Friday, July 08 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 28
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Indo American erican News
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July 08, 2016
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
July 08, 2016
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An Evening of Celebrating Humanity Over Religion Consul General of India, Houston, Anupam Ray Hosts an Iftar
Special area had been dedicated for Namaaz (prayer).
Guests enjoyed the lavish spread of dates, fruits and fruit juices to break the fast.
Consul General of India, Anupam Ray addressing the guests during Iftar held at his residence on Wednesday, June 29.
Anupam Ray (center) with the members of the Indian Muslim community.
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN
HOUSTON: In the holy month
of Ramadan when Muslims across the globe practise asceticism and observe fasts called ‘Roza’, one thing that all communities look forward to are the ‘Iftar’ dinners hosted generally by Muslim friends to break the day long fast. The Consul General of India, Houston, Anupam Ray took a step ahead and hosted an Iftar dinner at his residence on Wednesday, June 29 to spread the message of faith and humanity beyond religion. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. During the whole month, observers of Islam fast from sunrise to sunset. During the fast, no food or beverage is consumed. Followers of Is-
lam believe that fasting helps the Muslim learn patience, modesty, and spirituality. Meals are served before sunrise, called suhoor, and after sunset, called iftar, and eaten with family or with the local community. To extend the secular vibes in Houston, Anupam Ray took this special initiative to host Iftar dinner at his residence and invite guests from all the communities. The officers from the Consulate General of India greeted all the invitees who started flocking in from 7.30 pm onwards. Ray began the evening by addressing the guests who had come from Houston and Dallas. “I would like to thank all of you for joining us for the Iftar dinner. It is a matter of great privilege for me to have members of the Mus-
lim community of Indian origin from the Houston and Dallas area. I specially thank the representative of US Senator Charles Cornyn, the representative from the Mayor’s Office, the Congressional staffers and last but not the least the Indonesian Consul General and his wife, who have made it possible to attend the Iftar today” said Ray. Elaborating further on belief in God and one faith beyond the boundaries of religion, Ray added “As the honorable Prime Minister. Mr. Modi said in his historic address to Congress earlier this month, the only holy-book of the Government of India is the Constitution of India. It allows us the fundamental right of the freedom of religion. India in that context is the most liberal country in the world. It is the home to two reli-
The vast and delicious food spread was catered by Sathish Rao of Udipi Cafe, along with exotic desserts.
gions -Hinduism and Buddhism. Christians, Muslims and Jews have inhabited the country since centuries. On this occasion of Iftar, I want to remind my Muslim brothers and sisters that we value you and respect what you have added to our heritage” . The ambience and the arrangements were perfect for Iftar merriment. A special area had been dedicated to reading Namaaz (prayer) before people broke the Roza (fast). On the other side, there were tables laden with a lavish spread of dates, fruits and fruit juices to break the fast. Typically Muslims break their fast by eating dates before beginning the iftar meal. Immediately, dinner was
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
served, with a special arrangemnet made for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The vast and delicious food spread was catered by Sathish Rao of Udipi Cafe. The highlight of the spread, especially for me was the succulent and flavorsome Fish curry at the Iftar dinner. For those who had sweet cravings, they could revel in five different kinds of exotic desserts. Delicious food, good hospitality and warm host, what more could the guests ask for! The Iftar dinner at the Consul General of India’s residence was indeed a gala evening that celebrated humanity over the narrow confines of religion, a small step in restoring the faith in mankind.
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July 08, 2016
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
July 08, 2016 COMMUNITY Everything About Bone Marrow Transplant
HOUSTON: IACAN aims at edu-
cating the Indian community on prevention of cancer, various treatment modalities of cancer and the resources available in the community. One such educational event, “Everything you want to know about Bone Marrow Transplant” was presented on Sunday, June 26 at the India House. Dr. Uday Popat, Professor, Department of Stem cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center gave a very informative talk about bone marrow transplantation. Patients suffering from Acute Leukemia, Chronic leukemia, MDS, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, Multiple Myeloma, Aplastic anemia, Thalassemia can be helped with the bone marrow transplantation. Depending on the source of the stem cells, there are different kinds of transplantations: Bone marrow transplantation, Stem cell transplantation, Cord blood transplantation, Haploidentical stem cell transplantation, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. The donor and the recipient are matched for the six major Human Leucocyte antigens and since a total of 10,000 leucocyte antigens are involved in the transplantation, the closer the match between the donor and the recipient, the better the chance of acceptance by the recipient. The selection of donors is a lengthy and time consuming process. It is very difficult to find a matching donor. Family members, especially siblings stand a better chance to be the best match. The donors are given medication to increase the productivity and mobilization of stem cells and the stem cells are harvested and used for infusion. The patient is first treated with high dose of radiation and or chemotherapy to suppress the immune system and then the donor’s stem cells are infused and the normal donor stem cells within the recipient body produce healthy blood cells so patient can recover. The success of transplantation depends on the severity of graft versus host and host versus graft reactions and great care and attention is given to minimize these reactions. At times, the patient’s own stem cells are harvested before the chemo or radiation therapy and the harvested stem cells are infused back.
This procedure avoids the graft versus host reaction but has the risk of introducing the cancer cells back into the patient. Dr. Popat assured the audience that the donors do not have side effects other than some discomfort that lasts for a day or two. Dr. Popat presented this complicated topic in such a language, that it was easy for everyone to understand it. IACAN board members would like to thank Dr. Popat for his kindness. The next speaker Gayatri Kapoor, Donor Contact Representative, gave an eloquent talk about how the donors are registered. Any healthy person from the age of 18 to 44 can register. The registration process involves filling out a simple application and giving a tissue sample from the mouth using a cotton swab. Since finding a match is rare, the more people are registered, the better the chance for finding a match. She said that registering people is hard but the major hurdle is convincing them to go through marrow donation once they have
been chosen as a donor. IACAN is working hard to register the people in our community. IACAN members visit various religious organizations to recruit people for bone marrow donation. The third speaker was Bhakta, a dedicated father of a child who got a bone marrow donation and is doing great. Because of a kind, humanitarian donor, the child is able to enjoy all the things a young boy would in his life. His story touched everyone and inspired us to do more for this worthy cause. The question and answer session went well. IACAN requests all our community members to come forward to register for bone marrow donation and thus save a life. For further information contact IACAN at Iacannetwork@ gmail.com, or visit www.Iacannetwork.org, Phone: 713 370 3489
Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
July 08, 2016
Hanmi Bank Introduces Its New Brand Tagline L
OS ANGELES: Hanmi Bank introduced its new brand tagline “Bank on Your Dreams” with a brand advertising campaign. The new tagline introduction is a part of Hanmi’s overall rebranding effort, which began in last June with a launch of its new corporate logo. Hanmi’s corporate logo “H”, which resembles a bridge, embodies the
Bank’s desire to connect, partner and grow with its customers. The new tagline “Bank on Your Dreams” further reinforces the core concepts of the Hanmi brand by concisely capturing Hanmi’s role as a leading community bank that is committed to helping its customers to achieve the American Dream. “Hanmi Bank was founded in 1982, purely by the capitals of the working immigrant to support the local community. Our rich heritage in growing with our customers and community to realize their American Dream is very much embedded in our new tagline. Our new tagline expresses Hanmi’s role as a financial partner to enable and empower our customers to realize their dreams. With a completion of our new corporate identity development, Hanmi will actively market to its diverse customer base,” said C. G. Kum, President & CEO of Hanmi Bank. Hanmi’s new brand advertising will be executed on various media including TV, print, radio, online, and outdoor billboard. It will target Korean, South Asians, Chinese, Vietnamese as well as mainstream audience and will cover California, Texas, Illinois and other eastern regions where Hanmi has its branch networks.
