Indo-American News: June 19, 2020

Friday, June 19, 2020 | Vol. 39, No. 25

Indo American News

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June19, 2020

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FATHER’S DAY

June 19, 2020

A Dad’s Role in Raising a Special Child

By Sachin Jakhotia

Recently a thought flashed in mind that how one should perceive a dad’s role in raising a child with special needs. I would think it is very much similar to any other father, but with some added nuances and subtlety, which makes it quite a kaleidoscope‌ Before my marriage, I was in Houston, and my boss was a mainstream American. He used to tease me about Indian arranged marriage system and I used to respond to him that still Indian marriage system has better results compared to Western marriages where divorce rates are worse than flipping a coinâ˜ş.

Albeit, he had suggested me to read a book – Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. From that early read, I got few pointers. But the most important one stuck to me was women are like waves.

Concerning raising a special child such as my son Shlok, there are quite few instances when a mother goes through emotional upheaval. Sometimes, they tend to sink into a depression when they feel it is time for emotional cleansing and resolution. Such situations prop up all of sudden without much notice.

At a Krishna Janmashtami celebration at the George Brown Convention center when he was hardly 2 years old, my wife, Sheetal tried doing every bit to dress him meticulously along with props butter-

pot, flute etc. Yet he did nothing on stage and in fact, he kept on crying on the stage.

Sheetal’s friend’s child won first prize who was actually a week younger to Shlok. As a father, I felt disappointed and I was still rationalize the result being logical and correct. But somehow, Sheetal was crying at least for an hour on our way back to home. I realized it was NOT about the prize, but a feeling of raising special child was slowly sinking in for the mother‌ At such times ,they may become utterly negative in their outlook, dwelling on not only the special child but every little problem which troubles them. They suspend their normal giving natures, demanding the right to express their feelings and not to be left on their own. At this point, a father has to put on listening hat for a short while (believe me it’s most difficult thing for men!). If supported and allowed enough time to express and release their negative feelings, they will begin to feel happier again and return to their usual loving selves. So in a nutshell, it is a father’s responsibility to handles such delicate

moments and maintain emotional balance within the family. Also, our decision to return back to India turned out well as we got excellent emotional anchoring from our joint and extended families in India. That is always a plus!

Other area which requires quite attention is if the mother is caring for special child, then the father should pay a little more attention to the normal kids in the family. Ideally, these roles needs to switched thoughout day and week so as to maintain decent focus on needs of normal kids as well. There needs to be special activities that both parents need to do for the normal kid as eventually that will help in creating good bonding within family over a long period of time.

Other influence I had early on was 7 Habits of Highly Successful People authored by Dr. Stephen Covey, an all-time best-seller well accepted in the Western world.

Dr. Covey has pointed out apt examples and different mindsets of a

manager vs. a leader. In larger context, we can see “special children� are like “products� to be launched in “markets� (society!) and mothers become manager of implementing day-to-day processes at least in the early phase of life.

In that sense, father’s role comes down to supporting the mother for maintaining daily routine and providing some structure for handling the situations efficiently. For examples, as an Engineer, whenever we are faced with Shlok’s stubborn and difficult behavior, I try to address it with making simple check-lists for monitoring his behavior and channelizing his energy towards a meaningful task or activity that he would enjoy.

More importantly, dads should take initiative in establishing long ranging goal, visions for the child in respective developmental phase of the child and follow through with providing necessary structure along the way to achieve these goals in the family. For instance, we have etched out a goal for Shlok few months ago that by 18-20 yrs, he should be working independently at least for 4-5 hours

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daily in any field of his choice or whatever opportunities the market offers for such individuals. Another long-tem goal is to create a Trust or similar mechanism for him over next 12-15 years. So all our thoughts, planning and actions in daily life need to be aligned to these mid- and long-term goals.

It is indeed heartening to see super dads like Mr. Aditya Tiwari creating huge difference in spreading awareness about special children in India. It really requires a big heart to adopt a special child while being single and even to go to the extent of leaving a job for caring for that child!

Yet traditionally, father’s role in Indian society has been very limited. With more nuclear families, it is very prudent that dads take larger role in kid’s development more so for special children. “One solution fits allâ€? could never be the situation. So every family has to customize role of each parent whether it is 60/40, 70/30; but it surely cannot be 90/10‌.

We as parents are custodians of our children’s future and we need to continue doing a tad better than yesterday‌ I would love to hear your comments and suggestions. Please contact on +91-8308879900 / shlok.ability@gmail.com The author had lived in Houston from 2004 through 2012 after completing an M.S. from Texas A&M University in College Station.

COMMUNITY

June19, 2020

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Vivekananda Yoga University Launches Online Master of Scicence Degree in Yoga

By Vidya Totalanpur Washington DC: Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU), the world’s first university, outside India, devoted to yoga education and research, today launched their Online Master of Science (Yoga) Program. Applications for the Fall 2020 semester are open with the first day of classes being August 24, 2020. Students can access more information at www. vayuusa.org .

Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Chairman, Board of Trustees of VaYU, said, “In following the pioneering tradition set by Swami Vivekananda who brought yoga to the West in 1893, we are bringing a vision of holistic approach to yoga with its applications supported by modern scientific research. I am pleased that the California Bureau of Private & Postsecondary Education has provisionally approved VaYU to operate as a university and offer the MS (Yoga) degree.” Dr. Nagendra is also the Chancellor of SVYASA University, the world’s first yoga research university in Bengaluru, India, which he founded in 2002.

The VaYU Online MS (Yoga) is a cohort-based four-semesters program with 30 credits. The program is designed for working professionals as well as those seeking an advanced knowledge of yoga.

The program requires the completion of 10 courses (24 credits) plus a research project (6-credits) to be completed in the last semester.

Each academic year, in the 15th week of the fall semester, students will attend a week-long Personal Training Program (PTP). Students will get personal, hands-on training in Asanas (postures), Kriya (purification techniques), Mudras (hand locks and gestures), Bandhas (knots), Pranayama (controlled breathing), and Dhyana (meditation). The PTP will be offered at the main campus in Los

Padma Shri Dr. Nagendra announcing the opening of Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU) at the “India for Humanity” day in celebration of 150th Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi at the Rayburn Congressional Office Building, on November 20, 2019 in Washington DC.

bined 250 years of teaching and research experience. They have directed 84 doctoral dissertations and over 400 master’s theses.”

Murali Venkatrao, VaYU Vice President of Curriculum & Infrastructure Development, Director of Yoga Teacher Training at the Ananda Institute of Living Yoga, and a professional at Microsoft for more than 25 years, said “VaYU curriculum focuses on three learning objectives: the science of how and why yoga works; art of practicing the yogic techniques deeply; and, treating common diseases using yoga as an evidence based approach. We will train you in conducting applied research on yogic techniques. We will also teach you about applying yogic methodology to interpersonal relationships and management in your personal and professional lives”.

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The minimum eligibility for this program is a four-year degree from any accredited college or university in the USA. Equivalent degrees from other countries are also acceptable. No prior exposure to yoga is required.

Provost Dr. Srinivasa Reddy, author, researcher and faculty at the Department of Cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Fellow of the American Heart Association, said “VaYU faculty is top-notch, highly-accomplished, and world renowned.

All of them have PhDs or MDs in yoga or related fields with a com-

unique online-based curriculum.

Whether you run your own yoga studio or work for one, whether you are a healthcare professional or work in the hospitality industry, whether you are looking for career enhancement or a seeker serious enough to satisfy your curiosity, then this graduate program in yoga is for you. If you are a Certified Yoga Teacher or Yoga Therapist from a credentialed institution, you will get waiver of certain courses – a reward for hard work you have already put in.

This saves you time and money.”

For further details contact: info@vayuusa.org or call +1 (747) 228-2987. See www.vayuusa.org for more information.

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June 19, 2020

Sri Meenaskhi Temple Food Donation Drive

COMMUNITY

By Sam Kannappan Pearland: Feeding the hungry is the highest form of service to God. Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) in Pearland, in collaboration with SEWA USA, organized a Community Food Drive on June 13th to help affected families in and around the Pearland area with much needed groceries. MTS set a target to donate 250 bags of food weighing approximately 50 pounds that will support a family of 4 for approximately 3 to 4 weeks. MTS devotees were extremely forthcoming and spontaneous in funding this drive. Many chose to donate money while a few donated food items. Wide publicity was given in the area by distributing flyers in the apartments, mobile homes, gas stations as well through social media. On Friday all the grocery items were properly bagged and tagged for distribution by young and enthusiastic children.

On Saturday 13 June @ 9:30AM a steady stream of more than 200 cars drove in and waited for the food distribution to commence. At 10:00 AM MTS and SEWA volunteers loaded the trunks of these cars while the recipients were seated in their cars, making it a completely contactless drive per CDC guidelines. Each family received 5 bags consisting of 1 gallon milk, a box with 18 pounds of produce consisting of apples, oranges, onions, potatoes and green vegetables, a bag with 4 loafs of bread, a bag of provisions including rice, 80 count tortilla, litre oil, flour, beans, sugar and salt, a bag of oatmeal cereal, 2 boxes of raisin bran breakfast cereal, a box of cookies, 4 bags of pasta and marinara sauce. SEWA USA donated 2 face masks per

Temple pujaris with MTS board members and State Rep. Ed Thompson.

Consul General Aseem Mahajan, MTS board member Muthuraman, MTS Hon President Sam Kannapan, MTS Chairman Dhani Kannan, MTS board member Murugan Selvan, Consulate staff.

Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.

Certified Public Accountant Sam Kannapan (left), Dhani Kannan, Texas State Representative Ed Thompson, Rashmi Singh SEWA USA.

family keeping the safety in mind.

Extremely sportive Consul General of India Hon. Aseem Mahajan and Texas State Representative Ed Thompson placed the food parcels in the cars in spite of the scorching Texas summer. SEWA USA President Mr. Gitesh Desai and MTS Hon. President Sam Kannappan and the current MTS Chairman Mr. Dhani Kannan also participated in the food drive.

