E newspaper07052013

Friday, July 05 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 27

Indo American erican News

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P5 From left: Zabie Hussain, Sabiha Shah, AMU Vice Chancellor Retd. Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah, Latafath Hussain and Col. Raj Bhalla at the Twelfth Annual Convention of the Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations, held last weekend in Houston.

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Hindu Youth Awards Gala 2013 Saturday, July 13, 2013

Social Hour 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Program from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by dinner

VPSS Temple 11715 Bellfort Village Dr., Houston, TX 77031 Chief Guest Hon. Tulsi Gabbard (First Hindu Congresswoman)

Awards will be given to 7 Hindu youth who will enthrall us with stories of their activities in promoting the Hindu cause in America • Exciting cultural program • Bhajans by professional Hindu youth Sharad Amin 713-854-0633 Richa Dixit 832-451-7206 Tara Narasimhan 281-389-6987 Vijay Pallod 713-562-1920 Gaurav Ved 832-475-2177 (Youth co-ordinator) • Partnering youth organizations • Hindu Students Association

Janmashtami celebration at George Brown Convention Center Saturday, September 7, 2013 • 6 p.m. to Midnight More information www.Hindusofhouston.org

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COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

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Cancer Treatment and Cure Depends on Monitoring, Accurate Diagnosis

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: For most of the nearly hundred people in the hall, midway through the description of chemotherapy by the fourth speaker, it was as if a light bulb had gone off and the nature of the dreaded disease Cancer had suddenly been understood. All except for the skeptic who gripped the microphone at the end of the panel discussion and declared that it was all bunk. “All you have to do is take one teaspoon of baking soda in water and drink it every day,” he growled, “and all the Cancers will be gone.”

Another took the panel’s time to ask pointed questions about his treatment that left him Cancer free but still needing to do follow up therapies. But the rest of the people, judging from their questions understood the basics of what Cancer is, how it is diagnosed and what the cures and chances of survival are.

That was certainly due to the panel of five experts who had been assembled by the Indian American Cancer Awareness Network at its free seminar, open to the public, at India House this past Sunday afternoon, June 30. But the skill of the experts in imparting their hard won knowledge, and keeping it rudimentary enough for the general public to comprehend had a lot to do with it.

Dr. Shalin Shah a young Radiation Oncologist opened the seminar up by summing up the IACAN’s mission statement, “No one travels the journey alone after Cancer is diagnosed.” The two main goals of the organization are to clear confusion about the dreaded disease and work with local hospitals to get spiritual counseling available for people of all faiths. Shah also concluded the seminar with a description of his work which involves treatment using x-rays from outside or inside, depending on the cancer

and location.

Dr. Sagar Naik a Radiologist with St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital began by impressing that an accurate diagnosis and location of the Cancer is imperative to the type of treatment, and used slides from a case history to illustrate the process. Aside from standard x-rays, spot CAT Scans, PET scans, Interventional radiology in which a probe is pushed in to get a sample for a biopsy and ultrasounds can give more accurate information on what needs to be treated.

Dr. Savitri Krishnamurthy, a Professor of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center explained what happens when the biopsy is sent for analysis. She explained how the human cell is affected and how the DNA chromosome regulates its function. Mutations in the chromosomes happen routinely, but are discarded or are repaired and the sequence continues on. It is when this doesn’t occur that the cancer kills the good cells, metastasizes and can become a malignant tumor. Krishnamurthy explained that there were many causes for developing cancer: hereditary, environmental, but many times it is sporadic and there are many types of cancer.

The process of detecting cancer starts with a screening process for the symptoms exhibited, then do a biopsy which could be with fine needle or core needle and then do a sectional tissue analysis. The final pathology report identifies the tumor type, size, stage and how spread out it is and the treatment that could be employed.

Dr. Ali Mahmood, a Colorectal Surgeon with Methodist Hospital explained that a Tumor Board composed of many oncologists then meets to discuss the best treatment. He said that colon cancer was the

Kanchan Kabad, President IACAN, Dr. Ali Mahmood, Dr. Sagar Naik, Dr. Savitri Krishnamurthy, Dr. Sewa Singh Legha, extreme right Dr. Shakin Shah with guests.

Photo: Bijay Dixit

third most common type and second leading cause of death, claiming 630,000 people annually, and 150,000 new cases diagnosed every year. The likelihood of getting the cancer increases with age, and the longer it takes to find it, the more aggressive it is.

He explained what a polyp is and how it can become cancerous, illustrating the process with slides of horrific looking tumors that were removed from patients.

Dr. Sewa Singh Legha, a Medical Oncologist who retired from MD Anderson Hospital explained the different stages of cancer and what each meant for diagnosis, treatment and survivability. “There are very few cures for Stage 4, we can only treat and extend life,” he cautioned. He also explained that cancer is usually painless in early stages, and that 30% of the cases are cured in India versus 60% that are cured in the US. His role was to treat the cancer with drugs, mostly in stage 3, and described how, in the last 15 years, molecular targeted drugs have been developed based on learning the genetics of cancers.

According to Legha, what was insidious is that the same hormones that feed healthy cells can feed and spread the cancerous cells. He said that the immune system was very important in the treatment therapy and a healthy and vigorous one may explain why

young people have less incidence of cancer compared to older people.

Kanchan Kabad, President of IACAN announced the commencement of SAHNA, for South Asian Health Needs Assessment, that will allow the South Asian community to benefit from Asian oriented treatment facilities such as the sixth floor at Southwest Memorial Hospital which is right now geared towards Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese people. The survey requires 1,500 respondents and will be open from August 15 to December 31 and then the results will be submitted to various area hospitals.

Dr. Shakin Shah said his specialty dealt with treating damaged DNA cells through targeted radiation therapy from the outside, or by seeds implanted within the tumor and used the case of prostate and breast cancers to illustrate the process. He added that there were no better cure rates using x-rays were the more sophisticated Proton Beam therapy which is performed in a multi-million dollar center downtown, although the costs of the Proton therapy are significantly higher.

Although none of the experts gave any false expectations of miracle cures, their explanations did allow the audience to better understand what to expect if the disease where to affect them or any of their loved ones.

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July 05, 2013

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COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

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Alumni Pledge Support to Aligarh Muslim University at National Convention

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: For the nearly hundred delegates who came to the Bayou City this past weekend, it was a matter of pride that the Vice Chancellor of their Alma Mater had come to attend their Annual Convention, the Twelfth such national event for the graduates of the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Many had traveled from out of state to attend the event which was held over three days, June 28 through 30, at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks on the Southwest Freeway at Kirby.

The Annual Convention is organized every year by the Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations, which, as the name implies, unites the efforts of Chapters all across the US. According to some estimates, there are 3,000 AMU graduates in the US and another 800 in Canada, but there are easily several thousand more who live overseas in Europe, Australia and the Far East. They are united in their passion to keep the secular vision of their alma mater in sight.

The FAAA is a non-profit, secular, non-partisan and non-political organization devoted to serving the educational, social, literary and cultural needs of the community.

It was this same philosophy that prompted the founder of the AMU, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to establish the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in 1875 after the Indian War of Independence. A reformer and Indian nationalist, Sir Syed patterned it after Oxford and Cambridge universities, in tune with British education but without compromising Islamic values.

It was the first purely residential educational institution set up by the government in India, and is now funded by the Government of India. The MAO College gave rise to a new educated class of Indian Muslims who were active in the British Raj and became the AMU in 1920. In time, it added to its programs and has become a pioneer in higher education of girls.

Over the three-day convention, delegates heard reports from the Board of Directors and Trustees of the FAAA and fresh insights from speakers about the role, interaction and contributions of the alumni with the AMU. The highlight of the programs was an address by the Vice Chancellor, retired Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah on Saturday, June 29, after lunch

Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish appreciated the leadership of Vice Chancellor Shah to take the Aligarh Muslim University forward.

Photos: Jawahar Malhotra

and later at the reception and dinner that evening for nearly 200 guests. During his three-day stay in the Bayou City, Shah attended a private luncheon hosted by University of Houston Chancellor and President Renu Khator on the Main Campus to explore ways the two institutions could collaborate.

On Sunday, Shah lunched at the residence of the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita, with whom he had served in the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as Defense Attache.

At the Saturday dinner, local organizer and community activist Latafath Hussain recalled how he had first met the Consul General when Harish was just 10 years old.

“I was a member of the AMU student Union and some arrests had been made,” he remembered with a chuckle. “I went to the Aligarh Senior Sub Inspector of Police’s bungalow for discussions and saw this young boy in a Lady of Fatimah School uniform and struck a conversation with him. Only later did I realize that he was the Sub Inspector’s son!” After all these years, Fate chanced to bring the two together again in Houston.

