JLF Houston 2025: A Mighty Lineup of Thinkers, Writers & Ideas
Houston: The 8th edition of JLF Houston, produced by Teamwork Arts, unfolded from September 5–7, 2025, across four of the city’s most iconic venues—in association with the Consulate General of India, Houston, Asia Society Texas, Inprint, Rothko Chapel, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and, Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston. As always, this edition celebrated literary thought and the indomitable spirit of dialogue.
This year’s edition featured an eclectic line-up of writers, thinkers, and changemakers, including Rob Franklin, Martin Puchner, Amish, Pria Anand, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Guru Madhavan, Andrew Quintman, and Shekhar Kapur. Their sessions spanned conversations on mythology, neurology, cinema, race, culture, and the future of storytelling, offering audiences an expansive window into global narratives.
The festival opened on September 5 with inaugural addresses at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, by Gary Tinterow (Director, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), Sanjoy K. Roy (Managing Director, Teamwork Arts), Suraj Dhingra (Producer, JLF USA), and D.C. Manjunath (Consul General of India in Houston). They welcomed audiences and set the stage for three days of dialogue, creativity, and cultural exchange. The inaugural session was followed by Mr. India: A Shekhar Kapur Medley, where Shekhar
Kapur, in conversation with Sunanda Vashisht, reflected on his cinematic journey and the power of visual storytelling.
On September 6, the festival opened at Asia Society Texas -
highlights included Reimagining Legacy: The Epics and The Contemporary, in which celebrated writer Amish, along with Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan, discussed his work in historical and mythologi-
cal fiction; The Storyteller Code that featured Shekhar Kapur and Martin Puchner in conversation with Chi Rainer Bornfree, exploring the evolution of narratives in an age of algorithms and artificial
intelligence; and Between Worlds: Race, Power, Culture, Selfhood which saw Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Rob Franklin, in dialogue with Tayyba Kanwal, unpack issues of identity, privilege, and belonging.
The final day, September 7, began with a meditative session at the Rothko Chapel. Morning Music and Poetry Reading featured Poet Laureate Reyes Ramirez and young voices from The Fay School, alongside performances by Aditya Prakash, Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy, and Sruti Sarathy, blending verse and classical music in a moving experience. The festival concluded that evening at the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston with Unfolding Dharma, where Amish, in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, reflected on the philosophical underpinnings of dharma and its relevance in contemporary society, offering audiences a finale resonating with finding harmony in discordant times.
From powerful conversations to immersive performances, JLF Houston 2025 reaffirmed its ethos of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and celebrating the transformative power of ideas. With its eighth edition, the festival continued to strengthen JLF USA’s legacy as a dynamic space where literature and thought transcend borders, inspiring communities and forging meaningful connections.
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by dr. MoHan KuMar
There is a widespread but fallacious perception that India’s tariffs are inordinately high. There are subjective factors when it comes to a country like livability, public courtesy, or even how foreigners are welcomed. But tariffs are quantifiable and there should really be no place for subjectivity. So, let us consider the facts in the case.
Before we do that, however, it might be useful for the average reader to know as to what function tariffs perform in a low-income developing country like India, as opposed to say, a high-income developed country like the United States of America. Traditionally, low-income developing countries use tariffs for two reasons: one, to protect their domestic industry and two, to gain revenue from it. Protection of domestic industry is an accepted argument by economists all over the world, especially if the industry is an infant one and the country needs to develop an industrial base. Then, there is the revenue gaining function, which is illustrative of a country’s duties on alcohol or luxury motorcycles, for instance.
India’s tariffs, which were high in the 1980s, were brought down significantly since the 1991 reforms were initiated and during the negotiations related to the Uruguay Round, which led to the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Since then, the secular trend in India has been one of gradual reduction of the applicable tariffs year after year.
Is India a ‘Tariff King’? Not Really
From a technical point of view, there are two kinds of tariffs that countries have. One is applied tariffs, which as the name indicates is the actual tariff (normally ad valorem) imposed at the border when a foreign good enters a country.
