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Friday, April 01 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 14

Indo American erican News

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April 01, 2016

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COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Foundation for India Studies Celebrates 10th Anniversary, 50 Oral Histories BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

HOUSTON:

The Indian community has made its karmabhoomi (workplace) since the late 1960s and is now a major contributor to the ethnic diversity of fourth largest city in the United States. As a recognition of the Indian community’s presence, the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) held its first India Heritage Day at the historic Julia Ideson library’s reading room on Saturday, March 26 afternoon. The theme of the celebration was “Our Roots, Our Voices, Our Heritage.” The celebration also marked FIS’ 10th anniversary and the completion of 50 oral histories, via video taping, of the community’s firstgeneration pioneers. “It all began with the launching of the India Studies program in 2006,” explained Founding Director Krishna Vavilala. “In 2011, we undertook the Indo-American Oral History Project as there was no adequate record or documentation of the experiences of the firstgeneration Indian immigrants.” Dr. Steven G. Craig, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Social Sciences at the University of Houston, explained how the India Studies program provides students with a minor and study abroad opportunities.

U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (center) presents a Congressional proclamation to keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Klineberg with Sam Merchant, South Asian Liaison for Congressman Al Green (far left), FIS Founding Chairman Krishna Vavilala, India Consul General P. Harish and FIS Event Chair Ponnada Narayana (far right).

The oral history project was inaugurated by former Houston Mayor Annise Parker. The 50 video interviews were conducted in partnership with the Houston Public Library (HPL) and the Houston Community College (HCC).

All the interviews are archived by the HPL at their Digital Archives at the HPL Metropolitan Research Center. The HCC has made available its Spring Branch studios available for FIS video interviews

Roosevelt Weeks, Deputy Director and Chief of Staff, represented the HPL. The HCC was represented by Jimmy Adams, director, Media Arts & Technology Center of Excellence. An audience of about 100 guests

had the opportunity to view a short documentary of the achievements of the Indo-Americans and a selection of video clips from the 50 oral histories. Dignitaries at the celebration included Indian Consul General Parvatheni Harish and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents the 18th District. Sam Merchant, South Asian Liaison, presented a proclamation on behalf of Congressman Al Green of the 9th District. Consul General P, Harish congratulated the FIS on its achievements and promised continued full support and cooperation from the Consulate for “preserving the social, cultural, literary and artistic heritage of the community.” Keynote speaker was Prof. Stephen Klineberg, Founding Director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Dr. Klineberg reported on his demographic research on the city of Houston and a survey of the Asian community in Houston. “Houston has become America’s most ethnically diverse city, a model for the 21st century,” Dr. Klineberg explained, where it will be possible to be more American by remaining Indian.” For additional information on FIS activities, visit www.foundationforindiastudies.org

Women’s Voice for Better America to Launch Opportunity Fair

OUSTON: Women’s Voice for Better America, a network of diverse women leaders from Fort Bend and Houston, has launched a uniquely designed initiative to increase women’s access to Healthcare Choice, Career Progress and Voting Decision. Co-chairs of Women’s Voice for Better America are Neeta Sane, Anhlan Nguyen, Nargis Ahmed, Ponnu Pillai, Fheryl Prestage, Munira Panjawani, Farida Abjani, Emee Nisnisan, Ling Luo, Claudia Ortega Hogue, Christina Sanders, Sophie Chou along with special coordinators, Ritu Raju, Maleeha Samee and Habiba Kavalec. The mission of Women’s Voice for Better America is to encourage women to participate for societal, professional and individual advancement. The efforts by Women’s Voice for Better America are based on the simple principle that

women’s progress is essential in making America better for our generation and for future generations to come. Women’s Voice for Better America will be launching an Opportunity Fair on Saturday, Aug 27 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Star Learning located at 3528 Texas 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478. The Opportunity Fair will be a free admission, family event with light refreshments and door prizes. At the Opportunity Fair, women will receive free services and counsel from Ibn Sina Community Medical Center, Workforce Solutions and League of Women Voters. In addition, information about senior care and personal assistance service will be available by Golden Years. Women’s Voice for Better America is glad to open the doors of opportunities for more women to join its network of volunteers.

To join Women’s Voice for Better America, please contact Neeta Sane at 832-279-8601. About Women’s Voice for Better America Co-chairs Neeta Sane Trustee - District VII, Houston Community College Former Board Chair, HCC Board of Trustees Anhlan P. Nguyen U.S. President’s Appointee, Board Chair - Vietnam Education Foundation, Board Chair, Vietnamese Science & Culture Association Nargis Ahmed President, World Humanitarian Foundation, Houston, Member Pakistan Association of Greater Houston, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce Ponnu Pillai Former President, Malayalee Association of Greater Houston,

World Malayalee Council, Greater Houston Nair Service Society Fheryl Prestage Executive Director, IT Applications Development Houston Community College, MemberNAACP Munira Panjwani APAHA, Past President/ Board Member, Citizenship Month, Exec. member, Aga Khan Founda-

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tion Outreach Farida Abjani CEO Shining Nightingale Health care, Board of Director - Alliance for multicultural community services, Houston Greeters, Development in literacy Emee Nisnisan Administrator, Royal Oaks MedCONTINUED ON PAGE

April 01, 2016

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COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Epic Holi Rocks with Record International Crowd

Photos: Aniket Raj Photography & Dragos Dorobantu

BY SANDHYA THAKKAR

HOUSTON: A Houston Holi of

Epic proportions rocked with an excitingly increasing international crowd, as the Festival of Colors completely blended people of different colors, backgrounds, languages, and religions into a singular sea of bopping heads and raised arms to Indian and International music. It was a surreal experience for all ages, presented by &TV, Tara Energy and Masala Radio on Saturday, March 26 from 12-5PM, featuring Mercedes Benz of

Sugar Land Mickey Singh Live Concert, and Toyota Shuttle Service. “I loved the new layout of the event, and the new attractions” said Star Gilani, City of Sugar Land Events Manager. New this year was a walking dinosaur, new free kids rides, striking hot pink &TV booth with cool giveaways, Toyota custom printed T-shirts, foam party, color grenades, and “COLOR WARS” theme with Storm Troopers

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

blasting CO2 into the audience! “Love that the Indian culture is finally getting attention in mainstream – this event had 35-40% non-Indians in a crowd of over 15,000 as reported on prime time ABC Channel 13 news!” said Shanthi Gala. “Mane Mumbai Yaad Aavi Gayu.” (“I am emotionally remembering my youth in Mumbai Holi”). “The Metro Parking and Shuttle Bus system was brilliant – I was dropped to the doorstep of the events in twenty minutes.” “This was the first time that a crowd danced in front of the stage for all 5 hours of the event - a different, mixed and almost crazy crowd that was just excited with every Bollywood Song or Cultural Dance, every joke, every contest. Normally, the audience sits through the first 3 hours of Performances and Pooja, and gets up to

dance only at the concert 3-4 and the Battle of the DJs 4-5 PM. But this year I had to play Bollywood and International mixes in between every performance because the audience wanted to DANCE ALL DAY!” said emcee Sunil Thakkar. “I gave a shout out to hordes of ‘Goras’ (Caucasians), Hispanics, African Americans, Pakistanis, and Persians. In fact, I pulled onstage what I thought was 8 Indo Americans for the Britannia Cookie Eating Contest, and started asking them what part of India they were from. I was genuinely shocked that only one was even from India, and the rest were from around the world. The color powder all over them made it nearly impossible to distinguish their origin, and really that is one of the charms of HOLI.” Surely, Mickey Singh is virtually unknown outside of NRI