It was touching and overwhelm-

ing to witness the expression of gratitude and appreciation of the recipients of this wonderful service

by MTS which is much needed at a time when the entire world and this country is reeling and finding it difficult to cope up with the Covid 19 pandemic. We are indeed one family “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”.

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COMMUNITY

June19, 2020

Mayor Turner Accepts 500K Face Masks from Focus USA, Ismaili Council

Houston: Mayor Sylvester Turner accepted 500,000 reusable face masks from Focus Humanitarian USA (FOCUS USA) and the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern United States.

Mayor Turner encourages all Houstonians to wear a mask to protect each other from COVID-19.

This donation of half a million masks will help get them into the hands of anyone who needs a mask.

“The City of Houston sincerely thanks Focus Humanitarian USA and the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern United States for making this generous donation.

Both organizations have always supported the community during a time of need. We are in a public health crisis now, and face masks can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Front row from left to right: Shenila Momin, Chairperson Focus Humanitarian Assistance USA; The Honorable Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston; Murad Ajani, President, Ismaili Council for Southwestern US. Back row from left to right: Dr. David Persse, Health Authority, Houston Health Department, City of Houston; Council Member Dave Martin, Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Houston; Christopher Olson, Director, Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs, City of Houston. Photo Credit: Quy Tran

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“Whether it is donating and distributing protective face masks, organizing food and supply drives, restoring historic homes and buildings, or supporting access to the arts, the Ismaili Muslim community actualizes our common values by serving others,” said Murad Ajani, President of the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern US. “This donation is one more manifestation of a collaboration between the Ismaili Imamat and the State of Texas that calls for collaboration to reduce risk and respond to threats to public health, safety and the welfare of vulnerable communities,” said Shenila Momin, Chairperson of FOCUS USA. The face masks will be distributed among residents and first responders as part of the City’s overall response efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

IMAGH Executive Committee Presents $20K Check to The Alliance for the Needy

By Jawahar Malhotra Houston: Even with COVID raging in the city and threatening a spike in cases, the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston has lived up to its traditions this year with an Iftaar meal for its members and the needy in May followed by a Zoom Gala for Eid and just this week, on Tuesday, June 16, a donation to help the refugee community in the city.

Even as they practice social distancing and wear masks, members of the IMAGH Executive Committee ventured out to The Alliance (a United Way Agency) building at 6440 Hillcroft in the heart of the Gulfton District which has the largest population of refugees in the city to hand over a generous donation of $20,000 to CEO Dan Stoecker and Chief Development Officer Manisha Gandhi.

IMAGH Executive Committee presenting a replica of the $20,000 donation check to The Alliance CEO Dan Stoecker and Chief Development Officer Manisha Gandhi.

IMAGH Joint Secretary Rahat Sultana Kalle presenting four $25 cash gifts to a representative for the kids who were selected.

“This is in keeping with our promise to serve the underserved community during these difficult times to meet the challenges facing these families during COVID,” explained IMAGH President Munir Ibrahim.

“We are very grateful for the IMAGH’s generous contribution,” said Alliance CEO Dan Stoecker.

“We will use it to provide technology such as laptops for the children of the refugees so that they continue with online learning and do not get left behind in school.”

In addition to the donation, IMAGH presented four students who participated in the Eid Art Contest with $25 checks in appreciation of their designs.

For additional information, visit the organization’s website: IMAGH.org.

Indo-American Businessman Charged with Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Fraud Chicago: An Indian-American owner of several information technology companies in the Chicago area has been charged with Covid19 relief fraud running into $400,000, federal prosecutors have said.

Rahul Shah (51) has been charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. An initial appearance in US District Court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

According to the complaint, Shah filed a bank loan application that fraudulently sought more than $400,000 in a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administratio under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In support of the loan application, Shah allegedly caused to be

submitted to the lender several false and fraudulent IRS documents, including IRS Forms 1099MISC representing that the company made payments to several individuals who later confirmed to federal investigators that they had not received such payments, it said.

In addition, Shah allegedly signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the IRS, the complaint states.

The bank fraud and false statement charges are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison.

“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed as a lifeline for

small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” said US Attorney John Lausch.

The CARES Act was enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorisation of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorised over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organisations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%.

PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the inter-

est and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within 24 weeks of

receipt and use at least 60 per cent of the forgiven amount for payroll.

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INDIA

June 19, 2020

India to Allow OCIs, Certain Foreign Nationals Covid 19: No Rath Yatra in Puri

Houston: In continuation of earlier advisories regarding requirements for visa and travel to India in response to COVID19, the Government of India has decided to permit the following categories of foreign nationals, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders, to enter India: Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders Minor children who hold OCI cards & whose parents are Indian nationals.

OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death.

Married couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national.

Students who are OCI cardholders where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.

Other foreign nationals Foreign nationals who are minor children where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder.

Foreign nationals married to Indian citizens.

Foreign nationals who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards.

Students who are foreign nationals where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI Cardholder.

Dependent family members of foreign diplomats and official/service passport holding service staff

accredited to foreign diplomatic Missions, consular offices or accredited International Organizations in India.

