NRI Pulse August 2016 Print Issue

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Atlanta’s Premier South Asian Newspaper August 2016

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Summer Surge In Phone Scam Calls Atlanta, GA: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned taxpayers to stay vigilant against an increase of IRS impersonation scams in the form of automated calls and new tactics from scammers demanding tax payments on iTunes and other gift cards.

The IRS has seen an increase in “robo-calls” where scammers leave urgent callback requests through the phone telling taxpayers to call back to settle their “tax bill.” These fake calls generally claim to be the last warning before legal action is taken. Once the victim calls back, the scammers may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of the victim if they don’t agree to pay.

Some of these calls seem to be from a caller with a ‘desi’ accent. Long time Atlanta resident, Neera (name changed to protect her identity) who happened to take the call last week, thought the caller had a Chinese accent until he resorted to swearing in Hindi.

“The caller said he is calling from the IRS and they have an arrest warrant against me as I have not paid my taxes,” she told NRI Pulse. “I said they have the wrong person as I pay my taxes on time.”

The caller insisted that she had outstanding taxes and that the police was on its way to arrest her.

“I said do what you want, at which point he got abusive. You little Indian, he said before resorting to abuses in Hindi.”

This week, Neera had another phone call with a DC area code. It was a robo-call with an automated message that once again threatened arrest.

“It used to be that most of these bogus calls would come from a live-person. Scammers are evolving and using more and more automated calls in an effort to reach the largest number of victims possible,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

“Taxpayers should remain alert for this summer

IRS Warns Taxpayers To Stay Vigilant

surge of phone scams, and watch for clear warning signs as these scammers change tactics.”

In the latest trend, IRS impersonators are demanding payments on iTunes and other gift cards. The IRS reminds taxpayers that any request to settle a tax bill by putting money on any form of gift card is a clear indication of a scam.

Some examples of the varied tactics seen this year are: *Demanding payment for a “Federal Student Tax.” See IR-2016-81. *Demanding immediate tax payment for taxes owed on an iTunes or other type of gift card *Soliciting W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals. See IR-2016-34. *“Verifying” tax return information over the phone.

See IR-2016-40. *Pretending to be from the tax preparation industry. See IR-2016-28

Since these bogus calls can take many forms and scammers are constantly changing their strategies, knowing the telltale signs is the best way to avoid becoming a victim. The IRS will never: *Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. *Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. *Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. *Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. *Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money and you don’t owe taxes, here’s what you should do: *Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately. *Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page or call 800-366-4484. *Report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov.

Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. *If you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040.

Purvi Patel’s 2015 Feticide Conviction Overturned Atlanta, GA: The Indiana Court of Appeals has overturned the feticide conviction of Purvi Patel who was found guilty last year of killing her premature infant by taking abortion-inducing drugs.

However, the court upheld a lower-level felony neglect of a dependent conviction, according to Associated Press. That carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. Purvi Patel was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2015, two years after her self-induced abortion at her family’s home.

The appeals court ruled that the state Legislature didn’t intend for the feticide law “to be used to prosecute women for their own abortions.”

Patel comes from a family of Indian immigrants who settled in Granger,Indiana, a suburb of

South Bend.

In July 2013, she showed up at the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical Centre in the town ofMishawaka, bleeding heavily.

Doctors quickly realized she’d lost a pregnancy and she confessed that she’d left the fetus in a dumpster outside Moe’s Southwest Grill in Granger, a restaurant Patel’s parents owned.

Patel’s defense had argued then that Patel, who’d gotten no prenatal care, had had aSanjay sudden

miscarriage and that the fetus was not born alive.

Much of Patel’s trial centered on the alleged gestational age of the fetus: Patel’s defense argued the fetus was no more than 22-24 weeks old, and thus not viable even in a medical setting. Prosecutors argued Patel’s pregnancy was up to 30 weeks along and the baby had been born alive, reports pri.org.

In addition to the charge of neglect, prosecutors later added a charge of “feticide” based on text messages found on Patel’s phone showing that she took miscarriage-inducing drugs purchased online. Toxicologists could not find any trace of such drugs in her body or that of the fetus, but the evidence was enough to convince a Pandya jury that Patel had committed feticide.

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Pramila Jayapal Wins Washington Open Primary

Washington: (IANS) Indian-American politician Pramila Jayapal has won an open Congressional primary in Washington’s 7th Congressional District seat, and could become the first from the community to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

Jayapal, a Democrat, was born in India and raised in Indonesia and Singapore.

She had 38 per cent of the vote and will advance to the November 8 general election.

“We’re building a movement that can clearly stake out a positive vision for the future of America at a time when too many people feel cynical about change, and when too many people are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table,” Jayapal, a Democrat who has represented the 37th legislative district in the Washington State Senate since 2015, said.

Jayapal is also an activist. She founded “Hate Free Zone” after the September 11 attacks in 2001 as an advocacy group for Arabs, Muslims, and South Asian Americans targeted in the wake of the attacks. It changed its name to “OneAmerica” in 2008.

With their battle too close to call, Joe McDermott and Walkinshaw both said they were looking forward to taking on Jayapal in November.

Six other candidates - Democrats Arun Jhaveri and Donovan Rivers, Republicans Scott Sutherland and Craig Keller, and independents Leslie Regier and Carl Cooper - each had no more than 9 per cent of the vote.

The 7th District includes most of Seattle, Vashon island, some southwest suburbs of King county and a bit of Snohomish county.

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August 2016

GAT Honors 25 Most Influential Asian-Americans P.O Box 191124 Atlanta GA 31119 Tel: 404-235-4998 Email: nripulse@gmail.com www.NRIPulse.com Publisher NRIPulse Media Inc.

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Atlanta, GA: Georgia Asian Times hosted its He is the immediate past president of GAPI- Georgia last 3 years – the last one being March 2016 – at Dr annual 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Geor- Association of Physicians of Indian heritage. He is a Indrakrishnan’s request. He helps the Atlanta VA Hosgia Awards dinner at Sonesta Gwinnett Place recently. past president and currently in the board of directors pital and its deserved veterans by performing cancer Over 200 guests including Consul General of India, of Georgia Gastroenterological and Endoscopic Soci- screening colonoscopies on Saturday mornings.

Dr Indrakrishnan is in the board of directors Nagesh Singh, Consul General of Japan, Takashi ety. Dr Indrakrishnan has a passion for educating the Shinozuka, Steven Tai, Director General of Taipei Eco- public on colorectal cancers. Governor Nathan Deal of Meals by Grace, a nonprofit organization in nomic and Cultural Office, Georgia Representative signed proclamations declaring March month as the Cumming, Forsyth County which provides food Pedro Marin (D-96), and Charlotte Nash, Chair, colorectal cancer awareness month in Georgia for the for poor hungry children and their families identified by school counseGwinnett Board of Commislors and dept. of comsioners graced the event. munity health of GeorTwo Indian-Americans, gia. In addition, he is in Dr Indran Indrakrishnan and the advisory board of Sudhir Agarwal, were among Third eye dancers, a the 25 awardees this year.

Georgia based not for Georgia Asian Times also profit organization honored two organizations which communicates with the Asian American Spirit social issues affecting Awards recognizing their conchildren, through dance tribution to the Asian Ameriand prompting action can community. American Kowhile raising funds for rean Friendship Society and the same through culNational Association of Chi- The awardees. tural events. He is in the nese Americans (NACA) were leadership council of the recipients of the awards.

American India Foundation, a Sunny Park, President of AKFS and NPO helping rural communities Greg Hubler, President of NACA, along with educational & job opporwith Lani Wong accepted the awards tunities. He is on the board of on behalf of respective organizations. trustees of Hindu Temple of At“We are proud to host the 25 lanta, Riverdale.

Most Influential Asians for their conSudhir Agarwal is one of the tribution to community. The awards three leaders (permanent posiare to recognize their service and eftions) of Indian Professionals forts,” said Li Wong, Publisher of GeorNetwork (IPN) that meets on a gia Asian Times. monthly basis. He represents the Dr. Daniel Kaufman, CEO & Indian community on the Board President of Gwinnett Chamber of of Asian/Pacific-American CounCommerce, delivered the keynote adcil of Georgia. He is a key leader dress for the evening. He detailed the of Rajasthani Association of chamber’s new 5-year strategic plan Georgia (RAJA) that organizes and growth initiatives. events in Rajasthani language for The evening’s program was people from that NW state hosted by Vince Bailey and Kimberley inIndia.

Liemkeo.

He also plays a crucial role Each award recipient was given a in organizing the annual Internafew minutes to deliver his or her actional Day of Yoga hosted by the ceptance speech, to cheers from their Consulate General of India and family and well wishers. other community organization.

Dr Indrakrishnan was accompa- L to R: Dr Indran Indrakrishnan, Consul General Nagesh Singh, Agarwal is currently worknied by his wife Gayathri and daughdaughter Harini and wife Gayathri. ing as Principal Business Conter Harini. His guests included mensultant with Hewlett Packard tors Dr JJ Shah and Dr Meena Shah, Enterprise and providing strategy founders of Gwinnett Clinic, Stephen solutions to Fortune 100 compaand Suellen Daniel, founders and conies like Walmart, Fedex, GM, directors of Meals by Grace, Gernelle Disney, CVS Caremark. He also Lewis of Fight Colorectal Cancer and serves on various advisory board Veena Rao, editor of NRI Pulse. of start up companies in US and Sudhir Agarwal was cheered by India. his wife Payal, son Samarth, sister Georgia Asian Times reSapna Dalmia and nephew Devesh. ceived over 200 online nominaHis guests also included Ravi Chander, tions for this year’s award CEO of Softpath Systems, Rajan Vedak through its website.

– Indian Professionals Network board A selection committee commember, Shiv Aggarwal, owner of Gloprising of civic leaders, ethnic mebal Mall, Madhusudan Chaganthi, Didia, and the board of editors at rector, Waltair Technical Services and Georgia Asian Times narrowed the Rajnish Aggarwal, director at Sogeti selection to the final 25 honorees.

(Capgemini).

Selection criteria are based on the Dr Indrakrishnan is a Clinical Proindividual’s contribution to comfessor of Medicine at the Emory Unimunity or their professional imversity School of Medicine and has his pact on the community. private practice in Lawrenceville, GA. Sudhir Agarwal (center) with family, guests and Dr Indrakrishnan.

8 NRI PULSE

Partha Chakraborty To Run For Vacant Mayor Seat In Stockbridge

Atlanta, GA: Stockbridge native Partha Chakraborty is among five candidates who qualified recently to vie for the vacant mayor seat in Stockbridge. The mayor seat has been empty since former Stockbridge Mayor Tim Thompson resigned during a Dec. 15 council meeting.

