affected, their children are affected, their co-workers are affected. The success is amazingly powerful.” How can therapy help? Therapists encourage people to explore the ways their emotions, thoughts, bodily experiences, behaviours, and environments con-

Ways to preserve mental wellness

tribute to their overall well-being, and aim to empower positive changes that contribute to a more meaningful and healthy life. Yanez Koenig, a registered clinical counsellor from British Columbia, stresses that “therapy can be beneficial for almost anyone,” adding that “taking the chance on therapy may be a good opportunity to work on past or current issues in a nonjudgmental atmosphere.” • Among other things, therapy can support people with • making a big decision • managing life transitions • setting new goals • coping with a crisis • developing deeper personal awareness • improving relationships • managing mental illness Like learning a new sport, every person will progress through therapy at his or her own rate. However, Perpick-Breton believes that therapy should be time-limited, stressing that “the goal of the therapist is to get clients out of therapy

and doing the things they want to do in life.” Types of therapists Many different types of practitioners can provide therapy in Canada. The list below is not exhaustive; other professionals— such as clinical social workers and psychiatric nurses—also deliver valuable mental health support to Canadians. Counsellors • What they do: Counsellors use different therapeutic approaches to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional growth, and the development of personal resources in their clients. A wide range of therapists work under the umbrella of the counselling profession, each with specialized training (for example, art therapists, school counsellors, and marriage and family therapists). • Training and licensure: At present, the term “counsellor” is not a protected term in Canada. Thus, it is important to ensure that your counsellor is certified by a provincial body, which requires, at minimum, a master’s degree in counselling or a related field. Psychologists • What they do: Like counsellors, psychologists support mental health using a variety of therapeutic approaches. However, in some cases, psychologists may be more

likely than counsellors to use psychological assessments and diagnose mental health concerns (for example, depression). • Training and licensure: Psychologists have completed graduate-level training (for example, in clinical or counselling psychology) and must be licensed in Canada by their province’s regulatory body (some require a master’s degree; others require a doctoral degree). Psychiatrists • What they do: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health. Unlike coun-

sellors and psychologists, psychiatrists can prescribe medications to help their patients manage their symptoms. While some psychiatrists engage primarily in medical management, others integrate or emphasize therapy. • Training and licensure: Following medical school, psychiatrists complete a five-year residency in mental health. Psychiatrists must hold a provincial licence to practise medicine in addition to a specialist certification in psychiatry. - Alive.com

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July 21, 2017

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16 July 21, 2017

FAMILY

6 Ways to Help Busy Kids Thrive BY MEGHAN VAN DRIMMELEN

usy kids can be a challenge— but you can help them thrive. Read on to learn how nutrition and leisure time can affect your child’s energy levels. Children have personalities of their own. Some kids love curling up with a book or spending hours painting. Others are more physical and love running around outside, playing on jungle gyms, or kicking a soccer ball. Some kids seem dreamy. Others are constantly on the go, and these busy kids might seem as though they always need to be stimulated. The challenges and benefits Busy kids can be a challenge— they often have problems sitting still, completing a task, or going to sleep at night. Parents may become frustrated, feeling like they don’t have the energy to keep up and worrying that this busyness is abnormal. What parents should realize is that bountiful energy is often a normal characteristic of childhood. The benefits of overactive children are that they’re curious about the world around them, driven and enthusiastic, and often excellent at physical activities. I’m a naturopathic doctor and children’s health expert. Here are my top six tips to help your busy kid thrive this school year and beyond. 1. Offer opportunities for active outdoor play Exercise helps boost serotonin and balance cortisol and dopamine levels in the body. These hormones have an important role in controlling mood, behaviour, stress levels, and our sleep-wake cycle. Begin your child’s day with a quick workout consisting of jumping jacks, running up and down the stairs, or briskly walking to school. This will help balance your child’s hormones and prime the brain for learning. Interestingly enough, research

shows that outdoor exercise has more profound effects on overactivity in children when compared to indoor activities. So make sure you’re carving out time for vitamin N! This might be in the form of family hikes or bike rides around your neighbourhood park. 2. Ensure your child gets enough sleep Sleep deprivation exacerbates hyperactivity, distraction, and restlessness in children. Ideally, school-aged children should be sleeping 10 to 12 hours per night, while adolescents should be sleeping eight to 10 hours per night. Create a consistent calming nighttime routine that includes time away from computers, tablets, and TVs. Incorporate warm Epsom salt baths, reading time, or journalling sessions to help calm your child’s nervous system and promote restful sleep. 3. Set limits on screen time Screens from tablets, smartphones, computers, and TVs are stimulating to the brain, and they worsen symptoms of overactivity in a dose-dependent fashion. The issue with excessive screen time is that it takes away from creative play, personal interactions in the real world, and physical activity, all of which are needed to calm an overactive brain. Moreover, screen time before bed is known to cause sleep issues, as it interferes with the natural production of melatonin. The Canadian Paediatric Society discourages screen-based activities in children younger than two years old. It recommends a limit of one hour of educational screen time per day for toddlers from two to four years old. For children age five and older, the recommend limit is two hours of recreational screen time per day. These guidelines are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations, which some experts view as being slightly too strict and unrealistic for parents. Psychologist and researcher Larry Rosen is one expert who believes these guidelines are too strict. Rosen recommends that children use technology at a ratio of one to five, meaning that if a child uses a tablet for 30 minutes, this should be balanced with 150 minutes of nonscreen activity to

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

allow for other communicative or mind-wandering activities. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, has also recommended that the current guidelines be revised. Moreover, he argues that interactive or educational media is acceptable for children under the age of two but should be limited to 30 to 60 minutes per day. I foresee that the current media guidelines will soon change. At the moment, I recommend a more balanced approach to screen time, which is consistent with Rosen’s and Christakis’s recommendations. 4. Avoid processed and sugary foods It’s well known that excessive sugar intake and junk food diets are linked with hyperactivity and inattention. I recommend limiting sweets to special occasions, such as birthday parties, and following a whole foods Mediterraneanstyle diet on a day-to-day basis. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes enjoying plenty of vegetables and fruit, incorporating good fats such as nuts, seeds, and olive oil, eating two to three servings of fish per week, eating one to two servings of poultry per week, if desired limiting red meat to a few times per month, eating unrefined whole grains and legumes consuming dairy in moderation. 5. Nourish your child’s interests

