Friday, October 03 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 40
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Ram Leela
Blessings
Honors of Commerce
GAIL (India) Ltd, Carrizo Oil & Gas, Dominion Cove Point LNG and Cheniere Energy were honored for their pioneering efforts in securing India’s energy needs. President of GAIL (Global) USA, Jayanta Sinha seen here with Senator John Cornyn (center) and IACCGH President Sanjay Ramabhadaran (left) and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia (right).
Best Wishes P3 Kusum Sharma’s Ram Leela 2014 on Saturday, for Eid September 27 at the VPSS Haveli. The main characters congregate at the end of the play. al Adha Solve Win Free tickets forTexas Soduku! Renaissance Festival P30
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3 October 03, 2014 COMMUNITY Houstonians Thrill at Kusum Sharma’s Ram Leela BY VANSHIKA VIPIN
HOUSTON: Houston has an amazing tradition when it comes to festivities around Dushhera. We are lucky to witness for ten years now a theatre form that originated in Northern India over four hundred years ago. Tracing its origins to the 16th century, this folk theatre form took shape from poetry recitals. From Valmiki’s classic work in Sanskrit to Tulsidas’ Hindi Version, the story of Ram went from elite to popular. We witnessed the 10th Edition of Ram Leela in Houston on September 27, at the VPSS Haveli. Produced and presented by Kusum Sharma’s Shri Natraj School of dance in association with Kalakriti Performing Arts, Houston’s version of Ram Leela was no less traditional. Kusum Sharma, the artistic director of Shri Natraj School of dance has been instrumental in encouraging Bharatnaytam, Kathak and Indian Folk Dance in the Houston and Dallas areas for many years now. She has been applauded for organizing mythological and contemporary dance dramas including Ram Leela, Krishna Leela, Mughal-e-Azam, Meera, Sunder Kand and many others. This year she worked with Houston Grand Opera on “ River of light” where she enacted mini-Ram Leela and played the role of Sita. In the tenth year of the show, a different venue was chosen as VPSS location had free and ample parking and was closer to many living in Sugar Land and Southwest Houston. As expected, the venue was completely packed. As the audience filled the hall, Abha Dwivedi opened the show as the emcee. She introduced Kalakriti Performing Arts; started by Kusum Sharma as a non-profit tax-exempt organization dedicated to promoting Indian culture. She further went on to invite all
Sponsors and other dignitaries on stage for the Lamp lighting ceremony at the Ram Leela 2014 at VPSS Haveli on Saturday, September 27. Photos: Gautam Jani
the dignitaries on stage for the customary lighting of the lamp. The show started with traditional dance worshipping Lord Ganesh. Then began the Ram Leela including Baalkand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkinda Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand, Uttara Kand. Every year, Kusum Sharma adds a new element to the Ram Leela. This year, the audience as taken to Kailas Parvat, decorated on the side of the stage where Lord Shiva and Parvati sat and interacted with the audience about the reason behind the birth of Lord Ram, the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu. This narration between scenes kept the audience occupied, interested and even curious about the upcoming scenes like the Shravan Kumar story – not enacted but rather narrated. Other noticeable acts included the emotional scene about the death of Raja Dashrath, played by Girish Naik and of course the lead role of Lord Ram played by Vipin Sharma. The second half of the show brought more interesting things: Good use of stage on left and center coupled with excellent light and sound effects along with brand new episodes and spectacular effects kept the audience involved. Shiva Tandav was performed with UV lighting, while Hanuman’s tail was really put on fire during ‘lanka dahan’ episode as fast paced Hanuman Chalisa played in the background depicting Hanuman’s aerial demonstration of magical power, episode of Rameshwaram where Ram asked Samundra devta (played by Neetin Vyas) to cross the ocean, Bali and Sugreev battle episode were enacted very CONTINUED ON PAGE
Ram and Sita Vivaah (wedding) scene.
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For photo collage, see page 35
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COMMUNITY
October 03, 2014
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Chamber Celebrates 15th Gala with Awards to the Stars Among the Community
HOUSTON: The Indo American Chamber the successful Indian Mars mission, he saw of Commerce of Greater Houston’s biggest opportunities for collaboration with NASA event of the year, the Fifteenth Anniversary in Houston. Cronyn believed that the ideological bond Gala, took place at the Hilton Americas on September 27. Local business leaders, pro- between the two nations would translate into fessionals and several elected officials net- a powerful partnership as natural allies on worked at the reception prior to the main the world stage. Founded in 2004, the India Caucus is the only single country caucus event which seated over 600. At the reception, Dr. John Mendelsohn, and it reflects the great recognition of the past President of the MD Anderson Cancer strategic alliance that should exist between Center presented plaques of appreciation to the two nations. Cronyn noted that there are several prithe major sponsors of the evening followed by Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia orities that the US needs to focus on – the who greeted the gathering with a tradition- primary one being federal approval for the al Namaste. An energetic dhol player led export of LNG to India which he has pushed the guests into the ballroom where Chloe to accelerate this process as it will be good Choudhury sang the US and Indian national for the partnership mutual strategic interests anthems. Reporter Raashi Vats of Fox TV of the two countries. He also touched on the was the emcee. Dubbed by Senator John Cornyn as “the glue” that holds the Chamber together, and by IACCGH President Sanjay Ramabhadran as the name that is “synonymous” with the Chamber, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia welcomed the gathering. He reflected that the Chamber had created a strong relationship with local economic agencies over the past 15 years which “continues to this day.” Ahluwalia expressed his pride at the Chamber’s achievements in the energy and education sector as well as the “job creation that’s happening.” Ramabhadran profiled IACCGH’s mission over the years to “build bridges for business here in the Greater Houston region and with India”. He added that this was due to the zeal of its past Boards who helped propel the organization along the right path. IACCGH has set the stage for multiple trade delegations to India in the coming months. Previous trade missions have resulted in growing threat of terrorism and stated that the opening of the Mahindra facility in the US cannot afford to neglect India and Harris County and while Trade Missions the two countries need each other to tackle may “take time to fruition” they reinforce the threat of terrorism. The Chief Guest of the evening, Judge the Chamber’s efforts to create local jobs. Ramabhadran remarked that the Chamber’s Ed Emmett referred to Modi’s “rock star networking events reflect diversity of biz welcome” and believed that “India is our opportunities and people and if “properly future.” He was proud to take a trade mission to India in December and stated that it tapped” will pay huge dividends.” A congratulatory video message from was not just a trade mission but “a partnerIndia’s Consul General P. Harish in Hous- ship.” According to him, India is not just ton and Mayor Annise Parker was played. “an economic partner but a spiritual partner The Senior US Senator from Texas, John as well.” IACCGH also presented professional and Cornyn was the Keynote Speaker at the Gala. He warmly congratulated the Cham- public service achievements to five entities: ber for helping strengthen the critically im- Entrepreneurs of the Year Award went to portant US India partnership. He noted that Pallavi and Pinakin Dinesh, for their entrein the last two decades, organizations like preneurial venture Amzer; Pioneer Award the IACCGH have played an important role for Education to Sonal Bhuchar for; Pioin deepening and strengthening cooperation neer Award for Public Service was Judge between the two great democracies. Noting Ravi K. Sandill; and Pioneer Award for 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
For photo collage, see pages 32 & 33
Photo: Vanshika Vipin Clockwise from above right: Texas Senator John Cronyn drove in from Austin just to attend and address the Chamber Gala and then drove back again that night; IACCGH President Sanjay Ramabhadran and Exec. Dir. Jagdip Ahluwalia with Cronyn; the impeccable desert created just for the gala by Dawat Catering which served all the evening’s food. Photos: Bijay Dixit
Healthcare to Dr. Devinder Bhatia. GAIL (India) Ltd and its US partners Carrizo Oil& Gas, Dominion Cove Point LNG and Cheniere Energy were honored for their pioneering efforts in securing India’s energy needs and the award was accepted by President of GAIL (Global) USA, Jayanta Sinha. The awards were presented by Cornyn. Mondira Tangri, who retired last year after having worked with the Chamber for more than a decade, was also honored for her years of service to the Chamber. Event coordinator, Therese Cole Hubbs of Electric Karma International and emcee Rashi Vats were also felicitated.
