Friday, October 26, 2018 • Vol. 37, No. 42
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Wrap-2 October 26, 2018
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Friday, October 26, 2018 | Vol. 37, No. 42
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October 26, 2018 3 COMMUNITY S Rhythm India @ Bollywood Boogie 2018 UGAR LAND: On October 14, 74 dancers of the Rhythm India Bollywood Dance Company mesmerized a large crowd at the Sugar Land Town Square for an event called Bollywood Boogie. Rhythm India’s Artistic Director & Founder Arzan Gonda and members of Rhythm India have always been passionate about helping our community in any way possible. So they decided to make this event a fundraiser for the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry Inc. As always the turn out was great and there were a large number of guests that joined in the fun and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The Town Square was packed. In order to raise funds for this event, Rhythm India had a raffle for which generous sponsors donated towards prizes such as an Ipad, Fit bit Versa, “Pamper Hamper” by Sameeta’s Salon & Spa, two gift baskets for “An evening at Sugar Land Town Square” for which Toasted Yolk, Baker Street Pub, Masala Wok, Bar Louie & Salata all gave gift cards. Additional gift cards were given by Pappas, Olive Garden, Chillis & also two 30 minute photo sessions with photographer Varshal Shah were donated towards this raffle. They raised a total of $3185 through the raffle. The event started at 4:00 pm with
Photos: Varshal Shah Photography & Navin Mediwala
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live Dhol players from Dhol Beat International, BJ Josan & Jason Josan from DBI got the crowd pumped up. It was then followed by two Bollywood dance tutorials by instructors Anushka Oak and Dilshad Patel. The floor was packed with people of all ages learning Bollywood moves to the songs “Veerey Di Wedding and Badri Ki Dulhania”. There was a henna tattoo booth, face painting booth and a Bollywood Themed
Selfie Booth. Honest Restaurant located in Sugar Land had a vegetarian street food stall as well. At sharp 5:00pm the emcees of the evening Dilshad Patel and Ranjita Jonnalagadda Parihar talked about the goal of the show and the festivities began. Rhythm India Dancers took over the performance area and blew everyone away with their energy. After the show, the large crowd joined instructors Dilshad Patel & Anush-
ka Oak to learn some Bollywood moves to the song Milegi Milegi. Rhythm India got wonderful feed back from the audience members regarding the costumes, the performances and the professionalism of the entire show. Raffle sponsors were called on stage to pick the winners for the different prizes. Rhythm India thanked the following sponsors
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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October 26, 2018
VIBHA BRC Garba Night 2018!
HOUSTON: Vibha is embarking
on a yearly tradition of celebrating the fall festival of Navratri, where good triumphs over evil and the Goddess Durga who symbolizes power and purity is honored. On this auspicious day Vibha and their volunteers & patrons make a promise that every Durga or Lord Shiva who is born in this earth attains his or her right to education, health and opportunity. What makes Vibha’s Garba special is that the crowd is not only united in their love for dance and traditional festivities, but they also want to bring about social change while they celebrate this joyous occasion. This year on October 13, Vibha, and BRC’s Garba saw the best of Houston come out in full fervor and support at ISKCON premises. Houstonians, dressed in traditional Indian attire, came out and danced to the spirited beats of Darshak Thacker and his team from Krishna Sounds till midnight. A special attraction of the event was a flash mob, which was organized by Khushboo and her entourage, along with a special appearance from Prerana Chitlangia, Mrs. India USA TX 2017-2018. Vibha Houston extends its heartfelt thanks to the title sponsor of the event BRC International and their proprietors, Debashish and Sangeeta RoyChowdhury. Their support and patronage has been
instrumental in organizing the event. The event was also sponsored by platinum sponsor JSW Steel. Additional sponsors include Rushmore Enterprises, New York Life (Divyendu Singh), Bihar Association of North America (BANA), Maya’s Jewelry, UniqueFlo, RJ Astro, Bisha Herbal, Ashiana and Nirvana. Vibha is thankful for the generosity and support of all of the events sponsors. This event was also co-produced by GlobalDesis, which is a group led by Sankalp Srivastava, Texas State Icon 2018, who strives to bring about social change via music. Vibha is thankful for the generosity and support of all of the event supporters including Saranga Thakur Das of ISKCON of Houston, Darshak Thacker & Krishna Sound, Khushboo & her troupe, Prerana Chitlangia and Govinda’s restaurant. A big thanks to Michael Leal of MML photos for graciously captured the event on his lens. Last year, Vibha around the globe had fundraised and donated $60,000 toward the Harvey recovery efforts in the local community. This year with the generous support of our communities, Vibha has raised $125,000 toward the
COMMUNITY
Kerala Relief Fund. In partnership with the Helping Hands Organization, Vibha has broken ground on rebuilding, primarily in the Vandiperiyar and Cheruthony areas of the Idukki district of Kerala. Target population consisting of underserved and socio-economically backward locals, migrant workers and tribals have been identified in this area. Vibha prides to think of itself as a social venture catalyst, which seeds, grows and scales grass-roots ideas that can solve systemic problems related to the underprivileged child. This is achieved through conceptualizing and executing sustainable solutions. This is primarily a volunteer-driven organization that brings together people who want to make a difference. Today there are 19 Action Centers in the US and 6 in India. To learn more about being a part of this dynamic team or donating, visit www.vibha.org or email coordinator@houston.vibha.org
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
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A Texas-sized Diwali for a Texas-sized Crowd Makes History
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA
SUGAR LAND: Texas’ largest
Diwali celebration got a Texassized endorsement when governor Greg Abbott addressed the packed audience at the Skeeters Constellation Stadium last Saturday night, October 20. SayingthattheGovernor’smansion in Austin has celebrated Diwali privately with representatives and supporters of the Indian community for the past four years he has been in office,Abbott spoke about the lessons of Diwali – victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, hope over despair – which are transcending values that have helped him also to overcome the tragedy that left him in a wheelchair. The Governor’s attendance and speech on center stage was the pinnacle of the day-long Dusserah and Diwali celebration that has been held at the Skeeters Stadium for the seventh year. Each year the crowds coming to the event have grown bigger, which, this year were estimated to be over 10,000. Representatives of the consulates of India, Indonesia, Brazil, Republic of China and Mexico also joined in the celebrations. And though the function is apolitical, it also allowed many of the contenders for elections next month to be presented onstage, including Democratic challenger for District 22, Sri Preston Kulkarni. US Congressman Al Green also made a brief visit to give a Congressional Award. And each year, the celebration has added more elements and included other parts of the community. Organizers have sought out ideas to make the event for diverse, starting with the parade around the stadium four years ago which showcases not only the different religious floats but also other organizations like the Ismaili Muslim Girl Scouts Troop and depicted Indian culture, heritage and scenes from Indian History. Two Sikh dhol drummers led the procession of 45 groups and Republican US
Congressman Pete Olson who represents District 22 was the Parade Marshal, waving the Indian flag. The Wells Fargo stagecoach majestically pulled by four horses followed by the Jagganath Chariot by the Orissa Culture Center concluded the spectacular parade. Stalls of the 70 vendors on the
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Concourse formed a Big Bazaar that was thronged with people who had to elbow their way through, reminiscent of a Sadar Bazaar atmosphere in India. The half-a-dozen food court vendors did a rip-roaring business as people stood in long lines to get their orders. And the Sikh dhol players made a deafening commotion at
the entrance where young volunteers placed a tilak on the forehead of entrants and gave them sweets before they turned around and took selfies with a giant and colorful statue of Ganesh behind them. Constellation field was a visual delight with effigies of demons on one hand; a beautiful temple to Lord Ram decorated with 6-foot high elephants on either side in the center field; and a towering 25-foot high inflatable replica of Hanuman on the other side. The huge concert style stage built on 2nd base with large LED screens held everyone’s attention, where a number of stage performances continued from 5 pm onwards. Children dressed up as inspirational characters from Indian history participated in a costume contest. Houston’s best dance schools performed dances in the spirit of Diwali-Dusserah. Mesmerizing performances such as Brides of India, 10 Vishnus, Egyptian Spiritual Dance by a Tanoura dancer, an actionpacked Ram Leela Yuddh Kand and an eight minute Ramayan dance kept audience captivated. A helicopter showered rose petals to coronate Lord Ram and conclude the stage performances.
Priest from different temples in Houston together performed Maha Aarti, the final prayers to conclude the event; a ritual to worship, glorify and thank Lord Ram for the celebrations and for the well-being of all living beings in the world. Thousands at the stadium switched on their cellphone flash lights while kids switched on their finger lights given earlier and participated silently in the Maha Aarti. This was the mela that the event’s visionaries, Dr. Arun and Vini Verma of the Shri Sita Ram Foundation had imagined when they conceived the event in 2011. Central to it, of course, is a short depiction of the Ram Leela played out on the stage in the center of the ballfield and, at the end, the burning of effigies of Ravana and his two brothers and a massive fireworks display which can be seen for miles around. This year’s celebration was particularly satisfying for the Shri Sita Ram Foundation as it has garnered headlines from media outlets around the world. The SSRF is a non-profit that is engaged in promoting Vedic culture; and provides funds to support 30 nonprofit organizations annually, a limited number of scholarships and assists disadvantaged people in the local community.
