E newspaper06222018

Friday, June 22, 2018 • Vol. 37, No. 24

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

Bala

Vihar

Graduation Ceremony

P5

Priest Sri Ganesh Satyanarayana and Brni. Shweta Chaitanya leading the graduates to Chinmaya Smriti

Race 3 Movie Review

Punjabi Virsa 2018

P23

Eid

Greetings from the community

P14&15

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June 22, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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June 22, 2018

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Congressman Beto O’Rourke Meets Asian Leaders for Support vs. Cruz

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

H

OUSTON: Since the election of Lloyd Bentsen in 1988, Texas has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate. With the polarizing politics of Donald Trump, many political analysts are seeing a Blue wave in the country during the 2018 mid-term elections.

One Democratic candidate who is hoping to ride the Blue wave in the red state of Texas is Congressman Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, who represents the US 16th Congressional District, which includes the city of El Paso. Congressman O’Rourke is challenging current incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

As part of his Sentatorial campaign, O’Rourke came to Houston on Friday, June 15 to hold a roundtable discussion with Asian-American leaders in Houston at his local campaign headquarters in the

Congressman Beto O’Rourke (center) flanked by Sri Preston Kulkarni (far left), Texas State Representative Gene Wu and Democratic party activist Ling Luo (right).

Galleria area. The event drew about 50 Asian-American leaders and political activists, including several from the In-

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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dian and Pakistani communities.

The roundtable discussion was organized by Democratic party activist Ling Luo with State Representative Gene Wu as the emcee and 22nd Distric Candidate Sri Preston Kulkarni in attendance.

The hot topic of the roundtable was immigration.

O’Rourke spoke about his trip to a detention center at the border to see the separa-

tion of adults and children, which is generating significant consternation. “If there were ever a community, it would be Houston, if there were ever a state, it would be Texas that would understand what this means for America and our ability to continue to inspire one another and the rest of the world, said O’Rourke. “We will be defined by our actions far into the future.”

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Family immigration is a topic of interest to the AsianAmerican leaders as well since the Trump administration is planning to replace family or “chain” immigration with merit-based immigration.

Since many Asian-American businesses are family owned, family immigration is necessary as the business is staffed by parents, children and close relatives. Citing his support for family immigration, O’Rourke said, “It doesn’t matter how small, how rural, how Republican, I can guarantee that the new businesses that are opening up were started by immigrants.”

Another topic of concern for the Asian-American audience was that of winnability. How would O’Rourke turn the tide of Republican wins in this red state?”

O’Rourke replied that he has a strong chance as independent pollls have placed him within single digits of Cruz. “We’ve out-raised, without accepting a dime from PACs, the Cruz campaign by millions of dollars.” Wu and Kulkarni also cited the value of turning out the Asian-American vote, as evidence by their strong support during the primaries.

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June 22, 2018

Suresh Iyer: Ekal USA’s New President

BY MANU SHAH

HOUSTON: Suresh Iyer’s introduction to

Ekal was a strange coincidence. In 2002, he was asked by a friend to host its Founder Shyam Gupta in a last minute change of plans. The conversation between the two turned to Ekal, lasted well into the night and by morning, Suresh had become a donor.

He gradually became more involved as a volunteer, then Chapter President, Chairman of the Board until 6 months ago when he assumed the role of President of Ekal Vidyalaya USA. Ekal’s’ new President absorbed the importance of education and the spirit of service early in life. The family lacked monetary

COMMUNITY

resources but made up in a mother’s determination to educate all six of her children. As they did well in school, she cleared out the balcony so they could coach other children who were not faring as well for free.

Suresh recalls that despite a budget that stretched thin, there was always a snack for all the children after class.

These instilled values showed up time and again over the course of his life.

After graduating and securing his first paying job at

Suresh Iyer

the Indian Space Research Organization as a scientist, the first thing Suresh did was to fund the education of several children who were academically good but couldn’t afford the fees in his school in Bengaluru.

After brief stints at Air India and Tata Consultancy Services, USA, Suresh started his own company Infospectrum in 2002 based out of Southern California. The company provides tracking software for aerospace maintenance as well as real time tracking of transportation Assets. Suresh is happy his entrepreneurial gamble paid off but clearly says his work with Ekal “brings a different level of satisfaction.”

The Ekal movement started in 1989 with one village and one school. Today, there is an Ekal school in 70,000 villages in India offering free schooling, vocational training, digital competence and agricultural education. Suresh makes it a point to visit a school every time he visits India. If they are excited and curious to meet this visitor from America, he is no less impressed to hear a 6 year old confidently rattle off the multiplication table of 12. To him, it is proof that Ekal is effective.

It also made his day when a girl who had learned tailoring at an Ekal vocational school told him she had opened her own tailoring center and was earning 5000 rupees a month.

As President, Suresh is charged about taking Ekal to the next level. The Foundation raised 8 million dollars last year and his goal is to cross 10 million this year. He’s also working on putting a system of Donor communication in place and intends to strengthen those Ekal Chapters that need a little boost. Above all, he wants “Ekal’s message to be out in the world loudly and clearly.”

Three galas for fundraising are being planned for October in New York, Washington and Houston. He reveals that just $365 can support an Ekal school for an entire year.

Suresh is clearly thriving on this challenge but admits he couldn’t have done it without his wife Kanaka’s unwavering support, A physician, she held the fort with their two boys while he took on various leadership roles at Ekal.

This spirit of service has also passed on to Suresh’s two boys – Vasant and Sumant.

Both have interned at Ekal villages and returned with a determination to do more.

Vasant presented his thoughts at the Ekal National Conference in 2015 while Sumant is working with the Coimbatore team and Google mapping division to coordinate ways by which Ekal schools can be quickly plotted on google maps. This helps donors get information about schools they are supporting easily.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

June 22, 2018

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Chinmaya Balavihar Houston Celebrates its Class of 2018

BY SATCHITANANDA

HOUSTON: The most satisfying

time is when one’s action fructifies.

When the fruit is laden with innumerable seeds of future greatness, happiness becomes manifold. Each year, Chinmaya Mission Houston (CMH) witnesses such an event during the graduation ceremony of its Balavihar 12th graders. On Sunday, June 3rd, the Chinmaya family gathered to celebrate the Bala Vihar graduation ceremony of its Class of 2018.

As the graduates stood at the threshold of their collegiate learning, the event marked the successful completion of their secular school education along with the simultaneous spiritual foundation through Bala Vihar. Decades ago, the visionary Pujya Gurudeva Swami Chinmayananda founded the Bala Vihar as a potent spiritual empowerment program for children (pre-Kindergarten through

12th grade) in a world that had only secular education devoid of the Vedic wisdom.

The day began with a photo session at the feet of Gurudev’s pratima to capture the memories of the graduates decked in gorgeous, vibrant, traditional attire with their Bala Vihar Acharyas. Then, as the ceremony began, Brni. Shweta Chaitanya led the students in a procession to the Saumyakasi Sivalaya. Sri Ganesh Satyanarayana, the temple priest, performed a puja to invoke God’s Grace in the young students’ future and and led them back to Chinmaya Smriti with Vedic chants. The students prayed at the lotus feet of Gurudev with their Acharyas Gaurang and Darshana Nanavaty before returning to the Smriti Hall.

The atmosphere was replete with gratitude, the joy of achievement, spiritual quietude, excitement and hopes. For many students, their 14-year journey at Bala Vihar was

layered with wondrous teachings from the most ancient Hindu civilization through the multitude of beloved teacher volunteers, who were guided by the untiring love and direction of Acharya Darshana Nanavaty.

Pujya Gaurang Uncle addressed the gathering with an amazing, insightful discourse based on the Shikshavalli – the ancient Commencement address from the Taittiriya Upanishad. He repeatedly emphasized with love the importance of Svadhyaya – Study of the Self through Scriptures. He deftly weaved the Vedic wisdom with its current relevance and application.

He urged the graduates to live a life of exemplary values rooted in Sanatana Dharma.

The memorable discourse was followed by lighting of the ceremonial lamps by the Acharyas.

Every graduate was given a special introduction as each came up on the stage and lit a lamp to signify

Class of 2018 with Acharyas Gaurang and Darshana Nanavaty and Balavihar teachers Photos: Jayesh Mistry

the knowledge received and the new beginnings. Proceeding to get blessings from the Acharyas, each also received a special memento with an engraved message of Gurudev’s wisdom. The academic achievements of the graduates and their future aspirations were awe inspiring, especially how CMH has influenced their lives through slokathons, festivals, volunteering, camps, teachers and Acharyas.

As the event came to an end, students eagerly approached their teachers and other elders for their blessings. As this spiritual village of CMH, proud of its decades of

India’s Tourism Minister: Discover India through Multiple Experiences

H

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

OUSTON: Last year, 1.2 million American tourists visited India.