President Elect for 2015, Ashok Garg, gave the vote of thanks and outlined his plans for the coming year. He thanked Shell, United Airlines and the other sponsors for their generosity and appreciated Dr. Durga and Sushila Agrawal, Dr. Neil Badlani and Rekha Muddaraj, Avinash and Peggy Ahuja and Umesh and Preeti Verma for being the Gala Co-Chairs. A delicious dinner by Dawat Catering was served to the guests while Frost 321 whipped up the smoothest ice creams using liquid nitrogen right before your eyes. MoodaFaruka provided the entertainment for the evening.
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COMMUNITY
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Houstonians Thrill at Kusum Sharma’s Ram Leela CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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efficiently. A special mention of the main characters played by Prashant Agarwal ( as Lakshman), Dharminder Dargan (as Hanuman) and Hari Sriram playing the antagonist Ravan. During the interval, Kamlesh and Satish Agarwal, the grand sponsor of the show were recognized and Satish came on stage and thanked the audience as well as Kusum Sharma for putting this show together year after year tirelessly for ten years. This year’s show lasted for about 150 minutes. Kusum Sharma also thanked the rest of the sponsors, the participants, and volunteers and of course, the audience for making the 10th Ramleela a grand success. In addition, she added that she learns something new every year and this year during one of her song rehearsals she learnt, “ Man se Ravan jo Nikale uske man mein hai Ram.” (If you take the evil out of you then godness resides in you automatically)
As the show ended, IAN talked to some members of the audience. Tarsem Agarwal said “we have never seen Ramleela like this anywhere” while a proud parent of a DAV Montessori student beamed “this was one of the best Ramleela I have ever seen and I think most parents would agree with me”. Houston’s Ramleela made it big on social media as well as Rohit Khera, proud parent of Annika put her pictures on facebook “isn’t she the cutest monkey ever”, he said. Interesting to note that the tradition of Ramleela is popular amongst the younger generation as well. For further information, sponsorship and volunteering – contact Kusum Sharma at info@kalakritiusa.org or visit www.kalakritiusa.org or www.ramleelahouston. org. See photo Collage on Page 35
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Modi Fever Spills Over into the US Landscape, Houston Included
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The pent up enthusiasm over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official visit to the US after his recent election generated a wave of support at the screening of a live telecast at India House of his speech at Madison Square Garden this past Sunday, September 28. Over 150 people came together at the event that was organized by the Global Indians for Bharat Vikas, the India Culture Center and
India House to join in wild cheering and clapping as Modi came to the stage and started to speak. There were shouts of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai from the crowd, while the GIBV volunteers and organizers Adit Kapadia, Hasita Kartick and Kunal Deshmukh emceed the event from the podium. The organizers picked up the live telecast from an online website, quartz.com and were able to follow other video clips also from other channels.
There were many Indian supporters of Modi’s and the Bharatia Janata Party which has the majority in the new Indian government, who had come from all over the US to New York City to witness the momentous occasion for themselves. Many in the India House event strained to see if they could recognize any of the Houston delegation in the random TV shots of the audience. Many of those who were fortunate enough to attend later posted their experience and pictures on Facebook and shared their feelings with the media. “It was a wonderful experience”, said India House President Jugal Malani who went to New York with his wife Raj and met with Modi at an evening event. Sugar Land Councilman Harish Jajoo and Indian
Consul Gneral Parvathaneni Harish also attended and met with Modi briefly. Several other GIBV members, like Ramesh and Kokila Shah, Sharad Amin and Gitesh Desai (both of who appeared briefly in a Star TV News clip), who went to India to work in Modi’s election campaign were
among the crowd as well as other local diehard Modi supporters like Sujeet Draksharam and Subash and Sarojini Gupta. Modi paid homage to his American supporters for their help and played up to their impassioned sentiments.
The delegation of Houstonian community activists, who worked for the Modi campaign this past summer, went to hear Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi give his speech to the public at Madison Square Garden.
Houston businessman Jugal Malani and his wife met with PM Narendra Modi afterwards at a private reception in New York.
Pradeep Anand during his talk
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COMMUNITY
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Gala Honors the Creativity and Prominence of Indian Engineers and Architects
ASIE President, Sekhar Ambadapudi accepting a Harris County proclamation from Judge Ed Emmett Photos: Navin Mediwala
BY DINESH SHAH HOUSTON: Among the cluster of Fall Galas that fill up the calendar between August through November, the one group that represents the largest base of Indian professionals in the city celebrated two decades of its founding this past Wednesday, September 24 at the Hilton Post Oak. Established in 1994, the American Society of Indian Engineers has endeavored to provide networking and professional development opportunities through continuing educational seminars, workshops and field trips to engineers, architects, designers and technicians of Indian origin in the Greater Houston Area. In the past twenty years, the organization has been involved in diverse activities such as annual participation in the Math-
counts competition sponsored by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers; volunteering as judges during the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston; offering scholarships to engineering student and Disaster relief fundraising. In 1999, ASIE began the Young Engineer/Architect of the Year Award and in 2011 the ASIE Engineer/Architect of the Year Award for members who have excelled in the field of engineering. This year, during Engineer's Week (in February), another award has been added: the "Indian Engineers Engineering the Future". The red, white, and blue color theme of the Gala added a celebratory touch for the awards presentations. The blue backdrop curtain was festooned with flags and the banners of sponsoring engineering companies, many of them also highlighted in the floor banners displayed during the social hour. The sold out event brought in a larger than expected turnout of almost 400 guests. The donations from
this year's gala will enable ASIE to fund scholarships for collegebound students pursuing degrees in engineering programs from public universities in the Greater Houston Area. Sanjay Ramabhadran, a professional engineer and two time past president of ASIE and Komal Bansal, a young female engineering student emceed the event. ASIE Vice-President and Gala Chair, Showri Nandagiri applauded the sponsors and their guests and thanked the Gala Committee Chairs Vishal Merchant (Fund Raising); Mahendra Korivi (Food and Venue); Dinesh Shah (Publicity); Raj Basavaraju (Reception ); Chetan Vyas (Program); Naresh Kolli (Finance); Ravi Raj Yanamandala (Silent Auction); Srinivas Chintalapati (Souvenir) and Krishna Vavilala (Recognition of Class of 2014) and added "It was obvious to me that getting the right people in the right place was the key to a successful function". ASIE President, Sekhar Ambadapudi shared twenty years of history of the organization with a remarkable list of technical and professional activities and goals achieved by the group. "Historically, the experienced and well established members of ASIE have provided guidance and encouragement to the young and dynamic generation of the future”, he said, adding “We strive to provide
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For photo collage, see page 34 CONTINUED ON PAGE13
ASIE Class of 2014 Award winners on stage, from left, Dr. Durga Das Agrawal, Ram Gupta, Sam Kannappan, Showri Nandagiri, and Randhir Sahni with presenters Harris County Judge Ed Emmett (extreme left) and Jimmie Schindewolf, General manager of NHCRWA (extreme right). INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Modi Fever Spills Over into Houston
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were middle-aged first generation immigrants who still rile at the disappointing politics, infrastructure and the terrible corruption in their Mother land. They all appreciated every single word of Modi’s extemporaneous speech in Hindi and picked up on the nuances in words. One of them, The organizers of the live tele-cast, from left; Kunal Deshmukh, Pravina Kadakia, a Adit Kapadia and Hasita Kartick with GIBV; Girish Desai with ICC longtime resident of and Vipin Kumar of India House. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra the Bayou City even wrote a short poem, Panchgun Bhoomi, equating the five elements – water, space, air, earth and light to the qualities that India possesses and by extension, what Modi can build the country upon.
A crowd of over 150 gathered together at India House to see the program in Madison Square Garden in New York when Indian Prime Minister spoke to an estimated 20,000 people.
Below: Sugar Land Councilman and M a y o r P r o Te m Harish Jajoo met with PM Modi at the reception.