Active or energized kids are often passionate, driven, and strong willed. Talk to your child about what activities he likes, and enrol him in a class that reflects these interests. Once he’s in an environment that he enjoys, he’ll flourish and excel. 6. Establish routine around transitions For instance, make it a habit to give your child a 10-minute warning before leaving for school in the morning. Another example is to carve out an hour before bedtime for nonstimulating activities such as reading, journalling, or having a bath. When your child has a set routine, she knows what to expect and will be more likely to follow through with these tasks in a calm, relaxed manner. -alive.com

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18 July 21, 2017 This is no Country for the Poor BY PRITISH NANDY

e know they exist. We see them in pictures. We see them when there’s a manic flood or a terrible drought that robs them of their livelihood. Actually we have been seeing them ever since Sunil Janah’s photographs of the Bengal famine of 1943 were first put out and aroused the world’s conscience. Those haunting images even played an important role in our freedom struggle. Today we see the poor come out when TV reporters reach them after their homes are burnt down by marauding mobs in caste and communal riots. Or when gau rakshaks beat them up mercilessly for skinning a dead cow. We also see the poor begging at crossroads when our cars stop at the red light. We read in newspapers that in bad years they eat ants in Kalahandi. We hear how they send off their young children to the cities to find jobs, any jobs that would keep their body and soul together in a brutal, unforgiving world where they are often beaten, sold, re-sold and sold again even as they try to eke out a desperate existence. Their childhood robbed, many turn to petty crime and end up in remand homes worse than the prisons they try to escape. Seven decades after Independence, they have finally figured no one cares for them. So the beggars on the street are few. Fewer sleep at night on the pavements. (Pavements too have largely vanished.) What you now see at street corners are old people, usually dressed like you and I, their hands silently outstretched for alms. They are too ashamed to beg. Their stories are similar. They have been thrown out of homes they once owned. In the villages, the homes are sold by their families to those building roads and highways, new townships. In the cities, to those building highrises and malls. Old people’s homes, the last resort of aging parents, are now shutting down as rapacious builders are buying out whatever is left of Mumbai’s old trust lands. The World Bank says we have the largest number of people living below the poverty line. It’s not new. We have been hearing it for years. Every Government claims they have reduced the numbers. But where? One out of every three poor people in the world is still an Indian. We read about farmer suicides. Newspapers report them. Politicians talk about them because farmers are a big vote bank. So you have loans waivers though we all know that waivers cannot solve the problem. They only enrich the political class. The highest farmer suicides occurred recently when there was a bumper crop. The problems of plenty are as bad as the problems of scarcity and only a Government that understands the problem can figure out how to deal with it instead of doling out huge chunks of money as if it’s the panacea for all our troubles. It seldom is. There are still people in our cities and villages, in our small towns whose only means of livelihood are cleaning toilets, clogged drains. They have been doing this for generations. In cities, they risk their lives entering toxic sewers. We don’t see them as heroes, not even when they die at work. We don’t even see them as working class people. They are the new invisibles. We avoid their touch and hesitate to drink a glass of water from their hands. Seventy years of freedom have not given them the dignity they seek. Government after government has come, raised billions in taxes in the name of the poor, in the name of justice and equity but failed to change their lives. They still live in illegal slums and ghettos that are broken down during the monsoons, punished by municipalities, cheated by slumlords, disowned by society at large. They are not the only ones. Caste and faith are isolating more and more people every day. Reservations have helped to create only a few poster boys. And Muslims don’t even have that. -timesofindia.com

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

When Markets are on Cloud Nine

he BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 closed at record levels Wednesday. In less than seven months, equities are up a staggering 19%. The market capitalisation of Indian stocks hit $2 trillion, marginally behind Canada’s and Germany’s. The NYSE, of course, is the giant in the ring, with a market capitalisation close to $20 trillion. Corporate performance has not been spectacular. Investment in the economy, particularly private corporate investment, is down. So, the fizz in the market cannot be explained by short-term considerations. India remains long term high growth story. So, investors who are in the market for the long term need not be spooked by the mismatch between the bounce in the market and hard economic data. But short-term turbulence should not cause wild surprise. The good news bolstering confidence is the ruling party’s overwhelming victory in the Uttar Pradesh polls and the successful roll-out of the goods and services tax. These reinforce the long-term positive outlook: the government has lots of political capital and has the will to carry out significant reform. However, the short-term scenario

could be bumpy. The price-earnings (PE) ratio is a good indicator of whether stocks are priced reasonably or not. The higher the ratio, the greater the chances that markets are overpriced. The PE ratio for the Sensex is now 22.71, a historical peak that overshadows the 20.72 number of 2006-07, before the global ﬁnancial bubble exploded. It is not enough for fund managers to rely on ‘momentum’, a polite way to say investment sentiment moves in herds. Though we believe that governments should interfere minimally in

market operations, it certainly has a big role to play in reformist policy and action. Two areas are vital and urgent. One, to solve the bad-debt problem in our banks, without spooking bankers into lending paralysis. This will free up savings that can be invested. Two, create jobs—by supporting labour-intensive activity— for the trying to enter the employment market. Unless the latter is done, the economy will be dogged by social tensions. -indiatimes.com

