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Friday, August 16 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 33
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Indo American erican News Foundation Day www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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in 3 days
at Arya Samaj
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Oak Creek Massacre Remembered
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August 16, 2013
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
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YLDP Graduates Blossom and Impress with a Year’s Worth of Knowledge
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: It was as if all the hard work of piecing together a leadership incubating program over the past five years had paid off. The organizers – the Board members – looked on with a few jitters to see if this new format for showcasing their young interns coming to enlightenment of the ways that leadership abilities had worked and sure enough their charges did not disappoint. The Youth Leadership Development Program has been charging along its mission of taking young adults graduating from high school and on the cusp of bounding off to college and inculcating in them a dose of reality of the outside world they will soon encounter. For the past five years, the YLDP has offered a combination of classes, workshops, visits to social and charitable institutions and lectures by Houston’s political and corporate power elite to give the students a sense of the world around them, with the expectation that all the dots will connect in their young minds. Each year, the class size has grown, now at 40 from the original 20. And there is a greater desire to participate judging from the turnout for the interview process that took place earlier in the month for a slot in the coming year’s program. “It is always refreshing to see the young mind blossom,” remarked YLDP Chairman Nat Krishnamurthy. The graduation ceremony this year was once again held in the India House main hall on Saturday, August 10, but it showed a marked improvement over previous years as the program moved from a recitation of experiences by each student and handing them
YLDP board members.
their awards to panel discussions by five different groups of students on current topics as varied as global affairs to national social reforms. Fittingly enough, event co-chairs Nimmi Vale and Sangeeta Pasrija welcomed the students, their families and other guests to the graduation. “Listen to your hearts and be the best leaders you can be,” said Vale. “Believe in yourself”. Chairman Nat Krishnamurthy gave the example of three bowls of fruits – only apples; a combined and colorful one; and one with ice cream on top – as he described the process by which, as poet William Wordsworth said, the Child is the Father of Man, but that they still need to learn as they are shown the way. He described YLDP’s mentoring program, which includes visiting the Habitat for Humanity, the Lighthouse for the Blind and Richmond State School to name a few, and the dedicated Board. “After you are on your way of Life, remember us,” he ended, “and tell us what you think of this experience.” YLDP President for the past five years Sushma Bhan quoted from a Harvard Business School Review article which asked why anyone should be led by you? She then enumerated several suggested steps including needing a strategy, vision and execution; being authentic, relating to people, timing and daring to be different. “And you women don’t have to be like the men,” she added, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. “’The ultimate measure of a man …. is where he stands in times of controversy.” Bhan acknowledged Ashok
YLDP students with Consul General P. Harish and his wife Nandita.
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August 16, 2013
Third Annual Grand Ganeshotsav Celebrations of
Shree Siddhivinayak Dev SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013 TO SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2013
BHADRAPAD CHATURTHI TO BHADRAPAD EKADASHI September 8, 2013:
2:20 PM Shobha Yatra
From Shiv Shakti Mandir - New Temple 6640 Harwin Dr, Houston, TX 77036
5:00 PM Pooja 7:30 PM Aarti Maha Prasad (Priti Bhojan) after Aarti
September 8, 2013 to September 15, 2013: 5:30 PM Daily Pooja 7:30 PM Daily Aarti Maha Prasad after Aarti
Come and solve all your problems by getting the blessings from the almighty
Shree Vighna Vinayak - Siddhivinayak Ganeshji
1000 LADDU NAIVEDYA WILL BE OFFERED BY THE DEVOTEES OF GANESHJI (DAILY PRASAD SPONSORS WELCOME)
GRAND SPONSORSHIP $21,001 Donation GOLD SPONSORSHIP $11,001 Donation SILVER SPONSORSHIP $5,001 Donation BRONZE SPONSORSHIP $1,001 Donation NAIVEDYA DONATION 11 Laddus for $21.00 (Purely Prepared in Temple) DAILY POOJA SPONSOR $51.00 Donation NAAM ARCHANA SPNOSOR $21.00 Donation POOJA THALI WITH FLOWERS, KUMKUM, $11.00 Donation HALDI, CHAVAL & DURVA AARTI SPONSORS $11.00 Donation (Other than above Donations) Daily Maha Prasad Sponsorship $250.00. Please contact the temple for this sponsorship. (All donations are Tax Exempt)
Celebrations will be held at
“New Shiv Shakti Temple of Houston" 6640 Har win Dr. Houston Texas 77036
For more details, contact: Shri Virat Mehta Tel: 713-278-9099 / 713-784-5500 OR Shri Bhamarbhai Trivedi Tel: 281-733-6587 OR Shri Pradip Pandya Tel: 832-466-9868 OR Shri Hardik Raval Tel: 361-243-6539 Ganeshotsav Supported By: Music Masala Radio, Gujarati Samaj of Houston, Sindhi Association of Houston, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj , Hindus of Greater Houston, ICC & India House of Houston, Jalaram Saibaba Temple, Iscon Temple of Houston, Radha Krishna Temple, Hindu Worship Society, Friends of India, BAPS of Houston, Shree Swaminarayan Temple (ISSO), Jain Center, Durga Bari, Houston Maharashtra Mandal, JVB Preksha Meditation Center. Special Food Supported By: Bhojan, Shiv Sagar, Nita’s Indian Cuisine, Ishwarbhai Bhakta, Swaminarayan Temple (ISSO) (Support still remains open for Daily Mahaprasad-Priti Bhojan) INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
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Foundation Day Celebrations at Arya Samaj Emphasize Vedic Values
BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: On weekend of August 10 and 11, the serene premises of the Arya Samaj Society resonated with the chanting of mantras and the offering of rituals in three chatur veda yajnas performed to link the Human and Divine. The occasion was to commemorate the 22nd Foundation Day or Sthapana Divas of the Arya Samaj Society of Greater Houston. Founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, the Arya Samaj was started as a reform movement to free Hindu society from incorrect beliefs and corrupt practices and puts emphasis on Vedic values. It promotes one formless God, virtuous conduct, universal education and judging people by their actions, not the caste they were born in. The celebration was spread over two days and began on Saturday, the 10th with a yajna in which 12 couples participated. Acharya Dr. Surya Nanda, a renowned Arya Samaj priest, presided over the yajna by reciting mantras selected from the Vedas in his clear and strong voice, with explanations in English. He explained the meaning of the word mantra which is thought and observed that wise people choose their words carefully. He also said that just as the Sun and Moon do their work, so also must Man perform his duty. He added that a person who lives only for himself and does not share his wealth is a sinner whereas a person who shares his wealth is a deva or God. The yajna was repeated the following morning and evening with verses recited from all four Vedas Emcees Renu Jain and Minu Garg introduced Dr. Devbala Ramanathan, an Obstetrician and
The chanting of mantras and the offering of rituals in three chatur veda yajnas were performed at the Arya Samaj Society on August 10 and 11. Several bhajans were sung beautifully over the two days. The occasion was to commemorate the 22nd Foundation Day or Sthapana Divas of the Arya Samaj Society of Greater Houston.
