E newspaper05202016

Friday, May 20 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 21

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Indo American erican News

Movie Review

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

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Shaping Young Leaders

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Jajoo in Runoff P5

B’desh KATY Gala Welcomes P14 & 15

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May 20, 2016

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COMMUNITY

May 20, 2016

Runoff: Harish Jajoo for Sugar Land Mayor

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN

SUGAR LAND: While the en-

tire world’s eyes are on the much debated Trump and Clinton’s face off, Sugar Land is witnessing a historic moment in its Local Mayoral elections. Considered as one of the most ethnically diverse place, the city is prepping up for the runoff elections on June 11 between the first ever South Asian Mayoral candidate, Harish Jajoo and Joe Zimmerman.

Harish Jajoo, in an exclusive interview with IAN, thanked the residents of Sugar Land who trusted in him and came out to vote in his favor in the first round of elections held in early May .

“I am overwhelmed with the love and support I have received in this electoral journey. Not only did the citizens of Sugar Land support, but people from across Houston came forward to build up the momentum for us. Change, I say, is round the corner. It’s heartening to witness that we are mirroring a national trend of the upsurge of the ethnic races in politics” So what is important to any individual living across the globe?

Good living conditions, Safety, Affordable Housing, Infrastructure. Sugar Land’s expectation is no different. People want a local government that can empathize with their needs and wants. They want a leader whose developmen-

Harish and Shashi Jajoo

tal thoughts resonate with theirs, more so the younger generation, the future of Sugar Land.

So how does he reach out to all the segments of the city for his electoral drive? “Youth have to be engaged in the process of development. They are the building blocks of the city’s future. Taking them in confidence and winning their votes thus is of utmost importance for anyone who wants to be

relevant in the current times. As a part of our campaign, we selected few youth leaders and gave them important roles. The gen-x is motivated by the roles they play in the whole ecosystem. We engaged and motivated them to include more peers from community and work space, regardless of whether they were South-Asians or not” said Jajoo.

Jajoo is a thirty-one years resi-

dent of Sugar Land. He and his wife Shashi have lived in Sugar Land since 1985 and have two grown sons . He is the first South Asian-American in the history of Sugar Land to run for mayor.

Harish was elected into the Sugar Land City Council in 2011 and has served on the Council ever since.

By profession, he is a consulting engineer and a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.

“We, South Asians, are a very industrious community. We are diligent in whatever work we pick up and the country has bore the testimony of excellence of our community in Academia, healthcare, law, engineering and accountancy.

However, politics is left far behind.

With this election, we intend to create a history even in Politics” said Jajoo on the involvement of the South Asian community in Politics.

As part of the Sugar Land city council, he has played an integral role in many economic development and infrastructure projects of Sugar Land. Thus understanding the functioning complexities of the city and in a bid to tackle the local issues of the city, Jajoo, one of two Indian-Americans on the six-person City Council, said “We want to promise a council that not only listens, but also acts timely. We want to responsibly address the issues that have been bothering the

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people of Sugar Land namely the fiscal deficit, taxes, public safety, infrastructure and economic development. No citizens would be happy if they were constantly worried about their economy and safety while battling with their daily lives. In order to make Sugar Land more prosperous, we aim to create it as a preferred destination for visitors. We would also be working in the future annexation of the New Territory and the Greatwood areas into city of Sugar Land.”

Besides working as an engineer and being a city council member, Jajoo is a Certified Flood Plain Manager in the State of Texas and has been active in several professional and community activities and organizations. His only appeal to the citizens of Sugarland is, “Go out and Vote.”

Along with his team, they have reached out to more than 8000 homes since he started his campaign in September 2015. Closer to the elections, they are now planning on visiting another 3000 homes in the next 4 weeks.

If you are someone who is looking for ‘Change’ and would like to be a part of this history, then do go out and vote or volunteer for the campaign. To volunteer email at campaign@harishjajooforsugarland.com (Early election dates are Tuesday, May 31 – June 7, Tuesday.

Election Day is Saturday, June 11.) Early voting Location and Election Day voting location details can be found at www.jajooforsugarland.com

Galson Auto Receives the BBB Distinction Award Again there with his wife Seema and son Ravi, both of whom are active in the business, and other staff members.

The business has consistently won BBB awards since 2005, winning the highest Pinnacle Award that year and again in 2007 and 2014, and the Distinction Award every year in between. Galhotra eagerly awaited the outcome of this year’s choice and was de-

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The list of companies which are vying for the Awards of Excellence from the Better Business Bureau has grown so much that the annual awards luncheon has been filled to capacity. For the second year in a row, over 1,000 people once again attended the event, which had to be moved to the Bayou City Event Center on Knight Road just south of the Astrodome to accommodate the turnout.

And once again this year, Galson Auto & Body Repair was nominated in its category and its founder Harjit Galhotra and his team were on hand to see what award they would receive. Galhotra was

At the BBB Awards of Excellence luncheon held on May 11, Galson Auto & Body Repair once again received the Distinction Award, held by owner Harjit Galhotra flanked by his wife Seema (on his right) and son Ravi and other staff members.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

lighted to receive the Distinction Award again this year, though his eye was on the Pinnacle. He has built a remarkable business since he started it in 1993, with the precision that has been ingrained him though his engineering background. Undeterred, he vowed, “We will compete for the award again next year,” with a twinkle in his eye.

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COMMUNITY

May 20, 2016

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Rocking Grand Opening for Keemat Katy

BY FORAM THAKKAR

KATY:

Keemat Katy rocked its Grand Opening Celebrations Sunday, May 15, from 1-5 PM. Sunil T with his Dhamaal Masala Crew hyped the festivities with riveting comedy and impromptu crazy contests. Anyone traveling along S. Mason Road could catch the first glimpses of excitement: huge balloons, tents, ethnic wind dancers and of course the bright orange Masala Hummer.

Threats of afternoon rain just made the crowds come in early, the store had to open at 8:30 instead of its usual 9:00 AM, to try free samples and grab quantities of popular grocery items at giveaway prices. Kids enjoyed dancing while the parents waited patiently in lines for complimentary mouthwatering Pani Puri, Aloo Tikki & Bhel Mixes arranged by Keemat and Deep Food’s Umang Mehta, and Chai Moments by Tea India. Even slightly long lines at cash register didn’t bother guests as they were constantly amused by Sunil T’s Bollywood entertainment: Holding Space dancers, dance classes and contests, and live singing from the talented audience.

Vibrant red-orange-yellow helium balloons throughout the store and DJ Zee’s music made patrons feel that they were partying rather than grocery shopping!

“We have been to all the Keemat Grand Opening events, shopping is so much fun with all the music and festivities. My kids especially wanted a selfie with “Chulbul Pandey” said Bhavna Reddy.

Inspector Chulbul Pandey was on hand to insure safe delivery of valuable Indian Kesar and Alphonso

Mangoes. It was truly “Aam sale for Aam janta”. Shoppers were amazed how such fresh produce could be sold at the amazingly low prices. All Keemat pride themselves on all day, every day freshest produce. Six patrons put their kitchen skills to test at a fast-paced Mango Salad Making Competition. Contestants had 10 minutes to select their produce and dressing ingredients throughout the store, wash, chop and display their unique creations. Salads contained everything from Keemat fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, to exotic dates, raisins, in-store sprouted moong, pomegranate seeds, paneer, yoghurt, and even sev! Keemat and Deep Food executive judges deliberated over spoonful’s before announcing the winners: 1st: Sapna, 2nd: Devi and 3rd Nayana Thakkar. Winners won exclusive saffron boxes. Excitement levels peaked at 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM as Sunil T played “Name Your Price” where contestants were able to name their price on almost any single grocery item pending Keemat manager approval.