Work Together on Arrangement for Peace, US Tells India, China person Heather Nauert told reporters overnight Wednesday that the Asian giants should work together to come up with “some sort of arrangement” for peace. “I know that the US is conChina and India have been engaged in a standoff cerned about in the Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector, where the ongoing Indian troops stopped road construction by Chinese situationthere,” soldiers on 16 June. Nauert said in ASHINGTON: The US has ex- response to questions on the tensions pressed concern over the month-long between the two countries. “We believe that both parties, both standoff between Indian and Chinese troops on the Dokalam plateau in sides should work together to try to Bhutan at the junction of the three come up with some better sort of arrangement for peace,” Nauert said. countries. Doka La is the Indian name for the US department of state spokes-

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region which Bhutan recognizes as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Of the 3,488-km India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-kilometre section falls in Sikkim—which is near Dokalam. Tensions have been running high since Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area. China says the road it is constructing lies within its territory in Donglang. Beijing has been demanding an immediate pull-out of Indian troops from the disputed Dokalam plateau, accusing the Indian Army of transgressing into Chinese territory. New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its north-eastern states. -livemint.com

THE STORY OF GANDHI

July 21, 2017

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi - Part 8

First victory for the Satyagraha experiment

he story thus far… a recent court decision in South Africa held that the law did not recognize Indian marriages. The women were suitably offended by this and found it an attack on their basic family values. They openly broke the law and were imprisoned in large numbers. In the coal-mines at Newcastle, in Natal, Indian workers went on strike protesting against the repression. The arrests, the deportation of passive resisters, and the untold sufferings of Indian families angered the people of India. A large amount of money was collected for the relief of the victims. Many protesters were beaten and ﬂogged, and some were beaten to death. Gandhi, who felt intensely the humiliation his people suffered, took a triple vow of self-suffering. He changed his mode of dressing, opting for the look of a poor laborer, walked barefoot, and decided to have only one meal a day, till the poll-tax and other injustices were abolished. But Gandhi found the Government to be a relentless and merciless opponent. There seemed no solution in sight. He had to take further drastic measures. In October 1913, Gandhi organized a march of over 6,000 Indian workers from the Natal mining area into the Transvaal, although the law did not allow non-whites the freedom of crossing into the Transvaal without a permit. Gandhi advised his followers, “We are going to march peacefully together across the border into the Transvaal. The Government will arrest us and put us in prison. We are to remain peaceful. This is the nonviolent way of protesting against the poll-tax, against the Government’s decision not to recognize our marriages, and against all the laws that are made against us. We are ﬁghting for just causes, we will not harm anyone.” He then asked the people, “Are you ready to face arrest and harsh treatment, remaining always nonviolent?” Roars of assent assured him of everyone’s support. They were ready to follow Gandhi anywhere. And so the march into the Transvaal began. Late in the evening Gandhi was roused from sleep by several uniformed men, who arrested him. Gandhi and many other Indians were jailed. The mines were cordoned off by barbed wire and converted into temporary

jails. The satyagrahis or protesters were beaten to force them to go back to work, but without success. The authorities could not make them return to work. Gandhi had inspired in them the spirit of quiet, dignified resistance. The movement of passive resistance, or satyagraha, spread all through Natal and the Transvaal like wildfire. The Government had no idea how to handle this phenomenon unlike any they had ever encountered before, because none yielded to their cruel treatment. The prisons were overflowing. At last General Smuts was obliged to act. He appointed a Commission to study the situation. In December 1913 Gandhi was released, but he would not give up the struggle. Gandhi threatened Smuts that he would start another march if his demands were not met. That march, however, never took place. The European employees of the railways in the Union went on strike, and this made the Government’s position extremely difficult. Gandhi decided to drop the idea of the march at such a crucial time as he did not wish to embarrass the Government further. Gandhi ordered every Indian to go back to work, at least for the time being. His decision created a good impression on the Government and even General Smuts recognized this courtesy. The Inquiry Commission reported in favor of all the essential reforms demanded by the Indian leaders. The Indians’ Relief Bill was at last passed and signed by the Governor. It abolished the poll-tax on indentured workers, declared absolutely legal all Indian marriages, and removed penalties for crossing from one State to another. It was a huge victory for Gandhi and the satyagraha movement. Gandhi had been active in South Africa for 21 years and had contributed so much to the welfare of the Indians in South Africa. Gandhi now felt that his mission in South Africa was over and he wanted to return to India. At that time Gokhale was in England. He wanted Gandhi to meet him in London before returning to India. Gandhi promised to do so. Gandhi announced his decision to Kasturbai. “You are going to London with me,” he said. “From England we will go back to India.” Gandhi, with Kasturbai and Her-

mann Kallenbach, a white South African farmer sailed for England on July 18, 1914. On August 4, two days before he reached London, the 1st World War was declared. Upon arrival in London, Gandhi heard that Gokhale had gone to Paris for reasons of health. Communications were cut off between London and Paris because of the war. Gandhi was disappointed. He did not want to return to India without seeing Gokhale, so he stayed on in London. Gandhi had no idea what to do during the war. At the suggestion of some Indian friends, a meeting was called of the Indians in England. Gandhi expressed the view that Indians residing in England ought to do their bit in the war. English students had volunteered to serve in the army and Indians should do no less. This brought forth many objections from many Indians who were of the opinion that the war provided an opportunity to get freedom for India and that Indians should assert themselves and claim their rights. Gandhi felt that England’s difficulty should not be turned into India’s opportunity. He insisted on rendering all possible help to England. He organized an ambulance corps which, in spite of many difficulties, helped the British in their time of need. After some time Gokhale returned to England. Gandhi and Kallenbach went to see him often and they talked together about the war and other matters. Then Gandhi had an attack of pleurisy and Gokhale and his friends were worried. Dr. Jivraj Mehta treated Gandhi but there was little relief. Gandhi was still ill when Gokhale returned to India. As the pleurisy still persisted, Gandhi was advised to go back to India as soon as possible. He accepted the advice and returned to his homeland. After 12 long and eventful years, Gandhi was back in India. He was welcomed with a great reception in Bombay. Gandhi was overwhelmed by the great love and wealth of kindness shown to him by the people. Gokhale was in Poona and was in poor health, so Gandhi went to see him. Gandhi told Gokhale that his plan was to have an ashram where he could settle down with his Phoenix family. They had followed him to India and already were settled at Santiniketan. Gokhale approved of the idea and promised whatever help he could. Meanwhile Gandhi went to Rajkot and Porbandar to meet his relatives and then went on to Santiniketan. There Gandhi met poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore for the first time, as well as C. F. Andrews who was also present. During his short stay at Santiniketan Gandhi heard the sad news that Gokhale had passed away. He immediately left for Poona, with C. F. Andrews accompanying him up to Burdwan. — To be Continued next week

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

20 July 21, 2017

BOLLYWOOD

The IIFA Awards brought the Best of Bollywood with A Star Studded Awards Show!