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October 26, 2018
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
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Golu Figurines at MTS Relate the Festive Legends of Navaratri
BY NACHAL SETHURAMAN.
PEARLAND:Thisyear’sNavaratri
Golu at the Meenakshi Temple has been a big hit, receiving excellent reviews from all those who have seen it during the celebratory week of Navaratri. The Golu exhibit set a new standard with its magnificent decor, unique artistic arrangements, thematic representations, and simple concepts that proved to be educational to all. Golu, a thematic arrangement of traditional dolls and deities, is a festive ritual followed in many South Indian states, especially in Tamil Nadu, during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri. The displays are placed upon an odd number of steps and showcase religious stories and folklore. This year’s theme, “Sambhavami Yuge,” comes from a verse in the Bhagavad Gita and is represented through a variety of different scenes in the Golu. • The authentic depiction of the battle field Kurukshetra from the Mahabharata, with Sri Krishna showing Vishwaroopam to Arjun justifies the theme of the Golu. • The photographic depiction of the story of Meenakshi’s birth to her wedding (Meenakshi Kalyanam) through cut-outs and storytelling boards was done to provide insight into the Legend of Madurai Meenakshi.
The legend of the Madurai Meenakshi unfolded at the start of the exhibit.
The artisans from Shilpi India who work at the Meenakshi Temple built the magnificent booths that house many of the Golus. From left: Arumugam, Viswanathan Durai, Manikandan Balu, Ramanathan Gandhi and Sethu Praveen.
The officers of the Meenakshi temple, from left, Dr. Kamala Raghavan, Treasurer; MTS Board Chair, Dr. Padmini Ranganathan and Partha Krishnaswamy, Joint Secretary
• “The Soul of India Lives In Its Villages”, a theme from Mahatma Gandhi shows the authentic depiction of a village scene. It is a favorite of both children and adults. • The opulently dressed Maa Durga and Shiva is very eye catching as the painted ceramic faces of Shiva and Durga brought from Kumartuli, Kolkata are draped in finery representing their bodies. • The traditional 7 Golu steps are filled with a vast display of beautiful & colorful traditional dolls. • The various deities of the Meenakshi Temple are depicted inside magnificent booths reflecting the facades of temple gopuram architecture and made by the Shilpi
artisans of India who work at the Temple. In addition to being a feast for the eyes, this year’s Golu provided an educational experience about Hinduism and insight into the rich culture and heritage of India. By popular demand, the exhibit will remain open to the public through the Diwali Bazaar day, November 3rd. Temple hours are weekdays: 9am to 1pm, 5pm to 8:30 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 9am to 8:30pm and the admission is free. For details call 281-489-0358
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
For Photo Collage, see pages 12&13
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
Golu Festivities
Golu is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the autumn festive season, particularly around Navratri (Dussehra, Dasara) festival of Hinduism. These displays are typically thematic, narrating a legend from a Hindu text or a secular cultural issue. Each displayed item in a golu display is sometimes called golu doll or equivalent. They
Tanjore painting rangoli.
are generally arranged in an odd number of padis (tiers) to tell a story. During the golu display season, families visit each other with gifts to view and chit-chat over the golu display, share festive foods, and sometimes play music or sing devotional songs together. Below are few experiences of our readers about their Golu celebrations.
Subha &Venkat, Mr. & Mrs. Chandrasekaran, and Priya Chandru.
SUGAR LAND: The Navrathri event at
Subha and Venkat’s house in Sugar Land
was very creative and colorful. Each area in their house was decorated meticulously by Subha Venkat, her sister Priya Chandru, and mother Vijayalakshmi Chandrasekaran. Mrs. Chandrasekaran’s display of handmade dolls made from recycled products (AirWick bottles, plastic water bottles, egg shells, egg cartons, paper towel rolls) and the 3 different rangolis (tanjore painting rangoli, desiccated coconut rangoli and rangoli on water) were so artistic and intricate. The hospitality of Mr. Chandrasekaran and Mr. Venkat and the catered food from Annam was an added bonus to a festive evening on Friday, October 12.
Luckmi Pawa with her daughter Ria
STAFFORD: Luckmi Pawa, a
long time Stafford resident has been keeping Golu in her house for the last 28 years. This year everyone visited her home on Wednesday, October 17. She explained, “The festival of Navaratri, and the keeping of Golu is especially significant to me, as it serves as a way of preserving and propagating an ancient culture. Being a second-generation immigrant, and having a daughter, it is important for me to try to hold on to the traditions and practices that were passed on in my family. The golu dolls that were so lovingly displayed in my family home each Navaratri while growing up, reminded my parents of ‘home’, and of their own childhood experiences. Those very same dolls now occupy the golu steps in my home, and will someday find a place in my daugther’s.”
SUGAR
Handmade dolls made from recycled products.
Sandhya Ayyar with her golu display.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
LAND: Sandhya Ayyar shared, “Golu to me represents a beautiful tradition that I grew up with. This was my 4th year of keeping golu. I started in 2014 with a few dolls given to me by my mom and since then I have been adding a few dolls every year that I buy when I visit India. Golu is a heartwarming cultural experience for my family and it’s such a joy to have people from all cultures visit our home for Haldi Kumkum during Navratri.”
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
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Sri Preston Kularni, Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress TX-22
SUGAR LAND: Voting is the
bedrock of Democracy. It is a right fought for since the grand experiment of America first began over two hundred years ago. Voting is a right that wars and marches and lawsuits had to protect and expand throughout our nation’s history. Whether it’s with black thumbs, colored pebbles in jars, or ballot boxes, the idea that every human being has a right to have their opinion expressed in how they are governed is the heart of democracy. On Monday October 22nd until November 6th, we need you to express that right. We need you to vote. When I first started this campaign, I was advised to ignore the votes of immigrant communities. I was told by elected officials and consultants that don’t bother, they don’t vote. But after talking to so many of you, it was apparent that maybe our communities don’t vote because we never bothered. So we ran our campaign the hard way, the right way, by reaching out to people wherever they are and to listen and speak to them in whatever manner they would feel most comfortable with. We went to high schools to listen to young people. We went to
temples, mosques, churches, and other places of worship to register voters and pray. We went to HOA meetings and block parties to engage neighbors and friends. We crisscrossed this district with the simple goal to meet and listen to every community regardless of partisanship, faith, ideology, or ethnicity. We are the second most diverse district in the country and it’s time we had a representative who engaged with all of us. Throughout my fourteen years in the Foreign Service, I was stationed all over the world from Taiwan and Russia to Iraq, Israel, and Jamaica. I have seen democracies fall and nation-states struggle, and although America remains a place
of hope and optimism to others around the world, our light is faltering. America is strongest when all of its citizens participate and are engaged with government. When all of our voices rise together and speak. When all of us vote. Texas is one of the two lowest voter turnout states in America. Immigrant communities vote at lower levels than the national average. This year we need to change that. So as we head into these next few days I’m asking you for your help. I’m asking you to call your friends, drive your neighbors to the polls, and push your family to vote. If you can volunteer or donate, please join us.
America doesn’t have to be divisive. We don’t have to have leaders who spread fear and stir hate. We can vote and change that. We can choose leaders who inspire, who will ensure government is an advocate for the people not corporations, and who represent the best in all of us. So Vote. Early voting begins Monday, October 22nd. Vote early. If you don’t, expect calls from your friends and neighbors until you do because this election is too important for us not to. We are voting for affordable healthcare for our families; for safe, well-funded schools for our children; for an environment that is protected; for families to be re-united; for crimi-
nal justice reform; and for democracy itself. Together our votes can change our communities and our country. We can be the next great American story. We can bring reason, compassion, and decency to Congress and fight for true American values. The values of hope that drew so many of our parents and ancestors to these shores, of optimism that hard work and perseverance could lead to a better life for ourselves and our children, and of safety – because America has always been a nation of refugees and immigrants fleeing famine, war, and hate and seeking a better life. And so we must vote. It is our right, our civic duty, and our obligation to those who came before us and to one another. So vote. October 22nd early voting begins. You can vote at any early voting location in the county in which you are a resident. You need your driver’s license or passport as ID. You can find voting locations at mytexasvotes. org. Thank you for all your support. Now vote.