For advertising contact: Vanshika Vipin at 713.789.6397 WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. For more information: Call 713-789- 6397 or email us at: indoamericannews@yahoo.com INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
July 08, 2016
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10 July 08, 2016 COMMUNITY Sri Meenakshi Temple Anniversary Celebrations BY KAMALA RAGHAVAN AND M.K. SRIRAM
PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple con-
ducted the anniversary celebrations with an auspicious “Nava Kalasa” pooja followed by Homam, Purnahuthi, and simultaneous Abhishekam, Alankaram and Aarthi to all the deities in the main temple. The event provided a feast for the eyes and ears when the images were projected at all the monitors to provide darshan to every one of the 250+ devotees who attended the event. Devotees delighted by chanting the Sri Rudra Japam, Purusha Suktham and listening to the melodious music filled with “bhakti” by visiting and local musicians. It created a tremendous enthusiasm and passion among those devotees who braved the intense heat outside to delight in getting the divine blessing. The event started at 10:00 AM on Sunday July 3, with the 9 Kalasas situated majestically on decorated platforms at the center of the main temple to invoke the deities. The priests performed Vigneswara and Vishwaksena puja, Punyahavachanam and Kalasa stapanam. The devotees were deeply moved by the vedic mantras chanted in unison by the priests Sri Balaji, Sri Paramewaran, Sri Pawan Kumar, and Sri Sriman Narayana Charlu. The whole atmosphere was filled with the strength and power of the vedic mantras. An elaborate Abhishekam and Alankaram were performed for all the deities simultaneously. When the curtains opened for darshan when the devotees were held spellbound by the majestic forms of the deities. The final Aarthi was con-
ducted and this was followed by Prasadam and lunch distribution. Many devotees offered a wide variety of prasadams lovingly prepared in their homes. All in all, this was a very uniquely divine event where pujas and abhishekams were conducted simultaneously to Lord Sundareswara, Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathy, very well organized and conducted by the Religious Activities Committee (RAC) members and devotee volunteers. The members of the Corner Temple Renovation Project (CTRP) fund raising committee explained the scope and status of the project to the assembled devotees. A brief description of the “Kalasa pooja” from the website is given below for information of the devotees. Kalasa: A brass, mud, copper, or silver pot is filled with water. Mango leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed over it. A red or white thread is tied around its neck or sometimes all around it in an intricate diamond-shaped pattern. The
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July 08, 2016
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pot may be decorated with designs. When the pot is filled with water or rice, it is known as purnakumbha representing the inert body which when filled with the divine life force gains the power to do all the wonderful things that makes life what it is. Purnakumbha literally means a “full Pot” (Purna = full, Kumbha = Pot), and it is a pot full of water, with fresh leaves of the mango tree and a coconut (Sriphala) placed on the top. Purnam means completion and the significance is that the endeavor undertaken must be successfully completed. The Purnakumbha is considered a symbol of abundance and “source of life” in the Vedas. Purna-Kumbha is preeminently a Vedic motif, known from the time of Rig-Veda. The Purnakumbha is believed to be a symbol of auspiciousness embodying either Ganesha, remover of obstacles, or his mother Gauri, the goddess of household bounty or Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. During the Samudramanthan or great churn-
ing of the milky ocean by devas and asuras to get the divine nectar, Lord Vishnu appeared bearing the pot of nectar which blessed one with everlasting life. Thus the Kalasa also symbolizes immortality. The Kalasa (or Kalash) is used for creating seat for invoked deities during the puja. It is filled with water and topped with leaves of mango tree or betel vine to denote deity’s seat. The water inside the Kalasa keeps this seat pure till the ritual of Pranapratishta (invoking deity into an image, idol, coconut or betelnut). A coconut is set up on the mouth of the kalash after putting betel nut or coins in the water as a symbol of sacrifice. Five precious stones like pearl, diamond, emerald, blue sapphire, ruby and gold may also be added to the water of kalash, because the precious stones and gold have capacity to attract and emit the principles of five superior deities. The neck of the pot is tied with a white, yellow or red colored thread or cloth. The water is pure and clean to the highest extent. The water in the kalash symbolizes the primordial water from which the entire cre-
ation emerged, the leaves and coconut represent creation, and the thread represents the love that “binds” all in creation. The Kalasa is therefore considered auspicious and worshipped. The waters from all the holy rivers, the knowledge of all the Vedas and the blessings of all the deities are invoked in the Kalasa and its water is thereafter used for all the rituals, including the abhishekam. Source: bharathkidilse. blogspot. com/2009/10/ kalasha.html
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Chariot Festival: Lords, Odissi & ‘Adruta’ BY SAMBIT PRADHAN
HOUSTON: A year short of a
milestone (a decade), the preparation for 9th Houston Rath Yatra is in full swing by Orissa Culture Center(OCC)! Like every other year, OCC presents a magnificent cultural extravaganza this year, themed ‘Nrityanjali’. Keeping in mind of the dance appreciative audience of our city, we have invited two amazing Odissi dance groups, ‘Adruta’ and ‘Ananta’. ‘Adruta’ is a group of seven talented young girls who are mostly in their teens, is highly applauded for consistent performances on Door Darshan as well as at state, national and international level festivals. The danseuses have one thing in common besides their exceptional dance talent – they are abandoned by their biological parents but ‘adruta’ (accepted in Oriya) as daughters by a noble soul, Dr. Aditya Mohanty, a Professor in Philosophy in Utkal University, Orissa and Founder of Adruta Children Home. Adruta Children Home, a unit of RAWA academy, was founded in 1998 by Dr. Aditya Mohanty, with the adoption of a baby girl named Purnima. Adruta has carved a unique name and niche for itself by adopting and caring for the abandoned and orphaned girl children. The organization currently takes care of more than 400 children!