Foreign nationals covered in subpara B (i) to (v) above shall have to obtain a fresh visa of appropriate category from the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in USA. Foreign nationals holding a valid long-term multiple entry visa of appropriate category issued by the Indian Embassy /Consulate shall have to get the visa re-validated from the Indian Embassy/Consulate concerned.

Such foreign nationals will not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier. It is clarified that applicants with emergency visa issued since 13 March, 2020 by the Embassy of India, Washington DC or one of its Consulates in USA do not require re-validation of visa.

Procedure for applying for visas for foreign nationals covered under above advisory dated

June 14, 2020 Applicants residing in the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska covered by the Consulate General of India, Houston may please fill the attached application form for visa.

Completed application may be sent along with original passport, copy of passport, photograph, proof of address, self addressed prepaid envelope for returning passport, and a fee of US$163 by Cashier’s Cheque / Money Order favouring Consulate General of India, Houston. The application may be sent to:Visa Section, Consulate General of India, 4300 Scotland Street, Houston TX 77007.

Please note that only postal applications will be accepted. No walk-in applications will be accepted at the Consulate due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. For any related query, you can contact us by email: enquiriescgi@swbell.net.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday refused to allow the Rath Yatra or related activities to be conducted in Odisha’s Puri. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde said it would not permit such a large gathering of people in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The yatra, which was to begin on June 23, is usually 10-12 days long and sees participation of lakhs of devotees.

The bench, also comprising Justices Dineesh Maheshwari and A S Bopanna, said its decision was in the interest of public health and safety, reported news agency PTI. It was responding to a PIL filed by an Odisha-based NGO tha sought

cancellation or postponement of the pilgrimage.

CJI Bobde reportedly said Lord Jagannath wouldn’t forgive us if we permitted the pilgrimage to go on as scheduled.

With India reporting 12,881 coronavirus cases and 334 casualties in last 24 hours, the total number of infections reached 3,66,946 and the death toll rose to 12,237 on Thursday. Of the total count, active cases stand at 1,60,384, while 1,94,324 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry data. Of the 334 new deaths, 114 are in Maharashtra, 67 in Delhi, and 48 in Tamil Nadu.

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COMMUNITY

June19, 2020

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West Point Graduates includes Observant Sikh Cadet: Anmol Narang

By Annie Karnie

Washington DC: When President Trump took the stage on Saturday to deliver the commencement speech at West Point, one of the new Army officers he addressed was an Indian-American woman breaking a barrier as old as the 218-year-old military academy.

The woman, Anmol Narang, 23, a newly minted second lieutenant, is an observant Sikh to graduate from the United States Military Academy, a milestone that comes as racism appears to be on the rise within the military’s ranks and as Sikhs still face discrimination in some of its branches.

[A Facebook post identifies Navneet Kaur Bajwa, the daughter of Sanjeet and Kinu Bajwa. According to the post, Bajwa graduated from West Point in 2014 is currently serving as captain in the US Army.]

With the exception of the Army and the Air Force, the military largely prohibits its members from serving with turbans, unshorn hair or unshorn beards — all of which are articles of faith for Sikhs.

Lieutenant Narang, who grew up in Roswell, Ga., said military service was always in her blood.

“My grandfather was in the Indian Army,” she said in an interview.

“It was always a big part of my life and something I was always interested in.” She recalled mailing her

application to West Point from a hotel in Hawaii during her junior year in high school. She had just visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and felt inspired to serve.

While Lieutenant Narang is the first observant Sikh to graduate from the academy, she is not the first Sikh cadet to do so.

During his time as a West Point cadet, Simratpal Singh cut his hair short and kept his beard shorn.

Having to do so caused him “significant shame,” according to a lawsuit he filed against the Defense Department in 2016, after he had become an Army captain. He was seeking an accommodation so he could practice his religion and serve in the military.

Captain Singh was ultimately granted permission to serve while wearing a turban and a beard, a victory that paved the way for future Sikh service members to be granted religious exemptions.

West Point has worked to enroll more minority recruits — last year’s graduating class was its most diverse ever and included the highest number of black women in the academy’s history — but remains predominantly white and male.

“Diversity must never be an afterthought,” Katie Felder, a West Point spokeswoman, said in a statement. “It must be a thought-

ful and purposeful approach to ensure that we get the right talent and the right mix of talent that will represent the nation we are sworn to defend.”

On Saturday, about 1,100 cadets are expected to receive their diplomas. Lieutenant Narang is one of nearly 230 women in the 2020 graduating class, which is 12 percent African-American, 9 percent Asian, 9 percent Hispanic and less than 1 percent Native American.

Despite being a minority within a minority on campus, Lieutenant Narang said she did not feel isolated as a student there. In some ways, she said, it was easier to fit in as a female Sikh cadet than if she had been a man.

Two male practicing Sikh cadets are behind Lieutenant Narang, and they received religious accommodations from the academy to grow facial hair and wear turbans. The Army standard for women’s hair says that a bun must be no larger than 3.5 inches in diameter. For Lieutenant Narang, whose hair hangs to her knees, it took some practice to pin a bun tight enough

to meet the requirement, but she did not need a religious accommodation.

