Indo-American News: June 11, 2021

Friday, June 11, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 24

Indo American News

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June 11, 2021

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Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News

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Teens on the Global Scene

Vaccine for All

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MIA Recovery

Maitreyi Ramkrishnan (left) is the star of Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” developed by Mindy Kaling (Page 9) and Megha Ganne was one of the stars of the US Open golf tournament at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. (Page 10).

Indo-American News • Friday, june 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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2 June 11, 2021 COVID India to Provide Free Vaccines to All in a Major Policy Shift New Delhi: India’s central government will provide free coronavirus shots to any adult starting later this month and take back control of the country’s vaccination drive, marred by delays and shortages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Monday.

The changes reverse a policy launched in April which tasked states and the private sector with vaccinating those between the ages of 18 and 44. The federal government will now procure 75% of all vaccines directly from the manufacturers and provide them to the states for free, while the remaining 25% will be purchased by the private sector.

Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free shots to people above 45 years of age and front-line workers, leaving states and private hospitals to administer inoculations to those between 18 and 44.

Although most states vaccinated those in this age group for free, they were competing for doses with the private sector. Experts say vaccine makers reaped more profits by selling at a higher price to the private sector, causing many states to scramble for supplies.

Modi’s announcement in a nationally televised speech came as pressure was mounting on his gov-

ernment to speed up vaccinations and ensure equity. Last week, the Supreme Court called the previous vaccination policy “arbitrary and irrational.”

India has administered just over 222 million vaccinations so far and less than 5% of the country’s population has been fully inoculated.

Meanwhile, businesses in two of India’s largest cities were reopening as part of a phased easing of lockdown measures in several

states now that the number of new infections in the country is on a steady decline.

India’s capital, New Delhi, allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours on Monday and its Metro, which serves the city and adjoining areas, resumed operation at 50% capacity. Last week, authorities in the capital allowed some manufacturing and construction activity to resume.

“Now the corona situation is under control. The economy must be

brought back on track,” New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

The strict lockdown measures had been in place since April at the start of a devastating surge in infections that lasted well into May and overwhelmed health care facilities in many parts of the country.

Some health experts fear the restrictions are being eased too soon and there are concerns that the virus is still spreading unchecked through India’s villages, where

Indo-American News • Friday, June 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

testing and medical care are limited. Kejriwal warned that any new surge in infections could be more severe and said the administration will build new oxygen production facilities and expand the capacity of intensive-care units.

In Maharashtra, home to the financial hub of Mumbai and one of the worst-hit states, malls, movie theaters, restaurants and offices reopened in districts where the test positivity rate has fallen below 5%. The state’s huge rail network will, however, remain closed for the public.

After registering a peak of more than 400,000 new cases a day in May, new infections and deaths have declined and the government hopes the reopening could resuscitate an economy that grew at only a 1.6% annual rate in the JanuaryMarch quarter.

On Monday, new infections fell to their lowest point in two months.

The 100,636 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total to nearly 29 million, second only to the United States. The Health Ministry said 2,427 more people died in the previous 24 hours, driving the overall toll to 349,186.

Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts. -- Yahoo News

SPIRITUAL

June 11, 2021

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JKYOG Presents A Week-long Celebration of Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul Join JKYog International Festival of Yoga, a free Virtual or In Person world-wide celebration of Yoga for Body, Mind & Soul from June 15th - 21st, 2021.

Make it your personal guide to holistic health & happiness.

Highlighting the importance of Yog, Sri Aurobindo also said, “Yog is the process of all round development of a man.” A healthy body and a sound mind are the building blocks for attaining our goal in this life. No matter how perfect and successful we are in our fields of work, if the body is ill and the mind is fluctuating or distressed, we will always remain unhappy and hopeless in our lives.

So, our most priceless possession is not our riches and gold, but our own body and mind.

The JKYog International Festival of Yoga has grown many fold since its inception in Dallas a few years ago. In 2020 for the first time ever JKYog delivered a world class virtual International Festival of Yoga that proved immensely useful to people looking for ways to maintain their health and wellbeing amid the challenges of a pandemic. In 2021 it returns bigger and better. For the second year it will provide a weeklong experience of holistic health one can enjoy from home or anywhere they can connect with a digital device.

The positive impact of this annu-

al festival on the virtual community in sustaining Yogic traditions as well as bringing innovative ways of incorporating a Yogic lifestyle in daily life, is tremendous.

In its seventh iteration, JKYog International Festival of Yoga the biggest festival for wellness enthusiasts anywhere in the world - is back with many more unique offerings for the community from June 15th – 21st 2021!

JKYog International Festival of Yoga is honored to welcome some of the most inspiring global spiritual leaders and experts in the fields of Yoga and Ayurveda who have transformed the Yoga and wellness landscape in recent times.

Presenters include (among many others): Swami Mukundananda, senior disciple of Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj, is a global spiritual leader, best selling author and international authority on mind management and founder of JKYog. Sadhguru is a Yogi, Mystic and Visionary. Named one of India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru’s work has touched the lives of millions worldwide through his transformational programs. Sadhguru has a unique ability to make the ancient yogic sciences relevant to contemporary minds.

Swami Ramdev also known as Baba Ramdev is a Yoga Guru, spiritual leader, master of Ayurveda

Swami Mukundananda

and founder of Patanjali Ayurveda and Patanjali Yogpeeth.

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, PhD is a renowned spiritual leader, motivational speaker and bestselling author. She is President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a charitable organization bringing education and empowerment to women and children.

Bhante Saranapala, known as the Urban Buddhist Monk, is a much sought after meditation teacher, and global public speaker.

Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, he received both his monastic and secular education in Sri Lanka and settled in Canada. Reverend Dr. Saranapala is a recipient of Spirit Award from the Government of Ontario for his humanitarian services.

