NRI Pulse February 2018

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NRI Pulse

February 2018

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NRI Pulse

February 2018

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NRI Pulse

February 2018

Atlanta’s Premier South Asian Newspaper February 2018

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New Bipartisan Immigration Bill Introduced In Senate

Washington: (IANS) US Senators John McCain and Christopher Coons introduced a new immigration legislation on February 5 in the Senate. The bipartisan piece of legislation provides recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, commonly known as "Dreamers," an opportunity for citizenship while ordering a study to figure out what border security measures are needed, said a report in the Wall Street Journal.

DACA aimed to protect from deportation certain immigrants brought to the US illegally when they were children. Senate aides told the Journal that the plan would provide people who have resided in the US since December 31, 2013, with legal status and a path to citizenship.

The new measure says nothing about curbing family-based legal migration or making changes to the diversity lottery program -- two other priorities for Trump and conservative Republicans, the Washington Post reported.

"It's time we end the gridlock so we can quickly move on to completing a long-term bud-

get agreement that provides our men and women in uniform the support they deserve," Senator McCain said in a statement.

"While reaching a deal cannot come soon enough for America's service members, the current political reality demands bipartisan cooperation to address the impending expiration of the DACA program and secure the southern border," he added.

But the measure would not call for spending the $30 billion that President Donald Trump is seeking to fortify the border with new wall and fence construction.

The plan would also provide more people with a path to citizenship and legal status than Trump's original plan did, the Hill magazine reported.

Trump seemed to reject the narrow plan on Twitter. "Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time.

March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!"

Trump tweeted.

The White House announced in January that the President would endorse a path to citizenship for as many as 1.8 million young immigrants in exchange for border wall funding and sweeping changes to the immigration system. Presi-

dent Donald Trump repeated this in his State of the Union address.

Democrats said they would not support the measure because it did not include a solution to DACA, which Trump moved to end last year. Prominent Indian-American lawmakers slammed US President Donald Trump's first State of Union address in which he equated young immigrants with members of the brutal criminal gang MS-13.

In his 80-minute speech in the House chamber of the Capitol, Trump offered to legalize those who were brought into the country illegally as children -- referred to as "Dreamers" and ultimately give them citizenship, while cracking down on criminal gangs as part of his reform package to "bring our immigration system into the 21st century".

Trump called on the Congress to come together to enact sweeping immigration reforms that introduce a merit-based system while ending the inflow of extended family members and building a wall to safeguard the borders.

Kuchibhotla's Widow Attends Trump's State Of Union Address New York: (IANS) Sunayana Dumala, the widow of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was killed in a hate crime last year in Kansas, was a Congressional guest at the State of the Union address delivered by President Donald Trump.

"In the very beginning he (Trump) said that we all have our differences but we have to work in unity and harmony," she told the Kansas City TV station, KHSB. "That is welcome."

Republican Representative Kevin Yoder tweeted that he invited her to the President's ceremonial speech "in recognition for her tireless efforts to promote peace and as a message to the Indian community that the US is a nation of immigrants and they are welcome here."

Dumala is at risk of being sent out of the US

because she came in as the message of unity, love a dependent on her husand acceptance and to ensure band's H1-B temporary that the U.S. is a safe place professional visa but for current and future immithe deportation has been grants. stayed.

Kuchibhotla was killed Before attending and his friend Alok Madasani Trump's address, Dumwas injured when a former ala met House Speaker Navyman Adam Purinton Paul Ryan and Cathy allegedly fired on them last McMorris Rodgers, the February outside a restaurant chair of the House Republican Conference, and in Kansas while shouting, "Get out of my country". other lawmakers, according to KHSB's Twitter Purinton is awaiting trial on charges of murder feed from Washington. and committing a hate crime.

Dumala has launched Forever Welcome, Yoder is the sponsor of a bill aimed at cutting a social media initiative on Facebook to spread the delays for professional Indian applicants for green

cards which gives them permanent immigration status. The wait time now is over 11 years and is likely to grow longer.

The bill, "Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2017", seeks to do away with national quotas for issuing green cards which leads to long waits for Indians because of the large numbers of professionals from the country -- many already in the US on H1-B visas -- who qualify for immigration.

The Indian Association of Kansas City thanked Yoder for inviting Dumala to the presidential address and said: "This further strengthens our belief and confidence in the American system and its constitution that everyone is respected, loved and is welcome."

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February 2018

Senior Citizens Begin New Year With Mata Ki Chowki

REPORT & PHOTOS BY MAHADEV DESAI

Atlanta, GA: I always wondered why the Senior Citizen’s Program (SCP), since its inception way back in 1996, traditionally starts its year with “Mata Ki Chowki”. When I posed this question directly to the organizer/Executive Director of SCP, Raj Razdan, a learned scholar and community activist, she immediately explained, “ The north Indian ritual of Mata (trinity of goddess Durga/Lakhsmi/Saraswati) ki Chowki signifies neutralizing the darkness of Kalyug (which we reportedly are in according to Vedic calendar) with yagya (sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering, bhajans, singing, etc.) and jagran cleansing by the devotees for the launch of an auspicious and hopefully a trouble free New Year!”

She continued, “Since we are here in a hotel environment with fire hazard issues, we focus on devotional bhajans, japa, pooja, aradhana with a pure heart invocation of the Mata Ki Chowki”.

What is noteworthy, Mata ki Chowki can be done at any time on any occasion by anyone. The Senior Citizens Program (SCP) thus got off to an auspicious New Year start with a spirited and joyous Ganesh Poojan followed by the traditional lighting of the Jyot at the Garden Plaza, in Norcross on Sunday, January 14, 2018.

The Mata ki Chowki, sponsored by SCP’s long time and dedicated volunteer Chinti Bali, along with Sunanda and Varjinder Sharma, Ashok and Poonam Datta, Jagdish and Santosh Shailly, was musically led by Atlanta’s popular and devoted Mrs. Rewa Handa Group.

After warm welcome and good wishes for the New Year, SCP’s Executive director Raj Razdan invited Mrs. Rewa Handa to take charge of the Mata ki Chowki (offerings, prayers, bhajans, mantras, etc.) in glory of Goddess Durga.

Rewa Handa along with members of her group, invited the sponsors Jagdish and Santosh Shailly along with Ashok and Poonam Datta and the SCP Yajmana Rohitbhai and Shardaben Patel to perform the Pooja rituals, starting with sankalp and followed by avahanam (invitation) to divine Mataji (Sherawali Ma - who symbolizes the holy

BIDS INVITED FOR RENOVATION OF CONSULAR HALL

Consulate General of India, Atlanta invites proposals/bids from Builders/Contractors for major renovation of the Consular Hall of the Chancery at its office location No.5549 Glenridge Drive NE, Atlanta, GA-30342. For detailed information kindly see under “notices & alerts” of our website: www. indianconsulateatlanta.org.

The last date for submission of proposals/bids 21st February, 2018.

trinity of Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati), then Ganapati Pooja, (worship to the remover of all obstacles), Lord Vishnu Pooja, Nava Graha Pooja, and Lord Hanumanji Pooja.

This was followed with ‘jyot’ ceremony, garlanding and draping of the ‘chunari” on Mata ji in

reverence.

The singing of bhajans by the gathering accompanied by clapping and hypnotic beats of the Dholak by young Nikhil Sharma and cymbals by Rithu Lalwani generated uplifting spiritual vibes.

While the poojas were going on, Raj Razdan and

Kamlesh Chugh Crowned Mrs Bharat Grandmother USA

Atlanta, GA: Georgia’s Kamlesh Chugh was crowned Mrs Bharat Grandmother USA at a glittering pageant held at the Royal Alberts Palace in New Jersey on December 3.

Kamlesh’s sunny disposition and perfect portrayal of the Internet personality, Pammy aunty won the hearts of the jurors.

In the past, Kamlesh has won the 2017 Mrs India International Inspirational Queen in Bangkok, Thailand.

She also participated in the 2010 Mrs India International beauty pageant and was declared the 1st runner up.

Kamlesh is president of Greater Atlanta Punjabi Society (GAPS) and balances her roles as mother and grandmother with a successful business.

The Mrs Grandmother USA Pageant is the

brainchild of Janak and Rashmi Bedi who run Mydream Entertainment LLC. Mydream Entertainment is a family owned privately held organization and is run by creative, talented, passionate and fun loving team players.

The goal of the pageant is to empower each contestant with further personality grooming, to enrich their confidence and provide them with a platform to showcase their talent and potential.

Mydream Entertainment hosts several pageants throughout the year including: Miss\Mrs Bharat USA, Teen Bharat USA, Mr Bharat USA and Mrs Grandmother USA.

Balwinder Kaur went around the hall tying red sacred thread and applying tikka to the attendees.

The congregation sat in rapt attention listening to melodious bhajans (divine songs) and praises of Mataji in mellifluous voices by Reva Handa, Kshama Kakade, Rithu Lalwani, Shardaben Patel, etc.

As the fervor picked up with clapping and singing, congregation joined in the rousing chanting of popular bhajans by the Chowki group.

Kshama Kakade and Shardaben added some Gujarati flavor to the otherwise traditional north Indian musical devotional renderings, singing two popular Gujarati bhajans, “Madi taru kanku kharyu ne suraj ugyo” - and “Ghor andhari re rataldi ma nikadiya char asvar-” The uplifting bhajans soon got the enthused Seniors at the prodding of Raj Razdan along with the Volunteer, Chinti Bali, on the floor for spontaneous and joyful garba-like devotional dances.

Concluding, devotees offered maiya ka shingar chunari to Mataji with the finale sampurna by bhent (offering), aarti and sampurna ardas followed by prasada (offerings) of Halwa (sweets), Chhole (chick peas), fruits and dry fruits et al.

Appreciating and admiring their devotion and commitment, Rewa Handa, along with the sponsors Chinti Bali, Mrs. Sharma, Nikhil Sharma, Ashok & Poonam Datta, and Jagdish & Santosh Shailly were all presented with flower bouquets by Raj Razdan, volunteers Arunaben Patel and Chinti Bali along with appropriate acknowledgment of the generosity of the sponsors.

A delicious lunch, catered by the sponsors was served to all who braved the unusual Atlanta January freeze!

All the generous donations were split between the Vedic Temple of Atlanta and St Jude’s hospital– a children’s Cancer hospital.

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February 2018

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February 2018

India-US Relations Celebrated At Consulate’s Republic Day Reception

BY VEENA RAO

that they need.”

He said sadly 25% of Georgia’s kids live in Atlanta, GA: It was a glowing celebration poverty. “We have 40 counties across Georgia of India’s growth and deepening India-US relathat has 40% poverty rate. I don’t believe we have tions. The 69th Republic Day reception hosted to be trapped in those circumstances.” Education by the Consulate General of India in Atlanta at is the great equalizer, he stressed. “No matter the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North on January

lives.”

Congressman Woodall said he has received the same open heart and outstretched hands from Consul General Singh every day of his service.

He hoped Prime Minister Modi would extend the Consul General’s assignment in the Southeast

the world,” he added.

Consul General Singh admitted that the country still has a long way to go in terms of its socio-economic upliftment, literacy, getting rid of poverty and hunger. “We are confident we will overcome this, but we do need partnerships across the political spectrum, and in civil society. A partnership with the US is essential for our own socio-economic transformation.”

“The India-US relationship is the deepest and the widest of any bilateral relationship we have.

From counter-terrorism to defense to healthcare to education and skill development, we have at least 50 bilateral dialogues at the federal level.

We also have common challenges– terrorism, climate change, peace and security in the Indo-pacific region.”

Singh said in terms of robust L to R: Consul General Nagesh Singh, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Congressman Rob Woodall and Mayor Rusty Paul. economic partnerships much more needs to be done. “We have targeted $500 billion in India-US trade by 2025. Already, India is one of the fastest growing sources of direct foreign investment in this country. In the state of Georgia alone, we have 60 Indian companies, and not all are in IT.” The biggest bond between our two countries, however, is the people to people linkage, he said.

“Four million Indians have made the US home, Kakali Bandyopand that is the strongest bond which will take our partnership forward.” adhyay (R)and Citing statistics, the Consul General said Anjaneya Sastry.

200,000 Indian students study in the US, contribJohn Macdonal. uting $6 million in tuition fee. About 1 million InPhotos by Bytegraph. dians travel to the US every year. Bragging about the success of the community, he said 77% Indi28 saw special guests Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, what your background, you can always end up USA. an-Americans above the age of 25 have at least a Congressman Rob Woodall (GA-7) and Sandy successful. We have to constantly do a better job Mayor Rusty Paul, who celebrated the 40th bachelor’s degree, while the national average is Springs Mayor Rusty Paul delivering paeans to at meeting kids where they are. Designing an ed- anniversary of his first election on December 7, about 31%. Around 44% have at least a Master’s US-India partnership and mingling with a banucation system that meets the needs of the com- talked about his business-promotion visit to In- or PhD or equivalent medical or engineering dequet hall full of representatives of Indian-Amerimunity and the individual skills.” dia last year. “Your young people are amazing, gree, while the national average is 11%. The mecan associations.

Lt. Governor Cagle recognized each of the they are a very impressive group,” he said, add- dian income for the household is 107K while the “India is a country that continues to grow other dignitaries and hosts. “Consul General ing, “If you are going to invest in the US, there is national average is in 50K range. and continues to be a vibrant partner of the US,” Nagesh Singh has great passion and love which absolutely no better place to do it than in Sandy “I also pay tribute to the great country that said Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, in his address. he brings to work every day, and I appreciate it Springs, Georgia.” has housed this community. I don’t think this “As we grow together, it is the people-to-people so much,” he said. “Dr Indran Indrakrishnan is Earlier in the evening, Consul General would be possible in any other country. Every linkage that is exciting.” a wonderful friend and Doctor of the Day many Nagesh Singh, in his keynote address, talked day, I hear stories of my countrymen who came He said it was also exciting to witness Geortimes in the State Senate. We have recognized about the special bonds between India and the with $50 or $100 in their pocket. It is the greatgia’s growth. “We are the 8th largest state in the him numerous times not only for his work as phy- US. “Our Constitution was inspired by the Amer- ness of this country that it gave them the oppornation, with the busiest airport, the fastest growsician but also for his service to others. We value ican Constitution. Our preamble also starts with tunity, irrespective of their faith or color, to work ing port, and great infrastructure. We are blessed that.”

“We the People”. The American Bill of Rights is hard and reach the heights of success,” he said. to have Fortune 500 companies along with reCongressman Rob Woodall talked about Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution.”

Borrowing from Secretary of State Rex Tilsearch institutions present here. All this has made folks who have not achieved success, alluding He said, the Constitution of India is a re- lerson’s remarks on "Defining Our Relationship Georgia the No. 1 place to do business for five to the fact that Indian-Americans were, through flection of the ethos of its ancient civilization. With India for the Next Century", he said India years in a row.” history, severely under-represented in the US Despite its size, a population of over 1.3 billion and the United States are "two bookends of stabil“What excites me about tonight is that we Congress. “Up until the 1990s, only one Indi- people and its diversity- eight major religions, ity". A strong India-US partnership is in the best can look back at the foundation laid that has given an-American, Dalip Singh Saund, had served the 23 national languages, every race calling India interest not only of the two countries, but the rest us the opportunity to be where we are today,” he Congress. Then came Bobby Jindal (who later home- and seemingly insurmountable challenges of the world, he concluded. added. became Governor of Louisiana). In the entire his- that it faced during independence, the country has Former CNN anchor and Saris to Suits Reflecting on his own childhood- a single tory of the country, up until 2008, only two Indi- been steadily moved ahead. founder Patti Tripathi emceed the evening’s promother who worked two jobs to raise him, but an-Americans had ever served in Congress.”

“The Constitution played a great role in ceedings. never took public assistance; the sacrifices she That number has now increased to five today, India’s growth because it gave a voice to every Sitar master Kakali Bandyopadhyay, who made and the importance of perseverance she inbecause of growing partnerships, he said, like the section of our society. Because of our democratic studied with the legendary Ravi Shankar and Ali stilled in him- Lt Governor Cagle said each of us support he had been accorded by Indian-Ameri- framework, we have achieved growth in a peace- Akbar Khan, and table maestro Anjaneya Sastry, is born with a certain work ethic that defines who cans. He cited the example of Dr Indrakrishnan. ful manner. In the last few years, India has be- a disciple of Pandit Prithwiraj Bhattacharjee faswe become, and India is a great example of that.

“When I first decided to run for Congress, Dr In- come the fastest growing economy in the world.” cinated the audience with their soulful recital.

“As we go forward as a state, one of our drakrishnan had opened the doors of his home for “According to McKinsey, by 2025 we will John MacDonal added the Bollywood touch great challenges is to ensure that we do have a me. He calls me often, not to complain, but to talk be the third largest economy in real terms and by to the evening with his melodious rendition of hit work force that is very diverse and committed; about ideas that can make a difference in people’s 2050 India will be the second largest economy in Hindi film songs. that the industries have the workers and the skills

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February 2018

Tech Company CEO Execution Date Of First Death-Row For Bribery Indian American Prisoner Set For Feb 23 Indicted An Indian

Atlanta, GA: The execution date of Raghunandan Yandamuri, 32, the first death-row Indian-American prisoner, who is convicted of killing a baby and her Indian grandmother has been set for February 23, according to media reports. However, he is likely to get a reprieve because of a 2015 moratorium on death penalty by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.

Yandamuri was given the death penalty in 2014 for kidnapping and killing a 61-year-old elderly Indian woman and her 10-month-old grand-daughter in a botched kidnapping-for-ransom plot.

“The law provides that when the governor does not sign a warrant of execution within the specified time period, the secretary of corrections has 30 days within which to issue a notice of execution,” Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said.

According to the report, Wolf imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 2015. State officials are awaiting the results of a study conducted by the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Committee on Capital Punishment, before moving forward with any executions.

Pennsylvania has not seen any executions in the last nearly 20 years. Since 1976, three persons have been executed in the States between 1995 and 1999.

A native of Andhra Pradesh, Yandamuri had come to the US on a H-1B visa. He has an advanced degree in electrical and computer science engineering. Following his conviction, he asked that death penalty be imposed upon him. Later he appealed his sentence, but lost his appeal last April, reports PTI. Yandamuri was found guilty of first degree murder, kidnapping, burglary and abuse of a corpse in the deaths of 10-month-old baby Saanvi and her grandmother Satyavathi, 61, in Upper Merion, PA in 2012.

Yandamuri was convicted of kidnapping Saanvi Venna after murdering her grandmother Satyavathi Venna. Investigators found a ransom note demanding

$50,000 or the baby would be killed. Yandamuri confessed to killing both the child and her grandmother after he was arrested.

The kidnapper used the nicknames of Saavi’s parents in the ransom note, which helped investigators narrow down the list of suspects as few people referred to them by those names. Yandamuri, a family friend of the Vennas, was on that list.

During questioning, he confessed to the botched kidnapping and the killings.

Raghu told the police that Saanvi began to cry and he stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth to make her stop crying and placed a bath towel around her head to hold the handkerchief in place. “He then put her inside a blue suitcase he found in the bedroom, he took jewelry he found in the apartment and placed that in the suitcase with Saanvi, he then left the apartment and abandoned Saanvi’s body hidden in the steam room, of the men’s bathroom, of the gymnasium located inside marquis Apartment Building,” the affidavit said.

“Raghu then dumped the knife, some of his clothes and the blue suitcase in a dumpster in another part of the Upper MerionTownship, he disposed some of the stolen jewelry in the Schuylkill river and said he left some at this place of employment,” the police said.

The authorities had also announced $ 50,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the toddler.

The police, in its affidavit, said that Yandamuri told the detectives at the end of his interrogation to tell the media that his wife turned in him so that she could get the $ 50,000 award announced by the police and Telugu community for information leading to Saanvi.

However, Yandamuri maintained throughout the trial that the confession was coerced by cops. He said he was forced by two men who he identified as Josh and Matt, to lead them to Saanvi’s apartment. They were the ones who killed the grandmother, kidnapped the baby and later killed her, he claimed.

American owner and CEO of an IT firm in the US city of Detroit has been indicted for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe a city official to obtain benefits for his company, the Justice Department said.

Parimal D. Mehta, 54, of Northville, Michigan, was charged in a 11-count indictment with five counts of honest services mail and wire fraud, one count of federal program bribery and five counts of unlawfully using interstate facilities to commit bribery, said Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan.

Between 2009 to August 2016, Mehta made multiple cash payments to Charles L. Dodd, the former Director of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services, according to the indictment.

This included two cash bribes hand-delivered by Mehta to Dodd in the restrooms of Detroit-area restaurants in 2016.

Mehta is also alleged to have employed Dodd’s family members at his firm FutureNet and its subsidiaries. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery on September 27, 2016.

The indictment alleged that Mehta paid the bribes to Dodd in exchange for preferential treatment for his company, which received $7.5 million from Detroit in 2015 and 2016.

Mehta and FutureNet benefited from Dodd’s influence over the administration of city contracts, expenditures under those contracts, and the hiring and selection of contract personnel, the indictment stated. Mehta also obtained confidential information about Detroit’s internal budgets for specific technology projects.

SAALT Report Draws Direct Line Between Trump’s Anti-Muslim Agenda And Hate Attacks

Atlanta, GA: South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab communities are the target of increasing levels of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric in the United States, with record attacks since the election of President Trump in November, 2016, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said in a report released recently. The uptick in anti-Muslim attacks runs parallel to the surge in this administration’s anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric.

The report, “Communities on Fire,” documents hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at our communities from Election Day 2016 to Election Day 2017. SAALT documented 302 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab communities in the United States, of which an astounding 82% were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment. The 302 incidents are a more than 45% increase from the year leading up to the 2016 election cycle, levels not seen since the year after September 11.

SAALT’s report draws a direct line between this

administration’s anti-Muslim agenda and increasing attacks, revealing that of the 213 incidents of hate violence documented, one in five perpetrators invoked President Trump’s name, his administration’s policies, or his campaign slogans during attacks.

“Our nation prides itself on the freedom for people of all religious traditions to practice their faith without fear or intimidation,” said Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of SAALT. “However, through its policies and rhetoric, this administration’s incessant demonization of Islam has created an environment of hate and fear-mongering for Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim. Deadly shootings, torched mosques, vandalized homes and

businesses, and young people harassed at school have animated an acutely violent post-election year. This administration must break eye contact with white supremacy if our nation is to live up to its highest ideals of religious freedom.”

The report also underlines the way intersectionality informs hate – both the identities of victims targeted and the systems that criminalize our communities. Women who identify or are perceived as South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, or Arab were the targets of attack in 28% of the 213 documented hate incidents post-election. Women who wear hijab or head scarves are particularly vulnerable, accounting for 63% of the documented hate incidents targeting women.

“The growth of white supremacist hate groups and mounting attacks on our communities are proof positive that this administration’s anti-Muslim agenda is not making America great, it’s making Americans afraid,” Raghunathan said.

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NRI Pulse

Doctor Arrested For Choking Nurse

An Indian American doctor has been arrested for allegedly trying to strangle his nurse with an elastic chord as he was angry with her for giving medication to a patient at a “wrong time”, the police said.

Venkatesh Sasthkonar, a 44-year-old doctor who specializes in weight loss surgery at Nassau University Medical Centre, was charged with strangulation and assault. He denied the accusations, the New York Daily News reported.

Sasthkonar ripped an elastic cord from his sweatshirt and wrapped it around the 51-yearold nurse’s neck during an argument at the East Meadow hospital on January 22, the police said.

The attack left the nurse gasping for air after the doctor reportedly took exception to the nurse giving his patient medication at the wrong time, Newsday reported.

“I should kill you for this,” Sasthkonar allegedly told his victim.

The doctor left the hospital but returned hours later and was arrested. The victim, who was not identified, suffered “substantial pain to her neck”, the police said. Sasthkonar was suspended pending the investigation’s outcome, the daily reported.

His lawyer, Melvyn Roth, claimed his client “meant no harm and was only joking”. He said the charges were “overblown”.

“He just wanted to let her know that she had done something that was not according to protocol,” Roth told the Long Island paper.

The doctor was released on a $3,500 cash bail.

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NY Mayor's Bribe Attempt: Indian-American Restaurateur Pleads Guilty

New York: (IANS) A leading Indian-American restaurateur, Harendra Singh, has pleaded guilty in secret court proceedings to trying to bribe New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to court documents, the media reported.

Singh had admitted in a "sealed courtroom" before a Federal judge on Long Island in October 2016 to bribery and wire fraud in connection with campaign contributions made to de Blasio, the Times reported citing the court records.

