Friday, November 21 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 47
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Indo American erican News All Week, Bollywood! www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX
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P5 Mika Singh with Rehan Siddiqi of Hum Tum Shows.
Divya Unni, the director of Sreepadam School of Arts
Salim & Sulaiman Merchant with Aziz Dharani (center).
Advocacy Works! HAF Houston Chapter team volunteers with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) (center)
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November 21, 2014
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November 21, 2014
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Lobbying Persuasively, for an Accurate Portrayal of Hinduism and its Just Role in American Society
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The most powerful testimonial on the impact of inaccurate portrayal of Hinduism in the text books used in American schools came from a young Indian man who is a product of these very schools. He spoke about the shame he felt in classes in Philadelphia as he heard the unflattering description of Hindus and how the text on Hinduism swiftly moved from 500 BC to Buddhism. It took the young man, Dr. Murali Balaji, the rest of his education through journalism and the graduate school and growth as an adult to come to terms with this slight. “I have to confess that most of my friends were and continue to be from the mainstream,” he said as he spoke of his evolution to an eager audience, “but when I saw the continued inaccuracies in text books, I decided to act for future generations. I want my kids to be comfortable in their own skin.” So when he had an opportunity to do something about this, Balaji didn’t bat an eyelid when he was offered a chance to lobby for revisions to the text books as Director of the Education and Curriculum Reform committee of the Hindu American Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C. where he has worked for the past year. “I could have gone on to becoming Dean of a college and earned plenty of money,” confided Balaji, “but I decided to go into service for something I believed that would make a difference for all of us Hindus and will have a lasting impact for generations to come.” Balaji’s words fell on the very receptive ears of the 260 people who came to the HAF Houston Chapter’s fundraiser on Saturday, November 16 at India House. Among them was the guest of
honor, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) who has the distinction of being the only Hindu member of Congress and whose video of taking the oath of office two years ago with her hand of the Bhagavad Gita went viral among Indians and Hindus in particular. Gabbard was on her way back from Hawaii after winning re-election and also serving a short tour of duty in the National Guard to help with the Kilauea volcano lava in her native state. Balaji described how the Texas Board of Education’s review and approval of textbooks carried so much weight these recommendations were adopted by 23 other states. He chose to focus his efforts on Texas and submitted scholarly revisions to factual errors, like a Hindu being shown praying in the Muslim namaz-style. The TBE was won over and the text book revisions that have since being made are “revolutionary”, a tremendous victory for the HAF that “will be transformative and will affect the whole country,” exclaimed Balaji. “This will make sure that the Hindu American story is told in all its diversity.” Balaji also described the Hinduism 101 curriculum that the HAF is offering to train 900 teachers across the country, 200 in Texas alone. It has been well received for opening the eyes of teachers, with one in FBISD asking for the materials so that other teachers in the district could be trained every year. Kavita Pallod, daughter of Houstonian Hindus activist Vijay Pallod, has been instrumental in setting up the Hinduism 101 website. A short video clip featured all the people who work at the HAF in Washington, D.C. as well as its Board of Directors. Apart from explaining all the work the HAF does throughout the year in lobbying
The organizers and Board of Directors of the HAF with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard at the end of the fundraiser
Emcee Neeraj Salhotra started the evening program
Dr. Murali Balaji spoke about his work in revising textbooks used to teach about Hinduism
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, the lone Hindu in Congress, was the chief guest of the program
members of congress, the influential Religion Newswriters Association and the American Academy of Religion and making sure that Hinduism is kept in the forefront and portrayed correctly; the goal that the highly motivated group of mostly young professionals at the HAF want most to achieve is a more pluralistic society in the US. Among them is Jay Kansara,
the Associate Director for Government Relations whose job in the last two years has been to meet with influential politicians and organization leaders to educate them on matters on grave importance to Hindus, like the desperate plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, and rectify misinformation. His advocacy has brought him in constant touch with several members of Congress, notably Ed Royce (R-CA) and Gab-
bard whose help has led to reversing language on key issues. Kansara interviewed Gabbard in a conversational setting onstage. The audience was keen to hear from Gabbard, 33, and her experience as an elected Hindu politician. She explained that neither of her parents are Indian and that she has never been to India, although,
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November 21, 2014
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COMMUNITY
King Mika Rocks Houston on a Weeknight
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: He was here just three months back and Houston was ready to welcome Mika Singh again. The concert was originally scheduled for Friday, November 7. However, due to some immigration issues that Singh faced in India, it had to be rescheduled for Tuesday, November 11 at the Arena Theatre. Second time in a row, Rehan Siddiqi of Hum Tum Shows presented the concert to the Houston audience. Since it was a weekday, the concert started early and once Mika Singh got on to the stage, he performed non-stop. He and his accompanying band set the stage on fire. He sang his new hits, which forced the crowd out of their seats and everyone danced and sang along with him. The show was well put together and Arif Memon and his team at DMMS did the production and technical management of the show. The chosen venue, Arena Theatre is one of Houston’s oldest and most successful concert venues. Because of its unique design and the revolving stage, this theatre provides guests with an intimate evening with their favorite entertainer. With no seat more than sixty feet
from the stage you feel like you are part of the show, not just part of the audience. This intimate setting, unique to the Arena Theatre only, lets you feel like you get to know your favorite star a little better. The audiences took advantage of this setting and were able to shake hands and take pictures with Mika while he sang and entertained them. The show organizers were very happy with the outcome, in spite of it being a weekday. “ When I was first informed about the show being postponed, I took it up as a challenge because I believe in my Houston audience. They proved me right and I am glad that we had a great turnout on a weeknight,” informed Rehan Siddiqi. At the end of the show Mika Singh called Siddiqi on stage and thanked him and the Houston audience, and shared his happiness for the amazing turnout. He said it was his first USA weekday concert ever. Mika Singh as a noted tradition of his concerts ended the night with the Indian national anthem, which filled everyone with positive energy as they left. For upcoming shows contact Rehan Siddiqi at 713-545-4115 or visit Hum Tums Shows at www. humtumradio.com
November 21, 2014
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Salim & Sulaiman Sing for Charity
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: On Sunday, November 16, Houstonians welcomed the musician brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant at the Arena Theatre. The show was organized and presented by Aziz Dharani, The Merchant Insurance Group, and the Aga Khan Foundation USA. Salim and Sulaiman Merchant are brothers born in Bhuj, Kutch, Gujarat, India. They belong to an Ismaili Muslim family. As the sons of composer and a veteran of the film industry Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mastered the piano at the Trinity College of Music in London while Sulaiman took up tabla training with legends such as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain. They emerged as popular music directors in 2003. They have been composing music for over a decade, to name a few Bhoot, Iqbal, Neal ‘n’ Nikki, Chak De! India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Fashion, Kurbaan, Band Baaja Baaraat,
Heroine and the latest Ungli. They have provided background score for various Bollywood movies and the latest being Krrish 3 and Bang Bang. The duo got on stage and performed on most of their famous numbers, which the audience enjoyed very much. Salim Merchant was one of the three judges for the Fifth season of Indian Idol on Sony Entertainment Television (India). One of the season winner Vipul Mehta accompanied him and sang “Jalwa” from the movie Fashion. They paid tribute to Rajesh Khanna by singing “ye shaam masatani” and “pyaar dweewana hota hai” and also sang the song “Shukaranallah” from the movie Kurbaan, to which the audience waved their smartphone flashlights, giving an appearance of a sea of lights. Salim, stopped for a moment and spoke about a song, which they composed, for an organization called Mard, which is in collaboration with actor, director, singer,
and producer Farhan Akhtar (who visited Houston in April for a charity concert for Magic Bus). The song focuses on women empowerment, “chhu le aasmaan, jaha ko jeet le, ” (touch the skies and win the world), gained a lot of appreciation from the audience, especially the women. It was a concert for charity. Hundred percent of the net proceeds were pledged to go to the Aga Khan Foundation USA. The concert raised more than $65,000, which will be donated to the Foundation. It was a sold out concert well put together by all the organizers and volunteers. The musician team accompanying the brothers did great justice to the show and Arif Memon and his team at DMMS took care of the technical production. At the end, Sugar Land Councilman Harish Jajoo presented the proclamation from City of Sugar land to the music duo Salim-Sulaiman. The organizers thanked the brothers and everyone for their support for the noble cause.
Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036
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November 21, 2014
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November 21, 2014
COMMUNITY
Houston Takes a Step to End Global Poverty at Partnership Walk/Run
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HOUSTON: On November 15, over 4,000 participants raced to end global poverty in the annual Houston Partnership Walk at Sam Houston Park. The Houston Partnership Walk/Run is an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA) to raise awareness and funds that reduce poverty, hunger, illiteracy and poor health in Africa and Asia. The charity event raised more than $1.6 million for AKF USA programs worldwide. 100% of the funds raised at Partnership Walk go directly to projects supported by the
Foundation; not a cent is spent on administration. “The Partnership Walk is not just a walk,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker at the Walk’s opening speech. “It is a day of celebration and action to raise awareness about international development, and a chance for concerned individuals to join together and raise resources that contribute to community-based programs oversees – providing
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COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
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Houstonians of Many Faiths Hold Dialogue with City’s Zoroastrians
The Rev. Gregg Han, Director of Community Outreach for Interfaith Ministries of Houston led the event into the dialogue.