Gynecologist from New York and a much sought after Vedic speaker all over North America. She is also a gifted poet and singer and her topic for the evening’s discourse was “Principles of Life” or Jeevan
Ke Siddhant. Dressed in a simple cotton sari, she spoke forcefully in chaste Hindi about the ills that have befallen Mankind. According to Dr. Devbala, people have distanced themselves from religion
and believe only in the Epicurean philosophy of “eat, drink and be merry” with no thought to the wondrous life we have been given to attain liberation. She also offered ten Principles of Life that can help us lead a better life and emphasized the importance of inculcating Vedic values and culture in our children. Dr. Devbala’s talk was interspersed with couplets that were rich with poetic meaning. Quoting Shakespeare, she offered some sound advice to the gathering to “love all, trust few and hate none” The next morning, Dr. Devbala followed up with another illuminating talk on atmabodh – the soul which needs to be cleansed and this can be achieved by practic-
ing the principles of the Vedas and adopting service to others as a way of life. She also explained that the fragrance spread by the ghee (clarified butter) and other offerings, when added to the havan or sacred
fire purify the environment. A Punjabi bhajan and a song dedicated to Swami Dayanand Saraswati was sung beautifully by Priya Gulati and this was followed by a group of tiny tots from the DAV Montessori school who brought a smile to everyone’s faces with their solemn rendition of “Itni Shakti hamein dena data” followed by the lively tongue twisting Chanda Chamke Cham Cham from Fanaa. Not to be outdone, the DAV Sanskriti children presented the essence of the morning’s discourse with the song “Insaaf ki Dagar pe bacchon dikhao chal ke.” The Arya Samaj bhajan mandali led by Smriti Srivastava and assisted by Satyajit Verma, Minu Garg, Neha Srivastava and Priya Gulati sang several bhajans over the two days which included the soothing “Tumra Bin Hamra Kaun Nahi” from the Aamir Khan starrer Lagaan. Other highlights included the well-known composition Mile Sur Mera Tumhara sung in various languages by Vinita Arora, some members of the Arya Samaj and youngsters Isha Dua, Arnav Sood accompanied by Arjun Arora on the drums and Anusha Sood on the violin. Consul General P. Harish and his wife Nandita were also invited to participate in the yajna and did so willingly. In his address to the gathering later, he lauded the Arya Samaj Society for spreading the message of the Vedas and incorporating it in their own lives with their selfless service to society. The two day event which went like clockwork was the outcome of the sincere efforts put in by Ashutosh Garg, Sanjay Jain and of course the many volunteers.
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
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
HOUSTON: On Sunday, August 11, Houston’s Sikh community held an education and awareness program at the The Sikh Center in remembrance of the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Oak Creek, Wisconsin on August 5, 2012, when a white supremacist killed six Sikh Americans who were preparing for a Sunday service. Lt. Brian Murphy of the Oak Creek Police Department stopped the shooter, Wade Michael Page who later committed suicide, from his shooting rampage sustaining over a dozen of bullet wounds but miraculously survived. A year since the shooting, the Sikh American community has still suffered from hate crimes across the country. However, much like other Sikh communities across the United States, the Houston community has chosen to move forward to turn this tragedy into an opportunity to educate their fellow Americans. It is the hope of the Houston Sikh Community that these events help bring awareness to our broader community to help prevent any future attacks on American places of worship. “This was a great effort in opening our doors. We need to continue to march ahead,” said Bobby Singh, who co-organized Sunday’s event with Manpreet Singh and the Sikh Center Management and President Kanwaljeet Singh. Houston Police Chief Charles
HPD Chief Attends as Sikh Center Remembers Wisconsin Massacre
Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland Jr. (in uniform) attended a Rememberance Service on the first anniversary of the Oak Creek massacre last Sunday, August 11. With him, from the right are Bobby Singh and HPD Office Muzzafar Siddiqui, Raju Ahuja and other guests. Photos: Jaswant Singh
From left: Gurmeet Singh Kindra, Police Chief McClleland, Kanwaljeet Singh, President of Sikh Center, Raju Ahuja.
President of the Sikh Center, Kanwaljeet Singh presenting HPD Chief Charles McClleland a book on Sikhism as a token of our appreciation
Emcee of the Event: Manpreet Singh
McClelland, Jr. was the keynote speaker at the program. In his remarks to the congregation, he described the parallels of his childhood and career with the strife of the Sikh community. McClelland grew up in the era of Jim Crow laws, which segregated whites and blacks. He spoke of the change that was implemented in his community as civil rights were fully enacted, enabling him to rise through the ranks and ultimately be appointed by Mayor Annise Parker to his current position, leading the police department of CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
UT MBA Students Study Daya for their Class Project
Seated from left : Jyoti Kulkarni, Padmini Nathan and Viji Raman Standing from left : Sesh Bala, Vyoma Majmudar-Banker, Abhilasha Vineet, Shaila Patel, Arpan Shah, Stephane Dissake and Lakshmy Parameswaran.
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HOUSTON: The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin chose the non-profit sector for the 2013 final project for their graduating MBA students. A team of five students - Smita Kumar, Stephane Dissake, Keri Macaluso, Arpan Shah and Benjamin Plouvier – chose Daya as their organization of choice for their study. After a preliminary meeting, these students chose two areas of Daya’s operations to focus on: (1) marketing and (2) fund-raising. Sesh Bala (Daya Board Member), Vyoma Majmudar-Banker (Daya’s Director of Counseling & Client Services) and Dr. Padmini Nathan (Daya President), worked with the UT team, providing them the background, the needed operational and financial information for analysis, long term goals and also current priorities. The team then did their research and analysis, and documented their findings in a written report and a Power Point presentation that they gave to the Business School faculty members at UT-Austin and also to fellow MBA students. The students have all since graduated with their MBA degrees. They also presented their findings to Daya at a meeting of the board members and staff. The recommendations presented by the UT MBA team, not surprisingly, included use of modern technology in both the marketing areas and the fund-raising areas. Facebook, Twitter, targeted eNewsletters, data mining and revamping the website to
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highlight the human and emotional side of Daya’s work were among the many recommendations. The new area of ‘crowdfunding’ was also explored as a way to raise funds for specific projects. The recommendations also included increased traditional marketing and fundraising approaches, making it a balanced presentation. The whole process was a fruitful experience for both the MBA students and the Daya board and staff. Daya intends to follow up on several of the UT MBA study recommendations. Community help is already underway too. A radio station which heard about the UT study has approached Daya offering to help with marketing, helping make the South Asian community aware of Daya and its free services. There was a ’crowdfunding’ seminar organized by TiE Houston Chapter and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce recently. TiE leader Shri Iyer provided a free pass to Daya for the seminar; a Daya staff member attended the seminar. Daya is a Houston-based 501-C-3 nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1996. Daya helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in the South Asian communities in the Greater Houston area. Daya provides confidential counseling, case management, financial assistance and transitional housing to its clients. Daya also holds free educational seminars. Daya hotline number is 713-981-7645 and website www. dayahouston.org.
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BY SURUCHI AVASTHI HOUSTON: A week after my time as a counselor at VHPA, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America’s summer camp, ended, I still find myself singing the bhajans that we sang every night. “Bolo bolo sab mil bolo, Om Namah Shivaya!” just keeps on repeating itself in my head. Waking up to do morning shaka, educating campers on how to apply practices of Hinduism into their everyday life, and doing aarti every night are just a few of the experiences that campers and counselors have at camp to both learn about, and practice their faith. Coming from a community where there were no other Hindu youth, VHP had given me the opportunity once before during my senior year of high school and now as a counselor, to not only learn about my religion, but to find a group of life long friends that share the same interest and desire to learn about their faith. My experience as a camper had not only allowed me to learn about Hinduism, but also inspired me to learn more on my own and give back to the Hindu community. It was because of this desire to give back that I wanted to return to camp two years later to be a counselor. Being at a point in my life where getting closer to my religion and learning more about it was important to me, deciding to be a counselor was an easy decision. Having the chance to grow within my religion as well as help impact the youth of our community was a learning experience in many ways. Whether it was practicing different yogasanas and activities during counselor meetings, researching and planning educations to teach, or reading the Mahabharata, my experience preparing to be counselor was a learning process on its own. Every step the 42 person counselor team took to prepare for camp and the 170 campers that were on their way was well worth it when camp began and we could see how much our hard work had paid off. As cliché as it may sound, the past week of camp was one of the best I have had. It was getting to spend mornings with my campers doing exercises to just sitting down and getting to know each camper during meals that made camp special. Laughing together during
August 16, 2013
Vishwa Hindu Parishad Summer Camp, an Experience to Remember
VHPA summer camp 2013.