“In the near future, India would like to double the number of tourists from the United States,” said Tourism Minister K. J. Alphons during an “Incredible India” roadshow hosted by the ministry in downtown Houston on Tuesday, June 19.

The roadshow was held on June 18 in New York lis scheduled to continue its tour to several other major US cities, including Chicago until June 22.

The roadshow provided an opportunity for India’s private sector travel and tour agencies to hold B2B discussions with their counterparts in the US. At the Houston roadshow, several Indo-American travel agencies took advantage of the opportunity, including Travel Express and its CEO Deepi Mehta.

Minister Alphons delivered the keynote address and an “Incred-

Minister of State for Tourism K. J. Alphons (left) during a press conference in Houston at the Incredible India roadshow held in downtown Houston. Minister Alphons said the ministry is upgrading its “Incredible India” campaign website by additing videos of experiences in India such as yoga and adventure tourism.

ible India” presentation was made

by Suman Billa, joint secretary, Ministry of Tourism, with an aim to project India as a ‘must visit’ tourist destination.

In addition, the tourism minister will also be attending the Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas (FOMAA) Convention 2018 in Chicago on June 22.

Indian Consular staff, including

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CG Anupam Ray, were on hand to provide coordination and support and present a live cultural show for the benefit of mainstream guests.

A ministry spokesman said the US is among the top three source countries in the percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India. During April 2018, the US was the second highest source country with 11.21 per cent share of total

FTAs. Luxury tourism was of keen interest to American visitors, the spokesman said.

Just prior to his US visit, Minister Alphons launched the new “Incredible India” website in New Delhi.

The website showcases India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences, such as, spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, and wellness.

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powerful, positive impact, wishes the graduating class and then gets ready for another academic year, one could merely bow and be thankful for the vision of Pujya Gurudev, who continues to shape thousands of lives through his words, institutions, and his blessings. Tradition steeped in wisdom, diffused with fun is the norm at Chinmaya Mission Houston, located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353, Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX-77498. For more information, visit www.chinmayahouston.org or call Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059.

The new website provides deails of exotic destinations of the country. The ministry has partnered with Google Arts & Culture, in bringing online a series of compelling visuals to give the user an immersive experience of India’s festivals, heritage, festivity, spirituality, museums and adventure, on the new website.

The short videos feature international celebrities who have visited India and expresses their fascination with various aspects of India’s culture. The celebrities include Emma Puttick, a fashion designer, who visits India several times to gain inspiration for her clothing designs.

Also featured is professional golfer Carly Booth, who played golf at several courses in India, including Maharajah Gaikwad’s private course across his palace in Baroda, as well as galli cricket in Mumbai.

Minister Alphons was particularly enamored of a video clip called “Yogi of the Racetrack”, featuring an American motorcyclist, who learned Yoga while going on various adventure treks in India.

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June 22, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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June 22, 2018

HOUSTON: Patanjali Yogpeeth Yoga Therapy Seminar at Arya Samaj Houston (USA) and Arya Samaj Houston jointly hosted a two-day intensive seminar on Yoga Therapy as a Life Style Medicine. Shekhar Agrawal and Dev Mahajan have dedicated themselves to nurturing both the organizations for more than 25 years. The Sixth Principle of Arya Samaj is the guiding lighthouse for them: the prime object of Arya Samaj is well being of the entire world, particularly physical, spiritual and social advancement. The foresight of its founder Maharshi Dayanand (1825-’83) continues to guide the stalwarts of Arya Samaj in all corners of the world to develop unique projects for everybody’s good without any discrimination whatsoever. So, when Swami Ramdev appeared on the health scene of India, Arya Samaj Houston jumped at the opportunity and many of its members helped set up Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust with the noble mission to bring health to everyone’s easy access, concentrating on preventive measures. Arya Samaj Houston conducts free Yoga classes every Saturday and Sunday morning, 8:00 to 9:30 AM. Interested people may simply drop in any day. There are occasional special events and seminars, too. Besides dedicating its Foundation Day in April to a Health Fair event, it conducted a high-value event over the weekend with three outstanding speakers, two coming from far away.

The Saturday afternoon started

From left: Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Dev Mahajan, Dr. Rajan Narayanan,and Shekhar Agarwal at Yoga Therapy seminar at ASGH.

with a masterpiece presentation by its own resident Acharya Surya Nanda who conveyed the gist of Patanjali’s philosophy of Yoga. He was pragmatic to touch upon Yoga and Kriya-Yoga in passing but dwelt at length on Ashtanga Yoga, the prescription for commoners.

Its eight limbs were covered in sufficient length. The scholarly presentation was well appreciated by the audience that they got the message which otherwise would require reading a voluminous book; it beautifully prefaced the next two presentations from eminent medical experts.

Dr. Dilip Sarkar, a cardiac surgeon turned Yoga therapist can make anybody’s guess wrong when it comes to his age. He is embodiment of Yoga therapy as you see his glow and radiance.

His lucid presentation was devoted to simple life style changes that can help one handle common disorders affecting many of us. He continued his presentation on Sunday, confining to chronic illnesses.

Heart ailments and diabetes have unfortunately become signs of upper echelon life style and should not be neglected. The audience, outnumbering anybody’s expectations, were very responsive and even followed exercise instructions. His book on Yoga therapy was well received; there was a long line of people to get a copy personally signed by him.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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Dr. Rajan Narayanan specialized in breathing exercises (called, Pranayama in Yoga parlance) and their beneficial effects on a wide array of ailments. It was interesting to see that he could relate several kinds of Pranayama to specific Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali. He further corroborated his findings with scientific investigations in modern medical scientific environment.

Shekhar seized the opportunity to announce a self-development course for Yoga enthusiasts to be held, 5-7 October at Arya Samaj Houston, to be conducted by himself and Dr. Dilip Sarkar. The course can even put you on the ladder to become a Yoga teacher. True to the message of Yoga therapy, refreshments were light, healthy and sattvik. Write to pyptusa@gmail.com to know more about Yoga events at Arya Samaj and the course to be delivered in October. Arya Samaj welcomes everybody in its Sunday morning assembly 10-12 at 14375 Schiller Road, followed by warm lunch.

Free Yoga classes, which include instruction in asanas, pranayama and meditation, are conducted at ASGH on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8.00 am to 9:30 am as a service to the community. Please call Shekhar Agrawal 281-242-5000 for more information. For more information please visit or https://www. facebook.com/AryaSamajOfGreaterHouston

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June 22, 2018

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June 22, 2018

Bathing Ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra at Char Dham Temple

HE WOODLANDS: As part of the 7th Annual “Greater Houston Rath Yatra” celebrations, “Deva Snana Puja” will be held at the Char Dham temple, in the Woodlands on Wednesday, June 27 from 6pm to 8pm.

“Deva Snana” Puja is the “Bathing Ceremony” of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra that happens on the full moon day of Jyeshta Masa (month). It is an important festival as it’s the birthday of Lord Jagannath. This is the first occasion in the year when the deities are brought out from the sanctum sanctorum and taken in a procession to “Snana Mandap” (bathing altar), where they are ceremonially bathed with 108 pitchers of water from a well inside the Jagannath Temple. Out of the 108 pitchers of water, 35 pitchers of water are used for Lord Jagannath, 33 pitchers for Lord Balabhadra, 22 pitchers for Devi Subhadra and 18 pitchers for Lord Sudarshan. After the bathing rituals, the deities are decorated in “Gaja Vesha” or elephant headgear. In keeping with this tradition, during the Deva Snana Puja at the Char Dham temple, the deities will be bathed with 108 pitchers of water, will be dressed in Gaja Vesha.

Then there will be Archana, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Teertha Prasad Viniyogam followed by Prasa-

can’t see them until they appear the day before Rath Yatra, known as Netra Utsav. The next day, the deities take a trip to visit their maternal aunt in a festival, known worldwide as the Rath Yatra.

This year the 7th Annual Greater Houston Rath Yatra or Festival of Chariots will be celebrated on July 14 at the Char Dham Temple from 5pm to 10pm. This event is being organized jointly by Char Dham

Deities in Gaja Vesha after the bathing ceremony.

Photos: Thejas K.R.

Devotees bathing the deities with purified water.

dam.

Traditionally, after the bathing,

the Gods fall ill and are kept in Anabasara, where the devotees

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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Hindu Temple, SKAI Foundation, and ISKCON Houston and is being supported by various other organizations. The organizers are anticipating a big crowd packing the temple premises and surrounding streets to see and seek blessings from Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. Festivities will include procession of 3 chariots in Jagannath Puri style, Cultural entertainment, Indian bazaar, Food booths and Maha Arati. Admission is completely free.