With multiple parallel yoga/ meditation sessions– some geared to children, sessions for the physi-

cally challenged and seniors, sessions especially for yoga teachers, sessions enhancing immune system, building strength and healthy back, relieving stress and promoting focus, etc., JKYog Yoga Fest has something for all ages at all levels. All of the sessions,, through the week are designed to inspire you with a wealth of knowledge to honor the body, mind, and soul connection! Attendees can also learn and explore other natural and holistic health options by participating in special focused sessions on preventing and dealing with ailments such as allergies, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart health with natural and holistic alternatives, as well as sustainable living. Over 100 hours of offerings to include: Unique Yoga Sessions :

• Morning Yoga to Awaken the Body • Isha Upa Yoga • The Art & Science of Raja Yoga • Yoga Deep Stretch • Yoga for Increased Energy • Yoga for Building Strength • Balancing Chakras •5 Prana Vayus: Optimizing Your Vital Force Special Meditation and Pranayam sessions: • Isha Kriya Meditation • Gong Meditation • Meditation to Melt Away Stress

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• Guided Meditation / Relaxation • Yoga Nidra • Mindful Breathing Beneficial Holistic Sessions : • Wellness, Stress Relief, Allergy relief and Pain management in Ayurveda • Eat Smart Shop Smart • The Science Behind Essential Oils • Vibrational Sound for Mind, Body Wellness • Prevention and treatment of arthritis, diabetes, cancer, headache, allergies, and taking care of the heart JKYog YogaFest also includes a MarketPlace & Wellness Expo with dozens of vendors and exhibitors where visitors can learn, check out demonstrations, to make intelligent choices for their own holistic health with items such as essential oils, healthy organic food and beverages enhance the yogic experience.

Elevate your mind with sublime spiritual wisdom to go deeper into the true practice of Yoga and truly experience bliss and inner transformation. Tap into the healing power of the body and learn the secrets of holistic wellness, diet, and natural remedies.

Please REGISTER at the following website : https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/international-festival-ofyoga

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DIASPORA

June 11, 2021

Vehicular Hate Crime vs. Muslims in Toronto

Toronto: A pickup truck attack that killed four members of an immigrant family has shaken Canada, a country where immigrants are largely accepted, and drew denunciations Tuesday from Canada’s prime minister, who called it a hate crime directed at Muslims.

The victims — two parents, two children and a grandmother — were on an evening walk when the driver of the truck struck them at an intersection in London, Ontario.

The sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy, who was hospitalized.

“This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament. “If anyone thinks racism and hatred don’t exist in this country, I want to say this: How do we explain such violence to a child in a hospital? How can we look families in the eye and say “Islamophobia isn’t real”?

The victims’ extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld. The hospitalized boy was identified as the couple’s son, Fayez. Friends said the family immigrated to Canada 14 years ago.

Many Canadians have been enjoying evening walks to get fresh air after long days at home during the pandemic, Trudeau said.

“But unlike every other night, this family never made it home,” Trudeau said. “Their lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence. This killing was no accident. ... Canadians are outraged by what happened on Sunday. And many Muslim Canadians are scared.”

Trudeau said words matter and

in part blamed rhetoric, disinformation and extremism online and in politics.

“They can be a seed that grows into an ugly, pervasive trend. And sometimes, they lead to real violence,” the prime minister said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter that the attack revealed the growing Islamophobia in Western countries.

A 20-year-old suspect, Nathaniel Veltman, was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall. He was facing four counts of first-degree murder. Police were inside the suspect’s London apartment on Tuesday.

Police said Veltman did not know the victims. Detective Supt.

Paul Waight said it was not clear if he belonged to any specific hate group, but that local police were working with federal authorities to investigate potential terrorism charges. He said the attack was planned.

Veltman worked part time at an egg farm in nearby Strathroy, Ontario. The chief executive of Gray Ridge Eggs Inc., William Gray, gave no details about Veltman’s job. He said the company was “shocked and saddened” by the at-

tack, and he expressed sympathy for the victims’ relatives and the Muslim community.

Everyone who knew the Afzal family knew “the model family they were as Muslims, Canadians and Pakistanis,” the statement from the extended family said.

“They worked extremely hard in their fields and excelled. Their children were top students in their school and connected strongly with their spiritual identity.”

A fundraising webpage said the father was a physiotherapist and cricket enthusiast and his wife was working on a doctorate in civil engineering at Western University in London. Their daughter was finishing ninth grade, and the grandmother was a “pillar” of the family, the page said.

The family statement urged the public to stand against hate and Islamophobia. “This young man who committed this act of terror was influenced by a group that he associated with, and the rest of the community must take a strong stand against this, from the highest levels in our government to every member of the community,” the statement said.

-- Associated Press

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June 11, 2021

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Swami Mukundananda is a world-renowned teacher of spirituality, Yoga and Meditation. He is the founder of the unique Yogic system JKYog, also known as Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul. He received His degrees in Engineering and Management from IIT (Delhi) and IIM (Kolkata). Swamiji is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. He has inspired people all over the world, on the path of Spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God-realization. He has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle etc. and has conducted programs at prestigious universities such as Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Kellogg and Duke University. Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas is the headquarters of JKYog. Please register for the Online events at https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/CICE.

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June 11, 2021

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INDIA

June 11, 2021

Three in Top 200, India Tally Unchanged in Ranks of Leading International Universities Mumbai: With achieved disrupted and their best most educational rank across institutions movfive years ing online across in the latest the world after the edition of the Covid outbreak rankings. last year, India’s Another tally in the top seven re200 universities tained their hasn’t shown any status, and change for the fifth four have Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. straight year. made their Apart from IITdebut in Bombay, IIT-Delhi and Indian Institute of the rankings and entered the 1,000 club.

Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, no other Indian Among those making their debut are institution has been able to break into the top Jawaharlal Nehru University (561-570), 200 since 2017, according to the latest edi- Pondicherry University (801-100), IIT tion of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Bhubaneswar (701-750) and Siksha ‘O’ University Rankings (WUR).