The other one is bound tariffs, which is the maximum tariff that a country can impose on a foreign good from a legal obligation arising from its most-favored-nation (MFN) commitments to the WTO.
It goes without saying that the tariff war initiated by the U.S. is in violation of its commitments under the WTO agreements. But then, the WTO itself has been moribund for a while. It is also worth noting that tariffs cannot be the same for all countries. It is a truism that low-income developing countries will have higher tariffs (for reasons mentioned above) compared to G7 countries.
So, where does India figure in all of this? When India is judged on tariffs, there are two parameters which are used. One is simple average tariffs, and the other is tradeweighted tariffs. If you use the former metric, India’s tariff does seem high (15.98 percent). But this is in many ways academic because
for most of the goods that come into the Indian market, it is the trade-weighted applied tariff that matters. And the trade-weighted tariff that India maintains is a very respectable 4.6 percent. This level of tariff gives the lie to claims that India is somehow a tariff king. Simple averages distort the picture since they treat all products alike regardless of the trade volumes. So, why is there such a big difference between India’s simple average tariff and its trade-weighted tariff?
India does maintain relatively high tariffs in agriculture and automobiles. In both these cases, the main purpose of the tariffs is to protect domestic industry. Agriculture in India is sui generis and like no other major country in the world. Around 50 percent of India’s mammoth population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture. Besides, agriculture in India is not mechanized and land holdings are so small that farming is about survival and not about
commerce. Asking India to open its farm sector to imports is akin to asking it to commit suicide, which no elected government in India would agree to. This demand is especially egregious since Western farmers are beneficiaries of direct and indirect subsidies.
Given all of this, India does maintain relatively high tariffs for agriculture products, average rates of around 33 percent on meat, dairy, fruits, and cereals. But this is not surprising if you consider the fact that the European Union’s average rate is 37.5 percent on dairy products going up to 205 percent, and up to 261 percent on fruits and vegetables. Compare this with Japan whose rate is 61.3 percent on dairy products, going up to 298 percent, and up to 258 percent on cereals, and 160 percent on meat and vegetables. Or South Korea, whose average is 54 percent on agricultural goods with 800 percent on vegetables, and 300 percent on fruits. Who is the tariff king in agriculture, you might ask? As for automobiles, this sector creates mass employment and is crucial for that reason.
Even India’s simple average tariff levels at 15.98 percent is in line with global norms for developing economies. Bangladesh (14.1 per-
cent), Argentina (13.4 percent), and Türkiye (16.2 percent), which are all countries with comparable or higher GDP per capita, maintain similar or higher tariffs.
On the U.S. saying their exports of non-agricultural products face tariff barriers in India, it is worth noting that U.S. exporters often face equal or lower tariffs in India compared to many Asian peers. In electronics and technology for instance, India has 0 percent tariff on most IT hardware, semiconductors, computers, and associated parts, with average tariffs of 10.9 percent on electronics and 8.3 percent on computing machinery.
In comparison, Vietnam has a tariff of 8.5 percent on electronic equipment, going up to 35 percent. China has a tariff rate of 5.4 percent going up to 20 percent on electronics, and up to 25 percent on computing machinery. And Indonesia has a tariff rate of 6.3 percent on electronic equipment, going up to 20 percent, and up to 30 percent on computing machinery.
It is true that India maintains justifiable tariff protection for its agricultural, dairy, and auto markets for valid reasons. But its tradeweighted applied tariff in other sectors does not justify it being called a “tariff king” at all.
Dr. Mohan Kumar is a former Indian ambassador and is director general of the newly established Jadeja Motwani Institute for American Studies at the OP Jindal Global University. The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own. -- Newsweek
What to Know About the Protests in Nepal
KatMandu: Political turmoil has gripped Nepal, which was under a nationwide curfew on Wednesday with troops patrolling the capital, Kathmandu, after protests forced out the prime minister and arson attacks left government buildings in ruins.
De facto leaders of the protest movement met with military officials and said they backed a former chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court to lead an interim government. But next steps in forming a government were unclear as the country began to rebuild after two days of unrest, and apparently selforganized citizens’ groups began to clear debris.