For more information, visit http://chardhamhindutemple.org or call 832-299-5172.

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See article on page 11 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

June 22, 2018

Punjabi Virsa 2018 Captivates with a Packed Musical Show

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The audience just loved the show

Houston, a familyoriented show dedicated to spreading peace and equality and awareness about the rich Punjabi cultural heritage, captivated the audience for three and a half hours. It The organizer K.P. Singh (right) with singer is the first Punjabi Manmohan Waris show brought onstage by Kanwalpreet Singh Gill (popularly known as KP Singh) of Radio Voice of Punjab, in association with Bombay Sweets & Restaurant and Karya Property Management. KP Singh, is a journalist and the founder of the radio program, and said that “for the last 20 years I have been dedicated to promoting the rich and enthusiastic culture and heritage of the Punjab.”

Kamal Heer, musician and composer, the younger brother of ManMohan Singh Garewal receiving an award mohan Waris and from the performers.

Sangtar showcased his virtuosity with

BY DR. SARITA MEHTA taan and his command of the art of traditional Punjabi music. The OUSTON: From the moment devotional song ‘Sanu Charna the performers came onstage, they to Karee Na Dur Datiya’, sung established an interactive dia- by the trio was very touching. logue with the audience with their The group performance was folmusic and engaging personalities. lowed by thrilling solo songs by Three energetic, internationally Manmohan Warris who is confamous, Punjabi singers (who are sidered one of the best in Punjabi also brothers), Manmohan Waris, musicians and is known as “The Kamal Heer and Sangtar won King of Bhangra”. Kamal Heer the hearts of everyone with their and Manmohan Waris frequently nonstop fun-filled performance. interacted with the audience and It was a vibrant night of Punjabi took multiple requests and Sangfolk music, dance and heritage to tar remained on stage the entire a sold-out hall at the Old Stafford time and assisted his brothers Civic Center on Friday, June 15. with their performances. The traThe three brothers are the force ditional musical instruments, the behind the Punjabi Virsa shows all over the world.

Punjabi Virsa 2018, Live in

H

Dhun of Tumbi, along with Punjabi bhangra added flavor to the program.

The Grand Sponsors of the show were Paul and Manpreet Likhari, and Gold Sponsor Gurbir Boparai and Amrit Sandhu contributed greatly to the show. Likhari assured that in future he will extend his full support to further the cause of the Punjabi community. “It is not the question of Punjabi Culture,” he said, “it is the question of human values which are being injected in society by promoting cultural activities.”

The Gold Sponsors who had a huge hand in making the night possible were Sukhwinder Singh Sandhu (Shah Ji); Tirath Singh and Gurpreet Kaur Khera; Dr. Hardam Singh Azad; Surjit Singh and family (Singh Mart); Manjit Singh Gill (SNG Limos); Varinder Singh (DSK Construction); and Mukhtar Singh Mutti and Sukhdev Singh Dhillon (Bombay Sweets and Restaurants). Other sponsors were Hardeepak Munday, Dr Sewa Singh Legha, Varinder Bansal, Dr. Gurdeep Buttar, Rajender Singh (Star Promotion), Satbeer Singh Brar, Mohan Singh Grewal, Rohit Garg (Parinaz Boutique), Gurminder Singh Padda, Hitpal Sandhar, Dapinder Sood, Iqbal Singh and Gursharn Singh’s family and Jassi Singh (Tandoori Nite).

For Photo Collage, see page 10

vShri Lakshmi Puja vHindu Wedding vMarkand Puja vEngagement vShri Ganpati Puja vSimant vLaghu Rudra vVastu Shanti vMundan Sanskar vNavchandi Puja vShanti Havan vShri Gayatri Havan vShri Satyanarayan Puja 5645 Hillcroft Ave. Suite 701 Houston, TX 77036 | TIMINGS 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM

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12 June 22, 2018

COMMUNITY

KEEMAT Overwhelmed by 99 Cents Chaat for Father’s Day S

UGAR LAND: Just days before Father’s Day, Keemat managers decided to do something special for Fathers for Father’s Day. Ask any Indian Father what they love to eat most, and nostalgically they will remember their youthful college days snacking on their favorite chaat such as Bhel Puri, Pani Puri or Gol Gappa as its called in the North, Samosa Chaat, Sev Puri, and Aloo Tikki.

This past weekend over 500 Fathers were treated to some great tasting, authentic Chaat for only 99 cents! The Khana Bazaar inside Keemat Grocers in Sugar Land was overwhelmed, and indeed sold out of most items on Saturday, and had to call in for backup and reduced service hours to replenish and meet the Sunday demand. Look for more roll back specials from Keemat Grocers, innovators in customer service, variety, cleanliness and of course their namesake – low prices.

Now at four locations: Hilcroft, Sugar Land, Katy, and 1960. For further details visit keematgrocers.com.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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June 22, 2018

Somen Debnath Visits Houston on his World Bicycle Tour for HIV/AIDS and Indian Culture

#MeToo for Asylum Seekers

Immigrant women seeking refuge from domestic violence are more likely to face deportation under new Department of Justice decision.

BY PARTHA S. CHATTERJEE Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a legal OUSTON: Somen Debnath, decision that erodes protections the humanist, is on a World Bifor domestic violence survivors. cycle Tour for HIV/AIDS awareThrough a seldom-used legal ness and to bring exposure to the procedure, Sessions reversed the rich heritage of Indian culture. He Board of Immigration Appeals’ has just started his United States grant of asylum to a Salvadoran tour, entering Texas from Mexico. domestic violence survivor in a Starting in May, 2004 just after his case known as Matter of A-B. graduation, he has visited more “The issues underlying this dethan 150 countries, more than cision point to a larger problem 150,000 km and is on the way to which enables violence against more than 200 countries by 2020, women to go under-reported . legal standards, to be sent back to when he returns to India.

Imagine suffering abuse and avail- face abuse and death,” said Anne He arrived in Houston and vising yourself of every possible Chandler, executive director of the ited the Hindu Temple of Woodavenue for relief in your home Tahirih Justice Center’s Houston lands, Char Dham Temple and country, but your country fails office, which provides free legal also, biked with the bicycle enyou. Where would you go?” asks representation to asylum seekers.

If Houston is to truly be a welRachna Khare, executive director of ¬¬Daya Inc, a non-profit that coming city for all immigrants and provides services for domestic refugees, we must recognize the violence survivors, specializing in local implications of decisions like this one. The deliberate erosion of South Asian clients.”

Hana is a survivor whose life the legal asylum system is one that was saved because of American should concern all Houstonians.

For details contact, Kate Vickasylum laws. She suffered years of physical, sexual, and emo- ery, Executive Director, Houston tional abuse by her husband. She Immigration Legal Services Coldescribed countless nights of be- laborative at kate@houstoniming thrown, punched, kicked, and migration.org or Rachna Khare, raped even during difficult mo- Executive Director, Daya Inc. ments of her pregnancies. Her in- at rachna@dayahouston.org or laws witnessed and partook in the Anne Chandler, Executive Director, Tahirih Justice Center (Housabuse.

Hana secured a scholarship at ton office) at annc@tahirih.org. the University of Houston, allowing her and her children to Racome tish o’s IInndo rican here legally. Hana was SaempowAmes New ered to apply for asylum with the Diwigahlits help of a pro bono attorney and S IA CONGRATULATTEION Del AM IND e Daya. An immigration judge in RA. Ons E WORLD TH OF P TO Break ON Houston granted her asylum based Barriers on her past persecution as a victim 2011 of domestic violence.

CUP AG Session’s decision means that the United States is more likely to deny asylum to women seeking protection from domestic violence and places doubt on the ability of women to receive protection from any form of persecution inflicted We cover your world! by individuals not acting on behalf of the government.

“This decision is an attack on women’s rights and the progress Name: ____________________________________ we have made in ensuring that violence against women, including Phone: ____________________________________ rape, is treated as seriously as any other crime,” said Andrea Guttin, Address:___________________________________ legal director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collab- __________________________________________ orative.

Winning an asylum claim is exNumber of Years: 1 3 traordinarily difficult anywhere, (Circle One) $40 $100 and Houston has one of the lowest asylum grant rates in the country. From 2012 through 2017 in Credit Card: Master Card / Visa (Circle One) the Houston immigration courts, Your Signature: judges have denied 86% of asylum _________________________________________ claims because of the complex _______________ burden of proof and lack of legal Exp Date: ___/___ 3 digit code:______ representation for asylum seekers.

Do cut and mail to: 7457 Harwin Dr, Ste 262, “I am outraged by the decision.

