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Friday, February 13, 2015 • Vol. 34, No. 07

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February 13, 2015

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COMMUNITY

February 13, 2015

Shraddhanjali by Mahatma Gandhi Library

Board Members of Mahatma Gandhi Library join Smriti Srivastava and Chidanand ji in rendering Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram as the ﬁnale of the Shraddhanali

Children from Arya Samaj DAV Sanskriti School (Sunday School) performing at Shraddhanjali

HOUSTON: Mahatma Gandhi who spread the message of non-violence, truth and global peace, died on January 30, 1948. Mahatma Gandhi Library (MGL) in collaboration with Unity Houston commemorated Shraddhanjali, a memorial service, on Saturday, February 7, at Unity Houston, 2929 Unity Dr. Mahatma Gandhi said “I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.” He was never afraid of death. Currently, the world is encountering sev-

eral challenges including intolerance, impatience, and terrorism. Hence, it is essential to follow the ideas and principles of Mahatma Gandhi, especially truth and non-violence, not only to achieve international peace and prosperity, but the same within one’s own heart. Mahatma Gandhi Library is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the universal values of peace, non-violence, truth and love. The library was started almost twelve years ago by the vision and dedication of Atulbhai Kothari and today, with many dedicated volIndo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every unteers, their worthy efforts Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by continue. IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX The Shraddhanjali pro77036., tel: 713-789-6397, gram started sharply at 3:45 fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. pm with the delightful playPeriodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to ing of the violin by Shreya Chawla from Sartartia MidIndo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036

dle School, FBISD. MGL board member Devinder Mahajan welcomed the guests and explained the importance of year 2015 as the 100th anniversary of Gandhiji return from South Africa to his motherland, Bharat, India in 1915. Rajan Chawla was a brilliant Master of Ceremony for the program which initiated with an Invocation from Reverend Robert Hudspeth, the Spiritual Director of the Fellowship Spiritual Life Center, followed by garlanding and lamp lighting ceremony by Dr. Manish Wani of MGL and Rev Mindy Lawrence and Rev Michael Gott of Unity Houston. The program continued with a beautiful rendition of the bhajan Vaishnav Janato by the glittering voice of Smriti Srivastava and her group from Arya Samaj. Eesha Ranjith Nair, 3rd grader at Harmony School of Excellence and a student of DAV Sanskriti School of Arya Samaj delighted the audience with her winning speech, “Values in life are more important than success”. It was followed by speech winner Ananya Choudary, 7th grader at Seven Lakes Junior High and a member of Bihar Association of North America (BANA) spoke on “Trusteeship vs ownership: Which is better.” This was followed by the Unity Choir led by Rev Michael Gott as they harmoniously sang “Every praise is to our God.” Mr. Atul Kothari, on behalf of the board of Mahatma Gandhi Library awarded a special recognition plaque to Kristi Person from Sugarland Middle School. Her entire class has been participating in MGK organized essay contests since 2005. Sanjay Ahuja

received the plaque on behalf of the Arya Yuvak Mandal (AYM) youth volunteers for their continued support and dedication to the activities of Mahatma Gandhi Library. Daksh Kapoor, Senior from Austin High School, presented his awe-inspiring 1st place winning entry in iTribute multimedia presentation entitled “Mandela: portrayal of Gandhian principles.” The keynote speaker for the program was Rev. Mindy Lawrence of Unity Houston who gave a moving tribute and explained “Gandhiji was an anomaly in an era marked by two world wars” and “in order to be the change you wish to see, be who you need to be.” The program continued with the adorable children from DAV Sanskirti School of Arya Samaj Houston led by Smriti Shrivastava, as they sang beautiful bhajans patriotic songs, Mera Joota Hai Japani” and “Chhodo Kal ki baatein.” Dr. Sitaben Kapadia, member of the reading group at the Mahatma Gandhi Library, and Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature, University of New York, then gave her insightful perspective of Mahatma Gandhi. She is one of the few still alive that has actually seen Mahatma Gandhi in person. She described the vision of his radiant smile which she saw from 10 feet away that still inspires her today. The Unity Choir again took center stage and sang a lively rendition of “Amazing Grace” getting the audience involved and lifting the spirits of all in attendance. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Vijay Singh, Board member of the Mahatma Gandhi Library and chair of the program. The crowd was encouraged to visit the Gandhi Darshan Exhibit on display and the MGL booth. The event culminated with the singing of one of Gandhiji’s favorite bhajans, Raghupathi Raghav Raja Ram” by the Mahatma Gandhi Library board members again led by Smriti Shrivastava. It was followed by beautiful instrumental music in the background while all present enjoyed refreshments. The Shraddhanjali program at Unity Houston commemorating Mahatma Gandhi’s life was truly inspirational and proved to keep the legacy of peace, truth, non-violence and love alive, penetrating the hearts of all in attendance.

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February 13, 2015

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COMMUNITY

February 13, 2015

Harmonize Your Environment to Achieve Serenity and Success BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON: When they bought their first house in the US, the young Indian couple were very careful to make sure that its orientation and all the views and colors were conducive to their peaceful and progressive existence. But soon after, their dreams did not materialize. “I looked all over the web and found some videos on YouTube,” recalled Uppal as he stood before the audience, “and decided to take the course offered by Bansalji,” he bowed towards the learned consultant sitting on the raised stage. “Then I realized that some parameters were off by just a few degrees. Once I corrected them, things were much better.” Uppal was just one of the three people who came forward to recount their experiences at the MahaVastu morning seminar held last Thursday, February 5 at the Holiday Express on Westpark and the Beltway 8. They vouched for the effectiveness of the ancient technique of harmonizing your environment with the rhythms of your to achieve a balanced and peaceful life. The seminar was brought together by the husband-wife team of Chetan and Ina Patel who have just ventured into the field of Mahavastu consultancy by opening their office in Houston. The family – including sons Kartik, Hardik and Dhruv – have lived in Houston for 20 years, where Chetan started in retail and then shifted to the motel industry. Ina served as the emcee for the seminar, which ended with a buffet luncheon catered by Maharaja Bhog. The seminar was the formal launch of the consultancy and the leading proponent in the field, Vastu Shastri Khushdeep Bansal was the chief guest along with Acharya Gurang Nanavati who is the guiding force of the Houston Chinmaya Mission. Bansal made the trip to the US from New Delhi, where his consulting office is based in New Delhi, and came with his Global Head of Operations, Sapna Sehgal and administrative assistant Manu Nagpal. Sehgal explained how they had just opened up the group’s first center in the US in San Ramos, California four days earlier. With thousands of offices worldwide, she said “Houston has woken up to this new day with another branch in the tree of Ma-

haVastu,” and predicted that there would be 240 centers in the US within three years. Bansal addressed the audience, at first in Hindi, then in English, explaining how he had first come to Houston 15 years ago and was requested by Nanavati to start a MV center. “It didn’t happen then,” he smiled, “but now we are here!” He said it was time for fresher, younger people to move it forward as he learned more from their results. He then proceeded to give a glimpse of what the simple principles and wisdom of MV could teach the world. “The special spatial geometry time arrangement is Vastu,” he explained. “The alchemy of this space creates another inside us and changes us,” he added. He then compared it with the Chinese art of Feng Shui and how the two are related. He said that it was easy to learn the principles in two days, but they needed to be followed in practice. “The moment you apply them and realign your life with the five elements around you,” he continued, “then your life starts transmitting together through you.” Vastu shastra means the Indian science of architecture and construction as described in ancient surviving manuals on design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, spatial geometry and other aspects of architecture and incorporating traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs. MV is a trademark property

owned by Bansal and it is a 4-Step method to learn the influence of your living or work place on you and your life and these influences, positive or negative, can be responsible for your success or failure. Bansal has distilled the concept from numerous researchbased case studies and offers to teach interested people at his

consulting centers. According to Bansal, the ancient Vastu Shastras have revealed how the five elements – water, space, air, earth and fire – and their distribution in the 16 Vastu zones determine the shape your life takes. MV can tell how to treat a disturbed zone with remedies.