~The IIFA Awards was broadcast on COLORS on Sunday, July 16th with the Green Carpet at 6pm followed by the Awards at 7pm~

NEW YORK: The celebrated

IIFAAwards took over the city of New York with a dazzling awards show bringing together the big-

gest names of Bollywood in celebration of Indian Cinema. Giving Indian cinema a global platform, the Awards was held at the iconic

MetLife Stadium at New York, USA. This year the IIFA Awards stage saw Bollywood’s most dynamic duo- the talented stars Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan - host India’s most awaited awards ceremony. The pair amazed the crowd present with their quick wit and zingers as leaving them in splits with their amusing one-liners and on-stage chemistry. The IIFA Awards, the finale of the IIFA Weekend saw a host of stellar performances and acts. The show kicked off with Alia Bhatt performing on the Awards stage for the very first time since her debut in Bollywood five years ago. The night featured spellbinding performances by Bollywood superstars- Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few. Bollywood’s Youth Icon, Varun Dhawan performed on the IIFA Awards stage with a stunning performance celebrating his father’s legacy in Bollywood. This year, IIFA presented the Woman of the Year Award to actress Taapsee Pannu and The Myntra Style Icon to Alia Bhatt. The award night included legendary actor Anil Kapoor and Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO - Viacom18 honoring A.R. Rahman for his illustrious career and work as they celebrated his 25 years in the industry. The IIFA Awards Winners: • Best Picture - Neerja • Best Story - Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, Shakun Batra (Kapoor & Sons) • Best Performance in a comic role - Varun Dhawan (Dishoom) • Best Direction - Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (Pink) • Best Actor in a leading role Female - Alia Bhatt (Udta Punjab) • Best Actor in a leading role Male - Shahid Kapoor (Udta Punjab) • Best Lyricist - Amitabh Bhattacharya (Channa Mereya) • Best Music Director - Pritam (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)

• Best Negative Role Jim Sarbh (Neerja) • Best Playback Singer Female - Kanika Kapoor (Udta Punjab - Da Da Dasse) and Tulsi Kumar (Airlift - Soch Na Sake) • Best Playback singer Male - Amit Mishra(Ae Dil Hai Mushkil - Bulleya) • Supporting Actor Female Shabana Azmi (Neerja) • Supporting Actor Male - Anupam Kher (M.S. Dhoni) • Myntra Style Icon Award - Alia Bhatt • Woman of the Year - Taapsee Pannu • Best Debut Male Diljit Dosanjh (Udta Punjab) • Best Debut Female - Disha Patani (M.S. Dhoni) IIFA continues on its journey with strength to grow every year in the world of en-

tertainment and building the outreach as a major event globally to bring positive results and impact. This year is set to be one of the biggest, most extravagant and amazing IIFA Weekends to date. Keep up to date with all the latest news and details on IIFA by logging on to www.iifa.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

July 21, 2017

Shravan Month / Shravan Maas

Of all the months, Shravan

Maas (July-August) is considered most auspicious. In 2017, the Maas starts July 10 onwards in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar and on July 24 onwards in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is the ﬁfth month of solar year and is also known as ‘Avani’ in the Tamil scriptures. As per Vedic astrology, when Sun enters the zodiac Leo, Shravan Maas is said to set in. As per lunar calendar, Shravan sets in on the New Moon Day. On Full Moon Day (Punam or Purninma), the divine ﬁrmament (sky) is under the celestial sovereignty of Shravan Nakshtra

Shravan Maas Shiva Puja. During this month, the cosmos is super charged with Shiva tattvas (Shiva elements) that purify the mind, the senses, the body and the self (Soul) through the rituals dedicated to Lord Shiva. Following pujas can be performed under qualiﬁed Brahmins. Signiﬁcance of Shravan Maas: Devotees observe austerities, fasts and prayers in this holy month of Shravan. This is the time when Lord Shiva drank the poisonous Halahala that emanated from Samudra Manthan between the Devas and Asuras for the quest of the Nectar (ambrosia). During the Manthan, the ocean produced lots of valuables such as gemstones, Goddesses riches, cows, bows, the

(one of twenty seven Nakshatras). Therefore it is called Shravan. Each day during this month is auspicious for worshipping Shambhu (Shiva). Prayers and Vedic rituals are performed in Lord Shiva temples in order to please Him. Shravan Maas is also a holy month ﬁlled with other festivals such as Naga-Panchami, Govatsa, Shravani Purnima , Vara Lakshmi Vrata, Rishi Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Kalkyavatara and Putradaikadashi. Northern states such as Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and others celebrate ﬁfteen days before the southern states celebrate. Since it is the most auspicious period, one can take advantage of it by performing

Recipe for Shravana Maas

Mango Lassi is a popular beverage in Northern parts of India. Mango pulp and yogurt are blended to make delicious and refreshing smoothie. Mango Lassi is one of the most favorite beverages at Indian restaurants. This is a healthy version of mango

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Method: 1. Put mango pulp, yogurt, milk, ice cubes and sugar in a blender.

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• 1/4 Cup Ice Cubes To Garnish: • 1/2 Tablespoon Pistachio (Pista), powdered (optional).