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Houston Rath Yatra Media Team invited Dr. Aditya Mohanty to share a few of his views with our readers. HRY: Could you tell us your view of Adruta? Dr. Mohanty: Adruta Children Home is a pioneering innovative venture to rehabilitate the abandoned, unclaimed, parentless and destitute children in providing them a conducive environment so that there is optimal expression of their innate potentiality and they grow into prized assets of the social mainstream. HRY: What inspired you to set up Adruta? Dr. Mohanty: It is nothing but sheer inner calling on part of some CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
July 08, 2016
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Vidushi Sindhu Balakrishnan’s Recital Enthralls the Music Lovers at Sri Meenakshi Temple
From left: Rajesh Salem ( mridangam), Sindhu Balakrishnan (vocal) Mahesh Iyer ( violin)
BY CHITTOOR RAMACHANDRAN
PEARLAND:
Sri Meenakshi Temple at Pearland (MTS) organized a great classical music recital listening opportunity on Saturday, June, 25. It was a special concert featuring Vidushi Sindhu Balakrishnan (Smt.Sindhu), a highly accomplished vocalist visiting from Ernakulam, Kerala. She had her training in classical music at Maharaja’s College for Women at Thiruvananthapuram and holds a master’s degree in music awarded by the University of Kerala. Houston’s well known Violinist Sri Mahesh Iyer and mridangist Sri Rajesh Salem were the accompanying performers. As a musician extensively trained under the guidance of several top ranking stalwarts, Smt. Sindhu has gained reputation both as a vocalist and as a classical dancer in innumerable prestigious stages all over India. The concert at MTS gave a glimpse of her prowess repeatedly commented by Indian press. The concert started with the vibrant Kalyani varnam (Vanajakshiro) capturing the attention
Chariot Festival CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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likeminded individuals which goaded us to address the cause of the children who live choice-less, voice-less, underfed, malnourished, uncared for, when most of them grow into problem individuals of the society, at large. HRY: What gave you strength to go through the ups and downs through the years? Dr. Mohanty: It is the consuming passion to address the cause of such children in distress and destitution which makes the journey so very fulfilling and enduring. As a result, the challenges on the way turn out to be opportunities maturing our perception of reality which lends strength and inspiration to address the odds and obstacles. HRY: Do you have any special words for our readers? Dr. Mohanty: In endeavoring to make difference to the children in need of care and protection we
of the packed audience instantaneously. With excellent clarity in sahityam, especially the Sanskrit words, the musician maintained the perfect ambience to keep the audience’s attention. Ganesha Sthuthi (Sri Ganesha Saranam (composer Papanasham Sivan) in raga tilang indeed brought in a joyful enthusiasm in the audience. Smt. Sindhu’s wealth of knowledge in the unique singing style nurtured at the prestigious Swathi Thirunal College of Music in Thiruvanathapuram was obvious in every krithi she included in the well planned rendition. Especially the two major Devi krithis (Sudha mayi in raga Amrithavarshini composed by Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar) and Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s 5th Navarathri composition (Janani mamava in Bhairavi) were elaborated beautifully. The majestic bhairavi with predominant bhakthi bhavam in praise of Mother Goddess was sung in detail. Bhairavi alapana created a mystical pleasure in the auditorium. The violinist Sri Mahesh Iyer added much to the make a great difference to ourselves unawares. One who renders Service without any ulterior motive is the first beneficiary of Service. Thank you Dr. Mohanty for your time and we are looking forward to a great performance on July 09.
concert especially in the alapana of several ragas in this concert. The mridangist Sri Rajesh Salem enhanced the concert elegantly. His classy Thani avarathanam (in misra chapu thalam) was delightful and praiseworthy. One of the unique attractive features of Smt. Sindhu’s concert we noticed was that she does not fill the concert with repetitive brigas. She deserves our special appreciation for the ‘soukhyam ‘she brings in. In the post thani avarthanam part of the concert, we felt as if she focused her mind and was absorbed totally into the meaning of the composition. It was particularly obvious in her rendition of Purandara Dasar krithi – ‘Jagadordharana’ (Kapi ragam,Vilamba kalam). The emotional feeling she could elicit was phenomenal. Similarly the Roudra bhavam in ‘Siva Shambho’ (Revathi) or the gambheera bhavam in ‘Anupama’ (Atana). Being a well- trained classical dancer, Smt. Sindhu could convey the message the great composers had in mind very effectively through music. The audience was fortunate to have the advantage of enjoying the beauty of the ragam and the meaning by listening to this talented artiste.
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Stay tuned for ‘Ananta’ and other cultural segments! Orissa Culture Center (OCC) and Sri Sita Ram Foundation would like to invite all our readers to the 9th Houston Rath Yatra, which will be held this year at India House, 8888 W Bellfort Blvd., Houston, TX 77031. For information, please visit www.houstonrathyatra.org or call 832-225-2376 or e-mail at info@houstonrathyatra.org. You may connect on https://www.facebook.com/HoustonRathYatra INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
14 July 08, 2016
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July 08, 2016
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16 July 08, 2016
COMMUNITY
McDonald’s USA Expands its Popular All Day Breakfast Menu This Fall The company will add more breakfast sandwich favorites – Biscuit Sandwiches, McMuffin Sandwiches and McGriddles – to its national All Day Breakfast Menu
OAK BROOK: This September
breakfast fans will fall in love all over again with McDonald’s All Day Breakfast with more choices being added to the national All Day Breakfast menu. To continue to give customers more of their favorite breakfast items anytime of the day, McDonald’s will be shifting to one national All Day Breakfast menu allowing guests to enjoy even more breakfast choices around the clock nationwide at participating restaurants. Currently, most restaurants serve McMuffin sandwiches or Biscuit sandwiches after normal breakfast hours. With the new bigger All Day Breakfast menu, breakfast fans will be able to enjoy McMuffins and Biscuit sandwiches, as well as the newest addition, McGriddles. Prior to October 2015 when McDonald’s introduced the All Day Breakfast Menu, having breakfast available after 10:30 a.m. was the number one request from consumers. The new expanded All-Day Breakfast Menu will include: Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Sausage McMuffin, Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, Sausage Biscuit with Egg,
McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/ mcdonalds.