On October 17, community leaders from various communities came to support Sri Preston Kulkarni.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
-Sri Preston Kularni Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress TX-22
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October 26, 2018
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
KP George, for Fort Bend County Judge
SUGAR LAND: A long-term
community activist KP George is a member of the Fort Bend ISD school board and a local business owner. He was elected to FBISD Trustee Pos. 5 in 2014 and re-elected in 2017 and currently is the candidate for Fort Bend County judge. KP’s passion for giving back to his community stems from the challenges he faced growing up in a tiny village in South India. He began his education learning the local language and walking barefoot to get to school. Even as he did his homework in his straw hut by the light of a kerosene lamp and helped his parents farm before and after school, KP dreamed of achieving his greatest goal: coming to the land of opportunity and living the American Dream. His hard work propelled him out of the poverty of his hometown. He arrived in the U.S. in 1993 to work for a financial firm, and has since earned multiple financial certifications and licenses. KP is currently self-employed as a Board Certified Financial Planner and owns and manages an independent financial planning practice with other advisors. Since 1999, KP and his wife Sheeba (an educator in FBISD) have raised their three children in Sugar Land, 2 recent graduates and one currently attending Fort Bend ISD schools.
KP took the lead in establishing the Hightower High School Academies’ Booster Club in 2013, and served as its first president. He has also served local IndoAmerican groups at high levels, worked with the Sugar Land Rotary Club, the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and was also a member of the FBISD Parents Advisory Team and State Elections Policy & Affairs Team for a local state representative. KP George is very thankful that God has given him the opportunity to live The Dream. Now, he wants to ensure that our children have the necessary tools to achieve their DREAMS because they are our future. As FBISD Trustee, KP has helped manage FBISD’s tremendous growth with no tax rate increase, improved academic
achievement, and promoted vocational schools. The 2017 FBISD Board was awarded H-E-B Excellence in Education award for the Best Public School Board in state of Texas and this year FBISD won the H-E-B award for Best Large District in Texas. As the Fort Bend County Judge, KP George will fight for stronger emergency systems, total fiscal responsibility, increased government transparency, and constant community engagement and input. He will focus on giving a voice to the incredible diversity we have in Fort Bend County and fixing the shortcomings of the current county government. KP’s PRIORITIES • Modernizing the County’s Emergency Preparedness Plan • Support the Creation of a Flood Control District • Increasing Community Engagement by Creating Citizen’s Committees • Providing More Opportunities for Youth • Ensuring Transparency in County Government.
Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.
Certified Public Accountant 14340 Torrey Chase Blvd. | Suite 110 | Houston, Texas 77014 (281) 583-2993 | (281) 580-8700 | Fax(281) 580-7550 www.sulhancpa.com | pradeep@sulhancpa.com
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Support KP George, for further details visit http://www.kpgeorge. com/ Early voting is happening now until November 2, 2018 and Election Day is November 6, 2018.
Juli Mathew, Judge of County Court at Law # 3
SUGAR LAND: Juli Mathew
is running for Judge of County Court at Law Number 3 in Fort Bend County, Texas which encompasses Sugar Land, Missouri City, Stafford, Fulshear, Needville, Richmond, Rosenberg, Arcola, parts of Katy, and a few other smaller cities. She is the Associate Municipal Judge of the City of Arcola and is running for this countywide seat. Her aspiration to become an attorney rose from her own family’s difficulty as newly immigrated citizens from India. She stated,” My Dad encountered various issues with his business partner, who was of Indian descent and had attended law school in the
US. Although he wasn’t a licensed attorney, my parents were always fearful of him. He constantly bullied and threatened my parents with one thing or another. Once he pulled all of the funds from the business account with no notice and having done no work. He pulled the money just before the franchise fees were due and I saw my parents scramble to pay the fees and all of the bills. I saw the nightmare that it created for my parents. The desire to become a lawyer was birthed out of that experience.” She has been a practicing attorney for 15 years in Fort Bend and surrounding counties and has filed thousands of cases. She is the most qualified candidate for this position and has actually practiced in Fort Bend including filing the initial lawsuit to post judgment work. Her first job in Texas was with a firm filing lawsuits against big pharmaceutical companies for harm caused by certain drugs especially to unborn children. She stated that she wants to be the person when Mahatma Gandhi stated, be the change you wish to see in this world. “ I always thought that I could do better and make our court rooms more efficient and save tax payer funds so rather than just talk about it, I decided to do
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something about it.” Juli believes in being fair while upholding the Constitution, state, and local rules and the fundamental belief that all men are created equal and equality and justice should be for all. She has been endorsed by the Houston lawyers Association, Fort Bend Tejanos, AFL-CIO Tidelands Union, Teachers Union and Asia 80-20 PAC to name a few. Support her in her campaign to become the Presiding Judge of Court No. 3, for further details visit www.juliforjudge.com Early voting is happening now until November 2, 2018 and Election Day is November 6, 2018.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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For article see page 07 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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For article see page 07 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust Conducts Self-development & Patanjali Assistant Yoga Teacher Training Workshop in Houston BY SHAILAJA MENON
cific Asanas/ Pranayama, Yoga and Meditation, Acupressure. Over 60 participants attended the workshop and gained a deeper understanding of Sage Patanjali’s eight principles of Yoga and received systematic training of Yog postures and meditation. Upon completion of the Assistant Yog Teacher training, the participant can promote yog and conduct free yog-pranayam classes.
HOUSTON: The Patanjali Yo-
gpeeth (USA) Trust conducted third Self-Development and Assistant Teacher program at Arya Samaj of Greater Houston (ASGH). The three-day workshop began on October 5 and concluded on October 7. The Patanjali Yogpeeth founded by P. P. Swami Ramdev is
driven by a core belief that “Good health is the birthright of all human beings”. To achieve his dream of making the world healthy and disease-free, Swami Ramdev has relentlessly worked to promote good health through the ancient system of Yog. To spread knowledge about Sage Patanjali’s core principles of Yog and to make Yog accessible to masses the Pantanjali Yogapeeth conducts yoga camps, “Shivirs” and workshops. The Assistant Yog Teacher training Workshop conducted in Houston was part of this noble mission. Dr. Dilip Sarkar and Shekhar
Agrawal led the workshop. Dr. Dilip Sarkar is one of the foremost experts in Yoga Therapy who combines his 45-year experience in Western Medicine with his extensive knowledge of Integrative Medicine, including Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy. Shekhar Agarwal is the president of the Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust. He is a fervent advocate of Patanjali Yog and has been a yoga teacher for the past 20 years. He has been conducting teacher training for the past 10 years. The workshop covered Yoga & its Philosophy; Pranayama, its Philosophy & Practice; Anatomy & Physiology; Asanas & Traditional Exercises; Bandhas; Chakaras; Mudras; and Meditation, Acupressure. Furthermore, the participants learnt about core principles of Ayurveda, Healthy Life Style, Disease Spe-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 03
This training will allow the participants to be part of a global movement pioneered by Swami Ramdev to revive the ancient yog science and fulfill his dream for Healthy and Disease-free world.
Rhythm India
- Shawn & Bhavika Patel of the European Wax Center of Pearland, Sameeta Angom of Sameeta’s Spa & Salon, Hetal Bhuptani of Rice Fine Wines & Liquor in Bellaire and Bhavana Shah of the Honest Restaurant in Sugar Land. Rhythm India also acknowledged and thanked all their students who raised $100 or more through raffle ticket sales on that day. Mementos were given to these students to thank them for their hard work. Students included, Ishana Bhatnagar, Arya Patel, Avni Sharma, Hannah Dill, Taruna Jhangiani, Annika Shetty, Zeniya Kirmani, Manjiri Gadhia, Laksh Ngangom, Devaj Vadher & Arushi Suji. Arzan Gonda the Artistic Director of Rhythm India then handed the final check amount of $3185 to Vicki Coates of the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry Inc, who was extremely grateful for the entire team’s effort towards this cause. The emcees thanked Rashna Oak the backstage manager, Sneha Dama the back stage coordinator & Jabali Patel for cuing the sound. Photographers Navin Mediwala & Varshal Shah were thanked for capturing wonderful memories and Murali Santhana was thanked for shooting the energetic highlights of the show. Arzan Gonda said, “It was wonderful to bring the entire community together for a great cause & make it an enjoyable & memorable experience for everyone involved, be it the dancers who danced their hearts out and gave back to our community or as an audience member who enjoyed the evening with their families. The smiles it put on our student’s faces were priceless”. Rhythm India will be holding auditions for their up coming performance season. Kids, teens, and adults are invited to join us on Sunday, October 28, to take a shot at being a part of Houston’s most dynamic and talented Bollywood dance company! Location: Rhythm India Dance Studio, 867 Dulles Ave, Suite B, Stafford TX 77477 For more info or to register: Call 281 968 9479 OR visit www.rhythm-india.com INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 26, 2018
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October 26, 2018
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October 26, 2018
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October 26, 2018
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Classical Choir Voices Soar in Gitanjali to Raise Funds for MTS
PEARLAND:The summer of 2016
had been brutal as The Meenakshi Temple Society has launched an initiative to renovate, expand and upgrade its Kalyana Mandapam, a performance auditorium where many of the large events are held and the adjoining dining hall. The nearly 20 year-old facility needs to be modernized to meet the growing needs of the community. MTS Board Chair, Dr. Padmini Ranganathan requested Anuradha Subramananian, an acclaimed local Carnatic music expert to organize a fund raising event to help the project. Anuradha has such a wide range in her voice that one would hardly expect to emanate from one of such petite stature. Both she and her supportive husband Mani have hearts generous in the service of their faith. Both readily agreed to undertake this task and she sought the co-sponsorship of Classical Arts Society of Houston. In her opening remarks before the event, Anuradha noted that she and Chandrakantha Courtney did the first fund raising event for MTS in 1990 and that it gave her immense pleasure to give back to the Temple in a befitting way again 28 years later in 2018. Anuradha, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, explained that she got the idea of developing a program that emphasized the element of Bhakthi and went about engaging all her
Anuradha Subramananian, Carnatic music expert poses with the members of the Meenakshi Temple Society Board of Directors as her team of 33 singers and 7 instrumentalists take their bows on stage.