Harish started his speech in Urdu, expressing his appreciation at meeting Gen. Shah again, thanks to the FAAA, later switching to English. He recalled the incident Hussain mentioned with a grin and said he had fond childhood memories of skating and watching movies at AMU. Later, he visited the AMU in 2012 with Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari for whom he worked as Joint Secretary, he realized that Shah spoke from the heart when Shah was appointed as Vice Chancellor,

about the new generation of AMU students movement.

Harish showed his depth of insightfulness, for which he is widely acknowledged, when he applauded Gen. Shah’s zeal and drive in improving the overall condition and ranking of the AMU, calling him a visionary who had outlined an eight-point solution that included innovation, entrepreneurialism and facilities improvement. He stressed that university education in India needed to revamp its focus, and emulate successful models, like the Community College system in the US in order to educate more people at all levels.

Tahir Hussain, the President of FAAA introduced Gen. Shah as an inspirational jurist, educationalist and diplomat whose whole family went to AMU and never personally stopped learning, getting his last degree in the ‘80s.

Shah said he was delighted to meet Harish again and the Indian community “which had proved by doing so well in the US that our AMU Alumni have proved their worth.” In the two weeks he had been in the US, he was amazed how many doors the AMU Alumni had opened for him. “The AMU is enshrined in the Constitution of India as an important institution,” he added, noting that it was ranked the 9th top University nationwide, behind Delhi University and the seven IITs. “I will work to make AMU number one,” he pledged.

Shah said that the AMU was a secular institution, but that Sir Syed had direct that it should be primarily for the milat or the poor people of the community in the area where the University is located, adding that AMU has only one mosque wherevarious people pray.

Vice Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah outlined his ambitious plans to modernize and revitalize Aligarh Muslim University.

Dr. Tariq Haqqi, President of FAAA welcomed the Vice Chancellor to the podium.

Inspite of the Government of India providing Rs. 150 crore (US$25 million) support for its hospital and dorms (separate ones for 1,000 men and 1,500 women), the AMU needed more support from its Alumni. “The Muslim community has still not realized the importance of education for women,” he said. “Countries which are lagging behind all over the world do not pay attention to 50 per cent of the population.”

Shah explained his vision of spearheading new programs at AMU, like nanotechnology, international studies, focus on climate change, managing conservation and teaching other languages like Chinese, French, German and Hebrew in order to compete in a changing global economic order.

He then outlined his ambitious program to rebuild the campus by adding to its sports facilities including a new golf course and Astroturf hockey field; improving the food at the cafeterias (“The days of Dunlop are over,” he said to titters, about the rubbery naans); conserve

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the beautiful historical buildings; add a Convention Center and expand the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and dispensary.

Shah vowed to transform the AMU by asking the maulwis to modernize and change education in madrasas, but recognized that it was a gentle change. “I feel lucky and confident that we will succeed,” he added, “and proud that ours is a secular university and a secular country. I am an alchemist – where others tried and failed, I will not” Shah concluded by asking the Alumni to be generous in their support – he would like to raise nearly $2 million on this overseas trip – just as the IIT Alumni are.

The food was catered buffet style by Mezban restaurant, whose owner, Sohail is well known for his flair of presentation and the originality of the array of different dishes he prepares. A two hour long ghazal program by Udayan Parikh provided entertainment for the guests till past midnight.

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COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

Community Unites to Prevent Bullying of Hindu Students

BY KAVITA PALLOD HOUSTON: When the parents of two young Hindu American boys contacted community leaders for help in getting answers from school authorities about the incessant bullying their children were facing at their Humble district school, the Hindu community rallied quickly to support the family and help find solutions to prevent such suffering from occurring in the future.

The young boys were shoved, called names, and threatened for months on end in spite of the children’s parents filing complaints and meeting with school officials. One was beaten up, and then held down while a gang of boys partially shaved off his eyebrow.

The other was taunted as “a terrorist.” After a social studies lesson developed independently by their teacher suggested that pollution in the Ganges River, a river considered holy by Hindus, resulted in birth defects, classmates doubled their efforts in teasing both boys further, taunting them about having birth defects because they were Hindu.

After being alerted to the situation, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) immediately began working with the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) to write a coalition letter to the Humble Independent School District (Humble ISD) -- some 17 Houston-based Hindu and Indian organizations joined the cause. This began a dialogue between the district’s leadership and the Hindu American community. The Hindu community attended the school board meeting to express their concerns about the situation and found the Board receptive to their grievances. However, the superintendent of Humble ISD chose not to have a separate meeting with HAF and HGH representatives to address the situation.

“We learned some valuable lessons through the process of engaging Humble ISD,” said Dev Mahajan, Chairman, Advisory Board, HGH. “We learned the importance of knowing the formal complaint process, how language, tone, and timing play a really important role in getting results, and

training resources provided to teachers include ways to recognize anti-Hindu bullying specifically.

“Complaint and appeals procedures can be difficult to find in the volumes and volumes of district policies,” said Rishi Bhutada, member of HAF’s Board of Directors. “Our hope is to make it easier for both parents and students to recognize what a bullying situation may look like by providing hypotheticals, what their rights are, and most importantly, what to do, step by step, should they find their child in a bullying situation.”

Despite this progress, the victims of the bullying have not found peace and security at school, and they Dev Mahajan, Chairman, Advisory Board, Rishi Bhutada, member of HAF’s Board of HGH Directors have chosen to be home schooled. The parents of perhaps the most important lesson - the need Hate Summer Institute for Educators, where the victims did not receive the assurances for our community to come together and or- they were asked to attend a session that en- from the school district that they needed to ganize formally to advocate for our needs in couraged schools to create a coalition of stu- feel safe in sending their children back to the way Jewish organizations have through dents, faculty members, and parents/family. school.

This initiative by HAF to address antiJewish Federations in local communities The session also encouraged schools to sign across the nation.” the ADL’s Resolution of Respect and imple- Hindu bullying is part of a larger focus on HAF and HGH also engaged the Anti- ment anti-bias activities to demonstrate and education which centers on textbook reDefamation League (ADL) to talk with create an appreciation of and respect for form.

“While we may not have been able to inHumble ISD. What was initially to be an diversity. Humble ISD implemented the intimate face to face conversation, became educational programs, and in 2013, thirty tervene early enough to assist in a resolution a fruitful meeting of nine leaders from the schools earned the No Place for Hate desig- for the case that served as a wake-up call for Houston Hindu community and ADL staff nation by fully applying the ADL’s No Place all of us to come together,” continued Mahajan, “we now have had the chance to recand leadership. for Hate Initiative.

The ADL has a number of programs and HAF also created a short guide to empow- ognize what we can accomplish collectively resources targeted at helping schools com- er parents in Humble ISD to understand- so that there never is another instance where bat bullying, including an initiative called ing the grievance procedures in the district. a student is bullied, parents’ complaints are No Place for Hate. ADL worked with It will be hosted on the Hindus of Greater ignored, and the school does not immediateHumble ISD as they agreed to adopt the Houston website. HAF is creating similar ly and effectively address the situation.”

-Kavita Pallod is an Executive Council No Place for Hate program to begin train- guides for other school districts in the Housing their teachers. An administrator from ton area as well. HAF will also continue member of the Hindu American FoundaHumble ISD attended ADL’s No Place for to work with the ADL to ensure that the tion.

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IMMIGRATION

July 05, 2013

Maintaining Your Status

LAW OFFICES OF ZAINAB K. RIZVI DEDICATED DEPENDABLE & PERSONAL ATTENTION IMMIGRATION LAW

BY MARGARITA E. HERNANDEZ HOUSTON: Most of the time, people misunderstand the difference between obtaining a visa and maintaining status. It does not matter if you are a Nonimmigrant or Immigrant, you must maintain your status.

If you are a Legal Permanente Resident you may lose your Residence by committing an act that makes you removable. Some Crimes are grounds of deportability, including misdemeanors. Abandoning your Residence is another reason you may lose status.

Often, a lot of people take long trips and do not realize that they may lose their status.

There are some exceptions, but this article does not discuss the exceptions. If you have been out of the country for more than one or two years, you may need a re-entry authorization. However, USCIS when determining if you have abandoned your Residence, any length of absence may be considered. Other

reasons are: i) failing to file Income Taxes while you are outside the United State, and ii) declare yourself as a Nonimmigrant in your tax returns.

If you think that these circumstances apply to you, please look for professional help as soon as possible, especially if you are going to apply for Citizenship or renew your residence.

If you are a Nonimmigrant you may not been able to Change or Extend your status if you are not maintaining your current status.