India Corporatizes Vastu Shastra in Houston HOUSTON: Globally famous for its scientific Vastu solutions without demolitions, MahaVastu Corporation’s Houston Centre was inaugurated by the Founder of MahaVastu, VastuShastri Khushdeep Bansal and Chinmaya Mission Houston Acharya Gaurang Nanavati on February 5 at Holiday Inn –Westchase. On this occasion, Vastu Guru Khushdeep Bansal said, “Houston, the biggest industrial city of America, has created its niche not only in USA but throughout the world. Its oil and natural gas industry has the capacity to provide energy to the whole world. MahaVastu remedies which have benefitted the whole world will now strengthen Houston’s new Infra power and industrial market.” He further added, “Energy is used for every work in the world. In Houston, it’s the mix culture and civilisation which induces energy in the people of Houston. More than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia.” Otherwise known as ‘Space City’, Vastu Guru now calls Houston as ‘Blessed City’ of America and said that today, the ancient Indian art of Vastu Shastra is being revived here through which you can attract more money, love, prosperity and happiness in your life. “The people of Houston appreciate the importance of Vastu-perfect homes. We also believe that on the basis of our quality services and excellent results we will be able to fulfil our mission of ‘Har Ghar MahaVastu, Dhan, Sukh Sehat Tathastu’ and re-establish the scientific Vastu Shastra across the globe,” he added. After the grand launches in the financial capital of India-Mumbai and Chhattisgarh’s capital cityRaipur and West Bengal’s capital city-Kolkata, San Ramon-California, MahaVastu is now going to launch its second centre in USA at Houston. Commenting on this, Chetan Patel, CEO of MahaVastu Houston Centre told media persons, “Now a days, almost all the famous build-

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

CONTINUED ON PAGE

February 13, 2015

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February 13, 2015

COMMUNITY

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one of the fastest human calculator in the world. This feat has brought fame to India and Indians living in Houston and Worldwide. In an event organized and supervised by

IMA (International Mental Arithmetic) in Chennai, India on Jan 3, he broke the existing Chinese record by doing 12 mental calculations in 1 minute comprising of 321 digits. Guinness officially accepted the record on January 22. Vikas is works as a Solution Architect in ClickSoftware in Houston and have been pursuing mental mathematics as a hobby since last 14 years. Vikas’s first tryst with records began in 2009 when he entered the “India Book of Records” for devising a tabular method to find higher roots, using the method it was possible to calculate the cube root of any number up to 15-digit number in 50 seconds. Vikas, who plays cricket, write poems has also interest in finding universal patterns. He started preparing for Guinness World Record a year ago. His wife Kirti Sharma, an interpreter of Japanese language, encouraged him by giving him bigger numbers to solve. Though techniques like abacus and Vedic mathematics inspired him to do calculations fast, he researched and devised his own method to work out problems. He plans to patent the method soon. His personal record involves calculating the 50th root of a 51-digit number in less than a second which is faster than a scientific calculator and a computer. “The next step is to go up to 100 digits and calculate up to three decimal places”. Despite Sharma’s obsession with mathematics, he did not miss out on any childhood experiences. “I see numbers as my friends. The more you investigate numbers the more they tell you”.

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COMMUNITY

February 13, 2015

Landmark Ruling Nets First Sikh Ofﬁcer with Turban, Beard in Harris County

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: It was a matter of pride for the 50 or so members of the local Sikh community who had gathered in the Officer’s Dining Hall of the Harris County Sherriff’s Administrative Offices on 701 N. San Jacinto St, next to Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston. They came to celebrate not only one of their own becoming a police officer, but to witness history in making as one more visage of mainstream rule crumbled to the power of the diversity that is the cornerstone of this region’s appeal. In announcing the department new policy of accommodation to the religious tenets of the Sikh faith, Harris County Sherriff Adrian Garcia acknowledged the role of that diversity and members of his staff were quick to point out that people of other faiths were also included in the department’s staff. However, none will be as noticeable as the new Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, 37, who will be allowed to keep his

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Bobby Singh at the mic and Jasjit Singh, Executive Director of SALDEF at the media event last Friday, February 6 at the HCSO’s ofﬁce in downtown Houston.

beard and turban and other articles prescribed by his Sikh faith as he starts to take of his patrolling du-

ties in a squad car with his partner officer. “By making these religious ac-

commodations, we will ensure that HCSO reflects the community we serve, one of the most culturally rich and diverse in America,” Garcia said. Garcia made the high-profile announcement to the media on Friday afternoon, February 6, surrounded by his command staff and members of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, whose Executive Director Jasjit Singh flew in from Washington, DC for the occasion. SALDEF’s Houston regional representative Bobby Singh had worked with the Sherriff’s office for the past five years to make this accommodation policy a reality. Also in attendance was Dr. Devinder Bhatia, a respected local cardiovascular surgeon and a Director of the Harris County Sherriff’s Foundation. Getting due recognition for the Sikh faith had become high on the agenda for Bobby Singh and SALDEF after an incident in 2008 in which Harris County deputies were called to respond

to a burglary at a Sikh home. They became agitated when they found men with beards and turbans and wearing the ceremonial dagger that is a tenet of their faith and arrested a young Sikh woman. The Sikh community responded with orientation meetings with the department and Garcia made several appearances at area Sikh gurudwaras. The move makes the HCSO the largest police force in the country to allow Sikhs to wear turbans, beards and other articles of faith in the course of duty, though both Dhaliwal and Jasjit Singh went to extreme lengths to downplay the new deputy’s wearing of the ceremonial dagger, claiming he was not yet baptized to do so. Dhaliwal, has been with the HCSO for the past four years, two of which as a Detention Officer, but so far has performed his duties clean-shaven and without a turban. It was only in anticipation of the new ruling that he grew his beard over the past few

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COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY

February 13, 2015

Cherivirala Wins Second Google Code-In Grand Prize

SUGAR LAND: Sushain Cherivirala, 17, a Senior at Dulles High School’s Math and Science Academy has just last week won a grand prize from Google’s annual Code-In international programming competition that encourages collaboration with free/open-source software organizations. Sushain was one of 24 Grand Prize Winners worldwide, out of which 4 were from the US and a total of six were of Indian

heritage or from India. This was the second consecutive year that Sushain has won this Google competition. During each seven week contest, Sushain worked with software developers from around the world, who form Apertium, a machine translation organization. It develops everything from its new website that receives hundreds of thousands of hits to improvements on the or-

ganization’s chat bot. In the past, Sushain has placed third from over 4,500 students in IBM’s international initiative to encourage university students to familiarize themselves with z/OS, IBM’s enterprise computing solution, over the course of three months. Aside from competition, he teaches at his former middle school’s competition math club, has founded a Computer Science club at his former elementary school, conducts classes at a local tutoring center, instructs weekly at the local senior center on everyday computer usage and coordinates TMSCA competitions at local schools. At his high school, he serves as the Co-President of the Academy Executive Student Council and President of Dulles’ Mu Alpha Theta, National Math Honor Society, chapter in addition to being an inducted member of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Sushain is the eldest son of Anuradha and Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala, an insurance agent and a long-time community activist and past president of the India Culture Center and the Indo American Charity Foundation. They have a younger daughter, Spoorthi, 12 who studies in 7th grade at Quail Valley Middle School’s Gifted & Talented academy.