For advertising contact: Vanshika Vipin at 713.789.6397 Sausage Biscuit, Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles, Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles, Sausage McGriddles, Hotcakes, Hotcakes and Sausage, Sausage Burrito, Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait and Hashbrowns (varies by restaurant). In addition to expanding All Day Breakfast, other positive changes are underway. Last year McDonald’s moved from margarine to
real butter in its restaurant kitchens and also announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next 9 years.” About McDonald’s McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to approximately 27 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
July 08, 2016
17
The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi - Part 5
The story thus far…Gandhi’s ac-
tivism on behalf of the Indians in South Africa, brought him much strife. The local Afrikaners and the British considered him as a troublemaker. He was attacked by angry mobs. With his calm demeanor, he wins over the people, and even gets to help create an ambulance corps. The Durban police rescued Gandhi from a bloodthirsty mob. He was escorted by the police to Rustomji’s house, where a doctor attended to his injuries. “They are sure to calm down when they realize their mistake,” he said. Late in the evening, another mob of white people surrounded the house. “We must have Gandhi,” angry voices demanded. The mob was getting more and more threatening. “Give us Gandhi or we will bum down the house,” they shouted. Gandhi knew that they might carry out their threat. To save his friend’s house, he slipped out in disguise, eluding the crowd. Two days later a message came from London. Joseph Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, asked the Natal Government to prosecute every man guilty of attacking Gandhi. The Natal Government expressed its regret for theincidenttoGandhiandassuredhim that the assailants would be punished. When Gandhi was called upon to identify the offenders, however, he would not do so. “I do not want to prosecute anyone,” he told the Natal Government. “I do not hold the assailants to blame. They were misled by false reports about me and I am sure that when the truth becomes known they will be sorry for their conduct.” Gandhi’s statement suddenly changed the atmosphere in Durban. The press declared Gandhi innocent and condemned his assailants. The Durban incident raised Gandhi’s prestige and won more sympathy abroad for the Indians in South Africa. As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was shortlived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting down his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. But soon he became quite an expert at this and his collars were no less stiff and shiny than theirs. Gandhi once went to an English barber in Pretoria. The barber insolently refused to cut a ‘black’ man’s hair. Gandhi at once bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair. He succeeded more or less in cutting the front part but spoilt the back. He looked very funny and his friends in the court laughed at him. “What’s wrong with your hair Gandhi? Have rats been gnawing at it?” they asked. “No,” said Gandhi proudly, “I have cut my hair myself.” Then Gandhi tried changes in his food. He started taking uncooked food. He believed that if a man lived
As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was shortlived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him.
on fresh fruits and nuts he could master his passions and acquire spiritual strength. He made many experiments with his diet. He even came to the conclusion that fasting increased one’s will power. While he was thus experimenting with himself, the Boer war broke out. The Boers were South Africans of Dutch origin. They were fighting the British. Neither of these two white nations had treated the Indians well. Gandhi did not want to support either of them, but his familiarity with the British made him organize an Indian ambulance corps to help them. To his puzzled followers, he said: “India can achieve complete emancipation only through development within the British Empire. Therefore we must help the British.” The British won the war and the ambulance corps was disbanded. The newspapers in England praised the services rendered by the Indians. The relations between the Indians and the Europeans had now become more cordial, and the Indians believed that their grievances would soon be removed. It was now 1901, six years after Gandhi had brought his family to Durban. Now he felt that his future activity lay not in South Africa but in India. Also, friends in India were pressing him to return home. When he announced his decision to his co-workers, however, they again pressed him to stay on. After much discussion they agreed to let
him go, but only if he would come back to South Africa if the Indians there needed his help. He agreed to this. There were farewell meetings and presentations of gifts. The gifts were so many and so valuable that Gandhi felt he should not accept them. The people who had presented them would not take them back. He then prepared a trust deed, and all the gifts were deposited with a of the Indian community. On his arrival in India, Gandhi went on a tour of the country. The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was being held in Calcutta under the presidentship of Dinshaw Wacha. Gandhi attended the session. It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future. The Indian National Congress was the only organization which gave the people of India a chance to express their political views. It was an influential body, as many important Indians were members, but its decisions had little affect on the Government. At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportunity to meet Congress leaders like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, Lokamanya B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale, and others. He was not impressed with the way the Congress was functioning. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates. Moreover, while they spoke English and affected the style of Westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facilities in the camp. Gandhi wanted to teach them a lesson. On his own he quietly started cleaning the bathroom and urinals. No one volunteered to join him. “Why do you undertake an untouchable’s job?” they asked. “Because the caste people have made this an untouchable place,” replied Gandhi. From Calcutta Gandhi traveled around India by train. As he moved from place to place, he was shocked to see the life of the common people – the famished, ignorant, and neglected masses. His heart was filled with sadness andanger.Gandhi settleddownin Bombay and started practice as a lawyer. He did well, much better than he had expected. In December 1902, however, a cable reached him from South Africa requesting him to return as promised. Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, was arriving from London on a visit to Natal and the Transvaal, and the Natal Indian Congress wanted Gandhi to present their case to him. -To be continued next week ...
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18 July 08, 2016 Bigger is Better for Polls They say small is beautiful. But size may be an overrated vir-
tue, especially in politics. Over 25 months after he started out with the smallest cabinet in 16 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted 19 ministers into his team o give a clutch of election-bound states more representation in the council of ministers. He also dropped five ministers. By the end of the exercise, Modi’s new council of ministers became 78-member strong – with 28 cabinet ministers, 12 ministers of state with independent charge, and 38 ministers of state. Nevertheless, Team Modi is still within the legal bar which rules that the council of ministers cannot have more than 15 per cent of the Lok Sabha’s strength. But the expansion was in sharp contrast to Modi’s pledge in May 2014 to start implementing his slogan – Minimum Government, Maximum Governance – with his team. The Prime Minister’s Office had then indicated that it was not just a slogan, but Modi’s guiding principle in making his new team. “For the first time, he adopted the guiding principle of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ and also rationalisation with a commitment to bring about a change in work culture and style of governance,” it had announced. Back in 2014, Modi’s 45-member council of ministers had come as a surprise to many, particularly when his predecessors had succumbed to the temptation of appointing a jumbo cabinet for the larger part of their tenures. With a 282-seat majority in the Lok Sabha, Modi did not have to succumb to the compulsions of coalition politics. As far as this strategy was concerned, Modi did not intend to stop with his team. A statement from his office went on to declare that the Prime Minister is “eventually aiming at smart governance where the top layers of government will be downsized”. That was Modi, an ‘outsider’ to Delhi’s power circles. Two years down the line, ‘insider’ Modi no longer talks of downsizing cabinet representation. Besides, a jumbo cabinet has its own set of advantages. A lean cabinet did not give Modi the elbow room required to send a political message to poll-bound states. Uttarakhand was without representation, something that became a talking point in the run-up to the state polls. But now, Uttarakhand has a Dalit face in the cabinet. Also, Uttar Pradesh – India’s most populous state – was too big to have just 13 ministerial portfolios. Modi dropped one minister from the state, but compensated by inducting three more from the OBC, Dalit and Brahmin communities. These voter bases hold the key to the BJP’s success in the assembly election next year. The Prime Minister also inducted three more ministers from Gujarat into the cabinet, sending a message that the western state was still very much on his mind. -Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Secularism Under Siege in Dhaka
