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Friday, May 11, 2018 • Vol. 37, No. 18

Indo American News

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READ US ONLINE at www.indoamerican-news.com | Published weekly from Houston, Texas. USA 7457 Harwin Dr, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 • PH: 713 789 6397 • Fax: 713 789 6399 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com

Rhythm India’s 7th Annual Program

BAPS

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Walk Green : 2018

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From left: Keynote Speaker, Dr. James T. McDeavitt, lifetime achievement award recipient Dr. Subodh Bhuchar, and Dr. Prasun K. Jalal, IDA President; at the Indian Doctors Association 2018 Gala on Saturday, April 28, at Hyatt Regency, Houston.

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COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

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Indian Firms Exhibit at this Year’s Offshore Technology Conference

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON:

Even though attendance hit a four-year low at the Offshore Technology Conference, exhibitors from across the world were confident of a resurgence in the oil and gas industry during the four-day event held last week from April 30 through May 3 at the NRG Park and Stadium. Although booth equipment volume was down, two local small businesses once again had booths this year at the OTC. For the second year, Dartex Industries, started by the veteran oil and gas professional T.J. Sinha manned his own booth within the Danish Pavilion area. Dartex Industries has a plant in Delhi to manufacture high pressure gaskets, flanges, needle valves and flowline equipment. Sinha has worked worldwide in the oil industry for the past 45 years and has established offices in Faridabad (southeast of Delhi), Houston and Esbjerg, on the western coast of Denmark.

Also back once again for the third year was American Personnel Services, whose booth featured giantsized color pictures of the founder’s

Ramesh Anand, President of American Personnel Resources was at the OTC again this year.

T.J. Sinha, a longtime exhibitor at the Offshore Technology Conference at his company Dartex’s booth with Torben Marius Gregersen (right), Business Development Director of Makeen Power.

two dogs Rocky and Max which attracted visitors said APS founder and President Ramesh Anand. He was happy with the booth traffic but was sad to see exceptionally quali-

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fied PhDs whom he met two years ago still looking for a job. He was able to develop ties to partner up with other companies too. Anand has been in the recruitment and search business for over 30 years, having started in it in 1984 in his hometown Mumbai. He started APS in 1994 after he moved to the Houston area.

First time exhibitors A-1 Fence showed off a variety of the fences the company produces at its six plants in India, Oman and Dubai

A-1 Fence was a first time exhibitor at this year’s OTC. T.S. Bindra, Director (left) and Sumeet Singh (right), Manager Business Development pose with visitor Vale Subramaniyam.

with sales offices in South Africa, Mumbai, Oman and Dubai.

At the booth, T.S. Bindra, Director and Sumeet Singh, Manager Business Development were

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

pleased with the interest from visitors and planned to be back next year. They will also exhibit at the ASIS Convention in Las Vegas in September.

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COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

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Houstonians Remix Shreemix with Rhythm India @ Just Dance 2018

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN VARMA

STAFFORD:

The euphoria and jubilation of dance students is when they perform in front of a strong audience. And performances that leave a mark are not only credit to their uphill battles and endeavors but also a monumental credit to the dance institute. One such institute that is known for preparing its students to enthrall audiences is Rhythm India Dance Company. Founded

by Arzan Gonda, Rhythm India is well known for introducing their students to the best Bollywood dancers & choreographers; carrying out multiple workshops with renowned dancers and choreographers like Saroj Khan, Shakti Mohan, Jack Gill, and Shampa Gopikrishna. Rhythm India has been performing at many prestigious events, and their last event in March this year, the Half Time Show at the NBA Rockets v/s Phoenix Suns, was just remarkable. Their annual programs are much anticipated by its students who have worked tirelessly all year through for getting an opportunity to perform in a professional environment. And Just Dance 2018, their seventh annual program, was successfully held on Saturday, May 5, at the Old Stafford Civic Center.

Arzan Gonda comes up with exceptionally splendid themes each year and this year’s theme Remix Shreemix centered on the new trend of Bollywood- the old iconic melodies remixed with the freshness of today’s times. Both the shows, the first at 4 pm and the second at 8 pm, were housepacked with enthusiastic Houstonians. Arzan’s shows are always magnificent in terms of the dazzle and magnitude, and this year, with 225 performers aged from four years, dressed in glamorous and exquisite attires, it followed. The

entertainment began with two Emcees from Dallas, Ajay Patel and Anil Sankaramanchi, bringing the house down. Participation from the audience was one of the biggest perks of this show, especially with the most-loved game Complete the song. Talk about unmatched energy and you can see it all in Rhythm India’s shows. The opening act just proved that with 22 dancers performing to a medley of Bom Diggy remix & Laila Main Laila. The tempo was set, the adrenaline started pumping. And there was much more to follow.

Traditional Rajasthani attire clad dancers performed outstandingly to Ghoomar, with one of the dancers spinning on her knees. The crowd’s favorites went on. And the next in row was Mast Magan where the dancers used fans as props and captivated the audience that was by now foot-tapping and shimmering on their seats. The youth intermediate 2 and juniors intermediate groups had the audiences spring on the edges of their seat, while the Juniors intermediate group did a medley of Golmaal Again, Beech Beech Mein & Hawa Hawa. Some gravitydefying stunts startled the audiences. The choreographies were superlative and the show, as usual, was a Hit! Rhythm India’s Senior Co. performed the last act of the show though it was the finale that brought the entire house to their feet. It was a electrifying combo of Tamma Tamma and Badri Ki Dulhania, followed by the popular remix Ki Kariye Nachna Aonda Nei, that got the entire cast and crew of the show spring up to the stage for their final bows. The audiences were impressed by the performances that were superior compared to last years. The 90minute fast-paced and super-energetic show left the audiences mesmerized. From all the positive feedback received on the show,

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the best ones mentioned that Just Dance is the best medicine one could get while feeling low, while another member from the audience compared it with energy drinks.

While thanking the videographer and photographer Murali Santhana & Ramji Ramasubramanian, Arzan mentioned that they always rise beyond her expectations. The elegant backdrop and decor of the event was done by Nalini Kannan of Decor One, and Arzan complimented them that they have the most spectacular selection of decorations for any special event.

Rachna Oak was the back stage manager and the solid backbone of the entire production back stage and like always she did make sure the operations were smooth. Arzan thanked the Rhythm India Instructors - Dilshad Patel, Namrata Sirur Singh, Ranjita Jonnalagadda Parihar, and Khushi Sachdeva and mentioned that they inspire their students. Arzan also expressed her gratitude to the assistant instructors - Anushka Oak, Neha Rode, and Sneha Dama.

In her special thanks speech she mentioned, “This year was special because it was the first time my parents were here from India to watch the show. We strive to promote Indo-American culture and Bollywood dance in the greater Houston area. Most importantly, while doing all of this we want to create wonderful memories and positive experiences for each of our dancers, and I hope they will cherish them forever. We want to take the audience on a journey with us, to be able to feel our

passion, emotion and intention.

Rhythm India would like to thank all our dancers, their parents and families for your cooperation, understanding and commitment. I would like to thank our entire Rhythm India Staff and Team. Our instructors, choreographers, and administrative staff members who have worked tirelessly to help us grow each year. A big thank you to our youth intermediate groups and senior company dancers, who have worked so hard throughout the year, helping out with rehearsals and choreography. Their commitment and dedication constantly inspires me to do my best”.

Rhythm India will be performing at Bollywood Boogie 2018 - at the Sugar Land Town Square on Saturday, September 29, 2018.

It is a free event & open to the

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Photos: Murali Santhana

public. Rhythm India is very excited to announce about the exclusive dance workshop with Swarali Karulkar this summer. Stay tuned for the date. Swarali was the top female performer and a finalist on Dance India Dance in 2014. Since then she has been mentoring and teaching dancers throughout the US. This workshop is open to anyone over 9 years of age. For registrations for the workshops visit www.rhythm-india.com or email at xiao@rhythm-india.com or call: 281-968-9479. Rhythm India conducts classes all around town: Stafford, Katy, Sugar Land, and Bellaire.

For photo collage, see pages 30-31

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See article on page 7 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN VARMA

HOUSTON: Houston witnessed

a distinct event on Saturday, April 28, at Hyatt Regency, Houston. It was the annual gala and a Night of Celebration by the Indian Doctors Association (IDA). IDA Houston is a non-profit networking forum for physicians and dentists of the Indian origin, and it provides mentorship in academic excellence, patient care and health education for the Greater Houston community. Incorporated in 1983, IDA is recognized by the Harris County Medical Society as a member of the Council of International & Affiliated Medical Societies, and is one of the largest local chapters of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin.

The evening was truly a celebration of sorts and the gala began at 6pm with the registration counter seeing a flock of enthusiastic professionals and their wonderful families. The room was vibrant and energetic with the seasoned medical maestro’s. Cocktails were being served during networking, in the exhibit area. The ballroom was full with more than 600 attendees that included leaders of health system at the Texas Medical Center and greater Houston area. There were prominent physicians both from academic world and community, along with entrepreneurs in Houston. The National Anthem of USA and India were recited well by the playback singer Akhila Mamandur. The American stand-up comedian and entertainer, also the Emcee for the event, Anish Shah, welcomed everyone and entertained the audience with his comic acts throughout the evening.

The first speaker for the evening was Dr. Prasun K. Jalal, IDA President. He is the Stan and Sue Partee Chair in Hepatology, in the Division of Abdominal Transplantation of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and in the Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Jalal is also board certified in gastroenterology, internal medicine and transplant hepatology. He shared the amazing journey of IDA; how it was established and reached its success, thanks to all of its individual supporters and supporting organizations. He informed everyone about the new website www.idahouston.org.

He outlined the events organized by the association throughout the year, including the fund raising musical program on December 2, 2017, and the program on October 14, 2017 with popular ghazal singer Talat Aziz to aid in posthurricane Harvey recovery mayoral fund. He then invited over the Current Governing Board members on stage and felicitated them.

IDA not only focuses on medical professionals but also mentors medical students, residents and fellows to provide an opportunity for creating a teaching and

May 11, 2018

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Indian Doctors Association Calls for a Night of Celebration!

IDA Board members

Photos: ROY Photography

From left: Therese Cole-Hubbs, Dr. Prasun K. Jalal, and Anish Shah.

learning environment between established physicians and students, charity clinic support, community service during recovery from natural disasters in the greater Houston area, or simply by participating in local and regional health affairs.

After Dr. Jalal, the platinum sponsor Harish D. Katharani- Founder & Advisor to the Southside Management Team and Amit JainCEO from Southside Pharmacy were felicitated. Eric Merchant from BBVA Compass, second platinum sponsor was invited on stage and he presented a check of $10,000 to IDA. Amir Dodhiya from New York Life Insurance Company, third platinum sponsor also presented a check of $10,000.

The Keynote Speaker was Dr. James T. McDeavitt, Senior VP & Dean of Clinical Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine. He shared about the progress Baylor College of Medicine has made and encouraged people to become doctors, mentioning his experiences that helped generate optimism and excitement for healthcare.