India Corporatizes Vastu Shastra in Houston CONTINUED FROM PAGE

ings across the globe are being designed on the basis of Vastu principles. Now, with practical and easy MahaVastu solutions available in Houston, you can get the desired results without making demolitions in your existing buildings.” He also said, “It is MahaVastu’s USP of ‘delivering results without demolitions’ that impressed me most and that’s why I decided to open a MahaVastu centre in Houston. Now, through scientific Vastu of MahaVastu, we will give such effective Vastu solutions to people of Houston that will help them reap amazing benefits of Vastu without making demolitions in their beautiful homes.” Most of the industries, factories, home and offices in which Vastu remedies were applied in last 20 years, are now achieving highest levels of success. Informing about Vastu Course that will commence soon at Houston Centre, MahaVastu Expert Patel said, “Very soon we are going to start a 2-day Vastu Foundation Course. You will get to learn how to select a Vastu compliant new apartment, selection of ideal colour themes as per Vastu, beneficial application of Pyramids,

Vastu remedies and books. Apart from these, you will also get practical training on how to see directions with magnetic compass. These will help the people of Houston to live with more money, love and happiness.” MahaVastu is the leading and established global brand in the domain of Vastu. Advising customized Vastu solutions without demolitions is its USP. MahaVastu Centre also provides scientific Vastu Check-up reports, Vastu perfect designs for new buildings, tested Vastu remedies and professional courses on Vastu and Numerology. Hundreds of Interior Designers, Architects, House wives, Businessmen, Astrologers and Vastu enthusiasts have done MahaVastu Course and are providing professional Vastu services across the globe as certified Vastu experts. This Houston centre is a new link in the chain of 240 Centres of MahaVastu Corporation which will facilitate construction of Vastu perfect buildings, flats and factories in West Bengal. Today’s scientific and practical Vastu Shastra – MahaVastu is an outcome of documented research on Vastu based on over 12,000 successful Vastu case studies done in

the past two decades by Vastu Guru Khushdeep Bansal, author of the World’s biggest book on Vastu Shastra – MahaVastu Handbook. M a h a Va s t u visions to set up 240 Centres across the globe in near future. Starting with a negligible investment, the expected turnover of a MahaVastu Centre can be in billions. For more information contact: Phone: 832-269-9000, 832-412-2827 M a h a Va s t u ™ Houston 9900 Westpark Drive, Suite # 126 Houston TX 77063 Email: ask.hou@mahavastu.com

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12 February 13, 2015 CONTINUED FROM PAGE

COMMUNITY

Landmark Ruling Nets First Sikh Ofﬁcer with Turban, Beard in Harris County

weeks and appeared in a black turban alongside the Sherriff. Garcia was effusive about the new ruling and said that it will ensure that the HCSO will reflect the community it serves. He started the announcement with the Sikh greeting “Sat Sri Akal” and peppered his statements with Punjabi words, even when he pinned the office’s badge on the apex of Dhaliwal’s turban, similar to the manner in the Indian Armed Forces, referring to him as “Sardarji”, much to the delight of the Sikhs in the audience who responded with a loud “Bole Sone Hal” and a “Sat Sri Akal” response. Dhaliwal acknowledged his own family’s service in the Indian military and spoke of his desire to serve in the police force as the impetus for him to sell of his business and join HCSO. Garcia added that another Sikh had joined the force and was in training, hoping to join patrolling duties by this Spring, and concluded his statements with remarks in Spanish too. “In doing so, HCSO joins similar accommodations made by the police forces in Washington, DC and Riverside, California,” said Jasjit Singh, lauding Garcia’s decision, adding that “a person does not have to choose between his faith and his

Deputy Dhaliwal at the mic, with Sheriff Garcia, the HCSO Command Staff, Bobby Singh, Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Jasjit Singh and his partner ofﬁcer.

career.” Bobby Singh, a local Sikh activist and engineer said he had lobbied HCSO for five years to make this change, after the 2008 incident, and especially after the Sikh massacre at a gurudwara in

Wisconsin in 2012. “What’s past is past,” he said, “This ruling is a win-win for everyone.” The Sikh community has been in the US for the past 150 years, starting as migrant laborers in

California, from which the first Indian-American Congressman, a Sikh, was elected. There are an estimated 200,000 Sikhs in the US, though unofficial estimates peg it as high as 700,000, of which about

10,000 live in the greater Houston area. Last year, the Pentagon made similar accommodations to allow Sikhs to wear turbans or a scarf, keep beards and other articles of their faith.

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COMMUNITY

February 13, 2015

“Thaipoosam” at Sri Meenakshi Temple

Devotees carrying Kavadis and Paal Kudams gather in front of Kalyana Mantapam after the Pradhakshinam around main temple at MTS

The urchava Murthi along with his consorts Deivanai and Valli were taken in a procession on the silver chariot or “Ratham” to the main sannadhi for the ﬁnal aarti. Prasadams and a very sumptuous lunch was provided by the temple to all those that attended. It was indeed a very spiritual day to all.

BY PONNI SIVARAMAN

Lord Muruga resplendant on Ratham (Silver Chariot) with consorts Valli and Deivanai_Thai Poosam, MTS).

Resplendent Lord Murga with Valli and Deivanai carrying Vel given by Sri Meenaksi (Parvathi).

the newly renovated Ganesh Temple with a Sankalpam and Pooja for all the Pal Kudams (a pot of milk with a coconut on top and covered with a yellow ornate cloth which will be offered to Lord Muruga as Abisekham) and Kavadis (a semi-circular decorated canopy made out of bamboo or wood with a wooden rod that holds together 2 small pots of brown sugar on either ends, also used for the Abishekam). The Pal Kudams will be carried by the devotees on their heads and the kavadis on their shoulders. This year there were about 150 Pal Kudams and 101 Kavadis. The Sankalpam and Pooja were followed by the breaking of coconuts to symbolize the shattering of one’s ego in the pursuit of self-realization

and by a procession of the devotees carrying Pal Kudams and Kaavadis from the Ganesh Temple to the Kalyana Mandapam through the main Sanadhi. Devotees attired in their ﬁnest, chanted “Aroharas” and recited devotional songs in praise of Lord Muruga, the entire way. Once at the Kalyana Mandapam, a grand Abishekham was performed by priests Sri Kalyana Sundaram, Sri Parameswaran and Sri Doraisamy Bhattar and the exquisite Alankaram and Aarti that followed rendered the gathering of about 700 devotees speechless. Devotees recited the Kanda Shasti Kavasam and sang other devotional songs and bhajans as well. The whole ambiance was very divine.

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PEARLAND: Thaipoosam, the HindufestivalinhonorofLordKarthikeya (Muruga) was celebrated by with pomp and finesse on the Morning of February 8 at Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas. This festival celebrated to commemorate the occasion of Lord Karthikeya’s mother, Goddess Parvathi, giving her son the “Sakthi Vel” or the Spear to vanquish the demon army of Asura Tarakaasura and combat their evil deeds. Thus it is a celebration of victory over evil. This day is honored as a special festival at all Murugan temples in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Ceylon and Mauritius and where ever else Tamil Communities exist. Thaipoosam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February), on the day of the star “Poosam “and around the day of the full moon or Pourrnami. On the day of the festival, it is customary for devotees to shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but purification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common as an act of penance or as a fulfillment of a vow taken to deepen spirituality. On a clear blue crisp morning of February 8, the festivities began at

This event was organized and coordinated by Meena and Vairavan Subramanian and helped by Dr. Dorairajan and many volunteers. This huge effort along with the many devotees’ enthusiasm made this year’s Thaipoosam celebration a great success.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

16 February 13, 2015 How to Make in India RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan’s remark in his December 12, 2014 Bharat Ram Memorial Lecture on “Make in India, Largely for India” caused a lot of controversy. Arvind Panagariya argued in favour of export-led growth for India, as was the case with South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, especially given the vast pool of unskilled labour in India that can be adapted to low-wage products like garments, shoes and sports goods. Rajan’s argument is based on the premise that the kind of economic growth that favoured Chinese exports to the US and Europe is slowing down in those countries and is likely to remain so in the foreseeable future. Therefore, India should look to manufacturing for its internal market. Both Rajan’s and Panagariya’s arguments fail to get the complete picture. Panagariya seems to want to use exports as a driver of employment generation for our vast pool of unskilled and semi-skilled labour, overlooking the fact that a large and growing volume of our exports now comprises of engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, software as well as components and semi-finished goods wherein skilled labour is required. While textiles and traditional items are still a significant part of our export basket, real growth will come from the aforementioned categories. This brings us to Narendra Modi’s campaign for “Make in India”. It is a laudable objective, but it needs to be understood in all its dimensions. To begin with, a modern product like an automobile, a white good or a machine is seldom manufactured at one go. They use components and sub assemblies put together to get the final product over time. Irrespective of whether a foreign firm brings in FDI or an Indian firm sets up a manufacturing facility, the process will begin with making simpler components and gradually move to more complex ones. The question is what proportion, in terms of components and sub assemblies of the final product, should be made indigenously and what proportion imported. This is largely determined by the foreign exchange rate, assuming the interest rate and other cost factors as given, except in the case of defence items, which are produced based on strategic objectives. How so? Let’s take the example of China that, over decades, kept its exchange rate in relation to the US dollar artificially high. This resulted in a barrier to the import of wholly built-up goods like automobiles and others, made not just in the US but also other developed countries. Consequently, automobiles in knocked down form as well as other semi-finished goods were imported by China mainly through FDI and assembled using cheap indigenous labour. Again, the process of moving from the manufacture of simple to more sophisticated components or import substitution took place in China. Vinay Bharat Ram in Indian Express