Ingredients: • 1 Cup Mango Pulp (Aam Ras) • 2 Tablespoons Sugar • 1 Cup Fat-Free Plain Yogurt (Dahi/Curds) • 1/2 Cup Low-Fat Milk, chilled

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Mango Lassi Recipe

lassi made using fat free yogurt.

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Moon, conch etc. which were taken up by gods and demons. Fourteen different gems emerged from the ocean which were divided them. When the Ocean produced the deadliest poison called Halahala, all of them cringed back as it was too dangerous to destroy the universes. It was Shiva who decided to drink it to save the world. His devout wife saw him taking Halahala, she at once held His throat so that the poison wouldn’t go down. As a result His throat turned blue and He was called Neelkantha. -rudraksha-ratna.com

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2. Blend for 2 minutes or until all ingredients are mixed well. 3. Pour Mango lassi into individual glasses and sprinkle with powdered Pistachio. 4. Lassi can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. -vegindianrecipe.com

22 July 21, 2017

PUZZLES / RECIPES

SUDOKU

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Ghar de Pancakes (Homemade Pancakes)

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his is not really a Punjabi recipe, but it is one that will appeal to Indian American families and all those who live in the West where pancakes are a favorite treat. In the US, most people just go to the grocery store to buy a packet of ready-to-cook pancake mix. But if they only knew how quick and easy these round cakes are to make with ingredients found at home, they would think twice! In France, for example, they make crepes, which are a variation of pancakes, using a similar recipe and eat them with different types of fillings, including strawberry preserves or semi-soft chocolate paste. In India, the nearest comparable dishes are pudde, usually salty and made of besan (chickpea flour) or sweet and made of atta (wheat flour). But as people from the Indian Subcontinent have immigrated to other countries, they have come to appreciate some of the foods of their adopted homelands and have even improvised and created their own versions of foods of their homelands – like chicken tikka masala which was first made in London – or they have made local foods to suit their tastes like Tex-Mex tacos with a desi flavor or tandoori pizza. So people will be surprised to learn that they probably already have all the ingredients in their kitchen to make ghar de pancakes (homemade pancakes).And, if they want, they can use many different types of fillings – from preserves and plain syrup to sweetened cream cheese or the favorite of many young kids, the sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, Nutella. I discovered just how much my homemade pancakes were appreciated when my great-grandkids – 6 year-old Shashi Nila and 2 year-old Shiva - came over two weeks ago for a late breakfast. I quickly pulled together all the ingredients, made the

paste and cooked the pancakes over a tava (ﬂatplate). The kids added their favorite sweet ﬁlling and, to my delight, gobbled the pancakes up! Ingredients:

3. When the paste is made, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. 4. Put a tava (flatplate) or flat frying pan on the stove over medium heat; coat the surface with a dab of oil and wait till it is nicely hot. 5. With a tablespoon or small ladle, place some of the paste on the frying pan and spread into as large as you want into a ¼ thick flat disk. 6. When small holes appear on the surface of the disk, flip it over with a spatula. Now let the other side cook till it is slightly brown. 7. Remove the cooked pancake and place on a plate to serve. 8. Cook the rest of the batter the same way and serve with your favorite toppings.

• 3/4 cup maida (wheat ﬂour) • 1 anda (egg) • 1 cup lassi (buttermilk) • 2 tbsp makhan (butter) • ¼ cup chinni (sugar) • ½ tsp baking soda • 3 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp namak (salt) Directions: 1. Break the egg in a large bowl, pour in the buttermilk and beat till they are well mixed. 2. Now slowly pour in the maida, mixing continuously and thoroughly so that lumps are not formed by the ﬂour.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the oldfashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur (since renamed Faisalabad), India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her late-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

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ne of the most com boiling water, usua mon things that Indians do is make ch lly ai (tea) by white residue can fo in small pot or saucepan. After repe ated uses, a rm on the inside su rface of the pot, w the calcium and mag hich ne if you live in a plac sium deposits in the water. This is espe is from e with hard water. cially true Rather than scrub the white residue aw white vinegar. Just pour some – perhap ay, try using some common s half an inch or m pan and bring it to ore a bo residue on the sides il. When it is hot, just swirl around th into the e rest of the and let it sit for a w the residue disappea hi r. Now just rinse th le. You’ll be amazed to see e pan out several tim and let it dry. es, wash

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July 21, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS

Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif miss the plot in what Lipstick Under My Burkha could’ve been world’s ﬁrst musical spy thriller Four ordinary women, inﬂicted by What is

eet intrepid boy detective Jagga. And bumbling girl reporter Shruti. These two go sleuthing through a series of picturesque spots, when not breaking into song, dodging bad guys hot on their trail, and averting the third world war. Okay, I made the last one up. But in the near-three hours of the run time of Jagga Jasoos, there’s everything else, with Ranbir and Katrina chasing bent spies, arms dealers, and sundry other smaller fry, while, of course, saving the world. Given that Basu and Kapoor’s last outing was a real, honest-to-goodness ﬁlm (Barﬁ), and having seen Kapoor’s willingness to submit to a part, Jagga Jasoos should have been a barrel of laughs. But in its zeal to put together novel locations and exotic hot spots, Jagga Jasoos forgets to give us that crucial thing – a story. The good-looking

leads are left to fend for themselves in a sinking plot, if you can call it that. What we get, with the exception of a few smiley moments, is an excruciatingly long, dull meander. You get the feeling that somewhere along the way, in their intention to create a fun-filled, quirky ride, the filmmakers lost their way. Because all the elements that would make up a zany Tintin-esque (Jagga sports a sideways quaff, just the way Tintin does, and has a similar ability to unravel puzzles) adventure have been painstakingly gathered – impressive production values, eye-catching visuals, and a real-life event (the Purulia arms drop, which created such a sensation back in the mid-90s) to give it heft. A solid, engaging plot would have been just the ticket for both the film and hard-working hero (the leading lady mysteriously swings both ways : in some parts she seems very

much a part of the proceedings, and in others just sleep-walking through her scenes). Done right, it would have been the world’s first musical spy thriller. There’s something endearing about the way it begins, with Jagga’s origin story. How a little boy with a speech impairment wins the heart of a good-hearted man (Chatterjee) who vanishes, and how that little boy grows into a smart young fellow whose school-going moments seem to be filled with cracking one complicated case after the another. Except Kapoor is too old to pass off as a school-boy. That’s the first and most important thing that Jagga Jasoos gets wrong. And the bits between his purported teenage self and the pretty bumbler of a journo, who goes bumpity-bump through tough terrains, get a little questionable. The best part of the film is between the young Jagga and Chatterjee. At one point in the film, a character is made to ask – “Bore ho gaye na”? The answer, of course, is – “Haan bhai haan”. -indianexpress.com

