Friday, July 04 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 27
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COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
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Tiny Orissa Community Establishes Rath Yatra as a Houston Tradition
Anuradha Paudwal sang with her ensemble at the OCC’s Rath Yatra program.
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: Seven years ago, when the tiny Hindu community from the state of Orissa in India first came up with the idea of celebrating one of the largest festivals made famous in their part of the world, they were simply replicating the customs and traditions which they had been raised with. It
was 2008 and they made a wooden 21 foot tall chariot - or rath - for the Gods to ride in, then decorated it in colors of ochre, yellow, red and gold and pulled it around the grounds of the India House as nearly 2,000 fellow Hindus and other curiosity seekers followed in devotion. It was used for the past six years but this year, guided by
The musicians who played with Anuradha Paudwal (from left) Hemant Bhavsar, Dexter Raghunanan, Aditya Paudwal and Shushilkant Sharma
Somdutt Behura, they built a new 24 feet tall chariot for the Gods to ride in on Sunday, June 29 at VPSS Haveli on West Bellfort. Encouraged by the response from the community, the 70 families from Orissa who now call Houston home and have been organized as the Orissa Culture Center, made a vow to make this festival in celebration of Lord Jagannath an annual tradition in the Bayou City in each succeeding year. The inspiration to transplant this tradition comes from the famous Jagannath Rath Yatra festival held each year in Puri, Orissa during the second bright fortnight of the month of Ashad, which this year fell on June 29, Sunday. Hundreds of thousands from all over the world flock to Puri to get a chance to be part of the procession and pull the chariots that contain the Ratnavedi (jeweled platform) in which Lord Jagan-
Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
nath (considered a form of Lord Vishnu), his brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra travel a distance of 2 km from their temple to their aunt’s temple, the Gundicha Temple. They remain there for nine days before returning to their own temple in a procession called the Bahuda Yatra. The entire procession is accompanied with devotional songs with drums, cymbals, trumpets, tambourines and gongs, and is broadcast worldwide. The Rath Yatra festival has become common in many major cities across the globe after it was successfully transplanted by the ISKCON movement in 1968. The OCC’s Rath Yatra has become an important way for Hindus to make their religious tradition visible to the multi-cultural diaspora of Houston. In deference to religious protocol and the decree of the King of Puri, the OCC sponsored festival in Houston was held after the one in Puri had
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
commenced. It was conducted by priests Dr. Debananda Pati, Bibhu Mishra and Shrimant Dash in strict adherence to the original customs and traditions observed by the Puri temple. OCC’s seventh Rath Yatra celebration was held with the support of the Shri Sita Ram Foundation, whose principal directors Arun Verma and his wife Vini were present throughout the evening. Other temples and organizations including ISKCON, Govindji Gaudiya Matha, VPSS Haveli, Hindu Worship Society, Hindus of Greater Houston, Meenakshi Temple, Namdwar, Guruvayur Temple, Durga Bari, Gayatri Parivar and Shiv Shakti Temple supported and participated in the event which was coordinated by Debasis Mohanty. OCC chairman Dr. Aditya Samal, welcomed everyone and highlighted the importance of participation of various organizations CONTINUED ON PAGE
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July 04, 2014
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COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
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Devotees Pack the Breezy Discovery Green Grounds During Rath Yatra
BY SANDHYA THAKKAR HOUSTON: Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is carried on his Divine Journey, or Yatra, on a massive Chariot, or Rath, every year since ancient times in the city
of Puri, is the origin of the English word Juggernaut, or unstoppable force. Indeed, despite hourly brisk showers, the three massive wooden chariots, crafted by SKAI Foundation and hand pulled by hundreds
Lord Jagannath being carried on his Divine Journey, crafted by SKAI Foundation and hand pulled by hundreds of devotees from all corners of Texas, through 10 Downtown Houston city blocks on Saturday, June 28.
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of devotees from all corners of Texas, seemed unstoppable as they journeyed through 10 Downtown Houston city blocks, “just as they go through the Downtown streets of Puri,” insisted SKAI Founder Dr. Surya Sahoo. His motivation as the driving force for the Greater Houston Rath Yatra at Discovery Green stems from his wife’s miraculous complete recovery from a paralyzing stroke, a recovery that happened only after Kabita Sahoo climbed on the Jagannath Puri Rath. Sons Amlan and Ishan also share their parents devotion to the Rath Yatra, alongside thousands of Houstonians who sang, danced, and pulled the chariot ropes to receive Divine Blessings. Lord Jagannath is considered a form of Vishnu, or of his Avatar Krishna, and is worshipped in a triad with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Every year on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya, they come out of Shree Mandira and travel to their aunt’s place on three massive chariots, one for each of the
deities. Hence the three chariots in the Greater Houston Rath Yatra. Mahamahopadhyay Dr. Bishnupada Goswami, Head Priest, Houston Durga Bari Society, Sri SriKiran Narayanam from India Cultural Center and Temple, Memphis, Tennessee and Sri Kamala Mukha Prabhu from ISKCON led the preevent Pooja, Samuhik Aarti, and the Pahandi ritual of carrying the deities to the Chariots. Sarvabhauma Prabhu Ji, the most senior disciple of ISKCON’s Srila Gurudev, played the role of King, who humbly sweeps the path before the entire procession, showing that all are equal before the Lord. Hailing from ISKCON Centers in the Latin Americas, Chief Guest H.H. Bhakti Sundar Goswami Maharaj Ji, Syrian born and initiated by ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada, gave a brief pravachan on the meaning of the ritual, and then whole heartedly danced with the devotees throughout the procession, propagating the general feeling of devotional celebration.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
The Chariot Parade ended with a Maha Arti sung by Nishi Munshi of LA, followed by a variety of popular bhajans. The LED illuminated stage, managed by Emcee Sunil Thakkar of Masala Radio, featured non-stop variety stage entertainment that began with Tablatronics, and modern presentation of Devotional House and Bollywood Beats by DJ Nish with classic Tabla by Rishabh Nayak. Infused throughout the evening were classical devotional dance performances, such as by the illustrious Jyostna Sahoo of Odisha, Houston’s Supriya Trilok of the Avantica Academy of Odissi Dance, Bharatha Darshana School of Indian Classical Dance And Music; and a deftly coordinated group from Kalaangan School of Odissi. The sweetly dramatic eye expressions and crisp movements of Krishnaya, the youngest Caucasian member of Bharatha Darshana, stole hearts as she was CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
Bowling for Brazil with IITAGH
The Bowling and Soccer Prizes
Top Row (from left): Subra Balakrishnan, Dhruba Ghose, Vivek Kishore, Puneet Agrawal, Kush Tandon, Partha Chatterjee, Mohit Mehta, Witty Bindra, Sundy Srinivasan. Bottom Row (from left): Aaggrim Sabharwal, Pratish Kanani, Harekas Bindra.
BY PRATISH KANANI STAFFORD: What do you get when you combine the following: a bowling event, a soccer game, some soccer fanatics, a separate viewing room with TVs, parents and kids wearing jerseys, and plenty of salad and pizza for all.
You get the 9th Annual IIT Alumni of Greater Houston Bowling event held at Main Event in Stafford on Saturday, June 28 while Brazil got to play Chile in the World Cup round of 16 and advance to the next round. All 16 lanes were reserved at the sold-out IIT Alumni of Greater Houston event. With
over 100 people in attendance, IITAGH continued on its success from the IIT 2013 Conference. “We focus on three main areas,” said Pratish Kanani, President of IITAGH. “We help our members connect and have a number of events planned for that, we have events around professional development, and finally we have events that help us give back to our local community.” There was a palpable tension in the air as Brazil and Chile battled on into overtime and then finally into penalty kicks. Partha Chatterjee shared, “I couldn’t have asked
Anju Varadhachary gets a strike
the game presented on big screens throughout the facility, the soccer crazies watched the game in the separate viewing room, while others spent time bowling and perfecting their technique. Aaggrim Sabharwal, one of the event organizers, handed out prizes for the most Stylish Bowler, the Craziest Soccer Fanatic, and the Best Bowler. Pratish Kanani announced, “Like IITAGH on
IITAGH Bowling Registration Desk
for a better Saturday. Brazil advanced and we got to experience a great game hanging out with friends just like we used to during our college days. Just fantastic!” With a never-ending supply of food, and
Facebook and connect to us on LinkedIn. Go to our website and sign up for our mailing list. Stay tuned for upcoming events. Now let’s get back to the game. GO BRAZIL!”
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COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
San Antonio Hosts 32nd AAPI Convention
Dr. Jayesh Shah administering the oath of office to Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar. Also in the picture is Dr. Shashi Shah, Chairman, Board of Trustees, AAPI.
