E newspaper 09092016 by Indo American News

Friday, September 09, 2016 • Vol. 35, No. 37

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September 09, 2016

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Friday, September 09, 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 37

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Beauty with a Purpose Resonates at `2016 Bollywood Pageant USA

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

HOUSTON: A Bollywood star

has good looks, talent in speaking, dancing and singing, and capable of being a fashion diva. All of these qualities were on display as Bollywood Shake hosted its 4th Annual Bollywood Pageant USA 2016 on Sept 4, 2016 at Hotel Sorella in City Center. Beauty with a Purpose was the theme of the event with Daya Houston as the charity partner. Ruchika Dias, Founder & CEO of Bollywood Shake and Pageant Director along with her team put together an entertaining and meaningful evening, highlighting women of substance. “I grew up watching Bollywood movies,” explained Ruchika Dias. “Through the Bollywood pageant, I wanted to give Indo-American teens, young women and wives a unique platform to present their talents and gain confidence and poise.” Daya Houston’s Past President Jyoti Kulkarni praised the glamour and entertainment at the pageant, but also urged the contestants and the audience to “be thankful for their good fortune, but keep in mind the victims of domestic violence and pay it forward by contributing their time, talent and money.” This year’s show included the Teen, Miss and Mrs. Bollywood categories with thirty contestants from all over the United States competing for the coveted titles. The judging panel included Rehan Siddiqui, Founder & CEO of Hum FM, chef Roshni Gurnani, Amir Dodhiya of New York Life, actor Mahesh Sriram, Miss Texas Regency International Courtney Rae Moor, Miss Teen Houston International 2016 Natasha Muppala, Founder and CEO of TV Houston and Apsara Sangeeta Dua, realtor Shaneel Mitha, Mrs. Norway 2016 Eva Worren Chambers, international designer Noureen Dhanani, community leader Sunny Taj, Mrs. Bollywood 2014 Nina Desai, voted Top 30 Influential Women of Houston Farida Abjani and Jasmeeta Singh, Founder and CEO of Jaz Creationz. Aalponaa Event Designers did the event management, Jaz Creationz was the modeling partner and Deco Art put up the amazing décor. Pageant Coach Niharika Nag transformed the contestants to

be presented on stage and choreographed some of the sequences. This year’s event was an elegant affair full of glamour and entertainment. The highlights of the evening included a special appearance by legendary Bollywood actress Meenakshi Seshadri, live performance by 22-year old Salman Mithani and Houston’s rapper Rocko Stedy Narvios, who also composed and performed an original theme song for the pageant. The show started with an opening dance by the contestants choreographed by Bollywood Shake, which included all thirty contestants wearing sunglasses and dancing on “Kala Chashma”. This was followed by the Round 1 Introduction Round where all the contestants dressed in elegant formalwear gowns were introduced. Then came the talent round for the Teen and Miss contestants, who displayed their individual talents beautifully from dancing, singing to extempore speaking. This was following by a fashion show choregraphed by Ruchika Dias and Niharika Nag to the live performance by Salman Mithani who sang melodious songs such as “Muskurane Ki Wajah” and “Chand Chupa Badal Mein”. The clothing sponsor for the Round 2 Ethnic Wear was Zar by Shehnaz Madhani. The beautiful display of colors, fabric and style was a spectacle to behold! Shehnaz has been in the business for over 18 years and recently opened her boutique in Telfair, Sugar Photos: Jasleen Kaur CONTINUED ON PAGE

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September 09, 2016

Bollywood Spins & Weaves a Fairy Tale

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN

HOUSTON:

There are regular performances, and there are performances that take your breath away. The magic of the latter lingers around much after it has created an impact. And this is precisely what Bollywood Blast 2016 did to its audiences. Last Sunday, September 4, the Miller Outdoor Theatre witnessed an unusual event; a beautiful kaleidoscope of jigs and moves from the hit numbers of Bollywood. The event, aptly named as ‘Bollywod Blast 2016 | Kaleidoscope- A Bollywood Fairytale’ was presented by Dr. Rathna Kumar of Samskriti and directed, choreographed, and performed by Infused Performing Arts. Samskriti, Indian Performing Arts, was established with the vision of uniting cultural traditions between the East and the West. The sole objective was to bring the best of Indian fine arts from around the world to Houston audiences and promote cross-cultural programs involving Indian and American artists from different ethnic backgrounds in meaningful collaborations. Infused Performing Arts provides Bollywood dance classes and custom choreography for special occasions and competitions, for all ages in their studios across Houston and Dallas. Founders and choreographers Tina Bose-Kumar & Kiron

Kumar started Infused Performing Arts out of their sheer passion and dedication to the arts and for promoting the rich Indian culture to students and audiences in USA. The combination of these two diverse and artistic brands created quite a big stir amongst the strong crowd of over 8000 fans. A Bollywood interpretation of Cinderella, ‘A Magical Bollywood Fairytale’, swept the audiences off their feet. The victorious blend of performances by the team of Kiron & Tina Bose Kumar, left the audiences in awe. The performances included various dance forms and styles, mind-boggling stunts by energetic aerialists and fascinating magic illusions. While opulent costumes augmented the glitz and glamor quotient, the scripts and dialogues by Kiron Kumar and Yaksha Bhatt, and the lighting by Suman Mangu and Kiran Asokan added more weight to the entire show. Enacting as ‘Prem Singh’, Kiron, who is known to overwhelm and leave a mark always, did so yet again, amidst screams and cheers, shaking to Hrithik’s signature step in the Bollywood Hit ‘Ek Pal Ka Jeena’. What flabbergasted the audiences soon after was the act when Kiron made Akhila Kumar (playing Ella)

float in the air and then disappear, only to make her re-appear from a pit amongst them. While this act was played to the melodious ‘Sun Sathiya’, it beautifully blended to the next, a classical hit number ‘Mere Dholna’, on which Kiron and Akhila performed a dance duet. The crowd was amazed with their performance and it was evident that they were completely mesmerized and in love as ‘Ella’ left behind a magical bangle for ‘Prem’ to find her. Sass comedy was at it again with a hilarious performance by Tony Williams, where he played Ella’s fairy Godparent. The classical melody merged to the crazy house party

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song ‘Kar Gayi Chull’ and ‘High Heels’, a finale medley featuring five couples who hip-hopped and swayed to dazzle the audience. The show concluded on the popular ‘Thillana’, with pretty girls in multicolored spanish skirts whirling and twirling to a fusion classical dance. An instant gratification for the performers, the love and affection of audiences, was expressed in form of their long standing ovation in the end. After the show, Tina stated, “Kiron and I feel incredibly blessed and proud to have directed and choreographed such an incredible ‘Magical Bollywood Fairytale”. She then went on to

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September 09, 2016

2016 Bollywood Pageant USA CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Land. All the contestants looked fabulous in Zar’s clothing and lit up the runway! The “Beauty with a Purpose” award was given to Maliha Mian, a breast cancer survivor, who is starting her own organization called Got Boobs with resources for cancer patients. Other awards given during the evening were the HumFM award, Jaz Creationz Beauty Award, Miss Personality, Best Smile, Most Transformed and Congeniality. Bollywood Pageant sponsors included B4U, 106.1 HumFM, Official Designer Shehnaz Madhani, Amir Dodhiya of New York Life, Realtor Shaneel Mitha, Official