Raghu Arya said “I just moved to Katy a couple of months ago and live 2 blocks from the store. I am so excited to have Keemat’s clean, modern store design, name brand groceries, fresh produce, and excellent customer service in my neighborhood.”

Halo Re Halo! to Keemat Katy at 2133 S Mason Rd, Katy, TX 77450 or visit KeematGrocers.com Photos: Aniket Raj Photography

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

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COMMUNITY DJ Notorious Unleashes Houston, Yet Again

May 20, 2016

Photos: Hashtag Media

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN

HOUSTON: In perhaps one of the most

stunning weekend’s that Houston has experienced in a while, Mumbai’s Celebrity DJ Notorious rocked at J. Black’s, at his event ‘Mayhem on Washington Street’. The venue that was held on Saturday, May 7, opened it gates at 10 pm to a jubilant crowd of more than 400 people who hit the dance floor and partied through the spinning Bollywood remixes, Bhangra, International Dance, Hip Hop and much more.

DJ Notorious, along with Houston’s Party Rocker DJ Zee, brought the live music experience to a whole new level of spontaneity and excitement. They created an ultimate mash-up between the various genres of music in their own groundbreaking style, ensuring the audiences dance non-stop to it.

It was DJ Notorious’ 5th successful stint in Houston.

The sold-out event was organized by Sunny Taj of ABCD Houston & DJ Dholi Deep and the gravity of these two promoters is such that audiences impatiently await their events. The house was full of stunning ultra chic and trendy attired people, everyone was dressed up gorgeously, looking cool-ashell while they were rocking out. The event was a success with generous support from the media partners Indo- American News and Masala Radio.

Sunny Taj & DJ Dholi Deep continue to bring to table the perfect platform for showcasing music events given the massive media coverage and social media interaction the event enjoys. Sunny, the man who drew CONTINUED ON PAGE

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May 20, 2016

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OBITUARY

May 20, 2016

Dr. Avinash Chandra Parti 1941-2016

Dr. Avinash Chandra Parti passed away

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peacefully on April 17, 2016 in Sugarland, Texas.

Dr. Parti was born in Jalandhar, India on July 10, 1941. He received his medical degree from the Government Medical College of Patiala, Punjab. Before moving to the United States, he practiced as a registrar in Amritsar, India.

He practiced as an internist in the

Houston area for over thirty years. He was considered a physician with amazing diagnostic abilities, who was approachable, dependable, and devoted to not only his patients, but also to his friends and family.

He will be best remembered for his kindness, compassion, but mostly for his love of life. He enjoyed cricket, tennis, Houston Rockets basketball and loved good food and good company. Dr. Parti was witty with a wonderful sense of humor, and he could always make you smile. He always had a way with children. They loved him and he loved them. He was generous and contributed to many charities and organizations. These attributes are not known to most of us, as he was the most humble, down-to-earth individual.

Along with many friends in the greater Houston community, Dr. Parti is survived by his wife Shakun; daughters, Ashna and Avina; son–in-law Bryan; and grandchildren Daya, Rohan and Nina for whom he was affectionately known as their Gappu.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the Garden Oaks Funeral Home, and a memorial and prayer ceremony was held at the Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston on April 23, 2016.

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10 May 20, 2016

COMMUNITY DJ Notorious CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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sniggers from the audiences, has passionately spent his energies in hosting celebrity DJ’s such as Bally Sagoo, DJ Aqeel, DJ Suketu, DJ Kamya and DJ Notorious to name a few. He has a successful track record of conceptualizing themebased events. He stated, “Even though it was an epic night for Houstonians, Mayhem was more like a reunion for me. The name Mayhem was actually suggested

by DJ Scoop and I was happy he was able to join the lineup. DJ Zee did a great job with his opening set and DJ Notorious never fails to impress the crowd, which is why the dance floor was packed the entire night. Just wanted to thank everyone who attended. Your constant support is what helps me bring more international talent to Houston. Keep Smiling Keep Dancing. Thank you and stay tuned for more”.

Sunny has more gigs planned up his sleeves for the Houston crowd.

So stay tuned for a lot more madness, masti and mellifluous music geared up for this year.

Read us online at

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COMMUNITY

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May 20, 2016

To Build Young Leaders, a Karma Yogi Opens Their Minds

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BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON:

The graduation ceremony of the teenagers who take part in the year-long Youth Leadership Development Program is always an eye opener as, for the past few years, it has involved team presentations on current topics given to them and this year it was no different. The ceremony at India House this past Sunday, May 15 had five teams which handled relevant topics and taxed the minds of the young adults who will move on to the next stages of their lives in college.

But before they left, Nat Krishnamurthy, the Chairman of the YLDP had a bit of sound sagely advice on how to tread forward.

“As you are going into more freedom, don’t forget your parents, always be kind, fiscally smart and remember,” he counseled, “it’s not what’s outside but what is inside that takes you to greater heights.” YLDP President Pinakin Jaradi echoed these sentiments as he opened up the ceremony, outlining the milestones of the organization and recognized the Board members.

The five teams were well prepared with the topics they were given - prescription pain killers;

life vs. data privacy; oil; terrorism and the environment – and it showed that they had done their homework well to be able to recite the statistics and background on the cases. Each member of the team presented a certain aspect of the topic and a team leader summarized it for them.

After the third team had gone through their presentation, there was a slight pause to allow the new Indian Consul General Anupam Ray to address the gathering. It has always been a feature of YLDP graduations to have a prominent personality give a speech to challenge the young minds before them and the previous CG Parvatheneni Harish did so on one occasion. Ray has just recently joined his post as head of the Houston Consulate and he brings with him impeccable credentials, both professionally and educational wise, as he is also a trained physician (“A fallback proposition,” he later joked, “in case Civil Service didn’t work!”).

Keen of intellect, Ray opened up with “Hello young Indians and American” and then proceeded to give the young minds three examples of leadership that have changed the world. His first was how India has risen from the poor country it was in 1971 with a per capita income of $200 per annum to $2,000 per annum today. The second was

the example of Nelson Mandela, who despite his imprisonment of 27 years, upon his release did not preach hatred but insisted on inclusiveness with the white minority in South Africa. His third example was of Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor in the 1st century BC who, despite his feeble constitution and appearance, managed to expand the Roman Empire to its zenith.

This perked the interest of the young students before him and though they were timid at first in asking questions from the CG, they were prodded by their teachers and began to slowly open up. Ray answered each question deftly and without withholding the key point they were searching for. By far his best answer was that he was “a karma yogi” – a servant of the people – who came from a long family tradition of doing so. He certainly left the students suitably impressed, and even enthused to take up better challenges for their lives ahead.

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12 May 20, 2016 COMMUNITY A New Technology to Count On for Census Trials

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON:

The Bayou City has a special role to play in the way that all the people in the US are counted and the process that started this past February is almost at an end. Now, it’s up to the hard task of contacting the people who didn’t respond electronically, a task that’s expected to take till mid-June, to finish off the data collection work.

So for a certain percent of the 225,000 people who live in the 15 zipcodes in Harris County who haven’t responded, expect a visit from a trained enumerator to help get the answers over the next four weeks.

