Indo-American News: February 5, 2021

Friday, February 5, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 06

Indo American News

February 5, 2021

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Published weekly from Houston, TX

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Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News

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Rihanna, Greta & Sarkar: Tempest in a Tweetstorm

Mahatma’s Martyrdom

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IACCGH with Gov. Abbott

P5 P2 ‘Maasaab’: Enlightenment

Rihanna, Greta Thunberg, Mia Khalifa and US vice-president Kamala Harris’s niece lawyer Meena Harris were among international celebrities who tweeted in support of the ongoing protest

by Indian farmers against the Centre’s Farm Laws. The nation stands divided over foreigners extending support to India’s internal issue and the Ministry of External Affairs has issued a strong press release against the tweets from international celebrities.

Indo-American News • Friday february 5, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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INDIA, US

February 5, 2021

Commmorating Mahatma Gandhi’s 73rd Anniversary of Martyrdom

Mahatma Gandhi’s samadhi at Raj Ghat in New Delhi. Photo by Namita Sutaria.

Houston: On January 30, 2021, the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, EGMH, along with Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Unity of Houston, The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center Houston, Rothko Chapel, Bahai’ Faith of Houston, and others virtually commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi for Truth & Nonviolence as Shraddhanjali.

The program began with welcome remarks by Shri Atul B Kothari, Trustee and Founder of EGMH. It was followed by an Invocation blessing the event, by Acharya Dr. Suryanarayan Nanda of Arya Samaj Greater Houston.

Rev. Mindy Lawrence of Unity of Houston’s opening remarks emphasized the significance of this annual memorial tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Anusha Sathya was our charming Emcee for the rest of the evening. The event opened up with a beautiful rendering of De De Hame Azadi (Gandhi ji attained freedom for us) and Jodi Tor Daak Shune

(Ekla Chalo by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore) by children of Swar Sangam School of Music, under the able of guidance of their Guru, Teacher, Smriti Srivastava.

Special thanks to Mahi Tomar for providing video editing services.

The evening became more poignant by messages on this solemn occasion from dignitaries, namely, Chief Guest, City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Guest of Honor, Consul General of India Shri Aseem Mahajan, Congressman Al Green, Special Guests, Chief Justice of State of Gujarat, India, Shri Vikram Nath, Fort Bend County Judge K P George, and Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

The audience got a glimpse of what the future may hold for the next generation, from the winners of Mahatma Gandhi Week 2020 contests for Speech and i-Tribute (multimedia). They shared their thoughts on a range of issues, such as Love Never Claims; It ever gives; Change begins with

Unity of Houston Choir rendering “Desiderata”

me; LEED and Simple Living and Messages and Symbols of Peace.

The young presenters were Zahra Latheef, Khushi Kawedia, Rahul Sanklecha and Vir Sehgal.

The evening had three musical presentations to help spread peace and harmony. One was by ZIKR band of The Ismaili Jamatkhana Center of Houston, directed by Kamal Haji. ZIKR band presented a melodious rendition of Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua, “when the kindness rises to your lips”.

Unity of Houston Choir directed

by Dr. David York, presented Desiderata, a wonderful production, that simply elevated the audience to just another level of peacefulness.

Dr. Manish K Wani, Trustee of Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, EGMH, provided an overview of the status of the construction of Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, slated to open in 2022. Shri Ajit Paralkar, a Trustee of EGMH, gave the vote of thanks to everyone, and especially to the audience

Modi, Kovind Pay Tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat New Delhi: The nation on Saturday remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 73rd death anniversary with President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of the Nation.

President Kovind, Vice President Naidu, Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among others, also paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in Delhi.

Paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, President Kovind said people should adhere to his ideals of peace, non-violence, simplicity, purity of means, and humility.

“On behalf of a grateful nation, my humble tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who embraced martyrdom this day.

We should adhere to his ideals of peace, non-violence, simplicity,

purity of means and humility. Let us resolve to follow his path of truth and love,” he tweeted.

Paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi said his ideals continue to motivate millions.

“Tributes to the great Bapu on his Punya Tithi. His ideals continue to motivate millions. On Martyrs’’ Day we recall the heroic sacrifices of all those great women and men who devoted themselves towards India’’s freedom and the well-being of every Indian,” he said in a tweet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also paid tributes to Ma-

Zahra Latheef delivering her speech “Change Begins with me”

Zikr band presented “Lab pe aati hai dua” by Allama Iqbal.

for attending the memorial tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and helping to foster peace and harmony.