Dr. Jalal then presented the lifetime achievement award to Dr. Subodh Bhuchar. Dr. Bhuchar is Board certified in pediatrics and family medicine and has been practicing in Sugar Land since 1992. Dr. Bhuchar has treated newborns to seniors, and has been recognized as Best Physician Communicator and Best Bedside Manner at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land. He also serves as a Director of Physician Networks for Memorial Hermann Sugar Land and is an advisor on various hospital committees. He is a Sugar Land resident and is married to Sonal Bhuchar, and they are blessed with three children. He has a lively side to himself and that is evident as he also hosts the famous weekend talk show Open Forum. He wears multiple hats- sometimes as an Emcee and at times as an auctioneer at events. He seemed pleasantly surprised by this award and went on to mention, “Lifetime is

given to people who have finished their career, heck I have not, But I am very thankful and I will accept this award on behalf of every physician in this room who wakes up early, leaves their family so that he/ she can go and fix someone else and comfort their family and everyone related to healthcare industry and on behalf of my family who hardly saw me while growing up, and I would like to dedicate this award to my wife, who has always uplifted me.” The audience was moved by his speech and cheered for him.

The presentation of IDA Scholarships 2018 took place next. These scholarships are primarily based on academic performances but a fair consideration is also given to extra curricular activities, community service, research and economic needs. This respected segment of scholarships was presented by Dr. Swati Joglekar, Dr. Manish Gandhi, Dr. Jignesh Shah, and Dr. Arvind Bhimraj. The scholarship winners were Nikita Yashodhan Gidh, Arshia Batra, Monsterrat Hernandez Guajardo and Fenix C. Longoria. Following this a check of $45,000 was presented to K.C. Mehta, Director of IDC Charity Clinic by Dr. Atasu Nayak, Treasurer of IDA. The Indian Doctors Charity Clinic was established in March 1999 and has successfully completed almost 20 years of service to Houstonians of all ethnic groups. Patients can visit this clinic once a week, that is on Saturdays, from 9 A.M to 12 noon. Located at 6550 Mapleridge, Suite 229, Houston, TX 77081, the clinic is run by volunteer doctors and nurses from the Indian community in Houston. IACF directors, Mahesh Wadhwa, President and Shobana Muratee, President-Elect, along with Dr. Prasun Jalal presented a check of $15,000 to IDC Charity Clinic from the funds raised at the recently held IACF and IDA 5k Walkathon. The pledge drive at the gala helped raise over $100,000.

Therese Cole-Hubbs with Elec-

tric Karma, the event co-coordinator was felicitated too. Ky Camero, the executive administrator of IDA was recognized for her hard work. Between these significant feats, the Emcee Anish entertained everyone with his jokes.

Bollywood music by Rhythm of Dreams, brought the event to life with beautifully sung Bollywood songs. Mesmerizing dance performance by Karmagraphy from Los Angeles uplifted emotions across the hall and enthralled the audience. Karmagraphy is a full service entertainment company that specializes in innovative choreography with customized performances to create an unforgettable and mesmerizing experience.

Headed by Artistic Director Kavita Rao, Karmagraphy integrates culture through music, dance, art, acrobats and more. It was then time for scrumptious meals to be relished; Bombay Brasserie served delicious dinner with some fingerlicking desserts. The beauty of the evening was intensified with live sounds and lights coupled with

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

professional high-end equipment

by Darshak Thacker from Krishna Sounds Production, while ROY Photography handled the visual snaps. At the end of program, Dr. Prasun Jalal thanked everyone for attending the program and making it a great success.

Staying true to its theme- “A Night of Celebration” this evening seemed magical. While it provided a platform for great networking and friendship, everyone enjoyed every moment of it.

The current Governing Board consists of Dr. Prasun K. Jalal, President; Dr. Swati Joglekar, Vice-president; Dr. Jignesh Shah, Secretary; Dr. Atasu Nayak, Treasurer, Executive Administrator Ky Camero.

For details and to become a member of IDA, visit www.idahouston.org Watch the Gala Video @ https://youtu.be/3lMMoiaeoyQ

For Photo Collage, see page 6

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May 11, 2018

COMMUNITY Wallis State Bank’s Aziz Rahim Gets SBA Award

Aziz Rahim, Sr. Vice President at Wallis State Bank receives the SCORE/SBA’s Financial Services Champion of the Year award from Tim Jeffcoat, Houston SBA District Director (left) and Asif Dakri, CEO, Wallis State Bank (right).

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON:

Wallis State Bank once again was the center of attention at the SCORE/SBA Annual Awards Luncheon when Sr. Vice President Aziz Rahim won the Financial Services Champion of the Year award. Just last year WSB’s Rajiv Bhavsar, Sr. Vice President of Commercial Lending had nabbed the same award.

The event is held each year award from SCORE Houston, a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration. The function was held over lunch for over 600 people at the Westin Galleria Hotel in the Galleria and featured Richard Rybacki, the SCORE Chapter 37 President; Bob Charlet, President and Publisher of the Houston Business Journal as emcee and SBA Houston District Director Tim Jeffcoat.

When giving him this award, the SBA

recognized Rahim’s skill as a banker and relationship manager at WSB doing a high volume of SBA loans in the Houston area as well as his community activism and for holding educational seminars. He has been with WSB for seven years and his portfolio includes commercial to hotel loans upwards of $5 million Wallis State Bank is a 111 year institution that was established a wood frame building in 1906 in the small town of Wallis, about 60 miles southwest of downtown Houston on Hwy. 36 between Sealy and Rosenberg. Musa Dakri, an Indian entrepreneur with considerable skill in banking took over ownership in the early 1990s and expanded its operations to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Fulshear and Los Angeles. Since then, his son Asif has taken over the reins and continues with the same growth plans.

For advertising contact: Vanshika Vipin

at 713.789.6397 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

BY MANU SHAH

May 11, 2018

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The Business Investment Conference, Helping Small Businesses

HOUSTON: The Business In-

vestment Conference cohosted by the Chamber on April 18, was part of a Shell sponsored IACCGH series of events to support Harvey affected small businesses. Events are being hosted at different locations to help small businesses grow, overcome technical challenges, rebuild, access technology, or simply get a loan on easy terms.

Held at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center in League City, the event was supported by the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce, City of League City, America’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), US Small Business Administration (SBA), IACCGH, LiftFund, and Shell. Representatives from these Institutions as well as community banks, NASA, BayTech Solutions and the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) offered presentations on the varied resources small businesses could tap to get their businesses get off the ground or get a competitive edge.

IACCGH Executive Director and Master of Ceremonies Jagdip Ahluwalia offered a brief outline of the Chamber’s mission and expressed his appreciation at the support from Shell in carrying out this work. Alyssa Holmes Henderson, Supplier Diversity Coordinator at Shell also highlighted Shell’s com-

Standing (from left): Steven Gonzales, Kim Morris, Bob Payne, Juliette Lopez, Mark Winchester, Jagdip Ahluwalia, Sitting (from left): Steve Paterson, Scott Livingston, Douglas Baumann, Alyssa Holmes Henderson, Jacqueline Taylor, Valerie Maher, Swapan Dhairyawan.

mitment to supporting the community and stepping up the funds to help businesses after Hurricane Harvey’s devastation.

League City Councilmember Larry Millican welcomed the gathering to League City and highlighted the potential for business that League City offers.

A presentation by Steven Lawrence, Executive Director SBDC Texas Gulf Coast underscored the changing business trends. Describing today’s business environment as a “knowledge economy,” he emphasized the importance of understanding “what consumers want and how to get it to them faster.”

SBA’s District Director Tim

Jeffcoat took over with a “Start and Grow Your Small Business” presentation, which outlined the services SBA offers such as Counseling, Matchmaking events with lenders as well as helping small businesses procure federal contracts with the Government.

Mark Winchester, SBA’s Deputy District Director in Houston moderated a panel of community bankers: Nasr Khan – Wallis State Bank, Matt Curry – Texas Citizens Bank and Wendy Ghormley – Texas First Bank. The discussion underlined the effectiveness of working with a community bank for loans as it understands your needs better.

Moderator Jacqueline Taylor

quizzed Anthony Lopez from LiftFund, Paula Jeminson from American Red Cross and Mark Winchester from SBA on how best to prepare an organization to function through a disaster.

The NASA Technology Transfer program, Steven Gonzalez Associate Manager of the Strategic Partnership Office at the NASA/ JSC explained, enables small businesses around the country to access and leverage almost 1400 technologies and solutions that are being used in their space program.

President and CEO of the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce Steve Paterson offered a brief outline of the strate-

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

gic advantages and the “business friendly” atmosphere that League City has to set up shop.

Program Manager Bob Payne from SATOP offered a presentation of how NASA provides engineering expertise to small businesses faced with technical challenges while BayTech Solutions, Director Kim Morris explained, contracts with companies that would like JSC to test their product and iron out technical issues. Owner of T-Shirt Trends Poonam Tulsiani stated that she found the event very useful as it had many organizations that help small businesses like hers “all under one roof.”

10 May 11, 2018

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

SUGAR LAND: As the date for the pri-

mary runoff election on May 22 gets closer, more people from the South Asian community – especially the Indian segment – in the Fort Bend area have been rushing to hold meetings and fundraisers for Sri Preston Kulkarni, the Democratic contender for the District 22 Congressional district currently held by Republican Pete Olson. Kulkarni is locked into a Democratic Primary runoff against Letitia Plummer on May 22. Early voting runs from May 14 through May 18.

In the March 6 primary, Kulkarni garnered 31.81% of the vote (or 9,466 votes) to Plummer’s 24.3% (or 7,230 votes). The 22nd District includes Sugar Land, Richmond-Rosenberg, most of Ft. Bend County and even Manvel, Alvin, Pearland and parts of Friendswood.

The candidate was introduced by his campaign coordinator Karim Farishta, who

COMMUNITY

Supporters Meet Candidate Sri Kulkarni at Munday/Pal Fundraiser

Sri Preston Kulkarni, the democratic candidate in the upcoming May 22 Democratic primary runoff for the District 22 Congressional seat, is flanked by hosts (from left) Rick and Tanya Pal and Hardeepak and Preet Munday at a fundraiser in the Munday house on May 3.

made a passionate case for the democratic alternative for district 22 which has been represented for the past nine years by Republican Pete Olson who is seeking his sixth term.

Almost 50 people came together at the fundraiser organized by Rick Pal and Hardeepak Munday, held last Thursday, May 3 at the Munday house in the Sweetwater area. Munday and Pal both welcomed the

Alex Karjekar, a second generation Marathi-American who is running as a Democrat for State Rep from District 129, made a brief appearance.

guests to the event, in which almost $7,000 was raised for the campaign. There was a spirited discussion and Q&A session afterwards. Appetizers were catered by Bombay Brasserie, Kulkarni began with a poignant moment remembering his father Venkatesh who died of leukemia on this date 20 years ago. He recalled dropping out of school to help raise his younger siblings and the family still has many friends in the desi community who remember them and his time here.

