Indo American News • Friday, December 10 , 2010
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Friday, December 10 2010 | Vol. 29, No. 50
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This Week inside Pg 8
Navodaya Appachen - Kerala He Loves Courting Risks
Pg 13
Princess Indian Cuisine The Coming of a Goan Age
Pg 17
Ashish Goyal Managing Risk for JPMorgan, and Blindness
Pg 19
Emotional Engineering: What’s Behind the Suicides at IIT Kanpur?
Pg 21
Barkha Dutt - A Journalist in India Ends Up in the Headlines
Pg 23
Slapstick Movie: Phas Gaye Re Obama
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Anger, Frustration over Indian Visa and ocI services By Jawahar malhotra HOUSTON: For many in the room, the events that were being recalled were the last straw. Numerous people related their ordeal and frustration over long lines, demands for extraneous and additional supporting documentation, surly customer service and broken promises on delivery of visas. “I came all the way from Atlanta to get my visa,” said Zakir Patrawala, “and have waited from 7 am to 7 pm today,” as he stood in the room in front of incredulous stares. It is a situation that has been simmering for many weeks, especially as the busy holiday season has set in, based on the calls that the media has received, as people from far away have traveled to obtain travel documents – tourist visas or the newly touted Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards. “It is utter chaos here,” said one Dallas resident who called in to Indo American News on Tuesday. Another media outlet reported that they have received upto six calls a week complaining of this situation.
India House President Jugal Malani, Ekal Vidalaya head Ramesh Shah and Hasu Patel of AAHOA outline their grievances at the process for obtaining an Indian visa or OCI card at a hastily arranged meeting held at India House on Monday, December 6, which was attended by about 40 other community activists and others who have received surly tratment and long delays. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
Nor is this localized to tourist visas. Other people have reported that they were told that their application for the OCI card would be processed in two months only to discover that it had been lengthened to four and even six months. “And they have the nerve to tell
us to apply for a regular visa now at additional cost,” said one applicant, “but they can’t assure us that we will get that even in time.” A call to the Consulate confirmed that this was the tact that was suggested since more time was required for the OCI card.
It was this same treatment that enraged local community activist and head of the Ekal Vidalaya chapter, Ramesh Shah as he vented over the treatment he had received and the continuing delays that he was told he would face in getcontinued on page
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Bombayite sir salman Lives and writes, despite Fatwa By Pramod KulKarni K Karni HOUSTON: Citizens of Bombay (now Mumbai) are known for their resiliency. Whatever adversity may befall them, they are capable of bouncing back with vigor. Despite the fatwa (death decree) issued against him by Ayatollah Khomeini after the publication of his controversial book Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie went into hiding for some time, but has returned to living and loving to the fullest. In the process, Rushdie has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, so has earned the title of Sir Salman. Among Rushdie’s ten novels includes Midnight’s Children, winner of the Booker Prize, the Booker of Bookers, and the Best of the Booker. Rushdie made the Society pages through his tryst with Top Chef hostess Padma Lakshmi and has just concluded a book tour for his latest novel, a book for children and adults, titled Luke and the Fire of Life. In fact, Rushdie’s last stop in the
reading tour was hosted by Inprint as a segment of its Margarett Root Brown Reading Series last Friday, Dec. 3 in Houston’s Jones Hall. “What are you all doing here?” quipped Rushdie to a record 1,800 in the audience. His typical audiences run between 800 to 1,000. It is interesting to note that the vast percentage of the audience consisted of mainstream Americans. After the reading, the doting fans had the opportunity to have their copies of Luke and the Fire of Life autographed by the author. Rushdie read three passages from his book, including a dramatic rendition of the hero Luke’s riddle battle with the Old Man of the River. One of the riddles was “What goes around and around a tree but never goes into it?”. The answer is the bark of a tree. Rushdie wrote the book for his younger son Luka. The author told the Houston audience that his son feels proprietary toward the book and wants his dad to give him a continued on page
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Bombay-born author Salman Rushdie delighted a record Houston audience of 1,800 with his eloquence, controversial comments and sense of humor. Photo: Dave Einsel, Inprint continued on page 5
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A decemBer 10 , 2010 • Online editiOn: Ay, On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
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Indo American News • Friday, December 10 , 2010
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Anger, Frustration expressed over delays, Bad service for Indian Visa continued from page
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ting his visa. Similarly, another activist, Vijay Pallod was told that the visa he was originally led to believe would arrive in two weeks would now take an additional two weeks. At a hastily called meeting held at India House this past Monday, December 6 and attended by nearly 40 people, all of whom are highly regarded in the community for their untiring service and dedication, tempers flared and strong words flew over the delays in obtaining Indians visas from the Indian Consulate. Included were Many among those who attended shared their own stories of long delays and representatives of In- bad service. A ten-member delegation seeking to meet Consul General Arora dia House, GOPIO, the the next day was rebuffed in their request. Leuva Patidar Samaj and other or- Another person said that she was declined to meet with the delegaganizations. Not all were critical turned back over a four-day period tion but instead asked for a meetof the Consulate. “They are doing due to a name change after obtain- ing with the Presidents of organithe best they can with the resourc- ing US citizenship. “There is noth- zations, mentioning the names of ing on the website that gives you five. es that they have,” said one. This response has not settled But that was exactly what many all the data. They seem to be makin the room felt that the Consulate ing rules up as they go along,” she well with Ramesh Shah who is still furious and he has reportedly had not been doing, that it had not fumed. written to the Indian Ambassador Among all the high-spirited and anticipated the demand on visas ahead of time and allocated or re- angry words, most agreed that in Washington, DC and copied quested more funds for additional the workload for the staffers was other high ranking people in the staff to handle the load. This elic- high and that they were told many Indian Government. In addition, ited more calls for firmer action worked long hours to clear the he has taken on a purely Gandhian from higher sources to step in and backlog. Most also agreed that this way to show his displeasure. Shah manage the excessive load, and reflected on the management of will stage a one-day hunger strike some well-intentioned individu- Consul General Sanjiv Arora who starting on 8am on Sunday, Deals suggested volunteering time was more focused on other issues cember 12 till Monday at 8amto to help with the process or resort- than that of streamlining the visa bend will be held at the VPSS ing to the visa camps that used to process and overseeing rude and Haveli off West Airport and the Southwest Freeway to bring attenbe common before the Consulate intemperate staff workers. tion to this issue. In concluding the hour-long opened in Houston. Meanwhile, the GOPIO Chapter Hasu Patel, who is well-con- meeting, it was decided that a nected with the AAHOA group contingent of ten would ask for has organized a meeting on Thurstold the story of a prominent a meeting with Arora and voice day at 6:30pm at Madras Pavilion member of the group who was to their grievances and offer several in Sugar Land to list all the conattend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas steps to remedy the untenable situ- cerns and issues that should be ad(World Indian Day) in January but ation. When asked for an appoint- dressed by the Consulate followed is unable to collect his visa as he ment, India House President Jugal by a meeting they hope to have is not sure when it will be ready. Malani reported that Arora had with Arora the next morning.
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Timeless Romance
LLadro’s Premier Piece captures divine Love of radha-Krishna
HOUSTON: Vicente Lladro, the famous porcelain figurine artist from Valencia, Spain, is releasing Divine Love, a limited edition of 2000 pieces worldwide. It measures 12” x 10”. The artist drew his inspiration for the piece from the Hindu literary and artistic traditions staying true to the nature of Indian art, mainly the drawings and etchings depicted in traditional Indian folk stories. This piece in particular, Divine Love, captures the timeless romance between a romantic couple who sitting by the banks of the river Ganges, look lost in each other’s love. The young man must bid her farewell for he must go in search of fortune that he needs to marry his love. As a sign of the riches they will share on his return, the young man offers her his crown, a symbol of love that will keep his memories alive in her heart while he is away. This is their last meeting just before he decides to leave for the big city. They cling to each other with tender love and longing, hoping to make this moment last forever. The piece is detailed in every aspect. Bedecked in traditional Hindu jewelry and costumes, the coloring is a new departure for classical porcelain pieces. From the blue used for the man’s skin to the orange and saffron color used in the skirt which is associated with celebrations, happiness, and optimism. The enamels used in the crown and jewelry is unique
that lends a stunning realistic ef effect. The flower garland draped on the young lady’s shoulders looks so real and detailed. This piece is now available at Karat 22 for a limited time, Retail $4140 (with base) specially priced for the holidays. Do call them at 713-783-0808 or visit them 5623 Hillcroft Ave., Houston, TX 77036
Romance captured in Indian art drawings is a tradition that is recaptured here in its finest essence with rapt attention to detail, a world class master porcelain figurine artist, Vicente Lladro has now taken it to another level capturing love at a metaphysical level making it a great collectible, now available at Karat 22 If you receive your paper more than 4 days after the Dateline, please file a complaint with your post office or call the USPS Consumer Affairs Office at 713-226-3442
Indo-American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly on every Friday (for a subscription price of $30 per year) by Indo-American News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, Texas 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, Texas 77036.