students to perform the vocals and various local artists to provide the instrumental accompaniment. With an ensemble of 33 singers and 7 instrumentalists, Anuradha set out to develop a repertoire of bhajans, popular light songs and pure classical songs that would be within the reach of diverse talent levels of her students, and also be enjoyable to the audience. The result was a 13-song choir starting with a beautiful Ganesh
Bhajan and ending with a divine song on Lord Venkateswara in Tirupathi. The entire musical experience lasted 90 minutes with songs and bhajans interspersed with alapana by Anuradha and preludes by artists on violin and veena and the saxophone. The songs offered homage to Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya, Lord Shiva, Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Krishna, Hanuman, Aiyappaa and of course, Lord Vishnu. The ninety minute program was
well attended by music lover and temple supporters. Dr. Ranganathan summarized her impression of the evening, saying it was a “divine journey”. Anuradha was delighted with all her students and the instrumental artists. “They all performed the pieces flawlessly,” she smiled, “in spite of the fact that they had only one group rehearsal.” The function started with a short welcome by Dr. Ranganathan and
ParthasrathyKrishnaswamy,theMTS Joint Secretary, succinctly described the need for the renovation project and its key features. Many volunteers helped with the performance, notably Rama Pakala who produced the video of images of the deities appropriate for each song which enhanced the enjoyment of the audience. The event raised over $15,000 for the renovation project and brought in many first timers to the Temple.
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October 26, 2018 Vote Now!
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Populism Confronts Reality BY S. AKBAR ZAIDI
Sri Preston Kulkarni (center) interacts with Dev Mahajan (left) and others at India House.
Most of us have made a decision to make the United States our adopted home and have taken U.S. citizenship. As citizens, it is our right and obligation to cast our ballot. Voting in the U.S. midterm elections is already in the second week of early voting. There are some , however, who are not motivated to vote, particularly in the midterm elections, which does not feature a presidential race. Without participating in this form of collective decisionmaking, we abdicate our responsibility to make decisions that have a direct impact on issues of personal interest such as immigration, job growth, healthcare, and taxes. If we do not vote, we remain bystanders in the political process. If you’ve registered to vote, but do not know where to go to cast your early vote or where to go on the final day of elections on Nov. 6 (these two locations can be different), visit https:// betofortexas.com/vote/ to identifyyour polling location. In particular, Indo-American News urges you to cast your vote for Sri Preston Kulkarni, the Democratic Congressional candidate for the Texas 22nd District, which encompasses Sugar Land, parts of Katy, Pearland, Missouri City, Clear Lake City and Rosenberg. Sri is a native Houstonian, grew up in southwest Houston and attended Lamar High School and University of Texas in Austin. His father, Venkatesh Kulkarni, emigrated from Hyderabad, and taught creative writing at Rice University. His mother, Margaret, traces her ancestral roots to Sam Houston, the hero of the battle of San Jacinto. Dilip Singh Saund was the first person of Indian origin to serve in the U.S. Congress during 1957-63. Voting for Sri Preston Kulkarni is our singular opportunity to elect a Congressman of Indian origin, someone who understands our needs and concerns as no one else can. Kulkarni is willing to listen and has offered to conduct regular town hall meetings to listen to his contituents, regardless of whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents. He is willing lower the political noise in Washington DC and walk across the aisle to develop “win-win” solutions. He will also help to restore integrity to the political process. -- Pramod Kulkarni
It is two months since Imran Khan became Pakistan’s Prime Minister with the very partisan and public support and assistance from Pakistan’s military and its clandestine organisations, when his main opponent, Nawaz Sharif, and his daughter were put behind bars following a highly controversial and dubious legal judgment. Yet, Mr. Khan has still not discovered the fact that being a populist rabble rouser in Opposition, at which he was particularly good, is very different from being an elected leader with serious responsibilities and consequences, where sombre reality sobers down even the most exaggerated claims and promises. These last few weeks have only reinforced the appellation, ‘U-Turn Khan’, used for Mr. Khan on numerous occasions in the past, regarding his various statements about what all he intends to do. From making exaggerated promises that he would break Pakistan’s begging bowl; that he would “rather commit suicide” than go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF); that his government would be one of new, clean faces, all chosen on high standards of merit; that his government would end nepotism of every kind in every public office; that he would bring back the supposedly $200 billion “looted wealth in 100 days”; and so on, he has had to backtrack on all these claims and dozens of others, made at different times in different stages of exuberance. This idea of “new and clean” faces in his Cabinet, and as his advisers, was the first to be dumped when the long and growing list of his team was announced. He appointed various Ministers and advisers who had served with and under General Pervez Musharraf in some capacity or the other, including the lawyer defending General Musharraf. Moreover, some of the senior members of his team, in addition to having won their own seats, have had their close relatives (son, daughter, wife) elected to the National and Provincial Assemblies, rubbishing claims of a non-nepotistic style of government. Having put together an unstable coalition of political parties and individuals in order to form a government, choices have had to be
made which might look unsavoury to those pursuing some ideal ethical and moral norms, yet reflect the highest standards of the reality of Pakistani politics. The most consequential of decisions which Mr. Khan’s government has had to take in its two months so far is to go to the IMF asking for a loan estimated to be an unprecedented $10-15 billion. This will be Pakistan’s 13th IMF loan since the 1980s, and also probably the largest. In addition, the political conditions surrounding IMF loan disbursement have changed considerably for Pakistan since the good old days of the War on Terror, when the U.S. perceived Pakistan to be a particularly close ally when such loans were disbursed somewhat leniently and with slipping standards of monitoring and surveillance, with numerous waivers given on unmet tasks and targets. This time, for a host of reasons, the conditionalities and the political baggage behind being approved for the loan will be particularly heavy, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo already having stated that the U.S. would be “watching what the IMF does”. He said: “There’s no rationale for IMF tax dollars, and associated with that American dollars that are part of the IMF funding… to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself.” In fact, the IMF Managing Director has also stated that the IMF would require “absolute transparency” of debts owed to China. Clearly, a different geopolitics is being played out in Pakistan today. Having sworn never to go to the IMF, as has every prime ministerial aspirant in the past, Mr. Khan went “begging”, a term used by one of his close advisers, for money from “friendly countries”, which these
days happen to be only Saudi Arabia, the UAE and, of course, China. On all three counts, it seems that Pakistan’s few friends sent their regrets about bailing it out, yet again. The government had to turn to the IMF after its own indecisions and poor handling led to a huge meltdown in the economy, with the stock market falling to a 28-month low, and the rupee plummeting more than 9% in one day. If there wasn’t such an acute crisis of the Pakistan economy prior to his election, Mr. Khan’s government’s particularly poor handling ensured that one was created — and hence, to the IMF. Mr. Khan ought to have known that going to the IMF results in severe constraints on the economy, with fiscal cuts, higher interest rates, devaluation and other so-called austerity measures. The consequence of an IMF loan backed with tight conditionality results in growth slowing down, often with higher inflation, and undermines any expansionist neopopulist programmes. Immediately after the meeting of Pakistan’s Finance Minister and the IMF leadership, economists projected that Pakistan’s GDP growth rate would fall to around 3% this year, down from a 13-year high of 5.8% last year, and that inflation would reach anywhere between 15 and 20% by next July. Importantly, while these early IMF negotiations were being held by the Government of Pakistan, with dire consequences for the economy writ large, Prime Minister Imran Khan was announcing his Naya Pakistan Housing Programme, of five million low-cost houses in five years. Clearly, the Prime Minister has no clue about simple arithmetic, and that the numbers under IMF austerity just won’t add up. When he was launching his Housing Scheme, Mr. Khan tried to allay the fears of his audience about the impending economic crisis and told them, “Ghabrain nahin, hausla rakhain (do not worry, have fortitude).” Perhaps the chasm between populist promises and hard realities in Pakistan can only be filled by faith, belief and a prayer. -- The Hindu S. Akbar Zaidi, a political economist based in Karachi, teaches at Columbia University in New York and at the IBA in Karachi.