He described the tough Alief neighborhood he grew up in and how he was bussed to Lamar High School in the upper-class River Oaks district where he was constantly reminded of the grim part of town his home was in. As a biracial child of an Indian father and an Anglo-American mother, Kulkarni recalled how he was taunted for looking different from the other kids.

Kulkarni went to the University of Texas to get his bachelor’s degree graduating with Plan II Honors, then earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. He worked in the Foreign Service and served as a policy and defense advisor to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

In response to this reporter’s question, Kulkarni said it was important for the desi community to finally have someone who understood their culture, values and the businesses which generate millions of dollars for the local economy.

He added that his campaign was based upon increasing civic engagement by going out to all communities and connecting with them to build a larger community spirit.

Even high school students have volunteered and his campaign has 93 youth volunteers.

As a result of his campaign, over 4,000 Asians voted in this past primary compared to only 338 in the previous mid-term elections.

Munday noted that the diversity in the district had made it decidedly more Blue and agreed that “the time had come for the district to have a changing of the guard to a dynamic, open-minded and unique individual like Kulkarni.”

Meanwhile, Meera Kapur, a Kulkarni supporter from Sugar Land, has been actively raising money and support for him.

She is impressed by his focus on bringing people together on giving people something to be for, not against, which swing voters yearned for in 2016. She quoted the favorable coverage in The New York Times, and endorsements by the Houston Chronicle and of various faith-based and community organizations, like AFL-CIO, Fort Bend Tejano Democrats, and the Muslim, Hindu and Chinese communities as well as moderate Republicans. “The Kulkarni campaign’s extensive field operation of over 500 volunteers could help flip this district and elect the first ever Asian American Member of Congress from Texas,” said Kapur.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

BAPS Charities Hosts Walk Green 2018 in Sugar Land

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SUGAR

LAND: Community members of all ages came out with their families to support the annual BAPS Charities Walk Green 2018 in Sugar Land, TX on Sunday, April 29, 2018 marks the third year that the annual BAPS Charities walkathon will benefit The Nature Conservancy and their effort to conserve the lands and waters on earth to sustain life for upcoming generations.

BAPS Charities will contribute $165,000, an equivalent of planting 130,000 trees, to The Nature

Conservancy to support their initiative to plant a billion trees globally by 2025. In addition to supporting this global effort, this year’s BAPS Charities walkathon also supported Stafford MSD Education Foundation, Behind the Badge Charities and Ford Bend Education Foundation. Each of these local organizations plays a crucial role in the community and helps support its important members.

Altogether, over 1500 participants attended the walk on

Sunday morning. “I came here to walk today with the notion of ‘let’s grow together’. BAPS Charities has made it possible by hosting this walk – where we walk together and unite as one, with one goal” said Anjlika Patel, 15, from Sugar Land. Anjlika has participated in the BAPS Charities Walk Green efforts ever since she was a young child with her family, first in Chicago and now here in Houston.

Congressman Pete Olson congratulated the volunteers of BAPS Charities for their tremendous efforts during Hurricane Harvey relief work and energized the walkers before kicking off the Walk.

BAPS Charities uses these opportunities to instill a spirit of service and commitment to preservation and environmental responsibility in community members.

Events such as this help instill consciousness in everyone surrounding their actions, and, in turn, help inspire global harmony with nature. Commenting on activities of BAPS Charities, Bernadette Leaney, one of the sponsors of the Walk, said, “What I witnessed today is truly remarkable. You are a worldwide organization with 50,000 volunteers. I love your mission statement which is; bettering one person, betters the family which betters the community, the world and our CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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EDUCATION

How to Find the Best Educational Summer Activities for Your Child

Just because school is out for the summer does not mean learning has to stop for your student.

As schools across the country prepare for

the long summer break, parents are looking for different ways to keep their children in learning mode. In order to avoid the lag that typically happens between the day schools closes its doors for the summer and reopens in the fall, parents can start looking for different educational summer activities that allow their children to keep their brains active. Over the summer months, Best in Class Education Center, a leading supplemental education franchise, suggests the following ways for parents to motivate and encourage learning in a rewarding and enjoyable way.

Build Vocabulary with a Summer Word Jar It’s important to build and improve your child’s vocabulary while they are away from school to make sure they are ready to go back to school in the fall. Fill a jar with pieces of paper that have a different vocabulary word on each one. Make some more challenging than others and place them in the jar. Each day, your child can pick a word out of the jar for them to learn and practice. Encourage your child to use the word throughout the week with their friends and family. We recommend at the end of the week doing a mini vocabulary exam to see how well your child is learning each word. Children love this because they look forward to picking a new word out of the jar each day.

Create a Summer Reading List Before school is out and your child is in summer mode, have them help you create a list of five to ten books that they would like to read over the summer. Set goals for how many books they can read and come up with prizes for each. For instance, completing one book wins a visit to the local museum, while three books wins a cooking class with a couple of friends. Choose activities and prizes that would create a memorable experience for your child while also being fun and educational.

Keep a Journal Have your child sit down for 10-15 minutes a day to journal about their thoughts and what they liked most about each day.

If your child doesn’t have a strong vocabulary, ask them to draw pictures about their daily experiences. Either way, it’s great to have them use their creativity to explain their experiences, and writing is a great way to boost their vocabulary and improve their handwriting as well.

Create a Summer Scrapbook Encourage your child to save postcards, tickets from museums, the zoo, shows, pictures and brochures from activities you did over the summer. They can use all the mementos they saved to make a scrapbook.

Children love crafts, and it’ll be a nice memory book down the line or a perfect

May 11, 2018 in learning and staying sharp over the summer while having fun. The summer program combines various areas of focus from math, English, health & nutrition, arts & crafts, science, social studies, games, drama & theatre and other various activities.

13

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show and tell item for when they are back at school.

Get Them Engaged in the Community No matter what age your child is, it’s important to get them involved and giving back to your local community. Encourage them to donate their time and expertise by volunteering to clean neighborhood parks or tutor kids in reading and math. Help them research local charities to find one to which they’d like to donate time or money towards.

Best in Class centers offer a variety of summer camp programs to engage children

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16 May 11, 2018 BAPS Charities Hosts Walk Green 2018 in Sugar Land CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 future”.

BAPS Charities aims to selflessly serve society through a variety of social projects and inspire tens of thousands of others to do the same. In addition to the 54 such annual walkathons hosted across North America this year, BAPS Charities hosts various programs to support and raise awareness for healthy living, environmental sustainability and educational initiatives around the world.

About BAPS Charities BAPS Charities is a global charity active in nine countries across five continents. Volunteers drive its efforts, dedicating a portion of their lives in selfless service of

others, both in their local neighborhoods as well as globally.

Working in five key areas, BAPS Charities aims to express a spirit of selfless service through Health Awareness, Educational Services, Humanitarian Relief, Environmental Protection & Preservation and Community Empowerment.

From organizing Walkathons that raise funds for local and global needs, to supporting humanitarian relief in times of urgent need; from hosting community health fairs to sustaining hospitals and schools in developing countries, BAPS Charities provides an opportunity for individuals wishing to serve locally and globally.

COMMUNITY

A Time to Feel Shame – The Rape and Murder of Asifa

BY LAKSHMY

PARAMESHWARAN

HOUSTON: The rape and mur-

der in January of Asifa, an eightyear old Indian girl, by several men in Jammu and Kashmir belies horror and disbelief. Asifa belonged to a nomadic Muslim community and the rapists and murderers were from the local Hindu community that disliked the nomads. The men conspired to kidnap, drug, rape and ultimately murder Asifa, the girl herding horses. The reasons for this atrocity are many but none justifies why a child should pay, with her life, for problems facing adults. When it comes to human value, women and girls are assigned to the bottom in many countries including the countries that I call home – America and India.

India, a country of 1.3 billion, does not report a higher number of rapes per capita compared to less-populated countries indicating the country’s neglect of women’s rights. The uproar against the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman in a Delhi bus and the random selection of Asifa as a rape target are examples of the people’s frustration over the devaluation of women. Their anger is exacerbated

by the absence of unanimous condemnation by Indian leaders.

In America, the sordid history of sexual exploitation of American women revealed itself in 2017 with the #MeToo movement, a movement that galvanized the voices of thousands of sexual assault survivors like never before.

Following the sexual assault allegations against Hollywood celebrity Harvey Weinstein, thousands of American women revealed the pain of sexual victimization by their bosses, colleagues and partners.

Following the pivotal #MeToo movement came the revelation about the sexual abuse and molestation of hundreds of female gymnasts, including Olymic medalists, by Larry Nassar, former USA Gymnastics team physician.

Initial complaints about Nassar and Weinstein date back decades.

It is only in 2018 that Nassar was sentenced and Weinstein was expunged. The length of time it took

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

to bring justice shows silence and secrecy at work, protecting the perpetrators.

In modern India where the chasm between different factions – Hindus and Muslims and the rising middle-class and stagnant poor – is widening, Asifa’s fate is indicative of the fragile status of Indian females whose rights – including their right to life – are tentative and situational.

Violence against women is the most pervasive violation of human rights in the world today. Only the activism by individuals and organizations has resulted in the Indian government considering tougher punishments for perpetrators. In America, hordes of high profile predators were purged mercilessly, thanks to the power of courageous voices. These advances, however encouraging, do not erase the broader societal attitude that enabled a group of men to lure an unsuspecting girl and put a treacherous end to her life. The fitting tribute to Asifa would be our tears and our heads hung in shame.

Lakshmy Parameswaran is a founder and board member of Daya Inc., serving South Asian survivors of family violence and sexual assault in Houston since 1996. She is a licensed counselor specializing in women’s issues.

May 11, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

17

18 May 11, 2018

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

Equality First

By denying chief ministers

of Uttar Pradesh the right to retain their official accommodation after their tenure, the Supreme Court has performed its most important function — speaking up for citizens and their fundamental right to equality.

While striking down a provision of the Uttar Pradesh (Salaries, Allowance and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1981, the bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi explicitly separated the person from the office, and observed that after relinquishing office chief ministers were aam aadmi or common citizens, the same as everyone else. To grant special property rights to them for the natural span of their lives would amount to creating a separate class of citizens.

For several years, citizens more equal than the rest have been a matter of concern for citizens thereby rendered less equal. This special class has been marked out by security details, made necessary by the scourge of terrorism. But necessity became ostentation, with the category of security being worn like an ornament.

Security cannot be dispensed with, but the red beacons which accompany the well-secured became a sticking point.

Increasing volumes of traffic have already been turning the right to use roads into a privilege, and being sidelined or stopped by convoys with beacons came to be seen as a total suspension of the right to free movement — a supersession of citizens’ rights.

Captain Amarinder Singh responded in Punjab by relinquishing his own beacon and reducing his security detail. The Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, too, did away with the practice, and the central government followed suit. Another major reminder of inequality remains — the list of security exceptions at airports, of people who do not have to go through preembarkation checks. Most of them hold constitutional posts, but the head of “SPG protectees” is disturbingly capacious.