skit night, enjoying the talents of campers during the talent show, having open discussions during education time, and even participating in water balloon fights during Holi -- every event and activity at camp allowed everyone to feel closer and really become a family. Being a counselor not only opened my eyes to so much about my Hindu faith, but also gave me the chance to be a leader and impact the campers in a positive way. That being said, one of the things counselors worry about is not having a big enough influence on our campers. One of my fellow counselors, Vidha Dixit, who I had met during my time as a camper and that I have been lucky enough to stay in touch with years later, said it best when she was telling me about her 2nd and 3rd grade campers. “I was concerned that my instructions on ‘The Importance of Bhajans’ didn’t make a large enough impact on my campers,” she said, “however, I knew I had succeeded in my goal to influence my kids when they all spontaneously burst into bhajans during our last day together, forming a joyful circle as they sang ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ at the top of their lungs!” Knowing that we, as counselors, did have a positive effect on our campers makes the whole experience worth it. Helping campers grow in their faith allows us as counselors to grow as well. Subhash Gubba, another counselor that I had met as a camper, shared the sentiment
Photo: Vijay Pallod
when I asked him about his experience in learning about Hinduism through being a counselor. “I’ve always been a strong believer in Hinduism,” he told me, “but being able to share my beliefs and help guide younger children in the same path has both tested my faith and strengthened my love for my religion”. As counselors we are given the great opportunity to learn and grow as people and as Hindus. The same can be said for our campers. VHPA camp gives kids the chance to be with friends that help them learn and grow as Hindus. It’s an
experience that simply can’t be replaced. As a camper, I didn’t understand how much hard work and preparation was put into the camp in order to make it a great experience for everyone. Weekly counselor meetings were held throughout the summer in which we planned out games and activities for campers to play, different exercises and yoga poses, as well as many ways for us to be good leaders and role models for our campers. Not only that, but countless hours were put into making sure that educations were
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both engaging and informative for the campers so that they would not only learn about Hinduism during camp, but learn how they could take those lessons and apply them to their everyday lives at home. It wasn’t just us counselors putting camp together however. There were countless volunteers in the kitchen who cooked meals for everyone at camp, many donors who helped fund food and other items that were used in different activities and games, and many more people who had a hand in putting camp together and were involved in making the experience what it was. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the hard work and preparation done by our directors, Kavita Pallod and Sujata Amin. Both directors put in countless hours to make sure that everyone knew what they needed to do and that every aspect of camp was handled. The experience would not have been the same without them and for that they deserve the highest praise. A big thank you also goes out to all of my co-counselors and to the volunteers who made this camp possible. I learned so much about my faith and myself through the process of working with others and putting camp together. This was the 29th year that VHPA has put on camp and I cant wait to return to be a part of many, many more!
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
Youthful Testimonials at Program at UH Give Impact of AIM for Seva’s Mission BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: AIM for Seva co-hosted a program, appropriately entitled “Teaching the Unreachable”, with the University of Houston’s India Studies Program on the evening of Thursday, August 8, which focused on AOS’ mission and work. The program was held at the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Library on the Main Campus and was attended by almost 60 community members where they heard about AIM for Seva’s goals and the work it has done so far. The inspiration and guidance for this allIndia organization comes from His Holiness Dayanand Saraswati who started the movement with the goal of reaching out to millions of rural and tribal children who have no access to schools and giving them the greatest gift of all – the gift of literacy - which would help lift them out from the centuries-old mire and cycle of poverty. Krishna Mudan, Board Member of AIM for Seva warmly welcomed the gathering and explained the unique model of AIM for Seva’s Free Student Homes (FSH) or Chatralayas, each of which house about 15-80 children. What is novel about this model is that the children are provided not just with the basic necessities of shelter; clothing, schooling and nutritious meals but also tutoring and mentoring along with recreation facilities, yoga classes and a value based moral education. Presently, there are 100 Chatralayas or FSHs spread across India and the aim is to increase this number to 200 by 2020. The results are heartwarming with a 100% pass rate in School Board exams and many children go on to pursue graduate studies
AIM for Seva Houston Volunteers
or technical and vocational training. Every child that is educated creates a positive ripple effect within the community and what makes it so rewarding is that several of them choose to stay back and work to uplift their villages. AIM for Seva’s work is not restricted to just education and children but also extends to primary programs health care and women empowerment. Organizers estimate that more than 100 million people have been impacted by this movement so far. Mudan expressed pride that Houston’s chapter of AIM for Seva has built four student homes and partially supports ten more. In order to give the gathering an eyewitness account, Mudan invited two youngsters – Ashwin Harish, a 10th grader from a local Houston area high school and Hamsika Chandrasekhar, a graduate of MIT who is now heading off to Stanford Medical School - to talk about their experiences in working with AIM for Seva. Both spoke
eloquently about their visit to a FSH in India, what they saw and how it affected them. Ashwin said he saw the light of hope and pride in the children’s eyes and wondered if one can ever put a value on a child’s life. His visit to India made him realize how fortunate he was and he implored the audience to give generously because every cent meant so much to these children. As part of a project called “Embrace”, Hamsika visited the Shamlaji Tribal Hospital in Gujarat run by AIM for Seva. The project has devised a low cost warmer to replace an expensive incubator and Hamsika took the initiative of carrying two of them to the hospital. She was able to see how these low cost warmers helped premature babies survive and thrive. She also saw a mobile hospital, once again run by Aim for Seva, taking medical care to the doorstep of the villages. She said it was an “eye opening experience.”
However the most captivating moment of the evening came when a petite, confident girl walked up to the mike and addressed the gathering. Her story is the stuff movies and books are written about. One of three daughters of a widowed mother, Sheetal Pundir joined the AIM for Seva FSH in Rishikesh. She recalled her initial struggle and despair but her mother’s encouraging words kept her going. She went on to win national scholarships and is currently at the University of Ottawa working towards her Ph.D. in Biochemistry. She claimed that” if she did the impossible, it was because AIM for Seva made it possible.” Her grit and determination had the audience spellbound and hanging on her every word. When Sheetal returned to her seat she received a standing ovation. These heartwarming stories come at a cost and, as Mudan put it, “is the price of a cup of coffee a day.” It takes $450 a year to sponsor a child and this year Houston has a target of sponsoring 120 children. So far, $48,000 had been raised but AIM for Seva is aiming to raise $100,000 which they hope to achieve with their next fundraising event – Prabhavati, a classical dance performance about an Asura princess by Rukmini Vijaykumar - which will take place on October, 4th,. Dr. Visweswaran, a prominent supporter, called AIM for Seva’s work a noble mission and recalled Swamiji’s explanation of the meaning of compassion which is empathy – the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and feel his pain. When asked how one can
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
YLDP Graduates Blossom and Impress with a Year’s Worth of Knowledge
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Rao and Krishnamurthy for their $1,000 donations to the program and she deeply appreciated the support that Shell Oil has given $10,000 over the last five years – towards the YLDP. The lunch for the event was catered by Annam restaurant on Highway 6. The panel discussions were lively and engaging, and showed the way that the young minds saw the world around them, albeit one colored through the US experiences they live daily, a point alluded to later by the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish when he gave his keynote speech. The topics varied from Gay Rights and the recent striking down of the Defense of Marriage Act; the Arab Spring and its after-
math; Whistleblowers and the Edward Snowden case; Gun Control and Social Media and showed the intellectual range that the students had to explore in order to formulate and articulate their opinions. Not surprisingly, very few of them offered a conservative approach to these issues, offering a refreshingly open-minded discussion instead. US Congressman Al Green who came in just in time to hear the Whistleblower discussion said he was “blown away” by the depth of the student’s research and dialogue. He went on to speak about the future that these young minds would have to deal with and offered his best wishes for fulfilling careers.