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Sri Daya Mata, Guiding Light for Some U.S. Hindus, Dies at 96
By Dennis Hevesi LOS ANGELES (NYT): Sri Daya Mata, who for more than five decades was the leader of one of the most influential Hindu groups in the United States and an ardent advocate of the healing power of meditation, died on Tuesday at the group’s retreat for nuns in Los Angeles. She was 96. Her death was confirmed by Lauren Landress, a spokeswoman for the group, the Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, which is based in what once was an elegant hotel on Mount Washington in Los Angeles. From 1955 until her death, Sri Daya Mata — her name means “true mother of compassion” in Sanskrit — was the society’s president and spiritual leader. In her flowing ocher sari, she presided over an organization that now has more than 600 temples, centers and retreats in 60 countries, about half of them in the United States. Ms. Landress estimated that the society had “hundreds of thousands” of followers, but said she could not be more specific. The society, whose monks and nuns adopt Indian names, teaches that there is a unifying truth be-
Sri Daya Mata
hind all religious experience, and the group encourages its members to honor their roots in other faiths. Most members follow a vegetarian diet, practice yoga, chant and meditate. Meditation, Sri Daya Mata said, is a universal balm: “If we turn our consciousness within, in deep meditation, communing with God even a little bit every day, we begin gradually to experience that love which is our real nature. “Feeling love within ourselves,
it is very easy to give it to others.” The Self-Realization Fellowship was founded in 1920 by the Indian yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda soon after he arrived in the United States as a delegate to the International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. He became well known as the author of “Autobiography of a Yogi,” which was first published in 1946. Catherine Wessinger, a professor of the history of religions at Loyola University New Orleans, said on Thursday that Sri Yogananda was “the most significant teacher to popularize Hindu ideas and practices in the United States after the initial one, Swami Vivekananda,” who came to the United States in 1893. “Of course, in the 1960s, numerous gurus immigrated to the United States,” Dr. Wessinger said, “but the S.R.F. remains influential.” Sri Daya Mata, who was born Faye Wright in Salt Lake City on Jan. 31, 1914, was a daughter of Clarence and Rachel Wright, who were Mormons. Her grandfather Abraham Reister Wright was an architect of the Mormon Tabernacle. Faye was 15 when she picked
up a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita, a If you receive your paper more than 4 sacred Hindu scripture. Two years days after the Dateline, please file a later, in 1931, she attended a lec- complaint with your post office or call ture by Sri Yogananda in Salt Lake the USPS Consumer Affairs Office at 713-226-3442 City. Soon after, with her mother’s blessing, she moved to Los AnIndo-American News (ISSN geles and joined the society. She 887-5936) is published weekly took her vows in 1932, becoming on every Friday (for a subscription price of $30 per year) by one of the first nuns of the SelfIndo-American News Inc., 7457 Realization Fellowship order. Her Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, mother, sister and two brothers Texas 77036, Tel: 713-789later became members of the so6397, Fax: 713-789-6399, Email: indoamericannews@ ciety as well. yahoo.com. For more than 20 years, Sri Daya Periodical postage paid at Mata was one of Sri Yogananda’s Houston, Texas. POSTMASclosest disciples, serving as his TER: Please send address secretary and helping compile the changes to Indo-American News, 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite detailed instructions on yoga med262, Houston, Texas 77036. itation that the society distributed by mail order. In 1955, three years after Sri Yogananda died, she succeeded the Rajarsi Janakananda as president of the society. As a spiritual successor to Sri Yogananda, she supervised the training of disciples who resided in ashrams around the world and the administration of the society’s Sri Daya Mata, right, in 1939 with humanitarian services. Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles.
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Indo American News • Friday, DECEMBER 10 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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Indo American News • Friday, December 10 , 2010
Sir Salman Lives & Writes, Despite Fatwa
continued from page 1
daily briefing on the reading tour and book sales. “I feel I’m a traveling salesman for my son,” Rushdie declared.
Flamboyant Rushdie By Tarra Gaines After the reading, novelist Alexander Parsons conducted an interview that covered everything from the nature of storytelling to Rushdie’s equally dramatic real life story. Rushdie spoke of the different types of literary fiction and claims his own is flamboyant and “waves its arms about.” Fiction that feels free to do some arm waving is also the type he prefers to read, instead of “quietus,” subtle writers. The description “boring” also slipped out, but Rushdie half-heartedly took it back. He also discussed the challenges of writing a screenplay adaptation for his Booker Prize winning novel Midnight’s Children. The film will be produced by Canadian director Deepa Mehta. When answering a question about if he would advise young writers to head to Hollywood or Bollywood, he asked “Why send people to hell?” He also managed to get in some quick criticism of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. He assured everyone that when Midnight’s Children finally makes it to screen, there will be no dance sequence ending. No discussion with Salman Rushdie would be complete — no matter how much he might wish it to be and no matter how much Parsons appeared uncomfortable introducing it — without at least mentioning The Satanic Verses and the Ayatollah Khomeini’s death sentence on Rushdie. Parsons refused to even use the word fatwa, referring to the “F-word” throughout that portion of the interview. Rushdie talked about how terrible it is “being famous for the wrong reason,” and spending years “trying to change the subject back,” but he appeared to have found a place of resolve about it all. He is working on a memoir and said one of the reasons is so that he can “answer everybody’s questions, and then after that I can say: well, read the damn book.” He promised the memoir will be novelistic and tell some stories that have not yet been told.
Salman Rushdie with Houston-based author Bapsi Sidwa. Rushdie also conversed with Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, another of Houston’s recognized author of South Asian origin. Photo by Dave Einsel, Inprint
One interesting tangent that came up during this part of the conversation was Rushdie’s opinion of the recent Steve Martin vs 92nd St. Y kerfuffle. Martin was asked there to speak while promoting his latest book, a novel about the art world titled An Object of Beauty. When Martin and his interviewer, not so surprisingly, spent most of the conversation discussing the art world instead of his movie career, the Y offered attendees their money back. Parsons brought up the subject as a way to segue into the discussion of The Satanic Verse controversy and to make a point about Rushdie’s history perhaps being fixed in the “public’s imagination.” However, Rushdie paused to give his opinion of the Steve Martin story before he moved on to his own. He called Steve Martin a “wonderful writer and a wonderful speaker” and said the 92nd St. Y behaved “scandalously” and “disgracefully.” Culture Map of Houston About Inprint “We’re delighted to welcome Mr. Rushdie back to Houston as we celebrate the 30th anniversary season of the reading series,” says Inprint Executive Director Rich Levy. “For his last Inprint appearance, he read to a full house at the Alley Theatre on September 10, 2001, the night before 9/11. This time, when the tickets for his reading went on sale, they sold out in 24 hours. Luckily we were able to move the reading to Jones Hall and have plenty of tickets available. It’s great to see such an enthusiastic response from the Houston community to the written word.” Now in its 30th year, the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series ranks among the country’s leading literary showcases. The Series is presented in association with the UH Creative Writing Program, the Alley Theatre, and Brazos Bookstore. Over the years, the Series has presented more than 300 of the world’s great writers, including winners of 49 Pulitzer Prizes, 45 National Book Awards, and six Nobel Prizes. The low admission cost of $5 has not changed in 30 years, thanks to generous underwriting support from The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Weatherford and other donors,
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mmn southwest mmnA s c chapter c celebrates diwali
HOUSTON: The Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA) Southwest Chapter celebrated Diwali on November 20 in this city. Over 100 people gathered from all over Texas for this auspicious occasion, the festival of lights, the most important fes-
tival for all Hindus globally. Historically it symbolized the victory of good over evil, celebrating Lord Rama’s vanquishment of the evil king Ravana, and the subsequent victorious return of Lord Rama as king of Ayodhya. The Maheshwari community,
though small in numbers, has been in the forefront of charity and community service both in India and in USA. There are about 1.5 million Maheshwaris in India and more than 2000 Maheshwari families in USA. Their MMNA events emphasize family and community activities and preservation of cultural values. The event started with Laxmi Pooja, followed by a warm welcome from outgoing president Vinod Jajoo. He shared his experiences from the past two years as president of the southwest chapter and thanked his team members, especially Ashish and Trusha Chandak for their consistent support. He welcomed the new president Narendra Zamwar and passed on good wishes to new team. Narendra Zamwar appreciated previous c o m m i t t e e ’s work saying that they have
The main attraction of the event was the children’s fancy dress competition wih the theme “ Seven Continents”.
done a great job, setting a good example for the incoming team. He continued, “We want to get more and more young families involved in MMNA activities, while at the same time, seeking guidance from our seniors. This should help in preserving Maheshwari culture to next generation.” Another emphasis of the coming year will be to focus on our educational support activities through MMNA Education Foundation. Then Zamwar continued by announcing new committee which includes Om Lohiya Vice President, Varsha Gattani Tresurer, and Sachin Jakhotia Secretery from Houston as well as Saket Bajaj from Dallas. Vivek Sarda from Austin is continuing for an additional term. Zamwar concluded his address on the note that the new team shall make its best effort in organizing enjoyable events to fulfill the expectations of the members.
