Friday, November 11, 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 46
Indo American erican News
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COMMUNITY/OBITUARY
Reception for State Department’s Nisha Biswal BY PRAMOD KULKARNI
November 11, 2016
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In Loving Memory of Sanjay Gupta
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OUSTON: Nisha Desai Biswal is representative of the growing influence of the second-generation of Indo-Americans in American government circles. On October 21, 2013, Ms. Desai Biswal was appointed to the post of Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, by President Barack Obama. Biswal oversees U.S. foreign policy and relations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Prior to the State Department appointment, Biswal served from September 2010 as Assistant Administrator for Asia at USAID, where she oversaw $1.2 billion in assistance to 22 nations. Biswal’s in-laws hail from Houston. She combined a family visit with community receptions in Houston and Dallas. Consulate General of India, with active participation of the IndoAmerican Chamber of Greater Houston (IACCGH) seized the opportunity to hold a reception for Biswal at the residence of CG Anupam Ray. IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia served as the emcee for the reception. Ahluwalia was effusive in his praise of the Indian Consulate in Houston and the role of CG Ray in streamlining consular affairs and reaching out to the Indo-American community. In response, CG Ray showed his self deprecatory sense of humor by saying, “May God forgive Jagdip for lying so much, and may God forgive me for enjoying it so much.” Speaking about India and the U.S., Ray said, “Relations between the U.S. and India, between the world’s oldest and youngest democracies, will define this century. The fact that there’s no inherent competition between these two nations is credit to diplomats such as Nisha Biswal.” Several Indo-American leaders of Houston paid tribute to Biswal. These included Dr. Durga Agarwal of India House, Ramesh Shah of Ekal Vidyalaya, and Houston Metro boardmember Sanjay Ram, and Abeezar Tyebji, representing the Bohra community. Shah spoke movingly about Biswal as a family friend and her commitment to community service.”
10-29-1969 to 11-02-2016 BY VANSHIKA VIPIN Secretary Nisha Biswal lights a diya as celebration of Diwali with applause from Consul General Anupam Ray and Indo-American community and business leaders.
In her response, Biswal said she was honored and felt privileged to be in Houston. “My husband was born here and my in-laws spent many years in Houston. In our home, we cheer for Houston sports teams,” she explained. “I also wanted to come to Houston to reach out to the high achieving Houston community that is the bedrock on which U.S.-India relations is based,” Biswal said. Speaking of U.S.-India relations, Biswal said there were many recent decades when the relationship could not grow beyond an annual resolution of friendship in the Congress. With the election of President Barack Obama and his pivot to Asia, the relations have become broad and deep. The bonds began to grow under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expanded further with the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We now have leadership in both countries that is invested and committed to the relationship. It is now a relationship that could bring benefits to the entire world.” “The very first state dinner that President Obama hosted was for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the very first foreign trip that Obama took was to India,” Biswal exulted. Biswal said the Paris COP21 Global Climate Change agreement
could not have taken place without a strong U.S.-India relationship. Other areas of cooperation, according to Biswal include combating terrorism, disaster relief such as aid to Nepal after the earthquake, and cooperation between India’s ISRO and America’s NASA space agencies. Biswal also spoke of a broader relationship beyond U.S. and India as nations and governments, but transcends to a engages societal and local levels such as not just between “Washington and New Delhi, but also between Houston and Hyderabad and between Boston and Begaluru.” Biswal said Houston, as a diverse, international city, has excellent opportunities for university to university and business to business links. Subsequent to Biswal’s visit, Donnald Trump rode the antiestablishment wave to victory on Nov. 9 morning. A section of the BJP party in India and Indo-Americans in U.S. supported Trump so as to encourage the Presidentelect to say, “I love Hindus” and in broken Hindi, “Ab ki bar, Trump sarkar!” Prime Minister Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump. As such, a close Trump-Modi bond could take U.S.-India relations even closer as never before could be anticipated.
H
OUSTON: Sanjay Gupta, a loving, caring, always smiling individual, known for spreading laughter and happiness, passed away on Wednesday, November 2 in Houston, Texas, after a battle with Cancer. Hailing from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (India), Sanjay was a long time resident of Houston. He was a beloved husband, son, friend but most of all he was a wonderful and beautiful human being. Though he had a short life, every person whose life he touched will forever be blessed. He was a staunch devotee of Shri Sathya Sai Baba and followed His teachings in every aspect of his life. He was hard working, dedicated, positive and loved God.
He was very passionate about martial arts and had earned a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. He also represented India internationally. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him. His wife’s constant and unconditional loving support helped him through this short unforeseen period, before he passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. The last rites and funeral were held at Winford Funerals in Houston, on Saturday, November 5. He is survived by his wife, Seema Gupta. He also leaves behind numerous Houston community friends. He will be remembered for his loving heart and joyful nature. You will be truly MISSED Sanjay!
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COMMUNITY
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SSRF’s Ram Leela Returns with Exotic Splendor
STAFFORD: On the heels of the
very successful and spectacular celebration of Diwali-Dussehra Mela on October 15, the Ram Leela produced by the Shri Sita Ram Foundation was presented in its true and glorious form this past Sunday, November 6 to a packed auditorium at the Stafford Centre on Cash Road. This is the seventh year in a row that the SSRF has presented this play to enthrall and educate Houstonians about the true moral values and dharma, which are the foundations of our rich and ancient Vedic culture. Although an abbreviated version is shown at the Mela each year, the Foundation also presents it the entire play its true spiritual and artistic form, to inspire Houstonians. This year, the play was once again presented in a different light than last year which was a ballet; to engage the audience with a fresh narrative. This year the play presented true to form as the drama originated about 500 years ago as Sant Tulsidas wrote the now widely acclaimed Ram Charitmanas in Avadhi language; whereas the original epic Ramayana has been written in Sanskrit. The main entrance and lobby of the auditorium were decorated by Decor One, with golden arches and colored fabric to enhance the spiritual experience. A large Lord Ganesha and the huge Ram Darbar backdrop plus a Jai Shri Ram display lit with rows of LED along with large Diwali Diya cutouts added to the festive aura and a feeling of divinity. As in past years, the play was emceed by Nina Magon, daughter of Arun and Vinni Verma, the force behind the twin events. Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella congratulated the Hindu Community on keeping its traditions alive and showcasing the moral values exemplified by Ram and by Diwali the Victory of Good Over evil. Stafford Councilmember and Mayor Pro-tem Ken Mathew also echoed similar sentiments and sat through the entire drama. The opening dance was presented by senior students of Sreepadam School of Arts and was choreographed by Divya Unni, a dancer and former leading actress in over
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and new costumes brought from India. The bow of Lord Shiva looked massive with its ten foot length and Lord Vishnu’s bow carried by Parshuram was over 6 feet long. Venugopal, a veteran of the past five years played the role of Ram, and was assisted by the powerful acting of Divyansh Singh as Lachsman and the beautiful Isha Parupadi who played the role of Sita. Mantra and Kaikaei scenes were memorable to watch. Several actors CONTINUED ON PAGE
Photos: Bijay Dixit
60 films in South India. The scene depicted a distressed Mother Earth entreating Lord Vishnu to save her from demonic forces. Vishnu lay on a bed of Sheshnag, while his consort Laxmi sat near his feet, both promising Mother Earth to come as Ram and Sita. In the next scene, Vishwamitra comes to King Dashrath’s court to seek the help of Ram and his brother Lachsman to destroy the demons disturbing the peace of his ashram. In the twenty five scenes following, the eternal story of Ram is shown as a dutiful son, a loving brother, a loving husband, a person true to his word, and a steadfast friend. It was a portrayal of Ram in all his power, beauty, wisdom and humility. These are the virtues which endear him to all Hindus the world over and they worship him as Maryada Purushottam (a role model of a perfect human being) Ram. Each scene was colorful with specially built props
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November 11, 2016
Khator Inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA
DENTON: Dr. Renu Khator, the Chancel-
lor and President of the University of Houston System received another feather in her cap recently on Friday, October 21 when she was one of five Texans inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall Of Fame by Gov. Greg Abbott. The five women represented business, the arts, science, public service and aviation. The TWHF was established in 1984 by the Governor’s Commission on Women and the honorees of native Texans or Texas residents are selected biennially from submissions from the public. The museum is located inside Hubbard Hall at the Texas
At the ceremony inducting her into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in Denton on October 21, Dr. Renu Khator, the Chancellor and President of the University of Houston System, with her husband Suresh to her right and other well-wishers (from left) members of the University of Houston Board of Regents: Dr. Durga Das Agrawal and his wife Shushila; Welcome W. Wilson Jr, Vice Chair of the Board and his wife Anita and Welcome Wilson Sr., former Chair of the Board.