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Caterer Universal Bakery and Sweets. Official Photographer was Jasleen Kaur Photography and Official Videographer – Sangeeta Dua’s TV Houston. 2016 Bollywood Pageant Winners Teen Bollywood USA 2016 - Vaishnavi Gandhi , 1st Runner Up Jeevandeep Kaur, 2nd Runner Up - Aditi Panchal Miss Bollywood USA 2016 - Natasha Gambhir 1st Runner Up - Mona Deo, 2nd Runner Up - Anisha Roy Mrs. Bollywood USA 2016 - Jyoti Verma, 1st Runner Up - Pragya Sen, 2nd Runner Up - Gayathri Rao

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September 09, 2016

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HOUSTON: Mushaira has been

an annual event organized by the Aligarh Alumni Association of Texas at Houston for the last several years. The Aligarh Alumni Association of Texas is a not-forprofit organization that stands to promote social, cultural and educational programs. This year in Houston the Moshaira was held on August 27,at Arab American Culture Center, where the guest poets were; Fahmida Riaz, Naseer Turabi, Iqbal Ashar, Sarmad Sehbai, Shakeel Azmi and Haider Hasnain Jaleesi. This year, great contribution of Mohtarma Fahmida Riyaz to Urdu poetry and literature was recognized by honoring her with Ali Sardar Jafri Literary Award. This award was conferred by the Counsel General of Pakistan. After recognition of great poet-

ess, Urdu poetry collection of Dr. Nausha Asrar, “Dil Se Dil Tuk” was revealed. Dr. Nausha Asrar is a Material Scientist by profession, but has lot of passion of learning languages and has great skill of writing poetry in Urdu and Hindi languages. Big applause by the audience of Moshaira during revelation of his poetry collection confirmed high respect of his poetic abilities among the connoisseur of Urdu and Hindi poetry. The responsibility of Nizamat-emushaira (compering of mushaira) was on Perwaiz Jafri, who as usual welcomed the Shoa’ra karam (honorable poets) on the stage and skillfully conducted the program. Initially, zahamat-e-kalaam was given to the local poets who presented awesome ghazal and poetry and set the stage for the beautiful evening

of shai’ri. Local poets were brief to save more time for our guest poets who came from India and Pakistan. Our own Dr Nausha Asrar, member of the Association, Ishrat Afreen, Afzal Firdaus, Arif Imam, Hena Rizvi and Dr. Shagufta Riaz were part of the local team of poets who were very much appreciated by the listeners. Nausha Asrar’s poem Jihad-e-Kamil was undoubtedly a remarkable poetry written on the burning issue of Jihad and against terrorism. Articulation of the facts, choice of words and mind blowing message to Muslims to fight against terrorism was one of the master piece of his poetry. Mohtarma Fahmida Riaz recited a thought provocative shai’ri on existing social and political issues. Janab Naseer Turabi and Sarmad Sehbai presented best pieces of shairi. Iqbal Ashar and Shakeel Azmi presented heart throbbing ghazals and poems in his typical melodious tunes, which touched the hearts and souls of the listeners. Hasnain Jaleesi shared nice poetic humor with the listeners. The audience enjoyed wonderful shairi with social interaction, chai and samosa. The event was attended by 500 plus men, women and youth.

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COMMUNITY

HPV Cancers: The Most Preventable Human Cancers

HOUSTON: IACAN had a very

informative educational program on HPV cancers and as speakers, we had the honor of having Dr. Kathleen M. Schmeler, and Dr. Erich M. Sturgis of the University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. The human papillomavirus (HPV), is a group of more than 150 related viruses. Some “low-risk HPV” can cause noncancerous warts and papillomas and other “high-risk HPV” cause cervical cancers, the majority of oropharyngeal and anal cancers and linked to many penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers. The lifetime risk of acquiring an HPV infection is approximately 80%. Most never know they are infected (no symptoms). HPV is most commonly transmitted by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with HPV+ non-symptomatic individual but intercourse is not necessary. HPV can also be transmitted by close intimate skin-to-skin contact, and from infected mother to her child during birth. Cervical cancer is number 1 cause of cancer death in women in most of Africa and second/third in most of Latin America and South Asia. In the US and other developed countries oropharyngeal cancers in men, and anal cancers in both men and women are

increasing. Cervical pre-cancer is identifiable and treatable through routine Pap/HPV testing and is effective in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the developed world. However, this approach is expensive and likely not feasible in resource/infrastructure-poor regions of the developing world. Furthermore, the HPVrelated oropharyngeal pre-cancer is almost never identifiable prior to the development of invasive cancer. Therefore, prevention of initial infection is most desirable option and vaccination is the most effective approach. Fortunately, we now have very effective vaccines approved in 2007 by CDC for pre-adolescent boys and girls 11 to 12 years of age to prevent HPV infection and the resulting diseases. Catch-up vaccination is recommended for males and females through age 26. The 3-dose vaccine is administered over six months and can be given along with other childhood vaccines. The HPV vaccines produce a higher immune response in preteens and young teens than they do in older teens and young adults, which is why it is very important for children to get vaccinated earlier than age 14. HPV vaccine protection lasts for at least 10 years, and potentially even longer. The vaccine has been exten-

sively monitored for safety with minor and temporary side effects. Studies have shown that being vaccinated against HPV will not affect sexual behavior. For those who practice abstinence, there is no guarantee that a future partner will have made the same choice, leaving them open to future infection. Despite this remarkable opportunity to prevent HPV-cancers through the simple and safe vaccination, only 40% girls and only 20% boys in the U.S. are completing HPV vaccination. The gravity of this missed opportunity to eradicate this disease from the next generation is that these cancers typically require aggressive multimodality cancer treatment including radiation and chemotherapy and sometimes mutilating surgeries that have life-long impact on quality of life and daily functions. If these cancers return after treatment they are typically incurable. Consequently, it is imperative that children complete the HPV vaccination series before their 13th birthday so that they are protected from being a victim of these cancers. Website: www.Iacannetwork. org Email: iacannetwork@gmail. com Phone: 713 370 3489

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COMMUNITY BY SAHANA SINGH

HOUSTON:

Come September 11, Houstonians will learn from Dr. David Frawley and other experts how ancient Indian knowledge can be a bulwark against modern diseases. The role of Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation in human health was well understood by ancient Indian rishis and rishikas. Their knowledge was passed down generations and not so long ago, Ayurvedic remedies for common ailments such as cold and fever were known to every person of Indic origin. This was before medical drugs such as Advil and Claritin got embedded into modern lifestyles. Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), an Acharya in the Vedic tradition has spent a great part of his life in educating people about the holistic healing offered by Ayurveda and Yoga. He is a recipient of Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards and author of path-breaking books on Sanatana Dharma, Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. On September 11, the Acharya will speak about the importance of Yoga and Ayurveda for psychological wellbeing. “Ayurveda is inherently a psychological as much as it is a physical system of medicine,” explains Dr. Frawley. According to him, we cannot really understand Ayurveda BY RUNMEE BARBARA

HOUSTON:

Lord Ganesha is the most beloved Hindu God and Indians are preparing for the Ganesh Utsav all around the world. In Houston Kalakriti Performing Arts Foundation (www. kalakritiusa..org/) in association with Shiv Shakti Temple (www. shivshaktimandir.org/) welcomes all Houstonians to celebrate Ganesh Utsav this year at Shiv Shakti Temple from September 4 through 11. Ganesh Utsav is the celebration of the birth anniversary of the Elephant headed God, Lord Ganesha. Ganapati or Ganesha means the Lord of the multitudes. The unique body parts describe Ganesha’s character and qualities that humans should adopt for spiritual growth. Ganesh is also a symbolic representation of a man of perfection. It is a 11 days long Hindu festival which starts on the Chaturthi with statue installation in the home or temple and ends on Anant Chaturdashi with Ganesha Visarjan. Devotees of Lord Ganesha offer prayer, offerings (especially Modak), sing devotional songs, recite mantra, do Aarti and seek his blessings of wisdom and prosperity. It is celebrated separately by the families or group of people in the Pandals, temples or community. Ganesh Visarjan (means idol immersion into water) is a special and most important part of the puja. It is performed according to the Mahurat