“On the second day of basic training, the chaplain approached me as he was going around looking at religious preferences and said, ‘You have “unidentified” for a religious preference,’” Lieutenant Narang said. “He asked me, ‘Do you not have a religious affiliation?’ I said, ‘That’s because Sikhism wasn’t on the list for me to include it.’”

Like the rest of her graduating class, Lieutenant Narang was required to return to campus two weeks ahead of the ceremony to quarantine before Mr. Trump’s speech. When asked about her thoughts on the commencement speaker, she said that she would “prefer to not talk about that.”

After West Point, Lieutenant Narang plans to attend a basic officer leadership course. In early January, she is expected to assume her first post at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

-- Nwe York Times

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ENTERTAINMENT

June 19, 2020

“Gulabo Sitabo”: A Well-crafted Satire that Evokes a Riot of Emotions

By Pallabi Dey Purkayastha

STORY: Fatima Mahal is at the centre of a long feud between its owner’s husband Mirza (Amitabh Bachchan) and their stubborn tenant Baankey Rastogi (Ayushmann Khurrana). But there are other players involved in this rat race and everyone’s in it for their own vested interest.

REVIEW: Located in Lucknow, the 100-year-old mansion Fatima Mahal is in shambles and close to ruination, and home to multiple families who pay a measly rent ranging from 30-70 rupees. But there is just one ‘pest’ who neither leaves nor pays the rent on time—Baankey. Of all the people who are tired of his go-to excuse, “Main gareeb hoon,” Mirza is the angriest of all.

This 78-year-old abuse-hurling, prank-pulling man harbours only one dream his whole life, that of becoming the legal owner of the mansion he dearly loves and lives in. And, from time to time, he devices scheming ways of achieving his unfulfilled desire. When all else fails to get the chakki-selling Baankey to leave after he breaks the brick wall of the common toilet, a huffing-puffing Mirza rushes off to the police station to settle the raging dispute.

In comes the officer of Archaeological Survey of India (Lucknow Circle), Mr. Gyanesh Mishra (Vijay Raaz). This conniving bully of a public servant senses that the dilapidated haveli has the potential to become a national heritage property (or maybe not) and convinces Baankey how this plan will work best for him and the other tenants. But Mirza is no fool and is quick to launch his own secret weapon, Christopher Clark (Bri-

jendra Kala). Clark only “speaks English at home” and boasts of a repertoire dedicated to resolving property woes. The mansion is now mayhem personified and everyone’s hankering after one thing or the other. Why is this sprawling, ageing piece of property more important than those who inhabit it?

Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ is a social commentary, a satire on the psyche of mankind and how when greed serves as a guiding force in your life — it can take you to strange places.

Juhi Chaturvedi (also credited for the dialogues and screenplay) has penned a story that is intelligent, witty, with characters that are whimsical and funnily dark, too. For one, Mirza is driven by insurmountable greed and has absolutely no qualms about it. In fact, Mirza’s stinginess is known across the length and breadth of Lucknow. Baankey is a poor, young lad bogged down by family responsibilities (with a mother and three sisters to fend for, who are a handful) and he, too, does everything he can to put up a fight with Mirza’s annoying ways. Another curveball is the odd pairing of Mirza and Fatima Begum (Farrukh Jaffar), who are 15 years apart: a marriage that has its own quirky backstory.

Director Shoojit Sircar described his latest offering as a satire, the inspiration for the title comes from the two puppets that appear at periodic intervals – Gulabo and Sitabo – who seem to be constantly at loggerheads.

The movie uses metaphors for a transparent depiction of the class distinction between haves and have-nots in our society, among other subtexts. Sample this: when Baankey’s former girlfriend Fauzia pays a visit to his shop to buy ‘organic wheat’ and assumes that he must have never even heard the term organic ‘kyunki dekh ke nahin lagta’. Or that one time when Baankey’s sisters – Guddo (Shristi Shrivastava), Neetu and Payal – take a jibe at him for being uneducated and playfully demand he reappears for 10th and 12th board exams. Greed and hunger for material possessions are invariably followed by defeat and loneliness.

And Shoojit Sircar sure knows how to weave in these elements with subtlety, while still driving home the point, through his films.

Amitabh Bachchan owns the role of the grouchy, shrewd yet hilarious Mirza with absolute comfort. Gibberish tone? Unflattering nose prosthetic? No problem, the actor’s ‘Mirzaness’ is all over the movie – with his thick beard, even

thicker glasses, crouched shoulders and a limp in his walk. He sinks into the character and every facet of it. And staring him in the eyeball is his very-abled nemesis Ayushmann Khurrana as Baankey.

It is no secret that Ayushmann has now become the poster child of heartland India, and once again he brings something new to the table.

His body language tellingly portrays sadness and bitterness borne out of poverty. Interestingly, it is not what he is saying that evokes pity, but the characters around him who bring him down and make us feel sorry for his circumstances.