Women’s University at Denton and houses a permanent exhibit featuring the accomplishments of each honoree. Since it began, there have been over 1501 women inducted, including two other Indo-Americans: Nandita Berry, attorney and former Secretary of State in 2014 and Nina Godiwala, author and journalist, in 2012. The ceremony featured Abbott and his wife Cecilia who presented each woman with a gift. Abbott spoke about how important it as to recognize women as role models for young people. “We celebrate today’s
five honorees not only for their individual achievements but also for their unique contributions in making Texas a more superior state,” he told the crowd of guests at the Hubbard Hall ballroom. In addition to Khator, this year’s other inductees are Selena Quintanilla, the legendary Latina singer popularly known only as “Selena” who died in 1995; Emma Carter Browning, a female pilot and former president of Browning Aerial Services who died in 2010; Susie Hitchcock-Hall, founder of Susie’s South Forty Confections in Mid-
land and Ginger Kerrick, a division chief at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Selena drew the largest applause from the crowd as one of the most recognizable artists in Texas. There to see Khator receive her award were her husband Suresh and other members of the University of Houston Board of Regents: Dr. Durga Das Agrawal and his wife Shushila; Welcome W. Wilson Jr, Vice Chair of the Board and his wife Anita and Welcome Wilson Sr., former Chair of the Board.
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November 11, 2016
SSRF’s Ram Leela Returns with Exotic Splendor CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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did multiple roles and displayed the versatility of their acting abilities. The role of Surpanakha was superbly done as were the roles of Meghnath, Angad and Ravan. The golden deer stole everyone’s heart as did the 15 or so little vaanars (some as small as three years) helping Hanuman, Nul and Neel in building the bridge to Lanka. The entire production made extensive use of projected visual backdrops in addition to the stage props, adding to the virtual reality of the story. As in the past five years, the play was once again directed by the multi-talented Rathna Kumar, with Nik Nikam providing the technical direction in
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programming of the multiple sequencing of lights and backdrops. The final dances prior to the coronation of Ram as King of Ayodhya involved scores of dancers from the Anjali Centre of Performing Arts, creating a festive atmosphere. In true humility, a satisfied Dr. Verma attributed the success of the play to the blessings of Lord Ram, the efforts of directors, the choreographers, the cast members, the audience, the media, the volunteers and the people of Houston, who continue to encourage him to showcase our rich heritage and cultural values.
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10 November 11, 2016 BY S. NARAYANAN
PEARLAND:
Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) celebrated on Sunday November 6, the Bhoomi puja (Ground breaking ceremony) for the Corner Temples renovation Project (CTRP). The CTRP project includes expanding and connecting all the four Corner Temples, as well as connecting the Rajagopuram and the Main Temple. The project includes South and North connecting Mandapams that will house Hindu saints Alwargal and Nayanmargal. The CTRP Project is expected to be completed by August of 2017 and upon completion will have both Nayanmargal and Alwargal under one roof which will be a unique feature for our Temple in the World. The divine blessing was already felt with an unbelievably perfect weather through the ceremony prior to turning into a rainy day. On the previous day (Saturday November 5th) MTS saw the celebration of the final day of Skanda Shashti Utsavam. The Puja was done at Murugan Sannidhi with a beautiful alankaram. It was an awesome sight to watch the Murugan procession with the Mayil (Peacock) Vahanam. MTS board thanked the coordinators of the Skanda Shashti event T.A. Dorairajan and Murugan Selvan, The evening prior to the Bhoomi Puja day, November 5th also
COMMUNITY
Bhoomi Puja at Sri Meenakshi Temple
Photos: Lakshminarayanan Setty, Srini Sundarrajan and Milind Patil
marked the invocatory Anugnai puja which was conducted at the Ganesh temple. Early morning of Sunday November 6th the devotees gathered to participate in the Ganapathi Homam, invoking Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles. After the Homam and Abhishekam for Prasanna Ganapathi, Devotees took procession to the auspicious Northeast corner of the Main Temple complex to start the Bhoomi Puja. The Puja commenced with Sankalpam, Vigneswara Puja followed by Punyahavachanam (sprinkling of Holy water) followed by the Bhoomi Puja. MTS’s own Vedic Heritage School children provided a beauti-
ful addition with the rendition of songs and slokas. The families of Sri Meenakshi Temple priests initiated the start of the Bhoomi Puja. The distinguished visitors, Honorable Indian Consul General (CG) Sri Anupam Ray, Honorable Pearland Mayor Tom Reid were at the top of the queue of the gathered devotees. Upon participating in the Puja, the CG and the Mayor thanked the gathered devotees for inviting them to be part of the historical occasion, while congratulating the growth that MTS has seen over the years and its important role in Houston. The atmosphere was very festive with the hundreds of devotees gathered, all very Happy
to be part of this historic project with plenty of photo opportunities. After all the devotees took part in the ceremony, the Utsava Murthy Ganesha was carried by devotees on a procession to all four corner Mandapams and to the Main Temple. Aarati was done at Maha Ganapathi, Ayyappa, Murugan, Ramar Parivar, Anjaneya, Radha Krishna, Durga, Jothi, Kannika Parameswari, Nataraja, Bairavar, Navagraha, Siva, Meenakshi, Venkateswara and Padmavathi. Hon Consul General Anupam Ray and Mayor Tome Reid released the 2017 MTS calendar. The calendar came out very nicely thanks to the MTS team made up of Vice Chairman Padmini Na-
than, Secretary GN. Prasad with C. Vijayarajan coordinating the publication; the beautiful photos were by Srini Sundararajan. Treasurer Sasidharan Pillai announced the impressive fundraising total of eight hundred thousand dollars to date. All the devotees were happy to participate in the puja for all the twenty five deities in Meenakshi temple on a single day. The Chairman thanked all the priests, Staff, Board and Advisory Council Members and Fundraising Committee Members for their hard work and enthusiasm clearly felt already for the commencement of the project. After the Puja, delicious lunch was served to all the devotees at the youth center.
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November 11, 2016
141st Birthday Celebration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at India House
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HOUSTON:
“Today, India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is under one flag... all credit goes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel” – Prime Minister Modi. India House, Houston celebrated the 141st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Friday. The birthday is being celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Divas (National Unity Day) to honor the contribution of Sardar Patel in safeguarding and protecting the territorial integrity as well as the unity and diversity of the nation. Members of the Indian Diaspora were present in large number at India House to remember the leader, popularly known as the Iron man of India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was an Indian barrister, a statesman, and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. He played a leading role in the Indian freedom struggle and became the first deputy prime minister and home minister of Independent India. Dr. Virendra Mathur, trustee of India House welcomed everyone present to India House and provided excellent background of Vallabhbhai Patel. Dr. Mathur stated that Vallabbhai Patel was a social leader who played a leading role in achieving India’s freedom and guided its integration into a united, independent nation.