Over 600 enumerators were hired since February, from the more than 3,000 who applied, from among all the ethnic communities that comprise the diverse population of Houston (see IAN dated Feb 12, 2016), and trained to collect the data using a new technology that the Census Bureau is testing in our area, as well as in Los Angeles County, California. In Houston, the enumeration will be done in zip codes 77024, 77036, 77040, 77041, 77042, 77043, 77055, 77056, 77057, 77063, 77077, 77079, 77080, 77082 and 77092, effectively from 610 West to Highway 6 and Westpark Toll-

The US Census Bureau held a press conference last week with panelists. Standing from left, US Census Bureau Program Manager, Eduardo Guity; Cecil Fong of the Chinese Community Center; M.J. Khan, former Houston City Councilman; MD Mahabub Rahim, Area Manager of Operations, US Census Bureau; Teresa Caldaro, Regional Manager of Operations, US Census Bureau; Vipin Kumar, Executive Director of India House and Shah Haleem, President, Bangladesh Association of Houston.

Photo: Jawahar Malhotra

road to Hwy 290.

This past Thursday, May 12, the local office of the Census Bureau at 9990 Richmond at Briarpark, held a press conference over lunch to share their work and ask the members of the local Asian ethnic media to spread the word in their communities. The US Census Bureau was represented by Program

Manager, Eduardo Guity; MD Mahabub Rahim, Area Manager of Operations and Teresa Caldaro, Regional Manager of Operations.

Guity introduced and emceed the conference, which featured a panel of well-known community leaders who spoke from experience in their own communities. These were Cecil Fong of the Chinese Community

Center; M.J. Khan, former Houston City Councilman; Vipin Kumar, Executive Director of India House and Shah Haleem, President, Bangladesh Association of Houston. Guity explained that Houston and Los Angeles were chosen as they look like what the rest of the US is expected to look like in the future.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Caldaro explained that the USCB has been working on this trial test program since last October and that many people had responded electronically already but many more remained unresponsive and so 600 people had been hired to perform the NRFU – Non Responsive Follow Up. “This will help us to see if the new cellphone technology and our back office systems are cost effective to implement for the decennial census surveys,” Caldaro said.

Rahim added that the census was important for allocating federal resources to the communities with the most people and needs.

Haleem, Fong and Kumar expressed their community’s interest in being correctly represented and hence have made their community centers available for use by the USCB for testing, hiring and training of enumerators. Khan, who was Councilman for six years and is still deeply involved in the Pakistani community, gave a glimpse of the impact of census numbers, saying that after the last census, Texas gained four new representatives in Congress. The number of seats is frozen at 435, but contractions and expansion of populations across states results in shifting representation. Asian represent about 6 per cent of the population “but the minority community needs to understand that first you need to be at the table to be heard,” declared Khan.

COMMUNITY

May 20, 2016

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Chinmaya Jyoti on Chinmaya Jayanti at Chinmaya Prabha

BY PADMASHREE RAO

HOUSTON: Anticipation, Arrival,

Happiness unlimited – The AAH moments of an unforgettable centenary birthday event to culminate a greater Chinmaya movement.

Pujya Gurudev’s own glory filled Chinmaya Prabha Houston when the brilliant joy of the Chinmaya Jyoti arrived on the beautiful morning of May 8, the most auspicious occasion of the centenary Chinmaya Jayanti.

It was a majestic entrance impeccably timed, true to the inimitable style of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda – a magical coincidence planned by the Master Himself who turned a previous disappointment into a memorable blessing! Gurudev’s Jyoti was initially scheduled to arrive on April 30. From months before, an eager Chinmaya Houston family had diligently planned and prepared an exquisite welcome for the flaming presence of its beloved Gurudev.

Then, when a stormy forecast delayed the Jyoti’s arrival, the disappointed hundreds of devotees, paused, prayed, and waited for an entire week.

The clouds moved away, the skies cleared, and the bright morning sun smiled as Gurudev chose the most appropriate time to enter Chinmaya Prabha – on His 100th birthday!

As the traditional Kerala drums announced His arrival, the Chinmaya Jyoti was received with ceremonial kalasas and diyas at the entrance of Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and escorted by an energetic group of Chyks into a delightfully decorated courtyard filled with more than a thousand overjoyed Chinmaya family members. Just as Gurudev’s Jyoti entered the courtyard, a gentle sprinkling of raindrops signaled the unmistakable Presence of the Master at Chinmaya Prabha!

Those few moments made everyone in the courtyard, both young and old, feel such a divine rapture of indescribable joy. Then one of the Chyks lit up the torch powered by the Jyoti, and as he carried it high, the other Chyks walked along. waving huge saffron flags with Gurudev’s own message to the next generation: “You have hoisted the flag, not me. Now, it is up to you to keep it flying high.”

It felt as if Gurudev was walking tall, surrounded by his energized Chyks, amid all of the devotees gathered there, his eyes catching sight of many hundreds more of smaller saffron flags that hundreds of young Bala Vihar children waved to greet Gurudev. As the Jyoti proceeded toward the Saumyakasi Sivalaya with the Jyoti yatra song sung melodiously by the orchestra children and with the graceful dance of a group of devotees, the fanfare of a matchless 100th birthday of a Mahatma began. Acarya Gaurangbhai spoke about the glory of the Chinmaya name and said that the true way to keep the Chinmaya Jyoti forever glowing could only be with the unending supply of the oil

The Chinmaya Jyoti was received with ceremonial kalasas and diyas at the entrance of Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and escorted by an energetic group of Chyks into a delightfully decorated courtyard filled with more than a thousand overjoyed Chinmaya family members.

Acarya Gaurangbhai and Darshanaben Nanavaty performing puja.

Photos:Jayesh Mistry, Rajesh Thatte, Nilesh Shah, Satish Byali

of Knowledge passed onto the maximum as Gurudev wanted.

As the celebrations unfurled, young children dressed as a caterpillar danced and demonstrated the spiritual metamorphosis into brilliant butterflies. Then, it was time to pledge ourselves with a poem that Uma Aggrawal had composed, to offer everyone’s gratitude with the promise to Him – “Unto You, Our Best.”

The voices of both young and old rang out strong in resolve as Gurudev’s Jyoti entered Sivalaya and from there, with Siva’s blessings, came into Chinmaya Smriti. Truly, everyone could feel the deliberate footsteps of the Master striding purposefully into the space that He had blessed many years ago.

Gurudev’s Jyoti ascended the stage in Chinmaya Smriti amid heartfelt devotional invocation with “Om Sri Chinmaya Sadgurave Namaha.” As the Jyoti glowed centerstage, the whole congregation sang the Chinmayastakam with hearts bowed in great love for Him. In his address to all, Uncle shared a story of the Ram Sevak who came miraculously to serve during Hanuman Mastakabhisekam

at Sidhbari. He said that a Guru comes to reveal everyone’s purpose in life and it is that Guru’s Grace who also reveals God, “ Tatpadam darsitam ena tasmai sri gurave namaha.”

No Jayanti of Gurudev’s is complete without Gita. Aptly, the CONTINUED ON PAGE

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COMMUNITY

SUGAR

LAND: The Bangladesh Association Houston held its Third Annual multicultural gala last Friday, May 13 at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square to raise funds for the BangladeshAmerican Center and celebrate Bangladeshi-American Heritage.

The Gala was attended by a huge contingent of local government and elected officials and drew in many supporters of the community.

The BAH is a non-profit 501c (3) organization, established in 1978, to cherish, promote and share the ideals and rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh with fellow Houstonians. Today there are over 20,000 Bangladeshis in the greater Houston area, including over 5,000 business owners, educators, and business leaders in medicine, real estate and oil and gas. It seeks to honor and empower its members, promote culture, education, healthcare and conduct outreach programs.