Happy Birthday

silly societal norms, have to steal, lie, cheat and hide in order to lead the lives that they rightfully deserve. In the final moments of Lipstick Under My Burkha, as the four protagonists face the explosive consequences of their perceived rebellions, we hear firecrackers bursting in the background. Director uses the backdrop of Diwali to tell us that the lives of these women may be going up in flames, but they’ll go out with a bang. It is with this skilled assuredness that she tells the stories of her heroines: Shireen (Konkona) is bogged down by a chauvinistic husband who only wants to hump her mechanically, but she finds her release in her day job; Leela (Aahana) uses sex to live out her fantasies and manipulates her men; Rihana (Plabita) is cloaked in her burkha, but dreams of ripped jeans, bad boys and Miley Cyrus’s brand of liberation and Usha (Ratna) has been deemed asexual owing to her age, but hides erotic books in religious tomes — both ushering her to (different types of) climaxes in her life.

Himesh Reshammiya July 23, 1973

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

so scandalous (or “lady-oriented”) about the lives of these women, is unclear. In fact, Shrivastava’s bravest act is simply opening the doors and showing us what goes on behind them. Behind the closed doors of a conservative Muslim girl’s room, where she dances sans music to let out the rage; behind the closed doors of a couple’s bedroom, where the woman is supposed to be a latent victim to her husband’s libido; behind the closed doors of a girl’s beauty salon, where intimate advice is doled out as smoothly as the underarm hair is waxed off and behind the closed doors of an older woman’s bathroom where she runs a tap to mufﬂe the moans of her desires. While cinematographer Akshay Singh uses tight close-ups in cramped spaces to make you claustrophobic. -timesoﬁndia.com

Rahul Bose

July 27, 1967

24 July 21, 2017

DERBY: India were not equipped

to handle big occasions, so said Mithali Raj, the captain. Those comments came from a place of disappointment after her team had lost to Australia in the group stage. But now, a week after that thrashing, on a stage as massive as the semi-final of the World Cup, one of her team-mates produced an innings for the ages against the same opposition. Harmanpreet Kaur mauled 171 off 115 balls - she was 41 off 60 before going on a brutal onslaught that would yield 131 off 55. The 28-year old hard-hitting batsman had earned acclaim in the T20 circuit, becoming the first Indian to be picked for the Big Bash League and the Kia Super League. But at the World Cup, Harmanpreet found herself coming in towards the slog overs and so struggled to get time in the middle. Before the semi-final, she had faced only 91 balls in five innings. “I didn’t get a chance to bat in the whole tournament,” she told the host broadcasters after her unbeaten innings, “Today when I got the chance I just wanted to utilise it, this opportunity, because today was the day where I wanted to prove myself, and thanks to God, whatever I was thinking, [worked]. Mithali and Deepti [Sharma] scored really well and Veda [Krishnamurthy] scored really well.” In much the way her idol, Virender Sehwag, used to play, Harmanpreet’s thought process at the crease was very

‘I Wanted to Prove Myself’ - Harmanpreet

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricket

has gone through trying times this year and they just about managed to overcome Zimbabwe a few days ago in the one-off Test, following a ODI series loss to the same side. The bilateral series against the Indian team gets underway next week and despite their recent struggles, the hosts are conﬁdent of doing well against the world’s number one ranked Test team. Sri Lankan vice-captain Upul Tharanga reminded journalists that his team beat a strongAustralian outﬁt last year under similar circumstances and added that they will seek inspiration from that 3-0 whitewash. Australia arrived in Sri Lanka in July last year as world’s number one ranked Test team but struggled against a

Real Project of Football in India Starts when U-17 World Cup Ends: Coach Luis Norton

NEW DELHI: With nearly 28 years

Harmanpreet Kaur goes inside out over cover for her score of 171 runs off 115 balls to secure India’s semiﬁnal victory over Australia.

simple. “Today’s plan was just watch the ball, hit it hard and this is what I was doing.” But she had to be careful early on. After all, Australia had India at 35 for 2 in the 10th over. “Some areas they were bowling well but I just wanted to hit and rotate the strike.” Harmanpreet’s partner for much of the day was Deepti Sharma, the only Indian woman with a higher score in ODIs. “I just told her to rotate the strike, you don’t have to take the pressure, I was hitting the ball well and I

told her to give me the strike and I will take the responsibility and she did a great job.” But there was one moment of miscommunication during theit 137-run stand. On 98, Harmanpreet knocked a ball into the leg side and immediately called for a second run. But Deepti did not seem so keen. Harmanpreet berated Deepti to complete the double, and after a relay throw via the wicketkeeper ended at the non-strikers’ end brought the third umpire into play,

she ﬂung her helmet onto the turf and sent another angry volley of words at Deepti. Eventually, the green light came on and Harmanpreet put an arm around her partner to make up for the momentary slip up. “Of course, it was heat of the moment and I said sorry to her because I don’t want to lose my wicket at the that moment and I don’t want to lose her wicket too, I got a little bit angry but we are ﬁne now.” -espncricinfo.com

Sri Lanka Seek Inspiration from Australia Drubbing ahead of India Series BY REX CLEMENTINE

