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VOL . 20 NO. 38 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • P.O. BOX 623 • SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017-699 25 Cents

Chinamaya Mission Houston opens doors for another year of Bala Vihar classes

Acarya Gaurangbhai Nanavaty, who, along with Acarya Darshanaben Nanavaty, has continued to carry on the mission of Gurudev in Houston for over three decades with An enthusiastic team of more than 70 Chinmaya Mission Bala Vihar teachers on the opening day of the Bala Vihar classes for 2014-15 on Sept. 7. Photo Jayesh Mistry. Story on Page 3.

20,000 to attend community reception in New York

By HAIDER KAZIM HOUSTON – The IndoAmerican community in Houston is enthusiastically looking forward to the forthcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

to hear him spell out his plans for development of his country and provide a new impetus to growth of India-US ties.

The visit, from September 27 to 30, has created such an enthusiasm that a large group

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of Houston community leaders will be traveling to New York to participate in the community reception to the prime minister on September 28, the largest ever such reception to an Indian prime minister in the United States.

“The visit will open a new chapter in the Indo-American relations because he has won a very clear mandate in the last 30 years on a development and governance agenda,” said Ramesh Bhutada, a prominent businessman who worked tirelessly in building an overseas wave for Modi during the election campaign.

See MODI, Page 14

Toyota Center welcomes “SLAM THE TOUR” (Sound, Light, Music, Action), Bollywood’s “biggest global musical extravaganza” on Friday, Sept. 19. The mega blockbuster concert features Shah Rukh Khan (Actor/Producer), Farah Khan Kunder (Director/Actor/Producer/Choreographer), Deepika Padukone (Actor), Malaika Arora Khan (Actor), Abhishek Bachchan (Actor), Boman Irani (Actor), Sonu Sood (Actor), Vivaan Shah (Actor), Kanika Kapoor (Singer) and Yo Yo Honey Singh (Singer/Actor). With the magical chemistry between lead performers Khan and Padukone, plus a cast and crew of 130, this is the largest and most exciting Bollywood production Houston has ever seen. Don’t miss your chance to see the superstars of Indian Cinema together on stage .

Houston Youth Music Association presents a Grand Classical Vocal Concert by the renowned Carnatic Vocalist Vidwan T.M.Krishna with Vidwan R K Shriramkmar (Violin) & Vidwan Arun Prakash (Mridangam), from India on Oct 12, 4 p.m. at Stafford Civic Center, 1415 Constitution Ave. Stafford, TX - 77477. Visit www.hymausa. org for more information See CONCERT, Page 6

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 3

COMMUNITY NEWS Chinmaya Bala Vihar reopens with poetic prayers

By Padmashree Rao Over 1200 adults and children assembled in two sessions at Chinmaya Prabha Houston, to usher in another year of learning, the Chinmaya way on Sept. 7. Melodious bhajans invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesa, the Guru, and Goddess Sarasvati, gave the day a sacred start.

Manasa Kethireddipalli, a teacher from Acarya Darshana Nanavaty’s Bala Vihar team, offered a prayer to Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, and welcomed all families to another year of Bala Vihar. She explained how, as students, when we follow the instructions of a coach or teacher, we succeed.

Since wholesome success will surely come when we follow the path that Pujya Gurudev lived and taught, the central prayer to open this year of Bala Vihar was Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda’s poetic composition , “Tvam hi no neta (You are our Leader)” extolling Pujya Gurudev. A thought-provoking presentation of each line of that poem allowed the gathering to reflect on the glory of the Guru. As a leader, who guides, provides, protects, and enlightens through knowledge and devotion, a Guru leads us into a life of goodness without fear or worries. The promise of a truly compassionate Teacher is also that He never abandons us, His children, even if we may forget him. Guruji’s poem reinforced the assurance and inspiration of a great teacher who will lead us to true victory.

After that presentation, Acarya Gaurangbhai Nanavaty, who, along with Acarya Darshanaben Nanavaty, has continued to carry on the mission of Gurudev in Houston for over three decades, addressed the gathering. With a request for all to be regular in their studies, he offered his pranams to the Guru Parampara. He explained how all sages, saints, and great Gurus experience the same Truth in their Isvara darsana. Yet, they manifested that Truth in their work in different ways. While their work shone in their lifetimes, often after them, the asramas and organizations that they built slowly became empty shells of a past glory.

However, Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda made that Truth a divine mission through which the scriptures embraced the whole family. In the 70s, when scriptural learning was offered in few camp settings only to adults in India, Gurudev opened the doors to welcome the entire family and the world. Children were welcomed into the lap of Bala Vihar, the youth were encouraged and given a forum, and the adults were empowered with the scriptural wisdom. Even as Gurudev’s vision expanded, He sharpened the focus through the establishment of Sandeepany Sadhanalayas. Those institutes of Vedanta keep the light of Knowledge shining brighter still, fuelled by the inspiration of those students who, in turn, carry on the legacy of a timeless Guru Parampara.

Acarya Gaurangbhai then introduced with loving pride, a young couple Priya and Rahul Maini, who took the inspiration they found from their Bala Vihar days in Houston and Dallas, TX, all the way to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, and successfully completed a two- year Vedanta Course. Acarya Gaurangbhai said that he looked forward to seeing such accomplished students graduating from the Sandeepanys in the many Bala Vihar years to come.

After the Acarya’s address, the Chinmaya choir children began singing “Tvam Hi No Neta” accompanied by a drum roll and an energetic orchestra. In step with their beautiful voices, Acaryas Gaurangbhai and Darshanaben inaugurated the new year of Bala Vihar 2014-15 by lighting the Chinmaya lamp and offering their pranams at the feet of Gurudev’s pratima. The young Sandeepany graduates followed, and then, in unbroken rhythm, every child of each grade, from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade of Bala Vihar, carried a little diya and offered it at the feet of Pujya Gurudev’s pratima. Each grade was led with love by the teachers of that grade; soon, all the 108 lamps that the teachers lit on the stage of Chinmaya Smriti shone bright, as did the hundreds of diyas offered with such earnest love by the Bala Vihar children.

As another year of learning begins, the children will explore new topics in our Vedic culture. Alongside, the adults will look forward to reorienting their everyday expectations with the wisdom from the selected text, Sadhana Panchakam, written by the revered Sri Adi Sankaracarya . Acarya Gaurangbhai, in a prelude to this text, invited all seekers to the satsangas and study of the positively empowering five verses of about forty values, which will help us surf through the ups and downs of life, to find that unshakable, peaceful happiness.

The signature aspect of the opening day ceremony was the joyful eagerness visible everywhere – in the faces of the young children carrying their diyas with sweet pride; in the happy smiles of the parents who watched their children connect with their Indian cultural and scriptural roots; in the enthusiastic team of teachers clad in their beige and gold-trimmed Kerala saris; in the spirit of seva that stood out in the assistance offered by the various teams who tirelessly work behind the scenes to orchestrate every celebration in Chinmaya Prabha Houston.

For more information on Chinmaya Mission Houston and Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and, its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org or Call Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281933-023.

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

COMMUNITY NEWS Saadhana Pariwar celebrates Guru Purnima Pandit Suman Ghosh’s Gurukul Indian Classical music lovers in Houston consider it a privilege and a blessing that Pandit Suman Ghosh chose this city above all others to make his home and establish his Gurukul, Saadhana Pariwar. Enriching thousands of lives with pure Hindustani classical music in the Mewati Gharana tradition, Pandit Suman Ghosh is adored as much by his disciples as by their families. The Gurukul has just staged, for the second year in a row, about 70 solo performers in a truly unique series titled Saadhana Samvid in various locations in Houston.

On Sunday, September 7, under the aegis of the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH), the disciples of Acharya Varishth Pandit Suman Ghosh had the opportunity to honor

and celebrate their Guruji. The event was preceded by Panditji’s 2-hour-long live radio interview, the previous evening, on the wellknown Open Forum radio program catering to an audience of over 26,000 listeners worldwide.

Panditji started the symbolic Guru Purnima taalim in a playful manner, challenging his students to identify the raga if possible, guess which parent structure it has evolved from (known as a ‘Thaat’) and the notes used in the raga by listening to a short segment of a sitar rendition by the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankarji. The raga was Jhinjhoti, Thaat Khamaj.

The revered Guru then taught a bandish in this raga in drut Teental (a moderately fast 16-beat cycle).

This was followed by a short introduction to raga ‘Alhaiya Bilawal’. By this time, the room

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was charged with a positive energy that is quite impossible to describe in words.

After a short break, the second session ensued with ‘Akhand Gaayan’ (meaning unbroken singing) as the core theme, as conceptualized by Panditji himself.

Several groups of students took turns to join their Guru on the stage to present a short repertoire.

While they took their places on stage, Panditji, the remainder of his students as well as the audience continued singing. The flow was smooth and ‘akhand’ as it was

The evening comprised an innovative feature - Akhand Gaayan (continuous singing) - wherein several groups of students joined Pandit Suman Ghosh to present a short repertoire.

meant to be. The session ended with Panditji leading his disciples in a bhajan dedicated to all the Gurus and Grand-Gurus of the Mewati Gharana and to the greatest Guru of all, the Almighty.

The evening was graced by the presence of Pramod Kulkarni, Editor in Chief of Indo American News Houston, his wife Jyoti Kulkarni as well as Govind Shetty of the Indian Music Society of Houston.

In true Indian tradition, all disciples received blessing from Panditji and his wife, Guru-Ma Shashikalaji Ghosh. The evening concluded with a sumptuous dinner catered by ‘Madras Pavilion’.

Heartiest felicitations to Panditji and his Gurukul on embarking on another year of complete commitment and dedication to the cause of Indian classical music. — By Sucheta Roy

Indian Music Society of Houston Presents Hindustani Classical Vocalist

Omkar Dadarkar

Senior disciple of Pt Ulhas Kashalkar Omkar Dadarkar hails from a family of ‘Marathi Natyasangeet’ exponents. He received his initial guidance from his aunt, the late noted classical vocalist Manik Verma and thereafter from Ram Deshpande. After being awarded the CCRT scholarship (Delhi) for classical music, he was groomed by Pandit Yashwantbua Joshi.

A Sangeet Visharad and Bachelor of Arts in Marathi Literature and History, Omkar joined ITC-SRA as a scholar in July 1999, receiving rigorous talim under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. He completed his training in June 2005 with an A+ grade. He also trained in the light classical form under Vidushi Girija Devi and Srinivas Khale.

Replacing Arshad Ali who canceled the US tour

Pt Shantilal Shah on Tabla Harmonium - TBA

For tickets: Govind 713-922-2501 Suresh 281-935-4653 or www.tickets2events.com

Sat, Sept 27 @ 4 p.m. Ticket: $25 Cullen Hall, Univ of St. Thomas Programs are subject to change for reasons beyond the control of Indian Music Society of Houston.

IMS Programs are partially funded by a grant from Houston Arts Alliance.