Anusandhan (801-100).

The total number of Indian higher educaAligarh Muslim University, Banaras tion institutions placed among the world’s top Hindu University (BHU) and Amrita Vish1,000 hasn’t shown any significant change, wa Vidyapeetham are no longer among the either. While 22 Indian universities are fea- top 1,000, having dropped from the 801tured among the top 1,000 this time, there 1,000 band to 1,001-1,200. were 21 in QS WUR 2021, 23 in 2020, 24 in IIT-Bombay continues to be India’s best 2019, and 20 in 2018. higher education institution for the fourth Among the 22 Indian institutions in the top consecutive year, holding 177th position 1,000, four (IIT-Bombay, IISc, IIT Roorkee although it fell five places over the last and OP Jindal Global University) have fallen year. IIT-Delhi comes next, rising from 193 in rank over the past 12 months. Seven (IIT- to 185 over the last 12 months, overtakDelhi, IIT-Madras, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharag- ing IISc, which ranks 186th. IISc remains pur, IIT-Guwahati, IIT-Hyderabad and Savit- the world’s top research university, mainribai Phule Pune University) have risen in taining a perfect score of 100/100 for this position. Last year, as many as 14 universities metric. Indian universities have improved had fallen in rank, and only four had gained. their performance on academic reputation That apart, five institutions — IIT-Madras, metric and research impact, but continue IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Guwahati to struggle on the teaching capacity metric. and Savitribai Phule Pune University — have -- Indian Express

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INDIA

June 11, 2021

How the US Will Recover Remains of 400 of its Soldiers Missing in India

By Vaibhav Jha

Ahmedabad: Gandhinagarbased National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) has tied up with US’s Department of Defense (DOD) to recover and identify the remains of over 400 missing US military personnel in India during World War II. In a video-conference meeting held on May 27, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) under the DOD of USA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NFSU and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) under which a team from DPAA will visit India to trace, recover and identify the remains of over 400 US Army and US Air Force personnel who went “missing in action” (MIA) during the penultimate years of World War II. DPAA is an agency working under the Department of Defense of the US, formed in 2015 as an umbrella organisation with the merger of multiple agencies. Primarily, its task is to trace the remains of any US army personnel who has gone MIA or are Prisoners of War (POW) in past conflicts of WW II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War and Iraq offensive. The DPAA is in constant touch with the families of those missing. As per DPAA, the agency is currently trying to trace more than 81,800 missing personnel.

There will be eight such exercises of DPAA or similar agencies under DOD in India limited to northeast states. Recovery missions by the US have been conducted in India since 2008 in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Tripura. In 2016, a team of DPAA and the Anthropological Survey of India found some evidence of remains of US Army personnel.

According to DPAA, the remains of six personnel of the US military have been identified in India while 306, believed to have died in the country, remain unaccounted for so far. The agency, however, believes the number could be above 400 in India.

The DPAA ties up with host countries and depending on the topography, terrain challenges and weather, it formulates a timespan to conduct its operations. The agency first sends a research and investigation team (RIT) to examine records and archives of the host country to get leads on the last whereabouts of the missing personnel. The RIT also does research in the marked areas to get an oral history from the military or locals regarding the past conflicts. Based on the findings of RIT, a team of anthropology and forensic science experts conduct on-site operations looking for aircraft wreckage remains or cemetery records of local areas. If the lead is confirmed, then sites are excavated and any human remains found are then sent to US-

identifying decomposed bodies or skeletons are done through odontology -- forensic dental examination and forensic anthropology.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Gargi Jani, project manager, NFSU, said, “The DPAA has signed an MOU with the NFSU to provide the fullest possible accounting for missing personnel to their families and US nation. Our role at the NFSU would be to assist the DPAA with our scientific and logistic capabilities.”

The NFSU is India’s premier forensic institute where forensic anthropology is integrated with forensic sciences and forensic During the final years of World War II, US airmen were based in India and odontology. The institute also conducted sorties against the Japanese in Burma. boasts of a forensic odontology laboratory along with other equipment such as 3D scanners and printers.

The NFSU and Forensic Science Laboratory which come under Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Gujarat Government currently has 1,100 staff and offer services such as suspect detection system, computer forensics, narco analysis, polygraph A DPAA forensic member examines the wreckage of a US bomber in examination, audio-video tape authentication system, BEOSP, Arunachal Pradesh. integrated ballistics identificateam, Anthropological Survey of tion system, accredited ‘cow meat’ based laboratories for tests.

Under the newly signed MoU, a India and local teams. This will testing mobile laboratories, acteam of forensic experts, includ- be for the first time that NFSU credited mobile investigation vans ing students from NFSU, will visit will work on an anthropology case and automated fingerprint identifinortheast states along with DPAA dating back 70 years. The task of cation system. -- Indian Express

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ENTERTAINMENT

June 11, 2021

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Netflix Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Will Never Say Never

ther, maternal grandmother, and dog, Melody. “Everyone is so dramatic. We definitely dish it to each other. You enter our household and we’re going to make you feel like family, but I can’t protect you.”

Her parents both left their native country of Sri Lanka during the Tamil genocide. “Like many immigrant stories, it’s never a linear line. My mom traveled all around the world from Dubai to England.

My dad went to South Africa, then Montreal, before meeting my mom in Ontario.”

Her fan base is wide ranging: from a seven-year-old girl at a café to a grown woman bursting into tears. “I think the show is what their inner child really yearned for.”

As for that second season? “I’m going to put my money where my mouth is: I think season two is better than season one. You’re going to scream at Devi, but you’re also going to want to hug her.” -- Vanity Fair, photo by Tierney Gearon.