Houston, TX 77036 (OR) Scan and E-mail to: Jeff Sessions is creating condiIndoamericannews@yahoo.com • Call us at 713-789-6397 tions for women and girls who • Call us to sign up for E-mail Blast cannot get justice in their own Indo-American News is community oriented. countries, who have fled for their We thank you for your subscription & support. lives, and who are relying on the U.S.’s adherence to international

HOUSTON:

H

thusiasts of Woodlands.

He visited Houston Durga Bari on Sunday, June 10.

His visit was organized

by Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, the ex-President of Durga Bari. After seeking blessings of Ma Durga, he had lunch with the attendees. He had an exciting presentation and Q&A session.

Somen believes in humanity and Swami Vivekananda’s message and treats everyone as if part of a global village.

Love and respect he shows others is always reciprocated. Somen

got moved by the story of an AIDS patient being left to die in Kolkata in early 200 and got no answer from his teachers. He wanted to learn and spread awareness.

He was captured by Taliban in 2009 and spent 24 days in captivity. They loved Indian food and impressed them by cooking Indian curry. They let him go. Humanity won! On his first trip to North Eastern India, he was accosted by robbers on a 5-km ride through dense forest. He gave everything away. He said since they took everything, he at least needed shelter for the night. He managed to convince the leader of the gang, who took him to his house. They were so happy with him that they let him go with all his items. Humanity won again!

Somen asked everyone to follow their dreams and make the world a better place. He is collecting funds for his bicycle tour. After his tour, he plans to set up a museum of items from his tour and be on a speaking tour to bring attention to world’s problems and spread the message of humanity.

Let’s spread the message of humanity and love!

Somen Debnath’s world tour can be supported by donating on his Website: http://www.somen2020world.com/ FB:https://www.facebook.com/ worldsomen/

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14 June 22, 2018

EID GREETINGS

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EID GREETINGS

June 22, 2018

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16 June 22, 2018

LIFE OF MAHATMA GANDHI

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi - Part 2

Gandhiji’s Story Thus Far…

Last week, we read about the birth and youth of the young boy Mohandas who would grow up to be universally revered as the Mahatma. He had an ordinary childhood, went to school, made friends, and got a rude awakening into the dreaded social specter of the caste system. This week, we continue the story of Gandhi ji.

Upon completion of high school, Mohandas enrolled at Samaldas College at Bhavnagar. He was discontent with the classes; they did not stimulate or engage him, so he returned home after the first ten days. At home a huge surprise awaited him. His eldest brother and a family friend suggested that Mohandas should go to England to study and become a barrister. Mohandas was thrilled. It was a great opportunity to see the world. His mother, however, disapproved.

She did not like the idea of her son being so far away from her.

There were also the financial implications. And she was fearful that he would lose his caste if he crossed the oceans, an age-old taboo against overseas travel among the high caste Hindus. The family friend assured her that there would be no such difficulty and all would be well. She had reservations and talked to him about it. She worried that he would eat meat, imbibe alcohol, and fall victim to bad influences. Mohandas vowed to do none of those, and pled with her to be permitted to go. Putlibai at last gave in and allowed him to go to England.

Mohandas was sorrowful when he left Rajkot for Bombay, because he had to leave behind his mother, his wife, and son Harilal, who was only a few months old.

On September 4, 1888, Mohandas left Bombay to set sail for England.

Dressed in western style, he stood on the deck as the ship slowly steamed out of the harbor. Mohandas never forgot his first morning on board. He felt uncomfortable in his black suit and shirt and tie.

He was quite sure that Indian attire was more suitable. A glance in the mirror made him feel proud of himself. He thought he looked very impressive. Mohandas was shy.

He rarely left his cabin. He even ate by himself. He was not sure of all those unknown foods served on the ship. He thought they might contain meat and did not wish to break his vow to his mother never to eat meat. So he lived mainly on the snacks and sweets he had brought from home.

On landing at Southampton he looked around and saw that all the people were in dark clothes, wearing bowler hats and carrying overcoats. Mohandas was embarrassed to find that he was the only one wearing white flannels. In London, he stayed at first at the

Victoria Hotel. Dr. P. J. Mehta, a friend of the Gandhi family, was the first to meet him. Mohandas was impressed with Dr. Mehta’s silk top hat. Out of curiosity, he reached out and touched the pile of the silk. Dr. Mehta then gave him his first lesson in European manners cautioning him not to touch other peoples’ things. He advised Mohandas to never ask too many probing questions, and not to talk loudly. Young Gandhi found everything around him strange. He was homesick. He almost starved until he discovered a vegetarian restaurant. Struggling to learn western manners and customs, he rented a suite of rooms. He bought well-tailored clothes and a top hat.

He spent a lot of time before the mirror, parting his straight hair and fixing his tie. He took lessons in dancing, but soon gave it up as he had no sense of rhythm. He tried his hand at playing the violin, but failed. He took lessons in French and elocution, but went to sleep.

His attempt to be an Englishman lasted about three months. Then he gave up the idea. He converted himself into a serious student.

“I have changed my way of life,” he told a friend. “All this foolishness is at an end. I am living in one room and cooking my own food.

Hereafter I shall devote all my time to study,” he said.

His meals were simple. He avoided expenditure on transport and went on foot everywhere in London. He started to keep an account of every penny he spent.

Mohandas joined the London Vegetarian Society and soon found himself in its executive council.

He wrote articles for the magazine, Vegetarian.

The bar examination did not require much study and Gandhi

had ample time to spare. Oxford or Cambridge was not possible as study at those institutions would entail long course work and much financial resources. He therefore decided to appear for the London matriculation examination. It meant hard work and sacrifice, but he enjoyed hard work. He passed in French, English, and chemistry but failed in Latin. He tried again, and this time passed in Latin too.

Meanwhile, he progressed in his study of law and in November 1888 was admitted to the Inner Temple. It was the tradition of the Inns of Court for the students to dine together at least six times each year. The first time Gandhi dined with his fellow students, he was nervous. He was sure the boys would tease him for refusing meat and alcohol. When wine was offered, he refused to have any. He did not touch the meat either, and sat there, quite content with his bread, boiled potatoes and cabbage. He was pleasantly surprised to find that his strange habits did not make him unpopular. The next time he went for the dinner, he had a pile of law books with him. He was taking the books to his room to study. The other students were amazed by his dedication to learning and very surprised to find him reading Roman law in Latin. Some friends suggested he read abbreviated versions of the law instead of bothering unduly over such tomes.

Gandhi explained to his lighthearted friends that he worked so hard for sheer interest in the subject, and that he wanted to acquire knowledge for its own sake.

After a short trip to France, he prepared for the final law examination. The results were soon declared. He had passed with high marks. On June 10, 1891, Gandhi was called to the bar. He was admitted as a barrister and the next day was formally enrolled in the High Court. The following day, June 12, he sailed for India. Gandhi’s three-year stay in England was eventful. Those were days of great intellectual activity, and there was tolerance for every school of thought. The country as a whole was a living university. As Gandhi sailed for home on the S.S. Assam, he felt that, next to India, he would rather live in England than any other place in the world.

To be Continued Next week...

Mahatma Gandhi Library, Inc. Essay

CITY-WIDE CONTESTS

Poster

Coloring

iTribute

Speech

The contest are open to all children in the greater Houston Area. The winners of these contests will be recognized at the 1000 Lights for Peace, a celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday, on Sunday, October 14, 2017.

For more information and registration visit www.gandhilibrary.org

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

TRAVEL

June 22, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

17

18 June 22, 2018

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

Parched or Polluted

India’s water crisis is clear and present, with implications for

the health of the entire population. According to the Composite Water Management Index developed by Niti Aayog, 70% of the water resources are identified as polluted. This is based primarily on data supplied by States for calculating the index.

If the water accessible to millions is contaminated, the problem is infinitely worse than that of availability. The system of ratings for States is based on their performance in augmenting water resources and watersheds, investing in infrastructure, providing rural and urban drinking water, and encouraging efficient agricultural use. It presumes that this ‘hall of fame’ approach will foster “competitive and cooperative federalism”.

What emerges from the early assessment is that States such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana have initiated reforms for judicious water use, while populous ones such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have failed to respond to the challenge.

Tamil Nadu, which has a middling score, does well on augmentation of water sources, but is abysmally poor in ensuring sustainable use for farming. The trends that the data reflect of high to extreme stress faced by 600 million people call for speedy reforms.

Two areas that need urgent measures are augmentation of watersheds that can store more good water, for use in agriculture and to serve habitations, and strict pollution control enforcement.

In this context, the Committee on Restructuring the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board, chaired by Mihir Shah, has called for a user-centric approach to water management, especially in agriculture. It advocates decentralisation of irrigation commands, offering higher financial flows to well-performing States through a National Irrigation Management Fund.