(Non-resident Indians), however the international crowd went into a frenzy at each of his original songs, including “Rooftop Party”, and climaxed its screaming when he removed his shirt to wear Sunil T’s official Holi shirt and broke into popular Bollywood Songs like “Rang Barse, Zara Tasveer Tu, and Galiyan”. Music is truly universal. Mercedes Benz of Sugar Land was the proud sponsor of Mickey Singh, DJ Ice, and his Drummer, escorting them about town in the latest Mercedes SUV, and introducing at the Holi entrance the latest Mercedes Mini-Vans! Preceding the concert, Alings Hakka Indo Chinese Cuisine presented a Foam Party with foam cannons, color power blasters, and Co2. Exclusive Furniture sponsored the finale Battle of the DJs featuring DJ Masti and

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CONTINUED ON PAGE

April 01, 2016

Epic Holi Rocks with Record International Crowd

COMMUNITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE

DJ Zee. From 12 noon, DJ Zee pulled in an enormous dance crowd under gorgeous trees, and the crowd shots were captured on Drone footage sponsored by Ramji & Associates. New Title Sponsor &TV gave away thousands of hot pink sunglasses while nineyear Title Sponsor Tara Energy presented a swanky stage-side VIP Tent, over 5000 bottles of free water, fun free Photo Souvenir Booth and non-stop Bollywood and Indian cultural performances: Bollywood Shake, Taal, Bollywood Dancing Stars, Jaz Creationz, Rhythm India, Andhra Mirchi, Rice Chowl Bhangra, H-town Divaz, Arya Dance Academy, US Desi Gals, Sunanda’s Performing Arts Centre, and Infused Performing Arts. Toyota offered free car shuttles in 2016’s Toyotas, and sponsored ten bus shuttles. Britannia gave away over 10,000 packets of their new Chocolush and Nutri Choice cookies and sponsored the deceptively fast Pirate Boat ride and giant inflatable slides. Harish Jajoo for Sugar Land Mayor gave away another 5000 bottles of water. New York Life agent Amirali Dodhiya gave away thousands of Souvenir Sports Water Bottles and sponsored a crazy Most Colored contest. IBhakti distributed Prasad (blessed sweets) from Siddhi Vinayak flown in from Mumbai while Zenbanx presented the walking Raptor Dinosaur. Because of the Easter Sunday holiday, HOLI was held on a Saturday for the first time in nine years, and may well become a Saturday event in the future with the overwhelmingly positive response. “I had to miss work and the kids missed their dance classes, but it was worth it to have Sunday to relax after an event like Holi,” said Sudha Doshi. “Perfect made-to-order weather beginning with a cool morning and ending with thin layers of clouds defeating the sun to take in views of the colored revelers below.” Traditional Hindu Holi elements included Holi Pooja and Pragitya (bonfire) by the Gujarati Samaj of Houston and Hindus of Greater Houston, and Char Dham Hindu Temple and SKAI Foundation’s Rath (Chariot) of Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. ICC fueled the kid’s tenacity by selling a wide range of Pichkari’s (water guns). A wide variety of mostly Indian restaurants stands offered delicious all-vegetarian fresh-cooked street foods: Chowpatty Express, Kurry Walah, Hot Breads, Curry Leaf, Kwality Ice Cream, Madhuram Mirch Masala, Hyderabad House, Vishala Restaurant, Satya Indian Restaurant, Great American Cookies and Biryani Pot. While over 2500 parking spots at METRO Addicks Park & Ride relieved some of the traffic on HWY 6 and got people into the event much faster, still many insisted on waiting in line outside the venue’s limited legal 2000 parking spots which again were full near 2pm, and still others parked in illegal spots along Patterson Road, jeopardizing the fragile permissions generously granted by Harris County to host this unique event at Houston Farm & Ranch. Masala Radio thanks over 100 sponsors, 100 volunteers, and the dream team Masala Entertainment senior management crew Munira, Rinku, Devangi, Shah, Shameet, Ruchir, Anuj, Ninad, Mayur, Preanka, Dilip, Vikas, Meenu, Sandeep, Shreya, Krupa, Ayesha & Masood, Sunny, and Dholi Deep, 20 junior event managers, 20 Masala Radio Jockeys, and especially Eddie of Houston Farm & Ranch for yet another amazing HOLI!. Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai!

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April 01, 2016

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COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

IACCGH Launches the International Student Internship Program

IACCGH Board member Narayan Bhargava explains the key points of the program. Photo : Bijay Dixit

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BY MANU SHAH

HOUSTON: IACCGH Board member

Narayan Bhargava cofounded an organization during his freshman year at UT which provided free consulting to struggling businesses in Austin by students who in turn gained valuable experience through solving real life business problems. Today, this has become a premier student led organization at the McCombs School of Business at UT and has been integrated by some professors into their curriculum. Narayan, 27, works in the SDB Group, a family business, as Director of Business Development. The combination of this experience was the perfect springboard for him to spearhead IACCGH’s International Student Internship Program launched this year. Narayan is both excited and motivated about creating a committee of students and young professionals to establish flagship events and opportunities that will attract and increase youth involvement within the Chamber. According to IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia, with its youngest President Joya Shukla and young entrepreneurs like Narayan Bhargava - the Chamber is “working towards its long term growth by bringing the next generation into its leadership” The IACCGH International Internship

Program is designed to give deserving students an opportunity to get real working experience in India within large Indian firms and member companies that have a presence both in India and in the US. The opportunity is unique and possibly the only one of its kind. International experiences are highly coveted in the workplace and the program will give interns a global experience and an edge when joining the workforce or may even lead to full time employment with the partner company. Narayan has been tapping into the IACCGH network to gather initial contacts and leveraging those relationships to meet with key people within the universities. According to him, the response has been more than positive. Universities have not only shown a great deal of interest but are also reaching out to students advocating this initiative. Companies that have been approached are ready to employ Houston talent and students are eager to participate in the program. The first internship is slated to kick off this summer. The program is open to all students who meet the qualification criteria established by the partner companies. Funding for the program will come from the Rolex Raffle organized by IACCGH with the classic timepiece donated by Karat 22 Jewelers.

WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more information, Call 713-789- NEWS (6397) or email

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COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston Celebrates Sri Ramakrishna’s Birthday

HOUSTON:

Sunday, March 20, was an important day for the Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH. It was Thakur Sri Ramakrishna’s Birthday Celebration. Swami Sarvadevanandaji Maharaj, the Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, Hollywood and the present Minister in Charge of VSGH, was invited to perform the worship and the Homa, and to be the Speaker on Hinduism for the Interfaith Program in the evening. The day was beautiful, sunny and slightly on the cooler side - a typical spring day. Sw. Sarvadevanandaji began the worship at 10 am. The shrine hall was full of devotees and the puja was divine. VSGH was honored by the attendance of the Consul General of India, P. Harish & his wife, Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni. Several devotional songs accompanied the ceremony which ended at 12:30 pm with Arati & Pushpanjali. While the Homa preparation was going on, VSGH presented a small gift to CGI P. Harish & his wife Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni, as a token of

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appreciation and gratitude for their continued support throughout their stay in Houston. VSGH will truly miss their presence at every major event. The devotees of the VSGH wish them the best of success and Happiness in Vietnam where he proceeds from here as its Indian Ambassador. After the Homa was done, lunch was served to all devotees. At 4:00 p.m. began the Annual Interfaith Program titled “Music as a Form of Worship”. Pandit Suman Ghosh, a well-known Hindustani classical singer in Houston, and Imam Mubasher Ahmed & his wife Nusrat of the Ahmadiya Community of Houston graced the event by attending the function. There were participants from five faiths, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Sufism & Hinduism who talked briefly about their religion, and how Music plays a part in their method of Worship. Then the vocal singers from each community performed devotional songs to illustrate the topic “Music as a Form of Worship”. The Interfaith Program was a huge success. The shrine hall was reverberating with the devotional

songs sung from individual Sikh singers, to duets by the Rabbis of the Jewish Faith, to group songs presented by the Christians, Hindus & Sufis. Though the words were in different languages, they were very easy to follow. All the attendees joined in singing the songs & clapping their hands. It proved that day what the Vedas have said a long long time ago –“Truth is One, Sages call it by different name”, and it also proved very visually & emotionally what Sri Ramakrishna always said, “As Many Opinions, that many ways”. So that evening showed that though the devotees of different faiths & opinions had met in the same temple and worshiped the Lord in different ways and words, it was the worship to same God, the same Truth. VSGH hopes to continue these types of programs in the future, as per the ardent requests of many of the attending devotees and participants of the different faiths. After the program was over, the main representa-

tive of the different groups was presented with a token of gratitude. The day ended with some of the participants and attendees joining Swami for dinner.

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COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Gaura Purnima at ISKCON of Houston

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HOUSTON:

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Bengal (India) on a full moon night during a lunar eclipse. It is typical for people to bathe in the Ganges during an eclipse and chant the Lord’s holy names for spiritual purification. So, everyone in the area was chanting the holy names when He was born. His parents gave Him the name of Vishvambhara, meaning the support of the universe, because astrologers had predicted His super human qualities and that He would deliver the people of the world. He was also nicknamed Nimai because He had been born under a nima tree. The ISKCON of Houston tem-

ple celebrated Lord’s appearance day - also known as “Gaura Purnima” on Tuesday, March 22. Lord Chaitanya is Lord Krishna in His most merciful feature. Therefore, even if one doesn’t understand Lord Chaitanya’s identity as the Supreme Lord, but accepts Him as a saintly person or as a social reformer and philosopher, one can still derive the highest benefit by chanting the names of God. Devotees came in with flowers, fruits and various offerings for their beloved Lord Chaitanya, also known as Gauranga - who is the Golden incarnation of Lord Krishna. The spectacular temple room with ornate design and depiction of various nar-

rations from the Vedic scriptures was specially decorated for the occasion. Depicting a specific incident from Lord Chaitanya’s life, where he once brought all the animals of the Jharikanda forest to peacefully join him in his joyous singing of praises to the CONTINUED ON PAGE

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Contact: Gopal Aggarwal

832-539-1589

12 April 01, 2016

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April 01, 2016 COMMUNITY Gaura Purnima at ISKCON of Houston

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Lord, the temple was decorated with a colorful forest theme. The festivities began with the ceremonial abhishekh (bathing) ceremony. The Deities were bathed in sacred substances such as milk, ghee, honey, fresh fruit nectars and other choice substances while the hundreds of congregation members gathered chanted the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in unison. It is the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavas that chanting this 16-syllable mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, cleanses one’s heart from all anxieties and illusions. The resounding and deeply meditative sound of the conch shell announced the arati ceremony. This is not just ritual of an offering a lamp to the Lord, but meaningful way to connect to the divine. Offering a lamp to the Deity form of the Lord invokes auspiciousness and as the worshipper waves the lamp across each limb of the Lord, it takes the beholder away from the mundane. After arati, His Grace Radha Krishna Dasa narrated excerpts from the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who brought to the world a truly secular path of Bhakti Yoga, with his teachings of how to serve and love God, regardless of caste, race, religion or creed. Adding another fun element to the proceedings, students of the Goswami Academy presented a beautiful rendition of the song ‘ Lord Chaitanya’s moon is rising’, as an attestment to their training in both creative academics and spiri-

tual values. As is tradition at any ISKCON festival, the evening celebrations ended with

a delicious vegetarian feast. Come visit ISKCON of Houston temple

at 1320 West 34th Street. Sunday feast program starts every Sunday at 5:30 PM

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14 April 01, 2016

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April 01, 2016

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COMMUNITY

Women’s Voice for Better America to Launch Opportunity Fair CONTINUED FROM PAGE

ical Home and Wellness Clinical, Board member-Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, Cofounder & Past President of Houston Royal Oaks Lions Club Ling Luo President, Hana Media Global, Chairwoman – U.S. China Relations Foundation Claudia Ortega Hogue Executive Vice President, League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund Christina Sanders Managing Partner, CD Sanders & Associates Sophie Chou Education Attaché, Director of Education, Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston Coordinators Ritu Raju – HCC-Faculty Division Chair, Speech, communications, SignLng, Operating

Fheryl Prestage

Neeta Sane

Anhlan Nguyen

Claudia Hogue

Nargis Ahmed

Ponnu Pillai

Munira Panjwani

Farida Abjani

Emee Nisnisan

Ling Luo

Christina Sanders

Sophie Chou

Maleeha Samee – Former South Zone Director, Islamic Society of Greater Houston Habiba Kavalec – Communication Consultant & Advisor Women’s Voice for Better America is a network of women serving the Greater Houston area with the support of individuals and organizations in this region.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

April 01, 2016

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

18 April 01, 2016 Long Road for Growth A

s his government nears the two-year milestone, speaking at the Bloomberg India Economic Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined its economic policies and achievements. His central message: That India is being seen as a “bright spot” in the global economic landscape is a “result of good policy, not good fortune”. The PM detailed the new policy initiatives, including the Real Estate Regulatory Act, the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, and the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana. He stressed the steps taken to improve job creation — the correcting of corporate taxation, which has traditionally favoured capital expenditure as against promoting a more labour-intensive approach. The PM highlighted that India was better-placed on most macro-economic parameters if compared to the two years preceding his term in office. The PM is right, India is better-off, be it in terms of inflation or the fiscal deficit, but there is still a long way to go. The government’s claims cannot distract attention from the fact that it has failed to push through crucial legislation. This includes a newer version of the Land Acquisition Act, the implementation of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax, and the promised radical overhaul of labour reforms. Notwithstanding India’s economic growth data — which is often questioned — the fact also is that the NDA government has not yet ushered in the structural reforms it had talked about, and which are so necessary for sustaining growth. An overhaul of the Food Corporation of India is still pending and it is the same story on banking-sector reforms, where the changes have been more cosmetic, less structural. The fact that India has registered a better growth rate than other major economies, such as China and the US, must be seen in perspective. According to the World Bank, as of 2014, the GDP per capita (PPP terms) for India, China and the US was $5439, $12,599 and $52,118, respectively. This is not to mention the more impressive health and nutrition achievements in such countries. Given the wide difference between overall GDP levels — India’s is one-third of China’s, and one-tenth of that of the US — a percentage point increase in GDP generates widely varying amounts of actual income in the three countries. Concluding his speech at the Bloomberg India Economic Forum, the PM rightly said: “Many steps have been taken, many more have to be taken” Indian Express