September 09, 2016

Learn How Ancient Indian Knowledge Combats Modern Disease

David Frawley

without looking at its view of the mind and consciousness. At the Houston event he plans to drive home the importance of reviving the psychological underpinnings of Ayurveda and applying it to treat modern afflictions such as hypertension. Dr. Rajan Narayanan is another expert who will be sharing the stage with Dr. Frawley. The Founder of Life in Yoga Foundation, Dr. Narayanan believes that Yoga alone has the potential to reveal a unified structure of understanding of the human system. His lecture is titled “Place of Yoga in medicine – A Historical and Current Perspective.” Dr. Indranill Basu Ray, the third expert to speak at India House will underline the role of meditation in modern medicine. Dr. Basu Ray,

a cardiologist says: “Meditating does more than just calming you down, it makes you perform better and alters the structure of your brain”. The audience will learn how neuroprotective effects of meditation have been borne out by electroencephalographic (EEG), cognitive and imaging studies on monks. The last speaker of the day, Dr. Raj Vedam will show the pathways by which ancient Indian knowledge of health was transferred to the rest of the world. “Did you know that Materia Medica from Ayurveda was the basis of Western and Eastern medicine from at least 2,000 years ago?” asks Dr. Vedam. His lecture titled “Antiquity of Indian Medical Systems” will be a treat for history lovers. The event is being presented by Indian History Awareness and Research, (IHAR) in collaboration with India House. The Houstonbased think tank has been developing narratives of Indian history free from the bias that has often distorted perspectives. India House has played a stellar role in bringing education, services and Indian culture to Houstonians. Please visit www.indiahouse. org/events to register for talks on ‘Relevance Of Indic Traditions of Health and Well Being’.

Ganesh Utsav in Houston Ganesha’s belly indicate his delight for good food which means lots of Indian food, modaks or sweet dumplings along with snacks will be there to tickle your taste buds. Come and spread happiness as big as Ganesh’s appetite and enjoy these moments as sweet as his laddoos…Happy Shri Ganesh!!!. For more information please contact Pandit Hardik Raval at 361-243-6539 or Kusum Sharma at 832-423-2039

of the Ganesha Visarjan and is marked as the end of the ten-day long festival where devotees bid adieu to Lord Ganesha. God comes to this world in many forms and blesses us in different disguises. Celebrate God’s benevolence bestowed on mortals like us through Lord Ganesha. Shiv Sakti Temple will have week long festivities starting with Ganesh Stapana on Sep 4, Raas Garba 8pm-11pm Sep 9 & 10 and Ganesh Visarjan on Sep 11. Join us for an evening of festivities on Sep 11 starting at 5pm with procession and dancing on the streets of Hilcroft & Harwin like we do in India, cultural program will start from 6 pm based on life of Ganesha directed by Ms. Kusum Sharma of Kalakriti Performing Arts Foundation. The Utsav will end with Maha Aarti at 7:00 pm and Prasad at 7:30pm.

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16 September 09, 2016 COMMUNITY Scintillating Debut Performance by Nethra Kaushik BY SURABI VEERARAGHAVAN

HOUSTON: On the August 14, Houston

rasikas witnessed a breathtaking debut performance of the young and talented Nethra Kaushik, who mesmerized the audience with her sophisticated nritta and deeply meditative abhinaya. Blessed with grace and agility of a born dancer, Nethra’s performance at the Bayou Theatre was a culmination of years of hard work and training under the tutelage of her guru Smt. Indrani Parthasarathy, founder/artistic director of the Abhinaya School of Dance. Nethra began her performance with a scintillating pushpanjali; beautiful Anga Shudham, firm footwork and grace were highlights of her opening piece, while setting the tone of excellence for the rest of the evening’s

performance. In the jatiswaram in Ragam Bahudari, Nethra handled the complicated swaras with much confidence and perfect arai mandi, weaving beautiful patterned sequences. The varnam that was chosen for the evening was the ever-popular Angayarkanni, a navaragamalika, a Tamil composition of Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman. A varnam is considered a test of the dancer’s endurance, ability, skill and maturity, since this piece not only highlights the rhythmic footwork, but also brings the best of the emotive component of Bharatanatyam. Nethra’s thala gnyanam was

Nethra Kaushik

evident in the way she handled all the fast paced jathis with extremely precise footwork. Another highlight was the coordination between the dancer and the members of

the orchestra, with stunning interludes of percussion and garlands of solkattus, which certainly elevated the quality of the piece. Although Nethra performed every piece with intense focus and inordinate maturity, the varnam brought out her ability to tell beautiful mythological stories from our puranas. Her transformation into nine different characters portraying nine different emotions or the navarasas was mesmerizing and highly commendable. Her aharya abhinaya through her gorgeous costumes and jewelry added another layer of beauty and grace to the whole performance. The second half of the performance began with a devarnama, a composition of saint Purandara Dasa, in ragam Khamas. An enchanting piece, where little Krishna complains to his mother Yashodha about his friends. In the next piece “Kanda Naal mudahalai”, Nethra’s expressive eyes and charming facial expressions brought to life the feeling of viraham (longing) of the lovelorn nayaki, who is madly in love with Lord Muruga. Another masterpiece was the tamil keertanam “Ennalum Ambalathil”, a dance that describes various reasons for which Lord Nataraja performs his cosmic dance in Ponnambalam along with goddess Parvathi. The highlight of this piece was the controlled nritta and beautiful poses highlighting various attributes of Lord Shiva. The performance concluded with a beauti-

ful thillana where each passage began with graceful body movements, giving way to korvais, and culminating in scintillating teermanams. Nethra was accompanied by an excellent team of musicians who ably complemented her dance. The mellifluous voice of Dr. Pustakam Rama complemented the rich commanding recitation of jatis by Guru Indrani Parthasarathy. Flutist Sri. K. S. Jayaram along with percussionists Sri. Janardhana Rao (mridangam) and Sri. Bhargava Halambi (rhythm pad) further enhanced the program. Nethra’s performance was a fund raiser for Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust, USA which is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization, which provides many noble services to the needy including dispensing free spectacles, performing free surgeries like cataract surgery, glaucoma, corneal and retinal surgeries and conducting camps in remote areas and screening for ophthalmic diseases. It

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is very humbling to see Nethra supporting and raising funds for a wonderful cause. Overall, it was delight to watch this young dancer on stage and this arangetram has initiated Nethra’s life long quest for knowledge and we wish Nethra a very successful dance journey. Dr. Surabi Veeraraghavan was the emcee for the arangetram. She is a senior disciple of Smt. Padmini Chari and has given many solo and group dance performances. Apart from dancing, she is also a faculty in the department of Molecular Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine.