Photos: Bijay Dixit
This was followed by an address by the Consulate General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray. In his speech, Dr. Ray spoke of five major traits that set Vallabhbhai Patel apart from other politicians. The highest on the list was his commitment to the nation and his strong character. We owe to the sterling efforts by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in ensuring that a partitioned India remained a united and strong nation, said Dr. Ray. The land where an ordinary person can become first home minister, and where an ordinary poor worker can become India’s prime minister, exemplify the greatness of India, said Dr. Ray. Vallabhbhai had said “There is something unique in this soil (India), which despite many obstacles has always remained the abode of great souls”. Dr. Ray also mentioned that he owed his service to Sardar Patel. He was instrumental in introducing the civil services in the country. Though there was opposition to the civil services, Valabhbhai propounded and supported it. A documentary on Vallabhbhai Patel was played, which was very attentively viewed by all present at India House. Aku Patel presented the books on Sardar Patel written by Dr. Chittranjan Desai to the
Consulate General of India, and to the India House Library on this occasion. Kul Bhushan Uppal recalled Patel’s great role in India’s freedom struggle and his unique contribution in achieving the integration of different princely states in India. The program ended with people mingling and enjoying refreshments served by India House. Executive Director of India House thanked everyone for participating in the event. For updated information on program and services offered at India House please visit www. indiahouseinc. org
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HOUSTON:
Ever since she started in this direction, you have to wonder what new and exciting events and fashions Jasmeeta Singh is dreaming up next? The show she pulled together and choreographed the week before Halloween didn’t just showcase the fashionwear of nine designers but the models wore makeup that fit the Halloween theme and the music – featuring Michael Jackson’s hit song Thriller fit the mood. The packed house came for the 1st Annual Elite Halloween Fashion Show and Dance Marvel benefiting the Houston Broad Based Community Center and was held on October 23 at the Ayva Center on 9371 Richmond. HBBCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (www.punch123.org) whose mission is to offer and empower minority, disadvantaged, violent,
troubled or neglected at-risk youth ages 8 to 18 through the Punch123 program. which redirects focus, energy and synergies to turn lives around. Located in Central Houston, Punch123 program provides a much needed refuge for youth with programs that emphasize boxing as an alternative to negative aggression and education to include group reading, group learning, and group interaction in an effort to socialize troubled youth. Staff and mentors are committed to the success of the program. Jasmeeta is a Vice President of the HBBCC as well as a Director of the Interfaith Ministries. Jasmeeta’s main baby is JAZ Creationz, which she launched a couple of years ago and she organized this Halloween extravaganza. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life what we give,” she said. “Jaz Creationz’
mission is to building bridges within the communities through fashion and culture” she added. “I am honored to host this event to raise funds for the HBBCC and Punch123. You can be the healers of invisible injuries.” The show was produced by Jasmeeta Singh, who is also the Creative Director, CEO and Founder of Jaz Creationz and her of team committee of Anil Rana, Jasleen Kaur, Lisa Savage, Divya Singh, Scott Hebert and Haroon Mugal; and with special support from Jai Jallan, Kiran Khurana, Gurmeet Kindra, Jagtar Thetty and Sara Douglas. Jasmeeta trained the models and choreographed the lines. The designers whose fashions were showcased were Envy Couture by Anil, whose couture carries an elegant and sophisticated line of evening gowns from top designers in the fashion industry. He opened the show with the theme “Once Upon A Time” is a dramatic Fashion presentation inspired by fairy tales conceived, styled and choreographed by Anil Rana. Other designers were TrangTram with American Bridal Couture; Hamza Designs with African American designs; Designs by Sippy with Indo American Fusion designs; Fashion Kali & Amy Jewels with High Couture Jewelry; GuyZNStyle with ready to wear high couture men’s line and Sapna Boutique with Indian Formal Men’s clothes. The emcees for the show was
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Moksh Community Arts Inc Presents A Naach Houston Production
HOUSTON:
Moksh Community Arts Inc Presents A NAACH HOUSTON PRODUCTION - DIL TOH BACCHA HAI “Celebrating Children” Place: The Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress rd,Cypress, Texas 77433 Date : 13th Nov 2016, Sunday Time : 7pm to 8.30pm Moksh Community Arts Inc. brings you their first showcase performed by the Professional & Student Dance Team of NAACH HOUSTON, led by Artistic Director Mahesh Mahbubani and the Amazing Naach Faculty, Anita Vyas, Shah Ahmed, Zohair Alam, Nirju Tailor & Prita Kapoor. This year’s showcase is divided into 4 professional Dance Acts interspersed with 3 Student Acts Dil Toh Baccha Hai - Celebrating Children A thematic journey showcasing the Dance acts through a fusion of Bollywood, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary dance styles. The performance includes the Naach Houston Professional Dance Team performing four mesmerizing acts, interspersed by 3 student showcases by Kids, Juniors, pre-teens, teens & Adults . Moksh Outreach Program conducted by Mahesh Mahbubani is Showcasing a dance performance by the young Seniors from T E Harman Senior Centre , Sugar land. The Professional Team Acts 1. MAUSAM - a celebration of the four seasons of love. 2. NIGHT AT THE MOVIES - a tribute to the spirit of cinema showcasing a variety of song and dance. 3. DIL TOH BACCHA HAI - a contemporary rendition exploring the issue of emotional child abuse 4. SUPERSTAR - a fun segment capturing the essence of being a
superstar We are immensely grateful to all our supporters who invest in the growth and development of local
talent from the community. A big thank you to our Diamond Sponsor Amirali Dodhiya of New York Life Our Platinum sponsors- the Rungta Foundation , Vasu M Bommanna & Veena Vasudev of the Adult and Children Allergy Asthma Center. A big thank you to our Media Sponsor - Indo American News. For further details visit www. mokshcommunityarts.com. Board Of Directors President - Manish Rungta Treasurer - Mahesh Mahbubani Vice President - Malay Vyas Secretary - Nina Saha Gupta Board Member - Disha Thadani
Announcement
HOUSTON:
Consulate General of India, Houston will be open on Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 1100 hrs – 1600 hrs for a special session for issuance of life certificate. Address: 4300 Scotland st, Houston, TX-77007, Phone: 713-626-2148. Applicants who are residing outside the Greater Houston area and are under the jurisdiction of Consulate General of India, Houston may avail this opportunity to obtain life certificate. Consulate General of India, Houston in association with Sri Meenakshi Temple Society would be organizing a one day Consular Camp on Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 1000 hrs. to 1600 hrs. at Sri Meenakshi Temple Society, 17130 McLean Road, Pearland, TX-77584. US passport holders of Indian
origin, who are in the process of applying OCI card, Visa and Renunciation of Indian nationality, may bring in their applications with the supporting documents to the Consular Camp. Indian passport holders who are in the process of applying for renewal of their Indian passport, may also bring in their applications with the supporting documents to the Consular Camp. Officers of the Consulate General of India, Houston will verify the applications and supporting documents. Applicants may thereafter send the approved applications to CKGS, Houston. Since this a special drive, Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin may avail this opportunity and meet officers of the Consulate General of India, Houston.
Elite Halloween Fashion
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Channel 13 newsanchor Gina Gaston and HCCTV producer and host Dialogue Houston Larry Payne. Decorations were by Deco Art’s Aslam Jivani and Abdul. Food sponsors were Amar for Indo European Food; the Great Wakhana; Ashiana restaurant; and water by Air ‘N’ U Cool Platinum Sponsors were Danny Posey from Audi Central Houston, Amir Ali Dhodhiya from New York Life Insurance and Mala Makela from Infodat. Silver Sponsors were FS Group, Focus Merchant Services, The SDB Group, Jasleen Kaur Photography, HUMFM 106.1, American Consutants former A1 media. Patron Sponsors were Bombay Sweets, Arun and Sangeeta Pasrija, Universal Surgical Associates; India Culture Cen-
ter; Divya and Gautam; Dr. Ashima and Anand Chauhan; Health Life 360 Mature Associates; David Mincberg and his wife; Kenny and Ann Friedman; and Treasure Trunk by Simran Kapoor. The performers were Vincent Powel, an American Idol finalist; Leyla Cantu who was La Bruja (The Witch) in the Day of the Dead performance; Indo American Fusion Dance- directed by Jasmeeta Singh and Michael Jackson Thriller dance performances by Impersonator Danny Andrew Dash. Among those attending were Jared Lang from Fashion Houston, Miss Jamaica, Miss Houston Linda Fuentes, Miss, Mrs and Teen Bollywood and Jaz Model of the year Miss Shital Patil, as well as the Counsel Generals from several countries.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
ADVICE
November 11, 2016
BY KRISHAN GUPTA
“Miracles happen every day. Not just in remote country villages or at holy sites halfway across the globe, but here, in our own lives.” - Deepak Chopra “Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.”- Rabindranath Tagore A miracle is an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. It is also a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law .an extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency, the miracle of rising from Heaven. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. The only requirement is to open your heart and see the miracles God has placed all around you. Trust in God with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Stand firm in your faith, be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, and don’t be discouraged that Almighty God is not with you. He will bring you a newfound hope. When life seems impossible, your faith will guide you through the peace of God that passes all understanding and will guard your heart and mind. Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the one who is leading. The Supreme Lord delights in you and extends grace beyond measure with
Do You Believe in Miracles?
his love. The majority of religious people are convinced that miracles are possible and God will make targeted or often random choices because God will heal or bless one person over another. I believe that there is a real openness and a sort of sense of wonder at the possibility of miracles. People are looking for hope today because the world is so filled with fear and chaos.