The highlight of the event was the children’s fancy dress competition with the theme - Seven Continents. It was organized by Rakhi Sarada and Varsha Gattani. Rakhi explained no matter where Indian people immigrate for work, deep in their hearts they are close to India and Indian values and the parents try hard to imbibe same values in the next generation. The crowd really enjoyed watching kids neatly dressed in costumes from Alaska, Australia, Africa, North and South America, Europe, China and Middle East. The crowd burst in laughter when one of the kids was dressed as a sheikh and was holding a gasoline container! The program also included live music entertainment and delicious food which kept the mood buoyant. The organizers appreciated all the volunteers for their efforts and also the president of India House, Jugal Malani, for his constant support and encouragement.
Icc elects n new Board of directors
From left: Ramesh Cherivirala, Ajitkumar Patel, Rajiv Bhavsar, Chandrakant Patel, Madhukar Prasad, Hemant Patel, Swapan Dhairyawan, Rajinder Bhalla, Rafi Ansar, Harshad Patel, Surender Talwar & Jagat Kamdar Seating from left-- Yamuna Srinidhi, Nimmi Vale, Nisha Mirani, Veena Ponnaganti, Phalguni Gandhi. Directors not in picture-- Jasmeeta Singh & P V Patel
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A decemBer 10 , 2010 • Online editiOn: Ay, On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
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JKP Barsana dham o offers Hindu Family camp 2010 AUSTIN: Registration for the annual Hindu Family Camp, December 26-31, 2010, at JKP Barsana Dham in Austin, Texas, is now available to families desiring the opportunity for their children to gain lifelong respect for the Hindu culture and pride in their heritage and religion. Pracharaks and teachers of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj will teach four concurrent classes: adults, teens, youth and kids. Included in the devotional sessions are answers to questions such as: “Who am I?” “What is the purpose of my life?” and “How can I meet God?” Some of the fun-filled and educational Camp activities to choose
from are: dholak and harmonium and Sanatan Dharm come alive. lessons, simple yoga postures, ras Taste the sweetness of Radha garba, acting in leela performanc- Krishn Love in your life and ines, hiking, campfire, devotional vest in your family’s cultural and “Jeopardy” and much more, all in spiritual future.” a beautiful Ashram setting. Register now online for the up“After attending the Family coming Hindu Family Camp at Camp, my daughter chants on the Barsana Dham, December 26-31, harmonium and my son plays dho- 2010, www.hindufamilycamp.org lak during our family prayer time,” or call 512-288-7180. attendee Dharminder Dargan of Houston stated. Camp coordinators inWriters are requested to limit their words to vite families to 500 The deadline for advertising and articles “Watch your children’s faith is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more and understandinformation, Call 713-789-6397 or email us at: ing about God indoamericannews@yahoo.com
Writers ... take NOtiCe
Children enjoying the youth class
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Indo American News • Friday, December 10 , 2010
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emaar mGF m markets Hot real r estate Properties in Gurgaon
By Jawahar malhotra HOUSTON: On the outskirts of New Delhi, just across the Harayana border and now accessible by an updated and widened NH-8 tollroad and the Metro link from Connaught Place, the once sleepy little village of Gurgaon has been transformed in the past 20 years into a city of highrise offices and residence towers that stretch for almost 45km. What is left of the old village still chugs along on the back road connection from Indira Gandhi International Airport to the Marutti factory further west, but it too has seen such a surge in land prices that the small shopkeepers are biding their time to catch a good deal. But along the main MarualiGurgaon Road , more typically referred to as the MG Road , the adjoining village of Sikandarpur has been gobbled up by the overhead Metro line, a traffic circle and encroaching malls. All that will soon remain is a traffic circle called Sikandarpur. This is the image that Varun Khullar, the Deputy General Manager of Sales for the US for Emaar MGF Land, painted in his trip to Houston this last weekend as he met with people interested in buying a piece of real estate in probably the hottest investment place in India at the moment. Khullar has been in the Gurgaon market for many years, starting with Essel Towers and then moving onto other builders and developers there. He last came to Houston about 4 years ago to market the Vatika projects in the city. As Khullar described it, since DLF first developed their projects in the mid 80s and began to attract multi-national companies to set up back office operations and call centers, the pace of growth in foreign companies relocating in Gurgaon has exploded exponentially. Except for a lull due to the global
On left, Varun Khullar, the Deputy General Manager of Sales for the US for Emaar MGF Land with guests who came to attend the real estate investment presentation at Bhojan restaurant last Saturday, December 4. Photo: Jawahar Malhotra
financial meltdown last year, the growth has also attracted educated professionals who form the backbone of a huge information technology industry in the area, along with many manufacturing operations. Emaar MGF is a joint venture between Emaar Properties of Dubai and MGF Development of India. Emaar has developed approximately 89 million sf of properties in 14 countries and MGF has developed 2 million sf of retail space in India . They formed their JV in 2005 and have since focused on developments around New Delhi , Mohali, Hyderabad , Chennai and a dozen other cities. Earlier this year, Emaar MGF finished building the Commonwealth Village athletes condominiums which have been completely sold out. Khullar has been assigned to develop the US market and will be stationed in New York . He was in town to meet with potential investors at the Bhojan Restaurant on Saturday, December 4 and explain the portfolio of projects that his company is currently selling:
Palm Terraces Select and Marbella along the Golf Course Extension Road in Sector 66, Palm Hills in Sector 77 and Palm Gardens in Sector 88 and priced from $150,000 to $1 million. Mortgages are readily available for upto 20 years at 9.75 to 11% from leading Indian banks. Like other developers. Emaar MGF offers attractive pre-construction sales prices and quarterly payment option plans. ‘What is really exciting is the appreciation in the properties,” Khullar said as he looked over the inventory which is being sold out at the rate of 2 or 3 units each day. “Average prices have gone from $89 per sf in 2006 to $138 per sf in 2010 and some properties in the closer in areas are even listed at $266 per sf,” he told an attentive and surprised audience. “The time to catch the next wave is now,” he said as he went over the amenities and desirable aspects of each of his projects. For more information on Emaar MGF visit www.emaarmgf.com or email at varun.khullar@ emaarmgf.com
HP designates India as Global delivery Hub NEW DELHI: HP has announced that India has been designated as one of its shore global delivery hubs for its enterprise services. As one of six designated hubs by the multinational, India will support rising client demand for low-cost, scalable services. As per the expansion plan, they would launch three new facilities in Bangalore and Chennai. HP expects to add close to 500,000 square feet of realestate and hire additional talent in 2011. These hubs will offer access to industry and technical expertise that can help tailor sophisticated solutions to meet unique client requirements. Additionally, they
will help reduce delivery complexity by providing multiple services from a single location. “The hub in India leverages our local HP Labs to deliver innovative services to help clients effectively meet business needs,” said said Neelam Dhawan, HP Managing Director, India. As a strategic hub, India will offer a complete range of capabilities in applications, infrastructure
technology and business process outsourcing for global and domestic clients. HP’s integrated shore global sourcing model provides high-quality, flexible services using standardised tools, processes and best practices to more cost-effectively support clients. This model includes the skilled global workforce of MphasiS, a majority-owned, India-based business of HP. The HP best shore expansion is part of the $1 billion investment announced in June to transform and grow its enterprise services business. Other hub locations include Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Malaysia and the Philippines.
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s Guruvayurappan Temple Fundraiser sri dinner collects $625,000 in First effort
By Chittoor ramaChandran HOUSTON: The tense but confident expression of the fundraiser committee chair Sri Rajagopalan Pillai started as the night matured on Saturday, December 4 at VPSS Shrinathji’s Haveli Center. The event was the first fundraiser dinner for Sri Guruvayurappan Temple building. The event collected $625,000 to everyone’s delight. A row of Kerala’s characteristic colorful chhatras (umbrellas) at the entrance greeted the visitors to a celebrative evening. The
In a passionate speech, the chief guest Dr. Madhavan Pisharodi stressed the importance of having temples to preserve the dharmic values of Hinduism in the world. Quoting the historic hardship this ancient religion has gone through to sustain itself, he emphasized the need for a center of worship of the deity close to the devotees’ heart in every community. He offered his whole-hearted support for this project. Through informative multimedia presentations, the audience was
The event gave an opportunity for families to submit their pledge before the idol of Sri Guruvayurappan in the presence of a lighted lamp. This is based on the Hindu belief that taking a pledge witnessed by fire is never violated. A few of the devotees were unable to be present on the occasion, although they gladly made their pledges beforehand. Several dance schools including Nityashree Center for Performing Arts, Sreepadam School of Arts, Anjali Center for Performing
Lamp lighting ceremony at the fundraiser held at Sri Guruvayurappan Temple guests were ushered into the lobby where an ornamented statue of the adored deity Sri Guruvayurappan was placed at the center. To most of the devotees, a glance at their favorite deity was enough to boost their spirits. The elegantly decorated main hall opened to welcome the guests. The most enthralling Sri ragam of Saint Thyagaraja’s Endaro Mahanubhavulu andariki vandanamu filled the hall to welcome the honored guests. As the lamp was lit by the distinguished guests and trustees, the priests offered their prayer to the Devatas for blessings of fortune (Bhagya Suktam; Rig Veda 7:41), the treasure of wealth, and a stream of abundance to support this effort. The audience, that exceeded 400 in number stood up quietly with ardent devotion for an auspicious beginning of their journey to build the main temple for their favorite deity.
updated with the current status of temple construction. Pictures of spectacular sculptures from the granite quarries in India were convincing enough to impress the audience of the progress of work that has been made so far. Clippings of video interviews gave an overview of the Vedic authorities and Vasthu experts who are behind this major effort. In a scholarly speech, Sri Manmadhan Nair discussed the pivotal role of a temple as a center for spiritual and cultural awareness in a community. He attributed the beauty of the Hindu temple to the fact that it is where art, architecture, and Vedantic wisdom originated, developed and were preserved for generations. In his vision, temples that are being built in the western world should also be of high caliber. His speech motivated many families to come forward to support this project generously.
