Friday, April 21, 2017 | Vol. 36, No. 16
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Indo American erican News
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Houston’s Got BollywoodThe Red Carpet
Celebrations Galore @ Free Tickets TO Geetanjali Radio Gala
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From left: Hiren, Shoba, and Rakesh Joshi at Geetanjali Radio’s Annual Gala, held on Friday, April 7 at the Sterling Banquet Hall.
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COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
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Shampa GopiKrishna Workshop @ Rhythm India
STAFFORD: This past weekend
on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16, the Rhythm India Bollywood Dance Company hosted a 2-day workshop with the one and only Shampa GopiKrishna. Shampa is a celebrity dancer and choreographer from India. She is the daughter of Legendary Kathak Maestro Shri. Gopi Krishna. She has won twice the popular reality TV Dance Show called Jhalak Dikhla Ja on Colors TV. Her choreography has been showcased in Bollywood Blockbusters like Baajirao Mastani, Dhoom 3 and Neerja. She choreographed the songs Pinga and Malang. She was the celebrity choreographer on “So You Think You Can Dance India” in 2016. Needless to say the workshop was a huge hit with all those who signed up for it. There were three batches on both days for Juniors (8 - 12 yrs) in Batch 1, Youth and Adults (Advance level) in Batch 2, and Youth and Adults (Elementary to Intermediate) in Batch 3. On day one they learned Bollywood style dances as well as lyrical / contemporary style. On day two they got to learn a semi classical style dance to the popular song Deewani Mastani. Arzan Gonda the Artistic Director of Rhythm India said, that she was very grateful that Shampa was able to make it to the Rhythm India Studio and was able to share her passion and talent with all the students. In addition, during the showcase for the parents, Arzan spoke about her memories of Shampa and herself in school together. Shampa was very impressed with the caliber of the students, and congratulated each and every participant. She said, “I am very surprised and happy to see the potential these students have, they were able to pick up so many new routines in such a short time”.
Rhythm India conducts dance workshops for its students and for the public all year round. The goal is to expose their students to the best choreographers and dancers in the business. They have workshops planned throughout the year. The next big event for Rhythm India is “Bollywood Blast 2017” which is on Sunday, September 3, 2017 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Rhythm India is looking for dancers and actors for this production. All dance styles are welcome! Auditions for Bollywood Blast are open to the public for all age groups (Kids, Juniors, Youth and Adults) - on Sunday, April 23 and Sunday, April 30 between 2:00 4:00pm. For further information to audition, visit www.rhythm-india. com or call 281 968 9479
Arzan Gonda (right) with Shampa GopiKrishna
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Photos: Navin Mediwala
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April 21, 2017
See article on page 5 INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
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Naach Houston Breaks Records at Miller Outdoor Theater with an Audience of over 8,000 BY STAFF REPORTER
HOUSTON: Houston’s Got Bol-
lywood… and how! For the thousands of fans at the Miller Outdoor Theater, a beautiful evening in Spring couldn’t have had a better culmination then watching a colorful entertaining Bollywood Theatrical production, conceived and directed by the maestro Mahesh Mahbubani, presented by India House on April 15. It was a first of all sorts – even with Naach’s extensive repertoire of Bollywood shows performed in the last ten years – first time in three years, a Naach production outdid itself at Miller, the line at the ticket window stretched around the Miller box office three hours before the ticket window opened .The evening opened to an overwhelming audience of over 8000 people, camped on the hill on a sunny Saturday afternoon from 3 pm in the evening for a show that started at 8:15 PM. Colonel Vipin Kumar, the Executive Director of India House welcomed the enthusiastic audience by sharing a film on India House activities that have had a tremendously positive impact on the community. Then the curtained opened for “Houston’s Got Bollywood- The Red Carpet” with title track from Raees and foot tapping renewed version of yesteryears’ classic Laila. The stage opened to a breathtaking view of white drapes akin to a large chandelier, lit in hues of Blue and amber, setting the dance floor ablaze with over 30 performers moving like a symphony of dynamic bodies in motion. The production design included mesmerizing Visuals, created by Mahesh Mahbubani, Amazing Lighting design by Arif Memon, foot tapping sound score and exquisite costumes all the way from Bollywood, woven together to transport the audience to a magi-
cal realm, lasting over 90 minutes
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nonstop. Houston’s got Bollywood a fast paced high-energy show included four acts. Act 1 titled Mausam (The Seasons) started off with the season of Summer, heart throbbing dance to Cutie Pie followed by the most romantic of all seasons – Monsoons danced to Ghanan and Cham. Fol-
Photos (collage): Navin Mediwala Photos (article): Navin Mediwala & Shivendra Singh
lowed by sultry winter, a stunning contemporary dance to Samjhavaan concluded by foot tapping songs in the season of spring, Nach De Saare and Saj dhaj ke bringing the full cycle of four seasons and Act 1 to an end. Act 2, called Night at the Mov-
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ies, was introduced with included scenes from the movies on the CONTINUED ON PAGE
For photo collage, see page 4
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COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
Geetanjali Radio Annual Gala: An Evening Filled with Music,Wine and Merrymaking
Shoba Joshi with Attorney George Willy
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN VARMA
HOUSTON: What do you expect at a
gala organized by a radio personality, music producer, music supervisor and a music promoter? It definitely has to be a superlative social gathering that serves as a treat for classical aficionados. But, Geetanjali Radio’s Annual Gala, held on Friday April 7, was much more than just that. It was the 25th silver jubilee anniversary of Geetanjali Radio, run by the enchanting mother-son duo, Shoba and Hiren Joshi. The 3rd annual fundraiser gala, held at the Sterling Banquet Hall, was a musical evening that was charged with some captivating music in form of live songs, sung by gifted and versatile singers Bansi Chabria and Sarada Akunuri. Shortly before 7:00 pm, as guests started walking into the hall they couldn’t help but notice the welcoming and alluring decoration. As the event began, guests were treated
Lamp lighting ceremony
to mouth-watering and delectable appetizers and drinks. George Willy, Houston’s renowned lawyer and Shoba Joshi’s friend and her long time radio supporter, then took to the mike to introduce her. Shoba Joshi, welcomed and thanked everyone for joining her along with her husband and son, and also thanked everyone for the support received in the last two and a half decades. She had so much of excitement, love and compassion in her voice, and to everyone’s amusement she complimented it with a bit of mischief as well. Shoba then shared how her passion for music and the support received was well translated to a show that was loved by all. She mentioned, “ Music is a moral law and it gives soul to the universe”. She then thanked her grand sponsors Raj and Jugal Malani, and Neelofer and Altaf Ali from Kohinoor Diamonds. She extended a vote of thanks to her backbone and her biggest strength, her husband Rakesh Joshi. She ended with a quote by Bob Marley, “One
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From left: performance by Ajit Patel, Falguni Gandhi, Dr. K. Upadhyaya, Swapan Dhairyawan, and Yogina Patel.