At least 30 people have been confirmed killed, 19 of them by security forces responding to mass antigovernment demonstrations on Monday. Led by teenagers and young adults, these were the most widespread protests in Nepal since it became a democratic republic in 2008.
Who are the protesters?
The demonstrators, who have no single leader, describe themselves as the voice of Nepal’s Gen Z who are angry over corruption, unem-
ployment and inequality.
Like most Gen Z activities, the movement in Nepal began online.
In the weeks leading up to the violence, the social media hashtag #nepokids began trending in Nepal on posts that appeared to show the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by children of the political elite in a country where most young people struggle to make a living.
It wasn’t clear whether all the
images shared with that hashtag were authentic. But they tapped into widespread resentment and came to symbolize corruption in Nepal all the same.
What led to the protests?
A social media ban lit the fuse.
Last week, the Nepalese authorities banned 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, after a deadline elapsed for the compa-
nies to comply with new requirements to register with the government.
The ban raised fears that speech could be restricted for Nepal’s 30 million people, and hurt tourism, a key industry that relies on social media to reach travelers.
The social media blackout also cut off some two million Nepali workers abroad from their families.
Nepal’s economy is heavily reliant on the remittances from these workers.
What happened during the protests?
The unrest escalated quickly. Protests began on Monday in Kathmandu and other parts of the country and grew rapidly. In the capital, protesters accused the police of opening fire on crowds of young demonstrators who had made their way toward the Parliament complex and blocked highways.
What happens next?
All eyes are on the military. It was unclear on Wednesday who was running Nepal.
A group saying it represented the Gen Z movement announced on Wednesday that it had met with military leaders and nominated a former Supreme Court chief justice, Sushila Karki, to lead an interim government. There was no immediate comment from the military. Ms. Karki told an Indian news channel that she would accept the position because “those young boys and girls, they asked me, they requested me.”
There was no clarity about what, if any, role the Army might play in setting up an interim government. It was also not clear if any of the political leaders who resigned on Tuesday were still in the country.
The Army ordered the public on Wednesday morning to hand over any arms and ammunition that may have been taken during the protests, and warned of action against anyone who did not. Some citizens’ groups organized to clean up debris on Wednesday from the arson attacks a day earlier. -- NY Times
Lilting Traditional Strings from a Beloved Father-Son Duo
Houston: Vidwan Sri Vittal Ramamurthy’s association with Houston is 40 years long, as he himself noted, having presented his first concert here in 1995 (with Vidushi Bombay Jayashree), and having visited here almost every year in those 40 years (with the exception of 2 years). The US musical family of Vittal Sir (as he is fondly known in the Houston music community) has grown immensely in these years and so has his own family! This 2025 concert in Houston was presented by him, not only as a stellar musician of the brilliant Lalgudi bani, but also as a proud father alongside his immensely talented star son, Srihari Vittal.
The unique father-son concert presented on Sep 7, 2025 at the divine Sri Sharadamba Temple’s Shankara Hall is part of a US fall concert tour coordinated by Layyasaaram Institute of Indian Arts and SaMaa Arts, titled “Sampradaaya – Strings of Tradition” along with accomplished maestros Vidwan Sri Thanjavur Murugabhoopathi (mridangam) and Vidwan Sri S V Ramani (ghatam).
True to its name and theme, the concert began traditionally with an impeccable rendition of the famous ata tala varnam, Viriboni in Bhairavi ragam. This was followed by a melodious and invocatory Sarasiruhasanapriye in Nattai which also gave us a first glimpse of Srihari’s prowess on the violin as he matched his father’s virtuosity in the shower of kalpanaswarams. Next came Sri Thyagaraja’s popular Marugelara O Raghava in Jayantasri ragam. It is amazing how a composition rendered purely on the violin can be presented so uniquely compared to a vocal rendition, and although Jayantasri has a fairly rigid structure with limited scope for variation, Vittal Sir’s violin brought out its charm beautifully, matching the bhaava of Sri Thyagaraja Swami’s cry of devotion to Lord Rama.