Shiv Sagar
Arts and Sunanda’s Performing Arts presented outstanding dance performances to entertain the audience. The sumptuous dinner served at the end provided a happy conclusion to the event. The active volunteers of the event were thrilled by the final result. “At the time of economic slowdown, raising funds is a major task. Today’s result is a great accomplishment by the grace of God,” said Madhavadas Nair. “We know that there are many more devotees of Sri Guruvayurappan who could not participate in this event,” said Sri Sasidharan Nair, the current president of the temple. He continued “Let us all hope they will come forward to join us in this journey.” Sri Somarajan Nair, the vice president, was excited about the outcome of this event. He stated his belief that careful management of the funds is the key to this project’s success.
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normalcy After Terror Blasts VARANASI: A day after the terror strike at Dasaswamedh Ghat during Ganga Aarti on Tuesday evening, the holy city presented a picture of normal life with its lively spirit intact on Wednesday morning. Except for the unusual sight of policemen and security personnel and visits of VVIPs at the ghats, it was life as usual with men and women going for their daily dip in the Ganga. Sound of temple bells and conch shells filled the atmosphere. While the morning Ganga Aarti was also performed, Ganga Seva Nidhi, the organisers of the Ganga Aarti, have decided to perform symbolic ‘aarti’ in the evenings for three days by lighting only one lamp to condole the death of a baby, Swastika Sharma, and express grief for those injured in the blast. The first symbolic aarti was held on Wednesday evening in the presence of a large number of people, including foreigners. A twominute silence was also observed to pay tribute to Swastika.
Even as horrified tourists were cutting short their stay in Varanasi, the blast had failed to terrorise the local people. “We no longer intend to extend our stay and most of us are cutting short the visit after terror attack at the ghats,” said Kai Spigel from Germany, who had arrived in the city, along with half-a-dozen European tourists, on Monday. “We had planned for a week-long stay but most of us are returning on Thursday,” he added. We are waiting for one of our friends to recover from injuries sustained in the blast. But the local people had a dif different view on life after the blast. “Hum to Ganga maiyya aur Bhole Shankar se prarthana karte hain ki wo logon ki raksha karein aur sadbuddhi dein (We pray to Mother Ganga and Lord Shiva to protect all and give them good sense),” said Kamali, who took her bath in Ganga on Wednesday. Indian Mujahideen(IM) claimed responsibility for the blast in emails sent to media houses.
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Letters to the editor A disgrace to country I think what is happening at the Houston Consulate offices is a disgrace to our country. We talk about the progress our country has made. But we fail to see it when we walk into the Indian Government office in Houston. I get the feeling that our country does not want us to visit our motherland. I also get the feeling that they have become greedy. The charges for various visas are so high that even if they completely outsource the process, they are still in the money. Our country is the beneficiary of outsourcing of work by United States. Yet, our government has not learned how to outsource ef efficiently and provide expedited service. I have heard many horror stories of out-of-state NRIs who had to spend a week or more in Houston and go to the long line in Houston office every morning and not get any results. Chan Patel
maligning community As a concerned citizen, I am compelled to write to you about certain activity taking place within our community members who are going to malign the name of our Indo-American community as a whole. In my 15 years of service to the Houston community, I have never gotten involved in such matters but feel that it has become essential to take a stand against people who have their own vested interest in doing whatever they are
doing. In so far as the working of the Consular General of India is concerned, it has been my personal experience that despite huge pressure they are doing a wonderful job in serving the Indo-American community at large. For the last two years I have personally experienced, that Consul General Arora and his team has done an exemplary service to the community by providing a very professional and efficient consular service to all Americans including Indo-American community. I want to place on record my wholehearted appreciation for the Consulate General of India, Houston. Rajender Singh
disturbed by Protest
We are disturbed to learn that some people from the community are planning a protest fast and letter writing campaign to show their anger towards India’s Consulate office in Houston. We strongly oppose and condemn this approach The Consulate office in Houston is handling huge volume of work covering nine large Southern states on a sustained basis. The consular services routinely work till late hours on daily basis, on weekends and on holidays. Visas have been issued in the middle of nights and on Diwali day. The services have been transparent, efficient, proactive and helpful under the leadership of Consul General Arora. We particularly appreciate Consul General’s tireless efforts during the last two years to proactively reach out to all sec-
tions of Indian Community and constantly strengthening the Consulate’s dialogue and cooperation with the community in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. We should not allow such malicious activity that is a direct disrespect to our mother country - India. Instead we should request the Consul General to address a broad community meeting where the issues can be discussed in an amicable environment. Col.(Retd). R. P. S. Bhalla, Thomas Abraham, Ashok Dhingra, Ken Mathew, Latafath Hussain
Blessed and Proud The Dawoodi Bohra Community of Houston, mainly originating from India, are blessed and proud to have the Consulate of India in Houston. The staff at the consulate are very courteous, knowledgeable and efficient in their work. Our experience has been that they go out of the way to assist us in any consular services. On some occassions we have urgent matters and the Consulate have entertained us even after hours. Honorable Mr. Sanjiv Arora, the Consul General himself has stayed back after hours; listened to us and answered our questions very patiently and have given appropriate guidance and directions. Inspite of huge pressure of work, he himself has given his personal time and assured his personal assistance. Please keep up the good work. The Members of The Dawoodi Bohra Community, Houston
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He Loves Courting Risks By Prema Manmadhan CHENNAI (Hindu): Somewhere along life’s line, Maliampurackal Chacko Punnoose be-
kinta, the amusement park was started in 1995. Back with verve, after he won the lifetime achievement award
came Appachen. That’s how the 87-year-old cinema-man loves to be known as too. The credo, big is beautiful, has always been his scheme of things, as also charting the untrodden path. Examples are ‘My Dear Kuttichattan’ - the first 3D movie made in India, ‘Padayottam’, a 70 mm film and ‘Kishkinta’, a 120acre amusement park in Chennai. Kishkinta City: And now, Kishkinta City is taking shape, joining hands with developers just outside Kishkinta Park. Appachen, who lives in Chennai, is in the city now to get his 10 acre studio, Navodaya, back into shape. Started in 1976, the studio was fully functional after he moved to Chennai when Kish-
from the Kaerala Film Producers Association some days ago, Appachen, in his trademark white jubba and mundu, is supervising work at Navodaya, Kakkanad. Air conditioned floors for TV reality shows, rooms for participants to stay, floors for ad shoots and movies are almost ready. In an exclusive interview he looked back at the road life took, revealing little known nuggets of information. “Did you know that I was born in a pathemari? (countrycraft)”, he asked, and explained that in Kuttanad, during the floods, people moved into these boats. “In what is known as the ‘floods of 99’ (in the Malayalam calendar),
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I was born”. So perhaps it was destiny that this child be adventurous. After schooling in Pulinkunnu, he went to Palayamkottai, St. Xavier’s College. He narrated how he got dismissed from the hostel for taking up for a friend, who was caught for some mischief. At the tutorial college in Thrissur, almost a film-scriptlike experience awaited him. He lived at a town hotel with some friends. They went to listen to M.S Subbulakshmi’s kutcheri and the jackfruit bough they were sitting on broke. When they came back to the hotel, they found an angry hotel owner who had discovered that one of the boys had written a love letter to his daughter. They were evicted. “I went home. I did write the exam but failed,” said an amused Appachen, whose first failure led to gigantic successes later in life. He took life head on, hands on, sans academic qualifications. Appachen describes the birth of Udaya Studios, the first in the State: My brother Kunchacko used to play badminton with Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar and others. That’s how an interest to make a studio came about in the 40s. The first film, ‘Vellinakshatram’ was not completed. It was a loss. Then, K.V.Koshy, who distributed films, came as a partner and mass oriented films like ‘Nalla Thanka’ and ‘Jeevitha Nauka’ were made. Kunchacko told him ‘to learn the tricks of film making from Koshy’ and he used to watch the shooting. “Once, during the making of ‘Jeevitha Nauka’, there was a scene where Adoor Pankajam was grinding chilli and S. P. Pillai was peeping. She throws a stone at him and he was supposed to run away. I suggested that he ran into a chorithanam bush (a plant whose
leaves caused scratching) to add to his discomfiture! Koshy then told my brother that I was all ready to do film making myself. Digital Kuttichathan: After Navodaya was opened in kakkanad, 1976, he was totally into production. He has directed only three movies, ‘Thacholi Ambu’, ‘Kadathanattu Makkam’ and ‘Mamankam’. ‘Padayottam’ was a pioneering 70 mm production in the South and his sons Jijo and Jose looked after the 3D ‘Kuttichathan’ after a trip to US to study this mode of film making. “The digital version will be ready by Vishu,” he says, still on the Kuttichathan trail. The other sensational movie, ‘Ente Mamattikkuttiammakku’, (1983) in which Baby Shalini created ripples, was also his production. “They were staying close by and one day, Shalini’s father came home to make a phone call. The child with him was speaking over the phone, while playing and I was impressed with her charm. That was the beginning of Shalini’s rise and rise. Navodaya’s ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’ gave us Mohanlal and ‘Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare’ gave us the talented Geethu Mohandas and Suresh Gopi too. “I was close to many political people too in those days,” says Appachen and talks of how both the families of Vayalar Ravi (Kunchacko’s wife and Devaki Krishnan were classmates) and Mercy Ravi were close to him. “Mercy’s parents were worried about her. I said I would go and find out. But when I went to Ravi’s house, I saw Mercy cleaning sardines and I knew she had already become part of the family.” Appachen is today a truly contented man, but ready to toil as hard as his will dictates. He is looking forward to Kishkinta City and the renovated Navodaya Studios.