Anuradha Subramanian and Akhila Kumar
Bansi Chabria and Sarada Akunuri
good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain, when words fail, music speaks”. She then invited her son Hiren Joshi on stage. The charming Hiren began by thanking everyone for their continued support and conveyed his heart-felt message to the audience that the Joshi family doesn’t see them all as friends, but as family. He shared his passion for the radio show and mentioned that it keeps him connected to his core values and Indian culture. He humorously quoted about how his life has always revolved around mikes and wires, as he is 28 years old and the radio 25. Shoba Joshi then invited her family visiting from Florida and a representative from each organization for a lamp lighting ceremony. This was followed by a Ganesh Bhajan and an opening classical dance performance by the talented Anuradha Subramanian. The journey of this musical evening continued with a bollywood dance performance by Akhila Kumar, followed with a medley performance that paid tribute to Bollywood Songs right from the 1950’s to the current year. The remarkable and chucklesome performance was staged by very well known and passionate Houstonions, Swapan Dhairyawan, Dr. K. Upadhyaya, Falguni Gandhi, Ajit Patel, Yogina Patel, and Col. Raj Bhalla. It was then time for the cake cutting ceremony and some flavorsome savories. Delectable and divine food catered by Madras Pavilion was served. Asit Patel and Sachin Patel were the official photographers for the
evening. The striking sound was provided by Darshak Thacker of Krishna Sounds and the memorable event was planned by Hema Sajj of DB Events. The merrymaking and jollification that continued till the wee hours seemed like a family get-together that was being enjoyed and appreciated on some foot-tapping music and scrumptious spreads. It was the perfect blend that left everyone delighted! About Geetanjali Radio: Shoba Joshi is a radio personality, music producer, music supervisor, music promoter and the owner of Geetanjali Radio, which airs in Houston on1320 AM, between 2-6 pm on Saturdays & Sundays. Her son Hiren Joshi has followed her passion for music and co-hosts her radio show. Shobaji is recognized by the Indian community as an expert in the field of Indian music. Geetanjali Radio has a catchy tagline- Kuch Kal Ke Geet, Aaj Ke Geet, Pal Pal Ke Geet, Mal Mal Se Geet. Geetanjali Radio features both old and new Bollywood songs. The shows are being aired since 1992 with the support of advertisers and local Houstonians. The show not only airs music and discusses Bollywood gossips and news, but also promotes local and worldwide charities, and contributes to the South Asian population of Houston by keeping listeners aware of events and religious functions that take place in Houston. Connect with Geetanjali Radio: Shoba Joshi: 832-878-4338, Hiren Joshi: 832646-2116, Email: shobajoshi999@gmail. com, Website: www.shobajoshi.com
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April 21, 2017
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COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
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Houston NSF Children Showcase their Talent at the 2017 Academic Super-Bowl
Children receiving awards from Swapan Dhairyawan
HOUSTON: Houston got talent.
Lots of it. It is on full display at the North South Foundation (NSF) Regional Academic Contests held at the Lone Star College - University Park campus on April 8th and 9th 2017. More than 350 children from grades K to 12, from all over Houston and nearby, participated in multiple competitions such as Spelling Bee, Vocabulary Bee, Geography Bee, Math Bee, Science Bee, Brain Bee, Essay Writing, and Public Speaking over the two days. This year’s attendance is close to 25% more than that of last year. The Math Bee was very popular and record number of students attended and tackled very difficult problems. The Junior and Senior Spelling Bees that grab the lime-
NSF children proudly displaying their hard-earned trophies (with Falguni Gandhi, President, ICC and Parul Fernandez)
Children receiving awards from Mahesh Wadhwa
light every year, famously popularized by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, students spelled words well beyond their respective competing grades. The Geography Bee
tested the child’s understanding of the world with questions even the adult audience could not grasp the answer. The same level of very stiff competition was seen in all
A group of volunteers
other bees. Interestingly, despite the high stakes, the mood among the kids and parents at the Houston Regional was festive rather than pensive.
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NSF believes every child is a winner and presented participation medals and certificates. The CONTINUED ON PAGE
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COMMUNITY
BAPS Devotees Celebrate Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s Birth
Speeches by young children and teenagers
Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.
Certified Public Accountant 14340 Torrey Chase Blvd. | Suite 110 | Houston, Texas 77014 (281) 583-2993 | (281) 580-8700 | Fax(281) 580-7550 www.sulhancpa.com | pradeep@sulhancpa.com
STAFFORD:
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, celebrated the auspicious day of April 5, Chaitra Sud Nom. According to the Hindu calendar, this day marks the 236th birthday of Bhagwan Swaminarayan as well as the birthday of Bhagwan Ram. This year’s program encompassed the theme: Bhaktavatsal Hari Birud Tiharo, meaning, Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s resolve to care for his devotees. Local volunteers of BAPS organized this joyous occasion. Weeks of the volunteers’ time were spent practicing dances, skits, speeches and song performances to execute a professional stage production. The program highlighted many examples of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Bhagwan Ram’s compassion for their devotees and how, in turn, it inspired devotees to develop firm faith in God and cultivate a dharma-based lifestyle. The audience was educated on how they too could nurture a modern dharma-based lifestyle by adhering to a vegetarian diet, maintaining sobriety and abstaining from other types of addictions. The local youth coordinator, Pankaj Patel pointed out that this year’s program was entirely performed by youths from the age of 4 to 21. The life of Bhagwan
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April 21, 2017
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Skits by young children and teenagers
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Ram and Bhagwan Swaminarayan was depicted by the youngsters performing dances, dramas, and kirtans. One of the singers Akash Patel said, “by practicing for this program I learned that lessons that were taught years ago, can be still be used in my life today.” Swaminarayan Jayanti carries much greater significance in the lives of the devotees who had fasted for the whole day in honor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Bhagwan Ram. Many had chanted dhun or read His spiritual teaching for hours at length to offer their devotion. The Swaminarayan Jayanti program connected with the members of the audience to bring them together to commemorate the births and legacies of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Bhagwan Ram. The program not only encouraged those
who attended to imbibe the positive values presented within their own lives, but also provided yet another way for the local youth to celebrate their culture and proudly display their heritage. Bhagwan Swam i n a r a y a n ’s legacy was carried forward by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and today, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj continues to inspire individuals to a lead a wholesome life of spirituality.
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Young children singing kirtans and playing traditional musical instruments
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12 April 21, 2017 Sankashti Chaturthi Mahapuja at Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple
HOUSTON:
The Sankashti Chaturthi is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha. It is celebrated on every fourth day of the full moon or Krishna Paksha according to the Hindu calendar. Women observe fast on this day for the welfare of their families. Sankashti means deliverance from the troubled times. Thus, observing this vrat (fast) is believed to reduce all the problems in a person’s life because Lord Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles and problems. People observe fast during the day of Sankashti Chaturthi and break the fast only at night after seeing the moon. The temple celebrated Chaitri Sankashti Chaturthi on Friday, April 14,which was attended by over 250 devotees. The Charthi Mahapooja started around 3:30 pm, which was followed by Ganesha havan, and Mahaaarti. Mahaprasad was served after aarti. Pandit Pradip Pandya thanked all devotees for their support and for attending the pooja. The temple is open daily from 9:00am to 8:00 pm and aarti is performed at 7:30 pm everyday. The Gauri Siddhivinayak temple is a non-profit 501(C) 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. It is located at 5645 Hillcroft Ave Suite: 701 Houston, TX 77036. For further information call Pandit Pradip Pandya at 832-466-9868 or visit http://www.siddhivinayakhouston.org, email: siddhivinayakhouston@gmail.com
COMMUNITY
Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Program $1,000 Scholarship Awards
HOUSTON: About The South-
western National Bank Scholarship Program Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Program is funded by Southwestern National Bank to recognize and assist outstanding high school graduates reduce the financial burden for college. Southwestern National Bank Scholars are selected on the basis of their financial need, academic achievement, and community involvement. Each year a total of $5,000.00 will be awarded to five selected scholars. Each scholar will be awarded $1,000.00. Eligibility 1. Demonstrates financial need for college tuition, book & supplies and expenses 2. U.S. high school graduating seniors 3. Has a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (un-weighted) 4. Will enroll in an accredited U.S. college full-time for the entire academic year 2016/2017 Documents Required (To be considered, all of the following documents must be submitted) 1. A completed Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Application Form 2. An official high school transcript 3. Copies of the most recent document(s) demonstrating the financial need (Family’s 1040 Income Tax Return Form, qualification for School Free/Re-
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duced Lunch Program, etc) 4. Two letters of recommendation from the teachers, counselors, and/or other advisors 5. A two-page typed essay stating why you should be awarded a scholarship. Please include: • Financial need for this scholarship for educational purposes • Personal and academic achievements. Give specific examples • Academic plans and career goals. Give specific examples • Past and current involvement, as well as future plans, towards making a difference in your community Application Process & Award Announcement 1.Please send your application package to Southwestern National Bank, Attention Scholarship Program-Ling Chuang, 6901 Corporate Drive, Houston, Texas 77036 2.Applications and all supporting documents must be received by April 30, 2017 for application to be considered 3. An interview may be part of the application process for all semi-finalists 4. Scholarships for the 2017 Scholarship program will be announced by mail in May 2017. For scholarship application and information, please contact the scholarship coordinator by e-mail at ling.chuang@swnbk. com MEMBER FDIC
COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
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Panguni Uthiram Festival Celebrated on Grand Scale at Sri Meenakshi Temple
BY KAMALA RAGHAVAN
PEARLAND: Panguni Uthiram
is celebrated at many temples throughout South India and the world. The festival was celebrated at Sri Meenakshi Temple on Sunday, April 9. It is believed that the wedding of Rama and Sita was celebrated on Panguni Uthiram. The “Kalyanams” of Siva-Parvati, Lord Subramanya, Vishnu-Laksh-
mi and Rama-Sita are celebrated in a grand manner at many temples. The festival dates back to the 7th Century according to historians. The grand celebration of Panguni Uthiram at Sri Meenakshi Temple was attended by a huge crowd of devotees all through the morning. The function started with beautiful Seervarisai procession from Ganesh Temple. The Main Temple was full with devotees for Kalyana Utsavam. Malai Matral (Garland
exchange) ritual was done beautifully by all the priests. The procession with Mayil Vahanam was a great sight to watch. The decorations by the priests were beautiful, and the chanting of the slokas and devotional music by the devotees were feasts for the eyes and ears. The event Coordinators Saro Alagappan and Muthuraman executed it flawlessly with the help of the RAC team members and the incomparable MTS priests and staff.