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September 09, 2016

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18 September 09, 2016 One India, One Election? In a TV interview recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

said that India is in a perpetual election mode and this hampers long-term policymaking because every decision is seen as bait for votes. The PM’s stand on the issue received support from President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday when he said that there was an emerging idea within the political parties that the elections should be held together and that the Election Commission of India can put in their ideas and efforts on holding the polls together. This, however, is not a new idea: It was ﬁrst raised by former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP’s senior leader LK Advani. In a May 2010 blogpost, he advocated a ﬁxed term for elected bodies and a need for simultaneous elections. The leaders of several parties also raised the issue, leading to a Parliament committee examining it. The three reasons why some politicians want elections is this: Frequent elections bring policy making to a standstill; the cost; and increase in “vices” such as communalism, casteism, corruption and crony capitalism. Some, however, not impressed with these reasons. Writing in a national daily, former election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said that while simultaneous elections to panchayat, assembly and Lok Sabha may be desirable, they are not feasible. While admitting that normal work comes to a standstill, he said that the cost can be brought under control by ensuring that the legal cap on expenditure of candidates is followed by all parties which outsmart the election commission by spending before the model code of conduct comes into play. The normal election routine, the former CEC wrote, also keeps the politicians on their toes and enhances accountability, and more importantly, local and national issues don’t get mixed up to distort priorities. If the duration of elections has to be cut, then the EC must be given more security forces and administrative staff. A study done by IDFC institute, a think-tank, analyzed electoral data since 1999. They chose all states that have had coinciding elections with each of these Parliament elections and compared assembly segmentwise winners for Parliament and assembly. In 16 cases of simultaneous elections between 1999-2014, cumulatively 302 million voters expressed their choices across 2601 assembly constituencies in 6 states. In 77% of these constituencies, the winner came from the same political party. “Contrary to popular notion that the average voter is acutely discerning of the difference between voting for her state representative and national, there is very little actual evidence of it,” the paper said. One India, One election is an interesting concept, but whether it will decrease the evils that the nation/government wants to get rid of needs to be debated thoroughly. -hindustantimes.com

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

The European Who Refused to be ‘Memsahib’ BY DR GËZIM ALPION

Mother Teresa’s canonisation on

September 4 is apparently big news also in her adopted country India where she lived and worked as a missionary for 69 years from 1929 until her death in 1997. It would be naive to think that everyone in India is overjoyed or really cares that Pope Francis will declare her a saint. And there are those who detest her, claiming she was essentially a proselytiser, devoted fund-raiser for the Vatican, and a major contributor in turning the image of Calcutta irreparably into hell on earth. Irrespective of what her Indian detractors say, there are Indians from all walks of life who took Mother Teresa into their hearts from the moment she left the Loreto order in August 1948 because she did not agree with their type of missionary work. Mother Teresa had many Indian friends but not many of them can pretend to know the private woman behind the public nun. This is hardly surprising. In many ways, she remained an enigma to the end also for her fellow sisters and brothers of the Missionaries of Charity who were close to her. In my ongoing research, I contend that Mother Teresa started suffering from the dark night of the soul from the moment she lost her father unexpectedly and in mysterious circumstances when she was only nine years old. I also argue that her decision to go to India was motivated not so much simply by a desire to serve Jesus or the poorest of the poor, as a growing unthinking army of hagiographers keep on saying. A major reason why Mother Teresa apparently chose India as the destination of her calling had to do with her quest for her illusive God. In this respect, one could argue, the poor, just like the members of her religious community, were her ‘helpers’ in her efforts to ﬁnd Jesus. Notwithstanding Mother Teresa’s lifelong and complex spiritual aridity which, in my opinion, makes her a much more interesting ﬁgure than simply an epitome of charity, she is often portrayed as, the nun loved India to the end. India was not her adopted country; it was her only country. This does not mean that she loved Albania

less but that her heart was in India. I can now reveal for the first time that I have found irrefutable evidence that, contrary to the words attributed to Mother Teresa, or what she indeed may have said in public not to annoy her Albanian expatriates about the place of her burial, the fact of the matter is that she did not want Albania to be her final resting place. When she was once asked by someone very dear to her where she wanted to be buried, Mother Teresa had replied with no hesitation whatsoever: ‘In India; in my country’. What makes this statement even more important is that it was made before she became world famous following the awarding of the 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace. Why was India so dear to Mother Teresa? Having waited patiently for 17 years for an opportunity to serve the poor and being convinced that the Loreto order was set in its way as an education provider to change, on 10 September 1946 Mother Teresa finally made up her mind to go it alone. One of the main reasons for this insubordination was that, as she once put it, she had not gone to India to teach the daughters of the rich. Her stuck-up Loreto nuns, who had looked down upon her from the start because, in their view, she was not ‘European enough’, turned vicious when she had the ‘temerity’ to tell them that she had the answer for the survival of Christianity in the new independent India. Mother Teresa did herself no favors in 1947 describing not only Loreto superiors but also all Western nuns as ‘Mems’ who remain ‘foreigners for the people’, following rules ‘which do not allow them… to be one of the people’. More importantly, she was critical of them for expecting souls ‘to come to them or be brought’ to ‘their

big schools and hospitals’. One can say that Mother Teresa’s Indian detractors are correct to an extent when they take issue with the alleged contribution she rendered in eradicating the poverty and alleviating the sufferings of the poorest of the poor in India. The obsession for statistics, noticeable in Mother Teresa herself and members of her religious family, would inevitably increase the resentment towards her and her people. If quantified, Mother Teresa’s impact on Calcutta, India or worldwide is negligible. The value of Mother Teresa’s work and legacy are in their symbolism. This explains why religious figures of all creeds, Hindu nationalists, Bengali Communists and India’s federal leaders of all ranks were keen to support the European nun who, different from other missionaries, saw herself as an ordinary Indian, dressed like ordinary Indians and lived like ordinary Indians. As a Catholic nun, it was inevitable that Mother Teresa’s devotion was first and foremost to the Vatican. Nonetheless, the Christianity she preached and practised was not a colonial faith. Nor was it another version of ‘adopted’ Indian Catholicism that directly or indirectly, one could argue, has applied caste discriminatory practises amongst its flock. Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun, was a good friend of anyone who needed her help, irrespective of their creed or lack of it. This was one of the qualities that apparently endeared her also to her earliest followers, who were former Loreto students from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds. This helps explain Mother Teresa’s enduring appeal. Mother Teresa’s devotion to the poor, in spite of the fact that apparently she was never cured of her gnawing doubts about God’s existence, is in my view the greatest ‘miracle’ one could ever expect from any mortal, including a sainted woman like Mother Teresa who, thanks to the generosity, vision and open-mindedness of an ancient people like the Indians, was hailed as a saint in her lifetime. Dr Gëzim Alpion teaches at The University of Birmingham, UK. He has written seevral books on Mother Teresa. -hindustantimes.com

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COMMUNITY

September 09, 2016

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi - Part 15

Gandhi ﬁghts British attempt to divide Hindus

he story thus far…Early in 1932 Gandhi wanted to meet the new Viceroy, Lord Willlingdon, but the Viceroy made it clear that the days of negotiations were over. Gandhi informed the authorities that he was again starting a civil disobedience movement. The Viceroy thought it was a threat and had Gandhi arrested and lodged in Yeravada Central Jail. Several other leaders and many followers of Gandhi were also arrested and jailed. At home Gandhi found that the Government had returned to the policy of repression. There were widespread arrests and the Government seized the properties and bank balances of people and organizations who were hostile to their interests. Early in 1932 Gandhi wanted to meet the new Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, but the Viceroy made it clear that the days of negotiation were over. Gandhi informed the authorities that he was again starting a civil disobedience campaign. The Viceroy thought it was a threat. He had Gandhi arrested and imprisoned in Yeravda Central Jail. Several other leaders and many of Gandhi’s followers were also arrested and sent to jail. In March the struggle entered a new phase. Gandhi had always insisted that the untouchables were a part of the Hindus and must be treated as Hindus. Now, however, it was announced that the British proposed to set up separate voting for the untouchables. That meant that untouchables could vote only for members of their own caste. Gandhi regarded the Hindu religion as one and indivisible. He saw the game the British were playing. It was an attempt to weaken Hindu society. “Separate treatment of untouchables cannot be allowed,” Gandhi declared. “Here is an attempt to make untouchability last forever. Unless untouchability is destroyed we shall never have self-government.” “But what can you do about this election law now?” asked a friend. “I can die,” was his prompt reply. “I will resist this evil provision with my life.” Gandhi announced that he would soon start a fast untodeath unless the plan for separate electorates was changed. The public announcement of his intention threw the country into panic .The Indian leaders were shocked at Gandhi’s decision. Even Jawaharlal Nehru thought that Gandhi was taking a drastic step on a side issue. During the time between the announcement and the day when Gandhi’s fast was to begin, streams of visitors arrived at Yeravada jail. The authorities, anxious to avoid any tragedy, allowed everyone to have free access to Gandhi. But all efforts to dissuade him from fasting unto death were of no avail. The die was cast. Gandhi was going to fast. Rabindranath Tagore sent a telegram: “It is worth sacriﬁcing pre-