This was made public only recently -- more than a year later -- in connection with the trial of Edward Mangano, the former head of Nassau County on Long Island, the Times said.

Singh also pleaded guilty to six other charges in unrelated bribery schemes involving officials on Long Island and businesses he owned there, the New York Times said.

The mayor was not charged in the case and was cryptically referred to in the court documents as "Official #2," which the newspaper said "clearly match de Blasio". Prosecutors sometimes do not identify politicians by name in court documents.

Singh's trendy Water's Edge restaurant, which was at the center of the bribery attempt of the mayor, closed in 2015.

The restaurant was located on the shore of the East River on city-owned property and he sought the help of the mayor's aides in renewing the lease, which ultimately fell through.

The Times said that according to records "Singh was one of the earliest large donors when de Blasio began his mayoral campaign in 2010 and he, his family members and other associates ultimately raised a total of about $33,000 for the mayor".

The records also refer to a fund-raiser that Singh hosted at his restaurant in October 2013, the newspaper said.

In December 2014, Singh asked an aide to the mayor for help with renewing his restaurant's lease and a senior aide arranged a meeting next July with the head of the city agency involved in the restaurant lease "in an effort to pressure the agency to make its proposed settlement terms more favorable" to Singh, the newspaper said, citing court documents.

While New York city and Singh were close to finalizing the renewal on terms favorable to him, Singh was arrested as part of a corruption investigation on Long Island.

It was not known if Singh received any sentence. The case involving Singh and de Blasio was originally investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal prosecutor's office for the Southern District of New York and did not charge de Blasio but "harshly criticized him and his fund-raising practices" the Times said.

Indian-American Lawyer Drafted Republican Memo Critical Of FBI

New York: (IANS) Indian American lawyer Kashyap “Kash” Patel is the author of the controversial Republican memo critical of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and some Justice Department officials that is roiling the American political landscape, according to media reports.

Patel drafted the document that asserts that there were improprieties in the FBI probe into alleged connections between President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government.

The memo prepared on behalf of the Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee was made public on Friday after Trump cleared its release despite opposition from the FBI and the Democrats.

Patel is on the staff of Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican who is chairman of the committee.

Quoting sources according “familiar with the memo,” Daily Beast said that Patel “read the highly classified intelligence it’s based on (something the Justice Department indicates Nunes has not done), drafted the memo, and then dealt with FBI and Justice Department efforts to keep it from being released to the public.”

February 2018

He formerly worked for the National Security Division of the Justice Department, s National Security Division as a counter-terrorism prosecuter, Daily Beast reported.

H e joined the committee as a senior c o u n t e r- t e r r o rism counsel last April.

T h e crux of the Republcian memo is the allegation that the FBI relied on investigations of Trump that was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and lawyers linked to Hillary Clinton’s campaign when applying to a court for permission to wiretap a Trump adviser, Carter Page, and that the FBI did not disclose this fact to the judge.

The anti-Trump dossier was prepared by Christopher Steele, who is described as former

British intelligence employee. It was initially commissioned by a right-wing website that was against Trump, but dropped it later and the Democrats then commissioned it.

The memo also alleged that Steele as well as some FBI staffers were anti-Trump and that the wife of Bruce Ohr, a former associate deputy attorney general, worked for FusionGPS, the company through which Steele worked.

The Democrats, who have prepared a counter memo, have said the Republican document is an attempt to wreck the image of the FBI and derail the Russia investigation.

They maintain that the FBI and the courts did not rely on the controversial dossier to get the wiretap approved and that the FBI and Justice Department officials were being smeared.

Patel had made news in 2016 while working for the Justice Department by not wearing a tie while appearing in a federal court.

During a terrorism trial, Patel appeared informally dressed as he had just landed there from Central Asia, abovethelaw.com, reported.

Judge Lynn Hughes admonished him for the way he was dressed and demanded to see his passport.

The case against Singh was instead filed by the office of the Federal prosecutor for Eastern District of New York.

Preet Bharara, who was then the Federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, tried tried in 2013 to prosecute Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade on charges of underpaying her household help. The diplomat was strip searched after her arrest creating a diplomatic incident with India and he had to drop the case when New Delhi retaliated by strictly enforcing existing regulations against American diplomats.

Another prominent Indian-American, hotelier Sant Chatwal, pleaded guilty in 2014 to making $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Democratic Party leader Hillary Clinton and to two members of Congress. That case was also pursued by the prosecutor for the Eastern New York District. Chatwal did not get any prison time.

The court filings did not name the leaders, but several media identified Clinton.

Babulal Behra, the 83-year-old father of Indian-American Democratic Congressman Ami Behra, was convicted in 2016 of illegally funding his son's election campaign with $260,000 and sentenced to a year and one day in prison. The Congressman was not charged.

US Patent Office Honors A.J. Paulraj

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has inducted Indian-born Stanford University Emeritus Professor Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj into its National Inventors Hall of Fame for developing wireless technology to transmit and receive data at high speeds, the agency of the US Department of Commerce said.

“Paulraj, 73, has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his pioneering work on developing wireless technology to transmit and receive data at high speeds,” the agency said in an e-mail to IANS from Washington, DC. The agency awarded Paulraj a patent in 1992 for inventing Multiple In-Multiple Out (MIMO), which enables transfer of data, including videos through broadband and mobile technologies like 4G and the upcoming 5G. “We honor people responsible for the greatest technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible,” noted the agency. The Patent Office will formally induct Paulraj at a special ceremony on May 3 in Washington.

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

February 2018

Nikki Haley Condemns Trump Affair Rumors As Highly Offensive United Nations: (IANS) United States Permanent Representative Nikki Haley has condemned as “highly offensive” and “disgusting” rumors spread about her personal life by opponents of President Donald Trump that highlight the ugly underside of American politics.

The Indian-American member of Trump’s cabinet told Politico that rumors of her having an affair with the President were “absolutely not true.”

The rumors illustrate a persistent problem of US politics where character assassination is used especially against women and minorities by the entire political spectrum — and not just the Republicans.

The former South Carolina Governor is an inviting target for attacks by Trump’s opponents as she is both a woman and an Indian-American and has been the victim of such campaigns in the past.

“Every time this has happened, it only makes me fight harder,” she declared in the interview with Politico.

“And I do it for the sake of other women that are behind me because they should never think that they have to put their head down and cower out of fear that somebody’s gonna do something to you.”

Politico, an influential media covering politics, reported that she said author Michael Wolf’s “insinuation is similar to other attacks that she and other successful women have faced when they’ve been forced to swat down suggestions they’ve slept their way to the top.”

Politico attributed the online speculation

Manisha Singh Sworn In As Assistant Secretary Of State Wa s h i n g t o n : (IANS) Indian American Manisha Singh, a lawyer and Congressional staffer, has been sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of State for economic and business affairs in the Trump administration. She is the first woman appointed to the post.

Singh was sworn in by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. She will be responsible for advancing American prosperity, entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide.

“We are excited to promote America’s growth and secure our future under her leadership!” the US State Department’s Economic & Business Affairs Bureau tweeted after her swearing-in ceremony.

Born in India, Singh was the chief lawyer and policy adviser to Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

She had earlier done a stint as an Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the economic bureau in President George W. Bush’s administration.

Her political career began as an staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

about her and Trump to Wolf, who recently published “Fire and Fury”, a book critical of Trump and claiming to give the inside story of the White House.

Wolf “dropped hints on HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ last week when he said he was “absolutely sure” Trump is having an affair — “just not sure enough to write about it in his book,” Politico said.

“Wolff went on to say that discriminating readers would be able to determine the President’s paramour by giving his book a close reading: ‘Now that I’ve told you, when you hit that paragraph, you’re gonna say, Bingo.”

Politico said: “Readers quickly homed in on a single sentence” in the book where Wolff writes “The president had been spending a notable amount of private time with Haley on Air Force One and was seen to be grooming her for a national political future.”

“I have literally been on Air Force One once and there were several people in the room when I was there,” she told Politico, referring to a flight from Washington to Long Island in late July.

“He (Wolf) says that I’ve been talking a lot with the President in the Oval (Office) about my

political future. I’ve never talked once to the President about my future and I am never alone with him.”

Haley told Politico: “It goes to a bigger issue that we need to always be conscious of: At every point in my life, I’ve noticed that if you speak your mind and you’re strong about it and you say what you believe, there is a small percentage of people that resent that and the way they deal with it is to try and throw arrows, lies or not.”

“I saw this as a legislator. I saw this when I

Nurse Claims She Was Fired For Supporting Trump Atlanta, GA: A 65-year-old Indian-American nurse has sued Denver Health Medical Center claiming she was fired for her support of President Donald Trump, reports Denver Post.

Lizzy Mathews also brought the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against Kelly Torres, nursing manager, and Marc Fedo, director of acute nursing.

Mathews seeks her job back along with back pay and punitive damages for emotional pain and suffering, according to the lawsuit filed by Denver attorneys Francis Culkin and Karen Larson.

The lawsuit says that no other employee was disciplined for talking politics and political discussions were common among employees and patients.

Mathews, who has a nursing degree from the Hamidia Medical College Hospital in Bhopal, India, worked at Denver Health for 27 years. She studied psychiatric nursing at the Front Range Community College.

According to Denver Post, on Sept. 10, 2016, Mathews was tending a patient, a former high-ranking hospital employee. The patient was watching election coverage and asked Mathews who she thought would win.

Mathews said Trump would win and she was “praying for him.” To that the patient replied, “Oh no, I don’t want him to be.”

Three days later Torres called Mathews at home and said a patient had complained about her conversation about the election, the lawsuit said.

Torres asked, “Did you ask (the patient) to read the Bible?”

Mathews denied that she did.

But Torres fired Mathews and added that she didn’t work enough hours. Fedo approved the termination and said Mathews was ineligible for rehire.

The lawsuit says her supervisors approved her hours. The only document addressing why she was fired said she was terminated for “other reason.”

Mathews did not see the document until Jan. 24, 2017.

Mathews complained to the Equal Employment Occupation Commission on March 1.

“In commenting about the outcome of the election in 2016, Mrs. Mathews was engaging in the constitutionally protected activity of free speech,” the lawsuit says. “Mathews spoke as a private individual and her termination was retaliation for her protected right to free speech.”

was Governor. I see it now. I see them do it to other women,” she added.

When she ran for the office of Governor of South Carolina in 2010, two men, one of them linked to her political opponent, claimed to have had affairs with her.

The voters in the conservative state roundly rejected the filthy campaign and elected her for two terms, making her the first woman and first non-white to become its Governor.

Haley, who initially opposed Trump’s bid for Republican Party nomination, supported him in the election after he became the party’s candidate.

She was reported to have been one of those considered by Trump for Secretary of State, but ultimately got the UN job, making her the first Indian-American to get a cabinet-level post.

While critics homed in on her lack of international experience, at the UN she has been pushing Trump’s hawkish agenda. Although she lost the General Assembly vote criticizing Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, she managed to get strict sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear program and to trim the UN budget.

Molester Held After US Tourist Complains On FB

Within hours of a complaint by a US woman tourist on social media about her alleged molestation while riding a bike during a holiday in Goa on Republic Day eve, suspect Isidore Fernandes, 44, was arrested by Goa police.

Police Inspector C.L. Patil said Fernandes, a resident of Anjuna, was arrested and handed over to neighbouring Pernem police, in whose jurisdiction the alleged crime occurred.

The New York-based tourist in her Facebook post had narrated her harrowing experience during the Republic Day weekend, when she hired Fernandes’ motorcycle-taxi for a ride from Arpora village in North Goa to Morjim beach village, nearly 40 km from Panaji.

“He picked me post-dinner, and when we were making our way back to my hotel in Morjim he started misbehaving. He asked me if I will kiss him and obviously I said no. I tried to keep it light and suggested he ‘keep it professional’.

“I noticed he kept taking turns into lanes that weren’t on our route and kept saying that these were shortcuts. But it had already been 40 minutes on his bike,” the woman said in her post.

“As we drove along, he forced my hands… further down over his pants. And then he said he needed to pull over.”

She alleged that Fernandes stopped the bike and tried to get close. She said at this point, she got off the bike, threw a Rs 500 note at him and ran down the street. “Thankfully, I got to a busy main road and he lost me.”

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USIBC lauds India's Budget

Nisha Biswal Washington: (IANS) The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has lauded India's 2018-19 Union Budget, saying it displays the Indian government's commitment to develop areas that will benefit its growth and prosperity for many years to come.

"Infrastructure development, access to health care, affordable housing, energy and education for all citizens form the backbone of any growing economy. The USIBC is pleased to see that this Budget contains many of our recommendations in these critical areas," said the council's President Nisha Biswal.

"American industry is committed to growing, strengthening and sustaining these areas of collaboration with India," she added.

Biswal said USIBC's goal was to keep the momentum of the US-India commercial partnership by prioritizing policies that ensure greater ease of doing business, promote certainty, transparency and predictability in decision-making.

"In the last three years, India has been on a robust path to growth, backed by a strong economic reform agenda. USIBC's goal is to keep up the momentum of the US-India commercial partnership to ultimately unlock greater growth and investment opportunities for businesses in both nations," she said.

Formed in 1975 at the request of the US and Indian governments, the USIBC is the premier business advocacy organization comprised of 350 top-tier US and Indian companies.

It is the largest bilateral trade association in the US, based in Washington with a global presence including in New Delhi and Mumbai.

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

Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway And JPMorgan Chase Launch New Health Care Company New York: (IANS) Three giant firms in the US -- Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase -- announced their intention to create a company that will provide healthcare for their US employees.

A joint statement by the three companies from their respective main offices said the "independent company" will provide high-quality healthcare at a reasonable cost, Efe reported.

"The healthcare system is complex, and we enter into this challenge open-eyed about the degree of difficulty," said the founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, in a joint statement.

The company will bring together the worldwide giant of electronic marketing, Amazon, the

and control when it comes to managing their healthcare," added the chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon.

They gave little in the way of details about this joint effort, but did confirm that the company will be a non-profit organization and that a first stage will be focused on technological solutions for offering healthcare to their US employees.

To start, each companumber one banking group in the US, JPMorgan Chase, and the multinational financial consor- ny has appointed one of its directors to the new tium, Berkshire Hathaway, directed by billionaire healthcare company: Todd Combs from Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett.

Marvelle Sullivan from JPMorgan and Beth "The ballooning costs of healthcare act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," Galetti from Amazon. To be announced later will be specifics about the company headquarters and Buffett said.

"Our people want transparency, knowledge operational details.

Amul, Parle Revered By Indians At Par With Global Brands New Delhi: (IANS) With (rank 10) and Pepsi (rank 15)," domestic brands like Amul, Ashwani Arora, Senior VP Parle, Big Bazaar and Dabur Research, Director on Board, featuring in the top ten list of Market Xcel, told IANS. India's most popular brands, a "Nokia is one brand Nikkei BP-Market Xcel Data which is revered by Indians Matrix survey revealed that and has a high connect and past domestic brands are liked and equity. The brand was once a revered by Indian consumers household name in India. The at par with international brands relaunch of the brand in India like Samsung and Coca-Cola. has refurbished the emotional According to the Brand connect with consumers as is Asia Survey 2017, Samsung evident in the survey," Arora has emerged as the most popusaid. lar brand in terms of consumer Samsung mobiles and brand relationship, followed by fast moving consumer goods food and drinks brand Amul and mobile brand (FMCG) company Parle ranked fourth and fifth Nokia. in terms of the most popular brands in India.

"Amul, the food and drinks brand, has "Parle -- a brand from the pre independence scored second place this year beating Coca-Cola era -- goes on to prove the love people have for

Air India To Be Divested By Year-End: Jayant Sinha

New Delhi: (IANS) The central government plans to divest its stake in the national passenger carrier Air India by this year-end Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said.

The bidding process is expected to be finished by June, by when the winning bidder will be chosen, and all the "legal formalities" will be completed by December, Sinha said.

As per the plan, the Air India group will be divested as four different entities and that the "information memorandum" will be issued in sometime.

Speaking a day after the Union Budget for 2018-19 was presented, Sinha said: "Information Memorandum will be out soon... We plan to decide on the winning bidder by June and the legal formalities will be concluded by December this year."

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "The government has also initiated the process of strategic disinvestment in 24 Cen-

February 2018

tral Public Sector Enterprises. This includes strategic privatization of Air India."

On the other key issue regarding the exact debt level of the airline and the ways to deal with it, Sinha said that it is being looked at by a ministerial group -- Air India-specific Alternative Mechanism -- headed by Jaitley.

Apart from modalities surrounding the divestment process, the ministerial group has been

mandated to decide on key issues such as treatment of Air India's debt and hiving-off of its assets.

The airline is under a massive debt burden of around Rs 50,000 crore (around $8 billion). The national carrier got a new lease of life in April 2012, when the then UPA government approved a Rs 30,000-crore turnaround and financial restructuring package spanning up to 2021.

In 2018-19, budgetary support of Rs 650 crore has been provided to the national carrier on account of its turnaround and financial restructuring plan. The airline has also been allowed to raise Rs 506 crore through IEBR (Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources).

Further, Sinha said that the a foreign airline has formally shown interest in Air India, but did not disclose its identity. On January 10, the union Cabinet had decided to open up the national carrier for foreign direct investment (FDI) up to 49 per cent under the approval route.

it still. It has ranked fifth this year and its win is solely dedicated to the wide variety of its biscuits which has satiated consumer palettes since ages," said Arora.

"Hence, Indian brands are equally liked and revered by consumers," he added.

The survey revealed that Future Groupowned retail business Big Bazaar was the only retail brand to mark a place in the top 10 popular brands at rank six.

According to Arora, the kirana shops are unable to provide the choice, ambience, service and discounts which Big Bazaar offers leading to its popularity among customers.

"The (Big Bazaar) brand has many firsts to its credit. The only national competitor to the brand being Reliance Retail," he added.

The rest of the brands in the top ten category included toothpaste brand Colgate, messaging platform WhatsApp, FMCG brand Dabur and beverages company Coca-Cola.

The top 10 brands featured in the survey are a mix of technology, FMCG and retail brands.

Another interesting insight was that the brands from the automotive sphere had the least representation even among the top 20 brands during the year's survey.

"Some of the reasons attributed to (automotive) category's low affinity include low penetration, high involving, and family product more than a personal category," Arora said.

"Also the choice is vested with few members in a family. The category has low mental salience with the womenfolk."

A total of 200 brands were surveyed in 13 countries across Asia with a mix of national and international brands.

The categorization of nominated brands was from FMCG, food and drinks, clothing/fashion, automaker, IT/home electronics, telecom, media/ entertainment, finance, retail, restaurants (QSRs), sporting goods, transportation/logistic, aviation, finance and social media (internet).

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

February 2018

Governor Deal Proclaims A Week For Tamil Language & Culture Atlanta, GA: For the first time in history, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal proclaimed the week of January 8-12, 2018 as the Tamil Language and Cultural week, recognizing the contributions of the Tamil community across the world and within Georgia.

Members of the Atlanta Tamil community received the proclamation on January 10 from the Governor at the Georgia State Capitol. Governor Nathan Deal was felicitated by Dr. Nazeera Dawood.

The Tamil Language week from January 8 to January 12 provides the opportunity to showcase and share the Tamil community’s vibrant culture and traditions of continued heritage with the state’s residents and visitors. This week also signifies the most important festival, “Pongal” to celebrate the hard-working farmers and the harvest season.

Tamil has been accorded with the prestigious recognition as one of the seven classical languages and it is one of the very few that has survived all the way through to the modern world.

Tamil is spoken by approximately 76 million living around the world and is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world.

Tamil language is predominantly spoken by the Tamil people of India and Sri Lanka. Tamil has an official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Puducherry, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The Tamil community in USA is committed to preserving its rich heritage and has contributed to Georgia’s diverse population.

There are approximately 50 Tamil schools in

of these words are: Deep rooted in uniting all on the basis of equity “All land is one, All are kith and kin”.

The participants at the event were Sridaran, Jeya Maran, Mrs. Maragatham, Deepa Sriram, Dr. Nazeera Dawood, Vetri Selvan, Ramanathan Maran, Shiva Saravanan, Rajan Luthra and Murugappan.

Gwinnett County Chairman, Charlotte Nash, had earlier, through a similar proclamation, recognized the contributions of the Tamil language and the Harvard Tamil Chair enUSA and 500 students per state are enrolled in beautifully articulated the verse written by a Tamil dowment efforts and prothese schools. poet (Kaniyan Poonkundranaar) 2000 years ago, claimed December 2017 as the Tamil language Harvard Tamil Chair (http://harvardtamil- “Yaadhum Oore, Yaavarum Kelir”. The meaning month in the county. chair.org/) is a recent initiative to establish an endowed professorship for Tamil at Harvard University and the need for research in ancient Tamil literature to produce Tamil scholars trained in recent methodologies.

Vetri Selvan, the Harvard Tamil Chair global coordinator reiterated the brotherhood of the Atlanta, GA: The GeorTamil heritage. gia State General Assembly The group was ecstatic as the Governor passed a resolution last month, declaring January 14 as Thai Pongal Day. “I appreciate the legislators from both sides of the aisle for swiftly passing the resolution on time , ahead of Pongal, which is equivalent to Thanksgiving for millions of Tamils in the USA and around the world,” said Dr Indran Indrakrishnan, who was instrumental in having the resolution passed.

Dr Indrakrishnan was recently appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce.

The State of Virginia also recently passed a similar resolution, declaring January 14 as Thai Pongal Day.

Georgia Recognizes January 14 As Pongal Day

Dr Indran Indrakrishnan

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

February 2018

Dr Veena Rao: Demystifying BRCA1 Gene To Save Lives

BY JENNIFER JILES

Atlanta, GA: Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) physicians, faculty and students are engaged in an intense and mission-driven quest to solve answers to some of the world’s most pressing cancer-related questions.

One specific group of African Americans is driving MSM professor and co-director of the Cancer Biology Program in the OB/GYN department Veena Rao, Ph.D., who has spent the better part of her scientific career trying to understand the BRCA1 gene and its mutations in order to facilitate early detection and achieve novel treatment breakthroughs for women with breast cancer. Research she and her team are conducting has the potential to not only change lives, but save lives.

Breast cancer is the second-most common cause of cancer-related death, after lung cancer among African-American women. For these women, particularly those in underserved communities, the disease is exacerbated by factors such as fewer screenings, unsalutary living environments, and decreased access to healthcare, all of which lead to a strenuous battle between life and death.

African Americans are more likely to experience health care inequities, ill health, develop complications, and die from cancer than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Two important factors that could also contribute to a higher mortality rate in African-American women are a high prevalence of BRCA1 mutations and lack of targeted therapy to address them.

BRCA1 Variants and Triple Negative Breast Cancer

BRCA1 belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes and the primary function is to repair cell damage, maintain normal cell growth, and ward off cancer. When the BRCA1 gene mutates and becomes defective due to genetic or other reasons, cells are more likely to divide rapidly, which can lead to cancer. These mutations also raise a woman’s risk for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) or ovarian cancer.

Due to reasons still not completely understood, young African-American women are more likely to develop aggressive TNBC and die from the disease.

In patients with TNBC, their tumor cells do not express the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (also known as Her-2). Since successful breast cancer treatments tend to target these three receptors, lack of these receptors can severely limit the treatment options for these women. Even if some of these women respond to some treatment, the disease is very likely to reappear. There are currently no treatments that specifically target TNBC, and Dr. Rao is on a mission to change that.

Mystery of Why? How? BRCA1 Mutation Results in TNBC Development Solved

Dr. Rao, whose laboratory is housed at the Cancer Biology Program at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital, has been leading a team of diligent scientists in investigating the inner workings of the BRCA1 gene for the past 22 years. Rao’s team was the first to discover the different forms of BRCA1 and show they can induce cell death in breast cancer cells. Her team was also first in introducing BRCA1a (a variant of BRCA1) into TNBC cells and ovarian cancer cells by gene therapy, successfully blocking pathogenic or unspecified) is driving the higher risk for cancer.

“This technology, when fully developed and combined with BRCA1 genetic testing, will revoBRCA1 and lutionize early detection of hereditary TNBC and TNBC: Break- ovarian cancer, foster development of novel therthroughs That Will apies, and prevent countless deaths due to these Have Long Term Im- aggressive cancers,” said Dr. Rao. More recently, Dr. Rao’s team has identified plications in Mech- potential early biomarkers for cancer progression anism-Based Can- (including recurrence and metastases), which can cer Diagnostics and lead to better prognosis for the patients. Once these biomarkers are fully identified, they can be Therapeutics targeted by new drugs, thus prolonging the surCurrently available can- vival of women with TNBC, creating health equicer screening tests search for ty and saving lives. the BRCA1 gene mutations using blood and saliva DNA to assess the risk or probability of developing the disease. The results The Focus: Health Equity The work of Dr. Rao and her team is contribof this screening can be negative (no mutations), uting to MSM’s commitment to lead the creation positive for pathogenic mutations (one or more), or uncertain VUS (variants of uncertain signifi- and advancement of health equity.

Lack of access to screenings and diagnostic, cance). therapeutic and preventative measures, especially As it turns out, most African-American as they relate to cancer, is a major gap to creating women who get tested fall into the VUS category, health equity in underserved communities.

Ensuring people in those communities have access to measures that screen for cancers at the primary care level and specialty level is critical to decreasing mortality in African Americans.

In addition to these measures, a major element MSM’s effort to close the access gap is its commitment to increasing the number of minorities in medicine, health professions, and the scientific workforce.

Dr. Rao’s intense passion for bringing diverse students into scientific careers is an integral part of her work in ensuring diverse health care professionals are part of which can be confusing to the clinicians as they cannot rightly interpret the results and counsel pa- research, particularly in areas related to breast tients accordingly. This in turn generates uncer- cancer in African-Americans. She has been recognized with an award for her outstanding comtainty and anxiety for the patients.

In contrast to the DNA-based testing, Dr. mitment to mentoring diverse scientists.

“The focus of my research is on training miRao’s patented kit tests whether the product of norities in cancer health disparities research,” she the BRCA1 gene (BRCA1 protein) works as it said.

“This is to bridge the gap in cancer health should. Any abnormality in its function suggests that the odds of developing TNBC or ovarian can- disparities among minority women and white women. Closing the health gap is the mission of cer down the line are high.

Thus, Rao’s test can be a very useful comple- Morehouse School of Medicine.” ican women and white women,” said Dr. Rao.

tumor development in mice.

Dr. Rao’s group was the first in the world to demonstrate the mechanistic pathways of how mutations in this gene can turn off estrogen (ER) leading to TNBC. Her group also discovered an unknown property of BRCA1, a property lost in the mutated or defective gene. They showed that BRCA1 interacts with another entity, a protein

Dr. Rao, whose laboratory is housed at the Cancer Biology Program at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital, has been leading a team of diligent scientists in investigating the inner workings of the BRCA1 gene for the past 22 years. Rao’s team was the first to discover the different forms of BRCA1 and show they can induce cell death in breast cancer cells.

called Ubc9, which is essential for the gene’s tumor suppressor activity. In 2013, Morehouse School of Medicine was issued the only patent in the world for this discovery. The tests covered by this patent predict very early on the risk for the development of TNBC, which can facilitate development of novel targeted personalized therapies for this devastating disease in individuals with BRCA1 mutations. ment to genetic testing. When the functional test “If the cancer can be detected early, we can results are combined with the DNA test results, This article first appeared on the Morehouse close the health disparity between African-Amer- one can identify which gene mutation (whether School of Medicine website.

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Facebook To Show More Local News In News Feed

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

ATM Makers Issue Alert After 'Jackpotting' Attacks

San Francisco: (IANS) Facebook has rolled out an update to its News Feed that will prioritise local news that have a direct impact on the users and they can discover what's happening in their area.

The update comes after the social media giant announced changes to News Feed that showed posts from friends and high-quality news sources.

"We're making a series of updates to show more high quality, trusted news. Last week we made an update to show more news from sources that are broadly trusted across our community.

Today our next update is to promote news from local sources," company CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post late on Monday.

"Starting today, we're going to show more stories from news sources in your local town or city. If you follow a local publisher or if someone shares a local story, it may show up higher in News Feed," he added.

The change is first taking effect in the US and Facebook plans to expand it to more countries this year. Users can choose which news sources, including local or national publications, that they want to see at the top of their feed with social media giant's "See First" feature.

According to Alex Hardiman, Head of News Product and Campbell Brown, Head of News Partnerships, there are no constraints on which publishers are eligible, which means large local publishers will benefit, as well as publishers that focus on niche topics like local sports, arts and human interest stories.

"That said, small news outlets may benefit from this change more than other outlets because they tend to have a concentrated readership in one location," Hardiman added.

Washington: (IANS) The world's leading ATM makers have warned of "jackpotting" attacks against US cash machines in the wake of the country's first confirmed hacks.

ATM "jackpotting" is a sophisticated hack in which thieves gain physical access to the machine and, with the help of malware or specialised electronics, force ATMs to spit out huge volumes of cash.

NCR Corp., a leading ATM manufacturer, said in a advisory sent to its customers that it had received reports about "jackpotting" attacks, also known as "logical attacks", against US ATMs, but its equipment had not been affected in the recent attacks, security news website KrebsOnSecurity reported.

"This represents the first confirmed cases of losses due to logical attacks in the US," read the NCR alert.

"This should be treated as a call to action to take appropriate steps to protect their ATMs against these forms of attack(s) and mitigate any consequences."

However, NCR did not identify any victims or the amount of money stolen, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, ATM maker Diebold Nixdorf said in a separate alert that they were informed

by US authorities about potential "jackpotting" attacks moving from Mexico to the US within the next days.

A confidential US Secret Service alert sent to banks said the hackers have been attacking standalone cash machines routinely located in pharmacies, big box retailers and drive-thru ATMs. "During previous attacks, fraudsters dressed

as ATM technicians and attached a laptop computer with a mirror image of the ATMs' operating system along with a mobile device to the targeted ATM," said the confidential alert.

Cyber criminals remotely attacked cash machines in more than a dozen countries across Europe in 2016, media reported, citing statistics from Russian cyber security firm Group IB. According to Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cyber security firm, outdated computer hardware and software are among the reasons for ATMs vulnerability to hacks.

"It is quite possible that no exceedingly 'hitech' efforts are needed" to hack an ATM, wrote the company in a blog post in 2016. The vast majority of today's ATMs still use Windows XP operating system, whose developer Microsoft had dropped its support since early 2014, said the company.

To reduce the risk of attack on cash machines, Kaspersky Lab suggested measures including updating ATM's journaling file system and implementing authenticated dispensing and cryptographic protection.

Olga Kochetova, security expert at Kaspersky Lab's penetration testing department, noted that it is the long-time disbelief that cyber criminals are only interested in cyber attacks against Internet banking that causes banks and their customers huge financial losses.

"They are interested in these attacks, but also increasingly see the value in exploiting ATM vulnerabilities, because direct attacks against such devices significantly shortens their route to real money," she said in the blog post.

New Delhi: (IANS) In its bid to protect kids from cyber bullying and harassment, Microsoft recently listed options for families and parents to ensure children are protected when they are online with Windows 10.

According to Microsoft's "Digital Civility Index", it has been observed that 64 per cent Indian youth are at risk to online cyber bullying and harassment and 75 per cent are aware of a friend or family member who has faced to online harassment.

Nearly 44 per cent have met the perpetrator of the risk but only 50 per cent are knowledgeable about where to get help if needed.

"I often wonder what I need do as a parent, or as Microsoft, how we can educate our consumers about the simple things that that they can do to keep children safe in the cyber world," Alok Lall, Partner Technology Lead at Microsoft India, wrote in a blog post.

To turn on parental controls for your child, go to the Windows search bar, and type 'family options' and click on that options under settings.

Create an account for your child and enable "It's not just me deciding which sites she parental controls, Microsoft said. should go to, it's more of a collaborative effort," "Once parental controls are enabled, two said Lall. features are turned on by default. Firstly, Internet The parental controls enable four different settings for parents to not only ensure a safe online experience for their child but also healthy digital habits.

The four settings are "Check specifics of the child's Internet browsing," "Gain access to activity reporting," "Track the apps, games, and media kids use on Windows 10 and Xbox" and "Debrowsing on Microsoft Edge browser becomes termine exactly how much screen time children strict, ensuring that no adult content will be dis- have access to on the PC and Xbox". played in any of the search results," the company Another feature that parents can use to ensaid. sure their child's online safety is enabling ‘read"Secondly, 'InPrivate' browsing is blocked, ing view' on Microsoft Edge browser. disabling incognito browsing by the child," it Reading view removes all ads, sidebars and added. comments and transforms a web page into a very Turning on parental controls on Windows 10 simple format that reads like an open book. provides a collaborative way to keep kids safer "First, don't make your child an administrator on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices, without of the device, second, turn on Windows defender, resorting to a "big brother attitude". and third, enable parental controls," Lall emphasized.

Microsoft Lists Parental Controls To Keep Kids Safe Online

February 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9 To Debut On Feb 25

Seoul: (IANS) Samsung will unveil its latest flagship -- Galaxy S9 -- on February 25 in Barcelona, the media reported.

The smartphone will be launched at an event called "Unpacked" which will take place a day before Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 kicks off.

"We knew Samsung was saving the reveal of its next flagship smartphone for the MWC conference in Spain which officially runs from February 26 to March 1," The Vague reported.

The South Korean tech giant has also posted a short teaser video on Twitter which focuses on the upcoming device's camera.

Following the company's tradition of launching two Galaxy S series flagships together, Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to launch alongside a slightly larger model -- Galaxy S9+.

The smartphones are expected to look very similar to their immensely successful predecessors, the S8 and S8+ which came out in 2017.

A noticeable design change will be a redesign of the fingerprint scanner which was awkwardly positioned on Galaxy S8.

Samsung is reportedly shifting it to a more central position on the smartphone's rear side, which should make it easier to access.

Apple Will Automatically Send Caller Location To Emergency Services

San Francisco: (IANS) The latest Apple iOS 11.3 update supports Advanced Mobile Location (AML) that automatically sends a user's location to emergency services when the user calls.

"Additional iOS 11.3 features include support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) to automatically send a user's current location when making a call to emergency services in countries where AML is supported," Apple wrote in a blog post.

The feature activates GPS and Wi-Fi services when someone calls any emergency number and then sends a text with the caller's precise location to responders. AML is not currently supported in the US, but iOS device users in the UK, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden, Lithuania and some parts of Lower Austria can take advantage. Notably, all Android smartphones running Gingerbread Operating System (OS) and above support AML. The upcoming Apple iOS 11.3 update will also offer features such as giving users the power to control their batteries, Augmented Reality (AR) upgrade and Animoji.

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NRI Pulse

..... Books .....

Chef Vikas Khanna: A 'Buried Seed' That Bloomed

BY KISHORI SUD

Title: Buried Seeds: A Chef's Journey -- The Story of Vikas Khanna; Author: Karan Bellani; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 155; Price: Rs 345 He never gave up, rose from the ashes like a phoenix every time life tried to bury him. Chef Vikas Khanna, also called Vikku by his near and dear ones, was a buried seed that was meant to bloom.

"Buried Seeds" traces the journey of the Michelin star chef from the boy who helped his grandmother in their kitchen in Amritsar while other children played outside, to the man who worked with influential chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, to presenting his book "UTSAV: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals" to the former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Interestingly, before the book emerged, Andrei Severny released a documentary on the chef titled "Buried Seeds: A Life Journey of Chef Vikas Khanna" which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

The author describes how the phrase "when life gives you lemons, make a mojito" is something Khanna has adhered to literally in his roller-coaster of a life and has remained free of arrogance.

Bellani comes across as extremely loyal to

for the chef are certainly believable. The read, however, tends to get too mushy at times.

The author has tried his best to squeeze in all the key memories of Khanna, but they run a bit helter-skelter, confusing the reader as to which turning point came first in the chef's life -- especially the phase after he shifted base to the US. Nevertheless, the journey is an inspiration not just for a commoner who aspires to touch the sky but also for a physically challenged person. Khanna was himself born with misaligned feet and wasn't able to run until he was 13.

Yet, he scaled the heights. He is also counted among "The Hottest Chef of America" and was once listed as one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" by People's magazine.

"There's no shortcut to success" is a key fact Khanna never forgot, and the author has shed light on instances when he fought against the odds to rise and shine.

"Buried Seeds" is a must read the chef, but at a personal level, having interif you want to know more about the viewed him myself once, the adjectives penned success recipe of this down-to-earth chef.

Hollywood heartthrob Angelina Jolie had once expressed her disagreement over the age-old saying: "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger", and had then quipped that "our experiences, good and bad, make us who we are. By overcoming difficulties, we gain strength and maturity".

The same stands true for the just- concluded Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF). An 11-year-old cultural gathering, the festival has now come of age and its impact is fast seeping into India's cultural ethos.