Kaemerz Dotiwala gave a quick slide show and introduction into the Zoroastrian religion.
munity hall was packed with over 250 people, with at least one Zoroastrian member and an IMH moderator and people from other faiths filling Attendees at the round tables had a lively dialogue with the guidance of the IMH and Zoroastrian in the remaining eight seats moderators. at each of the round tables. BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA “Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country,” said HOUSTON: For the past three Han, “and tonight we have the years, the Interfaith Ministries of rare opportunity to meet with the Houston, a non-profit group that is Zoroastrian community.” Referwell known in the Bayou City for ring to the Interfaith dialogues, he its Meals on Wheels program, has said that the whole country looked held dialogues with members of at this as a test for their own comvarious religions that call the city munities. “These dialogues will home. Last year, for example, it equip and encourage you to beheld a month, long dialogue with come bridge builders.” the Sikh community and the year Kaemerz Dotiwala, a devout Zobefore with the Hindu and Bud- roastrian who has often led comdhist communities. munity prayers and who helped “The concept is to foster an ex- organize the event, led the audichange of ideas and views, espe- ence through a 15 minute slide cially pertaining to the practice of presentation, accompanied by his a person’s religion,” said the Rev. explanations, on the origins of the Gregg Han, Director of Commu- religion, the history of its expannity Outreach. He welcomed the sion and then the migration of the people to the meeting on the eve- majority of the adherents to escape ning of Thursday, November 13, Muslim persecution to neighborwhich focused on dialogue with the ing India where even today, the Zoroastrian community at their As- largest number of them live in sociation Center on West Airport, Mumbai. just east of the Beltway 8 West. Starting between 600 to 1,000 After a typical buffet-style Zoro- BC, the teachings of Zarathustra astrian dinner of rice, dal (lentils) in the Old Avestan language, in and mixed vegetables, followed what is now Tajikistan, found apby ice cream, the attendees settled peal due to its monotheism which down for the dialogue. The com- merged the Spenta Mainyu (Pro-
gressive mentality) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Mentality) under the Ahura Mazda (Illuminating Wisdom). This philosophy found great appeal in the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian empires in what was ancient Persia. Under Cyrus the Great, Zoroastrianism quickly spread and became the state religion. Dotiwala quickly went through the tenets and principles of the religion, how it is still practiced even as Zoroastrians have spread across the world and its chief symbols, fire and the Fravashi. With the decline of the Sassanid Empire and the rise of Islam in the region, Zoroastrianism became marginalized and most of the followers fled to neighboring India, settling in the west coast. In India, they are referred to as Parsis (or people who speak Farsi or Persian), though most speak Gujarati as their mother tounge, and their largest concentration is in Mumbai. Dotiwala explained how many Zoroastrians have become world famous, like the late rock star Freddie Mercury of Queen, the late film actress Persis Khambata and the conductor Zubin Mehta; and dominant industrialists, like the Tata Group, and its head Ratan Tata.
The dialogue then started at each table, with discussions on the commonalities and differences between Zoroastrianism and other religions and ideas on how to illustrate the diversity of religions to the people of Houston. It was a lively and spirited hourlong discussion that prompted greater understanding, and helped
to build trust, according to Han as he concluded the session. He urged the audience to support IMH in its various programs, like Meals on Wheels, “because hunger knows no religion” and said that IMH could lead the way because it knows how to reach the leaders of the different faiths in Houston.
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COMMUNITY
10 November 21, 2014
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
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The Splendid ‘Snehanjali’ by Sreepadam School of Arts Expresses Love Through Art
BY CHITOOR RAMACHANDRAN STAFFORD: The director Divya Unni deserves great appreciation for her creative ideas for focusing on the theme love in Snehanjali, a performance that was held at Stafford Center on November 15. The participants (students and associates of Sreepadam School of Arts) of various levels of training which exceeded one hundred fifty in number immensely engrossed the packed audience throughout the three hours. Love, in its various forms being a major factor in interpersonal relationships, is one of the most common themes in the scriptures of various cultures since time immemorial. Ancient Vedic scriptures and puranic stories recognize love as the matrix of human life and therefore all the Indian classical art forms like dance, music and sculptures are embedded in this theme. Success of this production in reaching out the audience of a wide age group and cultural background can be attributed to Divya Unni’s training and vast experience in Indian classical dance and theatrical performance. The well thought-out plan of the program extended several well known episodes from Hindu mythology with situations in today’s life as examples to highlight the vital role of love that links all of us as a community. It was noticeable that while the program did adhere to the classical style, minor deviations were made, perhaps, to attract the be-
Divya Unni
ginner level children. Narration prior to each dance item in a ‘ceased and forgotten format’ brought freshness and helped the audience grasp the message of the dance item that followed. From the auspicious invocation dance with the melodious recital of Sanskrit mantra extolling Sri Ganesha, till the colorful patriotic grand finale, Snehanjali entertained the audience without a single monotonous moment during the 180 minutes of the show. The spectacular costumes were delightful and the accompanying music was outstanding. The collective effort of the participants of various degrees of training was very impressive. While maintaining the central theme and the stage aesthetics, each act exhibited distinct characteristics. A few of the noteworthy acts include Bhakthi of Meerabai
(devotional love), Siva- Parvathy (Love of the spouse), DushyanthaShakuntala (Love between soul mates). In these items, acting conveyed the message very effectively even without understanding the meaning of the background music. Commendable creativity could be noticed in the item that described love of nature. Particularly poignant was an item on Maternal Love. Divya Unni and Vismaya stole the heart of the audience by acting the roles of a mother and child. Their acting, the music and the supporting dancers carried the audience to an emotional ecstasy. It was indeed a treat. Several of the performers (senior students and associates of Sreepadam School of Arts) in the show who charismatically played leading roles are great inspiration to the aspiring children who performed enthusiastically to make this program a grand success. The rhythmic movement of the little children itself is a pleasure to watch. They do preserve the cultural heritage and treasured legends. One could imagine the tremendous effort taken by the volunteers to present this program. Proceeds of this program will benefit the Charitable OrganizationEmbracing the WorldCare Homes for children .
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12 November 21, 2014
COMMUNITY
“Nama”Dwaar Bhoomi Pooja Performed with Nama Sankirtan
Bhoomi pooja slab after ceremony
MANVEL: With divine grace, Houston Namadwaar’s bhoomi pooja for its new prayer house building was conducted in a divine ambience on November 8 in the presence of Sri Ramanujamji, disciple of HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. The Hare Rama... Hare Krishna… Mahamantra was chanted throughout the bhoomi pooja, interspersed with verses from Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhu stuti and the “Mahamantra Song” a wonderful 16-verse composition of HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji that speaks of the greatness of the Mahamantra. Pooja was performed to Sri Premika Varadan-Sri Madhuri Sakhi (Lord Krishna-Sri Radha) and Sri Swamiji, and after a ceremonial digging of the ground, Mahamantra prayer sheets written by devotees from Houston, India and other parts of USA were placed in the pit along with holy waters and holy soil from India. All families that were present then laid bricks with Mahamantra written on them in different languages. The Honorable Mayors of Manvel and
Sri Swamiji’s video message
Pearland, and representatives of many Houston temples/organizations including Meenakshi temple, Guruvayoorappan temple, Sri Radha-Krishna Temple, Hindus of Greater Houston, HSS, Iyyappa group, Orissa Culture Center, Udupi Matha, Kerala Hindu Society, Pearland Desi Group and many others participated. Devotees from all across the USA also came to Houston for this ceremony. In the evening, Vidushi Smt. Rajarajeshwary Bhat and her group presented a musical performance “Pibare Nama Rasam”, comprising of kirtans on the greatness of the Divine Name composed by various saints. This was followed by a screening of HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji’s extremely inspiring blessing message for this occasion. Sri Swamiji spoke of the glory of the Divine Name and said that the Name, even though it is simple and small, could accomplish huge tasks very easily. He said that as one chants the Name at Namadwaar, the divine
Mayors of Manvel and Pearland
energy from the chanting would be magnified a thousand times more by reflecting off the Super-Energy of the deities Sri Premika Varadan-Sri Madhuri Sakhi, who will be present in the Namadwaar. Sri Swamiji exhorted everyone to accumulate the wealth of the Divine Name that will help us overcome all troubles. Following this, a few devotees shared their personal experience of the Mahamantra, after which Sri Ramanujamji spoke briefly and presented a prayer for the new Namadwaar to be constructed smoothly and quickly. The evening concluded with resounding Mahamantra sankirtan for Namadwaar as well as for personal prayers. Continued prayers for the new Namadwaar construction to go on smoothly will be performed every Sunday at Namadwaar with Mahamantra sankirtan from 7 am to 7 pm. All are invited to join the prayer and also increase their “Nama” wealth in the process.