Consul General Harish encapsulated the experiences that the young adults could look forward to by stating that “humans have identities integrally linked to the evolution of human consciousness” and “we have to grapple with the various identities we have.” He enumerated the various identities the students had: US citizens, Indian origin, Houstonians, religious and linguistic affiliations and pointed out that they would downplay some and not others. He asked that the students bear in mind their Indian origins and stay connected and inquisitive with it but learning more about the culture, politics and lifestyles in India and stressed the importance of being multi-lingual. “Ninety percent of Indians came to the US as students, with qualifications as engineers, doctors and so on,” Harish continued. “Their dreams were Indian dreams for their future.” He asked that the students make an effort to understand where these dreams were shaped by visiting India and discussing it in detail, just like in the panel discussions. Harish helped to hand out some of the graduating certificates and awards.
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August 16, 2013
HPD Chief Attends as Sikh Center Remembers Wisconsin Massacre
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America’s fourth largest city. McClelland’s official visit to the Houston Gurdwara and his participation in the traditional religious ceremony was a noteworthy gesture during the memorial attended by Houstonians from all walks of life for the Oak Creek victims. In addition to the service, an educational presentation of the basics of Sikhism and English translations of the services were presented. The Sikh Center President, Kanwaljeet Singh presented a book on Sikhism as a special gift on behalf of the community to Chief McClelland. Manpreet Singh, emcee for this special gathering themed “Bring a Friend” kept the program flowing, which included traditional hymns called Shabad Kirtan and featured other speakers.
Youthful Testimonials at Program at UH Give Impact of AIM for Seva’s Mission CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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inculcate compassion, Swamiji’s advice was to fake it and make it – the meaning being that if one keeps pretending to be compassionate, it becomes a reality after a while. He also revealed a lighter side to Swamiji by narrating an incident about the time when an American asked him why he was growing his long beard. With a twinkle in his eye, Swamiji replied that he was not growing his beard, it was growing by itself. If the American has posed the question as to why Swamiji was not cutting the beard, then he would have answered the question! The evening ended with a song “Bharaata Desa Hitaaya” composed by Swamiji which enjoins every Indian to serve their country, to touch the remotest parts, alleviwith... ate poverty and bring prosperity to India. At the conclusion of this, guests were invited to proceed to a delicious dinner catered by Dakshin.
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COMMUNITY
August 16, 2013
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Interfaith Dinner Organized by Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Guests from other faiths and Members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Houston are listening to the presentation on Ramadan.
In this spirit, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community organized an interfaith conference followed by an Iftar dinner on Wednesday, July 31 and Saturday, August 03 in our Mosque located at 1333 Spears Rd, Houston. Topic of the conference was “Fasting – Shared Traditions of Sacrifice and Worship” in different religions as prescribed in their faith. Islam was represented by Dr. Bilal Rana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Judaism by Rabbi Laura Sheinkof of Congregation Jewish Community North and Christianity by Deacon Robert J. Hesse, Ph.D. (Deacon Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston. A large congregation including adherent of different faiths attended this conference in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and were allowed to ask question from the speakers at the end. The conference started at 7 PM and finished at the time of opening of the fast for that day around 8:15 PM.
On the same concept, another interfaith dinner was organized on Saturday, August 03. Dr. Ejaz A. Sheikh, a prominent member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Houston made an excellent and comprehensive presentation on fasting in Islam. Then few guests from other religions (Sikhism, Christians) expressed their appreciation of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of their efforts in organizing these types meetings. It was an excellent venue for bringing the people of different faiths together in a most congenial manner discussing the article of faith which is common to all faiths, i.e. the fasting. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, established in 1920, is the first American-Muslim organization.
HOUSTON: In this time and age where hatred and animosity is tearing the world apart, specially in the name of religion, any voice promoting the brotherhood and enmity between people of different religions and faith is a breath of fresh air and need of the time. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been on the forefront for more than 10 decades furthering exactly the same theme of improving the understanding between the different religions and faiths by inviting the diverse faith such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Baha’ism etc. to our Mosques all around the world and allowing the leaders of the different religions and faiths to explain their faiths to the audience in a mutually amicable way and Islam is explained by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in fact in 1904 put forward the idea of mammoth proportion which if adopted could rid the world of intolerance amongst its followers. The idea was to address all the founders of the religions with respect and not to slander them by writing or using harsh words to defame them. He also forbade his followers to react with violence if derogatory remarks or writings are published against the founder of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), but use the opportunity to inform the world regarding the true message of peace and brotherhood promoted by Islam as per the Quranic teachings.
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August 16, 2013
Gunateeta Sang: Spirituality Through Music at its Epitome BY NAMRATA & VIVEK SINHA HOUSTON: Gunateeta is one who has achieved the perfect balance of all the “gunas”, or one who has transcended earthly ties and can see everything in the divine light. It is said that to even get the chance to observe such a being is available only to those who are blessed with abundant good fortune and perhaps earn it through great effort. Houstonians were fortunate to dive into this spirituality led by none other than Sangeet Martand Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj-ji at the concert at Stafford Centre Performing Arts Theatre on July 26, presented by the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH). Almost 150 members of the Saadhana Pari-
Upcoming event : ISCA National Convention on Sept. 14 th and 15th, 2013 at Stafford Center, Stafford including Sing for Seniors Talent Hunt and Atul Brahmbhatt’s gazals program.
Auditions for Talent on 13th Sept. at India House and semi-finals and finals at Stafford Centre, on 14th Sept. Meet 2nd and 4th Saturday (11:30am-3pm)
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war of Pandit Suman Ghosh were doubly fortunate to also get some one-on-one time with the legend himself on July 28 at the event, very aptly titled Gunaateeta Sang or “With the Gunateeta”, in Anjali Center, Sugar Land. Guests included dignitaries like the Consul General of India, P. Harish and his wife Nandita. The Grand Guru of the institution was greeted with a traditional “aarti” and the auspicious blowing of the conch shell. Led by their Guruji, the disciples then presented their humble musical offerings to their Bade Guruji. A Ganesh Vandana in Raag Kedar by the youngest disciples was followed by a chhota khayal in Raag Saraswati by the entire Saadhana Pariwar. While the Sangeet Martand smiled and nodded appreciatively during these two compositions he was moved to tears by the soulful rendition of the Nandakumarashtakam
in Raag Bageshri as the 3rd offering. The composition, originally created on this shloka a couple of decades ago by the Sangeet Martand himself, had been completely forgotten by all, including him. His worthy torchbearer, Pandit Suman Ghosh felt that there could be no better gift than to recompose the shloka and train his disciples to render it as a humble offering to their Bade Guruji. The disciples, knowing the unique thought behind the effort, gave it their musical best. After an emotional pause at the end of the presentation, the Sangeet Martand said that when a disciple goes a few steps ahead of the Guru, then the Guru is assured a place in Heaven and that Pt. Ghosh had ensured this place for him. He praised the composition itself, lauded certain parts of it as exceptional. He also spoke highly about the musicality, energy and involvement in even the youngest
disciples of the Saadhana Pariwar who performed there. After formal felicitations and a brief address by the Consul General of India, the floor was turned over to the Grand Guru, who shared anecdotes about his illustrious musical journey with great warmth and wit. He spoke fondly of Pt.Ghosh’s uncle – Ujjwal Roy who was convinced that young Jasraj’s destiny lay in singing rather than playing the tabla. His determined insistence with the family and Pandit Jasraj’s Guru changed the course of musical history. Despite recent serious healthissues, the maestro extended his blessings to his beloved disciple Pandit Ghosh’s Pariwar beyond his spoken words – through a delightful teaching of one of his own compositions in Raag Bahaar – to the surprise and delight of the gathering. Pandit Ghosh is well-known as a Guru of exceptional abilities and dimensions, which makes learning under him a complete spiritual experience. He himself also sets the example as one of the most respectful, dutiful and caring disciples of his own Guru – an aspect which seems to have been wellimbibed by his own disciples. This fact was brought into sharp focus on the Sunday when the disciples of the Saadhana Pariwar dedicated themselves to their Grand-Guru’s seva. The rare evening with the Gunateeta – the Sangeet Martand only bolstered the well-known fact that, in a learning process, experiential realization may have a clear and decisive edge over theoretical knowledge, when the subject is Indian Classical Music.