The emcee for the Gala was Cynthia Cisneros, reporter for KTRKABC TV (Channel 13). The opening ceremony of the Gala started with a color guard composed of officers from the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. The US National Anthem was performed on the violin by two members of the Elsik High School Orchestra, which also provided entertainment later on, along with the conducted by the Elsik High School Choir.

May 20, 2016

15

BAH Raises Funds for a Center to Call Home

Selina Ahmed, Gala Chair

Photos: Muhib Shah and Bijay Dixit

The Bangladeshi National Anthem was played through video on screens to both sides on the huge banquet hall, which was very tastefully decorated. Entertainment for the opening and during dinner was by local saxophonist Rickey Ford.

The Gala, which was chaired by Dr. Selina Ahmed, raised over $150,000 to benefit the continued construction of the BangladeshAmerican Center at Eldridge and Bissonnet.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Houston Mayor Sylves-

ter Turner who lauded the strength through diversity of the region.

State Representative Gene Wu delivered proclamation, Houston Interim Police Chief Martha Montalvo, Houston Interim Fire Chief Rodney West, Houston Councilwoman Amanda Edwards joined the award ceremony. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee delivered greetings via phone to audience, and Senator John Cornyn, Congressman Pete Olson, State Senator Rodney Ellis sent their representatives. In attendance

were Joe Zimmerman, City Councilman, Sugar Land; Dr. Bandula Wijay, former Honorary Consul General of Sri Lanka; the Consul General of Turkey Ferhat Alkan; Tahir Javed and Muhammad Saeed Sheikh.

In addition, the Gala handed out awards to many of its ardent supporters and Board members.

Awards were given to Dr. Selina Ahmed, Sylvester Turner; Cynthia Cisneros ; Qasim and Noreen Sharif, CEO, Stratum Energy, Gala Chief Adviser and Patron,

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Outstanding Philanthropic Honoree; Mohammad Giasuddin and Nazma Parveen Khan, Outstanding Philanthropic Honoree; Amanul and Sandra Syed, Outstanding Philanthropic Honoree; Shahid and Sharon Ullah, Outstanding Philanthropic Honoree; Dr. Amirul Islam, BAC Community Clinic; Lutfor and Tahmina Rahman, Fundraising Support to Bangladesh-American Center Honoree; Mohammad and Afsana Hasan, Fundraising Support CONTINUED ON PAGE

For photo collage, see page 14

16

16 May 20, 2016 BAH Raises Funds CONTINUED FROM PAGE

15

COMMUNITY

Chinmaya Jyoti on Chinmaya Jayanti at Chinmaya Prabha CONTINUED FROM PAGE

to Bangladesh-American Center Honoree; Mohammed Moniruz and Shermin Zaman, Fundraising Support to Bangladesh-American Center Honoree; Shumana Salauddin, Exemplary Leadership Award and new Founding Members - Rumana Chowdhury, Mohammed Moinuddin, Saleha Moin.

In the colorful souvenir printed for the Gala, there were messages from Texas Governor Greg Abbott; Mayor Sylvester Turner; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; Congressman Al Green; Ambassador of Bangladesh to US Mohammad Ziauddin; Consul General Republic of Turkey Ferhat Alkan; Senator Ted Cruz; Senator John Cornyn; State Representative Gene Wu; Harris County Judge Ed Emmett; HPD Chief Martha I. Montalvo; Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson; Mayor of Missouri City Allen

Owen; Councilman Steve Lee and Councilwoman Ellen Cohen.

The BAH thanked the sponsors of the Gala; Mr. Plata and the Elsik Choir; Elsik HS Orchestra; H PD and HCSD Color Guards; Star Co. Impex; Home Defined; Dream Décor; Ricco; Astro Apparel & Uniforms; Shahnai Restaurant; Realm Real Estate Professionals; Sign Max USA; Chemmanur International Jewellers Inc. and Boby & Maradona Finance & Investment; Agami TV; Nirvana Restaurant; Sam’s Club; Shah Haleem Brokerage; Central Security Group; Excel N Exit Tutorial; Azadul Haq; Wallis State Bank ; Blalock Auto; Kroger; G.I Center; Aisha’s Salon and Spa; LS Accounting and Tax services; George Willy Law Firm; Montessori Preschool at Copperfield; American Container; Law Office of D’Ann Hinkle; Sylvia’s Closet and Turkish Airlines

13

children who won the Gita chanting competition were recognized and blessed by Acarya Darshanaben and Acarya Gaurangbhai during the celebration. The greater credit also went to all the children who had learned the 13th chapter from January 2016 and came to sing the Lord’s Song just the day before – on May 7th, almost as if to declare the coming of the Gitacarya on his 100th birthday.

What followed was a most reverent Paduka Puja when more than a thousand voices chanted the 108 names of Gurudev. As all then sang the special birthday song composed by Pujya Guruji, Gurudev’s hundredth birthday was a resounding triumph. As chanting dissolved into melliflous bhajans at the end of the morning and everyone feasted on a delicious lunch afterward, the message of the thirteenth chapter became manifest – Gurudev had truly arrived at Chinmaya Prabha to celebrate His birthday, enlivening all hands and hearts to work together in that unbroken harmony of His Glory. Hari Om! For more information, visit chinmayahouston.org or call Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059.

Acarya Gaurangbhai Nanavaty spoke about the glory of the Chinmaya name, the fanfare of a matchless 100th birthday of a Mahatma began

As the celebrations unfurled, young children dressed as a caterpillar danced and demonstrated the spiritual metamorphosis into brilliant butterflies.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

May 20, 2016

17

Sri Meenakshi Temple Vedic Heritage School (VHS) Year End Program

Photo: Milind Patil

BY MAHESH IYER

PEARLAND:

Sri Meenakshi Temple’s Vedic Heritage School (VHS) put up a grand annual Year End Program on May 15.

VHS program started in year 2000 has grown over the years. The event was truly special for the 200 children that participated because it offered an opportunity to demonstrate what they learned over the academic

year. About 15 teachers orchestrated the entire event, fully supported by senior board members. While the students reenacted religious epics, many college students helped with the logistics. The parents enthusiastically video taped the performance and encouraged the participants.

VHS has been gathering unprecedented momentum over the last several months, which of course is essential to the sustained indoctrina-

tion of Hindu values, to the next generation. For the upcoming academic year, VHS curriculum also includes a newly revamped chess coaching program.

The Chairman of the temple, Sockalingam Narayanan, awarded the graduation certificates to the final year students and thanked the Teachers, Volunteers and VHS coordinator, Mahesh Iyer, for overseeing the VHS activities.

NRI of the Year

MUMBAI (INDIA): On April 11,

TIMES NOW and ICICI Bank hosted the third annual “NRI of the Year” awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. This year’s star-studded event included Sania Mirza, who was awarded the Global Sports Icon, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, honored with the Global Indian of the Year Award. Among the politicians and celebrities honored at the event, there was also one familiar local name, Riju Agrawal, who was awarded “NRI of the Year” in the North American Professional category.

Riju was born in Gwalior, a city 200 miles south of New Delhi. His family moved to Houston when his father, Devendra Agrawal, and mother, Ruby Agrawal, began careers as engineers at KBR and Exxon, respectively. Raised as a first generation Indian-American, Riju developed strong ties to India as a result of spending his summer vacations in Gwalior, visiting his extended fam-

ily. After achieving a perfect score on his SAT, Riju attended Harvard University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude (top 5% of his class) and Phi Beta Kappa.