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Princess Indian Cuisine - The Coming of a Goan Age
By Jacob David Princess Indian Cuisine is the dream of a little boy now realized. Bob Lopez, now in his late 20s is a happy man. As a boy of 12 his dream was to own his restaurant and bar. He has gone two steps further by adding a Banquet Hall and a Casual Lounge with a full service bar that opens weekdays for anyone young at heart between 4 PM to 2 AM, Tuesday - Sunday. Princess Indian Cuisine has a Goan influence from its owner Bob Lopez who grew up in Goa, India. He works with a well known chef Lorenzo Fernando, who is also Goan, who worked 9 years straight in Banjara restaurant, in Virginia. The restaurant formerly Pavani Indian Cuisine is now Princess Indian Cuisine. Bob Lopez has added 4 new plasma TVs in the lounge, 3 in the restaurant area. The interiors look more spiffier and inviting. With over 30 dishes for everyday’s buffet, weekdays are $9.95 and weekends are $12.95. On Fridays there is a special Goanese style fish curry. On Sundays there is the Puri Bhaji Special. On weekends there are more meat items plus a special fish dish created by Lorenzo’s culinary inspiration. He is a chef who specializes in North Indian cuisine. The restaurant can comfortably seat 100 people. The buffet has separate South Indian and North Indian dishes. Tan-
doori chicken has a light smoky flavor mildly spiced, Madras Goat - with tender goat meat pieces on the bone in rich flavorful gravy, Butter chicken, Chicken Vindaloo - diced chicken with tomato gravy and potatoes, fresh Nan and plain Basmati rice, Lemon Basmati Rice that has an original tart flavor with fried red chillies, Mushroom with peas, Eggplant with Tomato curry, Saag Panneer, Dal Makhani, Vegetable Rice pilaf, Idli with a side of Rasam and Sambar, two famous South Indian stews. Rasam (called Mulligatawny in English after the name Milaghu Tanni) tastes original flavored with black pepper corn, tamarind extract and red chilies. The buffet is accompanied by an appetizer bar which has Onion Spinach Pakoras, with Mysore Bonda. There is also a desert bar which has Gulab Jamun, Golden colored Kesari Halwa with cashews and raisins that is goodness in every bite, really soft and melts in your mouth. On the left to the buffet bar are the pickles, salads, rice pudding and a fruit selection for the day. The mango lassi is a classic, with crushed cardamom seeds and rich mango flavored thick buttermilk that is simply a delicious cool drink. The Lounge has karaoke on Friday nights from 7 - 10 pm. Desi music is played on Friday and Saturdays 11-2 pm. The lounge has a capacity of 80 people with
Clockwise from Top Right: Saag Panneer, Dal Makhani Eggplant and Tomato Curry, Mushroom with Peas (Mattar).
Lemon rice is a favorite in Tamilnadu, a quick meal for travelers, flavored with lemon juice, turmeric, green or red chilies, dried and fried split gram - chana dal. The yogurt marinated tandoor chicken, mildly spiced, where the dish gets its name after being slow baked in a clay oven - the Tandoor and garnished with green chilies and fresh spring onions makes it an all time favorite for diners
a dance floor, bar area, seating for 30 with a special DJ glass booth to mix and play music. The lounge has the latest in technology - hi-def plasma televisions and great sound systems. People can book the lounge for special parties served along with food and wine. Both North Indian and South Indian vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes can be served at special group events. The televisions in the lounge are all upgraded for the latest in sports. There is also the pool table to have fun and hooka to experience. The Banquet Hall can seat 120 people great for small parties, offer business product promotions and hold conferences, and family occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and other important events in life. There are two outside patios the one facing the Beltway 8 can seat 30 guests, and the one facing highway 59 can seat 20 guests. Princess Indian Cuisine has recently catered a large family event of 800 guests successfully serving them South Indian cuisine. Encouraged by its success and word of mouth referrals, Bob Lopez, owner is now ready to stretch his catering limits to 1500 people per sitting. The restaurant has a cozy feel to it with booth style seating and individual, wood paneling, rich wood finish pillars and indoor
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plants. Every T.V keeps playing a different program - some Bollywood songs, while others play food or vineyard documentaries. While Bob Lopez is still adding small finishing touches to the renovations and upping the ambiance inside his restaurant, he is offering his guests a chance to join the Princess Indian Cuisine club membership. Visit their web site, sign their form to become a free member. They will remind the guests by e-mail of upcoming weekly events, receive special dinner and lunch deals, savings coupons and percentage discounts on a monthly basis. Bob Lopez is willing to listen and take in as much feedback on the
food and the service, as he can get to keep his diners happy and coming back to enjoy more great food. That is his immediate goal. Let him know about your dine-in or catering experience. Ph: 713-272-8259 • www.princessindiancuisine.com • Located: 10554 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas
Clockwise: The interior of the restaurant, feel good cozy ambiance. 2. With over 30 items on the buffet line daily, some if not all dishes are sure to please your palate. 3. The lounge that can be used for relaxing with the hooka, playing pool, and watching some live sports on TV with a full service bar
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Office, Office at the Consulate There’s a comedy serial on one of the Indian channels titled Office, Office. The whole show revolves around a hapless aam admi, who is shuttled from one government bureaucrat to another in a never-ending effort to accomplish a simple task that requires approval from one pompous official or another. Unfortunately, Office, Office is being enacted in Consular offices throughout the United States. When it happens on TV, it is a comedy, but when it happens to you in real life, it is a tragedy. U.S. citizens of Indian origin are being subjected to extraordinary delays in getting visas. A few years ago, the Consulates outsourced the visa processing chore to Travisa. Apparently, Travisa is quite efficient at its end, but the bottleneck is at the Consulate offices. Particularly annoying is the fact that the delays do not affect mainstream Americans, but U.S. citizens of Indian origin. The problem may be related to the new Ministry of External Affairs requiring former Indian citizens to renounce their citizenship and surrender their passports. The delays have prompted Ramesh Shah and his associates to hold a dharna and 24-hour fast in protest and some supporters of the Consulate to defend the officials (see article on page 1 and letters on page 10). It is time for all the CGs, Ambassador Meera Shankar and their superiors in New Delhi to take a fresh look at the process and take corrective action.