But the journey has not been easy and, therefore, the consequential responsibility that lies on the shoulders of its organizers -- Sanjoy Roy, Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple -- is equally noteworthy.

In a saga of difficult times when attacks on free speech are constant and the space for reasonable debate is fast shrinking, JLF stands out as an oasis of bliss amid a dreary desert where the public discourse has gone horribly wrong. Over the years, it has stood as a champion of free speech and has featured authors with death threats and bounties on their heads. With placards bearing false identities at airports, hotel bookings made under different names for "controversial" speakers often featuring in surprise sessions, the festival has stood true to its core values -- and has even risked numerous arrest warrants and FIRs against its organizers.

On their part, the organizers have never demurred and this will be forever recorded in the pages of India's recent cultural history.

This 11th edition of JLF was no different as it featured sessions on wide-ranging topics and themes over the course of five days. Whether it was the creative genius of Amy Tan or the jour-

nalistic experience of Charlie English, all came to the fore during the event.

On the flip side, it cannot be denied that the festival has turned repetitive in some ways.

Behind all glitz and euphoria associated with the event, the primary reason JLF is so successfull is its brilliant content, brought together by Gokhale and Dalrymple. And therefore when the "social media's absolute darlings" - the likes of Shashi Tharoor, Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi wax eloquently on what they do at dozens of similar events, it is but yesterday once more for most visitors - mundane, humdrum and a repetition of what they hear so often. This disappointment was heard clearly not only inside the premises of Diggi Palace but also on Twitter and other social media platforms this year.

Tharoor is undoubtedly a brilliant orator but what is his brilliance worth to the festival when he is going to sound the same bugle that he does at every single event? Sanghi's new book will surely be a bestseller again but what else but disappointment can his session offer when he is going to chart the same anecdotes and analogies -- "99 per cent luck and 1 per cent bloody good luck" and

Books To Look Forward To In February 2018

Here are two books that we cannot wait to read this February:

A Century is Not Enough, by Sourav Ganguly (Juggernaut)

A sporting classic and a manual for living Sourav Ganguly's life has been full of highs and lows. Arguably among India's greatest cricket captains, he gave confidence to the team, re-energised it and took India, for the first time, to spectacular overseas victories.

But Ganguly's story also came with great challenges -- from his early days when he had to wait four long years before being included in the team to the ugly battle with coach Greg Chappell. He fought his way out of every corner and climbed back up from every defeat, becoming India's ultimate comeback king.

What does it take to perform when the pressure is sky-high? How do you fight back and win? the likes -- once again? A quick How do you make a name for yourself when you search on YouTube will reflect are young and have started the journey which is this monotonous saga more ap- closest to your heart?

As Sourav takes you through his life, he propriately, for those with doubts. looks at how to overcome challenges and come It cannot be denied that celebrity speakers are huge crowd out a winner. Time and time again. pullers and this may be the festival's own way of first attracting The Widows of Malabar Hill, by new visitors by showing such Sujata Massey (Penguin) celebrities and then keeping them Sujata Massey is an award-winning and engrossed in other sessions that internationally-acclaimed mystery writer best take place simultaneously, but known for her Rei Shimura series. there is no greater disappointment Set in the multicultural mix of 1920s' Bomthan the moments when one sees his expectations bay, ‘A Murder On Malabar Hill’ (The book is shatter before his eyes. The so-called bestselling titled ‘The Widows of Malabar Hill’ in the US, Indian writers at this year's edition did just that. and was released in January) expertly combines The festival may also reconsider some of its the delights of Agatha Christie with the period regular moderators who, mildly put, deviate from charm of Downton Abbey. Intrepid and intelthe given theme, even to the disgust of noted ligent, young Perveen Mistry joins her father's speakers at many occasions. prestigious law firm to become one of India's first JLF should also understand that with sucfemale lawyers. cess comes equal responsibility and even as one Her tumultuous past also makes her espesalutes their commitment to free speech, it may cially devoted to championing and protecting seem a little too absurd for a writer to plainly women's rights. boast that "the mystery of my novel is a result of When Mistry Law is appointed to execute whisky pegs" - with the presence of hundreds of the will of Omar Farid, a wealthy mill owner, Peryoung school children with their impressionable veen's suspicions are aroused by a curious proviand vulnerable minds. But if one is going to prevent a writer from talking of liquor on stage, you sion which could disinherit Farid's three widows may well one day demand that they do not write and leave them vulnerable.

Are the Farid widows -- who live in strict anything as such in their novels too.

There is no "Right-Wrong" answer to this, seclusion, never leaving the women's quarters or both assertions have their own merits and finding speaking to men -- being taken advantage of by an a balance between the two, in a way that both the unscrupulous guardian?

Perveen decides to investigate, but when tenwriter and the visitor have their liberties as well as pride of place, is an area that organisers may sions escalate to murder, it becomes clear that her wish to dwell in as they begin preparing for the own life is in mortal peril and she will need to use everything in her power to outwit a dangerous criminal. next edition.

A Festival Comes Of Age; Time To Make It Better

BY SAKET SUMAN

February 2018

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NRI Pulse

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

February 2018

4 Ways To Burn Stubborn Fat Dr Daniel Amen & Dr Panchajanya Paul

BY PANCH PAUL, MD*

Many Indians find themselves overweight or obese despite following a healthy lifestyle.

Do you struggle with extra stubborn fat in your belly, waist, or hips- which no matter what you do refuses to melt away? Regular exercise and healthy eating helps to lose some weight, but reach an impasse with the stubborn fat. When we gaze at the pictures of stars, models, and athletes, we are awed by their toned and trimmed physique. Getting rid of stubborn fat is not difficult if we first understand the biological role of fat and harness its power. Human body is a product of millions of years of evolution. Each part of our body is naturally selected to promote survival and reproduction. Fat, although vilified in the media, is essential to human existence.

Any excess calories that we consume is stored as fat. Fat serves four crucial biological functions. Stored fat can-provide energy, generate heat, store toxins, and produce hormones. Let me explain, in the next section, the four key strategies to melt down stubborn fat.

1. Fat for Energy: All mammals require a constant supply of energy in the form of ATP to carry out the cellular functions. The common form of energy used by our body is glucose which we get from carbohydrates and protein. But in this process, all excess glucose is stored as fat for use in future. Our body can burn fat for fuel only after a 12-hour fasting when the glycogen store is depleted. Since, we rarely fast, or are out of food, the stored fat is never called for.

The food industry makes it worse by constantly reminding us to eat all the time. This is good for the economy as more processed food are sold, but bad for the human body. Fasting is as important as eating and is practiced in all major religions. To use fat for energy, limit your eating time to an eight to ten-hour window in the day.

This means, you should have your last meal three hours before sleep, and delay your breakfast to 3 hours after getting up. If you sleep 8

hours, this will produce a state of 14-hour fasting, forcing the body to burn fat for fuel during that time. You can check this easily. When you convert fat to energy, the body produces ketones. You can buy ketone strips online, which can detect ketones in the urine. The strips are inexpensive, and will confirm that your body is metabolizing fat for energy.

through the skin, lungs, liver, urine, and stool. Drink clean filtered water throughout the day to pass toxins through your urine.

Breathe clean air slowly and deeply to have more oxygen in your body. Ancient Indian breathing practices like Pranayama can help detoxify the body through increased oxygenation. Eat food

2. Fat for Heat: Animals in the wild, with no access to artificial heater, harness their If you have too much fat in body fat to survive winter. When exrich in fiber on your body for too long, take it se- a regular basis posed to cold, our body produces a special kind of fat called the Brown riously. Chronic stubborn fat can to get rid of Fat- which produces heat. Research has cause insulin resistance, hyper- toxin through shown that people who work outdoors stool. You can hypercholesterolemia use hot saunas during the winter month have a higher tension, percentage of brown fat. Short expo- and other metabolic problems. or spend time sure to intense cold can trigger fat burnoutdoors in ing. You can begin with short cold showers. You summer to drain toxins out through the skin by procan progress to ice baths. Spending time outdoors fuse sweating. High intensity exercises also detoxify during winter will also help. Cryotherapy which is the body through sweating and rapid breathing. Exused by athletes to boost recovery will also help. ercise on empty stomach burns more fat by increasThe head, face, and the back of neck are more sus- ing metabolic rate, and using fat for fuel. A diet rich ceptible to cold. Putting ice bags behind the neck re- in raw, organic, unprocessed fruits and vegetables gion will work. Those who want to go even further detoxifies the liver. You can also try fasting on vegcan study the Wim Hoff method. Wim Hoff, also etable juices or bone broth which will cleanse your known as the Iceman successfully swam and ran body from within. bare body in the arctic, and climbed snowcapped mountains like Mt. Kilimanjaro. He has heralded 4. Normalize Hormones: Fat cells release choa new science of using cold to improve health and lesterol which is the building block for vitamin treat diseases. Indian yogis of Himalayas, have also D, steroids, estrogen, testosterone, and many used similar methods to withstand extreme cold. other essential compounds. The use of chemicals However, people with low immunity, or those with and plastics products are causing hormonal imchronic diseases- need to be careful. Cold- if it does balance. Plastics contain a compound called BPA not make you sick, will make you slim. which is a xeno-estrogen, and mimics the action of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen which is pro3. Detoxify Fat: Life exposes us to toxins daily. duced in excess during pregnancy in women, proThese toxins, if unchecked, can reach the blood, motes fat storage in abdomen, breast and hips- to and poison the body. Again, fat comes to our res- prepare the body for pregnancy and lactation. Men cue by storing the toxins. The more toxins you and non-pregnant women exposed to artificial have in your body; the more fat the body must chemicals notice fat deposit in theses body mimmaintain to contain them. You can lose the fat by icking pregnancy. Minimize the use of plastics. getting rid of the toxins. The body can detoxify Look for BPA free products. Use glass containers

and utensils. This is also good for the environment as well as for health. Most animals in US are fed corn, and treated with hormones and antibiotics which promote fat storage. Only eat animal products which are grass fed and organic.

In summary, if you have too much fat in your body for too long, take it seriously. Chronic stubborn fat can cause insulin resistance, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and other metabolic problems. Realize-if you have fat in your body- this is for a reason. Use the fat for its biological role. Learn to burn fat for energy and heat. Live clean and consume fresh, high quality, unprocessed, organic food. This will minimize fat storage by eliminating toxins and normalizing your hormones levels. High intensity exercise, intermittent fasting, cold exposure, detoxification will get rid of the stubborn fat for most. However, every body is unique. When in doubt, always consult your doctor. Wish you best luck in your fat losing journey. *Dr. Panchajanya ‘Panch’ Paul, MD, ABIHM, ABPN, FAPA - is an American Board certified - Child, Adolescent, and Adult psychiatrist. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine, and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

He holds adjunct faculty position at Emory University School of Medicine; University of Georgia, and University of Central Florida School of Medicine. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul at the Amen Clinic , call 678-367-2810.

High BP Rates Among India's Young Adults 'Unexpectedly' More New York: (IANS) Hypertension among young adults in India is higher than previously estimated and more than in Central and Eastern Europe, the region previously estimated to have the highest rates for this group, says a study led by researchers at Harvard University.

The researchers wanted to find out how the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in India varied by state, rural vs. urban location, and by sociodemographic characteristics such as education and household wealth.

Rates of diabetes and hypertension are high among middle-aged and elderly people across all geographic measures and sociodemographic groups in India, said the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Overall, the prevalence of diabetes was 6.1 per cent among women and 6.5 per cent among men.

The prevalence of hypertension was 20 per cent among women and 24.5 per cent among

to the study.

"Understanding how diabetes and hypertension prevalence varies within a country as large as India is essential for targeting of prevention, screening, and treatment services," said lead author Pascal Geldsetzer, a doctoral student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.

The researchers used health data collected from 1.3 million adults across India between 2012 and 2014, which included plasma glucose and men, the research showed. blood pressure measurements.

The study also found unexpectedly high The findings showed the rates of diabetes rates of hypertension among young adults. and hypertension varied widely among states.

The prevalence of hypertension in the age Household wealth and urban location were group 18-25 years was 12.1 per cent, according positively associated with both conditions, and

the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension among middle-aged adults in the poorest households in rural areas was also high -- 5.9 per cent had diabetes and 30 per cent had hypertension.

"Diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes is straightforward but mostly untapped due to lack of awareness and regular medical checkups," said study co-author Ashish Awasthi from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat .

India, home to more than a sixth of the world's population, is in the midst of a rapid epidemiological transition.

The rates of non-communicable diseases have risen in recent decades and are likely to continue as India's population ages and urbanises.

"India needs to focus on these two silent killers as well as other non-communicable diseases to reduce the burden of preventable premature morbidity and mortality. If unchecked, we will see a lot more victims of these two diseases in next two decades," Awasthi said.

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NRI Pulse

EVENTS Hello!" - an event for FEB 10 Indian single professionals age 23+,

by BanyanWay. Bowling, hors d'oeuvres, one drink.

When: Sat, Feb 10, 2018 at 7pm Where: Stars & Strikes VIP Blue Rm, 8767 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA-30350.

Men: $35, after 1/31 $40; Women: $25, after 1/31 $30.

Contact: buytickets.at/banyanway/136719 Valentine's Night FEB 10 Party Hosted by Gujarati Samaj of Atlanta Music Mantra Entertainment Presents Live DJ, Dance, Food, & Cash Bar When: Saturday, February 10, from 7:30 PM 12:30 AM Where: Gujarati Samaj of Atlanta, 5331 Royal Woods Pkwy, Tucker, Georgia 30084 Tickets Available at www.gsatlanta.org $25 for Single Entry & $40 for Couples Contact: Rakesh Patel - 404-889-5063 Samir Patel - 678-735-9200 Bakul Patel - 404-632-6384 Atlanta Hindu Vivah FEB 11 Hosted by Hindu Vivah. Free event open to public 4th Singles Meeting, one-on-one, followed by mixer.

When: Sunday, February 11 from 1:30pm5:30pm Where: Holiday Inn, 909 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Roswell, GA 30076.

Register: HinduVivah.org Contact: Shobha Swamy 248-894-1929 Mahashivratri at SidFEB 13 dhivinayak Mandir Maha Rudrabhishekam & Mahaprasad 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm Prahar Puja from 10.30 pm to 12.30 am When: Tues Feb 13, 2018 from 6:30pm Where: Ashiana Hall, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA 30071 Contact: Pundit Gyanprakash Upadhyay 770912-0332 Website: siddhivinayakmandiratlanta.org

..... Features .....

Ambaji USA Shree FEB 13 Shakti Mandir Mahashivratri When: Tues Feb 13, 2018 Time: 8am - 11pm, Special Shiv Puja 7am & 10pm Where: Ambaji USA, 1450 Huie Road, Lake City, GA 30260 Contact: 770-968-3490 Website: www.ambajiusa.org Mahashivratri at FEB 13 Sadhana Mandir When: February 13th, Tuesday from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM Group pooja starts at 6.30 pm followed by aarti and mahaprasad at 9 pm Where: Impact Conference Center Global Mall (Upstairs) Contact: 770-310-5944. 770-921-6889.

Email: vedjoshiji@gmail.com Play: “Baap Ka MARCH 2 Baap,” comedy.

Hilarious Play in Hindi. Written & Directed by Naveen Bawa.

Starring: Padmini Kolhapure, Naveen Bawa, Chitrashi Rawat & Hindi cinema veteran comedian actor Paintal When: RESCHEDULED TO Friday, March 2, from 6:30pm social hour, play 8:30pm.

Where: Berkmar High School, 405 Pleasant Hill Rd., , GA 30047.

Tickets: $30+, here Contact: Mustafa Ajmeri: 678-463-6613 ; Krishan Goyal: 770-315-6262 Nida Pawar Shariff: 678-488-0828 ; Dipa Shah: 404-906-1553

To list your upcoming event, please email us at contact@nripulse.com with ‘Event Listing’ in the subjectline.

Interior Trends For 2018

Give your home a makeover, invest in soft furnishings in Indian prints like Ikat and paisley with matching serve ware and use bed sheets with dobby designs, quirky motifs and animal prints this year, suggest experts. * The furniture this year will adorn darker browns and they will be polished with metallic handles. * Globally, the soft furnishings and serve ware will be block printed in more Indian prints of Ikat and Paisley. However, the blending of tropical prints in luscious green and blue with applique work will be the highlight this year. * This year hues of white will be out. The idea of all white kitchen, bedroom and the soft furnishings, which at sometime felt eternal, will be seen very less of. * Solid colors will be included in minimalism and will be replaced by varied ethnic and exotic prints. They will be coupled with mosaic, scroll, fret, chevron and paisley patterns which will be seen on walls, ceilings, floor, furniture as well as fabric décor in appropriate measure. *Minimalism will be replaced with maximalism to create a more pleasant and swarming atmosphere. Heavy, unnatural colours like red and maroon will be used nominally. Unsophisticated yet absolutely mesmerizing shades of earth like tans, browns and rust will be much in use. * Using slipcovers in the shades of peach, grey, red and black for your sofas, love seats and armchairs look trendy and classy. Use fabrics that are washable and durable.

February 2018

calls the case of a Hong Kong prostitute who told judges that she only stole a man's watch because she felt greatly insulted after he offered her money for the hour they'd spent in bed. Great excuse -- for any profession except the one she had chosen.

Yet there are cases where a ridiculous defense works. In Ohio in 2002, a woman explained to a court that the murder she had committed should be disregarded since The Matrix movie showed that we were all living in a computBY NURY VITTACHI er simulation anyway. The jury found her not When police arrested a man for drug possession, he claimed that the illegal substances guilty -- not because they agreed with what she were not his. This would have been fine except said, but because confusing fiction with real life for the fact that they were found up his bottom. was evidence of a "severe mental defect".

If that's true, then half of humanity has a It was a risky defense and judges in the US state of Pennsylvania speedily rejected it in a severe mental defect. This columnist's wife used court case reported on January 2, making it the to live in London's Baker Street, the address of first 2018 entry for this column's file of Dumb fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, and there was no end of visitors "to see where he lived".

Criminal Cases.

In TV commercials in Japan, a cartoon It reminded me of a case in Hong Kong some years ago when a shoplifter claimed ig- Sailor Moon girl tells you to eat a certain brand of potato soup like she does. Apparently this norance of stolen food in his underwear. "When you have a tin of fish FUNNY SIDE works. At no point do consumers think: Wait. How can a 2D cartoon in your underpants, you know about character eat potato soup? it," the magistrate said.

A Sailor Moon girl also appears in a TV Criminals really can be like children when it comes to using excuses that are doomed to ad in Malaysia, dreaming about buying a Ford fail. For example, all parents are familiar with Fusion motor car. (I thought she could fly?) the reasons kids come up with to explain why Clearly Malaysian adults think: "Hmm, whose they needn't go to school any more. BOY: "I advice should I take on automobile handling have decided to become a pirate instead." GIRL: and performance? A non-existent cartoon character might be an ideal choice."

"Silly Daddy, mermaids don't go to school!"

But going back to the subject of excuses Then there are the kids' excuses for getting out of bed at night. ME: "Hey! It's 10 o'clock! which unexpectedly work, this writer once had What are you doing up?" CHILD: "I'm not up. an Indian colleague whose reason for missing This is a dream." a meeting was so cheeky that it left our boss But of course it's in lawsuits that bad de- speechless. "Sorry I missed yesterday's meetfense strategies have life-changing effects. This ing," the colleague said. "I went out for lunch columnist, who used to be a court reporter, re- and forgot to come back."

Tips To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

* Anti-snoring products: From tongue stabilizing devices to nasal pathway cleaners, anti-snoring products have been the most popular tools allowing people (and their roommates) to have a restful sleep. Snoring is an embarrassing habit that not only points to a lack of good health, but also causes great inconvenience to others.

* Noise reducers: By curbing the ambient noise to create a calm, relaxed surrounding, noise reducers help people sensitive to even the slightest of noises to sleep. It has been seen that ambient noises in urban environment have been a major cause for sleep reduction. Noise reducers prove to be a solid aide for the urban insomniac to deal with sleep-related problems.

* Memory foam mattresses: Arguably the * Sleep mask-resemmost popular sleep enbling opaque aviators, abling products, they sleep masks are a great enable deep sleep by help for people who find providing optimal spine it difficult to close their support by taking the eyes and doze off even contour of the body in the presence of minishape, thus ensuring that sleepers don't toss and mal light. Used most often by frequent flyers or turn unnecessarily. people whose work involves a lot of travel, it is an ideal and inexpensive tool to have. * Mint-flavored throat sprays: Containing a unique time-release formula which coats the back * Herbal pillows: Filled with organic flax seeds of the throat throughout the night, reducing the vi- and aromatic herbs such as Lavender, eucalyptus, brations of the soft tissues that cause snoring, throat lemongrass, lemon balm, rosemary, verbena and sprays are a great help for those who snore when ly- chamomile, these small pillows provide a gentle, ing on their backs. Mitigating the frustration caused soothing heat and calming aroma after they are by disturbed sleep and the ill-effects it can have on warmed in a microwave. The scent as well as the any relationship, brands have proven to be extremely comfort of the pillow is often enough to quickly put effective at curtailing the sound and offering relief. an otherwise restless sleeper into a deep slumber.

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NRI Pulse

..... Feature .....

February 2018

44 Colleges You Probably Never Heard Of, But Should!

BY KRISTEN MOON*

Most people can name 20-30 colleges off the top of their head. There are over 4,000 universities worldwide. I want to introduce you to 44 universities you might not have heard of.

If you are looking for great liberal arts colleges to apply to, you should definitely check out CTCL (Colleges That Change Lives). CTCL is a non-profit organization. Visit their website at ctcl. org. You can also check out the book at your local library; the author is Loren Pope. The book is a great resource to flip through and view universities by location. Their member institutions are a perfect fit for students looking for a challenging academic curriculum with more hands-on experience in their undergraduate environment.

1. What does CTCL do as an organization? – Their main goal is to educate students, counselors and family members about colleges that they might not have heard of. Their process is more informed, streamlined and introspective. They are strong advocates for the liberal arts and all their member schools are known for their quality liberal arts programs.

2. How are the colleges selected? – The late Loren Pope, who was responsible for the list believed that the residential liberal arts experience is the ideal way for college students to learn. As of 2016, CTCL has 44 member schools that are all part of a non-profit organization interested in working together with students and parents to ed-

ucate them about the liberal arts college scene.

3. Who are the ideal candidates for the CTCL member institutions? – Any student who is looking for a college experience that includes extensive interaction with the faculty members will be best served by the CTCL schools.

Since the class sizes are small, the faculty members act as mentors and not just advisers.

Small schools create an excellent intellectual space in which the students get to live and learn. They are challenged, supported and they get to interact with a 5. Where can I learn more about CTCL? – If diverse group of both domestic and international you want to know more about CTCL and its attenstudents. dant institutions, visit their website. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook using the 4. Do they ever drop or add colleges? – No hashtag #CTCLColleges. school has yet been removed from the organi- They post regular updates on their specially cuzation. If the school is no longer able to offer a rated tours for parents and students across the strong liberal arts program or change their edu- nation. They also have a lot of smaller events in cational system and admission process and make which the executive director of the organization it less student-centered, they would no longer fit talks more about CTCL and the process of the with the organization and their message. Colleges college search. can be added if they follow the founding princiThe bottom line is that CTCL colleges are ples. student focused learning institutions. The member

colleges challenge the notion that only Ivy League universities are capable of offering challenging courses and topnotch faculty.

The CTCL metrics of what constitutes a great learning environment are more varied and interesting than the ones used by most college guidebooks and their effectiveness as a measure of quality education is evident in the results they produce. The member colleges also have resources for students who have learning disabilities. If you are planning to apply to a liberal arts college, their site will help you make a more informed decision about your path of education.

About the author: *Kristen Moon is an independent college counselor and founder of MoonPrep.com. Moon Prep provides one-on-one tutoring services catered to university admissions. They guide students through the entire application process including: completing applications, personal statements, supplemental essays, student resumes, scholarships, and financial aid. Their specialty lies in the Ivy League, direct medical programs (BS/MD), and highly competitive universities.

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NRI Pulse

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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

I Hope To Keep Going: Ranveer Singh

New Delhi: (IANS) With menacing eyes, eccentric mannerisms and powerful acting, Ranveer Singh has upped his own ante as Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji in "Padmaavat". But the actor says it's a character whose ambitions and greed he does not relate to, even though he has his eyes on building a vast legacy of filmography to be proud of.