We are either shutting down in fear as we have never before, or we are opening up to love as we have done before. Our only choice now really is between an age of barbarism and an age of miracles. Ask yourself if you believe in miracles, or are you skeptical about them? What kind of events do you consider to be real miracles? No matter what your current perspective is on miracles, learning what others have to say about miracles may inspire you to look at the world around you in fresh ways. Miraculous recoveries have been attributed to many techniques commonly classified as faith healing.
It involves courageous and persevering prayer, a visit to a religious shrine, or simply a strong belief in a supreme being. Faith healing may be classified as a spiritual, supernatural, or paranormal event, and in some cases magical thinking. Hand on, distant or remote healing works purely with the energetic level and is a very gentle way to heal using the universal life force energy that flows through every living thing in the universe. You can receive a Neuro Stress Release long distance healing from remote locations anywhere in the world either by phone, Skype or photos. The NSR system includes: Chakra Balancing, Yin and Yang Balancing, Changing Cellular Memory, Negative Energy Clearing, Working on Obstacles/Sabotages, Tapping in Positive Affirmations and more. The energy body is made up of energy fields known as the aura. It also consists of chakras (energy centers) which filter the energy of our surrounding environment. Our energy body is always drawing in and receiving energy from the universe. The miracles on earth are the laws of heaven. I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever you can do – if that’s to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do, and then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.
17
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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
18 November 11, 2016 Caution, Optimism for Trump Like other countries around the world, India is bracing for
a “bigly” world order – to use Donald Trump’s trademark adjective for huge. The US president-elect has generally spoken positively about India. On the other hand, the Indian system is concerned at the strong isolationist streak in Trump’s worldview. The overriding view of Trump is uncertainty: he has said little of substance on foreign policy and his advisors are unknown unknowns. Some Indian commentators noted that early in 2016, Trump declared India had become a “top place” for investment following Narendra Modi’s election, spoke of India “doing great” economically, and expressed surprise more people weren’t talking about its 7% growth rate. He called Pakistan “the most dangerous country in the world today” and said “the only country that can check Pakistan is India”. Trump also spoke aggressively about China – but only in the context of trade. Reflecting this view, Brahma Chellaney of the Centre for Policy Analysis argued, “Trump has repeatedly praised India and Indians. Moreover, his commitment to fight extremism and terrorism jibes well with Indian interests. All in all, India should be relieved that he, not Hillary Clinton, will be the next American president.” However, Trump also denounced job outsourcing to India, even making fun of the accents of Indian call center workers. Within the Indian system, there is a sense Trump has no coherent view of South Asia. His excitement about India seemed to arise from two buildings coming up in India bearing his franchise name and, later, conservative Hindu American groups becoming major contributors to his campaign. Ultimately, like much of the world, India is unclear about the policy directions of a Trump administration. There are two other areas where Trump’s policies will run counter to Indian interests. One is immigration. If there was one leitmotif of Trump’s campaign, it was his constant barrage against immigrants. It has been pointed out Trump wants a freeze on new green cards and a restructuring of the H-1B visa program to make it harder for US firms to hire skilled workers from abroad. Indians are the primary recipients of H-1B visas. The other is climate change, which Modi sees as an almost existential threat to India. Trump denies such a problem even exists. India developed a large number of collaborations with the US in climate change, especially in clean energy. “Trump might not vapourise all these initiatives overnight but it does not bode well for deepening and solidifying this partnership,” says ays Arunabha Ghosh, head of the Council for Environment, Energy and Water. -hindustantimes.com
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY India, U.S. —Polls Apart
BY S. Y. QURAISHI
India and the US are the two larg-
est democracies in the world but the electoral systems of the two countries are poles apart. While the Indian system is charmingly simple, the US system is extremely complex and confusing. The basic features of the US system are the following. There is no centralised election management body like the Election Commission in India. All 50 states, and within these, more than 3,000 counties have different management bodies. The date of the election is fixed — the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November — since 1845. It’s not just one election but a bunch of simultaneous elections in the US. In many states, a voter will be choosing not just the US president but 20 different contestants on a single ballot, including the member of the US Senate and the House of Representatives, state senate, governor, state attorney general, supreme court judge, among others. Furthermore, there are as many as 162 ballot initiatives (referenda) in 35 states. The onus to register as a voter lies on the voter and it is neither compulsory to register nor to vote. The last date for registration varies from one month prior to the poll to the same day (polling day). Online registration is allowed in 31 states plus DC. Any person turning 18 even on polling day is eligible to register. The registration of voters is very low. While in India over 95 per cent of all eligible persons are already registered, in the US it was just above 71 per cent in 2012. The voter identification system varies too — from different photo identity proofs to self-authentication without a photo. The polling station can be in a variety of buildings including private precincts, shopping malls, churches, community centres, court houses, fire stations besides schools. The polling staff is drawn from a variety of sources — private, elected and others. The voting systems are diverse — voting at polling stations on poll day, early voting in person, absentee voting by mail. The ballot design varies
from state to state. Voting technology varies from direct recording electronic voting machines (like Indian EVMs) to paper ballots (marked by pencil or pen). But scanning is invariably used to facilitate counting. Some states have the VVPAT — Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. The turnout in the last presidential election was 61.8 per cent (compared to India’s 66.8 per cent). With low registration, this effectively means that less than 45 per cent of eligible Americans voted. Voting demographics show that older people — 65 plus — tend to vote more than 18-24 year-olds by as much as 25 percentage points. People with more education and income vote more than the less endowed. Similarly, women vote in larger numbers. Blacks and Hispanics vote less because of lack of interest. The hours of voting are longer — 13 hours — as compared to minimum eight hours (usually nine) in India. The US has two federal bodies — the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) — but both of them together do not add up to anything as powerful or effective as the EC in India. In fact, they have no control over the election administration. The FEC consists of six members, three each appointed by the two political parties. A decision requires four votes to make it non-partisan. Its role is confined to federal campaign finance regulations. The EAC, also a bipartisan organisation, was created only in 2002 to provide funding to states for upgrading their registration and voting systems besides establishing minimum voter identification standards. Its decisions are, however, not binding. The complexity of the election process and the multiplicity of authorities is a perfect breeding ground for confusion. It’s no surprise that a situation like the infamous Florida fiasco of the year 2000 happened when the results were first challenged in the Supreme Court but not pursued to the hilt by the gentlemanly Al Gore who lost to Bush by just a few hundred votes. Many Americans called Bush the “unelected president”. Earlier, too, in 1960, Kennedy defeated Nixon by a