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Decoding Delhi Verdict

BY SUNIL ARON The straightforward reason for Arvind Kejriwal’s resounding victory is that the Congress vote -- which amounted to 24% in the 2013 assembly elections -- signiﬁcantly switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The land ordinance, whose implications the AAP was quick to pick up on, also turned rural notables against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But this victory is about so much more; it is about where the urban poor belong in mainstream politics, what this does to the authority of Narendra Modi and what this impact will have on national politics at large. The BJP, Amit Shah and Modi made several mistakes. They picked two leaders to take on Kejriwal. Kiran Bedi was to counter his activist credentials, but she was a disaster from the start committing a series of gaffes and, in Mihir Sharma’s memorable words, “towed away the PM’s victory”. Picking her at the expense of Harsh Vardhan and other leaders served to severely undermine morale of the party cadre. Nirmala Sitharaman was projected an upright, technocratic counter who would pose ﬁve daily questions to Kejriwal. The irony of posing questions to an activist who had actively courted the media while the government prided itself on keeping away from scrutiny wasn’t lost on many. Who were the questions supposed to impress anyway? They were hardly any undecided voters by the time Sitharaman’s questions came

along and all they ended up doing was undermine her standing a bit. More than anything this was Narendra Modi’s failing. And because Delhi is a microcosm of India, he may well pause to reflect on the effects on the way he is projected. He came across in the Lok Sabha election as the person to end Congress’s policy stupor and be the man in charge. He portrayed himself as the man to fulfil the aspiration of urban youth struggling to succeed in a globalised economy. But in the intervening time that it takes for trickle-down economics to work, leaders still have to relate to the lived experiences of the poor which must be reflected consistently in the idiom they usually employ. But Modi has in recent months been all aspiration and no perspiration. Building relationships with world leaders is fine so long as you handle optics carefully. The Rs 10 lakh suit was an unmitigated disaster. The vast underclass which silently asks itself why it is not entitled to a pay hike each time its employer acquires a smartphone, a car or any gadget will have quickly concluded that this is not a poor man’s PM. Nobody is more nimble than the poor in discerning where the emotional investments of power are. There are those who will maintain that the PM’s standing remains high and that this is about Assembly elections. But the BJP will have to contend with the many in the middle class, both English and Hindi speak-

ing, who voted for him in May and yet picked Kejriwal this time. It must not escape BJP’s notice this time that liberal issues do matter for the upwardly mobile. Persistently toxic vilification of minorities by BJP figures and ideological affiliates, saffronisation of education instead of preparing the young for a globalised workplace and loony rhetoric about ancient science and reproductive obligations of women are all real turn offs for large sections of the urban middle class. The Delhi election has also shown the limits of gaming mainstream media through embedded journalism, while there is an entire social media universe out there openly and obliquely backing the opposition, challenging the BJP narrative in the face of organised trolls. The AAP can now confidently project itself as the secular, national alternative to the BJP and being all the Congress could have been. The immediate effect will be on the Congress which is likely to have a desertion crisis, given the entrepreneurial instincts of the political class. The fickle nature of political discussion is such that the conversation will quickly move to questions about AAP and Kejriwal’s capacity to govern. All that is for the future. Let the poor enjoy their moment and others savour that there is now a feisty opposition to contend with. Hindustan Times

Delhi Elections: Has Modi Run Out of Steam? The decisive defeat of BJP in Delhi elections is certainly bad news for NAMO. Post mortems are important, even if they do little to change the outcome. Perhaps BJP put its bet on the wrong horse. Kiran Bedi as a female cop who earned kudos for her tough stand on criminals had a lot going for her. But, apparently she had a few skeletons in her closet- maybe real, maybe manufactured by the opposition. Then there was the question of Kiran Bedi the opportunist. She marched every step with Kejriwal in Anna Hazare campaign and was not known to be particularly kind to

BJP. Then, all of a sudden, she started singing the BJP song when Modi and Amit Shah ﬁelded her as the CM candidate. Question: Are all politicians opportunists? Answer: Does chicken have two legs! That said, perhaps Delhites did not forgive a blatantly opportunist Kiran Bedi. The jury is still out on whether Delhi vote is a mandate against Bedi or against Modi. I for one believe it is the latter. How could things go so amuck for Modi in eight months? Is it his arrogance? Is it his simultaneously riding the two boats of Hindutva and

secularism? Has his inability to control the re-conversion zealots in his party cost him so much? Is he being perceived as someone who cannot walk his talk? Have his Clean Ganga and Swachh Bharat turned out to be nothing more than photo ops? For the sake of NAMO, I hope the signiﬁcance of Delhi defeat is not lost on BJP. And, I hope the NAMO gang remembers the old Hindi song ‘yeh jo public hai, woh sub jaantii hai’.

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February 13, 2015

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COMMUNITY

Raj Basavaraju Named ASIE 2015 President BY DINESH SHAH, MBA, PE HOUSTON:American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects known as ASIE is a Greater Houston Area based non-profit organization for engineers, architects, designers, and engineering technicians. ASIE provides a forum to assist its members in career advancement by providing opportunities for networking through continuing educational seminars, workshops and field trips. Every year, ASIE support engineering and science education by volunteering in Mathcounts competition, volunteering as judges during Science & Engineering Fair of Houston and giving out Awards to students in Junior, Ninth & Senior Divisions based on their projects. ASIE also awards scholarships every year to students pursuing undergraduate & graduate degrees in engineering programs from public universities in the Greater Houston Area. The administration of ASIE organization consist of nine Board members and four Advisory Council members. This year five nominations were required for the board and two for the council, as the rest of them are con-

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tinuing from 2014. Since all nomination received were equal to the elected positions available, the Election Ofﬁcer Ashish Baga declared all seven nominees Elected Uncontested without any formal voting. ASIE named Raj Basavaraju, MBA, PE, as President for the year 2015. He is a life member of ASIE since 2012 and has been playing an active role. He possesses a MS degree in engineering from Iowa State University since 2001 and MBA from University of Maryland in 2009. He works at RK & K as a Project Manager. The 2015 ASIE Board comprise of Executive Committee include all continuing members of the board from 2014 are Raj Basavaraju – President,

Naresh Kolli – Vice President, Sai Gowthami – Secretary, and Rajesh Tolikonda – Treasurer, and the rest of the Board of Directors are the newly elected members include Phoolkeshi Patel, Dinesh Shah, Madhu Kilambi, Chetan Vyas, and Hari Jaiswal. Under his leadership, Raj has appointed various board members and members to several committees which include Membership, IT, Fundraising, Program, Public Relations, Scholarships, Student Member, Young Engineer, and Account Review Committee. For the Advisory Council, Ravi Arora and Showri Nandagiri were newly elected, while Ram Gupta and Abraham (Roy) Joseph are continuing from last year. “I am honored to be elected as President for 2015. We have had an excellent year including 20th Anniversary Gala under the leadership of Sekhar Ambadapudi as a 2014 President. I will try my level best to keep up the momentum. I would like to congratulate all the elected Board Members as well as Advisors, and with their support, I will bring ASIE to the next higher level.” said Raj Basavaraju.