By Britt Hennemuth Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was a 12th grader starring in a teen production of Chicago when Mindy Kaling began searching for a young South Asian woman to lead her precocious Netflix dramedy, Never Have I Ever. Her winning audition beat the 15,000 others who tried out for Devi—a part that earned Ramakrishnan a spot on A.O. Scott’s list of 2020’s best performances and a Time 100 anointment. Now the 19-year-old is bracing for season two—and trying to maintain perspective: “I kept putting the pressure on myself to represent brown girls everywhere. And I was like, hold on. If I’m not going to put that pressure on a fictional character, why the hell would I do that to myself?”

Her home in Mississauga was filled with big personalities: Ramakrishnan’s musically inclined brother, labor-relations-specialist mother, government-worker fa-

Family Man 2: Srikant-Suchitra’s Strain, Sameer’s Revenge The much anticipated second season of The Family Man dropped last Friday. Headlined by Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni, the Amazon Prime Video series has received praise from fans and critics alike.

Created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, The Family Man revolves around a world-class spy Srikant Tiwari who can hunt down terrorists but has difficulty dealing with his family. The second sea-

son also marked the digital debut of south superstar Samantha. The show also stars Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwanthary among others.

Social media has been abuzz with discussions and various theories around the climax. As we await more info on the next season, here’s listing the five plot points and how it culminated in the final episode of The Family Man

2. In case you haven’t watched the show yet, statuary warning.

The biggest cliffhanger of The Family Man Season 2 is whether Srikant knows what happened between his wife Suchitra and her colleague Arvind. In the last season, the two, while on a work trip to Lonavala, seemed to have taken the relationship a step further.

While we did not witness what transpired between them, we did see Suchitra being bothered about the same.

Suchitra’s marriage also seemed to have suffered because of what happened with Arvind, and while discussing the same with her counsellor, she suggested

that she would like to open up to Srikant about the same.

In the last scene, we saw a concerned Srikant ask Suchitra what has been bothering her all the while. However, the makers once again left the plot hanging and fans curious. Through the course of the season, we have realised that Srikant wants to work on his marriage. “We don’t belong to a generation which believes in breaks,” he mentioned to his friend while speaking about his relationship.

But will he be able to understand if Suchitra indeed cheated on him?

And even if she didn’t, the emotional connection between the

couple is at an all-time low. Will Srikant manage to fill that gap?

The next season indeed will be a test for this ‘family man’.

In the last episode of The Family Man Season 2, Raj and DK have teased the plot of the third season, which could be based on IndoChina issues.

It also seems the season will be set against the backdrop of the pandemic. A mysterious person sitting in Kolkata is seen getting ready for a Chinese mission Guan Yu, which is likely to hit the northeast region of the country.

-- Indian Express

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SPORTS

June 11, 2021

17-year-old Megha Ganne had an Epic U.S. Open (and Skipped Calculus)

San Francisco: Megha Ganne was easy to spot at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was usually the one smiling.

The 17-year-old from Holmdel, N.J., shared the first-round lead at The Olympic Club and played her way into the final grouping with LPGA star Lexi Thompson and eventual winner Yuka Saso.

She struggled on Sunday, making two double bogeys on the front nine and turning in 41, but she rebounded to shoot even par on the back nine for a final-round 77. It was her highest round of the week by five strokes, but that didn’t stop her from receiving a rousing ovation from the crowd when she finished on the 18th green on Sunday.

“Oh, it was just electric,” she said. “I can’t thank all these fans enough. They’ve made my week so much better than it could have been. I just felt like there was so much love and so much support, and all of them are really excited to be out here, which is so great to see because I feel like in a small way I’m making an impact on the game, which is really cool.”

She made plenty of new fans, too.

Ganne, a high-school junior who has already committed to play collegially at Stanford, took photos with kids and signed autographs throughout the week. She was a popular player among young girls, even though she was one of a handful of competitors closest to their age. She called those interactions with fans her favorite part of

school next year. She birdied three of the first eight holes and made three more on the back nine to overcome a pair of bogeys.

She made one of her few mistakes on 18 when she hit her approach shot into a greenside bunker.

One other Indian American played as an amateur in the U.S. Open. This was Gurleen Kaur, who went to high school in Cy Woods High School in Houston and is now a junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. -- Golf and New York Post

Cricket Enthusiast?

the week.

“Every single small girl I saw out there I waved to and I couldn’t help but smiling,” Ganne said.

“They’re just so adorable and it’s crazy to think that they’re like here for me and want to watch me play.”

Next up for Ganne? Back to school. Last week she talked about trying to cram her calculus homework into her Open prep. “Hopefully my teacher gives me a little bit more time,” she said.

That led to Golf Channel’s Kira Dixon sending a playful Twitter request for Ganne’s teacher to help — and that’s exactly what happened.

The calculus assist was nice. But a T14 in the U.S. Women’s Open

wasn’t bad either.

“I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life,” Ganne said.

“It’s everything I’ve wanted since I was little, so it’s just the best feeling.”

HighMe school junior Megha Ganne shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday to become the first amateur in 15 years to have a share of the lead after any round at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 17-year-old from New Jersey made back-to-back birdies on the back nine to take sole possession of the lead before making bogey on the 18th hole to end the day in a tie with Mel Reid on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club.

Ganne became the first amateur to lead after a round at the wom-

en’s Open since Jane Park did it after one round at Newport Country Club in 2006.

Ganne needed a playoff last month to qualify for her second career U.S. Open but felt much more comfortable once she got here than she did two years ago when she missed the cut.

“I think the first time is nerveracking for anybody and meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time,” she said. “But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn’t as nervous. I felt like I could come here and just play my game instead of soaking that all in.”

She did just that up the road from Stanford where she plans to go to college after graduating high

Indo-American News • Friday, June 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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Please call or message Andy Bharadwaj at (281) 851-9062.

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June 11, 2021

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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.

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Teens on the Global Scene

Vaccine for All

P2

MIA Recovery

Maitreyi Ramkrishnan (left) is the star of Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” developed by Mindy Kaling (Page 9) and Megha Ganne was one of the stars of the US Open golf tournament at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. (Page 10).