Indo American News FOUNDER: DR. K.L. SINDWANI PUBLISHER: JAWAHAR MALHOTRA EDITOR: PRAMOD KULKARNI BUSINESS & PRODUCTION HEAD: VANSHIKA VIPIN GRAPHICS: PIYAL SEN GUPTA WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: NEHA PATEL CORRESPONDENTS
INDIA: ASEEM KULKARNI ®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 4 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: 713-789-6397 email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: www.indoamerican-news.com
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
21
Puja Samithi of Greater Houston (PSGH) Celebrates Durga Puja in Style
BY SANCHALI BASU
HOUSTON: Under the able lead-
ership and guidance of Houston’s favorite priest Dr. Bishnupada Goswami, PSGH celebrated Durga Puja at the ISKCON temple grounds the weekend of Nov 19 to 21. The spiritual ambience and setting of the Puja this year, created a divine atmosphere. The festivities started on Thursday with decorating the dais and the idol of Maa Durga. Friday’s puja included Chandipath, Maha Sashthi and Saptami Puja. Despite being a weekday, several participated in the afternoon pushpanjali, and enjoyed the Arati and Bhog Prasad lunch. The Sandhyarati was followed by an invocatory Devi Vandana by Salil Banerje and his team. The rest of the entertainment program featured local Bollywood singing talents, briefly interspersed by a mix of Bollywood dance numbers. The evening rain and cold dampened the spirits and attendance somewhat, but Atanu Das from Atlanta, with his mix of Bengali favorites and Hindi medleys, managed to keep the audience engaged with his powerful singing. Saturday morning was glorious with a slight nip in the air to start off Maha Ashtami. What set this Puja apart was Kumari Puja that ensued a la Belur Math, where 4 young girls ranging from the ages of 5 to 8 were dressed up like the Goddess Durga and worshipped. After the regular pushpanjali and Bhog Prasad, one of the most important rituals of Durga Puja, the Sandhi Puja was peformed. It is done at the exact juncture when Asthami ends and Navami begins, the exact time at which Devi Durga slayed the notorious demons Chando and Munda. An hour of children’s program was followed by extremely talented locals of the likes of Shreya Guhathakurta, with her melodious renditions of Rabindra Sangeet, and
Photos: : Sanchali Basu & Kingshuk Choudhury
Rajneeta Bandopadhyay with her captivating semi classical music. Invited artist from Kolkata, Dr. Kaberi Sen was very impressive with her Odissi dance in honor of Ma Durga and Pallavi. The dynamic duo of Anjan Saha, sitarist and Amit Chatterjee on the tabla, artists from Kolkata, left the audience asking for more. Our very own Pandit Suman Ghosh delighted the classical music lovers
with his impeccable offerings of raga Bageshree and others. Such was the tone he set for the evening that the audience was ready to listen to him all night. Sunday, Mahanavami celebrated Durga’s victory over Mahisasura with a Vedic style homa (fire oblation). Vijaya Dashami always brings about an air of sadness amongst Bengalis when Mother Durga leaves her father’s house and is believed to return to Mount Kailasha, her abode with Shiva. It begins with the joyful Sindoor Khela, where women smear vermillion on the the idol’s forehead and feet, before smearing it on each other and offering sweets. Nabapatrika was then immersed to bid adieu to Ma Durga for a year. The evening’s entertainment was provided by local talented artists. Most of the meals were catered by Govinda’s, ISKCON’s own restaurant and were delicious. PSGH will be celebrating Kali Puja on November 3, at the same location. A ticketed entertainment program will feature Parnava Banerjee from Kolkata. Please visit www. houstonpujasamithi.org for further information.
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
Vande Mataram
BY JAI SEHGAL
HOUSTON: Vande Mataram was
written and publicized by Indian poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1881 and was adopted as the national song of India on January 24, 1950, after having its first two verses adopted by the Congress Working Committee in 1937. The root word, Vande, comes from the Sanskit word Vand, which means to worship, or salute respectfully. The second root word, Mataram, means mother. Originally written as a tribute to the Goddess of War and Mother Goddess Durga, it was later interpreted as a tribute to Bharat Mata, or Mother India. This song played an important role in the Indian independence movement and is often regarded by many as a “marching song” and symbol of activism. Today, this song represents the years of struggles endured by millions of Indians to achieve independence, and the pride all Indians take in being a part of their
motherland. There are quite a few unique things about this song, one being that there are no parameters on how long it is to be sang, or how what rendition it is to be sang in. The second is that many believe that there is no accurate translation of this song into another language, as the beauty of this song is comprehensible in Hindi and Sanskrit alone. The song lyrics specifically focus a lot on the natural aspects of Mother India, as many lines refer to its innumerable landmarks of natural beauty. These lines are followed by many praises of mother, including descriptions of its strength, courage, and pure awe. This is all reflected in the discussion that people have about the song being originally about Durga Ma, but somehow also adapted to praise the nation of India as a whole, because of the parallels the two draws in terms of achievements and bravery. The 3rd paragraph onwards start to complement the specific aspects of Durga and India, for example their
beauty and divinity. The fourth paragraph refers specifically to Durga and Lakshmi, their power, and influence on nature. The song ends again with the phrase Vande Mataram, which is a call to praise mother India. The significance of this song is that it was not originally written as a patriotic or political song, but rather a religious and pious sound for devotees and others. However, what many people do not know is that this song was adapted to the characteristics of India, which is why there are many mentions of Goddesses. Thus, the national song of India is often overlooked by many, but holds an interesting story to its origin, and application in the modern day; it is a symbol of pride and honor for Indians everywhere, and must be revitalized again everywhere. Submitted as a part of Last Year’s Vande Mataram Outloud Contest sponsored by Swami Dayanand Education Foundation Jai Sehgal is a 12th Grade student.
Krazy for Kishore Brings the Community Together for the Akhil Autism Foundation Anight filled with music, laughs and emotional moments. The Krazy for Kishore event hosted by band Kalamanch USA, a fund raiser for Akhil Autism Foundation was a huge success for raising money and awareness for a well worthy cause. The Master of Ceremonies for the event was celebrity chef and TV host, Kunal Lamba of Kawan Kitchen Mate and Kabab Culture. The event featured Curtain Raiser, performances by kids with Autism, rocking melodies of Kishore Kumar, with guest speakers such as General Deputy Consul Shri Shatrunghna Sinha and Middlesex Freeholder, Shanti Narra, as well as information about Akhil Autism Foundation. The Krazy for Kishore event was able to raise approximately $10,000 to be utilized for providing more children with treatment options as well as funding autism research.
Akhil Austism Foundation started in 2008 with a mission that “everyAutistic individual deserves treatment and every parent and professionals needs education. Make all the treatments affordable and accessible to every Autistic individual”. Their vision is to “Help Autistic Individuals lead an independent & functional life”. “We are so happy to have had the turn out that we had with this event and bringing people together for such a worthy cause that is so near and dear to our hearts. We cannot express enough grati-
tude who were involved in our fundraiser and to all well wishers who are continuing to support our Fight Against Autism for the past decade.” said Manisha Lad, the Founder and Executive Director of the Akhil Austism Foundation. Since 2008, Akhil Austism Foundation has: Provided treatment and interventions to over 1000 children, sponsored over 1500 hours of education to parents & care providers and facilitated over 20 treatment workshops in USA & India.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018
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Muhammad Saeed Sheikh Receives the United States President’s Lifetime Achievement Award
HOUSTON: President Donald Trump
of the Alliance in response to Hurricane Harvey that procured more than $200,000 worth of in-kind merchandise, established the distribution center which provided truckloads of food packages and basic needs items to NRG shelter, churches, affected neighborhoods, and the Red Cross, impacting more than 5,000 people. Sheikh also served as President of Pakistan Junior Chamber, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA, and his leadership was recognized by Sister Cities International Circle of Distinguished Volunteers, City of Houston, and the US Congress.