Prestigious Padma Bhushan Award for Dr. David Frawley Dr. David Frawley has been awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the government of India. His award was announced as part of the Padma awards list, given in New Delhi on Jan. 26 as part of Republic Day celebrations. The award, which is approved by the Prime Minister, will be ofﬁcially conferred by the President in a special ceremony later in March or April at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Multi Media Photojournalist

KTRK-TV the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX has a current opening for a creative storyteller to cover news as a Multi-Media Photojournalist. This job will entail daily shooting, editing, writing and producing news content for on-air, on-line, social media and publishing to our digital platforms. Some on-air experience is a plus. The candidate should be knowledgeable of the operations of the assignment desk and police scanners. Qualified applicants must have at least 3-years major/medium market experience as a field photographer with Edius Pro editing experience. Experience with P2 cameras, Dejeros, ENG/Live Trucks and a strong ability to produce interesting live shots is a must. The candidate will need to work independently at times as well as and in a team environment with a reporter or producer. Lighting experience is required, along with shooting short and long form stories as well as breaking news. Must possess good news judgment and work well under deadline pressure. Background check clearance and clean driving record will be required. Primarily, this position requires working on Saturdays and Sundays early morning shift (6:00 AM to 2:00 PM). Applicants must also have the flexibility to work nights, weekends, overnights (9:00 PM to 6:00 AM) and holidays when needed. This is an excellent opportunity to join a first-class station and live in a fun and affordable city. To be considered candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file. Reference Job ID: 248295BR No Telephone Calls KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability

Frawley, also known as Pandit Vamadeva Shastri, was honored for his work as a Vedic teacher promoting Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta, Jyotish and Sanatana Dharma in India and throughout the world. He is the author of more than thirty published books that have gone into more than twenty languages worldwide. He has widely taught and traveled throughout India and has helped establish a number of Vedic organizations in several countries. He is regarded as one of the pioneers in bringing Ayurvedic medicine and Vedic astrology to the western world. Frawley has a D.Litt. in Yoga from

S-VYASA (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana) in Bangalore, India. He is the director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies (www. vedanet.com) in Santa Fe, NM, which emphasizes distance learning and on-line courses. His wife Yogini Shambhavi Devi, an author and Vedic educator joins him in his teachings and programs around the world. He has visited and taught in Houston at various Hindu centers over the last twenty years. He has worked with such organizations as the Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangha, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Hindu American Foundation, and Swaminarayan BAPS. The Padma awards this year included 9 Padma Vibhushan, 20 Padma Bhushan, and 75 Padma Shri awards. Bill and Melinda Gates also received the Padma Bhushan award for their social work. The Padma awards are India’s highest national awards given to individuals for distinguished service to the country. They are mainly for citizens of India and it is rare for foreigners to receive them.

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February 13, 2015

Caribbean Medical University Opens Campus in India

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Caribbean Medical University’s program has been very well-received in North America and in the Caribbean. An increasing number of students have been coming out to the regular information seminars and are applying with CMU to begin their journey of becoming a medical doctor. This incredible response has encouraged CMU to open a satellite campus in India. This will be the ﬁrst international bridging program for a premedical campus in Punjab with connections to US/Canadian hospitals for clinical rotations. Classes will begin in May of 2015. The 16,000 sq. foot campus will have an onsite hospital to enhance student learning experiences. It’s a modern state-of-the-art campus with research laboratories and latest technology. There is limited space with rolling admissions, and CMU is now accepting applications. Over the years, CMU has seen many South Asian students in Canada interested in becoming doctors and now there is an opportunity for them to have easier access to gain knowledge and experience abroad. Graduates of this CMU program can

choose to practice in india, Canada or the US. CMU also has local representatives all over Canada that can be reached at 1.877.517.8800 or via email at canada@cmumed.ca The CMU India campus is located in the heart of Punjab, just minutes away from Chandigarh airport.Ranbaj Hospital - Plot #: 1599 Sector 82 - Mohali (SAS Nagar)140306 - Punjab, IndiaTel: + 91 (172) 655-5599 Email: india@cmumed.ca “I feel these brave young men and women who take upon themselves the arduous and committed path of becoming physicians are true heroes of society. As they are enabling themselves to save lives daily as a profession while furthering medical research and healing practices for all of humanity. Johnny Kang, Director of PreMedical Sciences (Canada) I am honored to have had this opportunity to help these medical students achieve their goals and look forward to further service the aspiring physicians and the ﬁeld of medical education here in Chandigarh. CMU’s new campus in India will open many doors for local students to

get education at the highest standards possible” “ – Dr. Randeep Mann, Director of PreMedical Sciences (India) Caribbean Medical University (CMU) is located on the island of Curacao and is one of the top medical schools in the Caribbean with ofﬁces and satellite campuses in Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. CMU is fully accredited & recognized by ECFMG, IMED, WHO and the Medical Council of Canada. The school is growing at a rapid pace with more students exploring the Caribbean as an option for medical school. Caribbean Medical University holds open houses and information sessions on a monthly basis. There will be an Open House on Saturday, March 7 in Chicago, Illinois.Aloft Chicago O’Hare Hotel 9700 Balmoral Avenue Rosemont, Illinois12:00 noon - 2:00 pm Register: www.medschoolseminar.com For more information on the program, please visit www.cmumed.org or call 1.888.877.4268 or contact via email info@cmumed.org

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PUZZLES/RECIPES

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Mithe Chawal (Sweet Rice)

You can’t have an Indian meal anywhere in the world without being offered some chawal (rice) to go along with it, just like with many Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese to Malay and Sri Lankan. The main difference is the quality of the rice and the way it is cooked. While the Chinese prefer the sticky, short rice, Indians prefer the basmati, long grained, highly aromatic rice. In the Punjab and other parts of northwest India, the carbohydrate of choice is bread, in all its many styles and varieties; but especially the emphasis is on roti, just as the tortilla is essential to Mexican and Tex-Mex food. For Punjabis, rice is reserved for special occasions like large religious functions, get-togethers and weddings. And there are rice dishes reserved for such occasions, like biryani, pulao and kheer. Mithe chawal is another that is not made that frequently, but if you are offered this saffron colored dish, you can be sure it’s for a special function. This dish is also called zarda, the name coming from the Persian and Urdu word “zard” meaning “yellow” for the color of the dish. Many Muslims eat it as a regular desert, especially during Eid. Zarda is usually served flavored with cardamoms, pistachios, almonds, raisins and saffron. A slightly different version called Muntanjan is made in Pakistan, in which multiple colorings are added to the rice grains, and murraba (candied fruits) and nuts are added. Ingredients: 2 cup chawal (rice) 5 cup pani (water) 1 cup chinni (sugar) 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter) – you can use olive oil 1 tsp pila rang (yellow food coloring) 6 ilachi (cardamom) – split open Dry fruits to your taste: kishmish (raisins); badam (almonds – peeled and silvered); piste (pistachios – halved or pieces)

Directions: 1. Wash the rice in cold water and drain through a sieve. 2. Pour the rice in a pot of 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and drop in the yellow coloring. 3. Check to see if the rice is tender, then remove from the heat and drainout thewaterthroughastrainer. 4. Leave the rice in the pot; add the sugar, cardamom and dried fruit and mix with a large spoon. 5. in a over rice ring

Warm the ghee or olive oil small pan and then pour it the rice. Cover and let the cook over low heat, stironce with the large spoon.

6. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 10 minutes before serving. Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, 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 mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK WEAR GLOVES WHEN CUTTING BEETROOT OR POMMEGRANATES

Peeling and cutting vegetables is a large part of preparing food for eating, and often is the hardest and time consuming part. Sometimes it is also the part that leaves stains on clothes and hands, like when cutting up beetroots or pomegranates; or it can leave a stinging sensation, like when cutting chillies or even ginger root or a hard-toget-rid-of smell like when cutting lots of onions or garlic. In the old days, there wasn’t much you could do about this, except to bear it and then try to wash your hands thoroughly and use some oil or Vaseline to soothe them. But now, it is much easier on the hands to use disposable latex gloves when cutting these difficult vegetables. Your hands will not sting, smell or get stained and will love you for using the gloves!