Srishti Shrivastava’s Guddo, one of Baankey’s three sisters, is a man-eater (not in the literal sense), who has the instincts of a hard-core survivor and is a stark contrast to her brother’s timid personality. Srishti, who has stood out in her previous outings on web shows, impresses here too. Vijay Raaz and Brijendra Kala are comical, quick-witted and complement the leading characters’ with ease.

Three-time National Award winner Abhik Mukhopadhyay takes charge behind the camera, with almost every other frame reeking of Lucknow’s old-world charm –its decaying but beautiful mansions, tuk-tuks and cycle rickshaws running across the narrow

lanes of the city. His camera says to you as it takes you through the city, ‘Muskuraiye ki aap Lucknow mein hain’.

Shantanu Moitra’s original score earns some brownie points for its quirky tunes that come with deep, meaningful and honest lyrics by Dinesh Pant, Puneet Sharma and Vinod Dubey. Our pick: Kya Leke Aayo Jagme and Budhau.

While the movie does well on many fronts and one of the highlights being the premise itself, the build-up consumes a fair share of the film, making it a tad draggy at the start. Fatima Begum, who we later learn also goes by the moniker Fatto, is hilarious as a standalone, but her character is not well chalked out. She is no less whacky than the rest of them, and even while she seems to be in her zone and oblivious to what’s happening around her, this 95-year-old knows more than you would assume.

But, the narrative spends little time on scenes between Mirza and Fatima, and it would have been interesting to see more conversations and banter play out between the two of them. In Bollywood, we don’t see too many intelligently made satires but this one navigates that genre with tact and skill, with a climax that’s surprising, dark and humourous.

Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ cherry-picks one of the seven deadly sins, greed, as its central theme and tells an appealing tale through two quarrelsome but headstrong characters. The message is short and simple: that it’s okay to desire a lot in life but extreme greed often doesn’t land you in the right place — whether it’s a person’s heart, house or mahal.

-- Times News Network

“Kadakh”: Ranvir Shorey Starrer Engaging Enough to See in One Go

By Sampada Sharma Kadakh is streaming on SonyLIV. Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Chandrachoor Rai, Mansi Multani, Rajat Kapoor, Cyrus Sahukar and Kalki Koechlin Director: Rajat Kapoor Rating: 2.5 stars Kadakh is set during the day of Diwali when an unexpected incident derails the course of a marriage and many friendships.

Streaming on SonyLIV, Kadakh opens in Malti (Mansi Multani) and Sunil’s (Ranvir Shorey) house.

As soon as we see the nameplate that says ‘Ghar Malti-Sunil Ka’, we know this marriage is on the rocks as Kapoor pays homage to Basu Bhattacharya’s 1974 film Avishkaar. And by the time this film ends, it’s obvious that this marriage is over.

What happens during the course of the day forms the plot of this film, which in places pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock. The film, though, isn’t very Hitchcock-ian

in nature. Here, a man (Chandrachoor Rai) confronts his wife’s lover (Shorey) and after a heated conversation, kills himself. The murder happens at Sunil’s house and like a guilty man, Sunil’s first instinct is to cover it up. His halftruth to his wife further complicates matters, and then the Diwali party starts, with a dead body in the bedroom.

As more and more people enter this party, the stakes are raised.

What if someone discovers the

body? As much as you would want to be on edge with a dead body in the house, the film doesn’t give it an urgent thought. Sunil is haunted by the ghost of the dead man, but every character here comes in with their own issues, which doesn’t really contribute to the central plot.

Since most of the film is set inside a house, the writing needed to be exemplary, which isn’t the case here. The film seems to be looking for its identity. While it starts off like a thriller, it turns into a drama

with major detours towards dark comedy and magic realism but none of these stick.

A big flaw for Kadakh is that it is too noisy – in terms of loud background music and also the amount of talking that goes on at the party.

The sudden silence in pivotal moments comes as a breath of fresh air but only because everything until that point has been way too loud.

By the end of the film, you know that many friendships have been

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ruined and the central relationship is soiled forever, but you can’t help but think of the consequences that aren’t addressed here. The film is set in the real-world, so your mind wanders towards the obvious questions about the police investigation, the dead guy and his family.

As far as the performances are concerned, Kapoor’s job is half done by bringing together a good ensemble, and each of them delivers their part well. Ranvir Shorey, Chandrachoor Rai, Mansi Multani, Shruti Seth, Nupur Asthana, Sagar Deshmukh, Tara Sharma Saluja, Cyrus Sahukar, Kalki Koechlin, Palomi Ghosh and Kapoor himself suit their parts perfectly.

Kadakh is engaging enough to be watched in one go. The opening is enough bait to stick through the entire thing, even though it meanders for long patches in the middle.

We’ll always expect more from the man who made Ankhon Dekhi, and while Kadakh doesn’t surpass that, it surpasses a lot of desi content that we have been watching online.