Global Organization for Divinity (G.O.D.) is a worldwide nonprofit organization inspired by HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, whose activities serve the entire Sanatana Dharma spectrum right from the Vedas, Agamas, Puranas/Itihasas, Various traditions and Humane activities. G.O.D. has served the Houston area since 2007. From Dec 20-27, a grand Madhura Utsav and Srimad Bhagavata Saptaha will be held at Namadwaar. There will be Srimad Bhagavatam discourses by Sri Ramanujamji, processions, sampradaya bhajans, divya nama sankirtan, children’s programs, cultural performances and more. The event is open to all. For further information about GOD activities or Namadwaar, or if you would like to support the noble and divine cause financially or in kind, contact 281-402-6585 or houston.god@godivinity.org.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
Sewa and Arya Samaj Organize a Workshop on Raising Emotionally Healthy Children
Audience in workshop
Bhawna Luthra conducting the workshop
The entire team with Arya Samaj acharya Suryananda ji
HOUSTON: A Free seminar “Raising Emotionally Healthy Children” was held on Sunday, November 16 from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM at the Arya Samaj library. The seminar was co-hosted by SEWA Houston Family Services and Arya Samaj of Greater Houston. This seminar was presented by Bhawna Luthra, who is a Marriage & Family Therapist. She is a very effective presenter and her unique style of having participants involved with discussions is appreciated by all attendees. In this seminar she provided very simple but effective ways on how to solve and cope with every day struggles with children in life. She also presented several techniques to deal with children’s behavioral, anxiety and academic challenges. SEWA Houston Family Services works closely with Arya Samaj management to organize these workshops. This three hours long workshop was attended by thirty nine people. To reach out to the community, these workshops and seminars are broadcasted on Indian radio programs and printed in the lo-
cal Indian newspapers. Sewa Family services programs caters to various needs of families as a unit.The workshops conducted under this program cover a whole range of topics right from financial advise to career counselling. There has been a very positive response in the community for these workshops ,and Sewa has been successful in giving experts from different fields a platform for interacting with the community. These workshops are held every month; for more information about the upcoming workshops, visit our www.sewausa.org or connect with Umesh Kapur at 713-5912912 or Rajeshree Jaiswal at 281-8049759. Sewa International would also like to thank its media partners, Indo-American News, India Herald and Voice of Asia news papers as well as Meena Datt, Shoba Joshi and Padmakant Khambatti ji for helping to get the word out.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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14 November 21, 2014
COMMUNITY
110 Houston Kids Enjoy Triggers Colts Cricket’s Winter League HOUSTON: Triggers Cricket Club (TCC), a Houston-based nonprofit organization, took initiative aimed at giving young children an opportunity to formally learn and play cricket in a fun-loving environment of camaraderie, respect and sportsmanship. In May 2014, TCC, in partnership with sponsors and in association with local youth cricket clubs, created a platform for youth to excel in the game of cricket and formed Triggers Colts Cricket League (TCCL). The goals of our Triggers Colts Cricket League (TCCL) are: • To introduce the game of cricket to children through coaching programs • To encourage young cricketers to play in age-appropriate competitions • To train coaches and teachers to expand the game of cricket in greater Houston communities • To introduce cricket at local Houston schools TCCL Summer league was a great success ,where 70 kids from five teams participated from Houston North West (NWCC), Sugar Land (SLYCC) and Katy (KYC) Youth Cricket clubs. TCCL summer league final was the evidence of its popularity that attracted 250 people to watch the finals played by two youth cricket teams. TCCL also organized Smart Choice Cup youth cricket weekend tournament on August 10, 2014, sponsored by Smart Choice Auto Group, alongside Houston Cricket League (HCL) finals, to introduce youth talent to main frame adult cricket league of Houston. After the success of TCCL Summer League 2014 and with the aim to continue providing competitive platform for cricket, TCCL launched Winter League 2014. It was an eight-week tournament with teams divided into groups, under 12 years (U-12) and under 10 years (U-10) based on participant’s age. This allowed more kids to participate. TCCL Winter League 2014 had eight teams, with 110 kids registered, an increase of 66% in par-
U-10 winners SLYCC Stars (blue uniforms) and runners-up KYC Eagles in group photo with their coaches and Tournament Director Surya Saladi (in red).
U-12 winners SLYCC Suns pose with their winners trophies under the Triggers Colts Cricket League banner.
The kids displayed fine cricketing forms in the finals.
ticipation. TCCL also adopted to online scoring using CricHQ application, so that individual player’s and team statistics can be followed online from anywhere in the world. Three teams from North West Cricket club, three teams from Katy Youth Cricket and two teams from Sugar Land Youth Cricket Club took part in the round robin league format. All three teams, in U-12 age group, NWCC Wild Cats, KYC Eagles and SLYCC Suns won two games each at the end of the round robin league. KYC Eagles and SLYCC Suns qualified for the finals based on net run rate. In U-10 age group, participants were NWCC Saber Cats, NWCC Cubs, KYC Phoenix, KYC Falcons and SLYCC
Houston and mentioned that it will not be too far in the future when TCCL starts producing International level cricketers that would represent the US national team. He particularly appreciated the fact that the TCCL league featured a female coach and several girls on various youth teams.
Stars. KYC Falcons and SLYCC Stars won their battle and qualified for finals. Both U-10 and U-12 final games were played at Matzke Park on November 9, 2014 and witnessed by the crowd of 150 people. SLYCC Suns and SLYCC Stars won their respective battle and became the Champions of TCCL Winter League 2014. Both final games were attended by special guests Pramod Kulkarni, Chief Editor Indo American News, Jayesh Antani, oil & gas executive, Tony Best, Ex. Houston Cricket Leauge (HCL) chairman. Pramod Kulkarni congratulated all the participating teams and reaffirmed his commitment to youth cricket. He was happy to see such talent in youth cricket teams of
Tony Best congratulated all the teams and offered HCL Cricket ground located at George Bush Park for youth cricket teams. Twenty five coaches from all the participating teams were recognized and awarded a plaque for their effort and dedication. All one hundred and ten kids were awarded a participation trophy. MVP for all the round robin league games, Semi final, and Finals were also recognized. Best Batsman, Best Bowler and MVP of the series in both U-10 & U-12 categories were also recognized for their good performance throughout the series and were awarded a trophy. TCCL is planning to expand to 10 or more teams in 2015. Mr. Surya Saladi, Tournament Director, informed all the participating kids and parents about introduction of cricket at school level in Houston area. TCCL has partnered with British School of Houston to provide cricket coaching to kids of the school and their participation in the future TCCL tournaments. He also talked about continuing efforts to provide platform for youth cricket in Houston and on TCCL future plans, to include coaching camp for an all-star team and to conduct a US National level U-15 competition in Houston TCCL has launched a new website www.triggerscolts.org to keep the greater Houston area communities informed about the future plans for youth cricket. Their Facebook page is @ https://www. facebook.com/tcccolts TCCL sponsors were Wells Fargo, KP IT, SBS, SmartChoice, Dosa Factory, CrickMax and partners were Houston Cricket League, India House and SmartChoice.
Chief guest Pramod Kulkarni (left) Surya Saladi and Tony Best.
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16 November 21, 2014 Lobbying Persuasively CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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at Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi’s invitation during his recent visit, she will visit India in December. She recalled how she has been practicing karma yoga and bhakti yoga since she was a child. She said that she gave the Gita that she read as a child, and has kept all this time, to Modi as a present. She has often turned to the Gita for solace and direction, quoting verse 18:66 when Krishna advises Arjun to ‘abandon all varieties of religion and submit to me; do not fear’. The two, Kansara and Gabbard, took some questions from the audience as they concluded the dialogue. Rishi Bhutada, an HAF Director and Houston Chair, described the work that HAF has performed and its growth to seven chapters across the US. He appreciated Kansara’s role in getting all the Congressmen onstage with Modi in Madison Square Garden and how HR 417, which denigrated India, was stopped in its tracks. The fundraiser started in earnest with a challenge to meet several funding levels, equating them with the amount of projects or accomplishments it would generate. Starting with a seed donation, matched by Ramesh Bhutada (Rishi’s father), many people were energized to pledge - and donate on the spot and reached $131,000, which exceeded their goal. Ramesh Bhutada threw out a
challenge for the HAF to set up an office in India to help push its agenda, and pledged the half of the $20,000 he thought it would take to run for a year. Two other donors soon helped to meet that goal, although the HAF Board has only said it will take the proposal into consideration. “Hinduism must be projected in the right way in this country,” Ramesh Bhutada said. “We must all be inspired to do our little bit.” HAF has also taken on the role of promoting the cause of the Yezidi community, a minority non-Muslim community in northern Iraq whose members have been targeted by the ISIS militants for persecution, with thousands of them being killed or abducted. Hearing of their plight, the HAF connected the President of their Houston organization, Haider Elias, with Pallod so that he could address the meeting. Elias left the next day on a one-week tour of Erbil in Kurd held Iraq, for a meeting with the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who will be attending a conference there for a week. The evening ended with dinner which, as well as the appetizers, was catered by Daawat. The emcee starting the program was Neeraj Salhotra and opening invocations were sung in Hindi by the young son and daughter of Dr. Rahul Pandit, a Kashmiri Hindu activist.
COMMUNITY
Houston Takes a Step to End Global Poverty at Partnership Walk/Run 8
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people with the tools and opportunities to build skills which will enable families in poverty to lead self-sufficient and healthy lives,” Mayor Parker, joined by First Lady Kathy Hubbard, served as the Honorary Chair for this year’s Partnership Walk/ Run. The Walk was one of the largest public events for the Citizenship Month, which is observed each year in November to celebrate Houston’s diversity. Dr. William Flores chaired the Honorary Host Committee for the 2014 Walk, which included civic, community and corporate leaders. The event was a day of fun for the whole family with activities for all ages celebrating a rich diversity of cultures. Clutch, the Houston Rockets Bear, warmed up the crowd at the starting line before they took off. One of the most inspiring features of Partnership Walk was the Village in Action, where participants enjoyed interactive exhibits spotlighting the Foundation’s practical solutions for alleviating poverty from Afghanistan to Zanzibar. To learn more about the event, visit www.partnershipsinaction. org/houston. This year marks the 20th anniversary for Partnership Walk / Run events, which will be held in
nine major U.S. cities. Since 1995, PartnershipsInAction activities including the annual Partnership Walk, Run and Golf events have attracted over 440,000 participants and raised over $63 million for poverty alleviation projects supported by AKF USA. Participants help communities in some of the poorest areas of Africa and Asia to create long-term, selfhelp solutions to lift themselves out of poverty. These contributions make a tremendous impact in creating opportunities for girls in Afghanistan to go to school, for farmers in Mali to feed their families, and mothers in India to lead healthy lives. AKF USA, established in 1981, is a private, non-denominational, not-for-profit international development organization committed to alleviating poverty, hunger, illiteracy and poor health. The Foundation works to address the root causes of poverty by supporting and sharing innovative solutions in the areas of health, education, rural development, civil society, and the environment. AKF USA is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. AKF USA is part of the Aga Khan Development Network, a
network of private, non-denominational, development agencies around the world, established by His Highness the Aga Khan to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, improve living conditions and opportunities. The Network’s agencies work for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion and its underlying impulse is the ethic of compassion for the vulnerable in society. For further information, contact: Farah Lalani Media Coordinator AKF USA Volunteer Team for Southwest Region cell: 281-515-2213 email: farah@starlightcommunication. com Munira Panjwani Outreach/ Media AKF USA Volunteer Team for Southwest Region cell: 713-298-3073 email: munirapanjwani@aol.com Martha Sipple Communications & Public Affairs Manager Aga Khan Foundation USA phone: 202-293-2537 cell: 202-2030838 email: Martha.Sipple@ akdn.org
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
IACAN Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle for Survivorship BY RADHA RANI DIXIT HOUSTON: The Indian American Cancer Network held an informative community educational outreach event at India House on Sunday, November 9 entitled Everything a Cancer Survivor and His/Her Family Should Know about Healthy Living. Kanchan Kabad, president of IACAN introduced the event by reiterating the goals and vision of the organization. The vision that no Indian American will take the cancer journey alone and that IACAN will spread cancer awareness by engaging in educational outreach events for the community. IACAN has also formed a cancer survivors network to help with emotional support and patient navigation for newly diagnosed patients who may need assistance in different areas. Free yoga classes for cancer survivors are held every Thursday evening at a Sugar Land location. Kanchan announced that the SAHNA (South Asian Health Needs Assessment) survey was complete and the results would be released at India House on February 8, 2015. The first speaker and moderator of the afternoon’s event, Dr. Polly Niravath, an assistant professor of breast oncology at Baylor College of Medicine was very enthusiastic to see the community engaging in the topic of cancer as it is a disease not easily addressed in the community. She
Board members and the panalists at the outreach program.