FIG HALWA

Ingredients: 20 nos Dried ﬁgs 2 cups Warm milk 2 tbsp Ground almond 2 tbsp Sugar

2 nos Cardamom powdered 1/2 cup Toasted nuts (Almond, cashew and pistachios) 2 tbsp Ghee

Directions: 1. Chop the dried ﬁgs into small pieces and soak them in warm milk for 45 minutes. (You can heat the milk in microwave for 2 minutes) Powder the cardamom and chop the toasted nuts. 2. Use a food processor or mixie to make a paste or puree with ﬁgs and milk. 3. With few spins they turn into a thick puree. 4. Heat about 1 tbsp of ghee in

a pan and add the pureed ﬁgs along with sugar and powered cardamom. Stir in for few minutes until the sugar blends well. 5. At this stage you may add the almond powder. (Variations: You may also add Khoa or Milk powder instead of almond powder) 6. Keep stirring for the next 30 minutes over low ﬂame. You may have to scrap the pan now and then as it has the tendency to stick. Add toasted chopped nuts at this stage. 7. Add another tbsp ghee and mix.

About in next 15 minutes, it will change its colour to darker shades of brown , get more shinny and roll up like a ball. Switch off. 8. Grease a plate of tray with some ghee and spread the mixture and press. Decorate by adding some more of the chopped nuts. Once cooled cut them into small squares. Figs are naturally sweet and sugar is just optional. -www.spiceindiaonline.com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review: Shamitabh BY SRIJANA MITRA DAS, So, Shamitabh has a lovely concept - a boy falls in love with the movies and dreams of becoming a star. He has pizzazz, passion, presence - but no voice. Daanish (Dhanush) is born mute, his soul, like the film-mad lad of Cinema Paradiso, finding utterance with movies, Igatpuri’s bus conductor (rather like a certain Rajini Sir) determined to achieve stardom. Daanish hits Film City and impresses assistant director Akshara (Haasan) but directors reject a mute hero. Akshara’s doctor dad introduces Daanish to technology which, using embedded micro-recorders and ear-pieces, enables a mute person to communicate via a ‘borrowed’ voice. Daanish and Akshara find the perfect voice - that of Amitabh Sinha (Bachchan), a failed actor, snubbed due to his baritone, who lives in a graveyard, soaked in whisky and cynicism. Amitabh’s tickled by the idea of making his rejected voice successful and the ‘Shamitabh’ team becomes a super-hit. But what happens when Amitabh feels he’s getting no recognition, despite being as good a kalakaar as Daanish - if not better? Shamitabh’s dramatic performances match its unusual tale. Often evoking The Artist, Dhanush is terrific as film-crazy Daanish, whose eyes

sparkle at the cinema, whose brow furrows in desperation to meet directors, who schmoozes and rages without saying a word. Amitabh Bachchan provides perfect balance, catty and chatty in that wondrous velveteen baritone, dripping sarcasm, yodelling ditties, expressing irony, then abhimaan, bringing to life Shamitabh’s crackling dialogues.

Their acting is electric - but also, frequently over-indulged. Scenes that should’ve been tight are allowed to stretch or become repetitive. The vibrant ‘Piddly’ song gets wasted while the plot is too convenient - a rural boy ﬂings his village life behind him like dust, no doctor explains how the mute hero’s ‘voice’reads his thoughts and speaks them, no-one swears Amitabh’s sidekick to secrecy. In over-explaining this uncommon story - “Very deep”, as Amitabh drawls - the plot rushes through emotional moments. And amidst the high-wattage attention around the Dhanush-Amitabh pairing, less is paid to Akshara, whose performance, although sincere, sometimes looks a tad banal. As does the ﬁlm occasionally, a pity because Shamitabh’s striking story could leave you speechless. -Times of India

February 13, 2015

When Kangana Invited her Classmates to Sets of Tanu Weds Manu

BY ANIRBAN DAS NEW DELHI: Last year, when Kangana Ranaut was pursuing her screenplay writing course in New York, USA, she befriended some of her batchmates, who come from different countries. And now, she has invited a few of them to visit her on the sets of Tanu Weds Manu Returns with director Aanand L Rai. Apparently, her friends had asked her to invite them during one of shoots. “During the course, some of her batchmates were exposed to her work as an actor, and asked her to invite them on the sets whenever she shoots outside India,” says a source

close to the actor. The London schedule of Rai’s film will commence next week, and Kangana is looking forward to a reunion of sorts with them. “Kangana was heard saying that her friends wanted to watch her shoot for a film, and that they also wanted to understand the process of film-making,” adds the source. The actor askedAanand for permission, and the director obliged. When contacted, he confirmed the news, saying, “Kangana wanted her friends to visit the sets during our London schedule. She had asked me. We are looking forward to the shoot there.” -Hindustan times

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22 February 13, 2015

Delhi Election Results: Voters Reject Modi Wave, Elect Kejriwal’s AAP for 5 Years in Historic Verdict

Celebrations take place outside Aam Aadmi Party ofﬁce in Patel Nagar.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stunned everyone on Tuesday with an overwhelming victory in the Delhi assembly polls, setting up a second stint for Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister and leaving the BJP licking its wounds in the city from which it rules the country. The AAP was expected to bag as many as 67 seats of the 70-member House, going far beyond the most optimistic exit polls, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was left bruised in a distant second place with wins projected for it in just three seats. The Congress drew a blank. An exuberant Kejriwal, 46, described his party’s comprehensive success as a “people’s victory”. Even before the counting of votes ended, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted he had congratulated Kejriwal and assured him of “complete support in the development of Delhi”.

“This is the people’s victory. My first priority will be to end ‘rishvatkhori’ (corruption),” said a beaming Kejriwal, who will be eager to set aside memories of his hasty resignation after just 49 days in office during his first stint. The 46-year-old former tax officerturned-politician, who founded the AAP two years ago, described himself as an “ordinary man” and said: “I promise to be the janta’s chief minister and end corruption and VIP culture.” Former police officer Kiran Bedi, who was brought in at virtually the last minute by the BJP to take on Kejriwal, was defeated in the saffron party’s stronghold of Krishna Nagar by an AAP candidate. “I want to thank BJP leadership which reposed trust in me,” said Bedi after her defeat. “I apologise to every one...I could not fulfill their

expectation.” “Full marks to Arvind (Kejriwal). Congratulations. Now take Delhi to the heights it belongs to. Make it a world class city,” she tweeted. The AAP’s victory is significant as it will lead to the formation of the first majority government in Delhi by a party other than the BJP and the Congress. It is also the first time a party has won so many seats in the assembly. Ajay Maken, who was the Congress’ campaign committee chief, resigned from his party position after the rout – the latest in a string of electoral drubbings for the grand old party following its resounding defeat in last year’s general election. “I have decided to tender my resignation from the post of AICC general secretary,” he said. Reports suggested the AAP made gains in more than 35 seats when compared to the 2013 polls. The BJP, on the other hand, trailed in more than 35 seats it had won in the last elections. Vote shares collated by the Election Commission showed the BJP fell by the wayside despite getting roughly the same number of votes as in the 2013 assembly polls. At the same time, the AAP’s gain was clearly at the expense of the Congress.