Clearly, awarding an index rank should help advance such schemes, making States feel the need to be competitive. Yet, such approaches may not resolve seemingly intractable interState river disputes.

As the Cauvery issue has demonstrated, State governments would rather seek judicial intervention than be accused of bartering away the rights to a precious resource under a shared, cooperative framewor Steady urbanisation calls for a new management paradigm, augmenting sources of clean drinking water supply and treatment technologies that will encourage reuse. Pollution can be curbed by levying suitable costs. These forwardlooking changes would need revamped national and State institutions, and updated laws. A legal mandate will work better than just competition and cooperation; it would make governments accountable. -- Times of India

Falling Behind on the Digital Silk Road

BY C. RAJA MOHAN

India’s continuing political challeng-

es with China’s Belt and Road Initiative have been matched by Delhi’s enduring difficulties in advancing its own connectivity initiatives. Consider, for example, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two recent highlevel engagements — in Qingdao, China earlier this month and his engagements with the Southeast Asian leaders in late May. At the Qingdao summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, where India was participating for the first time as a full member, Delhi had to dissociate itself from the consensus in favour of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In Jakarta, the PM unveiled his ambitions to strengthen maritime connectivity with Indonesia, including the development of port infrastructure in the Sumatra Island. But there is no denying the gap between Delhi’s promise and performance on connectivity.

Meanwhile, China’s BRI will inch closer towards India this week when Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli travels to China. Like most other neighbours of India, Nepal has already endorsed President Xi’s Initiative. But like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Nepal is getting ready to sign onto major BRI projects. Many of these projects would be grouped under the so-called Trans-Himalayan Connectivity Initiative. This is likely to include oil storage terminals, rail and road links, hydel projects and electricity transmission lines.

Although the question of costs relating to China’s projects has been raised in many parts of the world, it is unlikely to dampen the enthusiasm for the BRI among India’s neighbours. For them, the issues relating to these projects are as much economic as they are political.

For Pakistan, the participation in China’s BRI is very much part of its ever-deepening strategic partnership that was forged decades ago to balance India. For other neighbours, the BRI offers, shall we say, “strategic autonomy” from India.

If Delhi had taken for granted the deep geographic interdependence with its neighbours and did little to

modernise it for the 21st century, our neighbours had no choice but to swallow it. Now they have an alternative, expensive though it might be, in the form of Chinese connectivity initiatives. They are embracing BRI without any hesitation.

The idea of seeking strategic autonomy from very large neighbours is not unique to South Asia. Many of China’s immediate neighbours in East Asia do much the same — they seek insurance through diversifying partnerships with many countries, including India. But unlike China, India has not been able to deliver on the promises it has made to its East Asian partners.

If India has found it hard to develop institutional capabilities to implement infrastructure projects across and beyond its borders, it has some possibilities in the arena of digital connectivity. They were demonstrated during PM’s visit to Singapore where he signed a number of agreements to connect the financial markets of the two countries. These included the launch of India’s RuPay card, the BHIM QR code and SBI’s cross-border remittance app. Last year, India had launched the South Asia Satellite as part of its neighbourhood first policy.

But here again, China is racing ahead. Beijing has launched a number of ambitious initiatives, now being banded together as the “Digital Silk Road”. China’s Digital Silk Road agenda is about strengthening internet infrastructure, deepening space cooperation, lowering barriers to e-commerce, developing common technology standards, promoting cyber security, and improving the efficiency of policing systems among the BRI countries. China wants to

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deploy its nationally developed platforms based on artificial intelligence, big data, cloud storage and quantum computing to pursue these goals.

China and Nepal, for example, have operationalised an optic fibre link between the two countries earlier this year. The link would eventually reduce Nepal’s dependence on India for internet connectivity. Last year, China’s Huawei signed an agreement to construct the Pakistan East Africa Cable Express (PEACE) that would connect Pakistan to Kenya via Djibouti.

China’s digital initiative also includes deepening space cooperation. Besides space cooperation with Pakistan, China is discussing plans to launch a national satellite for Nepal.

Last year, Sri Lanka joined China’s Beidou navigation system. China wants to leverage its earth observation satellite capabilities to deepen cooperation in environmental monitoring to disaster management.

India has long had significant national capabilities in the digital and space domains. But Delhi has fallen terribly short in integrating these with larger national economic and security strategies. Delhi’s bureaucratic bias towards to over-regulation, restrictions on the domestic private sector, constraints on innovation and suspicion of external collaboration have limited India’s possibilities on digital development and diplomacy.

Unless Delhi quickly sheds its digital defensiveness, that pattern might well repeat itself with China’s newest version of the Silk Road.

The writer is director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express.

FAMILY

June 22, 2018

19

Toolkit for Families

BY BRANDIE WEIKLE

T

here’s no way to perfectly organize your life so that everything goes off without a hitch. But there are some time-tested tricks you can use to set yourself up for success and increase the odds of things running smoothly.

Is there anything like the start of the school year for a sense of overall renewal? When the kids choose their outfits for the first day of class and you sit down to plan their activities for the fall, the months of a new school year stretch ahead with such promise. It’s why September first is often referred to as “the real New Year.”

But if we’re not mindful about the way we design our school-year routines, our hopes for an organized family life can unravel like a fast-fashion sweater. With too much on the calendar, our weeknights become characterized by white-knuckle drives to get the kids to swimming or hockey on time, and family dinners of snack crackers and chicken nuggets in the van on the way.

Time management resolutions There’s no way to perfectly organize your life so that everything goes off without a hitch. Life with kids includes a lot of unpredictable X-factors—pink eye, tantrums, and that professional development day you forgot about.

But there are some basic principles and time-tested tricks you can use to set yourself up for success and increase the odds of things running smoothly.

Take it easy on activities Set aside some time to really think about how much you commit to in terms of sports, lessons, and other activities for the kids. This is the single most important aspect of creating a family life that feels manageable.

No system, app, or family calendar is going to make life work if it’s over capacity.

Clare Kumar, a productivity coach and mom of two, says we’re trying to cram too much into our schedules.

“We keep adding things without examining what we need to let go of,” she says. That’s easy enough to do, especially as your child progresses through a sport they really like— for example—and the commitment increases. The problem comes when we don’t take a sober second look at whether there’s still time for piano.

“It’s easy to neglect the overall experience.”

Keep yourself in the mix While you’re busy filling in your family calendar, put your own indoor soccer, yoga, running clinic, or watercolour painting class on there.

“One of the things we talk about in

work-life integration is adult play— people have forgotten how to play because there hasn’t been time for it,” says Kumar.

Chances are, we can remember our parents and grandparents playing cards, tennis, or golf with friends, or pursuing hobbies such as knitting or carpentry. Follow their lead and get back in touch with things you were passionate

about in your youth. We need it to stay healthy and happy.

It can be helpful for children to see us modelling a lifestyle that isn’t all about catering to them. So register for that spin class, establish a monthly night out with friends, and get date night on the calendar. It’s not selfish to do so. In fact, if we show our kids that we make time for ourselves despite being busy, they may be more likely to practise good self-care and make time for relationships when they’re all grown up.

Make a meal plan Yes, you’ve heard it before, but there’s no surer way to reduce weekday stress than to know ahead of time what’s for dinner. None of us wants to wait in line at the express checkout in the company of a couple of cranky kids with nothing to do but stare longingly at the chocolate bars.

And there’s nothing that makes life feel more out of control than a nightly

scramble to feed a family.

Spend a little time mapping out Monday-through-Friday dinners before you get groceries on the weekend. You’ll be glad you did—not just for the checkout lines and drivethrough lines that you’ll avoid, but for the opportunity that family dinners give us to be together.

“My kids are 13 and 15 now, and most of the time we’ve had dinner together as a family. It’s a point of conversation and interaction,” says Kumar. “But I have one friend who decided that breakfast was going to be the foundation family meal. So they would do a cooked breakfast every morning and have that connection then because the evenings with three children were too hectic.”

Expect more from your kids We’ve gotten so busy ferrying our kids everywhere that many of us are forgetting to teach our kids to do basic household tasks that they need to know to function in the world—and that, in the meantime, could lighten your load at home. Take school lunches, for example. Even kindergarteners can select snacks from a low, accessible cupboard or bin, while preteens should be able to make a complete lunch.

In her book Family Whispering (Atria Books, 2014), author Melinda Blau points out that kids under three can throw dirty clothes into a hamper and clean small spills, preschoolers can sort whites from colours and set the table, five- to seven-year-old children can make sandwiches and fold clothes, and tweens can chop ingredients for dinner and do their own laundry.

“We need to build a team feeling to put dinner on the table, to get lunch bags and backpacks [put] away, and to get lunch prepped for the next day.