Sita Rama Kalyanam at Sri Meenakshi Temple
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BY KAMALA RAGHAVAN
PEARLAND:
Sita Rama Kalyanam was celebrated at Sri Meenakshi temple with pomp on Saturday, April 8. Sri Rama Navami is celebrated as Lord Rama’s birthday, as well as his celestial wedding day with Goddess Sita. The wedding is performed to bring the happiness and peace around the world. The style of the wedding as described in ancient Hindu writings is used as the baseline for Hindu marriages today. Lord Sri Rama and Seetha Devi represent the ideal husband and wife, who achieved Divinity by adhering to Truth and Dharma at all times. Devotees gathered at the Ganesh temple with colorful trays of bakshanams, fruits and flowers and started the traditional “seer varisai” procession. Pidi Sutral (offering of colored rice) was performed in front of the kalyana madapam by several ladies, and the event began with a Vishwaksena Pooja and was followed by authentic wedding rituals, culminating in “man-
galya dharanam”. The priests followed it up with the homam, akstharaponam, and mangalaharathi. After the celestial wedding ceremony, the deities were taken on a procession around the temple premises in a silver chariot while the devotees chanted bhajans. The divine wedding concluded
with a sumptuous wedding feast. The MTS board, pooja committee, kitchen staff under the supervision of Rani Chilukuri, temple staff, and volunteers deserve credit for planning and organizing a grand event with the able guidance of the event coordinators, Ramachandra Reddy and Ranjana Narasiman.
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COMMUNITY Naach Houston Breaks Records at Miller Outdoor Theater CONTINUED FROM PAGE
5
screen as a prelude to the dance, the opening track brought the crowd on to their feet with a Bhangra flavor in Tootak Tootak and the current chart topper Break Up Song. Baby ko Bass Pasand hai brought the house down followed by Havan Karenge. High heels brought an epic act to close with audience in the seating area up on their feet with the Naach dancers. The Art in Bollywood was showcased in Act 3, aptly titled La Galleria D’ Arte inspired by Still Life Paintings. The opening dance Labon Ka Karobar set off with visuals of Parisian Night life, choreographed in Indo Jazz dance style was a classic followed by a complete shift in tempo with Beat pe Booty – The centre of this act was Jag Ghoomeya a contemporary Sufi dance featuring The Artistic Director of Naach Mahesh Mahbubani himself on stage in a black and gold Sufi costume , accompanied by Naach Performers.
The dance opened with a poem penned by him, he moved like an ethereal being, beautiful and fluid. Keeping the audiences enraptured, and bringing tears of joy. The next dance Marjawaan was inspired by Haute Couture, costumes designed by Anil Rana from Envy Couture. The concluding dance of this act was a Dynamic and complex contemporary piece to Humma a new version created by Musical Maestro a AR Rahman. What’s a Bollywood movie without a Hero. Act 4 dedicated to the quintessential Bollywood superstar opened with Jabra Fan going into a Prabhudeva classic Muqabla an ode to the Texan cowboy in Bollywood style, followed by the song that’s on everyone’s minds, lips and even eyes Kaala Chashma – Naach showing prowess in Hip Hop as well as Contemporary and Bollywood dancing styles. The Finale was a rocking Bollywood track – the title song from ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’ as all the fifty
dancers took stage with the entire technical team, with The Naach signature Balloon drop ending the show. A Big thank you to the amazing Naach Faculty, Anita Vyas, Shah Ahmed, Zohair Alam, Prita Kapoor, Nirju Tailor and Disha Sapna Thadani. We are very grateful to all our sponsors, St Luke’s Hospital, Ajay and Larrissa Sharma, Outsource energy and the Rungta Foundation. To our media sponsor Vanshika Vipin Varma of Indo-American News and to Miller outdoor Theatre and Cissy Segall Davis for her passion and support, bringing the best performances to the Houston audiences. For further details about Naach Houston and the services they offer in Bollywood dance and Fitness visit www.naachhouston. com
For photo collage, see page 4
Houston NSF Children Showcase their Talent at the 2017 Academic Super-Bowl CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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9
top three students in each category were presented with trophies and other students with a medal in a well-organized award ceremony. The 2017 NSF-Houston Regional Competition first(1), second(2), third(3) place winners are as follows; ESSAY WRITING: Junior-Sanskriti Manoharan(1), Tanush Paradeshi(2), Ramya Srinivasan(3); IntermediateVaishnavi Bhat, Amber Kaul; SCIENCE BEE: Junior-Kunal Pikle, Akhil Tirumalaseti, Ish Mehta; Intermediate-Anant Asthana, Abhiram Jyosyula, Aum Jhaveri; Senior-Naveen Mukkatt, SaiPrasada Manikonda, Sanjay Nagaraj; SPELLING BEE: Junior-Shomili Ghosh, Aditya Puppala, Krishna Harish; Senior-Pranav Chemudupaty, Keerthana Krishnan, Shyla Jogi; VOCABULARY BEE: Junior-Anik Banerji, Chinmay Rajesh, Krishna Harish; Intermediate-Shakti Anand, Pranav Chemudupaty, Shyla Jogi; GEOGRAPHY BEE: Junior-Nikhil Chowdhary; SeniorAnuraag Deepak, Vedul Palavajjhala, Abhinav Vadassery; MATH BEE: Level 1-Revanth Raparla, Ronak Hiwale, Anirudh Guddeti; Level 2-Sreedathan Menon; Anant Asthana; Eesha Nair; Level 3-Naveen Mukkatt, Hursh Jha, Sreeja Thipireddy; PUBLIC SPEAK-
ING: Junior-Rajveer Kindra, Abhay Iyer, Jay Chakraborti; SeniorDivya Nagaraj, Siddhant Puranik, Gurleen Kindra; BRAIN BEE: Intermediate-Vignesh Anand, Shakti Anand. Many of these children are going to be our future leaders and will make Houston proud in years to come. Similar regional competitions are being held at more than 90 US Regional Chapters. Please visit http://tiny.cc/regionalwinners for a full list of winners from all Regional Chapters. More than 1,200 top scorers from all the regional competitions will be invited to the 2017 NSF National Finals, which will be held in University of Houston, August 12th and 13th this year. Houston will be hosting these talented young children and their families who come from all over country. This will be the one of the significant academic competitions conducted in Houston with such a high number of student and parent participation. Many of the NSF children won laurels in the National mainstream contests such as Scrips Spelling Bee, Raytheon MATHCOUNTS, National Geographic Bee and many more. For all these children, the NSF Finals is the stepping-stone to excellence. Eighteen such academic competitions will be conducted with all the suspense and excitement. NSF is a non-profit volunteer-run organization. Close to one hun-
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
dred volunteers came together to make Houston Regionals a grand success. The National event requires an estimated 400 volunteers. In this connection, NSF Houston team urges volunteer help from Houstonians. If anyone is interested in volunteering please send an email to nsfhouston@gmail.com. Major National contests will be telecast live by capturing the excitement (www.yupptv.com - use promotional code NSF2017 for discount). NSF Houston Chapter would like to gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors and supporters from the Houston community for helping run a successful competition: BiryaniPot (www.biryanipotusa.com), Deals of America (www.dealsofamerica.com), Northwestern Mutual (www.northwesternmutual.com), Affordable Pet Clinic, Mirch Masala, Test Masters, India Culture Center, SunPro, Best in Class Education, Radio Hungama, Andhra Mirchi Radio, Sanatan Hindu Radio, Telugu Cultural Association, and Lone Star College – University Park. If anyone interested in participating in future Houston Regional competitions and/or would like to volunteer or know more about NSF, please send an email to nsfhouston@gmail. com.