very narrow margin (49.7 to 49.5 per cent). Many questions were raised about the legality of Kennedy’s win but Nixon chose not to contest the results despite many Republicans, including President Eisenhower, urging him to. This, however, is perhaps the first time that a candidate — Donald Trump — has cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the election even before the first vote has been cast. Just cancel the election and name me the victor, he suggests. He has also indicated that he may not accept the results if he loses. His supporters have warned of a “revolution” in case Clinton wins. It’s noteworthy that the validity of results declared by the Election Commission of India has never been doubted — even candidates losing by just one vote have never questioned the results, though election petitions have been filed on grounds of corrupt practices of the opponent. We have at least three cases of onevote victory and one even of a tie, decided by the draw of lots. But the legitimacy of the election was never doubted. That’s the reason why the transition of power has always been seamless. What has worked well for India is a fully empowered but fiercely independent and neutral election commission. The biggest reason of the success of Indian system is extreme simplicity. All things considered, Indian elections are regarded as a model for a large part of the world. It is always good to be reminded of Hillary Clinton describing the Indian election system as the “gold standard”. In the midst of the EVM controversy, we were often asked why we use EVMs when even the US does not. Well, all the learnings do not have to come from the US all the time. While India gave equal voting rights to women on Day One in 1950, the US had taken 144 years. And then, while India elected a woman prime minister within 19 years, the US has not had a woman president in 240 years. Hope they finally catch up with India! IE The writer is former CEC and author of ‘An Undocumented Wonder — The Making of the Great Indian Election’
Indo American News FOUNDER: DR. K.L. SINDWANI PUBLISHER: JAWAHAR MALHOTRA EDITOR: PRAMOD KULKARNI BUSINESS & PRODUCTION MANAGER: VANSHIKA VIPIN GRAPHIC DESIGN: BHUMI PARMAR OFFICE ASSISTANT: MANSI THAKKAR CORRESPONDENTS
CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR INDIA: ASEEM KULKARNI ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-6397 email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: www.indoamerican-news.com
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY Diwali at Arya Samaj
November 11, 2016
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HOUSTON: Arya Samaj Houston
celebrated Diwali on Saturday, November 5 evening in a grand manner as a fitting tribute to its founder Maharshi Dayanand Sarasvati who breathed his last on the Diwali evening of 1883 - one light vanished to ignite millions of lights. The evening began with a Havan followed by a brief message from Acharya Surya Nanda. He reminded the audience to bring light in the homes of underprivileged and that sense of nobility is possible if we dispel inner darkness by the light of wisdom - Tamaso Ma JyotirGamaya. Appropriately, Arya Samaj began its Food Bank collection drive that evening - a noble project for the local community undertaken by the Arya Samaj for several years. The 2-hour cultural evening followed with the Indian Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray as the chief guest. The children of their DAV Montessori School and the Sunday School (DAV Sanskriti School) presented an array of songs and dance to highlight the festive occasion. Dr. Ray spoke about the contributions
“IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA”
Stay tuned every Sunday,
HIREN JOSHI
to from 2.30pm to 3.30pm of Maharshi Dayanand and Arya Samaj in India and abroad. He congratulated the team of Arya Samaj Houston to be bold enough to serve the community with the only Indian elementary school. He instilled a sense of legitimate pride in all of us by reeling out data to prove that India is a rising global power. His inspiring words ended with the universal prayer of Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah - may the entire humanity be happy! The grand finale of the cultural event was the orchestra played by a team of 11 teenagers playing different
instruments in perfect harmony, both Indian and western, in tribute to Maharshi - Suraj ban jisne door kiya papon ka ghor andhera. Vah dev guru hai mera, Vah dev Dayanand mera! All in the audience, particularly the children rushed outside of the main hall for another couple of hours of fun-filled Diwali Mela in open air with food stalls, play area, raffle, face painting and fireworks. All activities and food were prepared by the volunteers of Arya Samaj and its schools. The overall decoration was eye catching.
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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
20 November 11, 2016 COMMUNITY Pioneer Alumni of IIT Madras Fund Prof. S. Sampath “Institute Chair”
C
HENNAI: The Prof. S. Sampath Endowment Fund for an “Institute Chair” at IIT Madras, an alumnidriven initiative launched in 2011, was recently rejuvenated when Mallik Putcha, of the 1st graduating class of 1964, contributed $50,000 to the IIT Madras Foundation and $2,500 to the IIT Madras Alumni Association of North America in 2016. An event honoring Prof. Sampath is planned on his 92nd birthday, April 16, 2017. Currently, the Fund has over Rs.50 lakhs ($77,000), the required Endowment for an Institute Chair at IIT Madras. This Chair is funded by students of Prof. Sampath to honor the “Gem of a Man” who molded them to become excellent engineers and citizens of the World. The first occupant of the Chair will be Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Padma Shri Awardee and faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering. During his time at IITM from 196175, Sampath touched the lives of about 3,000 students first as a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and later in various leadership roles such as Warden of Narmada Hostel, Chairman, Council of Wardens where he was involved in many student and extra-curricular organizations to encourage and mold students to become productive professionals and citizens of the world, and the first Deputy Director of IIT Madras. He lived by the principles of “Nishkama Karma” (selfless actions with no expectations) by helping students, faculty and professionals in BEL, UPSC, DRDO, IIT Kanpur, Sai Institute and other organizations and proved that “the good that men do lives after them”. Sampath was an eloquent speaker who charmed his audiences by his command of English, the felicity of his delivery and his clarity of thought and presentation, as was evident from his popular lectures. He was a gifted speaker of exceptional calibre in the
Prof. S. Sampath
areas of education, technology, and spirituality. He will be remembered as a kind and gentle person, who gave his very best and contributed to the growth and development of the Institute in many ways. Professor Sampath held a special place among all students as someone who was especially accessible. Mallik Putcha, the prime mover behind the “Institute Chair” has already other plans in mind to honor the Founding Professors - German and Indian - who served IIT Madras when it started on June 22, 1959, and to institutionalize the establishment of Chairs to honor Professors. “With the establishment of Prof. Sampath’s Chair, we are indeed honoring a “Nishkama Yogi” for his distinguished services to technology and
education, as well as for molding and crafting his students as better human beings,” said Putcha. In 1961 Sampath, the first Deputy Director, and Professor of Electrical Engineering (Light Current, Electronics) for fourteen years, played a crucial role in the establishment, development, academic, faculty, and student growth of IIT Madras. Working with the leadership team of the first Director, Prof. B. Sengupto; the Founding Indian and German Outstanding Professors; Sri. R. Natarajan, IAS, first Registrar, and Sri. Y. S. Ramaswami, first Superintendent Engineer, he transformed IIT Madras into the academic and research power house of today. Born on April 16, 1925, at Mannargudi (Tamil Nadu), Prof. Sampath’s
academic brilliance started at St. Joseph’s School (Thirupadiripuliyur); Loyola College and Madras University; the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore); and culminated with an M.S. from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California in 1953. Sampath started his professional career in 1948 as an Assistant Engineer, All India Radio, New Delhi. On his return from Stanford in 1953, he joined IISc in the Department of Electrical & Communication Engineering, serving as an Assistant Professor till 1961 and built up the Electron Tube Design activity and the Analog Computing facility, India’s first Electronic Differential Analyzer. Sampath joined IIT Madras in December, 1961 and took a leading role in establishing curricula of studies and research laboratories of the Department where he taught B. Tech and M. Tech students. In February 1965, he was named Deputy Director to provide an impetus and thrust to the academic administration, faculty and student development. In 1973, he was made the Head of the Computer Centre and established the Institute’s IBM 370/155 System, the first third-generation multi-programmable, time-sharing system to be installed in the country. He planned and set up the Institute’s Color Television Laboratory; established the Electronic Instruments Service Centre and headed the Centre for Systems and Devices, a project sponsored by the Defence R & D Organization (DRDO) to promote radar technology. Sampath visited the United States in October 1963 to acquire two large Analog Computer Systems gifted to India by the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, through the American non– profit “Tools for Freedom”. Sampath also served at Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore as Head of R &D and Quality Assurance Divisions where he directed several hundred Engineers and staff in communica-