SPORTS

young Sri Lankan outfit, with Meanwhile, Sri Lanka number three batsman Kusal coach Nic Pothas, who has Mendis and left-arm wrist taken over from Graham spinner Lakshan Sandakan Ford until the end of the India doing most of the damage. series, outlined the areas he “Last year when we beat needs to see the team improvAustralia 3-0 we were in simiing. “We are in that rebuildlar position like now. India is ing phase. In my first series, world’s number one ranked it was more about getting to team now and we will take know the players and most lot of inspiration from that importantly the word that series win. We have nothing we have mentioned already, to lose,” said Tharanga, who the culture - try and change attended the series launch in the culture. Unleash your the absence of captain Dinesh potential, attention to detail, Chandimal who was down Virat Kohli (right) and Upul Tharanga share a the intensity of the practice, moment at a press conference, Colombo, July and overall improvement. with flu. “Australia is a strong side 20, 2017. We will certainly see some times. You can only look forward to and they came to India and improvements in a very short gave us a strong fight as well. You the games that you have to play and period of time. can’t compare different stages of prepare the best way you can,” India -cricbuzz.com cricket being played at different skipper Virat Kohli said.

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of experience in coaching, Portuguese Luis Norton de Matos took over the mantle of the under-17 Indian football team coach in March this year, succeeding Nicolai Adam; and with roughly two months left for the FIFA under-17 World Cup to be held in India, the coach knows that the other teams in a tough group comprising India are much better and there is only a very little possibility for his side to qualify for the knockout stages. However, for De Matos, the tournament is just a beginning of something special for India football. In a media interaction, De Matos talked at length about the preparations of the team, his style of coaching and what can be expected from this young bunch. Flanked by players Rahul KP and Shubham Sarangi, De Matos pulled no punches in assessing his team’s chances at the World Cup. “Our possibilities are small but we have a winning mentality,” said De Matos. “If you play against an Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or the Brazilian teams, they have at least ten years of experience, ten years of competition. They are not playing friendly games. They are playing for points. We (the Indian team) have so far played 25 matches, all of them friendly and this is the big challenge. Of course, we are progressing a lot and we have had very satisfying games, but at the end there are no points and this is the big difference when you talk about competition. It changes everything,” elaborated the Portuguese. India has been drawn into Group ‘A’ along with United States of America (USA), Colombia and Ghana. The hosts will open their campaign against USA on October 6, before facing Colombia on October 9 and Ghana on October 11. -timesoﬁndia.com

July 21, 2017

India’s Economy Set to Reclaim Top Spot for Growth this Year

BENGALURU: India will reclaim

its position as the fastest growing major global economy this year, partly propelled by benefits from a new tax system and bolstered by an expected central bank interest rate cut, a Reuters poll showed. Having been in the offing for close to two decades, the goods and services tax (GST), which the government touts as the biggest domestic tax reform since independence, was introduced on 1 July and has bolstered economists’ outlook. The new national tax will replace multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments which economists in the poll were unanimous in saying would have either a positive or very positive effect on long-term GDP growth. The median forecast from the poll of over 35 economists showed India’s economy is expected to expand 7.3% in the fiscal year ending March 2018, after slowing sharply at the start of 2017 following last year’s govern-

If the rains are good, there would be bumper grain production and a further slide in food prices which, economists said, could lend support to India’s economy.

ment move to scrap high-value banknotes. While that is a downgrade from the previous poll’s forecast of 7.5%, it is better than the International Monetary Fund’s projection of 7.2%. It is also stronger than a similar Reuters poll of economists predicting China will grow by 6.6% in calendar year 2017. “The GST is likely to add one-two

percentage points to GDP growth in the medium to long term with dismantling of tax barriers and by creating a uniﬁed market, further improving the competitiveness of exporters and in general, the ease of operating in India,” said Tushar Arora, senior economist at HDFC Bank. Indian shares are on the rise for the same reasons. The NSE Nifty hit a record high on Monday. It has surged

20% so far this year and a separate recent Reuters poll showed the rally is expected continue over the remainder of the year. Adding to the brighter outlook, monsoon rains this year are forecast to be above average—a boon for the farm sector that accounts for about 15% of India’s $2 trillion economy and employs more than half the country’s 1.3 billion people. If the rains are good, that would lead to bumper grain production and a further slide in food prices which economists said could lend support to Asia’s third-largest economy. India’s annual retail inflation eased to 1.54% in June, its slowest pace in more than five years, but is expected to begin rising again through to mid-2018. With inflation currently well below its target, the central bank is expected to cut borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps) at its next meeting on 2 August. It last cut rates, by the same amount, to 6.25% in October 2016. -livemint.com

Cigarette Companies Woo Young People in India while Health Ofﬁcials are Fuming

NEW DELHI: S. K. Arora spent

more than three years trudging through the Indian summer heat and monsoon rains to inspect tobacco kiosks across this sprawling megacity, tearing down cigarette advertise-

ments and handing out ﬁnes to store owners for putting them up. But as fast as he removed the colourful ads, more appeared. The chief tobacco control ofﬁcer at the Delhi state government, Arora

asked the major cigarette companies to put a stop to the cat-and-mouse routine. In ofﬁcial letters and face-toface meetings, he told them India’s tobacco control laws barred such public advertising and promotion of cigarettes. That included the Indian arm of Philip Morris International Inc, the world’s largest publicly traded tobacco company. Early last year, Arora said, he met with a Philip Morris director for corporate affairs in India, a man named R. Venkatesh, and told him the signs were an unequivocal violation of Indian law. Like other tobacco companies, Philip Morris kept up its ad blitz. Venkatesh says Philip Morris is doing nothing wrong. In response to questions from Reuters, he said the company’s advertising is “compliant

with Indian law” and that Philip Morris has “fully cooperated with the enforcement authorities” on the matter. But Indian government ofﬁcials say Philip Morris is using methods that ﬂout the nation’s tobaccocontrol regulations. These include tobacco shop displays as well as the free distribution of Marlboro– the world’s best-selling cigarette brand—at nightclubs and bars frequented by young people. Ininternaldocuments,PhilipMorris International is explicit about targeting the country’s youth. A key goal is “winning the hearts and minds of LA-24,” those between legal age, 18, and 24, according to one slide in a 2015 commercial review presentation. -livemint.com