cious life for the sake of India’s unity and her social integrity. Our sorrowing hearts will follow your sublime penance with reverence and love.” Gandhi started his fast on September 20, 1932. The first day of the fast was observed all over India as a day of prayer and fasting. Many temples were opened to untouchables and meetings were held all over India urging the removal of untouchability. Outside the jail political activity came to a boil. Leaders of upper case Hindus and untouchables met and discussed various measures to try to arrive at a compromise that would satisfy Gandhi. Proposals and counterproposals were made and considered. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the most powerful leader of the untouchables, met Gandhi and assured him that he would try his best to find a just solution. On the third day of the fast, Gandhi’s condition caused anxiety to all his friends. He was very weak and had to be carried to bathroom on a stretcher. His voice was feeble, his blood pressure was rising. The authorities grew panicky. They sent for Kasturba and allowed all his friends and followers to be with him in jail. On the fifth day of the fast, Hindu leaders finally reached an agreement and signed a pact that would do away with the separate electorates. Gandhi, however, would not accept the pact unless it had been ratified by the British rulers. News came that the British had approved the pact; but still Gandhi would not break his fast until he had seen the text of the approval. The official document of the British government’s approval to the pact came and Gandhi accepted it. Gandhi was released from prison in early 1933. Shortly thereafter he suspended the mass civil disobedience

movement but sanctioned individual civil resistance resistance to the government’s policy of repression. For the next seven years, Gandhi worked hard for the social and spiritual awakening of the people. Many leaders, including Nehru, did not approve of many of Gandhi’s activities. “But,” said Nehru, “how can I presume to advise a magician?” Sabarmati Ashram had been seized by the government during the salt satyagraha. So Gandhi established a little retreat at Sevagram near Wardha in Maharashtra. This became his headquarters. New reforms sponsored by the government got little support from the people. However, many people, including Congress workers, wanted to try them out as a means of furthering the Swaraj movement. In 1939, the Second World War broke out. England and France declared was on Nazi Germany. Without consulting Indian leaders, Britain declared India also to be at war on the side of the allies. Though Gandhi’s sympathies lay with the British, he believed that all violence was evil and therefore he would have nothing to do with the war effort. The Indian National Congress wanted to help Britain and ﬁght on the side of the allies, but only as a free nation. But to grant India independence seemed ridiculous to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his government. They had no intention of letting India go by default. Britain refused to accept the cooperation offered by the Congress. As a protest, all the Congress ministries in the provinces resigned. The government took over the administration and they too all measures that would help the was effort. Acting on the goodwill and restraint taught by Gandhi, the Indian leaders showed no reaction. However, events in Europe were having repercussions in India. The Congress Working Committee found itself unable to accept in its entirety Gandhi’s attitude to the war. In particular, they would not accept his view that the defence of India should not depend on the armed forces. Congress leaders met several times in Gandhi’s room at Sevagram and talked of their desire to start some action. Finally a proposal was put forward that all provincial governments should join with the British authorities in the defence of India, but the British rejected the offer. -To be continued next week

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22 September 09, 2016 HOUSTON: Hindus of Greater

Houston will recognize two outstanding community leaders Dilipkumar Mehta and Sam Kannappan with the Lifetime Achievement Award for their contribution to Hindu Community and Vivek Sharda for his exceptional volunteer work, with Akhil Chopra award. HGH will presents the awards at its 27th annual Janmashtami festival at George R. Brown Convention Center on Sept. 10, from 6 p.m. to midnight Dilipkumar Mehta even as early

as a little kid had a strong afﬁnity for Sanatan Dharma. When he arrived in the USA he started the Kansas University Hindu club. Later he moved to Boston and that is where he had to opportunity to meet with Swami Chinmayananda in 1968. A few years later Swami Chinmayananda visited Boston again and stayed there for a few months in 1973. At that time Dilip Mehta’s home became a meeting place for Swamiji with his followers. In 1971, Viswa Hindu Parishad of

COMMUNITY

2016 Lifetime Achievement Awards

Dilip Mehta

America had had its ﬁrst meeting in New York City. Dilip Mehta joined VHPA and ever since he has been part of VHPA. In 1982 he moved to Houston and cofounded VHPA Chapter. In 1985 he helped start a camp for children. Dilip Mehta is also the founding member of HGH. Kusum and Dilip Mehta have two daughters and two grandsons. He feels young even at the age of 77 and he still mows his lawn and teaches Physics at Houston Community College. He quotes, “Only thing that keeps me going and keeps me active is my love for Sanatan Hindu Dharma which I will never give up as long as I have breath in my body.” Sockalingam Sam Kannappan has been in Houston for over 40 years. He spearheaded a monumental work in building Sri Meenakshi Temple, in Pearland, Texas. He is one of the founders of Bharathi Kalai Manram, a Tamil cultural organization in Hous-

Sam Kannappan

ton .Kannappan is a Charter Member of the Society of Piping Engineers & Designers. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Kannappan to the Texas Professional Engineers Board from 2012 to 2017 where he serves as Enforcement Committee Chairman. Among his many contributions for charitable causes are fundraising for eye donation drive for Sankara Nethralaya, He is also the founding member of HGH. Sam Kannappan and Meenakshi Kannappan have 3 sons and one daughter. They have one grandson. At age 72 he is active with many organizations. He quotes “ Sanathan Dharma (Hindusim) is world’s oldest religion. It imparts righteous way of living that even a common man can follow. Bhakthi and Surrender are the easiest path to reach God.” Akhil Chopra award Vivek Sharda is a dynamic young man who is a great inspiration to many. Hindus of Greater Houston

Vivek Sharda

presents the award to ‘unsung heroes’ who have carried out outstanding service to the Houston Hindu community without seeking recognition. This year, Hindus of Greater Houston will bestow this prestigious Akhil Chopra Award to the outstanding volunteer Vivek Sharda. His present role is as Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for Sewa organization, where he connects youth for Sewa activities. He is actively involved with Hindu Yuva Chapter at the University, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and Hindus of Greater Houston. His efforts were to remove obstacles for new Indian students coming to University of Houston and work with Graduate Indian Student Organization (GISO). He volunteered as yoga Instructor for kids at Sanskaar class and as coordinator for other Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA) activities. He also worked as disaster relief volunteer during Houston ﬂood for the Red Cross.

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24 September 09, 2016

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 September 13, 2016. 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).