Even the young people were energized by Modi’s presence. “I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to hear Modiji speak. It was inspiring to hear 20,000 people roar in approval. I hope we’ll all channel some Modi and deliver on what we promised him”, said Kavita Pallod, a PhD student at Rutgers University and daughter of local community activist Vijay Pallod. Most among the crowd at India House
Gala Honors the Creativity and Prominence of Indian Engineers and Architects CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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a unified voice for our members and the community we live and work within." He announced that the ASIE charter would be changed starting this year to include architects too. The Gala brought in Harris County Judge Ed Emmett as a Keynote Speaker and Jimmie Schindewolf, a General Manager of North Harris County Regional Water Authority and former Director of Public Works at the City of Houston as Chief Guest. They congratulated ASIE and the Indo-American design community for the important role they play in Harris County and City of Houston for many diversified and all engineering discipline projects. The Gala highlighted the two goals of ASIE: "building the future for young engineers and architects" and "recognition of Outstanding Engineers and Architects” who served for long in Houston area. Last year, under the leadership of President Vishal Merchant, the 11 engineers of the "ASIE Class of 2013" were honored at a luncheon. “Their enthusiasm and commitment has resulted in decades of creativity and thousands of projects not only in Houston, but all over the country”, Merchant had said then. “We, the young generation, look up to them as our role models and inspiration as we move forward in our professional careers."
Today, there are more than one thousand engineers and architects of Indian origin reside in Greater Houston area and contributing to engineering and technical industries. Many of them have excelled in their fields as entrepreneurs and professionals, but many hidden jewels who have made a difference need to be recognized. This year, the ASIE selected five professionals for the "ASIE Class of 2014" and awards were given to Dr. Durga Das Aggrawal, Showri Nandagiri, Sam Kannappan, Ram Gupta and Randhir Sahni, the first architect to win the award, presented by Emmett and Schindewolf. The program began with the singing of the US National Anthem in stylized in her heavy voice by the young Chloe Choudhury who also followed up with the Indian National Anthem. Before and after the three course dinner catered by the hotel, a cultural program featuring a bhangra and a raas garba performance, both by university students and a song medley by a harmony choir of Rice University students. The event ended with the announcement of the silent auction winners and a vote of thanks by Yanamandala and Vyas. For further information about ASIE, please visit http://asiehouston.org
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16 October 03, 2014
COMMUNITY
Nikisha Pasrija Weds Sean Hill BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The moment that he laid eyes on her when they both hailed the same taxi and tried to get in, he was smitten. He went home that evening and told his mom Carol that he had “found the one”, Sean Hill told the roomful of guests at the sangeet ceremony as he gazed at his soon to be bride Nikisha, known universally as Nikki. She blushed at the revelation but said that Sean grew on her slowly. This past weekend, on Saturday, September 27, the couple, both 26 (Sean is older by a few months), tied the knot at the Omni Hotel at Four Riverway north of the Galleria in an intimate ceremony that merged the best of their two faiths under an elaborate and beautiful mandap, with the bride wearing a traditional red Indian outfit and the groom also in an Indian grooms sherwani and turban. Pandit Rajender Kumar officiated the Hindu ceremony. For the Christian ceremony conducted by a Lutheran Bishop, the couple took off their head coverings but stood under the mandap to receive the rites. In deference to the inter-faith marriage, the aisleway was capped by artifacts from both religions and the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the aisle before the bride and groom. The bride’s parents escorted her to the mandap. Nikki received her undergraduate degree in Journalism and
Spanish from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and then went on to get her law degree from the University of Texas in Austin, where Sean was also pursuing his law degree. Both graduated from law school and took the Bar exam the same year – 2013 – and both were hired away by Houston firms in their second year. Nikki works at the law firm of Andrews Kurth in Houston, practicing public finance law. Nikki is the daughter of Sangeeta Pasrija, a well-known community activist, artist and proponent of the Hindi language who volunteered and later worked at Kinkaid School where her children studied. Her husband Arun is from New Delhi and has a PhD from Drexel University. He is the President and CEO of CHR Solutions, which specializes in telecom and IT software and services. Sangeeta migrated to Houston from India in 1983 and has a large extended family in the area. The Pasrijas also have a son, Kunal, 21 who is a senior in SMU majoring in finance and economics. Sean is from Flower Mound, a suburb of Dallas and got his undergraduate degree in Bio medical engineering from Vanderbilt University before proceeding to get his law degree. He works in patent law for Vinson and Elkins. He is the only child of Carol, a home maker, and Charles Hill, a chemical engineer. His mom is of Norwegian heritage while his father
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The bride and groom, Nikisha Pasrija and Sean Hill at the reception in the evening with their parents, Carol and Charles Hill on the left and Sangeeta and Dr. Arun Pasrija on the right. Photo: Jawahar Malhotra
The bride and groom at the mandap after the Hindu wedding ceremony and before the Christian rites were performed.
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has an English-Finnish lineage. The newlyweds had an elaborate reception later in the evening at the ballroom of the Omni Hotel in front of over 400 people. The bride’s best friend since childhood, Jupin Malhi recalled fond memories of her and the groom’s best friend from college, Michael Accavitti, spoke about their experiences. A video showed how the couple met and their courtship days. The couple will have three honeymoons. The first was immediately after the wedding in a resort in Charleston, South Carolina. The second is to attend a destination wedding of the bride’s friend in Puerto Vallarta. And the third is the real, extended honeymoon, for two weeks in Thailand. They will make their home in Houston.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 03, 2014
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
17
18 October 03, 2014 Su Che? Saru Che! Long before the PM’s NRI-fest in America, there was the global Gujarati. From Uganda to the US, the non-resident Gujarati has been criss-crossing the globe more regularly than perhaps Superman on an urgent mission. Those of us acquainted with American Born Confused Desis, emigrated From Gujarat, House In Jersey, (ABCDEFGHIJ), also know that the Gujarati may have been globalised for two centuries yet has always clung tenaciously to his civilisational roots. From managing grocery stores in Leicester to running motels in Los Angeles (or ‘Potels’ as they were famously known), the Gujarati — along with Punjabis — are India’s first globalised community, driven by an incorrigible spirit of ‘dhando’ or business. In Jackson Heights, NY, sometimes referred to as little Gujarat, you can play garba during Navratra and get the best dhoklas and farsan. Disco dandia and Patel rap, “no-onion” pizza and sitaphal ice cream, the smooth Gujarati synthesis of East and West could well be a model for those anxious about loss of culture in globalising India. It should come as no surprise that Narendra Modi packed in the crowds at Madison Square Garden. For the non-resident Gujarati, Modi is an icon: he speaks their language of Hindu nationalism while retaining his Gujarati pride. Long before the rest of India discovered him, the NRG had already discovered Modi magic. Only then it was over a video link since Modi wasn’t given a US visa. Now, their hero is with them, not in 3D, but ‘live’. For the rest of the world, Madison Square Garden may conjure up memories of boxing matches and rock concerts: for the NRG, Modi is their very own rock star. The global Gujarati is steadfastly loyal to his kin: the Gujarati diaspora rushed to the rescue of his home state after the 2001 earthquake. The Palanpuri Jains may run a global diamond empire, yet remained closely bound by ties of family and community. Gujarati grannies are often seen crowding airports, off to push perambulators in Pittsburgh, to make sure that American-born grandchildren do not forget the joys of undhiu and thepla. For the Gujarati, modern mercantilism combines easily with traditional social mores. Many of the first outbound NRG travellers were bania merchants from Kutch, discovering new horizons in Africa, while trading in spices and commodities. The most famous NRG was, of course, Mahatma Gandhi, who discovered his vocation in South Africa. Another proud Gujarati, Dhirubhai Ambani, travelled to Aden in search of his fortune. Long distance nationalism or internet nationalism dominates: a desire to retain one’s Indianness even while thriving in another country. Modi has tapped into that desire like no previous leader and membership of Overseas Friends of the BJP has skyrocketed. As they say with a distinct American twang in Jackson Heights, with Modi at the helm “all is fine” or “badhu saru che!” Sagarika Ghose in Times of India
Indo American News
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY The India, US and Modi Equation
NRIs cheer PM Modi in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
BY ASEEM KULKARNI NEW DELHI: It seems like the only talk of the town is revolving around Narendra Modi’s maiden trip to the US as the new prime minister of India. Since his victory earlier this May, a majority of Indian people have been quite optimistic for the economic future of India. I say majority, because there are still a few Indians, who fear how his social and economic policies will negatively affect the country. This includes his alleged do nothing stance during the 2002 Gujarat riots as well as the environmental impact he invites with industrial development. Though the latter is what originally barred him from the US in the first place, the Obama administration has cheerfully thrown the red carpet out for him by having cabinet members like John Kerry and Chuck Hagel pay official visits. After his speech at the UN, Prime Minister Modi received a regal welcome to New York from NRI groups at Madison Square Garden. In Washington DC, he was the chief guest at a private White House dinner, and held meetings with esteemed Indian-American and US business leaders. But with all this charm offensive between the heads of state and business leaders, what do Indians and Indian Americans think of this bilateral relationship? In India, like a Bollywood movie
born from a Hollywood plot, Mr. Modi has re-packaged the “American Dream” into the “Indian Dream”. The tea stall boy growing up to be prime minister of the largest democracy in the world serves as an inspiration to the masses. To the Indian middle class,America continues to serve as the pinnacle of success. Working at a multi-national corporation such as Microsoft, Citibank, Google, etc. is where many young people dream about. This is always used as attractive bio-metric data on a Shaadi.com profile In terms of education, the US still holds the top place. True, many students in India use an undergraduate degree at IIT as their primer, but a US postgrad degree is always sought after. A small number of young people do view America as alarmingly adherent to the consumer culture, but given the number of malls springing up throughout the country, cinemas showing Hollywood films, and Indians shopping abroad for American brands and products, it’s hard to tell which country has a bigger consumer culture. The majority of Indians also see Modi’s victory as a triumph over the previous Congress party’s nepotism and corruption, and minority pandering. Overall, there is an enormously positive outlook on the US from
India. In the US, when speaking with NRIs and their children with whom have grown up in the US, I have met with much more polarized opinions. Like the Indians, many are excited about Modi’s promises of developing India and the possibility of easing investment as well as PIO visas. However, due to his muddled involvement in the Gujarat riots, his connection with the RSS and their conservative policies, many are concerned. Specifically, Indian-American muslims, LGBT Indians, feel that India will move further into the dark ages. There were protest rallies in New York across from the United Nations and at the Madison Square Garden. The Coalition Against Genocide (CAG), the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), and the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA), were a few of the antiModi groups waving black flags to protest his visit and US endorsements for his leadership. This next week’s events and its after effects will be very telling for the future of the historically teetering US and India relationship. With both countries remaining positive about the economic benefits this special relationship could have, it seems best to take in Modi’s visit as a promising step towards India’s prowess as a leading economic nation.