stated that the main objective for the afternoon was cancer survivorship and healthy lifestyle habits. Screening mammograms are of prime importance in breast cancer care. In simple terms, if you catch it early through screening you may be able to cure it. She emphasized the importance of exercising and maintaining a healthy body weight, as an example, one should try to walk at least three to five hours a week. Losing weight and exercising helps regulate blood pressure, sugar levels, bone, heart, mental, and overall health. BMI should be within the range of 20 and 25. A low calorie healthy diet should be consumed and alcohol should be limited to less than three glasses of wine per week.
Luis Rustveld, PhD, a licensed dietician and assistant professor from Baylor College of Medicine spoke about tips for healthy eating. Some strategies to prevent weight gain include drinking 8, 8oz glasses of water, monitoring portion control, avoid eating while watching tv or talking on the phone, limiting intake of juice to one per day, eating a balaced diet, and exercising regularly. An example of a good balanced meal would include a half plate of nonstarchy vegetables, a fourth plate of grains, and a fourth plate of meat or meat substitute. Fruits and yogurt are also beneficial. He addressed behavior modification and the importance of getting at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep. Anna Lisa de Joya, PT, residen-
Photo: Bijay Dixit
cy director for neurologic physical therapy residency program at TIRR Memorial Herman spoke about the importance of staying active . Exercise is FREE and it works so everyone should avail of its benefits. Cancer survivorship starts upon diagnosis not after treatment, therefore she encouraged patients to avoid inactivity and return to normal activity as soon as possible. Nutrition, exercise including strength training and a healthy lifestyle must be priorities for all survivors in order to combat side effects of treatment such as fatigue and feelings of sadness. She cited studies which demonstrated that regular exercise could reduce the risk of cancer while being overweight could increase the risk of cancer.
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Smitha Mallaiah, DYS, a mind body intervention specialist with the integrative medicine program at MD Anderson Cancer Center discussed living the anticancer mind through yoga. She described the mind body link and how stress can cause a number of health problems including its impact on tumors and their ability to grow and spread. Unmanaged stress leads to helplessness and hopelessness which is associated with high rates of death. Yoga benefits include improvements in sleep, lowering fatigue, and regulating stress. Yoga at the physical level helps to loosen joints, stretch muscles, and provides deep rest to the body system. The mind should be involved with each movement while the breath, body, and mind work in unison for a complete experience. She encourged long slow deep breaths and mindfulness in the flow. One’s own perception and state of mind can make changes in one’s physical body. Yoga should become a way of life. Positive emotions should be reinforced. The mind body breath connection results in a relaxed body and a calm happy mind. She summed it up, “one should evolve from regular medication to regular meditation.” She demonstrated a quick meditation session with the audience before the question answer session and healthy snacks to end the afternoon. For further information about IACAN email: iacannetwork@ gmail.com phone: 713-370-3489 www.iacannetwork.org
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
18 November 21, 2014 IU Like the EU
The outright majority won by the BJP in the elections is viewed in many quarters as a positive development for the country’s policy agenda. Those holding the view that a single party government is good for growth should not forget that India witnessed its highest growth rates during the coalition era. However, the government’s role is not merely to facilitate economic development. The coalition era helped to deepen Indian federalism. The rise of the BJP, which is not a ‘national’ party, would reverse the gains achieved in the last two decades. India’s relationship with Sri Lanka is a case in point. The Centre’s handling of Sri Lanka reeks of centrifugal elements threatening to make a comeback in the foreign policy formulation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignored protests in Tamil Nadu against extending an invitation to the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the government. The gesture by India strengthened the view in Sri Lanka that the BJP will be favorable in its approach towards the island nation. In an opinion piece carried shortly after the election results were declared, The Nation said, “As it turned out, the election results were a blessing for Sri Lanka. Modi won, but the scale of his victory was such that BJP is in charge and does not require the support of coalition partners,” adding, “All these factors augur well for Sri Lanka and it would be reasonable to expect a change of attitude in New Delhi’s dealings with Colombo...” The frequent attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Lankan authorities speak volumes for the way Colombo perceives New Delhi and the decline of Tamil Nadu’s influence over it. The incidents have reinforced fears of past heavy handed approach by single-party governments, like the ceding of Kachchatheevu and the Sirimavo-Shastri Pact, being repeated by the BJP. Although it is too early to judge, New Delhi’s approach towards Sri Lanka seems to be guided solely by larger geo-strategic and economic considerations that have little relevance to the common man. Any policy that does not take into account the concerns and emotions of people affected by it is bound to fail in the long run. The ideal situation would be to make relevant changes to the law so that the Centre deals with larger geo-strategic issues while leaving space for individual states to decide their own foreign relations that are largely in sync with the former. Tamil Nadu has been, for long, demanding that diplomats from the state cadre be posted in countries with substantial Tamil diaspora. Tamil Nadu can become a geo-strategic power centre in own right. The devolution of powers should eventually lead India to become like the European Union — where people of autonomous states move freely within the Indian union, enjoy security, participate in a single free-market where they use the same currency and at the same time have their policy-makers respect local aspirations. Rohit Viswanath, an independent public policy adviser, in Hindustan Times.
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY If Ebola Comes to India
BY ASHISH K JHA, TARUN KHANNA With the ongoing spread of Ebola in West Africa, it is becoming increasingly likely that the disease will make its way to India. So what should India do to prepare? The Union government has already taken several meaningful steps. It has designated hospitals in major cities as Ebola management centers and formed rapid response teams in every state, each of which will include physicians, nurses and epidemiologists. The state teams are being trained by the WHO and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and will disseminate their training to local first responders.Also, the government has put in place screening protocols at international airports, established 24-hour Ebola helplines staffed by doctors and shortlisted the authorisation of 10 new Ebola-testing labs. These are all important steps, but they may not be enough. Indeed, if the disease were to arrive and begin to spread, India would need a strategy that is bigger, more aggressive and comprehensive than what it has now. We propose three main areas where policymakers should concentrate additional effort: a stronger focus on diagnostics and therapeutics, greater partnership with the private sector, and a more aggressive approach to public communication. Even if Ebola were not to arrive in India, this would serve as a way to prepare for future similar medical threats. The first potential weakness in the diagnosis and containment of Ebola is in the identification of potential cases. Stopping an outbreak becomes substantially more difficult as diagnosis is delayed. For a nation of 1.2 billion, India’s 12 prospective diagnostic labs are scarcely enough. The cost of the Ebola test is dropping and a diagnosis can now be made in hours. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new Ebola tests that require just two hours to make the diagnosis. While some of these new testing systems are expensive, having more of them in India will be worth it. Further, cheaper tests are coming soon and as they come on the market, India should make additional
India can aspire to be a global model for how countries can tackle dangerous infectious diseases like Ebola and second, it can create a framework for effective, trusted healthcare delivery
efforts to ensure these tests become widely available. If a patient arrives in Patna, having the blood sample sent far away not only needlessly delays that patient’s diagnosis but also allows the disease to spread to others if she is not properly quarantined during that time. Beyond effective diagnostics, India needs a plan for treating Ebola. The current death rate for Ebola patients in West Africa is approximately 75 per cent. In the US, the death rate, albeit among just nine patients, is 11 per cent (the one patient who died had his diagnosis severely delayed and the treatment came too late). Why this difference? While some of it is clearly about having better healthcare systems that can provide more comprehensive supportive treatment, nearly every American patient received new experimental treatments, many of which likely made a difference, although we cannot be sure. There are several antiviral drugs that appear to be active against Ebola and transfusions from Ebola survivors who have fully recovered and, therefore, whose blood is free of the virus but contains
potentially therapeutic antibodies, may be helping. Will these treatments be available for Indians who might come down with Ebola? We think they should be — and the Indian government needs a strategy now to work with manufacturers of these products should Ebola appear in India. The current Indian government strategy focuses primarily on government hospitals to contain and manage the disease. While this makes sense, we believe it is not comprehensive and fails to take advantage of the strong private infrastructure that has developed across India in recent years. The government should recruit those organisations willing to play a helpful role. There have been important failures of communication in nearly every country that has so far confronted Ebola. India can and should be different. Learning from the mistakes of others, India should focus its efforts on better education of the population and creating a sense of trust that will be critical should Ebola break out in the region. While helplines are a good start, they are not enough. In Nigeria, which is widely seen as a success story for controlling its Ebola outbreak, effective, widespread dissemination of information about the virus, how it spreads and how the healthcare system can prevent and treat it, was critical. Nigeria was able to harness radio, social media and text messaging to communicate information about the disease to the public This is a pivotal moment for the Indian healthcare system. The nation is undergoing substantial changes with greater privatisation and a new Central government dedicated to creating trust in public institutions. Along the way, they can achieve two more goals: first, India can aspire to be a global model for how countries can tackle dangerous infectious diseases like Ebola and second, it can create a framework for effective, trusted healthcare delivery in the context of such infectious diseases that will reap dividends in the years to come. Jha is K.T. Li Professor of International Health and Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health.