More than a Survivor Salman Rushdie was a delight at the Inprint reading. He was at ease despite facing 1,800 fans intent on catching his every utterance. Rushdie described his style of writing as being flamboyant, and himself as a writer who waves his hands over his head rather than one of those quiet (boring) authors. I don’t know the status of the fatwa against him, but he is no longer weighed down by the pronouncement. An ordinary man would have remained reclusive in hiding. But Salman Rushdie has lived, loved and enjoyed life as only a Bombayite is conditioned to do. It is obvious that Rushdie has evoked a special sympathy from people around the world, either because of the fatwa, his perceptive writing, or his charming personality. He himself is somewhat miffed that he is famous for the wrong reasons. But with each book, and each reading and personal appearance, he is developing an appreciative audience for all the right reasons. Rushdie revels in his fame. At the reading last Friday night, he said he is enjoying his success and does not miss the first 12 years of his career when he was trying to make a living through copywriting and described that period as an “abject failure”. Rushdie truly enjoys writing. One hopes that he will continue to write many more books on topics of interest to everyone from children to senior adults. Pramod Kulkarni
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Yes, Together, We Can By Timothy Roemer In his public speeches and private official meetings during his historic visit to India, President Barack Obama laid out a new vision for the US-India global partnership; one that is no longer merely bilateral in nature, but strategic in approach and encompasses working together, both regionally and globally, to shape our shared vision of the future for prosperity, security, and democratic values into a ‘real politic’. This strategic vision recognises that India has ‘risen’ and is ready to play an important and influential part on the global stage. As the president said, India is no longer emerging, it has emerged. President Obama recognised that India faces numerous challenges in the future, yet believes that this is the opportunity for the 21st century. This new vision is based on the belief that the US and India’s shared interests are best advanced in partnership. “A partnership of equals,” as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called it. The goal of this new vision is for the US and India to forge a truly global partnership, not only for our mutual benefit, but also for the benefit of Asia and the entire world. This shared vision of security and democratic values is the reason for the president’s historic announcement that the US looks forward to a reformed United Nations Security Council that includes India as a permanent member. This global partnership will work together to promote prosperity, not only between our two countries, but also in other regions of the world. We have seen our new global partnership in action in the G20, where the US and India are working together to make the global economic recovery strong and durable. During the president’s visit, we signed several agreements to pursue joint research and development to create technology through green jobs in the US and better access to cleaner, affordable energy for India. Together, we will address food security not only in India but also in Africa. Our global partnership
“Although we share a vision of the future, we may believe in different approaches to reach our common goals. However, our shared values and beliefs in pluralism, rule of law, tolerance, free markets, and democracy naturally draw us together.”
can leverage India’s expertise with African farmers and US expertise with technology to address an urgent global challenge. We have a shared vision for a peaceful, stable, and democratic Afghanistan. India has provided critical assistance to Afghanistan — up to $1.3 billion in developmental assistance. In the future, we will work not only with similar strategic interests in Afghanistan, but also pursue development projects with the Afghan government in agriculture and women’s empowerment. Our security ties are connected to our mutual experience on 26/11 and 9/11. Security includes cooperating in defence, addressing nuclear terrorism, and providing stability and access to global resources like air, sea, space, and cyberspace. In these areas, too, our global partnership will increase our engagement so that we meet humanitarian and other challenges like piracy and terrorism; so that we work together to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and secure vulnerable nuclear material; and so that we ensure that shared global resources are open to — and used responsibly — by all. Through our Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative, we are collaborating on megacity policing, forensics, and border security to name a few of the many areas of shared interest. Finally, as President Obama said to Parliament, “We are going to show
that democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for the common man and woman.” Our democracies flourish and our ability to advance our shared democratic values throughout the world grows with an educated citizenry. In response, we have expanded our student and faculty exchanges and we will increase university partnerships that focus on the needs of our communities. In meeting the challenges of promoting prosperity, preserving peace and security, and advancing our shared democratic values, our relationship will no longer be defined by a single topic. We are now working together on all human endeavours — from trade to counterterrorism, from clean energy to development, from science to education. Some have said “the sky is the limit for our global partnership.” Yet we have exceeded that expectation as well — working together to discover water on the moon and exploring the ocean waters for trends in monsoons. Along the way, there might be bumps on the road that lead some critics and pundits to claim “this global partnership cannot work”. In fact, although we share a vision of the future, we may believe in different approaches to reach our common goals. However, our shared values and beliefs in pluralism, rule of law, tolerance, free markets, and democracy naturally draw us together. We see the world increasingly through the same prism, which will overcome most differences in tactics as we attain our long-term strategic objectives. Promoting prosperity, preserving peace and security, and advancing our shared democratic values will be the focus of the US-India global partnership that will meet global challenges. As we move forward, President Obama told Parliament, “The relationship between the US and India — bound by our shared interests and our shared values — will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. This is the vision that our nations can realise together.” Timothy J Roemer is US Ambassador to India. The views expressed by the author are personal.
IndoAmerican News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Business Manager: Jawahar Malhotra Marketing Manager: Krishna Giri Community Reporter: Kalyani Giri Community Editor: Manasi Gokhale Administrative Manager: Vanshika Vipin Marketing & Food Reporter: Jacob David Production Manager: Hussain Mandviwala correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com
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Managing Risk for JPMorgan, and Blindness
By Julia Werdigier ing up in MumLONDON (NYT): As a trader bai, Goyal said at JPMorgan Chase in London, he had a normal, Ashish Goyal helps manage happychildhood. billions of dollars of the bank’s But when he was exposure to risks like foreign about 9 years exchange fluctuations. In his old, he noticed spare time, he takes tango lesthat he could sons, plays cricket and goes not immediately clubbing with friends. Goyal is recognize some also blind. people and could Watching him in the middle of not see the lines the trading floor as he switches in his notebooks back and forth between computat school. One er screens, that is not apparent at night he walked all. But to check his e-mail, read into a ditch, later research reports and look at prehe crashed his sentations, Goyal uses a screenbicycle, and then reading software whose speed he started to miss Ashish Goyal at JPMorgan Chase in London. His is so high that it sounds like computers can read information to him rapidly through a the ball during his gibberish to the untrained ear. headset. Photo: Andrew Testa for The New York Times tennis lessons. When he needs to read graphs, Goyal was told which the software cannot do, Goyal add value and where I don’t. You need he had retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic goes through the data and tries to to find your niche.” condition that damages the retina, and Goyal says he always wanted to would gradually become blind. By imagine the graph in his head. On his desk, two computer screens work in financial markets. But despite the time Mr. Goyal was 22, he had show the usual flashing Bloomberg a résumé that includes a top business completely lost his eyesight. messages and spreadsheets of con- degree from a university in India, “The worst thing was I didn’t know stantly changing numbers. Two key- another from the Wharton School of what was happening and what to do boards are linked to headsets through the University of Pennsylvania and a about it,” Goyal said. While other which the information and figures are three-year stint at an Indian subsid- people his age were starting to date, read out to him at rapid speeds. The iary of ING bank, finding people who he said, “I was struggling to deal with same technology reads out text mes- would hire him was not easy. a disability. What was I to tell people? After gaining his first business de- ‘Sometimes I can see you, sometimes sages he receives on his cellphone. “My colleagues already com- gree, Goyal said he had made the not?’ ” plained that they can’t hear my phone short list of candidates for jobs at sevThe loss of his eyesight left Goyal speak, as it is too fast,” Goyal said eral firms, but once they realized he “scared and confused” and with fewjokingly. “I turn around and say, was blind he was turned away. When er friends, he said. “I was ready to just ‘Well, I can’t read your text messages, it was ING’s turn, Goyal recalled, he give up and not take my final exam so it’s only fair.’ ” Tolga Uzuner, ex- was so frustrated that he just blurted: and just go and work for my dad,” a ecutive director of JPMorgan’s chief “I’m blind. Do you still want to talk real estate developer, Goyal said. But investment office and Goyal’s boss, to me or not?” his mother forced him to sit for the “They asked whether I could do exam, and to his surprise he not only said he hired the 30-year old Wharton graduate because he was one of only the job. I said I think I can, and I was passed but received good grades. a few candidates he interviewed who hired,” Goyal said. Today, Goyal said he was proud Years later, when he applied to that he did not need help from othknew about Asian interest rates, had excellent risk management skills and Wharton with the goal of getting a ers on a daily basis and he had again job in New York or London, Goyal become active in sports, as he was knowledge of foreign exchange. Vladimir Aleksic, who now works said, the university’s director of ad- as a child. Last year, his team won with Goyal, said: “We walked out mission signed off on his application a cricket tournament for the blind, of the interview room and just said with the words: “I have never seen which is played with a slightly bigger wow.” Many people on the team a blind trader on Wall Street. I can’t ball that has sound. analyze historical data and use com- guarantee you’ll get a job but you’ll Despite his achievements, which parisons to make decisions about definitely be better off with a Wharton this year also included a national risks, Aleksic said, but “Ashish looks degree.” award from India for the EmpowerStill, even after Wharton, many ment of Persons with Disabilities, at where things are now and just follows the news flow. He’s not blinded Wall Street firms rejected his appli- Goyal speaks modestly of himself. cations because they could not find by the graphs.” “One challenge is that I don’t beBut as someone who can make out anybody else on Wall Street using come a benchmark for other people,” only light and shadows, Goyal also the same screen-reading software. he said. “I’ve done all these things but knows his limits. “I told people, ‘You JPMorgan was the only bank to offer yes, it’s been a struggle. Not everyone can put me on the spot trading desk, him a summer internship, which led is as fortunate to have the support of but I’d be too slow,’ ” he said. “The to an offer of a permanent position. friends and family and it wouldn’t be Goyal was not born blind. Grow- fair. I’m mediocre at many things.” challenges are to realize where I can
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Emotional Engineering: What’s behind Continuing Suicides at IIT? By ShaR haRa RaT aT PRadhan R KANPUR (Outlook): In the survey of professional colleges this year, the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur stood a proud second among the top ten government engineering institutes. IIT-K is ahead again, but this time for a rather dubious distinction: eight of its students have committed suicide in the last five years. Just when the authorities were heaving a sigh of relief that 2010 had gone by without incident, 23-year-old Madhuri Sale, a final-year civil engineering student, hanged herself from the ceiling fan of At A Loss: The grieving brother of Madhuri Sale, who ended her life on her hostel room on November November 17. Photograph by R. Shukla
- IIT-K has seen a student suicide every year in the last five years - The latest incident was on November 17 when a girl student hanged herself to death - Parents blame overstretched curriculum and grading system - Faculty faults parents for putting pressure on children - Late nights playing video games or surfing the net often leads to poor health, impacting academic performance 17. It ended the first long spell the campus has had since the last suicide on Jan 3, 2009, in a spate that began in Nov 2005. What explains it? Distraught par parents tend to blame it all on the institute’s overstretched curriculum and complex grading system which starts telling on students. As S.L. Kureel, whose son Prashant Kumar, a 20-year-old second-year student, hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Apr 18, 2008, does. “The institute needs to review its age-old grading system,” he says, “the fear of losing out on a year or failing in a paper compels them to take the extreme step.” Posted in Lucknow as regional director of National Small Savings, Kureel is unwilling to pardon the IIT authorities for what he terms as institutional “callousness”. What continues to haunt him is the alleged refusal of institute director Sanjay Dhande to grant him an audience. “The director refused to spare me any time. He is also not open to any suggestions from parents who are the worst sufferers in the event of a suicide of their son or daughter,” says Kureel, who is still at a loss to understand why his bright and fun-loving son would end his life. “All the director did was to send me a routine letter of condolence when I was about to cremate my only son,” he recalls. Kureel’s plea to the Union HRD minister as well as the prime minister for a CBI probe also fell on deaf ears. In Madhuri Sale’s case, however, faculty members and administration rule out academic pressure. “Madhuri was a good student and had scored a grade of 10 in her last exam,” says Prof Sanjay Mittal, dean of faculty affairs. “So there was no question of her not clearing the finals.” Madhuri’s mother had another explanation: “My child was discriminated against because of parochial considerations.”