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Tired and Tested in Kerala

BY PULAPRE BALAKRISHNAN

A survey by a leading televi-

sion channel of the state suggests a close finish in the elections due in Kerala, with the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) having a slight edge over its rival, the United Democratic Front (UDF). This should not come as a surprise, for the state has been rotating between these two coalitions for almost as long as one can remember. It is as if the electorate is never fully satisfied with their performance after they have been given a chance to govern. It could also be that it intends to place political parties permanently on probation. There is seldom anything like a “wave” in Kerala. This could be for one of two reasons: That a politically aware populace is not easily swayed by persons, or that interests are deeply entrenched and loyalties fully formed. Malayalis tend not to be hero-worshippers. The charisma of E.M.S. Namboodiripad, unlike Jawaharlal Nehru, had derived not from his personality but from his luminous intelligence. The people of the state also very likely have a sense of the constraints faced by its economy and don’t accept great change as a quick possibility. But a churning is perhaps still considered desirable to keep in check the arrogance of politicians, preventing them from assuming that they will always remain in power. There is, however, some genuine cause for popular dissatisfaction with the UDF currently in power. Despite the unusually mild manner of the chief minister and the efforts he has made to cultivate an image of accessibility to the public — via 24×7 CCTV coverage of his office and adalats held at periodic intervals — two corruption scandals have blighted the image of the UDF. The first is one in which the finance minister was accused of having taken money as quid pro quo for a favourable cabinet decision affecting owners of bars. Though K.M. Mani, the concerned minister, is yet to be in-

dicted, he had to resign, bowing to public pressure. The chief minister is relatively unaffected by the allegations but has shown himself to be unduly sympathetic to Mani’s predicament and unwilling to let him go. The other scandal has closer links to the chief minister. It has to do with the promoters of a private company dealing in solar panels advancing its prospects by claiming proximity to the government. Links between the promoters and the chief minister’s office, including an unusually large number of telephone calls from one of them to the chief minister’s official gunman, have been detected. Even though the chief minister has stoutly denied any wrongdoing, the whole affair has left him under a cloud. The two scandals surfacing so close to the elections is likely to have dimmed the chances of the UDF returning to power. In Kerala, there is low tolerance of the misuse of office in the pursuit of personal gain. However, for the people of Kerala, the relevant question would be whether the present opposition, the LDF, has anything substantially different to offer by way of policies that can improve their lives. As the composition of the leadership of the LDF has not undergone any change in the past decade, there is little for them to hope for in this respect. Not only are the faces that matter the same, the announcement that they are both — V.S. Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan — to receive tickets means that we have not seen the last of the longstanding rivalry between the two. The public would be naive to overlook the impact of this on governance. But the issue is not so much of dissonance within the LDF but whether it has anything new to bring to the table after its lacklustre performance over 2006-11. Kerala’s fundamental constraint is that it is an economy dependent on the rest of the world, notably the Gulf region. Not only has the government, therefore, had little control over it for some decades,

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HOUSTON: AKASH MISHRA CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR INDIA: RAJ KANWAR, ASEEM KULKARNI ®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 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 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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but this model is also unlikely to be sustained. The Gulf is reeling under the impact of declining oil prices and the construction boom, confined mainly to Dubai, cannot last indefinitely. Unbounded outmigration is not a reasonable prospect. Therefore, if unemployment — estimated to be three times the national average in Kerala — is an issue, the way out would have to be through domestic production. But for domestic production to be feasible, it must be competitive. Three factors determine a region’s competitiveness: The educational profile of its workforce, the industrial climate, and the availability of producer services. Historically, the CPM’s contribution to a negative industrial climate characterised by labour militancy is substantial. Labour militancy may have declined, but its shadow has apparently not paled. Beyond trade unionism, which has been the opiate of the Left, both fronts share an approach to governance defined by welfarism. Even before establishing health and education on a strong footing, successive governments have championed the proliferation of welfare schemes. This has meant that little is left for investment in infrastructure for production, which only the state, as opposed to the market, can provide. Producer services, ranging from water supply to waste management, set limits to productive activity. The said survey also indicated that the BJP may open its account with seats in the legislature for the first time. It is difficult to say right now which of the two fronts this will impact. But one thing is certain: Unless the manifestos of the two extant fronts contain something radically new, we are unlikely to see a change in the profile of the state. It will have to continue to live by exporting labour, with the attendant consequence for its autonomy. IE The writer is professor of economics at Ashoka University, Delhi.

COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Sri Meenakshi Temple Celebrates Panguni Uthiram Festival on a Grand Scale

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celebrated at many temples throughout South India and the world. Devotees ﬂock to many well-known temples such as Perur, Palani, Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore and Vadapalani Murugan temple, to name a few. The festival was celebrated in a grand manner at Sri Meenakshi Temple on Sunday, March 27. It is believed that the wedding of Rama and Sita was celebrated on Panguni Uthiram. The “Kalyanams” of Siva-Parvati, Lord Subramanya, Vishnu-Lakshmi and Rama-Sita are celebrated in a grand manner at many temples. The festival is celebrated in temples by observing several rituals such as devotees carrying a “kavadi” (semicircular canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on shoulders), milk pots or pull a chariot in fulﬁlment of vows. A special feature is the “alagu”, where devotees pierce the body with spears and hooks as an offering to the Lord for having helped them to avert a calamity. The festival dates back to the 7th Century accord-

ing to historians. The grand celebration of Panguni Uthiram at Sri Meenakshi Temple was attended by a huge crowd of devotees all through the morning. The function started with beautiful Seervarisai procession from Ganesh Temple. The Main Temple was full with devotees for Kalyana Utsavam. Malai Matral (Garland exchange) ritual was done beautifully by all the priests. The procession with

Mayil Vahanam was a great sight to watch. The decorations by the priests were beautiful, and the chanting of the slokas and devotional music by the devotees were feasts for the eyes and ears. The event Coordinators Sathya Nagarajan and Saro Alagappan executed it ﬂawlessly under the leadership of Chairman Narayanan and vice chairman Padmini Nathan who were aided expertly by the RAC team members.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

20 April 01, 2016

COMMUNITY

Pratham Houston Gala 2016:

Spectacular Fashion Show by Manish Malhotra

Suman Khare

BY KARINA HOODA

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Pratham will be hosting its 2016 Houston Gala on Saturday, April 23. The event will be held at the Hilton Americas on 1600 Lamar Street in Houston Texas, at 6 pm. The Gala is co-Chaired by Ajay and Dr. Sippi Khurana and Bashar and Brigitte Kalai. The Emcees for the evening are Rekha Muddaraj, Weekend Anchor/Reporter, KHOU 11 news and Michael Pearce, Senior Counsel, Schlumberger and Blogger for Society Section, Houston Chronicle. This year’s Houston gala will feature Pratham’s CEO, Dr. Rukmini Banerji as the keynote speaker. Dr. Banerji brings deep insight, years of experience and impact to the world of education reform. She is currently a member of the CABE (Central Advisory Board of Education) and has also been the co-chair for the Global Learning Metrics Task Force (convened by the Brookings Institution and UNESCO) in the past. Another exciting aspect of the Gala will be a fashion show by Manish Malhotra - India’s top fashion designer. Malhotra primarily focuses on high end bridal and couture fashion, and his Indian-in-

spired designs have been worn by the likes of Michael Jackson, Reese Witherspoon, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai among other stars! Besides dressing celebrities, Manish Malhotra has also created glittering costumes for over 1000 Bollywood movies. The Board of Pratham invites you to attend what will definitely be a very memorable and meaningful evening. Come support children’s education; help provide children opportunities, hope and a great future! ABOUT PRATHAM Originally established in 1995, Pratham is a nonprofit organization that was set up to provide basic education for children in the slums of Mumbai. It now flourishes as one of the largest non-governmental learning organizations in India and its mandate has broadened to also include skill development and assessment of reading ability. Pratham’s overarching goal is to enhance and reform education within India by implementing wide reaching scalable programs. With the help of volunteers and by effectively leveraging various partnerships, Pratham has been making huge strides within education in recent years. Organizations like Pratham are especially necessary because, according to UN data, India is currently the home to the largest number of illiterate adults. Education reform through organizations like Pratham seek to better prepare future generations by educating children. Education not only empowers children with the ability to read and write, but it also gives them the tools and knowledge to be able to obtain better jobs, thereby providing them with opportunities to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Pratham has received a plethora of awards for its high impact work;

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

it was awarded the BBVA Foundation “Frontiers of Knowledge Award,” was named a “2014 Asia Game Changer” by the Asia Society, and was featured in the New York Times and Stanford Social Innovation review, among other recognitions. Pratham’s influence is truly wide spread in India; during the 2014-15 school year it impacted over 7.7 million children, and over 15,000 were enrolled in its various vocational training programs. How Pratham transformed the life of Suman Khare Suman Khare had a difficult life before she joined Pratham. She was married off after completing grade 8th and never had the chance to pursue her education. Married to an alcoholic, she was an unfortunate victim of domestic violence, To make ends meet, she used her skills in beauty to provide a doorto-door service.. When she learnt of Pratham’s PACE (Pratham Arora Center for Education) center for beauty training, she approached them looking for a teaching job. As she did not meet the basic educational qualification, Pratham could not hire her as a teacher. She was instead advised to take up the beauty course, get certified and establish a beauty salon. Not only did Suman complete her course, but she also runs her own beauty salon which she started with the financial aid she received from Pratham. In addition to running her salon, she trains other women in beauty under the PACE umbrella. Her current income ranges from rupees 7000 to 8000 per month on an average. Today, Suman is financially independent and takes care of her sons. She says that this is not the end of her learning. Given a chance she would like to complete her secondary schooling as well. With her confidence soaring high, Suman is unstoppable. For more information on Pratham or for tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Houston Gala 2016, contact: info@prathamusa.org Tel: 713 774 9599 www.prathamusa.org Writer Karina Hooda Karina is a high school senior. She is interested in history, archaeology, social media and journalism. She also has a black belt in Tang Soo Do and volunteers for Pratham.

COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Vishal and Shekhar to Rock Houston on April 8

Vishal-Shekhar

OUSTON: Vishal–Shekhar is a musicdirecting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. The duo has worked in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Marathi films. Vishal Dadlani is also the vocalist of Mumbai-based electronic band Pentagram. Shekhar Ravjiani is a trained classical singer (under Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan). He learned to play the accordion from his father, a music enthusiast, Hasmukh Ravjiani. Shekhar was a participant of Zee TV singing contest Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in 1997. He composed and sung Marathi songs “Saazni” in 2012 and “Saavli” (with Sunidhi Chauhan) in 2013. They have composed music for super hits films like Jhankaar Beats, Dus, Bluffmaster, Om Shanti Om, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Dostana, Ra.One, Student of the Year, Chennai Express, Bang Bang! and Happy New Year. The duo is looking forward for a bang in 2016 by composing the music for much awaited Salman khan film Sultan. Another talented singer Neeti Mohan will accompany them. She was one of the winners of the Channel V show Popstars and as such, became a member of the Indian pop group Aasma with the other winners of the show. Mohan made her singing debut in Bollywood in 2012, with “Ishq Wala Love” in Student of the Year opposite Shekhar Ravjiani and Salim Merchant. They will perform in many cities across the United States, and will perform in Houston on Friday, April 8 at the Arena Theater. Rajender Singh of Star Promotions Inc., is the organizer of the show. Rajender has organized over 60 major local shows and has promoted over five international tours worldwide. For further details and future shows visit www.starpromotioninc.com or call Rajender Singh at 281-222-4500. See ad on page 6 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

22 April 01, 2016

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

April 01, 2016

Yoga: The Mind-Body Wellness Connection

BY: SATYANARAYANA V. CHILUKURI, M.D

HOUSTON: One of the most striking areas

of research, in the area of psychoneuroimmunology, is how stress impacts our mind and our immune system, and how psychological, neural and immunologic processes interact and shape human health and behavior (Ader R, Felton DL & Cohen N). Uncontrolled overwhelming stress is one of the greatest factors in shortening our life span, just behind smoking and poor diet. Your mind can actually alter your genetic activity – in ways that may significantly improve your health and heal you of a number of diseases. Scientific research has proven that your mind can help control your body – all the way down to your genes’ activity. Your mind can influence your body for good or ill, and you can learn how to effect beneficial changes and achieve better health. These genetic findings help bring back into play certain traditional mind body practices – such as meditation, yoga, prayer, repetitive-worship music and rituals (Herbert Benson, MD) According to Dr. Alexandra, mind-body therapies – that is ‘Neuro-immunomodulatory’ pathways which modulate the immune system via the neural (nerve) network – provide a powerful explanation of how many complementary approaches may actually work, and how to make them even more effective on a predictable and reproducible basis. Yoga classes offered by non-profit organizations such as Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana ( VYASA) – Houston in collaboration with Sewa International, Houston Chapter can be one of the best ways to combat stress and stress related disorders like Diabetes Mellitus, High Blood pressure, etc. Stop Diabetes Movement (SDM) camps have been organized in Houston area since past 2 years. Some of the benefits of doing Yoga are: Diabetes – Yoga improves glucose and lipid metabolism, reduces incidence of diabetes related complications by modulating neuroendocrineimmune function of the body. Yoga may also alter the gene expression, improve the insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance, thereby lower blood glucose and HBA1C levels, reduce the need for medication and their side

SDM camp with city of Houston Diabetes center “DAWN Center”

effects as well as the cost of medical care Circulation problems –Yoga improves circulation which, in turn, lowers blood pressure and pulse rate. Cardiovascular – Yoga will help lower your resting heart rate and increase your overall endurance by increasing the amount of oxygen you take in. Stress – Yoga helps reduce the effects of stress on your body by encouraging relaxation and lowering damaging cortisol levels. Pain – Daily practice of Yoga – asanas and/ or meditation can help relieve aches and pains. Problematic Breathing - Yoga teaches you to take deeper, slower breaths which will help increase lung function and also trigger the body’s relaxation response. In a very real way, regular practice of yoga helps to prevent disease and promote health and wellness. The next set of Camps are happening from April 15 to April 24 followed by 10 weekly sessions. Camps will be held at 4 location concurrently at Sugar Land - Shri Krishna Vrundavana, 10223 Synott , Sugar land TX 77498, Cypress - Sri Govindaji Gaudiya

Matha, 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd., Houston, TX 77084, Katy - Swasth Yoga Studio, 21020 Highland Knolls Dr, Katy, TX 77450 and in Downtown – Houston. More details are available at https://sewausa.org/chapter/houston/ events . To register for the camp contact: 713

834 4909 / 832 387 8701 or Email – info-sdm@ sewausa.org latest by April 5 . These camp have a totally refundable deposit thus making it free for all participants, as long as they attend the sessions.