Get as much involvement from a young age as possible,” says Kumar.

-Alive.com

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20 June 22, 2018

IMMIGRATION & DIASPORA UK Opens Up Thousands of Visa Slots to IT Professionals, Engineers, Teachers

UNITED KINGDOM: If you

are an IT professional, engineer, doctor or a teacher there is a good news for you. The UK government is planning to introduce a new immigration policy in which Indian IT professionals, doctors are among those expected to benefit.

The UK government has tabled changes to its immigration policy in Parliament, which is also likely to ease the visa regime for businesses who want to hire foreign talent. The new visa regime would help companies to bring in professionals from countries like India to work in the UK. Although the new visa structure

has caused outrage among students who want to study in UK, but the changes in the tier-2 visa category has opened up thousands of slots for professionals as doctors and nurses have been exempted from the controversial annual cap of 20,700 visas.

The government announced that doctors and nurses from countries outside the European Union (EU) would be exempted from its Tier 2 (General) visa limit to address skill shortage.

With doctors and nurses exempted from the current monthly quota of 1,600, the Tier 2 category is expected to free up places for other key professionals.

The new structure would allow an unrestricted number of non-EU professional to enter the UK in the acute shortage areas like IT, engineering and teaching.

A number of further changes to the UK’s visa routes include opening up of exceptional talent visa to include leading fashion designers.

The Tier-2 visa route, which has had an annual cap of 20,700 since 2011, has in recent months seen the number of applications exceed the monthly allocation of available places.

-Economictimes.com.

Top MIT Professor to Chair World Hindu Congress in Chicago WASHINGTON: A top profes-

sor of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr Sriprakash Kothari, would chair the second World Hindu Congress set to be held in Chicago this September, organisers of the mega event have announced.

More than 2,000 delegates from over 80 countries are expected to attend the second edition of the quadrennial conference to be addressed by nearly 250 eminent speakers from across the globe, including Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Richard Gere and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce the highly distinguished and world-renowned Dr Sriprakash Kothari as the chairman for the World Hindu Congress 2018,” Dr Abhaya Asthana, convener of the Congress, said.

Kothari is the Gordon Y Billard Professor and head of the department of Economic, finance, and accounting at the Sloan School of Management, MIT. With close to two decades at this

premier institute, he recently completed a six-year stint as deputy dean at the Sloan School of Management.

He is the co-chair of the Board of Governors of the Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, faculty director of the MIT-India Program and an editor of world-renowned academic publication Journal of Accounting & Economics.

In a statement, Kothari hoped that the World Hindu Congress (WHC) would bring greater awareness and enlightenment throughout the world about the Hindu view of life through a message of spirituality, harmony and inclusiveness.

The Hindu tradition accommodates diversity and welcomes evolution of thought. I view this as an opportunity to march forward in our quest for a better society,” he said in a message to WHC organising team.

“WHC must work towards a society that not only values meritocracy, morality, and accountability for action, but also compassion for the weak and disadvantaged as its cornerstones; to transcend the regional, linguistic and denominational identities into a larger Hindu identity. WHC must be at the forefront in championing these causes,” Kothari added.

Noting that an inescapable conclusion from history is that the journey towards spiritual attainment, social reform, and political freedom traverses through economic advancement, Kothari said the WHC must foster cooperation among those with ideas and with resources, and view commerce as a necessary means of furthering Hindu society for a better world tomorrow.

-Timesofindia.com

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June 22, 2018 21 COMMUNITY Food to Crime, Indians Surface in National News LIFESTYLE

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

H

OUSTON: With each passing day, it seems that more Indians are surfacing in the national news showing how stitched together in the fabric of this country we are, though not always in a favorable light. In a continuing and occasional series focusing on these newsmakers, here are their latest stories.

Restauranteur Sheel Joshi moved to Houston from Los Angeles after he closed his Surya Indian restaurant there on West 3rd Street after nine years in December 200 and soon after his nearby fast food Indian café Holy Cow. But Joshi has moved to the Bayou City and opened a new Surya restaurant at 700 Durham near Washington and is getting a lot of attention. Born to a Punjabi father and a French mother and raised in Dorset in southwest England, he brings the best of both these world cuisines to his new relaxed, contemporary Indian ambiance place.

Meanwhile, conservative Indian American political commentator, author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, 57, received a full pardon from President Donald Trump on May 31. He

Dinesh D’Souza

was imprisoned on September 23, 2012 to 8 months in a halfway house in San Diego, got five years’ probation and a $30,000 fine for making an illegal campaign contribution to a 2012 US senate campaign.

He was born in Mumbai and came to the US as an exchange student at Dartmouth College.

On the other hand, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, 52, finds himself in trouble with the law.

He is the former president and COO of Theranos, a privately held health technology company founded by Elizabeth Holmes and known for its false claims to have devised revolutionary blood tests that used very small amounts of blood.

Ramesh Bilwani

Holmes and Balwani are under indictment by the US Department of Justice for fraud and conspiracy for a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors, and a separate scheme to defraud doctors and patients.

Balwani graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and has an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

While at Berkeley, Balwani met Elizabeth Holmes, who is 20 years his junior, in her senior year of high school.

She then went to Stanford University but dropped out.

Out of jail since April 2017 is Sujata “Sue” Sachdeva, 53, of Milwaukee who embezzled $34 million while vice presi-

Sujata Sachdeva

dent of finance at Koss Corp., a maker of stereo headphones.

She served a little more than six years of her initial 11-year sentence, shortened for good behavior. Sachdeva used the millions she stole over a decade to finance a lavish lifestyle that included limousine rides, fancy vacations and shopping sprees, during which she purchased expensive shoes, designer clothes, antiques and jewelry — much of which was never unpacked or worn.

Ending the notorious gallery is a Chicago-based Indian couple, Kishan Modugumudi, 34, and his wife Chandra, 31, who were arrested in April for allegedly running a high-end

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

prostitution ring in the United States by luring at least five actresses from Tollywood and advertising them for sex at Indian conferences and cultural events across the country. Modugumudi became a player in the Telugu film industry and co-produced several hit films, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The couple allegedly charged clients up to $3,000 for each sexual encounter and kept detailed ledgers of the sex acts performed by each girl, including where and how much they collected and threatened the life of one of the actresses and her family if she told law enforcement the truth about what she did while in the country.

22 June 22, 2018

PUZZLES / RECIPES

SUDOKU Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Send us the correct answer before June 27, 2018.

Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036.

Send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published (for first three entrees only & 1 submission per month).

Solution Next Week

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Saddi Khoye di Burfi E

(Plain Congealed Milk Squares)

very city in India has a halwai di dukan (sweet maker’s shop or confectionary) and most have now become fancy air-conditioned shops with glass display cases and tables to sit at. You can order from the huge variety of popular sweets that Indians love as well as many types of savory and spicy snacks aloo tikka (potato cutlets) and masala chaat (spicy layered mix). But the largest variety of sweet sold has to be burfi (milk squares), in many flavors, which is a favorite of kids and old.

Burfi is usually made layered with pista (pistachio), badam (almond) or kajju (cashew) and the plain one usually has a coating of warak (a very fine film of real silver or gold, though this is now only for special occasions) which astounds young second generation overseas Indians who they can’t believe you can eat a metal film!

L��� W���’� SUDOKU S�������

Old-fashioned, traditional burfi is made letting heavy cream whole milk boil on a stove till it has evaporated down to a thickened congealed layer called khoya, which is the basis of making all burfis. It’s a time consuming process that requires patience, the ability to stand over a hot stove for long hours and continually stir the milk so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

In the days when we made khoya at home – and especially when my two sons were little in London when you still couldn’t find many Indian shops – the kids would clamor and fight to get a chance to scrape the delicious residue off the bottom of the pot! I would leave an extra amount just so that they both would feel satisfied!

L��� W���’� SUDOKU W������ 1) Prabhu Narumanchi 2) Harish Shah 3) Dahyabhai Patel

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In India you can get ready-made khoya to use in making burfi, but in the US it’s not readily available.

So, instead of standing over a pot of milk for hours, this is a recipe to make a tasty saadi burfi that can match the store made ones. It is quick and easy to make - in about 30 minutes – and those who eat it will never know the difference!

Ingredients: • 1 cup non-fat milk powder • ½ can condensed milk • Natural food color of your choice Directions: 1. Pour the milk powder in a bowl, then slowly add the sweet condensed milk and four drops of coloring and mix thoroughly.

2. Coat your hands with some vegetable oil so that the mixture will not stick. Then, knead the mixture with your hands and form into a ball.