“The fear of losing out on a year or failing a paper compels students to commit suicide,” one distraught father says. Madhuri’s family is from the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. Few, however, are willing to buy this charge as IIT-K is highly heterogeneous, drawing its 4,920 students and 360-odd faculty members from all parts of the country. Nor does the institute lack in desired infrastructure for students who might need assistance—in academics or healthwise. “Any student falling short in his or her academic grades is automatically included in a separate group that receives special tutorial classes,” asserts Prof Partha Chakravarty, dean of student affairs. “Besides, of course, teachers are available 24x7 to all students.” In addition to the already well-laid-out counselling service, director Dhande has now expanded the base with three counsellors and two psychiatrists. There are also classes in yoga and art of living. Besides, the sports facilities in every hostel are excellent. Students too concede that the institute has a perfect support system. “I fail to see any reason for a student to commit suicide on account of the curriculum or academic system,” says a first-year student from Orissa. “One may have personal issues, but that can happen anywhere.” PhD student Chandrashekhar Sharma too expresses satisfaction with IIT-K’s support structure, but “one also has to come forward to avail of the facilities,” he says. Significantly, none of those who ended their lives in the past five years had ever visited the counselling centre. “That’s why we have now decided to include every student as part of a group which is su-
pervised by a faculty member, who is expected to keep a tab on their overall behaviour. No sooner than any imbalance or disorder is detected, it will be brought to the notice of the counselling team, which will then move in to assist the student,” says senior counsellor Sharmistha Chakravarty. The counsellors also want parents to play a positive role in reducing stress levels of students. For many believe overbearing par parents add to the stress. Students admit that even after they get into IIT, parents keep up the pressure. “My mother calls me up at least thrice a week to know whether I am studying properly or not,” notes a secondyear student. “My father expects me to maintain the high marks I used to get in school, without realising that the level of competition here is far higher,” complains a third-year student. Which is why Dhande, who has been heading the institute for nine long years, firmly believes that “selfregulation” by students is a must. “Unlimited surfing on the internet and late-night indulgence in video games has to be curbed by students themselves. They are all mature young men and women; we would not like to impose anything on them. But they ought to understand that late nights take a toll on their health, thereby affecting their academic per performance.” IIT authorities are all set to come out with some concrete solutions. “A number of reforms have been mooted, but any final decision will be taken at a meeting of our senate,” Dhande discloses. “Our focus is on studying three levels of relationships—that between students and students, between students and teachers and between students and their families.” Once these concerns are addressed, our brightest students will no doubt also be the emotionally strongest ones.
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An Extra Dimension
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Completing 100 films in Hollywood is no small achievement for an Indian. Meet Ashok Amritraj who is all set to foray into 3D film, to Eva Longoria and Bruce Willis was there,” he said, looking relaxed and, as always, debonair, as he lounged in his Chennai home. “It was very special.” He was in the city for his customary year-end trip, before heading to Romania and Turkey to the sets of Ghost Rider 2, the sequel to the 2007 superhero flick starring Nicolas Cage as the motorcycle-riding, skull-flaming titular character. “It’s very much the same Marvel Comics character, with the bike on fire, the skull on fire and so on, but in 3D,” said Amritraj with a Doing India proud film producer Ashok laugh. “So the fire’s reAmritraj Photo: R. Ragu ally going to come at you. It’s very fun.” By divya KumaR umaR It will also be Hyde Park Entertain(Hindu) Ashok Amritraj has had a rather good year. His productions in ment’s (Amritraj’s company) first 2010 have met with critical and com- foray into 3D films, which he believes mercial success. He’s all set for his are here to stay. “The technology first 3D movie. And Variety hosted has given our industry quite a boost a swanky do at the Cannes Film because of the ticket prices, to be honFestival this year to celebrate his est,” he said candidly. “The price of achievement of 100 films completed tickets for 3D movies is 40 per cent higher in the U.S. and the U.K.” in Hollywood. The big tipping point, he said, is “They did a huge star-studded party for me on the beach at Cannes, when the technology makes it into and everybody from Jean Claude the average family’s home. “My kids Van Damme, who did my first big already have 3D glasses to watch
movies at home. I think there will soon come a time when we won’t need glasses at all, and then the technology will really take off.” In the meantime, though, Hyde Park Entertainment is doing pretty well. Its September 2010 release, the hyper-violent, tongue-in-cheek, exploitation-style flick Machete by Robert Rodriguez (starring Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba and “Steven Segal resurrected from the dead”), received largely positive reviews and was a surprise summer hit. And the upcoming December release Blue Valentine (Amritraj has partnered with Harvey Weinstein for its distribution) is already receiving Oscar buzz for performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Which brings us to that inevitable question — any plans of an Indian production next? “I’ve had meetings with a couple of writers and directors to see if there’s any potential — it’s something I’d like to do since I haven’t done one since Jeans,” he said. “Whether it’ll be a fully Indian production or Indo-U.S. or Indo-Chinese, I don’t know.” What he’d also like to see, though, is more Indians coming to Hollywood. “The second generation Indian-American kids are doing quite well, but I’m surprised that more people from India haven’t given it a shot,” he said. “I suppose if you have success here, you don’t want to go knocking on doors in Hollywood. But I hope to see a few new players
soon; it just takes commitment, because finally, the colour of our skin doesn’t stand in the way of being a Hollywood movie star.” He remembers when his friend Sidney Poitier led the African-American revolution in Hollywood, and again when another good friend, Antonio Banderas did the same for Latinos. “The Chinese have done a decent job as well, with people such as Jet Li, Jackie Chan and John Woo making a mark,” he said. “I think it’s India’s
turn; we certainly have enough talent!” If anyone knows about making it in Hollywood, of course, it’s this Amritraj brother, who is surprised at his own longevity in the industry. “There are maybe just four others in all of Hollywood history who’ve done 100 films. And my movies have altogether grossed $1.5 billion,” he said with a smile. “So I really am quite proud.”
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Barkha Dutt: A Journalist in India Ends Up in the Headlines the larger question of journalistic ethics, said Shoma Chaudhury, a senior editor at Tehelka Magazine. “This really was an opportunity for the community to get together and do some soul searching” about media ethics, Ms. Chaudhury said. Instead, “it has just become a misogynistic, medieval witch hunt.” Indeed, some of Dutt’s most vocal detractors admit they have focused their ire upon her because of her celebrity. Rajeev Mantri, a
venture capitalist who frequently writes opinion columns for local and international newspapers, set up a Facebook group called BarkhaGate, though its name has since been changed to India Media Watch. “I think personally Vir Sanghvi is more at fault than she is,” he said, referring to another prominent journalist caught on tape in the scandal. “But if this thing had been called VirGate, very few people would have caught on to it.”