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SAN ANTONIO: The 32nd annual convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) attended by nearly 2,000 delegates from across the nation concluded at the Grand Hyatt Henry Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, with the outgoing preside of AAPI Dr. Jayesh Shah administering the oath of office to Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, the new president of AAPI during the Presidential Gala on Saturday, June 29. In his final address as president of AAPI that represents over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin in the US, Dr. Shah attributed the successful term to the contributions of its members. “We do not view successful AAPI year through the limited prism of one year. It is a golden opportunity to strengthen and expand the organization for years to come. We are very proud of each one of you. AAPI’s success this year is the story of the hard work of each and every AAPI member who has selflessly set out to create a better AAPI for future generations.” He particularly paid rich tributes to the Convention Committee led by Dr. Vijay Koli, for their extraordinary commitment and dedication. In his first ever presidential address, Dr. Jahagirdar, who is not only an expert in medicine, but also is proficient in world’s ancient language, Sanskrit, praised the great tradition of AAPI and said, “AAPI has had great visionaries in its short life. As President, I see myself as another member in the trenches who likes to team with others and
reach out to even higher goals.” As he take charge of AAPI, Dr. Jahagirdar believes that everyone needs to “Think of our organization first, and not about individual glory. No one person has a monopoly on ideas, and any member with a passion will have a role to play.” Anwar Feroz, Honorary Advisor of AAPI, while moderating the Town Hall Meeting, which focused on Enhancing Collaboration between Physicians of Indian Origin Across the World and India, updated the audience on Swasth India Portal, which was officially launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India’s Health Minister, who was the Chief Guest at the Convention. Dr. Vardhan lauded the great contributions of Indian American physicians for their hard work, dedication and achievements. Earlier, the 32nd annual convention was solemnly inaugurated with the lighting of the traditional Indian lamp by Dr. Jayshreeben Mehta, president of Medical Council of India (MCI), Parvathaneni Harish, Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Jayesh Shah, President of AAPI, Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, President-Elect of AAPI, Dr. Shashi Shah, Chairman, Board of Trustees of AAPI, Dr. Vijay Koli, Chairman of the Convention Organizing Committee, and Leticia R. Van de Putte, Texas State Senator on Thursday, June 26. Kaul Singh Thakur, Minister for Health in CONTINUED ON PAGE
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The new Executive Committee as well as Regional Directors along with Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar. INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
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Tiny Orissa Community Establishes Rath Yatra as a Houston Tradition
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in promoting Lord Jagannath’s message of universal brotherhood. A musical program preceding the chariot pulling featured none other than the musical legend, former Bollywood playback singer turned devotional song artist Anuradha Paudwal who sang in front of a packed auditorium. Kalasudha Mata from ISKCON emceed the two-hour long program which paused midway for a minute silence in memory of the four IndoAmericans who had been killed in a fatal car accident the previous Sunday (see IAN dated June 27, 2014). During an interlude between songs, Paudwal related an incidence when she visited the Puri festival. “I didn’t realize how far my devotional songs had reached until I went to Puri for the festival one year,” recalled the singer whose youthful voice defies age, radiating warmth onstage with her smile. “I tried to get into the temple but was told it was closed. When I tried to get near the rath, I was pushed back till an elderly priest took me by the hand and to my astonishment, pushed me near the deity. When others objected, he waved them off, saying ‘Your rules don’t apply to her – she sings
Kalasudha Mata emceed the musical program
Anuradha Paudwal with an admirer Ajit Kumar Ahluwalia(left) and with a family friend, Radha Golikeri (right) of Houston
Jagannath’s bhajans’. After the rath, I was asked to sing in front of 100,000 people. It’s a memory I cherish and will never forget.” Paudwal found her voice when she was only 9 years-old and ever since had entranced audiences with her bhajans. She was discovered by Bollywood, singing the Gayatri Mantra in the film “Hero” and went on to have a successful career as a playback singer, and was known equally for the bhajan numbers in films. In a short interview with IAN after the program, Paudwal said that working in the film industry always left her feeling insecure and since she was always temperamentally inclined to devotional songs, she left the movies to devote herself solely on this musical form. She said that she had sung at the Rath Yatra festival held each year in Rotterdam, Netherlands for the past 8 years. Asked her secret for her youthful voice, she declared it was God given and the only thing she stayed away from was cold, fizzy drinks. Paudwal was accompanied onstage by her touring group, her 30 year-old son Aditya on the harmonium and Sushilkant Sharma, who played superbly on the dholuk. Houston’s own Dexter Raghunanan, the table virtuoso blended in effortlessly, playing off Sharma’s dholuk as if they had practiced together for years although they had just met, and Hemant Bhavsar on the cymbals. Paudwal performed half a dozen popular bhajans
pausing to explain some verses and relating her experience with the music. She thanked Dexter for making himself available at the last minute and coaxed the audience to sing along, often gesturing to them to finish the stanzas and with the last number, invited them to dance the garba onstage as she sang a Gujarati number – and 50 local ladies gladly obliged. From Houston, Paudwal will perform in Ohio and then return to India in mid-July. Following ancient tradition, the
deities were carried by devotees in a ceremony called Pahandi to the chariots with bongs, cymbals, drums and blowing of conch shells. After they were place on the chariot, the ceremonial king of the event, Dr. Shanti Bansal, an eminent local cardiologist conducted the traditional sweeping with a broom in front of the chariot. The 24-feet elegant chariot was then pulled by an enthusiastic crowd amid the kirtans and chants by over two-thousand devotees present.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
At sunset, the procession ended with Maha Arati offered by priests of several temples in front of the chariot. While hundreds of devotees lined up to climb on the chariot and offer puja thali to the Lords and get darshan, Anuradha Paudwal and her ensemble filled the air with devotional songs and bhajans on an outdoor stage. Free prasad, water and bhog were served and the event ended with arati offered to the deities..
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COMMUNITY Devotees Pack the Breezy Discovery Green Grounds During Rath Yatra CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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invited by emcee Thakkar to give a few impromptu dance lessons to children from the audience. Karnamrita Devi Dasi from New York completed the devotional portion of the stage show with soul-stirring bhajans accompanied by Violin and Mardanga Drums. The last hour culminated with a heart-stopping open air dandia raas by Nishi Munshi, and the Heartbeats Band, featuring Nadeem on keyboard, Amir on Drums, and Rishabh Nayak on Dhol. Thakkar said, “It was a completely different pro-
gram from the bang on Bollywood I produce for Holi or Diwali, but I liked the fast paced yet devotional programming we put together, but the audience packed the breezy Discovery Green grounds during the rare-in-Houston open air dandia raas, it was amazing!” Festival goers enjoyed non-stop activities at every corner of the Greater Houston Rath Yatra, including the 30’ train moonwalk combo, water play fountains, balloon artist, Henna artist, Indian clothing and jewelry bazaar, and ZeeTV’s Wheel of Fortune. Tara
Energy provided several thousand free water bottles, especially to those returning from the parade. Mercedes Benz provided some eye candy with the display of its latest GL350. ISKCON provided delightful fusion peanbut butter barfi prasad, while Banke Bihari Parivar offered thirst-quenching chaas (salty yoghurt drink) and panda prasad. Crowds flocked to the chat patta chaat varieties by Madhuran Mirch Masala, spicy sabjis and biryanis of Hydrabad House, and ISKCON’s Nila Madhava’s with its traditional samosas and papdi chaat, and the notso-traditional chocolate covered strawberries! Photos: Nilo Aranzamendez, Meedu Photography, and Sukesh. For upcoming videos and photos visit www.greaterhoustonrathyatra.org SKAI Foundation is constructing the CHAR DHAM TEMPLE slated to open with grand celebration in 2015. Masala Radio, who managed and marketed the Greater Houston Rath Yatra event, is reachable at www.masalaradio.com or 281-277-6874.
Improve Literacy – Open Source Software with Lowest Cost Tablet, Aakash teaching methods to the children. Dr. Sidney Burrus, Prof. and Dean Emeritus, Rice will moderate with following Panelists: • Dr. Charles McKay, Professor Emeritus, UHCL • Naren Chavda, President Ekal Vidyalay, Houston • Carmen Johnson, Math Coach, Crockett Elementary and Marshall Middle School, HISD • Haley Rosowsky, Liaison Officer, iEducate USA. Dr. Kannan Moudgalya
HOUSTON: Indian institute of Technology Madras Alumni Association and Indian Institutes of Technology Alumni of Greater Houston are hosting a Mentoring event on July 6, at Rice University, Duncan Hall from 4 – 6 p.m. The Speaker is Dr. Kannan Moudgalya, an IITM and Rice alumni, and IITB Prof. of Chemical Engineering. His Team has created the “Spoken Tutorials” as an innovative approach for self-learning and
The objectives are to illustrate the benefits of using low cost Tablet hardware with Open Source Software as a means to child’s learning and to use for self-learning. A “Spoken Tutorial” is a ten minute audio-video tutorial for K - 12 lessons and modules on “Aakash” (meaning Sky in Sanskrit), the world’s lowest cost device at $50. The spoken part of Tutorials is dubbed in all Indian languages, to help kids weak in English.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Dr. Sidney Burrus
The main objective of the Project is to improve the employment for students with basic skills. Currently, there are 500 tutorials in English and 2,000 dubbed tutorials in Indian languages. Aakash has also been successfully pilot tested in a North Carolina school system (http://spoken-tutorial.org).
COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
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San Antonio Hosts 32nd AAPI Convention
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Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar delivering his first presidential address at the 32nd annual convention of AAPI in San Antonio.
the state of Himachal Pradesh, the Guests of Honor, thanked AAPI members for the Healthcare Clinic they had organized in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Parvathaneni Harish, Consul General of India in Houston, while pointing to the enormous amount of capital invested on the education of physicians of Indian origin who now serve work abroad urged AAPI to initiate a Fellowship Program whereby, its members could go to Indian Medical Colleges and educate the young generation of Indian physicians and students in Medicine. “That will be the greatest contribution AAPI can provide to your motherland,� he said. Other panelists who addressed
the audience during the Town Hall Meeting included Dr. Narendra Saini of Indian Medical Association, Dr. Ramesh Mehta of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Dr. Sunil Patel of Canadian Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage, Dr. Vani Rao, President of IAPA and John Meiners of American Heart Association. Nina Davuluri, the first ever Indian American to be crowned Miss USA was the keynote speaker at an inspiring Women’s Forum Session. Some of the highlights of the 32nd annual convention included, Healthy Cooking by famed Sanjay Thumma, fashion parade by world famous designers and models led
by Nina Davuluri, live musical night by Kumar Sanu, Vishaal Shekhar, and Senthil Ramamurthy and over 100 Exhibition Booths, Yoga, Zumba, Table Tennis and many other entertainment and networking for the young and the senior physicians were a delight to the participants who came from across the nation to participate in the 32nd annual convention. During the first of its kind, a formal concluding ceremony was held on Sunday, June 29 where the Convention Chair, Dr. Koli passed on the “torch� to the next Convention Chair, Dr. Amish Parikh, who will be coordinating the 33rd annual Convention in Orlando, FL from June 17 to 21, 2015. For further details, visit: www. aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org.