awarded Muhammad Saeed Sheikh the “President’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2018, the most prestigious Civil honor which is bestowed to citizens for their contribution to our nation for the most outstanding volunteer services throughout their lifetime. The award was presented by President George W. Bush, in a ceremony organized by S. Javaid Anwar in coordination with the office of President George W. Bush. Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, Consul General of Pakistan in Houston Aisha Farooqui and Farida Sheikh were also present on this occasion. During the award presentation ceremony, President Bush praised the outstanding volunteerism of Sheikh over the last 20 years. President Bush established the Award in 2003 by an executive order to recognize service through Presidential gratitude and national recognition. In a greetings letter, President Trump stated, “On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you for your lifetime of service to your fellow Americans and those most in need. Through your service you have ensured the continuation of America’s unparalleled commitment to improving the lives of others. You have served as a model of the American spirit. Your many hours of service have strengthened the bonds of cooperation and trust that bring people together, while helping to address some of the greatest challenges of our time.” Many elected officials and community leaders, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Sister Cities of Houston President Harry Gee and media outlets congratulated Sheikh on this distinctive honor. On this occasion as a goodwill gesture Sheikh presented Traditional Ajrak and Cap to President Bush. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh has served the community as a volunteer for the last 20 years. He is the president of the Houston Karachi Sister City Association. Sheikh initiated the Alliance for Disaster Relief Efforts involving 35 organizations and coordinated humanitarian relief efforts in response to the floods in Pakistan, a tornado in Oklahoma and the drought recuperation program, which established projects in Thar, Pakistan. He helped raise more than $300,000 for these efforts, which benefited over 10,000 people. He is the Coordinator of Houston Iftar since 2011, which exemplifies Unity, Peace, Interfaith harmony & Diversity of the Houston Community. Recently, Sheikh coordinated the efforts INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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October 26, 2018
Zee Americas Premieres “Break Through The Crowd”
COMMUNITY
First of its kind of reality show, which allows 8 promising startups to fulfill these funding goals through crowdsourcing
Break Through The Crowd premiered on Sunday, October 14 at media and entertainment mega-giant ZEE Entertainment. A new series that will give a handful of lucky contestants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into
a reality by pitching their ideas to some of the sharpest minds in business. In the end, only one hopeful will “break through the crowd” and walk away with a team of prestigious marketing and crowdfunding gurus. “Each of the individuals profiled for this series has an important story to tell. Our goal is to inspire our viewers by sharing their experiences in a truly compelling and unique way,” said Sameer Targe, CEO at Zee Americas. After narrowing down submissions from
more than 100 hopeful contestants across the globe, only eight entrepreneurs were selected to compete on Break Through The Crowd. They will each be given a chance to showcase their businesses and concepts, which range from sophisticated lifestyle mobile apps, to thoughtful travel accessories and even percussion instruments that double as an exercise routine. The highly-anticipated series, airing exclusively on ZEE TV, will follow the journeys of these aspiring moguls, who must persuade a panel of brutally honest judges that they have the chops to succeed in the cut-throat world of business. “Break Through the Crowd isn’t about the judges and their larger-than-life personalities,” said Director, Arka Sengupta. “Unlike other business competition
shows on TV, Break Through The Crowd is focused on the entrepreneurs - many of whom are only just learning the ropes about what it takes to start a business.” “We are giving viewers an honest look at the road to the finish line - and there are bumps along the way. Each episode explores a new aspect of the start-up process - from pitching the concept to investors, to manufacturing challenges, to marketing their product in our ever-evolving digital age,” Kalpana Malviya added. “Fans will relate to the contestants on a deeper level and by the end of season one, they will be emotionally invested in the person behind the product.” The seven episodes series will be divvied up into phases, which will wean out contestants through a series of real-world business scenarios. In episodes one and two, contestants will pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts, which include Alan Brody, Founder of Blockchain Breakthroughs; Sanford Wollman, Co-Founder of Westchester Angels; Nick Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Differential Ventures; and Ramit Arora, President and Co-Founder of Biz2Credit. And while they often make facing American Idol’s Simon Cowell seem like a walk through the park, each judge comes from a place of sincerity, having walked a mile in those shoes. After the judges have heard all eight pitches and offered their feedback, three entrepreneurs will be eliminated, and five will advance to phase two. The competition really heats up in the next phase, when, with the help of judges, contestants must condense their pitch to 60 seconds and tweak their business models to reflect actual flaws with their products. Contestants must find ways to overcome problems that vary from production costs, to manufacturing overseas. There are a number of twists and along the way - each designed to prepare contestants for the unxpected curveballs they might inevitably encounter outside of the show. And by the end of episode four, only two entrepreneurs will have secured a spot in the final crowdfunding phase, vying for their chance to “break through the crowd.” ZEE TV’s Break Through The Crowd premiered on Sunday, October 14 at 8:30pm ET/9pm PT/8pm AST. Episodes will be posted online at https:// zeeoriginals.com/shows/break-throughthe-crowd/ after their official airdate. About Zee Network: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, Zee entertains over 1 billion viewers across 172 countries. About Zee TV USA: Zee TV USA was the first ever Hindi General Entertainment channel to be launched in the US way back in 1998. Since the start of the journey more than 2 decades ago, Zee now has 43 networks and full time dedicated workforce across 5 different locations all across the North America and Caribbean. Zee TV USA was the first Asian channel to launch in HD. Zee TV was the first Hindi network to be measured by Nielsen in the US, Zee TV is also the most widely available Hindi General Entertainment network on all major DTH, Cable, Telco and IPTV platforms with availability over 86 million US households, as per Sameer Targe, CEO at Zee Americas.
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SUDOKU Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Send us the correct answer before October 30, 2018. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 212, Houston, TX 77036. Send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published (for first three entrees only & 1 submission per month).
Solution Next Week
PUZZLES / RECIPES
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
In the cold, rainy weather that we’ve been having lately, nothing tastes better than some warm breakfast full of wonderful aroma to brighten up the morning! And this super-easy recipe can do just that as it enhances plain bread into a cross between a French toast and a donut. Below is a reprint of Mama’s Mitthi Bread or Shahi Tukdre recipe, which is a favorite treat made and eaten in the winter months. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. Most people think that Punjabis enjoy their paranthas the most of all types of breads, but the truth is that they enjoy breads cooked in many ways. And when they can’t get any kind of cooked roti, they will just as easily turn to regular bread with sabzi, toast with butter and jam or the crispy ready-made husks eaten dipped in a cup of milky tea.
Mitthi Bread or Shahi Tukdre
(SWEETENED FRIED BREAD)
Sometimes when there isn’t enough time to make a delicious sweet dish, an imaginative Punjabi will turn to this easy recipe, which uses bread and is not only simple but also greatly appreciated by guests. If you happen to have some left over chasni (sugar syrup), then this dish is even faster to make. Mitthi bread, better known as shahi tukde, is also popular in Rajasthan and Hyderabad, but some say it is best connected to a region called Awadh in Uttar Pradesh. This region was sometimes referred to as Oudh (derived from the Hindi name Ayodhya) whose capital was Lucknow.
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The other ingredient in this dish is rabdi or thickened, evaporated milk that is poured all over the bread which soaks it up. When served chilled sprinkled with chopped almonds, pistachios and saffron, the taste is just fantastic. Ingredients: • 6 slices of bread - (bleached white and sliced) • 1 ½ cups chinni (sugar) • 1 cup pani (water) • ½ gallon doodh (milk) – whole milk is best • Vegetable or sunflower oil for frying • Condiments to your taste: kishmish (raisins); saunf (fennel seed) • Dry fruits to your taste: badam (almonds – peeled and slivered); piste (pistachios – halved or pieces)
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Directions: 1. To make the chasni, pour sugar into a bowl and slowly add warm water while mixing thoroughly with a spoon. 2. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and
keep stirring to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom otherwise it will give a burnt smell. Keep stirring till the milk is thickened and only ¼ remains, take off the heat and set aside. 3. Cut the slices of bread into four squares, then fry in the oil till each side is golden brown. 4. Dip the hot pieces into the chasni and take them out with a strainer to drip. 5. Spread the pieces in a large flat pyrex baking dish and arrange in two layers. 6. Pour the rabdi, covering the layer of fried bread. 7. Sprinkle the top with slivered al-
monds, pistachios, raisins and fennel seeds. Place in the fridge to chill before serving. . 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 (since renamed Faisalabad) 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 early-nineties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share her delectable Punjabi recipes for future generations.
MAMA’S TIP O F THE
WEEK
REUSE EXTRA CH ASNI FOR ANOTH ER DISH Se
veral Indian which is water basesweet dishes are made with chasni makes it easy to m d. Though it is not hard to make, havin(sugar syrup), get caught by surp ake another sweet dish should you be g some handy rise guests. in a hurry or
Usually when co syrup is left over. Ta oking gulab jamun or jalebis some ch fridge. If you are shke this chasni and store it in a plastic coasni or sugar like shahi tukde, an ort on time, you can quickly turn to anntainer in the d make a delicious sweet dish in no timother recipe, e at all.
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October 26, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS
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Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone Marriage:
B
Wishes pour in for the most loved couple of Bollywood
ollywood’s most adored couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have finally made it official. Taking to their social media handles Ranveer and Deepika shared an official wedding invi-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
tation and announced their wedding dates. The two-day wedding ceremony will take place on 14th and 15th November. There are actually two copies of the invite, one completely in Hindi and the other in English. As for the content, it talks about how the people have showered them with love and that they seek their blessings as they set out on this new journey and how immense joy they are feeling in sharing this moment.