Indo-American News • Friday, june 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

P8

2 June 11, 2021 COVID India to Provide Free Vaccines to All in a Major Policy Shift New Delhi: India’s central government will provide free coronavirus shots to any adult starting later this month and take back control of the country’s vaccination drive, marred by delays and shortages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Monday.

The changes reverse a policy launched in April which tasked states and the private sector with vaccinating those between the ages of 18 and 44. The federal government will now procure 75% of all vaccines directly from the manufacturers and provide them to the states for free, while the remaining 25% will be purchased by the private sector.

Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free shots to people above 45 years of age and front-line workers, leaving states and private hospitals to administer inoculations to those between 18 and 44.

Although most states vaccinated those in this age group for free, they were competing for doses with the private sector. Experts say vaccine makers reaped more profits by selling at a higher price to the private sector, causing many states to scramble for supplies.

Modi’s announcement in a nationally televised speech came as pressure was mounting on his gov-

ernment to speed up vaccinations and ensure equity. Last week, the Supreme Court called the previous vaccination policy “arbitrary and irrational.”

India has administered just over 222 million vaccinations so far and less than 5% of the country’s population has been fully inoculated.

Meanwhile, businesses in two of India’s largest cities were reopening as part of a phased easing of lockdown measures in several

states now that the number of new infections in the country is on a steady decline.

India’s capital, New Delhi, allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours on Monday and its Metro, which serves the city and adjoining areas, resumed operation at 50% capacity. Last week, authorities in the capital allowed some manufacturing and construction activity to resume.

“Now the corona situation is under control. The economy must be

brought back on track,” New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

The strict lockdown measures had been in place since April at the start of a devastating surge in infections that lasted well into May and overwhelmed health care facilities in many parts of the country.

Some health experts fear the restrictions are being eased too soon and there are concerns that the virus is still spreading unchecked through India’s villages, where

Indo-American News • Friday, June 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

testing and medical care are limited. Kejriwal warned that any new surge in infections could be more severe and said the administration will build new oxygen production facilities and expand the capacity of intensive-care units.

In Maharashtra, home to the financial hub of Mumbai and one of the worst-hit states, malls, movie theaters, restaurants and offices reopened in districts where the test positivity rate has fallen below 5%. The state’s huge rail network will, however, remain closed for the public.

After registering a peak of more than 400,000 new cases a day in May, new infections and deaths have declined and the government hopes the reopening could resuscitate an economy that grew at only a 1.6% annual rate in the JanuaryMarch quarter.

On Monday, new infections fell to their lowest point in two months.

The 100,636 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total to nearly 29 million, second only to the United States. The Health Ministry said 2,427 more people died in the previous 24 hours, driving the overall toll to 349,186.

Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts. -- Yahoo News

SPIRITUAL

June 11, 2021

3

JKYOG Presents A Week-long Celebration of Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul Join JKYog International Festival of Yoga, a free Virtual or In Person world-wide celebration of Yoga for Body, Mind & Soul from June 15th - 21st, 2021.

Make it your personal guide to holistic health & happiness.

Highlighting the importance of Yog, Sri Aurobindo also said, “Yog is the process of all round development of a man.” A healthy body and a sound mind are the building blocks for attaining our goal in this life. No matter how perfect and successful we are in our fields of work, if the body is ill and the mind is fluctuating or distressed, we will always remain unhappy and hopeless in our lives.

So, our most priceless possession is not our riches and gold, but our own body and mind.

The JKYog International Festival of Yoga has grown many fold since its inception in Dallas a few years ago. In 2020 for the first time ever JKYog delivered a world class virtual International Festival of Yoga that proved immensely useful to people looking for ways to maintain their health and wellbeing amid the challenges of a pandemic. In 2021 it returns bigger and better. For the second year it will provide a weeklong experience of holistic health one can enjoy from home or anywhere they can connect with a digital device.

The positive impact of this annu-

al festival on the virtual community in sustaining Yogic traditions as well as bringing innovative ways of incorporating a Yogic lifestyle in daily life, is tremendous.

In its seventh iteration, JKYog International Festival of Yoga the biggest festival for wellness enthusiasts anywhere in the world - is back with many more unique offerings for the community from June 15th – 21st 2021!

JKYog International Festival of Yoga is honored to welcome some of the most inspiring global spiritual leaders and experts in the fields of Yoga and Ayurveda who have transformed the Yoga and wellness landscape in recent times.

Presenters include (among many others): Swami Mukundananda, senior disciple of Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj, is a global spiritual leader, best selling author and international authority on mind management and founder of JKYog. Sadhguru is a Yogi, Mystic and Visionary. Named one of India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru’s work has touched the lives of millions worldwide through his transformational programs. Sadhguru has a unique ability to make the ancient yogic sciences relevant to contemporary minds.

Swami Ramdev also known as Baba Ramdev is a Yoga Guru, spiritual leader, master of Ayurveda

Swami Mukundananda

and founder of Patanjali Ayurveda and Patanjali Yogpeeth.

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, PhD is a renowned spiritual leader, motivational speaker and bestselling author. She is President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a charitable organization bringing education and empowerment to women and children.

Bhante Saranapala, known as the Urban Buddhist Monk, is a much sought after meditation teacher, and global public speaker.

Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, he received both his monastic and secular education in Sri Lanka and settled in Canada. Reverend Dr. Saranapala is a recipient of Spirit Award from the Government of Ontario for his humanitarian services.