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12 July 04, 2014
COMMUNITY
TCC Taped Ball Tournament Spring 2014 – Spartans Winners, HJCC Runners Up
TCC Spring 2014, Spartans Winners with Chief Guest Surya Saladi.
HOUSTON: Spartans won the TCC Taped Ball Spring 2014 tournament defeating Houston Javelinas Cricket Club (HJCC) by 57 runs and maintained their perfect record of winning the final in all of their appearances. It was a highly competitive tournament involving 15 teams. On a day with good weather for playing cricket (06/14/2014), Spartans won the toss and elected to bat first. They had a decent start scoring 19 runs in 3 overs with Manne scoring 15 of them. Soon they lost 3 quick wickets (Manne, Jeeva and Sreeni) to Suresh and were 21/3 in 7 overs. Aradhya and Saishyam rebuilt the innings. After 10
overs, the score was 49/3. Sai’s innings (34) was full of classic off drives and Aradhya’s innings (35) consisted of a couple of big sixers. Kiran M. provided the final push with a quick fire 26 runs. Suthan, Krishna and Venky made useful contributions and the score was 141/9 after 20 overs with Spartans scoring close to 85 runs in the last 10 overs. HJCC’s bowlers started off nicely but could not control after 10 overs. Suresh (3), Divyang (2) and Yesu (2) were the main wicket takers. Chasing 142 to win, HJCC could not score in the power play and were 12/1 (Yesu’s wicket due to a brilliant catch by Manne off
the bowling of Nataraja Rao) after 6 overs due to excellent bowling by Nataraja Rao and Kiran M. Sreeni who bowled next did further damage with three quick wickets, all caught by Krishna. Saishyam and Sohail made it more difficult for HJCC with tight bowling. Wickets fell at regular intervals and Nattu and Suthan cleaned up the tail in 2-3 overs. HJCC were bowled out for 84 runs. Goutham (21), Pranav (17) and Praveen (12) were the top scorers. Nattu (4) and Sreeni (3) were the top wicket takers. The complete score card and further match details is available at: http://www.sportstatz.com/ss/web.asp?club=779&mode=10 0&match=19996. It was a comfortable win for Spartans who dominated all their matches in the playoff games. The game had high quality umpiring from Dhiraj and Sai from Strikers. TCC
appreciates the support from Strikers for the umpiring in the finals and is thankful to Ketan and Sai for this. The game was followed by a well-organized prize distribution ceremony arranged by TCC and attended by number of friends and family members who had come to support the teams. The presentation party had Surya Saladi, founder member and member of Board of Directors of TCC as Chief Guest, President Nanda Kumar, Vice President Krishna Shikaram, Secretary Nataraja Rao, member of Board of Directors Venky Rao and TCC cricket team member Kiran. Jagadish Biradar, organizer of TCC Taped Ball tournament coordinated the presentation ceremony. Surya Saladi was presented with a plaque by Nanda Kumar for his contribution to cricket in Houston. Nataraja Rao, the captain of Spartans was presented with the championship trophy and Satish, the captain of HJCC was presented with the runners up trophy. The players of the winners and runners up received individual trophies. Man of the match for the finals was Nataraja Rao from Spartans for a match winning bowling performance with figures of 3.1-1-10-4. Anil Sunke from HJCC won the Best Batsman trophy with 233 runs. Nataraja Rao from Spartans won the Best Bowler trophy with a record 22 wickets and Sujith Pasupuleti won the best All-Rounder trophy with 165 runs and 12 wickets. Trophies were also given to the man of the match for Semi Finals and Quarter Finals. Suresh from HJCC and Sreeni from Spartans were the recipients of the man of the match for Semi Finals. Sujith from HJCC, Gihan from SLCC, Nataraja Rao from Spartans and Prashant from Thunderbolts were the recipients of the man of the match for Quarter Finals.
TCCSpring2014 HJCC RunnersUp with Chiefguest Surya Saladi
TCC Spring 2014, HJCC Runners Up with Chief Guest Surya Saladi.
Like Us! Keywords: Indo American News INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
July 04, 2014
Job Posting:
News Intern
KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid NEWS INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to undergrads currently enrolled college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies. Interns will have an opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As an intern you will attend production meetings, assist the assignment desk, research news topics, view and log tapes, transcribe interviews and edit video along with other duties. Interns also will also have an opportunity to, on occasion, travel with reporters and field crews for stories and live remotes. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. Additionally, applicants must be able to work at least one day per week and the hours may vary depending on scheduling and will include some weekend and early morning and evening hours. All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req 199060BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. No phone calls please.
KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability
Job Posting:
Content Producer
KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a CONTENT PRODUCER for digital and broadcast platforms. The perfect candidate must be a strong writer with significant digital experience. Additionally the candidate selected must have the ability to multi-task and have excellent news judgment. This position will be responsible for various tasks leading up to daily broadcasts and will be responsible for generating, developing and publishing content to various digital platforms. We are looking for someone with great journalistic instincts and social media know-how. (Strong internal candidate) All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req #199665BR. Please upload a cover letter, and resume. No phone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability
Job Posting:
Community Affairs Intern
KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned station located in Houston, TX is accepting applications for a paid COMMUNITY AFFAIRS INTERNSHIP for the upcoming semester. Internships are available to currently enrolled undergraduate college students in their junior or senior year pursuing careers in the television/ media field and must receive college credit for the internship. The internship program is designed to provide students with an on-site educational experience that complements their academic studies. Interns will have an opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work and operations of a major market, television station. As an intern you will attend help in the production of community affairs shows, including scheduling of guests, help gathering and editing video, assist with community drives, forums and outreach. Each area requires significant planning, scheduling and execution. Applicants must be currently enrolled in college and supply written verification of eligibility to receive academic credit for the internship at the start of the internship. Additionally, applicants must be able to work at least one day per week and the hours may vary depending on scheduling and may include some weekend and early morning and evening hours. All interested applicants must apply online at www.disneycareers.com, Job Req #199065BR. Please upload a cover letter, your resume outlining other internships, degrees earned, work experience, related clubs and organizations, current major course of study, expected graduation date and extracurricular activities. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability No Telephone Calls
KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
13
14 July 04, 2014 Southwest Airlines Freedom Over Texas July 4, Eleanor Tinsley Park $8 per person; Under 5 free Grab your lawn chairs and blankets for this one-of-a-kind patriotic event that is done with a style that is all Houston. The iconic Houston skyline will set the backdrop for an extraordinary patriotic celebration at Mayor Annise Parker’s official Fourth of July event, Freedom Over Texas. Chip Esten (“Deacon Claybourne”) and Clare Bowen (“Scarlett O’Connor”) from the hit TV show “Nashville” are set to join headlining artist Jennifer Nettles at Freedom Over Texas. July 4th Celebration at Bayou Bend Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens July 4. 1pm-5pm FREE With performers, crafts, activities, refreshments, and much more, join the the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to celebrate Independence Day at Houston’s home for American decorative arts and paintings. A reading of the Declaration of Independence beings at 3 p.m. on the Diana Terrace of the Bayou Bend house and will be followed by birthday cake. And don’t forget to sign the giant replica of the Declaration of Independence before you leave to remind us the freedom and privileges we have in this country. ExxonMobile Summer Symphony Nights: Star-Spangled Salute Miller Outdoor Theatre July 4. 8:30pm FREE Enjoy an evening with the Houston Symphony and conductor, Michael Krajewski as they play patriotic classics. Joining them on stage will be Jonathan Beedle and AJ Swearingen performing music of Simon & Garfunkel. Be sure to stay for the finale of 1812 Over-
CELEBRATIONS
July 4th Celebrations in Houston ture, complete booming can-
w i t h
nons, as it will b e followed by the fireworks spectacular provided by Miller Theatre Advisory Board. Open seating will be available on the hill while free tickets will also be available while they last for the covered seating area. Please keep it four tickets per person who are over the age of 16 as they can be picked up at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the event between 10:30am-1pm. Fourth of July Music & Fireworks CityCentre July 3-6 FREE The July 4 weekend welcomes four nights of free concerts plus an Independence Day fireworks spectacular to CityCentre. Festivities begin on July 3 with classic rock band Legendary Rhythm Bandits from 7 until 10 PM and continue on July 4 with 90s country tunes from Mustache The Band starting at 7 PM and a fireworks spectacular at 9:30 PM. Houston Symphony’s Star Spangled Salute
13100 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.testmasters.com
281-564-7700
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion July 3. 8pm FREE Enjoy an evening with Principal Pops Conductor Mi-
will be performed by The Slags, a Houston cover band that will play a range from today’s hits to the classics. Also included in the lineup of activities is the USMC Toys for
chael Krajewsk i
and the Houston Symphony listening to patriotic, toe-tapping American music. Make sure to stay until the end for the 1812 Overture-complete with booming cannons! This celebration concludes with a magnificent display of fireworks provided by Miller Theatre Advisory Board. 17th Annual Red, Hot & Blue Festival & Fireworks Extravaganza Town Green Park and Waterway Square, Woodlands, TX July 4. 6pm-10pm FREE This all evening event celebrating the American Dream, will have two locations along the Waterway. Enjoy your Independence Day at both Town Green Park and Waterway Square, each featuring a main stage and activities for all ages.