The evening reached a climax when children of Swar Sangam School of Music presented a melodious rendering of Gandhi’s favorite devotional song, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, (Oh Lord, please bless positive thoughts to all, to make this a world a better

place to live) - with the beautiful image of Shraddhanjali, a tribute from the heart, as illustrated above

by Ms. Namita Sutaria, Trustee of EGMH. The rendering attempted to illustrate what peace and harmony feels like, when one dedicates oneself to Truth & Nonviolence, the everlasting legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

hatma Gandhi, saying his principles of truth and non-violence are still relevant.

“Truth, non-violence, patience, bravery and ‘’Satyagrah’’. These principles of Gandhiji that rendered ineffective bigger powers are o Life Insurance relevant o Long-­‐Term Care Insurance e v e n t o d a y, o Variable+ and FiUed AnnuiVes through o Disability Insurance* which any strugo Health Insurance* gle for rights For More InformaVon Contact Me can be won,” he tweeted in Hindi.

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3 Rihanna, Greta Tweet for Farmers and Government Response

INDIA

February 5, 2021

Indian Ministry of External Affairs Press Statement on recent comments by foreign individuals and entities on the farmers’ protests

Tweets from pop singer Rihanna and environmental activist Greta Thunberg in support of protesting farmers have caused an uproar.

New Delhi: Protests have been taking place in India for months as a result of three new agriculture laws passed in 2020. On Feb. 2, two influential names took to Twitter to show their support for India’s farmers.

Rihanna shared an article written

by CNN, which outlined the recent internet cuts that took place in New Delhi, India, as a result of the protests gaining further traction.

She captioned it, “Why aren’t we talking about this?” which sparked a huge debate on Twitter. Though a number of responses were littered with praise, the majority of India’s right-wing population were less than pleased. This included Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who supported the new farm laws last year and subsequently called Rihanna “a fool,” sharing her views on Twitter.

Rihanna wasn’t the only one to

share her support, however. The movement was also supported by environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who shared the same CNN article with the caption, “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.”

No matter the view, drawing more attention to the issues taking place in other countries has never been more important. Since Rihanna and Greta have shared their support, news of the movement in India has only gained further momentum - and for the better. One user on Twitter added that, “For any movement or a cause, amplification of online influencers is among top priorities. For #FarmersProtest to get it from Rihanna is a global boost at a time when negativity was seeping in the movement - at least in the online narratives. This can have a snowball effect.”

New Delhi: “The Parliament of India, after a full debate and discussion, passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector. These reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers. They also pave the way for economically and ecologically sustainable farming.

A very small section of farmers in parts of India have some reservations about these reforms.

Respecting the sentiments of the protestors, the Government of India has initiated a series of talks with their representatives.

Union Ministers have been part of the negotiations, and eleven rounds of talks have already been held. The Government has even offered to keep the laws on hold, an offer iterated by no less than the Prime Minister of

India.

Yet, it is unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them. This was egregiously witnessed on January 26, India’s Republic Day. A cherished national commemoration, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Constitution of India, was besmirched, and violence and vandalism took place in the Indian capital.

Some of these vested interest groups have also tried to mobilise international support against India. Instigated by such fringe elements, Mahatma Gandhi statues have been desecrated in parts of the world. This is extremely disturbing for India and for civilised society everywhere.

Indian police forces have handled these protests with utmost restraint. It may be noted that

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hundreds of men and women serving in the police have been physically attacked, and in some cases stabbed and seriously wounded.

We would like to emphasise that these protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the Government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse.

Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken.

The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible. “

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February 5, 2021

Who is Bharat Narumanchi? Why Did He Kill?

COMMUNITY

By Nate Shute Austin: After a hostage standoff in Central Austin that ended with two people dead, Austin police identified pediatrician Bharat Narumanchi as the man behind the incident.

Police say Narumanchi killed Lindley Dodson, a 43-year-old pediatrician and mother of three, at her 35th Street office near MoPac Boulevard on Tuesday during an hours-long standoff with Austin SWAT team members.

What’s known about the suspect is limited, and police have asked those with information to call police at 512-974-8477, email detectives at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov or reach out to Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or through the Crime Stoppers app.

Police say a 911 call was made at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday about a man inside an office who was holding hostages. Officers were dispatched to Children’s Medical Group office, where five employees were inside.

Police said no patients or children were present. Eventually, some of those employees were able to leave.

“Several hostages initially escaped and others were later allowed to leave with the exception of Dr. Katherine Dodson,” police said in a written statement.