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CORRESPONDENTS
HOUSTON: MALAY VYAS INDIA: RAJ KANWAR, 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-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
VPSS Annakut Festival
BY DR. VENUGOPAL MENON
HOUSTON: From the intense bustle and noise of highway traffic of southwest Houston, a short deviation on to Bellfort Village drive and into the sprawling complex of Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj, the visitor is instantly transported into a serene, pristine atmosphere that is very much remi-
niscent of an authentic temple in a traditional Indian village. On the evening of Sunday, November 2, the weather had turned gentle, welcoming the change over from the heat of the summer to the temperately salubrious relief of the autumn. The place was packed with joyous and pious crowd of Hindus, ladies clad in colorful sarees and men
in their traditional kurtas, meeting, greeting, praying and enjoying the gratification of the occasion. It was the Annual Annakut Celebration of VPSS, one of Pushti Marga’s main festivals. It celebrates Krshna’s worship of the Mount Govardhan during his Vraj Lila. Breaking with tradition, he recommended puja of Govardhan instead of Indra. Krshna
argued that no one had seen Indra and benefits of his worship were rather dubious. Worshipping GovardhanNathji had positive and visible benefits. It was Govardhan-Nathji who protected them, gave them rain, grass, shelter etc. Therefore it made sense to worship Him rather than some remote God on a golden throne in a transient heaven! On behalf of the temple Rasesh Dalal had invited the members of the Board and Advisory Board of the Hindus of Greater Houston to attend the sacred event. As we walked into the foyer, the most hospitable hosts were ready to receive us and as a group we were taken to near the dais. We were enthralled by the divine Darshan, receiving Shreenathji Bhagwan’s blessings, praying and listening to the melodious bhajans and kirtans. The extensive and splendid
19
display of the several hundred plates of food items, Annakut, all prepared by the priests on the same day, was a spectacle to remember. We were then guided to the dining hall where we were offered the Maha Prasad and served a delicious and sumptuous vegetarian dinner. The several office bearers of VPSS including Ramesh Parikh, Rasesh Dalal and many others cordially welcomed our group and explained their meticulous organizational structure, in which the enthusiastic volunteers were given total freedom to devote their commitment with passion and fervor. Afterwards we all had a very informative and interactive discussion about VPSS, and we left envisioning a future of all the factions of Hindus working through separate avenues, but focused together for broader and common objectives.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
20 November 21, 2014 • • • •
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The cast: Arnav Sunny Sinha, Sanjay Navin Mediwala, Jason Zinn, Charanya R Iyengar, Prateek Karkal, Bhageshri Gulvady Karkal (front), Deeba Ashraf, Karthik Chander, Dianne K Webb, Laura Schlecht and Sam Stengler. Photo: Navin Mediwala
HOUSTON: In a scene towards the beginning of Rahul Varma’s “Bhopal,” Devraj Sarthi, an ambitious and eager employee of Karbide International, claims to his boss Warren Anderson, that the pesticide he wants to produce in India “will touch many lives.” The audience know the dark and terrible implications of this line, but unfortunately, Sarthi does not. Varma’s play is based on the gas leak tragedy caused by Union Carbide thirty years ago and brought to Houston by Shunya Theatre. Although we in the audience are privy to the catastrophe that is about to
occur, we are also invested in the characters presented to us. And that is what propels the play forward – the veritable bouquet of characters that Varma gives us: from the street-smart slum dweller, to the cunning and opportunistic politician. Undeniably, this is heavy material for audiences to face. But it could also not have arrived at a better time. December 2014 marks the Bhopal gas tragedy’s thirty year anniversary. Industrial disasters like this are not new nor unknown to us who have seen the Exxon Valdez oil spill in
Alaska, or the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, or the explosion of the West fertilizer company near Waco, Texas. The leak in Bhopal killed thousands and injured many more, and its effects still have not stopped harming the residents of the city. Participating in the viewing of this play ensures that we don’t forget how calamitous this accident was and also reminds us that there was a significant human aspect that time tends to erase from such events. ShunyaTheatre’s production brings back many familiar faces like Deeba Ashraf who plays Izzat, Karthik Chander as Devraj Sarthi, and Prateek Karkal as Jaganlal the politician. There are also many new faces that leave their impressions on the audience’s mind, namely Charanya Ravikumar as Madiha, am Sam Stengler as Warren Anderson, Laura Schlecht as Dr. Sonya Labonte and Brandon Hobratschk as Sauvé Pascal. Director Dianne K Webb does a magnificent job in creating a tense atmosphere that is rarely, but thankfully, broken with humor that we are inevitably forced to see in tragic circumstances. Audiences have another weekend to see “Bhopal” at Spring Street Studio 101, 1824 Spring Street, 77007, from Thursday to Saturday at 8:00 pm, November 20 through 22 and at 3:00 pm, Sunday, Nov. 23.
Club 65 Celebrates Early Thanksgiving
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BY JASEEM PASHA, MD HOUSTON: The Club 65 done it again. A large posse of senior Houstonians, once again flocked to the Bayland Community Center in Houston for their “Lunch and Learn” Event, held on November 8 by Club 65. All seniors punctually arrived, dressed in colorful festive clothes. Rahat Kalle, the Club’s Vice President, introduced Paru McGuire, the President of Club, who received a zealous round of applause. After a brief reporting, Paru introduced the guest speaker, William Pieratt Demond, who gave a very thought provoking talk on “The background of American tradition of Thanksgiving in the light of diverse cultural context”, a topic that perfectly chimed in with the occasion of Thanksgiving. Demond is a constitutional and
civil-rights attorney, who has practice in Houston, Texas. He spent three years studying abroad at universities in China, Japan, and Egypt. He shed light on the background of the traditions of Thanksgiving in America in the context of all-embracing world diversities, and drew parallel to the traditions embedded in major religions and highlighted the significance of Yoga, Gita, Quran and Islamic Shariah. The talk generated lots of questions. Rahat Kalle an ardent organizational leader, very proficiently moderated the entire Q & A session. Club 65 encourages its members to talk about themselves, their achievements, passions and hobbies, thus helping them make new friends. On Nov 8, Noor Jahan Upadhaya, Dr. Hameed Qureshi and Dr. Yusuf Zhumkhawala talked about their interests.
Noor Jahan is married to Shaukat Ali, and volunteers as the Secretary of Club 65. She shared her real life experiences laden with encounters with many diverse cultural and religious habitats, thus highlighting the importance of respect for all religions. The next speaker was Dr. Hameed Qureshi, with both MS and Ph.D. in Immunology & Infectious Diseases, and was a pioneer in reducing the duration of Tuberculin Test to only 2 hours from what used to be 21 days. Dr. Qureshi shared very interesting and witty anecdotes about his life achievements that kept the audience enraptured till the end. The last speaker was Dr. Yusuf Zhumkhawala, with both masters and doctorate in engineering. Dr. Yusuf emphasized the importance of human service and underscored the significance of using one’s knowledge, skills and experiences in the service of mankind. His story, no doubt, was very inspiring. Of course, the aroma of freshly cooked turkey, mash potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green-bean casserole, apple pie and pumpkin pie was already in the air, sharpening the appetite, prodding the members to get ready for the sumptuous lunch. The Club 65 is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of IMAGH (Indian Muslims of Greater Houston). for further details about Club 65 or to become a member, visit, www. imagh.org or call Paru Mcguire at 440-390-1763.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
November 21, 2014
21
Yezidi’s State their Plight and HAF, Art of Living Vow Support
Hindu activists Vijay Pallod (left) and Gita Bhatia with local Yezidi leaders Murad Volunteers of the International Association of Human Values stand besides the relief supplies to be airlifted for the Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar mountains. Ismail and organization president Haider Elias (right).