Celebration of Freedom Pearland High School Football Stadium (3775 South Main, Pearland, TX) July 4. 6-10 pm FREE Join the city of Pearland in celebrating our country’s independence! Stadium and field seating will be available at no charge beginning at 6 p.m. A VFW military salute will begin the evening’s entertainment, followed by the National Anthem. Then sit back, relax and sing along to the sounds of the Texas Unlimited Band. At sundown, enjoy a spectacular 20-minute fireworks display from your seat inside the stadium. Food is available for purchase or you can bring your own. 4th Fest in Pasadena Pasadena Convention Center July 4. 4pm-10pm FREE Being Pasadena’s largest citysponsored event, 4th Fest provides fun activities for all ages throughout the evening. Before the 20-minute fireworks show at the end of the event, live music
Tots BBQ Cook-off, water balloon fights, a kid-zone, sports, games and a car/truck show. The Katy Freedom Celebration Katy Mills Mall July 4. 9pm FREE The Katy Freedom Celebration fireworks display will be launched between the east side of the mall and Katy Fort Bend Road. This display begins at approximately 9pm and can be viewed from several miles around the mall area. July 4th Parade and Festival Bellaire, TX July 4.9:30am - Parade; 10am1pm - Festival The Fourth of July parade will begin at 9:30am, led by the children’s parade. To particiapte in the parade is free. However, only the first 75 applicants will be taken to march. Kids of all ages can march in the parade with decorative and festive bikes, wagons and even costumes, and without entering in advance. Following promptly after the parade, which will roughly be around 10am, the festival begins at the Bellaire Town Square. There will be a petting zoo, moon jumps, carnival games - including a dunk tank - and a mini Ferris wheel. Food and game tickets will be available to purchase at the festival.
Fourth of July Celebration at Kemah Boardwalk July 4. All day with
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
fireworks at 9:30 pm. FREE. Live music & patriotic fireworks show over Galveston Bay. Missouri City’s 4th of July Celebration Buffalo Run Park July 4. 6pm-10pm FREE This July 4th celebration is an evening event. Starting at 6pm, free activities, such as moonwalks, a rock wall, mechanical bulls and pony rides will be available to entertain all ages until 9pm. Food will available on site for be purchase. But come early as the first 600 kids will receive a free giveaway (must be 12 years old or under). Shortly after the festivities, the fireworks show will start around 9:15pm. Thurgood Marshall High School’s parking lot, next to Buffalo Run Park, will be available for guests to park their cars at. Independence Day Parade and Fireworks Show Galveston Island FREE July 4. 7:30pm - Parade (Along Seawall Boulevard from 28th Street to 53rd Street) Join Galveston Island as they commemorate America’s freedom with their annual Independence Day Parade. The parade will begin at 7:30pm on Seawall Boulevard from 28th Street and will progress down to 53rd Street. It will feature local groups, performers, creative floats and decorated military vehicles. When the parade has ended, head over to 37th Street and Seawall Boulevard where Galveston will present a 20-minute long fireworks show at 9:15pm over the waters of the Gulf. - www.visithoustontexas.com
COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
15
Houston Iftar: Annual Ramadan Dinner with the Mayor
HOUSTON: The Yearly Tradition returns with the “Houston Iftar” Annual Ramadan Dinner coming up on Saturday, July 12 at 6:00 PM at the picturesque Bayou City Event Center. The Honorable Mayor Annise Parker will be the keynote speaker at this auspicious event. The event is being organized by Abu Dhabi, Baku, Istanbul and Karachi Sister City Associations Along With The Islamic Society of Greater Houston and all Collaborating organizations including: AL-Noor Society of Greater Houston, AL-Noor Institute of Islamic Sciences, AL-Iman Youth, Arab American Cultural & Community Center, Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (South Texas Chapter) American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI), Bangladesh Association Houston,Bangladesh Students Association-UH, Bilateral Arab Chamber of Commerce, Clear Lake Islamic Center, Council on American Islamic Relations Texas - Houston Chapter (CAIR Texas), Dawoodi Bohra Masjid, Dialogue Institute of the Southwest, Greater Houston Retailer Cooperative Association (GHRA), Hashoo Foundation, House of Charity, His Highness the Aga Khan Council for Southwestern United States, Houston Shifa Services Foundation (HSSF), Ibn Sina Foundation, Interfaith Ministries for reater Houston, Jamia Mecca Masjid-Beechnut, Masjid Ghouse Azam, Makkah MasjidDairy Ashford, Muslim Council of USA, Pakistan Association of Greater Houston, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce - USA (PCC-USA), Pakistan American Council of Texas (PACT), Pakistani Association of Golden Triangle (PAGT), Pakistan American Society of Texas (PAST), Pakistan Club of Houston, Texas USA, Pakistan Students Association - UH, Raindrop Turkish House, Risala Foundation, Rupani Foundation, Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), Shah Latif Cultural Institute of Texas (SLICT), Sun Charity-USA, South Asian Chamber of Commerce, The National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce, Texas Turkish Chamber of Commerce, The Citizens Foundations USA, Tayaba Masjid-Katy Texas, Team Pakistan, University of Karachi Alumni Association of Houston, and more are to join in days to come. In a statement, the event organizers have stated: “Houston is truly one of the most diverse cities in the world. This will be a remarkable opportunity to show unity among Muslim organizations and religious groups, and to remind us that we share the same human values of respect and dignity, irrespective of race, color, religion, or the origin of an individual. Our goal is to make it an inclusive event and we would like to urge all Houstonians to be part of this important occasion for the Muslim community. We are honored to showcase our diversity and culture in Houston.”
This event is open to the public: Only thing is that RSVP is needed, so that organizers can arrange for ample food and space. Sponsorship opportunities to introduce ones’ business and organization to diverse and affluent group of people are available. Sponsors and participating organization will be listed on the program. Organizers have urged to share this event information with
everyone in the community. Event will also include religious leaders, interfaith leaders, elected officials, diplomats, media, and people from several facets of life. What: “Houston Iftar”-Annual Ramadan Dinner 2014 with the Mayor Annise Parker When: Saturday July 12, 2014 at 6:00 PM
Where: Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road, Houston, Texas 77045 (Near Reliant Stadium, 610/Fannin St.) Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, is the month of fasting. Throughout the month, adult Muslims around the world abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations between dawn; and sunset. In the Holy Month of Ramadan, Muslims give in extra acts of charity, and spend extra time in worship. Fasting helps to teach patience, self-control and humility. For further details contact: Muhammad Saeed Sheikh: Phone: (281) 948-1840, Humayun Mahmood: Phone Ph (713) 524-6615 Ruhi Ozgul : Phone:(713) 480-6566, Email: info@houstoniftar.org WEB: www.houstoniftar.org
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
16 July 04, 2014
COMMUNITY
Sri Meenakshi Temple Participates in City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Event
Sri Meenakshi Temple Society booth was popular among all ages
PEARLAND: The week leading up to Friday was rainy and wet which threatened to keep away audience for the last of the Friday Summer fest concert hosted by City of Pearland Parks and Recreation; fortunately fair weather was on us as evening dawned and the crowd gathered to relax and enjoy the Music. Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) had a display booth - the first for MTS, thanks to the organizing skills of the MTS executive officer, Vatsa Kumar, MTS was ready with the tent, table, molds, cement and all the required small tools; Vatsa Kumar was also kind enough to bring and drop off the MTS banner
as we forgot to take this with us. The booth was setup skillfully by MTS employees, Manikandan and Ramanathan in very quick time as they began their craft with preparing molds of decorated elephant, beautiful swan, dancers, yali and small flowers. Although the booth started initially with only the odd curious onlooker peering over the artisan’s craft, around dusk as the City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Manager Carey capers announced the booth sponsors, and invited two of the MTS volunteers on stage (Murali and Prasad) to display the product from the mold work crafted. There was no turn-
11000 Richmond Ave, Ste 300 Houston, TX 77042
ing back after that as young and old came to the MTS stand and were engaged and mesmerized by the handy work of art. Manikandan and Ramanathan did MTS proud as they tirelessly worked making molds, stopping occasionally to explain to the onlookers and giving away memorabilia’s of the molded products. We had one of youngest volunteers, Mythri Ravoori (our Jnt. Secretary’s daughter) mixing with the kids in the ticket booth handing door prize tickets and answering questions. We also had Ramsunder (our web and communication director) lending a hand at the MTS booth and snapping some of the photos for us. MTS’s
Pearland city Parkas and recreation booth was frequented by attendees here showing MTS volunteer Mythri Ravoori at the desk
joint Secretary Murali Ravoori explained the artwork and helped ensure the molded pieces were handed out in a fair manner to all the eager visitors who had lined up to get a piece of the action. Both Pat Wiley (volunteer coordinator) and Carey Capers (P & R Manager) thanked MTS copiously and asked us to keep coming. The best welcome also was offered by one of the security officers who wanted to make a note on his calendar to make sure he does not miss the next time MTS setup a
booth at the City of Pearland. At the end of the day as we pulled the tent down and headed back to the MTS we were all happy to have been part of this event, contributing to opening the doors to the culture and showing our skills, as well as to do our small part in bringing joy to the spectators through the artwork handouts. We had set on the quest to ‘demystify’ the Hindu Temple, but can picture soon MTS becoming a regular fixture with the Pearland events, a city we call home to our Temple.