Next in line was the beautiful
Marivere Dikkevaru in Lathangi by Sri Patnam Subramanya Iyer. The piece began with a lovely alapana in this pure classical raga of different shades by Srihari, that elicited spontaneous appreciation from his father. And through the melody and rhythm of the composition and swarams, the rendition held the audience in rapt attention, swaying to the lilting strings of the violin duo along with the accented strokes of the amazing percussionists as all four of them vied with each other to drench us in a musical shower.
Then came the supremely sublime Janani Ninnuvina in Reetigowla, Sri Subbaraya Shastri’s heartfelt ode to the Divine Mother.
The magnificently mellifluous composition combined with the delicate and deep nature of raga Reetigowla, and the flowing magic that Vittal Sir can create with his instrument, bringing forth music that is deep, subtle, resonant and uplifting at the same time, touched a chord in every listener’s heart.
This was followed by a special offering to the temple’s deity, Sringeri Sharadamba, through a composition that praised Her“Sangeetha Samrajya Sancharini, Sringara Sringeripuravasini” in Mohanakalyani.
The main piece of the evening was Sri Thyagaraja’s monumental Chakkani Raja Margamu in Kharaharapriya, where he glorifies the beautiful ‘royal’ path of Bhagavata Dharma and Bhakti –which is chanting the divine name of Rama, listening to His stories and enjoying His form – and asks why one would ever struggle and get lost in the by-lanes of other difficult paths when there was this royal, smooth and joyful road to salvation! Vittal Sir’s profound and moving Kharaharapriya alapana brought forth Sri Thyagaraja’s heartfelt compassion seeing all the people lost in the mire and confusion of the world, when there was the ready royal Rama Nama road to happiness. The numerous san-
gathis of Kharaharapriya that the composition is famous for, were beautifully presented, again wonderfully uniquely in violin compared to vocal renditions. The neraval, swarams and koraippu were of course splendid and made even more enjoyable through Vittal Sir’s own enjoyment of the music being created on stage. Srihari superbly matched and complemented his father’s proficiency, creativity, and passion in the music.
Vidwan Murugabhoopathi’s skillful and strong mridangam sang along with the sangathis and swarams while Vidwan Ramani’s expert ghatam enhanced the presentation through exceptional melodic rhythms that are exclusive to this exquisite instrument. A thani avartanam with both mridangam and ghatam is especially joyful to
listen to, and when performed by such experienced artistes as these two vidwans, the interplay between the two instruments (including a segment of single-handed subtle strokes by Vidwan Murugabhoopathi) with the gradual buildup to the korvai crescendo took the listeners on a truly joyful ride.
The latter part of the concert included a couple of lovely and popular compositions that are particularly enjoyable as instrumental renditions – a soulful Manasa Sancharare and a poignant Enna Thavam Seidhanai Yashoda preceded by a brief Kapi ragam by Srihari that pulled at the heart strings.
Right before the finale, Vidushi Kruthi Bhat came on stage to lead an offering of the song, Garuda Gamana Tava Charanakamalami-
ha, composed by Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham’s Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji, to commemorate his 75th Varadhanti Mahotsava. The audience as well as the musicians, who were both enjoying the music immensely, then reluctantly came to the conclusion of the concert, which was also a treat to the ears with the sweet Behag Tillana, a shining star in the long lineup of dazzling tillanas by Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman.
The father-son duo with their accomplished accompanists will continue their concert tour of the US through the fall, in various cities around the country. See the full schedule here and make sure to catch them in a city near you: https://carnaticamerica.com/series/vittal-ramamurthy-srihari-vittal-tour-fall-2025/
Sankara Nethralaya Honors Leela & Nat Krishnamurthy
In brown Bala
President
CG RAMESH
Recently, Sankara Nethralaya marked National Eye Donation Day with its annual “Walk for Vision –2025” at the Elite School of Optometry campus in St. Thomas Mount. The event held on Saturday saw participation from students, doctors, and members of the public. The initiative is part of the ongoing Eye Donation Fortnight from August 25 to September 8 and aims to raise awareness about the critical shortage of eye donations in India, where millions suffer from corneal blindness.