Among those who escaped was Victoria Ishaak. Narumanchi pointed a gun at her and a coworker.

“He pointed his gun at my coworker and told her to go get the doctor ... and then he points the gun at me and tells me to go lock the front door,” said Victoria Ishaak.

Victoria Ishaak remembers

The victim Dr. Lindley Dodson and perpetrator Dr. Bharat Naramunchi.

escaping from her office when Bharat Narumanchi entered with a gun and shares why Lindley Dodson was a great boss.

The former hostages told police that Narumanchi had entered the office armed with a pistol, a shotgun and carrying two duffel bags.

After police tried to communicate and reach people inside the office for several hours, a mobile robot with a camera was sent inside and spotted the body of at least one person. The police SWAT team breached the building and discovered two bodies.

Narumanchi is not known to have any connection to Dodson. However, according to some of the hostages, Narumanchi previously applied for a volunteer position at the offices a week ago. A staff member says Dodson did not come into contact with Narumanchi at that time. Dodson operated her practice with several other doctors.

During a Wednesday news conference, police said Narumanchi was also a pediatrician who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and had been given weeks to live.

Austin hostage situation: Two pe“Other than the previously mentioned visit to this office there did not appear to be any relation or other contact between Dr. Dodson and Dr. Narumanchi,” police said.

According to online employment records, Naramanchi practiced primarily in Southern California, most recently at Providence Health Services.

Records show he was licensed to practice medicine in Oklahoma, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Florida and California.

Narumanchi completed his pediatric residency training at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Before then, he attended St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada.

In 2012, Narumanchi was charged with domestic abuse in Hawaii, and the case was later dismissed, court records show. The records detail a contentious child custody battle between Narumanchi and his ex-wife.

Public records show Narumanchi lived in several states. It’s unclear why he was in Austin. -- Austin American Statesman.

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BUSINESS

February 5, 2021

IACCGH Holds Power Dialogue with Gov. Greg Abbott

By Manu Shah

Houston: In a Power Dialogue hosted by IACCGH on 27 January, Governor Greg Abbott offered an update on COVID-19, vaccine distribution and the economic initiatives that were being introduced to help the economy bounce back.

Governor Abbott began by describing the “really good working relationship” he enjoyed with India’s Consul Generals in Houston during his terms in office, and stated that it was in part due to this relationship that he was able to lead a successful trade delegation to India in 2018 and meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He recognized his past interaction with the chamber (he delivered the Keynote for the 2018 IACCGH Gala) and looked forward to meeting in person again as soon as “COVID-19 is behind us.”

Expressing his optimism that the country was “in the last stages” of the pandemic, he spoke of the state’s efforts in ramping up the pace of administering the vaccine.

Texas has the distinction of being the first state in the country to vaccinate more than a million people and will soon exceed two million.

In mid-February, the state expected to add Johnson & Johnson to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Texas, he emphasized, has expanded the vaccine prioritization criteria from 75 years and above

to 65 years and above. This was done because vaccine providers were holding on to the vials until they had fully vaccinated everyone in the category of 75 and above. The state is now urging vaccine providers “to get the vaccines into Texans” within 24 to 48 hours after receiving supplies to minimize hospitalizations and loss of life. The decision has already led to a reduction in the number of hospitalizations and fatalities and once the numbers are in “control,” Texas will open further.

Speaking about the economy, he noted that Texas had always had a “robust” economy and had been ranked number one in the US for the most economic development projects. Despite the pandemic, the state saw eight consecutive months of job increases. In the past year, Texas once again led the

US in the number of corporate relocations and expansions, a reference to several Fortune 500 companies like Tesla, Oracle, and HPE who had swapped Silicon Valley for Texas.

In a push to promote the economy, legislative proposals that are in the works are liability protection for any business that opened and is operating with all the proper safeguards in place, less red tape and speeding up the permit process.

COVID-19 has also driven home the value of high speed, high quality broadband access for tele medicine, business, and students “in every zip code” in Texas.

In response to one of the questions posed by IACCGH President Tarush Anand regarding the availability of the second dose, Governor Abbott assured the attendees that the state was holding

sufficient vaccine supplies for the second round of doses.

Earlier in the webinar, India’s Consul General Aseem Mahajan highlighted the US-India comprehensive strategic partnership in sectors like energy, defense, security, trade, and commerce. He also recalled Governor Abbott’s substantive visit to India in 2018 and acknowledged his contributions in strengthening the ties between the two democracies. Texas, he added, ranks as the number one state attracting investments from Indian companies.

Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia recognized the partner organizations and Houston based Shipcom Wireless which has developed a vaccine distribution logistics solution that has been forwarded to the Governor’s office by the chamber.

Indo-American News • Friday february 5, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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India’s Budget 2021 Wins Expert Praise

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is winning rare plaudits for having delivered a budget that is transparent and prudent, coming amid a coronavirus-led economic slump, despite a record fiscal deficit.

While budgets in prior years have been criticized for underplaying the extent of the fiscal deficit by using off-balance sheet borrowings, and often overly aggressive revenue assumptions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 2021/2022 budget drew a realistic picture, economists said.

Sitharaman, who last month vowed to deliver a “budget like never before”, pegged the current year’s fiscal deficit at 9.5% of gross domestic product, and set a fiscal deficit target of 6.8% of GDP for the next year.

She also put off plans to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP at least for the next 5 years, setting the country up for a high spending path.

Yet, she risks very little threat of a sovereign rating downgrade and Moody’s said that the government had been “prudent” and conservative with revenue projections and growth estimates.

It said that the final fiscal deficit could be smaller than that which is being projected.

India’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank dubbed the budget as the “Queen’s Gambit”.

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NEWS

February 5, 2021

Dem Candidate Pritesh Gandhi Joins DHS Bhavya Lal is Acting NASA Chief

By Iona Jones Austin: An Austin doctor who was U.S. House candidate picked by Biden as DHS chief medical officer An Austin physician, who was a Democratic congressional candidate last year, was selected

by President JoeBiden to join his administration, according to a Thursday news release from the clinic he is leaving for his new role.

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi was appointed chief medical officer of the Department of Homeland Security, providing senior leadership on medical and public health issues, effective immediately, according to the release from People’s Community Clinic of Austin.

He will lead on issues related to natural disasters, border health, pandemic response, acts of terrorism and other human-caused disasters and serve as principal adviser to the Department of Homeland Security secretary, assistant secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, according to the release.

Before his appointment, Gandhi was associate medical director for People’s Community Clinic of Austin and he co-led the clinic’s COVID-19 response team with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Louis Appel.

Gandhi also was a candidate for the 10th Congressional District, losing in a primary runoff to Mike

Siegel, who lost to U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, in November. His platform included Medicare for all who want it, universal background checks for all gun purchases and supporting rural communities.

Regina Rogoff, People’s chief executive officer said Gandhi is “not just a big picture guy, not just with his head up in the clouds,� but thoughtful and down to earth, working with marginalized communities to address circumstances that impact health, like poverty, work and education.

As a public health trained and board-certified internal medicine specialist, Gandhi was also the director of adult medicine for the Federally Qualified Health Center in Austin. The center serves nearly 20,000 Central Texans who are uninsured and medically underserved, with 70% living below the federal poverty line, according to the release.

“I’m sad that we’re losing him, but I’m very, very proud, grateful that he’s going to be serving our country,� Rogoff told the American-Statesman. “He’s a brilliant individual, compassionate, caring, dynamic, very committed to the welfare of the underserved, passionate about the kids who are separated from their parents at the border — and now we’ll have an opportunity to help rectify that situation.�

Gandhi also recently served as an associate faculty member at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Schweitzer Fellow, National Health Service Corps Scholar and was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar in 2018, according to the release. He completed a dual internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Tulane University in New Orleans and holds a degree in international relations and economics from Tufts University. --

Washington DC: IndianAmerican Bhavya Lal was on Monday appointed by Nasa as the acting chief of staff of the US space agency.

Lal served as a member of the Biden presidential transition agency review team for the agency and oversaw the agency’s transition under the administration of President Joe Biden.

In a statement, Nasa said Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020.

There, she led analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House office of science and technology policy and national space council, as well as federal space-oriented organisations, including Nasa, the department of defence, and the intelligence community.

Lal is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, cochaired, or served on five highimpact National Academy of Science committees.

She served two consecutive terms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory committee on commercial remote sensing and was an external council member of Nasa’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Program and the Technology, Innovation and Engineering Advisory committee of the

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Dr. Bhavya Lal

Nasa advisory council.

Before joining STPI, Lal was president of C-STPS LLC, a science and technology policy research and consulting firm. Prior to that, she was the director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Studies at Abt Associates, a global policy research consultancy based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She co-founded and is co-chair of the policy track of the American Nuclear Society’s annual conference on Nuclear and Emerging Technologies in Space (Nets) and co-organises a seminar series on space history and policy with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

For her many contributions to the space sector, she was nominated and selected to be a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics, the statement said.