Barkha Dutt Photo: Lynsey Addario for The New York Times India, but that description both overstates and understates her influence and reach. Ms. Winfrey, best known as an empathetic talk show host, cemented her place in the American media firmament with her shared narrative of personal redemption. Ms. Dutt blends the hard-charging bravado of the young Christiane Amanpour with the feel-your-pain empathy of Anderson Cooper. Dutt earned her stripes in the rough and tumble world of hard news. She became famous for her dramatic, you-are-there front-line reports from the battle between India and Pakistan in the Kashmiri town of Kargil in 1999. Even as those early assignments cemented her reputation as a force in the new Indian media landscape, they also brought tough criticism. During the attack on Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists in 2008, critics said she and other television reporters were excessively theatrical and melodramatic. Her florid style would be familiar to most cable television viewers in the United States, long accustomed to reporters who put themselves at the heart of the action. But in India, where for decades the government’s subdued broadcasts were the only option, her breathless, from-thebattlefront dispatches were a revelation. “I have got to find a way to communicate, and I have to convey what I am feeling,” Ms. Dutt said. “I don’t do the two-steps-removed journalism. It works for some, and other people hate it. But it’s me.” Ms. Dutt has followed in the footsteps of her mother, Prabha Dutt, who was a trailblazing female newspaper reporter, barging her way onto the front lines of the battles with Pakistan in 1965 despite her editors’ reluctance to dispatch a woman to cover a war. “She was a very aggressive, first-of-her-generation kind of reporter,” said Sevanti Ninan, who is now a media critic running a journalism Web site called The Hoot. Ms. Ninan was a contemporary of Prabha Dutt, who died of a brain hemorrhage when Barkha was 13. “I grew up as a child of news,” Barkha Dutt said. “When I was 5 years old, I was made to look at covers of Time magazine and identify the world leaders.” Dutt has been criticized for failing to recognize that the mere fact that a corporate lobbyist was so deeply involved in trying to get a particular person named to a cabinet post was a story in itself. The lobbyist was trying to persuade the government to reappoint Andimuthu Raja, the politician at the center of a telecommunications scandal that may have cost the Indian government as much as $40 billion. Mr. Joseph, the editor of Open, the magazine that broke the tapes story, called this “the story of the decade.” But reporters in the fast-paced world of 24hour cable news often miss the forest for the trees, said Mannika Chopra, a media critic. “They are so eager to get that one bite,” Chopra said. “So they overlook the big picture.” The focus on Ms. Dutt has distracted from
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By Lydia Polgreen NEW DELHI (NYT): Almost any night of the week, Barkha Dutt can be found under the harsh glare of television lights, asking tough questions and demanding frank answers. But last Tuesday Dutt, the most famous face of India’s explosively growing 24-hour cable news business, found herself the subject of the kind of grilling she normally metes out. Before a jury of four of her peers, she parried questions and struggled to control her anger. It was, perhaps, the toughest interview of her career. Caught on tape talking to a corporate lobbyist, she stood accused of cozying up to the powerful people she should have been covering and agreeing to pass messages to the governing Congress Party. “It is an error of judgment of enormous proportions,” thundered one of the panelists, the editor of Open Magazine, Manu Joseph. India’s vibrant and hyper-competitive news media have been celebrated as a great success story. They have played a vital role in exposing corruption, highlighting India’s growing inequality and rooting out abuses of power. Dutt, as the 38-year-old star reporter and anchor of the biggest English-language cable news network, has become the most recognizable face of this media explosion. But the scandal threatens to undermine the reputation of members of the news media as guardians of the world’s largest democracy, and Ms. Dutt has found herself, fairly or not, at its center. The controversy revolves around recorded phone calls between a corporate lobbyist, Niira Radia, and a wide range of Delhi’s powerful elite. The calls, taped by tax investigators in May 2009, have exposed a sordid world of deal making and information brokering in India’s capital. Copies of the tapes were leaked to the news media and published two weeks ago. In the tapes, Dutt appears to offer to pass messages between Radia, who appeared to be trying to get a politician suspected of corruption reappointed as telecommunications minister at the behest of her clients, and senior leaders of the Congress Party. Some critics accused her of acting as a power broker, a charge she vehemently denied. Dutt says that she was simply stringing along a news source who had access to information on a fastmoving story, and that in any case she never passed on the messages. Still, Dutt admits that she should have been more careful in her dealings with the lobbyist. “I look at some of the conversations, and I do feel I should have been more alert,” she said in an interview on Friday at the studios of her television station, NDTV. “I should have been more skeptical. I should have known better.” The tapes make for cringe-worthy listening, and many journalists have said they are evidence of a chummy relationship between the press and the powerful. “The robust Indian tradition of adversarial journalism has been mortgaged at the altar of cozy networks,” wrote Rajdeep Sardesai, another top television journalist, in a column in The Hindustan Times on Friday. But Ms. Dutt said she had been unfairly made to answer for the failings of a whole industry. “At a moment when the public gets anxious about the state of the Indian media, I am suddenly made to answer for everybody else,” she said. Indeed, only a tiny fraction of the recordings feature Ms. Dutt. Many more involve unseemly conversations with some of India’s top industrialists, other journalists and political power brokers. But she has, for better or worse, become the face of the tapes scandal. Her fame and outsized personality might have something to do with that. Dutt has been called the Oprah Winfrey of
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Indian American Animator’s ‘Panchatantra’ to Ring in 2011
CHICAGO (TOI): Instead of the traditional TV fare of “ Sesame Street” or “ Harry Potter”, Colorado will ring in the year 2011 with a telecast of “Panchatantra” fables brought to animation by an Indian American whose films are acknowledged as cultural bridges between the East and West. The Rocky Mountain PBS station of Denver has announced that the animation classics of Manick Sorcar will be telecast across the state at all its affiliate stations on New Year’s Day. He is the son of the legendary Indian magician P.C. Sorcar. The approximate two-hour programme will include “Deepa and Rupa:AFairy Tale from India”, winner of the Gold Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival, “The Sage and the Mouse”, “Sniff”, “Rule of Twenty One”, “Bronze Plaque” and “The Woodcutter’s Daughter”. “Deepa and Rupa” is based on a popular folktale of Bengal; “The Sage and the Mouse” and “The Woodcutter’s Daughter” are from the “Panchatantra”; “Sniff” and “Rule A Scene from Deepa and Rupa: A Fairy Tale from India of Twenty One” are from two popular nonsense poems from the satirist Sukumar Ray. Manick Sorcar first came to the limelight in the early 1990s when his “Deepa and Rupa: A Fairy Tale From India” went on to receive a host of prestigious international film festival awards, including in New York, where it outdid Children’s Workshop’s “Sesame Street” and Hanna Barbera’s “The Greatest Adventure”. Sorcar’s animation films are popular in US elementary schools, and this will be the nineteenth consecutive year of the telecast of his films on the Rocky Mountain PBS stations during the holiday season. Over the years, critics have paid tribute to Sorcar for his attempts to teach the West the culture of India through his art. In a recently released book, “East meets West: the animation of Manick Sorcar” the author Wendy Luna notes that he is a man of many talents - writer, artist, animation film director and cartoonist. “Sorcar has never strayed from his main objective of teaching Indian culture to the West. With a passionate desire to educate, combined with his love for children, Sorcar spent the last two decades designing animated works for youth. The family is extremely important to Sorcar and it shows through his works as an artist. By incorporating his family into his artistic endeavours, Sorcar was able to educate his two daughters, born in the United States, about his Eastern roots. Others who have struggled to strike this balance have used Sorcar’s animated works to teach their children about the Eastern world. Ultimately, through a highly entertaining medium, his works bridge the gap between the East and the West,” Luna said. In a foreword to the book, John W. Hickenlooper, the recently elected governor of Colorado, wrote: “It is a tribute to Manick Sorcar, whose animation for the last two decades has both entertained and educated us about India, her culture, her people - all together a true cultural bridge between East and West, which has made Denver, the United States and India proud”. Sorcar balances his work as an artist with his day job as chief executive of a lighting company whose projects include the lighting designs for the Denver international airport, sports centres in Japan and Saudi palaces.
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Slapstick Movie in Theaters: Phas Gaye Re Obama
By Namrata Joshi MUMBAI (Outlook): If America sneezes, the world has to catch a cold. Phas Gaye Re Obama is spun on a similar quirky concept— how recession in the US affects the well-oiled, institutionalised kidnapping business in a north Indian small town. There’s a bunch of likeable crooks, headed by the irrepressible Sanjay
Then on, it’s all about how this burden of a man is successively palmed off and very intelligently replicates the steady spread of recession itself, right down to government bailout coming to the rescue. A dry, wry wit runs through the film, making you smile rather than laugh out loud. It takes potshots not just at the kidnapping practice—like the ransom collection centre
A dry, wry wit runs through the film, making you smile rather than laugh out loud.
Mishra, finding it hard to survive. There are no bullets in the guns, no outgoing on the mobiles. But the English speaker amongst them (delightful Manu Rishi) dreams of progress and expansion. Things come to a head when an NRI (the ever-dependable Rajat Kapoor) returns home to sell his haveli to pay off his debts back in the US. Mistaken for a rich man, he gets kidnapped, only for the crooks to realise he is more a liability.
scene—but at our politicians and at the US too. The humour turns slapstick in the Englishcoaching class scene and gets unbearably coarse in the strands involving Neha Dhupia (female Gabbar Singh) and Amol Gupte (animal welfare minister). The filmmakers have obviously worked under budgetary constraints, visible in the tawdry frames. However, the big idea wins them the day.
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