Chakraborty had qualified last month as an independent candidate for District 78 in the Georgia House of Representatives, which was contingent upon getting the appropriate amount of signatures, but is now no longer listed as a candidate for that seat.

The 22-year-old is an entrepreneur and volunteers around the community. He organizes an annual kids camp in the summer, helping Indian kids get in touch with their roots.

A post on his Facebook page explained his reasons for running for mayor: “When I graduated from high school and was looking at colleges, I had one criteria: it had to far away from Stockbridge and Georgia. Because let’s be real, Stockbridge doesn’t have a lot to offer for teens and young adults. Since then I’ve lived in New Jersey, Europe, in the City of Atlanta, and have traveled to 14 different countries. Every time I experienced something different, whether it be local culture, food, sense of community, or ease of transportation, I found myself asking why can’t we have this in Stockbridge? No matter where I went or what I experienced, I always connected it back.”

“Stockbridge is my home, and I love living here but the city is not attractive for young adults and recent college graduates...yet. And that is one of the main reasons why I decided to run for Mayor of Stockbridge.”

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

August 2016

Hindi Kavya- Sandhya Held At Consulate

BY SHILPA AGARWAL Atlanta, GA: Language is the mother of all cultures. It keeps you connected to your roots, amuses you into the anecdotes of past, enthralls

you with the present and wheels you to the future. The Atlanta literati enjoyed a literary Saturday on the bright and pleasant evening of May

21st, 2016.

The Consulate General of India in Atlanta and The local Hindi Drama Group “Dhoop Chaoon” shouldered the responsibility of carry-

ing the flag of Hindi- Urdu literature by organizing the first Hindi Kavya Sandhya “An evening of Poetry in Hindi” at the Consulate of India in At-

lanta.

Bustling with love for the language which is unique in all aspects more then 25 people recited poetry some of them recited their creations and written by some famous poets as well.

As diverse the language is, as was the composition of poets on this mesmerizing evening. The people in the audience were able to soak in the poems from octogenarian poets to teen poets, doctor poets to engineer poets and humorous poets to serious ones.

The poets who participated in this event were Aarti Nayyar, Alok Sharma, Anagha Srinivasan, Brij Rani Varma, Chandar Gambhir, Chaturbhuj Narayan Singh, Anshuman Varma, Dr. Om Arora, Lavanya Shah, Shilpa Agrawal, Kamlesh chugh, Kiran Sinha, Naval Parval, Mridula Kirti, Nidhi Pippal, Advait Anand, Vimala Nikore, Pankaj Patel, Priti Kishore Gupta, Pramila Dhirendra, Rita Kapahi, Dr. Jagadish Agarwal, Surinder Dhar, Sandhya Bhagat and D.V.Singh.

These wordsmiths brewed the words into concoctions of social issues, diaspora emotions, humor and story telling. Each poet came up with a masterpiece creation and portrayed talent that usually goes unexpressed, if not for events like these.

Sandhya Bhagat and Consul D.V. Singh thanked those in attendance and promised that events like this would keep coming back to Atlanta.

After having indulged into word concoctions by poets, the attendees got to enjoy a sumptuous feast in the beautiful lawns of the Indian Consulate.

The program was visualized and materialized through the efforts of Consul D.V. Singh and Sandhya Saxena Bhagat, founder/ director of Dhoop- Chaoon, a local drama/ arts group.

The event was supported by Anil Bhagat, Subhash Rajdan, Raj Rajdan, Kailash Khandelwal, Anjali Chabria (from TV Asia) and local media groups.

Dr Indrakrishnan Among Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2017 Atlanta, GA: Dr Indran Indrakrishnan is among the 40 new leaders Leadership Gwinnett has enrolled for 2016-17. These leadership team members will commit their time and talent and offer the organization an even stronger opportunity to connect in the community.

The 32nd Class of 2017 will be educated, equipped and engaged in the areas of infrastructure, economics, education, health and human services, justice and regional relations. The group of 40 has been selected because of their influence, commitment and dedication in their field of expertise.

Leadership Gwinnett is a nine-month educational and networking experience designed to inform participants about the characteristics of a world-class community and learn the key issues relating to Gwinnett and the region. This award winning program was established in 1985 and seeks to educate, equip, and engage leaders to serve and

strengthen Gwinnett County and the Region. Since its inception, nearly 1,000 leaders have graduated from the program, dedicating themselves to con-

tinue their own individual development as leaders as the strengthen and transform their community collectively.

“Selection of these top candidates requires balance of occupation, qualifications and a representation that reflects a cross section of the country,” Executive Director of Leadership Gwinnett Liza Zaken said.

“Over the coming year, this diverse group will gain a true understanding of the people and issues shaping our community’s future, and more importantly, how they can impact those issues.”

Since 1985, Leadership Gwinnett has graduated 1,038 alumni and their collaborative influence and networking continues to strengthen the core and infrastructure of Gwinnett County.

“Graduates can be found in every aspect of Gwinnett business, civic and cultural life,” current

General Chairman of Leadership Gwinnett and Deputy County Administrator of Gwinnett County Phil Hoskins said. “They share their talents, passions and use their influence to contribute to our community and make it stronger and more effective.”

The 2017 Leadership Gwinnett program kicks off in August and will run for a year.

Dr Indrakrishnan is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of medicine and has his Gastroenterology private practice in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He is in the boards of many national and local not-for-profit organizations which include Fight colorectal cancer, Meals by Grace, Third Eye Dancers & American India Foundation.

He was recently honored as one of the 25 most influential Asian Americans in Georgia by Georgia Asian Times in 2016. He lives Duluth with his wife Gayathri, a CPA by profession, and daughter Harini, an undergraduate at Emory University.

August 2016

NRI PULSE 9

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August 2016

Emory-Led Model Promises Diabetics Low-Cost Control On Disease

Atlanta, GA: Researchers at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health along with the Public Health Foundation of India, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) found that a low-cost care, intervention model can help patients with diabetes double their likelihood of controlling the disease.

Published in the July 12th edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed results from a new trial conducted at ten clinical centers throughout India and Pakistan to compare the effect of a multicomponent, diabetes-focused quality improvement strategy versus the usual care alternatives for heart patients with poorly controlled diabetes.

Led by Mohammad K. Ali, MBChB, MSc, associate professor at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health, the team compared the effects of multicomponent diabetes QI strategy versus usual care in South Asia, where resources are limited and diabetes is prevalent. Approximately 1,150 patients with diabetes and poor cardiometabolic profiles were randomly assigned to a multicomponent QI strategy or usual care for two and a half years. Results suggested that patients in the QI strategy group were twice as likely to achieve combined diabetes care goals and larger reductions for each risk factor compared with usual care.

“This was the first trial of comprehensive diabetes management in a low/middle-income country setting,” explained Ali. ”This intervention doesn’t require new or expensive drugs, but instead it enhances a patient’s likelihood of managing their disease on their own by providing indi-

vidualized support and enhancing the physician’s likelihood of being responsive.”

Finding from the trial also showed that the new intervention yielded sizeable improvements in the blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol profiles of participants. Benefits were simi-

Mohammad K. Ali, associate professor Rollins School of Public Health. lar in public and private diabetes clinics indicating that, with structured care, health inequalities can possibly be reduced By better controlling their blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, our study offers a hope of reducing onset of diabetes complications like heart disease, eye disease, kidney fail-

Sharada Jambulapati Awarded Soros Fellowship Atlanta, GA: Georgia native, Sharada Jambulapati, received a 2016 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship to support her work towards a JD at the University of California, Berkeley.

Sharada is the daughter of Indian immigrants who came to the United States in search of educational opportunities for their children. Her family struggled to acclimate to the Deep South as her father worked as the only immigrant farmer in the region and her mother shuffled between jobs as a factory seamstress, janitor, and nanny.

Growing up on a farm in rural Georgia, Sharada experienced the complex web of dependence, racial backlash, and willful ignorance of the immigrant experience, which instilled Sharada with a deep commitment to pursue civil rights and racial justice work in the Deep South.

At Stanford University, she deepened her passion for community organizing and activism. She mentored high school youth with their college applications, created awareness on campus about

immigrant human rights, and researched the civil rights abuses of immigration enforcement programs.

After college, she worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center as a John Gardner Public Service Fellow. She advocated with those in the Deep South who are often forgotten, neglected, or even despised: immigrant children and young people convicted of crimes. She investigated civil rights abuses for legal complaints that aimed to improve jail conditions for children, highlight the disparate impact of zero tolerance school policies, and increase school access for undocumented students.

Today, Sharada is pursuing a JD at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. By working at the intersection of the immigration and criminal justice systems, Sharada hopes to continue civil rights advocacy and racial justice work on the behalf of historically underserved minority communities in the South.

ure, and amputations which are very common in people with diabetes in South Asia,” said Ali. “Since these findings are relevant for the US, India, Pakistan, and many other countries, low-, middle, and high-income countries alike, further research will uncover whether this approach reduces diabetes complications such heart attacks, strokes, eye disease, kidney failure, and amputations in the long-term and to assess patients’ and providers’ views so that the intervention can be delivered more widely.”

“These data show that it is possible to effectively deliver high quality diabetes care at low-cost in places like India and Pakistan, and these findings now need to be translated into practice and policy for millions of people with diabetes in the sub-continent through policy initiatives,” said Dr. K.M.Venkat at Emory’s Narayan, director of Emory Global Diabetes Research Center and professor of epidemiology and medicine at Emory University. “We are also excited about how Emory University’s collaborations with India and Pakistan is helping generate the highest quality science to directly impact the health of people in those countries, something that should make the Indian-American and Pakistani-American community so proud – as a way of giving back to their motherlands.”

Of the 415 million people with diabetes worldwide, 75 per cent live in low/middle-income countries. India alone is home to the second highest number of people with diabetes [nearly 70 mil-

lion] worldwide.

Nikhil Tandon, Professor and Head, Department of Endocrinology, AIIMS, said: “Approxi-

Dr. K.M.Venkat Narayan, director of Emory Global Diabetes Research Center. mately 1,150 patients with diabetes and poor cardio metabolic profiles were randomly assigned to a multi-component QI strategy or usual care for two and a half years. Results suggested that patients in the QI strategy group were twice as likely to achieve combined diabetes care goals and larger reductions for each risk factor compared with usual care.”

“This was the first trial of comprehensive diabetes management in a low and middle-income country setting,” explained Tandon adding that the intervention doesn’t require new or expensive drugs, but instead it enhances a patient’s likelihood of managing their health condition on their own by providing individualized support.