With multiple parallel yoga/ meditation sessions– some geared to children, sessions for the physi-

cally challenged and seniors, sessions especially for yoga teachers, sessions enhancing immune system, building strength and healthy back, relieving stress and promoting focus, etc., JKYog Yoga Fest has something for all ages at all levels. All of the sessions,, through the week are designed to inspire you with a wealth of knowledge to honor the body, mind, and soul connection! Attendees can also learn and explore other natural and holistic health options by participating in special focused sessions on preventing and dealing with ailments such as allergies, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart health with natural and holistic alternatives, as well as sustainable living. Over 100 hours of offerings to include: Unique Yoga Sessions :

• Morning Yoga to Awaken the Body • Isha Upa Yoga • The Art & Science of Raja Yoga • Yoga Deep Stretch • Yoga for Increased Energy • Yoga for Building Strength • Balancing Chakras •5 Prana Vayus: Optimizing Your Vital Force Special Meditation and Pranayam sessions: • Isha Kriya Meditation • Gong Meditation • Meditation to Melt Away Stress

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• Guided Meditation / Relaxation • Yoga Nidra • Mindful Breathing Beneficial Holistic Sessions : • Wellness, Stress Relief, Allergy relief and Pain management in Ayurveda • Eat Smart Shop Smart • The Science Behind Essential Oils • Vibrational Sound for Mind, Body Wellness • Prevention and treatment of arthritis, diabetes, cancer, headache, allergies, and taking care of the heart JKYog YogaFest also includes a MarketPlace & Wellness Expo with dozens of vendors and exhibitors where visitors can learn, check out demonstrations, to make intelligent choices for their own holistic health with items such as essential oils, healthy organic food and beverages enhance the yogic experience.

Elevate your mind with sublime spiritual wisdom to go deeper into the true practice of Yoga and truly experience bliss and inner transformation. Tap into the healing power of the body and learn the secrets of holistic wellness, diet, and natural remedies.

Please REGISTER at the following website : https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/international-festival-ofyoga

4

DIASPORA

June 11, 2021

Vehicular Hate Crime vs. Muslims in Toronto

Toronto: A pickup truck attack that killed four members of an immigrant family has shaken Canada, a country where immigrants are largely accepted, and drew denunciations Tuesday from Canada’s prime minister, who called it a hate crime directed at Muslims.

The victims — two parents, two children and a grandmother — were on an evening walk when the driver of the truck struck them at an intersection in London, Ontario.

The sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy, who was hospitalized.

“This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament. “If anyone thinks racism and hatred don’t exist in this country, I want to say this: How do we explain such violence to a child in a hospital? How can we look families in the eye and say “Islamophobia isn’t real”?

The victims’ extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld. The hospitalized boy was identified as the couple’s son, Fayez. Friends said the family immigrated to Canada 14 years ago.

Many Canadians have been enjoying evening walks to get fresh air after long days at home during the pandemic, Trudeau said.

“But unlike every other night, this family never made it home,” Trudeau said. “Their lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence. This killing was no accident. ... Canadians are outraged by what happened on Sunday. And many Muslim Canadians are scared.”

Trudeau said words matter and

in part blamed rhetoric, disinformation and extremism online and in politics.

“They can be a seed that grows into an ugly, pervasive trend. And sometimes, they lead to real violence,” the prime minister said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter that the attack revealed the growing Islamophobia in Western countries.

A 20-year-old suspect, Nathaniel Veltman, was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall. He was facing four counts of first-degree murder. Police were inside the suspect’s London apartment on Tuesday.

Police said Veltman did not know the victims. Detective Supt.

Paul Waight said it was not clear if he belonged to any specific hate group, but that local police were working with federal authorities to investigate potential terrorism charges. He said the attack was planned.

Veltman worked part time at an egg farm in nearby Strathroy, Ontario. The chief executive of Gray Ridge Eggs Inc., William Gray, gave no details about Veltman’s job. He said the company was “shocked and saddened” by the at-

tack, and he expressed sympathy for the victims’ relatives and the Muslim community.

Everyone who knew the Afzal family knew “the model family they were as Muslims, Canadians and Pakistanis,” the statement from the extended family said.

“They worked extremely hard in their fields and excelled. Their children were top students in their school and connected strongly with their spiritual identity.”

A fundraising webpage said the father was a physiotherapist and cricket enthusiast and his wife was working on a doctorate in civil engineering at Western University in London. Their daughter was finishing ninth grade, and the grandmother was a “pillar” of the family, the page said.

The family statement urged the public to stand against hate and Islamophobia. “This young man who committed this act of terror was influenced by a group that he associated with, and the rest of the community must take a strong stand against this, from the highest levels in our government to every member of the community,” the statement said.

-- Associated Press

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June 11, 2021

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Swami Mukundananda is a world-renowned teacher of spirituality, Yoga and Meditation. He is the founder of the unique Yogic system JKYog, also known as Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul. He received His degrees in Engineering and Management from IIT (Delhi) and IIM (Kolkata). Swamiji is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. He has inspired people all over the world, on the path of Spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God-realization. He has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle etc. and has conducted programs at prestigious universities such as Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Kellogg and Duke University. Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas is the headquarters of JKYog. Please register for the Online events at https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/CICE.

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June 11, 2021

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INDIA

June 11, 2021

Three in Top 200, India Tally Unchanged in Ranks of Leading International Universities Mumbai: With achieved disrupted and their best most educational rank across institutions movfive years ing online across in the latest the world after the edition of the Covid outbreak rankings. last year, India’s Another tally in the top seven re200 universities tained their hasn’t shown any status, and change for the fifth four have Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. straight year. made their Apart from IITdebut in Bombay, IIT-Delhi and Indian Institute of the rankings and entered the 1,000 club.

Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, no other Indian Among those making their debut are institution has been able to break into the top Jawaharlal Nehru University (561-570), 200 since 2017, according to the latest edi- Pondicherry University (801-100), IIT tion of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Bhubaneswar (701-750) and Siksha ‘O’ University Rankings (WUR).

Anusandhan (801-100).