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HOUSTON: The overcast sky on the morning of September 27 had an ominous tone signaling that rain might put a damper on the Durga Puja celebrations at the VSGH (Vedanta Society of Greater Houston) center. But far from it, Mother Durga showered her blessings on the devotees with a slight sprinkling of rain, washing away all the forebodings and turning it into a sparkling cool day, and a large number of devotees came in to see her resplendent form and enjoy her worship. The morning began with the sthapana of the idol of the goddess in the Puja Mandap to the blowing of the shankh and the beatings of the drum. After the idol was decorated with garlands of flowers & bilva patra, finishing touches were put by installing the sari clad kola bou, Lord Ganesha’s consort, next to him. The puja started with great piety and devotion by Swami Kripamayanandaji from the Toronto center. All five days of the Durga Puja, from shashthi to dashami were condensed
into the half day Puja. Devotees got to chant and sing along the devotional songs presented by the VSGH choir in accompaniment with the puja. Chandipath was also done simultaneously with immense dedication. An added treat was the bhajans rendered by Pandit Suman Ghosh and his beautiful daughters. The beautiful Arati done to the ringing of the kaansar ghanta, the rhythm of the dhaak and the singing of Ayi Giri Nandini , with the chandelier pradip, flowers, and chaamara, tug at the heartstrings of every person present evoking a strong connection with the Divine Mother. The culmination of the puja with the pushpanjali when all got to chant the Durga mantras with flowers in their hands and then offering of the same gave everyone the ultimate sense of fulfillment. Lunch prasad and fruit prasad were then distributed in the food tent and devotees got to partake a healthy nutritious meal. Many devotees then went on to the main shrine to pay their respects to the Holy Trio of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada
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Devi and Swami Vivekananda. The turnout of almost 400 devotees made the Durga Puja celebration at VSGH very successful. Announcements were made about the upcoming Youth Convention to be held on Jan 24, 2015 to celebrate Swami Vivekananda’s birthday. A multimedia presentation contest for 3 different age groups will be judged on the final day by none other than Swami Sarvapriyanandaji from Belur Math among other celebrated panelists. All interested participants were and are encouraged to register and submit their presentations. The following day, Sunday, September 28, Swami Kripamayanandaji gave a lecture on “How to worship God” where he described the various methods of worship including ritualistic, mental and spiritual and indicated that the best practice of worship is to keep God in mind in everything that we do. For all upcoming VSGH event announcements and general information please visit www.houstonvedanta.org
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COMMUNITY
October 03, 2014
IITAGH Hosts Workshop on Principles of Networking
Pradeep Anand during his talk
network from the ground up and what it takes. Many in the audience shared their own observations, and agreed with the framework laid out by Pradeep. “You have to give to your network before you can ask from it. We do that in our personal lives and we should abide by that same rule in our professional lives,” remarked Pradeep. The group talked about getting involved with volunteer and charity organizations, such as IITAGH and others, as one way to build and strengthen the network. The group also discussed the IIT 2013 Global Conference and what it took to get 94 top quality speakers and moderators to the conference, including a former president, a Nobel
Pratish Kanani welcoming the group with an overview of IITAGH activities
HOUSTON: Building a trusted network takes a lot of effort and is built one person at a time. That was the message shared by Pradeep Anand, President of Seeta Resources, to over 60 participants at the IIT Alumni of Greater Houston workshop on “The Principles of Principled Networking,” held on Saturday, September 27 at India House. Pradeep started the discussion with his family story. He took the audience on two journeys. The first journey was of his grandparents and his parents, immigrating from Tamil Nadu to Ahmedabad where his father worked for the Tata group, and then to Bombay. This was a journey from 1918 to 1978. The second journey was Pradeep’s own journey as a student at Uni-
versity of Houston after graduating from IIT Bombay, from 1978 to the present. He talked about being laid off during the oil bust in 1982, and surviving through the generosity of friends and the personal connections that helped him land a new job. As Pradeep explained, what helped him was that he had actively networked along the way, although he did not quite know it at the time. He attributed some of his luck to showing up for a meeting with a colleague, and thanked the group for showing up for the workshop. “Half the battle is just showing up,” observed Pradeep. During the discussion, Pradeep focused on immigrants and the loss of their networks as they move from one country to another. He talked about how one needs to build a personal
Laureate and others. Pratish Kanani, President of the IIT Alumni of Greater Houston, closed the formal part of the discussion with a key observation. “Pradeep has been modest about his involvement as the Program Chair for the conference. Many speakers I talked to said that all it took was one call from Pradeep for them to show up. Think about that as you think about trusted networks!” The workshop was hosted by the IIT Alumni of Greater Houston. Upcoming events include “A Day of Coding,” on November 1, to teach coding skills to high school students, as well as the annual fall picnic event on November 9. IITAGH events are open to the entire community. Sign up at www.iitagh.org to become a member.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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22 October 03, 2014
COMMUNITY
Temple in Katy Prairie
KATY: The Founder Brahma Sri Udayakumar Sarma Gullapalli of the Sri Sai Durga Shiva Vishnu (Venkateswara) Mandir (temple) Vedic Temple of Katy and co-founders Sulabha Hardikar, Sirisharani Gullapalli, other supporters, well wishers, advisors and its supporting organization branch #377 successfully inaugurated the temple on August 29, for the
Katy Community. The founder would like to encourage people to visit the new temple and support generously. The temple is ceelbarting Devi Navaratri from September 24 till October 3. Temple timings are, 6 pm to 8pm everday& and weekends 10 am to 8 pm. For further details call 832-278-8666
The Attitude of an Effective Leader
BY ANIRUDH SURESH HOUSTON: On the morning of Sunday September 21, I rose from my sleep, somewhat nervous but even more excited for what the day held in store for me. As I assembled my business attire for the event that day, my anticipation continued to grow. That Sunday marked the start of the Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) of Houston Class of 2015. Since 2008, YLDP has helped Indo-American high school juniors and seniors from the Greater Houston Area learn about a truly elusive concept in the real world: what comprises leadership? This year’s group consisted of 48 talented students striving to learn more about leadership in their future careers. As one of these students, I was extremely
eager to meet similarly motivated students and learn about what makes a leader in the professional world. I was especially excited to hear Dr. Latha Ramchand, Dean of the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, speak to our batch about leadership in business. By bringing together diverse examples ranging from the discovery of powered flight to a personal story about her grandmother, Dr. Ramchand conveyed the need for a clear and benevolent vision to succeed in one’s career. “One’s vision,” explained Dr. Ramchand, “must tie back to how one can make life better for another human being.” In addition, Dr. Ramchand taught us the significance of intellectual humility and optimism, using various cases from her workplace and large-scale business models to illustrate her points. Listening to Dr. Ramchand’s speech was very motivating on the whole, but my favorite aspect of the presentation was her discussion of adversity in several business models and the importance of being able to turn obstacles into opportunities. My first experience at YLDP taught me about the significance of a proper mindset and attitude in the professional world. Dr. Ramchand helped me realize that there will be several obstacles on the road to success. What is most important is how one handles these hurdles of life, recovers from temporary failures, and motivates others to follow.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 03, 2014
23
Chinmaya Mission Celebrates Navratri
Photos by Jayesh Mistry
By Uma Aggarwal and Vinod Sharma