tions, radar, computer and microprocessor applications for the defence and civilian industries. Sampath was appointed as a Member of the Union Public Service Commission in 1977 and established a full-fledged Electronic Vatu Processing Facility. The Government of India appointed him as Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in February 1981, perhaps the first person to have served two IITs in a leading role. In September 1986, IIT Kanpur took the forefront in Computer Sciences with a Computer Centre based on DEC 1090 system; a Centre for Computer-Aided Design in Mechanical and Civil engineering; and industrial consultancy. Sampath served the DRDO as the first Chairman of the Recruitment and Assessment Centre (RAC) from 1986 to 1990 where he implemented basic rules and assessment policies and procedures. From 1991 to 1997, he was the Vice Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning of the Deemed University, Puttapurthi, Andhra Pradesh and also headed the Solar Energy Centre at Prasanthi Nilayam. Prof. Sampath demonstrated his pioneering role in ushering in modern technology in post-independent India, working across academia, research and development laboratories, industry, and Government. His accomplishments fulfilled the vision of the British Nobel Laureate and the Secretary of the Royal Society, Prof. A. V. Hill, who conceived the IITs on August 14, 1944. He transformed every field - Computers, Digital technology, Electronics, Higher Technical Education, Television, etc. - that he touched and inspired and mentored countless generations of students. Prof. Sampath, who passed away on December 2, 1998, was greatly supported by his devoted wife, Srimati Choodamani. They had two sons and three daughters.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
COMMUNITY Chinmaya Prabha Sparkles on Dipavali
November 11, 2016
MADRAS N PAVILIO T & DAAWA CATERING
Rao’s Satish CA FE UDIPI
CPA DEV PATHAK NCE BEMA INSURA
EL AJIT PAT COOL AIR AN U
BY PADMASHREE RAO
HOUSTON: The Hindu festival of lights,
Dipavali, is as much a time of joyful celebration, family gathering, and social cheer, as it is a time for reflection, prayers, and deep gratitude. And, such a happily auspicious blend marked Dipavali 2016 in Chinmaya Prabha Houston when almost 800 families congregated on October 30th to brighten the surroundings with loving wishes, heartfelt prayers, and deep gratitude. The festive spirit unfolded beautifully from weeks before, when hundreds of volunteers from each of the many teams united to usher in that cherished Dipavali glow in a land so far away from Mother India. With the transforming magic of their seva, Chinmaya Prabha wore a more glorious look – the decorative lamps and colorful rangolis lit up the premises with bright, happy hues; the flowers and exquisite decorations that adorned the beautiful deities in both Saumyakasi Sivalaya and the special altar in Chinmaya Smriti captured all eyes and hearts. The fragrance of an auspicious festival overpowered other feelings of drudgery. The crisp autumn air almost shone with the warm enthusiasm that enveloped all – the young and the old – unfolding the great excitement of the communal Dipavali celebration. Against such a backdrop of Dipavali 2016, it was a sight to behold when many rows of families sat together to perform the Laksmi Ashtottara-sata nama puja and Sri Visnu-sahasranama Puja to invoke the prosperity of good values and prostrate to the Omniscient Supreme One beyond all names and forms. Before Sri Ganeshji, the priest of Saumyakasi Sivalaya,
S
CONGRATULATION
JUGAL & NI RAJ MALA
No. 43
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DIA
AM IN began conducting the puja, Acarya SriTEGaurang Nanavaty shared his Dipavali message for this year. He asked all to reflect on ways to overcome 2011 the darkness of ignorance; if ignorance did not CUP vanish in the light of true Knowledge, Dipavali would remain just an external celebration every year. True happiness, as symbolized by Lord Rama, can only reign and rule in Ayodhya, where hearts were undivided by pettiness. Thus, Sri Acarya turned everyone’s attention to the true significance of lighting our lives with all goodness. He motivated every spiritual aspirant to be alert enough to diligently replace any dark negative feeling with a positive attitude of compassionate understanding that brightened not just individual lives, but the whole world. Conveying his Dipavali greetings and New Year wishes to everyone, Acarya Gaurangbhai also pointed out how the ever-shining Light of Knowledge is a priceless gift from the glorious Guru Parampara. He offered his prostrations to the Chinmaya Guru Parampara and said that the Guru Dakshina tradition at Chinmaya Prabha is an offering of gratitude to not just the Acaryas of Houston, but the entire Chinmaya tradition of learning. After his address, the huge Chinmaya family of Houston performed the Dipavali puja with ardent harmonious devotion. At the conclusion of the puja, when the rows of hundreds of families offered their aratis and walked to offer their pranams to both God and the Guru Parampara, the true spirit of Dipavali came to Light! Hari Om! For more information on Chinmaya Mission Houston and its activities visit www. chinmayahouston.org or Jay Deshmukh 832541-0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233 RAJENDER SINGH OTION INC.
| Vol. 30, r 28 2011 Octobe Friday,
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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Gajjar da Parantha (Carrot Stuffed Crispy Flatbread)
T
he favorite Punjab comfort food – the parantha (crispy flatbread) – is popping up everywhere as a convenience food too! Taking a tip from American marketing savvy, the plain parantha has come out wrapped around a meat filling like a kebab of shredded chicken as a “wrap”. It’s a variation of a taco, burrito or other wraps, but the wheat bread is certainly tastier than a tortilla. Some mom’s even pack it into lunch boxes as kids in the US much rather prefer munching on the parantha roll than to traditional dal-roti in the school cafeteria. The word parantha comes from parat (turn over) and atta (flour) and it is pronounced in various ways across India and other places where Indians have settled, like Mauritius, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Though the basic way to make paranthas is very similar, it’s the stuffing that differentiates them, the cooking method and of course the taste … and even the way you eat them. Paranthas are thicker than chappatis or rotis because of using more dough - which is rolled twice - and coating with ghee (clarified butter) or oil while cooking. The secret is to know how to stuff the atta and then cook it on the tava without the dough falling apart. Gajjaran or carrots are good for your vision as they have a lot of Vitamin A. They contain almost no starch but as they have 7 per cent free sugars, carrot juice is not a good option for diabetics as it gets converted to glucose very quickly and can cause a spike in the blood sugar. But grated carrots stuffed in paranthas is a safe way to eat them in moderation. A homemade Punjabi parantha is usually 8 to 10 inches round and nearly ¼ inch thick. It is made of twice-rolled dough, with a little dab of oil and then cooked on each side till there is a crispy, golden brown
top layer, which can only happen when you coax the dough to actually puff up and NOT press down hard on it while cooking. Then the crispy side is coated with some butter or oil and served piping hot. Ingredients: • 500gm kanak (gehon) ka atta (wheat flour) • 500gm gajjar (carrots) • 2 tbsp tael (olive oil or vegetable oil) • 1 1/2 cups pani (water) • 1 tsp dhaniya (coriander) • ½ tsp lal mirch (red pepper) • ½ tsp garam masala • To marinate: namak (salt) Directions: 1. Knead the atta into dough with water and set aside for 30 minutes. Make sure that the dough is soft but not thin so that it can be easily rolled out. 2. Peel the carrots, then grate them and place in a bowl. Add the salt, mix thoroughly and let it sit for 30 minutes. 3. Drain the water from the bowl and with your hands, squeeze out the excess from the carrots. The grated carrots will reduce in size and should
be quite dry in order to be used as a stuffing. Mix in the rest of the spices and keep aside. 4. Pinch off a piece of dough and make into 1½ inch round padde (balls). Roll each padda out into a 4 inch disc. 5. Spread the dough into the middle of the disc and place two tablespoons of the grated carrots into it. Gather off the ends off the dough with a pinch and then roll into a ball again. 6. Carefully roll out the ball into an 8 to 10 inch disc ¼ inches thick, trying not to spill the mixture in a tear of the dough. 7. Put a small dab of oil on a hot tava (hotplate or skillet) and place the flattened disc on. When it puffs a bit and turn color, turn the pancake over. Turn the heat to medium low. Put another dab of oil on the tava and then turn it over again till it is fully cooked. 8. These paranthas are best served hot with butter or some mango pickle. 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 T IP OF THE WEEK KNOW THE SUGAR CONT ENT OF THE VEGG IES YOU EAT
People are more he alth diabetes has become conscious now than they were years ago, especially as a major epidemic among Indians. Co Indians as a whole have nsequently, older their sweet intake tho become concerned about their sugar, and ugh the younger Ind ians show no caution are watching put on lots of weigh t. and continue to It’s important to know that excess carbohy drates – like atta (br peas), daals (lentils) ead), and contribute to high su other starches like aaloo (potatoes) – an chole (chickd fried foods also gar in the bloodstrea (carrots), shkarkand m. And many vege tables, like gajjar i (sweet potatoes), ch kundar (beets) also and should be eaten conta in favorite sweets serve moderation. This is often difficult to do in lots of sugar d at major function when one of the s is gajjar da halwa (carrot pudding)!