UHCOP Professor and Department Chair Rajender Aparasu Selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster

HOUSTON: UH College of Pharmacy’s

Rajender R. Aparasu, Ph.D., FAPhA, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, has been selected for the Fulbright Specialist Roster. The Fulbright program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves to promote the international engagement of academic scholarship and build linkages between U.S. and overseas eligible institutions. Aparasu is the ﬁrst UHCOP faculty member added to the candidate roster of the Fulbright Specialist Program, which helps U.S. faculty and professionals share their academic expertise and develop linkages with non-U.S. institutions on curriculum, assessment, faculty development, research training, and other program development activities. “There are very few Fulbright Specialists in pharmacy; I am really honored to be selected

for Fulbright Specialist Roster,” said Aparasu, whose ﬁve-year term runs through 2021. “This CONTINUED ON PAGE

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24 April 01, 2016

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY Z

April 01, 2016

GITS Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Presented by Prem Jyotish Presents Voices That Will Touch Your Heart!

ee TV’s Iconic Singing Reality Show Reinvents With A First-of-itsKind 30 Member Jury of Music Connoisseurs To Aid The Selection Process After screening 50,000 entries from across the world including North America and after over 8 weeks of grueling auditions across 14 Indian cities to discover India’s most talented singers, only the most striking voices with an ability to touch your hearts will make it to the stage of Zee TV’s GITS Sa Re Ga Ma Pa presented by Prem Jyotish which started on Saturday, March 26 at 9 pm ET & 9:30 pm PT, India’s first and the most definitive singing reality show - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is back on your screens with an all-new season after a hiatus of four years. The show has been instrumental in identifying, grooming and opening the doors to the industry for some of the country’s most remarkable musical talent - Shreya Ghoshal, Kunal Ganjawala, Shekhar Ravjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan and Ranjeet Rajwada over the last two decades. Evolving its format over the years from episodic winners to a pyramid structure, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has been at the pinnacle of defining and redefining musical talent. Even as the much revered music platform completes 21 years since its launch in 1995, its latest season promises to be young and fresh like never before. The quest, this time around, is for voices of tomorrow - the most unique voices that are truly representative of contemporary India. Carrying forward the grand legacy of enriching India’s music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent

Job Posting:

ily with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess the aspiring singers right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process. They represent different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists. Also a first, 2 finalists from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa North America 2016 went to India to live their dream of participating in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa India. Tune in to Zee TV Every Sat & Sun at 9 pm ET | 9:30 pm PT

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, NEWS & DIGITAL

KTRK-TV, Houston’s leading news organization, is looking for an Executive Producer with a proven track record in broadcast and digital. This person must be a strong team-leader, effective communicator, with a ‘can do’ attitude. Consistently able to solve problems, turn visions into reality, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure, especially in breaking news situations. Must have exceptional news judgement. Will be required to do some hands-on producing, writing, and publishing for all digital platforms. Needs to be passionate about the news. Quick at identifying, promoting and executing great content. Must be organized, efﬁcient, capable of juggling multiple projects and staffers. Candidates should have at least 5 years producing experience in a major market, and some managerial experience. Will be supervising and motivating a diverse group of broadcast and digital employees, as well as mentoring and coaching less experienced staff. Must be willing to work overnights, early mornings, weekends and/or holidays. To be considered all interested applicants must apply online at disneycareers. com, reference job # 357950BR. Please upload a cover letter, resume and list of references. No Telephone Calls Please

UHCOP Professor and Department Chair Rajender Aparasu Selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster CONTINUED FROM PAGE

pool, Zee TV has selected an eclectic panel of mentors to identify, groom and hone the skills of the current crop of contestants this season - these mentors are music maestros who’ve given India some unforgettable melodies and are idolized by millions of music enthusiasts the world over. The mentors include the Dabangg duo of Bollywood music Sajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very ﬁrst time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence - Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan, groomed in a fam-

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

Job Posting:

is a great opportunity to offer my expertise in developing professional and graduate pharmacy programs that involve pharmaceutical health outcomes and policy. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to visit overseas pharmacy institutions to assist faculty and administrators with respect to academic and research programs in pharmaceutical outcomes research.” Aparasu’s primary areas of expertise include pharmacoepidemiology, geriatrics, psychopharmacology and evidence-based medicine. His current research project, supported by an R01 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is evaluating safety proﬁles of anticholinergic medications in the elderly nursing home residents. “Dr. Aparasu’s selection as a Fulbright Specialist validates his professional accomplishments and enhances the institutional proﬁle of UH and the College of Pharmacy,” said Jaime Ortiz, Ph.D., UH vice provost for Global Strategies and Studies. “I am glad he now joins such a select group of outstanding U.S. academicians and scholars that will soon engage in collaborative endeavors with similarly related institutions from around the world.” Aparasu has authored or coauthored nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and seven book chapters, as well as served as editor or co-editor of two books (Principles of Research Design and Drug Literature and Research Methods

for Pharmaceutical Practice and Policy). Aparasu was recognized by his peers with the Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association (FAPhA) for his exemplary professional achievements and outstanding service and contribution to the pharmacy profession. The recipient of several research presentation awards during his career, Aparasu holds editorial board appointments on six peer-review journals and has been recognized as an “exceptional” reviewer by ﬁve peer-review journals. He currently serves as co-chair of the Research Review Committee for the 21st Annual International Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) to be held in Washington, D.C., this year. Aparasu obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Louisiana-Monroe and joined UHCOP in 2006 after serving on the faculty at the South Dakota State University for more than a decade. “We’re proud to have Dr. Aparasu as an ambassador of the college and the university through this prestigious program and organization,” said F. Lamar Pritchard, Ph.D., R.Ph., dean of the UH College of Pharmacy. “The Fulbright organization provides unique opportunities for exchanging ideas and cultivating new relationships that will also enhance our institutions’ reputation in the international community.”

NEWS PRODUCER

We are looking for an aggressive, cool-under-pressure News Producer who knows what it takes to put together a well-paced, creative, highly-showcased newscast. KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station in Houston, TX wants a conﬁdent, passionate producer who knows how to ﬁnd informative content, knows how to meet the needs of the audience, and knows how to scrap everything for breaking news. You must have excellent news judgment, the ability to come up with unique story ideas every day and be a strong writer who knows how to advance stories effectively. You will required to command the control room and manage an ever-evolving rundown during live newscasts. Knowledge of ENPS and desktop editing a plus. Will need to show examples of your tease and headline writing ability. Candidates must also have complete understanding of social media and digital content, how to use it within newscasts and how to use it to reach viewers. Candidates should have at least three years line-producing experience in a major market. For consideration all interested applicants must apply on-line at: www. disneycareers.com by uploading your resume, cover letter and references. Job Req. ID: 358864BR No Telephone Calls Please KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

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26 April 01, 2016

SUDOKU

Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Send us the correct answer before April 06, 2016. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036. Send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published (for ﬁrst three entrees only & 1 submission per month).