Counting of votes began at 8am and the AAP raced to a clear lead within an hour. After the Capital voted in assembly elections for the second time in 14 months, exit polls had predicted on Saturday the AAP was set to return to power, an outcome likely to have national ramiﬁcations. The closely fought election saw a record turnout of 67.10% and 8.9 million of the city’s 13.3 million-strong electorate cast their votes. The 2013 elections had produced a hung assembly, and the AAP (with 28 MLAs) formed a government with the outside support of eight Congress legislators. The AAP rode to victory on promises of cheaper electricity and water, and probity in government. The party also has a strident position against Delhi’s famed culture of privilege; in its last stint, one of its more popular moves was the outlawing of red beacons on ofﬁcial cars. Its culture of handouts runs counter to the ruling principles of the BJP at the Centre, which espouses a marketfriendly approach and wants to cut subsidies. Stock markets, which had fallen sharply on Monday after investors took fright from the exit polls, recovered in early trade as people chose to look ahead to this month’s

union Budget. The BJP’s decision to project Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate, after her surprise induction days ahead of the polls, too proved counterproductive as it triggered dissent within the party. Kejriwal, who saw just four of his 400-odd party candidates registering a win in the Lok Sabha elections, campaigned hard and reiterated he would not commit the same mistakes again if he was given a second chance by voters. The defeat for the BJP in the national capital will harm Modi’s chances of consolidating power in Parliament, where his reform agenda is being thwarted. Modi needs to win most of the state elections over the next four years to gain control of both Houses of Parliament to deliver on his promise of jobs and economic growth. The BJP has, however, said the results in Delhi were not a referendum on Modi. “It’s not a referendum on the BJP government. It will be a collective responsibility of the party… and winning will just be the ﬁrst step for AAP. They had made many promises. AAP kaam karke dikhaye ab (AAP, now show us what you can do),” said BJP leader Shazia Ilmi. -Hindustan Times

Advancing Sea Poses Threat to Karachi, Thatta, Committee Told BY AMIR WASIM ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee was informed on Monday that Badin and Thatta will drown by 2050 and Karachi by 2060 if immediate steps were not taken to check sea intrusion along the coastal areas of Sindh. The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology headed by Prof Sajid Mir was also informed that a significant part of Malir had already been affected by seawater and Karachi also would not remain safe if steps were not taken to rectify the situation. The warning came from officials of the Sindh Board of Revenue and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) during a briefing on “intrusion of the sea to the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan”. Director General of the NIO Dr

Asif Inam told the committee that in 1989, the United Nations had included Pakistan in the list of countries which would be affected by the rise of sea level. Badin, Thatta to drown in sea by 2050 The NIO official said that for 300 days in a year, water did not go beyond Sajawal in Sindh which was the main reason for the sea intrusion. He said that after a cyclone in 1999, seawater entered the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) which was meant to drain out the excess saline water back to the canal. The LBOD has reportedly been blamed by civil society groups since the 1990s for altering the drainage and water flow patterns in lower Sindh – specifically Badin and Thatta – and worsening the flooding in the two districts.

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Dr Inam said people obtained underground water from a 64 cubic kilometre area whereas according to the international standards, it should not be more than 17 cubic km. He said the underground water reserves were fast depleting because of this almost 400 per cent excessive use. Secretary of the Sindh Board of Revenue Ghazanfar Ali Shah told the committee that there were reports that some parts of Malir had also been affected due to sea intrusion. A survey was being conducted to ascertain the situation, he added. An ofﬁcial of the Badin administration disclosed that over 31,000 acres of the district had already drowned. Prof Dr Sarfaraz Hussain Solangi of Sindh University briefed the committee about the changes in weather patterns and temperatures and its effects on the area. He said the sweet

underground water was being replaced with saline water at an alarming pace. Ofﬁcials of the Balochistan Coastal DevelopmentAuthority told the committee that their province was facing a similar situation. Referring to a report, they said one kilometre coastal land in Balochistan had already gone under the sea. The committee was informed that during the past 35 years more than two kilometres of coastal land had been submerged. Senator Taj Haider of the PPP informed the committee about some of the steps the Sindh government had taken to check sea intrusion. He asked the federal government to extend help to the provincial government. The committee was informed that the level of seawater was rising at a rate of 1.3 millimetres per year.

A modern GPS system was being installed along the coastal areas of Badin and Thatta to monitor the situation. After the brieﬁng, the committee called for ensuring water discharge in Kotri downstream strictly in accordance with the 1991 Water Accord. Dr Karim Khawaja suggested that the committee should through a letter ask the prime minister to make the issue of sea intrusion a part of the agenda of the Council of Common Interests so that effective steps could be taken in a short span of time to save the coastal areas from drowning. He also suggested that the committee should approach the Planning Commission to include various projects in the coastal areas in the Vision 2025 programme. -Dawn.com

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McDonald’s India Cuts Salt, Calories in Burgers and Fries McDonald’s has cut sodium in its sauces and buns by 10% and in fries by 20% BY NIVEDITA BHATTACHARJEE MUMBAI: McDonald’s Corp is cutting the amount of calories and salt on its Indian menu as it ﬁghts to hold on to customers in a rapidly growing developing market where newer, healthier fast-food options are just starting to catch on. The burger chain is known globally for the consistency of its food, down to the thickness of fries or the amount of cheese on burgers, and changes run the risk of upsetting customers who expect the same taste on every visit, everywhere. Amit Jatia, vice president of one of India’s two main McDonald’s franchisees, said that changes to reduce sodium and calories in fries, buns and sauces had been done gradually, and were subtle enough to keep taste consistent and customers happy. McDonald’s has not talked about these changes previously. “It wasn’t as if we suddenly cut the salt in our foods one day. Our menu and sourcing

teams have been working to make slight alterations for months now,” Jatia told Reuters in an interview. McDonald’s in India has cut sodium in its sauces and buns by 10% and in fries by 20%, Jatia said. Calories in sauces are down by 30-40% over the last six months. Loyalists interviewed in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai said they did not detect any difference in taste. “I order in from McD’s at least twice a month and think it tastes pretty much the same,” said Rahul Dutta, 29, a marketing executive based in New Delhi. Jatia heads the south and western McDonald’s franchisees in India, running 202 stores and 30 cafes. Another group controls the north and east, with 166 restaurants. Burger wars Rising levels of obesity, once just a problem of rich nations that the World Health Organisation (WHO) says is increasingly affecting low and middle-income countries, has put pressure on fast food chain’s globally to offer healthier food. In a

recent corporate social responsibility report, McDonald’s said that by 2020 it aimed to offer sides of salads,

fruit or vegetables as a substitute for fries in its value meals in 20 major markets. The reduction of salt in fries, buns and nuggets was part of a global push to reduce sodium levels in its food, McDonald’s said, while the reduction of oils in sauces was a local initiative in India. The changes have reduced the calorie impact of a burger

by 7-8%, it said. The chain trimmed salt in fries at its British restaurants in 2006. Some analysts think this is the chain’s way of getting out ahead of a looming burger war in India. In its bigger markets like the United States, McDonald’s is losing customers to chains like Panera Bread or Chipotle Mexican Grill, which are seen as selling food with fresher ingredients. That was part of the reason behind an abrupt management change at McDonald’s last month, when CEO Don Thompson left after three years on the job. In India, where obesity is a growing problem and incidence of diabetes is rising rapidly, more international chains are moving in to challenge McDonald’s dominance. Burger King, Carl’s Junior, Johnny Rockets and Wendy’s have announced plans or already set up shop, posing stiffer competition to McDonald’s and Yum Brand’s KFC, which gave been around for about a decade. Technopak predicts

the industry will be worth Rs49,000 crore ($7.92 billion) by 2020, up from Rs15,440 crore ($2.50 billion) last year. Like rival Yum Brands, McDonald’s has made changes to its traditional menu to suit cultural norms in the majority Hindu country, steering clear of beef and pork while offering vegetarian sandwiches and egg-free mayonnaise. India accounts for a small portion of McDonald’s global sales of $27.4 billion, but is among its fastest growing markets. Jatia said the aim was to open as many as 250 stores in the next three to ﬁve years. Analyst Sushmul Maheswari of business and consultancy ﬁrm RNCOS said the India unit has been growing at 11% over the past three years, and part of its success was down to consistency. “McDonald’s burger and fries are popular because they have that peculiar taste that is available only with them,” he said. “They cannot tinker with that, even if they are healthy tweaks.” -livemint.com