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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
November 11, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS
Big Surprise in Small Package
Set in sin city Mumbai, Fuddu is
a sweet, simple romantic comedy that gives you an insight into the brazen lifestyle of its middle-class immigrants who cram up in matchbox dwellings. Realistically portrayed, the film looks into the life of Mohan Mishra who comes to Mumbai from Benaras for greener pastures and soon realises that the shimmer of this glitzy city is all fake. Reality hits him when, in the city, he has to live with his two older brothers and their families, in a chawl and is advised, “adjust karna seekh le tu”, which means ‘learn to adjust’. Adjust to his new life, he does. But, the problem arises after he gets married. Being shy, conservative, considerate and dense on the uptake, with eight members of the family crammed in a ten-by-ten room, he is unable to consummate his marriage and is taunted about it. How he overcomes this difficult situation, forms the crux of this rom-com. Though there are not many twists and turns in the plot, what keeps you glued are the unfaltering performances by the fairly new cast and a well-contained script with well-etched characters.
The dialogues are colloquial, witty and laced with the right amount of humour that is relatable. The film is Shubham’s canvas and he is convincing as Manoj. He brings the right amount of energy and realism to his character, playing his role with convivial ease and flourish. He has a pleasant screen presence and has the audience one with him in empathy. Swati Kapoor as Mohan’s wife Shalini is equally convincing. She matches Shubham in histrionics, but unfortunately, she does not have much screen time. Vicky Ahuja as his older brother Shyam, and the others, in supporting roles perfectly complement Mohan on screen. The songs with the lyrics, “No she ain’t coming for you mere bhai” and “Pinjre se tota udaa” pepper the
narrative with the right amount of enthusiasm and cheerfulness. The beginning credits thank a list of stars that include; Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Sunny Leone, Sharman Joshi, Gauahar Khan and a few more. And, throughout the film, you wonder when they would pop onto the screen. You won’t be disappointed, if you patiently wait till the very end, when the end credits roll. Not all, but a few would definitely make their guest appearance. Mounted with decent production values, the film is a pleasant surprise and worth a watch for every Mumbaikar. -indianexpress.com
Juhi Chawla November 13, 1967
Aditya Roy Kapur November 16, 1985
23
I have Cleared Misconceptions About our Industry in Hollywood: Priyanka
She became a global star when
she made her debut in the American TV series, Quantico, last year. In an email interview, actor Priyanka Chopra, who is currently working on the second season of the show, says she is proud to represent Indian talent in the West. “I would like to believe that I have cleared many misconceptions when it comes to Indian films and its actors. I believe in our talent and I’ve just opened the world’s eyes to what we have to offer,” says the 34-year-old. “I’ve made a special effort to educate everyone I meet about our film industry and the amazing writers, directors, technicians and actors we have. It’s great to be able to take us out of the box, we’ve been in for a while now. We changed, evolved, grew and it’s time the world sees that,” she adds. Ever since Priyanka made her debut in the American television series, her career has been on an upward slope. She is now gearing up for her Hollywood debut with Baywatch, which will see her alongside Hollywood superstars Dwayne and Johnson and Zac Efron. Speaking about the journey in Hollywood, the former Miss World says she is thankful for being able to connect with a global audience
through her work. “For me this journey has been incredibly gratifying. I’m also excited about the connect I’ve been able to make with new audiences and the fact that they see me as an actor first before anything else. That, in my mind, is a true measure of success,” she says. A proud representative of the Indian film industry, PeeCee says that she’s happy that Indian talent is finally being appreciated.Ask her if she thinks she has set a benchmark, and she says, “I don’t see it as a benchmark. This is my chosen path. The one I was most comfortable with. There have been many challenges and today I can look back in pride with what has been achieved. It would be great to see more Indian talent in the west,” she says. -hindustantimes.com
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
24 November 11, 2016
1st Test: Root, Moeen Ali Give England a Strong Start BY SIDHARTH MONGA
R
AJKOT: (ESPN Cricinfo): AB de Villiers. Hashim Amla. Kane Williamson. Mighty fine batsmen who have been cut to size by a combination of India spinners and pitches since the start of the last season in India. In his first innings in India since this pitch revolution, the resurgence of R Ashwin and the emergence of Ravindra Jadeja, Joe Root scored the first century by a batsman visiting India since Michael Clarke in February 2013. Moeen Ali ended the day one short of another. The two added 179 - the longest and highest partnership by a visiting team since the start of the 2015-16 season - to restore England from a tricky 102 for 3 as they became the first visiting time to score 300 in the last 20 innings in India. England will hope Root has set the tone for yet another series. Since his recall in 2014, he has scored 200 not out, 154 not out, 83, 98, 134, 85, 24, 0, 48, 40, and now 124 in his first innings of the series. Moeen brought a touch of maturity to go with his usual grace. The duo hardly put a foot wrong after lunch, but the role of the toss cannot be overstated. This was the first time in Virat Kohli’s captaincy that India had lost a toss at home where the changing pitches have made the toss crucial. If watching at home, Williamson must be wondering why he didn’t have this luck. His England counterpart, Alastair Cook, went on to enjoy more luck before two overs were bowled than Williamson had in the whole series. Ajinkya Rahane and Kohli dropped Cook once each off the opening bowlers. Expecting low bounce the cordon had crept closer at the start of the match. The first one perhaps went too fast to Rahane at gully, the second reached Kohli on the full only because he was well in but it didn’t stick. To make it worse for India, M Vijay dropped a sitter at first slip, reprieving the 19-year-old debutant Haseeb Hameed, who otherwise looked like a solid old-fashioned opener who didn’t mind the new fashion of cutting in the air when the ball was short. Having missed three catches by the time England’s openers had reached 24, India had lost a chance to cancel
Moeen Ali congratulates Joe Root on his maiden century in Asia, India v England, 1st Test, Rajkot, 1st day, November 9, 2016.
out some of the toss disadvantage, but Cook and Hameed didn’t go on to hurt India too much. To the first ball after drinks, Cook fell to Jadeja. Hameed fell to Ashwin after a 29-run stand with Root. Both had used the ploy to get outside the line of off to face balls breaking back in. Cook fell to one that turned past the inside edge, and Hameed to a change of angle. From round the wicket, Ashwin trapped him with an offbreak that didn’t turn as much as expected. Ben Duckett chanced his arm, hit three boundaries and fell to what turned out to be the last ball before lunch. The non-striker’s role in both of the first two dismissals left a lot to be desired. Hameed discouraged Cook from reviewing when the ball was headed down leg, and Root made Hameed review a dead plumb lbw. That was perhaps the only absolute error Root made before he finally fell in dramatic circumstances in the final session. He was in silken touch, batting on a first-day pitch and without scoreboard pressure. In two balls, in the 23rd over, he displayed his mastery with two drives. Ashwin, who was not shy of asking the batsmen to drive, pitched the first ball up but not right up. At the last moment in that drive, Root used his wrists a little to open the face and beat cover slightly to his left. The next ball was a touch fuller, and he unfurled an orthodox cover drive to beat the same man to his right. That Root was even being asked to beat the man at cover was a sign of
the challenge India were facing. During the series against New Zealand, Ashwin hardly availed the services of a cover fielder. He often had just three men on the off side, sometimes even two. Now he needed a fourth man. The pitch was not turning as much as it had for him against New Zealand, and because there were no runs on the board he couldn’t afford to be driven too often. Ashwin bowled 18 overs on the trot either side of lunch, but couldn’t draw half a false stroke from Root after his two early wickets. Early after lunch the ball kept low twice, but he found Root watching it like a hawk. Moeen played one false stroke, on nought, jabbing at one after stepping out. This one fell short of short leg. At the other end India tried the pace of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, looking to break through with reverse swing available, which should encourage England. Root and Moeen were equal to it, not committing to shots early, and waiting for balls that were overpitched. Root drove Yadav beautifully to celebrate reaching his fifty. Amit Mishra, the extra bowler India played, kept offering the odd full toss without making an impression with his legbreaks. Against New Zealand and South Africa, India could afford to bowl with in-and-out fields because hitting the ball to even mid-on could be risky at times, but now with spreadout fields the two could pick the ones and twos easily. With Ashwin having to bowl so much, England