The Supreme Court ruling will presumably have implications for other states which allow former chief ministers to retain government accommodation. It suggests that public goods and preferments may be enjoyed while in office, but cannot be regarded as an earned privilege for a lifetime.

The present judgement refers to property rights, but the principle may be extended to ensure that not only the trappings of office, but also its aura, do not linger beyond the tenure served, and do not confer continuing preferment. In effect, the Supreme Court has indicated that the equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution must trump all other concerns, and that the assumption of constitutional or political office is a temporary elevation not a lifelong entitlement.

-Times of India

BY RUMY AGARWAL

On Being Indian

I am an Indian. Period. A few years

back, I would have reflexly added “and proud to be one.” Now I am not so sure.

Way back when I was a schoolgirl, I knew exactly what it meant to be Indian. It meant: Unity in diversity:- Every class had an assortment of students from every community and State, but not once did we ever feel different from each other in any way on the basis of caste, creed or community. We shared lunch……kebabs from Tasneem’s box, dhoklas from Jyoti Shah’s, idlis from Amrita Shetty’s, and cakes baked by Catherine’s Mom…..get the drift ?

Whereas today? Numerous divisive forces have been set in motion by the powers-that-be because it serves their vested political interests to “divide and rule”, as it were. So not only are the Hindus and Muslims baying for each others’ blood, but the various Hindu communities too stand divided, claws out, amongst each other. Should I still be proud to be an Indian?

Love for our country and countrymen:- To be honest, my parents and my school teachers spoke about our country so lovingly and proudly that I just fell in love with it. No, they did not go overboard or anything, they just factually narrated the glorious history, described the awesome geography of the country and told the tales of the valour and patriotism of our freedom fighters and of our leaders. Period. Do our so-called leaders of today merit our love and adoration? Think about it.

Anyway, like I said, back in those days, we knew what it meant to be Indian. But in today’s context, it seems that the Internet-addicted wired generation knows that to ” love India and be proud to be Indian” simply means splashing the social media with “I love India, India is the greatest and proud to be Indian” posts whenever Republic Day or Independence Day is around the corner. Well, the youngsters aren’t really to be blamed, because what they see around them does not really give them much cause to feel overwhelming love and pride for their country. See, everybody

“I wish I could still allow myself the pleasure of taking pride in just being born here.” with a computer and an internet connection is an activist now, protesting something or the other. But that’s about all they do. Again, they are not to be blamed all the way. Because things move, if at all, so sluggishly that the protestors lose both hope and patience and move on with their lives.

In their own way, I guess they too have patriotic feelings……

Why I am not proud to be an Indian.

Because women are an endangered species.

I know it doesn’t sound good but I am not really proud to be a part of this country anymore. Hey, don’t get me wrong; it’s not that I am not patriotic–I truly am.

But how can I feel any pride in saying I am an Indian when this is a place where a woman needs to live in perpetual fear of murder, rape, humiliation?

Is a female nothing more than her genitalia? If not, why can’t she move around in her own country with her “head held high and mind without fear “? Why does she always have to look over her shoulder every time she is outside the safe confines of her own home? Why can’t our country provide her the safety she is entitled to? Why is everyday life a battle for any woman?

To be honest, things were never so bad when I was growing up. Women, in general, were safe. What happened along the way?

Because we are being chopped into parts in the name of caste.

We have the caste system, which IS a shameful divisional system per se.

Period. But our leaders have greedily exploited this system to enhance

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their own political ambitions and are gleefully watching the “fun” while various sects and sub-sects are fighting each other ignominiously.

Corruption is no longer a crime, it’s a way of life.

Corruption is a hydra-headed monster that has permeated into every part of the social fabric—weakening the body politic and jeopardising prospects for economic growth.

Instead of standing united we are fighting to be divided.

We are a country consisting of 29 states, each one of them having individuality and identity and a separate culture. We have diverse cultures, more languages than most continents do and more art forms than anybody else. We are a cocktail of so many flavours and types, heady but not hard. We are part of such a colourful and vibrant canvas that is our country, yet we are fighting for separate identities, each state hankering to be independent and unanswerable to the central government.

One-third of our population lives under the poverty line and yet we are proud about our booming economy.

Child sexual harassment is rampant and female foeticide is high. Our deforestation rates are worrying, our health system is a farce, our education system is a punishment for both parents and students, we don’t win patents, we don’t own copyrights. Wait, there’s more. We have a population problem that can’t be tackled because some religious leaders don’t like the idea. We have people dying of starvation while being the most promising market for luxury cars and high-end fashion. We have an income disparity that is unbelievable and alarming.

Out crime rate is cringe-worthy and best left undiscussed.

But all said and done, and I can speak only for myself, I still do love my country. Moreover, I still take pride in the numerous good things that my country has to offer and accept my share of the blame for the things that are wrong with this place.

I wish I could still allow myself the pleasure of taking pride in just being born here. Even though it was just pure luck. Maybe someday in a distant but roseate future, I will. After all, hope springs eternal……and all that.

-Times of India

COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

19

“Bollywood and Beyond” Thrills with Kavita, Dr. LS and Talented Local Artists

HOUSTON: An outstanding per-

formance, titled “Bollywood and Beyond”, was staged on Friday, April 27 as part of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival presented by Symphony’s Unlimited of Houston.

The evening started on time by a short welcome address by Dr. Kas Rangan. The Chief Guest, Deputy Consul General Surendra Adhana lighted the lamp and briefly addressed the audience. He reminisced how he had enjoyed listening to Padamashri Kavita Krishnamurthy’s songs when he was growing up and how excited he was in anticipation to hear her sing in a live performance.

The evening opened with Dr. Rangan and Raj Vishwakarma both of Symphony’s Unlimited singing Rafi Saheb’s songs and was well received by the audience. Deputy CG Adhana even remarked at the time of leaving that he wasn’t aware about such talented artists in Houston.

Subramania band, led by Bindu and Ambi Subramaniam, followed with three songs “Days in the Sun” and “Let there be” accompanied by Grammy award winner Ernie Watts on saxophone, and Tillana composition by their father. Subramania received thunderous applause and cheers.

Kavitaji walked on the stage next and owned it the moment she set foot on it. She brought the Bollywood angle on it. She thrilled the audience with her multiplatinum hits and a

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riveting tribute to Sridevi. Everyone enjoyed the tit bits about the recording of her songs and enjoyed her singing R.D. Burman’s Song “Dil Ne Kaha” and others hits like “Bole Chudiyaan” and “Hava Hawaii”.

Dr. L. Subramaniam took to the stage with his super hits “Spanish Wave” and “Conversation”. Playing the violin as only he can, he touched everyone’s heartstrings.

Dr. Subramaniam showcased every musician on stage, seamlessly incorporating everyone’s pieces in his performances. The Melody section comprised of well-known artists in their fields such as Jon Webber (piano/keyboard), Vasanth Vaseegaran (keyboard) and ever-entertaining Ritt Henn on base guitar. The musical conversations between LSji’s violin, Mahesh Krishnamurthy’s mridangam), Suryaksha Deshpande’s tabla, and Meher Chanti’s drums

were exciting. Darshak Thakkar (Krishna Sounds) did a very good job in maintaining a very good sound through out the performances.

A delightful surprise to the evening was Mahathi (granddaughter of LSji and Kavitaji) with her cute little presence and performance of Surangani along with her grandparents, stole everyone’s heart For the grand finale, all the artists, including Mahathi, were on stage and it was a grand finale. All to all it was a well-put together tight program with no lengthy speeches or interruptions.

The performances were outstanding and the audience left the auditorium wanting more. Get Ready Houston Symphony’s Unlimited will bring them back in 2019 for yet another mesmerizing show with other internationally acclaimed artists to make the Lakshminarayan Global Festival an even bigger success.

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20 May 11, 2018

COMMUNITY

Few Indian Universities in Global Ranking Prompts New Learning Model

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

SUGAR LAND: It wasn’t until he

joined UCLA Berkley in 2006 and “took a deep dive into education” that he saw how multi-disciplinary universities functioned that he realized what his own education had been missing. As an administrator, he raised money, strengthened relations with communities, student bodies, US corporations and even Indian universities. And in the process, he understood how the faculties at large US universities were committed to research and excellence.

And that realization surprised Shailendra “Shail” Kumar because he was a graduate of the Indian Institutes of Technology’s Kharagpur campus, one of 23 IITs that stretch across India. These famed IITs are reputed the globe over for the caliber of their graduates who have no trouble finding work anywhere in the world.

Many of them have catapulted to the helm of major multi-national corporations like Microsoft, McKinsey and Google. And IITians (as they like to call themselves) proudly refer to the segment in CBS’ 60 Minutes television program aired in 2012 which admiringly featured the IITs. Kumar graduated from IIT-Karagpur in 1987 and later came to Indiana University in Bloomington to get an MBA. He moved to Silicon Valley in

At the April IITAGH meeting, from left, Jiten Agarwal, Surajit Dasgupta, Abhijit Gadgil, Malik Putcha, featured speaker Shailendra Kumar, Pradeep Anand, Partha Chatterjee and Tapan ‘TK’ Das.

1991 to work at FMC and Applied Materials, then later in 2002 to begin a start up in Houston, selling it after three years and move back to California. All along, he was very involved in the IIT alumni across the US, raising money and volunteering to help improve his alma mater. Kumar even helped set up the Pan-IIT Conference held in Houston in 2013.

“What I came to understand is that it was all rote learning at the IITs, like in most other Indian universities,” Kumar said in an interview in Houston in late April. “But the commitment to research that was applied to make an

impact was missing. I saw this disconnect and that it was a very different, narrow-focused ‘silo’ mindset from US universities.”

He saw that US higher education was more integrated and multi-disciplinary. “It was a real gap!” he exclaimed. “There is tremendous value in the multi-disciplinary model as undergraduates are exposed to different subjects in the first two years, have the best faculties and student learning is greatly benefitted. And graduate students can tap into many faculties.”

With his training in research, Ku-

DIVORCE

mar delved into the workings of university systems and to his surprise discovered that 500 top World University Rankings, 135 were in the US, 45 in China, 12 in South Korea, 2 in Singapore and only one in India (the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore).

He saw this as a significant gap, given that South Korea was an impoverished country only 6 decades ago. And out of this research, Kumar wrote a book entitled Building Golden India in which he expounds on a Nalanda 2.0 project, referring to Nalanda, the 1,400 year old ancient

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

center of higher learning in India.

The book analyses the problem and presents case studies and solutions.

He worked full-time on the book for 18 months, and self-published it to escalate the problem and bring awareness to others.

Kumar’s Nalanda 2.0 project has a 501 c (3) non-profit status and he has a goal to raise $1 to $1.2 million to develop a master plan by next March for a private multi-disciplinary University of the Future in India. He already has a board of directors and an advisory council composed of many prominent titans of industry and education and his book has been presented to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He wants to start raising investment capital to build in two years.

Kumar was in town to expand on his book and his ideas at the monthly meeting of the local chapter of the IIT alumni at the Madras Pavilion on April 25 and a roomful of IITians came, many prepared with probing questions. Using Powerpoint slides, Kumar expanded on the ways that three ways that his ideas could have an impact and instead on focusing on state of Central government policy changes, he envisions a private university. A spirited question and answer session ensued, but slowly, the depth of his own realization started to permeate in the minds of his fellow IITians.

COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

21

HMM Presentation “Marathi Astitwa” Thrills Music Lovers

Famous Indian Astrologer Sri Lakshmi Mata Astrologer Center

HOUSTON: On Sunday, April

29, Houston Maharashtra Mandal (HMM), fondly known as He Maze Mandal, presented another quality program, Marathi Astitwa, in collaboration with the Graduate Indian Student Organization (GISO) at the University of Houston Student Center. Marathi Astitwa, is a production of Grace Entertainment. HMM Dhol-Tasha team added live music to the program that held the audience spell-bound for over two hours. Here is a review by Dan Mayur.

Marathi Astitwa Tracing the Evolution of Marathi Culture and Language through a Mind-expanding, Audio-Visual Bonanza.

Recent years have seen a plethora of Indian cultural programs in the US. There is a beeline of renowned professional artists from India pursuing the lucrative American market fueled by moneyed NRI’s. Most of these programs follow set formulas of Hindustani classical music or Bollywood-style popular entertainment.

So it is a special happening when a group of talented artists of our own, local amateurs all, presents an exceptional program, especially one that is conceptualized in a unique way. The musical “Marathi Astitwa” is such an offering. It has received rave reviews and captured many hearts in its recent triumphant tour of the US. Produced and directed by our beloved, artistic couple, Manasi and Shreyas Bedekar, with music by the very versatile Satyajit Prabhu of SaRe-Ga-Ma-fame in India, Marathi Astitwa is a feast with a delightful smorgasbord of exquisite narratives and evocative Folksongs, Bhajans, and Santwani by several accomplished artists drawn from various parts of the US. But the show is not mere entertainment. It is a performance for a purpose delivered with great passion. It is about Marathi Asmita. Marathi Vaibhav. Marathi

Theva to be passed on with pride to the next generation.

Marathi Astitwa is a celebration of Maharashtrian culture. And above all, it is about the preservation of the unparalleled beauty of the Marathi Language. A language is beautiful only when it is pure and properly spoken. Social scientists say that language, as the primary means of interaction, is the single most powerful bond that holds a community together and helps define its culture.

And culture means social mores and traditions, festivals, food, literature, arts, a shared history and communication. That is why a common language is central to the preservation of culture. Today, in the fast-paced, globalized, multi-cultural world, the Marathi language and the traditional Maharashtrian culture are under attack. They are, of course, evolving with time but are often in danger of losing their essence. Like Bollywood Hinglish, Manglish (an awkward mix of Marathi and English) is vitiating the Marathi language through such fashionable nonsense like, “Aaga, these days kinai, Marathi words remember karayla khoop difficult jaate.” And the same is true with ageold Maharashtrian values in today’s pseudo Westernized world.

Fortunately, Manasi does not speak Manglish. Dressed in elegant traditional Maharashtrian garb, comely and personable Manasi, who conceived, wrote, and directed the show and narrates it, is very eloquent in her delivery in impeccable Marathi and her delightful diction. Her performance is totally mesmerizing as she leads the audience through the evolution of Marathi culture and language from Dnyaneshwari to the vision of Shivaji Maharaj to the modern times through a mosaic of adored Maharashtrian deities, artists, writers and politicians together with respected luminaries like Lokmanya Tilak and Phule and Karve and Pt. Bhimsen

Joshi and Pu. La. Deshpande and Lata Mangeshkar among so many others.

The preservation of the very rich cultural heritage left by this galaxy of stars is the primary goal of Marathi Astitwa.

Astitwa is an abstract concept that refers to being or existence or presence. Manasi handles it in a novel way by personifying it into herself as a metaphor for Marathi Culture, the Language and the Land, all combined as she takes us through an exhilarating musical ride into the Warkari and Koli and Shetkari lives, the importance of Ganapati in the Marathi psyche followed by the ascent of Natyasangeet and Marathi Films. Indeed, this is an invaluable cultural treasure. However, like many lost civilizations of the past, it is in decline and may be lost irretrievably unless specific, deliberate measures are taken to safeguard it. To this end, the show challenges the current generation, indeed all of us, to do

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COMMUNITY

May 11, 2018

Bharathi Kalai Manram Helps Fight Blindness in India

From left: Sanjeev Kumar (violinist), Thiru Arumugam, (past BKM President) Mani Vaitheeswaran (BKM President), Sikkil Gurucharan, Leela Krishnamurthy (President SN OM Trust), Rajan Radhakrishnan, (Madras Pavillion), and Ashok Vasan (Managing Director of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai India).

PEARLAND: On April 15, lead-

ing musician Sikkil Gurucharan and his accompanying artists treated music lovers to a wonderful performance at the Sri Meenakshi Temple, Pearland.

The concert was organized by Bharathi Kalai Manram, Houston as a fundraiser event for Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. It was a tribute to Kanchi Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi who passed away recently and was instrumental in Sankara Nethralaya being established by Dr. S. S. Badrinath in 1978, now a premier Ophthalmology hospital in Chennai, India.

One of the young performing musicians of Carnatic music to-

day, Sikkil made good use of his vocal prowess and raga aesthetics to render soulful kritis and sangatis accompanied by Sanjeev Kumar (violin) and R. Shankaranarayanan (Mridangam). His song choices were impressive for Houston music lovers. He started with a varnam

by Sri Papanasam Sivan followed by several Tamil songs including Bharathiyar’s ‘Veenaiyadi Nee Ennakku’ and Yaro Ivar Yaro - a powerful theme song describing the importance of eyes. The concert was very well received by Houston Carnatic music lovers. A complimentary delicious dinner was provided by Rajan Radhakrishnan of Madras Pavillion. It was indeed a blissful evening enjoyed

by BKM members and guests.

About Sankara Nethralaya: Sankara Nethralaya ‘a major hospitals are located in Chennai, Kolkata, Thirupathi, and Sri City with plans underway for Thane ( Maharashtra) and Surat (Gujarat). MESU the mobile eye surgical unit an “operation theatre on wheels “consists of 2 vans one equipped to screen patients and the other to perform surgeries. Eyeglasses are also prepared on site and distributed. More than 10,000 surgeries have been performed.

Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust a 501 C3 organization is the brainchild of SV Acharya and formed in 1987 to raise funds in North America for Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. More than 10,000 surgeries have been performed in a year with the funds raised .

The trust has chapters in Washington D C, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.

For further information contact: Leela Krishnamurthy, President Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust at 281-494-9768; SV Acharya, President Emeritus Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust at 855-463-1690; Jay Malhotra, Trustee at 713-962-5555; Ashok Vasan, Managing Director Sankara Nethralaya Chennai & Trustee at 281-265 -7745.

23

HMM Presentation “Marathi Astitwa”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 our part in creating a cultural awareness and instilling its pride among the Marathi speaking families in the US. At the very minimum, we must respect the Marathi language, use it when appropriate and try to speak it in its pure, proper form. It goes without saying that Marathi organizations like HMM and BMM, whose avowed mission is to preserve Marathi culture, must insist on conducting all their business in Marathi.

Judging from the enthusiastic response, it was eminently clear that the audience loved this outstanding show with a great theme, superb music and brilliant artists. Viju Bhadkamkar with her trademark fluency in her opening remarks and the recital of a very apt Vasant Bapat poem set the stage for the program to follow. The singers Akshay Anavakar from New Jersey, Vibhuti Kavishwar from Seattle and Shreyas Bedekar supported by a very able team of musicians and

behind-the-scene technical experts gave a great account of themselves and came through with flying colors. But Manasi stole the show with her inspiring message in a narration that was music itself - profound, poetic and mellifluous. And she was humorous, particularly when she mimicked vernacular Marathi from various parts of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Khandesh and Kolhapur. In her a new star has risen on the horizon of the Houston entertainment scene. Standing ovation by the audience testified that the show achieved its goal through its unique blend of art, animation, audiovisual effects, music and message.

Marathi Astitwa and its entire team is worthy of a huge applause and support from not just connoisseurs of great music but, indeed, from all lovers of Maharashtra and Marathi culture.

For advertising contact: 713-789-6397

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

24 May 11, 2018

COMMUNITY

Celebration of the Indo-American Heritage Set for May 12

(FIS-HPL PROJECT TEAM (from left)) : FIS Directors Raghavender Nednur, Hiren Sharma, Chairman Krishna Vavilala; HPL Members: Abrego Carmen, Project Lead and Manager, Jennifer Schwartz, Ana Frade, Allen Westrick, and Dominick Spinelli of HPL. Photo: Krishna Marepalli

HOUSTON: For the second time in

three years, Houston Public Library (HPL) and Foundation for India Studies have once again joined hands to put spotlight on the Indo-Americans and celebrate their Indian heritage.

The FIS-HPL Project Team met at Jungman Library onApril 30, to work out the details of the event. This year’s celebration will take place in the Jungman Neighborhood library located at 5830 Westheimer,Tx. 77057.

The program will start at 12 noon and

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end at 4.00PM. The Key Note speaker will be NASA astronaut of Indian origin, Sunita Williams and the Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray will offer remarks on India’s heritage, followed by a short Q&A session.

Cultural segment of the program will be provided by students of Laasya School of Dance and Music, and Bharatha Darshana School of Indian Classical Dance and music.

Nirmanz Food Boutique of Sugar Land will provide complimentary refreshments.

A fun Quiz will test participant’s knowledge about India and its heritage. Recitation and explanation of VEDAs is a new item added this year. Event admission is Free. Limited free parking at the venue is available for early birds on a first come first served basis. For further information, please call Krishna Vavilala 713-795-5169.

Walmart Buys Flipkart for $16 billion in Biggest Ever E-commerce Deal, Sachin Bansal Resigns After months of speculation fol-

lowed by a seemingly early announcement by Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, US retail behemoth Walmart has formally announced that it is buying home-grown e-retailer Flipkart. The $16 billion acquisition, the biggest ever in the e-commerce world -- will see Walmart acquiring a controlling 77 per cent stake in Flipkart with co-founder Sachin Bansal formally exiting the company. The deal values the 11-year old Indian e-commerce firm at $20.8 billion, provided it gets regulatory approval, something that is expected to happen later this year.

The deal that’s being said to be impending since September 2016 is a fresh attempt by the Bentonville company to take on Amazon, in one of the biggest emerging markets in the world. Walmart was initially planning to pick a minority stake in Flipkart, however earlier this year, the talks pivoted to acquiring a larger share.

And with the formal announcement on Wednesday, it’s clear, Walmart owns Flipkart now.

While Walmart will own 77 per cent stake in Flipkart, the remainder of the business will be held by some of Flipkart’s existing shareholders, including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal.

Tencent and Tiger Global will also keep their seats on the Flipkart board.

“The final make-up of the board has yet to be determined, but it will

also include independent members,” Walmart said in a statement. “The board will work to maintain Flipkart’s core values and entrepreneurial spirit, while ensuring it has strategic and competitive advantages.”