COMMUNITY
April 21, 2017
17
SOS Presents Panel on Balancing Career by Women Executives audience to throw the idea of perfect balance out of the window and learn to fully “embrace the chaos”. This was a another successful community oriented event in the series of various such events organized by SOS recently, including the recently
held seminar about the demonetization of Indian currency and the upcoming event about post-election reactions and tensions on April 30 at India House. More information about these events is available at ShareOurSecrets.org.
Osmania University Alumni Association to Host Centenary Celebrations in Houston
A group photo of the panel of women entrepreneurs and executives (front row) with SOS attendees. The panelists consisted of Devina Bhojwani (left), Farida Abjani, Sayli Kulkarni, Preity Bhagia, Huma Jafry and Jenny Moore.
HOUSTON:
Several accomplished women entrepreneurs and senior executives got together at the Houstonian on Saturday, April 16 for an insightful discussion about what it takes to be a professionally successful woman and how to balance work, relationships, personal growth and philanthropic efforts. SOS (Share Our Secrets), an organization led by Ranvir “Biki” Mohindra, which teaches Millennial’s the intricacies of climbing the corporate ladder, personal growth and enrichment and contributing to society, sponsored the discussion. The conversation explored several universal topics such as the meaning of success, the concept of balance in life, dealing with gender and ethnic biases at work, overcoming guilt as-
sociated with taking time for oneself, delegating successfully, when and how to choose career path changes. Panelists included Jenny Moore, the inventor of Blingguard, who is now a regular on home shopping networks; Huma Jafry, a nanotechnologist and a TED speaker who runs her own R&D company; Farida Abjani, who runs a successful home health agency and is passionately involved in philanthropic efforts; Devina Bhojwani, who runs a very successful Gymboree franchise and Sayli Kulkarni, technology director at Xpediant Solutions who also is significantly focused on community efforts as a board member of SOS and PAIR. Preity Bhagia, an alumnus of SOS, an entrepreneur and a writer, was also a panelist at the event and was instru-
mental in bringing together the very accomplished panel and facilitating a thought-provoking discussion. In the true SOS spirit, a lot of counter-intuitive thinking was seen at work. The traditional idea of success being fame and riches was challenged and its co-relation with happiness was examined. Jenny, Huma and Devina shared personal stories demonstrating their courageous decisions to go against the flow in their career paths and how it has paid off for them. Sayli Kulkarni shared her journey as a student of SOS and her nontraditional career and personal life choices. Farida Abjani, tugged at heartstrings when she spoke about her father, as her role model, for her philanthropic efforts. Preity Bhagia focused on the importance of personal growth and encouraged the
HOUSTON: Osmania Univer-
sity, Hyderabad, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Established in 1917, one of the oldest universities in India, has planned a year-long celebrations in Hyderabad. Here in Houston, the Osmania University Alumni Association (OUAA) is organizing an evening of fun filled program on May 27, 2017 at India House, 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, Texas. Gracing the occasion will be the vice chancellor of the University, Prof. S. Ramachandram as the guest of honor. The Association is also taking this opportunity to recognize a fellow Osmanian, Dr. Karun Sreera-
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ma, the newly appointed Director of Public Works, City of Houston. Dr. Sreerama is the first Indo American to be appointed to this coveted position. The program starts at 6.30 pm and includes cocktails, Hyderabadi dinner and a music and dance extravaganza. Tickets are $45 per person, $80 per couple and $500 for a table of ten. For tickets please go to tickets2events.com. For details, contact any one of the following members of the organizing committee. Harinath Medi: 832 244 3100; Mahendra Korivi: 713 8707707 Showri Nandagiri: 713 294 3944; Manohar Medi: 82 361 4315.
18 April 21, 2017
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Circus in the Forest
Resist the Ban Mania In the absence of good governance, bans can provide an il-
lusion of action even if they make the initial problem worse and create others in its train. For example, reports suggest that prohibition in Bihar is pushing people towards drug addiction. Unfortunately, a climate conducive to populist bans, which does not think through the consequences of radical legislation or judicial decrees, has gripped the country. One might believe that people should drink less or adopt vegetarian lifestyles. But these ideas should be promoted through persuasive social campaigns rather than through draconian legislation or lynch mobs. The impracticality of prohibition is demonstrated by BJP favoring cow slaughter and beef consumption in northeastern states such as Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, even as in other BJP-ruled states the chief minister threatens to hang cow killers (Chhattisgarh) while legislation is instituted to award life terms to them (Gujarat). RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has attempted to reconcile these flagrant contradictions, but succeeded only on paper. He has called for a countrywide ban on cow slaughter (overriding the “cooperative federalism” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised) and denounced the vigilantism of gau rakshaks even as he wanted people to mobilize to protect cows (a recipe for more violence). As a result of the atmosphere of hysteria, UP’s meat business has been severely disrupted with transportation of even buffaloes at a standstill and an estimated 30,000 jobs lost so far. If poor farmers are prevented from disposing of unproductive cattle, today’s agrarian distress is bound to deepen. However, picking up the cue from ban fever, Hoshangabad’s municipal chairman – a BJP functionary – now wants to impose compulsory vegetarianism on the city. If RSS is serious about cow welfare it should buy unproductive cows from farmers and provide them shelter, using resources mobilized from voluntary donors (not the taxpayer). Even as BJP focuses on other matters that are more central to people’s welfare. -- Times of India
Reader Feedback
Take the case of Gujarat state, where there is a prohibition
policy against liquor consumption. However, liquor is easily available in any part of Gujarat. Prohibition enables law makers, police to earn illegal income. Why does the government go on interfering in personal habit, lifestyle of public? Why do political parties allow elected public representatives to continue despite criminal cases are pending upon elected representatives? Jagdip Vaishnav
BY SUDIPTA BHATTACHARJEE
T
he wildlife at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh had a gleaming, silver visitor a few days back: a helicopter ferrying chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan landed in the park’s buffer zone. A noisy, high-speed convoy drove him and his wife to the core area where they spent the weekend in the forest rest house. Blue-beacon vehicles drove at top gear through the speed-restricted zone to pay obeisance: the park’s director, the collector, the superintendent of police... the entire gamut of administrative and police machinery hotfooted it to Kisli’s Khatiya gate, heralding a circus that VIPs in this country are ringmasters of. Kanha stretches over 1,945 square kilometres, comprising a core area of 940 square km and a buffer zone of 1,005 square km. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 2006, specifies that the core zones or ‘critical tiger/wildlife habitats’ must be inviolate. The guidelines were circulated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in November 2011. In July 2012, the Supreme Court issued an interim ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves, taking note of the failure of the authorities to protect tigers whose population had dropped below 1,500 in national parks. In October that year, the Supreme Court lifted the ban, but tourists could no longer stay in the core area. The axe fell on Kanha’s Bagheera log huts, loved by wildlife enthusiasts for decades, and the state tourism corporation moved out to new accommodation at Mocha, 5 km from the park entrance. The facility was handed over to the forest department, which also has the rest house and camps for its patrol team. × On April 8, the park authorities announced the closure of link 7 of the Kanha trail “till further notice”. This would have been a routine matter if it weren’t the most populated tiger zone. The chief minister’s arrival coinciding with this added grist to speculation. Over the next two days, the legendary Indian VIP spectacle
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visits Kanha National Park with wife Sadhna Singh.
was enacted to the hilt. Forest department elephants were appropriated to herd tigers to the trail along which the chief minister’s jeep and entourage traversed. Nearly a dozen tigers were sighted (read paraded) for their benefit, after which Chouhan, his wife and the coterie posed for photos with the elephants. The forest department, which takes every tourist jeep to task for speeding (an objectionable act especially when alarm calls herald the movement of big cats), chose to look the other way. Even the jeep of the ranger exceeded the 20 kmph speed limit with impunity. Food was catered by the state tourism facility at Mocha, the forest department’s frugal resources possibly being unsuitable for a chief minister’s palate. Unfortunately, this scenario is prevalent everywhere in India, the world’s most populous democracy, where the common man is deprived at the cost of the leader he elects. Reservations, especially on helicopters, are cancelled whenever dignitaries travel and even accommodation, booked months in advance, is at the mercy of politicians and bureaucrats. Divine intervention cannot save the poor souls who happen to have chosen the favourite holiday destinations of chief ministers! While tracking tigers at Kanha, Chouhan would have seen sundry peacocks dancing. But if he thought the performance in iridescent plumes
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was a salute to him (I was amazed to see him taking a salute from the entire entourage at 6 am when he emerged for the morning safari), he is sadly mistaken. April is the month when the utterly unimpressionable peahens are wooed, not a demeanour a chief minister deigns to exhibit from his high perch. -- The Telegraph
No More Red Lights
N
EW DELHI: Indians idling in the country’s notoriously congested traffic have long resented the sight of red flashing lights on the roof of cars zooming up behind them: the sign a public official is approaching and needs other drivers to let them pass. Soon, officials including government ministers and judges will need to battle the traffic like everybody else. The Narendra Modi government announced on Wednesday that from next month only emergency services will be permitted to use sirens to cut through busy roads. “We are removing the rule which allows state and central government to specify who can use the red lights,” the Indian finance minister, Arun Jaitley, said at a news conference in Delhi. “From 1 May, no vehicle will have a red light. There will be no exceptions.”