HOUSTON: Navratri means nine nights which are dedicated to Mother – the Adi Sakti. This beautiful festival comes every year but just like the rising sun has a new charm every single day, similarly year after year it flourishes the devotees’ hearts with new enthusiasm and devotion. Friday night marked yet another annual celebration of Navaratri for Chinmaya Mission Houston family. The festive scene at the Stafford Center was resplendent in colorful decorations as the members entered the main Garaba Hall. The joyous atmosphere with members dressed in colorful saris, chaniya cholis and Indian ethnic clothes, the warm greetings of “Hari Om” and “Happy Navaratri” amongst the member and delicious food catered by Madras Pavilion delighted adults, youth and children alike. This devotional celebration of Navratri began precisely at 7:00 PM with prayers to Goddesses Durga, Sarasvati and Lakshmi who embody the three female qualities of courage, wealth and knowledge; and invocation to Pujya Gurudeva Swami Chinmayananda. To watch CMH family members dancing around the center decorations to the rhythm of the beats was a treat to everyone’s eyes. But most of all it was the music, melodious singing of talented singers juxtaposed on reverberating music
that was impossible to resist dancing too. A special music team consisting of singers, Ruchira Shah, Rucha Sheth, Priya Mohan, Badal Dave, with Darshak Thaker on drums, Kamal Haji on Key board and Srinivasan Raju as stage manager worked very hard to put up melodious music that consisted of mixture of classic and new Garabas. The MC Devang Shelat was very energetic, full of life and humor and energized all the danceers, himself dancing on the stage. A special treat in music was Sanedo sung by the music team, which was especially written for Chinmaya Mission in Hindi by mission’s very own poetess Uma Aggarwal. Devotion and joy that filled hearts spilled over and was shared by all as they reveled in the oneness, togetherness and connection. This Navaratri celebration brought joy to each and every one in a special way. One long term Mission member felt that the dance helped her to bask in the joy of oneness – the central
theme of Vedanta teaching. For another member it was a great occasion to connect with the Mission family at large - reinforce existing relationships, catch with old friends and learn more about acquaintances. Then for One Balavihar high school student it was pure fun to celebrate with her classmates. She said “As a child, I remember seeing all the older kids doing complicated and fun steps during Dandiya, but this year I was finally old enough to be one of those older kids.” There was a huge sense of unity among all members – children, high school students, young adults, past students and adults, CHYKs all dancing in the same line, and while it was tiring, it was a blast, dancing with all my friends. For further information on Chinmaya Mission Houston and Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and, its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org or Call Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 03, 2014
A community event on the occasion of
Karva Chauth
Please join and invite your friends and family and help spread the word.
Saturday, Oct 11, 2014 7:30 pm onwards
Activities
Games, Movies, Dance
India House, 8888 West Bellfort Ave., Houston, TX 77031
FOOD
Vegetarian (Includes soft drinks). Menu will be sent to all who RSVP. Adults- $11/person, Child- $8/child, Kids below 5 years free.
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October 03, 2014
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STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY
No Obstacles to Growth in India: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos BY N MADHAVAN & GAURAV CHOUDHURY BANGALORE: Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, sees no hurdles to growth in India despite regulatory problems ranging from tax-based restrictions on selling in Karnataka to curbs on foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce and retail, its charismatic CEO Jeff Bezos said on Sunday. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at Orion Mall. (Source: Kashif Masood) “I don’t see any obstacles,” Bezos told Hindustan Times in an interview in Bangalore on Sunday after landing here in a private jet to start a four-day tour of India where a huge emerging Internet-based market and thousands of software engineers are a big draw for the Seattle-based giant. “This model is doing extremely well,” Bezos said in a reference toAmazon helping thousands of merchants using his company’s technology-rich website as an online marketplace. He said Amazon believed in adapting itself to each nation, not comparing markets with one another. He said
he has no plan to meet government officals in the current visit. Moreover, technological and business processes perfected by Amazon’s engineers in India would be exported to other parts of the world, he said. The 50-year-old Bezos, whose personal fortune is estimated at $30 billion (R 180,000 crore), had some words of praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s successful rocket mission to Mars in a wide-ranging interview that covered everything from Amazon’s role as a movie producer and his personal buyout of Washington Post to the use of unmanned drone planes for retail delivery and the future of cloud computing. “He (Modi) has a positive international reputation. They seem him as constructive, practical,” Bezos said but added that he was not comparing the leader with any other. As a person deeply interested in promoting space travel himself, the Mangalyaan mission impressed him a lot. “India’s accomplishment on Mars is just incredible. If you follow space you know how hard it is,” Bezos said.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at Orion Mall
Famous for his raucous laughter and a bald pate, Bezos is bullish on India, where Amazon and its subsidiary, Junglee, face intense competition from the aggressive, homegrown Flipkart.com -- which in its own style welcomed Bezos to Bangalore with flashy banners. Asked about com-
petition from this or others, Bezos said the Indian venture was dong well already. “At Amazon, we obsess over our customers, not competitors.” Amazon is open to acquisitions anywhere including India, but the company usually did buyouts to acquire “unique” capabilities while
believing in organic growth, Bezos said. Authorities in Karnataka have stopped Amazon India from selling several products incuding electronics items by accusing the giant of directly selling to consumers while citing third-party merchants as the dealers. Amazon denies any irregularity. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating Amazon India to find out if the company has sold products directly to customers and violated India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) laws. Several Indian companies such as Flipkart has moved to a marketplace model to prevent flouting norms. Bezos also spoke of his love for the use of drones for delivery -- in which Deutsche Post recently beat Amazon by starting the use of the unmanned aircraft for delivery of goods in a remote area of Germany. “I am super excited about the drone. The hardest part is the regulatory part,” Bezos said, adding Amazon will be fanning out to influence governments across the world to allow the use of drones in e-commerce. -Hindustan Times
RIL-Oilmin Row: SC Names Former Australian Judge as Umpire Arbitrator NEW DELHI(I E): The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday appointed retired judge Michael Kirby of Australia as chairman of the three-member arbitral tribunal to resolve a dispute between the government and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries over reimbursement for developing the gas field in KG basin. Justice JS Khehar appointed the umpire arbitrator after senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for RIL and other petitioners, suggested the name. However, Solicitor General Ranjit
Kumar did not raise any objection, saying the government wants a retired judge to preside and not a lawyer on the arbitral panel. Salve told the court that Kirby was a well-known name and a “great friend of India”. Although
Kirby’s consent hasn’t been sought
yet, Justice Khehar expressed hope that the chairman-nominee would not ‘disappoint us’ and accept the post. Former chief justices of India VN Khare and SP Bharucha are the other two arbitrators, for the government and Reliance Industries, respectively. Earlier, the court had asked the two parties to come to a consensus regarding the name of the presiding arbitrator. But a consensus could not be reached, Sinha told the court.
The appointment of the presiding officer had delayed arbitration for a year now. On April 29, the court had named former Australian judge Michael McHugh to head the tribunal. However, he withdrew on July 10 after objections were raised by the government lawyers. Later, RIL filed a fresh application seeking reappointment of the third arbitrator and also blamed the oil ministry for provoking McHugh not to accept the appointment.