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18 August 16, 2013 Shoring Up the Rupee As the rupee continued to hover around its record low, the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a raft of measures to arrest the slide including the easing of investment caps for foreign investors in a range of sectors and tightening liquidity by making funds costlier for banks. In the latest set of moves, the government has hiked the import duty on gold to make you bear the cost of a creaking foreign exchange deficit and stabilise a weakening rupee. India is also set to float a first-of-its-kind proxy sovereign bonds that will allow State-owned companies to dig deep into the pockets of foreign pension and institutional funds to stem the rupee’s slide, raise funds for building highways and also test international investors’ confidence in the economy, which has been the target of unsparing criticism of global credit rating firms. These, along with other actions such as easier overseas borrowing norms and more attractive returns on NRI deposits in Ind-ian banks, is estimated to fetch the government an additional $11 billion (about Rs. 66,000 crore), crucial to strengthen the rupee that has fallen by more than 15% since May. The measures are part of a strategy to rein in India’s current account deficit (CAD) —the difference between dollar inflows and outflows — to about 3.7% of GDP from a record 4.8% of GDP last year. Amid moves to shore up its dollar stash, the government should not lose sight of the more lasting solutions. Some analysts have categorised the recent spate of moves as quick-fix solutions. This argument has some merit, although stop-gap measures are sometimes the only prescription given the degree of exigency. The math is based on the idea that additional dollar inflow will enable the government without dipping into its $285 billion of foreign exchange reserves, which is just about enough to cover imports for seven months. In a slowing economy, however, the assessment of incremental capital inflows can sometimes prove to be an overestimation. India’s factory output fell by 2.2 % in June, the second monthly decrease in as many months, underlining the fact that the country is stuck with the toxic combination of low growth and high inflation. This broadly mirrors what shop-end evidence is showing. People are putting off purchases of cars and televisions, prompting firms to defer capacity expansion. As a corollary, this will moderate India’s private debt inflow slowing down dollar inflows. Besides, foreign investors continued to pull out from emerging markets, including India, after the US Federal Reserve signalled a timeline to wind down its monetary stimulus programme by mid-2014. In the final analysis, the rupee’s fall is a symptom of a bigger structural problem — the CAD — that will require stronger, immediate and consistent policy responses. Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL
Forests of the Night BY CHRISTOPHE JAFFRELOT How Chhattisgarh became a sanctuary, and then a laboratory, for Naxals Some time ago, Chhattisgarh hit the headlines because of a Maoist attack on state Congress leaders, in which V.C. Shukla and Mahendra Karma died. Since then, the Congress has accused the BJP government of a conspiracy, and some BJP leaders have accused former chief minister Ajit Jogi of being part of a conspiracy himself. Politicising this tragic episode is not the best way to understand why Chhattisgarh has become a Maoist stronghold. Today, the state is the worst affected by Maoist-related violence. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, between 2005 and June 2013, 2,055 lives have been lost in this guerilla-like war, including 755 members of the security forces, 662 militants and 638 civilians. That is twice more than in Jharkhand and about four times more than in West Bengal and Orissa. There is a history behind the entrenchment of the Naxals in Chhattisgarh. It started in the late 1970s, when Maoists from Andhra Pradesh initiated the Go to Villages Campaign, which prepared them to work among the Adivasis, then subjugated by landlords and the state. The latter limited their access to forest products such as tendu leaves, not to mention the violent scorn with which the police treated tribal people. When the Naxalites were repressed by the Andhra government in the 1980s, they used southern Chhattisgarh, and more especially Bastar (roughly equivalent to the region known as Dandakaranya), as a base, because the jungle made them difficult to track down. This sanctuary gradually turned into a laboratory. Militants from the cities learned the local dialect, sometimes married tribal women and, above all, obtained better wages for Adivasis who gathered tendu leaves and bamboo stalks for paper mills. These successes were made possible by intimida-
Today, Chattisgarh is the worst affected by Maoist-related violence. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, between 2005 and June 2013, 2,055 lives have been lost in this guerilla-like war, including 755 members of the security forces, 662 militants and 638 civilians. tion and an effort to organise the tribal people, which in 1989, culminated in the foundation of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Mazdoor Kisan Sangh. In the 1990s, the rush for the area’s mineral resources began. The region harbours rich deposits of coal, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, quartz, gold, diamonds and uranium. These treasures attracted public and then private investors, once India embarked on the path of economic liberalisation that promised to make such riches more accessible. For these resources to be exploitable, especially when it involved opencast mines, tribes were displaced and their land confiscated. Maoists, with support from new partisans recruited among them, reacted to the multiplication of mines and factories by targeted attacks. For instance, the National Mineral Development Corporation iron ore mine in Bacheli (Dantewada district) has been the object of repeated attacks since 2006, all attempts to block supplies to the Essar steel mill in Andhra. These attacks also enable the Maoists to
obtain explosives that they later use to plant landmines along the tracks. The historical and economic reasons due to which Maoism developed in Chhattisgarh can be traced back to another meta-explanation: the Adivasis represent 32 per cent of the population and they have never been given their due in the region. In spite of their demographic advantage, and in contrast to what happened even in Jharkhand, they could never dislodge upper-caste leaders from dominant positions in the state government. Although trade union leaders like S.G. Niyogi, assassinated in 1991, and the Gondwana Gantantra Party have tried to organise the sons of the soil, they have rallied around mainstream, upper-caste dominated parties, including the BJP, for elections. That was partly because the Sangh Parivar has been able, since the creation of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in 1952, to co-opt — and Sanskritise — some Adivasis, with the support of Rajput exrulers such as Dilip Singh Judeo (and his father). Jana Sangh MLAs started to run the show as early as the 1960s, as evident from the career of Baliram Kashyap, an MLA in Bastar district in 1972-92. Neither the Congress, whose leaders — be they the Shukla brothers or Motilal Vora — were traditionally from the upper castes, nor the BJP, has been interested in promoting the cause of the Adivasis, whose socio-economic conditions kept declining in relative terms. If Chhattisgarh had among the lowest human development indices in 2011, it was largely because of its tribal population. Indeed, 55 per cent of its rural tribal population lived below the poverty line (against 32 per cent of its SC rural population) and the underfive mortality rate among STs was 40 percentage points higher than that among SCs, which was already very high. IE The writer is senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Paris, professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King’s India Institute, London.
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HOUSTON: MANU SHAH CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR, INDIA: RAJ KANWAR ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY Come and Celebrate Janmashtami with HGH
HOUSTON: Multitudes of people, with their friends, families and neighbors, will be celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Saturday, September 07. This celebration, sponsored by Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), a non-profit organization, is joyously anticipated as the first community wide celebration post summer holidays every year. Krishna Janmashtami is a major Hindu function where Houston Hindus join together in the festivities in perhaps the largest such celebration in North America, continually creating new traditions. For the past 23 years in Houston the festival of Janmashtami has been observed with pomp and pageantry, bringing together, all under one roof, a variety of joyous activities for young and old alike. The event is open to the public, free of cost. It is celebrated to share the richness of Hindu culture and traditions. Keeping up with the motto of “bringing Hindus together” Hindus of Greater Houston this year will be hosting the Dharma and Yoga Fest celebrating the 150th year anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a great philosopher and well renowned Hindu Monk.
Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh (HSS) coordinator Achalesh Amar said “What better offering to Swamiji than educating people about the four paths of Sadhna (Yoga) he propagated: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gyan Yoga and Raj Yoga”. He added “We are grateful to the Houston Hindu community for the tremendous response we are getting in putting together this unique program. So far we have had the confirmations from 28 organizations for taking an active part in preparations/organizing this noble endeavor and we are in communication with 22 others and expect to get their confirmations soon. The function will begin at 2 PM with all 4 yoga tracts (Bhakti yoga, Raj yoga, Gyan Yoga & Karma Yoga) running in parallel. There will be speech contests for middle & high school kids and panel discussions where you could meet powerful Hindu leaders of Houston. From 6 pm onwards there will be a spectacular line up of children’s costume contest, mesmerizing children dressed as Radha, Krishna, Meera and Sudhama as well as Swami Vivekanada with both individual and group categories, professionally choreographed performances presented by dance schools with variety of traditional
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Indian dances from all over India. Also among the special attractions will be the powerfully enacted skit on the life of Swami Vivekananda by several organizations within Houston. There will be community booths and a variety of foods that will keep everyone entertained and amazed through midnight. All are invited to dance to the live Khelaiyya style Garba/Dandiya Raas music to the thrilling beats of Darshak Thakkar and specially flown in female singer Shivangini. One can enjoy the beautifully decorated booths and temple displays and certainly not miss the grand Rangoli decoration by Sangeeta Bhutada, Kid’s Corner with loads of fun activities and culmination midnight Krishna Janma Maha-Aarti. This celebration is brought to you by Hindus of Greater Houston ... bringing Hindus together, which invites Hindus and their friends and neighbors to participate. For further information visit www.HindusofHouston.org. Or contact Chairperson Partha Krishnaswamy (713-962-8523) for event details, Achalesh Amar (713357-8216) Sharad Amin (713-8540633) for sponsorship / donation opportunities, Richa Dixit (832451-7206) for volunteer opportunities, Sheetal Rathi (281-597-8794) for costume contest, Niyati Vaidya (832-607-3615) for speech contest , Swapan Dhairyawan (832260-0524) for booth information. Save the date and plan to attend Janmashtami and Dharma and Yoga Fest 2013 on Saturday, Sept 07 from 2 PM through midnight at hall B3 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. See ad on Page 12.
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August 16, 2013
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HMSA Donates Tents to Pakistani Hindu Refugees Based at Jodhpur
From left: Dhananjay & Vikram Parihar (Bajrang Dal), Prof. B.L.Mathur, Prahalad Goel (VHP), Rahul Chandra (HMSA), Chetan Ram (Refugee Grp Leader), Om Prakash Boob (Sr. Advocate) at Jodhpur Municipal Shelter home based tent donation event.
JODHPUR: On May 18, Hindu Mahasabha of America (HMSA) donated tents to Pakistani Hindu Refugees based at Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A total of six tents were donated providing accommodation relief to eight families out of thirty three who are residing there. Along with HMSA two other American Hindu organizations donated three more tents a day before. The donation event was coordinated with the help from Jodhpur Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Ba-
jrang Dal leaders. A total of thirty three families reside at this camp comprising of seventy children, eight women, and ninety men (approx.), as per recent update, hundreds of more families arrived two weeks ago from Sindh Province of Pakistan. The exodus of Pakistani Hindus have exponentially increased in past two years after facing grave Human rights violation in Pakistan. More and more Hindu organizations are uniting to help Pakistani Hindu refugees
in India. More consolidated data regarding relief effort can be researched at http://pakhindurefugeerelief.wordpress.com/. Along with relief efforts Hindu organizations are also creating awareness of grave human rights violations at federal and state levels at their respective countries including protests at Pakistani consulates to seek immediate Pakistani Government intervention in safeguarding Hindu human rights in Pakistan. http://protestagainstpakistan.com HMSA previously has also written to Jodhpur district collector to provide safe accommodation. Efforts of Hindu organizations are creating impact, post which Jodhpur district administration allowed shelter to this group, local schools have also come forward to admit young children at their schools. These refuges and incoming new group desperately needs your help in terms of Groceries, Tents, Water Filters, Cooking Stove and Medical Check up. If you or your organization would like to donate please contact Rahul Chandra @ 713-429-4037 or e-mail @ rahul.chandra@hmsamerica. org
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COMMUNITY
India Culture Center (ICC ) : Looking Back- A Journey of 40 Years BY DR. SEWA S. LEGHA HOUSTON: The Year 1973 has a special significance in the social and cultural life of the Indian Community of Greater Houston. It was during this year- 40 years back- that the early Indian Immigrants to Houston area felt the need for establishing the ICC as an organization for celebrating the National festivals of India and holding cultural events to keep them and their children in touch with their Indian roots. The leadership to organize and promote ICC was provided by Dr. Harb S. Hayre who was the First ICC president and remained at the helm for 2 years(1973-1975). The Indian community of early 1970s was quite small, no more than 5,000 people, mostly students, teachers
and a handful of Engineers and Physicians. ICC gained momentum quickly and became and continues to this day, to be the cultural hub of the entire Indian Community, serving as the umbrella organization during all these years. As a matter of our great pride in ICC and for its many accomplishments during these years, ICC is celebrating its 40th anniversary along with the upcoming Independence day function to be held on August 25. We want the entire Indian community of Metro Houston to participate in these festivities and take pride in the accomplishments of ICC and celebrate this milestone with great enthusiasm. Let me now highlight the contributions of ICC to the welfare of the Indian community of greater
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Houston. As a former President of ICC (Year-1986), I have personally benefited in more than one ways as my life has been enriched and is more fulfilling due to that opportunity to serve the Indian Community of Houston. During my presidency, I came in contact with many wonderful people from all regions of India and learned more about the rich culture of India than I had known from my early life in India. Indians generally tend to be quite parochial in their social life and in their mobility across our varied regional festivities and social celebrations. Growing up In Punjab I was quite ignorant about the rich heritage of India especially from the South and Eastern regions of India. During my term as an ICC Board member, I met and made so many wonderful friends from various States of India ( Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bengal and Bihar) and learned a great deal about the celebrations of their regional festivals which greatly broadened my outlook about the country of my birth. So I would encourage anyone of you, who yearn to know about the older past of the Indian Subcontinent, to join ICC in any
capacity you like(Volunteer or Board member) and enjoy serving our local Community . Besides the personal gains, there were many opportunities to make an impact on the life of our fellow Indians living in Houston and to the community at large. We held many varied functions like a Sports day for the youngsters, Spelling Bees, Leadership training and creation of local Indian PACs. During the recent years we have started holding much bigger functions to bring our community together. These included India bazaars and India fest type of celebrations which are fertile grounds for not only meeting many older friends and families but also networking with professional colleagues and the local American leaders of our City government(Mayor and County officials)who are always eager to meet a progressive and very educated community which is impacting the Medical Field and the Engineering field which Houston is famous for. I would also like to enlist the key city-wide accomplishments of the ICC during the first 40 years. Efforts were regularly made to acquire property to build a large Indian Community Center where we can hold our festivals and larger community meetings on special occasions. This ultimately bore fruit and the India House was built(2003-2007) as a result of the persistent efforts by many of the ICC Presidents of the past years. Special credit for this accomplishment goes to the community stalwarts like Raj Syal, Lachhman Das, Ashok Dhingra, V.K Sethi, Dr. Virendera Mathur, Durga Agrawal , Kul Bhushan Uppal and many
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others whom I may not remember or know well. Krishna Vavilala was instrumental in Bringing and installing the Statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Hermann Park for all the local citizens to know and learn about. ICC leadership was also responsible in making efforts and successfully establishing the office of the Consulate General of India in Houston , greatly benefitting the local Indian community for nearly 20 years now. In this year of its 40th anniversary, it is quite legitimate to ask the question of about the present and future relevance of ICC to the Indian Community of Houston. I am sure there would be varied opinions on this subject, but my personal view on this subject is that the institution of ICC is essential for the present and the future generations of Indians who have made Houston area as their future home. Although we are blessed with over one hundred Indian organizations operating in the Metro Houston area, these are all fairly small groups, largely from each State of India or one of many religious groups. So none of them are prepared or would be able to hold large community wide Celebrations like ICC is set up to hold. For this reason, all our national celebrations(two key ones being Republic day and the Independence day of India) and our major Festivals like Diwali and Holi require a strong organization like the ICC which fosters unity among all Indian Americans and genuinely represents the entire Indian community of greater Houston area. But we do need strong leaders to run this organization as it does take up a lot of personal time and resources in order to lead a big Organization like ICC. It is not for the faint hearted, with a short sighted agenda to be a good leader of ICC for the benefit of our Indian Community of Houston. I would like to commend and congratulate the present Leadership and the board of the current ICC, who have organized the 40th year celebration of ICC. I hope and pray that I may still be around to see an even bigger celebration for the Golden Jubilee of ICC’s Founding.