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April 01, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT: ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:

I Have No Interest in Hollywood: Kareena Kapoor Khan Popular Indian actors are landing

BY SHUBHRA GUPTA

A drug-maﬁa infested Goa plus

menacing mobsters plus a little girl who goes missing plus a muscled man on a mission is equal to ‘Rocky Handsome’. What all of it basically comes down to is this: a sculpted John Abraham donning a black singlet–pajamas–combat cap, walking slo-mo down corridors, beating the c—p out of sundry bad guys. Or slashing holes into ‘em. Same difference. That is the sole purpose of this film. The baddies are a colourful lot. One is called Mantoo, or Muntu.Another has a ponytail and leaps about like a terrible carbon copy of a bad carbon copy. Another is bald-pated and twinkly eyed. These two have a bodyguard who comes from one of those lands in the East where kinetic martial arts are used commonly. I think I heard someone say Thailand, so okay, he’s Thai. But really who cares about such specifics in a film which is deter-

Rocky Handsome mined to plumb all depths when it comes to grisly violence : from a man with an axe, to goons with knives and guns, and some kind of a vacuum drill, which is used in a most shiver inducing manner right at the start, every conceivable weapon is brought to bear. But before you can shout axe murderer, you ought to know that Abraham’s character is the most violent of them all. Particularly in a climactic scene, in which he makes like a veritable whirlwind, using everything he has, to carve through his opponents. Of course he has a justification, because he is a Hindi film hero. Which is meant to make up for the absence of a coherent story-line, dreary set pieces, and long stretches of people shooting at each other. The film is based on a well-known Korean flick, and in Korean flicks which topline gore, the leading men are not saddled with back stories to make them look noble. Shruti Haasan shows up for a

miniscule walk- on just to shed some good light on the hero, before he walks off into the shadows. John Abraham’s Rocky Handsome is a double: the screen splits into two, with both Rocky and Handsome come striding towards us, just in case we were confused. He only appears bad, see, he’s actually a good guy with a terrible past. The rest of the space is ﬁlled with an eight year old (Diya Chalwad) who’s made to talk like she’s double that, and given a relationship with our hero which is meant to tear you up, but feels faintly creepy. Theres a young woman with a drug habit. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, you come upon the gracious Suhasini Mulay trucked out as a sleazy peddler of kids. Everything is all over the place in this Goa over-run by ‘Roosis’, and dark night clubs, and organ traders, and scenes of extreme, hard-core violence. indianexpress.com

roles in international projects, but actress Kareena Kapoor Khan says she is not eyeing Hollywood. Asked if she would like to feature in a Hollywood film, Kareena said: “I have no interest in Hollywood. Today, people are watching Hindi films all over the world and in fact Hindi films are dubbed in all languages… So, it’s not that they (West) don’t know other actresses. “To work in Hollywood, a different kind of energy and dedication is required, but I don’t think I have that in me.” Kareena is currently busy promoting her film “Ki & Ka” — a film which breaks gender stereotypes with its theme. The actress credits her husband Saif Ali Khan for being supportive and allowing her to do the film. “Partner’s support is very impor-

Ajay Devgan April 02, 1969

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

tant. If my partner was not supportive, I would not be able to do a film like ‘Ki & Ka’,” she said, adding that Saif found the film “progressive” in its thought. The movie features Arjun Kapoor as Kabir, an IIT graduate and a house husband, who has grown up wanting to be like his mother and not like his father and will be seen doing household. On the other hand, Kareena essays Kia, an ambitious and a careeroriented woman. Directed by R. Balki, the film is slated to release on April 1. indianexpress.com

Prabhu Deva April 03, 1973

28 April 01, 2016 World T20: Kohli, Gayle Headline Wankhede Big Bash BY SIDHARTH MONGA

Roy, Stokes Performance Puts England into Finals

MUMBAI

(ESPN Cricinfo): Chris Gayle. Virat Kohli. Dwayne Bravo. MS Dhoni. The Wankhede stadium will be screening an ensemble-driven action movie as much it hosts a cricket match on Thursday night. Those individuals and their styles of play contribute to a lot of the interest surrounding this game, and also typify there are various ways to establish T20 batting dominance. India’s has been to simply extend their Test and one-day game into the Twenty20s arena, and when all goes well, they get the bulk of their runs through orthodox cricket. West Indies, ideally, wouldn’t want their long-format form anywhere near them right now. Helpfully, this format has a tight cap on the number of overs so the bighitters can keep hitting big without worrying about consequences. Case in point are the methods that their marquee players use. Gayle likes to “beat” the ball. No wonder it rockets as far away from him as it can, hoping to be lost somewhere in the rings of Saturn. Kohli is kinder in assisting with the ball’s travels, and even throws in a few surprises - patrons waiting in the off stump line could end up at midwicket almost as often as they do in the covers. Both teams clearly have lots of cream at the top, but the middle looks a bit squishy. It’s been over two years since Denesh Ramdin or Suresh Raina have hit a T20 fifty. Dwayne Bravo, at No. 5, has looked unsure whether he needs to be the aggressor or the anchor. Yuvraj Singh has been similarly jittery, but an ankle injury ruled him out of the World T20. That leads West Indies to the prospect of bowling at a player - one of Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey or Pawan Negi - who hasn’t faced a ball in this tournament. But Mumbai is just about the perfect venue for the out-ofform and brand new batsmen to get into the swing of things - the lowest total in the tournament here has been Afghanistan’s 172 against South Africa. Quite apart from tac-

SPORTS

On top of the world: Virat Kohli ﬁnds more reasons to celebrate during practice, Mumbai, March 30, 2016.

tics and strategy, there are players from both sides who may be playing their last World Cup, so the incentive to make it to Eden Gardens - for the final - for one more match will be very strong. Form guide India WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first) West Indies LWWWW In the spotlight The last time India were in Mumbai, they missed the hell out of R Ashwin. It was an ODI, three of the opposition batsmen scored centuries and they were left chasing a 400-plus total. He did not have his best game against Australia, but his presence in the XI still goes a long way to adding confidence to the team. Samuel Badree seems to take the mickey out of the Powerplay overs every time he bowls. He doesn’t rely on turn, doesn’t often believe in flight, but faithfully follows a wicket-to-wicket line. The batsmen are tied down, and when they try to escape, they tend to fall. Hard.

Team news India haven’t made any changes to their XI since the start of the tournament. But now, with Yuvraj ruled out, they will be forced to do so ahead of the semi-final of the tournament. India 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Manish Pandey/Ajinkya Rahane/Pawan Negi, 6 MS Dhoni (capt and wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish Nehra West Indies will be without Andre Fletcher, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. His replacement Lendl Simmons has a chance at getting a game straight away. West Indies 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Lendl Simmons, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlos Brathwaite, 10 Suliemann Benn, 11 Samuel Badree Pitch and conditions Mumbai has been an oasis this

World T20. Tough pitches have left batsmen parched for runs, but at the Wankhede they can come and go wheee. In terms of the weather, a clear night is expected. Stats and trivia Virat Kohli, the No. 1-ranked T20I batsman, averages 91.80 batting second but 35.22 batting first. Chris Gayle is two sixes short of being the first player ever to hit 100 sixes in T20I cricket Quotes “We’ve played to 70% of our abilities in this tournament. So there’s still 30% in areas we need to improve, so lets hope it happens tomorrow” India team director Ravi Shastri knows the batting is still not perfect “No not really, have you ever heard of Chris Gayle?” West Indies captain Darren Sammy isn’t worried about India’s super weapon Virat Kohli because he has has one of his own Alagappan Muthu is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.