could now pick on three men in the field: Gautam Gambhir, Mishra and Ashwin. To make it worse for India, Shami struggled with what at first looked like a hamstring issue but may have been cramps because he kept coming back. Whenever India looked to plug the singles, Moeen would dance down and loft the spinners over the infield, even Ashwin and against the turn. Root did it once too, hitting Jadeja over long-off for a six. That was almost a celebration of his hundred, but just before that he had a close call. With Root on 92, Yadav reversed one into his pad, catching him in front of middle, but the reviews returned the slightest of umpire’s calls to keep it with the on-field call of not-out. When Root reached hundred, off the 154th ball he faced, England were 222 for 3. Moeen had himself reached 54 by then. England were now in the mod to dominate a tiring attack. Fifty-eight runs came in the next 12 overs. The new ball was available now, but India chose to continue with the old reversing ball. A contentious dismissal followed: a return catch in which Yadav seemed to have lost control while throwing the ball up in celebration. Real-time replays suggested he hadn’t controlled, but the slow-motion stayed with the soft signal of out. In the 12.1 overs that led into stumps, Moeen and Ben Stokes, who had scored three ducks in three innings against India before this, put their heads down and made sure they didn’t give India any opening. On a day that India lost the toss and conceded 311 for 4, there was little consolation for them at the end. Mohammed Shami, who had hobbled off during the middle session with what at the time looked like a hamstring issue, came back in the final session to continue bowling despite obvious discomfort. India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed at the end of the day that it was a cramp, and that Shami was expected to bowl on day two. For England, James Anderson only arrived on Tuesday night but he retains hopes of being fit to play in the second Test against India. Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
SPORTS
Pakistan Loses Third Test, Still Wins WI Series, 2-1
A
BU DHABI (ESPN Cricinfo): West Indies 337 (Brathwaite 142*, Chase 50, Wahab 5-88) and 154 for 5 (Brathwaite 60*, Dowrich 60*, Yasir 3-40) beat Pakistan 281 (Aslam 74, Misbah 53, Bishoo 4-77) and 208 (Azhar 91, Sarfraz 42, Holder 5-30) by 5 wickets Kraigg Brathwaite became the first opener to be unbeaten in both innings of a Test, as he led West Indies to an absorbing five-wicket win over Pakistan in Sharjah - their first Test win outside the West Indies and Bangladesh since 2007. It was also West Indies’ first win in 14 Tests and their first under the captaincy of Jason Holder. Yet, resuming on 114 for 5, with 39 runs to win, overnight batsmen Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich showed no sign of letting the occasion get to them. Brathwaite opened proceedings with a crisp drive to the cover boundary off Wahab Riaz on the first ball of the day. Dowrich smacked a half-tracker from Yasir Shah to the midwicket boundary in the next over. That set the tone as the pair took just 7.5 overs to knock down the target in clinical fashion on the fifth morning. While neither batsman looked to force the pace, they were not afraid to put away bad balls either. Late cuts and drives through the off side featured prominently as the pair glided past the finish line with minimum fuss. Dowrich sealed the win, slashing a short ball from Mohammad Amir towards the third-man boundary for the sixth four of the morning. Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to create any pressure on a pitch that was still rather placid. Neither Wahab nor Amir got much swing or movement off the surface, and Yasir was ineffective and inconsistent in the two overs he bowled. The batsmen seemed to have little trouble in keeping the straight ones out and punishing anything that was too short or too wide. It was all a far cry from West Indies’ wobble the previous evening, as they slid to 67 for 5 after a rather shaky 29-run opening partnership. But Brathwaite and Dowrich scored unbeaten half-centuries, combining for a 87-run stand to steer their side to a memorable victory and finish a tough tour of the UAE on a high.
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
November 11, 2016
25
Ban on Rs 500, Rs 1000 Notes is Surgical Strike PepsiCo to Launch Five on Terror Funding, Black Money Products by Early Next Year NEW DELHI: Beverages and
snacks firm PepsiCo India will launch up to five products by early 2017, intensifying its focus on nutrition and building a healthier portfolio of products. “We are moving as an organization towards creating a healthier portfolio... we have been working on developing products after understanding the local food palette and need for whole grains and nutrition in the Indian diet,” PepsiCo India
vice-president nutrition category Deepika Warrier told PTI. “We are looking at launching 4-5 new products by the end of this year or beginning of next year,” Warrier added. She further said, “We believe in offering a range of choices to our customers... Clearly there is a ready category momentum (for nutrition backed products)... We have seen that nutrition backed products are growing much faster.. We need to tap that momentum.” PepsiCo will launch new products to address whole grain needs in the Indian diet, fruits and vegetables gaps, and create familiar Indian breakfast recipes healthier with oats. Quaker Oats figures prominently in PepsiCo’s nutrition division plans. The company has appointed chef Vikas Khanna as its nutrition brand ambassador. The company has re-
cently launched two new flavours of oats viz Chaat style and Curry Magic, co-created with the chef. Elaborating on oats category, Warrier said: “Oats is the fastest growing cereal sub-segment and is really under-penetrated and there is a huge opportunity to grow. The oats category has now reached a certain scale in the country but penetration levels are still low.” “As the category leader, we are taking steps to grow the segment. We have taken initiatives such as making the product more appealing for Indian taste palette and launching smaller p a c k s priced at Rs10 to bring in new customers,” she added. According to industry sources, oats are currently a Rs270-crore market, which is less than onethird of the breakfast cereal market. Brands under PepsiCo’s nutrition division include Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade. -livemint.com
N
EW DELHI: The anticipation built up after PM Narendra Modi met service chiefs to review the IndiaPakistan security situation and news filtered out that he would address the nation. But it was a surgical strike of a different kind, with Modi delivering a stunning surprise by scrapping Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes and calling for a “decisive war” against corruption, black money and terrorism. “There is a need for a decisive war against the menace of corruption, black money and terrorism...festering wounds which make the country and society hollow from within,” the PM said in a televised address, his first, to the nation. The decision comes in the backdrop of a fierce political fight over black money with opposition parties claiming Modi has failed to deliver on his pledge to combat black money. “From the midnight of November 8, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 will not be legal tender... these will be just worthless pieces of paper,” Modi said in his 40-minute speech. He said this was being done to combat graft and terror funding. The two high-value notes account for nearly one-fourth of all the notes in circulation. In value terms, however, their share was over 86% as of the end of March. The PM also said new notes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 will be introduced but those being currently held will have to be exchanged at banks. But this is subject to limits and rules out
the possibility of large exchanges of illegal stash as these will need to be explained and accounted for. Pitching the decision as a much needed antidote to stamp out the menace of corruption and terror funding, the PM said “Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty...Have you ever thought how these terrorists get their money? Enemies from across the border have run their operations using fake currency notes.” Describing illegal financial activities as the “biggest blot”, Modi said that despite several steps taken by his government over the last two-and-ahalf years, India’s global ranking on corruption had moved only to 76th position from 100th earlier. According to the finance ministry, the total number of bank notes in circulation rose by 40% between 2011 and 2016, while the increase in number of notes
of Rs 500 denomination was 76% and for Rs 1,000 denomination was 109%. The World Bank in July, 2010 estimated the size of the shadow economy for India at 20.7% of the GDP in 1999 and rising to 23.2% in 2007. “A parallel shadow economy corrodes and eats into the vitals of the country’s economy. It generates inflation which adversely affects the poor and the middle classes more than others. It deprives government of its legitimate revenues which could have been otherwise used for welfare and development activities,” a finance ministry statement said. The move could have political ramifications in the forthcoming state elections as it impacts the capacity of parties to spend unaccounted cash for campaigning and various political payments. -timesofindia.com
Sensex, Nifty Cut Losses After Note Ban, Trump Turmoil Sensex closed lower by 338.61 points, or 1.23%, at 27,252.53; Nifty down 111.55 points, or 1.31%, at 8,432.00
M
UMBAI: Indian shares fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday, cutting losses of over 6 percent intraday, as investors saw a move
to withdraw from circulation higherdenomination banknotes as positive for the economy and leading to easing inflation. The recovery offset an initial bout of uncertainty about the banking measures and early trends indicating Republican candidate Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential race. The Nifty ended 1.31 percent lower
at 8,432.00, after earlier slumping as much as 6.34 percent to its lowest since June 24, the day after Britain unexpectedly voted to leave the European Union. The Sensex closed 1.23 percent lower at 27,252.53, after dropping as much as 6.12 percent earlier in the day. -livemint.com
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
26 November 11, 2016
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