Gajanan Maharaj America Parivar Hosts Vidya Tai Padwal

Atlanta, GA: Shree Gajanan Maharaj America Parivar hosted Vidya Tai Padwal, at the Hindu Temple of Dunwoody on June 25. Attendees were effusive in their praise for the ardent devotee of Gajanan Maharaj, who recited 21 chapters of Shri Gajanan Vijay Granth through Mukhotgat parayan.

Shri Gajanan Maharaj is a saint from Shegoan (Maharashtra) who brought about tremendous change in the lives of numerous people with his spiritual knowledge and powers.

August 2016

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NRI PULSE 11

New Radio Talk Show Spotlights Celebrities Doing Social Good Atlanta, GA: Atlanta journalist, Neha Negandhi, will soon be the first Indian-American to host an Atlanta radio talk show on mainstream radio when Seen from the Inside, a new weekly talk show premieres on WMLB AM1690 Voice of the Arts Wednesday, August 17.

The weekly radio program focuses on measurable social impact through foundations and philanthropic work by Hollywood insiders, athletes, musicians and more.

Guest for the first episode will be CeeLo Green discussing his GreenHouse Foundation which educates and influences children to become better stewards of the planet.

“Mixing stewardship and celebrities is a winning combination for good radio,” said Jeff Davis, general manager for WMLB AM1690. ”Neha’s honed interviewing skills and lively conversation style will bring a new flair to the current lineup.”

Negandhi is excited about her new role as radio show host. “It’s motivating and inspiring to pave a new trail for others to hear a ground-breaking show on social good,” she says. “Seen from the INside spotlights celebrities’ foundations doing social good for the Atlanta community. It is a storytelling experience meant to motivate and inspire others to then apply and do social good in their own lives.”

“It has been a long, arduous journey to have my own radio talk show. Many were naysayers when they heard about the show concept but I don’t take no for an answer and by believing and

digging my heels into the solid ground, this rise of the show happened,” she says.

Negandhi hopes that the Indian community supports the show and listens to the celebrities

Neha Negandhi

talk about why its important to give back, “especially to the community we live and function in.”

A proven journalist who has interviewed and profiled over 100+ notables including Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, Academy-Award winner Jeffrey D. Brown and Ambassador Arun Singh among others, Negandhi is also involved in Atlanta’s nonprofit community by serving on the Society of Professional Journalists Georgia board, Atlanta Press Club and is an award-winning member of Junior League of Atlanta.

She’s also a contributing writer for Khabar magazine – largest South Asian publication in the Southeast.

WMLB is known for playing a wide variety of music, talk shows, cultural programming and news. It strives to bring all the best of the art world to

Atlanta radio. WMLB is driven by the spirit of Atlanta and delivers in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner. It’s owned and operated by JW Broadcasting.

Seen from the INside, a 30-minute program, will air each Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. EST beginning August 17. Rebroadcast will be each Sunday

evening at 6:00 p.m. EST. Listeners are able to tune in via the radio dial, listen on the AM1690 Voice of the Arts app, the TuneIn app or off its website.

Also, will be available on-demand at www.seenfromtheinside.com and Soundcloud.

........Feature ........

Management Of Depression Among Asian Americans

BY DR. PANCHAJANYA PAUL Depression can be a serious and debilitating illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around 350 million or 4 percent of the world’s population suffers from depression. This makes depression the second leading cause of disability worldwide. The rate of depression and other mental illness has been slowly rising among Indians. Indians moving to USA as first generation face many challenges as they struggle to cope with a different culture and life style in the US.And , second generation Indians lives inAmerica face their own set of challenges as they juggle between

both Indian culture in home and mainstream American culture at school.

According to the data from the National Vital Statistics report in 2007, suicide was the 8th leading cause of death for Asian-Americans. This rate is high when compared with other racial groups where suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. Secondly, depression and suicidality hits the women more than male in the Asian community. Asian-American women born in the U.S. had a higher lifetime rate of suicidal thoughts (15.9 percent) than that of the general U.S. population (13.5 percent). In my practice I have seen Indian children struggling to cope with the demands and expectations from their family and school which have different standards and norms. Many times, the intense pressure by the Asian parents on their children can drive them to extremes of despair leading to suicide. There is a stigma associated with mental illness, especially among the Asian, including Indian families both living in USA and their home countries. Due to the taboo of mental illness, by the time help is sought, the disease had already advanced. This has compounded the problem impeding diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Depression is a serious condition. It impairs social, family, and work life. And worse, it can lead to death by suicide. Hence, it is important to diagnose and treat depression at the earliest sign.

Depression can be a part of many psychiatric conditions; the most common one is called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). It contains other symptoms in addition to being sad or depressed. In the common media the terms depression and major depressive disorder are used synonymously.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM V) lists the following symptoms for MDD, namely: DSM- V Symptoms for Major Depressive disorder: 1. Depressed mood most of the day, almost every day, indicated by your own subjective report or by the report of others. This mood might be characterized by sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness.

2. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities most of the day nearly every day.

3. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain.

4. Inability to sleep or oversleeping Vincent van Gogh’s 1890 painting ‘Sorrownearly every day. ing old man (At Eternity’s Gate)’ 5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day.

Another group called selective norepinephrine 6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.

7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inap- reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) like Effexor and propriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly Cymbalta increases the availability of norepinephrine in the brain. For many who do not get well every day.

8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or with one anti-depressant, they may need an adjunct medication like the antipsychotics. Psychoindecisiveness, nearly every day.

9. Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of tropic medications can cause serious side effects dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a spe- and should only be taken after weighing the risks cific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan and benefits in consultation with a psychiatrist.

Natural remedies like exposure to bright light for committing suicide. or sun have shown to improve the mood. St John’s The exact cause of depression is unknown. It is believed to be a result of complex interaction between Wort or hypericum extracts also helps with deone’s environment and one’s genes. Any factor increas- pression. Other lifestyle changes like regular exing stress, like trauma, abuse, injury, loss of job, death in ercise, healthy diet, mindfulness and adequate family, divorce, alcoholism, can increase the risk of de- sleep can also boost mood and alleviate deprespression. Also, medical conditions like anemia, thyroid sion. However, about one third of patients conproblems, cancer, cardiovascular and neurological dis- tinue to suffer from one or more symptoms of eases can predispose one to depression. People with depression. despite trying different medications. pessimistic personality types are more prone to de- For them more aggressive treatment modalities pression. Loneliness and lack of social contact, espe- like Deep brain stimulation, Electro-convulsive cially among the elderly in the industrialized countries therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Vais a risk factor for depression. Untreated depression can gus Nerve Stimulation, and Ketamine might be increase the risk of other medical illnesses and reduce considered.

Depression is a complex and heterogeneous life span.

The good news is that treatment of depres- entity. Each patient is depressed for his/her unique sion has been an intense field of research. We now condition. What works for one person, may not have many evidence based treatment available for de- work for the other. Thus, having more treatment pression. Two commonly used treatments are psycho- options is better. The art of medicine comes in therapy and psychotropic medications. Psychotherapy finding the right treatment match for the particular or counseling can be used with benefit in mild to mod- patient. In summary, depression or major depreserate depression. Several types of therapy options are sive disorder is a serious illness which can cause available namely cognitive behavioral therapy, psycho- disability and death. Early diagnosis and treatment dynamic psychotherapy, and interpersonal therapy. can save lives. Many treatment options exist. If The success of therapy depends on finding the right fit you suffer from any of the symptoms of MDD, between the patient’s needs and therapists’ expertise. consult your clinician and seek appropriate help.

Severe depression requires the use of combination treatment using therapy plus medication or *Dr. Panchajanya Paul, MD, ABIHM, ABPN, is an use of one or more psychotropic medications called American Board certified - Child, Adolescent, and the antidepressants. Commonly used psychotro- Adult psychiatrist. He is a diplomat of the American pic medications work through serotonin, norepi- Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. He holds nephrine, and dopamine pathways. One popular adjunct faculty position at Emory University School class of medications called selective serotonin of Medicine; University of Georgia & Georgia Rereuptake inhibitors (SSRI), like Prozac and Zoloft, gents University, and University of Central Florida increases the availability of serotonin in the brain. School of Medicine.

August 2016

........City Pulse ........

NRI PULSE 13

Senior Essays: Growing Up Indian In America Last month, we featured the two winning submissions from our Essay Contest on the topic, ‘Growing up Indian in America’. This month, we present Suma Gangasani’s essay, which was placed second in the Senior Category, and a few other notable essays. We will continue to publish more essays in our future issues.

In A Sense, I Lived Two Lives (Runner-Up, Senior Category) “Yet another magazine where I see no one who looks like me,” I sighed to my friend as I flipped through magazines for a project in yearbook class. Besides one ad for Priyanka Chopra’s show Quantico, I had yet to see any Indians gracing the pages, or even corners, of the magazines that people all over America consume daily.

When I thought about it, the same was true for television and movies. It was a breakthrough seeing an Indian woman heading a television show for a major network, but what about everything else?

My favorite TV show is the recently ended Castle. I was thrilled that Sunkrish Bala was cast in the crime-comedy but was disappointed to find that he was merely another background character who just so happened to work with computers. Why couldn’t he fight crime? Why did he have to be typecasted to one of the handful of roles left for Indians as the IT specialist, the doctor, the taxi driver, or the gas station owner? Come on, it’s 2016. We do so much more than that, right?

Growing up as an Indian-American I have become accustomed to my minority status not just in the media but in my everyday life. When I was in elementary school, I became aware that I was not like everybody else. Besides the fact that I stood out for being taller than most of my female and male counterparts, I discerned that my skin color made me different. Some people would assume that because I was Indian, I was naturally gifted at math, when in actuality I worked hard to understand it; or that I couldn’t play sports – when I actually loved to play volleyball. It was not all their fault. Media and society had groomed them to believe many of these things.

Throughout elementary school, most – if not all – of my school friends were not Indian. My family would jokingly refer to me as a “coconut” because they thought that I was brown on the outside but white on the inside.

In a sense, I lived two lives. At home I ate Indian food, listened to my parents speak Telugu, and said my three shlokas every morning on the way to school as my mom played her M. Balamuralikrishna CD. On the weekends I attended Indian functions and Balavihar.

Outside of this, however, I was full-blown American: I went to soccer practice, listened to pop music, and even forced my parents to buy me a “Just Like You” American Girl doll which, for the record, didn’t even look like me because there were no dolls with Indian features. I didn’t actively try to mix my American side with my Indian side, but whenever my two worlds coincided, I was secretly over the moon. My 8-yearold self was thrilled to learn that the third installment of Disney Channel’s The Cheetah Girls franchise would be set in India because it seemed to me as though an outsider had taken an interest in my other universe.

For the longest time, it was not that I rejected my Indian heritage but that I never fully embraced it – until I started high school.

The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, is not your ordinary high school. Forty-

one percent of the student body is Asian, and South Asians compromise much of this percentage. This school gets much of the credit for helping me come a long way from my younger self in terms of embracing what it means to be Indian. The open student body and culture have given me many opportunities to display and expand upon my Indian identity both inside and outside of school. Out of fascination with classical dance, I started learning Kuchipudi; I partake in Garba each year to celebrate Navaratri; my musical playlist now includes many Hindi tunes. Unlike before, I now try to show my non-Indian friends Indian culture. I want to blend my two worlds.

When I was younger, I avoided learning Telugu partly because it seemed like a daunting process. Now that I am older, I have a deeper understanding of the importance of learning Telugu. It not only lets me communicate with my relatives but also connects my life here in America to my ancestral ties back in India. Just because I have grown up in America doesn’t mean that I have to abandon my Indian roots. While American culture has definitely shaped my upbringing, my Indian heritage has not been forgotten. I am proud of both of my identities and the fact that I have had the opportunity to be raised amidst two unique cultures. It has taken much growing up to realize that my two worlds don’t have to be separate but can coexist as one.

- Suma Gangasani Age: 17 School: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Somewhere In Between “Wait, so do you speak Indian?”

“Are you feather or red dot Indian? “Are you getting an arranged marriage?” are many of these questions I have been asked throughout my 11 years of school and trust me, some people still ask me questions despite the growth in diversity in America in the past decade. Growing up as an Indian in America has been rewarding, yet challenging trying to fit in a world where we are considered immigrants.

Although we live miles away from India, I still feel connected to my Desi roots. My parents have embedded strong Indian values and traditions in me since I was a toddler. I have learned Hindi from a young age, have been exposed to and fallen in love with Bollywood cinema, have learned Kathak at NNKB since I was four, have been taught about my religion, and have celebrated Indian festivals. I think that when an Indian family is raising a child in America they must not forget their Indian culture because it is so important to teach future generations the importance of heritage so they can keep it alive for years to come. For example, Indian classical dance and my religion have been huge components in my life since I was young.

Learning Kathak has helped me understand my culture in depth and has taught me Indian values and history. My family is also heavily involved with JSGA, and learning about my religion has really kept me in touch with my roots and heritage.

Celebrating different religious festivals has

helped me forge life long bonds with family and friends, taught me about my culture, and given me a tolerance for traditions. Not being able to grow up in India right next to my family has been tough at times, but being blessed with such amazing parents and friends has really helped me stay in touch with my Indian background. Not only this, but I also live in Johns Creek, also known as Little India, and go to Northview, one of the best and most diverse high schools in the state. One of Northview’s biggest events is International Night in which the whole student body comes together and celebrates the difference cultural backgrounds we come from.

Celebrating our Indian heritage with the rest of the JC population brings so much pride and reminds me how fortunate I am to be living in an environment where I can express my culture. Having events around the city such as International Yoga day, Festival of India, Holi, Garba, and Diwali help me stay in touch with Indian culture. Living in such a strong Indian society has taught me how important it is to stay connected to one’s roots.

I’ve always known how important it is to stay connected with all my family around the globe, but lately, it has been hitting me so much harder.

My family has ensured that we visit Indian every summer but lately since I have been in high school we haven’t been able to go that often. The last time I went to India was freshman year and for the past year, I think about the motherland every day. Almost everything Indian reminds me of motherland and I long to go visit and cherish every moment of me being there. I now understand that it is vital to keep your traditions alive and teach children about your culture because it is the one special thing that can keep you going when things get rough.

However, living in the suburbs of Atlanta isn’t all just one big fairy-tale; there are its cons, and the biggest one I believe is the feeling of always being considered a foreigner here. Yes, I was born here, but I come from an Indian heritage which distinguishes me from the “American” population. Likewise, when I visit India I am considered a foreigner there. Sometimes, I don’t know where I truly belong. I am American, but I am also Indian.

Neither there, nor here- but somewhere in between.

Growing up as a first generation Indian in the United States has been quite the ride. In all honesty, I wouldn’t trade it in the world. I was blessed with hardworking parents who came to America to live their dream, and because of their perseverance, I have been rewarded with such an incredible life. I feel truly privileged to be receiving the best education while being tied to my Indian roots, having my loving friends and family right by my side. I am really proud to be an Indian-American and look forward to many more adventures life brings me!

-Aarushi Jain Age: 17 years School: Northview High School

14 NRI PULSE

Naveen Jain’s Company Approved For Moon Landing

New York, Aug 4 (IANS) An Indian American entrepreneur has begun a countdown for launching a moon lander next year after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it has approved his company’s venture.

Naveen Jain, the founder of Moon Express, called the US government OK for the MX1-E moon lander “another giant leap for humanity”.

“In the immediate future we envision bringing precious resources, metals and moon rocks back to the Earth,” the graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee and XLRI Jamshedpur said on his company’s website.

The MX-1E will ride to the moon orbit on a space vehicle from Rocket Lab USA. One of that company’s backers is Khosla Ventures created by Vinod Khosla, the venture capitalist who is an Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi graduate and who co-founded Sun Microsystems.

Moon Express CEO Bob Richards cited the discovery of water on the moon as an incentive for lunar ventures.

The discovery was accomplished by the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft with ISRO’s Moon Impact Probe (MIP) and NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) that it carried on board.

“The recent discovery of water on the moon is an economic game changer for humanity’s future,” he said. “Water is the oil of the solar system and the moon has become a gas station in the sky.”

Moon Express is the first private company to get government approval for a moon venture.

The FAA described the MX-1E as a spacecraft that can orbit to the moon, make a soft landing on the lunar surface, and move on it by making “hops”.

Moon Express needed the FAA approval because the Outer Space Treaty requires private ventures to be authorised by a government that has signed th treaty.

It will be eligible to compete for the Google Lunar XPRIZE of $20 million for the first private company to land a craft on the moon, make it travel at least 500 metres on the lunar surface and send back videos.

Moon Express has already won two preliminary XPRIZE awards for demonstrating its technological capability to land on the moon and send images.

The awards are the $1 million Landing Prize and the $250,000 Imaging Prize.

Jain founded Moon Express in 2010. Previously he had launched two internet companies, InfoSpace and Intellus.

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

Woman Faces 25 Years In Prison For Brutally Abusing Stepdaughter New York: (IANS) An Indian-origin woman in the US has been charged with brutally abusing her 12-year-old stepdaughter for nearly two years, said US authorities. She now faces 25 years in jail.

Sheetal Ranot, 35, was found guilty of locking her pre-teen step daughter Maya Ranot, in her bedroom without food or even water for extended periods of time, the officials said in a statement on Friday.

The preteen weighed just 58 pounds when the 5-foot-3, 160pound Sheetal, gashed the child’s wrist to the bone with a jagged metal broom handle, authorities said.

When medical personnel arrived at the family residence, they found Maya lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen with the tendons to her left wrist cut to the bone. Maya was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where she underwent surgery for her wrist and received stitches to her knee. At the time, doctors allegedly observed several bruises, marks and scars in various stages of healing throughout Maya’s body including bruises on her right scapular area, right ear and legs.

District Attorney Brown had said then that “The criminal charges allege that this young victim was subjected to years of unspeakable physical abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother – including being locked in her bedroom by her stepmother without food or water for extended periods of time and forced to take cold showers while her father hit her about her body with his

hands and even a baseball bat. Despite the bruising and scarring on her body which served as a silent testament to the violence and cruelty she

purportedly endured, it is alleged that for a long time this emaciated child was fearful of disclosing the true nature of her injuries or those responsible for her suffering for fear that her younger stepsiblings would be taken away by authorities and placed in foster care.

Fortunately, she found the courage to speak up.”

Ranot and her husband tortured the child for nearly two years in their Ozone Park house of horrors, Brown said.

Rajesh Ranot, the victim’s biological father, is also charged with second- and third-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child, and will be tried at a later date, the statement read.

Sree Sreenivasan Named New York City’s Chief Digital Officer Atlanta, GA, Aug 1: Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced Sree Sreenivasan as the City’s new Chief Digital Officer. Sreenivasan has served as the first Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first Chief Digital Officer of Columbia University, and has also been a mayoral appointee on the Commission on Public Information and Communication (COPIC) since October 2015, where he assisted the public in obtaining access to City information, and helped develop strategies for the use of new communications technologies to improve access to, and distribution of, City data.

As Chief Digital Officer, Sreenivasan will work to increase access to city-led technology initiatives, focus on outreach to the tech community, and direct citywide digital policy. He will begin his new role this fall.

“To move our city’s digital ecosystem into the 21st century, we need to ensure our city’s

resources are at the fingertips of every New Yorker.

With Sree Sreenivasan’s wealth of experience, I am confident that he will work to promote transparency, access, and progressive values with our digital tools, helping spread access across the five boroughs,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Prior to his work at City Hall, Sreenivasan served for three years as the first Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he led a 70-person team to increase the museum’s digital presence. Before his work at the Met, he spent 20 years as a member of faculty of the Columbia Journalism School and a year as Columbia University’s first Chief Digital Officer.

He was a founding member and contributing editor at neighborhood news site DNAinfo, and throughout his career, he has written for various publications, including the New York Times, and was a popular technology reporter on WABC-TV, WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV.

August 2016

She Is Not Breathing: Man Calls 911 After Stabbing Wife 30 Times Atlanta, GA: A New Jersey man allegedly stabbed his wife 30 times and then called 911 to report she was not breathing, reports NJ.com.

Nitin P. Singh, 46, has been charged with firstdegree murder in the death of Seema Singh, 42, in their apartment.

Nitin Singh make the 911 call around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. Asked what his emergency is, he said, “my wife is not breathing.”

“Do you know how to do CPR? Do you want to do CPR?” the 911 operator asks Singh.

“No, can you send help, please?” he says.

“I’m sending help, but I need you to help me,” the operator responds.

Singh seemingly ended the call when asked by the operator where his wife was. The 911 operator tried to call Singh’s number back repeatedly, but none were answered, according to media reports.

The couple’s three children- two boys, ages 16 and 6, and a girl, age 5 were sleeping in the apartment at the time. When police arrived on the scene, they found Singh standing over his wife’s lifeless body on the kitchen floor. His clothing, arms and hands were bloody, according to Pennsville Township Chief of Police Allen J. Cummings.

Singh was taken into custody. Domestic dispute may have been to blame for the killing, although police authorities have not given an official motive for the crime yet.

According to the police, autopsy showed that Seema Singh had been stabbed more than 30 times in the abdomen, chest and face.

The Singhs owned the Quick Stop Deli in Collingswood.After news of Seema Singh’s death spread, there was a vigil held outside the closed deli, and flowers and other items left as a tribute to her.

Roommate Charged With Techie’s Murder Hyderabad: (IANS) A youth from Hyderabad was allegedly stabbed to death by his room-mate in the US. According to information reaching the family of Sankeerth (25), he was murdered in his room in Austin, Texas late on July 18.

Police detained Sai Sandeep Goud, one of the roommates of the victim and were questioning him.

Another room-mate of Sankeerth told police that Sankeerth had a quarrel with Goud.

Sankeerth had gone to the US two and a half years ago for studying Master of Science program and after completing the education, had joined a job in Austin three months ago.Goud had reportedly checked into his room early this month.

Sankeerth’s father G. Vijaykumar, a government employee and mother Ramadevi were shocked on receiving the news.

August 2016

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

NRI PULSE 15

Democratic Convention Turns Spotlight On Indian-Americans Philadelphia (IANS): Three leaders from the Indian American community took the stage before the 4,765 national delegates and the national media as the Democratic Party Convention turned the spotlight on the community, recognizing its rising role.

The president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Neera Tanden, made an impassioned speech on Wednesday in support of the party candidate for president Hillary Clinton, declaring: “Hillary will always have our backing.”

She spoke candidly of her family’s travails after her father divorced her mother when she was five and how the public safety net saved them and helped her eventually get an Ivy League law degree and to become Hillary Clinton’s adviser and play important roles in her campaigns.

Congressman Ami Bera of California was presented as a leader reflecting the diversity of the Democratic Party in Congress.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Congress from Illinois, came on stage as a “New Leader of Tomorrow.” He told IANS about the moment in the party limelight: “I am thrilled.”

If elected, Krishnamoorthi will be the fourth Indian American to serve in the House of Representatives.

Congresswoman Grace Meng, the head of an influential Asian American political action committee, called at the Convention for supporting Krishnamoorthi and said the presence of the Asians in Congress would grow with his election.

Krishnamoorthi, a lawyer and a technology and environmental entrepreneur, joked that he probably had a “mutant gene” that made him turn to politics in a community that focuses on careers in medicine, technology and education.

He said his family was in “dire economic straits” and had a difficult time when he was a baby, but the “generosity” of the United States helped them come out of it.

“Ever since then, I have been wanting to make sure that others have a shot at the American dream” like his family, he said.

Reflecting the rise of the Indian American

millennials, an 18-year-old delegate from Iowa, Sruthi Palaniyappan, introduced her state delegation’s announcement of its votes during the Convention roll call Tuesday. She told IANS that she “definitely” plans to run for public affairs.

A Hillary delegate, she said she started at the local precinct level and worked her way up to get elected as a national delegate.

She said Indian American youth were organizing in politics and her message to them was “Step up to the plate or you are on the menu” – take responsibility and become active or you will be swallowed by the system.

She just finished high school and starts college at Harvard University in September.

Her father, Palaniyappan Andiappan, was elected to the national Convention credentials committee, which verifies the credentials of delegates

Khans Talk Peace; Obama, McCain Join Chorus Against Trump Washington: (IANS) The father of the slain Muslim US soldier at the centre of a controversial feud with Donald Trump said he had no desire to escalate the conflict and that it’s time to “join hands with good Muslims”, even as the Republican presidential candidate attacked him again on Twitter.

Khizr Khan, the soldier’s father, was a guest on “New Day” on CNN with his wife Ghazala Khan, and delivered the criticism of Trump amid an extended plea for unity and empathy.

“Communities coming together is the solution. We are as concerned as Donald Trump is about the safety of this country. We are a testament to the goodness of this country,” he said.

“We need a leader that will unite us, not disrespect, not by derogatory remarks. I feel bad about the discourse that this campaign, this election campaign has taken.” “That’s all I wish to convey to him. That a good leader has one trait — earlier I said — empathy.”

Though Obama’s comments to veterans in Atlanta didn’t mention Trump by name, the President seemed to offer support to Khan’s perspective.

“No one has given more for our freedom and our security than our Gold Star families,” Obama said, adding that those families “represent the very best of our country.”

Senator John McCain issued a sharply-worded statement condemning Trump’s remarks and calling on the GOP nominee to “set an example for our country and the future of the Republican Party”.

In the statement, McCain wrote: “In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”

and adjudicates disputes over representation. He said his daughter “inspired” him to join politics through her activism and enthusiasm.

Among the young Indian Americans starting out in politics is Neil Makhija, a candidate for State Representative in Pennsulvania. The 29-year-old said that while people are more focused on the presidential elections, issues that directly affect the people like education are decided at the state and local levels. That was why he was running for the state legislature.

Samai Kindra from Maryland has taken a year off after high school to work as an intern with the state Democratic Party working on mobilizing people to register to vote.

While an exact count of Indian American delegates was not available, according to party sources there were about 300 Asian American delegates and a “sizable” number of them were Asian Indians. There were also scores of Indian Americans volunteering at the convention.

Even though Indians are less than 1 percent of the US population, they can play a crucial role in the “battleground states” – the six or so states like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio where both parties are almost evenly balanced – according to

Toby Chudhuri, a former White House strategy and communications adviser.

“There is no longer a mainstream, but many streams” in the US and it was important for the Indian American community to actively get involved in politics and have their voices heard, he said.

Indians have founded organizations to rally support for Clinton and other candidates and to raise funds for campaigns.

Indian Americans for Hillary Clinton (IAFHC) founded by Rajan Natarajan, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in Maryland, is working at the grassroots level on mobilising Indian Americans to register and vote. When the organisation held a rally in Maryland in April, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta attended it.

Natarajan said that presence of high political figures at their rallies was a sign of the recognition the Indian American community was now receiving from politicians.

IAFHC Co-Chair Devang Shah explained how a small community like Indian Americans can play an outsize role in elections in the battleground states.

In the last election, Obama won in Virginia with just 4.3 per cent of the votes, he said. In such a tight race, the Indian American community, which is concentrated in some states, can make the difference between victory and defeat, he said.

On August 12, Indian American leaders will be meeting in Las Vegas to see how they can help put more of their community in public offices.

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

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

Dishoom: Fast-Paced Bollywood Bromance

Can Verizon Deal Revive Yahoo, Expand Jobs In India?

16 NRI PULSE

Film: “ Dishoom”; Director: Rohit Dhawan; Cast: John Abraham,Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Akshaye Khanna; Rating: ***1/2

BY SUBHASH K JHA Dishoom is one of the most fast-paced Bollywood bromances in recent times.

Bromance, it sure is.And a pretty cool one at that. With John Abraham (excellent as the strong silent sturdy he-man type) and Varun Dhawan

(endearingly vulnerable clumsy but finally dependable) helming the hyperventilating hijinks, director Rohit Dhawan can’t go wrong.

Plus there is cricket which as we all know is religion in India.

So what happens when Virat, fictionally altered to Viraj, is kidnapped by a mean money machine named Wagah (probably because he lives in a No Man’s La La Land) who has a dog named Bradman (and probably a cat named Mandira, though we don’t see her).

Though I found “Dishoom” to be way too formulistic to make as strong an impression as Rohit’s directorial debut film “Desi Boyz” , there is virtue in vice. “Dishoom” proves it. Everyone in the plot including the heroine who plays a thief(this is as close as Jacqueline Fernandez will ever get to scene stealing) breaks the law in a country far away from home.

Let’s say it out straight. Dubai never gleamed so invitingly. Cinematographer Ayananka Bose shoots the city with fastidious flair, capturing the tall buildings in postures of imposing intimacy. The characters are luckily not dwarfed by the energetic chase sequences that clutter the second-half as though Dubai served as host to a hectic game of drones….

In the post-interval half, the three main protagonists are shown running around trying to apprehend first the second-villain Rahul Dev (in splendid snarling form) then the arch-villain Wagah played by Akshaye Khanna whose comeback to acting is one of the high points of the film. Akshaye doesn’t have too many scenes to chew on. But when he does get to open his mouth he makes you listen .

Akshay Kumar has a scene stealing cameo

as a gay baddie. His look and his pout and the glint in his eye when he asks John and Varun to strip add a mischievous spark to the otherwise surpriseless proceedings, bolstered by a sense of boyish fun that the two protagonists bring to the plot .

John and Varun play off each other effectively. John is the scowling smoking he-man betrayed in love and determined to win in war, personal and political.

His character Kabir’s contempt for the rule of law extends even to his intermittent conversations with the Minister Of External Affairs, played by Mona Ambegaonkar who is at least 20 kilos heftier than Sushma Swaraj.

Saqib Saleem plays a Virat Kohli double named Viraj who won’t succumb to forcible bribery, won’t sell his nation even if it means death and won’t ogle at Nargis Fakhri even if she offers her lips and other assets on a platter.

And here I swear I heard Sare jahaan se achcha playing in the background. Then there is the token ‘Rahim Chacha’ moment when our two heroes refuse to attack Rahul Dev as they run into a congregation saying its prayers.

“If we respect the namaaz, God will look after us,” declares Varun with surprising piety. I am sure I heard holy chants in the background.

But the best incidental character in the fidgety plot is Satish Kaushik who plays a marriageselling voice on Varun’s phone. We never see him , just as we never saw Bharati Achrekar in “The Lunchbox”.

The best line in the film goes to Ms Fernandez who tells John, “You’ve just come out of your testicular cancer, now stop smoking.”

I could swear I saw John grimace over here.

He is skilled at appearing effortlessly masculine on screen, as though his physicality is just an excuse to get even with a world which respects only the tough.

Varun dares to play vulnerable goofy and downright silly with amiable earnestness. In his farewell scene with John he confesses how his parents died in a plane crash. But now he’s found a brother.

Here I could see John looking wistful. Missing the brother who will move on to his next project. And we will move on to yet another week on onomatopoeic pleasures.

BY NISHANT ARORA Most of us who thronged cyber cafes in the late 1990s and a little into 2000s for surfing the internet, checking emails, night-long chats and online dating (for some lucky souls, though) can never forget the initiation into the World Wide Web, thanks to Yahoo.

Yahoo Mail and Messenger were once the gospel for all — be it teenagers, parents or teachers.

Social media was yet to penetrate into our lives and the Yahoo portal alone — once valued at $125 billion during the peak of the dot com revolution — brought us into a world we still cherish with much nostalgia.

That US wireless communications service provider Verizon bought Yahoo’s tottering internet business for a mere $4.8 billion definitely signals an end of an era. But is the move a little sunshine in the cloud for Yahoo?

“It is definitely a move to come up to the

“The deal comes as good news for the talented Indian IT workforce. It will surely lead to more jobs at Yahoo facilities in the country as once the consolidation is done, Verizon will expand its businesses and India, which has a huge young consumer base, cannot be ignored.” stature of Facebook and Google in the digital space but not desktops, specifically. End points don’t decide on the strategy nowadays and mobile, still to some extent, is relevant though. Unfortunately, telcom companies globally haven’t been able to make an impressive mark in the digital space beyond that of an enabler,” explained Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst with CyberMedia Research (CMR), a market research firm.

“So it will be difficult for Verizon to grow big with such a legacy of telcos,” Kawoosa told IANS. However, according to experts, the viable option for Verizon is now to marry online Yahoo assets with AOL, which it acquired last year for $4.4 billion. AOL has properties like The Huffington Post and technology websites Techcrunch and Engadget — and now Yahoo Finance — which together can become a strong digital advertising platform for Verizon.

Combining these operations — and its own operations — may make Verizon stand next to internet behemoths like Google and Facebook.

“The Yahoo acquisition will lead Verizon to firm up its operations in the digital ad space.

Verizon will surely monetize both Yahoo and AOL operations to get the best out of this deal,” Vishal Tripathi, Research Director at global market consultancy firm Gartner, told IANS. According to Kawoosa, another challenge now is that with Verizon’s acquisition, Yahoo becomes strong but only to a specific geography. He is not sure how it is going to compliment Yahoo’s global image.

“Apparently, the only synergy coming out

August 2016

is taking Yahoo services to a huge Verizon base but whether it will work significantly is yet to be seen,” Kawoosa said.

Is there any take-away for India here?

“The deal comes as good news for the tal-

ented Indian IT workforce. It will surely lead to more jobs at Yahoo facilities in the country as once the consolidation is done, Verizon will expand its businesses and India, which has a huge young consumer base, cannot be ignored,” Tripathi added.

Verizon’s main centre in Chennai and offices in Hyderabad and Bengaluru work towards providing voice and wireless communication solutions, data and the like. Yahoo’s downsized Bengaluru centre looks after its websites and digital ad platforms. There is no research and development work happening now.

Following the sale of its internet business, Yahoo will be left with its $41 billion stake in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, as well as Yahoo Japan.

Photo-sharing website Flickr and the slowly growing microblogging and social networking website Tumblr are two Yahoo assets that show some promise for growth.

“Verizon has now got Tumblr, Flickr, Yahoo Sports and Yahoo News. With the consolidation, the deal may prove to be a sweet one for Verizon,” Tripathi said.

This month, Yahoo Mail introduced several new updates for iOS and Android operating platforms that are focused on allowing users to add a personal touch to their inbox. The new iOS and Android features are available in India too.

Yahoo Messenger will now support Hindi and five other non-English languages in order to help bridge the language gap and create personalised experiences for its users.

With the Verizon deal, the once-great Yahoo has a revival chance but for Kawoosa, “one can only offer services and can’t force users to make it their preferred choice”, especially at a time when internet usage is going through a massive churning and the spurt of smartphones and social media has changed the online habits of people.

“It’s important to me to see Yahoo into its next chapter,” wrote CEO Marissa Mayer in a mail sent to Yahoo employees after the deal.

The world is interested too as Verizon has some really long distance to cover.

August 2016

7 India Firms In Fortune 500; Rajesh Exports Replaces ONGC Seven Indian companies figure in the latest Fortune 500 list, released on Thursday, of the world’s biggest companies in terms of revenue.

Among Indian companies, state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) is ranked highest at 161st with revenues of $54.7 billion, although the other public sector firm Oil and Natural Gas Corp has moved out of the rankings for 2016.

ONGC has been been replaced by gems and jewellery firm Rajesh Exports, which makes its Fortune 500 debut this year at 423rd position.

Of the state-run firms, IOC is followed by State Bank of India (SBI), Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is the highest ranked, though it has slipped down to 215th position, from 158 last year.

Tata Motors follows at number 226, up from 254th last year, with new entrant Rajesh Exports bringing up the rear. Bharat Petroleum fell from 280th to 358th this year, while Hindustan Petroleum is at 367th, compared to its 327th place last year.

SBI has improved its position to 232, from being at 260 last year.The overall list was topped by retail giant Walmart with revenue of $482,130 million.

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

Microsoft To Cut Additional 2,850 Jobs From Smartphone Sector New York: (IANS) Hurt by a failed $7.6 billion Nokia experiment amid growing losses in the smartphone hardware business segment, Microsoft has announced to lay off an additional 2,850 workers to the previously 1,850 jobs it said it would cut.

In a regulatory filing, the tech giant said it will cut 4,700 jobs globally by the end of fiscal year 2017, PC World reported.

Last June, Microsoft had announced it will cut 7,400 jobs from the smartphone business unit.

Earlier in May, signaling the end of its Nokia experiment, Microsoft announced it was cutting 1,850 jobs and writing off $950 million of which $200 million will be used for severance payments.

“We are focusing our phone efforts where we have differentiation — with enterprises that value security, manageability and our Continuum capability, and consumers who value the same,” Indian-born Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement.

“We will continue to innovate across devices and on our cloud services across all mobile platforms,” Nadella added.

According to a report in The Verge, the latest job cuts mean that the majority of former Nokia employees will no longer be working at Microsoft.

Almost a year ago, Nadella had announced a “more effective and focused phone portfolio” with business, value phones and flagships gaining prominence. “ We ’ r e scaling back, but we’re not out!” said Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s head of Windows and devices.

“Phone success has been limited to companies valuing our commitment to security, manageability, and continuum, and with consumers who value the same,” Nadella added.

Microsoft’s Lumia and Windows Phone strategy has failed as both sales and Windows Phone market share have declined since the tech giant’s mobile restructuring last year.

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Wipro Arm Buys Israeli Aerospace Firm Wipro Infrastructure Engineering, a subsidiary of Wipro Enterprises Ltd, announced acquiring Israelbased aerospace firm H.R. Givon for an undisclosed amount.

“The acquisition will help us to broaden product portfolio, expand global footprint and forge deeper customer ties in the aviation and aerospace industry,” the city-based subsidiary said in a statement here.

The deal is expected to be completed in September after regulatory approvals.

The 46-year-old Givon tier-1 supplier to original equipment manufacturers makes structural parts and assemblies for fuselage, wings and empennage of an aircraft.

“As India is the largest buyer of Israeli military equipment and Israel is the second largest defence supplier to India after Russia, buying Givon will strengthen our ability to address the market, where offset potential is estimated to be $10 billion,” the statement reiterated.

With three manufacturing plants, including two in Israel and one at Everett, Washington in the US, Givon is also Israel’s largest manufacturer of metallic aero-structure parts and assemblies, specialising in precision machining and sheet metal fabrication with specialty in titanium. It has 290 employees.

We Are Ready To Open Retail Stores In India: Tim Cook

Washington/New Delhi: (IANS) As the sales of Apple iPhones went through a global slowdown barring in India, the Cupertino-based tech giant’s CEO Tim Cook has announced to soon open retail stores in the country — a move that brings to the fore the global importance of the burgeoning Indian smartphone market.

Apple’s thirdquarter net income plunged 27 per cent to $7.8 billion on a decline of iPhone sales. It sold 40.4 million iPhones in the quarter, compared with 47.5 million in the same period of 2015.

But sales of the Apple devices in India rose 51 per cent in the last three quarters compared with a year earlier, Cook said.

“India is now one of our fastest growing markets. In the first three quarters of this fiscal year, our iPhone sales in India were up 51 percent year on year. We’re looking forward to opening retail stores in India down the road and we see huge potential for that vibrant country,” The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Cook.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of Apple’s Q3 2016 earnings call.

India is expected to overtake the US as the second-largest smartphone market next year with robust annual growth, a Morgan Stanley report said recently.

“After realizing the increasing importance of India to its core businesses, Apple is now turning its Indiaentry plans into reality.

Having its own stores will help provide better user experience to its prospective customers which, in turn, will help Apple spruce up the business,” Vishal Tripathi, Research Director at global market consultancy firm Gartner, told IANS. Revenue for the third fiscal quarter contracted by 14.6 per cent to $42.36 billion compared with revenue of $49.6 billion in the same period last year because of the drop in iPhone sales for the second consecutive quarter, Efe news reported.

Earnings per share were $1.42, above the analysts expected earnings of $1.38 per share and revenues of $42.1 billion.

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Salman Khan Still Not Fully In The Clear

Jaipur: (IANS) Bollywood actor Salman Khan may have been acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in the 18-year-old cases of poaching chinkaras, trouble seems not to have ended for him in the state where two more cases still are pending against him.

Both cases are being heard in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Jodhpur.

Salman and few other Bollywood stars are accused of poaching blackbucks, a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, on the midnight of October 1-2, 1998 during the shooting of Hindi movie “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.

Two blackbucks were killed on the outskirts of Kankani village near Jodhpur and a police complaint was filed against Salman on charges of being involved in their hunting.

In other case, he is accused of carrying and using illegal arms, and carrying arms with expired license.

“Examination of witnesses have almost been completed in blackbuck case while re-examination of one of the prosecution witness is likely in to be taken up in first week of August in arms case,” Mahipal Bishnoi, counsel of complainant Poonam Chand Bishnoi, who claims to be an eyewitness, told IANS. According to lawyers in Jodhpur, it might take 2-4 months for trial court to give judgement on these cases.

OMG! I’d Love To Work In Bollywood: Melissa McCarthy She finds Indian cinema “truly incredible” for its ability to make viewers switch out of reality and then get back to it. And it is for this reason that American actress Melissa McCarthy says she would love to work in Bollywood.

McCarthy shared her eagerness to bring her talent to India by working in a Bollywood project during a press meet here for her film “Ghostbusters”, directed by Paul Feig.

“Oh my god, I would love to work in Bollywood.

I love the whole vibe. I love the story and I love the spontaneous moment of breaking out. It is like a world within a world,” McCarthy told IANS. “I love when the change happens. You can switch off from the reality and then come back to it,” she said with her eyes sparkling in excitement.

She says: “I have seen (the films) with Paul’s wife. She is my gateway to them as she loves watching Bollywood films.”

........Bollywood Pulse ........

August 2016

I Don’t Take Success To My Head: Anushka Sharma New Delhi: (IANS) In her eight-year-long journey in the Hindi film industry so far, Anushka Sharma has tasted success with commercial hits like “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”, “PK” and the latest, “Sultan” — and also faced failure with “Bombay Velvet” and “Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola”. But the actress-producer says neither success nor failure affects her dedication. “ ‘Bombay Velvet’ was a big disaster I have faced. But the kind of person I am, I don’t take success to my head or failure to my heart. I feel that is important because I feel in an industry which is so fickle, you realize that soon,” Anushka told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.