COMMUNITY/DIASPORA
April 21, 2017
19
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HOUSTON: Life insurance offers
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Indian Doctor Charged with Genital Mutilation on Girls in US
NEW YORK: A 44-year-old In-
dian-origin woman doctor has been arrested and charged with performing genital mutilation on girls aged six to eight, believed to be the first such in the US. Jumana Nagarwala has been charged with performing FGM on minor girls out of a medical office in Livonia, Michigan. According to Nagarwala’s profile in the Henry Ford Health System website, she speaks English and Gujarati. According to the complaint, some of the minor victims allegedly traveled inter-state to have Nagarwala perform the procedure. The complaint alleges that Nagarwala performed FGM on girls who were approximately six to eight years old. This is believed to be the first case brought under a US law, which criminalises FGM. Nagarwala, who is an emergency room physician, was arrested and was scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit. The number of girls under 18 at risk for FGM in the US has quadrupled since 1997. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 513,000 women and girls are at risk of FGM in the US. The US Congress passed a law in 1996 making it illegal to perform genital mutilation or cutting in the US on anyone under the age of 18. FGM is punishable by up to five
Jumana Nagarwala
years in prison, however, it is not a crime in 26 US states, including Michigan. “...despite her oath to care for her patients, Nagarwala is alleged to have performed horrifying acts of brutality on the most vulnerable victims,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement yesterday. Blanco added that the Department of Justice is committed to stopping female genital mutilation in the US and will use the full power of the law to ensure that “no girls suffer such physical and emotional abuse”. Acting US Attorney Daniel Lemisch of the Eastern District of Michigan said female genital mutilation constitutes a particularly brutal form of violence against women and girls.
SHIBU PHILIP, MTax, CPA
“It is also a serious federal felony in the United States. The practice has no place in modern society and those who perform FGM on minors will be held accountable under federal law,” Lemisch said. The complaint said federal agents reviewed Nagarwala’s telephone records and further investigation revealed that parents of two minor girls had traveled to Michigan. The girls were later interviewed by a forensic expert and one of them said she was told she was coming to Detroit for a “special” girls trip, but after arriving at the hotel, she learned that she and the other girl had to go to the doctor because “our tummies hurt”. The girls were then taken to Nagarwala, who performed the procedure on the girls. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said female genital mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated. WHO said FGM, which is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. -timesofindia.com
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20 April 21, 2017
TRAVEL
Among International Airports, IAH is a Dismal, Dreary Experience BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA
HOUSTON: It had been a good six
weeks of traveling for me between five countries (including the US), ten cities and 17 flights and I had endured the usual frustrations of those who are prepared for the uncertainties of air travel. For instance, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, I realized that I hadn’t printed out the approval email for my visa to enter Myanmar (Burma) so I wasn’t allowed to check in for my Thai International Airways. The youngish Thai counter representative pointed with his fully outstretched arm towards the back of the airport and stammered in heavily accented and fragmented English “print out, yah, you can go to internet café”. I followed his hand and gaze, loaded my bags onto the trolley and took off to the back wall, 2,000 feet away, asked some more directions and found the only internet café, tucked into a corner next to the post office. They wanted 100 baht ($3) for 15 minutes of internet but wouldn’t take
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport departure gate
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Concourse
Houston’s Intercontinental Airport Immigration Hall
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dollars and pointed to an ATM, but I wound up at the foreign exchange booth a few stalls down. I had to pay an extra 10 baht per page for a printout. Armed with the printed approval, I traversed back toAisle H and checked in to my flight Suvarnabhumi Airport’s International terminal is cavernous and about ten years old; I first came here a year after it had opened and found it an experience to remember, although I fondly recall the old one where I had once burnt my mouth on a quick lunch of chilli chicken which was so hot I lost my hearing for 30 minutes! The Thais pride themselves on their history, culture and sense of interior design, as one can imagine from visiting any Thai restaurant, and the Concourse is nothing more than a visual treat of statuary, models of pagodas, homage to their monarch, color, enticingly laid out duty-free shops, restaurants, music and plants – all that a hub-bub of international travelers crisscrossing between appealing gates would need. Even the immigration counter, which is always crowded with a continuous stream of people, works fast and the Thai military in khakis (no guns) quickly move along the visas on arrival. Up and down the Asian landscape, at major world class cities, I found other airports with a similar approach to showcasing the cultural and commercial aesthetics to engross the traveler, from Beijing, to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Djakarta, - even tiny Yangon, Ho Chi Min City and Phom Phen – and now to that add New Delhi (with the cheapest duty free shops on the planet), Mumbai and Chennai. Only Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila is an ugly mess, designed around American styles. I knew what to expect when I got back to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, but still
New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal
was appalled and taken aback by the blandness, utilitarianism and grey interiors of the arrival area; a stark contrast to the colorful and other enticing terminals I had visited. It was a long dreary walk through uninviting, white painted corridors to a large hall where pedestals with draw ribbons broke the space into a maze of twisting lines. At 4pm, the hall was full of incoming travelers and many of the checking booths were not manned. The lighting, ambiance and somberness of the space was only broken by a cheerless sign reading “Welcome to the US” though the other signs admonished you not to use cell phones and other precautions. In contrast to the other airports I had just visited, there was no special booth set aside for travelers needing special assistance, like my mother in a wheelchair, and the IAH representatives blew off my entreaties to hurry things along, telling me that this should be taken up with the Homeland Security officers. I reminded them that it was their airport building that they should have it better organized and they looked away. Over an hour later, we walked up to the immigration check point, where the overweight, middle-aged officer was only interested in quickly getting off his long shift. He was dressed like all the other officers in a dark blue shirt with insignia on the arms, a badge, rank bars on the shoulder lapels, black pants and a gun on his hip, attached to a shiny belt with spare bullets in the back. I wondered what kind of welcome this
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
was, or if we were being processed to go to a concentration camp by the para-military! The walk past customs was the same experience, except the officers had white shirts and casually waved us through, though last year we were asked to have each bag x-rayed and examined, which took another tedious 30 minutes. Fifty years ago, when Houston was still a cow town, Hobby Airport didn’t even have an immigration clearance area. That all came after the Big Airport was made ten years later. In the ensuing 40 years, the city has been fortunate to have enticed many international carriers to the airport but has limped along in providing the allure for travelers. But whereas the prestige of having some world-renowned airlines – like Emirates, Singapore and Lufthansa - touch down here with direct flights are certainly feathers in the city’s cap, the ground experience that travelers receive is abysmal, starting with the immigration hall. It is even more ironic given that most Houston business leaders and politicians usually go to great pains to point out that this is “the most diverse city in the US” but have not tapped into the imagination and perspectives of this huge international group to develop a truly alluring international terminal that would be world-class and rank with the other airports across the globe. Instead, Houston’s facility looks and operates more like it was of a developing country. Alas, the same could be said for all the other facilities for tourists that should – but don’t – exist in the Bayou City.
April 21, 2017
E
arth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, China, and some 120 other countries.This signing satisfied
a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern
Earth Anthem “Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl the most beautiful planet in the universe all the continents and the oceans of the worldunited we stand as flora and fauna united we stand as species of one earth black, brown, white, different colours we are humans, the earth is our home. Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl the most beautiful planet in the universe all the people and the nations of the world all for one and one for all united we unfurl the blue marble flag black, brown, white, different colours we are humans, the earth is our home.”