Aaloo Gobi di Sabzi (Sauteed Potatoes & Cauliﬂower)

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ike a few other vegetables, phul gobi or cauliflower - or simply gobi – is favored for its versatility to create many dishes. Its tender texture, nutty taste and ease of cooking make it one favorite vegetables in the Punjabi kitchen. The florets can be grated into crumbs and cooked as stuffing for paranthas; sautéed alone or with potatoes, fried in batter as pakoras or pickled with other vegetables. Another completely Punjabi variation is to cook only the unpeeled central stalk of the gobi (you will need several heads of gobi) or dandal which, when cooked, are quite meaty and tasty. Many desi restaurants use frozen florets and cook them with chunks of frozen vegetables and serve it with a little sauce, but that is nowhere close to any Punjabi dish that I know. Cooked gobi must be soft but firm, and especially not watery to be delicious. Some people prefer to add potatoes, especially those little kids who enjoy the taste of potatoes. They only help to add mass to the sabzi, and some people appreciate the way they enhance the taste of the gobi. Still, cauliflower is good for the body as it is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus as well as vitamin C. And remember, when making aaloo gobi that is firm, not mushy, make sure to let it cook in its own steam and not to add any water. You do not need to add onions to the aaloo gobi as they only make the dish sweeter and don’t complement the dish.

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Ingredients: • 1 medium sized phul gobi (cauliflower) • 4 medium aaloo (potatoes) – white or red, but not Russet • 1 medium piece of adrak (ginger root) • ¼ cup tael (olive oil or vegetable oil) • ½ tsp haldi (turmeric powder) (too much will make the dish bitter) • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala, dhania patta (coriander leaves) Directions: 1. Remove the outer stalks of the gobi and then cut the florets into 1 to 1.5 inch thick pieces. You can even leave small florets whole. If the florets are too big, then some parts of the gobi will cook unevenly and be less done than others. You can even peel the rough central stalk to take out the soft core and put these in the dish. 2. You may peel the potatoes if you want, but if they white or red ones, you can also leave the skin on for extra taste. Wash the cut gobi and

aaloo let them drain in a sieve. In the meanwhile, peel the ginger root, cut into small pieces and set aside. 3. Heat the oil in a karai or wok and add the ginger and brown it a little. Add the turmeric and pepper and stir. 4. Now add the cut pieces of gobi and aaloo. Mix well and cover over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Do not open the cover as the gobi and aaloo will cook in their own steam. Stir gently to make sure it does not stick, keep the cover on and then reduce the heat to low. 5. Open the cover just a crack so that any remaining water evaporates and let the gobi and aaloo cook some more for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to break the ﬂorets. 6. When tender, turn the heat off and sprinkle with garam masala and coriander leaves and leave uncovered for ﬁve minutes. Serve with hot rotis or with warm rice and plain yogurt. 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 WE EK TO REDUCE SUGA R, STOP HAIR FA LLING, DRINK METHI DANA WATER

Only recently has the Western media been talking about vegetables and herb the beneﬁts of s that have been us ed in Indian cuisine Some of them have for centuries. even found their wa y into homeopathi like karela (bitter go c medicine, urd) oil and dal ch ini (cinnamon) pil In the same way, me ls. thi (fenugreek) has many beneﬁcial qu from being used in alities, apart a dish as a tasty co mplement to potat ing for paranthas oes or as stuff. The methi dana (seed) has been sh reducing blood su own to help in gar and in weight loss. Simply soak in water overnight the methi dana and then drain the water in the mornin Powdered methi da g and drink it. na drunk in water is even believed to falling and even he stop hair from lping regrowth and thicken hair.

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September 09, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS Sonakshi Sinha Can’t Save this Film Alone

Alittle girl learns early that submit-

ting to wrong-doing is not right, even if you have to suffer for it. Good tip, and Akira (the remake of a Tamil actioner) begins with promise, showing us how girls can choose karate over ‘kathak’ and ﬂower. Akira (Sonakshi Sinha), no relation to Kurosawa, makes the journey

from a colourful Rajasthan ‘chota shehar’ to ‘mahanagari’ Mumbai, and runs slam-bang into a convoluted plot involving a murder and missing cash and a bunch of corrupt cops, headed by the vicious ACP Rane (Anurag Kashyap, enjoying himself hugely and being extremely effective, even if very far from a Marathi-speaking native: I wouldn’t like to meet Rane in a dark alley). Rane’s khaki-clad cohorts who go about looting and pillaging and shooting innocents in cold blood get

a lot of play: is this ﬁlm the reason why the latest edict on not depicting the police ‘in bad light’ been announced? There is a sole ‘good’ cop in the movie, Konkona Sen Sharma’s very pregnant, very dedicated ofﬁcer ( clearly modeled on Francis McDormand’s character in ‘Fargo’), but she is only one against many.

Having a young woman kick serious butt should be a matter of joy: what’s not to like about strong female characters in male-dominated mainstream cinema? But what do you do if you are saddled with the most craven plot this side of the Vindhyas, which gives you wings, and then sets about clipping them? Sonakshi Sinha does a good job working the limitations of her role, but she alone cannot help this ﬁlm from falling into a sinkhole. Right from the beginning, director A R Murugadoss provides warning

Priyanka Chopra at Emmy Awards: Will it be a sari this time? A

fter walking the Oscars redcarpet back in February, actor Priyanka Chopra is under the style radar again, as she readies herself to present an award at the prestigious Emmys, scheduled to take place on September 18 in Los Angeles. While PeeCee tweeted on Friday: “This should be such a fun evening... And the search for the perfect dress begins. #Emmys,” her post has started style pundits wondering what the star would be wearing this time. “I would love for Priyanka to be dressed in khadi through which she can represent India’s textile heritage. She could do it with a modern twist, which will bring signals: a female using her fists cannot go scot-free. She has to be seen suffering, otherwise how will the mass audience flock to the film? So if Akira stands up to acid-throwing bullies, we are meant to rightfully applaud her, but that applause is quickly tempered by her having to be disciplined: first in a remand home and then in a ‘mental’ asylum. And for a female protagonist to be bloody but unbowed, and be the last woman standing? That will take some doing: this watered-down female version Ghajini is not that film. - indianexpress.com

together her roots, while she faces her future,” says designer Ritu Beri. On the other hand, designer Anju Modi believes Priyanka should not limit herself to ethnicwear. “She is representing India but need not stick to any diktat to wear a sari. Priyanka should not be forced to wear ethnic. At an international platform, you wouldn’t expect someone from Spain to turn up in their traditional garb, so why expect it from Priyanka?” Designer Nikhil Mehra says looking ‘exotic’ is not the way to go. “The event is going to be super glam and all ‘American’ so it makes sense for her to not wear something that will make her pop like a sore thumb,” - hindustantimes.com

Priyanka Chopra at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, back in February, where she went for a Zuhair Murad.

Akshay Kumar September 9, 1967

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Ayushman Khurana September 14, 1984

26 September 09, 2016

Season of Plenty: A Watershed for Indian Cricket SPORTS BY SHARDA UGRA

SPORTS

Sarfaraz 91 & Malik 77 Avert Pak Whitewash

UMBAI (ESPN Cricinfo): Maybe this is what hyperventilating commentators mean when they say, “It doesn’t get any bigger than this!” The BCCI has unveiled the opposition and venues for its 2016-17 home season more than three months in advance. And told us India are to play 13 home Tests over seven months, the most crowded season in 37 years. With it came the news that there is to be a five-Test series at home for the first time in two decades. These are landmark announcements by the BCCI: a calendar filled with so much Test-match love, it could be considered antiquarian, and the announcement made so far in advance of the season that the work of good-natured impostors could be suspected. Usually India’s fixtures are capsules of mystery and suspense, released not long before the visitors pass through immigration at an unspecified Indian airport. It is being said that the complete itineraries will be released within two weeks. In the face of such abundant pre-season information, let’s be charitable and give the BCCI four. It will still leave well over a month to spare before the first match against New Zealand. It may be too much to hope that the eternal shenanigans to do with ticketing will also be sorted out by then, but there is already much to look forward to. The country that gave cricket its ultimate T20 pyjama party in the IPL is going to stage the biggest home season in 37 years. The mind boggles. The 13 Tests against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia are also meant to be the first step in the entrenchment of a clear, regular Indian home season - with Test cricket at its core. Until now, India’s home Test calendar has been, at best, capricious. It has oscillated between a moderate diet and scarcity. Since September 2005, India have had 46 home Tests; the 2012-13 season had eight home Tests, the next one had two, and 2014-15 had none. The 13 scheduled for 2016-17 is only one fewer than the total of the previous four home seasons put together. This lopsidedness has led to colourful