BY SUBIR BHAUMIK
Sheikh Hasina’s government has
lived in self-delusion over the serial attacks on secular bloggers, writers and publishers that slowly snowballed into assassinations of Hindu and Buddhist priests and even foreigners like the Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella and Japanese national Kunio Hoshi. Yes, there has been a build-up to that. After the huge Shahbag movement, which reinforced the grip of linguistic secular nationalism on popular imagination, the jihadis and their sponsors — BNPJamaat coalition — faced a crisis of existence. When the Awami League returned to power after the 2014 parliament polls, despite the violence, the feeling of survival at stake dawned on the Islamists in Bangladesh. First, the BNP-Jamaat tried to discredit Hasina by serial firebombing of buses and derailing of trains, killing 86 innocent people in six months. When Hasina crushed that through determined police action, the Islamist politicians turned to the jihadis. New groups emerged and went for soft targets but all carefully chose to drive home a message. While secular bloggers and publishers, writers and artists were killed to demoralise the Spirit of 1971 that created Bangladesh, Hindu priests were killed to complicate India-Bangladesh relations, and foreigners were killed to chase away investors and traders to cripple Bangladesh’s economy, which has done well under Hasina. But when the serial killings failed to make an impact and Bangladeshis went about their business as usual, the huge terror attack was planned, possibly to shake up Bangladesh and the global opinion about the country. These are homegrown jihadis who are inspired by the IS and seek to acquire IS trappings (adopting Arab names, wearing Arab headgear, photographing victims for Internet uploads with the IS flag in the backdrop) but they do not op-
erate to IS command and control. The IS is happy to upload their pictures and claim them as their own because it needs to project a global terror image to show they can hit anywhere and anytime. The IS is not like al-Qaeda — it believes in adopting local groups across the world who believe in their Caliphate and can strike at a signal given over the Internet — a very decentralised coalition but one capable of making a global impact. These local Bangladeshi jihadis need an IS tag to internationalise the Bangladesh issue, especially the execution of the Jamaat leaders in the 1971 war crimes trials. Let us get this clear that there were no Arabs or Afghans in the Dhaka attack, they were all radicalised Bengali Muslim boys, but the fact that they can kill as brutally as the IS should give the Hasina government a hard wake-up call. Homegrown jihadis pose a much greater danger than a one-off attack by an Arab, Afghan or a Pakistani group. They are good enough for killing innocents. Their resistance to the army folded up in 15 minutes because they are not trained for regular combat. But since they are as ideologically motivated and as brutal in killing for the cause of Islam as the Jamaat-sponsored Al-Badr or Al-Shams in 1971, they are a big worry for Bangladesh. This also points to the amazing continuity of politics of this brutal Islamist fringe in former East Pakistan and the present Bangladesh. While the Al-Badr and Al-Shams massacred Bengali intellectuals two days before the fall of Dhaka, their 21st century grand-cousins kill secular bloggers, publishers, writers and artists. They are targeting the thought leaders of Bengali nationalism, whose manifestations are strongly linguistic and cultural. They also target the symbols of Bengali culture. These jihadis have a political agenda to bring down the Hasina government to its knees, to decimate the secularists, to Talibanise Bangladesh. But they will fail just
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as their predecessors have. Bangladesh is a Bengali nation and it will not surrender its political or cultural sovereignty and identity to any medieval Caliph. If one marvels at the motivation and fanaticism of the Dhaka cafe killers and their courage in the face of a military assault, one also have to marvel at the raw courage of youngster Faraaz Hussain, who refused to abandon his friends, including an Indian girl, Tarishi Jain, though he could have by reciting the Quranic verses. Or the courage of someone I called choto bon (dear sister) Ishrat Akhond, who told the jihadis point blank that she will never put on hijab, come what may, only to get shot. This shows that on both sides of a bitterly polarised Bangladesh, there are people with fierce convictions. Bangladesh is a secular and liberal country, which has undergone phenomenal female empowerment. But there is a dangerous and violent Islamist fringe, which is getting more violent because it is facing a crisis of existence. The global sponsors of this Islamist fringe are putting in resources, financial and otherwise, to boost Islamist schools, mosques and madrassas. Bangladesh is a threat to hardline Salafist Arabised Islam because it reposes its faith in a secular polity based on Bengali linguistic nationalism. So, these petrodollar-driven West Asian foundations and those based in Pakistan, backed by ISI, are financing jihadi activities and boosting radicalisation through a host of means. What should India do? Prime Minister Hasina told me not so long ago that she has complained to New Delhi that many Islamist radicals fleeing from the crackdown of Bangladesh security forces were found in West Bengal and Assam. India needs to tighten its boots and help Hasina fight Islamist radicalism by taking proactive measures in its own border states. Subir Bhaumik is a BBC journalist and author and is now senior editor, bdnews24.com
INSPIRING LIFE LESSONS
July 08, 2016
Management Lessons from a 500 Rupee Note!
Don’t let opinions cloud your selfworth. You’re as valuable as you think you are.
“There will be times when we feel crushed, beaten. But never let your self-worth diminish”
BY PRAKASH IYER
IT happened some years ago but I
can recall the evening like it happened just last week. I was in an audience listening to a motivational guru. The speaker whipped out his wallet and pulled out a five hundred rupee note. Holding it up, he asked, “Who wants this five hundred rupee note?” Lots of hands went up. Including mine. A slow chorus began to build as people began to shout “Me!” “Me!”I began to wonder who the lucky one would be who the speaker would choose. And I also secretly wondered – and I am sure others did too - why he would simply give away five hundred rupees. Even as the shouts of “I want it” grew louder, I noticed a young woman running down the aisle. She ran up onto the stage, went up to the speaker, and grabbed the five hundred rupee note from his hand. “Well done, young lady,” said the speaker into the microphone. “Most of us just wait for good things to happen. That’s of no use. You’ve got to make things happen.” The speaker’s words have stayed with me ever since.
Our lives are like that. We all see opportunities around us. We all want the good things. But the problem is we don’t take action. We all want the five hundred rupee notes on offer. But we don’t make the move. We look at it longingly and wonder who will be the lucky one – instead of making our own luck. To be fair, some of us do think of running onto the stage and grabbing it. But we quickly hold ourselves back, because we worry about what people might think. Has it ever happened to you that you see a successful new product or a flourishing new business - and remind yourself of how you had thought of that very idea many years ago? Well, that’s not worth much. You
may have had the idea first, but someone else did something about it – so he’ll reap the rewards. Next time you have an idea – remember that simply thinking about doing something is of no use. Do something. Next time you see an opportunity – think of the lady and the five hundred rupee note. Remember, just wanting it is of little use. Get up, and do something about it. Don’t worry about what other people might think. Take action. Several years later, it was another day, another time. And another motivational guru. As I watched him pull out a five hundred rupee note and hold it up for all to see, I thought I knew what he was going to do next. But he just asked a simple question. “How
much is this worth?” “Five Hundred rupees!” the crowd yelled in unison. “Right,” said the speaker. He then took the note and crumpled it into a ball and asked “How much is it worth now?” “Five Hundred rupees!” screamed the audience. He then threw the note on the ground, stamped all over it and picked up the note and asked one more time: “And how much is it worth now?” “Five Hundred rupees!” was the response. “I want you to remember this,” said the speaker. “Just because someone crumples it, or stamps on it, the value of the note does not diminish.