Not only are the fans of the actors thrilled but their B-town friends and colleagues are also super excited about the same. Congratulatory messages have been pouring in on the social media. ~Timesof India.com
Congratulations! Raveen Tandon October 26, 1974
Asin October 26, 1985
Aishwariya Rai Bachan Nov 1, 1973
Ileana D’Cruz Nov 1, 1987
B
adhaai Ho Review: Middle-class families are often riddled with their own set of values and social systems. While pregnancy and motherhood are celebrated, subjects like sex and romance are talked about with a degree of embarrassment and awkwardness. The concept of ‘Badhaai Ho’, where a quintessential Delhi couple; parents to two adult boys (one of them is of marriageable age), get pregnant out of the blue, is just the sort of subject that can ruffle-up feathers within the middle-class family system. Yet, this dramedy, based on children feeling terribly embarrassed by the outcome of their parents’ mid-age romance; with outsiders joining in the criticism, conveys some really progressive thoughts. The situational humour of ‘Badhaai Ho’ is complimented perfectly, by striking performances from Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta and Ayushmann Khurrana. This film is as funny as it is liberal. The conversation around the fact that romance and passion have nothing to do with age, make this film a stand out for many reasons. The Kaushiks live in Delhi’s Lodhi colony, a run-of-the-mill setting, where family affairs can tumble into the next home through adjoining balconies and windows. So, when Jeetender and his wife Priyamvada find out about their unexpected pregnancy, the news spreads like wildfire. Neighbours get curious, but the kneejerk reactions come from members
Badhai Ho: An absolute winner!
of the Kaushik household. The two sons are shocked by the fact that their parents still have an active love life (read: sex life), while the grandmom (Surekha Sikri) is appalled by the news, too. Steering clear of clichés and stereotypes, the writing of Shantanu Srivastava and Akshat Ghildial brings in some genuinely likeable moments. The way the parents break the news to their family is hilari-
ous. Priyamvada’s colony friends feel happy for her, while her own children are almost left red-faced by the news. The on-screen romance between the parents, replete with 80s and 90s romantic songs playing in the background, is absolutely endearing. The well-crafted dialogues add to the hilarity of the situations. You don’t expect actors playing ‘mom and dad’ to have as much screen space as the young leads of the film, but director Amit Ravindernath Sharma actually puts the spotlight on senior actors Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta. Their romantic moments are the veritable highlight. Same goes for their performances, too. Neena Gupta is excellent in her portrayal of the unsettled mother. Gajraj Rao’s performance is the best thing about ‘Badhaai Ho’. In fact, he steals every scene that he’s a part of. Just his body language, mannerisms and expressions are enough to make you laugh out loud. Not to be overshadowed, Ayushmann, too, is in top-form, playing the son who feels
the brunt of the social pressure. So much so, that his relationship with his girlfriend, Reene (Sanya Malhotra) gets affected, too. Surekha Sikri, who plays the dadi, deserves a special mention. She’s old-fashioned for various reasons, but when it comes to taking up for her bahu with a baby bump, she unabashedly tells the rest of the family that it’s admirable for couples to be in love and have “sexy” (meaning sex) at this age. Sanya Malhotra, who plays the girl with modern outlook, breezes through her role. ‘Badhaai Ho’, much like its subject, puts a fantastic new spin on the usual. In a new-age rom-com, you’d expect Ayushmann and Sanya’s love story to take centre stage, but when you see the middle-aged parents blush with romance, the entertainment really becomes novel. The music by Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli and JAM8 is top-grade, too. Tracks like ‘Badhaiyaan Tenu’, ‘Naina Na Jodeen’ and ‘Sajan Bade Senti’ fit the mood perfectly. The film engages thoroughly, while still making a social statement. Even though the story has a limited scope, the detailed writing, the finesse of Sharma’s direction and some unforgettable performances, make this film an absolute winner.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
~TimesofIndia.com
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SPORTS
October 26, 2018
Indians Chase Down 323 vs. WI with Ridiculous Ease BY SIDHARTH MONGA GUWAHATI (ESPN Crickinfo): India 326 for 2 (Rohit 151*, Kohli 140) beat West Indies 322 for 8 (Hetmeyer 106, Kieran 51, Chahal 3-41) by 8 wickets Shimron Hetmeyer scored his third hundred in only his 13th ODI, a display of attractive strokeplay, but it only set up a festive bonanza for a sold-out Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The hapless West Indies bowlers found themselves caught in a hit-out between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who chased down 323 with ridiculous ease. Kohli scored his 36th ODI hundred - his 22nd in chases - and Rohit his 20th. They added 246 delightful runs, their 15th century partnership and fifth of 200 or more. This partnership’s aggregate is now only five behind Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan in this era of Indian ODI cricket. Dhawan’s early exit, to the impressively quick Oshane Thomas, was the last moment of joy for West Indies. What happened earlier would have seemed satisfying to captain Jason Holder, who had asked his team to score 300 regularly, but on a flat Indian track, against this top order, they were 40 too short. And for that they had their batsmen to blame: so many of them got starts - Kieran Powell even got to fifty - but only Hetmeyer reached three figures, and even he left the job unfinished. It was left to Kemar Roach and Devendra Bishoo to bat out the last six overs, which they did admirably, adding 44, but that was the time when a proper batsman should have been putting Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami, not India’s first-choice ODI quicks, under pressure and taking the team past 350. The drastic change in the conditions and the ball from Test cricket was evident in how Hetmeyer turned it all around. After averaging 12.5 in the Test series, he hit a 78-ball 106, attacking despite wickets falling at the other end. In isolation, Hetmeyer’s hitting was sensational. He hit six sixes and six fours, and did so when conventional thinking would have called for consolidation and rebuilding. When Hetmeyer started, Kieran Powell had just brought a tame end to his similarly sensational but halfas-long innings with a hit straight to
Virat Kohli celebrates his 36th ODI century, his 22nd in chases.
long-on. When Marlon Samuels was out for a second-ball duck, West Indies were 86 for 3 in the 16th over. This is usually the time when India turn the screws, especially given their middle-overs wicket-taking form, the best since the Champions Trophy bar Afghanistan, who get to play lesser opposition. However, they were without the injured Kedar Jadhav and they had left out Kuldeep Yadav for this match. Kuldeep was also the man who had dismissed Hetmeyer in three of his four innings in the Test series. With nobody turning the ball away from him, Hetmeyer set himself up for big hits frequently. It was almost like taking a single was the last option in his mind. He was ferocious on the pull, and upset the spinners with his
powerful sweeps. Seventy-five of his runs came through 34 scoring shots into the leg side. The wickets kept falling despite partnerships. Hetmeyer kept going, bringing up his hundred with a stylish off-driven six off Shami in the 38th over. At 246 for 5, West Indies would have hoped for another 100 at least in the remaining overs. And then Hetmeyer mistimed a sweep off Jadeja, and wickets began falling again. The fall of wickets continued at the start of the second innings with Thomas announcing himself with an early spell in which he hit the high 140s consistently. Thomas’ pace was his enemy in these conditions with little help from the conditions. West Indies knew they couldn’t afford to let Kohli get
into his innings so they attacked him more. Two slips, bouncers, the works. This spell of play was electric, but it eventually left West Indies shocked. Every minute error in length or line was punished by Kohli. Before they realised what had hit them, Kohli had reached fifty in 35 balls. Rohit, 18 off 21, looked like Mother Teresa in comparison. Pretty soon it was clear West Indies had been below par with the bat. With the ball, they were dejected after that early Kohli onslaught. Kohli even played the cut regularly - or the back-foot drive that comes close to resembling it. It is not a shot he plays that often, but he knew he was going to be tested with the short stuff, and he wasn’t going to let bowlers dictate in these conditions. Once spin came on, it was cash-in time. Rohit played himself in, and once he began hitting out, the bowlers were like a little ball caught in a pinball machine with two extremely long flippers. If one didn’t get them, the other did. Shot for shot, the two matched each other. Kohli took the ground, Rohit the airspace. Kohli hit 21 fours to Rohit’s 15, Rohit eight sixes to Kohli’s two. Too stunned to react, the bowlers just kept turning up to claim their punishment. Never mind the two noballs by legspinner Devendra Bishoo, there was one for West Indies having one fielder too few in the circle. Not that it mattered even when they could push that man out after the 40th over. Rohit hit Thomas for three successive fours before bringing up the win and also his sixth ODI 150 with a six over long-off.