On stage acknowledging sponsors is Carey Capers of City of Pearland Resource development Manager highlighting MTS participation with Murali and Prasad showing the display molds form MTS booth
15950 N Dallas Pkwy, Ste 400 Dallas, TX 75248
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
July 04, 2014
Hindu Heritage Camp Teaches Dharma
Bharat Pallod and Sagar Pallod camp co-directors
HOUSTON: This summer marks the 30th year of Hindu Heritage Youth Camp. Like most summer camps, the HHYC provides a wide array of activities, an opportunity to make lifelong friends, and a summer experience the kids will never forget. In addition to this, educations are embedded into their time at camp, allowing them to learn about their religion and culture. While I always acknowledged and respected the information and education provided to me by elders, I always struggled to apply the indepth, abstract concepts of Hinduism to today’s society. I felt many of the practices and rituals taught to me weren’t relevant in my daily life. The great thing about HHYC is that the counselors, second generation Hindu-Americans, identify with this gap that many of our youth face.
Drawing upon their own experiences, they provide relevant educations for each camper, and help them apply the principals of Hindu Dharma in today’s society. There are a total of thirty-five counselors for this year’s HHYC. “We come from a very vast and rich culture. Our goal with camp is to expose campers to different pieces of this, and hope that when they go home, they’ll be inspired to continue to learn and explore on their own,” says Bharat Pallod, co-director of HHYC. Bharat Pallod, a 2012 graduate from UT Austin, currently works as an analyst in San Antonio. Bharat has been a counselor for six years, and a camper for ten. Camp focuses on the mind-body relationship, reflected in the daily schedule. From waking up to bhajans early in the morning to falling asleep exhausted after pillow fights, every
moment of camp is an enriching one. We stay physically active by playing games and practicing yoga in the morning, and mentally active during educations sessions for which counselors spend months preparing. We become spiritually active by singing bhajans and doing aarti together. Camp co-director Sagar Patel, states, “Hindu camp aims to enrich our campers’ lives by teaching them unique Hindu Dharma values and inspiring them to be proud of their rich Hindu culture in a fun-filled, camp setting.” Sagar Patel is a 2013 graduate from University of Houston, and now is a senior systems analyst. Sagar has been a counselor for three years, and a camper for eight. This year, HHYC will be held at a new location: Camp Lantern Creek. The Gordon Campsite, where we have held camp for over 25 years, has been sold to Fort Bend County. Camp Lantern Creek provides a wider array of amenities, and in order to accommodate more campers, there will be two camps. The high school camp is August 5 – 10, and the elementary/ middle school camp is August 12 – 17. Visit hinducamp.com for further information and to register for the first camp session (the second camp is full)! Article contributor, Unnati Shukla is a sophomore at UT Austin and is studying Marketing with Plan II Honors. She has been a camper for 10 years, and this is her second year as a counselor.
17
Honorable Narendra Modi’s Vision
BY KRISHAN GUPTA The people of India gave their verdict on May 16, 2014 to bring back a good government and delivered a mandate for development and stability of the country. It is the collective dream to bring the society and development to newer heights. It is our hope that new government will script a bright future across the country, and global peace. There is a huge demand to develop tourism in almost every big or small city. Indian culture is so vast and there are too many historical places. India must gear to set up local cultural programs, hotels, and motels facilities. New government must set up manufacturing industries to employ workers which do not require high skill. Hospital and clinical facilities must be upgraded to fill the needs 24 hours a day. Unfortunately in villages and small cities, India is
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
lacking behind in these areas. Child Labor Trafficking Agencies must be banned or fully regulated. Proper procedures must be adopted to collect taxes. Private companies should be established to supply electricity and avoid stealing and overcharging to the innocent people. Sanitation system should be developed in each village and cities. Water supply should be regulated and cleaned properly. Proper paved roads, border protection from infiltrations, and Infrastructure should be started to keep a good eye on terrorists. President Pranab Mukherjee and new government laid down the areas of priority in the Parliament. Collectively they brought a cogent and doable plan. If it is achieved India can be transformed in the eyes of the world. Much need to be done to put India on the right track if the platform of the new government is implemented and executed. This will unfetter the engine of growth and we will be head to head with China. This is based on the hope, perhaps optimistic that the new government can pull off such an effort completely. Government must take risks and modify the situation on day to day basis. Ultimately it will pay off for the welfare of India in double digit growth.
18 July 04, 2014 New Jobs for Old Jobs Thirty years ago, there were typewriters. What happened to all those stenographer and typist jobs? Well, we did not see them getting laid off by the thousands, but many of them reinvented themselves in various secretarial tasks done with computers – even as a new generation came into the workforce, learning to type on its own, even on touchscreens. Technology does change things, often causing fears, but new trends emerge to provide new opportunities. This thought came to me last week after reading a news report that many of the coding work done by software engineers are now being replaced by algorithms. In simple English, they are like like a supercode writing simple coders out of their jobs. Meawhile, in Hyderabad, the National Association of Software and Service Companies held its Big Data & Analytics Summit – on the new trend of services and software that try to make sense and generate intelligence out of data that comes by terabyte-loads onto the Internet –be it from websites, apps, blogs, social media posts or even machines connected to the Web. Such intelligence helps companies and policymakers take better decisions. Big Data and Analytics can be similar to IT and BPO in spinning a new wave of jobs and services for Indian companies –though it might evolve new skills. There are only 29,000 analytics employees in India but the global analytics business is expected to grow at 12 per cent every year to $121 billion by 2016. This would involve both software and analytics–and new jobs.
Patni: The Pioneer
Narendra Patni, who died last week in the US aged 71, can be called as a pioneer at the least, and possibly the trendsetter, in information technology outsourcing. The engineer, educated in what is now IIT, Roorkee and later at MIT, founded Patni Computer Systems (PCS) in 1972, and hired three people who left his company to start Infosys, which became India’s first company to list on the Nasdaq. Patni started outsourced software services in the US and then developed a back-end in India, which is now known as “offshore services” --something TCS also perfected in the 1970s. While TCS and Infosys arguably deserve credit as organisations, Patni’s role as a fellow pioneer is undeniable. Patni Computer Systems, which fell a victim to a feud between Narendra and his brothers, was eventually acquired by iGATE Corp. If only Patni had made Murthy & Co his business partners instead of employees, perhaps the history of Indian IT would have been different. The technology industry, like history in general, is full of ifs and buts. There are people who seed history, but there are others who go on to make it. Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL
Silent Language of Soccer
BY ABHIJEET MAJUMDAR In Bastar’s remotest tribal terrain, where India fights one of its bloodiest wars against Maoists, a football drops with more impact than a grenade. Anti-insurgency forces say that a football lobbed at a gaggle of village children brings out a rarity in a place so hostile to the troops: Smiles. The joy the round, leather plaything unleashes leads to familiarity, maybe fondness, and further to trust. Football, unquestionably the most popular game on the planet (Fifa has more member countries than the UN), becomes especially potent in conflict zones, in places torn by poverty and violence. It is often the last link with the outside world and sanity. For children growing up in a Syrian refugee camp, or young men in a bombedto-the-bones Afghan town, it is the scherzo to light up an otherwise dark symphony. In Kashmir, an Argentinian named Juan Marcos Troia and his Brazilian wife, Priscila, trained young men for years since 2002, helping local talent make it to the national scene, often persuading the police to release arrested stone-throwers so they could play the next match, dream beyond their dispiriting intifada. But while adulation and recognition was one aspect that came with being the first Argentinian coach in Kashmir, it has also been fraught with danger, difficulties and disgruntlement. Marcos has been accused of trying to convert his students to Christianity, has received death threats and has lived the hurt of seeing his pet dogs poisoned by people who wanted to drive home a point. He is getting used to being under surveillance. “I am watched by police and other security agencies. They always run background checks on me,” he says. “And I never go to church because I don’t want troublemaking elements to find an excuse to accuse me.” Last year Kashmir for the first time received four Brazilian football players who were to stay there for one year. But that joyous occasion came to an abrupt end when two of them, frightened by the escalating tensions and violence, decided to return home.
In Argentina, Juan Marcos Troia had heard about the Himalayas but, was oblivious about a place called Kashmir. Today the 34-year-old calls this home. His mission: To train the youth and build a football team.
“That was a sad moment but there wasn’t anything we could do,” Marcos says. It is precisely this link to sanity terrorists have sought to snap worldwide with repeated attacks in West Asia and Africa before and during this World Cup. At least 21 were killed by a car bomb near a Cup-screening venue in Nigeria’s Damaturu. Boko Haram militants had planted the bomb in a motorised rickshaw. This was followed by a June 1 stadium bombing that killed 40. The Nigerian police promptly advised fans to stay at home and watch the matches — the first step towards a football Emergency. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau views the game as a western perversion. He believes it takes the devout away from the religion. He has curiously never cited an Islamic text to back his homilies. But trust the new, innovatively brutal ISIS to serve up their hatred of infidels and football with relish. “This is our football, it’s made of skin #World Cup,” it tweeted along with a beheading video of an Iraqi policeman. The group has slaughtered more than 2,000 (and counting) Iraqi Shias, videotaping themselves kicking around the heads of some of the victims. ISIS had reportedly raided Syria’s cafeterias on the first day of the World Cup and forced people to go and pray. But such is the bewitching pull of
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the game that a few young opposition activists in Raqa province defied the ISIS diktat and surreptitiously watched the Netherlands-Spain match huddled at home. Worried that they would be raided, the young fans didn’t allow a sound to escape their lips when goals were scored. In Kashmir, Marcos’ growing popularity among the young had made hardliners nervous. Some accused him of being an agent of the Church. The couple received threats. They left Kashmir a few months ago, but not before sowing among a whole generation in the Valley seeds of the Beautiful Game. In Afghanistan, the Taliban chose a football stadium to shoot lovers in the head. In many of those stadia, football is back. Afghanistan now has the full-fledged Roshan Afghan Football League, which holds school clinics where headscarved little girls kick the ball around along with the boys. No other sport binds so many people speaking different languages, living under so many different political systems. Movies have been made — one recalls Cup Final, a 1991 Hebrew film on an Israeli hostage and his Palestinian captors bonding over Italy’s World Cup matches. India has all the reasons to encourage more children to play it, to coach them, and to introduce them to the silent language the world understands. Hindustan Times
HEALTH
July 04, 2014
19
This Is Only a Test (that Could Save Your Life)
The next in our series of topics is about cancer screening. Over the last few years there have been many medical and news articles about the relative value of mammographic screening for breast cancer, PSA screening for prostate cancer and chest CT screening for lung cancer. Some previously held beliefs are being questioned. At times, this may seem confusing. What is important to remember is that in most circumstances, screen-
ing does result in earlier diagnosis of different cancers. The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the more successful the treatment will be. Individuals need to be able to understand the difference between a relative value of societal cost-effectiveness and the value for an individual patient. For this reason, all screening decisions should be undertaken in consultation with your doctor, discussing your relative risk of cancer based
on your personal history and background. Texas Oncology’s Dr. Dhatri Kodali discusses the current screening guidelines for various cancers in the following article. It is important that all individuals think about these issues during their annual physicals. Screening and early diagnosis are vital components in the fight against cancer.
BY DR. DHATRI KODALI Screenings help detect cancer early, when it’s most treatable. There’s no question that cancer screenings can save lives. But what test? When? These simple questions no longer have simple answers. With better science, treatment advances, and more research, screening guidelines continue to evolve. Recommendations from physician groups, cancer advocacy organizations, and your personal doctor may vary. The guidelines below can help clear up confusion about the most common cancer screenings. Skin Cancer: Everyone should check their skin for changes in freckles, moles, and other skin markings monthly. Report any changes to your physician. Colorectal Cancer: Beginning at 50, everyone should screen for colorectal cancer with one of these options. Earlier screening may be warranted with a family history. • Annual fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) • Every five years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a doublecontrast barium enema • Every 10 years, a colonoscopy or every five years, a virtual colonoscopy Breast Cancer: Screening guidelines vary, but solid recom-
mendations include: • In their 20s: Conduct monthly self-checks for lumps on or in the breast or under the arm, changes in breast or nipple size or shape, skin changes, swelling or tenderness. • In their 20s and 30s: Get a clinical breast exam every three years. • In their 40s: Consider annual clinical breast exams and/or mammograms and if physician recommended, an MRI. • In their 50s: Have annual mammograms. Women with a close relative diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 should start annual mammograms 10 years before reaching that relative’s age at diagnosis. Cervical Cancer: Even HPVvaccinated women should get cervical cancer screenings: • Starting at age 21: Have a Pap test every three years. • Age 30-65: Have a Pap test and DNA HPV test every five years or only a Pap test every three years. • Age 65+: Discuss the need for cervical cancer screenings with your physician. Prostate Cancer: There are two types of screenings for prostate cancer—a PSA test, which is
a blood test measure levels of a protein produced by the prostate, or the DRE (Digital Rectal Exam). • Beginning at age 50: Discuss prostate cancer screenings with a physician. • Men at high risk (African Americans and men with a family history of prostate cancer before age 65): Discuss with a physician whether to begin screenings at age 45. • Men with immediate family members with prostate cancer: Discuss screenings with a physician beginning at age 40. While you can’t be screened for every kind of cancer—not yet— researchers are working to establish tests for more cancer types. It’s important to maintain a regular screening schedule. Consult your physician about the best schedule for your personal health and family history.
Vivek S. Kavadi, M.D.
Dr. Dhatri Kodali is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology– Deke Slayton Cancer Center, 501 Medical Center Blvd in Webster, Texas.
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20 July 04, 2014 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!
TRAVEL / HEALTH
Holiday at Turkey Today, let us take you holidaying to Turkey. Istanbul, with 14.1 million people is the largest city in Turkey and is the country’s control seat of economic power, culture and displays rich history. Turkey has some of the world’s most important, ancient monuments. Istanbul is connected by the busiest of waterways, the
and Iznik tiles of the Blue Mosque, the mosaics of the Hagia Sophia – the church where the central dome of the basilica is an architectural marvel, supported by four great arches, a series of smaller semi-domes and arcades. The tour includes the Topkapi palace, the Grand and Spice bazaars, a nostalgic tram ride through histori-
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Kusadasi
Bosphorus Strait, 20 miles long and connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. This strait separates the continents of Europe and Asia. Cruising the breath-taking Strait of Bosphorus takes you past the Modern Art museum, its many centuries old Ottoman palaces, few fortresses, and villages on both sides backed with forested hills. Istanbul, the former capital, along with its famous historical sites is fast becoming a city where international designer shops, trendy restaurants, bars and beach clubs are open to entertain you. A trip to Istanbul will astound you as you see the architecture
cal Beyoglu. The cable car ride to the peak of Holy Eyup on the Golden Horn offers some of the finest views of the city below. Bodrum is a peninsula district and sea town situated on the Aegean Sea in Southwestern Turkey. The 15th century built Bodrum Castle overlooks the harbor and the marina. The castle includes a Museum of Underwater Archaeology and hosts cultural festivals throughout the year. Bodrum leaves its tourists enchanted. Bodrum has miles of white sandy beaches, the villages painted in white sit pretty on the hill sides, surrounded by purple bougainvillea flowers, and
its favorite pastime is water sports. Bodrum has a quaint, romantic feel to it and mesmerizes all visitors. Many travel from Britain and Europe to relax on the sandy beaches or in hillside beach resorts which provide stunning views of the Türkbükü Harbor. Kusadasi is a resort town on the Aegean coast. It has some of the main cultural, religious, and natural attractions in Turkey. The Roman city of Ephesus is nearby. Outside Ephesus, in the province of Selcuk is the famous Basilica of St.John and the House of the Virgin Mary. Sirince is a rural area, just a 40 minute drive from the port of Kusadasi, with lush vine yards and olive groves. Izmir, was formerly known as the port city of Smyrna. On March 28, 1930 Izmir became so, its internationally recognized name granted by the Turkish Postal Service law. The third largest metropolitan in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara, this port city includes people who are Greeks, Armenians, Jews, French and the Italians. A seaside city with palm trees has a lot to offer with night life, its renovated water front, newly constructed hotels to house the tourists. The Grand traditional bazaar bears witness to a world of history. Turkey is a country that has centuries old history, but it has also been quickly modernized thanks to the efforts of its Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Article courtesy: Travel Guzs. Call 713 893 0649 to plan and book your Turkey Vacation !
The Healthy Dose: Free Radicals- Part 2
Free radicals can be destructive within a cell.
Last week’s edition can be found online. Issue dated June 27,2014. Continuing, free radicals are made in your body as byproducts of natural processes, called oxidative processes. In the same way that car exhaust is created when you run an engine to power the car, free radicals are formed by the oxidative processes to power your body. Although these processes are very efficient, free radical formation is inevitable in small amounts—even the most efficient engine will produce exhaust. There are many healthy roles for free radicals, though. For instance, nitric oxide is a free radical that is used by cells to communicate with other cells. In fact it is necessary for proper nervous system function and blood pressure control. Of course, this type of process is very tightly
controlled. But nitric oxide is not what has made free radicals such a big deal. Remembering from Part 1, free radicals cause chaotic chain reactions that can cause abnormal attachments between molecules. It is easy to imagine how rapid and unpredictable chemical reactions like this can cause damage to the human body. It would be similar to a multiple car pile-up, where one car crash causes more car crashes in a destructive domino effect. Our bodies neutralize free radicals as they are formed, but when oxidative processes are sped up, free radical formation outpaces the body’s ability to control their side effects. If free radicals only killed certain cells, it might not be so bad. After all, cells in the body are killed and replenished regularly. However, the most significant damage occurs when free radicals reach DNA and alter the information that our bodies use to heal. When this happens, mutations are created that can affect almost any aspect of our bodies’functions. These kinds of changes are what can lead to more rapid aging or even disease, like cancer. For more information check out the WebMD feature “How Antioxidants Work.” What does this meant to you, though? Substances like cigarette
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smoke and air pollution can quicken free radical generation. On the other hand, common antioxidants like Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A are effective at combatting their effects. Harvard’s online publication, The Nutrition Source, has a great article about this titled “Antioxidants: Beyond the Hype.” Finally, science works by creating a complete picture of an issue and this picture is still incomplete. Some experts have questioned the effectiveness of antioxidant effects on disease as well as the effectiveness of multivitamins as a source of antioxidants. This might seem confusing but there is a rule for that, too. Talk to your doctor before you do anything!
Parth Dwivedi has a B.A. in Neuroscience and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. He likes reading non-fiction and still watches I Love Lucy.