Riju’s first-hand summer experiences with India’s energy scarcity led him to devote his high school and college years to learning about potential solutions to the global energy crisis.

In 2011, Riju was selected to serve as a White House Intern, where he developed a white paper for Vice

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President Joe Biden on the U.S.’s need to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies. Riju is currently a senior analyst on the Energy Private Equity team at The Blackstone Group in New York. In addition, Riju currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Spark Clean Energy, was selected as a Future Energy Leader by the World Energy Council, is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and serves as a mentor for young entrepreneurs through The Resolution Project.

Riju hopes that such awards will encourage NRIs around the world to continue to excel, and noted that as NRIs, we need to advocate more actively for our community to have more seats at the “decision-making table.” Looking forward, Riju is keen to help solve the energy crisis in India and urged his compatriots to “think global, but remember that they will always be Indian at heart.”

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

18 May 20, 2016 Make in India: Apple

Apple’s CEO is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this

week as part of his Asian tour. This happens amid reports that Foxconn , Apple’s leading contract manufacturer, is considering locating some of its iPhone manufacturing to India—which is overtaking China as the world’s fastest growing market. Foxconn has also been speculating about setting up robotic manufacturing plants in the US. This seems very unlikely because of Apple’s massive presence in China and the complexity of the manufacturing value chain of its products’ electronics components. But this may not be as far-fetched as it seems and could provide Apple a badly needed way of diversifying its manufacturing base—and entering the Indian market in force.

When American companies moved manufacturing to China, it was all about cost. China’s wages were amongst the lowest in the world and its government provided subsidies and turned a blind eye to labor abuse and environmental destruction. Things have changed. China’s labor, real estate, and energy costs have increased to the point that they are comparable to some parts of the United States. Subsidies are also harder to get and Chinese labor is not tolerating the abuse that it once did. China is now a more expensive place to manufacture than Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and India, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Add to this the efforts by the Chinese government to spur indigenous innovation by forcing foreign companies to reveal their intellectual property and use local suppliers, and you have strong motivation to relocate manufacturing.

ButApple is by no means looking to exit from China, its second largest market. It just announced an investment of one billion dollars in ride sharing startup Uber’s rival Didi Chuxing. It clearly saw a large market opportunity and a way to appease the Chinese government.

Technology is, however, further changing the labor-cost equation.

And China is becoming unpredictable because of its faltering economy.

It makes sense for Apple to locate some of its manufacturing closer to other markets.

What is changing the labor situation is robotics. Robots can now do what human workers can—for a fraction of the cost. These robots cost less than $40,000 to purchase and as little as a US dollar per hour to operate. And unlike human workers, they will work 24-hour shifts without complaining.

The hurdle in relocating manufacturing for any company such as Apple is the tie to the chain of suppliers of its products’ electronics components. The question therefore to ask is: how dependent is Apple on its China supply chain?

More than half of the components of Apple’s products are imported into China and practically none of the important, core, technologies is made by Chinese companies. Foreign companies do not trust China and nearly all of the intellectual property in Apple’s products originates from outside it.

The authors noted that direct benefit to China of having companies such as Apple there has been remarkably low—and that is why the government has made the attainment of foreign intellectual property a national priority. And this is what is making foreign companies nervous and creating a Catch-22 situation for China.

Setting up large scale manufacturing plants is not easy and value-chain dependencies can make relocations very hard. Nothing will happen very fast. But because the electronics supply chain is globally dispersed, it is certainly possible for Apple and its suppliers to start moving some of their manufacturing to places such as India, Mexico, and the United States. This will be a win-win for India, Apple, and the world.

Vivek Wadhva in Hindustan Times

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Assam at the Crossroads

BY HIREN SARMA

During my travel recently in

Assam, I had the opportunity to read a number of articles and books on this subject, which led me to meet up with many people from all walks of life from political leaders to intellectuals, and many common people on the streets. It seems everybody has understood the problem in Assam for many years and probably they even know the solutions. However, due to lack of political will and for their own advantage, none of the political parties possibly wanted a solution.

An eminent journalist Utpol Baruah has recently published a book in Assamese, named Asomiya Jatir Bhabishyat, where he has very openly and boldly addressed the issues and pointed out the root causes of the current situation in Assam.

After talking to all the experts, what surprised me most was that everyone is expressing his/ her opinion through various media, but no one has made an effort to pull them all together and address the issues jointly.

We all know the old adage “united we stand, divided we fall.” I sincerely appeal to all of these well wishers of Assam to come down from their pedestals and sit together, not necessarily as a political entity, but as a social force.

Illegal immigration is a very common phenomenon in the world which should be denounced as well as discouraged, because this threatens the very fabric of the recipient country. What makes it worse for Assam is that this is creating a major demographic shift,

not only based on religion but also based on its language.

One point I mustdrive home is that Assam is now at the crossroads, where we need to decide whether to take the final stand and force the authorities to take remedial steps or accept this as a historical change and remain in our own cocoon until we get dissipated.

After grappling with the definition of “Assamese” for decades, it is encouraging to see that a sizeable section of the people of Assam agrees with the definition as “the indigenous tribes of Assam and the indigenous Assamese people”, despite opposition from the state government and other political parties and organizations to protect their vested interests.

The question of “constitutional safeguarding” is directly linked with this definition. There had beensome strong movements with regards to this proposal, wherein a certain percentage of the 126 state assembly seats will be reserved for the 27 tribal groups including the newly proposed group covering Ahoms, Morans etc.However, there was lack of transparency in the whole process, particularly with regard to the reservation quota for the “indigenous Assamese people”. By definition this includes the Kayasthas, Brahmins, indigenous Muslims and other indigenous “non-tribal” people.

We all know that the national political parties are not interested in solving these problems; rather it benefits them to keep these issues alive with the prospect of appealing towards certain communities of the society, as part of their vote

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bank. The regional parties have failed miserably despite their repeated opportunities and the general masses have lost faith in them as a result. From this perspective, we do not have any other alternative but to lookup to the established organizations like Asom Sahitya Sabha and All Assam Students Union to unite all the indigenous tribes of Assam and the indigenous Assamese people and push the authorities to implement the aforesaid proposals. These organizations had been associated with these problems for more than three decades. I challenge these organizations to stand up firm, for one last time and sincerely make an effort to force the authorities to resolve the issues. You can count on the “Assamese” people to stand behind you if you come forward and put Assam first with selfless intentions.

I must admit that I am neither an expert nor an authority on this complex subject.

However, my simple analysis of the situation suggests that we should implement the following measures in parallel, with immediate effect (Utpol Baruah has recommended some similar measures): 1) constitutional safeguarding of the indigenous tribes of Assam and Assamese people, 2) complete stoppage of illegal immigration from Bangladesh and other nations, and 3) reinstate all development projects in the state promptly and with transparency.

The author is a retired Oil & Gas Project Development Manager in Houston, and also a fiction writer in Assamese language.