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19
We should all be like the five hundred rupee note. In our lives, there will be times when we feel crushed, stamped over, beaten. But never let your self-worth diminish. Just because someone chooses to crush you – that doesn’t change your worth one bit! Don’t allow your self-worth to diminish because someone says something nasty – or does something dirty - to you.” Good lessons to remember as you embark into a Leap year. May the New Year bring you joy, happiness – and all the five hundred rupee notes you always wanted! 2012 promises to be your best year ever. Now just take action to make it that way! Prakash Iyer is MD, KimberlyClark Lever and Executive Coach. For more inspiring life lessons, read Iyer’s new book The Habit of Winning. -(Careers 360)
20 July 08, 2016
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PUZZLES / RECIPES
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Baingan Da Raita (Eggplant Yogurt Sauce) Eggplants are very popular in India and especially in the North where the most popular dish is baingan bhartha which is cooked with lots of onions; some people even add peas for added taste. Yogurt has a special significance in Indian culture and religion. It is considered sacred and a purifying agent because of the relationship of cowmilk with many Hindu rituals and because yogurt, or curds as many Indian call it, were eaten up by the baby Lord Krishna. Raita or yogurt sauce is a byproduct of yogurt and is eaten all over India to complement and soften the taste - and sometimes the spiciness - of many Indian dishes. Raita must have the right consistency so that it doesn’t run all over the plate and can be eaten with roti, paranthas or chawal (rice). Raita is a quick dish to make and when made with vegetables can take the place of a salad. There are many types of raita to choose from when deciding on a complement to an Indian meal and the choice often comes down to the effect that you want to achieve with the food. For example, if the food is very spicy and served with roti, then a pudina (mint leaf) raita is probably best to soothe the mouth as the spices go down. When you mix the two together, the bland taste of baingan is enveloped by the raita and other ingredients into an appetizing dish. Baingan raita is never found in restaurants, so many younger people have no idea what it tastes like. But the closest they get to it is the Mediterranean dip, Baba Ghanoush, but it contains no yogurt.
Directions: 1. Remove the top dandal (stem) off the eggplant, peel it and then cut it lengthwise into slices. Cut the slices into smaller 1.5 inch pieces. 2. Wash the pieces in cold water and let them drain in a strainer. It is very important to wash them otherwise the eggplant will start to turn dark. 3. Heat the oil in a skillet, wok or kadai, place the eggplant in it and mix till they are coated. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Check to see that the eggplant has become tender. If it has, then mash the eggplant with a large spoon: do not use a mixer as the eggplant should not be pureed. 4. Leave to cook for 2 more min-
Ingredients: • 500gm saddi dahin (plain yogurt) • 1 medium baingan (eggplant) • ½ cup doodh (milk) • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper)
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utes, then take off the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes. 5. Place the dahi in a bowl and stir it thoroughly with a spoon, adding the milk to it. Add the salt and pepper to taste. 6. Gently stir in the mashed eggplant. Chill for 10 minutes and serve.
Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the oldfashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur (since renamed Faisalabad), India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her late-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable recipes.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WE HOW TO CHOO EK SE A BAINGA N (EGGPLANT)
TO
COOK BHARTA For most eggplant dishes and especia lly bharta (pureed plant), the choice eggof th texture, taste and ea e vegetable is very important for the se of cooking as w ell will be tough or so ft to eat. Usually yo as if the final dish a dish with lots of u don’t want to ha ve seed softness of the main s as they distract the palate from the dish and you will sp it them out. It is best to choose a a heavy one means large round eggplant that is not heav y: th der, round eggplan at it has a lot of seeds. A slightly ten t is the best, but m ost times you will elongated ones. St find ill, choose the one that is tender but do not collapse when es sq should not have an ueezed. Also, the green stem (danda y dark spots on it. l) When cut off with top portion of the eg the gplant and cooked co base of the stem ar e very edible and tas rrectly, the skin and ty.
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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
July 08, 2016
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Sultan Packs in Mellow Drama - with a Nice Punch! SRIJANA MITRA DAS, Story: Sultan starts wrestling to win Aarfa’s heart - but what happens when Sultan loses Aarfa? And when, many years and multiple kilos later, he faces a much deadlier fight? Review: So, this is the first movie where Salman Khan takes off his shirt and everyone - including Khan - shudders. Portraying Sultan, who goes from being fit and lean to a gloomy, middle-aged, paunchburdened man, Khan performs with elan and unhappiness, his acting giving Sultan a nice, rounded punch. Rewari lad Sultan (Salman) falls in love with wrestling champion Aarfa (Anushka), who tells him no ganwaar lacking a goal can win her. Sultan determinedly joins Aarfa’s father’s akhaara - the scene where he switches from ‘Barkat bhai’ to ‘uncle’ is fun - and trains so hard, he wins every championship and Aarfa’s heart. But when Sultan wins the Olympics, he loses his head and in his arrogance, loses Aarfa and more. The only way Sultan can win Aarfa - and his own identity - back is by competing in entrepreneur Akash Oberoi’s (Amit) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament. But can the desi wrestler, now overweight and broken-spirited, compete against the world’s toughest judo, karate and capoeira champions?