COMMUNITY NEWS Rice radio features eclectic musicians & artists Be it contemporary or five hundred year old traditional Indian Kirtan music, KTRU – Rice radio creates a mystical blend of Indian culture and presents it to its eclectic music and art seeking audience. KTRU’s specialty show director Varsha Vakil’s dedication toward music and arts is appreciated and valued not only at KTRU but also by the artists and Houston’s South Asian community.

On August 23, the nationally reputed Kirtan band “The Mayapuris” rocked the Kirtan genre of Indian music at the ktru studios. Besides playing live music, artists Visvambhar and Krishna Kishore indulged in a heartfelt conversation recounting their childhood interests and allure towards Kirtan.

In an earlier show, “The Jungle Book” artists, both adult and young, shared their theatrical experience on Navrang. Young artists from the play - Avi Vir (monkey), Avilash Bhongir (monkey), Alani Forouzan (wolf), Maitri Misra (wolf), Medhavi Patwardhan (village woman) and Nishant Kelkar (Mowgli) - made their debut appearance on radio.

Amidst giggles and laugh-outloud moments the young artists captured anarchy as well as the relevance to a serene environ-

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Being aware of the huge responsibility with the magnificent role he had bagged, Nishant, who plays Mowgli, beamed with confidence throughout his radio interaction. He attributed his immaculate acting skills to his school’s theatre experience.

Shunya Theatre’s versatile actor Jeff Dorman and the former marine Alex Osburn shared a more profound perspective to the story “The Jungle Book” and its relevance to the real world making it pertinent to the current times.

Ktru’s Navrang show host Varsha Vakil can be contacted via email to ktru@ktru.org. Listen to the Navrang show on Saturday 10 am to noon online on ktru.org, 90.1FM HD2, iheartradio, iTunes, Tune-In, Droid and iphone apps.

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Indian Music Society of Houston & Tagore Society of Houston Joinlty Present Two Classical Solo Programs of Sarangi & Tabla Pt Ramesh Mishra on Sarangi (First Half)

Pt Kumar Bose on Tabla (Second Half)

For tickets: Govind 713-922-2501 • Suresh 281-935-4653 Ruma Acharya 713-501-6300 • Biren Das Biswas: 281-917-1873 Or Online www.tickets2events.com

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IMS Programs are partially funded by a grant from Houston Arts Alliance.

Programs are subject to change for reasons beyond the control of Indian Music Society of Houston.

PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

INDIANS ABROAD VSGH gears up for Durga Puja celebration

By Sanchali Basu It is that time of the year again and the air is filled with sweet nostalgic memories of sights, sounds and smells associated with the Durga Puja, all welcoming the goddess in all her glory.

The Vedanta Society of Greater Houston (VSGH), like every year is getting ready to celebrate Sri Durga Puja again this year on Saturday, September 27, 2014 at the center at 14809 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX -77083.

The puja will be performed by Swami Kripamayananda, head minister of the Vedanta Society of

Toronto, under the tent in the open air following the tradition in India.

It is always a very purifying experience watching the Ramakrishna Mission swamis performing the Durga Puja since they are carried out with unequaled sincerity and devotion. With the VSGH choir singing devotional songs as the puja is being conducted, the chanting of the mantras by the pujari swami, the soothing sound of the blowing of the conch shell (shankh) accompanied by the rhythmic beats of the drum (dhaak), invoking all good spirits and eliminating everything

negative, the goddess seems to come alive. Arati is performed, followed by the Pushpanjali and all devotees gather in a spirit of well-being and camaraderie.

The idol of Ma Durga will be carried to the puja mandap early in the morning to the sounds of the drumbeats and conch shells and installed there. The puja will start at 9:30 a.m. The worship will end with Pushpanjali around 1 p.m. and fruit and lunch prasad for all attendees will be served after that.

The VSGH book stall will have books available for sale for adults and children, and the Welcome desk will allow new members to register and offer donations.

The VSGH cordially invites everyone to attend the day’s festivities and making it a huge success. Swami Kripamayananda will also be lecturing on “How to worship God” on Sunday Sept 28 at 10:30 a.m. at the VSGH center. For further information, please visit www.houstonvedanta.org

HYMA’s eastern, western music concerts Houston Youth Music Association - ‘Of the Youth, by the youth, for the youth’ is the motto of this musically inspired youth group. Their dream is to promote classical music and also to provide platform for talented young musicians. They intend to engage the youth musically by conducting educative concerts and innovative workshops on a regular basis.

The discipline of both Eastern and Western music culture would be imparted in their programs making ti exemplary. HYMA would also give back to community through service in hospitals, Old age homes, and teaching music to children in rural villages. Education and incorporation of different genre of music is also looked into.

At HYMA, classical music is not just concerts & lectures, It is where learning, innovation and ideas begin’ - humbly say the team members. For more information, please visit www.hymausa.org HYMA’s next grand event is a Classical Vocal Concert by the renowned Carnatic Vocalist, “Sangita Shiromani” Vidwan T.M.Krishna, from India. He will be accompanied by Vidwan Sri R. K. Shriramkumar on violin and Vidwan Sri K. Arun Prakash on Mridangam.

T. M. Krishna is one of the most acclaimed artistes in the field of Carnatic music. His resonant and mellifluous voice and strict adherence to classicism have enriched his music performances. His music is marked with a very high level of aesthetics in conception and execution. He is known for his tremendous Manodharma (Imagination) and Sampradaya (Traditional) Sangeetha (music). His complete involvement and his ability to unfold melodies with ease have left many a listener lost in his music.

(Vocal concert by Sri T. M. Krishna will be held on October 12 at 4 p.m. in Stafford Civic Center- 1415 Constitution Ave, Stafford.

Tickets can be purchased at www.tickets2events.com in advance).

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 7

BITS alumni meet in Houston

Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Association, Houston Chapter met at Udipi Restaurant,Sugar Land, recently to celebrate its second anniversary coinciding with the BITSians’ day, which is annually celebrated on first Friday in August, by 40,000 plus BITS alumni all over the world.

The high light of the event was the presence of a recent graduate from BITS, Pilani-Dubai campus, which happens to be the only overseas engineering college wholly administered and run by an institution located in India. .

It was a nostalgic and wistful reunion for all the members who shared their life-changing experiences during their undergraduate student life at all four campuses of BITS. BITSians from 1954 batch to 2009, along with their families, reunite for the event.

BITSians have broken the stereotypical image of engineers and have become successful in non-traditional fields such as film making, music composition and book writing. Several have become successful entrepreneurs in Silcon Valley.

Prof. L K Maheswari, the guest of honor for the evening had just retired from BITS, Pilani after serving the institute for more tha 40 years.

Dinkar Nandwana, of batch 2007, had ably put together and emceed the program.

Krishna Vavilala, a native Houstonian and the senior most alumni of Pilani from batch 1954, presented Prof. L K Maheswari with a memento thanking him for the services rendered to BITS, Pilani.

Maheswari, after receiving his Ph.D in Electronics from Pilani, has joined the Institution in 1971 and served as Vice chancellor of BITS till 2010 and then as an Advisor till July 2014.

Prof. Maheswari shared some of his most memorable and challenging experiences during the expansion of BITS from a single campus at Pilani to four campuses increasing the college enrollment four-folds.

With great sense of pride he mentioned that BITS management was approached by Government of Andhra Pradesh and Dubai to set up its branch in Hyderabad and Dubai respectively.

He affirmatively stated that BITS stands out from most of the Indian colleges as it admits students solely on merit and not based on quotas or reservations.

He also shared the challenges faced by BITS management and his role in introducing the AllIndia Entrance Examination, called BITS Admission Test (BITSAT) for admitting students in its undergraduate program.

Maheshwari announced that BITSAT has set a gold standard among all other competitive exams in the country. For more info. about BITSAA Houston Cahpter, contact Krishna Vavilala @ 713-795-5169 or Dinkar Nandwana @ 217-974-0623.

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PAGE 8 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

COMMUNITY CALENDAR IA Chamber gala

Arya Samaj Satsang

Sat., Sept 27 @ 6 p.m.

Fifteenth annual gala of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. At Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar St. U.S. Senator John Cornyn is the keynote speaker. For info, call 713-624-7131 or info@iaccgh.com

Weekly Havan Satsang every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

DAV Sanskriti School Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to 7 years. Call Arti Khanna 281-7593286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire off Hwy 6).

281-752-0100.

Navaratri at SRKT Fri., Sept 26 @ 7:30 p.m.

Nav Ratri celebration at Shri Radha Krishna Temple, 11625 Beechnut Street. Mata ji Ki Chauki from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Akhand Ramayan Path starting on Sat., Sept 27, at 4 p.m. ending at 7 p.m. on Sept 28. Prasaad will be served after program.

For further information call temple at 281-933-8100 or visit www.SRKT.Org.

Walk for Peace Sat., Oct 4 @ 5:45 p.m.

Mahatma Gandhi Library Houston hosts 9th annual 5K Walk For Peace. The will start from The Jones Plaza, 600 Louisiana, Houston, TX 77002. It will pass by Wortham Center and descend into scenic Sabine Promenade along Buffalo Bayou. The Grand Marshall is Mrs. Sonal Bhuchar, former President of Fort Bend Independent School District.

The walk celebrates the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. For more information and registration for the Walk For Peace visit www.gandhilibrary.org

Muslim spelling bee The World’s First Muslim Spelling Bee competition 2014 will be held at 11 regional locations across USA and the finals will be held in Houston, Texas. To register, visit https://muslimspellingbee.com/ Register.aspx New reduced registration fee is $30. Free registration for Zakat eligible students with Masjid/Islamic School eligibility certificate.

Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. A unique Bala Vihar program for each grade, from PreK to Grade 12. Satsangs in two sessions between 8:35 a.m.

- 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. 1p.m. Bala Vihar students can take shloka, bhajan and orchestra classes or language classes for Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati. Located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members may visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visit www.chin mayahouston.org or call Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233.

Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, 14809 Lindita Drive (77083) has classes every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 1st & 3rd Sunday; Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Sunday; on works of Swami Vivekananda, 4th Sunday; Holy Mother Sarada’s Gospel, 5th Sunday. Swamis of Ramakrishna Order visit to conduct retreats and talks. www.houstonvedanta.org or 281-584-0488.

Durga Bari Temple Durga Bari temple is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at 7 p.m. Sunday special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Puja services - Priest Bishnupada Goswami 281-597-8100 Temple

SALES HELP WANTED Well-known Houston jewelry store is looking for saleswomen availabe to start immediately. Must be able to speak English and Hindi well. Call 713-789-7575

Open Forum Radio Program Where Your Opinion Counts

KGOL 1480 AM • Saturdays 4 to 6 p.m.

Informative programs with doctors, lawyers, politicians and other newsmakers.

Call 713-784-1480 Hosted by Dinkar Chheda, Jagat Kamdar and Subodh Bhuchar

Chandra & David Courtney Tabla and Vocal

Classes now ongoing Visit www.chandrakantha.com

or call for info.

(713) 665-4665

Classes in Houston, Mission Bend, & Sugar Land

is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (off Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark).

Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-7979057 / 832-423-8541.