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: At the fundraiser for the Hindu American Foundation held this past Saturday, November 15 (see page 03), the plight of the tiny Yezidi community which has lived for generations in the northeastern portion of Iraq, bordering on Kurdistan and Turkey, was brought out and the HAF taken on their cause and vowed to help in whichever way they can. Other members of the Houston Hindu community see similarities between Yezidism and Hinduism and activists Vijay Pallod and Gita Bhatia of The Art of Living Foundation have pledged their support, going so far as to sponsor a meeting between the local Yezidi organization president
Haider Elias and the spiritual leader Ravi Shankar himself at the International Association for Human Values conference that is currently being held in the Kurd capital of Erbil. Elias and another member of his organization, Murad Ismail, were able to address the audience for a few minutes at the HAF fundraiser. There are estimated to be about 1 million Yezidis worldwide, with the majority in Iraq and others scattered across Syria, Germany, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Sweden. They follow a religion that is linked to Zoroastrianism and ancient Mesopotamian religions. They are monotheists, believing that God has placed the earth under the care of seven “holy beings” or angels, the chief
or archangel being Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel, who fell from grace and then, after remorseful tears extinguished his hellish prison, reconciled with God. This belief has evoked a Sufi Iblis connection, which other religions in the area equate with the evil spirit Satan. Hence, the Yezidis have been persecuted as “devil worshippers” within the borders of modern Iraq under the Sadam Hussein regime, Sunni Muslim revolutionaries and now the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS in its campaign to purify the region of non-Islamic influences. There are numerous reports of mass killings and abductions, and the siege of the Yezidis around Mount Sinjar, which was only broken two months back al-
lowing many to escape to Kurdistan. Elias’own brother was shot and killed during this time. A former translator for the US Army and an advisor on civilian and cultural affairs, Elias has been in Houston for the past five years with his wife and three children. They fled Iraq as it became too dangerous for him to stay there. He was a premedical student in Iraq, but is now pursuing a degree in psychology at the University of Houston, hoping to finish in another year. At the conference in Erbil, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar held a webcast, joined by people in 2,000 locations in 74 countries, on November 15 asking for his guidance to focus attention
to the Yezidi situation. Sri Sri gave the example of the pluralism in India were people from different faiths work together. He urged the people of the troubled Mideast region to use this same multi-cultural, multi-religious coexistence approach. He lamented the 74 different genocides that have happened to the Yezidis and that it would be a disaster if this minority community were to disappear. He wanted a chance to meet with Abu Bakhr Baghdadi, the ISIS leader and have some dialogue on the Yezidi issue. The Art of Living, along with other NGOs in the Houston area, plans to organize a fund-raising dinner in December for the Yezidi cause.
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22 November 21, 2014
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Most of us have a family member or close friend who has been diagnosed with this dreaded disease that affects so many women. The good news is that breast cancer is highly treatable and often curable. Treatment usually involves some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Coordination of care amongst the various specialists is critical. Another area that has been debated recently is about screening and early diagnosis. In this month’s article, Dr. Frankie Ann Holmes presents the rationale behind early diagnosis and discusses the current guidelines. - Vivek S. Kavadi, M.D. BY FRANKIE ANN HOLMES, MD Over the past decade, news and information about breast cancer has helped increase awareness about the disease tremendously. While awareness of breast cancer has improved, the disease unfortunately remains the second-deadliest cancer among American women. Early detection with regular mammograms remains the single most effective way to combat breast cancer. As physicians, we know that the
earlier we can detect the disease, the more likely the patient will survive. When detected early, before it spreads to the lymph nodes or elsewhere, women have a 99 percent survival rate at five years. While this all may sound very simple, at my Texas Oncology practice, I see many women with more advanced stages of breast cancer. It is estimated that this year alone in Texas, 17,348 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 3,178 women will die from the disease. Many of these deaths are preventable with yearly mammograms, especially for women over the age of 40. While mammograms will detect most breast cancers in women who don’t have symptoms, they are not the only way to detect the signs of breast cancer. Women should be familiar with the usual appearance and feel of their breasts at different times during their monthly cycle or during menopause. We call this “breast awareness.” If there are unusual changes, they should contact their doctor. Breast awareness has been shown to be a more effective method of finding cancers early than breast self-exam, which often caused
Screening is especially important for women who have increased risk factors for breast cancer. However, it is important to remember that even women without clear risk factors should have regular screenings and mammograms. Risk factors may include: • Age: Approximately two-thirds of invasive breast cancer cases occur in women over age 55, though the disease can occur at any age. • Family history: If a woman’s mother, sister, or grandmother had breast cancer or ovarian cancer, that woman has an increased risk for breast cancer. • Diet and exercise: Overweight and/or physically inactive women face a higher risk of developing breast cancer. While screenings may detect cancer early on, it’s also important to watch out for warning signs and symptoms, including: • A lump in the breast • Change in breast size or shape • Redness, scaliness, or thickening of nipple or breast • Dimpled skin near the breast • A lump under the arm • Tenderness • Nipple retraction • Nipple discharge • Irritation on the breast, nipple, or skin near the nipple • Swelling of the breast If any of these symptoms are detected, contact a physician immediately to start receiving proper medical care. Researchers continue to make advances in the fight against breast cancer every day. Until a cure is found, regular screenings, awareness, and healthy lifestyle choices are among the best tools a woman has to reduce her risk and survive the disease.
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Dr. Frankie Ann Holmes is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Texas Oncology– Memorial City, 925 Gessner St., #550 in Houston, Texas.
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Parliamentary Democracy is Nehru’s Lasting Legacy themselves been the six years in coming. The Council of beneficiary of Nehru’s Scientific and Industrial Research lasting legacy. It is thus (CSIR) was yet another important somewhat unfortunate landmark that went on to spawn that instead of making over the years a network of nearly Nehru’s legacy as In- 40 national scientific and research dia’s national credo, the laboratories. It is not the scope of this column to Congress should have selfishly tried to appro- dwell at length on the scores of major priate this sacrosanct industries that Nehru was instrumenlegacy in its entirety. tal in setting up both in public and priNot inviting Prime Min- vate sectors in the post-independence ister Modi to the party’s decade. Many of the companies set 125th birth anniversary up in the infrastructure public sector celebrations, the Congress leadership during Nehru’s regime today stride displayed not only its pettiness but like Colossus across the length and breadth of the country and greatly also its political immaturity. Nehru had considered the parlia- help augment the country’s revenue mentary democracy as critical bed- receipts. Indian Institutes of Techrock for building a forward-looking nology (IIT) were yet another major and self-reliant country. And every legacy left behind by Nehru. In principle, Nehru’s contribution possible safeguard was incorporated in the Constitution to ensure that to India’s industrial and infrastrucits fundamental features were not tural growth was based on sound tempered with. Even though many economics. Nevertheless, the nation amendments over the past 62 years today must pay homage to Nehru for have changed some of its contours, his tangible contribution to India’s yet the “basic structure doctrine” development. More importantly, he has ensured that the fundamental gave his compatriots some fundarights granted to the citizens remained mental rights and freedoms. Thus, sacrosanct and unaltered. India’s po- we today enjoy a right to disagree and litical stability over all these years right to dissent. It is these rights that stands in sharp relief to the tumultu- are today being challenged. Dissent is ous changes and coups d’état that not only looked down upon but also have been the fate of some of India’s brutally curbed. Unfortunately, this neighbors who too had become inde- fear has also infected the media and there is today a noticeable descent pendent almost at the same time. Despite Gandhi’s assassination on into submissiveness. Even seasoned 30 January 1948, it nevertheless goes journalists are shying away from takto Nehru’s credit that he steadfastly ing a contrarian stand. No doubt, the pursued development projects in outspoken columnist Shobhaa De is spite of the turmoil of the partition rightly worried. and the resultant migration of populaRaj Kanwar tions. He left in the competent hands is the India of Sardar Patel the crucial issues Corresponregarding the maintenance of law and dent of Indo order and those related to the accesAmerican sion of hundreds of Indian princely News. states to the Dominion of India. The reassuring presence of Patel was a great help and enabled Nehru to continue without distraction with his development agenda. Bhakra Nangal Dam was the first to become a symbol of India’s progress. the world theinworld comfort in comfort with... Nehru called it “AExplore Temple of Resur-Explore gent India”. Next was the establishment of Atomic Commission WEnergy HOLESALERS / C ONSOLIDATORS FOR ALL MAJOR in August 1948. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) took another AIRLINES
BY RAJ KANWAR It is really inexplicable why a controversy has been raised over the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru so late in the day when the country should, in fact, be celebrating in unison and with much reverences his 125th birth anniversary. And why there should be any controversy at all as to who should appropriate the legacy that Nehru had bequeathed to his countrymen? Strictly speaking, even though Nehru was a Congress stalwart, he nevertheless was the undisputed leader of the national freedom movement, and together with Gandhi and Sardar Patel constituted the triumvirate that eventually threw off the yoke of the British rule over India. Why then, 50 years after his demise the rump of the old Congress party should stridently try to appropriate in its entirety the Nehru’s legacy? Sonia Gandhi was just about a toddler somewhere in the backwaters of Italy when India had made its tryst with destiny on the midnight of 15 August 1947. It does not thus behove the diminutive Congress party led by her to lay sole claim to Nehru’s bequest. What exactly was Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy? The most lasting was bestowing upon the country a modern secular parliamentary democracy that has stood the test of time over all these six decades. It is now time to recall, celebrate and indelibly etch on stone this great contribution of Nehru. This has become all the more when an insidious imperative today campaign is underway to challenge this lasting legacy of Nehru, and thus comfort with... demolish the halo that still surrounds his persona. Ironically, the challeng have ers are the very people who
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PUZZLES/ RECIPE
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Chukandar da Salad (Beetroot Salad)
Beetroots are not commonly used in Indian cuisine as a main dish though it is eaten sometimes as a salad. When I was a young girl in our ancestral home in Lyallpur, we used to boil the chukandar (beetroot) and then peel it before eating it. Our hands and towels would be red with the effort! In north India, the common belief is that eating chukandar is very beneficial as it helps to increase the blood in the body. Chukandar belongs to the same family as shalgum (turnips), palak (spinach) and chard. They are high in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and C, minerals (especially potassium, magnesium and phosphorus) and folic acid. Beetroot is considered good for the heart, lowers blood pressure and betacyanin (which gives the purple color) is a powerful anticancer agent that inhibits tumor formation. The red coloring is also used in tomato paste, sauces, deserts, jams, jellies, ice cream and other foods. It can be peeled, steamed and eaten warm with butter; cooked, pickled and eaten as a condiment or peeled, shredded raw and eaten as a salad. Beetroots are commonly used in East European countries to make a stew called borscht. Beetroot juice is considered a healthy tonic by many people. A large portion of the crop is turned into pickles and yellow, sugar beetroot is used to produce 20% of the worldwide sugar supply. The vegetable has also been used to make ethanol, a fuel additive, due to its high glucose content. Ingredients: • 10-12 medium chukandar (red beetroot) – only two are needed for this recipe • 1 large nimbu (lemon) – cut in half • 1 large lal piyaaz (red onion) – peeled and finely chopped • 1 medium adrak (ginger root) – peeled and finely chopped • 2 large hari mirch (green chillies) – finely chopped • 1 teaspoon ajwain (bishop’s weed or carom seeds) • 2 tbsp dhania (fresh coriander leaves) • 1 teaspoon amchoor (dry mango powder)
•
Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper)
Directions: 1. Cut the ends of the chukandar, wash and dry with a towel and keep to the side to the side. 2. Take a baking tray and cover it with foil. Coat the beetroot with a thin layer of vegetable oil then place them on the tray. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 deg on bake, then the tray inside for 30 minutes. Take out the tray, turn beetroot over and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes. 4. Take the tray out of the oven and let the beetroot cool down. 5. Peel the chukandar and cut into small pieces. For the salad, you will need only one or two beetroots. Keep the rest in a bowl in the refrigerator for use later. 6. Throw the chukandar in a large
bowl, and then add the onions, ginger, chillies and all the spices. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons over the mixture. You can also use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemons. 7. Stir the mixture thoroughly and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, Sprinkling the dhania 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 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 KEEP SUGAR, SALT AND OTHER SPICES DRY AND EASY TO USE
When cooking over the stove, people, especially the young and inexperienced, usually just pour or sprinkle the salt and spices straight out of the bottle. The steam from the dish usually makes the grains of the spices sticker to the container and gets into the shaker or bottle. To avoid this, it is best to take a spoonful of the spice and pour it into the dish. This is why we use the namak dani (spice container), a round bowl or rectangular box divided into sections, for cooking Indian dishes. It also allows you to use your judgment on the amount of spice used. Another method to keep salt and black pepper dry in shakers, especially in humid areas, is to put some grains of white rice in them, as the rice will absorb the humidity.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review: Kill Dil
BY ANUPAMA CHOPRA NEW DELHI: Honestly, I was a little wary of Kill Dil. After all, Bollywood has been ripping off the Tarantino oeuvre since Sanjay Gupta reworked Reservoir Dogs as Kaante. The dark, sly humor, the gleeful violence, the posturing in slow motion - it’s all been done, and not very well. But I’m happy to report that despite the title, Kill Dil is more than another wannabe homage to the master. Shaad Ali’s film is its own thing - basically a pulpy, retro-cool, Bollywood Western set in Delhi, with dollops of romance, comedy, and the one and only Govinda.