ENTERTAINMENT
July 04, 2014
Movie Review: Ek Villan
BY SWETA KAUSHAL Is this the love story of a villain? A good guy turning villain, or a villain turning into a good guy? Too much of confusion? Not with Mohit Suri’s Ek Villain, it seems. Unlike most of the below average stuff Bollywood unleashes on us every Friday, Ek Villain stands out for its ingenuity: the story is intriguing, the suspense dark and haunting. And, it does not leave you even more confused! Ek Villain’s premise is simple, almost bordering on the routine : it’s a thrilling story of a gangster-turnedgood (Siddharth Malhotra) with love and a psycho killer who lives in the guise of an middle-class ‘good’ man.
When the two confront each other, you know what happens. In between, however, Ek Villain offers bloodchilling murders and nail-biting suspense, and that’s what makes it worth a watch. If you love suspense dramas, the fast-paced second half will keep you on the edge. As for the performances, Siddharth Malhotra tries too hard to get into the character of a typical Bollywood gangster -- one who picked the gun because he was wronged. He looks too innocent to play the character of a man struggling to tame his anger and hatred. In one scene, he walks into a dimly-lit theatre playing Amitabh Bachchan’s blockbuster film, Shehanshah, and we couldn’t stop
comparing the two. Yes, we know, it’s unfair comparison, but the fact remains: you need to be the Big B to pull it off. Shraddha Kapoor, who plays the love interest of Guru (Siddharth) (an irritating girl who overtly kiddish in her behaviour), does a good job of playing a girl who wants to live her life to the fullest before her life ends due to her illness. However, more than Siddharth or Shraddha, it is Riteish Deshmukh who steals the show with a stellar performance. From playing a disgruntled employee who’s called “more useless than a xerox machine” to a psycho who goes about killing women who call him “useless” just so that it’d stop him from killing his wife who also calls him thus, Riteish is by far the biggest surprise of this film. Talking about his Ek Villain role, Riteish had told IANS, “Genelia always tells me to do a negative role or a darker shade. When Ek Villain was offered to me I just thought this is it. Everyone came together. As an actor it’s exciting. In Ek Villain my role is very different. It has been a great experience,” he said. Mohit Suri offers another surprise: Kamal R Khan, who plays Riteish’s friend and an abusive husband who beats up his wife just so that men can establish their superiority. Irritating? Surely. -Hindustan Times
Chennai Express Effect Rohit Shetty with Shah Rukh
BY PRASHANT SINGH Rohit Shetty scored a hat-trick at the box office with his hit comedy franchise, Golmaal. And there were talks about the director working on its next instalment. But the latest we’ve come to know is that he wants to focus on a film that, in all probability, will star Chennai Express (2013) actor Shah Rukh Khan. “After the release of Singham Returns in August, Rohit plans to take a small break. Then he will start work
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on the pre-production of his next film, which is most likely to feature Shah Rukh in the lead. The project will go on the floors next year. By that time, SRK would have also wrapped up a major part of Maneesh’s (Sharma) film. But Rohit and SRK are yet to sit down and work out the details,” says an industry insider. Despite repeated attempts, Rohit Shetty, who is currently shooting in Hyderabad, couldn’t be reached for a comment. -Hindustan Times
22 July 04, 2014
PUZZLES/ RECIPE
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 JULY 09, 2014. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036. Send us your picture and we will publish it if you are a winner (for first three entrees only).
Solution Next Week
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Mah Chole Di Dal (Split Urad and Split Chana Dal) Due to popular request by several readers, this recipeisbeingre-printed. For Punjabis, dal (lentils) of any type is a must with most meals. A favorite at most Punjabi dhabbas (roadside stalls) is Dal Makhani (Butter Lentils) which is usually made of the black Urad dal, known among Punjabis as Mah. This dal has become the basic one that most Indian restaurants worldwide make and the dish is now widely made throughout India. But to get to the heart of a true Punjabi, there is a dal that is a clear winner – Mah Chole di Dal. It is a mixture of split urad dal (with the black skin on) and yellow chana or chola dal (without the skin) and the dish has a technicolor look when the dals float in a brown curry. For the authentic taste, most Punjabis eat it with homemade roti or tandoori roti (some people prefer rice) and a good slice of raw red onion to bring out the full flavor of the meal! For even more gusto, try eating it on a charpai (jute string cot) sitting outside in the garden!! Ingredients: • • • •
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Split urad and split chana dal in equal portions of one cup each Four cups water 1 tbspn - Peeled and diced fresh adrak (ginger) Peeled and diced fresh lasan (garlic) – to your taste Lal mirch (red pepper); namak (salt); haldi (turmeric) – to your taste 2 tbspn - Olive oil 1 tspn – garam masala If you prefer, you can use powdered ginger and garlic
Directions: 1. Place the chana dal and water in a pot on the stove and bring to boil for 15 minutes 2. Pour in the urad dal 3. Add the ginger, garlic, and spices
4. Bring to boil, if needed add more water. Let the dal mix well, the grains of urad and chana dal should not appear separated but the dish should not appear too thick. The grains should be soft but not mushy.. 5. When ready, add the olive oil and then the garam masala Some people prefer to make the dal in a pressure cooker. If you do, then mix the two dals and spices and bring the pressure cooker to one whistle and turn off the stove. Open the cooker after 20 minutes and then bring the dal to boil again to mix the ingredients well and repeat steps 4 and 5 above.
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Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.
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Business IndoAmerican News
STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY
Markets Set for Biggest Six-month Rally Since 2009
Photo by: Mint
BY AMI SHAH MUMBAI: Indian stocks are set for the biggest six-month rally in four-and-a-half years as foreign portfolio investors continued to pour in funds and local retail investors show early signs of interest after dumping shares for years, disillusioned with losses or paltry returns. Further gains, though, may hinge on the ability of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to introduce reforms and take measures to quicken the pace of economic expansion in the budget to presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley on 10 July, analysts said. The 30-share BSE S&P Sensex has gained 18.6% this year, with one session to go for the half-yearly close. The National Stock Exchange’s 50-share Nifty has climbed 19.1% during the same period. This will be the Sensex’s best
half-yearly gain since the second half of 2009, when it gained 20.5%. Some stocks have gained more. One out of three Sensex stocks rose more than 30% during the period. Top engineering company Larsen and Toubro Ltd and State Bank of India have seen their share prices surge 55.8% and 51.6%, respectively. Private lender Axis Bank Ltd’s stock has risen 48.6%, while shares of miner Coal India Ltd have jumped 45.7%. State-run oil explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd’s shares have added 44.3%, and metals and mining company Sesa Sterlite Ltd has advanced 43.3%. Stock prices surged on investor optimism that the new Narendra Modi-led government would take decisive action to try and turn around the economy, which has seen sub-5% growth for two consecutive years now. On 16 May,
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition secured the biggest election win in 30 years, ousting the Congress party-led United progressiveAlliance government. “Greed & Fear would advise an overweight in emerging markets for those investors who have the capability or investment style to go substantially overweight India,” Christopher Wood, an equity strategist at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets said in his newsletter Greed & Fear on 26 June, adding India accounts for 39% of its long-only Asia exJapan thematic portfolio. “This is because Greed & Fear is convinced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be single-mindedly focused on creating the conditions for a new investment cycle.” During the first six months of this year, 17 of the 30 Sensex stocks and 192 of BSE-500 stocks have hit new highs. Among
sectoral indices, the BSE Capital Goods Index and the BSE Consumer Durable Index have gained the most, adding 54.5% and 52.3%, respectively. Barring the BSE FMCG Index, the BSE IT Index and the BSE Healthcare Index, all sectoral indices are up by more than 25% year to date. The gains have been backed by strong buying by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), who have pumped in a net of $9.9 billion in Indian equities so far this year. However, these flows have been dwindling of late, and they have been net sellers in five of the last 10 sessions to 26 June, data from Securities and Exchange Board of India showed. In June so far, FIIs have invested a net of $1.8 billion in Indian equities after a strong $2.8 billion infusion in May, as investors choose to stay on the sidelines ahead of the Union budget on 10 July. “We advise clients to follow a ‘trust but verify’ approach on the structural reform agenda to be rolled out under the country’s new leadership looking in particular at the upcoming budget,” Morgan Stanley analysts Jonathan F. Garner and Yinan Zhang said in a 26 June note, adding that the history of other EM (emerging markets) elections, as well as current relative valuations and positioning suggest that India is unlikely to enjoy further sustained outperformance versus other EMs. “In the short term, the prospects for Indian equities are linked to policy action by the Modi administration. The market has priced meaningful reforms by Modi. Every indication that he might not be able to live up to the high expectations is likely to push the market lower,” said Maarten-Jan Bakkum, an emerging market strategist at ING Investment Management International in an email from the Hague, Netherlands. “After the strong rally of the past months, the immediate upside potential seems
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low,” added Bakkum. More specifically, investors are looking to the government to lay down a road map to kickstart investments in the economy, while also keeping the fiscal deficit in check. Asset sales and taxation reform are other issues that investors are watching. “In my view, it will be important for India’s new leaders to establish a clear tax foundation so investors can make plans,” Mark Mobius, executive chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group at Franklin Templeton Investments, said on the social networking site Twitter on 22 June. “I think Narendra Modi’s success could lie in encouraging capital investment in India, furthered by the settlement of major tax disputes.” While FIIs have bought heavily in the first half of the year, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continue to be net sellers and have sold a net of Rs.30,814.6 crore since the start of the year. The pace of selling, though, has slowed. DIIs have offloaded Rs.4,423.7 crore, down from Rs.4,818.7 crore in May and Rs.7,264.69 crore in April. Some early indications of the return of domestic investors was also visible in the inflows received by equity mutual funds. In the month of May, equity funds saw net inflows of over Rs.2,000 crore. Meanwhile, the average daily turnover on the markets has risen by close to 70% in the period since 16 May, over figures recorded from 1 January to 15 May. “We have seen some increase in participation from DIIs and retail investors, and I believe it will continue. Budget will be a crucial factor to watch,” Vaibhav Sanghavi, managing director, Ambit Investment Advisors Pvt. Ltd. “For the market to sustain the strong rally it has seen in the first half, we will have to see stronger interest from DIIs and retail investors,” Sanghavi said. -Livemint.com
24 July 04, 2014 From Slums of India to the Other World Cup BY JAMES TAPPER NEW DELHI, India — With its national side languishing at 154th place in FIFA’s rankings, India is unlikely to make an appearance at the World Cup finals any time soon. But there is a team that Indians can rally behind. They’re drawn from even humbler roots than Cristiano Ronaldo, a gardener’s son, or steel worker’s boy Lionel Messi. Two teams, male and female, drawn from India’s shanty towns will travel from India to compete at the Homeless World Cup in Santiago, Chile, on Oct. 19. They will be one of 64 nations competing in an eight-day tournament, in the Chilean capital’s Plaza de Armas. Leading the team will be coach Homkant, a former player who was transformed from a homeless laborer into a goalkeeper representing his country. Homkant, who goes by only one name, grew up in the village of Ner Parsopant in Maharashtra state, playing street football with his friends. “We were not using football shoes, just feet,” he said. “The ball was very old, not good quality. We made our own goalposts — two posts with a rope tied to the top.” His parents were unimpressed by his hobby, which they felt distracted the boy from finding work. Homkant’s father, a farm laborer, fed his family on a salary of less than a dollar a day. “My father said he would do suicide if I did not work,” Homkant said. India is blighted by farmer suicides, which researchers say are caused by debt-ridden farmers growing crops that are vulnerable to global price fluctuations. “But when I play football I’m not concentrating on my worries, what is happening in my home. I can escape that.” Homkant was 14 when a teacher put him forward to play in a tournament in 2003 organized bySlum Soccer, a charity founded in 2001 by Abhijeet Barse, a gym teacher from Nagpur. Barse was waiting in a shelter during a monsoon downpour when
India team at the 2013 Homeless World Cup in Poznan, Germany.