Now that Walmart owns Flipkart, the next obvious question would be, what happens to Flipkart now?

The official word from Walmart is, Flipkart will continue to stay as a distinctive brand which means ideally it would continue to do its own thing.

Although it’s pretty clear that e-retail in India won’t be the same again. It’s going to be all the more competitive -- Walmart/Flipkart Vs Amazon -and in the aftermath, hopefully, both Walmart and Flipkart will be able to benefit from this. Mutually. Walmart says, going forward, it may transform Flipkart into a publicly-listed, majority-owned subsidiary.

Walmartisn’tnewtoIndia.Walmart, that happens to be the world’s big-

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

gest retailer in terms of revenue, has been trying to make breakthroughs in India for a long time now, but has been largely confined to a ‘cash-andcarry’ wholesale business even as the country is rapidly jumping on-board the online retail bandwagon. India’s tough restrictions on foreign investment have a lot to with it. In its fresh attempt to crack this market, Walmart is now embracing the future. Flipkart commands a 40 per cent share of the online retail market, ahead of Amazon, and a controlling stake in it will give Walmart a competitive edge in the days to come.

“India is one of the most attractive retail markets in the world, given its size and growth rate, and our investment is an opportunity to partner with the company that is leading transformation of e-commerce in the market,” Doug McMillon, Walmart’s president and chief executive officer said in a statement. “As a company, we are transforming globally to meet and exceed the needs of customers and we look forward to working with Flipkart to grow in this critical market. Our investment will benefit India providing quality, affordable goods for customers, while creating new skilled jobs and fresh opportunities for small suppliers, farmers and women entrepreneurs.”

-indiatoday.in

HEALTH

May 11, 2018

Happy, Healthy—and Single Living single is the new happily ever after

BY BELLA DEPAULO, PHD

Single life was once considered

an imperfect life. Thankfully, that’s changing, as more and more people embrace this life choice.

I’m 63 and I’ve been single my whole life. I love living single. Single life is not something I’m stuck with.

It is something I choose. It is my Plan A. When I was younger and watching so many of my friends and family couple up and get married, while I had no interest whatsoever in doing the same, I thought I was just slow.

I figured that wanting to get married was like getting bitten by a bug, and I just hadn’t gotten bitten yet.

Single by choice Eventually I realized that I was never going to get bitten, that “single” was who I was and who I always would be. Once that happened, everything else fell into place. In my personal life, I committed to the path that always felt right to me. I would live single—fully, joyfully, and unapologetically. My professional life took on a new focus and intensity.

From that point on, I pursued my passion—researching and writing and speaking out about single life as a life well lived.

I said that I loved living single,

but that wasn’t entirely true. Some people assumed that because I was single, I had no life, and therefore I could come in to work at the times no one else wanted. Some of my coupled friends went to dinners and movies with other couples on the weekends, while I was relegated to weekday lunches and children’s birthday parties. People I met for the first time, upon learning that I was single, sometimes offered to fix me up. But I never thought of myself as broken.

I wondered whether other single people had similar experiences, so I began asking them. The first time I did this, at a social event, I walked up to a woman I knew to be single, and asked whether she ever felt that she was viewed or treated differently because she was single. Did she ever!

She regaled me with her stories.

Other people joined us, and shared their stories. This went on for quite some time. The next morning, I had email messages from several of the people at the event, who thought of still other experiences they wanted to mention.

At another social gathering soon afterward, I did the same thing, and the whole sequence unfolded the same way again.

Clearly, I was touching a nerve.

Too many people saw those of us who are single as living a life that was second rate. I knew why they thought we deserved pity, rather than praise for living a good life. That’s what they had been hearing in the media and in their everyday lives.

According to the conventional wisdom, just about everyone wants to marry. What’s more, science has supposedly shown that people who get married become happier, healthier, more connected to other people, and better off in other ways, too.

What the research actually says I’m a social scientist, so instead of accepting what I was hearing at face value, I read the original research reports in the scientific journals. I was

stunned at what I found. Claims about the transformative power of marriage were often greatly exaggerated or just plain wrong.

Married = happier?

Take, for example, the claim that getting married makes people happier. The best studies follow people over the course of their adult lives to see whether people who get married become happier or more satisfied with their lives or with their relationships than they were when they were single. A review of 18 studies found that, most often, the answer was no.

At best, newlyweds experience a brief “honeymoon effect”: when they first marry, they feel a bit more satisfied with their lives. But then they go back to feeling as satisfied or dissatisfied as they were when they were single.

Married = healthier?

Marriage does not seem to make people healthier, either. In a 16-year study, more than 11,000 Swiss adults were asked every year about their overall health and their illnesses.

People who married did not report any fewer illnesses than when they were single. They experienced slightly worse overall health when they first married, and over the course of their marriages, their health slipped a bit more.

Married = more connected?

Another claim about single people is that they are isolated and alone.

If only they would marry, the story goes, they would be more connected with other people. Those beliefs are exactly wrong.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

25

Compared to married people, single people are more likely to stay in touch with their friends, relatives, and neighbours, and to exchange help with them. When couples move in together or get married, they become more insular: they have less contact with their parents and spend less time with their friends than they had before.

Changing attitudes Single people are a diverse lot. They include people like me who fully embrace single life, those who are happily single but open to a romantic relationship if it meets their high standards, and others who really do want to be coupled.

Research has shown that people who are unafraid of being single do better than those who worry about living single. They are more openminded, less neurotic, less fearful of rejection, and less likely to get their feelings hurt. They are also less likely to feel lonely or depressed.

In Canada and around the world, millions of people are unmarried.

What it means to live single varies enormously from one person to another. For me, it means spending long stretches of time reading and writing, walking along the bluffs of the Pacific Ocean, frequenting farmers’ markets, and getting together with friends. For others, it is different. Increasingly, though, what it does not mean is sulking about leading an imperfect life.

Modern sensibilities are changing.

We’ve come a long way. We are all finding our own ways of living happily ever after.

-alive.com

26 May 11, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

May 11, 2018

Happy Mother’s Day A Mother’s Day Story of Hope

BY HOLLEY GERTH

I’d like to tell you a Mother’s Day

story.

It starts with a wedding, a boy and a girl standing at the altar. They said “I do” and it seemed so simple. Years later when they thought about having children they said “we will” and thought it would be the same. Only it wasn’t. Instead of picking out pink or blue onesies they stared month after month at single pink lines on pregnancy tests.

There were tears and prayers, moments of anger and frustration, loss and a little one that slipped to heaven before even a “hello” on earth. They wondered what family would look like for them, if maybe they had done something wrong or had been disqualified.

Then one night she watched a special on television about foster kids who age out of the system, who are told at eighteen, “have a nice life.”

And she wondered who would cheer for them at their college graduation, walk them down the aisle, rock their babies, who they would call when they lost a job or just had a bad day.

Blessing for Mom

BY SHAWNA

B

eing a mom is like no other job in the world, and her job is never done. Unlike a typical 8-to-5 job, motherhood is a “career” often motivated by pure, unwavering love. While she’s responsible for so much, often it may feel as if she goes unappreciated, or at least under-appreciated.

Let’s reach out to all the moms in our lives to remind them how loved and appreciated they are, and let’s honor and celebrate them with this blessing.

“That’s not okay,” she said, “Not okay at all.”

In the meantime, God showed her that she didn’t have to be a physical mother to still be a Mama. In Genesis Eve is called “the mother of all living.” All women are mothers, she discovered, because all women bring life into the world in some way. So she birthed books and her friends threw her a book shower. She got to mother women all over the world with her words. She started to heal but there was still a place deep inside saved for someone. She prayed for her child who was out there somewhere without knowing a name or face.

Years went by and she was invited to a banquet at Saving Grace, a place for girls who age out of the foster system or would otherwise be homeless. She met a twenty-yearold young woman that night and she knew almost right away, “This is my daughter.” Her husband agreed. It took time. There were lunches and conversations and hugs and misunderstandings and prayers and they did the awkward dance of becoming family until they knew it by heart.

One day that girl, Lovelle, moved into their guest bedroom. Took their last name. Called them “Mom and Dad.” Later Lovelle met a boy and her

Dad walked her down the aisle in a white dress. She and the groom said “I do” too.

More time passed and last fall Lovelle called, emotion in her voice.

“Mom, I’m pregnant,” she said. And I almost dropped the phone because this Mother’s Day story is mine.

I’m going to be a Grandma. Just last week I sat next to my daughter in another banquet for Saving Grace. I leaned over and placed my hand on her beautiful belly. And I felt a flutter, my granddaughter saying “hello” for the first time.

My eyes filled with tears. I thought of Mark and I on our wedding day, all those pink lines, meeting Lovelle, becoming a family, her wedding day too and the moment I knew that we would be grandparents. Then I imagined what years from now may hold as I hold that little girl—story times and bubble baths and trips to the zoo to see long-necked giraffes. Oh, there is so much yet to be.

If you are hurting this Mother’s Day I want you to know I’ve been there. I wish I could wrap an arm around your shoulder, take you out for coffee, listen long and hard. This is what I know for sure—there is hope and your story is not over yet. It may not look like what you imagined but it will be good because the One writing it is.

Dear God, “Thank you for your endless provisions of grace and mercy. We come to you today to lift up every woman who answers to the name of “mom.”

We ask that you supply each one with the strength they need for those difficult days. Give them wisdom to know when to encourage and when to correct their children. Supply them with an extra dose of patience.

Remind them that children are a heritage and a reward from You, and shower them with special moments they can cherish. Lord, we also ask that you draw them close to you daily. Remind them of their worth in Your eyes - that they, too, are cherished children of a loving

Father. We pray for contentment in this very special calling. May every mom realize that this is a mission from You, one that brings truly great rewards in the end.”

She’s the one who knows you deeply and loves you dearly, all the while instilling the importance of faith in God and a love for others. She takes her role seriously, praying for you, guiding you and serving you as a beautiful reflection of God’s unfailing love.

It’s time to let her know she has made a difference in your life.

Show her how much you truly appreciate her thoughtfulness, kindness, generosity and love.

-dayspring.com

If you are celebrating this Mother’s Day then I am joining in with you. As a daughter, a Mama, a Grandma, a woman who has come to understand what extravagant grace looks like. I will wrap my arms around my family today and I will place my hand on that beautiful belly again. I will be grateful, so grateful, that nothing turned out the way I planned.

Proper stories seem to close with “The End” but that doesn’t seem quite right at this moment. Because this feels like it’s still only the beginning. There is so much more to come. I can’t wait to meet you, Little One. Happy Mother’s Day to you, to me, to all of us, because we are all mothers in some way today. And we are all part of the great story of

Perfect Gifts for your Mom this Mother’s Day For the Mother With Classic Taste 1. Cartier reintroduces the Juste un Clou collction, originally designed

by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier in the 1970s.

2. Stella McCartney Printed Python Shopper, $330, available at StellaMcCartney.com.

3. The Dior VIII watch features a stunning ring of diamonds on its face, offering just enough bling for day.

4. This clever see-through Louis Vuitton bag makes finding those keys a little bit easier. Louis Vuitton Transparent Lock-it, $3,450, available at

select Louis Vuitton boutiques.