The total number of Indian higher educaAligarh Muslim University, Banaras tion institutions placed among the world’s top Hindu University (BHU) and Amrita Vish1,000 hasn’t shown any significant change, wa Vidyapeetham are no longer among the either. While 22 Indian universities are fea- top 1,000, having dropped from the 801tured among the top 1,000 this time, there 1,000 band to 1,001-1,200. were 21 in QS WUR 2021, 23 in 2020, 24 in IIT-Bombay continues to be India’s best 2019, and 20 in 2018. higher education institution for the fourth Among the 22 Indian institutions in the top consecutive year, holding 177th position 1,000, four (IIT-Bombay, IISc, IIT Roorkee although it fell five places over the last and OP Jindal Global University) have fallen year. IIT-Delhi comes next, rising from 193 in rank over the past 12 months. Seven (IIT- to 185 over the last 12 months, overtakDelhi, IIT-Madras, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharag- ing IISc, which ranks 186th. IISc remains pur, IIT-Guwahati, IIT-Hyderabad and Savit- the world’s top research university, mainribai Phule Pune University) have risen in taining a perfect score of 100/100 for this position. Last year, as many as 14 universities metric. Indian universities have improved had fallen in rank, and only four had gained. their performance on academic reputation That apart, five institutions — IIT-Madras, metric and research impact, but continue IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Guwahati to struggle on the teaching capacity metric. and Savitribai Phule Pune University — have -- Indian Express

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8

INDIA

June 11, 2021

How the US Will Recover Remains of 400 of its Soldiers Missing in India

By Vaibhav Jha

Ahmedabad: Gandhinagarbased National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) has tied up with US’s Department of Defense (DOD) to recover and identify the remains of over 400 missing US military personnel in India during World War II. In a video-conference meeting held on May 27, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) under the DOD of USA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NFSU and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) under which a team from DPAA will visit India to trace, recover and identify the remains of over 400 US Army and US Air Force personnel who went “missing in action” (MIA) during the penultimate years of World War II. DPAA is an agency working under the Department of Defense of the US, formed in 2015 as an umbrella organisation with the merger of multiple agencies. Primarily, its task is to trace the remains of any US army personnel who has gone MIA or are Prisoners of War (POW) in past conflicts of WW II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War and Iraq offensive. The DPAA is in constant touch with the families of those missing. As per DPAA, the agency is currently trying to trace more than 81,800 missing personnel.

There will be eight such exercises of DPAA or similar agencies under DOD in India limited to northeast states. Recovery missions by the US have been conducted in India since 2008 in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Tripura. In 2016, a team of DPAA and the Anthropological Survey of India found some evidence of remains of US Army personnel.

According to DPAA, the remains of six personnel of the US military have been identified in India while 306, believed to have died in the country, remain unaccounted for so far. The agency, however, believes the number could be above 400 in India.

The DPAA ties up with host countries and depending on the topography, terrain challenges and weather, it formulates a timespan to conduct its operations. The agency first sends a research and investigation team (RIT) to examine records and archives of the host country to get leads on the last whereabouts of the missing personnel. The RIT also does research in the marked areas to get an oral history from the military or locals regarding the past conflicts. Based on the findings of RIT, a team of anthropology and forensic science experts conduct on-site operations looking for aircraft wreckage remains or cemetery records of local areas. If the lead is confirmed, then sites are excavated and any human remains found are then sent to US-

identifying decomposed bodies or skeletons are done through odontology -- forensic dental examination and forensic anthropology.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Gargi Jani, project manager, NFSU, said, “The DPAA has signed an MOU with the NFSU to provide the fullest possible accounting for missing personnel to their families and US nation. Our role at the NFSU would be to assist the DPAA with our scientific and logistic capabilities.”

The NFSU is India’s premier forensic institute where forensic anthropology is integrated with forensic sciences and forensic During the final years of World War II, US airmen were based in India and odontology. The institute also conducted sorties against the Japanese in Burma. boasts of a forensic odontology laboratory along with other equipment such as 3D scanners and printers.

The NFSU and Forensic Science Laboratory which come under Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Gujarat Government currently has 1,100 staff and offer services such as suspect detection system, computer forensics, narco analysis, polygraph A DPAA forensic member examines the wreckage of a US bomber in examination, audio-video tape authentication system, BEOSP, Arunachal Pradesh. integrated ballistics identificateam, Anthropological Survey of tion system, accredited ‘cow meat’ based laboratories for tests.

Under the newly signed MoU, a India and local teams. This will testing mobile laboratories, acteam of forensic experts, includ- be for the first time that NFSU credited mobile investigation vans ing students from NFSU, will visit will work on an anthropology case and automated fingerprint identifinortheast states along with DPAA dating back 70 years. The task of cation system. -- Indian Express

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ENTERTAINMENT

June 11, 2021

9

Netflix Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Will Never Say Never

ther, maternal grandmother, and dog, Melody. “Everyone is so dramatic. We definitely dish it to each other. You enter our household and we’re going to make you feel like family, but I can’t protect you.”

Her parents both left their native country of Sri Lanka during the Tamil genocide. “Like many immigrant stories, it’s never a linear line. My mom traveled all around the world from Dubai to England.

My dad went to South Africa, then Montreal, before meeting my mom in Ontario.”

Her fan base is wide ranging: from a seven-year-old girl at a café to a grown woman bursting into tears. “I think the show is what their inner child really yearned for.”

As for that second season? “I’m going to put my money where my mouth is: I think season two is better than season one. You’re going to scream at Devi, but you’re also going to want to hug her.” -- Vanity Fair, photo by Tierney Gearon.

By Britt Hennemuth Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was a 12th grader starring in a teen production of Chicago when Mindy Kaling began searching for a young South Asian woman to lead her precocious Netflix dramedy, Never Have I Ever. Her winning audition beat the 15,000 others who tried out for Devi—a part that earned Ramakrishnan a spot on A.O. Scott’s list of 2020’s best performances and a Time 100 anointment. Now the 19-year-old is bracing for season two—and trying to maintain perspective: “I kept putting the pressure on myself to represent brown girls everywhere. And I was like, hold on. If I’m not going to put that pressure on a fictional character, why the hell would I do that to myself?”

Her home in Mississauga was filled with big personalities: Ramakrishnan’s musically inclined brother, labor-relations-specialist mother, government-worker fa-

Family Man 2: Srikant-Suchitra’s Strain, Sameer’s Revenge The much anticipated second season of The Family Man dropped last Friday. Headlined by Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni, the Amazon Prime Video series has received praise from fans and critics alike.

Created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, The Family Man revolves around a world-class spy Srikant Tiwari who can hunt down terrorists but has difficulty dealing with his family. The second sea-

son also marked the digital debut of south superstar Samantha. The show also stars Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwanthary among others.

Social media has been abuzz with discussions and various theories around the climax. As we await more info on the next season, here’s listing the five plot points and how it culminated in the final episode of The Family Man

2. In case you haven’t watched the show yet, statuary warning.

The biggest cliffhanger of The Family Man Season 2 is whether Srikant knows what happened between his wife Suchitra and her colleague Arvind. In the last season, the two, while on a work trip to Lonavala, seemed to have taken the relationship a step further.

While we did not witness what transpired between them, we did see Suchitra being bothered about the same.

Suchitra’s marriage also seemed to have suffered because of what happened with Arvind, and while discussing the same with her counsellor, she suggested

that she would like to open up to Srikant about the same.

In the last scene, we saw a concerned Srikant ask Suchitra what has been bothering her all the while. However, the makers once again left the plot hanging and fans curious. Through the course of the season, we have realised that Srikant wants to work on his marriage. “We don’t belong to a generation which believes in breaks,” he mentioned to his friend while speaking about his relationship.

But will he be able to understand if Suchitra indeed cheated on him?

And even if she didn’t, the emotional connection between the

couple is at an all-time low. Will Srikant manage to fill that gap?

The next season indeed will be a test for this ‘family man’.

In the last episode of The Family Man Season 2, Raj and DK have teased the plot of the third season, which could be based on IndoChina issues.

It also seems the season will be set against the backdrop of the pandemic. A mysterious person sitting in Kolkata is seen getting ready for a Chinese mission Guan Yu, which is likely to hit the northeast region of the country.

-- Indian Express

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SPORTS

June 11, 2021

17-year-old Megha Ganne had an Epic U.S. Open (and Skipped Calculus)

San Francisco: Megha Ganne was easy to spot at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was usually the one smiling.

The 17-year-old from Holmdel, N.J., shared the first-round lead at The Olympic Club and played her way into the final grouping with LPGA star Lexi Thompson and eventual winner Yuka Saso.

She struggled on Sunday, making two double bogeys on the front nine and turning in 41, but she rebounded to shoot even par on the back nine for a final-round 77. It was her highest round of the week by five strokes, but that didn’t stop her from receiving a rousing ovation from the crowd when she finished on the 18th green on Sunday.

“Oh, it was just electric,” she said. “I can’t thank all these fans enough. They’ve made my week so much better than it could have been. I just felt like there was so much love and so much support, and all of them are really excited to be out here, which is so great to see because I feel like in a small way I’m making an impact on the game, which is really cool.”

She made plenty of new fans, too.

Ganne, a high-school junior who has already committed to play collegially at Stanford, took photos with kids and signed autographs throughout the week. She was a popular player among young girls, even though she was one of a handful of competitors closest to their age. She called those interactions with fans her favorite part of

school next year. She birdied three of the first eight holes and made three more on the back nine to overcome a pair of bogeys.

She made one of her few mistakes on 18 when she hit her approach shot into a greenside bunker.

One other Indian American played as an amateur in the U.S. Open. This was Gurleen Kaur, who went to high school in Cy Woods High School in Houston and is now a junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. -- Golf and New York Post

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the week.

“Every single small girl I saw out there I waved to and I couldn’t help but smiling,” Ganne said.

“They’re just so adorable and it’s crazy to think that they’re like here for me and want to watch me play.”

Next up for Ganne? Back to school. Last week she talked about trying to cram her calculus homework into her Open prep. “Hopefully my teacher gives me a little bit more time,” she said.

That led to Golf Channel’s Kira Dixon sending a playful Twitter request for Ganne’s teacher to help — and that’s exactly what happened.

The calculus assist was nice. But a T14 in the U.S. Women’s Open

wasn’t bad either.

“I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life,” Ganne said.

“It’s everything I’ve wanted since I was little, so it’s just the best feeling.”

HighMe school junior Megha Ganne shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday to become the first amateur in 15 years to have a share of the lead after any round at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 17-year-old from New Jersey made back-to-back birdies on the back nine to take sole possession of the lead before making bogey on the 18th hole to end the day in a tie with Mel Reid on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club.

Ganne became the first amateur to lead after a round at the wom-

en’s Open since Jane Park did it after one round at Newport Country Club in 2006.

Ganne needed a playoff last month to qualify for her second career U.S. Open but felt much more comfortable once she got here than she did two years ago when she missed the cut.

“I think the first time is nerveracking for anybody and meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time,” she said. “But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn’t as nervous. I felt like I could come here and just play my game instead of soaking that all in.”

She did just that up the road from Stanford where she plans to go to college after graduating high

Indo-American News • Friday, June 11, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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June 11, 2021

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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

WEEK IF ON A LOW SUG AR DIET, USE HONEY INST EAD

Many people on a re of the foods they lo stricted, low sugar diet cut back on ve many ies of all types. Th and skip many deserts or drinks an d cookough they are min dful of what they difficult not to crav eat, e for carbohydrate and satisfying. foods which are cr it is unchy Honey is often used as and also when used a substitute for sugar, mixed in ho t drin with lemon juice as mon cold. But fo a tonic against the ks r those who want comcookies, a few m honey are availabl ade with e.

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