3. Coat a large, clean dinner plate with a thin film of vegetable oil so that the mixture will not stick.

4. Take the ball out the bowl and place on the dinner plate.

5. Coat a velna (rolling pin) with some oil so that it won’t stick.

Then use it to spread the ball on the plate into a ½ thick flat

pancake.

6. Cover with some wax paper and place the plate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Remove from fridge and then cut the pancake into 1.5 inch square or diamond shapes and serve at room temperature.

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

WEEK

CONTROL MOSQ UITOES WITH SO ME MINT PLANTS If yo

u live in The So those pesky mosqu uth as I do, then you understand wha t a nuisance itoes side, especially in co and other flying bugs can be when you sit outastal and swampy ar after the rains whe eas. These pests ge n they have a chan t ce to lay their larva really bad water. Spraying th e on ponded e lawn and plants only doesn’t always elim inate all the types of helps for a little while and bugs that can bite yo There are many ho m u. plants like citronella e remedies for controlling mosquitoes , marigolds, ageratu and many m, catnip, rosemar or lavender that ca y, ba n re chutney, I have foun pel the bugs with their aroma. As In sil, sage dians love d that the second be nefit to planting pe that it also controls ppermint is mosquitoes and ca n be planted indoor by a sunny window. s too, in a pot

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June 22, 2018

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23

Race 3 : The Salman Khan Starrer is Scattershot Snoozefest

Race 3 is nothing but a recycled

bin of too many car chases, explosions, buffed up characters strutting in slo-mo, and wilted lines. At some point well down the road in Race 3, as I slumped low in my chair, passing the time, a character said, ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this’. Ding dong, news flash: we could have told her that right in the beginning.

Given our experience of the Race franchise, we are fully prepared for bad guys, fast cars, faster gals, dazzling foreign locations, shiny dance-floor moves, locomotives that cost more than a good sized 2BHK flat, supersize mansions, and a thin plot spiced by a twist or two.

It’s a template, but we are always up for tales with all of the above if they are smart and pacy enough.

The trouble with this third part is that it is neither. At two and a half hours, it is a scattershot snoozefest, perking up only when Salman Khan shows up. I never thought, constant reader, that I’d say this, but it has to be said: the only time Race 3 revs

up is when Bhai and his lady love exchange a bit of banter: the hell-forleather parts take a back seat.

When it came out in 2008, the first Race did something new: it got Bollywood A-listers to be cheerfully amoral. Not immoral, that one was old. Being plain bad could lead to redemption. And very often did. But big stars playing characters who were greedy, vicious and amoral, without a single mitigating reason (sick

mother, tragic sister and so on), was something that got us to sit up and pay attention.

It helped that Abbas-Mustan, the two brothers who made Race, knew when to keep things down and dirty and when to break into song. Race 2, also helmed by them, trotted out the same formula, but by the then, it already felt stale.

Race 3 is nothing but a recycled bin of too many car chases, explosions,

buffedupcharactersstrutting in slo-mo, and wilted lines. The same character who had a ‘bad feeling’, also uses the word ‘so tacky’. Well, what else would you call a film which doesn’t do justice to its finest asset, Anil Kapoor? The superbly fit Kapoor is a left-over from the previous Race flicks, and he was an absolute hoot in both.The rest of the cast, including Bobby Deol on a comeback trail, show up as and when. The men are beefy and arms akimbo, the women are togged out in tight sheaths and flowy tresses. Shah switches from flats to stilettoes, and back to heels again in a fight sequence. Fernandez, who also starred in Race 2, gets more screen time here, and a nice throwaway dialogue.

Race 3 is a crawl!

The rest of the movie is a crawl.

It’s left to Salman to come to the

Jacqueline Fernandez Suffers a ‘Permanent Eye Injury’ Jacqueline Fernandez is currently

promoting her film ‘Race 3’ in full swing. Jacqueline Fernandez has performed some high octane action sequences in the film and while shooting for the action thriller the 31-year-old actress suffered an eye injury back in March. Well, now the actress has shared the news that her eye has got a permanent injury.

The ‘Race 3’ actress took it to her Instagram and shared a photo of her eye with a caption “So it’s a permanent injury and my iris will never be a perfect round again but so so grateful I can see!! #race3 memories #abudhabi” Jacqueline had injured her eye while playing squash in the Abu Dhabi schedule. The actress was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Producer Ramesh Taurani had confirmed the news to IANS and

rescue, and he does his thing, but that thing, or those things, are now so jaded that even his fervent fans, sitting ahead of me, couldn’t bring themselves to cheer.

The patented by-and-for Bhai money shot, the Shirtless Salman, which is guaranteed to bring the house down, is also not, gasp, his alone. Deol Jr gets to go topless too, and we can tell you he wears his bronzer well. At least on this one score, all this while, Bhai has had no competition. And now this shameful dilution. Kya yaar.

Race 3 cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem, Freddy Daruwala -indianexpress.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Raj Babbar

June 23, 1952

Aftab Shivdasani June 25, 1978

Karisma Kapoor June 25, 1974

was quoted saying “Yes, it was a minor injury. Jacqueline is hurt above the eye while playing squash. She is better now and has resumed shoot-

ing.”

Directed by Remo D’souza, ‘Race 3’ also stars Salman Khan, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Daisy Shah and

Saqib Saleem in significant roles. .-TimesofIndia.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Arjun Kapoor June 26, 1985

24 June 22, 2018 Afghanistan’s Debut Test Ends in Two-day Thrashing B

BY VARUN SHETTY

ENGALURU (ESPN Cricinfo); India 474 (Dhawan 107, Vijay 105, Pandya 71, Ahmadzai 3-51) beat Afghanistan 109 (Nabi 24, Ashwin 4-27, Jadeja 2-18) & 103 (Shahidi 36*, Jadeja 4-17, Umesh 3-26) by an innings and 262 runs.

Afghanistan brought out their best in the final session once again, but the game had swung so far out of their reach that the second day of their first Test proved to be the last one.

Purely on numbers it was a colossal defeat, by an innings and 262 runs, and the flattening reality of being bowled out twice in a day - only India and Zimbabwe had suffered that before - will take a while to get over. At different points in the day, Afghanistan were done in by different bowlers. Ravindra Jadeja got the last piece of the pie, finishing the second innings with 4 for 17.

Their first innings of 109 lasted a session, between lunch and tea, and their second innings of 103 did not last much longer. India needed only 66.3 overs to take 20 wickets and complete their first ever two-day Test win.

The flailing effort was best signified by how Afghanistan lost their three most experienced batsmen in the first innings: in complete surrender.

Mohammad Shahzad’s innings was a race to the finish the moment it began. His first boundary came off the outside edge, his second off the inside edge, and the odd ball that hit the middle was often one he was trying to leave. After all that and several attempts to tap and run, he chose to take on Hardik Pandya at point and was promptly run-out at the non-striker’s end in the fourth over. Asghar Stanikzai came in at No. 6 and lasted 14 deliveries before stabbing ambitiously at a loopy R Ashwin offbreak without getting his foot forward. He almost fell over as the ball knocked the top of middle stump.

Mohammed Nabi, the top-scorer in the first innings, looked okay for his 24 at No. 7 before miscuing a slog and being the ninth man out. The only solid batting effort by a visiting player came from left-hander Hashmatullah Shahidi, who battled 88 balls for an unbeaten 36 in the second innings.

Shikhar Dhawan celebrates a century. India v Afghanistan, Only Test, Bengaluru, 1st day.

Hashmatullah Shahidi showed great heart during his resistance lower down the order BCCI Scattered all around these efforts were batsmen rooted to the crease in anxiety against a vastly experienced bowling attack. Unlike their opposition’s debutant seamers, India’s fast bowlers sustained both a predominantly full length and near-140kph speeds in getting all three of their first-innings wickets either bowled or lbw. They stuck to the plan in the second innings as well. Umesh Yadav brought the flair, moving the new ball considerably in both innings, and Ishant Sharma looked content playing workhorse.

It was Ashwin, however, who accelerated Afghanistan’s downfall and eventual folding-up before tea. At that point, given the extended final session ahead, perhaps only the probability of a follow-on was higher than that of Afghanistan being bowled out a second time.

Earlier in the day, Pandya snuck in a breezy and mature innings. India didn’t have as subdued a session as they did at the end of day one, striking at more than four an over despite the four wickets they lost in stretching the overnight score of 347 to 474. Pandya was patient against Yamin Ahmadzai, who impressed with his lengths once again. He wasn’t rewarded with the new ball, however, with Rashid Khan bowling predominantly from the oth-

er end. Pandya saw through this phase before opening up.