23
I am Very Happy for Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan: Bipasha Basu SONUP SAHADEVAN
Salman gives a fighting performance, his character graph moving plausibly from a cheery, everyday “loojer” to a determined athlete, an arrogant star, a crushed, depressed, lonely guy. Anushka plays her familiar feisty girl, with a rustic twang and self-control, but fairly little change. The performance which really impresses is Sultan’s friend Govind (Anant), who stands by his buddy through broken heart and crushed rib, charming throughout. Amit Sadh presents an attractive persona while Kumud Mishra, as Anushka’s father and Sultan’s guru, adds noticeable subtlety to the drama. Sultan’s dialogues also “oopher” a Haryanvi kick while its visuals are fresh and attractive, swaying with Rewari’s eucalyptus trees and gushing canals. The trouble is its length. At nearly three hours of runtime, Sultan gets heavy and repetitive - only so many training sequences can look sharp
and by the time Randeep Hooda shows up as MMA coach Fateh Singh, resembling a perennially eating Brad Pitt from Ocean’s Eleven, but overacting as he gets senti about Sultan, you become restive. By cutting 30 minutes of flab - running commentaries, kite-running, taalas, taalis - Sultan could’ve been a leaner, meaner movie. As it is, it’s more a large lassi, not an espresso shot. But hey - who drinks espresso on Eid? Go watch Sultan - it’s got moments of “ghana” good fun. - indiatimes.com
Bipasha Basu has extended hearty congratulations to her former co-stars Kareena Kapoor Khan (Ajnabee) and Saif Ali Khan (Race) on their impending parenthood. It may well be noted that Bipasha and Kareena were not on good terms for long after having had a major fallout post Ajnabee. The duo ended their differences when they kissed and made up at the press conference of an awards show in 2014. Wishing soon-to-be parents Kareena and Saif, Bipasha said, ” I am very happy for Kareena and Saif and that their family is now becoming bigger.” When asked about turning mother herself, the recently married actress quipped, ” That makes me sweat,” and added, “There is still time.” Commenting on her married life, Bipasha said, “Marriage is not stressful if you are married to the right
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
person.” The Bengali siren, who has just returned from an extended holiday in Spain with husband Karan Singh Grover, recommended the European nation as a must-visit destination. “Spain is a beautiful country. It’s a must visit for everyone. We walked a lot while exploring the city. We enjoyed the local cuisine and interacted with the local people there.” - indianexpress.com
Neetu Kapoor July 8, 1958
24 July 08, 2016 New Coach Kumble Backs Kohli’s Aggressive Mindset
“Fittest Pak Team Ever” Starts Tour vs. England
T
BY SHASHANK KISHORE
Anil Kumble, India’s new head
coach, has said he will back Virat Kohli’s aggression and desire to push boundaries to secure wins. He also said India would approach tough situations positively during the long season, which starts with a four-Test series in the West Indies. “I love his aggression. I was no different,” Kumble said at the team’s pre-departure press conference in Bangalore. “I was also aggressive, but very different in terms of how I probably came across on the field. I’ll be the last person to curb someone’s natural instincts, but of course we all know how important it is to be ambassadors of India and be a part of the Indian cricket team. That everybody in the team understands. There is a fine line and we will ensure that everybody knows that. I certainly won’t curb anyone’s instincts.” Kohli, a picture of composure, wore a sheepish smile as talk of his “over aggression” did the rounds, but insisted that India’s mindset change wasn’t one-off, and that it was something they planned when he took over the reins of the Test team in January 2015. “Our first intention is to win that won’t change,” he said. “Yes, there have been situations from where we’ve lost, but we know we were in that position because of the positive brand of cricket that we played.” The reference, clearly not lost on anyone, was the Adelaide Test in December 2014, which India lost trying to chase down 364 on the final day. “We need to realise we got there in the first place because we played at 80%, so the focus is on the remaining 20%. Anil bhai’s mindset was the same during his playing days, so the mindset makes a difference. If you are hesitant, you don’t explore a different side to your ability as a team. Our motive is the same. We will play with the same mindset of trying to win the series and not just being satisfied with solitary Test wins.” As a follow-up, Kohli was asked about Test rankings, which he said
SPORTS
were merely a byproduct of consistent cricket, and not the team’s primary aim. “High standards have different definitions,” he said. “The main goal is to play good cricket. Even if we’re No. 1 and someone else does better, there’s a chance they can overtake you. So that’s not our aim. The season is long, and we’re playing the same format over a length of time. So there’s an opportunity to use this stretch to challenge ourselves.” Where Kohli felt the team had benefited most during the weeklong camp in Bangalore was in the players’ personal interactions with Kumble and the manner in which he may have broken down barriers within the group. “We haven’t had too many camps before, but I feel there’s already a lot that the team has benefited from,” Kohli said. “If you have experience of facing different situations in the past, you are better equipped. Understanding of skills and understanding of mindset are two different things. Mindset can’t be taught, but it comes only when you have faced tough situations, and that’s one big difference. “The information we’ve got from him about mental adjust-
ments needed to win has been a big boost. He’s been more than willing to speak to everyone equally - the pacers, spinners, batsmen - and address their concerns. There’s an emotional connect with the coach, no doubt, but it’s about how he makes the players feel comfortable. That’s what I believe. “Anil bhai has all those qualities in abundance. There’s huge respect within the group for what he’s achieved and also because he’s been Test captain. He understands that and makes them comfortable, so I feel the combination has settled in beautifully.” Kohli brushed aside concerns over an elbow injury sustained by R Ashwin while batting during the camp, saying he had only suffered a bruise. When asked about Mohammed Shami’s return to the Test side for the first time since recovering from a long-term knee injury, Kohli enthused about his ability to generate reverse-swing. The skill was on display on his debut against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where he returned match figures of 9 for 118. Shami is a skillful guy, we all know that. The way he bowls, the
way he releases the ball, pitches the ball, it’s more or less perfect for Test cricket,” Kohli said. “The lines and lengths he bowls are always attacking. The best thing is when it’s seaming and swinging, he can bowl conventional lines and lengths. If it’s reverse-swinging, he knows exactly where to bring in the ball from. He has a great sense and feel of how to get batsmen out. We have been working with him on the mental strength aspect of his game. “He’s eager to prove himself and come back after injury. We’ve seen when West Indies came to India in 2013, how he brought out his reverse-swing skills. Even in Adelaide in one of the sessions he brought us back into the game with two wickets. So he’s always someone on whom we can bank in terms of picking wickets. In short bursts, if you want a good attacking spell, Shami can deliver that for you. He’s got pace, a great bouncer - so he’s someone we always back because he knows he can take two-three wickets for us at any stage. I’m glad to have him back.” Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
AUNTON: What may be the best-prepared team in Pakistan’s history starts their tour in earnest in Taunton. Even before arriving in the UK three weeks ago, the squad had three weeks of training in Pakistan and are now, in the words of their team manager, Intikhab Alam, “definitely the fittest Pakistan team ever”. But their preparations extend far beyond boot camps with the army in Abbottabad and sessions with the Dukes ball in Hampshire. Pakistan have also spent time reflecting on their team dynamic and the off-field challenges that could confront them in England. The result is a side perhaps no more talented than the one that was beaten here in 2010, but one looking more disciplined, more focused and more united. Mohammad Amir has admitted there were times during his ban from the game when he thought he may never play again. But now, with his Test comeback looming at Lord’s in a fortnight’s time, he is determined to take his chance and develop into “the world’s best bowler.” “For me it is a miracle, like seeing dreams come true. If I perform well, I can feel proud again because Lord’s is a very special place. “
Mohammed Amir returns to the Pakistan team after a five-year ban for spot fixing.