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OUSTON: Houston residents from all walks of life came together on April 29, 30 and May 1, to immerse themselves in a fun, relaxing weekend of yoga and ashram living with yoga enthusiasts from across Texas. The focus of this year’s retreat was “Bhagavad Gita in everyday life” conducted by the learned and knowledgeable Yoga master Shri N.V. Raghuramji and beloved teachers Vishwarupa Nanjudappa and Smitha Malliah. This was the third retreat held by Vyasa Houston allowing Yoga devotees to absorb the ancient teachings of the Yoga masters in the beautiful surroundings at Camp Cho Yeh in Livingston, TX. The Gita is an essential textbook for aspiring Yogi’s as they tread the Yogic path. Yoga as taught in the Bhagavad Gita is not about how well you do a certain posture but about how to live a purposeful life. It presents a range of spiritual insights and guidance to elevate the quality of life for the individual. It is often said that when the student is ready, the lesson will appear. Students were more than ready to absorb the teachings wonderfully elucidated by Shri Raghuramji . He talked about Karma Yoga - the Yoga of Action, the path chosen primarily by those of an outgoing nature. By detaching yourself from the fruits of your actions and offering them up to the divine, you learn to minimize the ego. He also talked about Bhakti Yoga – the path chosen to direct the ego inward and focus on the spiritual growth of the individual. His session on the Gunas inspired attendees to examine the inherent principles of the path they have chosen.

VYASA (Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana) was founded in Bangalore in 1975. Dr. Nagendra, Dr. Nagrathna and Prof. Raghuram began this institute which has since evolved into a one of the premier Yoga institutions in India. Over time SVYASA was established as the academic arm of VYASA offering training courses in Yoga therapy and

Tel (281) 858-3005

Yoga instruction. The website of the institution (www.svyasa.org) is one of the most visited Yoga sites in the world.

VYASA in Houston began in 1999.

A number of Houstonians wanted to make the benefits of yoga as taught at VYASA’s Bangalore center available to more local residents. In agreement with VYASA-Bangalore, the Houston Center was established and incorporated in 1999 as a non-profit organization. Ramesh Bhutada, a local businessman, was the founding president and served until 2002.

Dr. Sudha Rajan, a family medicine physician who has been involved since its inception, is now president of the organization One of the highlights of the retreat was the cultural program where former and current YICC students put together a variety of entertaining programs that delighted the group assembled there. The beautiful dances

by Annapurna Jonnalagadda and spiritual singing were appreciated by all. The teachings of the Gurus were beautifully depicted by former students of YICC to the melodious “Nirvana Shatakam” in the form of various Yoga Asanas. One of the highlights was the Vishnu Sahasranamam Avadhanam presented

by Nitya Hosur. Participants also enjoyed Krida Yoga and the “one minute games” organized by Sanjay Joshi and Richa Dixit. The retreat ended with a special graduation cer-

emony for the Yoga Instructor certificate courses offered by VYASA Houston last year. Students Achala Limaye, Rajeev Limaye, Aniruddha Gadre, Annapurna Jonnalagadda, Chandrashekar Nandula, Anuradha Sudarshan, Shalaka Taware and Anjali Kanojia proudly received their certificates and shared their experiences of personal growth through the YICC course. Raghuramji delivered the keynote address at the Graduation ceremony and spoke about the responsibilities of becoming a Yoga instructor and carrying the torch of learning forward. He also reminded the teachers to never stop learning and to always be ready to receive learning.

VYASA serves as a leader in making advances in Yogic Science’s and the dedicated efforts of director Vishwarupa along with the assistant director Smitha Malliah in Houston are a testament to that. Both of them agree that “The goal of VYASA-Houston is to promote health, happiness and peace in the community through various programs like Yoga for positive health, yoga therapy for specific aliments and yoga in education for youngsters etc.”

To learn more about Yoga as a Science contact Vishwarupa or Smitha at VYASAhouston@gmail. org or stop by the Keshav Smruti center; 4018 Westhollow Parkway, Houston, TX 77082 , or call 888964-2609.

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ADVICE

BY KRISHAN GUPTA

Never give up efforts when you

fail, because failure is truly an acronym for “First step in learning”.

Never lose hope, because Hope stands for “Hold on, Pain ends”.

No matter how dark the night is, it ends with hope and first rays of sun. Successful people are those who never lose hope, never give up efforts, and build their success out of failures. Keep your hope above and strong.

Don’t quit! is an extremely powerful message that applies to anyone and everyone. It is all about perseverance, tenacity, determination, and will power not to give up - especially when the things are going wrong. There are seeds of success in every failure, and that is why we must not quit. The message which is given below rekindles the self-confidence, which essentially enables us to believe in our abilities to achieve the goals that may appear beyond any rationale, common reasoning and normal logic. This self-confidence is particularly important in life, because it empowers us to bring our dreams and vision for fruition.

Beautiful dawns are always welcome into a new day and into a whole world; with new ambition, dreams, and energy to enjoy in the world. Be grateful to Almighty God, have courage, open new opportunities with strong determinations to succeed. Yesterday becomes the past, and tomorrow will

May 20, 2016

21

Don’t Quit, Don’t Ever Give Up!

always be an illusion. Enjoy all the moments; welcome the new day as you step into your new world.

Let people say whatever they like, stick to your own convictions.

Once you have a complete control on your body, then you may be able to seduce your mind, ensnare your heart, and capture your soul.

The only real failure in life is fail to try. Smile, it’s the second best thing you can do with your lips.

Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the door bell. Good judgement comes from the experience, but experience comes from bad judgement. If the law is on your side, pound the law; if the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If neither is on your side, pound on the table. If you begin the day with love in your heart, peace in your nerves, and truth in your mind, you not only benefit by their presence, but also bring them to others, to your family, friends, and to all whose destiny draws across your path that day.

Faith in all, and in God---this is the secret of greatness. Never think

there is anything impossible for the mind, body, and soul. Whatever you think yourselves that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be. If you think yourselves strong, strong you will be. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal, and life. Weakness is constant strain and misery.

To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance and will power. Have that sort of energy, willpower, work hard, and you will reach the goal. We are everything, ready to do everything and must do everything. Keep that in mind, “Great convictions are the mother of great deeds.” Many times in our life, we are faced with blows and obstacles that can be unbearable some times. We should never ever quit and give up as you can never tell how close you are with your goals. You just have to experience this blow to get where you are.

The past is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that is why we call it the present and we must not quit.

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PUZZLES / RECIPES

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes T

Parmal di Subzi (Sauteed Pointed Gourds) – Quick Recipe

hese pointy vegetables with yellowish-green color resemble small cucumbers with yellow stripes, but are really a member of the family of gourds and are abundant in Eastern India in the summer time. The flesh is creamy white with small firm seeds, and is quite bland, allowing it to pick up the flavor from spices in dishes.

They are called parmal in the Punjab and North India, but parwal in Hindi and Gujarati and potol in Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Orrisa where they are hugely popular and also eaten in South India. In the US, they usually found in many Indian grocery stores but not in local supermarkets.

Parmal are high in calories and good sources of carbohydrates, vitamins A and C and other minerals like magnesium, sodium, potassium and copper. In Aryuveda, parmal are thought to enhance the proper digestion of food. In Nepal, the sick are usually given parmal soup. Parmal can also be pickled with a variety of herbs and spices. An extract of the seeds is used to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

They can be eaten in stews, curries, soups, fried or with fish, roe and meat stuffings, and even sweet.

Choose young immature gourds, as the mature ones are usually not as flavorful and the ripe ones turn orange and mushy and become too sweet to consume.

This is also a quick recipe to make for those who don’t have enough time to cook as it is not necessary to make elaborate preparations. This recipe doesn’t require other ingredients, but if you want, you can add sliced onions and garlic. It is best served as a side dish with rice.