His go-to defence mechanism against pace bowling - walking across into the off side - which didn’t quite work out in South Africa was a lot more effective against the late120 kph pace of Wafadar. And while Pandya did eventually cramp himself against the 18-year-old, it wasn’t before he had swatted the bowler into the leg side several times from

various lengths, in control every time but one - and even on that occasion, deep square leg gifted him four overthrows. When the line wasn’t straight, Pandya also managed to pick up boundaries through the off side. He got out looking to accelerate but what the Indian dressing room would have particularly liked was the uncomplicated, organised manner in which he managed an innings with a 75-plus strike rate during his 94-ball 71.

Ball-tampering Charge in St Lucia S L : Sri Lanka captain Dinesh only a couple of seconds later, applyT

UCIA

Chandimal has been officially charged with ball tampering in the ongoing Test against West Indies - a charge he and the Sri Lanka team appear likely to contest when a hearing is held at the end of the Test.

Following play on the second evening on Friday, in which Sri Lanka were straining for wickets, on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould, and television umpire Richard Kettleborough had concerns over the methods Sri Lanka had used to maintain the ball. As a result, they approached the broadcasters for footage which could support or confirm their suspicion.

The next morning, the umpires viewed footage (which has now been aired), of Chandimal reaching into his pocket, seemingly retrieving something from it to put in his mouth, and

ing that saliva to the ball before handing it to bowler Lahiru Kumara.

Upon viewing this footage, the umpires laid the charge of ball tampering, about 10 minutes before the teams were due to take the field on day three.

Incensed by the charge, and the fact that the ball had been changed by the umpires with five penalty runs added to West Indies’ score, the Sri Lanka team refused to take the field.

Eventually, match referee Juvagal Srinath issued an ultimatum: either Sri Lanka take the field before 11:30am (the scheduled start had been 9:30), or forfeit the game. Sri Lanka resumed play just before this period elapsed.

A hearing will be held at the end of the Test, with Chandimal standing to lose as many as two suspension points, which could see him miss the third Test.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

India’s Aditi Ashok is 34th in LPGA Classic

G

ALLOWAY: Returning to action after a three-week gap, India’s Aditi Ashok shot 71 and 68 to open her campaign in the LPGAShoprite Classic at Galloway.

Aditi, with a total of three-under 139, is tied 34th.

India’s top star by a long distance, Aditi has been in good form as she finished inside top 7 in last two starts at the LPGA Volunteers of America LPGA and LPGA Mediheal.

Aditi, who is ranked 70th in the world and is positioned well at 47th in the CME Ranking of the LPGA, had four birdies against four bogeys to shoot even in first round.

In the second round, Aditi dropped a shot early on the first hole, but thereafter birdied eighth, ninth, 15th and 18th to score 68. Aditi’s play in the second round was in contrast of her play in the first round.

While she found only six fairways in first round, she found 13 on the second day. But she putted extremely well on first day with just 22 putts and on second day, she needed 28.

Meanwhile, Sei Young Kim (6961) had as many as 11 birdies in her second round 61 to take a two-shot lead over Celine Herbin (66-66) in the weather-hit Shoprite LPGA. Kim was 10-under for the tournament with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.

She came back and birdied two more in last three for a stunning 11-under 61 that included five on a row from 15th to first. She began the day with a birdie on 10th and 12th and dropped her only shot of the day at 14th. She birdied five in a row and then added four more in last seven holes.

Herbin, a biochemical engineer, who quit her job to be a pro golfer at 27, has made the cut in just five of 11 tournaments prior to this week.

She shot identical 66 in the first two rounds.

Aditi Ashok is ranked 70th in the world.

June 22, 2018

P

Infosys Plans to Expand Pune IT Campus to Total 35,000 Seats

UNE: Infosys Ltd is in the process of

expanding its Pune campus by nearly 4,000 seats to 35,000 and has received necessary environment clearances for the same. In a meeting held in June, an expert appraisal committee under the environment ministry accorded Infosys environmental clearance for the Rs 690 crore expansion plan for its Rajiv Gandhi InfoTech Park Phase II in Hinjewadi, Pune.

“The EAC, on being satisfied with the submissions of the project proponent, recommended the project for grant of environmental clearance and stipulated the following specific conditions along with other environmental conditions while considering for accord of environmental clearance...” the EAC had said. “There will be an increase in number of employees in the campus. The existing IT professionals are 31288, and for proposed (expansion), it will be additional 3712, so the total IT pro-

N

fessionals at Infosys campus will be 35,000 after expansion.”

A minimum of one tree for every 80 square metre of land should be planted and existing trees will be counted for fulfilling of this criteria, the EAC said while granting the environmental clearance. The EAC

also put a condition that Rs 3.45 crore should be earmarked under corporate environment responsibility (CER).

When contacted, an Infosys spokesperson refused to comment on the expansion saying they were in “silent period”. The IT firm recently said its Pune campus has become the

largest in the world to earn LEED Platinum Certification from the US GreenBuilding Council.

In related news, Infosys said stricter work visa norms across various markets like the US and Australia will not “constrain” its business growth as the IT firm is focussing on hiring locals and training workforce in these geographies.

“I think, in general what we see in many of our markets—Europe, Australia, New Zealand, US market, independent from the current political situation—the overall sentiment is to enhance more local jobs activities,” Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said at Morgan Stanley’s 20th Annual India Summit.

Parekh wants to make sure that the company’s business model evolves in the right way, without sacrificing the best elements of the business model.

So, I don’t think we see that this is going to constrain our business growth,” he said.

-- Live Mint

Amy’s Kitchen Plans Food Manufacturing Unit in India

DELHI: Amy’s Kitchen Inc., the California-based manufacturer of organic ready-made frozen foods, is looking to set up a manufacturing unit in India in next couple of years as the company is planning to develop India as a processing hub for exports.

“A manufacturing unit in India will not only serve demand here but can also be the processing hub for exports to WestAsian countries, Thailand, Japan and Australia,” said Paul Schiefer, senior director (business development), Amy’s Kitchen. At present, the company imports products to India from its factory in California.

The privately held company that manufacturers only vegetarian convenience frozen foods is yet to finalise its quantum of investment for the Indian manufacturing unit. “Initially, we may start with a small processing unit with 50-100 people and expand later,” Schiefer EW

Currently, Amy’s Kitchen imports products to India from its factory in California.

added.

Amy’s Kitchen, which entered the Indian market in September 2016, currently sells only in New Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

“We are now entering Mumbai, and Bengaluru is next. Our focus will remain in the top Indian metro cit-

ies in the foreseeable future,” said Schiefer.

In India, Amy’s Kitchen sells through modern retail chains such as Big Bazaar, Modern Bazaar, Le Marche, HyperCITY, Foodhall and 24Seven convenience store in NCR. The company’s products, including

pizzas and enchiladas, are priced between Rs 200 and Rs 300 in India.

“To expand our retail reach, we are planning to tap the cash-andcarry chains, HORECA segment (hotel, restaurant and cafeteria) soon. We also want to get into home delivery. But, we’ll need a partner for that, maybe an e-commerce firm which has a strong home delivery supply chain,” said Schiefer. The company also has plans to tap canteens at workplaces and educational institutes through local partners.

India’s branded heat-and-eat or ready-made meals industry is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 22% to reach Rs 640 crore.

India’s heat-and-eat food industry is dominated by companies like Kolkata-based ITC Ltd., Bengaluru-based MTR Foods, New Delhibased Kohinoor Foods, and Tasty Bite Eatables.

-- Live Mint

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

25

Indian Fashion Renews Interest in Handlooms

N

EW DELHI: Over recent years, a new fashion movement has steadily gained ground in India. Seasonal trends are being linked intrinsically with local, sustainable resources; handloom is being reinterpreted in contemporary designs; forgotten craft traditions are being revived; and the saree is being reclaimed as a bona-fide style statement.

And 37-year-old Sanjay Garg, textile designer, music lover, avid cook and collector of antiques, is indisputably one of the brightest navigators of this new wave.

It was in 2006, during a textile project in Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, that Garg, a 2003 National Institute of Fashion Technology graduate, found his calling for sarees. “I was always interested in handlooms,” he says.

“But working in Chanderi motivated me to think more deeply on the subject—why was handloom in such crisis, why didn’t women want to wear sarees any more, and why was there this great divide between fashion and craft?” Garg’s label Raw Mango transformed the saree into a power move that made Indian women sit up and take notice. “I wanted women to relate to the sari. I wanted simplicity, yet provocation was also important to me, and I approached it by way of colour, imagery and display,” says Garg of his visual language. His choice of colours was intense—rani (hot pink), gulabi (light pink), totaiyi (parrot green) and lime, distinguishing the designs from conventional handloom emporium saris.

Raw Mango staff wearing the label’s signature handloom sarees.

26 June 22, 2018

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June 22, 2018

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June 22, 2018

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