She is all of 28, but she believes she is a very “aware kind of person” and “practical about things”.

“When you realise that something in this industry is such a fickle thing — you don’t hold too strongly to anything. So I feel because of that, I have managed to stay above the surface.

“It is important to have that sense of reality (that) you will have successes and you will have failures and you will have to lie somewhere in between,” she added.

Anushka is currently riding high on the success of her latest release “Sultan”, which saw her share screen space with superstar Salman Khan.

Salman is the third big Khan of Bollywood that Anushka has worked with.

She had made her debut with the Shah Rukh Khan starrer “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” and later starred with Aamir Khan in “PK”.

How has it been to work with the three superstars — a feat that not many actresses achieve?

“I have never really thought about all these things happening to me. I never thought about ‘I’ll get to work with all the three Khans’. It really wasn’t something that ever occurred to me in my

mind. But I feel humbled and happy... The contributions that I have had in the films is what makes it special for me,” Anushka said.

She also feels “fortunate” because they are huge superstars of the country and have phenomenal reach, which helps her work to get through to

Peepli Live Co-Director Guilty Of Raping American Woman New Delhi: (IANS) A court here recently held Mahmood Farooqui, the co-director of the 2010 Hindi film “Peepli Live”, guilty of raping an American woman.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain convicted Farooqui for rape and fixed August 2 for hearing arguments on quantum of sentence.

Farooqui, who is out on bail, was present in the courtroom with his wife, film director and screenwriter Anusha Rizvi, and his friends when the judgment was pronounced.

The court also ordered Farooqui be taken into custody.

Farooqui was accused of raping a 35-year-old woman from Columbia University who was in India for research on her doctoral thesis.

The woman who moved to Delhi in June 2014 was looking for contacts for her work in

Gorakhpur and through one of her common friends, she came in contact with Farooqui.

The incident dates back to March 28, 2015 when Farooqui invited her for dinner at his house.

According to the polish chargesheet, the woman, who reached his house at 9 p.m., found Farooqui was very intoxicated, and he asked her to go in the other room which was his office.

After 20 minutes, she left the office room to smoke on the porch when he told her to come in and sit down, it said.

After talking with her for a while, he suddenly kissed her and forced himself on her, the prosecution said, adding that the woman was scared after the incident.

During the trial, the American researcher stood by her complaint and alleged that Farooqui had raped her, while he denied the allegations, and claimed he was falsely implicated.

other people.

“Their reach is phenomenal and because of their reach and their fan following, my work gets through to so many other people... So I feel happy, humbled and loved by the people for the appreciation I am getting for Aarfa’s character (in ‘Sultan’),” she said.

She says her journey has always been about her own choices — “whether it means producing a film at the age of 25 or it means not doing that many films”.

“Somewhere in my life, I have always been a bit of risk-taker in that I have never listened to things people have told me or things that have preceded in terms of what other people have done, what are other actresses doing or what is the right way of following the career. I have not paid much attention to those things,” added the actress, who turned producer with the gritty drama “NH10”.

“I feel sometimes when you follow your gut and instinct and you don’t feel afraid, I think god blesses you... It is said that luck follows those who follow their instincts and I have just followed my instincts.”

Coming from an army background, Anushka had absolutely no Bollywood backing. She wasn’t even dreaming about being an actress when she landed a role in a Shah Rukh Khan starrer, produced by Yash Raj Films.

She also credits filmmaker Aditya Chopra for making her one of the top actresses today.

Being an outsider turned out to be an advantage for Anushka, who feels she didn’t come with any “pre-conceived notions about the way you have to do things”.

Sanjay Dutt Turns 57

Actor Sanjay Dutt, who turned 57 in July, says he misses his parents, Sunil Dutt and Nargis.

“I miss my parents, I miss my father and mother. If they would have been here they would have been proud of me, I guess. There is no one bigger than your parents. I miss them,” Sanjay Dutt said on Friday evening at his residence while celebrating his birthday with the media.

The actor said he will be with his family on his birthday.

“There is no party. It’s better to be with one’s family and close friends. We all will have dinner together,” the actor said.

Recalling his birthdays during his imprisonment, he said: “For three years, I spent my birthdays in jail. Today, I am a free man. I am so happy I am with my children. I will take my kids out for dinner. My wife has gifted me a car. It’s so sweet and it was a surprise. My kids have given me a nice card and cake; what more can I ask for.”

Sanjay Dutt received an expensive white Audi Q7 as a gift from his wife Manyata Dutt.

August 2016

......... Indians of Atlanta ........

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#IndiansofAtlanta- A Social Media Driven, Online Archive of Local Indian-American Stories Please visit www.facebook.com/IndiansofAtlanta or our web page www.nripulse.com/indians-of-atlanta to read more such stories.

I Went On A 6-Month Solo Adventure Through India: Uma Lakshman “Some of us are born with an innate desire to travel far lands and to immerse ourselves in new experiences. I think I was born with the wanderlust bug. During middle school in Mumbai, I loved Geography. I endlessly dreamed of living in the grasslands, the tundras, and amongst the Eskimos in igloos.

As a high achiever in high school and college however, I focused on academics, majoring in physics, and continued my journey to the United States for my Master’s degree.

Then came family and raising a wonderful daughter. After my daughter started college at Emory, I decided it was the perfect time to embark on a 6-month solo gypsy adventure. The book, “States of India”, that I read in my 7th standard, beckoned me to go and first experience the country I called home. The tundras would have to wait a bit more. Despite fears of traveling alone, I left for my adventure.

I commenced the trip in the middle of the Ganesh Chathurthi festival in Mumbai. Then followed Onam in Kerala, a trek up the Dzongri Peak in the Himalayan range, monasteries in Gangtok, Sikkim, tea estates and a toy train ride in

Darjeeling, Durga Puja and involvement with the Calcutta Rescue Clinic in Kolkata, the history of ISKCON in Mayapur (a very clean town), Diwali, Bhai Dhuj, Danteras in Jaipur, a camel ride at dawn at the annual camel fair at Pushkar, Rajasthan, Guru Nanak Jayanthi in Gurgaon, an aborted trip to Delhi.

The trip also included catching up with schoolmates at a reunion, some IT training in Bangalore, mingling with the Todas, a tribal community in Ooty, watching elephants being fed vitamins in an elephant camp in Mudumalai and a visit to my birthplace Ulundurpet, Chennai.

The highlight of my trip was the Dzongri peak at 4200 meters. At the peak, it felt like being close to the gods. You

come back shedding weight and skin and gaining clarity. (Check my fb page umaIndiaYatra for pho-

tos). I will go back to travel through parts of India I could not make it last time.

She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.” ¯ Roman Payne ” - Uma Lakshman Uma Lakshman moved to Atlanta from San Diego two years ago and feels very much at home here. She has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in computer science from Marquette University. Her solo back-packing trip through India culminated in the launch of BigBanglesTheory.com, which combines bangle theory with string theory to bring beautifully crafted handmade bangles.

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

How Snails & Plants Showed Me That Brains Are Optional

CLASSIFIEDS FREELANCE MARKETING

GIACC Business AUG 22-23 Delegation Going To Mumbai Join our business delegation of GIACC members and partners as we attend the Indo American Chamber of Commerce’s (IACC) Annual Convention at the Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Unleashing US-India Economic Synerg.

Dates: August 22-23, 2016 Contact: Sonjui Kumar skumar@kppblaw.com Navrang Group AUG 28 Presents Shankar - Jaikishan Music Memories When: Sunday, August 28 at 6:30 pm Where: Sitar Banquets, 8465 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 4001, Alpharetta GA 30022 Cost: $15.00 , Tea & Snacks Contact: 770-843-9822, Navrang.ga@gmail.com AJC Decatur Book SEPT 2-4 Festival (9/2-4).

When: Friday, September 2, 2016 - Sunday, September 4, 2016 Times: Fri 8pm at Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory, 1700 North Decatur Rd, Atlanta.

Sat 8am at Decatur Square, Decatur.

Contact: decaturbookfestival.com

Please list your Upcoming Event in this section, please email us at nripulse@gmail.com with ‘Upcoming Event’ in the subject line.

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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Consulate General of AUG 15 India, Atlanta: 70th Independence Day Celebration of India On the 70th Independence Day of India, a flag hoisting ceremony will be held at the Consulate General of India.

All Indian nationals, Persons of Indian origin, and Friends of India, with their families, are cordially invited to attend the ceremony.

Agenda • Flag Hoistimg Ceremony • Reading out the address of the President of India by the Consul General of India • Singing of National Anthem • Light refreshments When: Monday, August 15, 2016 Time: 8:30 am Where: Consulate General of India, 5549

345th Aaradhana AUG 20-21 Mahotsava of Sri Raghavendra Swamy When: Saturday, August 20, 2016 - Sunday, August 21 at 9 am (both days) Where: Sri Maha Lakshmi Temple of Atlanta, 1637 Peachtree Parkway Cumming, GA 30041 Contact: info@atlantarayaramath.org , 404-9392833 , Website: www.atlantarayaramath.org

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Shri Krishna Bhajan AUG 13 Sandhya Diaro by Vinod Patel (Well Known International Versatile Gujarati Folk Singer Artist, 75 albums) When: Saturday, August 13, 2016 Time: Mahaprasad will be served at 7:30 PM, program at 8:30 PM Where Gokuldham Haveli, Suite #109, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA 30071.

Cost: $5 Donation to attend the program Contact: Tejas Patwa 404-435-9548, 770-4924346

Glenridge Drive NE, Atlanta 30342 Contact: 404-963-5902

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Hindu Temple of AUG 10-14 Atlanta, Riverdale 4th Brahmotsavam When: August 10-14 Where: Hindu Temple of Atlanta, 5851 Georgia Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA 30274 Contact: 770-9077102, HTAManager@hindutempleofatlanta.org Website: www.hindutempleofatlanta.org

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To advertise in our Classifieds section, please call 404-235-4998 or email ads@nripulse.com.

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

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TRAVEL CONSULTANT NEEDED

Scientists discovered a snail which can make ing bugs by counting three footsteps before they decisions using only two brain cells, a report snap shut and consume them.

Considering the astonishing inability to from the University of Sussex says.