INDIA BUSINESS

February 5, 2021

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Government to Award Ratna Field to Cairn Energy in Lieu of $1.4 B Judgement New Delhi: The government may give Cairn Energy one of the surrendered oil fields such as Ratna R-Series in lieu of the $1.4 billion it has pay to the British firm, helping prevent seizure of foreign assets in case of default as well as get an experienced operator in struggling exploration & production (E&P) sector, sources said.

Cairn Energy gave India its biggest onland oil discovery but exited the country after it was slapped with a Rs 10,247-crore tax demand using a legislation that gave the government the power to tax companies retrospectively. The firm has now won an international arbitration against the tax demand and the government has been ordered to return the value of shares of Cairn it had sold, dividends it had seized and tax refund it had withheld.

In a fresh setback to the government on retrospective taxation, an arbitration panel has unanimously ruled in favor of Cairn Energy Plc, holding that the Centre had “failed to uphold its obligations” under the UK-India bilateral investment treaty and international laws.

For a government struggling to find revenue to boost a Covid-19 battered economy, options of appeal against the arbitration award are limited and it may not have the financial bandwidth for such a payout, two sources with knowledge of the development said.

“One option is to give mon Thomson wrote Cairn one or more of the to the Indian governoil and gas fields that ment that the arbitrathe government now tion ruling is final and owns after they are surbinding, and failure to rendered by operators comply would breach for various reasons,” the international rules. one of them said. “The “As India is a siggovernment could give natory to the New the Ratna and R-Series York Convention, the oil and gas field in the award can be enforced Arabian Sea that were against Indian assets taken away from Esin numerous jurisdicsar Oil-Premier Oil tions around the world consortium in 2016 befor which the necescause contractual terms sary preparations have had changed.” been put in place,” acThe Barmer oilfield cording to the letter, in Rajasthan, which referring to the 1959 was originally discov- The Indian government may award the Ratna-R field to Convention on the Cairn Energy in lieu of a $1.4 billion judgement. ered by Cairn Energy, Recognition and Encould be another opforcement of Foreign tion. Vedanta Ltd, which now op- legal challenges and at the same Arbitral Awards. erates the field after it bought out time getting back an established Earlier this month, Malaysia’s Cairn’s Indian subsidiary a decade exploration and production (E&P) government had impounded a back, has so far not agreed to the firm back,” another source said. plane owned by state carrier PakiNo major oil and gas discovery stan International Airlines on a government conditions for getting an extension of contract beyond its has been made in the past seven court order due to a UK court disyears since the retrospective tax pute with aircraft lessors. original end day of May 2020.

Under Vedanta, which continues demand was raised.

While Cairn didn’t mention any In case the government chooses Indian asset in its letter, sources to operate the field on monthly extensions till its legal challenge to not to honor the arbitration award, said assets could include bank acgovernment conditions is settled, it risks the prospect of its assets counts of its diplomatic missions, Rajasthan oilfields have seen a in foreign countries being seized non-diplomatic premises, planes just like US oil firm ConocoPhil- of state carrier Air India and statesteady decline in output.

“It’s a win-win - the government lips did with Venezuela to recoup owned ships in the UK, Nethersettles it liability without paying a muti-billion dollar of compensa- lands, France, Canada and the US. single penny or upsetting investor tion awarded in arbitration.

Cairn Energy has asked the InEarlier this month, Cairn En- dian government for an early sentiments by not honoring the arbitration award through endless ergy’s chief executive officer Si- indication of implementing the

Indo-American News • Friday february 5, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

arbitration award, well before the announcement of its full year earnings on March 9 for clarity of its shareholders, according to the letter.

The tax authorities had in January 2014 slapped with an initial assessment of unpaid taxes of Rs 10,247 crore over a restructuring carried out in 2006 while preparing for an initial public offering of Cairn India. The tax authorities in 2015 seized Cairn Energy’s residual shareholding of about 10 per cent of Cairn India, then valued at about $1 billion.

The Edinburgh-based company filed a dispute under the UK-India Investment Treaty and sought international arbitration that started later in 2015 for the losses over expropriation of its investments in India from the minority holding.

During the pendency of the arbitration, the government also seized dividends totalling Rs 1,140 crore due from its minority holding in Cairn India (now merged with Vedanta Ltd) and set off a Rs 1,590-crore tax refund against the demand.