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EW DELHI: England 159 for 3 (Roy 78) beat New Zealand 153 for 8 (Munro 46, Stokes 3-26) by seven wickets English cricket’s makeover has delivered a place in the World Twenty20 final in Kolkata on Sunday. New Zealand’s first defeat of the tournament, by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare, ended their involvement. Instead, it is England, an adventurous England freed of old baggage, who lie in wait for the winners of Thursday’s semi-final between India and West Indies in Mumbai. Jason Roy electrified England’s reply to New Zealand’s far-fromimposing 153 for 8, his 78 from 44 balls ended by Ish Sodhi’s draggeddown legbreak that beat his advance down the pitch and crashed into the timber. “I’ve got to realise I’m not a robot,” Roy said earlier in the tournament. He is precisely the opposite. At his best, he is humanity at its most tempestuous - a mini adrenalin rush - and his first T20I half-century, perfectly timed at the 13th attempt, was the second fastest in England T20 history as he racked it up in 26 balls. The architects of New Zealand’s fade out were Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan. Stokes finished with the best figures, 3 for 26, relishing his good fortune as he took wickets with successive full tosses, but it was Jordan, eyes as wide as if he was peering into a coal cellar and gold chain dangling, who once again displayed solidity beneath the bling.

Ben Stokes celebrates a wicket with his team-mates, England v New Zealand, World T20.

April 01, 2016

Tata to Decide Fate of its Two UK Steel Plants This Week

Kia Motors, Hyundai’s Sibling, Set to Enter India BY PANKAJ DOVAL

NEWDELHI:Kia

Motors, a subsidiary of Korean auto giant Hyundai, is all set for an India entry. The company, which sells cars across Europe, China, US and in home market Korea, feels that a play in India is critical as the country gains volumes and races towards becoming the third-biggest car market globally by 2020, as projected by many agencies. Kia sells cars such as ‘Sportage’ compact SUV, ‘Soul’ cross-over and ‘Rio’ hatchback. It has already started preliminary work on identifying land for its factory and is looking at possible models and suppliers. “Once completed, the factory may even be used by Hyundai to manufacture of some of its models,” a top source told TOI. Hyundai is about to reach peak output at its factory near Chennai and has been cutting back

on export shipments to make space for new models. “Kia has completed numerous reports on the Indian market, including a detailed feasibility study,” a source in the know of the developments said. Kia, which sold a little over 3 million vehicles last year, has been eyeing the Indian market for many years, but has so far refrained from making investments here. The slowdown here over the past few years and its own expansion projects in many other markets, including top-seller China, resulted in a delay in investments. The source said it may take at least two to three years before Kia starts selling cars in India. “Apart from identifying land for the factory, the company will need to take a lot of permissions and clearances from various authorities. Also, the project work for localizing some of the global models needs to be taken up,” the source said. indiatimes.com

BY HIRAL THANAWALA

Eeven as Kingfisher Airlines proves to be Vijay Mallya’s undoing, there are several personal finance lessons to be learned from the missteps of this once high-profile liquor baron. Don’t let emotions dictate Mallya was heading a successful businesses group before he launched Kingfisher Airlines. He had no experience in the field and aviation is a difficult business. Yet, Mallya took the plunge. Lenders and shareholders of Kingfisher paid a heavy price for this vanity . Investors should not get lured by seemingly attractive assets, especially real estate, new-fangled derivatives and other exotic financial products. Derivatives are meant to

BY H.S. RAO

ONDON: At least 18,000 jobs in the UK may become redundant if Tata Steel decide to ditch two of their loss-making plants at a board meeting on Tuesday. The board of directors of the Indian multinational is expected to meet on 29 March in Mumbai to discuss whether to retain or sell the plants in Scunthorpe and Port Talbot in UK. The board has to decide if it will continue to invest in the loss-making plant at Port Talbot. It has to take a call on whether the company will back the two-year turnaround plan of the plant, which was acquired this year by Karl Koehler, the chief executive ofﬁcer of Tata Steel Europe, who has since left the company. Fears that the board would vote for ditching the plant have led Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of Community, the steelworkers’ union, and Stephen Kinnock, the local MP, to travel to India to convince the board not to take such a decision, which is expected to affect 9,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.

“It is now clear that the very future of our industry hangs in the balance. The Tata board meeting on 29 March will decide on the future of steelmaking in Wales,” Rickhuss said. Ofﬁcials at Tata Steel said the ﬁnal decision would take into account if the company can continue “to invest considerable amounts into its UK business just to sustain operations”. Tata Steel’s European business reported a quarterly loss of 68 million pounds in February 2016, highlighting the UK steel crisis which has seen more than 5,000 employees lose their

jobs since last summer. Since October 2015, Tata’s UK operations alone have seen about 3,000 redundancies. The company had then blamed cheap imports primarily from China and some other countries such as Russia and South Korea for putting intense pressure on the company’s margins. The Tata board will also take a call next week if it should go ahead with a deal to sell the Scunthorpe plant, which has a staff of 4,500 with another 4,500 people indirectly dependent on the facility. livemint.com

had done well in other businesses, Mallya was confident that Kingfisher Airlines would also succeed. Small investors should not fall for the overconfidence bias if they make money from some of their stock picks. Overconfidence makes investors put money in stocks directly, instead of taking the services of a

to sustain the troubled airline. Banks too overlooked the burgeoning losses of Kingﬁsher and continued to lend. This overleveraging has been Mallya’s undoing. Kingﬁsher has accumulated losses of `4,301 crore and owes over `9,000 crore to banks. Investors should avoid taking debt they can’t service. If EMIs and credit

mutual fund manager for a small fee. If your investments have done well in the past, was it because of an informed choice or some `tip’, pure luck or sheer coincidence? Trusting an expert is always a better option. Don’t live on debt Even though Kingﬁsher Airlines was not doing well, Mallya continued to borrow heavily from banks

card bills exceed 50% of your net take home pay , you are headed for trouble. Review performance, change course Even though everyone saw it, Mallya refused to read the writing on the wall and continued to pour money into Kingﬁsher Airlines. He lived in denial.

Investors need to review their portfolios at regular intervals and take corrective action if needed. If a fund’s performance has slipped or there is bad news about a stock, it’s time to rejig your portfolio. The earlier you identify the underperformers and weed them out, the healthier your returns will be. Don’t give in to herd mentality While Mallya is guilty of financial misdemeanours, the banks which lent money cannot escape blame. They did not do due diligence and followed a herd mentality while lending to the airline. Confirmation bias can lead to losses.Just because a stock or investment has been suggested by a broker or an analyst, don’t only read reports that confirm their suggestion. Listen to critics too.

The Tata board will also take a call next week if it should go ahead with a deal to sell the Scunthorpe plant. Photo: Bloomberg

Investing Lessons from Mallya hedge portfolios, not to speculate. The futures segment entails very high risks. Ordinary investors should stick to investment options such as PPF, fixed deposits and mutual funds. Flights of fantasy, inevitably lead to a Kingfisher like crash. Overconfidence ruins Hubris played a key role in Mallya’s fall from grace. Just because he

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