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World Bank to Draw Up Plan for Railways’ Rs 5 Lakh Crore Makeover

NEWDELHI:TheWorldBankwill

help draw up a granular makeover blueprint for the Indian Railways, which is investing Rs 5 lakh crore to transform itself from a colonial-era mass transporter into a strategic platform underpinning growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy. The multilateral lending agency would partner the 164-year-old railroad network, the world’s fourth longest, to help the state transporter with investment and planning, digitisation and technology development, besides establishing a Railway University and the Rail Tariff Authority. The bank, which has earlier worked with the Railways for financing the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor Project, will provide advisory services and programme management consultancy for this transformation exercise for 2-3 years. “We needed this arrangement to build our capacity and deliver projects on a mission mode. World Bank’s expertise would be a great gain,” a top rail ministry official said. Rail minister Suresh Prabhu has drawn up an ambitious plan to transform Railways with an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore in the next four years. For this year, the Railways would spend Rs 1.31 lakh crore to augment capacity. On the planning front, the World Bank has proposed to set up an organisation for creating detailed forecasting models, traffic optimization and planning. -timesofindia.com

26 July 21, 2017 Indian Astronomers Discover Supercluster of Galaxies, Name it ‘Saraswati’

In a signiﬁcant discovery, a team of

Indian astronomers have identiﬁed a previously unknown, extremely large supercluster of galaxies located in the direction of constellation Pisces. The supercluster of 43 galaxies, which they named “Saraswati”, is one of the largest known structures in the nearby universe, and is 4 billion light years away from us and may contain the mass equivalent of over 20 million billion suns A supercluster is a chain of galaxies and galaxy clusters, bound by gravity, often stretching to several hundred times the size of clusters of galaxies, consisting of tens of thousands of galaxies. The Saraswati supercluster, for instance, extends over a scale of 600 million light years. The Milky Way, the galaxy we are in, is part of a supercluster called the Laniakea Supercluster, announced in

2014 by Brent Tully at the University of Hawaii and collaborators. The Saraswati discovery was made by astronomers from India’s Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), both in Pune, and members of two other Indian universities. IUCAA is an autonomous institution set up by the India to promote the nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics at Indian universities. “This novel discovery is being published in the latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal, the premier research journal of the American Astronomical Society,” said an ofﬁcial statement from IUCAA. “The Saraswati supercluster is observed as it was when the universe was 10 billion years old,” IUCAA

First Ever

24 Hour

A zoomed-in view of the Saraswati supercluster of galaxies.

said in the statement. Thus, the ﬁndings could push researchers to rethink the popular theories of how the universe got its current form. “The long-popular ‘cold dark matter’ model of the evolution of the universe predicts that small structures like galaxies form ﬁrst, which congregate into larger structures. Most forms of this model do not predict the existence of large structures such as the Saraswati Supercluster within the current age of the universe. The discovery of these extremely large

structures thus force astronomers into re-thinking the popular theories of how the universe got its current form, starting from a more-or-less uniform distribution of energy after the Big Bang,” the statement said. Interestingly, Somak Raychaudhury, currently director of IUCAA and a co-author of the paper, had also discovered the ﬁrst massive supercluster of galaxies on this scale (the Shapley Concentration), during his PhD research at the University of Cambridge decades ago.

In his paper published in the journal Nature in 1989, Raychaudhury had named the supercluster after the American astronomer Harlow Shapley, in recognition of his pioneering survey of galaxies. Joydeep Bagchi from IUCAA, the lead author of the paper, and co-author Shishir Sankhyayan (PhD scholar at IISER, Pune) said, ‘’We were very surprised to spot this giant wall-like supercluster of galaxies, visible in a large spectroscopic survey of distant galaxies, known as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.” “This supercluster is clearly embedded in a large network of cosmic ﬁlaments traced by clusters and large voids. Previously only a few comparatively large superclusters have been reported, for example the ‘Shapley Concentration’ or the ‘Sloan Great Wall’ in the nearby universe, while the ‘Saraswati’ supercluster is far more distant one. Our work will help to shed light on the perplexing question; how such extreme large scale, prominent matter-density enhancements had formed billions of years in the past when the mysterious Dark Energy had just started to dominate structure formation,’’ the duo said in a statement. -livemint.com

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Lahore High Court Lifts Ban on Airing of Indian Content on Television

EW DELHI: The Lahore High Court has lifted the ban placed on Indian serials being aired in Pakistan by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority also known as PEMRA on Tuesday. Declaring the ban null and void, the government has shown no objections to Indian teleplays. Last year, PEMRA had issued a ban on all Indian content in October as an aftermath of the Uri attack which spoiled relations between the two countries. According to reports in the Dawn, a company called M/s Leo Communications which is TV channel Filmazia’s parent organisation, had requested the lifting of the ban claiming that Pemra’s powers do not allow the imposing of a ban and neither does the Pakistani constitution. The petition even claimed that this was an instance of “selective pa-

triotism” by the government. What is surprising is the fact that Indian movies were being aired all over the country but were not allowed for television. Although the ban had already been lifted in February last year, the serials had not received necessary permission. “The world has become a global village,” LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said, as reported by The Dawn. He also questioned how long such

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

unreasonable restrictions could exist. Though the PEMRA counsel made a point that the ban had only been imposed because India has also levied similar restrictions on Pakistani content, the judge maintained that only the Indian content with objectionable or anti-Pakistan content should be censored and was against the idea of a complete ban. -indianexpress.com

July 21, 2017

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July 21, 2017

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