The tribunal, which comprised a judge appointed by India, last month unanimously overturned a Rs 10,247 crore retrospective tax demand on Cairn and asked the Indian government to return value of the shares it sold, dividend it seized and tax refunds it stopped to enforce the tax. -- ToI

8

February 5, 2021

‘Maasaab’: Average Route to Enlightenment

ENTERTAINMENT ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’

By Shubhra Gupta

By Archika Khurana The story centers around the state of education in India especially in the primary schools in the rural parts of the country.

Set in Khurand village of Uttar Pradesh— ‘Maassab’ means teacher in local dialect in and around north and central rural India—the narrative revolves around Ashish Kumar (Shiva Suryavanshi) who has left his IAS job to pursue his dream to teach and educate kids in the rural India. After working as a volunteer to help children living in Bal Sudhar Kendra (Juvenile Correction Center), Ashish has now moved to a rustic area as a primary school teacher. There he encounters individuals’ biases,

corruption, and ignorance towards schooling. However, he gets support and encouragement from the lone educated individual in the village, Usha Devi (Sheetal Singh), who is also the Pradhan (head) of the village. Together, will Ashish and Usha be able to continue on their path to spreading free education across the village?

Director Aditya Om (popularly known for his performances in Telugu films) has penned this drama with debutant actor-writer Shiva Suryavanshi. Every situation—from students being more concerned about mid-day meals than studies itself and teachers being more focussed on their moonlighting careers—looks real and relatable to the current situation of schools in rural areas. What works

in favor of the film is its simple screenplay that keeps the essence of the plot intact. However, it’s slow-paced and the performances by the cast are disappointing, too.

Both the protagonists of the film Ashish Kumar and Usha Devi played by Shiva Suryavanshi and Sheetal Singh respectively need to brush up on their acting skills.

Though as the writer of the film, Shiva Suryavanshi has done a decent job.

Overall, ‘Maassab’ deals with the issue of the dilapidated condition of rural education in India that needs special attention from the government. Despite a convincing and impactful story in hand, this social commentary turns out to be an average watch. -- Times News Network

Last night, I watched a film which didn’t feel like a film at all.

It felt like real life. The people in the frame felt like people I have known, and felt for, even though I had never set my eyes on the characters played by Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Vejaramood. The Great Indian Kitchen has gone straight to the top of my best films, the ones that stay with you long after you’ve seen them.

When we first come upon her, she is dancing. Her face is a-lit.

Rhythm really gets her, makes her swing. Then comes an event which occurs in so many young women’s lives, the arrival of a suitable young man, and marriage.

You could, at this point, wipe the ‘happy smiling girl’ slate and transpose upon it, ‘the beginning of the end’.

She has no name. Neither does he. She is addressed as ‘molae’, generic Malayalam term of endearment for girl, and she calls him ‘etta’, a salutation you will hear in many Malayali households. They come together as any couple does

in an arranged marriage, hoping to find commonalities, a mutual spark that will keep them going.

But very soon, she discovers that the two men who live with her in the sprawling ‘tharavad’, her husband and father-in-law, have specific needs, and her job is to keep fulfilling them. Quietly, without making a fuss, or raising her voice, day after day, meal after meal.

The ‘great’ in the title has to be the most ironical use of the word: it subsumes ‘molae’, makes her small, imprisons her. Her day, from the time she awakes, till the time she sleeps, is full of commandments. She has to turn out meticulously cooked (the rice shall not be made in the pressure cooker, only on the fire; the leftovers of lunch shall not be eaten at dinner) meals.

And then start all over again, the cooking, cleaning, washing, till ‘etta’ demands lights out.

Finally, ah finally, she arrives at the point of no return with a voiceless but clear retort of her own.

How dare he? You see her, walking along the road, the glimpse of the sea in the distance. You realize it is the first time, since her marriage, you’ve seen her out of that house, that kitchen.

This is a film that is essential watching. The characters are very specific, the locations are in Kerala, but the situations which obtain through the film are horrifyingly universal. Finally, you see the ‘molae’ as the essential girl, and you want to cheer. Out loud. -- Indian Express

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OPINION

February 5, 2021

Rule of the Circular

Settle with the Farmers, Please!