Telugu Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., Stafford TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship is in English. Call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. V. Gurrala 281-997-0757.

Sahaj Marg Meditation Sahaj Marg (Natural Path) Meditation and Spirituality (www. sahajmarg.org) A natural, simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice. Weekly satsangs in Houston area. Email Radheshyam Miryala at meditate_ houston@yahoo. com or meditate.galveston @gmail.com.

Heritage Classes Ashirwad’s Heritage Classes in Katy, Cypress and Sugar Land for kids 4 to 18 yrs - meditation, Yoga, slokas, stories from scriptures, Vishnu Sahasranam, bhajans, competitions and fun activities. Adult meditation classes. Register at www.ashirwadablessing.org or Sri Ravula 281-995-0930.

Hare Krishna Dham Houston’s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30am, 7am, 8.30am, 12noon, 4.30pm, 7pm, 9pm. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com

Sri Lankan Minister Nanayakkara to speak at Asia Society At the invitation of the Asia Society Texas Center, Sri-Lankan Minister of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, will speak on Road Map to Healing and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka, at the Asia Society Texas Center at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, October 8. Dr. Bandula Wijay, the Honorary Consul General for Sri Lanka in Texas, is hosting the minister during his visit. The speech will be followed by a Q&A session from the audience, moderated by George R. Willy, a prominent immigration attorney and a Sri Lankan Tamil American living in Houston. The free event will be open to the public.

Minister Nanayakkara is a senior cabinet member of the Sri Lankan government and a close friend of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. The two of them have travelled a long political road together as soul mates. Nanayakkara earned his LLB from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and practiced law until he dedicated his life to politics in mid-1970s. Nanayakkara started his political career in the 1950s as an active member of the Samasamaja Youth Movement and soon became its leader. In 1970 he entered Parliament for the first time and has since been elected to Parliament several times. He is an uncompromising champion of the rights of minorities. He has been beaten, jailed and forced underground for his political activism. His activism, compassion and fearless honesty have won the hearts of the working class and minority communities.

For more information on the event, visit the Asia Society’s website http://asiasociety.org/texas

Houston Namadwaar A prayer house where the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly “Gopa Kuteeram” children’s heritage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281-402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity).

Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281-261-4603.

Gandhi Library

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple

Mahatma Gandhi Library Book Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each month; 12:30 PM at Arya Samaj Greater Houston, 13475 Schiller Rd. Join the discussion of the great man’s autobiography – The Story of My Experiments with Truth.

Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979.

Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St (77035) Tel: 713-729-8994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us

Saumyakasi Sivalaya

Sanskrit classes and special worship sessions for all ages. At 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479.Call 281-606-5607 or AVB.Houston@gmail.com. Web-site: https://sites.google.com/site/ avbtexas/classes

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Temple timings: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 5:00 - 8:00 PM Saturday and Sunday: 8:30-2:00 PM and 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Contact Bharti Sutaria 281568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832541-0059 or visit www.saum yakasi.org.

Veerashaiva Samaja VSNA Houston is a group of families who believe in Veerashaiva dharma (Basava dharma).

Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahouston@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166.

Arsha Vidya Bharati

Preksha Meditation New facilities of JVB Preksha Meditation Center. Classes for Yoga and Meditation under guidance by Samani jis and discourses. At 14102 Schiller Road (off Hwy 6 bet Bellaire and Westpark - 77082). Tel 281-596-9642.

Patanjali Yogpeeth Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For other free classes, call Indra 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. Web: www.pyptusa.org and www.DivyaProducts.com.

Sadhu Vaswani Center Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-463-0379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com

Shiv Shakti Mandir

Sathya Sai centers

Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies.

Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Louetta Rd, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Dr, Sugarland, TX, 77479) from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Sai Spiritual Education classes for children; study circle for adults. Service programs - food distribution & food drives; nursing home visits, tutoring at schools etc. Contact Sanjay Gupta (North) 832-687-6766 or Sondip Mathur (South) 832-215-8675 www.sairegion10.org.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 9

INDIA Gujarat rolls out red carpet for Chinese President Cabinet colleagues, members of Chinese delegation and several top businessmen from the state were present at the event.

Modi showcased crafts of Surat, Kutch and other parts of Gujarat to Chinese President Xi Jinping and gifts Dandi March portrait to the Chinese President.

Modi told President Xi that the two nations should work in an atmosphere of cooperaPrime MinisterNarendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad tion and give-and-take.

AHMEDABAD: On the first day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Gujarat, three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between China and the state, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The first MoU was signed between the government of Gujarat and Guangdong Province in South China. The second MoU is for a twin-city project between of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong

and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The third one was signed between the China Development Bank and iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau) – a State government body for facilitating investments.

The MoUs are aimed at sharing governance experiences, building industrial park and other initiatives in the area of trade and cooperation.

Besides Modi and Xi, Chief Minister Anandi Patel and her

Sharma Tilal Senanayake, CPA Certified Public Accountant

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Chinese president and first lady mingled with tribal dancers on Sabarmati riverfront.

Xi Jinping arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday afternoon on the first leg of his three-day India visit during which trade and investment topped the agenda of talks.

Xi is leading a high-powered delegation.

In a first, Modi received the Chinese President in Ahmedabad after which the two sides inked agreements related to the region.

A red carpet welcome and Gujarati culture and cuisine was presented to Xi during his six-hour visit to the State.

Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabd on Tuesday, said visiting heads of states should travel beyond New Delhi and see smaller towns to understand the country’s diversity better.

This was Modi’s first visit to Gujarat after becoming Prime Minister.

While in Ahmedabad, Xi visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram and spent some time there along with Modi, who later hosted a private dinner for the Chi-

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Seat sharing: Sena won’t budge MUMBAI: In a bid to resolve the seat-sharing issue between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena for the October 15 elections in Maharashtra, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday met Maharashtra BJP leaders who flew down to Delhi from Mumbai.

“The talks are inconclusive. We are trying to resolve the issue.

Today’s [Tuesday’s] discussion is critical. We are looking at seats that the Shiv Sena and the BJP have never won,” said State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis.

Among others who attended the meeting were MLC Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mungantiwar, former BJP State president, and Ravinder Bhusari, organising secretary.

The by-poll results have emboldened the Shiv Sena which has hardened its stance against its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) demand for an equal share of seats for the assembly polls.

“The BJP should learn a lesson from the results. It needs to keep its feet on the ground. Their leaders should think about whose wave there is. If there is a wave, then the Shiv Sena has also played a role in it,” Shiv Sena MLC Ramdas Kadam told The Hindu.

In a show of strength, party chief Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of senior leaders and district heads in Mumbai on September 19. Shiv Sena leaders say the results prove its stand that the alliance needs to stick to its 2009 seat-sharing formula of 119 seats to the BJP and 169 to the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena has traditionally been the Big Brother in the alliance but the BJP has been pushing for a larger chunk of seats after its spectacular showing in the Lok Sabha polls.

In a dig at the BJP, a senior Shiv Sena leader said, “These results emphasise the importance of regional players. Perhaps we need to return to the seat-sharing formula of 1990 where the Shiv Sena had 183 seats and the BJP got only 105 seats.”

Seat-sharing talks between the allies came to a halt after the BJP proposed an equal share of 135 seats for itself and the Shiv Sena. It suggested that the remaining 18 seats be divided between smaller allies. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray rejected the demand outright.

Meanwhile BJP leaders within Maharashtra are trying to downplay the by-polls results. “These are local results, limited to those constituencies. They do not impact the entire country,” said BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari. He also pointed out, “All these by-polls were from outside Maharashtra. The picture in the state favours us.”

When asked about the status of seat-sharing within the Shiv SenaBJP alliance he said, “Our party president Amit Shah is coming to Mumbai on Wednesday, so senior leaders will take a decision on this.”

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nese President at the Sabarmati Riverfront Park.

The day also marked Modi’s 64th birthday.

The Sabarmati riverfront is a pet project of Modi, who as Gujarat Chief Minister developed it on the line of the Thames river of London.

Several international mega events like kite festival, and Navratri festival were organized at the riverfront.

As many as 150 Gujarati dishes were on the menu for the dinner, that was prepared by a team of expert chefs from different parts of Gujarat and the Taj Hotel team from Mumbai and Delhi.

Modi’s personal cook, Badri, supervised the food preparation.

In the evening, the two leaders left for Delhi.

On Thursday, Modi and Xi will hold talks at Hyderabad House which will be followed by the inking of several agreements, including on infrastructure and railways, between the two sides.

Among the accords expected to be signed during Xi’s visit here is a sister city agreement between Ahmedabad and China’s developed Guangdong province.

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Free Immigration Consultation: Saturday from 1 pm to www.indiahouseinc.org 3 pm -Preferred by appointments (Walk-ins may be rescheduled).

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Free Meditation classes: Every Sat. from 11 am to 12 pm.

Free Medical Clinic: Every Sat.from 9 am to 1 pm.

Free Craft Classes: Every Sat. from 11:30 - 12:30 pm.

Free Kidney Smart Classes: 4th Thurs. 12 pm to 1:30 pm.

After-School Tutorial program: Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm.

Sareen Clinic (Harris Health System): Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 11 am.

Bollywood & Classical dance classes: Every Saturday & Sunday.

Religious Prayers and spiritual Fulfillment: Every Sunday from 10 am.

For info or appointment, contact vipin@indiahouseinc.org or call 713-929-1900 • 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

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COMMUNITY NEWS JVB participates in record blood donation drive

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Dharma is formless. It acquires its form through the various methods of worship.

Dharma is soul while the method of worship is body.

— Acharya Tulsi This beautiful quote by Acharya Tulsi truly depicts using body as a means of worship to do Dharma. Blood is that fragile blossoming tree we all carry within us, which makes blood donation among the highest service one can render to humanity.

On the occasion of Acharya Tulsi’s birth centennial celebration, JVB Preksha Meditation Center on Saturday, September 6, embarked, a mega blood donation & bone marrow registration drive in cooperation with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that saw many community members line up for this noble cause.

The center was equipped with all technical requirements to render the process a huge success.

This campaign took place simultaneously in 700 camps in 300 cities worldwide. Total units collected worldwide were 100,000+, which created a new record for Guinness Book of World Records for maximum donation by an organization on a single day.

More updates are available on global event website -http:// www.abtypmbdd.com/ The campaign envisioned

JVB’s pioneering role in serving the local community and in meeting its needs.

The entire effort was meant to encourage Houston Community to meet their responsibilities as good citizens and to be active participants in the activities, especially those of humanitarian and social nature.

The program received immense support from local community. About 65+ people came to donate and 44 were able to successfully donate blood.

There were approx. 20 registrations for Bone Marrow drive. Lunch, fruits and juice was served for the entire time.

The JVB Preksha Meditation Center conducts regular Preksha Meditation sessions which is the practice of purifying our emotions, consciousness and realizing our own self. Mediation augurs attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated development of one’s personality.

Started in 1970, Preksha Meditation is the result of the untiring efforts of Ganadhipati Tulsi and Acharya Mahapragya.