Ingredients: 500 gm parmal (pointed gourds) 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil 1 tsp rai (mustard seed) or jeera (cumin) (per preference) 1 tsp haldi (turmeric) Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala Directions:

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1. Wash the parmal thoroughly and then wipe them dry.

2. Cut the parmal lengthwise in slices and keep aside.

3. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and then throw in the mustard seeds

or cumin and turmeric and roast slightly.

4. Add the parmal and brown them, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom.

5. Add the salt, pepper; cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

If still not tender, then turn the heat down, leave covered and cook for 5 more minutes.

6. Turn the heat off and let it sit uncovered.

7. Before serving, garnish the dish with garam masala.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur (since renamed Faisalabad), India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947.

People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WE EK

EASY FORM OF

TA

DKA Most curries and da als need some form out the spiciness, th e quantity and type of tadka to bring s of which vary with the method of prep aring the dish. For Punjabi food, I have found that the tadk a and can be mostly doesn’t need to be very complicated do Just drop in the sa ne while the daal is being cooked . lt, pepper, turmer ic, garlic and ginger in to the daal while it chopped onions, is simmering. Afte it is cooked, sprin kle r a while. When serv with garam masala and let it sit fo r ing in a bowl, drip of olive oil into th in half a teaspoon e da should be served ho al and stir. For best results, the daal t.

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May 20, 2016

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Emra Azhar : Real or Fixed, an Hashmi M akes it Interesting

23

Vivah Actor Amrita Rao Ties the Knot with RJ Anmol in Mumbai

BY ROHIT VATS

W

as one of India’s finest batsmen and successful skippers guilty of throwing matches for money?

Or was Mohammad Azharuddin made a scapegoat?

Director Tony D’Souza’s film examines whether justice was served in the dark match fixing saga that exploded in Indian cricket at the turn of the millennium.

Azharuddin’s grandfather had prophesied the cricketer will play 100 Tests – a dream that was thwarted when he was banned after 99 Tests.

But the Azharuddin played by Emraan Hashmi indicates his hundredth Test played out inside the courtroom for eight years.

D’Souza and dialogue writer Rajat Aroraa want you to believe there is much more than the philan-

dering, spendthrift image behind the famously introvert former skipper.

The version is over-dramaticised in stretches but the makers don’t deny any of the allegations, giving the scandal a spin that makes the film an interesting watch.

You meet flamboyant cricketers addressed only by their first names, watch them cracking dressing room jokes and hanky-panky near hotel pools.

The escapades of Ravi (Gautam Gulati), the most ‘colourful’ among them, reach his wife and she calms down only after the trustworthy captain’s assurance. Azhar makes friends but no one turns up when he needs them the most.

The tale of two wives unfolds simultaneously. Naureen (Prachi) never sees it coming and Sangeeta

(Nargis) becomes Azhar’s second wife and the man claims to love them equally.

The assertive bookies and goldladen gangsters spice things up in this 131-minute ride. Going back and forth in time makes the audience overlook the fictional feel of a stadium.

Generous kissing scenes and punchlines can’t exactly be called hindrances for a film that has a long disclaimer about not being a biopic.

Once you start treating it as fictional saga, the narrative becomes much more attractive.

The Emraan Hashmi charm mixed with shy Azharuddin mannerism makes it a heady cocktail.

You wouldn’t want to put it down without giving it a try. hindustantimes.com

Vivah actor Amrita Rao today tied

the knot with radio jockey Anmol after seven years of dating.

Anmol shared the news with fans on his Twitter and Facebook page.

“An interview that started 7 years back, continues... Only to get stronger today! JUST MARRIED!!! Myself & Amrita need your Good Wishes,”

he wrote alongside a photo with the 34-year-old actor.

Amrita is currently seen on television show Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai. She has starred in films like Ishq Vishk, Jolly LLB, Deewaar, Main Hoon Na and The Legend of Bhagat Singh.

- hindustantimes.com

Karan Johar May 25, 1972

Kunal Khemu May 25, 1983

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24 May 20, 2016

IPL 2016: RCB Top Order Proves Too Hot for KKR

K

SPORTS

Sreejesh to Lead India for Champions Trophy

BY VISHAL DIKSHIT

OLKOTA (ESPN Cricinfo): Royal Challengers Bangalore 186 for 1 (Kohli 75*, de Villiers 59*, Gayle 49) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 183 for 5 (Gambhir 51, Pandey 50) by nine wickets Thirty-two runs, 43 balls, and less than an hour at the crease while batting in a total of eight innings. Those were Chris Gayle’s numbers during his lean run since his hundred in West Indies’ World T20 opener against England exactly two months ago.

On a humid night at Eden Gardens, he struck form against his former franchise to help Royal Challengers Bangalore stay alive in their hunt for a playoff spot, with a nine-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Royal Challengers’ top order made light work of the 184-run target as Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers carried their stellar show from Bangalore to Kolkata, after Gayle’s 31-ball 49.

Gayle had trudged to 1 off seven balls before unleashing the big hits.

He started with a swipe over mid-on for four in the second over, and treated the short balls thereafter with disdain.

The upper cut, the inside-out drive and even the fierce sweep off Sunil Narine, something he’s not always known for, followed as he raced to 35 off 21. Amid the carnage, Kohli exhibited one classical inside-out drive for six that showed the Royal Challengers party was on at both ends, and

Goalkeeper Sreejesh to lead, Sardar to rest.

NEW DELHI: The selection com-

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 off 51 balls, Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore.

only 11 people at the packed ground were not dancing to the music.

Gayle was trapped lbw by Narine after he struck two more sixes, but that brought together Kohli and de Villiers. They were watchful at times but picked up boundaries regularly.

While de Villiers targeted Ankit Rajpoot and Shakib Al Hasan, who was repeatedly swept into the stands at deep square leg, Kohli went after

Andre Russell and Piyush Chawla.

Kohli, on 32, offered a rare chance off Shakib but Gautam Gambhir put it down at backward point in the 11th over, with Royal Challengers needing 90 off 56. But after two boundary-less overs against Shakib and Chawla, Kohli and de Villiers put their seat belts on. Kohli picked the wrong’uns, de Villiers used the crease against the three spinners, and sixes were struck on demand. Soon the equation read 40 from 24. And even though Gambhir changed his bowlers around, the result remained unaffected.

Kohli sauntered to his eighth fiftyplus score of the tournament and de Villiers, the more attacking of the two, registered his 28-ball half-century as the duo ran down the target with eight balls to spare. Their unbeaten stand read 115 runs from 11.1 overs at a scoring rate of 10.29. Along the way, Kohli surpassed Chris Gayle and Michael Hussey’s tally of 733 runs to become the highest run-scorer in an IPL season.

Unlike the chase, Knight Riders’ journey to 183 had been a bumpy ride, led first by the top order and then the lower order. Iqbal Abdulla, who replaced Varun Aaron in RCB’s XI, took a one-handed catch to dismiss

Robin Uthappa in the third over.

Gambhir and Manish Pandey didn’t look perturbed though. While the captain relied more on nudges, Pandey’s big swings towards the midwicket region kept the fielders busy, as Knight Riders passed fifty at the end of the Powerplay.

Just when Knight Riders had begun hitting harder, Royal Challengers took three wickets in 10 balls. Gambhir and Pandey fell after making fifties to allow Abdulla and Yuzvendra Chahal to slow the scoring further.

Yusuf Pathan, who had made an unbeaten 29-ball 60 in a match-winning effort when the sides last met in Bangalore, was deceived in flight and stumped for 6, while Suryakumar Yadav holed out to long-off. Knight Riders stumbled to 125 for 5.