India A pose with the series trophy after their win in the ﬁnal, Australia A v India A, Quadrangular A-team one-day series, ﬁnal, Mackay, September 4, 2016 © Cricket Australia/Getty Images.

diversionary stats: India have played only four Tests at home since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. The BCCI’s home season has, for the second time, been named ‘India Cricket’, a branding exercise ﬁrst undertaken in October 2015. “Every country has focused on its domestic season,” Anurag Thakur, then the BCCI secretary, said to Hindustan Times. “We all get to know when England and Australia play the Ashes or New Zealand travel to Australia. India is the powerhouse of world cricket, but our season does not have such status. The ‘India Cricket’ campaign is to promote the start of the season, both domestic and international, in India.” The ﬁrst sighting of this new brand was when the words ‘India Cricket’, all in capitals, and not the BCCI logo, were spotted on commentators’ shirts. It is reasonable to assume that this 13-Test season is not expected to be a rigid template for the future but a rough guide. It indicates that the BCCI is going to hunker down on a certain number of months for cricket at home. Maybe around the Diwali festival, much like South Africa’s and Australia’s home seasons are centred around Christmas and the New Year. Every summer, England unfailingly play seven home Tests and Australia around six. For India, eight home Tests a season seems a manageable number. This does not mean that India will

never play a Boxing Day Test in Melbourne or a New Year’s Test in Cape Town. They often return from their southern hemisphere tours in January and can host home series in February and March. The Season of Plenty could just ensure that India’s touring itineraries will be arranged around their home season in the future, and not the other way around. The 2016-17 season - with its emphasis on Tests (13) as opposed to limited-overs fixtures (eight ODIs and three T20Is) - was arrived at by the BCCI’s tour and fixtures committee after examining operational issues at three ends: first the curators, for a best assessment of ground conditions at the many international venues; then the broadcasters, for logistical convenience of moving equipment from one venue to the next; and finally the three rotation ladders for venue allocation for Tests, ODIs and T20Is. India’s climate allows for cricket in different parts of the country between September and March - the IPL occupies the previously unused summer months - and world-class grounds at various venues have empowered the BCCI to take advantage of such a large window. Two questions remain. What of the day-night Test? And when exactly will Bangladesh finally play a Test in India, more than 15 years after their debut in the format? The Hyderabad fixture against Bangladesh is expected to take place after England

leave and before Australia arrive; the BCCI’s hospitality somewhat limited despite Bangladesh’s long wait but fortunately no more delayed. The day-night Test is not a given as yet. It will depend on how the pink ball behaves during the remodelled Duleep Trophy in September, when India’s Test batsmen are expected to participate in six first-class matches under lights. They will provide feedback on the pink ball and the dew factor, and only then will a decision be taken on the possibility of a daynight Test. The coming season will be an adventure and an experiment for cricket in India. The crowd response at six new Test venues - against first-rate opposition - will tell us whether it is feasible to take the longest format of the game to new places, or whether it is best played at traditional centres. We will also know if the focus on Tests will translate into better financial remuneration for long-form players, as has been promised. This new season gives the Indian fan much to savour. And if the fans in the stands finally get their due, in terms of the ease of buying tickets and in-stadium comforts over long and warm days, the BCCI will have earned itself a mighty standing ovation. Sharda Ugra is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Sarfraz Ahmed steers one to third man, England v Pakistan, 5th ODI, Cardiff, September 4, 2016.

ARDIFF (ESPN Cricinfo): Pakistan 304 for 6 (Sarfraz 90, Malik 77) beat England 302 for 9 (Roy 87, Stokes 75, Hasan 4-60) by four wickets Pakistan achieved their sixthhighest successful ODI chase to avert a whitewash at the hands of England in Cardiff. Sarfraz Ahmed led the way with 90 from 73 balls during a record fourth-wicket stand for Pakistan against England as he and Shoaib Malik finally provided the fibre lacking through so much of the series for the tourists to help overhaul a target of 303 with four wickets and 10 balls to spare. No team had previously chased 300 to win in Cardiff but England, having rotated their bowling attack, suddenly found themselves stretched. The decision to leave out both frontline spinners, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, was a risk that Pakistan capitalised upon in particular, as the debutant Liam Dawson returned figures of 8-070-2, having been targeted from the outset as Sarfraz struck his first two balls to the boundary. Dawson did eventually remove both to wild slogs down the ground and at 256 for 5 England sensed an opportunity to put pressure on a nervous Pakistan side that had only won once, against Ireland, in their previous ten completed ODIs.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

September 09, 2016

Glenfiddich Eyes 30% Share of Indian Single Malt Whisky Market NEW DELHI: UK-based spirits of its leading brands from its global maker William Grant & Sons is eyeing over 30% of the single malt Scotch whisky market in India in the next six to seven years as it plans to offer more products and expand reach in the country. It is presently having around onefourth of the Indian single malt Scotch whiskey market through its brand Glenfiddich. The current size of the Indian single malt Scotch whisky is around 1.5 lakh cases. A case contains nine bottles of one litre whiskey. “Last year, Glenfiddich was about 40,000 cases out of that. We are grow-

portfolio. “Step by step we are doing it. In the last quarter of the previous year, we had introduced Monkey Shoulder and many more is going to come in,” Jain added. According to her, now Indians are travelling globally and are exploring the popular brands across the globe. “Faster adaption are happening to various pallets, so we are closely watching that as we want to participate in that opportunity. We want to bring the very best we have to offer globally into the country as well,” she said, adding that appetite for nicer

UK-based spirits maker William Grant & Sons presently has around one-fourth of the Indian single malt Scotch whiskey market through its brand Glenfiddich

ing our market share here. Earlier, we were around 25,000 cases and we are looking at double digit growth,” William Grant & Sons India Head of Marketing Shweta Jain told PTI. On being asked by when it would have one-third of the market share, she said: “probably in the next 6 to 7 years”. The whisky maker has several brands in its Indian portfolio including Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder, Hendrick’s Gin, Grant’s and other varietals from Glenﬁddich. The company is also introducing some

quality drink among Indians is going up. William Grant & Sons is having a triple digit growth in India as it is introducing new brands here. “We are introducing varietals also. Its not just one expression. Within Glenﬁddich, we introduced 26 years old and 21 years old recently. Within Grants more and more expression are coming in. We have small presence for many years but we are now wanting to expand,” she added. - livemint.com