-- Indian Express

June19, 2020

हमारी कम्युनिटी के लिए 2020 की जिगणिा पूरी करें। जनगणना 2020 के तहत अमेरिका में िहने वाले हि व्यक्ति की गगनती की जाएगी। आज ही जनगणना पूिी किें औि सिकाि को अगले दस वर्षों तक यह सुगनश्चित किने में मदद किें, गक अिबो डॉलि की सिकािी फ़ंडडंग सवास्य केंद्र, आपातकालीन सेवाओं औि क्िक्ा जैसे क्ेत्रों में गवतरित की जाए। जिगणिा का फ़ॉम्म ऑि​िाइि अथवा डाक द्ारा पूरा करें। फ़ॉम्म पूरा करिे की जािकारी इस वेबसाइट पर प्ाप्त करें: 2020CENSUS.GOV/hi

2020CENSUS.GOV/hi इस सेवा का भुगतान यू.एस. जनगणना बयूिो (U.S. Census Bureau) द्ािा गकया गया है।

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9

10

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

June 19, 2020

Moth and the Flame

Ending Casteism Doesn’t Require Eradicating Hinduism. To suggest Otherwise is Itself Bigotry.

By Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria

The siren call of showbiz is strong and it draws an endless stream of young hopefuls to it, like moth to flame, even when so few emerge on the other side. It becomes doubly difficult when you are a rank outsider. Sushant Singh Rajput, whose untimely death is being widely mourned, managed not only to break big into the movies, but to achieve what all aspirants hanker after: Fame, popularity, stardom.

Like any other industry, Bollywood has its rules. Star-kids get an easy pass into exciting offers from established studios, with nothing other than lineage to recommend them. For outsiders like Sushant, those gatekeepers could have been a formidable barrier, but he came riding on a massive wave of popularity: In the glut of a hundred serials which looked and sounded the same, Sushant stood out. He already had a huge fan club before Bollywood took him in, and they stayed fiercely loyal. In his debut 2013 feature, Kai Po Che, Sushant was one of three leading men (the other two were Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh).

Within a couple of years, he was the solo lead in two Yashraj films: Contemporary rom com Shuddh Desi Romance, and period saga Byomkesh Bakshy!. His authentic playing of M S Dhoni in Neeraj Pandey’s bio-pic Dhoni, won him plaudits.

A couple of below par performances in less than average films did not dim his light.

Sushant wasn’t the first to traverse this path of Delhi professional college-TV serials-movies. A quarter century back, another “outsider”, Shah Rukh Khan, had pioneered the track.

Would Sushant have reached the same dizzying heights as SRK? We will never know. What we do know is that fame is a tricky mistress. One moment you are up, the next, out. And that some outsiders never become insiders. They are shown around inside, but never offered a seat. Amongst his last films was Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore, about a young man who is shown that dying is not the only option. Living is, too. In the kind of irony only the movies are capable of, Sushant chose not to.

- Indian Express

Part 1. My name is Kavita. I come from a very traditional Marwari Hindu family and I married a nice Marwari Hindu boy who also comes from a traditional family, like several generations before us.

Marwaris are part of a small ethno-linguistic community which traces its roots to the Marwar region of the state of Rajasthan.

I never know what I’m supposed to say at the temple if a priest asks for my gotra (lineage), but I feel comfortable all the same.

I’m a brown person of color but “fair” skinned in South Asian terms, and have been given access to many opportunities that have let me continue to live a comfortable life.

I feel safe and respected when I visit family in India, and if I choose to, it would be easy to put on blinders to dismiss and ignore the inequality around me. That’s the hallmark of privilege.

I don’t deny it. It’s painful and uncomfortable to recognize.

It makes me think with sadness of my beloved grandmother’s actions towards servants and I feel wracked with guilt and shame on reflecting upon my own mimicking of her actions and general ignorance earlier in my life. And at the same time, I recognize the pull to be defensive because for all the historic privilege I may have had within Indian or South Asian spaces, I’ve still been bullied here in America for being Brown and Hindu.

I resist the complacency of defensiveness though, and work to embrace the discomfort.

I do have privilege on certain levels.

I also have, nonetheless, the right and the responsibility to say that the increasing number of calls insisting that caste is fundamental to my religion, and the solution to caste discrimination is to dismantle my religion are wrong, bigoted, and Hinduphobic.

Most recently, a friend who was raised Hindu in a so-called uppercaste family and self-identifies as a

community organizer for anti-Hindutva and anti-fascism in South Asia and the South Asian diaspora, called upon Hindus to meditate on the ways that their Hindu identity is grounded in a tradition that is “inherently exclusionary and traumatizing.”

The call was not to reflect on privilege, not to reflect on the actions or attitudes of Hindu generations before us, or those of today’s Hindus, not to try to understand what might be social practices rather than religious.

For caste justice, she insisted, Hinduism — the tradition as a whole — has to be eradicated.

That was her assertion, it seemed, all but stated overtly.

And then just minutes later, this message appeared: “In my honest opinion, the way for upper caste folks like myself to take part in dismantling caste in its entirety would be to dismantle Hinduism as an organized religion.”

And there it was, a call for selfhatred rooted in ignorance of the Hindu tradition’s fundamental teachings and it’s history of inspiring social reform and upliftment — a most unimaginative view in which there is nothing redemptive in yoga or meditation, the Bhagavad Gita, or the Vedas (which never speak of birth-based hierarchies, barely mention varna and certainly don’t mention jati).

But these were just the latest frontal assaults on Hinduism.