Abbas 10-for as Pakistan Secures 1-0 Series Win ABU DHABI: Pakistan 282 (Fakhar 94, Sarfraz 94, Lyon 4-78) and 400 for 9 dec (Babar 99, Sarfraz 81, Fakhar 66, Azhar 64) beat Australia 145 (Finch 39, Abbas 5-33) and 164 (Labuschagne 43, Abbas 5-62) by 373 runs Abu Dhabi really was nothing like Dubai. Over in the nation’s most global city, Australia batted out 140 overs in blazing sunshine to thwart Pakistan’s hopes of a win. Here in the capital under clouds and a slight drizzle, it took Mohammad Abbas and his teammates barely 50 overs to scythe through an Australian
side that looked as feeble as the worst pessimist had feared a fortnight ago. Abbas completed a five-wicket haul, his second in this match and his fourth in a career that yet spans a mere 10 matches. It was his scintillating spell on Friday morning that ripped through Australia’s middle order, condemning them to a 373-run defeat, their fourth-worst in history. Abbas was strewn across every record book in Abu Dhabi. He is the first fast bowler to take a ten-wicket haul in UAE, he’s the joint fastest to 50 wickets, and has the lowest average of any bowler with that tally in the
last 122 years. For a bowler who only made his debut 18 months ago, he is fast rising to the status of unofficial world No. 1, a ranking none other than Dale Steyn tipped him to reach. If you watched him bowling in this Test, and indeed these two weeks, you’d be hard pressed to disagree. These are especially worrying times for Justin Langer, the new Australia coach. In the three Tests since the balltampering scandal in Cape Town, Australia have suffered two defeats that rank as their second and fourthheaviest of all time.
JOB AVAILABLE
Bajrang Punia Wins Silver @ Wrestling Championships BUDAPEST: Bajrang Punia entered the history books as he won silver and became the first Indian wrestler to win two medals at the World Wrestling Championships on Monday. Punia had won a bronze medal in the 2013 edition. Punia lost 9-16 to Takuto Otoguro of Japan in the final of the 65 kg freestyle event. The Japanese raced into a 5-0 lead at the start of the match and although Bajrang did cut Otoguro’s lead to one pointa at one stage he was always fighting an uphill battle against an opponent who had injury issues later in the match. “It was so near and yet so far,” was how the 24-year-old reacted, speaking from Budapest. “Having reached the final, I expected to win gold but I will have to be satisfied with a silver medal. I am happy to have bettered my bronze medal effort, achieved five years ago at the same venue,” added Punia. Coach Jasminder Singh, disappointed as he was, said it was not India’s day at Budapest. “Yes, we all would have wanted him to win gold, but a silver medal is no mean achievement. But Punia has been consistent throughout the season and has wrapped up this season with two major titles and a silver medal in the world championships here. And this is what every wrestler dream about,” said the coach, applauding Punia’s efforts in the season. The Indian grappler had earlier knocked off Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba 4-3 to enter the 65 kg Freestyle final on the second day of the World Wrestling Championships at the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest on Sunday night. In a close bout, the Indian staved off a late threat from his Cuban rival who narrowed down the lead from 4-1 to 4-3 before the 2013 Budapest bronze medal winner emerged as a deserving winner to prove the Hungarian capital to be a happy hunting ground for him.
Bajrang Punia won the Silver at the World Wrestling Championships.
Positions available: 1) Full- time or part-time cashier / counter (must be able to speak English and understand Hindi) 2) Full-time kitchen help. 3) Full-time sales girl for Sari store (must be able to speak English and understand Hindi) Anyone interested in this opportunity, please contact Ramesh Lulla at 713-819-1820 after 2 pm or Aakash Lulla at 832-715-8328 after 2 pm INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 26, 2018
ArcelorMittal’s Entry Set to Heat Up India’s Steel Industry NEW DELHI: . The entry of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, into the Indian market will force existing private sector players to increase efficiency and control costs, analysts say. A third steel producer, after Tata Steel Ltd and JSW Steel Ltd, with both financial heft and expertise, is expected to be good for the domestic market. On Friday, lenders to bankrupt Essar Steel declared that the highest bid was from the joint venture (JV) of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, promoted by Lakshmi Mittal, and Japan’s Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp. The joint venture had cleared off the Rs. 7,469 crore of outstanding dues of Uttam Galva and KSS Petron—the bankrupt companies connected to Mittal—and had tabled a resolution plan that offered Rs. 42,000 crore to buy out Essar Steel’s assets, which had accumulated debt of over Rs. 49,000 crore. Essar steel has a 10 million tonne
Lakshmi Mittal. A third steel producer in ArcelorMittal, after Tata Steel and JSW Steel, is expected to be good for the domestic steel market.
(mt) per annum mill in Hazira, Gujarat. The company is a fully-integrated flat steel manufacturer with ore beneficiation, pellet making, iron making, steel making, and downstream facilities, including cold rolling mill, galvanizing, pre-coated facility, steel processing facility, extra wide plate mill and a pipe mill. In its FY17 annual report, the firm had said that it
was the only private steel mill in the country which was allowed to supply steel for warships, submarines, battle tanks and armoured vehicles. With Friday’s announcement, the joiint venture led by ArcelorMittal is inching towards closing the Essar Steel deal. Mittal is known to have built his career on buying out stressed steel mills across the world—in Mex-
ico, Romania, South Africa, and the US—and turning them into profitable ventures, usually by ramping up volumes just in time for the upward steel cycle and controlling costs. Even as ArcelorMittal battles to gain control of Essar Steel in India, it is simultaneously acquiring Italy’s Ilva, Europe’s largest steelmaker by capacity. “ArcelorMittal is very good at turnarounds, at taking businesses in bad shape and making them profitable,” said Atanu Mukherjee, president of global metals and energy consultant M.N. Dastur. “They bought the Calvert facility in US (from Thyssenkrupp AG) and it is now a worldclass auto-grade steel manufacturing facility.” “Traditionally, India has had a very fragmented steel market with a lot of secondary producers,” he added. “This is a problem because it doesn’t give you economies of scale or the pricing power.” -- Live Mint
Ford Motor Posts a Profit in India, 20 Years after Driving In NEW DELHI: Ford Motor Co. has finally turned around its operations in India after more than two decades of presence in what is currently the world’s fastest-growing major auto market. For the first time since it entered the country in 1995, Ford’s India operations posted a profit in the year ended 31 March, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The revival in fortunes may just be the nudge the Detroit, US-based automaker needs in an increasingly competitive market and a rapidly changing mobility space. Ford is using India as a test bed for its so-called “Emerging Market Operating Model (EMOM)”, which essentially implies cutting costs “wherever possible” through alliances, local joint ventures, technology outsourcing, platform sharing, etc., the people said on condition of anonymity. The results are already starting to
For the first time in its history, Ford India sales scaled $1 billion during the year ended 31 March. Ford sells cars such as the Ecosport in India.
become visible: the EMOM plan has helped Ford grow its India business from $2.1 billion in 2015-16 to $2.8 billion in 2016-17 and $3.4 billion in 2017-18. For the first time in its history, Ford India sales scaled $1 billion during the year ended 31 March. The unlisted Indian subsidiary is likely to submit shortly its financial results for the last year to the Registrar
of Companies under the ministry of corporate affairs. A third person aware of the matter said EMOM was first mooted by Ford and aims at comparing the true India cost with that of peers in the industry and benchmarks profitability and competitiveness to other automakers. For comparison, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country’s top carmaker,
developed a hatchback for about Rs.1,000 crore, while Ford spent nearly $300 million (approximately Rs. 3,500 crore) to build the Aspire vehicle platform on which its entrylevel cars are built. Little wonder that Maruti Suzuki makes about Rs. 8,000 crore in profit and corners half of the domestic market share. Nevertheless, the EMOM programme has helped Ford reduce its structural costs by 40%, through a sharper focus on localization, sourcing and commonality, a classic feat when juxtaposed with the exit strategy that its oldest rival, General Motors Co., chose for India. Ford’s global chief executive, Jim Hackett and Bill Ford have approved a so-called “single-window clearance” for India at its Asia Pacific Approval Authority in Singapore. This means the local operations won’t have to seek a nod from Detroit on any strategic decisions it wants to take. -- Live Mint
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RIL, BP to Set Up 2,000 Petrol Pumps in India MUMBAI: British oil major BP Plc and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) are planning to jointly set up as many as 2,000 petrol pumps in India over the next three years, according to two people aware of the development. The exact arrangement of the venture is being worked out and would be decided in a few months, a Reliance executive, one of the two people cited above, said on condition of anonymity. While Reliance already independently runs 1,343 petrol pumps, BP received a licence to set up 3,500 fuel retail outlets in India in October 2016. India is one of the few major global markets where fuel demand is growing and has attracted attention from foreign fuel retailers seeking to gain a toehold in a country where fuel retailing is dominated by state-run companies. BP is RIL’s partner in its exploration and production ventures in the country. In February 2011, Londonbased BP bought a 30% stake in 21 oil and gas production-sharing contracts operated by RIL for $7.2 billion. The two are also partners in India Gas Solutions Pvt. Ltd, an equal joint venture for sourcing and marketing of gas in the country. “We had a memorandum of association signed with BP but there was no definitive agreement. However, we will continue to expand our retail footprint and the marketing. It is in line with what we had planned to do,” V. Srikanth, joint chief financial officer of RIL, said after the company reported its second-quarter earnings on 17 October. On his visit to India last week, Bob Dudley, BP’s group chief executive, said “Our partnership with Reliance is great, we just got to get the right sort of terms here with retailing.”
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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October 26, 2018
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 26, 2018 Wrap-3
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
October 26, 2018
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM