Indo-American News: June 28, 2021

Friday, June 18, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 25

Indo American News

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June 18, 2021

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2 June 18, 2021 COVID RELIEF BAPS Serves Communities Affected by Covid Across India Ahmedabad: As COVID-19 case counts reach lows not seen since the beginning of the pandemic across the United States, a semblance of normality is starting to take place. However, outside of the United States and areas with high vaccination rates, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on.

Since April 2021, India has been plagued by a second surge of COVID-19 cases – with daily new cases sometimes reaching over 400,000. The situation on the ground is extremely dire, with over 350,000 deaths to date. As this surge takes place, BAPS Charities spared no effort in combating the pandemic and alleviating the suffering. To the critically ill, ventilators, oxygen and contemporary medical therapies are being provided. Humanitarian support is also being provided to those in need, including families of the patients, in the form of meals, subsidized medicine and other daily necessities.

BAPS Charities, through its global network and partner hospitals, has to-date supported the treatment of over 3,800 victims to full recovery from COVID-19.

Anand Barot, a lead volunteer assisting with efforts on the ground in India commented, “The situa-

tion here is dire. Medical staff and volunteers at hospitals operated

by BAPS are doing everything possible to provide the best treatment and care for those suffering from the virus. We understand that there is a long road ahead and we continue to explore other ways to help.” Partner hospitals in India have provided nearly 900 beds to the afflicted.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an extraordinarily high demand of medical-

grade oxygen in India. The supply chain for medical oxygen is incredibly complex and meeting the necessary demand has proven quite challenging. Given that medical oxygen supplies are vital, COVID-19 or otherwise, BAPS Charities utilized its international network of volunteers and wellwishers to provide medical oxygen relief where possible. Dr. Pranav Patel of Gujarat, India said, “Due to the lack of oxygen in the clinics, hospitals and homes, patients

were suffering and dying from breathlessness. The situation was so bad that the relatives of patients had to stand in line to procure oxygen - often walking away with nothing. At that time, BAPS and its volunteers answered the call for help. The organization came to the hospital and helped us procure oxygen concentrators and we were able to save the lives of many patients and recover fully.”

To date, over 2,300 oxygen concentrators, 132 metric tons of liquid oxygen via cryogenic tanks, and over 7.85 million liters of gaseous oxygen have been distributed throughout India, saving thousands of lives. These essential oxygen supplies were transported from the USA, UK, UAE, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and elsewhere - truly a global effort.

For many patients, access to medical oxygen has been limited by their proximity to major metropolitan areas. For that reason, BAPS Charities and partner organizations have connected with doctors and medical professionals in many rural areas to provide them with oxygen and other necessary supplies. Relief was provided throughout India, including

Indo-American News • Friday, June 18, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

the states of Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Chimanbhai Parmar, who has for many years operated and owned a clinic in a small town of Dali in Gujarat, India said, “Many COVID patients in villages lack oxygen to breathe properly and often do not receive the facilities they need. The welcome step

by BAPS [in providing oxygen concentrators] has brought great relief to many patients until we can shift them to a larger hospital.

Many patients are greatly benefiting. This is indeed welcome help.”

Throughout the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, BAPS Charities has mobilized volunteers throughout the world to deliver PPE, provide hot meals and care packages, conducted food drives for the needy and held COVID vaccination drives. Additionally, BAPS Charities USA has provided direct financial assistance to numerous hospitals, medical centers, and various community support organizations.

More information on the BAPS Charities efforts in India can be found at www.bapscharities.org/ usa/covid-19/

June 18, 2021

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June 18, 2021

MTS Donates $70,000 of Covid Relief in India

Houston: Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) and its volunteers have sent ventilators to New Delhi through Indian Red Cross.

MTS sent several hundreds of Pulse meters to NGO Udavum Karangal to be distributed for the benefit of rural people in Tamil Nadu. MTS is also very happy to send 80 Oxygen filled cylinders to

the people of Kallakurichi District, 10 additional Oxygen cylinders to hospitals in Sivaganagi District via Indian Red Cross and proudly joined with Annamalai University Alumni Association in USA (AUAA-USA) to donate another 10 such cylinders to the Government hospital at Annamalai Nagar in Chidambaram.

COVID RELIEF

Hon. President Sam Kannappan and Chairman Dhani Kannan on behalf of Sri Meenakshi Temple thank all the devotees who generously contributed to the India COVID Relief fund, whose donations are much appreciated by the organizations who are overwhelmed by local demand in India.

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INDIA

June 18, 2021

Who is Aisha Sultana, the Lakshadweepbased Filmmaker Facing Sedition Charges?

Mumbai: A case of sedition was filed by the Lakshadweep police on Thursday against local resident, activist and filmmaker Aisha Sultana for calling the Union Territory’s administrator Praful K Patel a “bioweapon”.

The case was filed based on a complaint raised by the BJP Lakshadweep president C Abdul Khader Haji, who alleged that Sultana criticised the Centre and Patel during a debate on a Malayalam news channel about the ongoing political crisis in Lakshadweep.

Justifying her statement in a recent Facebook post, Sultana wrote, “I had used the word bio-weapon in the TV channel debate. I have felt Patel as well as his policies [have acted] as a bio-weapon. It was through Patel and his entourage that Covid-19 spread in Lakshadweep. I have compared Patel as a bioweapon, not the government or the country…. You should understand. What else should I call him…”

Sultana has been at the forefront of the recent campaign against the recently proposed legislation and controversial reform measures that have triggered widespread anger amongst locals.

So, who is Aisha Sultana?

Aisha Sultana, a native of Lakshadweep’s Chetlat island, is an actor, model and director.

Aisha has previously worked as an associate director on the sets of the Malayalam film ‘Kettyolaanu Ente Malaakha’.

She made her directorial debut in 2020, with the independent Ma-

layalam film ‘Flush’.

In his complaint against Sultana, Haji said that the filmmaker called Patel a “bioweapon” that was being wielded by the Central government during a news debate on the Malayalam channel, ‘MediaOne TV’. The remarks had sparked protests from the BJP’s Lakshadweep unit. BJP workers had moved complaints against Aisha in Kerala as well.

Expressing solidarity with Sultana, the Lakshadweep Sahitya Pravarthaka Sangam condemned the sedition charges against her. “It is not proper to depict her as anti-national. She had reacted against the inhumane approach of the administrator. It was Patel’s interventions that made Lakshadweep a Covid-affected area. The cultural community in Lakshadweep would stand with her,’’ spokesperson K Bahir said.

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8 June 18, 2021 COMMUNITY International Yoga Day to Focus on Well-being Amid Pandemic

By Pooja Salhotra Houston: Although India’s second spike of COVID-19 has been dominating news headlines, it is the country’s ancient mind-body practice of yoga that is top of mind for some.

Health and wellness experts around the world are gearing up to observe the seventh annual International Yoga Day (IYD), recognized by a United Nations resolution co-sponsored by a record 177 nations. The celebration comes at a time that anxiety and psychological suffering are soaring. In the U.S., more than 42 percent of people surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau in December reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase from 11 percent the previous year. Physical isolation and fear of the COVID-19 infection are thought to have contributed to these numbers, and yoga and meditation have emerged as possible panaceas.

“A lot of people misunderstand yoga as a physical exercise, but yoga is for peace, harmony, wellness and health,” said Vipin Kumar, executive director of India House, one of the event sponsors.

“That is what we are celebrating.”

First proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a General Assembly address in 2014, IYD is now observed worldwide to recognize the many benefits of practicing yoga. The UN has appropriately

chosen “Yoga for well-being” as this year’s event theme, focusing on the role the practice can play in fighting social isolation and depression. In Houston, the city’s Consulate General of India in partnership with a number of organizations is marking the occasion with outdoor events on Sunday, June 20 and on Monday, June 21, both free and open to the public.

Sunday’s IYD event takes place at Buffalo Bayou Park while Monday’s, which will also be livestreamed, is outdoors at India House. Both events take place 6-8 p.m. and will include booths with food vendors and ayurvedic related organizations as well as a formal presentation with an address by the Consulate General of India, Houston. Top yoga teachers from Houston, including Shekhar Agarwal, Vishwarupa Nanjundappa, Nancy Martch, Robert Boustany, Mark Ram and Saumil Manek will both perform complicated poses and lead the public in a standard 55-minute yoga practice.

This year’s event also includes a specific focus on galvanizing youth. Hindus of Greater Houston and Young Hindus of Greater

Houston are encouraging youth to submit pictures of Yogasana along with a personalized message about what yoga means to them. Judges will then select certain submissions to be published in prominent local newspapers.

“We want a lot of involvement from youth so we can spread the word about yoga as much as we can,” said Anjali Madhusudan Aggarwal, an HGH intern who will start college at the University of Houston in the fall. Aggarwal has been practicing yoga with her family since she was 10 years old, and she said it has helped her find mental clarity and physical fitness.

“I feel less burdened in my mind,” she said.

Data shows that more people have been turning to yoga over the past decade. Nearly 37 million U.S. adults practice yoga, and that number has only gone up during the coronavirus pandemic. According to ResearchAndMarkets. com, yoga equipment sales grew

154 percent in 2020, as people began taking virtual yoga classes from home.

And MindBody, a software company that provides business management tools for the wellness industry, reported that yoga is the most popular virtual class booked on their platform, with an average of nearly 22,000 yoga bookings per day.

“Yoga has helped me stay mentally positive during the pandemic,” said Saumil Manek, a registered yoga teacher and one of the lead organizers for Houston’s IYD events. “When you’re happy, you’re not living in dis-ease.”

Hiba Haroon, a yoga teacher and practitioner who plans to attend IYD this year, said her yoga practice deepened significantly during the pandemic. “My practice caught me in all that I was feeling and experiencing during the pandemic,” she said. “In my teaching, I prioritized breathwork and restorative shapes, especially because cortisol levels were at an all-time high and it was wreaking havoc on people’s immunity, sleep, and overall wellbeing.”

Manek, who is also emcee for Sunday’s event, said that while

there is no way to know how many people will show up to the events, he hopes to see at least 500. Two years ago, the event took place at Midtown Park and drew about 1,200 people. Last year’s event took place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and, according to organizers, more than 50,000 people watched online.

In addition to the events taking place in Houston, the Woodlands is hosting its own virtual event on Saturday, June 19. That event will focus on how yoga can help boost immunity. Dr. Neeta Shukla, an anesthesiologist and a yoga teacher who has helped spearhead the IYD events in the Woodlands for the past five years, said yoga works at the cellular level to assist with immunity.

“Yoga has the master key to unlock your inner potential and your inner energy,” said Dr. Shukla.

“It is the best preventive medicine for individual health, happiness and to lead a disease-free life.”

For more information about upcoming IYD events in Texas, visit yogadayoftexas.org Pooja Salhotra, 27, is a freelance writer from Houston. She has been practicing yoga for almost a decade and is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She teaches online powerful flow yoga classes through her own platform, Pooja’s Yoga, as well as for BIG Power Yoga.

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June 18, 2021 9 ENTERTAINMENT Vidya Balan Strikes A Blow vs. Patriarchy in ‘Sherni’

“On ‘Shakuntala’ I realized that I didn’t feel that pressure.”

“And, while I love the theatrical experience, what excites me about Prime Video is that the film is going to reach people across 240 countries,” says Balan. “That kind of reach is unimaginable. It’s going to open up fresh audiences for us in different pockets of the world.”

Meanwhile, the actor has had her first vaccine jab and is itching to get back to work with three films lined up.

“Sherni,” produced by Bhushan Kumar and Vikram Malhotra, was shot in a forest bio-bubble during a brief respite during the pandemic in 2020, with no positive cases. -Variety

By Naman Ramchandran Bollywood star Vidya Balan is roaring back with Amazon Prime Video India’s “Sherni” (Tigress).

The actor has made a career out of playing strong, fiercely independent women in popular mainstream films such as “The Dirty Picture” (2011), where she played a B movie star; “Kahaani” (2012), where her heavily pregnant character is in solo quest of her missing husband; and “Tumhari Sulu” (2017), where she plays a housewife turned radio jockey.

In “Sherni,” Balan plays an upright forest officer who attempts to track down a disturbed tigress while battling patriarchal society and lackadaisical attitudes within her department. The film is directed by Amit Masurkar, whose previous film “Newton” (2017), a satire on the electoral process, was India’s entry for the Oscars.

“I thought it was quite interesting that someone wanted to make a mainstream film set in the jungle that explores the man-animal conflict, talks about the environment and also patriarchy,” Balan tells Variety. Balan finds the work of Masurkar, one of the better satirists working in India today, usual, and thought it would be an interesting project.

The actor says she is naturally attracted to films that challenge the status quo. “I think I am, as are most women around me, constantly challenging patriarchy, and the patriarchal mindset and the patriarchal dogmas,” says Balan. “So I think that gets reflected in the scripts that get offered to me and I veer towards them. It’s like a moth to a flame…I don’t know whether they choose me, or I choose them, but I think we definitely move towards each other.”

India was in lockdown in 2020

when Balan’s last film “Shakuntala Devi,” a biopic of the celebrated Indian mathematician known as ‘The Human Computer,’ was ready for release, and debuted directly on Amazon as cinemas were closed. “Sherni” will also bow directly on Amazon, on June 18, as India is slowly recovering from a deadly second wave of the pandemic and cinemas remain shut.

In a society which is partial to male stars, Balan is one of the few women who can open a film theatrically on her own. The actor describes the hustle and bustle of a theatrical release as “a different kind of excitement.”

“But, there’s also a lot of pressure,” says Balan.

‘Shaadistan’: Road Less Taken Story: When a highly conservative family ends up onboard a mini-bus full of unconventional musicians, their starkly different worlds collide. As they ride together from Mumbai to a small town shaadi in Rajasthan, it lays bare deep-rooted patriarchy, rebellion and gender stereotypes.

Review: From its synopsis, ‘Shaadisthan’ sounds like an interesting social commentary on our intrinsic societal problems. Social commentary is alright, but interesting? Nah, not so much. The story begins with an unimaginably dull ‘live’ performance of a band that prides itself in its musical prowess. Cut to, we see a young girl Arshi (Medha Shankar) getting an earful from her father for ‘running away’ from home due to which

they miss their flight to Rajasthan.

Now, as fate would have it, the family has to ride with a bunch of young musicians, who are also the groom’s friends, going to perform at his wedding. While their smoking, drinking and singing make it quite an uncomfortable journey for Arshi’s father Sanjay (Rajan Modi), it’s his own patriarchal attitude that might just end up messing his young daughter’s life.

The film’s thought-provoking concept is commendable, but it does end up getting preachy, because there isn’t much meat in the writing. What starts as a road journey flirts with some interesting moments of conflict, but they soon fizzle out due to a weak screenplay and dull execution. -- Streaming on Disney Hotstar

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SPORTS

June 18, 2021

WTC Final: Umesh Yadav among Five Pacers

Southhampton: India’s opening combination for the WTC final against New Zealand has possibly been finalised, with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma the only regular opening batters in the final 15, named on Tuesday evening. Hanuma Vihari, who India have often turned to for batting insurance on overseas tours, has made the cut, but there is no place for Mayank Agarwal or KL Rahul.

Both Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha have made the squad as the wicketkeeping options. Saha last played in India’s series opener against Australia in Adelaide in December, and has since become No. 2 to Pant in India’s first-choice Test XI. Meanwhile, the five pace options are Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav, the last being preferred over Shardul Thakur. Only two spin options in R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, who performed exceedingly well on the tours of Australia and in the home series against England respectively, part of the reserves.

Jadeja’s inclusion is a sign of India’s team management being satisfied with his red-ball progress since recovering from the finger injury he picked up in Australia, which ruled him out of the home series that followed against England. Patel, his replacement, made quite a splash by finishing his debut series with 27 wickets in three Tests at a staggering average of

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Captain Virat Kohli (left) with pacers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

10.59. Jadeja did, however, turn out for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021 before it was postponed indefinitely, and showed good form as well as fitness.

Meanwhile, India preferring Gill over Agarwal is perhaps a sign of continuity. Gill had a memorable start to his Test career in Australia, but his form somewhat tapered off during the home series against England, where he managed just 119 runs in seven innings at 19.83.

Agarwal, the man he pipped, lost his opening spot as soon as Rohit rejoined the Test squad in Australia, and didn’t feature in each of the four home Tests against England. He is India’s fourth-highest run-getter in the current WTC cycle, having made 857 runs in 20 innings at an average of 42.85, with three centuries and two halfcenturies.

Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman

Saha (wk). R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav

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June 18, 2021

11

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

By popular demand, here is a reprint of Mama’s Baingan Di Dip recipe, which is just the kind of tasty, snack that you need for the parties that are held during the Winter Holidays season. It goes well with crackers, pita bread or veggies. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions.

Baingan di Dip (Eggplant Dip) In the middle of the Holidays, thoughts turn to ways to cool yourself down. Though there are many Indian comfort foods to do that, like gol gappe or pani puri (wafer puffs in spicy water), chaat (spicy cubed potato salad), bhalle (lentil cakes in yogurt), rooh afza (a drink of fruits and herbs), mango ice cream and cool hindwana (watermelon); there are few salty snacks like dips that will do the trick, especially as Indians don’t have things like pita chips to dip with!!

But these are summer foods though in the US, people eat them year-round. One summer food that goes well in the winter too are dips for party snacks.

Dips and chips aren’t very popular in the Punjab, as they are in the US where Indians of all types easily rush to them. Mediterranean like dips Baba Ghanoush and hummus are popular; just as salsa and guacamole are in the southern US. The closest Indians get are chutneys like pudina (mint) and imbli (tamarind) but these are condiments and not dips or raitas (yogurt sauce) which are usually eaten with rice or paranthas.

But the plump baingan (eggplant) is just the right versatile vegetable to turn into a spicy dip with an Indian twist to it. Baingans are very popular in North India where they are often cooked as baingan bhartha with lots of onions and oil. And this same vegetable can be made into a succulent dip that can be eaten with pita chips or small pieces of Italian bread.

Baingan dip is a very easy concoction of eggplant, onions and garlic with many herbs and spices.

When left to cool in the fridge and served, it is a surprisingly popular addition to the appetizer table and really a hit on hot summer days but equally well for winter holiday partiess!

Ingredients: • 1 large baingan (eggplant) • 1 medium piyaaz (onion) • 4 tbsp tael (vegetable or olive oil) • 2 cloves lassan (garlic) • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), fresh dhania (coriander)

Directions: 1. Remove the top dandal (stem) off the eggplant, peel it and then cut it lengthwise into slices. Cut the slices into smaller 1.5 inch pieces.

2. Wash the pieces in cold water and let them drain in a strainer.

It is very important to wash them otherwise the eggplant will start to turn dark.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, wok or kadai over medium heat, place the eggplant in it and mix till they are coated. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Check to see that the eggplant has become tender. If it has, then mash the eggplant with a large spoon.

4. Leave to cook for 2 more minutes, then take off the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes.

5. Peel the onions and garlic and then crush them in a mixer. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat and throw them in till they are brown. Take off the heat and let the mixture cool for 20

minutes.

6. After they are cool to touch, put the eggplant, onions and garlic in a blender and add the spices and coriander. Set to puree and run according to your taste.

7. Pour into a bowl and leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Serve with pita chips or small garlic bread.

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 HOW TO MAKE E A GRAIN OF RICE SE CH PARATE

Rice is a stap they make rice thleatfood for so many people, but it’ serve. Some may sticks together in lumps and th s a pity that but really, the metsay that it depends on the kind of en is hard to rice you buy d of cooking it is th Most people, esho e key. pe ci al ly th os e rice right out of in a hurry, will ju e package into a po st then serve it afteth t, boil it once, simthrow the rw ar ds mer and .

Th is on ly in the rice and ake it stick. Althouallows all the starch to stay cook the rice tomge gh there are a few drops of le t separate kernels, a simple trother ways to ick is to add m on or a teaspoon of oil to before boiling. Yo the rice and stir u’ ll be su rp ri se out separately! d to see how the gr ains come

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June 18, 2021

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