The story is a cliché: a criminal falls in love and tries to go straight. But Shaad and his writers - Nitesh Tiwari, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra - tell it with freshness and vigour. Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar are Dev and Tutu, self-described ‘haramis’ who were found in a garbage heap by the ruthless don Bhaiyaji, played by Govinda. These ‘andhere ki najayaz aulad’ are raised by Bhaiyaji to be deadly assassins. Armed with cool dialogue and spiffy leather jackets, these are of course the most charming killers on the planet. Life is good until Dev falls in love with Disha, played by Parineeti Chopra. Disha comes from the other side of the tracks;
November 21, 2014 she drives a red convertible and lives in a mansion. But in a Yash Raj film, class has rarely been an impediment in love. She rehabilitates criminals for a living. He is a fifth-grade drop out. When she sends a text message saying LOL, he doesn’t get it. But they become soul mates anyway. Their love story, which includes a bizarrely affluent fantasy song sequence, is the least interesting part of the film. Parineeti is also saddled with the most under-written part and some rather unfortunate styling. But the men are having a ball. Freed from the burden of being the romantic lead, Ali gives solid support to Ranveer, who is effortlessly likeable. His Dev has been murdering people since he was 18 and yet has a genuine sweetness and vulnerability. And then, of course, there’s Govinda, in his first all-out negative role. He’s fabulous. Kil Dil doesn’t have weight or enduring value. But while it lasts, Shaad makes sure you’re having a good time. The film deflates considerably in the second half but the masaledaar dialogue kept me going. When a man points a gun at Bhaiyaji, he looks unfazed and says: “Maarna hai toh maaro. Ghoor ke mera time waste mat karo.” Now that’s a killer I can get behind. -Hindustan Times
Aww! Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan Kiss Sister Arpita Khan at her Sangeet
Arpita Khan shared a lovely pic of the former foes Salman and SRK showering kisses on her at her sangeet ceremony in Mumbai. The ‘Happy New Year’ star dropped by Salman Khan’s residence, Galaxy apartment to attend the function. In the lovely picture, Salman Khan
is dressed in his signature Being Human T shirt while King Khan is also casually dressed in a blue tee and jeans. SRK and Salman, both 49, hugging and kissing Arpita on the forehead. Salman’s brother-in-law, actordirector Atul Agnihotri also shared the same picture with the caption, “Bhai.” In the recent past, SRK and Salman have displayed united front in many occasions, dropping hints that their five-year-long enmity has come to an end.
Salman Khan and Family at sister Arpita’s wedding
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Showing Gratitude is Always on the Syllabus A Grateful Lifestyle Helps Children In and Out of the Classroom
Thanksgiving conjures up thoughts of family gatherings, an abundance of food and, most importantly, gratitude. Thanksgiving is more than just a cultural tradition; it is a time to reflect on what is important to us and our families and to give thanks for the good things in life. Expressing gratitude is said to have many benefits, including an increased sense of self-esteem, higher emotional intelligence, and greater happiness. At Best in Class, we have much for which to be thankful, from our enthusiastic teachers, who work with a steadfast dedication, to our corporate staff, who are passionate about the success of each center. We also appreciate our clients, who trust us to tutor their children, and our students, who are always eager to learn and improve. The art of gratitude is an important life lesson to be carried from childhood into adulthood, and parents play an important role in instilling this practice. Best in Class has compiled the following tips for teaching kids how to be appreciative and thankful: • Incorporate gratitude into everyday conversation. By reinforcing an idea frequently to kids, it becomes second nature. Saying things such as, “I’m so grateful the weather is nice today!” is an easy way to turn up the gratitude.
• Inspire generosity. Donating items or volunteering can help children learn by example and inspires them to do the same. • Say “thank you” often. There are many ways to lead by example, and by modeling this type of behavior, kids are more likely to catch on. By incorporating “thank you” into your own language, the expression holds more weight and children will be more inclined to follow suit. • Encourage kids to start a gratitude journal. Studies have traced many benefits to the act of writing down things for which we’re grateful. Writing a few simple sentences once a day allows children to pay attention to the great things in life they might otherwise take for granted. • Make thank-you notes available. Sending hand-written thank-you notes is a great way to encourage kids to express thankfulness. Thank-you notes can be used for gifts, or even for thanking a teacher at the end of the school year, kind doctors, helpful tutors and even thanking a friend for hosting a sleepover. This Thanksgiving, and beyond, remember the power of gratitude. Thank you! For more information about Best in Class services for your student, or about current franchising opportunities, visit www.bestinclasseducation.com or call toll-free at 1.888.683.8108. Best in Class is targeting the addition of 20 additional units in 2014. The state of Texas has been identified as a key state for growth. The current team behind Best in Class is looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join this premier franchise family and ensure our youth will excel academically.
Jewellery Demand Shoots Up in September Quarter Demand for gold spiked 60% to 182.9 tonnes, the highest in around four years, helped by a favourable base effect and gold buying in the Diwali festival season
While there are doubts if the gold demand trends will sustain, given the moderation in rural incomes, higher gold imports do not bode well for India as it will inflate its trade deficit.