That report reminded me of the famous 2012 count the staff at my local fruit and veg shop regularly demonstrates, experiment when sciento suggest tists tried to teach a THE FUNNY SIDE Itoamthetempted manager that he splodge of slime mold to replace the somnambunavigate a maze. The slime lant cashiers with a sesuccessfully completed the lection of plants. task despite having no The findings also lend brain, no eyes, no legs and weight to scientists who say no Wi-Fi access to Google high IQs are an anti-evoluMaps. tionary trait. One of my That also left me unevangelical atheist friends impressed: I had a look at last week showed his spirithe maze and reckoned I tual sister a study “provcould do it myself, probing” that his type had higher ably, if I had a decent map IQs than her type. She reand got one of my kids to sponded with a much bigdo it for me. ger study showing that his But what scientists are basically saying is that mounting evidence type was more likely to be childless and die earlier.

Humans process 10 million bits of inforshows that brain processors are not needed for mation a second, but only 50 bits, which is most activities.

Welcome to real life, boffins. Any adult who has 0.0005 percent, are devoted to logical thought. tried to get a child (or let’s be honest, a husband) In other words, hearts rule heads, and people dressed and breakfasted and loaded on to a 7.15 a.m. who let this happen are more likely to survive bus knows that the absence of conscious awareness and reproduce.

Consciousness is over-rated, anyway. Conis not a factor one way or the other.

The piece of evidence that raised my eye- sider the following scene, which happens at my brows the highest was the recent discovery that house every Saturday lunch time. Me to teenage plants have memories and can even count, de- daughter: “You slept 14 hours!” Her: “I’m up, spite having no brain of any kind. A researcher I’m up, see?” She moves from bedroom doornoticed that Venus fly traps know the difference way to sofa - where she lies down. between bits of tasteless dust and yummy visitNow that’s living. - Nury Vittachi

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NRI Pulse is looking for freelance marketing associates to sell ad space for the publication. Please call 404-235-4998 or email ads@nripulse.com.

August 2016

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NRI Pulse Online Magazine The Complete Portal for NRIs www.NRIPulse.com News, Views, Blogs, Features, Perspectives, Debates, Community Profiles, Immigration, Health, Business, Youth, Fashion, Entertainment, Bollywood, Cookery, Free Classifieds and more...

August 2016

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

10 More Locally Spread Zika Cases Identified In Florida, Travel Notice Issued Washington: (IANS) The US state of Florida has identified 10 additional cases likely caused by local mosquito bites, bringing the total number of people with locally transmitted Zika to 14, the state’s Governor Rick Scott said on Monday.

In a statement, Scott said the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a notice to women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary travel to the impacted area that is north of Miami, Xinhua news agency reported.

Health officials have been testing individuals in three locations in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, where four locally spread Zika cases were confirmed on July 19, and that two locations have been ruled out for possible local Zika transmissions, Scott said.

As a result, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) believes that active Zika transmissions were still only occurring in the same square-mile area of Miami that was announced on Friday, he said.

Among the 10 new cases announced on Monday, six are asymptomatic and were identified from the door-to-door community survey that DOH is conducting.

“Following today’s (Monday’s) announcement, I have requested that the CDC activate their Emergency Response Team to assist DOH in their investigation, research and sample collection efforts,” Scott said.

“Their team will consist of public health experts whose role is to augment our response efforts to confirmed local transmissions of

the Zika virus,” he added.

Florida would try to continue to keep residents and visitors safe utilising constant surveillance and aggressive strategies, such as increased mosquito spraying, that have allowed the state to fight similar viruses.

“While I encourage all residents and visitors to continue to use precaution by draining standing water and wearing bug spray, Florida remains safe and open for business,” he said.

“This year, we have already welcomed a record 30 million tourists and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to Florida this summer.”

So far, the DOH has conducted testing for the Zika virus for more than 2,300 people statewide and more than 200 individuals in Miami-Dade and Broward counties who live or work near the four individuals that have already been confirmed with likely mosquito-borne transmissions, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the 14 individuals identified, two are women and 12 are men.

More than 1,600 Zika cases have been reported in the US, but previously all cases have been linked to travel to affected areas or sexual contact with an infected person.

Most people infected with Zika won’t have symptoms, but for those who do, the illness is usually mild. However, Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other severe foetal birth defects.

Eat Nuts To Reduce Inflammation: Study New York: (IANS) In a study of more than 5,000 people, researchers have found that greater nuts consumption is associated with lower levels of biomarkers of inflammation, a finding that may help explain the health benefits of nuts.

Five or more servings of nuts per week or substituting nuts for animal proteins tied to a healthy profile of inflammatory biomarkers, the findings showed.

“Population studies have consistently supported a protective role of nuts against cardiometabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease and Type-2 diabetes, and we know that inflammation is a key process in the development of these diseases,” said corresponding author Ying Bao from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Our new work suggests that nuts may exert their beneficial effects in part by reducing systemic inflammation,” Bao noted.

Previously Bao and her colleagues observed an association between increased nut consumption and reduced risk of major chronic diseases and even death, but few prospective cohort studies had examined the link between nut intake and inflammation.

In the current study, the research team performed a cross-

sectional analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which includes more than 120,000 female registered nurses, and from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which includes more than 50,000 male health professionals.

The team assessed diet using questionnaires and looked at the levels of certain telltale proteins known as biomarkers in blood samples collected from the study participants.

They measured three well established biomarkers of inflammation — C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumour necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2).

After adjusting for age, medical history, lifestyle and other variables, they found that participants who had consumed five or more servings of nuts per week had lower levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 than those who never or almost never ate nuts.

In addition, people who substituted three servings per week of nuts in place of red meat, processed meat, eggs or refined grains had significantly lower levels of biomarkers of inflammation, showed the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Peanuts and tree nuts contain a number of healthful components including magnesium, fibre, L-arginine, antioxidants and unsaturated fatty acids such as ?-linolenic acid.

NRI PULSE 21

Meat Protein, Not Fat, Causes Obesity: Study

Sydney: (IANS) Protein in meat is causing obesity in the same way sugar does, reveals a new study.

The study suggest that protein in meat is causing obesity as it is digested after the fats and carbohydrates. This makes the energy released from protein a surplus, which then is converted and stored as extra fat in the human body.

According to the study, published in the journal BMC Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, meat in modern diet creates surplus energy leading to obesity.

Researchers said several other academic papers in the past had reported the same, but it was often argued that obesity was due to the fat content in meat.

The researchers studied the correlation between meat consumption and obesity rates in 170 countries.

“Based on our findings we believe meat protein in the human diet is also making a significant contribution to obesity. In the analysis of obesity prevalence across 170 countries, we have found that sugar availability in a nation explains 50 per cent of obesity variation while meat availability another 50 per cent,” said Maciej Henneberg, Professor, University of Adelaide.

“Nevertheless, it is important that we show the contribution meat protein is making to obesity so that we can better understand what is happening. In order to curb obesity it might make sense for dietary guidelines to advise eating less meat, as well as less sugar,” added Henneberg.

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22 NRI PULSE

BYP.S. LAKSHMI RAO

Bachchali Koora Pulusu (Vietnamese Spinach Soup)

1 Lb bachchalikoora. Wash thoroughly before cutting. Separate leaves from stems and chop the leaves fine. Cut the stems to one inch pieces.

2 Green chilies 1 1D 2 Teaspoons salt or to taste 1D 2 Teaspoon turmeric ( haldi) Lemon size tamarind soaked in one-cup water 1D 2 Cup cooked thoor dal

1/8 Teaspoon of hing (asafoetida) 1 Tablespoon of rice flour 3 Tablespoons of water Heat oil in a small pan and fry methi seeds until light brown. Add mustard seeds and red chili, and fry. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add cumin seeds and hing. Mix this in to the soup.

Mix rice flour and water. Add this to the soup and let it boil for two minutes in medium high heat, so that the soup thickens. Turn the heat off.

Cool & Refreshing Summer Green Tea Drinks

BY CHEF ANOOP PAUL Green Tea Iced Tea cups of boiling water Sparkling Fruity Green Tea Four Six green tea bags Three cups (750 ml) water Six green tea bags

Variation: Aava pulusu: Make bachchali koora pulusu the same way as above, except don’t add thoor dal. Grind 1 teaspoon red mustard seeds with 2 teaspoons water, 1/8 teaspoon haldi, and teaspoon oil and add this paste to the bachali koora pulusu after it is cooled a little.

Place first four ingredients in a four-quart saucepan. Squeeze tamarind with water three times to make 4 cups of juice and add the juice to the vegetables. Cook on medium high heat until the stems are soft to the touch. Mix thoor dal into the soup and add popu.

One tablespoon of honey Pour boiling water over green tea bags in teapot; cover and brew for three minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze; stir in honey and cool. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish, if desired, with lemon or orange slices.

Fruity Green Tea Smoothie

1/2 cup chilled purple grape juice One medium orange, sliced One medium lemon, sliced One medium lime, sliced 1/4 cup chilled club soda Pour boiling water over green tea bags in teapot; cover and brew for three minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze; stir and cool.

Combine tea with remaining ingredients except soda in large pitcher; let it chill for at least two hours. Just before serving, add soda.

Pour into ice-filled glasses.

Popu (Tadka or Vagar) 1D 2 Tablespoon oil 10 Methi seeds(fenugreek) 1D 2 Teaspoon red mustard seeds 1 Dried red chili 1D 2 teaspoon cumin seed

August 2016

One cup water Four green tea with honey lemon tea bags One ripe banana 1/2 cup ice cubes Pour boiling water over green tea with honey lemon tea bags; cover and brew for one to one and a half minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze. Stir in sugar and chill. In blender, process tea, banana and ice cubes until blended.

........ InVogue .......

Make A Sweeping Statement With Long Skirts

BY RANI SHARMA Raneez Fine Boutique What I absolutely love about Indian fashion is its diversity and versatility. Floor sweeping skirts worn with hand-embroidered shirts and net dupatta are great statement pieces.

Raneez Boutique has a great collection of silk skirts with big flares. We also have short knee length shirts in crepes and georgettes, heavily embellished with sequins, antique embroidery, swarovski, crystal, semi-precious stones, zardozi, beadwork and dabka (thin gold wiry thread that in circular coiled formation). A net dupatta in a contrast color, with a four-sided thin border and light sequence completes the look.

Jewelry: Long kundan earrings with big kundan kada (bangle).

Makeup: Light lipstick with pink blush on and contrast eyeshadow.

Purse: Silk potli with work.

beautifully enhanced with resham, zari, mirror work and patch-work border .It has a poly shantoon lining. The length of shirt is 42 inches. A red net dupatta with trim piping completes the look.

For evening wear, consider this: Red silk skirt with gold short kurta and red net dupatta. The kurta is in faux georgette and

Jewelry: Polki earrings with light pendent set Purse: Red mirror work potli Makeup: Big Indian tradtional bindi with light

bronzer and dark lipstick A right dress is what a woman would settle for when it comes to any occasion or party.

For more info on new style trends, please call me at 404-633-4966.