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6. Olympia Le-Tan creates embroidered minaudières featuring the covers of classic novels. Olympia Le-Tan clutch, $1,506, olympialetan.com 7. This mom deservers a star of her own. Chanel Fine Jewelry Crossover white gold and diamond ring, $8,300, available at Chanel Fine Jewelry boutiques.

8. Alber Elbaz’s print accessories

are coveted just as much as the clothes he designs. Lanvin iPad case, $130 and iPhone Case $70, available at Lanvin.com.

9. This paperweight is a cute way to remind mom how much she is loved every day. Jonathan Adler embroidered paperweight, $42, Jonathanadler.com 10. This beautiful necklace features a Paraíba tourmaline, which is 10,000 times as rare as a diamond, and the perfect way to show your wife just how special she is. H. Stern Paraíba tourmaline and diamond necklace.

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L��� W���’� SUDOKU S�������

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PUZZLES / RECIPES

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Bhature wale Chole (Chickpeas Eaten With Deep Fried Bread)

W

ith summer upon us, there is a huge demand for the kind of comfort food that is spicy, filling and easily and cheaply prepared. So, by popular demand, here is a reprint of Mama’s Bhature wale Chole recipe, which brings back memories of running to the street corner vendor on lazy hot afternoons.

It is reprinted with some additional information and directions.

If ever there was a Punjabi dish that took off all over India, it probably has to be chole bhature (chick peas and deep fried bread). It is a dish that is at once spicy, eaten with plenty of garnishes like raw onions, sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves, achaar (pickles) and with those long, spicy green Indian mirchen (chilli peppers). It is a favorite for a heavy breakfast, served with salty lassi (buttermilk).

There are different varieties of bhature: filled with aloo (potatoes) or paneer (Indian cottage cheese). In some parts of India, the dish is sometimes called chole poori. A non-fried variation is the kulcha, which is baked or cooked on a tava (flat skillet) using the same dough. It is easier for those who can’t eat fried foods and want less calories but still want the flavor of this tasty dish.

In Delhi, one of the most famous shops serving chole bhature is Roshan di Hatti in the busy Karol Bagh bazaar on the west side of the city, where people follow it up with a sweet kulfi falooda. In Amritsar, there is a whole bazaar near the Golden Temple devoted to serving chole bhature in the city’s own style. Though now available all year long in shops, this dish is most popular when the weather is a bit cooler or during the rainy monsoon season.

India is the world’s largest producer of chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans by the Spanish and arvanco in Portugese. There are two common varieties: desi, grown mostly in South Asia, Ethiopia, Mexico and Iran and kabuli grown in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Afghanistan,

Pakistan, India and Chile. In the Middle East, chickpeas are used to make the popular hummus spread.

Chickpeas are high in protein, polyunsaturated fat, zinc, folate, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Bhaturas are made of finely milled, refined and bleached wheat maida (white flour) which is low in dietary fibre.

Pastry flours available in United States may be used as a substitute for maida. Bhature are made with white flour, yogurt, oil and yeast, but I will give that recipe separately.

Once kneaded well, the dough is left to rise, and then small balls of it are either hand-rolled or flattened using a rolling pin.

Then the bread pieces are deep fried until they puff up into a lightly browned, soft, fluffy bread, which is elastic and chewy.

Ingredients: • 500 gm chole (chickpeas) • 2 medium pyaaz (onion) – peeled and finely chopped • 2 medium tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best, chopped • 5 cloves of lasan (garlic) – peeled and finely chopped • 1 medium sized adrak (ginger) – peeled and finely chopped • 4 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil • 1 tablespoon amchoor (dry green mango powder) • 1 teaspoon loung (powdered cloves, see directions) • 1 teaspoon garam masala • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), dhania (coriander) Directions: 1. Wash the chickpeas well and then soak them overnight in a large pot.

2. Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker and bring it to a boil, turning it off after 10 or 15 minutes.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker,

bring the contents to boil in the pot till the chickpeas are tender.

3. Heat the oil in a medium sized pot and throw in the onion, ginger and garlic. Stir till they are brown, then add the salt, pepper and coriander.

This dish does not use any turmeric.

4. Drain the water from the boiled chickpeas and keep to the side. Some people keep the water, add a little salt and drink it as a broth for its nutrients.

5. Add the chickpeas to the masala and stir well for 10 minutes, adding the amchoor, clove powder and garam masala to bring in the authentic medium brown color and spicy tanginess. Continue to mix the ingredients well.

6. Add some of the drained water to the pot to make a thick sauce but do not make it too watery. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to the pot.

7.Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add more salt, pepper and amchoor to your taste.

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

MAMA’S TIP O F THE

USE THE LEFT OV ER

WEEK

WATER FROM M AKING

PANEER AGAIN When you make pa neer (Indian homem then the water that ad e ch ee se ) out of whole milk, is lef you use low-fat or fa t over can be collected and kept for use later. If t-f suitable for reuse an ree milk to make the paneer, then the water is not d can be thrown aw ay. You can also reus to make paneer ag ain w e this water The left over water ithout using more vinegar or lemon. has a higher fat cont (like whey) due to ent and also a little the sour flavor milk split and curd lemon juice or vinegar that is used to le it. You can use th make the is food taste slightly tangier and more fl water to make other types of av when making curri orful. The water is ed best used use a small amount dishes, like potatoes and peas curry, or karri or with any sabzi (saut ed vegetables).

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May 11, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS

102-year-old father Dattatraya

Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) decides to send his 75-year-old son Babulal (Rishi Kapoor) to an old-age home. He does that because he believes his son’s morose and almost melancholic outlook towards life will come in his way of trying to break the world record of the longest living human.

The unique and refreshing concept of ‘102 Not Out’ is its strength. This film like most other Hindi films is about relationships, but thankfully here the story spins around the bond between two people aged 102 and 75. The narrative never gets too complex, the story is told from the perspective of just the three main characters – Dattatraya, (Amitabh Bachchan), the 102-year-old father, Babu (Rishi Kapoor), the 75 year old son and Dhiru (Jimit Trivedi), their man friday. The film features several locations from Mumbai, but most of it plays out within the walls of the Vakharias’ house. Director Umesh Shukla’s film turns its limitations into its strength. It does not deviate into thrilling scenes or make our jaws drop with unexpected twist, it

102 Not Out: Alive & Kicking!

never tries to be pointlessly clever.

And in doing so, it manages to give the audience, the best of what it has to offer.

The highlight of this film are the performances by Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. Both these brilliant actors have, over the course of their long and il-

lustrious careers, proved that they have impeccable comic timing.

Rishi Kapoor plays the grumpy old man with nonchalance. While Amitabh Bachchan plays the loveable centenarian, with the zest of a 20-year-old, with flawless precision. Together, their chemistry and repartee makes for an entertaining

experience. It’s great to see such contrasts come together and warm the cockles of your heart. It’s rare to see two leading actors in a film who are 65 (Kapoor) and 76 (Bachchan) years old in real life, working such charm through a story that will find a universal connect with the audience. For the generations that have grown up watching these actors on the silver screen, this film might bring in the nostalgia of the good old days. Young Jimit matches steps with his veteran co-stars and gives a performance that’s just as delightful. The actors though are unable to pull off the sprinkling of Gujarati in the dialogues.

Director Umesh Shukla’s treatment is unmistakably light and breezy. ‘102 Not Out’ has brightly lit frames, attractive production design and a visage that just looks and feels pleasant. The writing by Saumya Joshi, who also penned the original Gujarati play that inspired the film, is in tune with mood of the film. The film even gets dramatic and emotional, specifi-

Sonam Kapoor Ties the Knot with Anand Ahuja

After years of staying tight-lipped

about her relationship status, Sonam Kapoor today tied the knot with her longtime beau Anand Ahuja. The wedding took place at Sonam’s aunt Kavita Ahuja’s heritage bungalow Rockdale in Bandra, Mumbai.

Sonam was dressed in a red ensemble. The wedding guest list included her family members Arjun Kapoor, Anshula Kapoor, Jahnvi Kapoor, Boney Kapoor among others. The close friends of the family Karan Johar, Jacqueline Fernandes, Rani Mukerji, Jawed Akhtar, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor with Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur also attended the wedding festivities.

The guests started arriving at 11 am and the ceremony started at around 12:30 pm.

The wedding was held as per Sikh rituals and the Anand Karaj was held in the afternoon. Sonam and Anand will greet the guests again at the re-

ception party which will be held later tonight at The Leela, Mumbai.

The pre-wedding ceremonies of the couple started on Sunday when Sonam had her Mehendi ceremony at her residence which was attended by family members including Jahnvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Mohit Marwah among many others. Karan Johar, Rani Mukerji, Kirron Kher and others, who are close friends of the family, were also seen at this intimate celebration.

This was followed by the grand mehendi ceremony on Monday at Sunteck Signature Island, Bandra Kurla Complex. With the theme of white and gold, all the guests were dressed in their finest. Sonam was dressed in an ivory and gold ensemble designed by duoAbu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.

Varun Dhawan, Karan Johar, Jacqueline Fernandes, Rekha, Rani Mukerji, Shilpa Shetty and many others attended the ceremony. Punjabi singer

29

cally in the two scenes where Mr Bachchan shines with impactful monologues. Though, the lack of a backstory for Dattatraya’s character and the absolute absence of something as simple as dinner table conversations, that you’d expect to see between family members in a home, feels a bit odd. The situations in the film manage to draw you on, yet the writing somewhere lacks depth.

Also for a 101-minute film it does feel a bit too long.

Films like ‘102 Not Out’are best enjoyed with the family. The ease with which the film portrays the bittersweet relationship between its characters is fantastic. Such films are like soft serve ice cream on a sparkly Sunday afternoon.

They make you happy. There are parts in the film where emotions run high, but it’s never too overbearing. It’s just a happy and healthy entertainer that tells you that living in the moment and making the most of everyday of your life is all that matters. And age of course, as they say, is just a number.

-timesofindia.com Rhea Kapoor and Harshvardhan Kapoor also clicked a lot of pictures with their sister. Sonam and Anand danced on a lot of Bollywood numbers and a lot of the family members also performed on Bollywood songs.

-indianexpress.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Sunny Leone May 13, 1981

Sukhbir, who is famous for songs like “Gal Ban Gayi” and “Taare Gn Gin”, performed at the pre-wedding function and from the pictures and videos, it looks like everyone had a

great time at the function.

Sonam’s parents Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor were happy to greet the guests at the venue. Her siblings

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Madhuri Dixit May 15, 1967

30 May 11, 2018

See article on page 5 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

May 11, 2018

See article on page 5 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

31

32 May 11, 2018 IPL 2018: Williamson, Rashid All But Seal RCB’s Fate

BY DEIVARAYAN MUTHU

H

YDERABAD (ESPN Crickinfo): Sunrisers Hyderabad 146 (Williamson 56, Siraj 3-25, Southee 3-30) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 141 for 6 (Kohli 39, De Grandhomme 33*, Shakib 2-36) by five runs Sunrisers Hyderabad lost their last seven wickets for 34 runs in four overs, but their bowling attack bailed them out again to put Royal Challengers Bangalore on the brink of elimination.