The activist group Equality Labs recently began a campaign of mocking of Hinduism and Hindus, first in blatant taunting of Hindu

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children during textbook hearings in California when they called Hinduism an “an oppressive social construct” and later in ridiculing campus celebrations of Holi.

Why insist on rooting caste in Hinduism? Once caste is intrinsic to Hindu practice, the only solution to end discrimination, obvioulsy, is to dismantle Hinduism.

Take it from a co-founder of Equality Labs:

It’s clear that while their activism may have started in the necessary work of Ambedkar on the annihilation of the systems that enable caste-based discrimination, they have moved into something far more destructive, that Ambedkar himself did not ascribe to: that we must all accept that a discriminatory caste system is rooted in Hinduism.

If the argument is that castebased discrimination is alive and widespread throughout South Asia and must be destroyed, myself and so many devout Hindus like me would be ready allies to join with folks at Equality Labs and others in that fight.

Let’s dismantle oppression.

Let’s dismantle casteism.

Let’s dismantle caste supremacy, as we dismantle white supremacy in the United States.

I cannot, however, join in the willful misinterpretation of my religion’s essential teachings, as if they perpetuate social evils.

To be Continued.

SUDOKU/RECIPE 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 June 24, 2020.

Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

Solution Next Week

Last Week’s SUDOKU Solution

Last Week’s SUDOKU Winners Sharmila Moharir Farokh Billimoria

June19, 2020

11

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Sabat Moong te Palak di Daal

(SPINACH & WHOLE MOONG LENTILS) Daals are the mainstay of the Indian diet, whether you are in the north or south, east or west - providing much needed protein, especially for the multitude of vegetarians in the country - and each region has its own way of making them. So central are they to Indian life, there is even a phrase to express daily life: “daalroti toh khani hai” (we have to eat our daily bread). But nowhere will you find the heartiness and flavorful taste of daals as you would in the Punjab.

Punjabi daals are known for their smooth, thick texture and the perfect blend of spices. They are not supposed to be runny or thin and the hot tardka or blending in of spices, onions, garlic and sometimes hing (asafoetida) is a sizzling experience that fills the air with the aroma of the dish.

To this day, in the majority of rural communities and in many traditional recipes, daal is cooked in a large patila (pot) simmered over a slow to medium flame. Daal should be cooked so that you can spot the grain and have a little turri (curry). Too thick or too thin a daal and you can’t scoop it with roti (flat bread).

The dish is made with leafy, dark green spinach, which is rich in vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, K, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium and potassium. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper as well as selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. Spinach and methi (fenugreek) are sometimes added selectively to some daals to enhance their flavor and appeal.

Sabat (whole) moong daal is leaf green in color and the dark spinach and soya leaves give the dish a nice dual look and added flavor. This dish cooks fairly fast and goes especially well with hot rotis.

Ingredients: • 1 cup sabat moong daal (whole moong lentils) • 500 gm palak (spinach) • 2 cups pani (water) • 2 tbsp olive oil • 4 cloves of lasan (garlic) – peeled and chopped • 1 medium adrak (ginger) – peeled and chopped • 2 hari mirch (green chillies) – medium and chopped • 1/2 cup soya patta (soya leaves) (optional)

• 5 stalktops fresh dhania (coriander) – pinch off the leaves and cut into pieces • 1 tsp garam masala • Spices (to taste): lal mirch (red pepper); namak (salt); haldi (turmeric) Directions:

1. Carefully wash the spinach leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt, drip to dry then cut the leaves into half inch pieces.

2. Place the moong daal in a bowl and wash it thoroughly in cold water, then rinse it out.

3. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Pour in the moong daal into the pot, cover, and add the cut spinach, soya patta, haldi, ginger, green chilies and salt and let it come to a second boil then reduce the heat to medium.

4. If the water boils off before the daal becomes tender, then add some more and let it continue to boil for about 30 minutes till the daal is tender but not soft. Keep a frequent eye on the daal to make sure it does not become soupy.

5. Heat the oil in a small karai or wok and add the garlic and brown it a little. When roasted and the smell of the pieces starts to come through, take off the heat and drop the masala into the pot of cooked daal and stir to mix well.

6. Sprinkle the top of the daal with garam masala and the cut coriander leaves above.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India (since renamed Faisalabad) before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947.

People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her early-nineties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share her delectable Punjabi recipes for future generations.

MAMA’S TIP O F THE

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12

June 19, 2020

PAPA TUMHE PRANAM HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Celebrating 175 years of caring for our communities

Jesal Patel ARPC, CLTC®, LUTCF®

Financial Adviser* Eagle Strategies LLC Agent, New York Life Insurance Company 3200 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Tx 77027 Ph:281-221-5061/713-499-7670 Website: www.jesalzpatel.com

Your Life Insurance Agent and Financial Adviser

*Financial Adviser offering investment advisory services though Eagle Strategies LLC, A Registered Investment Adviser. Registered Representative offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC-Member FINRA/SIPC, a licensed insurance agency. Eagle Strategies and NYLIFE Securities are New York Life companies.

Smru#1860249

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