The momentum switched sides again when Russell and Shakib got together. Shakib used leg-side swipes and Russell unfurled commanding swings from deep in the crease to collect boundaries. Even though Shakib raced to 12 off his first four deliveries, he later took singles to give the strike to Russell, who targeted the quicks to score 39 off 19.

Vishal Dikshit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

mittee of the Indian men’s hockey team decided to rest skipper Sardar Singh and ace drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh from the 18-member national squad led by goalkeeper PR Sreejesh , which will take part in the FIH Champions Trophy in London from June 10-17.

It will be India’s last tournament before the Rio Olympics and the move to rest Sardar is keeping in mind the decision to rest some of the seniors in order to keep them fresh for the quadrennial extravaganza.

“It was pre-decided that Sardar will be rested for the Champions Trophy as he has been playing non-stop for quite some time. He played in the Azlan Shah where Sreejesh was rested. Here Sreejesh is leading the side and Sardar gets much-needed rest,” Hockey India president Narinder Batra told PTI on Tuesday.

“It also means that the coach ( Roelant Oltmans ) can check out a few youngsters and analyse what’s best possible combination we can have,” Batra added.

SV Sunil will be Sreejesh’s deputy in the squad which also has seasoned first team players like VR Ragunath, Kothajit Singh, SK Uthappa, Akashdeep Singh to name a few.

Defender Harmanpreet Singh, one of the outstanding performers from the team’s silver medal winning Azlan Shah Cup team, finds himself retained in the squad, and is joined by his junior colleagues, Harjeet Singh and Goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya, who will be a back up to Sreejesh in the squad.

Speaking after the squad announcement, Sreejesh said, “At the Champions Trophy, our aim will be to put in a class performance and finish as high as we can. Finishing with a medal at the tournament, will give us a lot of confidence going into the Olympics.”

May 20, 2016

N

Narendra Modi Govt Eases Red Tape but Foreign Firms Still Struggle

EW DELHI: Narendra Modi was elected two years ago this week promising to ease India’s notorious red tape and unpack regulatory tangles, but for foreign firms, doing business in the world’s fastest-growing large economy can still be a costly headache.

With a billion consumers and rising middle class, India holds dazzling potential—yet despite signs of change on the ground, high-profile corporate tussles continue to bamboozle investors.

British firms Cairn Energy and Vodafone have this year been hit with fresh bills for billions of dollars in backdated tax and threats of asset seizure linked to long-running disputes.

Agribusiness giant Monsanto in March threatened to pull out of India over government plans to slash cotton seed royalties paid by local firms by about 70% to help farmers.

And two major American business bodies this month voiced disappointment with the glacial pace of market reforms.

In a submission to the US commerce secretary, the National Association of Manufacturers urged Washington to press for change during a visit by Modi in June.

“Despite statements made by Prime Minister Modi and other senior Indian officials over the past two years, there has been limited progress in many key areas that make it challenging to do business in India,” the group wrote.

Modi took power after winning elections in May 2014 promising to make India “open for business”, seeking to replicate an impressive economic track record as chief minister in Gujarat and speed up a market opening that began 25 years ago.

The potential is breathtaking: India’s population will overtake China’s within six years and comprise

1.7 billion people by 2050, according to the UN. But India ranks 130 out of 189 on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index—the worst of all G20 countries.

Regulations vary capriciously across its 29 states, where even the same law can be interpreted in bafflingly different ways.

“It is a hassle, it’s a pain, the amount of (tax) bills we get, the number of licences we need,” the India head of one major European retailer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“Any store that we open, there are between 25 to 40 licences. It’s just a mess.”

A much-reviled 2012 retrospective tax law has not been repealed, with telecoms giant Vodafone and oil explorer Cairn charged billions over previously cleared dealings.

“The finance minister himself has said on more than one occasion that retrospective taxes have been an own goal,” Naushad Forbes, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, told AFP. “They ruin our reputation and don’t bring us any revenue.”

Trade remains a bugbear, with US exporters to India lamenting eye-wateringly high tariffs and protectionist restrictions, and years-long talks with the EU all but stalled.

“One big conflict at the highest level (is) that the Modi government is very pro-investment but at the same time, very anti-trade access,” said Richard Rossow of the Center for

Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

Even Facebook—personally courted by tech-loving Modi in Silicon Valley—ran into trouble with Free Basics, an initiative to give limited free Internet to the poor.

After Indian entrepreneurs railed against corporate paternalism, Free Basics was blocked by the telecoms regulator, in a ruling ostensibly over data pricing.

Some suggest India’s buoyant economy, expected to have grown 7.6% this year, has bolstered nationalist tendencies.

While headline-grabbing corporate wrangles spook investors, many businesses say they see signs of change.

Several executives told AFP they find civil servants more approachable under the Modi government and said a drive to bring a vast ocean of approvals online has had a tangible effect.

“We have certainly seen an improved willingness amongst some individuals in government organisations to close out historic project problems,” said Liz King, India managing director of engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald.

Hundreds of backdated tax cases have been quietly resolved and it appears new ones are not being taken forward, said Rossow of CSIS. “In the weeds there are good things happening,” he said.

The UK India Business Council said its members still cite legal and regulatory impediments as their biggest challenge to doing business in India.

But, said its head Richard McCallum, things are moving faster.

“It used to take three months to incorporate a company in India and now we are doing it in three weeks,” he said.

-livemint.com

25

Railway to Lay 20-km Long Test Track for Trial Run of High-speed Trains

In a first for Indian Railway, the

public sector transporter is laying a 20 km-long test track, equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory, near Raipur for trial of high-speed and regular trains it plans to introduce.

Besides new locomotives and coaches, the test track will also be used for trial of high axle load wagons.

Currently, the trial of new trains are conducted on the existing rail network causing traffic delays, said a senior Railway Ministry official, adding the tracks are not equipped to help simulation of all test conditions.

Test tracks are used for trial run of new trains in countries, including the US, Japan and South Korea.

In India, a section of the railway network is cordoned off and no train movement is allowed whenever a new train is put on trial run, causing traffic diversion and delay in operations.

The 20 km test track, including a 5 km loop line, will be developed at an estimated cost of about Rs 100 crore.

The need for a test track for expeditious trial of prototypes under varying conditions has been felt for long, the official said, adding, it will go a long way in enhancing the research and development capabilities of railways.

The facility will be used for technical acceptance tests and approvals of locomotives, rolling stock under operating condition and personnel

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training.

It will also be equipped for prototype testing of all new innovations and development of railway technology which require a number of safety permissions and protocols to be followed rigorously.

Railways conduct a number of tests for ensuring safety of passengers such as coupler force trials, oscillation trials and emergency braking distance trials, among others. The test track will also enable railways to undertake railway related research projects, and devise better and innovative solutions for infrastructural bottlenecks on the railway network, the Railway Ministry official said.

It will be used for technical acceptance tests and approval of locomotives, rolling stock under operating condition, including signalling system and personnel training. The test track will be equipped with a stateof-the-art laboratory and monitoring unit with latest facilities to examine the rail worthiness of new trains, he said.

Railways plans to improve its research unit to handle the scenario that would emerge following the advent of bullet trains and high axle load double stacker freight service.

Research Design and Standard Organisation, Indian Railway’s research unit, will be completely revamped to cater to the new situation and the test track is part of the public sector behemoth’s R&D solution.

-indianexpress.com

26 May 20, 2016

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