NRI Pulse October 2016

NRI PULSE 1

Atlanta’s Premier South Asian Newspaper October 2016

404-235-4998

www.NRIPulse.com

Free Copy

NRI PULSE 1

Atlanta’s Premier South Asian Newspaper October 2016

Tel: 404-235-4998

www.NRIPulse.com

Free Copy

Cop Who Slammed Indian Grandfather Back At Work

Thousands of fans braved the rains to listen to Bollywood playback star Sunidhi Chauhan sing at the Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta on September 18. The free concert was hosted by the Aga Khan Foundation Walk|Run - Atlanta event. Photo by Girish Modi.

Atlanta, GA: Eric Parker, the Madison, AL police officer who slammed Indian grandfather Sureshbhai Patel to the ground while he was taking a walk outside his son’s home in February last year, has returned from administrative leave and has been assigned to the MPD Training Unit until he completes his required re-certifications. After his training is complete, he will receive his duty assignment.

In a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page on September 6, interim police chief Maj. Jim Cooke said: “Since Officer Parker’s acquittal of all federal charges and the dismissal by the Attorney General of the misdemeanor charges against him, I have extensively reviewed all of the documentation regarding the case, and I have made the factual determination that Officer Parker’s actions in February 2015 did not amount to a policy violation. This decision was based on the review of all departmental and court documentation.”

Maj. Cooke said despite rumors to the contrary, his decision was not influenced by any person or group,

but was based solely on the facts of this situation and the application thereto of federal law, state law, and local policies and regulations.

Earlier this year, Federal Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala threw out the case against Eric Parker, who faced up to 10 years in prison for using excessive force against 57year-old Sureshbhai Patel, leaving him partially paralyzed.

A team of three federal prosecutors had twice tried Parker last year for the takedown of Patel on the morning of February 6, 2015.

Both trials ended with a deadlocked jury.

On February 6 morning, Patel was taking a stroll through the neighborhood when police received a call mentioning a suspicious man. Eric Sloan Parker, the officer on duty, assaulted Patel, leaving him partially paralyzed with two injured vertebrae.

The case drew international interest prompting Governor Robert Bentley to issue a letter apologizing to Patel and to India.

Indian-American Lawyer In Military Style Clothing Shoots 9 In Houston New York: (IANS) An Indian-origin lawyer in military style clothing emblazoned with a swastika went on an early morning shooting rampage injuring nine persons in Houston, Texas, before he was killed by police, authorities said.

Nathan Desai was armed with a handgun and submachine gun during the 20-minute shooting spree when he fired at passing cars and the police, according to ABC132 s Eyewitness News.

Citing sources, the Eyewitness News said Desai used his car to stockpile ammunition and a tree for cover when he was shooting, right outside his condominium complex on Law Street.

The police said they did not know why Desai went on the rampage hitting people at random.

Desai’s name was written with the ‘S’ capitalized in media reports in Houston, making it sound European, but his father was identified as Prakash Desai.

All of his victims survived but one person was critically wounded and five others were hospitalized, Houston Police acting chief Martha Montalvo said.

Montalvo described the shooter as a lawyer who was having problems at his law firm. When

the police responded to the shooting, he shot at them and was killed when cops returned fire, she said.

The shooter’s father, 80-year-old Prakash Desai told Eyewitness News that his son was “upset about the law practice not going well”.

He didn’t believe his son was the shooter as the two were said to have had dinner only 12 hours before the shooting.

John Elmore, the property manager for The Oaks at West University, where Desai lived, said Desai’s behavior had been erratic for the last two months. He seemed paranoid and thought someone was “out to get him”, Elmore said.

Desai, 46, had no active civil or criminal cases,

according to Harris county court records, accessed by the Eyewitness.

He had only two new criminal cases since 2013. In February, he and his law partner Kenneth McDaniel of 12 years parted ways and neighbors believed he was doing law work out of his condo.

“We made a mutual decision, roughly in February, to simply no longer operate as a partnership for economic reasons,” said McDaniel. “I feel very sorry for him and for those people.”

Desai owned several guns to protect himself against his clients, some of whom were “funny people and criminally-minded people”, his father said.

Houston Chronicle said that Prakash Desai

is a retired geologist.

The daily reported that the police found in his flat several military items that went back to the Civil War. Police found a Thompson submachine gun in his Porsche and a 0.45 caliber handgun that he used against the police.

The Chronicle said that the police used a robot to examine his car and his flat for explosives.

This is the second mass shooting in 13 years by a person of Indian descent in the US. In 2003, at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Biswanath Halder went on a rampage, taking hostages, killing a graduate student and wounding another and a professor.

A graduate of the university’s business school, he unsuccessfully sued a university administrator.

He was captured alive and sentenced to life after a trial.

Although it was not a mass shooting incident, in January 2016 Mainak Sarkar caused a lock-down at University of California – Los Angeles when he killed a professor there. He had also killed his wife and committed suicide.

........City News ........

6 NRI PULSE

October 2016

Spectacular Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations At HTA

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Atlanta, GA: The Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale, (HTA) organized its annual Ganesh Utsav celebrations from September 3 to 11. The spectacular celebrations attracted hundreds of devotees from Atlanta and neighboring places as far as Phoenix, Pennsylvania and Florida. As in the previous year, the majestic 10-feet Ganapathi idol was specially made in Hyderabad for the Hindu Temple and gracefully installed in the specially built canopy in the forecourt of the Shiva temple for the celebrations.

The Ganesh Utsav celebrations began with Sankusthapana in Balaji Temple and Kalash Pooja in Shiva Temple.

Through the nine day Utsav, the elaborate rituals, archanas and chanting of shlokas and Ganesha mantras were meticulously done by priests Sri Srinivas Sarma, Sri Pawan Kumar, Sri Siva Naga Kumar, Sri Sunil Kumar, Sri Gopal Bhattar, Sri Ravisankar, Sri Veda Vyasa and Sri Murali Krishna. Devotees also enthusiastically joined in chanting “Vakra-thunda maha-kaaya, surya-koti samaprabha, nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva karyessu sarvadaa” (O Lord Ganesha, with a curved trunk, large body and the brilliance of a million celestial suns, please always make all my works free of obstacles.) All the deities in the Balaji and Siva Temples also wore a dazzling look in their ornate fineries and colorful fresh flower and fruit garlands.

On Sunday, September 4, the HTA conducted the Ganesha making workshop for kids. HTA supplied materials and instructions to over 1,500 families and kids to make about 2,000 environmentally friendly clay Ganeshas. The puja for these handmade Ganeshas was also performed later on in the mandap.

On Sunday, September 11th, the HTA BalaVihar children performed Shri Ganesha Pooja under the guidance of Acharya Geetha Raghu.

The Temple provided Laddu and Vada for Naivedyam while parents brought Ganesha’s favorite food — Modakam. Speaking for the temple, Sairam Surapaneni conveyed his good wishes to the children and appreciated the engagement of the parents and teachers in fostering our religion and culture.

At night, TANA lit up the skies with dazzling fireworks. The temples and the canopy wore a festive look. This year many Indian organizations came together to take an active part in volunteering and also provided cultural performances and entertainment lasting daily for about twelve hours. These presentations were emceed with verve by Vikas Anand Goyal and Vaisheshi Jalajam.

Youngsters from noted Music and Dance Academies either performed solo or in groups, in front of the imposing idol of Lord Ganesha. Atlanta’s noted dancer and dance-Guru Sasikala Penumarthi and Kalaivani Dance and Music Academy’s students performed well- synchronized performances to Lord Ganesha songs. NATA and Amruthavarshini organizations performed devotional and light musical songs in praise of Lord Ganesha. On September 9, Natya

Jyothi’s Jyothi Chintalapudi’s students performed Ganesha Kuchipudi recitals. Sobiya and her students performed Bharatnatyam dances from the ‘Natyaveda’ Dance School, Madhusudhan Soujanya performed Bharatnatyam and finally Swapna, Kavitha and Anurag from the Maharashtra mandal enthralled the audience with Ganesha songs.

On Saturday, September 10 hundreds of devotees, guests and visitors thronged the temple to par-

ticipate in the pre-culmination of the nine day celebration with a grand Ganesh Nimajjanam ceremony.

The Temple Chefs Ramakrishna and Srinivasan had prepared three big Ladoos (Ganesh ji’s favorite!).

A lively, exuberant auction was conducted by Vikas Goyal and all the ladoos were sold to highest bidders, Dr. Supriti Balyan, Ramesh, and a third bidder who wishes to remain anonymous.

Devotees were provided more entertainmentPadma Rajaram’s students Srimayi and Aditya sang beautifully, Savitha group and Revathy Komanduri’s students performed solo and also synchronized classical dances, Mamata Patel showcased little kids to delight the audience with their performance, Leera was graceful with her Kathak, Sri Dutt Raag Fine Arts presented a rocking performance with dancers in captivating costumes. Gopal Turaga in Ganesha costume looked adorable. Supriya and IKATAN group’s students wearing orange headbands engaged the audience with their lively performances. The ‘Maiya Yashoda’ by four children elicited big applause from the cheerful audience. The audience were

treated to dhand pradarshan, holi and complimentary kurtas which added to the color of the festivities Punjabi Society added to the fun withPunjabi gidda and high octane dhol, live dappu, and bhangra. Kolatam, exuberant garbas and dandiyas, Lezim, yogchap, Hyderabadi teenmar enthralled young and old. All this was followed with exciting Matka breaking by kids, and adults. In the evening, all the attendees participated in a huge joyous procession around the temple to the accompaniment of live music. It was exciting to watch a shower of flower petals from a helicopter!

The Hindu Temple of Atlanta’s kitchen under Sairam Surapaneni provided Maha prasadam and annadanam to all thrice a day through the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

On Sunday, it was time to bid final farewell to much-loved Ganesh.

All the enthusiastic, energetic young devotees came out of the canopy, dancing and shouting Ganapati Bappa Morya to loud, throbbing dhols as Lord Ganeshji’s idol was placed in a truck, which was followed by a bus with about 50 devotees. This year, the Ganesh Visarjan ceremony was performed in Savannah.

The President of the HTA, Dr. P. B. Rao personally and on behalf of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees thanked everybody that participated in this year’s festivities, and commented: “We are highly indebted to countless volunteers and their families for the stage decorations, Photography by ByteGraph, Vakiti Creations, SFA Productions, Swaroop Kolachina, Tejesh, KalaAkriti, etc. We would also like to thank Nate Natesan for Swacch Devalaya.

The Hindu Temple of Atlanta recognizes and deeply appreciates the efforts of all the organizations HSS, Gujarati Samaj, Punjabi Society, Maharashtra Mandal, TANA, NATA, TAMA,ATA, GATES, TDF, IACA, TATA, IFA, GATA, GCANA, Orugallu, NKK, Saraswathi Music Academy, Shruthilaya, Natya Jyothi,Natya Abhinaya, Amruthavarshini,Natya Abhinaya, Shiv’s Institute of Dance, Indian Classical Dance Academy,Natyaveda,Kalaivani Dance Academy, Nataraja Natyanjali, SEWAAcademy of of Kuchipudi Dance,Softpath Eagles Cricket Team,,Mehul Raja,Iskcon, our media partners Wownow, NRI Pulse, Atlanta Dunia, Rashtradarpan, TV Asia, Khabar, Deccan Abroad and Mahadev Desai.

The executive committee and management of HTA is deeply appreciative of Jagan Mohan Rao and Ravi Chander, who have been the chief coordinators of the festivities. Aravind Goli (Pooja committee chair person) along with the temple priests ably coordinated this year’s rituals and deity decorations. We are highly indebted to countless volunteers and their families in particular for devoting countless hours in spite of their busy schedules, to make the celebrations a grand success. The celebrations could not have been possible without the office staff and volunteers.

We also beg the forgiveness of every one for any lapses and shortcomings and will make every effort to rectify them in the celebrations of next year.”

8 NRI PULSE

........City News ........

October 2016

Old Is Gold: Senior Citizens Program Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebrations

BY MAHADEV DESAI Photos by Vinod Karia Atlanta, GA: All the Bollywood music lovers frequently refer to nostalgic songs from yesteryears as “Old is Gold.” or “Golden Collection.” The implication is that the composition takes the listener down memory lane, and has never lost its glitter.

The grand success of the recent 20th Anniversary Banquet of the Senior Citizens Program (SCP) at the Ashiana Banquet Hall, Global Mall on September 11 not only confirmed that Georgia seniors have retained their own glitter, but are also worthy of respect and extra gratitude for their contributions to humanity and to the society we live in. After all, with age comes wisdom!

SCP’s Founder and Executive Director Raj Razdan gave a brief account of SCP’s evolution from a small, 20- member organization of seniors/ elders into Georgia’s most vibrant one with more than 500 robust members that foster fraternity of seniors through frequent social get-togethers, feeling of camaraderie, important presentations for the health and welfare of seniors, lunches, dinners, health fairs, picnics and entertainment programs.

“Today, we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary, averaging approximately an event per month without fail for these past 20 years - that’s over 240 events and more than $500,000 of sponsorships over these 20 years, through the generosity of our many steadfast committed sponsors, volunteers, participants, musicians, restaurants and well wishers. It’s amazing to look back 20 years ago and to realize the incredible growth SCP has experienced in membership, activities and capabilities. SCP will always be evolv-

ing and we look forward to what the next decade would bring,” said Raj. She continued, “On this occasion, we must pledge with renewed commitment and enthusiasm to continue to bring a positive influence to

our adopted country of USA and yet thank with gratitude India for endowing us with its rich heritage, culture, history and traditions. The possibilities (implying rather than relegate senior citizens to the sidelines of life, we should celebrate them and work to enable them to more fully become integrated in society) of what we can accomplish are endless.

Sewa International Hosts Camp For Bhutanese Youth

Atlanta, GA: Sewa International held a oneday camp in Norcross, GA for the youth of Bhutanese heritage on September 10, 2016. The event was a grand success with a sizable number of youth of Bhutanese origin attending the event and participating in the important topics related to Bhutanese and Nepalese culture, history, challenges within the community and also a talk about personality development, leadership and instilling pride and a sense of identity in the community youth.

Speakers were invited from various fields and a panel discussion was hosted for kids. Lo-

Being 15th anniversary of the infamous 9/11 attacks, a moment of silence was observed as a mark of respect for the fallen heroes.

Ujjagar Wassan, Anjana Shah and Raj Razdan emceed the celebrations.

cal leaders and community members participated in the program. Local government officials, educators, students from Emory and Georgia Tech enrolled in Law and PhD programs helped with participation and conducting of the session.

Several high school students also participated and organized Ice breaker games and assisted with leadership workshop.

Overall this program presented an excellent opportunity for kids to voice their opinion about Bhutanese culture, challenges in school and families, and discussions about identity.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Manhar Valand, Professor at Emory University and VP of Chinmaya Mission Atlanta. Clarkston City Mayor Ted Terry and Dr. Raghu Grandhige, President of Chinmaya Mission were guests for the concluding session.

Raneez Boutique presented a Fashion Show with seniors clad in colorful saris and fetching outfits swinging elegantly into action displaying the latest collections of fashionable outfits in vogue, with great poise in front of cheering audience.

Wassan regaled the audience with a few shairs.

Mohan Lal followed this with two soulful Saigal ghazals; ‘Bazaar se guzra hoon’ and ‘Layi hayat aai kaza’.

Prominent and long-time senior members of the SCP, Sharad Shah, Mansukhbhai Shroff, Mrs. Gauba and Vinay Doshi lauded yeoman services of the SCP team of volunteers for enriching the lives of the seniors.

Pallavi Patel, an extremely talented dancer and a senior herself, enthralled the audience with her scintillating dance to the song “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”.

Community leader Vikas Verma introduced Chief Guest Consul General Nagesh Singh. In his enlightening remarks, Nagesh Singh said the issue of seniors is common everywhere. Seniors need caring and family support. They feel neglected and need togetherness and companionship. He commended Raj Razdan and her team for their wonderful initiative in founding and running SCP. “This is the best gathering I have come so far,” he said. “I also want to touch upon concerns of increasing cases of marital discord among young couples who come to the U.S. on H1B visas. They need help. I request Indian Associations to interact with the Consulate to discuss ways and means of helping such unfortunate couples or spouses.”

The Consul General presented awards to the well deserving SCP volunteers, sponsors and many others for their outstanding service to the community.

Veterans, mostly seniors, of the Indian Armed Forces now residing in Atlanta were recognized befittingly for their services to their motherland

India on this occasion by cutting of the cake in their honor. SCP’s senior most and much respected member, Mansukhbhai Shroff also did the honor of cutting the 20th Anniversary cake.

A major sponsor and a supporter of the gala, Anil Khatod introduced Greg Pridgeon, who has endeared himself to the Indian community with his amiable nature. In his short remarks, Hon. Pridgeon cited statistics proving a big rise in number of seniors in the U.S. Their housing, transport, food, health etc. will have to be taken care. “Seniors deserve proper care and respect because they have wisdom, perseverance, maintain traditions and they give lots of love. Atlanta is proud to have a large Indian community. We are eternally bound together from the Himalayas to the Appalachian mountains, from Atlantic ocean to the Indian ocean. We are bound together through the relation and respect Dr. M. L. King Jr. had with the father of the Indian nation, M a h a t m a Gandhi, and through the Civil Rights Movement and Human Rights Movement here in the U.S. You all are worthy ambassadors of India and being a associated with Indian community makes me proud,” he said.

Head of the Chancery, Consul D.V. Singh congratulated SCP for its 20 years of exemplary service.

The entertainment progressed with Seniors Kusum Sinha and Anjana Shah reciting poems.

Sandhya Bhagat’s Dhoop Chhaoon presented an amusing and riveting mime act, “Sadak kiske Baap ki” Kalaivani Dance and Music Academy provided a Bharat Natyam item by T. Krishnan. Nritya Natya Kala Bharti Dance and Music Academy students of Kumud Savla performed fusion dances to popular vintage songs. Punjabi Gidda (folk dance by ladies) led by Chinti Bali brought the seniors on their toes on the dance floor; with the Gujarati Garba group led by Pallavi Patel close on heels.

The grand finale was the melodious repertoire of old and new Bollywood songs by Atlanta’s best singers Mohan Lal, Sunny Sachdev, Chandrika Narayan, Rohan Ullal, Anita Gupta, Pankaj Bhargav and Meenal Shrotiya. Having arrived as early as 5 p.m., many seniors were tired but not willing to quit even as late as midnight.

Decor was by Sushma Patel of 5th Season, delicious dinner was catered by Ashiana, a/v & sound

by Pankaj Bhargav and Sunny Sachdev, printing by Sanjay Pandya of Davis Printing, video by Anwar Ajmeri of TV Asia and photography by Vinod Karia.

Air India graciously gave a ticket for auction, myriad of door/raffle prizes were given by Ruby Beauty Center, Vinod Photography, Bhulabhai and Sushila Patel, 5th Season, Chinti Bali, Global Mall, Jewelry

by Suhagan, Seva Adult Care and many others. The Gala sponsors were too many to name but the major ones included Media, Drs. Lucky & Shabnam Jain, Pramod & Anju Mathur, Vikas & Nisha Kapil, Sanjeev & Chandana Chopra etc.

10 NRI PULSE

........City News ........

October 2016

Centenary Of Legendary Musician M S Subbulakshmi Celebrated

BY MAHADEV DESAI Photos by Ravi Penumarthy Atlanta, GA: Sankara Nethralaya Om Trust, a renowned non-profit eye institution and charitable organization from India recently hosted a three-day event to honor and celebrate the birth centenary of the legendary musician, M. S. Subbulakshmi. The event co-sponsored by the Carnatic Music Association of Georgia (CAMAGA) and held at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale.

Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi is admired as much for her philanthropy as she is for music.

Over the years, she earned millions from her concerts and royalty; she donated most of the money to charitable causes - building hospitals and schools and helping the poor and the destitute. The royalties from her most popular recording, Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatham, is donated in its entirety to charity.

It is fitting that SN OM Trust USA, the charitable organization, decided to hold a three-day event in honor of her birth centenary with fund-raising to support free eye-care and surgery in India for those who cannot afford it.

The auditorium walls were beautifully decorated with artistic pictures and posters of M.S.Subbulakshmi by Jagatha Govind and her team. On the first day, September 3, the event began with a brief introduction by Dr. Seshu Sarma, the Vice-President of Sankara Nethralaya, US. Dr. Sarma shared with the audience the significant contribution Sankara Nethralaya makes through medical research and medical education. Most importantly, she talked about the Mobile Eye Surgical Units or MESUs which go to remote villages and provide free eye care,prescription glasses and cataract surgeries on site.

Dr. Seshu Sarma was followed by a welcome speech by Dr. Rao, the President of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta. The chief guest of the day,

Consul R. Srinivasan, in his address spoke admiringly of M. S. The most touching speech of the afternoon, however, was the one given by eleven-year old Raveena Allie, who was born with no eyes. When she was a baby, her poor parents gave her up for adoption and she moved to the U.S. with her adopted parents. While narrating her life, the young Raveena showed the audience,

the concert. Anu Nathan, chair of the essay competition, then announced the winners of the essay competition that was held as part of the M. S. Subbulakshmi Centenary celebrations. Each essay highlighted the contributions of Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. The participants were grouped into three categories: studying in Elementary School, Middle School or High School. Prizes were

Subhashini Krishnamurthy (L) receiving the award.

Sudha Raghunathan & Dr. Seshu Sarma presenting awards to essay winners. that if one is determined, nothing in life is insurmountable. She shared that she is an honor student in middle school with innumerable extra-curricular activities - that would make any parent proud. At the end of her speech, the audience gave her a standing ovation for her rousing message and her indomitable spirit.

The main event for the day was the Carnatic music concert by the renowned artist, Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Sudha Raghunathan. She was accompanied on the violin by Rajeev Mukundan and, on the Mridangam byThiruvarur Vaidyanathan, supported by Mr. Raman on the Morsing.

Raghunathan and her musicians enthralled the audience by singing many of the songs Smt. M. S. had popularized.

After the concert concluded, Dr. Ram Sriram, President of CAMAGA, gave a brief review of

awarded within each category.

Dr. Sriram then announced that Sankar Nethralaya OM Trust would be honoring a musician from Atlanta with a Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi award for years of contribution to Indian classical music. As the judge entrusted with the selection of the award recipient, Dr. Sriram shared with the audience the stringent criteria used to select the most accomplished musician from within the community. He then announced the recipient as: Subhashini Krishnamurthy – musician, composer, vocalist, teacher, and Veena player.

Krishnamurthy was presented with both a plaque and a blue silk saree, similar to the one that was popularized by Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi.

The second day of the three-day event showcased Atlanta’s local talent. The performers were young children and young adults from the Atlanta

area who have been trained under several teachers in Carnatic music in Atlanta. Each group of participants sang compositions made popular by Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi.

The last and final day of the three-day event was highlighted by a one-hour video presentation of the life and accomplishments of Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi put together by the renowned dramatist and director, Syam Yellamraju. The video presentation was followed by group singing of the compositions of the great composer, Sri Annamacharya, and popularized by Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. The performers were local music teachers and musicians.

At the conclusion of the program, Dr.Sarma thanked her co-trustees of SN OM Trust, Moorthy Rekapalli and Bala Indurti and the President of CAMAGA, Dr. Ram Sriram and all the others who contributed to this 3-day event. She expressed her gratitude to all the donors who contributed to the Sahasra Nayanam project and the Chitoor Gift of Sight project,with a total donation of $110,000. She further expressed her sincere appreciation to journalist Sri Mahadev Desai for his excellent coverage of the threeday event and Mr. Ravi Penumarthy for taking superb pictures of the event.

ATMA Holds 12th Annual National Convention In Atlanta Atlanta, GA: American Tamil Medical Association (ATMA) conducted its 12th annual national convention at the Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, nestled inside the most visited attraction of Georgia, the Stone Mountain Park, during the labor day weekend, Sep 2nd to the 5th.

ATMA is a non-profit charitable U.S. based national organization formed by physicians and other medical professionals in the U.S. of Tamil origin.

ATMA supports various health related charity projects in Tamil Nadu and addresses many natural or man made calamities happening around the world.

It joins hands with multiple other such like-minded groups and organizations and deliver health care needs to the needy. Since inception ATMA’s contribution to the needy amounts to $800,000, to date!

The convention was off to a good start with meet and greet in the evening hours of Sep 2nd, with a warm welcome speech by ATMA president Dr. Kalai Chellam, followed by a welcome song and dance. There were representations from all over the U.S., Canada and India. The highlight of the evening was the showcase presented by ATMA families including children. Bharatha Natyam, Carnatic Music, Bolywood dance, Tamil Film Songs, and variety entertainment imperson-

ation of Rajinikanth, Kattappomman, Bharathi, Mu. Karunannithi, stole the crowd’s hearts.

Subsequently on Sep 3 and 4, eminent physicians of Tamil origin from various parts of the world, renowned experts in their field, gave continuing medical education talks, credits approved

by Rutgers University, which was welcomed by

all. The attendees commented that it was the best CME that they had ever attended in the history of ATMA. Programs for the general public included Siddha medicine talk by Dr. Selva Shanmugam, World Siddha Trust, which was heavily attended and highly appreciated.

Consul R. Srinivasan, from the Indian Consulate, Atlanta was the chief guest and Dr. Ram Raju, CEO/ President of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation was the keynote speaker. His speech on” Traditions of medical volunteerism Photo by Neelamegam and altruism that and East Subramanian. Tamil Asian medical

professionals have brought to American life”, shed light on issues that mattered. ATMA’s project review committee and charity projects update committee briefed on the various ongoing projects and funds were raised to continue to support ATMA’s mission. The Miss. Becky Douglas, Chairman/ Founder of Rising Star Outreach take on fundraising, Miss. Urvi Iyer’s experience of volunteerism in Tamilnadu, Dr. Nazeera Dawood’s talk, cultural program by ATMA members and volunteers, live music with Jijo and play back singers Satish Menon and Geethu Venugopal were a few of the other highlights. The convention ended with the EC/Board meeting on Sep 5, 2016.

ATMA delegates had the opportunity to visit Coca Cola, CNN and the local temples. Options for purchasing diamond, gold jewelry, Indian attires, henna stations, massage station were offered to attendees. The labor day weekend laser show at the Stone mountain park was witnessed by the delegates. There was an awesome spread of gourmet food for breakfast and lunch from the Marriott conference resort, and exclusive Indian dinner.

Consul General Nagesh Singh later honored Dr. Kalai Chellam, in appreciation of her public service service and on the convention’s success.

........City News ........

Yugal Kunj Celebrates First Anniversary With Grand Mela

BY DR. PANCHAJANYAPAUL Atlanta, GA: Yugal Kunj celebrated its first anniversary on September 3 and 4 with a carnival style celebration highlighting Indian culture, religion, arts and food. Dozens of kid and family friendly activities including train rides, inflatables, carousels, face painting, balloon twisting, mehndi, games and much more attracted visitors to the Yuga Kunj premises. There was a rich cultural program with performances by local dances from various dance academies.

There were many programs for the youth to keep them engaged and inspired. There was a buf-

Peachtree Ridge Senior Honored With Promise Of Gwinnett Award fet of kid activates namely magic show, buggy ride, face painting, amazing talking parrot, train ride, raffle prizes, jumping zone and slides. There was also a painting competition for the children. The cultural program be-

Atlanta, GA: Chintan Sheth, a 12th grade student of Peachtree Ridge High School was nominated recently for the Promise of Gwinnett Outstanding Student award by his school principal, Dr. Jeff Matthews “Simply put, our students are “the Promise of Gwinnett,” and what happens each and every day in the classroom helps them to fulfill their promise. Our students’ accomplishments— big and small, those recognized with awards and those that result from overcoming a challenge — reflect the promise that every student holds for a bright future,” the Promise of Gwinnett website says.

“Chintan was selected due to his character and what he has chosen to become involved in while at Peachtree Ridge High School as well as his level of involvement in these areas,” said principal Dr Matthews.

“Chintan Sheth is a phenomenal all-around excellent student and individual,” saidAssistant Principal, Jennifer Fero. “Of course, his gifted internship and high marks in AP classes are notable, but this is common at Peachtree Ridge. Chintan stands out as a leader among his peers, a young entrepreneur who upholds the standard of excellence at Peachtree Ridge. His character and volunteerism stood out to the leadership at Peachtree Ridge High School.”

gan with the blessing of Didi Ji. Many dance schools from across Atlanta sent their dance teams and the audience enjoyed every bit of it. Sagnika Mukherjee enthralled the audiences with her dance on Bollywood dance medley. There was a classical Bharatanatyam dance performed by Sudkshina Mukherjee and her team. Another highlight of the show was the dance performances by the students of Gurukul. The audience cheered as Gurukul students danced to the music and rhythm of traditional Bollywood songs.

Many other dance schools send their teams and the

crowd enjoyed every bit of it. There were Hindu devotional songs or Bhajans sung by volunteers.

The evening of September 4 was an enticing one of melodies with a Bollywood musical concert from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm. The winners of the Atlanta Indian Idol contest paid tribute to the great maestros- RD Burman, SD Burman and Madan Mohan with their soulful singing.

Food was a big part of the celebration. There was fresh homemade vegetarian food available in the stalls run by the volunteers.

It is a supreme feat of human endeavor bringing so many people from different background coming together with the sole purpose of promoting Indian culture, arts and religion. In the end the organizers thanked all the volunteers for their hard work and all the audience for coming and supporting Yugal kunj.

Siddheshvari Devi Ji (Didi Ji), the founder of Radha Madhav Society gave a spiritual discourse during the event. Radha Madhav Society is part of the worldwide mission of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat , a non-profit organization founded by Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj to provide a deeper understanding of Hinduism and highlight the wonderful resources of this eternal religion and its all-encompassing culture.

Indo-American Press Club’s Atlanta Chapter Inaugurated Atlanta, GA: Indo-American Press Club expanded its services to the media personnel of Georgia by inaugurating its chapter in Atlanta.

On September 2, an impressive ceremony

was held in Ashiana Banquet hall with Consul D.V. Singh as the chief guest and Chairman of Board of Directors of IAPC Ginsemon Zacharias as the guest of honor.

The meeting, which was presided over by the newly elected President of Atlanta Chapter Dominic Chackonal, started with a silent prayer and singing of the American and Indian National Anthems by Jacob Athimattathil. Secretary Johnson Cherian welcomed the guests and attendees.

The newly formed Executive Committee members were introduced and the oath was administered by Chairman Ginsemon.

Consul D.V. Singh who inaugurated the chapter by lighting the nialvilakku, in his inaugural speech, offered the support of the Consulate and congratulated IAPC on its milestone.

The registration kick off for the international media conference at Niagara falls on October 8-10 was held.

Sabu Mannakulam, first sponsor and registrant was honored. Mathewkutty Easo, co-chair of the conference provided details about the conference. Fr. Johnson Punchakonam and Mathew Abraham felicitated the occasion.

Vice President Alex Thomas thanked all especially the master of ceremony Mini Sudhir Nair, Ninan Kodiyattu, and the sponsors of the event, Shaji Fernandes and Metro Brokers (Alex Thomas).

October 2016

..City Pulse..

Atlanta Youth Cricket League: Bringing Cricket To The Grassroots

AYCL’s objective for this season is to get kids together, have them learn the game and try to have some fun. The program will run on Wednesday evening in Sawnee Mountain Park and on Sunday Morning in Joint Venture Park.

The second most popular sport in the world is trying to get a foothold in the United States. The potential is huge, and it is clearly demonstrated by setting up of an Americas division by International Cricket Council. Recently, for the first time, we witnessed the Indian cricket team playing a set of two 20-20 games in Florida against the West Indies. Though all the efforts are towards promoting the game, it will flourish only if the interest can be generated at the grass roots level, with Elementary and Middle school students. With that as the backdrop, the foundation was set for Atlanta Youth Cricket League (AYCL).

AYCL is a non-profit volunteer run organization focused on bringing cricket to the youth of Metro Atlanta. AYCL started the Fall season on September 7th 2016 in the Forsyth County GA, targeted for kids in the age group of 6 years to 14 years. AYCL’s objective for this season is to get kids together, have them learn the game and try to have some fun. The program will run on Wednesday evening in Sawnee Mountain Park and on Sunday Morning in Joint Venture Park.

The program will be run under the supervision of coaches who are certified as Level 2 and Level 1 by Cricket Australia. The focus is not only on the cricketing skills but also physical fitness, mental fitness, team work. The objective is not only to create skilled cricketers but also boys and girls with a community service attitude.

AYCL’s vision is to make cricket the fastest growing sport in Metro Atlanta. The future plans include creation of an indoor facility for playing and practicing cricket, so that the game will go on even during the winter months.

Next year the plan is to start a youth cricket league which will be competitive in nature and enable development of future cricket players and community leaders.

There is also a concentrated effort to start clubs in the elementary and middle schools, which is being done by AYCL’s partner VIVE Cricket.

VIVE Cricket is a non-profit organization which was started by Sidd Gupta who is a student in the South Forsyth Middle School. His vision is to enable every elementary and middle school in the Metro Atlanta region to have a cricket club. Vive cricket had their first success by getting an approval from South Forsyth Middle School to start a cricket club.

Within a week of announcement, they got registration from more than 25 students who are interested in learning and playing the game of cricket.

AYCL and VIVE cricket presented their proposal to the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Board on August 5th 2016 and it was approved 4-0 by the board. The county officials were very supportive of the idea and with their support it is definitely possible to achieve the high growth in cricket playing kids across the Metro Atlanta Region.

For more details on the program, volunteer opportunities or to make a contribution please visit www.aycl.org or call 678 568 6661.

NRI PULSE 13

14 NRI PULSE

Cognizant Probes Corruption Charges US-based software major Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation recently announced an internal investigation under the US Foreign Corrupt Rajeev Mehta Practices Act into certain payments made to facilities in India.

The probe led the company to appoint its IT Services Chief Executive Rajeev Mehta on September 28 as its President, a day after incumbent Gordon Coburn resigned on September 27.

“The investigation is being conducted under the oversight of the audit committee and is focused on a small number of company-owned facilities,” Cognizant said in a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company has notified the Justice Department and the SEC and is cooperating with both agencies. “The internal investigation is in its early stages, and the company is not able to predict what, if any, action may be taken by the Justice Department, SEC or any governmental authority in connection with the investigation or the effect of the matter on the company’s results, cash flows or financial position,” it said in the filing.

Mehta, 49, who has been with the company since 1997, was Chief Executive of its IT Services since December 2013. Co-founded by Kumar Mahadeva and D’Souza two decades ago, the Nasdaq listed $12.4billion IT major has its largest software development centres in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

........ Biz Pulse ........

October 2016

Six Newcomers In Forbes Richest Indians List Mumbai: (IANS) With $22.7 billion (Rs housing-for-all policy have turned the fortunes of 151,477 crore) net worth, Reliance Industries cement and paint tycoons such as Benu Gopal Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian Bangur, who features at 14 in the top 20 for the for the ninth consecutive year, American business first time with $5.9 billion net worth, as shares of magazine Forbes India said recently. his Shree Cement soared.

Ambani, 59, who retains the top spot in the annual list of 100 richest Indian tycoons, saw his wealth increase to $22.7 billion from $18.9 billion last year as shares of Reliance Industries rose 21 percent over 12 months, the magazine said in a report.

The oil-to-retail conglomerate launched its 4G phone service Jio early this month, offering free calls and internet data link till December 31.

Dilip Shangavi of drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is the second-richest Indian with $16.9 billion net worth though his personal wealth declined $1.1 billion due to its share price dropDivyank and Bhavin Turakhia. ping, while London-based Hinduja brothers, with a combined network of $15 billion in 2016 as Like Bangur, Asian Paints non-executive Viceagainst $14.8 billion in 2015, are third.

Chairman Ashwin Dani added $1.1 billion to his The four siblings - Srichand, Gopichand, wealth to figure at 34 with $3.3-billion net worth.

Prakash and Ashok - head the multinational group, Though the composition at the top of the list whose businesses spans trucks and lubricants to remains unchanged, the combined net worth of the banking and cable television. country’s 100 wealthiest increased 10 per cent to IT czar Azmi Premji of Wipro slipped to $381 billion from $345 billion in 2015. fourth from third with $15-billion, while his flag“In a post-Brexit world, India appears a ship IT services company reported six percent steady ship with an economy growing at 7 perdecline in net earnings to $304 million in second cent-plus. The majority of India’s 100 richest have quarter of this fiscal due to sluggish sakes. notched up handsome gains as their companies The government’s infrastructure push and outperformed the stock market in the past year,”

said Forbes Asia’s India Editor Naazneen Karmali.

“This year’s list has seen a rise in the overall wealth of the country’s top 100 billionaires, in line with the movement of the markets,” said Forbes India Editor Sourav Majumdar.

Meanwhile, eight tycoons rejoined the ranks after their companies outperformed the stock market’s 12 percent rise in the past year.

Among them is the country’s richest selfmade woman and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at 65 with $1.83 billion net worth, as her firm’s shares doubled in 12 months.

Six newcomers to the list include serial entrepreneurs and brothers Bhavin and Divyank Turakhia (95, $1.3 billion), who make the ranks after selling their ad tech firm Media.net for $900 million to a consortium of Chinese investors in August.

Acharya Balkrishna (48, $2.5 billion) also makes his debut on the list, thanks to his 97 percent holding in the fast-growing consumer goods outfit Patanjali Ayurved, which he co-founded with yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

Pawan Munjal (29, $3.65 billion), son of Brijmohan Lall Munjal, founder of Hero Group, took over his father’s spot on the list.

The minimum net worth to enter the annual list of the richest Indians was $1.25 billion, up from $1.1 billion in 2015.

Flipkart co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, however, dropped out from the list as their net worth fell below the minimum amount, along with 11 others, including textile tycoon Balkrishan Goenka.

16 NRI PULSE

6-Year-Old Indian Chef On ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’

Los Angeles: (IANS) YouTube sensation and young chef Nihal Raj, also known as Kicha, showcased his cookery skills on the popular American chat show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”.

Kicha, who hails from Kochi, found fame after starting KichaTube HD channel on the videosharing site. Till now he has featured in 33 videos. Launched in January last year, the channel now has over 6000 subscribers.

While introducing him on the show, DeGeneres said: “Well, if you have ever wondered why Ellen hasn’t had an adorable six-year-old chef from India, then today is your day. Please welcome Kicha.”

On the show, which was aired in the US recently, Kicha told DeGeneres how to make Puttu — a traditional Kerala breakfast dish.

After eating the dish, DeGeneres appreciated Kicha and said: “It’s very delicious.”

Indian Youngster Signs Contract With NBA D Palpreet Singh Brar has become the latest Indian to chase his basketball dreams in the United States as he has signed a contract with the NBA Development League.

The 21-yearold, the winner of National Finals of the ACG-NBA Jump — India’s first national basketball talent search program — will now become eligible for selection in the NBA D League Draft which will be held in October.

The 6ft 9in tall youngster from Punjab, who has been training at the New York Athletic Club with coach Ross Burn in Manhattan, said he has trained hard and is confident of getting picked by a D League team in the draft.

“I am happy with the efforts I have put in and I will continue to work hard and make the most of this opportunity because not many get such a chance,” he said in a statement.

Palpreet, who had impressed NBA champion Brian Shaw in the national finals of ACG-NBA Jump held in the last week of February, was part of the national try outs held on August 14 in New York. Over 200 pro basketball hopefuls exhibited their talent in front of NBA D-League player personnel executives, coaches and industry scouts that day.

“The competition is tough but it is great to know you are competing with the best to play in the best league in the world,” he asserted. Palpreet was discovered as part of a NBA talent search in India.

......... NRI News ........

October 2016

Scientist Awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize

Washington: (IANS) An Indo-American imaging scientist and inventor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been conferred with the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize for his path-breaking inventions to improve lives globally.

“We are thrilled to honor Ramesh Raskar, whose breakthrough research is impacting how we see the world,” said Dorothy Lemelson, chair of the Lemelson Foundation, in a statement on Tuesday.

Ramesh Raskar, who is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including femto-photography — an ultra-fast imaging system that can see around corners — low-cost eye-care solutions for the developing world, and a camera that allows users to read pages of a book without opening the cover, was awarded with the $500,000 prize, one of the world’s largest single cash awards for invention.

The technology, currently in development for commercialisation, uses ultrafast imaging to capture light at 1 trillion frames per second, allowing the camera to create slow motion videos of light in motion.

“Ramesh’s femto-photography work not only has the potential to transform industries ranging from internal medicine to transportation safety, it is also helping to inspire a new generation of inventors to tackle the biggest problems of our time,” Lemelson added.

“Everyone has the power to solve problems and through peer-to-peer co-invention and purposeful collaboration, we can solve problems that will impact billions of lives,” observed Raskar, who is also the Associate Professor at MIT. He plans to use a portion of the LemelsonMIT Prize money to launch a new effort using peer-to-peer invention platforms that offer new

approaches for helping young people in multiple countries to co-invent in a collaborative way, the statement read.

Raskar has combined the academic and entrepreneurial worlds with young engineers and also ignited a passion for impact inventing.

“Raskar is a multi-faceted leader as an inven-

Sikh Carrying Kirpan Triggers Panic In US Mall

Washington: (IANS) The US police surrounded a Sikh man carrying a Kirpan — ceremonial dagger — in Pennsylvania after receiving multiple calls about an apparent Muslim man walking around a shopping centre with a “large knife” or “sword”.

Harpreet Singh Khalsa, 33, said he was a victim of racial profiling in Northampton county, but the police said those who called in their concerns did the right thing, WFMZ TV reported.

The police received multiple calls about an apparent Muslim man walking around the Bethlehem Square Shopping Centre with a “large knife” or “sword”. Multiple officers responded to find Khalsa sitting inside a van parked in the fire lane.

“The cops surrounded me and told me to put my hands on my head,” Khalsa said.

Khalsa, visiting from Maryland, was not carrying a “large knife” or “sword”. He was wearing a Kirpan, attached to a strap called a Gatra. The Kirpan is one of five articles of the Sikh faith.

“Kirpan represents the Sikh duty to be compassionate, kind and to protect people. It’s not thought of as a weapon,” said Khurram Hussain, a Religious Studies Professor at the Lehigh University in Bethlehem, US.

Khalsa said he was scared having so many officers around him and added that he was embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed, for even bothering to come to Bethlehem.

Given recent attacks in New York and Minnesota, officers said people were on higher alert.

“People are a little sensitive to things that are unusual,” a police officer added.

“They did the right thing. They called for us to come and check it out.” But Khalsa said he was racially profiled and misunderstood.

“To have a caller in the first place is pointing to racism, clearly racism,” Khalsa said. “Fear-driven racism,” he added.

Khalsa was not charged, and his Kirpan was returned to him. But Khalsa said he does not plan to come back to the Lehigh Valley and called the way he was treated “un-American”.

tor, educator, change maker and exemplar connector,” noted Stephanie Couch, Executive Director of the Lemelson-MIT Program.

“In addition to creating his own remarkable inventions, he is working to connect communities and inventors all over the world to create positive change,” Couch said.

He is the co-founder of EyeNetra — an inexpensive, disruptive eye-care platform — that enables on-demand eye testing in remote locations via a hand-held technology that snaps onto a mobile device.

The technology was created to eliminate the need for expensive diagnostic tools in the developing world and has performed eye-tests for thousands of subjects in the US, Brazil, and India.

In 2013, Raskar also launched LVP-MITRA in Hyderabad. The center helps hundreds of young inventors to coinvent next generation screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic tools for eye-care.

The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honours outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Brand USA Targets 2.8 Million Indian Tourists New Delhi: (IANS) Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the US, is attempting to drive enough Indian visits to meet its stated goal of 2.8 million tourists by 2021.

“Visitation to US, when it comes to Indians, has been great. We have had an increase of 17 per cent in 2015. The aim is to reach a milestone of 2.8 million visitors from India by 2021,” Cathy Domanico, Vice President, Global Trade Development, Brand USA, told IANS. Brand USA was established in 2010 by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation’s first publicprivate partnership to promote the country as a premier travel destination.

The organization’s mission is to increase international visits to the US in order to fuel the economy and enhance the image of the US worldwide.

“Our goal is to really educate the trade and the destinations. The objective is to bring people beyond the gateways as they don’t see much if they come through the gateways,” Domanico said during the fifth annual “Brand USA India Mission” organised here to provide an opportunity to the US suppliers to engage with key decision makers through free flow one-on-one appointments.

More than 258 million visitors traveled to California in 2015 from every corner of the world, 291,000 of them from India. Indian travelers stayed an average 19 days on their trip, spending $1,785 each, making them a valuable target for California tourism businesses, according to the Brand USA.

October 2016

........Perspectives ........

NRI PULSE 17

World Schooling The New Form Of Learning

BY LINA ASHER To start with, a whole load of people will ask what world schooling is. I define it as homeschooling on the go: Educating your child through experiential learning whilst traveling in the world.

World schooling is the new way of home schooling children, an unconventional way of education, where the child learns while traveling the world and interacting with people of different cultures. It is a form of experiential learning.

Unconventional parents opt for this unconventional way of educating their children. These parents believe that the world is the classroom, the earth their text book and they believe that a child’s education is

not confined to one classroom, but by experiencing what the text book teaches.

Research has shown that children learn best through play and experiences.

People feel far less reliant on the classroom-plus-teacher model and far more comfortable knowing they simply have to provide a supportive learning environment. This method also makes the child an independent thinker and an independent decision maker. Some parents prefer to take curriculum on the road; others use the world around them as the curriculum.

Now, here is the catch: World schooling may seem fancy and may sound easy, but a whole load of planning and homework needs to be done right from picking the location, to reading up of the culture of the place, to the food habits, to the famous places to visit.

If, as parents, you choose world schooling it is your responsibility to make sure your child is learning from this experience; otherwise he might as well go to school and learn in a structured manner.

For world schooling to be effective, it is advisable that parents pick on locations that they are traveling to, research about the country thor-

oughly (demographics, culture, tradition and the like).

If you are travelling with children older than 8, get them involved too. Make them read about the place, list down things they would want to do in that country and the places they would like to visit. This gives the child a direction and helps him/her think about things they would have ideally missed.

Parents should create something called a reflection journal in which, on a daily basis, the child documents all the places visited and all that was picked up or noticed on that day. It is essential to create a broad outline for a child so that the learning is effective. This is essential because if you do not guide them they will either pick up only a few things or they will go all the way on a holiday and be stuck on their phones or I-pads.

For example, if you are flying, make your child calculate the cost per mile of the flight - the child uses math here. If you are travelling by road, give the child a sheet of trees, flowers or fruits that are generally grown in that country and make them identify them - the child is learning geography here. If you are visiting a supermarket, create a pictorial sheet of milk brands and let the child search for each of them.

Essentials to carry while on your trip:

* Books: Carry a few books that are specific to the place you are visiting, a few story books and a few conceptual books on each subject. * Kindle: It is advisable that children use physical books; however, if carrying too many books is not possible, then you should use the Kindle. * Games (Uno, Scrabble et al): Children need play time and a few games are helpful for learning as well.

For instance, Uno helps you enhance math skills, Scrabble enhances word-making abilities. * I-pad with essential educational apps: Even though it is advised that you limit screen time for children, when they are using the I-pad you might as well make sure you have a few educational apps downloaded so that they are learning every minute. * Writing book: If you have a small child, make sure you carry a handwriting book so that they are being trained to write. * Reflection book: It is very essential that you create a book that makes the child reflect and document its learning of the day. * Maps, list of museums, historical sites and natural wonders.

World schooling will become a trend, and it is something that you should practice while traveling with your child on a general basis as well.

......... Movie Review ........

......... Tech Pulse ........

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story: Sushant Is Brilliant, The Film Is Not

Are Google Glass, Samsung Note 7 Tech Failures Of Recent Times?

18 NRI PULSE

Film: “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story”; Director: Neeraj Pandey; Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Kiara Advani, Disha Patani; Rating: **1/2

BY SUBHASH K. JHA There is a moment of reckoning in Dhoni’s life when getting on that moving train would mean the difference between life and stillness.

That metaphorical moment when Sushant Singh Rajput, playing Dhoni as though by birthright, jumps on that train, shot with astute honesty and gritty resplendence by Santosh Thundiyil,

is so brilliant in capturing the moment, that changes a life from ordinary to something extra, that greedily one waits for more such moments in the vast stretches of storytelling that occupy the film.

First things first. There is nothing ‘Untold’ in this three hour-plus sprawling paean to one of the most iconic cricketers of our times. All we see for what seems like an eternity of playingtime are scene after scene from Dhoni’s life and career. All these incidents have been in the public domain for as long as we can remember.

The movie goes through the cricketer’s life chapter by chapter. This is not a film. It’s a book. A biography masquerading as a film. So prosaic that it makes the poetry in the songs played in the background, seem redundant. This is an authorised biography, if you will, since the legend himself imprints his signature on every frame, and that includes the actor who plays Dhoni on screen.

Sushant Singh Rajput is so ferociously correct in assuming Dhoni’s personality, you wonder how he got so much feeling into the batting.

But more about his virtuoso performance later.

What gets our attention immediately is the eye for elaborate detailing of the biographical figures’ emotional and geopolitical status. Director Neeraj Pandey and his co-writer Dilip Jha ransack every nook and corner of Dhoni’s lifescape in pursuit of the demi-god who played the field as though he owned it.

From his childhood escapades as an accidental cricketer to his triumph during the World Cup, Dhoni is projected as an icon with almost no flaws.

There is a scene where Dhoni’s wife-to-be (Kiara Advani) who doesn’t know who Dhoni is (ha ha ha), asks her room-mate about him. “He’s very hot,” the friend sighs in her sleep. That friend embodies the film’s team. Awestuck, adulatory sighing and oohing over the cricket icon’s quirks and whims as though Mother Teresa has been reborn on the playing field. This is not a

biopic. It’s a three-hour ‘bhajan’.

Say hello to the halo, then. And if you are looking for the dirt under the finger-nails... Then you are in for a disappointment. This is a celebration of Dhoni’s legendary status in the boldest strokes... pun intended. The sprawling but comprehensive and at times compelling plot takes us on a journey that spills with enthusiasm and brio — thanks mainly to Sushant’s bright and measured interpretation of Dhoni — but devoid of any surprises.

Some of what is seen to be a sign of the man’s greatness comes across as extremely strenuous attempts to reinforce the haloed argument. A sequence in a hotel room where Dhoni greets an old friend warmly, is supposed to reveal how ‘normal’ the icon remained even after his fame. But life teaches you that it is the peripheral people who “make” a star.

And this is the subtext that lifts this eulogistic bio-pic to a believable level.

The ‘supporting’ characters — the ones who saw recognized acknowledged and encouraged Dhoni’s genius — are all brilliantly played by actors who seem to understand the dying art of selfless devotion. Mention must be made of Anupam Kher, Kumud Mishra and Rajesh Verma. The ever-reliable troopers, they turn their cramped spaces into middle-class homes and hearts, into rooms with a view into the soul.

Unknown actors playing Dhoni’s pals in Ranchi are heartwarming and earnest. Dost ho to aisa!

A sizeable portion of the commodious plot is devoted to Dhoni’s two love relationships, one of them leading to marriage. It’s debutant Disha Patani who as Dhoni’s lost love, lights up every frame she gets to be in. Her death ought to have been a devastating moment in the narrative.

Regrettably, the breakdown after her death as he sobs in the middle of a busy road, is the only sequence that Sushant plays unconvincingly. He is otherwise on a firm wicket, playing out Dhoni’s aspiration on an even pitch, imbuing warmth credibility and authenticity to Dhoni’s persona. Sushant’s physical transformation displaying different stages of Dhoni’s life is astonishing.

What would “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story” have been without Sushant Singh Rajput?

What would Dhoni, the man and the legend, have been without his family and friends?

The women, including Dhoni’s very supportive sister (played by Bhumika Chawla), are shown to be precluded from the main drama. As though a feeble understanding of the nuances of cricket makes them the weaker sex. One of the wives of a Bengali cricket coach is either shown buying fish or offering tea to her husband as he cheers his protégé’s performance on live television.

This film is an extremely clever amalgamation of two favourite national past times: cricket and patriotic jingoism. Director Neeraj Pandey adopts the voice of a serial director, going through episode after episode in Dhoni’s life with reverence .

“The Untold Story”, some other time.

New Delhi (IANS): As we enter a technology era where Next-Gen devices are launched every single day, some are bound to fail as they don’t connect with consumers — while a few will be remembered as being ahead of their time. So what exactly went wrong with two recent muchhyped devices: Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy Note 7?

Let us first begin with Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The cynosure of all eyes, the flagship premium device was launched with much fanfare in August this year — a strategic move to cover ground be-

fore Apple showcased the iPhone 7 on September 7.

But the Note 7’s batteries started exploding: Samsung counted several such incidents across the globe (over 90 Galaxy Note 7 smartphones owners in the US reported overheating). Amid conspiracy theories, a global recall of 2.5 million devices was announced quickly and faster replacements were guaranteed. The damage: Over $1 billion till date, as estimated by industry analysts.

“I think it will be unfair to call it a failure as of now. Since technology is changing at a rapid pace as we see thousands of innovative products launching almost every month in the market, we need to give the Note 7 some more time to recover from bad times before we declare its demise,” Tarun Pathak, Senior Analyst, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at New Delhi-based Counterpoint Research, told IANS. In a damage-control mode, Samsung has unveiled a new website to let Galaxy Note 7 owners know if their device is safe or not. The south Korean giant is also launching a dedicated media campaign to allay fears and win back trust.

“As far as the Note 7 is concerned, the device packs a bunch of innovative features and is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones ever launched before it was let down by a production fault,” Pathak added.

The world of technology, however, is not easy to comprehend as a device touted as the “next big thing” can finally land up in the junkyard.

Remember Hoverboard? The portable twowheeled, battery-powered board or scooter got off to a promising start last year but owing to faulty lithium-ion batteries and cases of explosion, some of the products were taken off the shelves.

“Similarly, there are a number of other examples for products under various categories which didn’t find acceptance in the market instead of being the ‘next big thing’ and the reasons vary

October 2016

from case to case,” Pathak told IANS. The eye-wearable augmented reality (AR) device Google Glass was introduced with much fanfare in 2014. At $1,500, it promised a new, bold era for information. People, however, realised the device was not yet ready to be part of their lives. There were safety and health concerns. The built-in camera raised privacy and piracy issues too.

“Google Glass is one such product which was surely ahead of its time. The device succumbed to its high price and other concerns,” noted Krishna Mukherjee, Analyst (Telecoms) at market research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR).

Google later withdrew the eyewearable device from the market in 2015.

“I feel Google could not gauge the utility from the consumers’ point of view and convinced them to go and buy a $1,500 device. For me, it was a device which should have been planned with consumers in mind,” noted Vishal Tripathi, Research Director at global market consultancy firm Gartner.

But all is not lost for Google Glass. Two years down the line, the eye-wearable device is helping doctors, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics save lives.

Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia have developed a diagnosis system based on Glass that may help in the early detection of various neuro-degenerative disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease.

Using Google Glass, a team of researchers at Drexel University in the US is developing a “smart” portable system that will use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure a person’s brain activity on the go. The augmented-reality headset is being used by paramedics and EMTs assessing patients and them consult with surgeons and doctors at the hospital in real time at the University of Massachusetts’ Medical School (UMMS).

“We can say that for every hiatus in a device’s lifecycle, failure might not be the perfect description as it is also an opportunity for the brand to come back again with a more advanced version on the back of technological advancements,” Pathak told IANS. According to Mukherjee, in the case of Note 7, such incidents provide enough room for introspection for the tech world and the government to ensure the safety of citizens. “Technology service providers should meet certain benchmarks before launching a product and the government also needs to play a role here,” she told IANS. For Tripathi, Note 7 is not yet a tech failure but a lesson in disguise for Samsung as the company now needs to prove to the world that it is serious about protecting its consumers.

Remember this: Samsung will launch another flagship device — Galaxy S8 — next year so, before that, a safe Note 7 device should ideally be back in people’s lives.

October 2016

......... Health Pulse ........

NRI PULSE 19

Is Too Much Sitting Killing Indian Americans?

BY DR. PANCHAJANYA PAUL, MD Are you having problems sleeping at night, controlling your weight, or managing your blood sugar, pressure, or cholesterol? Do you feel tired and listless at work? If you are a white collar worker, you are probably sitting too much and for too long. And this may be the greatest health hazard we all face. Indians living in the US are succumbing to the so called western diseases or life style diseases like asthma, cancer, chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression, sleep disorders, and obesity. Our sedentary lifestyle, along with easy access to processed food, poses grave dangers to our health and wellbeing.

The human body is a product of millions of years of evolution. It was never meant to be sedentary. New science is revealing that being immobile and sitting at the same place for hours has dire consequences. If you are an average Indian American, your usual day begins with sitting at the table eating your breakfast, then sitting in your car or a bus or train going to work. At work, you will sit at your desk for eight hours and then return home while sitting in a

motorized vehicle. You will have dinner while sitting, and then watch TV while relaxing on a couch. Some of you may go for a run or lift weights for an hour in the gym. In total, the average Indian American is sitting more than 9 hours in a day. This is an all-time high in recorded history.

There is a vast amount of data linking a physically active lifestyle to lower rates of morbidity and mortality. Health organizations recommend that everyone needs around 1 hour of exercise a day. The American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine call for a minimum of 30 minute of moderateintense physical activity 5 days a week or 20 minute of vigorous intense physical activity 3 days a week. But new research reveals that one hour of activity is not enough to mitigate the harms of 23 hours of inactivity.

This new finding is revolutionizing how we think about exercise.

The association between sitting and mortality is dose dependent; the more you sit, the less you live.

This is independent of leisure activity or baseline BMI. It means that no matter how much exercise we get, how healthy we eat, how slim we remain, the dangers of prolonged sitting will still cause harm. Nothing can counteract the detrimental effects of prolonged inactivity. Sitting shortens lifespan. Sitting is as harmful as smoking cigarettes and can be considered a disease like smoking. Studies have shown that even four hours of sitting will change your body’s metabolism. Sitting is especially harmful for women. Women who sit for more than 6 hours per day have a 40 percent increased all cause death rate compared to those sitting less than 3 hours per day! This association is not affected by the amount of physical activity women receive.

Most Indians living in the US are white collar workers. They are engaged in the engineering, research, IT and the health care sector. Most do their work either at an office or from their home sitting in front of a computer. They may argue that since they work with their brains, they need to sit in order to focus. This may seem like a valid argument, but it may not actually be. The brain has enormous plasticity. It can produce new neurons and make new synaptic connections throughout life. Scientists have found that a protein called Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) plays an important role in brain function. It improves memory, attention, mood and concentration. We produce more BDNF when we exercise and move.

Now, the challenge becomes how to create circumstances where we can coax our bodies to move when it serves no additional benefit. We see that the market has responded with many creative fitness gadgets to motivate us to move and exercise.

One such innovation is the Standing Desk, which makes you stand and work, and the Treadmill Desk, which makes you walk and work. As companies are becoming aware of the cost of sitting and the sedentary life, some are offering standing and treadmill desks for their employees. Many stylish products are available in the market from Lifespan, NordicTrack, Exerpeutic and more. Another cool device is the wearable fitness tracker which measures heart rate, steps, miles walked, sleep hours, and hours of activity and inactivity.

There are many choices in all styles and prices from Jawbone, Fitbit, Garmin, Apple and Samsung watches. There are even inexpensive DIY options

also. You can make a workable standing desk using a box or stool over the regular desk. A spare treadmill or standing cycle can be placed under the desk.

And pedometer smart phone apps are available that, although less accurate, will record all steps and movements of the day.

As a practicing Indian American psychiatrist I had to spend a lot of time sitting and listening to people’s stories, and then documenting them. As I got busy in my practice, I began to develop back and neck pain from prolonged sitting. And there was weight gain, despite my eating healthy and exercising regularly. It made me rethink the way I structure my day. I made changes to my schedule. I placed a small table on top of my desk and converted it into a standing desk. I try to do all my reading, typing and writing while standing.

When I get tired I’ll sit down and take rest, then I will stand again and continue. Many people, including myself, have seen back, neck and wrist pains go away once their posture is changed from sitting to standing.

I strongly encourage everyone to have a standing desk or make one. While you are working, get up and move every 15 minutes. Use a pedometer or a fitness tracker. A mundane and boring activity like walking and moving can become fun and competitive once you measure and compare with family and friends. I wear a Fit-bit Charge and try to do the recommended 10,000 steps per day. Park your car a little further, so that you are forced to walk. Run as many errands as possible by walking. Walk and talk instead of texting or emailing when you can. Stand while you talk on the phone. Prefer to speak with the person face-to-face rather than texting them.

Seek all opportunities to move.

........Features ........

UIBS Awards Gala & OCT 13 - 14 Summit (See Display ad) 7th USA India Business Summit & 22nd Georgia Tech Global Business Forum “Global Advanced Industries: Creating Local Opportunities Conference “ Thursday, October 13 5:30pm - Gala Where: Twelve Atlantic Station Hotel, 361 17th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30363 Friday, October 14 8:30am - Summit Where: Historic Academy of Medicine, Georgia Tech, 875 West Peachtree St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 Register: http:// www.usaindiabusinesssummit.com/ registration.php Contact: Ani Agnihotri, 404-394-6678, Ani@usaindiabusinesssummit.com, http:// www.usaindiabusinesssummit.com/

Greater Atlanta OCT 15 Punjabi Society (GAPS) presents Diwali Dhamaka 2016 Fun, food, and fireworks. Fantastic door prizes and raffle. Groove to the latest bollywood and Punjabi music When: Sat, 15th October from 7:30pm - 1:00am Where: Holiday Inn Roswell, 909 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 300760 Tickets: $40+, $15 under 10 yrs: https:// Contact: Krishan Goyal 770-315-6262 BAPS Shri OCTOBER Swaminaryan Mandir Kids Diwali Celebration When Sunday, October 23 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Kali Chaudas / Hanuman Pujan When: Saturday, October 29 - 7:00 pm Onwards Diwali and Chopda Pujan When: Sunday, October 30 Diwali Chopda Pujan – 10:00 am, Diwali Satsang Sabha – 11:00 am, Diwali Arti – 7:00 pm Off-site Parking: In memory of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir will celebrate Diwali in the traditional manner of lightning diwas. There will be no Diwali fireworks this year.

Grand Annakut Darshan Monday, Oct 31, 2016 New Year Arti – 7:00 am Annakut Darshan – 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm Off-site Parking: On October 30 & 31, convenient off-site parking at Lions Club Park, 5500 Rockbridge Cir NW, Lilburn, GA 30047 A free shuttle service will take you between the offsite parking and Mandir.

Where: 460 Rockbridge Road NW, Lilburn GA 30047.

Contact: 678-906-2277

- Nury Vittachi

SuDoku Challenge Rules: 1.The 3 x 3 sub grids are called regions 2.Numbers already filled in the grid are called givens 3.The goal of the player is to fill the blank grids of · Every row · Every column and · Every 3 x 3 box · With the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 However: All rows and columns and regions (3 x 3) should contain numbers 1 to 9 without being repeated.

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Shiv Mandir: OCTOBER 9 Dussehra Mela, Ram Leela, Ravan Dahan When: Sunday, October 9 at 2 pm Where: Sugar Hill Amphitheater, 5039 W Broad St, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 Free Admission Contact: : Aradhna 404-245-7450, Ravi Mekala 404-731-2258, Isha Goyal 770-3156263; 770-680-2356, info@shivmandiratlanta.org Mandir: Shiv Mandir of Atlanta, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA 30071

Chinmaya Mission OCT 15 Atlanta (Chinmaya Niketan): Dussehra Mela, with Food Mela and Ravan Dahan.

When: Saturday, October 15 at 5 pm.

Where: 5511 Williams Road, Norcross, GA 30093.

Contact: 678-615-7088

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Hindu Temple of OCTOBER Atlanta October events NavaRathri - Saturday 1 thru Tuesday 11 Vijaya Dasami & Sri Venkateswara Jayanthi on 11 Sharad Purnima - Satyanarayana Vratam on Saturday, 15th, 4pm Naraka Chaturdasi on 29th and Diwali on 30 Hanumath Jayanthi on 30 Where: Hindu Temple of Atlanta, 5851 Georgia Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA 30274 Contact: 770-907-7102, HTAManager@hindutempleofatlanta.org, www.hindutempleofatlanta.org

Purbasha: Mahalaya OCT 15 & 29 & Lakshmi & Kali Pujas Lakshmi Puja: Saturday, October 15 Kali Puja: Saturday, October 29 Time: noon.

Where: Mahalaya: Suwanee, GA 30004.

Durga Puja & Lakshmi Puja & Kali Puja: Brandywine Elementary School, 175 Martin Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30004.

Contact: purbashainc@gmail.com to attend.

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Ambaji USA, Shree OCTOBER Shakti Mandir Aso Navratri Garba When: Saturday-Mon, Oct 1-10 & Fri-Sat 14-15 Sun 10/9 Aatham; Fri-Sat 10/14-15 Sharad Purnima Garba. Time: 8pm.

Diwali. New Year When: Friday-Mon, October 28-31, 2016 Dhanteras; Kali Chaudas; Diwali; New year Where: Shree Shakti Mandir, 1450 Huie Rd., Lake City, GA 30260 Contact: 770-968-3490, ambajiusa.org

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Only $15 for the first 20 words and 50 cents per additional word.

Most adults fail to teach youngsters enough And you probably noticed that when about reality. I make my kids watch old movies Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announced that they and explain to them that there were no special were getting divorced, his ex-wife Jennifer effects and we had to actually shoot, stab and Aniston made one comment: “That’s karma.” run over bad guys all the She clearly believed that time. “In the original 1977 the God or more likely THE FUNNY SIDE Goddess of Karma noStar Wars they had to blow up a planet, which ticed that Ms. Jolie stole is why old books list nine planets but new ones her husband 11 years ago and waited patiently to have eight.” arrange an implosion in her One good thing about family. It does seem to be kids’ appetite for movies and true that cosmic justice can games is that they learn that operate rather slowly; so my bad guys always end up sufadvice is to keep a list of fering poetic justice, something hoped-for victims in case rethat those of us in the news minders are needed. business know happens reThe interesting thing is markably often in real life, too. that karma often uses human In the newspaper rehands to do its work. An cently was a report about a man internet viral video shows the in Pennsylvania who was annoyed that his view from a motorcyclist’s helmet. Every time she neighbor’s big old tree dripped sap on his car. sees a motorist throw garbage out of a car window, The angry man used a chainsaw to chop the tree she picks it up, zooms along the road to catch up down — and it fell right on top of his house, with the driver, and throws it back in — in one case, wrecking it. The formal scientific term for this a bag containing the remnants of a fast food meal kind of thing is “Karma strikes again”. explodes satisfyingly over the driver’s lap.

Karma also seems to have been present in But the people who suffer most from karma the case of a US prisoner who made a deathbed are those who attempt to educate others. We are confession. Dying of a heart attack, James Wash- instantly punished for making any ill-judged reington of Tennessee told a police officer that he mark. Me: “There’s no such thing as a stupid had “to get something off my conscience” and question.” Student: “Did snakes evolve from revealed that he had killed a woman 17 years ropes?” Student 2: “Did Shakespeare write anyearlier. Karma arranged for his miraculous recov- thing in English?” Student 3: “Is there gravity in ery to full health for his new 51-year jail sen- Australia?” Me: “Okay I’m wrong.” tence for murder.

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NRI PULSE 21

Artistes, Art Must Speak Up Against Societal Prejudice: Tannishtha Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who is in news for slamming the “Comedy Night Bachao” team for accusing her of publicitymongering with her anguish on being mocked at for her dark skin tone, says she hopes her reaction begins a movement against skintone racism.

Excerpts from the interview.

been a part of the ‘Dark Is Beautuful’ campaign for the longest time.

I was its brand ambassador. Artistes and art need to speak up against societal prejudice.

The fair-is-lovely mindset has existed for ages. How will you change it?

You have caused a global furor by standing up to skin prejudice on “Comedy Night Bachao”?

It’s about time we all took a stand againt the ‘gori versus kaali’ prejudices in our society. This is not about me. And it’s not about one show. It’s about the way we think as a people. We must stop making jokes about dark skin. Period.

Krushna Abhishek has accused you of doing this for publicity?

(Bursts out laughing) I went on his show for publicity only for my film ‘Parched’. I walked out after those offensive jokes. I wrote my Facebook entry on the experience where I’ve a few thousand followers. Why would I opt out of publicity on a show being watched by millions to create publicity on a medium read by thousands?

Anyway I don’t want to respond to such stupid comments made by people who feel no remorse for propagating prejudices on a widely aired television show.