Kane Williamson was front and centre in Sunrisers’ innings, making 56 off 39 balls on a two-paced pitch, where most other batsmen struggled.

He later dropped Virat Kohli on 33, and fell on his back, but came away smiling in the end.

RCB’s chase of 147 fell apart when Kohli and AB De Villiers fell in successive overs for the second game in a row and even though Colin De Grandhomme struck some late blows, the asking rate and the skill of Sunrisers’ attack was too much to overcome. Bhuvneshwar Kumar defended 11 runs off the last over to help Sunrisers open up a two-point lead at the top of the table.

RCB’s bowlers quickly read the Hyderabad pitch, and ventured crossseamers and a variety of slower balls.

One such cross-seamer from Tim Southee stuck in the pitch and floored Alex Hales’ middle stump in the third over. Moeen Ali, who was making his IPL debut, and the seamers straightjacketed Shikhar Dhawan by offering very little room. Only three out of 19 balls he faced finished wide outside off. He laboured to 13 before splicing a Mohammed Siraj short ball to deep square leg. Kohli made life more difficult for the batsmen with smart field placements. He posted himself at short cover for Manish Pandey, who simply chipped a catch to the RCB captain. It was Yuzvendra Chahal’s first wicket away from home in IPL 2018.

RCB bowlers worked hard to restrict Sunrisers to 146, but Mohammed Siraj feels that was a bit more than they intended to give away On a similar sluggish pitch in Jaipur last week, Williamson made a masterful 63 off 43 balls. He may not have the raw power but his ability to ma-

ane Williamson gets down on a knee, Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Hyderabad, IPL 2018, May 7, 2018.

noeuvre the ball into the gaps makes him such a good player even on bad pitches. On Monday night, he got his eye in and then forced the pace. He scored 31 off his first 29 balls before cranking up the tempo and hitting 25 off his next nine balls. Umesh Yadav, ultimately, had him holing out to long leg but not before the Sunrisers captain had brought up his fifth fifty of the season. The shot of the night came when he fetched a wide legbreak and

slog-swept it against the break over the midwicket boundary. RCB came back at the death courtesy two late wickets from Siraj, and went into the break with momentum.

After a cameo from Parthiv Patel, Kohli launched the chase with a flurry of boundaries, including a fierce short-arm jab through midwicket off the left-arm spinner. By the end of the Powerplay, RCB had shaved 55 off the target. Enter Rashid

Khan, who was bowling to Kohli for the first time in T20s. His sixth ball to Kohli drew an outside edge, but Williamson dropped a simple catch at slip. On 33 then, Kohli could add just six more before Yusuf Pathan plucked a one-handed catch that he initially misjudged at short third man off Shakib.

Rashid’s first ball to de Villiers drew a review for caught behind from Sunrisers, but he survived as replays showed no bat on his leg-side swipe.

Then came a fizzing legbreak, which de Villiers edged past short third man.

Then came the wrong’un, which he chopped onto his stumps. For the second time in successive games, RCB’s big two had fallen in successive overs.

Siddarth Kaul then had Moeen feathering one behind to leave RCB at 84 for 5 in the 12th over. It took a period of calm from Mandeep Singh and de Grandhomme to bring it down to 39 off 24 balls. Williamson summoned Rashid, and he was welcomed with two muscular hits for six from de Grandhomme.

Off the next over, Bhuvneshwar was picked off for a boundary to narrow the equation to 19 off 12 balls.

Kaul and Bhuvneshwar, however, closed the game out with a slew of yorkers, giving nothing away.

Bisht, Gayakwad Back in T20 Squad for Asia Cup MUMBAI (ESPN Cricinfo): before being left out of the squad Left-arm spinners Ekta Bisht and Rajeshwari Gayakwad are back in India’s T20 squad for the Women’s Asia Cup. Seam-bowling allrounder Rumeli Dhar and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav have missed out on selection for the tournament, which will be held in Malaysia from June 1 to 11.

Injury had ruled both Bisht and Gayakwad out of India’s last T20 assignment, the home tri-series in March that also featured Australia and England.

Gayakwad was part of the initial squad as a replacement for Bisht, who had injured her left index finger during the ODI series against Australia, only to herself suffer a split webbing in her right hand during a fielding session. Radha re-

Ekta Bisht is back in T20s along with Rajeshwari Gayakwad

placed Gayakwad and played two games in the tri-series, taking three wickets.

Both Bisht and Gayakwad came back for the three-match ODI series against England in early April.

Dhar was part of the T20 tri-series squad, and played just the one game,

for the ODIs against England. She returned to India colors after a sixyear gap when she was called up to India’s T20 squad for their tour of South Africa in February.

Apart from India, the six-team Asia Cup will feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia. Each team will play the other once, with the top two teams on the points table qualifying for the final on June 11.

India women squad for Asia Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Anuja Patil, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ekta Bisht, Mona Meshram

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

Sunita Lakra Selected Captain in Asian Cup

NEW DELHI: Experienced de-

fender Sunita Lakra will lead defending champions India at the Asian Champions Trophy women’s hockey tournament, beginning at Donghae City, Korea on May 13.

Sunita was handed the leadership responsibility of the 18-member side in the absence of regular skipper Rani Rampal, who has been rested for the tournament. Goalkeeper Savita will be the vice-captain.

Experienced Deepika, Deep Grace Ekka, Suman Devi Thoudam and Gurjit Kaur, who doubles up as a dragflicker, will man the defensive line while the midfield will feature Monika, Namita Toppo, Nikki Pradhan, Neha Goyal, Lilima Minz, Navjot Kaur and Udita. India’s forwardline will be led by Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur and Anupa Barla.

The team will be hoping to ride on the good show at the recentlyconcluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where it entered the semifinals after 12 years, eventually finishing fourth.

In 2016, the Indian team had defeated China in the final to win the previous edition of Asian Champions Trophy. The girls followed up this victory with a successful outing at the 2017 Asia Cup where they beat China again in the summit clash.

This year, the team will begin its campaign against Japan on May 13.

Interestingly, it is expected to be Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne’s first assignment with the team following his return to the women’s camp after being in charge of the senior men’s side for eight months.

“We were very disappointed after losing the semi-final in CWG by a close margin to hosts Australia. We knew it was our best chance to make the medal round,” said Sunita.

Sunita Lakra will lead the Indian hockey team in the Asian Cup.

May 11, 2018

Rupee at 15-month Low against US Dollar, Closing @ Rs 67.14

NEW DELHI: The Indian rupee

on Monday weakened past 67-mark to hit a 15-month low against US dollar after foreign investors continued to liquidate its holdings in local equity and debt market amid surging crude oil.

The home currency closed at 67.14 against US dollar—a level last seen on 8 February 2017, down 0.41% from its previous close of 66.87.

The currency opened at 66.82 and touched a low of 67.18. Year to date, it lost over 4.5%.

Since the beginning of April, foreign investors in both equity and debt sold a combined $3.29 billion. So far this year, they have bought $1.12 billion and sold $2.05 billion in equity and debt markets, respectively.

US oil rose above $70 a barrel for the first time since November 2014 as traders braced for a re-imposition of US sanctions on Middle East crude

producer Iran.

The dollar climbed back towards its highest level in 2018 as investors continued to bet that rising interest rates in the United States would boost the greenback.

The index measuring the dollar against a basket of currencies rose 0.2% to 92.749, not far from the 92.9 level—a 2018 high—it hit on

Friday.

Meanwhile, the government 10year bond yield tumbled nearly 11 basis points, declining for the fourth straight session, after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced open market operations (OMO) next week.

The 10-year bond yield closed at 7.623%, down 11 basis points, from

its previous close of 7.728%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.

RBI on Friday said that it will buy government bonds worth up to Rs10,000 crore on 17 May. The purchase of securities will be made under the central bank’s open market operations (OMOs). The decision is based on the “assessment of prevailing liquidity conditions and also of the durable liquidity needs going forward”.

“We believe this announcement should be seen as a positive surprise by the bond market as it comes earlier than expected and especially amid liquidity surplus conditions”, said Vivek Rajpal, analyst at Noumura Research, in a 5 May note. The move will bring some relief to the bond market which is reeling under the pressure of rising yields despite a slew of regulatory measures. -- Live Mint

How to Use Online Tools to Top the UPSC Examination H YDERABAD:

Anudeep Durishetty, an Indian Revenue Service officer and this year’s Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, topper from Hyderabad, relied extensively on YouTube to grasp the complex concepts in anthropology, one of his optional subjects in the highly competitive examination.

“I relied on YouTube’s Khan Academy channel to understand about genetics, DNA replication, etc.

Even for understanding challenging topics such as climatology , I found the videos helpful,” he says in an email interview.

The sheer amount of content

available, and the free access to most of it, makes learning from video-streaming platforms a popular choice for millennials. “The duration

of the videos usually varied from 5-15 minutes.

They are short and crisp, yet conveyed the required information,” he

adds.

Durishetty would watch these videos on his smartphone while commuting to office or on a laptop. “These videos teach concepts in an entertaining manner—the visuals also helped me memorize the topic.

I believe video-based learning will be an important tool to democratize education, though the language barrier to quality educative video content still persists and work needs to be done to bridge the gap,” he says.

Finding the right e-learning channel or YouTube video, however, can be tricky.

Use filters to refine search based on relevance, ratings, views, content type, upload date, or video duration. For example, the date filter excludes old videos while the duration filter keeps out long ones.

-Live Mint

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

33

Where are Signs of Recovery Within India’s IT Industry?

NEW DELHI: A less-than bull-

ish commentary by managements of Infosys Ltd, Wipro Ltd and HCL Technologies Ltd, and fewer analyst recommendations for buying their shares, have made many wonder if the current financial year will be better for the industry than the last one.

In January, executives at India’s largest information technology (IT) outsourcing companies had exuded optimism that 2018-19 was going to be a better year. Investors bought into the story as shares of the four largest IT companies outperformed the Sensex until 12 April.

Since the start of the year until 12 April, a day before Infosys declared earnings, TCS shares gained 16.2%, Infosys 11.8% and HCL 13.5%, while Wipro lost 8.5%. During this time, BSE Sensex hardly posted any return, gaining 0.13%.

However, two months into the current financial year, it appears many of these companies are grappling with unique challenges and that all of them will struggle to improve the growth reported in the last two years.

India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services Ltd has bucked this trend so far. The Mumbai-based company has been an outlier—its management reaffirmed that it should clock double-digit growth in the current year, leading to more brokerages putting a buy recommendation on the shares after it declared earnings on 19 April.

But fewer analysts are now bullish on Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies after the companies declared earnings than at the start of the year.

“Save for TCS, the question to be asked to IT companies is, where is the recovery,” said the former CEO of one the largest IT firms.

34 May 11, 2018

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May 11, 2018

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