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28 October 03, 2014 Proudly presents, for the first time in Houston!
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HEALTH
October 03, 2014
The Healthy Dose – Ebola, Part 1 First Ever
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BY PARTH DWIVEDI Ebola has been in the news lately, with an outbreak in West Africa as well as the case of an American woman contracting the disease. Mounting international concerns for the containment and neutralization of this virus make it a topic worth discussing. In 1976 two simultaneous outbreaks of Ebola in Sudan and in Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively, marked the first instances of this infection. The latter was in a village near the Ebola River, where the disease gets its name. Generally Ebola refers to the disease caused by the virus, while the virus itself is called Ebolavirus. There are five species of Ebolavirus; some are more problematic than others. Different species contain slightly different DNA, which gives each slightly different characteristics. Two of the species are found in China and The Philippines and are considered to be less lethal. The remaining three species are highly contagious and are found throughout Africa. Other viruses have been infecting people for some time with less dramatic effects. Think of the flu, which can be serious if not treated, although not as serious as Ebola. Why was Ebolavirus quiet until recently? It kept away from humans by plaguing fruit bats. It is no coincidence that the geographic distribution of Ebolavirus cases generally overlap with the range of fruit bats. In this host the virus is not as destructive, mostly making fruit bats mere carriers of the infection. Hundreds of generations of evolution have rendered fruit bats and Ebolavirus able to tolerate one another. After all, a virus wants to survive and killing its own host is bad way to survive. Many animals can carry Ebola, but since the virus is predominantly found in fruit bats, they are termed the natural carrier. From here human contact with an infected animal brought the virus into our world. The virus is carried in bodily fluids and is transmitted to other individuals through breaks in the skin. Theoretically you could touch infected bodily fluid with your bare hands and not become infected, but this is a very bad idea in actuality. Tiny cuts in the skin are common and often not obvious to the eyes—maybe a small spot where your skin might be a little drier or even that part of your forearm that bumped into the door on your way out. For this reason Ebolavirus is highly contagious. For more information be sure to check out the World Health Organization website. Join us next week when we continue this article and talk about features, symptoms and treatment of Ebola. Parth Dwivedi has a B.A. in Neuroscience and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. He likes reading non-fiction and still watches I Love Lucy.
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Jaldi se Baingan da Bhartha (Easy-To-Make Spicy Eggplant Puree) Eggplant are among the most popular vegetables cooked all over the world, but the main reason for its widespread appeal is that, when sliced and cooked, they can soak in the taste of the sauce or spices while the outside skin holds the pulp together. In the Punjab, the large, round or elongated plump eggplants are used to make the popular bhartha dish and the small ones or the long ones are usually cooked with potatoes and some onions. I have already given the traditional recipe for bhartha and I realized that many people would get put off by the time it takes to prepare since the eggplant has first to be roasted and then the skin removed before preparing the dish. It can also make a mess of the oven or stove! But, they still craved for bhartha, especially as it is not usually available in restaurants. So, with a little experimenting, I have found another, much easier and faster way to make bhartha and also not use so much electricity or effort and save on the messiness, although what is lost is the roasted smell and flavor. As for any bhartha recipe, choose a large round eggplant that is not heavy: a heavy one means that it has a lot of seeds. A slightly tender, round eggplant is best, or even an elongated one, but choose the one that does not collapse when squeezed. Also, the green shoot (dandal) should not have any dark spots on it. Ingredients: • 1 large round baingan • 2 medium pyaaz (onion) • 2 medium tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best • Some small shelled mutter (peas) (if desired) • 4 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil • Spices: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala
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Directions: 1. Cut the top dandal off along with a little of the meat and keep to one side to use later. 2. Peel the eggplant then cut it lengthwise into slices. Now cut the slices into smaller 1.5 inch pieces. 3. 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. 4. Heat the oil in a skillet, wok or kadai, place the eggplant in it with the dandal 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 and take the dandal out to use later. 5. From this point on, the recipe is the same as the traditional bhartha one. 6. Cut the onions into small pieces and sauté them in the oil till they are brown, then add the cut tomatoes and then add the spices (turmeric is usually not used in Punjabi bhartha). 7. Pour the mashed eggplant and the green shoot (dandal) in the masala (also the peas, if desired) and cook over low heat for some time. When you start to see some oil rise to the sides, turn the heat off; cover and let it stay for 10 minutes.
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.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK DON’T PLACE KNIVES IN THE DISHWASHER AS THEY WILL GO DULL
Everyone has a favorite knife to cut with, maybe a different one for meats, another for vegetables; maybe a third for large fruits and yet another for large loaves of breads. You get used to them and don’t feel comfortable using another knife. So the one thing that can really irritate a cook is to find that the knife has become dull with use which can be easily remedied with a sharpener, although when my grandson did so, the knife became too sharp. When you cut vegetables by hand, this can be a liability!! In India, homes do not have dishwashers, so when washing knives we are careful to do so in the sink. Here in the US, people casually throw knives into the dishwasher. But, as a lifelong cook, I have found that putting knives in the dishwasher makes the blades duller over time, and I can feel the difference. My advice is never to place your cutting knives – especially your favorite ones – in the dishwasher. Wash these gently by hand and let them drip dry.
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8. Uncover the skillet and if you want, sprinkle with garam masala though it is not necessary since the bhartha has so many onions. This dish is best eaten with roti. It is considered an honor to get the cooked dandal and remove the cooked meat off it. When thoroughly cooked, the green shoot can also be eaten and is delicious.
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ENTERTAINMENT
October 03, 2014
Interview with Bang Bang Star: Hrithik Roshan
1. Why did you decide to do Bang Bang? I always look to do something that is challenging and Bang Bang excited me right from the word go. It is a very special film for me, in fact, it is one of best films to date. Bang Bang has everything - action, romance, music, fun, adventure. It is a total entertainer and I enjoyed everything about this movie. It has been an honor to work with Siddharth Anand who has made this incredible movie and Katrina Kaif who I think is one of the most professional actors that I have worked with. Her dedication is unparalleled and that is why she is where she is today. 2. You have done some deathdefying stunts in the film. Why take the risk? I love the adrenaline rush. I’m an extreme guy and I love doing the ac-
tion myself. It gives me a high. I have never shot such action sequences in my life - it is definitely a first in Bollywood and I thoroughly enjoyed doing them. We had an incredible crew who took care of me when I was jumping of rooftops or driving a bike or the F1 car and water skiing while attached to a sea-plane or doing the incredible stunt with the fly board that people are really loving. I mean I had a great time doing these extreme action stunts. The risk involved is the high but when you have a team that looks after you and makes sure that you are safe, there is nothing to worry. I trusted them with my eyes closed. 3. You said Bang Bang has everything but how would you describe the movie? Bang Bang has everything for everyone. It is a masala movie, a complete family entertainer. I know
people are calling it an action film but to me it’s a romantic film at its core. Yes, there is action and incredible never-seen-before action but it revolves around a simple, beautiful love story between my character and Katrina’s. That’s the differentiator of the film. I loved the film when I read it and it was the love story in the middle of the thrill and action that attracted me a lot. 4. Everyone is going ga-ga about your MJ moves in the Bang Bang title track. Yes, the reaction to the song has been incredible and I thank everyone for the love that they have showered on me and Bang Bang. When Sid first told me about the concept, I wasn’t sure as no one can do what MJ did. But then I thought MJ was an inspiration to me and now that I’m getting a chance to give a tribute to him why should I not. I have given the God of dancing my humble tribute in my own style. I’m very happy that people are liking that. I have not tried to copy because you can’t copy MJ so I danced his moves in my own way and I had a blast. I love the title track. It’s subtle and a really cool dance number. And I danced with all my heart and so did Katrina. She is an outstanding dancer and we had a great time dancing to this song. 5. Your chemistry with Katrina is being talked about a lot. Katrina and you team up after the successful Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. How was it working with her?
I’m really happy that our pairing has been accepted by the audiences and that they are liking what we have done in Bang Bang. It was great working with her as usual. She is a fantastic co-worker. She is extremely professional, very hard-working and
has great work ethics. If you see her career graph, these are the values that have made her one of the most successful actors today. Katrina is fun to work with and I hope people love the work that we have done in Bang Bang.