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• INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 11

PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir of Houston Inc. 6640 Harwin Dr, Houston, TX 77036 A Hearty Invitation to all Hindu Devotees on the occasion of the celebration of

Navaratri Mahotsav

Navaratri - Ashtami Pooja & Havan of Jagat Janani Adhya Bhavani Shree Ambaji-Sherewali Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Pooja Starts at 1.00 p.m.

Havan starts at 4.00 P.M. Purnahuti at 5.30 p.m. (Nariyel Offering) Aarti at 7.00 p.m.

Mahaprasad will be served after Aarti.

Enjoy Raas & Garba every night Wednesday, September 24 to Friday, October 3 *** Free admission *** Devotees who desire to sit in Havan & Pooja may give their names to our Priest Shri Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 or Prakashbhai Adhvaryu 832-981-0055 or the temple at 713-278-9099

8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 13

PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

HARDIK VYAS

COMMUNTIY NEWS “The whole world is watching MODI Modi after his decisive victory From Page 1

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and we are excited to hear his plans,” said India House President Jugal Malani who will be traveling to New York to attend the community reception and other meetings.

Some 20,000 people are expected to take part in the community reception at Madison Square Garden, one of the world’s most famous indoor arena, located in midtown Manhattan. The tickets of the reception, which is free of charge, were booked early and the remaining seats had to be allocated to winners of a lottery from among thousands of applicants.

The Houstonians who are not able to go to New York will be watching Prime Minister Modi’s speech live at India House. The program is jointly sponsored by India House Inc. and the India Culture Center-Houston.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to arrive in New York on September 27 for the annual session of the UN General Assembly.

He will travel to Washington on September 29 where the US Administration is gearing up for a red carpet reception. Obama is expected to host a small working dinner for him on September 29, rarely given to a visiting foreign leader. The two leaders will then meet for substantive talks on September 30 at the White House.

As many as 26 meetings are reportedly planned for the prime minister during the three-day visit.

Miss America Nina Davuluri, the first person of Indian origin to win the crown and popular news anchor Hari Sreenivasan will be the hosts at the community reception, organized by the Indo-American Community Foundation which has been formed recently to bring together the Indo-American organizations across the United States.

Sugar Land City Council member Harish Jajoo described Prime Minister Modi’s visit as historic. “For first time there is a renewed optimism of hope and opportunity in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. As an Indo- American, I am very excited to travel to New York and be part of this historic event on September 28. I cannot wait to feel the energy inside Madison Square Garden that morning.”

Stafford City Council member Ken Mathew praised the development work Modi had done in Gujarat while he was the state’s chief minister. “We need this kind of leadership in India for the development of the country.” Mathew regretted the years India had missed in development by keeping its doors closed to foreign investments while China profited from it.

Developing closer relations with the United States, hurt recently by a diplomatic row over Devyani Khobragade affair, is considered crucial for India as the US is the largest customer base for its burgeoning software industry with over $40 billion in exports. Moreover, India-US cooperation on global issues can help in meeting the challenges.

“The US can play a very meaningful role in India’s development agenda which would be mutually beneficial,” Ramesh Bhutada said. “Also, India and the US can find a common ground to work together to fight the menace of terrorism that exists at the global level.”

Jugal Malani said “Prime Minister Modi’s visit will take the India-US relations to the next level as it is imperative for the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy to work together to meet new global challenges.”

Neeta Mehta , a senior citizen, expressed confidence that the visit would result in concrete action to develop the relations and was eager to hear the results of the meetings and the prime minister’s plans. She will watch th eprime minister speech live at India House along with other community members.

The younger generation is equally enthusiastic.

“I’m really looking forward to hearing Prime Minister Modi speak, said Kavita Pallod, a youth leader who will be going to New York with her family. “ I’ve been really impressed thus far by what he has been prioritizing, such as hygiene and sanitation and women’s empowerment through holding men accountable.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to hear his next call to action in person.”

Latafth Hussain, President of Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston, thinks that Prime Minister Modi is in a unique position to get maximum benefits for India during the visit.

“Mr. Modi is a very pragmatist prime minister, so I believe he will leverage the personal insults of the past to get maximum concession from the US for India’s benefit. The developing situation in Ukraine, Middle East and Pakistan, (ISIS, Al Qaida and LeT) has also forced the US to rely more on India for its own foreign policy goals. In such a scenario, Modi will be very firm in what he needs for India’s benefit,” he said.

Hussain is impressed by the enthusiasm shown by NRIs during the Modi election campaign. “I have been in the US for 30 plus years but I have never seen the NRI get so emotionally involved with Indian politics. The number of Indo-Americans that traveled to India for canvassing, contributed money, energy, and time, both here and in India, has been an eye opener.”

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 15

Raveena is chief guest at pageant

The first ever Mrs. & Mr. Bollywood Houston pageant organized by Ruchika Dias, Founder and CEO of Bollywood Shake & sponsored by Amiralli Dodhiya (Amir) of New York Life Insurance company, was held on Saturday, Sept 6, at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. The event delivered all it promised

and more!

The Houston crowd came out in big numbers elegantly dressed for a memorable evening of fun and entertainment.

The event was also featured on ABC 13, Fox 26 Houston and TVAsia! The evening included a performance by Mauli Dave, dance performances by Bollywood

Shake and an appearance by Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon!

Bollywood Shake thanked all its sponsors, volunteers and Houston for making this event possible! The next Bollywood Shake pageant event - the Miss Bollywood pageant will be held in March 2015.

Amiralli Dodhiya (Amir) of New York Life Insurance company, and Bollywood star Raveena Tandon applaud the contestants of the Mrs. Bollywood Pageant in Houston on Sept 6. Amir was a major sponsor of the Mrs. Bollywood Pageant where Raveena was the chief guest.

The first look of Indra Kumar’s upcoming film Super Nani is out.

The film marks the comeback of Rekha after a gap of seven years.

She was last featured in Gautam Ghose’s Yatra.

In the picture shared on Twitter, Rekha strikes a pose Nargis made immortal in Mother India, just that she’s holding a mop instead of the iconic plough. Rekha looks as effervescent as she has always been and she will be one of the bigger attractions of the film. Sharman Joshi, Shweta Kumar, Randhir Kapoor and Anupam Kher are Rekha’s costar.

Super Nani is slated to hit theatres this Diwali, clashing with the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone’s Happy New Year.

Live Coverage in Houston of New York Community Reception for The Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Sunday, Sept 28, 2014 • 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

REVIEW/PREVIEW Finding Fanny: A whimsical ride Cast: Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor. Director: Homi Adajania They all cram inside the rundown car, all of them. Just like in the film. So when they set out for a road trip together to ‘Find Fanny’, it turns out to be a lifechanging decision for everyone.

The trip becomes a symbol of the journey they’re taking within.

Just like the road trip is incomplete without each one, so is their inner journey where everyone ends up playing a pivotal part in the other’s life.

And so, in the sleepy Goan village, Angie’s (Deepika Padukone) voice-over introduces us to all the characters. She lives with her mother-in-law Roselina (Dimple Kapadia), both “lonely widows” as she puts it. Her best friend is Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah), the male version of a drama queen, and the postmaster of the village where no one writes letters. Their unlikely friendship has her playing the role of the older, wiser soul even when he pops in the middle of the night to replay a weird dream.

Now he’s facing a crisis. He has been unmarried all his life, ruminating over his one true love Fanny. But one day, after 46 years, the letter he wrote to her proposing marriage comes returned. He always thought she had rejected him, but now it turns out the letter never reached her. “What life is this?” he asks, morosely. “Do you want to die without confessing your love to her,” asks Angie wisely, egging him on to seek out Fanny. “No”… he says …“I don’t want to die.”

This kind of acerbic, caustic humour runs throughout the film and proves to be a constant source of delight. It also defines Ferdie’s character perfectly as the simpleton always a bit far away from reality.

Soon enough, the rundown car, being serviced by Savio (Arjun Kapoor) is groaning under the weight of five unlikely road trip companions.

Savio, Angie, Ferdie, Roselina with her cat, and Don Pedro— the new painter in town. The mission is Finding Fanny, but it’s been four decades, and they start with her old home address. Deepika’s character is as steely as it is soft-hearted; both assertive and a pushover.

She’s the kind of person who often runs the show, while letting other people think they’re in charge.

And Deepika brings out all the colours of her very real, complex character beautifully. This is an expert performance worth savouring!

This is Naseeruddin Shah’s most accomplished act in recent times, and you can tell the delight with which the actor has explored the role.

Dimple Kapadia as the control-freak mother-in-law, is incredulously funny. Note the scene where a young man hopes to be set up with a beautiful girl and she gives him the onceover with a caustic, “I can’t do magic.”

Pankaj Kapur plays the larger-than-life, self-serious painter masterfully, with just the right amount of over-the-top nuance. Arjun Kapoor is impressive as the repressed lover, who seems directionless for the most part. Co-writer and director Homi Adajania has redeemed himself after the awful Cocktail. All this with a sprinkling of some deliciously wicked humor. This little, big film is all heart. Don’t miss it!

Creature 3D: Cast: Bipasha Basu, Imran Abbas Naqvi From beginning to end, the film is a cauldron of horror/thriller clichés.

Ayana (Bipasha Basu) has just opened a boutique hotel surrounded by the forest. She has hired the cleaning and cooking staff but no security in the case of a wild animal attack.

She goes about organizing the hotel’s inauguration party to elevator music-inspired background score. Pretty boy Kunal (Imran Abbas Naqvi) waltzes in for the schmaltzy romance track.

Soon enough we meet the Creature in 3D. We’re cautiously shown parts of it— the swinging lizard-like tail, the reptilian scales on the back, the man-like structure, and finally the face. Which is where it disappoints. The Creature –the most important character in the film— just doesn’t have the “look” and heft to carry off the lead villain’s role.

Especially when it comes to its sound, which is more a sore-throated shout, than an impressive roar.

The special effects are pretty good, so you see the creature breathe, chase, jump, and throw its claws at you with full 3D effect. But then it bares its blunt teeth to the camera for the umpteenth time, and makes that standard sound, irrespective of what emotion it’s going though.

Bipasha Basu is quite good in the film, and has a meaty character to play. Basu’s Ahana is an interestingly fleshed-out character that learns to fight out problems instead of taking an escape route.

MUSINGS

By Gadfly The many pleasures of being bi-cultural Culturally, I am part first- part second-generation Indian. As much of a Hindi film/Indian classical music buff that I am, Western/American theater, movies, literature, music AND stand-up comedy equally interest and entertain me. Ever since I started reading books, I enjoyed comedy of almost all kind, both intelligent and playful comedy from Marathi writings of R.G. Gadkari (writing), P.K. Atre followed by stand-up comedies of Atre (speeches), P.L. Deshpande (speeches, one-man shows, writings to English authors like Oscar Wilde and even Somerset Maugham who is not known for humour. His humour was more tongue-in-cheek. The only humour that escaped me was that of PG Woodhouse. I tried reading PG in different decades.

No go.