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Arbi ki Chaat (Eddoe Root Spicy Salad) In the heat of the summer, when Punjabis want to snack, but not necessarily eat fried foods or potatoes, they reach out for arbi ki chaat which has a cool, spicy and tangy taste and is low in calories as it is not made with any oil. It is a simple and quick dish to make and is very satisfying. Many road food vendors make it for the people who go out for evening strolls. All arbi (eddoe root) dishes should be made with ajwain (bishop’s weed, carom seeds, ajowan caraway) as the spice coats the arbi to give it a unique taste and also makes it easier to digest. Ajwain is often taken with a pinch of salt (to cut the spice’s bitterness) for stomach ache or indigestion and swallow with a glass of water. Ajwain is a seed that smells almost exactly like thyme but is more aromatic, slightly bitter and pungent and stronger in taste. A favorite in many Punjabi households is a crispy, hot, namakmirch-ajwain parontha (flaky bread) eaten with a small wad of homemade white makhan (butter). Arbi is closely related to the taro root but is smaller and has an acrid taste that requires careful cooking. It can be grown in poorer soils and drier climates than the taro root. Ingredients: • 1 kg arbi (small to medium eddoe root) • 2 large nimbu (lemons) – cut in halves • 1 large piyaaz (onion) – peeled and chopped into small pieces • 1 medium adrak (ginger root) peeled and chopped into small pieces • 2 large hari mirch (green chillies) - chopped into small pieces
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Eddoe Root
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• 1 teaspoon ajwain (bishop’s weed or carom seeds) • 1 teaspoon amchoor (dry mango powder) • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala
4. Stir the mixture thoroughly and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Directions: 1. Wash the arbi then place it in a pot and boil. Remove when still hard but not too tender. 2. Peel the arbi and cut into small pieces. 3. Throw the arbi in a large bowl, then add the onions, ginger, chillies and all the spices. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons over the mixture. You can also use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemons.
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5. Some people enjoy this dish with some imbli (tamarind) chutney. 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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August 16, 2013 25 ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review: Chennai Express
BY MEENA IYER Story: A 40-year-old Punjabi man is on a mission to immerse his grandfather’s ashes down South. Enroute he meets a young Tamilian girl who has eloped. Their lives entwine and his journey takes an altogether different route. Review: In an ode to his own cinema—read Golmaal series, Bol Bachchan, Rohit Shetty ishstyle, the director, who has grossers in Bollywood’s 100-crore club, ups the scale for his Eid offering. Chennai Express (CE) is a magnificently mounted film. Never having been strong in the story department, CE too has a guillible plot line. Rahul ( Shah Rukh Khan) is asked by his dadi (Kamini Kaushal) to drop his granddad’s ashes in Rameswaram, the southern-most tip of India. He boards the Chennai Express to hoodwink granny but has secretly planned a getaway with his guy friends to Goa. Alas, in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge fashion, a damsel in distress, Meena ( Deepika Padukone) asks for his outstretched hand as he stands on the footboard. And his Samaritan act changes his destiny. He discovers she’s the daughter of a Don from a South-side village and her accompanying cousins (hulks in pony tails) want her to return home. Her father wants Meena to marry another hulk (Niketan Dheer) from a nearby village, so he can then rule two villages. Meena resists and insists to her father (Sathyaraj) that it is Ra-
hul who has her fancy. The father relents but the other hulks resist. From here on, Rahul constantly tries to outsmart the South Indian mob. And as expected in Indian mainstream cinema, he breaks into song-and-dance, gets drunk, blows up jeeps and does a Jim Carryish over-the-top act to get guffaws from a captive audience. For what is primarily a Hindi film, there’s too much spoken Tamil. There are cleverly written lines that ask you not to underestimate the south because it even plays a crucial role in the coalition government, but for the rest of India, a lot of the dialogue is lost in translation. Subtitles would be in order. After Cocktail and Yeh Jaawani Hai Deeewani, Deepika is once again in superlative form. Shah Rukh’s attempts at comedy go from convincing to convoluted. But, for the most part, he lights up the screen with his effervescence. Note: You may not like the film if Bollywood potboilers leave you cold. --Times of India
Chennai Express smashes all the records, makes fastest 100 crore
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NEW DELHI: Prices of vegetables, eggs and meat across India rose more sharply in July than in June, data released on Monday revealed, pegging retail inflation close to the worrying 10% mark and further limiting the chances of a cut in interest rates. To make matters worse, India’s factory output fell by 2.2% in June, its second monthly decrease in as many months, underlining the fact that the country is stuck with the toxic combination of low growth and high inflation. Making borrowing more expensive by raising interest rates may address the issue of higher prices and would help arrest a fall in the rupee, but would likely hurt growth further. India’s retail inflation measured by the consumer price Findex (CPI)-a more realistic gauge than wholesale inflation as it captures shop-end prices-stood at 9.64%
in July, marginally lower than 9.87% in the previous month. But vegetables turned dearer at a faster 16.40% in July compared to 14.55% in June. Eggs, fish and meat prices went up by 13.82% in July versus 12.69 % in June. The latest price data mirrored the rising cost of staples in India as heavy rains disrupted supplies and cropacrossregionspushingupcosts. “Vegetable prices are also going up because of heavy rain,” said the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, C Rangarajan. Factory output, measured by the index of industrial production (IIP), continued to remain sluggish in June as firms pushed back investment plans. Capital goods output contracted for the third month in a row and stood at -6.6% in June, reflecting the subdued investment climate. Consumer goods output in June
fell by 2.3 % compared to a year ago, reflecting a sharp slowdown in purchase of goods such as cars and televisions, weighed down by slower income growth, high interest rates and high retail inflation. “Weak domestic demand, supply-side bottlenecks and policy uncertainty, especially those related to fuel availability, land acquisition and environmental clearances have hurt private sector investments and dampened industrial activity,” credit rating firm Crisil said in a research report. There was a silver lining though. Exports grew 11.64% in July amid signs of a budding recovery in Europe and the United States, which holds out hopes of stronger shipment orders from India and precious dollars, critical to halt a 15% fall in the rupee since May.