Rupee Erases Gains, Closes Lower at 62.20 per dollar BY RAVINDRA SONAVANE MUMBAI: The Indian rupee on Tuesday erased all its initial gains and ended marginally lower, tracking mixed Asian currency markets and volatile domestic equity markets. The home currency ended at 62.20, down 0.04% from its previous close of 62.17. The local unit opened at 62.15 per dollar on Tuesday and touched a high and a low of 61.93 and 62.17, respectively. After seven consecutive days of losses, equity benchmark S&P BSE Sensex gained

400 points on Tuesday, before partially retreating to close around 128 points up, as investors booked proﬁts

at higher levels. The 30-share Sensex closed 0.45%, or 128.23 points, higher at 28,355.62 points, while the National Stock Exchange’s broader 50-share Nifty ended 0.46%, or 39.20 points, higher at 8,565.55 points. Major Asian currencies ended mixed against the dollar. The South Korean won was up 0.48%, Philippine peso 0.12%, China offshore 0.10%, China renminbi 0.07% and Taiwan dollar 0.07%. However, Malaysian ringgit was down 0.52%, Japanese yen 0.34%, Singapore dollar 0.17%, Indonesian rupiah 0.13% and Thai baht

0.12%. Investors remained cautious as Delhi assembly election results started trickling in. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 67 of 70 seats in a landslide victory, leaving rival Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) with a paltry 3 seats. The yield on India’s 10-year benchmark bond closed at 7.73% compared with its Monday’s close of 7.727%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions. Since the beginning of this year, the rupee has gained 1.41%, while foreign institutional investors have bought $2.77 billion from local

equity and $4.5 billion from bond markets. The dollar index, which measures the US currency’s strength against major currencies, trading at 94.825, up 0.40% from the previous close of 94.449. The growth of the Indian economy is projected to accelerate to 7.4% in the year to 31 March compared with 6.9% last ﬁscal year based on a new way of calculating gross domestic product (GDP). At this level, it is estimated to be on par with China, the fastest growing major economy in the world. -livemint.com

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24 February 13, 2015 World Cup 2015: Rohit Powers India vs. Strong Afghans BY DANIEL BRETTIG

ADELAIDE (ESPN Cricinfo): India 364 for 5 (Rohit 150, Rahane 88*, Raina 75) beat Afghanistan 211 for 8 (Mangal 60) by 153 runs Rohit Sharma’s 150 underpinned India’s surge to 364 for 5 against Afghanistan in the World Cup warm-up match at Adelaide Oval, allowing MS Dhoni’s team to go on and win their first match on the tour. Afghanistan delivered some compelling passages of play in front of a crowd of 3,591, but India were able to hold their shape for longer periods, ultimately sinking the innings of the Associate nation 153 runs short of their steep target. The Indian tally was largely down to Rohit, who weathered threatening overs with the new ball to go on to the defining score of the match. Hamid Hassan and Dawlat Zadran each bowled strong spells up front, claiming the early wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. But from an uncertain 16 for 2, Rohit and Suresh Raina forged a restorative partnership of 158, and Ajinkya Rahane provided further acceleration in the later overs. Hamid and Dawlat were each more expensive when they returned later in the innings, and none of Afghanistan’s other bowlers were able to keep things tight, though Shapoor

Rohit Sharma pulls for four, Afghanistan v India, World Cup warmups, Adelaide, February 10, 2015.

Zadran gained some hint of reverse swing late in the innings on the same pitch used for India’s heavy loss to Australia on Sunday. Javed Ahmadi and Usman Ghani had Afghanistan’s chase off to a busy start, and after Ahmadi fell, Nawroz Mangal played with considerable flair. But the asking rate was always rising, even as India’s fielders gave Afghanistan more chances than expected when Mohammad Shami and Ambati Riyudu both dropped skied catches.

Even when one was taken - in the case of Ghani - Dhawan’s running, diving effort had the ball spilling free, before he tapped it up and it was clasped on the rebound by an alert Umesh Yadav. Eventually the pressure of the scoreboard brought more wickets, as both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bowled with parsimony on a pitch that was beginning to tire after its second use in the space of three days. The Indians were seeking their first win since arriving in

Australia in November, something Afghanistan had already achieved twice, albeit against club teams in Perth. Both sides used more than 11 players in the fixture, which did not carry ODI or List A status. Batting first on a surface ideal for the purpose, India made a diffident start in the face of testing early work from the highly regarded Hamid, who had Dhawan dragging on and nearly claimed Kohli’s outside edge in the same over. Dawlat lacks Hamid’s pace and bustle, but was still able to swerve a full delivery enough to have Kohli edging behind for only five. Rohit took his time to get going but was soon unfurling a handsome array of strokes, helped by Raina’s rotation of the strike - their left and right hand combination caused trouble for the Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi and his bowers, as they kept having to adjust lines and fields. Raina’s exit brought Rahane to the crease and another strong partnership ensued. Rohit looked good to add to his tally of double centuries in 50-over matches before he skied Nabi to long off, but Rahane carried on with aggression and intelligence to push India past 350 too much for Afghanistan. Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.

Maqsood, Irfan Star for Pak in Close Game vs. Bangladesh SYDNEY: Pakistan 247 for 7 (Maqsood 93*, Sohail 39, Taskin 2-41) beat Bangladesh 246 (Mahmudullah 83, Tamim 81, Irfan 5-52) by three wickets A five-wicket haul from Mohammad Irfan, followed by an unbeaten 93 from Sohaib Maqsood helped Pakistan edge Bangladesh by three wickets in their warm-up game in Sydney. Bangladesh, opting to bat, lost two early wickets, but Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah counter-

attacked, adding 168 for the third wicket. Tamim stroked five fours during his 81, as did Mahmudullah during his 83. The pair took Bangladesh close to the 200-run mark, but Mahmudullah was run out in the 40th over, triggering a collapse that led to the team losing its last eight wickets for just 62 runs. Apart from Shakib Al Hasan, who chipped in with 31, none of Bangladesh’s last seven batsmen could make more than 15. Irfan collected 5 for 52, including three

scalps in the final over, to wipe out the tail and dismiss Bangladesh for 246. Pakistan’s openers departed early in the chase, leaving the team precariously placed at 8 for 2, but their middle order led a recovery. Haris Sohail (39) first put up a 51run partnership with Younis Khan (25), after which Maqsood took charge. With the asking rate rising, Maqsood and Umar Akmal eased the pressure by adding 63 for the fifth wicket. Bangladesh fought

back with two quick wickets, but Shahid Afridi muscled three crucial fours to race to 24 off 20 balls, before he was dismissed by Shakib. It meant that Pakistan needed just seven more runs from three overs, and Maqsood, who hit nine fours and two sixes during his 90-ball knock, helped overhaul the target in 48.1 overs. Tamim Iqbal allayed concerns over his fitness with a steady 81 on his return to competitive cricket, against Pakistan.

SPORTS

Allrounder Hafeez Ruled Due to Injury

SYDNEY: Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez has been ruled out of the World Cup with a calf injury. Opener Nasir Jamshed is set to replace him in the squad, after he was approved by the ICC’s Event Technical Committee. Pakistan also have lead spinner Saeed Ajmal available for the World Cup, after his reworked action was cleared by the ICC, but the PCB named Jamshed as a replacement. Hafeez is the second Pakistani player to miss the tournament with an injury, after Junaid Khan. “It’s confirmed that Hafeez is unfortunately out due to an injury. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, coach Waqar Younis and chief selector Moin Khan decided the replacement as they wanted an opening batsman in place of an opening batsman,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said. The board chief also said Jamshed already has an Australia visa and is expected to join the squad in five days to be available for their opening match against India on February 15 in Adelaide. Hafeez picked up the injury while batting in the second ODI against New Zealand in Napier on February 3. He was ruled out of the World Cup after undergoing MRI scans on Friday in Sydney, following which he was advised a month-long rest. The allrounder was available only as a batsman in the tournament after he had been suspended by the ICC in December. He was scheduled to undergo an official test with a reworked action in Brisbane on February 6, which the PCB wanted pushed back to February 10 because Hafeez was not fit.

Hafeez picked up the injury while batting in tODI against New Zealand in Napier

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