In Hindi films, it started with Johnny Walker and extended to the subtle and not-so-subtle comedies of Mukri, Agha, Om Prakash, Sunder to be topped by the big bang of Mehmood, the best Hindi film comedian who combined subtleness with a smidgen of vulgarity and a heap of intelligence.

Thankfully what some performers did with their hands on their crouch, Mehmood did with his tongue and a silent mouth making appropriately funny faces. Vulgar comedy without vulgar words or gestures requires intelligence.

There was no stand-up comedy in Mumbai’s (or India’s) night clubs right up to1970s, only cabaret.

Once I landed in the ‘land of the free’, there was no dearth of vulgar comedians outside of broadcast TV. Cable became the home of vulgarities. The more vulgar they got, the less funny they sounded.

In comedy, sparse use of profanities is more effective than a generous spread of the F-word.

A discordant note in a composition can embellish only a harmonious composition, not a discordant one. All discordant notes only make a besuri tune.

Comedians like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy andothers starting from the sexual revolution of the 1960s thrived on the F-words. They succeeded despite the F-word, not because of it.

Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and David Letterman (and before that Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Jack Paar) and above all, Bill Cosby didn’t need ‘fu’lgarities to become icons of comedy because of their common sense material.

After all, a G-rated or PG-rated movie is more inclusive than an X-rated one. Comedians clean up their act when they perform @ the Kennedy Center and they’re very funny. You don’t need ‘allthe-vulgarity, all-the-time’ to be funny.

Case in point: A poet wrote a letter to a critic who had brutally panned the poet’s latest work.

‘I’m sitting in the smallest room in the house. Your review is in front of me. In a few moments, it will be behind me.’ No vulgarity but

the dirty picture is quite clear.

I’m not a prude but within 5 minutes of vulgarities, they become jarring.

John Oliver who has made a profession of political satire is one of the few today who knows how to use a profanity - sparingly. Bill Maher is another one. And there are many like them.

Anyway, just as I am bi-cultural (best of both the worlds), I’ve also had (to my surprise) many incarnations in this one life. I write about comedy because many moons ago, I lived close to the famed Comedy Store on the legendary Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

My curiosity has taken me to many places, some dangerous unbeknownst to me at the time.

Sunset Boulevard couldda been one of them, if I was into drugs. I never was. I had heard that the Comedy Store had open-mike – another name for amateur – nights on Mondays.

You had to be in the line outside to register @ 7 pm for a spot at performing in front of a live audience starting 8pm. This was around July 1983. I got an 8:10 or 8:20 pm spot for 3-5 minutes. I noticed the rest of the ‘amateurs’ were aspiring comedians.

I was the only one there just for the fun of it, to experience what it feels like (fear?) to be on stage in front of a mike and many strangers saying ‘make us laugh’.

I didn’t care whether I was a hit or a flop. That’s when you generally succeed and I did. I got many compliments and a gig on some Westinghouse Show. I ignored the compliments because I was not interested in that career and the Westinghouse Show taping was like a pilot show cancelled before the ‘air’ date. End of a non-career.

Almost a year later, I decided to go back just to see how it feels to re-visit a ‘strange’ place that is not so-strange any more. I got there around 7pm when I found out that once you’ve performed there earlier, on your second and subsequent visits, you get a late night spot. I got 1:30am. With almost six hours to kill. I returned home, set the alarm for 1am and promptly went to sleep. That’s how nervous I was….NOT. On getting back by 1:15am, I found, as expected, that my turn might be after 2 or 2:15am. Then around 1:40, I was told, I’d be next.

And just then….would you believe ….they had a surprise guest, nothing unexpected. Most established comedians like to try their new material on fresh audiences. Only this time the surprise guest was my first and last encounter with the late, great legendary comedygenius of all times, that double-fast supersonic train called Robin Williams.

With the exceptions of Kishore Kumar Night and Asha Bhosle Night (both in New York), I have not attended live shows of any other entertainers in America. My many rib-splitting, eyes-tearing experiences of Robin’s comedy came via television. I knew what an unusual comedian he was.

Every encounter was a rollercoaster comedy – very intelligent comedy. It convinced me that he could never be that good again.

And yet, every time I saw him, he surpassed himself - fresh material, new references of amazingly varied contexts from pop-culture to current events. I have heard we should compete with ourselves to get better instead of competing with others which will get us nowhere or only get us headaches.

Robin Williams was so wired that perhaps he didn’t even think about competing, perhaps because that fire within him was uncontrollable. Legendary comedians Whoopie Goldberg and Billy Crystal were lucky to have been so close to Robin Williams. Oh, so lucky!

That night @ the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard, I did not enter Robin Williams’ orbit HE entered MY orbit…oh, so..briefly.

From within 20-feet distance, he went on for about 20-30 minutes.

It couldda been one hour…time travels at the speed of light when you’re at a live performance of Robin Williams.

And I was lucky, sitting there listening to Robin Williams live. I don’t remember much of his routine that night except that he kept picking on the lone Black guy in the audience. All his jokes were arrows, no slings or stings. As always, he teetered on the edges of vulgarities and racial jokes but oh, how he came back from those edges.

The Black guy was in splits.

Soon Robin was gone. My turn was next. ‘Are you kidding? No way,’ I said and so did the remaining aspirants. What comedian/ne would follow Robin Williams? The show ended there. I don’t remember what followed. After Robin Williams, everything was a blur, long after I drove home. I didn’t even stop for a drink and commiserate with other performers. I was too excited with my darshan of Robin Williams in action.

Nothing prepared me for that experience. Mehmood, PL Deshpande, Atre….all others I had heard couldn’t have prepared me for the comedy that was faster than the speed of light.

Like the years before and the years that followed, Robin Williams was too much of a genius comedian for others to follow everything he said in his act - his jumping from subject to subject, reference to reference interspersed with even more gestures, none vulgar and none of which it was possible to keep up with.

Genius has become a clichéd term in today’s paparazzi culture.

Yet, the true definition of a genius is this: It is something that defies definition, explanation et al. The 20th century had its geniuses like Tilak, Einstein, Tagore, Ramanujam, PK Atre to name a few. Robin Williams was comedy’s improvisational genius of the 20th century who crossed over to the 21st century and has now crossed over to take his place as God’s Vidooshak. — Send responses to editor@indiaherald.com

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 17

CHEF’S CORNER

The Story of Mahatma Gandhi - XIII

Boycott of visit, programs of Prince of Wales During the latter part of 1920 Gandhi advocated a triple boycott. He wanted an absolute boycott of the Government and all government institutions, including schools, colleges, and courts. If the people were free of these they could easily have their own schools, colleges, and courts, and the power of the British would collapse at once.

There was much laughter and ridicule from the moderates and the supporters of British rule.

But Gandhi paid no attention.

Now read on: Gandhi’s activities made the British government panicky. They issued a warning that anyone who overstepped the bounds of law would be arrested and imprisoned.

Gandhi thought that this warning was a victory for the campaign.

He issued instructions which the people were to follow if he were arrested. On December 26, the Congress session was held in Nagpur. Though there were signs of opposition to Gandhi’s policies, his resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority.

The adoption of the new program at Nagpur was the signal to start the mass movement. Gandhi felt that the complete boycott of all government organizations would give a chance to the Congress to set up a parallel organization, a State within a State which would lead India to Swaraj.

The Duke of Connaught was sent to India in 1921 to try to pacify the Indians. He came to open the four legislatures in the country which had been introduced as a result of the reforms announced by the King.

His coming and going passed off without any material change in the attitude of Indians towards Britain. Gandhi travelled far and wide, propagating the ideals of nonviolence and noncooperation.

Day by day the Indians were getting more and more excited over carrying out Gandhi’s program.

Many students left their institutions, many officers resigned their posts. The boycott movement gained momentum. As the people’s morale grew, the morale of the government went down.

Repression started.

Gandhi advised the people to have patience, and he insisted on nonviolence. He saw the weaknesses of Indians and he urged them to improve. He wanted social reforms and constructive work to be intensively followed.

It was announced that the Prince of Wales was to visit India. Functions were arranged at many places to enable him to meet his loyal subjects. Gandhi was indignant when he read the announcement in the newspapers.

“Do the British think we are children?” he said. “Do they believe that parades for the Prince will make us forget atrocities in the Punjab or the perpetual delay in granting us Home Rule?” On Gandhi’s advice the Congress declared that all parades, receptions, and celebrations in honor of the Prince were to be strictly boycotted. “We have no grudge against His Royal Highness the

Prince of Wales was greeted by empty streets in city after city

Gandhi Jayanti 2014 Gandhi Jayanti, celebrated as 1000 Lights For Peace. Saturday, October 4, 2014 at Jones Plaza Downtown – Free Parking* Educate your children about Gandhi ji by having them participate in Speech, Essay, Poster or Multi-media contests. To register for these contests and more information visit www.gandhilib rary.org Prince of Wales,” said Gandhi, “but our ideas are against him as a symbol of oppression. We can show the world that such noncooperation is just the reverse of the European doctrine of the sword.

Let us act in accordance with the holy prophets of old. Noncooperation without violence is the battle of the brave.”

Fearing that there would be disorder when the Prince of Wales visited various places, the government began severe acts of suppression. Thousands of people were arrested. The Indian people were so agitated that in city after city bonfires burned and the bonfires were made with foreign cloth, especially British cloth. On November 17, 1921, the Prince of Wales landed in Bombay. Loyal stooges of Britain went to greet the royal visitor. Those who were observing nonviolent noncooperation did not molest them.

However, passion suddenly blazed out. Religious and political hatreds fanned the flames. Riots started, many were killed, much property was destroyed. There was panic in the city. Gandhi was in Bombay, and he rushed to the scene of disorder to stop the rioting. Order was finally restored.

“Every man has the right to his religion and his own political opinion. Satyagraha will never succeed until man understands that,” Gandhi announced bitterly. In other cities the boycott of the Prince’s visit was peaceful. As the unfortunate Prince of Wales visited city after city, he- was greeted with empty streets. Not a shop was open. The people remained behind closed doors and drawn curtains. This infuriated the British and they called upon the government of India to act. Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal, and other leaders were arrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

Yet the determined courage of the people did not abate. They were ready to suffer any penalty for the cause of Home Rule. Demands had been made to Gandhi that he should start a mass movement for the attainment of Swaraj.

Gandhi decided to act. Preparations were made to start satyagraha in Bardoli. But Gandhi had to stop the campaign suddenly because of what had happened ill Bombay and other places.

In Chauri Chaura, near Gorakhpur in U.P., some policemen fired on a crowd which was holding a demonstration against the government. This annoyed the demonstrators so much that they became very violent. They chased the police. The police took refuge in the city hall. The angry mob surrounded the hall and set it on fire.

Some policemen were burned to death. Others, trying to escape, were killed by the furious mob outside. Gandhi was very upset.

He thought that it was clear that the people were still not prepared for satyagraha. He stopped the intended satyagraha at Bardoli.

His co-workers did not agree with him, but he was adamant. He wanted his followers to start constructive programs. Many Indians were sorry for Gandhi’s action.

They thought that Swaraj was now within their reach and the movement should therefore continue. The Government was playing a waiting game. Instead of thanking Gandhi for stopping the mass movement, they arrested him on charges of sedition and sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment.

He was removed to Yeravda Central Jail in Poona. In prison Gandhi settled down to a regime of spinning, writing, and meditation. The people were disappointed and the government tightened its hold. Almost all the leaders were put in jail. Then, in 1924, Gandhi fell ill. He was suffering from appendicitis and was in great pain.

The government was alarmed.

What would happen if Gandhi died in prison? An urgent operation was arranged, and Gandhi agreed. The operation was successful, but his recovery was very slow.

The government thought it best to release him, so he was set free.

He went to Juhu, near Bombay, for recovery.

Congress leaders were thinking of participating in the Municipal and Provincial Councils which Gandhi had advised them to boycott. Gandhi was not dismayed or discouraged. He decided to leave politics for the time being and

Apple-Almond Gallette No need for a pie pan to make a pretty French-style dessert.

Dough: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (½ cup).

Filling: 1 cup slivered blanched almonds, 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp. almond extract, 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 3 Tbs. apricot jam.

1. To make Dough: Pulse flours, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. With food processor running, add up to 1/4 cup cold water until dough just comes together. Shape dough into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour, or overnight.

2. To make Filling: Pulse almonds and confectioners’ sugar in food processor until combined. Add egg and almond extract, and process 1 minute, or until mixture is paste-like and nearly smooth.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil.

4. Remove Dough from refrigerator, and unwrap, leaving plastic wrap beneath Dough. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of Dough. Roll Dough out into 9-inch square between sheets of plastic wrap. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, invert Dough onto prepared baking sheet, and remove remaining sheet of plastic wrap. Spread almond mixture over Dough square, then top with 4 rows of overlapping apple slices, covering entire surface of galette. Bake 45 minutes, or until crust is golden. 5. Warm jam in small saucepan over low heat until melted. Strain through fine mesh strainer into small dish.

6. Cool galette 5 minutes, then brush with jam. Cut into 9 squares.

Cranberry-Pear Chutney Ingredients: 1 large garlic clove, minced; 1 onion, minced; 12 ounces fresh cranberries, 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 large pear, peeled, cored and chopped; 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp dry mustard, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.

Method: Put garlic, onion, cranberries, vinegar, spices and 3/4 cup brown sugar in a 2-1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 40 minutes. Add the chopped pear and cook 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add remaining sugar, to taste.

Serve hot, cold or room temperature. May be refrigerated for up to one month. spend his time in bringing about Hindu-Muslim unity and the removal of untouchability.

So for nearly six years Gandhi had little to do with politics. But he wrote, he lectured, and he prayed. He travelled all over India. His influence among the people was steadily growing. Gandhi had not given up the idea of nonviolent resistance to British rule. He was merely waiting for the right moment.

Jawaharlal Nehru joined Gandhi in many of his travels. Everywhere they were greeted with great enthusiasm. Nehru was the hope of the younger generation. In 1928 the Viceroy invited Gandhi to see him.

He informed Gandhi of the appointment of an official British Commission, led by Sir John Simon, which would study Indian conditions and recommend political reforms.

“Will there be any Indians on the Commission?” asked Gandhi.

“No,” replied the Viceroy. “That is absurd,” said Gandhi. “We must boycott it.” Gandhi advised the people to boycott the Simon Commission, and when it arrived in Bombay a hartal (strike) was observed all over India. On its tour through the Indian cities the Commission was greeted with black-flag demonstrations. The people shouted, “Simon, go back!”

At many places there were cane charges and shooting. The same year the peasants of Bardoli, in Gujarat, were agitated by the enhancement of land taxes. Gandhi studied their grievances and advised them to resort to satyagraha and not pay taxes. But they must be nonviolent, he insisted. Vallabhbhai Patel took charge of organizing the resistance. The government tried all its usual measures to terrorize the people, but had to climb down. An enquiry into the grievances was ordered.

Vallabhbhai demanded certain concessions. Negotiations were going on when Gandhi arrived in Bardoli. Within a short period the government came to terms with the organizers and a settlement was reached. Now political tension again gained momentum. People everywhere were preparing for a mass struggle. The Viceroy called a meeting of the Indian leaders. — To be continued

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PAGE 18 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

RELIGION / SPIRITUALITY Goswami Academy - A new school in Houston

From left, Brajmandali Priya, Dr. Radhika Raman Das, Mother Arrudha Debi, Shyamadarsini Debi (on microphone) and Dr. Urmila Debi.

Goswami Academy, a new school at Hare Krishna Dham under the auspieces of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) is admitting students from this semester from prekindergarten through Grade IV (ages 3-8). As with Gurukuls, Goswami Academy will nurture both creative academics and spiritual values in formative stage of education.

On Sunday, July 27, a group of ISKCON educators and parents laid the foundation and usefulness of such schools. Five speakers covered different aspects of Goswami Academy that will provide the extra curriculum in this type of schools making students cope with learning that will give an added advantage over students of public or private schools. This is exemplified by the education they received in such home study or special schools as advocated by Swami Prabhupada, the founder acharyya of ISKCON. They urged Houston parents to give their children a spiritually-centered education at Goswamy Academy.

Dr. Ravi Gupta, a/k Radhika Raman dasa, got a Krishna conscious education and graduated from H.S. at age of 12. He got a B.A. from Boise State Univ. in his teens and was awarded a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Oxford Univ. in his early twenties. Now the Chairman of the Dept. of Religious Studies at Utah State Univ, Dr. Gupta lauded the vision of Goswami Academy.

Dr. Edith E. Best, a/k Urmila Debi Dasi, joined ISKCON in 1973 and devoted her early life in formulating a spiritually based education for the school children. She taught nursery, primary and secondary schools for 27 yrs., and is a pioneer in developing a Krishna conscious academic curriculum for primary and secondary schools.

She wrote a paper based on Isopanisad about the philosophy of education to be followed by

Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow, U.K., the first state funded Vedic School in Great Britain. Urmila Mataji is a prolific writer on women’s issues and travels around the world as her expertise in such areas are widely sought after. She holds a Doctor of Education from the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is involved with many institutions

as advisor, teacher and leading expert on education internationally.

She and other speakers stressed the need of such schools as Goswami Academy and urged parents to give their children a better education, by getting involved with Krishna conscious movement.

Principal of Goswami Academy, Subra Debi Dasi, is familiar with Public education system as well as a Vaishnava scholar. She will be advised in curriculum, teaching methods and organization by leading ISKCON educators such as HH Hanumat Presaka Swami, HG Urmila Mataji, Australia’s Prana Dasa, and Mumbai’s Rama-Giridhara Dasa, among others. School will include solid academics, Sanskrit, devotional music and vegetarian meals.

For more information call 713-7142250 or visit http:// goswamiacademy.org — By Sarvabauma dasa, Dr. Gurubhakti and Dr. Prodyot Day of ISKCON.

Three Gunas: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas

By Jaya Row All of us have all three gunas; it is their relative strength that makes the difference. Tamas is the state of ignorance, inertia and indifference. Rajas is desire-driven, frenzied activity that arises from selfishness and ego. Sattva is the pristine state of calm that comes from contemplation and absorption on the higher. In sattva, the mind is calm, intellect sharp and actions brilliant.

As long as you are under the influence of the three gunas you are bound to the world. However, you do not belong to the gunas and their manifestations. You are Divine. Understand how the gunas function.

Declare war on tamas. Refine rajas. Nurture and cultivate sattva.

In tamas, the best qualities get shrouded and your inherent talent lies dormant. Rajas is a state of mental agitation brought about by greed, craving and lust. Incessant desire-driven activity and the resultant turbulence in the mind make for mediocrity.

Sattva is tranquillity of mind when you function at your best, a state that all executives, sportspersons and professionals in every field of activity strive for – being in the ‘zone’, performing at peak levels.

However, nobody knows how to achieve it, much less remain in this superlative state of being.

Sattva surfaces in the mind between 4 and 6 am. Rajas, activity, manifests between sunrise and sunset. All indulgence, tamas, begins with sundown. The first step to spiritual development is to encourage sattva by rising early, dedicate actions to a higher goal and stifle tamas by going to bed early. Gunas manifest only when the environment is conducive. Modern life encourages late nights – tamas. No attempt is made to cultivate the finer aspects of life. Thus whatever little sattva you may have is being destroyed. Ancient India promoted sattva through exposure to ethics and aesthetics – spiritual input, good literature, classical music, fine arts... It refined rajas by instilling spirit of service and sacrifice in people.

The four castes were designed to help people understand the gunamix within and choose a vocation that best suited their nature. A brahmana was predominantly sattvika and took to the fields of philosophy, music, research, pure science, and teaching.

A kshatriya was largely rajasika and was warrior, ruler, administrator. The trader had less sattva and more tamas. The shudra was mostly tamasika by nature and was best suited for manual labour.

Each was encouraged to strive for spiritual growth through his respective field of endeavour. Society was led by brahmanas, men and women of wisdom, not the wealthy. Every king had an in-house sage

Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir Rudrabhishek every Monday followed by Aarti and mahaprasad. Everyone is invited to join the puja.

Our prayer hall is large enough to accommodate up to 125 guests for your celebrations — birthdays, babyshowers, engagement or any other ceremony. Plenty of free parking

President Radhakrishnan’s metaphysical idealism

By Anup Taneja Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day (Sept 5), was known for his metaphysical idealism.

On the one hand, he recognised Prakriti, the reality of the world of experience with myriad diversities, and on the other hand, he simultaneously accepted the notion of the transcendent Absolute Being, the eternal Self, pure, formless, undifferentiated Consciousness.

Though the external world that is perceived through the senses is definitely not ultimate reality — by virtue of it being subject to constant change characterised by finitude and multiplicity — it derives its support from the Absolute Being that is devoid of all limits, diversities and distinctions. Despite being the canvas on which the colourful world appears with all sorts of apparent impurities, eternal Consciousness remains absolutely untainted and does not lose its immaculate purity.

Radhakrishnan’s reinterpretation of Sankara’s understanding of maya strictly as illusion stands out.

In Radhakrishnan’s view, maya ought not to be interpreted to mean a rigid, objective idealism wherein the world is perceived as totally disconnected from the Absolute Being — but to be seen as a subjective misperception of the world as ultimate reality.

Radhakrishnan’s assertion that when forms cease to be attractive, that does not necessarily mean that they cease to exist, received accolades from great philosophers. The fact that forms cease to be attractive points to a change in the soteriological status of those whom they previously attracted. No change in the ontological status of the forms is indicated. He says: “Maya is concerned not with the existence of the world but with its meaning, not with the factuality of the world but with the way in which we look upon it”.

Thus, the state of moksha or liberation transforms the seeker from within—so much so that forms cease to hold any attraction for him. In this lofty state, forms no longer conceal the Absolute Being—the power behind all external manifestations—from the spiritual vision of the seeker. Radhakrishnan explains that when the illusion of the mirage is dissipated by scientific knowledge, the illusory appearance remains, though it no longer leads us astray; we see the same appearance but give a different value to it.

A puddle in the desert is a mirage. But when, through scientific knowledge, we learn that mirage is caused by heat rising up, the mirage is dissipated. The mirage, though, does not disappear; only we become aware of the fact that the mirage depends on and arises from the desert heat. Mirage, in this analogy, is the world, while the desert heat is the Absolute Being. Just as ontological reality of the mirage depends on and arises from the desert heat, the ontological reality of the world depends on and arises from the Absolute Being.

Radhakrishnan states that just as the mirage does not disappear when scientific knowledge is gained, the world too does not disappear when intuitively we come to know about the source of the world’s existence. The world continues to exist, though it is valued differently.

A jnani, after attaining jnana, begins to perceive the world from a totally different perspective. He sees the world being permeated by particles of chitti or pure Consciousness. who would be consulted on important matters.

The relative strengths of the gunas determine the environment one goes to after death. A sattvika person is born in a spiritual family where his sattvika content blossoms in the ambiance of purity and tranquility.

Pure sattva catapults him to the state of Realisation. The rajasika one is born among people who are attached to action. He gets further ensnared in the world. The tamasika one is born to dull, foolish people.

It is only the sattvika person who makes progress. The rajasika one moves within a narrow band while a tamasika person goes downhill.

Life’s mission is to go beyond the three gunas and get liberated from the traumatic cycle of birth, death, decay and sorrow. You are born in the world only to attain Immortality.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 19

INDIA Hyderabad leads in sending students to U.S.

In the five years to 2012, Hyderabad sent more students to the U.S. than New Delhi and Mumbai combined, according to a recent study by the Brookings Institution, an American think-tank.

Hyderabad is the hometown of one of the world’s most successful émigré Indians, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, but its lead in sending students to the States is still a bit surprising.

Brookings’ list of the top cities around the world sending students to U.S. colleges and universities ranks Hyderabad number one in India and number four in the world.

Hyderabad sent 26,220 students to the U.S. Next was Mumbai, with 17,294, followed by Chennai with 9,141; Bangalore with 8,835 and Delhi with 8,728.

Hyderabad’s home state, at the time, Andhra Pradesh held some other surprises. Three other cities from the region made it to the Brookings list – Secunderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.

Large Asian cities dominate the list of largest home markets for US foreign students. Seoul sent more BMD F-1 students than any other city: more than 56,000 students over the 2008-2012 period, accounting for almost 5 per cent of all such students. Beijing, Shanghai, Hyderabad and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) made up the other top five global cities, each sending between 17,000 and 50,000 students to the United States.

Are Andhra Pradesh’s students more motivated to study abroad?

Do they have more money to pay for an expensive U.S. college education? The report didn’t speculate on that, but it did point to one trend that might have inflated Hyderabad’s results.

Some of the educational institutions that accepted Hyderabad’s students were little-known and often unaccredited schools, some of which have since been shut down by U.S. authorities for allegedly abusing the F-1 visa system and the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) program to bring students to work for employers than to study.

These institutions include International Technological University, University of Northern Virginia, Stratford University, Tri-Valley University and Herguan University.

While students from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore tended to go to well-known universities, including Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California, the students of Hyderabad were more likely to end up at smaller schools.

“Some of these schools have been closed down because they were abusing the (student) visa system and the Curricular Practical Training program to bring students to work for employers, rather than primarily to study for a degree program,” the report said.

Dikshit questions selective termination NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said she did not understand why some UPA-appointed Governors, like in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, have been allowed to continue while others have been shown the door.

“Certain Governors appointed by the previous government were asked to step down, but others like the Governors of Madhya Pradesh and Delhi have been allowed to continue. I don’t understand the reason for this discrimination,” Dikshit told The Indian Express.

She resigned as Kerala Governor last month, after spending less than six months in office. Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung took charge on July 9, 2013 while MP Governor Ram Naresh Yadav was appointed on September 8, 2011. Dikshit described the Modi government’s decision to ask UPA-appointed Governors to step down as “selective humiliation”.

“This is a constitutional post. Why do you want to humiliate the position? Governors have been treated selectively — some very badly… Forcing them to resign through transfers and supposed punishment postings,” she said.

Dikshit said a bureaucrat in the central government had asked her to tender her resignation.

“You are picked to be the Governor. This is not something one can apply for. You are the first citizen of the state, not involved in any kind of controversy. Why this kind of humiliation of the position by a newlyelected government?” she said.

Referring to the Centre’s decision to transfer out-of-favour Governors to the Northeast, Dikshit said, “This sends a very wrong signal.

Chennai bowled over by Arnold Schwarzenegger CHENNAI: He met the bigwigs of the Indian film industry.

He met the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu as well. But it was India’s movie fans who blew Hollywood ‘Terminator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mind. The actor, in Chennai for the audio launch of Tamil film I, said, “It’s the fans who make movies run. I’ve been to India many times but this is my first visit to Chennai. I’ve always wanted to come for the red carpet, and finally, I am here for it.”

But that was late on Monday evening at the Nehru Stadium.

Schwarzenegger’s day out in Chennai started in the wee hours of Monday, when he arrived at the airport, only to be whisked away to The Leela Palace, where he was put up at the Chairman Suite.

The Hollywood superstar, it seems, was very impressed with the view of the city and the sea from his table at the Spectra restaurant at the hotel.

Apart from the sea, the actor was interested in learning more about the artefacts such as the silver elephants, crystal maharaja chair and the bronze items in his suite.

His elaborate breakfast included scrambled eggs, cereals… and namma dosa, which the actor seemed to enjoy. He specially enquired about the batter.

If the food impressed him a lot, so did the films.

“India makes so many films.

The number of films made here is far more than what Americans make,” he explained. Is he interested in starring in a film here?

“I’d love to work in an Indian movie soon.”

The actor reiterated that point when, at the audio launch, he said on the dais, “I came all the way from Hollywood looking for a job in India. I want to act in your movies. I want to do your next movie, Shankar (director).”

His work as governor of California has also made him popular.

And, Schwarzenegger is still very passionate about working on that front. “Having run the fitness crusade for the longest time, this is my new challenge to build sustainable and green governments across the U.S., India and China — the three biggest polluters of the world,” he stated.

Though he was in the city just for a day, the superstar did not miss his fitness regime.

His morning schedule included a 45-minute intense workout at the gym, during which he did some resistance training, chest and shoulder press. That was followed The Northeast is as much a part of India as any other region.”

Challenging the “selective” expulsion of UPA-appointed Governors, Dikshit said the government may as well bring in a legislation.

“Why this drama of asking some Governors to resign. This is a post with dignity and there was no need for controversy. Maybe it is time for the government to bring in a legislation that makes it mandatory for Governors to resign when the central government changes,” she said.

Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Chennai to attend the music launch of “I,” a mega-budget movie starring Vikram and Amy Jackson.

by an hour-long spa treatment, where he opted for the signature 60minute deep muscle massage.

Apart from being known as an actor and a politician, Schwarzenegger is a big name in bodybuilding circles, having inspired several people across the world to take it up.

When asked about his journey, he said, “Many start and end their lives with one job, but I was fortunate to be successful in my bodybuilding career, which led me to becoming a leading actor. Then, the chance came for me to be the governor of California for seven years.

It was a good run. What’s important is that you have to be passionate about what you are doing.”

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PAGE 20 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

INDIA

BJP suffers major byelection losses NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, Sept 16, suffered a major blow in the Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, the States it had swept in the Lok Sabha polls four months ago, losing 13 of the 24 seats held by it.

The BJP has suffered electoral reverses in all the three rounds of by-elections held after it swept the Lok Sabha polls four months ago.

The saffron party, which got majority on its own in the Lok Sabha riding a “Modi wave”, has got a rude shock in the third round of by-elections, losing ground in key states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State of Gujarat.

Out of the 32 Assembly seats across nine States for which counting of votes was taken up on Tuesday, BJP won 10, Congress seven and Samajwadi Party seven while the TDP, the Trinamool Congress, the AIUDF and the CPI (M) bagged one each. One seat in Sikkim was won by an Independent. In three seats in UP where results were awaited, the BJP was leading in two and Samajwadi Party in one.

It was Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP was on a high after a near-total sweep of the 80 Lok Sabha seats, that delivered a humiliating blow to the saffron party as it lost seven of the 11 seats held by it, including one held by its ally Apna Dal. The BSP’s absence in the by-elections had made it a virtual straight fight between the SP and the BJP in the politically crucial State.

Equally crushing was the de-

feat in Rajasthan where BJP conceded three of the four seats to the Congress, which also managed to wrest three of the nine seats in Gujarat, where the elections were held for the first time in 12 years with Mr. Modi at the helm.

All the seats in Uttar Pradesh (11), Gujarat (9) and Rajasthan (4) were held by the BJP and the bypolls were necessitated after the MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

The first bypolls were held in Congress-ruled Uttarakhand close on the heels of the May 16 Lok Sabha verdict. The outcome had shocked the BJP as the Congress had won all the three Assembly seats including two seats which were held by former BJP Chief Ministers who were elected to Lok Sabha by comfortable margins.

The second round saw the party losing six out of the 10 seats in Bihar, despite a formidable show in the Lok Sabha polls.

Seat adjustments among arch rivals — JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and RJD’s Lalu Prasad besides the Congress — forced the BJP to beat a retreat as the three parties together won six seats.

As the BJP again suffered reverses in the Assembly bypolls, the Opposition said that the results should ring alarm bells for the BJP and the Modi government.

This meant that an anti-incumbency factor has set in within 100 days of the Narendra Modi government coming to power, Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed said.

“If you look at these results, these bypolls have proved to be

A.P. gets power boost from Centre

bye-bye polls for the BJP,” NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi remarked.

The results have come as a shot in the arm for the Congress as it gained three seats each in Gujarat and Rajasthan after drawing a blank in Lok Sabha polls.

Gloating over the BJP’s reverses, the Congress and the SP called it as a defeat of the communal forces. They said people had rejected the Modi government and the BJP’s “politics of polarisation”.

The BJP, which is hoping to do well in the coming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, conceded that the bypoll results were not up to its expectations and said that people had voted on local issues. The only solace for the BJP on an otherwise dismal day was its entry into the West Bengal Assembly.

BJP candidate Shamik Bhattacharya won the Basirhat Dakshin seat in North 24parganas district by a margin of 1,742 votes against his nearest Trinamool Congress rival and former Indian soccer captain Dipendu Biswas.

The BJP retained the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Modi, albeit with a reduced margin.

Ranjanben Bhatt thumped her Congress rival Narendra Rawat by over 3.29 lakh votes. Modi had won the seat by 5.7 lakh votes.

In the other two Lok Sabha byelections, Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, Tej Pratap Singh, the grand nephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav, defeated the BJP’s Prem Singh Skahkya by a margin of more than 3.21 lakh votes.