-Abhay K
21
How Did Earth Day Originate? hemisphere. This day of nature’s equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work. While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on the environmental issues that the world faces. In 2017, the March for Science occurs on Earth day (April 22, 2017) and is followed by the People’s Climate Mobilization (April 29, 2017). The Earth Day name According to Nelson, the moniker “Earth Day” was “an obvious and logical name” suggested by “a number of people” in the fall of 1969, including, he writes, both “a friend of mine who had been in the field of public relations” and “a New York ad-
vertising executive,” Julian Koenig. Koenig, who had been on Nelson’s organizing committee in 1969, has said that the idea came to him by the coincidence of his birthday with the day selected, April 22; “Earth Day” rhyming with “birthday,” the connection seemed natural. Other names circulated during preparations— Nelson himself continued to call it the National Environment Teach-In, but national coordinator Denis Hayes used the term Earth Day in his communications and press coverage of the event was “practically unanimous” in its use of “Earth Day,” so the name stuck. The introduction of the name “Earth Day” was also claimed by John McConnell. “Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space. Earth Day draws on astronomical phenomena in a new way – which is also the most ancient way – by using the vernal Equi-
nox, the time when the Sun crosses the equator making the length of night and day equal in all parts of the Earth. To this point in the annual calendar, EARTH DAY attaches no local or divisive set of symbols, no statement of the truth or superiority of one way of life over another. But the selection of the March Equinox makes planetary observance of a shared event possible, and a flag which shows the Earth, as seen from space, appropriate.” -wikipedia.com
22 April 21, 2017
PUZZLES / RECIPES
SUDOKU
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Send us the correct answer before April 26, 2017. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036. Send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published (for first three entrees only & 1 submission per month).
Asaan Ghar di Dahin (Simple Homemade Yogurt) up. Don’t use it cold as the fermentation will not take hold easily. 4. Once the milk is lukewarm to touch, pour in the starter and mix it in thoroughly. If the milk is cold, then the fermentation will not hold. 5. Pour the milk into a glass or ceramic bowl that is microwaveable. Cover the pot, and warm it for 50 seconds on high. 6. Once done, let the bowl stay inside the microwave undisturbed for 7 to 8 hours. It is best to make the dahin overnight; it should be well-formed, curdled and ready to serve. Keep a small amount as a starter for the next batch of yogurt.
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hese days when there is so much talk about the taste and creaminess of Greek yogurt, it is curious why more people aren’t drawn to the taste of Indian dahin (yogurt) and the way to make it at home. Most young people think that making dahin is a timeconsuming and difficult process and are surprised to find how simple it is. But once you learn how to make yogurt at home, you’ll always prefer it to the others!! This recipe is for a simpler and faster method to let the dahin ferment after you add the live culture. Be sure to use whole milk or 2% milk to get good tasting yogurt that is thick. If you use 1% milk, the dahin will be runny and shed a lot of water. Yogurt or dahin has been a part of Hindustan’s past for centuries and is used in many ways. Dahin is considered one of the panchamitras (the others being honey, sugar, milk and ghee) used in Hindu worship and puja. The aspect of being cleansed by dahin is considered an ablution that washes away many sins. Dahin is also used in cosmetics when mixed with turmeric and honey, as a hair conditioner; by itself with spices as a marinade for meats and dahin and honey is a prized mixture. Full fat dahin has 12% calcium and is high in protein, sugar and carbohydrates. Yogurt by itself has live cultures that can prevent antibioticassociated diarrhea. In India, ready-made yogurt is now available in plastic pouches from many mini-markets, but the really delicious variety, with the crust on top is still only available from bazaar halwais (confectioners) who scoop off a glacier-like wedge and serve it in a leaf-bowl or your own dish brought from home.
Ingredients: • •
4 cups saada doodh (whole milk) – or 2% low fat, if desired 2 tbsp dahin (plain yogurt) – for the starter
Directions: 1. Pour two tablespoons of water in a pot to coat it, preferably one with a heavy base, then pour the milk in. 2. Place it over low heat and let the milk slowly come to a boil. As it does, a soft skin will form over the top and it will start to puff up and rise. Take it off and let it cool down. 3. Take the 2 tbsp of yogurt out of the fridge and let it sit outside to warm
Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the oldfashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur (since renamed Faisalabad), India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her late-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable recipes.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEE K AVOID DAMP ROT IS AND NAANS WH EN OREDERING IN
Ordering in from In dian restaurants is qu ite common and of other breads are pa ten naan, rotis or rt of the order. The restaurant usually wi aluminum foil so tha ll wraps them in an t they stay warm an d ready to be served the steam will cond but if left for awhile, ense and turn to wa ter which then settles turns them soggy. on the breads and It is best to open up the foil and wrap the breads with paper some clean cooking towels or even cloths so that the wa ter vapor is absorbed by the bread. Also, by them and not leave the foil open at the top just a little.
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April 21, 2017
ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS
Begum is Spirited but doesn’t serve
up Soul Curry. Begum Jaan Story: On the eve of Independence, the chairman of the Border Commission, Sir Cyril Radcliffe decides to divide India and Pakistan into equitable halves. What the administration doesn’t account for is the line running through the middle of Begum Jaan’s(Vidya Balan) brothel situated plonk on the border; with one half falling in India and the other in Pakistan. Begum Jaan Review: It’s a good period and story to revisit because even 70-years after Partition, anything around it
Begum Jaan Movie Review
still piques interest. Then again, here the narrative deals less with the horror of the divide and serves more as an ode to the spiritedness of Begum; widowed in her childhood and sold to a brothel. Also, Mukherji is revisiting his Bengali film Rajkahini(2015). Coming back to our protagonist – kings, administrators and commoners are hooked onto the pleasures provided by her girls, so Begum with her guile manages to rule. Till, Radcliffe draws the Lakshman-Rekha. Vidya invests fully in Begum and her dialogue-baazi (a lot of which is raunchy) will get ceetis. However, the writer-director’s interest level in everything else, falters. A sense of
deja-vu pervades as one watches a prostitute staring sightlessly at the celling when “entertaining” a customer; or when sex-workers get sentimental over a child, “because all of them are mothers first and whores later.” Surely these women needed to be fleshed out with more finesse. Begum’s spunk is infectious though. She resembles a Bengal tigress whether she is defending her body or boundaries. However, trying to retell her virtues through various historical avatars in animation, is far too indulgent. Also conversations between officials of the INC and
process, sinking under the weight of the misogyny it creates. Pia Bajpai looks stunning, but her character is so aggressively loud, you fail to connect with her. Darshan Kumar, as a hitman gives a decent
performance but his character development becomes unbelievable. He dodges every bullet putting Keanu Reeves from the Matrix to shame and when he does get shot, it only makes him angrier and faster to the chagrin of the baddies which include the entire town! In the supporting role, Chandan Roy Sanyal’s character used for comic relief, gets in the way of the film so many times, that you wish he was simply done away with. Priyanshui Chatterjee is a cliché of every goon played shown on the big screen. In an effort to capture the magic of the tragic love story it is inspired from, ‘Mirza Juuliet’ crumbles under its own ambition and becomes a cinematic tragedy instead. -timesofindia.com
Mirza Juuliet Movie Review
A
story of star-crossed lovers battle misogyny, hate and caste tensions amidst a politically-charged environment. Contrasting sneakers with garish, loud Punjabi kurtas is Juuliet Shukla (Pia Bajpai) a feisty girl in Mirzapur, UP who bullies anything that moves — from the local bus conductor to her childhood friend Mirza (Darshan Kumar). She throws her weight around town as she is the darling sister of Dharamraj (Priyanshui Chatterjee), a powerful local goon who wants to marry her off to the son of another powerful politician, the very randy Rajan Pandey (Chandan Roy Sanyal). Mirza (Darshan Kumar),