Movie Review: Daawat - e- Ishq
BY SUBHRA GUPTA NEW DELHI(I E): The story of a bright-eyed Hyderabadi ‘potti’ and a strapping Lucknowi lad (I would use a better alliteration here, but will desist) swilling biryani and kabab and phirni should be, by all rights, popping with flavour. But ‘Daawate-Ishq’ is so depressingly bland that you wonder who cooked this one up, and for whom? Gulrez Qadir (Parineeti Chopra) lives a humdrum life in Hyderabad with her father (Anupam Kher). The duo, tired of timorous grooms and their greedy parents, show up in Lucknow, and run into Tariq Haider (Adtiya Roy Kapur) and family. At this point the film descends into a tiresome contrivance that it never really
pulls off, and never recovers from. Dowry, and the ‘Section 498 A’ (raised portentously many times) is the bug-a-boo that raises its ugly head in the film, and you would cheer if its inclusion wasn’t so unbelievably shoddy. Is this some kind of a joke? The coming together of Gullu and Taaru feels like left-overs, because this new Bollywood pairing doesn’t lift off the screen. It’s not for the lack of individual trying. Parineeti is an actor who is consistently watchable, even when she is given a part that’s not completely credible (like in her previous outing, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’). And I liked Aditya Roy Kapur in the super-schmaltzy ‘Aashiqui 2′. Here, both are doing what they are told to do, Parineeti Chopra in the regular-girl make-up and attire as well as in her flashier avatar, and Kapur as the kohl-eyed not-very-educatedbut-all-heart guy. But both are left to fend for themselves in a tepid script which goes nowhere slowly. As Gullu’s straight-laced but loving father, Anupam Kher gives the film its only moments of honesty. The rest is an unpalatable snoozefest.One and a half stars.
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
32 October 03, 2014
15th Annual IACCGH Gala
Saturday, September 27,2014
Hilton Americas, Downtown
Building Bridges for Business
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
a
October 03, 2014
33
IACCGH Past Presidents Deepa Thakur (2003) & Ajit Thakur (2012)
15
Congratulate the 2014 Pioneer Award Winners.
Thank you
IACCGH 15th Anniversary Gala committee for a wonderful Gala.
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett & Houston Mayor Parker announced Fall & Spring trade delegations to India with IACCGH
“This past weekend, I had the honor of speaking to the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston and discussing why the case for closer U.S. relations with India is overwhelming. India has a remarkably young population and a rising middle class, and the growth of its consumer market will create massive new opportunities for U.S. exporters in the decades ahead.” - US Senator John Cornyn in an Op-Ed on “The Hill” - Sept. 30, 2014
Photos: Bijay Dixit INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Article: Page 5
34 October 03, 2014
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
1000 Lights for Peace
HOUSTON: Mahatma Gandhi Library of Houston proudly invites one and all to join the “1000 Lights for Peace” program on Saturday, October 4. The ceremonies will be held at the beautiful Jones Plaza in downtown Houston. Mahatma Gandhi’s values and philosophy of Non Violence, Peace and Service to humanity have proven to be exemplary models and resulted in profound world change. In recognition of the wisdom and effectiveness of Gandhi’s approach and teachings, Mahatma Gandhi Library, in cooperation with more than 100 organizations, celebrates Mahatma Gandhi Week each year. The mission is to increase public awareness, especially among youth, of his philosophy and the universal values of Truth, Non Violence, Service and Love. Activities during “Mahatma Gandhi Week” have included the airing of “A Force More Powerful” by KUHT, Channel 8, a traveling exhibit titled “Gandhi Darshan”, Glimpses of Gandhi, (displayed at area libraries,
schools and churches), Field Trips for children, Storytelling sessions by Professional Storytellers from Houston Storytellers Guild, a city wide poster, multimedia, essay and speech contest for middle and high school students and numerous other activities. Mahatma Gandhi Week will culminate with “THOUSAND LIGHTS FOR PEACE” celebrations at Jones Plaza on Saturday, October 4, in commemoration of Gandhi Jayanti (Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday). The day will begin with a Walk for Peace starting at 5:45pm at Jones Plaza. The 1000 Lights for Peace program will begin at 7 pm and will feature multi-cultural performances and an awards ceremony recognizing the diligent efforts of the individual contest winners. The evening’s festivities will culminate with a grand finale including the lighting of a candle by each individual as his/her pledge for peace and non- violence. For the past several years, well over 1500 participants and many dignitaries have attended 1000 Lights for Peace. For further information, visit www.gandhilibrary.org or call Atul Kothari: 713-7853900 Email: atulcpa@abkcpa.com Manish Wani: 713-829-6979 manishoto@yahoo.com Jayesh Shah: 713-775-4297 jayesh7000@gmail.com
October 03, 2014
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36 October 03, 2014 CLT20: Marsh Hogg Knock Out Lahore Lions BY DEVASHISH FULORIA BANGALURU (ESPN Cricinfo): Perth Scorchers 130 for 7 (Marsh 63*, Hafeez 2-8, Iqbal 2-20) beat Lahore Lions 124 for 6 (Nasim 69*, Paris 3-22) by three wickets A must-win pressure-cooker contest for a team, an improbable equation from the outset, then a lost toss, a batting collapse, a seriously underwhelming total of 124, followed by an even more challenging task - to hold the opposition to 78. For most, it would have been a lost cause. But when it’s a team from Pakistan, one almost expects a miracle every single time. Lahore Lions employed Testmatch fields from the first over, their spinners created panic in the Perth Scorchers ranks, their fielders gobbled away all the chances, the wicketkeeper affected a stumping, there were appeals that were given, there were ones that were not given too. For 13 overs, the hopes of Lions’ progression to semis remained strong as Scorchers were reduced to 64 for 7, until Brad Hogg drove, cut and hoicked 15 runs in the 14th over, bowled by Adnan Rasool, to shut the doors on Lions and let Chennai Super Kings through to the knockouts. The result - Scorchers winning by three wickets - was only of academic interest. Lions had been in such a situation in the qualification stage of the tournament too. Faced with a must-win task, they bowled out Southern Express for 109 to register a heavy 55-run win. But their batting this evening, and the Robert Frylinck assault in their previous game that ate away on their net run rate, left them too big a task at hand. Still, Mohammed Hafeez shrugged away the shadow of suspect-action sleuths and provided the ideal start, nipping out the wicket of opener Craig Simmons in the first over. Replays showed the ball had missed the edge though. There was an inside edge off the very next ball, and the catch was taken at short leg, but unfortunately for Hafeez, the umpire Rod Tucker missed it completely. The first over set the tone for
Suresh Raina hammered eight sixes, Chennai Super Kings v Dolphins, CLT20, Group A, Bangalore.
Umar Siddiq is bowled, Lahore Lions v Perth Scorchers, Champions League T20, Group A, Bangalore, September 30, 2014.
Lions’ fightback as their spinners made regular strikes, with Mustafa Iqbal picking up two wickets in the fifth over. By the ninth over, Scorchers were reduced to 40 for 6 but Mitchell Marsh, the stand-in skipper, maintained an aggressive stance against the spinners and fast bowlers alike. Once Scorchers crossed the figure of 78, the 125-run target was achieved with relative ease. Even that target had appeared improbable after the start Lions had to their innings. Joel Paris removed Nasir Jamshed and Umar Siddiq in the first over, then Marsh picked the big wicket of Hafeez in the second. Wahab Riaz, promoted up the order, did not make a dent to the score, departing in the fourth over for a duck. From 11 for 4, Lions were revived by two stands of 43 and 48, with Saad Nasim, unbeaten on 69, playing a part in both. Devashish Fuloria is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Dominant KKR Remains Unbeaten HYDERABAD: Kolkata Knight Riders 187 for 2 (Uthappa 85*, Pandey 76*) beat Dolphins151 for 8 (Phehlukwayo 37, Narine 3-33) Leading in his 100th T20, against Dolphins in Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir wanted his side to do something different and test themselves before the semi-final. So for the second time in their streak of 13 victories, incidentally the longest for an Indian T20 side, Knight Riders batted first. It veered from their set game plan of allowing their spinners to tie up the opposition in knots before chasing a target but the end result was along expected lines, specially after Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey had razed the Dolphins attack with unbeaten fifties and a 153-run partnership, the highest stand in the Champions League. Dolphins made a small dent early
in Knight Riders’ innings, getting rid of Gambhir and Jacques Kallis, and Kyle Abbott managed to slip in a couple of searching overs at the start, utilising some movement off the pitch. Then Uthappa and Pandey came together with the score at 34 for 2 in the fifth over and by the time the innings ended, their stand had come at a swift clip of 10 runs per over. Their batting was almost effortless, specially Uthappa’s, whose polished drives were mixed in with well-timed steers behind the wicket. Pandey, at the other end, used a swinging backlift to carve out fours and sixes. He also benefitted from two reprieves; he was dropped on 32 and 33 in the 13th and 14th overs and duly repaid Dolphins by smashing 42 off the next 19 balls he faced. He mauled Abbott, scything and swinging his way to 21 runs in the 18th over.