By Tavleen Singh

The Union government’s decision to force state-funded universities and educational institutions to line up before the mandarins of the Ministry of External Affairs for permissions each time they wish to host “international conferences and seminars online” reeks of a paranoia that has no place in a self-confident democracy. Under the new guidelines, there will be a blanket freeze on “international” webinars on matters related to India’s security, the Northeastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh or other “internal matters” of the country. Not just the theme for discussion, but even the list of participants will have to be vetted by an “administrative secretary”. The history of bureaucratic meddling in Indian academia is long and inglorious. But even by those low benchmarks, this is extraordinary overreach — and a selfgoal for a country with aspirations of turning into a knowledge economy. It makes a mockery of the claims and ambitions of the New Education Policy, announced by this very government last year, which included a vision of the “internationalisation” of education, which sought to invite worldclass universities to open campuses in India, and promised to make autonomy and freedom central to higher education.

The ministry’s new procedure exhibits a deep mistrust, bordering on paternalism, of the capabilities of women and men in positions of leadership in Indian universities to frame the narrative. But just because the sarkar thinks it knows best, it cannot empower itself to decide what constitutes “internal matters” and then to ring-fence sensitive political tangles and place them beyond contest, debate and questioning. It does so at the risk of turning the Northeast or Kashmir or Ladakh into blind spots of scholarship, while devaluing its own credentials. As the long and illustrious tradition of India scholarship in the best of foreign universities underlines, knowledge is not bound by nationalism. It shrinks and suffers from a narrow interpretation of atmanirbharta. In a changing, interconnected world, it is mystifying why the Ministry of External Affairs would want to strike at the very academic freedoms that distinguish India’s soft power from that of its neighbours.

Democracies are not only defended at the electoral booths.

The university and the seminar hall, even their virtual equivalents, are democratic spaces where governments, however powerful or assured of their righteousness, must not be allowed to play police. The Ministry of External Affairs must immediately withdraw its misguided diktat. A university is a place for the contest of ideas and thoughts, not the tyranny of the government circular. -- Indian Express

The only time I met the Pakistani father of the Khalistan movement he said something that I have remembered often in recent days.

General Hamid Gul was in retirement in Rawalpindi when we met.

It was just after Benazir Bhutto was killed and we had a long chat in his small, cozy living room.

When the interview was over, he asked if I were a Sikh. I said I was, and he said with a note of regret in his voice, “The Sikhs should never have gone to India. They should have stayed here.” My response was to say nothing, but Pakistan’s first jihadist General’s words have remained imprinted in my memory. As have those years of terrible violence when going to Punjab was so dangerous that most Delhi journalists never went till after Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was dead.

Often in the past few weeks as I have watched senior ministers call Sikh farmers ‘Khalistanis’, and famous TV anchors paint the farmers protest as nothing more than an attempt by the Sikhs to revive Khalistan, the words of General Gul have come back to me. They came back to me most terrifyingly last week when I saw the Khalsa flag raised on that sacred flagpole on the ramparts of the Red Fort, where only the Indian flag has ever been raised since August 15, 1947. There was much vandalism that day, but this was more than vandalism, it was a profanity.

It was also a reminder that Pakistan would like nothing more than to see a revival of the Khalistan movement. This was so essential a part of Pakistan’s endless, cowardly, undeclared war against India that one of the founders of the R&AW revealed in an interview that when Benazir became prime minister and asked Hamid Gul, then head of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), to stop what he was doing in Punjab, he refused. He reportedly said, ‘Madam, keeping Punjab destabilized is equivalent to the Pakistan army having an extra division at no cost to the taxpayers.’

After what happened on Republic Day it should be clear to even the stupidest of advisors in the

Prime Minister’s echo chamber that the farmers protest has become something bigger and more dangerous. On the farm laws, all that is left to say is that there is a total breakdown of trust. Farmers believe the new laws will destroy existing farm markets and throw them into the hands of private traders. They believe this is happening because the government is too broke to pay that Minimum Support Price (MSP) that guarantees them their meagre profit.

This may or may not be true but what is true is that there are very few rich farmers in India. On government friendly ‘private’ TV channels I have been astonished to hear commentators vent their rage against ‘rich, greedy farmers’.

If there were rich farmers there would be no need for a minimum support price. This is something that the ‘agricultural experts’ who devised the new farm laws appear not to have noticed. There is no question that reforms are needed in agriculture and a good first step might even be opening access to private markets, but if farmers believe that this will leave them at the mercy of rich and ruthless traders, they will never see the new laws as an attempt at reform. It is true that they have been obdurate and unrelenting about their demand that the three laws be repealed, but should the government not be trying to find out why?

It is possible that by the time you read this there would have been an attempt to crush the protests with police action. Signs of this became evident last week. What also became evident if you watched TV news is that a crackdown has the fullest support of the media. An-

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chors have made their loyalty to the government more than clear by raving on about how wrong it is to allow ‘anarchists’ to challenge the might of the Indian state.