BY KARISHMA MERCHANT Jewellery demand for gold jumped 60% to 182.9 tonnes in the September quarter, the highest in around four years, helped by a favourable base effect and gold buying in the Diwali festival season. Around this time last year, the government had imposed a higher import duty, and gold prices were elevated and volatile because of the free fall of the rupee. The World Gold Council, in its report,
said, “Although Indian consumers are typically wary of buying gold while the price is still moving, preferring to wait until it settles at a more stable level, the opportunity to buy at cheaper prices proved, for some, hard to resist.” Note that jewellery demand in the September quarter was still lower than what it was in the June 2013 quarter or, indeed, in the March 2011 quarter. While there are doubts if the gold demand trends will sustain, given the moderation in
rural incomes, higher gold imports do not bode well for India as it will inflate its trade deficit. photo Gold imports could climb to around $6 billion in October from $4 billion in September, which is above the monthly run rate of $2.3 billion between April and August. This could push up the October trade deficit to $14-15 billion, above the expectation of $12.2 billion, according to a Nomura Research note dated 13 November. -Livemint.com
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28 November 21, 2014 India vs. Sri Lanka: Kohli’s 139 Beats Mathews’ 139 BY ANDREW FIDEL FERNANDO RANCHI (ESPN Cricinfo): India 288 for 7 (Kohli 139*, Rayudu 59, Mendis 4-73) beat Sri Lanka 286 for 8 (Mathews 139*, Thirimanne 52, Kulkarni 3-57) by three wickets A sublime Virat Kohli hunted down Sri Lanka’s 286, to complete India’s absolute domination in this series, while checking off the only conspicuous individual milestone that had been missing from the tour thus far - a Kohli hundred. Five India batsmen have hit centuries in the series, but for poise and execution, Kohli’s cannot be beaten. He arrived with India in slight trouble, watched on aghast as his middle order deserted him in a crucial period, but picked apart the Sri Lanka death bowlers expertly, to see India home in the penultimate over. MS Dhoni was not on hand to deliver his trademark late-innings barrage, but as the target neared Kohli even struck a helicopter-shot of sorts, to put the ball in the stands behind long-on, and sealed the match with a six, for good measure. Having finished on 139* off 126, Kohli roared at the game’s conclusion, plucked a stump from the pitch and soaked in the applause from a delighted Ranchi crowd. All this despite an expertly paced 139* from a desperate Angelo Mathews earlier in the match, and a four-wicket haul for Ajantha Mendis, on the first track of the series that offered significant turn. Having been the first Sri Lanka captain to lead his side to a Test series victory in England this year, Mathews now has the ignominy of presiding over Sri Lanka’s worstever one-day whitewash. Though, having taken two wickets and a fine catch in addition to his ton, Mathews might fairly feel his team could have supported him better. Every other centurion in the series had sought to ground himself with a quiet period early in his innings, but in chases, Kohli is immune to the laws that bind other batsmen. He arrived at 14 for 2, and creamed a square boundary off his fourth ball. His strike rate did not stray far from a run-a-ball af-
leg side, mining the ter that. An economical gaps through midwickpush through cover that et and fine leg most sent the ball screamoften, and occasionally ing to the rope, and a preying on a bad ball to wristy flick to the midreap a boundary. wicket boundary - both Sri Lanka did not lose off Shaminda Eranga a wicket in the batting were the highlights of Powerplay for the first his early stay. time in the series, but Amabati Rayudu bethey were also thorgan with more jitters, oughly unambitious but was soon fluent through that stretch. alongside his captain, Mathews hit a six off as the pair forged a the 40th over to reach 136-run stand that behis half-century, and yet came the gut of the Sri Lanka scored only chase. Rayudu found 26 with the field pulled most of his runs in the in. That conservatism arc between cover and would pay. Mathews midwicket, but Kohli gathered pace at the milked the spinners death to help claim 114 square adeptly. Having from the last 10 overs. travelled at 3.4 runs per Having been 53 off over in the mandatory 79 balls at the end of Powerplay, India were the 40th over, Mathews ticking along at over was soon loping tofive by the 20th. Kohli wards three figures, as drove through the covhe launched Ambati ers for four to reach Rayudu’s 41st over for his half-century in 48 two sixes and a four. balls, eight overs beMathews has been fore Rayudu managed nervous in the vicinity the same milestone. of three figures in the The pair would be past, but he was quickseparated by a running ly through the nineties mix up, which Kohli Virat Kohli swivels for a hit, India v Sri Lanka, 5th ODI, in Ranchi, to claim his immediately apolo- Ranchi, November 16, 2014. hundred with a flick to gised for. But as long as leg side. He celebrated Kohli stood at the crease, India’s sixes off the same bowler to knock it with a cathartic skip, and more hopes never dwindled, even with off the final runs. catharsis was to follow. “We’re playing for pride, and wickets tumbling at the other end. Akshar Patel’s 48th over feaSri Lanka’s best hope of locking we’re not the kind of team to lose tured three towering leg-side sixes down the chase came soon after 5-0,” Mathews had said at the off Mathews’ blade, and Ashwin’s Rayudu’s dismissal, when they, toss, and when his own top order 49th had two more. When the inand the other India batsmen, man- failed again, Mathews took on the nings wound down, with a string aged to starve Kohli of the strike. job himself. Having walked in at of wickets having fallen at the othKohli faced only 16 of the 60 balls 73 for 3, then seen his team slip to er end, Mathews had hit 10 sixes between the 36th and 45th overs, 84 for 4, Mathews provided first in total the most for a Sri Lanka while debutant Kedar Jadhav, Stu- the spine, then the muscle of Sri batsman, aside from Sanath Jayaart Binny and R Ashwin all lost Lanka’s first competitive score of suriya. their wickets to Ajantha Mendis, the series. But not even Mathews’ desHe had Lahiru Thirimanne for as a sometimes-disappointed, peration was enough to foil India. sometimes-irate Kohli watched company for the recovery phase, Mathews’ 139 not out would be on from the other end. During that and their 128-run stand was meatrumped by the same score, from 10-over stretch, Kohli also took sured work. Kohli had his three his opposite number. Mathews the single that took him to his 14th frontline spinners in operation may have had an epic year in Tests, ton in ODI chases. India required through the middle overs, and debut the other rising young leader in 47 off the last five overs, but with spite the turn on offer, and the men world cricket proved he is still the a capable Akshar Patel in at No. Kohli had placed around the bat, 9, Kohli broke the back of the re- Thirimanne and Mathews worked gold-standard in ODIs. Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESquired rate with a six and a four themselves into a steady rhythm. PNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka corresponBoth scored heavily through the off Mendis, then struck two more dent.
SPORTS
Anand vs. Carlsen: Draw in 8th Match
CHENNAI: Belying expectations of chess fans across the world for a positive result, Norwegian world chess champion Magnus Carlsen and title challenger Viswanathan Anand Tuesday decided to split points in 41 moves in the eighth round of their title match at Sochi in Russia. It was a very good preparation by Carlsen and his team, who introduced a new idea and the game quickly fizzled out into a dull position which Carlsen held very easily,” World No.7 and Grandmaster Anish Giri summed up. Playing white, Anand opened the game pushing his queen pawn two squares. The game progressed to what is technically called Queen’s Gambit Declined. Making his moves pretty fast, Carlsen made it clear that he was well prepared in this line. “Carlsen played one of the rare lines in the main line with the move Re8 on his 9th move,” World No.23 and Indian Grandmaster P. Harikrishna said. It was evident that Carlsen and his team had prepared well as the champion was playing fast even till the 25th move, Harikrishna said. When Anand realised that he walked into Magnus’ home preparation, he took his time and got a decent position. But it was just not enough to convert,” Susan Polgar, a four-time women’s World chess champion, said. The game progressed evenly and on the 23rd move the queens got exchanged. “Even if the queens were not exchanged, Anand would not have got any winning position,” Harikrishna said. At the end of this round, Carlsen leads the 12-round match with 4.5 points to Anand’s 3.5 points. The match would resume Thursday after a day of rest.
Carlsen is ahead 4.5 to 3.5 points.
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Delhi: Now, Enjoy Free Wi-Fi Connectivity for 20 Minutes in CP
NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), in partnership with a private telecom service provider, on Sunday introduced what they claim to be is India’s largest free
public Wi-Fi network at Connaught Place (CP). Officials claim that once the free usage of 20 minutes is exhausted, users can continue by paying nominal
charges. The present Wi-Fi hotspot will cover a distance of 4.5 square kilometers around CP which is one of the largest commercial and business centers in the city. Extra usage time will be made available for purchase online or through recharge cards available at nearby stores, restaurants and NDMC subways. Users will have to disclose their email addresses and mobile numbers to gain access to the internet. The recharge cards are available at Rs. 10 for 30 minutes, Rs. 20 for an hour and Rs. 50 for 180 minutes of Wi-Fi access. “The Wi-Fi hotspot service will be
applicable in the inner and outer circle of Connaught Place, including Central Park. It is the largest Wi-Fi service ever in India. At a time, the service can be availed by 5000 people with the speed of 512 Kbps,” said Jalaj Shrivastava, chairperson, NDMC. Appreciating the move New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that this is the first step towards achieving PM Modi’s Digital India. “We will try to extend the services and try to make the entire stretch from Connaught Place to IGI Airport completely WiFi. The area is dense and is used by many people, it is aimed at empowering them with connectivity and information,” said Lekhi.
The council claims that they aim to make the entire NDMC area WiFi by March 31, 2016. The project would have started earlier but was delayed because the technical team made a mess of the area with wires and had to re-plan keeping the beauty and heritage of the market in mind. “Our main challenge was to ensure high speed Internet connectivity in the large area. But we also made sure not to hamper the architecture. Cables were laid underground but we also had to take care of the metro lines,” said Avinash Gabriel, COO, Wi-Fi Business, Tata. -Hindustan Times
Repatriation of Black Money Priority, Narendra Modi Tells G20 Leaders BY G SUDHAKAR NAIR BRISBANE : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pitched for global cooperation on repatriation of black money stashed abroad during the summit of G20 countries that opened here amidst intense pressure from within on tackling the menace. Meeting the G20 leaders for the first time in a summit, Modi made it clear that repatriation of unaccounted Indian money stashed in banks abroad is his government’s priority and also sent a message that economic reforms should be insulated from politics. Calling for close coordination on the issue of black money kept abroad, Modi said this unaccounted money is also linked to security challenges. External affairs ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told reporters it was for the first time that there is focus on the “security dimensions” of black money. Since coming to power, Modi has repeatedly said that bringing back black money is a priority and his government on its first day in office constituted a special investigative team (SIT) headed by a former Supreme Court judge to unearth black money. Opening the summit, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott vowed that the summit will deliver on an initiative to add $2 trillion
to the global GDP, add more than two percentage points to the global economic growth and millions of jobs. Raising the black money issue at an informal meeting of leaders of the five-nation BRICS bloc, Modi also sought close global coordination to achieve the objective of bringing black money back home. Modi set the tone on black money issue ahead of the G20 summit in the wake of his commitment to bring back every penny of black money stashed abroad. “Repatriation of black money kept abroad is a key priority for us,” Modi told the BRICS leaders—Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma. Later, addressing fellow G20 leaders at a retreat, Modi said the reform process is bound to face resistance and wanted it to be insulated from political pressures. Making a strong pitch for economic reforms, Modi said that reforms should lead to simplification of processes and that methods of governance must be reformed. Modi made it clear that reform has to be driven by the people and that it cannot be undertaken by “stealth”. Asserting that reform must be people-centric and people-driven, he said globally reforms are
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handicapped with perception of being government programmes and a burden on the people and this needs to change. Noting that reform is a continuous multi-stage process and that it must be institutionalized, the Prime Minister said it must be technology-driven and must have scale and address root causes.
-Livemint.com
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India is also expected to urge the G20 to pressure tax havens into revealing more information on black money from India to help retrieve this illegal money
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