If you believe you are not maintaining or have questions regarding this issue, please contact an experienced Immigration Attorney promptly.

In general, maintaining status (F-1, M-1, L-1, O-1, E-1, E-2, etc.) is to engage only in activities consistent with your visa. For instance, if you apply for a Tourist Visa (B-2), you won’t be able work, or negotiate a contract, or start trading for a company.

Regardless you have been approved, once you get your visa, you must maintain your status as F-1 or M-1 Student, E-2 Investor or E-2 Employee, etc.

There are conditions and specific limitations in each category. For example, an H-4 spouse (of H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, H2A/B or H3) cannot work in the United States, but an E-2 Spouse can work by filing for Employment Authorization and work for any Employer.

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COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

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Greater Houston Ratha Yatra at Discovery Green

HOUSTON: Hare Krishna Dham Houston and Char Dham Temple are delighted to extend invitation to all Houstonians to attend Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra Festival and Parade, also known as Festival of Chariots, in downtown Houston @ Discovery Green on Saturday, July 13 from 5PM – 8PM. Jagannath means “The Lord of the Universe” and is worshipped around the World as a very pleasant and benevolent Deity of Supreme Divinity. The Annual Rath Yatra Festival at Jagannath Puri commemorates the summer vacation of Lord Jagannath, with His elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, from the Main Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri, India to a neighboring temple, Gundicha Mandir. A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival.

The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or

even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.

Devotees from ISKCON centres all over the world, enthusiastically participate every year. The Skanda Purana glorifies the sanctity of the Rath Yatra in the following wordsGundicha mandapam namam jatrahamajanam pura Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat.

Those who are fortunate to see the deities of the Srimandira in the Gundicha Temple, the final destination of the procession of the chariots, derive the benefits of a thousand horse sacrifices, an immensely pious deed.

To glorify Lord Jagannath all over the planet earth, His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acarya of ISKCON, made Lord Jagannath’s mercy accessible to people outside India by introducing the tradition of celebrating Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra outside India. Fol-

lowing the same spirit and tradition, ISKCON has been celebrating Ratha Yatras for more than 35 years, across India and in all major cities of the world - London, Paris, Moscow, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto, Durban, Sydney, and many other metropolises to fulfill one of it’s core purposes to systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

Hare Krishna Dham Houston feels particularly blessed by Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava, who historically inspired the appearance of Lord Jagannath and, who has been steadily worshiped since 1986 at Hare Krishna Dham. Now Sri Sri Nila Madhava in His form as Lord Jagannath has mercifully agreed to perform His ratha yatra pastimes in Houston again.

Some of the highlights of the festival are: • For the first time three chariots are being used at any rath yatra in Houston.

• The Chariots were designed in Puri and assembled here (16 wheels for Lord Jagannath, 14 wheels for Lord Balbhadra, 12 wheels for Subhadra). The carts are replicas of the ones used in the famous Puri Ratha yatra.

• Special deities (2.5ft tall) have been ordered from Puri for this occasion. It’s made exactly the same way as those in the Puri temple. There are seven layers between wood and paint which make deities living entities.

• Discovery Green as a central well known location to make the event accessible to all Houstonians. First time, an Indian cultural event will be celebrated at the beautiful venue.

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• Ecstatic kirtan parties comprising of devotees from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio in front of each chariot • World renowned music group “Mayapuris” will be performing. Other multi-cultural performances include Indian classical, masala bhangra, Polish, Scottish country and Chinese folk dances and music.

• Free Dinner prasadam feast, and other types of ethnic food and drinks for purchase • Free health screenings like BP checks.

• Face Painting & balloons for children and air brush tattoos for all ages.

• FREE Fun filled event for the entire family, being done at such a grand level for the first time.

For the first time the ratha yatra is being made accessible to all local Houstonians by The Hare Krishna Dham Houston, and SKAI Foundation, underscoring the fact that Jagannath is Lord of the Universe.

This ancient and sacred festival at Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010 on July 13 is a celebration of the cultural diversity of Houston hoping to improve interfaith tolerance, unity & understanding.

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COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

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Sugar Land Girl’s Recipe Earns White House Honors

Devanshi Udeshi

WASHINGTON (Houston Chronicle): Seventh-grader Devanshi Udeshi is among the winning junior chefs in a healthy food contest with her “Slam Dunk Veggie Burger” recipe that has earned her a chance to dine at the White House.

The Sugar Land 12-year-old will join 53 other finalists at a “Kid’s State Dinner” hosted next month by first lady Michelle Obama as part of the “Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” a contest for young chefs between 8 and 12 to create a dish that followed U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines and that appealed to hungry folks of all ages.More than 1,300 entries were received.

A lot of protein From the initial pool of applicants, 108 dishes were selected to be tasted by a panel of judges, based on adherence to USDA guidelines and overall nutritional value. The final 54 were selected from there.

Devanshi’s quinoa-based burger combines a variety of vegetables, including carrots, green beans and sweet corn, as well as fresh cilantro and feta cheese. And even though the recipe only has 346 calories, it packs 12 grams of protein into each serving.

The Sartartia Middle School student recommends pairing her burgers with her “Super Scrumptious Strawberry Salad,” which

consists of spinach, strawberries and red onions.

“When I went grocery shopping with my mom, I came across quinoa in the grains aisle, so we decided to try it,” said Devanshi, daughter of Neelam and Heman Udeshi. “I guess it tastes really good, so my mom and I created a burger recipe, which includes quinoa, a good source of protein.”

Tanya Wenman Steel, editor-inchief of the Epicurious food website and coordinator of the contest, said each entry was evaluated on such criteria as taste, affordability, originality and the story behind the dish.

“I personally read each and every recipe that came in,” Steel said. “I can’t tell you how touched I was by so many of them.”

Many entries had health-related themes, such as diabetes, Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, Steel said; some recipes were conceived as a result of a diagnosis or as an effort to move families toward a healthier diet.

No just nuggets Though Steel dubbed the tasting process a “herculean task,” she said it was exciting to see recipes that exhibited the sophisticated taste of the young competitors.

“Many are not content with eating chicken nuggets these days.

They want global flavors,” she said. “It’s a real generation of foodies.”

The 54 finalists represent winners from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas.

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NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Kamlesh Lulla Celebrates 25 years of Accomplishments at NASA HOUSTON: Dr. Kamlesh Lulla, an internationally acclaimed NASA chief scientist was recently honored for his 25 years of service to the nation’s space agency and to the United States government. Dr. Lulla is currently the director for technology development and innovative research for future human space exploration missions. Dr. Lulla’s 25 year distinguished career at NASA includes serving as chief scientist for Earth Observations for the Space Shuttle missions, training astronauts in earth science payloads, serving as the chief of flight science office and as principal scientist for the International Space Station observational Dr Kamlesh Lulla and his wife Marianne at the NASA

facility.

Dr. Lulla has received more than 180 scientific and professional awards including the NASA’s highest honor- the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2005 and the Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Award from the Asian American Heritage Foundation in 2012.

Dr. Lulla also received the Remote Sensing Medal and Luckas Memorial award from the professional organizations.

Recently, Dr. Lulla coauthored and coedited a tome “Wings in Orbit: scientific and engineering legacies of Space Shuttle” that chronicles the discoveries made during the 30 years of Space Shuttle missions.

For advertising Call: Vanshika Vipin /Jawahar Malhotra 713.789.NEWS (6397)

awards ceremony on June 11 2013.

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12

July 05, 2013

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HOUSTON: Houston is a fortunate city with so many beautiful temples. And now Houston will have a new temple – Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha (SGGM), which will be inaugurated during a four day festival from July 11 – July 14. SGGM is part of the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society (IPBYS) founded by His Divine Grace Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaja. IPBYS has temples and centers in over 100 countries around the globe.

Govinda means ‘The Supreme Lord who gives pleasure to the cows and attracts our senses’.

Govinda Devaji was the worshipful deity of Sri Rupa Goswami,

the foremost disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Describing the beauty of Sri Govinda Deva, Sri Rupa Goswami writes in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu: “My dear friend, if you are indeed attached to your worldly friends, do not look at the smiling face of Lord Govinda as He stands on the bank of the Yamuna at Kesighata. Casting sidelong glances, He places His flute to His lips, which seem like newly blossomed twigs. His transcendental body, bending in three places, appears very bright in the moonlight.” Now the same transcendentally beautiful Govinda Devaji is arriving in Houston to steal the heart of the Houstonians.

The Gaudiya Matha temple will be special as it will have the three Purushottamas (a) Maryada Purushottam Sri Ramcandra (b) Lila Purushottam Sri Krishna (Sri Govindaji) and (c) Prema Purushottam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Following ‘maryada’, the rules and regulations and the principles of dharma, one should hear and remember the ‘lila’, the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. One thus achieves, ‘prema’, the pure love of the Supreme Lord. Thus, irrespec-

tive of the caste, creed, or community, the Matha will be a place for everyone to congregate, worship the Lord, hear His pastimes and progress in devotional life.

The temple inauguration festival will start on July 11 at 5 PM and conclude on July 14. Each day there will be bhajans, kirtans and lectures on various topics, such as, Guru Tattva, Bhakti Tattva, Vigraha Tattva, and many more. On Friday (July 12) evening, ‘Purna Kumbh Kalash Yatra’ will take place, where over a hundred ladies will carry ornately decorated kalashas on their heads in a procession around the temple which will be accompanied by chanting of the Holy Names. The water from these kalashas will be used for the abhishek and installation of the Deities. Prana-pratishtha or ‘Deity Installation’ of Sri Radha Govindaji, Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sita Ram Laxman Hanumanji will start at 8 AM on Saturday, July 13. In the evening there will be a grand cultural program wherein different local cultural groups will participate. Several dignitaries and representatives from local temples will also grace the occasion. The festival will conclude on July 14, with a 108-kundi Vishnu Homa (yajna).

This is a festival not to be missed.

If you would like to help or sponsor any event, please contact Vimla Agrawal at 281-499-3347 or email: contact@sggm.org.

Tamal Krishna Goswami’s Vyasa Puja Celebrated at ISKCON Houston

BY HG SARVABHAUMA DAS HOUSTON: On Saturday June 29, 150 devotees gathered to honor the Vyasa Puja (Appearance Day) ceremony of His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami [1946-2002] at ISKCON Houston’s Hare Krishna Dham. Goswami served as secretary to ISKCON Founder-acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabh-

upada, was an initiating guru with disciples in India, America, Philippines, Fiji, Europe and Israel, helped develop the Houston and Dallas temples, and wrote many books including Living Theology, published recently by Oxford University Press.

Notable speakers included HH Kesava Bharati Goswami of

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Bhaktivedanta Ashrama in Govardhan, U.P., Sikhi Mahiti Das of ISKCON Atlanta, Radha Jivan Das of Alachua, Florida who heads an international campaign to complete ISKCON’s massive Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, West Bengal by 2016, Kriya Sakti Dasi, caretaker of Tamal Krishna Goswami’s mother Lore who recently passed away in Houston in the presence of chanting devotees, Vatsala Das, Manikundala Dasi from Vrindavan, as well as many disciples of Goswami from Dallas and Houston.

A full scrumptious prasadam feast organized by Padaduli Dasi, Radha Krishna Das and Visakha Dasi, assisted by Hare Krishna Dhama’s youth group, was served.

For further details visit www. iskconhouston.org or Call 713686-GITA (4482)

July 05, 2013

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

13

14

COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

Houston Area July 4 Fireworks and Events HOUSTON (KTRK-TV): Several Houston-area communities are keeping true to their tradition and hosting Fourth of July events that include fireworks.

Below is a complied list of some July 4 festival locations around the Houston area.

The city of Houston will be hosting its annual Southwest Airlines Freedom Over Texas with Entertainment presented

by NRG on July 4. Children five and under are free.

The Houston Symphony will be hosting its ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights: A Star Spangled Salute at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. It starts at 8:30pm and will last until 10:30pm.

The city of Friendswood is hosting a day full of events. It starts at 10am with a parade that travels down Friendswood Drive and will last until nighttime, concluding with a choreographed fireworks show that starts at 9:20pm.

The city of Katy will be hosting its July 4th Freedom Celebration & Fireworks Show at approximately 9pm at Katy Mills Mall. .

Go to LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch for the July BIG Backyard Barbecue. It starts at 5:45pm and includes live entertainment, great food, events for the kids and a fabulous fireworks display.

The Kemah Boardwalk will be holding its Fourth of July Celebration on Independence Day. It will include live music and patriotic fireworks show over Galveston Bay. The Kingwood Town Center will be hosting a series of events between 2 and 9pm. The fabulous band “Thunder” will return as the headline group and will perform from 6-9pm.

Missouri City’s Fourth of July celebrations this will begin at 6pm at Buffalo Run Park.

Nassau Bay will be hosting a citywide celebration. For more information, call 281-333-4211 or visit www.nassaubay.com.

The city of Pasadena will be hosting its largest city-sponsored

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

event, the 4th Fest at the Pasadena Convention Center, 7902 Fairmont Parkway from 4-10pm.

The city of Pearland will be hosting a full day of events at the Pearland High School Football Stadium, 3775 South Main. Gates open at 6pm and fireworks begin at 9pm.

The city of Rosenberg will host its Family 4th Celebration at 6pm at Seabourne Creek Nature Park, 3831 Highway 36 South.

For more information, call 832-595-3520 or visit the city’s website.

The City of Seabrook will host a 4th of July Kids Parade on Thursday, July 4, 2012 beginning at 10am. at Meador Park, 2100 Meyer Road.

Head to Constellation Field for the city of Sugar Land’s Fourth of July celebration the Star Spangled Celebration, which features a variety of events including live music and a fireworks display. The event is scheduled for July 4 from 6-10 p.m.

The Woodlands has an entire day of activities planned for Fourth of July. It starts with a parade at 9am at Grogan’s Mill Road and Lake Woodlands Drive and ends at dusk with a fireworks display off the shore of Lake Robbins.

July 05, 2013

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July 05, 2013

How I Became a Writer of Obituaries

Our India correspondent for the past three years is Dehra Dunbased author and veteran journalist, Raj Kanwar. In this first person account, Kanwar narrates his weird experiences when 15 of his dear and near friends, one after another, left for their ‘heavenly’ abode in the year 2012; and how he then per force became a serial writer of obituaries. – Editor

BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT Is writing of an obituary as easy as doing the profile of a living person? Can writing of obituaries be turned into a niche genre? And what is the difference between the writing of an obituary of a dear friend and that of an unrelated individual? Even when one knows all about his dear departed friend, still it becomes a wrenching experience emotionally in many ways.

I discovered all this in ample measure last year when I wrote my first obituary on the New Year day, I had not imagined that it might be a forerunner of many more obituaries in the months to come. In my long and not much eventful a career in journalism, interrupted by some professional and business detours, I have had many occasions to write obituaries but then it was just once in a while, and even the obituaries were mostly ‘matter of fact’ without any embellishment. But now after all these

years, both my friends and readers expected from me obituaries that would match ‘gourmet’ standards, no less from a master chef.

The year began rather ominously when Rajni Goel, wife of NN Goel – Dehra Dun’s longest practicing lawyer – died. Goel and I had become friends of sorts during 1950s.

Even at that time he had earned a big name as a lawyer while I had then just cut my teeth as a reporter.

He asked me to write the obituary of his loving wife. How could I deny a simple request from a dear friend?

The Goels had been married for 65 long years; Rajni’s death, after a protracted illness, had left Goel heartbroken. His own will to live seemed to have deserted him and he had said as much when I tried to console him. And then another tragedy struck the Goel household when Mr. Goel himself died on the 13th day after his wife’s passing away. Even at 92, he had attended courts almost regularly. He was endowed with a sharp memory and remembered many real-life incidents from as far back as 60 years. Often, he would regale me with stories about Nehru, his sister Vijaylakshmi Pandit and other dignitaries who walked down the town’s streets in those hoary days.

Goel had had a terrific sense of humour, was quick witted with instant repartees and loved telling jokes and anecdotes. My very

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next obituary was of Goel himself which was my ‘dil se’ tribute to a dear departed friend.

The spectre of death continued to loom large during the course of the year, taking away 15 of my friends in its deadly embrace. Perhaps, I was fated to write many more of such ‘dil se’ obituaries.

This piece is not intended to encapsulate individually all those of my friends who had passed away in 2012. Suffice it would be to name just two celebrities Nityanand Swami, Uttarakhand’s first chief minister, and Nergis Dalal, author and the “Middles Queen” of India.

I soon discovered that writing an obituary offers the author a wideangle view of the deceased and the flexibility to underscore his many good qualities which had remained somewhat obscure during his lifetime. Also an obituary writer tends to ignore some of his negative traits and unseemly incidents and events from his life, thereby presenting a positive image of him.

For me, writing of obituaries of my friends became a heart-rending experience. Many scenes from the lives of my departing friends would flit before my mind’s eyes; I remembered the unfulfilled wishes or dreams of some of them and wished they had lived a little longer at least to see the fruition of those wishes or dreams. I also recalled that a few of those late friends had nurtured grudges against some of their friends or even against their spouses, but I suppressed all such thoughts since bringing into open these private grudges or unrealized wishes is not part of an ideal obituary.

Opinions are widely divergent on what is then an “ideal obituary”? In the West, obituaries are as important part of a newspaper as, say literary section or political and crime news. Many newspapers there even have a senior staffer designated as obituary editor and where obituary writing has been elevated to a fine art. Sandra Martin, feature obituary writer for the Globe and Mail, believes that writing of obituaries is “the most interesting and often the most terrifying job in any newspaper.” She further says that “death is only the

occasion for writing about the life.

It is an analysis and recap of somebody’s life.”

Indians don’t speak ill of the dead But should an obituary reflect some “aspects of life that may be distasteful to family or friends”?

Martin is very clear on this and says that her first duty is to the readers, even though she is very empathetic to the family. Be that as it may, I do not entirely agree with Martin. We in India, as a rule, do not talk ill of the dead. Just recall listening to priests, irrespective of their religion or denomination, at antim ardas or funeral services or rasam pagri, uthala or shanti path or what you have, you will find them being eloquently panegyric about the deceased; for those religious speakers, heaven alone is the destined abode of each and every one of the departed souls, even if some have more entries on the debit side of the ledger.

I know for sure that most of us, after we die, would like to be remembered kindly even if we do not deserve it. I went to see a nonagenarian friend of mine just three days before his death. I pulled up a chair close to his bed and gently took his hand out from under the blanket and held it tenderly.

He soon became conscious of my presence and looked at me as if asking me to write kindly about him after he goes away. A couple of weeks earlier, he had asked me what sort of profile I would write about him? Even then I just looked at him and pressed his hand gently; my eyes gave him a reassuring reply. I saw him smile.

And now Nergis Dalal, the writer I had written so much about Nergis Dalal over the years that she could have even seen some ‘glimpses’ of her obituary in my profiles and interviews. She did not need to ask me even once to be kind to her memory. She had not kept well for sometime but had always attributed her weakness to old age; she ate very little but she kept up appearances and tried to chat amiably and cheerily with her visiting friends. Yet, she intuitively knew that she would not live long and told me many times

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

INDIA about it; I would just hold her hand and knowingly lie to her saying, “don’t worry, you will be alright.”

In November, I had gone to Vietnam for a brief holiday with my family and had hoped that Nergis would not die in my absence but that was not to be. Her death was more of a tragic climax and left me heartbroken.

The curtain on 2012 was brought down with the death on 12 December of Nityanand Swami; I prayed, “Oh, Lord! Please do not take away any more of my friends”.

Too many of my friends had died during the year and I really dreaded writing more obituaries. Thankfully, the good Lord listened to my prayers and spared me from the need to write any more obituaries.

Life and death are, in fact, like railway stations or airports and the journey of life is more like a merry-go-round. Tens of thousands of people daily arrive at and depart from these airports and railway stations. Just consider those Arrivals and Departures signs prominently displayed there. Everyday some people depart and others arrive.

This is what our life is all about; births and deaths are the two sides of the same coin. Death, like birth is inevitable; then why fear what is inevitable.

Who will write my obituary?

Who will write my obituary when my Maker calls me? I had been a rolling stone for a better part of the first half of my life, though unlike most rolling stones I had gathered a great deal of moss. During all these years, I had donned many hats that I would be surprised if any of my friends or those who know me would be able to squeeze in a few hundred words the numerous ups and downs that had characterized my somewhat eventful life. I do not know how my obituary would look but I know for sure that my friends will think kindly of me when I go away.

Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun based author and veteran freelance journalist.

July 05, 2013

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18

EDITORIAL

July 05, 2013

No More: Right to Safe Water Not very long ago, most Delhi residents drank water directly from the tap. The government utility supplied water twice a day.

Some was stored in kitchen containers for drinking and cooking.

The rest went to the overhead tanks to be used for bathing and washing.

Last week, when two residents of south Delhi’s NCERT Colony died and over 70 ended up in hospitals, allegedly after consuming the municipal water, there was disbelief. Why the hell were they drinking water straight from the tap? Didn’t they have a RO at home? Couldn’t they buy bottled water? As if the tap water was not supposed to be potable.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), city’s sole water utility, blamed the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) -- a bulk buyer that was responsible for distributing water in the neighborhood -- for not ensuring a clean supply. The CPWD, in turn, blamed DJB for its cracked water main, which allowed overflowing sewage from a blocked sewer pipe to contaminate the supply.

The blame game absolved the authorities of what would have been a criminal offence in most parts of the world. Remember D’Mello, the municipal commissioner played by Satish Shah, in Jaane Bhi do Yaaron, the iconic black comedy of the 1980s?

Returning from a junket to the United States, D’Mello told his colleagues how “America ki toh baat hi kuch aur hai. Wahan pe gutter ka paani alag aur peene ka pani alag; India ki tarah nahi.”

In our cities, water supply lines and sewer pipes run alongside.

Most of these pipes are old and cracks often lead to mixing of water and sewage. Delhi’s Economic Survey 2012-13 showed that the Capital has a network of about 11,350 km of water supply mains, of which a significant portion was as old as 40-50 years and prone to leakages.

So, even if DJB’s claim that it provides safe drinking water from its treatment plants is true, its ancient distribution lines can turn it toxic by the time it reaches us. While blaming consumers who don’t repair ferrule that connects the mains to individual homes, DJB itself has done little to augment its water quality checking apparatus. Lack of staff and testing labs means that on an average only 400 water samples can be picked every day. An investigation by Hindustan Times last week revealed that the way DJB goes, it can test the quality of water in a household only once in 27 years.

As a result, Delhi depends on RO systems and bottled water for drinking and cooking. But these are no solution for a water-deficit and garbage-laden city. As estimated by the Centre for Science and Environment, the annual turnover of informal water supply business in Delhi could be anywhere between R350 and R400 crore. Add to that the business of branded bottle water and RO manufacturers. Obviously, it suits many that nobody trusts DJB for safe drinking water. What is surprising though is how we stopped even expecting DJB to deliver.

Hindustan Times

Awkwardness of the Indian Tie

BY SANTOSH DESAI The necktie in India, is in all probability a tortured soul. Found most often either dangling decrepitly on a schoolboy’s neck or shuffling awkwardly on the bobbing adam’s apple of a pharmaceutical sales executive, the tie has ended up far from its somewhat loftier origins. It is true that in the rest of the world too, it has come under challenge and undergone some creative re-interpretation as the codes of clothing have evolved to mirror new social realities. If earlier it was a mark of belonging to a privileged club, a sign that one was a valued member of that part of society that made the rules and lived in exaggerated deference to them, today, it lives a more complex existence. The absence of the tie is a powerful sign today, with new professions marking their distance from the old by publicly discarding the necktie. Simultaneously, as the needs of identity become more playful and multiple, the tie is being re-invented in a more casual form to add a touch of enigmatic flourish to one’s persona.

In India, there is a small section where the tie is evolving similarly, but for a large part of heartland India, the tie is an object that produces more than a little puzzlement. Its meaning is not quite clear, and its lack of obvious function makes it apparent that it has some symbolic value, but it is uncertain as to what precisely that might be.

Most often, the tie in the Indian context is a flag of incomprehension that billows in the stiff breeze of Someone Else’s Rules. Other modes of western wear are easier to adopt, for they have some visible reason for existence.

One can fathom the need for a shirt and a pair of trousers, and even a belt has good reason to exist given the slippery fullness of Indian paunches.

Socks struggle a bit, for their battle against gravity is one that seems heroic but fruitless, but even they have a role that is possible to understand.

The tie on the other hand, is not quite as self-explanatory in its function, and given that its primary seems to lie in the grey area between imprisoning the throat and throttling it, is decoded as a sign of powerlessness. It doesn’t help that learning to knot a tie is a skill that surpasses the difficulty of eating with a knife and fork, and seems even more

Most often, the tie in the Indian context is a flag of incomprehension that billows in the stiff breeze of Someone Else’s Rules.

pointless. It calls for a high degree of motor skills, and trying to knot a tie on one’s own while looking at a mirror is the kind of the thing that is guaranteed to make one feel utterly inadequate.

Wearing a tie is an act of becoming someone else with the foreknowledge that one will fail in one’s attempt.

As part of a school uniform, the tie is part of the mysterious set of rules that are meant to be followed without question. Of course, schoolchildren have the great ability to puncture the pretensions of a tie, by wearing it as if it were a piece of rope. Schools use the necktie as an instrument to shimmy up the class ladder, but in doing so, end up advertising the futility of the quest.

Without a meaningful function ,and adrift of the cultural reference points that lend it meaning, the tie in a school uniform is more a derisive hoot than a humble application for inclusion into a higher class. The idea that a garment could alter the enormous asymmetry that exists between people born in vastly different circumstances, is exposed for the patronising fantasy that it is. The tie is so far away from the reality of its wearer, that instead of serving as a symbol, it becomes a

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

slightly tasteless joke, better ignored than acknowledged.

When a schoolboy’s tie grows up, it becomes a sales executive’s neckwear. On a sales executive , the tie is an admission of submission, of the acceptance of an individual of the power of a dominant collective to which obeisance must be paid in order to gain entry. It is a confession of one’s inherent inability to belong to an exalted group, and needing the help of external props that convey one’s willingness to play the game by the rules. There is no pride’s in a salesman’s tie; it is either an entreaty or a slightly resentful curbing of a natural instinct that is put on display.

Ties are worn on the sales cadre, not by them.

The tie is part of the new hierarchies that have sprung up in India, in addition to the many that have existed for a long time. Other garments too play a role in fixing one’s place in this new world, but most offer some room for manoeuvre. The standard western attire of the pant-shirt too performs the role of acknowledging that one is part of a structure; it signals a loose membership to a cadre of people working within organised systems.

It is a smock of anonymity worn voluntary that allows both belonging and escape. By becoming part of a grey collective, the individual eludes attention, allowing him to create a little island of invisibility around him. But the tie gives no such relief; it marks out an individual as someone that is knocking on belonging’s door. Which is why the small town businessman, makes a point of never wearing a tie (accept at his own wedding, perhaps), which he sees as a sign of confinement and servitude. In fact, even the shirt is not tucked into the trousers, for even that is seen as mark of conformity.

For all its lack of heroism, the tie serves a pragmatic purpose. Perhaps its arbitrariness is its reason for being. It is an early warning that we inhabit a world that we are doomed never to fully understand. The tie is an introduction to the arbitrary nature of the world, and it tells us that in the real world, learning is not necessarily about understanding things but about getting used to them. ToI

COMMUNITY

July 05, 2013

19

Blind Foundation for India (BFI) Musical Evening Fundraiser

Dr. Dipak Shah and Dr. Sheela Shah

NAPERVILLE: Recently, the Blind Foundation for India (BFI) organized a musical evening program at the Avery Coonley School’s Performing Arts Center, Downers Grove, Illinois.

Over 180 people enjoyed the musical evening with melodious songs

by Dr. Dipak Shah and Dr. Sheela Shah. Young artists from the Soorya Dance School of Northbrook gave enchanting performances to enthrall the audience. Hitesh Master from the Sa Re Ga Ma Orchestra kept the audience engaged throughout the evening. Dr. Rajendra Dave and Dr. Kumar Moolayil served as Emcees for the evening.

Through the musical Evening, BFI raised over $13,000 which will be used to fund a medical van in India.

Dr. Manu Vora, President of BFI

highlighted the plight of over 15 million blind people in India which translates to 1 out of every 3 blind people in the world. He also shared exponential power of prevention such as $1 of Vitamin A drops administered from age 4-6, prevents the child from going blind. Also, in India it costs only $20 per Cataract operation, compared to $4,000 in the US, a multiplier of 200.

BFI was established in 1989 with a mission to prevent and cure blindness and educate and rehabilitate permanently blind people in India.

Over the years, BFI team has raised over $3.5 million dollars to examine eyesight of over a million people. So far, BFI has conducted over 110,000 free Cataract operations, donated 104 medical vans to transport doctors and patients, and distributed over 10,000 Braille Kits to blind children for their

education. The current BFI focus is on prevention of blindness through Child Sight Projects. Over 500,000 children in government schools are examined for their eyesight and given necessary glasses, eye drops, Vitamin A, and performed Cataract surgeries in rare cases.

Dr. Shah and Dr. Vora thanked the Platinum Sponsor, Dr. Ashok Ray and Purnima Ray, all other sponsors, and the audience. Delicious Indian food was generously donated by the Ashyana Banquets’ Shikara Restaurant, Saffron of Westmont, Sai Saffron Sweets & Chat House, and Shree Indian Vegetarian Restaurant.

The generosity of all the sponsors for this worthy cause was acknowledged and is highly appreciated.

For further information about BFI, visit www.blindfoundation. org

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INDIA

July 05, 2013

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India Successfully Launches First Dedicated Navigation Satellite

SRIHARIKOTA (HT): A thick bright blueish white light streaked up from the ground as the PSLV rocket zoomed up and disappeared into thick dark clouds, on its journey to ferry India’s first navigational satellite into its space orbit on Monday night.

India launches its first dedicated navigation satellite from Sriharikota.

The first midnight launch of PSLV rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, some 80 km from Chennai, was declared a success within few minutes by the scientists of ISRO. India’s old warhorse in space, PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), was on its latest mission on Monday night to power the country’s first regional navigational satellite into space.

This achievement also lands India into an exclusive group of nations that own satellites which help navigation on the ground.

The 1,425-kg IRNSS 1A satellite has a navigational payload and a ranging payload, which together give the users accurate information that helps vehicles navigate correctly.

We have had another excellent launch of the PSLV rocket, ISRO chairman S Radhakrishnan told a crowded press conference after the liftoff.

We are entering into a new era in space technology, he added.

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AHMEDABAD (HT): It took a condolence meeting in Junagadh for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and BJP patriarch LK Advani to be seen together first since the former’s elevation in the BJP hierarchy and the latter’s outpouring of angst and eventual piping down.

However, though they sat together on the dais on the occasion to condole the death of former Union minister Bhavnaben Chikhalia, there was hardly any eye contact between Modi and Advani.

“BJP president Rajnath Singh sat between Advani and Modi, who was flanked by Gujarat BJP leaders. Modi was seen whispering to Singh and Gujarat party president RC Faldu while Advani hardly talked,” a local BJP leader said.

“There was no natural chemistry between the two leaders who once enjoyed cordial relations,” said a BJP MLA who was also on the dais.

Advani and Singh flew down to Keshod near Junagadh in a chartered flight from New Delhi while Modi came by chopper.

Modi asked the state BJP leaders and revenue minister Anandiben

Patel to receive them in Keshod.

This was the first public function where the trio (Singh, Advani and Modi) came together after Advani’s resignation from party positions and eventual retraction following Modi’s appointment as chief of the party’s campaign committee.

Chikhalia, who died on June 28, was a junior minister in the NDA government and represented Junagadh four times in the Lok Sabha. She had lost in 2004 and

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was not given the ticket in 2009.

She won in the Junagadh municipal poll though the BJP had lost.

Paying tribute to her, Singh said she was a hardworking leader and “her performance in Parliament was excellent and it is unfortunate that we have lost her”.

Modi too recalled Chikhalia’s sacrifice and said, “When I asked her to contest the corporation election in Junagadh, she did not hesitate to do so and became a corporator”.

ENTERTAINMENT

July 05, 2013

Ghanchakkar : Movie Review

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma, Namit Das Direction: Raj Kumar Gupta Genre: Thriller

(TOI): A Maharashtrian thief married to an aggressive Punjabi woman carries out a bank heist. Before he can spend the loot, he meets with an accident. Will his memory and money come back to his use?

Movie Review: Director Raj Kumar Gupta is an ‘inspired’ writer/filmmaker. He draws liberally either from other cinematic material or from headlines. His first film Aamir had many similarities to the Filipino film Cavite. His No One Killed Jessica was quite obviously taken from the Jessica Lal murder case. In his third movie outing, Ghanchakkar, the director is ‘inspired’ by innumerable Hollywood and UK black humour flicks.

The film has an interesting premise. Sanjay Atre ( Emraan Hashmi) and his Punjabi wife Neetu ( Vidya Balan) have a humdrum existence. The color in their lives comes from the loud clothes Vidya wears. Life prom-

ises change for them when Sanjay, who is an expert lock-picker, hooks up with small-time crooks Pandit ( Rajesh Sharma) and Idris ( Namit Das). The trio rob a bank.

However, they cannot spend the money till the heat is off. So, they give it to Emraan for safe-keeping.

Three months later, when it’s time to enjoy their loot, they find themselves stranded because Emraan has suffered a partial memory loss.

For the viewer, part of the fun begins here. The constant sparring between Emraan and Vidya and the bickering between the three thieves is funny. But the pace is slow and when the situa-

tions and jokes start getting repetitive, you want to pull your hair.

There is an unusual climax to look forward to. Yet, the ground rule for thrillers is that they cannot unfold at such a languid pace.

The music by Amit Trivedi deserves a mention. Lazy Lad, Allah Meherban and the title track have what it takes to get you in the mood. Of the talent, Emraan gets his bewildered expression correct. And for fear of losing it, he keeps it going for the most part. Vidya provides a few laughs trying to ape the Punjabi stereotype. However, her act doesn’t qualify for the real thing.

21

‘In the Army’: Farhan Akhtar Tastes Military Life in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Indian cinema’s leading man Farhan Akhtar plays it tough in his new film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which tells the fabled tale of India’s track hero Milkha Singh, releasing on 12 July.

The talented Farhan Akhtar takes his character Milkha Singh to the limit when he enlists into the Indian Army as a boy. The young Milkha learns some of life’s most important lessons from his ustaad (teacher) assigned to his platoon, expertly played by Prakash Raj. The subedaar (lieutenant) directs and instills courage into Milkha, developing his human spirit. It is during his army days that Milkha learns the skills of perseverance, hard work and discipline, which stand him in good stead when he goes on to become an Olympic athlete.

The pivotal army scenes were shot at the prestigious Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre (RRRC), in the high-security cantonment area of Delhi. To assume the mantle of his character, Prakash Raj underwent a rigorous training programme, and was coached by Jawans to get a deeper insight into his role.

Continuing with the army theme, the makers of the film have released a third song from its eclectic soundtrack. ‘Maston Ka Jhund’ is a perky number, which gives us an insight into Milkha Singh’s

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

life as a military man and his associations with his army mates.

Farhan Akhtar filmed the video with 46 real-life military men to bring the emotionally stirring song to life and add authenticity.

Commenting on the film, Farhan Akhtar said – ‘I’m very excited about this film. As an actor, it was an immense honour to play a living legend and Indian hero that is Milkha Singh.

I am so proud of the film, and I hope, in my humble attempt, I have done justice to Milkha and his achievements. For me playing this character was a gratifying and humbling experience.’

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag tells the inspirational story of Indian athlete Milkha Singh, aka ‘The Flying Sikh’, whose life is a portrait of professional triumph over personal tragedy.

Many recall Milkha Singh as a famous athlete who infamously lost the penultimate race of his life - the 400 meter finals at the Rome Olympics. An formidable runner, Milkha Singh had an awe-inspiring 96.5 percent winning ratio.

The film attempts to understand a catastrophic loss that was deemed a sure victory and explores through the darkness of disgrace Milkha Singh’s redemption and catharsis that came when he confronted his past.

22

RECIPES/PUZZLES

July 05, 2013

SUDOKU

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Bhature (Deep Fried Bread)

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When a Punjabi thinks of chole (chickpeas), the word bhature (deep fried bread) probably comes to his mind right away as it is one half of the very popular dish, chole bhature. One half the flavor comes from each of the two parts: you can certainly eat chole with roti or chawal (rice), but the bhatura is made to go with the chole. (See the separate recipe for chole.)

There are two types of bhature: filled with aloo (potatoes) or paneer (Indian cottage cheese).

Bhature are made of finely milled, refined and bleached wheat maida (white flour) which is low in dietary fibre. Pastry flours available in United States may be used as a substitute for maida.

Bhature are made with white flour, yogurt and oil: some people and especially restaurants use yeast or baking powder, as it reduces the time needed for the dough to rise. This recipe is for the most popular type - plain bhature.

Ingredients: • 250 gm maida (bleached white flour) • 1 cup dahi (plain yogurt) • 1 measure of pani (water) to make the dough soft

• Vegetable oil to fry in Directions: 1. Mix the flour and yogurt thoroughly then slowly add the water and knead the dough till it has a soft consistency.

2. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it and place it in a warm place to rise, like inside the oven but do not turn the heat on. Leave for 8 to 10 hours: if you prefer, make the dough at night and leave it aside; by the morning the dough will have risen quite well and be ready to use.

3. Once the dough has risen it will fill up the entire bowl.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator till you are ready to cook.

4. In a kadai (deep skillet or wok), heat the oil up till it is very hot.

5. Meanwhile, grease your palms with some oil so that the dough won’t stick and then break the dough into several small balls. Coat the balls with a little oil and set them aside.

6. The dough is not rolled with a walan (rolling pin) because it is quite soft. Spread the ball between the palms till you form a 4 inch round patty.

7. Carefully slide the patty into the hot oil and then see if the

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bread starts to puff up and then turn slightly brown. If it does, then the dough mixture is the right consistency. If they fluff up only a little, then the dough is hard and should have been softer.

8. Repeat the steps and cook all the dough. As the bhature come out, place them on paper towels on an inclined plate to soak up and drain the excess oil. Keep the heat on high until you are done with cooking.

9. Serve hot with the chole, with your favorite garnishes.

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

Firms Rush for Bank Licence on Final day

26 entities apply, 11 on deadline day, including Tata Sons, Aditya Birla Nuvo, L&T Finance, Religare MUMBAI (LiveMint): Monday saw a steady procession of executives from companies, including some of India’s best-known, making their way, laden with boxes of documents, to the Reserve Bank of India’s headquarters on Mint Road.

They were on their way to stake their claim to promote banks, on the last date for applying to do so.

Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd, Tata Sons Ltd, L&T Finance Holdings Ltd, Religare Enterprises Ltd, IDFC Ltd, Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd, India Infoline Ltd, Magma Fincorp Ltd, Shriram Capital Ltd and microlender Bandhan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd were among the 11 applicants who filed their papers with the central bank on Monday. Tata didn’t respond to emails.

In a late-evening release, RBI said a total 26 entities had applied for banking licences.

The list of 26 includes Reliance Capital Ltd, India Post— the Indian government’s postal department—Edelweiss Capital, Janalakshmi Financial Services and Videocon Industries Ltd (through Value Industries Ltd).

The succesful applicants will be the third set of private sector banks entering India’s Rs.77 trillion banking sector. The central bank has so far given licences to 12 private banks in two rounds.

The central bank will screen the applications, and refer them to a high-level advisory committee.

It will then take a final call based on the committee’s recommendations. This could see the new banks starting operations some 1218 months after they get a licence.

RBI has already clarified that the conditions it has set are merely the necessary ones and that

inclusion or their ability to reach people in India’s rural hinterland—one criterion that RBI will look at.

Financial inclusion is RBI’s main requirement.

Increasing competition was RBI’s primary motive in awarding new bank The decision to issue in-principle approval licences in the past but for setting up a bank will be taken by the this time the central central bank following the recommendations bank’s aim is finanof high-level advisory committee. cial inclusion. Around all applicants meeting them will 40% of India’s adult population not be allowed to open banks. doesn’t have access to banks.

Shinjini Kumar, executive diAccording to RBI’s 22 Februrector at PricewaterhouseCoo- ary guidelines, the new banks pers, said only a few aspirants will have to maintain a minimum will finally fulfil the require- capital adequacy ratio, ratio of ments set by the RBI, and ex- capital to risk-weighted assets, pects around five-six applicants a measure of financial strength to receive banking licences. of 13% for the first three years.

Most applicants are confiNew banks need to list their dent they will make the cut. shares on stock exchanges within On Monday, Nirmal Jain, chair- three years of starting operations. man of India Infoline, was among The minimum capital required the first to arrive at RBI, accom- by applicants for licences is Rs.500 panied by three executives car- crore, and foreign shareholding rying boxes of documents re- in the new banks will be capped quired to apply for the licence. at 49% for the first five years.

RBI’s guidelines, announced on The Chennai-based Shriram fi22 February, require applicants to nancial services group has applied prove their eligibility on several for a banking licence through fronts— from promoter-holding to holding company Shriram Capipast experience to business plans. tal and not market-listed compaIn its guidelines, RBI said nies such as Shriram Transport the applicants shouldn’t be in- Finance Co. Ltd, the country’s volved in businesses that “put largest truck financing company, the bank and the banking system and Shriram City Union Finance at risk on account of group ac- Ltd, a retail finance company. tivities such as those which are According to RBI guidespeculative in nature or subject lines, if Shriram wants to beto high asset-price volatility”. come a bank then it will have Some of the applicants were to give up its NBFC tag. keen to highlight their focus on RBI issued the first round of

licences for new banks in 1993 when it allowed 10 private banks to enter the business. They were Global Trust Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, UTI Bank Ltd (renamed Axis Bank Ltd), Bank of Punjab, IndusInd Bank Ltd, Centurion Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank Ltd, Times Bank and Development Credit Bank Ltd. In 2003-04, two more banks were given licences—Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd and Yes Bank Ltd. Of these, Times Bank was merged with HDFC Bank in February 2000—the first of the so-called friendly mergers in India’s banking history and also the first involving a share swap.

Global Trust Bank was forced to merge with Oriental Bank of Commerce in August 2004 after the Hyderabad-based lender succumbed to the burden of non-performing assets, largely because of its exposure to the stock market.