SPORTS
India @ Asian Games
INCHEON: Ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda was the country’s top performer with a silver as India added four medals to maintain their 10th position in the overall standings on a controversymarred day for the boxers at the 17th Asian Games on Tuesday. After two productive days, it was a relatively quieter for the Indian contingent with Gowda providing the silver lining and the boxers enduring an agonising day in the ring, where bizarre judging cost them a couple of bouts. Veteran L Sarita Devi (60kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) had to settle for bronze medals after losing their semifinal bouts, while the duo of Varsha Gautam and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan provided an unexpected bronze medal in sailing. But it was the boxing arena which hogged the limelight albeit for all the wrong reasons with two boxers -- Sarita and L Devendro Singh (49kg) -- getting eliminated in controversial fashion. While both appeared to have got the better of their South Korean opponents, the verdict of the judges against them prompting the Indian contingent to lodge a protest at least for Sarita. However, the appeal was rejected. The Indian men’s hockey team also kept themselves on course for a coveted gold medal by advancing to the final with a hard-fought 1-0 win over South Korea. India were also assured of at least a silver in boxing with five-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) making it to the final. With the addition of four medals today, India maintained their 10th position on the table with a tally of 45 -- six gold, eight silver and 31 bronze. China kept the top spot with a haul of 254 followed by hosts South Korea (162) and Japan (141).
Indian archers emerge victors against Korea.
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COMMUNITY
October 03, 2014
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Celebrate with ISKCON of Houston - Diwali and Govardhan Pooja
HOUSTON: Get ready Houston! During the most auspicious month of Kartik (October - November) we provide you opportunities for two great festivals to look forward to at ISKCON of Houston located at 1320 West 34th Street in the Heights area. Diwali, a festival of lights, will be celebrated on Thursday, October 23 and Govardhan Puja (New Year), on Friday, October 24. Diwali, also referred to as Deepavali literally means “row of lights”. While this festival is traditionally celebrated by lighting lamps, on a deeper level it signifies the victory of good over evil and the journey of a soul from darkness to light. As described in ancient texts of Ramayan, Diwali commemorates the day Lord Rama returned to His kingdom after defeating the evil King Ravana. The text of Mahabharata has mentioned this day as the day the Pandavas returned from their exile. Reflecting on scriptural significance of this day
one has a chance to deepen one’s own faith and also to celebrate this festival with love, light and joy. ISKCON of Houston - as a time-honored tradition - will have a spectacular candle light arati in the newly constructed grand temple at 7 pm on Thursday. Program will begin at 6:30 pm to set the mood, there will be a talk about the significance of this auspicious occasion before the evening culminates in a most beautiful candle light darshan of the Deities. The glorious celebration of Govardhan Puja (New Year) begins with mangala arati, the greeting of Deities with lamps, the very next morning at 4:30 am. Govardhan Puja is a festival inaugurated by none other than Lord Krishna Himself when He manifested His divine past times in the sacred land of Vrindavan. After convincing His father Nanda Maharaj, that the worship of demigods is futile and it was the sacred hill of Govardhan that was providing for all their necessities,
He prescribed the form of worship to Govardhan. The festival is celebrated by offering hundreds of delicious bhoga preparations that devotees make with love and affection to offer to Giriraj - King of all hills, who once carried Krishna and His cowherd friends. This day also reminds us that Krishna protects His devotees in all calamities when he performed the past time of lifting Govardhan to shelter the residents of Vrindavan from torrential rain that Indra - the God of rain, sent to punish them for neglecting His worship.
Govardhan hill is considered as one of the most holy sites for followers of the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. ISKCON of Houston is fortunate to host an actual shila (sacred rock) from the very same Govardhan. On Friday, you can witness abhishek of Sri Giriraj shila, which refers to the bathing of this Deity in auspicious substances such as milk, honey and fresh fruit nectars. Abhishek is at 7 pm, followed by discourse. All the variety of cakes, sweets, pudding, breads, sweet rice and many more foodstuffs are offered to Giriraj Go-
vardhan. This is known as annakut darshan (mountain of food). After offering the delicacies to Giriraj Govardhan, the feast will be served to everyone. This festival bonanza is not to be missed and the free vegan/vegetarian dinner feast on both days is simply a delicious bonus! For further details, call at 713686-4482 OR visit 1320 W 34th Street, Houston TX 77018 and www. iskconhouston.org. See ad on page 29
Omkar Dadarkar Bowls Out HoustonAudience on His Debut Houston Tour
BY SUNIL PANGARKAR HOUSTON: On September 27, in the Cullen auditorium of University of St. Thomas, Indian Music Society struck again. Omkar Dadarkar an artist with musical lineage, Taalim from Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar plus other senior gurus, and a fine product of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy of Kolkata delivered a concert that amazed the audience. He started with three composition in Raag Marwa followed by two compositions in Raag Durga. I decided to gauge the reaction of the audience during the interval. Coffee from Udipi Café, after the high impact first half was a great time for doing this. Here is what serious connoisseurs like Shri Sharad Kavadi, Shri Mohan Ketkar, Shri Surath Rath and Shri Anil Gokhale had to say: “The long alaap in Marwa really enhanced the slightly yearning mood of the Raag”, “The range of his voice is incredible”, “I am really impressed with his super speed Aaakar taans and
his voice throw”, “Marwa requires the long elaborate treatment that was given by Omkar”, “The powerful rendition of Durga reminded me of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi”. The next half began with the soothing Raag Yaman with two traditional Gwalior gharana bandishes. Omkar ended the concert with a powerful, Marathi Abhang written by Sant Chokamela, “Johaar Maibaap Johaar”. As is the case in most concerts, the entire presentation is a product of artistry of individual performers and the chemistry between them and their audience. Pt. Shantilal Shah who was accompanying Omkar on Tabla and Smt. Shruti Sample who was accompanying Omkar on the harmonium provided that much needed chemistry. Pt. Shah who is a veteran of many concerts with stalwarts of Hindustani classical genre of music, is particularly a favorite of vocal artistes who in my opinion need a higher sensibility and understanding for the melody be-
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ing presented. The appropriate theka for instance, changes the mood of the main performer, and gives the concert an additional boost. Indian Music Society takes a unique approach in bringing Indian classical music to Houston. A truly traditional approach of concert management by providing a stage to wide mix of wonderful artistes, from senior and already well branded, to those that fully deserve the branding. Omkar to have bowled out the Houston audience on his first US visit and only the second concert of his US trip, is not really a surprise. He has the blessings and the Taalim from his Gurus, his own hard work and a very conducive surrounding of ITC/ SRA as a foundation. IMS does the small but important job of providing a stage for such artistes and in doing so, audience can see all the colors, hues and shades of Indian classical music. It is not surprising that such a bouquet attracts the bee in me each time.
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Broadcast Systems Specialist
KTRK-TV ABC13 located in Houston, TX is seeking an experienced Broadcast Systems Specialist. This is a great opportunity for someone with advanced knowledge of computerized television broadcast equipment and systems including, but not limited to, master control automation, graphics systems, newsroom automation systems, and Non-Linear Editing Systems such as Avid, Edius, and Final Cut Studio. Strong computer networking skills are required. The ideal candidate will have experience providing technical support in a broadcast environment and requires someone with a proven track record managing projects. We are looking for someone that is motivated to excel and possess strong interpersonal skills. Candidates must be willing to work a schedule that will include nights and weekends throughout the year. To be considered for this position you must apply on-line at www.disneycareers. com by uploading a resume file and cover letter. Job Req # 214646BR No phone calls please. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability
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