on the other hand, is a hitman; a total opposite to Juuliet’s brash personality —calm, composed and the best shot in town. At its core, ‘Mirza Juuliet’ is a formulaic film that climbs on the shoulders of other successful films set in small towns such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Tanu Weds Manu. Right from its opening sequence, it borrows the chase scene from Gangs of Wasseypur along with the song ‘Mohabbat Ka Misuse’ and fails on both counts. The chase scene is badly edited and the song tacky enough to be irritating. It also tries to show the ill-treatment of women in small towns, but ends up being crass in the
23
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Muslim League, or for that matter between other cardboard cutouts, is superficial. The cinematographer’s effort to capture the Indo-Pak divide with close-ups in half frames, seems amiss. The Holi number is peppy with striking visuals. Otherwise having the 11 women in one frame becomes nothing but a screech-fest. Having Vidya in a film is an asset though. She is an audacious actor, who merits an extra half star for her ability to shoulder a film. -timesofindia.com
Sachin
Tendulkar
April 24, 1973
Varun Dhawan April 24, 1987
Arijit Singh
April 25, 1987
24 April 21, 2017 Pandey, Yusuf Give KKR Top Position after Tense Chase
SPORTS
Younis, Misbah Plan to Retire after WI Series
PORT OF SPAIN: Younis Khan
BY SIDHARTH MONGA
NEW DELHI:
(ESPN Cricinfo): Kolkata Knight Riders 169 for 6 (Pandey 69*, Yusuf 59, Zaheer 2-28) beat Delhi Daredevils 168 for 7 (Samson 39, Pant 38, Coulter-Nile 3-22) by 4 wickets Kolkata Knight Riders displayed the batting depth that has made them one of the most consistent sides in the IPL, pulling off the highest successful IPL chase for a side losing three wickets in the first three overs. Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey rescued them from 21 for 3 with the first century fourth-wicket partnership in the IPL for a team three down for under 25. The end didn’t come without hiccups, though: after Yusuf fell for 59 off 39, leaving Knight Riders 38 to get off 31, Daredevils scrambled hard and brought it down to eight required off three balls, which Pandey managed with one ball to go. That this came on a pitch markedly better for hitting the new ball, and against arguably the best bowling unit of this IPL so far, made it even more special. Daredevils, the slowest side in the middle overs - seven to 15 - were once again left to rue that slowdown. A blinder from Rishabh Pant - 38 off 16 - gave them a finishing kick, but that only took them to a fighting total. Sanju Samson is the only man with a century this IPL. Even in that innings, he went through a curious pattern: a flying start of 35 off 19, then only 13 off the next 19, and then the final kick. Once again, the moment spin came on, Samson went from 27 off 12 to just 12 off the next 13 balls. The problem with such slowdowns is, you put yourself under pressure to make up later in the innings, and not always do you get that chance. Here he edged Umesh Yadav, and 36 for 0 in three overs had now become 63 for 2 in 7.5 overs. Ever since his Test triple-century against England in December, Nair is yet to put together an innings of 30 in any format of official cricket. More than the lack of runs, though, it was his sub-100 strike rate that hurt Daredevils. Even though Shreyas Iyer batted fluently at the other end, the runs just didn’t come fast enough for the hosts. Iyer was run out trying
Yusuf Pathan lunges forward to sweep, Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2017, Delhi, April 17, 2017.
to manufacture a second and keep the strike, and Nair just had to hit out and expose his stumps for a 27-ball 21. Daredevils 110 for 4 in 15, having scored just 57 in the last nine, lower than their usual middle-overs rate of 7.22 an over. Pant is not just knocking at the door for the Champions Trophy selection. He is thumping at it with a tree trunk. In one of the rare bowling errors from Knight Riders, Umesh Yadav bowled a whole over - 17th - of regulation pace to Pant. The challenger to MS Dhoni’s slot in India’s limited-overs sides then peppered all boundaries for 6, 4, 6, 6, 4 to consign Umesh to his worst IPL over. Sunil Narine and Nathan CoulterNile, though, followed up with exceptional overs. Narine, who bowled two overs inside the Powerplay for just eight runs, took out Angelo Mathews in the 18th to end up with figures of 4-0-20-1. In the 19th, Coulter-Nile did the opposite of Umesh - bowling slow and away from the batsmen as opposed to fast and within their reach - and took out Pant, and missed out on Chris Morris twice with catches going down. Damage control, though, had been done. With most runs expected off the new ball, the first six overs were going to be electric. This was a contest between the fastest batting unit inside Powerplay and the bowling side with the best economy and average inside Powerplays. With the canny Zaheer Khan running his fingers over the
seam of the new ball, Knight Riders lost a wicket each in the first three, including that of surprise opener Colin de Grandhomme. It was all Yusuf and Pandey now. Yusuf bolted first, taking on Morris and Pat Cummins, who provided him regulation pace. Then the two targeted Amit Mishra, picked as the only spinner ahead of Shahbaz Nadeem, who has gone at 4.9 an over this IPL. They kept finding the boundary, never letting the asking rate go beyond nine. Yusuf, though, fell with the job unfinished. With 34 required to score in the last five, Daredevils managed overs of six, six, six and seven. This was Cummins and Morris with lessons learnt from their earlier mistakes, bowling slower ones repeatedly, one of them getting Suryakumar Yadav caught at mid-off. The last ball of the 19th over was bowled at regulation pace, but it was a yorker, which meant Pandey was off strike at the start of the last over. Now Zaheer took the gamble. Eight to defend in the last over is not a lot, and with Chris Woakes on strike, Zaheer went to Mishra. Mishra responded beautifully with a flighted wrong’un and legbreak first up. The legbreak got Woakes stumped. Now there was big tension in the dugout. Narine walked out and calmly took a single. It was now down to Pandey to see through what he had started. Having bowled three flighted deliveries so far, Mishra now fired one in at
the sight of a specialist batsman. Pandey was expecting it. He went deep in his crease, and drilled it over long-on. Perhaps Mishra would have been better off keeping it slow because it had become really hard to generate power into shots by now. He didn’t, and Pandey was there to cash in. Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Gayle: First T20 10,000
R
AJKOT: Chris Gayle’s first significant contribution in IPL 2017 - a 38-ball 77 - helped Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Lions by 21 runs in Rajkot to lift themselves off the bottom of the table. Victory aside, the innings was special for Gayle, who became the first batsman to bring up 10,000 T20 runs. Brought in as a replacement for the injured AB de Villiers, he put together a 122-run opening stand with Virat Kohli as Royal Challengers blasted 213 for 2, the highest total of the season. But much before unleashing mayhem, it was a single that brought him much relief. “Samuel Badree reminded me before the game and said ‘Chris only three more runs to go, make sure you get it’so it was actually playing on my mind a bit,” he said of the landmark. “I am really happy to get the runs. I just want to thank the fans and all the franchises.”
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
has joined Misbah-ul-Haq in retiring from international cricket at the end of the tour of the West Indies in April and May. He announced his decision in Karachi on Saturday, two days after Misbah did likewise in Lahore, bringing an end to a 17-year Test career. “People are calling me and asking me not to make any announcement to leave but now is the time,” Younis, 39, said in Karachi. “A time comes in every player’s life when he has to decide and I always tried my best to serve my county with my head high. No player always remains fit, the motivation never remains the same, so this is the time when Younis should leave the field after the upcoming series in West Indies.” The exits of Younis and Misbah after the three Tests in the Caribbean will cost the Pakistan team more than 190 matches worth of experience. Younis heads into the series 23 runs short of becoming the first Pakistan batsman to score 10,000 Test runs. Misbah, nearly 43, needs 49 for 5000. “I always tried to be a good ambassador and serve my country to take it one step forward,” Younis said. “If I’ve ever made a mistake in my career, if I’ve forgotten something, or done something wrong, please think of me as one of your own and forgive me, ignore me and let’s move on. “I had a plan to retire after surpassing Javed bhai’s [Miandad] runs record, then I was motivated to complete 10,000 runs so I have decided to get them.”
Farewell from Pakistan veterans Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.