Bank of Punjab was acquired

by Centurion Bank in June 2005 to form Centurion Bank of Punjab. Three years later, in May 2008, HDFC Bank took over Centurion Bank of Punjab.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank, promoted by financial institutions, have emerged as the top three private banks in the country.

ICICI Ltd, the project finance institution that promoted ICICI Bank, was merged with the bank in 2002 as the parent found it difficult to survive without access to cheap funding, and competition between financial institutions and commercial banks intensified. Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) followed this route and merged with IDBI Bank in 2004.

127

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Chidambaram to Visit US for FDI

NEW DELHI (HT): In a bid to lure capital inflows, finance minister P Chidambaram along with commerce minister Anand Sharma and deputy chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia are travelling to Washington on July 11-12 for a Indo-US CEO Forum meeting.

Chidambaram travelled to US last April looking for FDI and FII flows.

Top government sources said Chidambaram will also be meeting US Treasury secretary Jacob Lew and brief the Indo-US CEO Forum on further reforms that India intends to take to invite more FDI. While the Indian side of the Indo-US CEOs Forum will be headed by former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, the US side will be co-chaired by David M Cote, CEO of Honeywell Corporation.

While Chidambaram is convinced about Indian recovery, the concern is about outflows to the tune of over $7 million in June after US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech on strategy of buying US treasury bonds to push down interest rates last May. Although Chidambaram is positive about Indian economy stabilizing and posting GDP growth over five per cent this financial year, the focus is to get FII inflows into the country and attracting FDI by increasing c eilings in key infrastructure sectors like Telecom.

24

July 05, 2013

Kohli to Lead India in Place of Injured Captain Dhoni

BY DEVASHISH FULORIA KINGSTON ESPN Cricinfo): Triangular tournaments can be hard on the ego of the team that leaves the competition first. Unlike a bigger multi-team tournament, there is no consolatory semi-final finish, or a bronze medal. There is only a lonely last place. This series has just started, but with West Indies nine points clear of both India and Sri Lanka, that last-place tag, for now, has gravitated towards the two subcontinent sides. The familiar foes, who have played each other in five different countries in the last couple of years, both need a win in the last match of the series at Sabina Park to ensure some breathing space before the entourage moves to Port of Spain.

Future is now? Virat Kohli takes That these two teams know Dhoni. each other inside out is common knowledge. While the slow pitch, and their batsmen then familiarity has worked in India’s rolled along comfortably as the favour as their batsmen have de- surface eased out. In the absence coded the unconventionality of Sri of MS Dhoni, who didn’t take the Lanka’s attack, the same can’t be field after injuring his hamstring said about the latter. They have while batting, India fought hard, repeatedly wilted against India’s but were tripped by a resolute simple game plan - ‘whatever you last-wicket stand. Virat Kohli, score, we’ll do better’. The result the stand-in captain, admitted the is that when the two meet, it is al- team missed Dhoni’s calmness most like India’s XI is up against during that frantic ending.

Sri Lanka’s IX, with the threat Sri Lanka haven’t been in their posed by Lasith Malinga and Ajan- best form, but as West Indies tha Mendis to other teams reduced proved, this young Indian side is to a dud against India batsmen. beatable. With Dhoni ruled out of In cricket, however, most of the the rest of this series, the balance times, it is not a test of man-to- between the two sides has slightly man strength. A special innings, been redressed. an outstanding spell or even an Virat Kohli’s reputation in world exceptional instance of fielding cricket received a huge boost the is all that is required to overcome day he hammered the Sri Lanka an opposition. On Friday, it was bowling for a breathtaking centuChris Gayle who did that; on Sun- ry in Hobart in February 2012 . He day, it was Johnson Charles who scored two more against Sri Lanblazed away. Sri Lanka have play- ka in his next two matches, then ers who can do that as well - Ku- another one three matches later. mar Sangakkara showed it against Since then, he has gone through England in a tall chase at The Oval a lean phase against other attacks. during the Champions Trophy - But when India met Sri Lanka in but the question is, can they do it the Champions Trophy semi-final, against India?

Kohli helped himself to an unIndia’s juggernaut was brought beaten 58, dispelling any doubts to a halt on Sunday by West In- about which team is his favourite dies, but only just. West Indies’ opposition. In Kingston, Kohli bowlers set a template on how to will be burdened with captaincy, stifle India’s stroke-makers on a too, and it remains to be seen if he

nings down on Friday. But they do not have much room to wiggle in their batting order. However, one move they might consider given the slow nature of the Kingston pitch could be to include Sachithra Senanayake.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 & 8 two of Ajantha Mendis/ Sachithra Senanayake/Jeevan Mendis, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga The conditions at Sabina Park have meant batsmen have struggled for fluency in the first half of the match the helm in place of the injured and they are likely to stay the same. It is a slow pitch with some lateral movement early on, but it eases out during the can flourish this time.

There is no doubt that Lasith second half. Just like West Indies Malinga has been one of the lead- did both times, the team that wins ing limited-overs bowlers in world the toss will prefer to field.

India and Sri Lanka have played cricket in recent times but what has been hard to fathom is why 41 ODIs against each other in the a top bowler has been unable to last five years - that is 15 more than come up with a counter-strategy the next most-prolific match-up of against Indian batsmen. He has Bangladesh-Zimbabwe. Overall, ample skill, pace and variations in the two teams have met each other his armoury, but still he has failed 140 times in ODIs, also a record. to find the right combination that Australia-West Indies have played would work against the India bats- against each other 135 times.

It’s not a surprise then that men. Players evolve during their three Sri Lankans and four Indians careers but can Malinga do it?

While Ambati Rayudu was have scored more than 1000 runs named as the replacement for in such contests in the last five Dhoni, the only reserve India bats- years, the top-seven batting efforts man at the moment in the Carib- against a particular team. Shane bean is M Vijay, the opener. If he Watson, with 930 runs against is included, the batting order will England, is the eighth batsman in need a careful rejig. It is hard to this list.

The India and Sri Lanka bowlsee the team disturbing Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan at the ers haven’t done quite as well as their batting counterparts. It’s untop of the order.

India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dha- derstandable since most of these wan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat matches are played on flat wickKohli (capt), 4 M Vijay, 5 Dinesh ets. For wickets taken against a Karthik (wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 particular opposition in the last Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 five years, three Sri Lanka bowlBhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant ers are in the top 10 for doing it against India. Lasith Malinga is Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav Sri Lanka’s move to open with there, too, but the opposition in his Mahela Jayawardene and Upul case is Australia. Only one India Tharanga paid dividends, but the bowler - Zaheer Khan v Sri Lanka rest of their batting slowed the in- - makes it to the list.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

Indians at Wimbledon LONDON: India’s Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin, the 14th-seeds in the Wimbledon men’s doubles draw, shocked the third-seeded pairing of Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals of the grasscourt Grand Slam.

Next up for Bopanna and Vasselin is the sixth-seeded team of Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Swede Robert Lindstedt. Bopanna and Vasselin, playing together for the first time, struggled a touch on their serves, the Frenchman in particular. The 33-year-old Bangalorean, however, did well to hold the team together to take them through to the last eight.

Bopanna was joined in the quarterfinals by fellow Bangalorean and former doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi, who playing alongside Julian Knowle of Austria, is seeded eight. Knowle and Bhupathi beat the Canadian challenge of Jesse Levine and Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the third round.

Apart from a brief lapse in concentration, Bhupathi and Knowle were on song. They now wait the winners of the third round match between the top-seeded Americans Bob and Mike Bryan and 16th seeds Treat Huey of the Philippines and Britain’s Dominic Inglot.

In the women’s doubles, the sixth-seeded pairing of India’s Sania Mirza and American Liezel Huber, were bounced out of the competition by Japan’s Shuko Ayoma and South African Chanelle Scheepers 2-6, 6-3, 2-6 in a match the seeded pairing simply couldn’t get a handle on. Seventh seeds Bopanna and China’s Jie Zheng advanced into the third round of the mixed doubles, beating Columbia’s Robert Farah and Croatia’s Darija Jurak 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.

Bopanna (left) and Vasselin reach quarterfinals.

July 05, 2013

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grocery

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produce

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Gold Pineapple

Prices good from July 5, 2013 thru August 7, 2013, on these items at your Beechunt, Bellaire, Sugarland, Lake Colony, Clear Lake, Bunker Hill, Kirkwood H-E-B stores and at the Austin stores located at 12407 Mopac Expwy. N. & 500 Canyon Ridge Drive. Items not available at Central Market and H-E-B Convenience Stores. Due to the popularity of our Low Prices Every Day, we reserve the right to limit quantities. Some items may not be available in all stores.©2013 HEB, 13-2999

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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