Left
INDURTI
SN USA,
BABU LAKSHMANAN, Mrs Nirmala at the back, Devon Cugley, Natasha Speiss, Dylan Cugley, Sujata Murthy, SV Acharya, Dr Kishore, Aishwarya. Leela Krishnamurthy is Past President of Sankara Nethralaya USA and Board Member of Indo American Association.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Inspector Zende’:
by arCHiKa KHurana
Story: International conman Carl Bhojraj (Jim Sarbh) escapes prison and resurfaces in Mumbai, reigniting a tense cat-and-mouse chase. Inspector Zende (Manoj Bajpayee), relentless and sharp, must outwit the charming yet dangerous fugitive before his deceptions spiral into chaos once again.
Review: Crime thrillers based on real-life criminals are not new to Indian cinema. Charles Sobhraj, the infamous “Bikini Killer” or “Swimsuit Killer,” has inspired countless books, documentaries, and adaptations—from Main Aur Charles (2015) to Netflix’s The Serpent (2021). Yet, Inspector Zende takes a refreshing detour, shifting the focus from the notorious conman to the unsung hero who caught him—Mumbai’s IPS officer, Madhukar Bapurao Zende. Set against the gritty backdrop of the 1970s and ’80s, the film dramatises Zende’s relentless pursuit of Carl Bhojraj (a fictionalised version of Sobhraj). Twice, the officer managed to apprehend this elusive fugitive—first in 1971 and again after his infamous escape from Tihar Jail in 1986. This film isn’t just about a cop chasing a criminal; it is about persistence, street-smart policing, and the triumph of instincts over technology in an era without CCTV or digital forensics.
A Spin on Sobhraj Saga
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Send us the correct answer before September 16, 2025. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week
Writer-director Chinmay D. Mandlekar deserves credit for avoiding the temptation of a dark, gritty biopic. Instead, he opts for a lively, humour-infused narrative, making the film less about grim realities and more about the spirit of policing in a pre-digital Mumbai. Mandlekar manages to create a 112-minute adventure that balances fact with creative flourish. His recreation of Mumbai’s streets, fashion, and energy
of the 70s–80s feels authentic, giving the film a nostalgic pull. The heart of the film, however, lies in its performances. Manoj Bajpayee, as Inspector Zende, is both understated and commanding. He imbues the character with earthy simplicity, conviction, and a dash of humour, steering clear of over-the-top heroic tropes. His scenes occasionally evoke memories of his role in The Family Man, yet Zende is distinctly his own man—more grounded, more real. Opposite him, Jim Sarbh revels in the flamboyance of Carl Bhojraj. Smooth-talking, magnetic, yet sinister, his portrayal ensures that the fugitive is as compelling as the officer chasing him. Supporting actors Sachin Khedekar (as DGP Purandare) and Girija Oak (as Zende’s supportive wife Viju) add depth, with Oak and Bajpayee’s chemistry lending warmth to the
otherwise cat-and-mouse drama. What sets Inspector Zende apart from other true-crime thrillers is its tone. Rather than brooding intensity, it embraces levity, almost positioning itself as a familyfriendly thriller. This choice may divide audiences—purists might find it tonally inconsistent, while others will enjoy its light-hearted, accessible approach. At times, the humour risks undercutting the gravity of the real crimes, but it undeniably makes the film more engaging for a wider audience. In the end,
Inspector Zende is neither a strict biopic nor a fully fictional caper. It stands somewhere in between— part homage to a forgotten police hero, part entertaining period chase. It deserves a watch for its lively tone, strong performances, and nostalgic recreation of a bygone Mumbai. -- ToI
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Kumud Athavale, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Prabha Barvalia, Jawahar Khandheria, Mohit Mittal, Tina Arora, Ramesh Ratneshvar, Pooja Bhavsar, Jimmy Bhavsar, Prabha Narumanchi, Nirmala Devi Rajesh, Sangeeta Guttikonda, Anil Bhagtaney