I think Krushna Abhishek and Bharti Singh owe you an apology?

They don’t owe me an apology. They owe an apology to all those dark-skinned men and women who they have insulted. They don’t seem to understand the ramifications of their so-called jokes. It’s not about just my skin tone. Even if someone else had been similarly insulted, I would have stood up to speak against it. The channel has been gracious enough to apologize. I am glad they’ve taken a stance.

What made you take this stand?

It’s a stand that I’ve taken on behalf of all dark-skinned people.

Until the bias disappears, we have to keep protesting against it. I’ve

Have you ever given in to the demand to look light-skinned on screen?

Never! In fact, when I did ‘UnIndian’, some critics commented on why such a dark girl was cast as a savvy working-woman in Australia. Someone wrote they should’ve cast someone pretty. Pretty is equivalent to fair skinned. This prejudice is all-prevalent in our country. Look at how Africans are treated in our country.

Isn’t Lupita Nyong’o beautiful?

Exactly. This prejudice has to change. 90 per cent of us Indians are dark skinned. There are other body biases in our society. But skin prejudice hits at a person’s self-esteem. It is rooted to the caste system. That is why I salute Nagraj Manjule for casting a fairskinned boy as a Dalit in ‘Sairat’. We need more films to break stereotypes.

I can try. I don’t want my protest against color prejudice to die down in two days. I’ve been talking about it for years. I’ve never endorsed fairness creams. I’ve never allowed anyone to make me look ‘gora’ on screen. Our film make-up artistes are subject the fairis-lovely mindset. And using fairness creams is unhealthy. Why propagate an unhealthy lifestyle?

In our films like ‘Gora Aur Kala’, Gora was the hero Kala was the villain.

Exactly. I was sharing this with Nandita Das. When we play a village character, our (dark) skin tone is fine. But when we play an urban character or upper middle-class educated character, we are supposed to get fairer.

When the make-up person comes forward with his argument for why a

Western Cinema Doesn’t Reflect Diversity: Mira Nair Mira Nair is shocked that the big screen in the West doesn’t reflect the diversity of the world and feels artistes of color are “marginalised in the mainstream industry”. The acclaimed Indian filmmaker, who is garnering plaudits for making “Queen of Katwe” with an all-black cast, however says her aim is not to propagate a color.

Disney’s “Queen of Katwe” traces the journey of 11-yearold Ugandan girl Phiona Mutesi and how she gets out of the slum where she resides to become a world class chess player.

The film, which stars Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, is being lauded for its heart-warming story. But reactions also saw the virtual world buzzing with hashtags like #BlackGirlsRock or #BlackLivesMatter.

Asked if the bigger picture is to reinstate the importance of color over talent or story, the National Award-winning director Nair was quick to dismiss this.

“I don’t think it is anything about color more than talent. We have been marginalized in the mainstream industry for long. It is shocking that the screen does not reflect the way the world is and the diversity in the world... What the world really looks like should be on screen and it isn’t,” Nair told IANS in a telephonic interview from New York.

Delving on the importance of getting diversity on the big screen, Nair also said that this should be done by the “talent of our work and integrity of our work”.

“The film itself should interact with the audience. In the case of ‘Queen of Katwe’, people are laughing, sobbing and dancing. I am taking them on a ride... It is not like I am asking them for handouts,” said the 58-year-old, adding that the industry and the

city character must be ‘gori’, I have a long chat with him.

“people responsible for taking decisions” need to wake up to the truth of diversity.

“The fact is that it is not doing charity to make a black film or an African film... But finally the work has to speak.”

The color debate has been under way for long in India and abroad but got added attention with the diversity row after the 2016 Oscar nominations.

Be it with her debut fiction feature “Salaam Bombay!” — which was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category — to films like “Mississippi Masala”, “Monsoon Wedding”, “The Namesake” or “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”, Nair has explored diverse themes and represented different issues long before “diversity” became a buzzword in Hollywood.

And she continues the pattern with “Queen of Katwe”, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

According to Nair, who is settled in the Ugandan capital Kampala after she fell in love with that part of the world during research for her film “Mississippi Masala”, the USP of her latest film is that it doesn’t paint a “suffering picture of despair” and there are no white saviours coming in to help the people of Africa.

“It is the first time that a story has been told about this modern and everyday Africa as opposed to the usual suffering Africa... It is always a suffering picture of despair, but this is a picture of ordinary people believing in extraordinary things and achieving them,” she said.

Asserting that it is not a “white person story or a white person saviour story”, Nair rested her case by saying that the “movie tells us that genius is everywhere, you just have to find it and nourish it”.

On Arnab Goswami’s news show, roasters were seen telling you to come on their show to be properly roasted?

I think Arnab gave them a befitting reply. I am overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the film industry. People like Ajay Devgn, Nandita Das, Dia Mirza, Zoya Akhtar and Hansal Mehta have spoken up to support my cause. We’ll continue our fight. I know there will be lots of resistance and retaliation. But I am ready for it.

We all have to work towards changing this mindset.

Even western mythology propagated that good is white and bad is black. It’s changed in the west. It’s got to change here also. You can’t propagate prejudices on national television. Comedians need to re-educate themselves on the definition of humor. They are saying roasts are like this in the US. It’s a colonial hangover... Make fun of the prejudice. Don’t make a joke of a person who is a victim of the prejudice.

Do you have a solution?

I think schools should have classes for color conditioning. Children need to be educated on why dark and fair skin are equally beautiful.

Children musn’t tease each other by using kaali as an abuse. Even parents need re-conditioning in their mindset. Please don’t splash talcum powder on your daughters’ faces before sending them to school.

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Sweet & Hot Diamonds (Two-in-one) BYP.S. LAKSHMI RAO

2 Cups all purpose flour (maida) 1-Tablespoon rice flour

1-Tablespoon hot oil ½ Cup water 1 Pinch of salt 1 1/2 Cups oil for frying (depending upon the size of the frying pan) 2 Stems curry leaves

Make 8 balls. Roll each ball in to six- inch diameter circles. Cut them into one-inch diamonds.

Heat 1½ cups oil in a frying pan in low heat and fry handful of diamonds until they become light brown and crispy. Remove them to a paper towel to absorb oil. After all the diamonds are fried separate half the diamonds for sweet and half the diamonds for hot or spicy snack.

Turn the heat off and add curry leaves and fry. Remove leaves from the oil. Blot with paper towel and save them.

Sweet diamonds In a large pan mix brown sugar and water. Boil for

three minutes to make sugar syrup. Put a drop of syrup in little water. When the drop becomes a hard ball the syrup is done. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the diamonds and cardamom powder. Mix gently so that the diamonds are not broken.

Hot (spicy) diamonds Mix second half of the fried diamonds, ground red pepper, cumin powder, salt, and also the fried curry leaves. Add more salt and red pepper according to your taste.

Keep the diamonds in separate containers with tight lids. If you pack them in decorative jars, you can give them as holiday gifts.

Have a wonderful festive season!

Sweet Chaklies 1 cup rice flour 1/2 cup besan ( chick pea flour) A pinch of salt 1 table spoon butter 1 cup boiling water 2 cups vegetable oil 2 1/4 cups light brown sugar 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon crushed elaichi (cardamom) 1 teaspoon ghee (optional)

For Sweet Diamonds 1 1/2 Cups brown sugar 1/ 2 Cup water ½ Teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds For Hot Diamonds 1 Teaspoon red pepper (ground) ½ Teaspoon crushed cumin seeds ¾ Teaspoon salt or to taste

In a mixing bowl mix rice flour, besan, salt and butter. Add 1 cup boiling water, mix well with a spoon. When the mixture gets cold enough, mix thoroughly with hand to prepare the chakli dough.

Heat 2 cups oil in a frying pan to medium high temperature.

Dough: Mix all purpose flour, rice flour and salt with hot oil. Add water, and mix until it becomes stiff dough. Knead the dough for three minutes with oily hands.

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Place 1/8 inch diameter holes disc in the chakli maker, fill it with chakli dough and press the dough in to hot oil. Fry both sides until crisp. Remove from the oil and place chakli on a paper towel to drain any excessive oil. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Break chaklies into two and half to three inch pieces and set aside on a paper towel.

In a large sauce pan mix brown sugar and water. Place the pan on the stove and make sugar syrup on high temperature mixing continuously until the syrup starts to boil and bubble.

Place a small drop of the syrup in a small plate to see if it becomes a soft ball. You can also touch it in between your thumb and index finger and stretch. It should form strings. This process should be very quick, otherwise syrup will become too thick.

Remove the syrup from heat and add ghee, crushed elaichi and chakli pieces. Mix quickly and add the chakli pieces gently, making sure the sugar syrup coats all the pieces and crystallizes.

........ InVogue ....... embroidered designer blouse. Pair with kundan jewelry and potli purse. Style your hair in a juda.

Red Bandhani Sari: This is a traditional sari with green mirror border. Wear it with an embroidered blouse, polki heavy jewelry and a guchi bag.

Bandhani Patterns For The Festive Season

BY RANI SHARMA Raneez Fine Boutique Bandhani is a type of tie-dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. Today most bandhani making centers are situated in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Sindh.

Bandhani or bandhj sarees were traditionally a specialty of Rajasthan, and made in Jaipur,

Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer.

The art of bandhani is a highly skilled process and perhaps the oldest form of creating patterns on a plain piece of cloth. The technique involves dyeing a fabric which is tied tightly with a thread at several points, thus producing a variety of patterns like chandrakala, bavan baug or shikari, depending on the manner in which the cloth is tied The main colors used are yellow, red, blue, green, rani, orange and black.

The city of Jamnagar located in the gulf of Kutch in Gujarat is well known for its red bandhani or ghar chola. People believe that wearing red brings good luck to a newly wed’s life.

Bandhani is popular all over India and the demand has increased over the past few decades.

It are always in style during the festival season.

Rani-Orange Bandhani Sari:A great combination of art and design. This sari looks great with an

For more info call me at 404-633-4966 or visit Raneez Fine Boutique in Decatur.

October 2016

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