My fervent hope is that if there is a crackdown it will not include the casual brutality that we usually see in such situations. My fervent hope is that somehow a way is found to persuade the farmers that they have won their battle and can now go home in victory.

I am not given to fervently hoping for anything in this column, but this time I do sincerely, for the reason that the thought of Punjab sliding back into another period of violence and chaos is too awful to think about. It could happen because this is exactly what the jihadist military men next door are trying to achieve. They have worked hard and long to stir up secession through shady Sikh organisations in north America who could not win an election in Punjab if they tried. What they can do, though, is destabilise India at a time when there is already enough trouble in another (former) state on our northern borders.

There is no question that it is Pakistan that has encouraged violence in Kashmir and Punjab. But, there is also no question that the door has been opened for this to happen by bad policies made in Delhi. The Prime Minister must desist from making the repeal of his farm laws a prestige issue because since last week there are signs that the problem India faces is much bigger and infinitely more dangerous than angry farmers.

Tavleen Singh, a leading Columnist associated with The Indian Express.

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February 5, 2021

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Nothing beats the morning brunch than a plate of hot puris (fried puffed bread) and either channe (chickpeas) or turri aloo (curried smashed potatoes)! So here is a reprint of Mama’s Puri recipe which is a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions

Puri (Deep Fried Puff Bread)) There is one type of fried bread that elicits great excitement because it is a cross between an appetizer and a meal, but can be eaten as either. You could call it a snack, but puris (deep fried puff bread) can be eaten for breakfast (with aloo sabzi), lunch (with kale channe), dinner (with different sabzis) and even dessert (with halva).

Puris are those wonderfully light, golden brown puffed, usually fourinch round pieces of fried bread that, if you aren’t careful, you can eat a dozen of in one sitting when they come hot off the frying kadai (wok).

The word puri derives from the Sanskrit word purika from pur or filled. Puris are usually made of atta (wheat flour finely milled), but some make them using maida (refined and bleached white flour) and atta mix. The dough is a little harder than the one made for regular rotis (flat bread).

While frying puris, the moisture in the dough expands in all directions so that it puffs up like a round ball. A punctured puri does not puff because the steam escapes as it cooks. Some people put a little oil in the dough as they believe it will make the puri crispy but that in fact, it makes the puris hard after they have cooled down.

Punjabi usually eat puris with kale chole (black chickpeas), but these are not to be confused with the larger and softer bhature (deep fried soft bread) which is similar but bigger and also eaten the same way. Most often puris are eaten for breakfast or as a part of a ceremonial religious ritual. Uneaten puris can be kept wrapped in aluminum foil for 4 or 5 days and they will not go bad. If they are hard then warm them up in the microwave, and they become soft again.

Ingredients: • 250 gm atta (wheat flour) • 1 measure of pani (water) to make the dough soft • Vegetable oil to fry in Directions: 1. Slowly add water to the flour and knead the dough till it has is semisoft.

2. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it

with a light cloth and place it aside for 30 minutes to let it ferment a little.

3. Grease your palms with some oil so that the dough won’t stick and then break the dough into several 1-inch pieces. Roll them into balls and set aside.

4. In a kadai (deep skillet or wok), heat the oil up till it is very hot.

5. Roll the dough with a valan (rolling pin) till you form a 4-inch round patty. Roll all the patties out and keep to the side for frying.

6. Carefully slide the patty into the hot oil and then see if the patty starts to puff up and then turn slightly brown.

7. Repeat the steps and cook all the dough. As the puris come out,

place them on paper towels on an inclined plate to soak up and drain the excess oil. Keep the heat on high until you are done with cooking.

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, 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 late-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share her delectable Punjabi recipes for future generations.

MAMA’S TIP O F THE

WEEK HOW TO CHOOSE F R E SH VEGETABLES Shopping fo

r fresh ve you are not experie getables can often be a confusin g task if nced in picking th these are the seed e variety. If you happ right ones, especially if have too many se en to select the on eds es since the ripe seed then you will waste a lot of the ve that getable s will have to be re moved.

For kerelas (bitter go kheera (cucumbers urd), bhindi (okra), ghia (bottle squash), ) and baingan (egg pl beans) choose piec es that are not too ant), france bean (green fat seeds inside), but preferably long an (which means too many d firm. For shalga nips), band gobi (cabbage) and m ooli (daikon radish m (turpieces are not the es), best as they will be too ripe and hard large medium sized piec ; choose es instead.

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