-Hindustan Times
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28 August 16, 2013 Ashes 2013: Results Vindicate Cook’s Leadership BY GEORGE DOBELL
CHESTER LE STREET: (ESPN Cricinfo): If captaincy is about tactical ingenuity, about surprising opponents with novel field positions and bold declarations, then Alastair Cook is, at this stage of his career, an also-ran. But if captaincy is more about remaining calm under pressure, if it is about uniting a disparate group of individuals into a team with common goals and shared beliefs, if it instilling a clear purpose and providing consistent messages through example and communication, then Cook is developing into a fine leader. A leader very much in the image of Andrew Strauss, the man he succeeded in the role. Cook’s captaincy has attracted striking criticism in recent times. Shane Warne, who continues to sledge England from behind a microphone and in the pages of newspapers, may not recall but it is worth reflecting on the situation that Cook inherited when he was appointed 12 months ago. England were a divided, defeated group of individuals. The fall-out from the Kevin Pietersen debacle had exposed cliques within the dressing room and defeats against Pakistan and South Africa had brought their period as the No. 1-ranked team to an abrupt halt. The tour to India loomed menacingly. Yet, despite a thumping loss in his first game in command, Cook has led England to a series victory in India and retained the Ashes in the minimum number of Tests possible. England are now unbeaten in 12 Tests and came a panic away from winning the Champions Trophy. The team are now working together productively and have the opportunity not just to become the first England side to win four Ashes Tests in a home series, but to move back to No. 2 in the Test rankings. No reasonable judge could have asked for more from Cook. So it should not have been surprising that Andy Flower, the England team director, used his first press conferences after England won the series against Australia, to praise Cook for his contribution to
England Captain Alastair Cook poses in front of his supporters at Old Trafford, Investec Ashes series, Australia vs. England. Getty Images.
their success. Flower is not a fellow to speak carelessly. He is not a man to do anything carelessly. In each press conference, while he arranges the dictaphones in front of him neatly (you get the impression he would like to catalogue them alphabetically in a binder), he ensures he conveys the message he wants and nothing more. And when he spoke to the media on Tuesday, he wanted to ensure Cook received the credit he deserved. “One of the keys to our success has been the couple of outstanding captains we have had,” Andy Flower said as he reflected on England’s success in Durham. “A captain in a cricket team is a very important position. They are making constant decisions out in the middle. When they speak in the dressing room they have to be stirring and clear, sometimes showing empathy, sometimes showing real strength or even stubbornness. In Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook I think English cricket has been very lucky to have had, and still have in Cook, two outstanding leaders. “Keeping calm was certainly
important and Cook was excellent in that regard. They also tinkered slightly with their tactics which you would have seen after tea. At 140 for one Australia had played really well, but I thought our guys held their nerve well and tinkered a little. We created pressure and chances followed.” The key moment may have come at tea when Cook, sensing a need to up England’s intensity, spoke to the team in the dressing room and coaxed one more effort from the bowlers. Pitching the ball fuller, they bowled with impressive hostility on a sluggish pitch and, after building the pressure, forced Australia to buckle in a spectacular final session. “I was present in the dressing room at the time, but to be quite frank this is one of those instances where we don’t talk about what we said,” Flower said. “I won’t talk in any detail about it but in those sorts of situations, at 120 for one, those are the instances where you need strong and decisive leadership and Cook showed that. “He speaks fluently in the dressing room. He has handled the captaincy really well so far. Like
all the players he is probably a bit weary after four Test matches but most of the guys will be feeling that way. But there is a nice break now before the fifth Test and he will be absolutely ready.” It is not hard to understand why Flower felt the need to praise Cook. In both the Test series this summer, many pundits have compared the captaincy of Cook unfavourably with that of first Brendon McCullum and then Michael Clarke. Yet England have won five Tests and the opposition have not won any. While you could argue with some justification that Cook simply has the much stronger side at his command, it does raise questions about the criteria being used by his critics. Sometimes it seems they use the word “bad” when they mean “unexciting”. They are not the same thing at all. But not only has Cook attracted criticism, his personal contribution has also been somewhat understated. He is averaging only 27.25 with thebat and has, at times, looked inflexible in the field. George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
SPORTS
Dhawan Cracks 248 BY ABHISHEK PUROHIT
Ever since he cracked 187 off 174 against Australia on Test debut in March, Shikhar Dhawan has been the hot topic for the year 2013. And he keeps doing stuff that keeps making him a hotter topic. Man of the Series in the Champions Trophy. Another hundred in Zimbabwe. Now, a 248 in a one-dayer in South Africa. How is he doing what he is doing? How is it different from what he was doing all those years in domestic cricket? How is it different from what he did when he first played for India in 2010? Two men who have watched him closely over the years say that mostly, it is all in the head. Call it what you want - frame of mind, confidence, temperament, mental strength, self-belief; Dhawan’s positivity, along with improved shot selection, has translated into this extraordinary comeback, feel Vijay Dahiya and Lalchand Rajput. Dahiya, the former India and Delhi wicketkeeper, knows Dhawan from his days in junior cricket. He has played with him and later coached him. Was Dhawan always special and just ignored or has something critical fallen into place? Dahiya says he has never come across this avatar of Dhawan before. “I have not seen him batting before the way he is now, even in the nets,” Dahiya told ESPN-
Shikhar Dhawan is ecstatic after reaching his double-century, South Africa A v India A, tri-series.
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Hindu
Memorial Day Saturday, August 31st, 2013 01:00pm - 04:30 pm
AT Fort Bend County Library Lecture Hall 14010 University BLVD. Sugar Land, TX 77479 “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” -- George Santayana
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Hindu Memorial Day Observance Real Testimonials on Hindu Human Rights Violations Presentation and Discussion on Human Rights of Hindus of Bhutan, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. Current & Future Hindu Human Rights Prevention Strategy Panel Discussion on Political Empowerment of American Hindus Q and A session, Social
Prof. T R Narasimha Rao
A Ph.D. from The University of Michigan (1964), is presently Loflin Professor– Emeritus at University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA. He was Fulbright Professor to India (1986-87 and 1993-94); Japan NTT Distinguished visitor (1987) and past President of Hindu University of America, Orlando, FL. He authored text books and monographs and supervised twenty one Ph.Ds. and eight Postdocs during his tenure. He was Editor (Co-editor: Dr. Subhash Kak) of Computing Sciences in Ancient India, a University of Louisiana Publication in1997 Editor (Co-editor S. Kalyanaraman) ofPortrayal of Hinduism in Western Indology, a WAVES Publication in 2010. . He received several awards: IEEE Fellow (1984) and ACM Fellow in (1994) for his researches in Computer Fault-Tolerance and Pride of India Gold Award from NRI Institute, London, UK (2004).
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Dr. Babu Suseelan
Previously, A professor in Clinical Psychology and the Director of Addiction Research Institute, Pennsylvania. Is one of the Director of Indian Intellectual Forum, New York. He has written books & essays on issues Hindus and Hinduism are encountering in contemporary world. He has also given key note speeches at various American and International Forums.
Mr. Ravindra Shukla
A graduate of IIT Bombay, Ravindra Shukla is an active in nation building social activities. He is a movie director, technocrat and author of best selling novel A Maverick Heart: Between Love " and Life"
A twice Governing Council member of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) [Texas,13 & New York, 09] & National Editor—VHPA Newsletter & Digest [Washington DC,10]. Media Director and Secretary of Hindu Mahasabha of America (HMSA) [Texas,11-12], National Secretary, United States Hindu Alliance (USHA) [Georgia,10]. In past member of American Hindu Public Affairs Council (AHPAC), Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) [Delhi, 2006 ]. He has authored several articles, reports and has contributed to Hindu empowerment & relief projects with worldwide scope. He holds M.E. (Industrial Systems & Eng.), New York & B.E. (Electronics Eng.), India. A recipient of prestigious New York based KGCOE Graduate Research Scholarship & Assistantship. He has worked at many corporates inc. ICICI Bank, Stanley Black & Decker, Modis, and Ajilon Consulting etc. in the area of Enterprise IT Automation & Tax Technology consulting.
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