July 08, 2016
India Slips to 75th Place on Money in Swiss Banks; UK on Top
Indian-American Physicist Donates $11 Million to UCLA
India was ranked 75th with about Rs8,392 crore, which is not even 0.1% of the total foreign money in Swiss banks and is the lowest for the country in at least two decades
W
In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 350 billion or almost 25% of the total foreign money with Swiss banks. Photo: Bloomberg
NEW DELHI: India has slipped
to 75th place in terms of money held by its citizens with banks in Switzerland, while the UK remains on top. India was placed at 61st place last year, while it used to among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004. As per the latest annual update on Swiss banks, released by Switzerland’s central bank SNB (Swiss National Bank), the total money held there by foreign clients from across the world fell by nearly 4% to Swiss franc (CHF) 1.42 trillion (about Rs.98 lakh crore) at the end of 2015. In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 350 billion or almost 25% of the total foreign money with Swiss banks. The US came second with nearly
CHF 196 billion or about 14%. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, Germany, Bahamas, France, Guernsey, Luxembourg, Hong Kong and Panama. India was ranked 75th with CHF 1.2 billion (about Rs.8,392 crore), which is not even 0.1% of the total foreign money in Swiss banks and is the lowest for the country in at least two decades or since 1996—the first year for which full comparable data is available. Pakistan was placed higher at 69th place with CHF 1.5 billion— a shade better than 0.1% of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks. India was also lowest ranked among the BRICS nations—Russia was ranked 17th (CHF 17.6 billion), China 28th (CHF 7.4 billion), Brazil 37th (CHF 4.8 billion) and South Africa 60th (CHF
2.2 billion). Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Kazakhstan, Iran, Chile, Angola, Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico, while a number of so-called tax havens were also placed above, including Jersey, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Belize, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Seychelles and St Vincent and the Grenadines. All offshore financial centres together held CHF 378 billion in Swiss banks. The total for developing countries stood at CHF 207 billion, while the same for the developed countries was much higher at CHF 833 million. India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that—55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then 58th in 2013. - livemint.com
25
ASHINGTON: An IndianAmerican physicist has donated $11 million to University of California to establish a center devoted to advancing knowledge of the basic laws of nature, the largest donation in the history of the varsity. “I thank Mani Bhaumik for his philanthropic leadership and for believing in UCLA,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. Bhaumik rose from poverty to become an eminent scientist who played a key role in developing the laser technology that paved the way for Lasik eye surgery. He was born in a remote village in West Bengal, and as a child slept on rags in the thatched-roof mud hut he shared with his parents and six siblings. “I didn’t own a pair of shoes until I was 16 and walked four miles to school and back in my bare feet,” he added in the UCLA statement. Studying under renowned physicist Satyendra Bose, he earned a master’s degree at the University of Calcutta. In 1958, Bhaumik became the first student to earn a doctorate, also in physics, from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. Bhaumik came to UCLA in 1959 -- “with $3 in my pocket”, he said -- on a Sloan Foundation postdoc-
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
toral fellowship. The people of his village raised the money for his airfare, the statement said. “Everyone was treated equally, not like back at home where the poor were treated like dirt. In 1961, Bhaumik joined Xerox Electro-Optical Systems as a laser scientist. He later served as director of the laser technology laboratory at Northrop’s corporate research laboratory. In 1973, he announced the conclusive demonstration of the world’s first efficient excimer laser, a form of ultraviolet laser now commonly used for high-precision machining and for cutting biological tissue cleanly without damaging surrounding tissue. Bhaumik is a fellow of the American Physical Society and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and, in 2011, Indian awarded him the prestigious Padma Shri for distinguished service in science and engineering. “It’s very difficult to raise funds for this area, because people don’t understand what theoretical physicists do. But physics holds the answers to the most fundamental questions of our very existence. Imagine what could be solved right here at UCLA,” he said. The Mani L Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics is intended to become a world-leading center for theoretical physics research and intellectual inquiry, the university said in a statement. The Bhaumik Institute will host visiting scholars, organise seminars and conferences for the academic community, and begin a public outreach programme to teach the community about scientific advances made by UCLA physicists. -indiatimes.com
26 July 08, 2016
Bangladesh Hunts for Dhaka Hostage Crisis Clues, Probes Islamic State Claim
Security
officials searched on Sunday for evidence and the possible masterminds of the weekend hostage-taking in an upscale restaurant in Bangladesh’s capital. The government has denied the Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility for the attack that left 28 dead, including six attackers and 20 of the hostages. Police released photographs of the bodies of five attackers, along with their first names: Akash, Badhon, Bikash, Don and Ripon. The men belonged to the banned domestic group Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, or JMB, and their families hadn’t heard from them in months, according to police. Asked whether they might also have had Islamic State ties, Police Inspector General AKM Shahidul Hoque said authorities were investigating that possibility. Despite the police saying IS links were being investigated, the home minister refuted the possibility that the Islamic State directed the attack from abroad. Bangladesh’s government insists the extremist Sunni Muslim group based in Syria and Iraq has no presence in the country, and in the past has suggested that any claims of responsibility for violence waged in the South Asian country are simply opportunistic attempts at grabbing global attention. “They are all Bangladeshis. They
A Bangladeshi boy holds a Spiderman toy in one hand and a lighted candle in the other as he joins others in paying tribute to those killed in the attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AP Photo)
are from rich families, they have good educational background,” Khan said of the attackers. One surviving suspect was detained when paramilitary forces ended the 10-hour standoff Saturday morning, and authorities said he was being interrogated. The siege marked an escalation in the militant violence that has hit Bangladesh with increasing frequency. Most of the attacks in the past several months have involved machete-wielding men singling out individual activists, foreigners
and religious minorities. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed her political opponents of trying to create chaos by backing domestic militants. “Anyone who believes in religion cannot do such an act,” Hasina said Saturday. “They do not have any religion, their only religion is terrorism.” On Sunday morning, the first of two days of national mourning for the victims, police were blocking all access to streets near the Holey Artisan Bakery where the siege
occurred. Investigators from both Bangladesh and Japan visited the restaurant to collect evidence. The 20 hostages who were killed included nine Italians, seven Japanese, three Bangladeshis and one Indian teenager. Two police officers were killed by the attackers, and 13 people were rescued when commandos stormed the restaurant Saturday morning. Another 25 officers and one civilian were wounded, and some of the rescued hostages had injuries. The hospitals treating them would not give
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fresh information on their conditions Sunday. The attack was the worst in the recent series of attacks by radical Islamists in the moderate, mostly Muslim nation of 160 million. Unlike the previous attacks, the assailants were well-prepared and heavily armed with guns, bombs and sharp objects that police later said were used to torture some of the 35 captives. That the attackers targeted a popular restaurant in the heart of the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh’s capital signaled a change in tactics. The restaurant overlooking a lake serves Spanish food and is patronized by residents of Gulshan, an affluent neighborhood where most of the foreign embassies are located. The hostages were asked to recite verses from the Quran, to prove themselves Muslim, according to a witness. Those who passed were allowed to eat. Those who failed were tortured and slain. Western embassies issued travel warnings to their citizens, advising those in the country to be vigilant and avoid places frequented by foreigners in the diplomatic zone. The US Embassy also urged its citizens and personnel to avoid traveling on foot or in open vehicles exposed to potential attackers. In its claim of responsibility, the Islamic State group said its operatives had targeted the citizens of “Crusader countries” in the attack, warning that citizens of such countries would not be safe “as long as their warplanes kill Muslims.” The statement was circulated in a manner consistent with past IS claims of responsibility. The Amaq news agency, affiliated with IS, also published photos of five smiling young men, each holding what appear to be assault rifles and posing in front of a black IS flag, and identified them as the restaurant attackers, according to the SITE Intelligence Service, which monitors jihadi online activity. The men in those photographs appeared to match the bodies shown in police images of the dead assailants in the restaurant after the hostage crisis ended. Amaq identified the five by noms de guerre indicating they were all Bangladeshis. It said the fighters used “knives, cleavers, assault rifles and hand grenades,” and had “verified” the identities of the hostages in order to spare the Muslims and kill the foreigners. - hindustantimes.com
July 08, 2016
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July 08, 2016
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