ED Attaches Vijay Mallya’s Assets Worth Rs 6,630 Crore

MUMBAI: In a fresh round of

action against Vijay Mallya, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday attached properties worth Rs6,630 crore in connection with its money laundering probe. On its official Twitter handle the investigative agency said, “ED attaches further properties worth Rs6,630 Crores (Mkt Value) of Vijay Mallya in bank fraud case . Total attachment now is Rs8,044 Cr.” Mint had reported on 17 August that ED has identified properties over Rs6,000 crore for attachment. As per an ED official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the investigative agency attached Vijay Mallya’s property at Mandwa, Bangalore and shares of United Breweries Limited (UBHL) and United Spirits Ltd. “ED has attached properties of worth Rs4,234.84 crore today which includes Mandwa Farm House, Alibaugh (Rs25 crore), Flats in Kingfisher Tower, Banglore (Rs565 crore), fixed deposits of Dr. Vijay Mallya with HDFC ( Rs10 crore), shares of USL,UBL and Macdowell Holding Co. held by Vijay Mallya/ UBHL and his controlled entities( Rs3,635 crore),” said ED in a press statement. “The valuation of the said properties and shares is based on their value in 2010. The attachment is on the basis of the fresh case filed against Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines ltd (KFA),” said the ED official. The current valuation of the properties is Rs6,630 crore. Mint report on 17 August said that, ‘ED’s new case will enable the investigative agency to attach more personal properties of Mallya, who has been labelled as a so-called proclaimed offender by a special money

The attachment is on the basis of the fresh case filed against Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines, said an ED official

laundering court.’ Enforcement Directorate, Mumbai had registered a fresh case against Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (KAL), UBHL and others under Prevention of Money LaunderingAct PMLA 2002 based on the complaint filed by the consortium of 13 banks with CBI. The banks had approached CBI with a complaint against the three entities that they cheated the 13 banks which led to a wrongful loss of Rs6,027 crore. Earlier ED had registered a money laundering case against Mallya and KAL and its CFO in Januaru 2016 in matter of IDBI Loan of Rs750 Crore. In the press statement ED said that it has identified huge immovable and movable properties of Vijay Mallya and UBHL and other entities being controlled by Mallya.

“The funds so obtained by KAL (read KFA) are nothing but the proceeds generated out of criminal activity related to the scheduled offence under PMLA and utilized projecting as untainted money. Hence, these are Proceeds Of Crime (POC) and the same are involved in money laundering,” said ED in the press statement. “Huge no. of shares were also being held in the name of various other group companies controlled directly or indirectly by Dr. Vijay Mallya. Hence it appeared that even though sufﬁcient funds were available with the promoters of KAL viz. Dr. Vijay Mallya and UBHL, they had no intention to make payment towards the bank loans from the consortium banks,” the ED alleged. - livemint.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

28 September 09, 2016

COMMUNITY

Global Icon of Love and Compassion is Proclaimed Saint Teresa BY DR. RANDEEP SUNEJA

great spontaneity I think we will continue to call her Mother Teresa.” ATICAN CITY, ITALY: A tall tapestry I was fortunate to witness this historic event depicting Mother Teresa in her traditional blue at a ceremony held at St. Peter’s square in trimmed sari was displayed over the façade Vatican City on September 4, 2016, where of St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican. The Pope Francis bestowed the highest honor of the portrait was commissioned by the Knights Catholic Church to Mother Teresa, proclaiming of Columbus and painted by Chas Fagan, an her a Saint. Traditionally sainthood is conferred American artist. decades, if not centuries after a person’s death As the jubilant crowd of 120,000 people but Pope John Paul II granted a special exceperupted in sustained applause, Pope Francis tion in 1999 to speed up the process for Mother declared in Latin ”for the honor of the Blessed Teresa based on her incredible reputation and Trinity we declare and deﬁne The Blessed selﬂess work. Teresa of Calcutta to be a Saint and we enroll Enthusiastic pilgrims from all over the world her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to sat patiently under the broiling sun, with tembe visualized as such by the whole church.” peratures reaching 88 degrees Fahrenheit, for He added that as people all over the world may the 1hr 45min ceremony which ended at noon. struggle to refer to her as Saint Teresa, “with Prayers were conducted in various languages including Latin, Italian, English, Mandarin, Albanian and Bengali at the conclusion of the formal ceremony. Mother Teresa was born August 26, 1910 as Anjeze Gouxhe Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in Skopje in the current capital of Macedonia. In 1928, when she was just 18, she left Macedonia to join the Sisters of Loreto, a community of nuns in Ireland. After a few months training in Dublin, she arrived in Calcutta India on January 6, 1929 and took her vows to become a nun on May 24, 1931. She taught English at The Loreto Convent School for almost 20 years and ultimately Suneja at St. Peter’s Square prior to the Canonization became the head-mistress of the

ceremony with the Vatican in the background.

Randeep Suneja receiving his Medical Diploma at the age of 23 from Mother Teresa, on March 24, 1984 in New Delhi.

school. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity with 12 nuns, which has now expanded to 139 countries with 5,800 people Mother Teresa is one of the most admired figures of modern times and won many accolades during her lifetime. In December 1975, she was featured on the cover of Time Magazine as “The Living Saint”. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, earning global recognition for her services to the “poorest of the poor”. During her five decades of work until she passed away on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87, Mother Teresa cared for lepers, orphans, people with HIV, the poor and the handicapped. My 48 hour stay in Rome to attend the canonization ceremony was a memorable once-in-alifetime experience. My admiration for Mother Teresa dates back to March 24, 1984 when I and our entire graduation class of 180 doctors of Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi took the Hippocratic Oath and were blessed by her, witnessed by our family and friends. When I stepped up on the podium to receive my medical diploma and shook hands with Mother Teresa, I felt her divine presence and aura. Having planned to attend this event only two weeks earlier, I was fortunate to find a nice hotel just steps away from the Vatican with a beautiful view of St. Peters Basilica. I was even luckier to have an answer to my email in 18 hours from the Vatican stating that a ticket was available for me to attend this special ceremony. Immediately upon arrival at Leonardo Da Vinci International airport, after a 17 hour journey, I proceeded to the Office of Missionaries of Charities to pick up my ticket. Ecstatic with the entrance ticket to the ceremony in my hand. I checked into the hotel to and then paid an 8-hour visit to the Vatican Museum, to view the finest works of famous artists including Michael Angelo in the St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. With only 3 hours of sleep, I excitedly awoke at 3 am and went to the gates of the Vatican promptly at 4:40 am to line up among the first 200 people assembled in the predawn hours, eager to witness history in the making. By the time the gates opened at 7 am sharp, the crowd had swelled to hundreds of thousands of people behind me with not an inch of space to spare. Many in the sea of people from all walks of life were chanting “Madre Teresa, Madre Teresa”, each one of us held on to our most prized possession, the Entrance ticket to the event and stood patiently for 2 hour and 20 minutes. For fear of using a restroom, which would clearly have been a nightmare in these massive crowds, I had absolutely no food or drop of

Suneja in the predawn-hours on September 4 at the gates of Vatican, proudly displaying the entrance ticket to the event.

water since I awoke. The final moment arrived when the gates of the Vatican opened and the police carefully directed the crowd for fear of a stampede. We literally ran to the security checkpoint and were cleared promptly, as we were among the early group of people. By 7:20 am, I had already rushed to secure a great seat in the general ticket category (there were VVIP and VIP categories tickets also). It was amazing to see all 100,000 seats filled up quickly within half an hour or so. Another 20,000 people lined up outside the cordoned seated area. With the morning breeze quietly blowing with gorgeous clear blue skies, the long wait for the 10:15 am ceremony began. People were waving flags, quietly and patiently seated waiting anxiously for the Grand Ceremony to begin. This overflow of Love exhibited by the people, was evidence how Mother Teresa had won the hearts of millions of people and the whole world had come to celebrate her canonization ceremony as a Saint . I instinctively decided to record the ceremony as it began and transmitted the entire 105 minutes ceremony live on Facebook and my right arm was completely weakened by fatigue as it ended. But I feel truly blessed to have witnessed the historic Canonization of Mother Teresa, “The Saint of the Century”.

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September 09, 2016 Wrap-3

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September 09, 2016

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