HYDERABAD: The world’s largest ultra mega solar power park to generate 2,500 MW is being established in Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister of Power and Coal, Piyush Goyal announced here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the signing of a joint document between the Government of India and the Andhra Pradesh government to implement ‘Power For All’ (PFA) from October 2, a programme to supply quality power round the clock for domestic and industrial consumers in the State, he termed it “path-breaking.”

Besides the signing of the PFA initiative, a spate of other MoUs were signed in the presence of Goyal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju to mark the completion of 100 days in office by the Telugu Desam government. In all, the State government inked 10 MoUs and the total investment from NTPC, DRDO, Hero Motor Corporation and others would be over Rs.80,000 crore.

The other MoUs included handing over of 1,200 acres by APIIC to NTPC to set up of a 4,000 MW super critical ultra mega power project at Pudimadaka in Visakhapatnam district, a 2,500 MW ultra mega solar power project in Kurnool ( 1,000 MW), Kadapa (500 MW) and Anantapur (1,000 MW) districts and a Greenfield plant to produce 1.8 million two-wheelers by Hero Moto Corp Limited in Chittoor district.

Naidu said although PFA would be launched onOctober 2, the objective was already achieved. He said the State government was determined to reduce transmission and distribution losses to 9 per cent.

SC: Govt. lacks concern for female child Pulling up the Union and State governments for the “sloppy” implementation of the pre-natal sex determination law despite its existence for the past 20 years, a Supreme Court Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and N.V. Ramana on Tuesday said the approach reflects “lack of concern for the female child.”

The observations came on an application filed on August 2013 by Sabu Mathew George, a member of the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) set up under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act of 1994, alleging that pre-natal sex determination continues to be done by doctors, handin-glove with conniving authorities. Dr. George charged that female foeticide continued unchallenged despite a March 2013 judgment by the Supreme Court. The court had at the time observed that eliminating female foetuses after pre-natal diagnostic tests had pushed the female child ratio down nationwide.

“The government has become sloppy. Central and State governments are supposed to organize camps. They don’t. Then what awareness can you spread?” Justice Misra asked Additional Solicitor-General Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the Union government.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 21

PAKISTAN FIR against Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: The capital police registered on late Tuesday night, Sept 16, a criminal case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, some federal ministers and police officials under an order issued by a district and sessions court.

On Monday, the district and sessions judge asked the Secretariat police to register the case while disposing of a petition filed by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek over the alleged killing of its three workers on Aug 30. He also directed the police to strictly follow the law. According to police sources, the case was registered under Section 7 of the ATA and PPC sections 302, 324, 148, 149.

In another development, Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the government is mulling legal action against protesting PTI and PAT leaders, indicating that the ruling party wants to end the current political impasse

through court action.

Replying to a question at a news conference on Tuesday about the government’s plan to deal with the protesters holding sitins in Islamabad, he said the responsibility to protect the constitution and the democratic system lay with the parliament as well as courts.

The minister said the government was in the process of collecting evidence against PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri to submit them in courts.

“Video footages of their speeches will also be presented,” he added.

“We want courts to investigate the allegations (levelled against the government by PTI and PAT leadership in their speeches). We will unmask them in courts and curb this lawlessness,” the minister said.

Rashid said that Imran Khan had accused retired Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday and a Military Intelligence (MI) brigadier of having been involved in the election rigging. But, he claimed, when the government offered the PTI team to include this allegation in the terms of reference (ToRs) of the proposed judicial commission to investigate the rigging, the PTI leaders backed off.

Altaf demands new provinces KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain insisting for the creation of new provinces said that Pakistan would be wiped out from the global map, if new administrative borders were not drawn.

Addressing his birthday function at MQM headquarters via video link early on Wednesday, Sept 17, he stressed the need for new provinces,saying that Pakistan is the only country to have a small number of provinces despites its large population. He also demanded that local bodies elections be held immediately.

He said that earlier nationalist parties had created a fuss when he had demanded the creation of a new province and added that now he is not the only one talking about the need for new provinces, as Tahirul Qadri was also demanding new provinces. Similarly, Imran Khan has also raised his voice for local bodies systems.

Altaf Hussain urged his supporters to be geared up to support their spiritual father as what he is going to do is a hard job. He added that he would bring honest people in the coordination committees and all ranks of the party.

The MQM chief asked Sindhis and Mohajirs to avoid confrontation and spread the message of love and peace.

Hussain also addressed the armed forces and told them that their responsibility is to safeguard geographical borders of the country, while civilians govern the state. “However, when even top judges were accused of poll rigging then the army should be prepared to support the nation,” he added.

India, Pakistan on U.S. drug watch list WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has included both India and Pakistan among 22 major illicit drug-producing or drug-transit countries, says a presidential determination released by the White House. Afghanistan is also on the list.

Of these 22, three countries – Bolivia, Myanmar, and Venezuela – are on a list of those who can face US sanctions. All three are accused of “failing demonstrably” to fulfil their obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements and conventions.

But President Obama granted Myanmar and Venezuela waivers, declaring that it was in the US national interest to continue its assistance to them.

Besides India and Pakistan, the other countries on the list are: Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Myanmar, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

The presidential memo pointed out that opium poppy trade in Afghanistan “threatens domestic institutions, subverts the legal economy, and undermines good governance and the capacity of the Afghan people”.

US support for Afghanistan after 2014 would focus on maintaining established infrastructure and improving security, it said.

Stagnant flood water poses health risks MUZAFFARGARH: Health workers were scrambling Tuesday to manage a mounting health crisis nearly two weeks after massive flooding engulfed much of Kashmir, where they are treating cases of diarrhea, skin allergies and fungus as they hope the stagnant waters do not create conditions for more serious disease outbreaks.

Countless bloated livestock carcasses were floating across the waterlogged Himalayan region.

Many residents, warned by experts to avoid the floodwaters, were rationing water bottles brought by aid workers every few days.

The flooding has hit more than 3,000 villages in both the Kashmir and Punjab regions, where at least 328 people have died and 505,254 have been rescued.

New flooding overnight inundated even more villages in eastern Punjab and was moving toward the southern Sindh province, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

“Rescue and relief efforts are continuing in full swing,” the authority said in a statement, assuring that food, tents and blankets were being distributed. But many flood victims complained that they were still waiting for help.

On the other hand, news channels showed images of police swinging batons as hundreds of flood-affected people attacked trucks and snatched food in the Jhang district of Punjab.

Doctors have treated at least 123,020 patients in flood-hit areas, according to NDMA. In his visit to Muzaffargarh, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said government would continue to provide assistance to the flood-hit to enable them stand on their own feet.

Christians allege graveyard grab GUJAR KHAN: Members of the Christian community on Monday staged a demonstration against occupation of graveyard area allegedly by land mafia.

Babu Shafiq Gill, the local in charge of the Church of Pakistan, told newsmen that the land located on Railway Road had been allocated to his community by the Britishers.

He claimed that the land revenue department’s record showed the area belonged to the federal government and was in the possession of the Church of Pakistan.

He alleged that people enjoying clout with the ruling party were behind this unlawful exercise.

The newsmen also apprised the commissioner Rawalpindi division of the construction in the graveyard of the Christian but to no avail. The assistant commissioner Gujar Khan Quratul Ain did not respond to various calls and messages left on her cellphone.

An official of the revenue department, on the condition of anonymity, said no land of the graveyard or worship place could be sold, transferred to anybody or used for any other purpose.

Sept 19 to be ‘Go Nawaz’ day ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced on Tuesday that the upcoming Friday, Sept 19, would be marked as ‘Go Nawaz Go’ Day and a ‘Day of Deliverance’.

Speaking to the participants of the Azadi March, Khan said he would continue the protest movement till Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns. He vowed that he would spend Eidul Imran Khan Azha protesting in the red zone.

“Today is the 34th day of the protest and there has been an increase in the participation of the masses,” he claimed.

Khan further said that he would burn his electricity bill on Friday to remind the rulers that they have doubled the power rates. His decision to do so comes after reports that the PTI Chairman had actually paid most of his bills since the civil disobedience movement was announced.

In the same speech, Imran alleged that Sharif was going to spend another 4 crore rupees on his US Trip. “The Sharif brothers do not care for the masses. See the lifestyles of their children,” he said.

Imran also said that he would go to court tomorrow (Wednesday) to get arrested PTI workers released.

“The Constitution of Pakistan allows for peaceful protests. Why then have PTI workers been arrested?” he asked. “Police, which is supposed to assist the masses in getting justice, is instead working for the rulers and going against the law,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, even as Imran Khan continues his posturing, other leaders of the protesting PTI are still hoping for resumption of meaningful talks with the government to address the party’s concerns on electoral rigging.

On Tuesday, PTI leaders told reporters they wanted an honestly negotiated end to the current political impasse, but the government had resorted to a brutal crackdown against their workers. The last time the two sides met was on Sept 8. The PTI called off talks on Sept 12 in response to police action against their party workers.

Left behind as Asia forges ahead INDIA has just inked a set of agreements with Vietnam. Earlier this month, Shinzo Abe of Japan became the first Japanese prime minister to visit Bangladesh, a tour that included a stop in Sri Lanka.

He brought along with him an entourage of 22 Japanese businessmen looking to do business in both countries.

And this weekend, China’s President Xi Jinping concluded a visit to the Maldives, where amongst other engagements, he contributed a written piece to a local newspaper that talked of a 21st-century “maritime silk road”, and said, “China welcomes Maldives to get actively involved” in building this trade corridor.

He then headed for Sri Lanka, where the maritime silk road is already in substantial evidence, with a Chinese deep sea port as a key factor in a sea lane that connects Southeast Asia with the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Japan this past Saturday, meeting Shinzo Abe and giving him his own message of “come, build in India”. Both sides agreed to set up a dialogue process involving their foreign and defence ministers to create a long-term, sustained process of cooperation on strategic and economic concerns.

Soon the Chinese president will sit down with Mr Modi in discussions that will touch on the sources of tension between these two giant economies, as well as the wellsprings of opportunity that exist.

A Sri Lankan diplomat, observing the whole round of meetings and summits and state visits taking place around Asia all month, described it as a “complex tapestry of relations” that is being woven in the region ever since India’s new prime minister was elected.

Asia has been abuzz with activity throughout the month so far, weaving itself together, talking, building and positioning its assets and relationships in a complex multi-player game that is all but set to emerge as the dominant theatre of Great Power rivalry.

There is much tension across the region. A festering border dispute and suspicion of each other’s motives animates much of India’s relationship with China. In the rest of Asia too, rising China inspires as much trepidation as it does awe.

Now consider what Pakistan has been busy doing since last month: indulging in political bickering, listening to scathing speeches with little purpose, and making hardly any attempt at a solution.

For decades now, Pakistan has remained mired in conspiring against each other as a globalising world has raced ahead. Now, as globalisation draws to a close and a new world dominated by regional trading blocs begins to take shape before our eyes, we still remain busy in scuffles and speeches and point-scoring.

At some point this behavior must end. At some point we must learn to respect the rules we have laid down for ourselves, learn to demarcate our interests into strategic, political and economic domains, and pursue each separately. — Editorial in Dawn

PAGE 22 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

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