After captivating cine-goers with his powerful performance in films like "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela", "Bajirao Mastani" and the latest "Padmaavat", actor Ranveer Singh is set to dive into projects that are as different as chalk and cheese. There's "Gully Boy", "Simmba" and a biopic on India's 1983 Cricket World Cup victory.

"I have a very large vision for myself, my body of work, my career. I hope to build a vast legacy with a filmography which I can be proud of when I am done.

I want to look back and feel like I made a significant contribution to the art and yes, keep pushing the envelope and keep exploring to things that have not been done before," Ranveer told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

With Khilji, Ranveer has achieved that. Where did the inspiration for his eccentric antics in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial come from?

"There's no references (for the character) as such and it definitely didn't come from within. I cannot really relate to Alauddin Khilji at any level. I am not as

ambitious, as greedy and as manipulative," Ranveer said.

However, the actor, 32, believes "there's no end to what you can achieve".

"The more work I do, I realize how

much I can do because it is limitless. So, I hope to keep going," he added.

Wasn't it a risk to play an anti-hero?

"It was a huge risk. I was very apprehensive about taking the risk but Bhansali was very persistent in his pursuit of me and he is the one who convinced me that I would be able to pull it off. I went with his conviction. I can never say no to Bhansali, given the amount he has contributed to my career and to me as an artiste.

"Once I committed, I put my everything into it. But, yes, initially there were apprehensions," said Ranveer, who found

Swara's Comment On 'Padmaavat' Leads To Twitter Spat

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February 2018

Actress Swara Bhasker's critique of "It's a story ladies - not an advocacy "Padmaavat" as a movie that glorifies Sati of Jauhar for God's sake. Find another batand Jauhar, sparked a war of words be- tle for your cause - a real one at all. Not tween celebrities. historical fiction," she wrote.

In another post, Krishnamoorthi, a singer and former actress, wrote: "Funny that an actress who can play an erotic dancer/prostitute with such elan should feel like a vagina after watching a story of a pious queen. What standards are these ...tch tch."

Swara, who has featured in films like "Raanjhanaa" and "Anarkali of Aarah", gave it back by saying: "Funny that people cannot get over the fact that a woman said vagina!

Funny that in a 2440 word article making fairly comprehensible arguments they only remember the word Suchitra Krishnamoorthi got into a vagina. So... Vagina vagina vagina vagina war of words with Swara, and Tillotama vagina vagina..vagina vagina VAGINA!" Shome joined in the debate by supporting Tillotama joined in the spat by saying Swara.

Krishnamoorthi's response is "the opposite Last week, Swara had shared a scath- of funny". ing comment on "Padmaavat" in a lengthy "Not seen the film yet. But please, post on The Wire, drawing out how the an actress can play a prostitute or a 'pious' epic drama made her feel reduced to a "va- queen and yet feel like a certain film regina only". duces a woman to just her reproductive Krishnamoorthi had condemned her function that is vagina. Your response is thought by questioning "aren't these fem- the opposite of funny. And trust me Swara inist debates on 'Padmaavat' rather dumb?" Bhasker has a sense of humor".

the character "mentally, physically and emotionally" draining.

The movie was mired in a row as protests erupted over alleged distortion of facts.

After the film released following a longstretched battle, reviews pointed out at how Khilji's character has been demonised.

"As an actor, I just have to stick to the character that I find in the script," Ranveer justified, saying he used the film's bound script "as my textbook and my bible" to create a character around it.

Ranveer says he can always choose to add to the script from the "research and homework" he does during the prep phase, but his job as an actor is to do justice to the character. Excited about his upcoming slate of films, Ranveer said: "I am working with films and filmmakers who are very different from each other. Zoya Akhtar, Rohit Shetty and Kabir Khan... It is again a very good opportunity to showcase my versatility... In my own estimation, I am attracted towards actors who are able to transform themselves with each character.

Pancholi Faces Abetment Charges In Jiah Suicide

The trial in actress Jiah Khan's suicide is expected to begin in mid February after a Mumbai court framed charges against her boyfriend and Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi for abetting the 2013 death.

The trial will happen nearly five years after the 25-year old Jiah was found hanging in the bedroom of her flat in Juhu on June 3, 2013 by her mother Rabia Khan.

Shortly after that, Sooraj was arrested and charged with abetment following complaints by her family and others. He was later released on bail. The CBI said a three-page note penned

by Jiah, earlier recovered by police on June 10, 2013, gave details of her intimate relationship with Sooraj, the physical abuse as well as the mental and physical tortures allegedly by him which drove her to suicide. Though the letter was not signed by Jiah nor addressed to Sooraj, the CBI said it established that he had "ruined" her life and linked him to the suicide. The agency said he had "hidden facts and fabricated information during his interrogation".

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NRI Pulse

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

February 2018

Sexism Certainly Exists In Indian Film Industry: Mira Nair Kolkata: (IANS) Mira Nair, who successfully took societal films like "Salam Bombay" and "Monsoon Wedding" to international audiences, feels the Indian film industry is "very much sexist" in its treatment of women.

In a freewheeling interview with IANS, starting from her filmmaking style to racism and sexism in the industry, the Indian-American director delved into issues like censorship in Indian cinema and the tough journey for the country's women to make a mark in an arena which continues to be largely sexist in its approach towards them.

"There are several more women directors and technicians in the Indian film industry than there are in the West. But, undoubtedly, it is still a very sexist industry in the way men refer to women or the way women are used in films here. I fear patriarchy is very much existent in the industry.

"I was very thrilled to know that a film such as 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' has been written and directed by a woman with such panache and grace. But I am sure it is not an easy task to make your way through in an essentially male dominated industry," she said, mentioning she had called "Bareilly..." director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and met her.

Nair, who faced the heat from the censor board for her film "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love" that was banned in India for its erotic content, deplored the raging protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat" in some parts of the country and said censorship in Indian cinema has reached a "draconian level".

"I think the random instances of anybody making an objection to your film are getting more and more (hoarse) in India. It is a pretty terrible situation. Also, a draconian and sort of arbitrary level of censorship is going on. It is unfortunate."

"Although I believe negotiation can sometimes enhance creativity, it isn't exactly the recipe to nourish in a great country like ours, where any person can slap you up and burn you down.

I deplore it. I really feel for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his work," said the director of the much

acclaimed "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" and "Mississippi Masala".

Nair, now busy with the stage version of her Golden Lion-winning film "Monsoon Wedding" in Broadway, also revealed her plans about her next project.

"I'm just about to start a real dream project, an eight-hour film. I am going to start it in the middle of the year and I am very excited because I have been planning it for many years. The whole of it will be shot in India and, of course, with Indi-

an actors," she smiled.

The filmmaker, who once turned down an offer to direct "Harry Potter 4" to pursue "Namesake", based on Jhumpa lahiri's novel, said she doesn't regret her decision as she prefers the "privilege of inspiration" more than the prospect of a blockbuster film.

"The decision was more from the heart. I believe in the privilege of inspiration and I was deeply inspired by the 'Namesake' at that point in my life as I too had lost a parent. I wanted to tell a story that was imbued with such a sense of melancholy and the sense of crossing bridges in India and the United States; those are the bridges I have known and crossed myself. I don't regret it for a minute," she said.

Talking about her filmmaking style, Nair, whose last movie, "Queen of Katwe", features Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o, expressed her fondness for photography and said she instinctually pairs legendary actors with non-actors in her films.

"I love actors and cast kind of instinctually and pair up legendary actors with non-actors. My films come very much from the street, very much from observing the reality and humanity. Although I think I am a strong visualist, I like to imbue that reality with a kind of heightened realism.

"I feel every aspect of a film has to serve a larger intention or deeper intention. So it won't work to have a beautiful looking thing. All of it has to come to a coherence to work out. That is the beauty of the all-encompassing nature of cinema," Nair added.

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NRI Pulse

Adai (Mixed Dals Dosa)

February 2018

..... What’s Cooking? ..... good idea not to use chutney made with dals. Eat with ginger chutney, coconut yogurt chutney or some powders.

Makes six servings.

Note: Adai can be made thick. Use P.S. LAKSHMI RAO little more ½ cup toor dal adai batter ½ cup urad dal than thin ½ cup chana dal adai and ¼ cup mung dal spread it ¼ cup whole mung thick. Make ½ cup rice five holes on ½ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) adai imme1 ½ cups water for grinding diately with 3 red dry chilies a chopstick the spices from red chilies to asafetida in two ½ teaspoon whole black pepper batches using ¾ cup water for each batch. Keep or back of a spoon. Put little oil ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds the batter in medium bowl. Add little more water in the holes and around the edg½ teaspoon ajwain seeds (vamu, optional) es and fry until light brown. if the batter is too thick to spread.

1 cup fresh or frozen coconut Heat a large griddle over medium heat. If a 2 green chilies drop of water sizzles on the griddle that means the 1 inch piece of peeled ginger pan is ready to make adai. Sprinkle half-teaspoon 1 teaspoon salt or to taste oil on the griddle and wipe with a clean paper ½ cup chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) towel. Scoop half cup of adai batter with a soup Curry leaves from two stems ladle. Spread the batter thin on the hot griddle and

BY SWASTI AGARWAL ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) pour half teaspoon of oil in the middle and the Oil for the griddle to make adai. edges. Turn it over when the adai is light brown at Wash and soak first seven ingredients for the bottom. Turn it back after thirty seconds. Fold Ingredients: two to four hours with six cups water. Wash them adai and place it on a plate. Repeat with rest of the 1-2 sweet potatoes again until water is clear. Grind dals and rest of batter. Since adai is made with many dals, it is a 1 cucumber cut in chunks 1/3 pomegranate, peeled and seeded

Shakarkandi Anar Chaat

Chopped fresh cilantro Chopped fresh mint leaves Jeera powder Rock salt Lime juice

Method: Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven after rubbing some olive oil on the skin and poking holes in them. Cool after roasting.

Cut the sweet potatoes in chunks, mix with cucumber and pomegranate and garnish with the remaking spices and herbs. Add lemon juice to taste.

Feel free to add chunks of apples and bananas to make this a healthy complete meal.

..... InVogue .....

Colored Denims: Get The Style Right

Get experimental with denims and choose a colored pair to stand out. But ensure you choose one which flatters your body type and which looks suitable for the place you may be heading to, suggest experts.

Manjula Gandhi, Chief Product Officer, Numero Uno, which is offering denims in earthy muted shades like olive, khaki and smoky grey for spring-summer 2018, has some hacks to suggest: * Wear the jeans that flatter your body type.

Colored jeans like normal blue jeans come in various fits - skinny, straight, regular. Choose the one that suits your body type. * Wear a neutral color on top like white, grey or ecru if you are wearing a bright colored jeans. * If you are wearing a printed shirt or t-shirt, keep it low-key and not too contrasting with the color of jeans.

* Do not dress in a single color tone from top to bottom * Do not wash colored jeans in hot water. Also turn them inside out before washing in cold water to preserve the color and make it last longer. *Along with the pastel shades of yellow, khaki, baby blue and mauve, the shades of wine, plum, rust, burnt orange and deep green are the substitutes of indigo," Yadav said.

Tips on buying jeans: Good fit: When buying jeans, the first and most important tip is to make a note of your waist size and trouser inseam length. A good jeans should fit securely around your waist, while providing enough ease for you to move around easily in. This is really something you will realize when you slip them on. swer while looking for color. Also while selecting the color, one's body type and what looks good Color: Color plays a key role in this prod- should be given consideration. uct and selecting the right color is of most importance. What to pair it with, whether a shirt, Style: When you choose to buy a pair of colpolo t-shirt or a casual tee and what will be the ored jeans, it isn't just about fit, it is also about occasion - work/office, casual and street, or any how the product looks and feels aesthetically. other occasion are the questions one needs to an- Design and styling plays an important role here.

Sometimes, classics with minimal details are the best bet.

Quality: To ensure you don't waste m o n e y, make sure you take a good look at the quality of the jeans you are considering to buy.

Colored denims sometimes are not even when dyeing. Check for any uneven and patchy dye stain. You want to look at the seams, pockets, zips and buttons to make sure they are well made and will last a good few years.

Fly closure: While trying a pair of jeans, one should always check the fly closure, if it is a zipper or button closure. Zipper is easier to operate and hassle-free while there are chances of its malfunction. Buttons are more durable as fastners but are difficult to close and open on frequent basis. It is a personal choice, and should be taken into consideration while picking your favorite pair of colored jeans.

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NRI Pulse

February 2018

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NRI Pulse

February 2018