Indian children with a poster of Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi.
“We were not using football shoes, just feet,” he said. “The ball was very old, not good quality. We made our own goalposts—two posts with a rope tied to the top.” he saw some street children kicking a plastic bucket around. After buying them a football he decided to set up Slum Soccer to give them an escape from slum life. “We did not know any rules before the Slum Soccer tournament,” Homkant said. “They put us in teams, some with T-shirts, some without, and we played. They encouraged us to play around. Nobody else did that.” “I didn’t know English well, but we understood that everyone in the world has problems and the important thing is that they deal with them.” He played in tournaments every year from 2003 until 2007, as a goalkeeper. “In 2007 we played and my team
got to the final. We lost but they asked me to play in the Homeless World Cup.” Homkant did not tell his parents. He ran away from home and traveled 110 miles to Nagpur where he found a job. “I worked in a hotel. I asked a woman ‘Auntie will you give me a job.’ I made the tea, but she didn’t have any rooms. It was a small hotel. So I slept in a tree trunk.” Some students from a nearby college persuaded him to go home to his parents, who were relieved their son was safe. Barse heard about his problems and asked him again to play in the 2008 Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. “My parents were very happy
when I told them,” he said. “They asked me if I’m telling lies but when they were sure they were very happy.” Going to Melbourne changed Homkant’s life. “I saw the international lifestyle. People from 68 countries were there. I didn’t know English well, but we understood that everyone in the world has problems and the important thing is that they deal with them.” On his return to India, Homkant decided to go to college but had only half of the 4,000 rupee ($60) registration fee. He was offered a job by Barse and began coaching children involved in the Slum Soccer Academy. In 2011, Homkant coached Indian teams at the 2011 Homeless World Cup in Paris and again in 2013 in Poland. Now he is going to Santiago. “I tell my players they need to act with fair play and to treat the other player with respect. If they fall over, they should offer their hand. And say sorry.” They will select 10 players for the male and female teams going to Chile. “But we will only take eight. We select 10 because sometimes the girls and boys have criminal cases against them so it is not possible for them to get passports.” The players will be selected later this year, but Homkant believes that whoever is selected will need to show they can turn their lives around rather than be capable of beating the best in the world. “One day we will win the World Cup, don’t worry about that,” he said. “Right now we want to change their lives.” What of the FIFA World Cup? Homkant is impressed by the Germans but hopes the Netherlands will win. The behavior of players on the field is another matter. “Some of the time they are not giving the other players respect. Pretending someone has hit you with their head is not good. I tell my players they need to act with fair play and to treat the other player with respect. If they fall over, they should offer their hand. And say sorry.” Globalpost
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SPORTS Dravid Mentors India
Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed in a mentoring role to the team in the run-up to their five-Test series in England. Dravid will have a few sessions with the players before the series begins on July 9. He is expected to join the team latest by Monday. The move was initiated by the team management, according to BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel. “It was the coach (Duncan Fletcher) who approached us on behalf of the team and said it would be good to have Rahul with his vast experience spend some time with the boys ahead of the series,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “We immediately requested Rahul and he readily agreed.” This will be the first time Dravid, who has been mentoring IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals after retiring from international cricket in 2012, will be associated in such a capacity with the national team. In March this year, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had said that Dravid should take over as India coach, but the latter had declined the suggestion citing lack of time. “Rahul Dravid is one man who is enormously respected and was a successful captain, having won series in West Indies and England,” Gavaskar had said. “When he speaks, the Indian players, some of whom are superstars, listen to him as they know how much preparation went into his game.” “I am happy that he (Gavaskar) said I am capable of doing the job,” Dravid had said. “But the job requires a lot of time, almost 11 months a year. I have just retired and at the moment because of time constraints, I have to decline.” Dravid was India’s best batsman on their previous tour of England in 2011.
Rahul Dravid (left) with coach Duncan Fletcher.
July 04, 2014
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PM Modi to Visit J-K for Power Boost
on river Jhelum near Uri in Baramulla District of Jammu & Kashmir. It comprises of four units of 60MW each and is the second stage project of NHPC, the first being the 480-MW Uri-I hydroelectric project. The 25-km Udhampur-Katra railway line became operational earlier this month after trials were carried out from New Delhi to Katra. At present, trains go up to Udhampur and the new section will take pilgrims directly to Katra. The rail project was to be inaugurated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but was postponed as the Railways Safety commissioner had pointed out some deficiencies ahead of the function. All these deficiencies stand rectified now. -Hindustan Times
BY ANUPAMA AIRY NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit Jammu and Kashmir shortly — most likely in the first week of July and is expected dedicate to the nation the Rs. 2,100 crore and 240 megawatt (MW) Uri-II hydroelectric project located near the Indo-Pak border. He may also inaugurate the critical 25-km Rs. 1,100-crore UdhampurKatra rail link, which will improve access to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Katra is the base camp for the cave shrine. Power minister Piyush Goyal will also accompany Modi to J-K. According to sources, Modi may also visit the Vaishno Devi shrine. Constructed by the NHPC, the Uri-II hydro power project is located
Iraq Hostages Safe, Can’t be Evacuated Now: Swaraj
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with MoS external affairs, general (retd.) VK Singh during a meeting to discuss the problems faced by Indians workers in Gulf countries, in New Delhi.
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met the family members of the 39 Indians being held hostage in Iraq and assured them that they were safe. She, however, said the government was not in direct touch with the kidnapped and that their immediate evacuation was not possible due to fighting on the streets. Swaraj told reporters that she had shown relatives of the hostages the message that had come from the Indian ambassador in Iraq. The government itself is not in direct touch with the hostages, but the International Red Crescent, which is in contact,
had told the ambassador that they are safe, said Swaraj. She added, “I spent one and a half to two hours with the family members, listened to each one of them, and have reassured them. The government is doing its best.” The minister also conveyed that even if they manage to get in direct touch, immediate evacuation would not be possible because there is fighting on the streets. The family members, she said, were aware of that reality. Earlier in the day, the EAM met the Indian ambassadors in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia as well as top government
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officials, including national security advisor Ajit Doval and cabinet secretary Ajit Seth. The meeting was in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Iraq, assistance to Indians both in the conflict zone and those outside the zone but in Iraq, and review the steps taken so far. This was followed by a meeting with Gulf ambassadors stationed in
New Delhi where the government sought to understand how other regional states viewed developments in Iraq and asked for assistance in rescuing Indians stuck in the conflict zone. The government has also decided to transfer Indian community welfare funds from the Gulf to India’s mission in Iraq, and provide funds to 46 nurses stranded in conflict zone in Tikrit.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “They remain safe. We are in touch with them.” On Saturday, Akbaruddin had told reporters that the government is following leads on resolving the hostage crisis. India has opened three mobile camp offices in Basra, Najaf and Karbala and is now in the process of setting up such a unit in Baghdad too. These units are meant to assist Indian nationals, provide them travel documents if necessary, help with contractual issues and provide air tickets. Swaraj herself called up officials in charge of these units to check on their work and the nature of queries and assistance sought by Indian nationals. The government has sent 26 additional officials to help with efforts in Iraq -Hindustan Times
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