April 21, 2017
As U.S. Visa Troubles Deepen, More Indians Look to Come Back NEW DELHI: More Indians living
in the US want a job back home after Donald Trump became the president of the world’s largest economy. The number of Indians in the US searching for jobs in India has gone up more than 10-fold between December and March, according to an analysis by consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Pvt. Ltd, shared exclusively with Mint . There were approximately 600 USbased Indians seeking jobs in India in December 2016. By the end of March 2017, the number had gone up to approximately 7,000, Deloitte analysis said. This data comes amid a crackdown by the Trump administration on job visas for skilled workers, including software engineers from India. US Citizenship and Immigration Services said employers seeking
H-1B work visas—a non-immigrant visa allowing American firms to employ foreign workers—for 2018 declined for the first time in five years. A Bloomberg report on Tuesday said Trump will take aim at information technology outsourcing companies when he orders a review of H-1B visa programmes to favour more skilled and highly paid applicants. The report also cited companies such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. and Mphasis Corp. as examples of outsourcing firms that would likely have fewer visas approved once the changes are adopted. The H-1B work visa programme channels thousands of foreign workers to the US technology industry. “While US companies will find some tech talent in the US, the numbers might be less than what are required to meet their needs. Add to
the company that was formed when Dell Inc. acquired EMC Corp. for $67 billion, remains bullish on its “long-term” growth prospects in India, which is the company’s third-largest market. “I think we are on track to hit the $3 billion revenue mark in this country in a couple of years,” Thomas Sweet, executive vicepresident and chief financial officer (CFO), Dell Inc., said in an interview last week. Explaining why he is bullish on the Indian market, Sweet reasoned that the country now had “a government that is pro-growth, pro-development, and which is also protechnology in helping to enable that growth and the government’s mission”. Further, he claimed that the Dell-EMC combine in India is growing faster than the domestic IT market growth.
According to Nasscom’s Strategic Review 2017 report, in FY2017, India’s domestic IT-BPM (information technology-business process management) market is likely to grow 8.5% year on year to reach $38 billion (excluding e-commerce). To accelerate the pace of growth globally, Dell rolled out a distribution, or the so-called channel strategy in February. According to Sweet, half of the company’s revenue is routed through its distributors and his company hopes to increase their output with the recent reorganization it initiated to bring together the distribution partners of the erstwhile Dell and EMC companies. What the company did two months back, according to Sweet, was to merge the EMC and Dell sales forces (which existed as separate entities before the merger) into two units. One is an enterprise sales unit that would now focus on the top 3,000 custom-
Pak to Ask Alibaba, Paypal to Set Up e-Commerce Services
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to
that, the wages they need to pay to US employees will be much higher than what they pay to H-1B visa holders,” said C.K. Guruprasad, a consultant with executive search firm Spencer Stuart. On Tuesday, Australia abolished the 457 visa program used by over
95,000 temporary foreign workers, the majority of them Indians, to tackle unemployment. Experts see global in-house centres (GICs) as a viable option for companies to not only retain Indian talent but also address the anticipated shortage of workers in the US. - Live Mint
Dell On Track to Hit $3 Billion Revenue Mark in India: CFO
MUMBAI: Dell Technologies,
25
Thomas Sweet, Dell executive vice-president and chief financial officer.
ers, and the second is a commercial sales organization that will focus on an estimated 500,000 clients. Sweet said he is “pretty pleased” with how the combined sales units have shaped up so far. The company also plans
to sharpen its focus on its digital transformation push. Dell Technologies breaks up digital transformation into three parts, according to Sweet. - LiveMint
invite global online payment giants PayPal and Alibaba to offer their services in the country, the IT ministry has said, after easing its e-commerce rules. The move follows a decision by the global Financial Action Task Force to remove Pakistan from its list of highrisk and non-cooperative jurisdictions linked to money laundering. Neither US-based PayPal nor Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (which operates a service called Alipay) currently work inside Pakistan, which had strict regulation until recently limiting online payments for services. Minister of Information Technology Anusha Rahman said in a statement released on Monday that following the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to announce new rules for e-commerce, the government would “solicit mechanism to coordinate with international e-commerce players such as PayPal and AliBaba encouraging them to establish their setup to enable e-commerce services in Pakistan.“ Pakistan has a growing IT industry that mainly provides outsourcing services in the form of coding to major Western clients. IT exports, which account for around 10 per cent of total services experts, are currently worth $2.2 billion annually, with the government aiming to increase the figure to more than $5 billion by 2017. Pakistan launched high-speed mobile internet services last year, with the subscriber base now totalling around 18 million. There are also around 21 million broadband Internet subscribers, according to official figures.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
26 April 21, 2017 Sri Lankan Rescuers Race against Time as Garbage Collapse Toll Reaches 23 C
On President Maithripala Sirisena’s directive, hundreds of military personnel have been deployed to rescue slum dwellers adjacent to the 300-foot garbage dump.
OLOMBO: At least 23 people, including four children, were killed when a mountain of garbage came crashing down on homes following a fire near Sri Lanka’s capital, with rescuers racing against time to find any survivors. Police have launched a probe to ascertain whether the collapse of the 91-metre open garbage pile on Friday was a natural calamity or an act of sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists of the Peradeniya University has been sent to the spot, the Colombo Page reported. Officials of mining and excavation divisions along with a group of judicial medical officials have also been called for investigation, the report said. Over 100 houses were completely destroyed and more than 600 people fled in the aftermath of the fire and the collapse in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa, police said. Twentythree people, including four children, were killed and 11 others injured in the incident, officials with knowledge of the matter said, adding that six
persons were missing. More people were feared to be trapped as the military struggled to clear the rubble and rescue people or recover bodies. As rescuers were racing against time in the search for survivors, hopes of finding anyone alive continued to fade. On President Maithripala Sirisena’s directive, hundreds of military personnel have been deployed to rescue the slum dwellers adjacent to the 300-foot (91-metre) garbage dump. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issued an apology on behalf of the government to the victims. “We had all plans in place to relocate the garbage dump at Meetotamulla. But the tragedy struck before we could put them into action. We apologise for the government’s inability to complete the task before the disaster,” he said. The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated. The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning
to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves. “We had even paid compensation to them to relocate,” Harsha de Silva, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, said, adding the state will bear the funeral expenses of those dead. The minister said it was only a few weeks back that agreements had been signed to begin waste to energy projects at the dumping site. The mountain of garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents were celebrating the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear. Sri Lanka’s Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious health hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage is being added to the dump on a daily basis. “This is not a natural disaster but man made due to the sheer negligence by the authorities concerned,” M.S. Marikkar, the ruling party local member of parliament, said. -livemint.com
Nepal Tourism Department Braces for ‘Traffic Jam’ at Mount Everest K
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ATHMANDU: Nepalese officials are bracing for a “traffic jam” at Mount Everest this season, due to a surge in the number of climbers eyeing to conquer the world’s tallest peak. This time, there will be around 400 climbers who will embark on the journey to scale the 8,848-metrehigh Mount Everest from mid-May, according to the department of tourism. As climbers are accompanied by high altitude workers, whose number is usually more than that of climbers, there could be around 1,000 individuals on their way to the summit, creating a queue whose snail-paced movement will be punctuated by frequent halts, The Kathmandu Post reported. Expedition teams have started arriving at the base camp a month before the start of the season to acclimatise. “Everyone will be in a hurry to reach the peak when the weather clears; there is no management up there to fix turns for the climbers,” said Sonam Sherpa, who has scaled Mount Everest five times working as an aide to climbers. “So there is a possibility of a traffic jam this year. Returning climbers in general have depleted stock of oxygen with them and they are exhausted, which means life hangs in the balance,” he said. A good weather means expedition teams will start climbing up from camps two, three and four, resulting in “traffic jam”,
The 2015 season was called off after 19 climbers were killed and 61 injured by an avalanche triggered by a massive earthquake.
the report said. Those with 2014 permission are likely to return to scale the peak this year as in 2015, the government introduced a new law allowing climbers a three years’ window to scale Mount Everest with a single permit and fare. “This is the final year of the threeyear period and the climbers who had taken permission earlier have also arrived to ensure that they do not miss the chance. That is why the number of climbers this season is high,” Durgadatta Dhakal, information officer at the department of tourism, was quoted as saying. This year, 267 climbers have already started trekking from Namche to the Ever-
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
est base camp, said Kapindra Rai, programme officer of the Everest Pollution Control Committee. Around 290 climbers had arrived at the base camp after acquiring permission to climb Mount Everest last year when hundreds were able to reach the summit following two years of disasters on the mountain. The 2015 season was called off after 19 climbers were killed and 61 injured by an avalanche triggered by a massive earthquake. In 2014, 16 Sherpa guides died in an avalanche. More than 3,000 people have scaled Mount Everest since 1953. Over 280 climbers have died attempting the scale the world’s tallest peak. -livemint.com
April 21, 2017
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