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Indo American News • Friday, April 23 , 2010

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Friday, April 23, 2010 | Vol. 29, No. 17

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Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Gears Up for Second Show in Houston on May 5th If you missed the first show in Houston, then this time Rehan Siddiqi of HumTumCity is gearing him up for another show at Arena Theatre on May 5, 2010

READ US ONLINE at www.indoamerican-news.com

Win Free Tickets, send us your comments on Rahat or his first show in Houston.

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Published weekly from Houston, TX

7457 Harwin Dr, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 Ph: 713.789.NEWS (6397) • Fax: 713.789.6399 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com

Inside, this Week .......

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Tell us what you like about the show or the actors and qualify to win FREE Tickets to the Blue Mug send us your comments on indoamericannews@yahoo.com Subject of email should be: The Blue Mug Sweepstake

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Former Ambassador Teresita Schaffer Hosted at Asia Society, CG Reception

Story on Pg 3

Houstonians Help Educate 34 Million Underprivileged Indian Children Story on Pg 6

Why India Will Not Be a Super-Power Analysis on Pg 21

BUSINESS Naveen Jaggi at the Helm of CBRE Retail Operations Story on Pg 25

TRAVEL: Dubai Up There in 60 Seconds, then Stare Down for Miles Story on Pg 26 Burj Khalifa, Dubai

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Mention subject: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Asha Bhosle Enthralls Houstonians with Magical Music

By Manasi Gokhale HOUSTON: Bollywood Music connoisseurs in this city were privileged to hear a living legend of Indian music in concert on Saturday, April 17. Asha Bhosle dazzled the audience by singing some of her most popular chartbusters from yesteryear and left the concert attendees and fans spellbound.

Well-known playback singer Sudesh Bhosle and the upcoming prodigy Krishna Beura accompanied her. The concert held at the Arena Theatre was organized by Rajender Singh of Star Promotions and Madhu Patel of Parivaar Grocers. The concert was part of the “Rahul and I” tour, which is being presented to honor and celebrate the music of the legendary Bollywood music director, the late R. D. Burman, husband of Asha Bhosle.

The concert kicked off at 9:00 pm by Krishna Beura on stage by his rendition of the popular number Khwaja mere Khwaja from the movie Jodha Akbar. That was followed by the popular song Teri Yaad from the movie Namaste London, and the famous Nusrat

Bangar Reddy to Be Awarded Honorary Degree by HCC H O U S TO N : Former ICC president, Bangar Reddy will be awarded an honorary degree by the Houston Community College Board of Trustees for his continuous contribution to the community.

Reddy was elected president of ICC in 2008 and has also played a prominent role in the construction of Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Houston.

He is a successful entrepreneur and a software engineer in the field of Information Technology.

In a statement, Reddy thanked the Indo-American and mainstream community for giving him the opportunity to be of service.

HCC is going to confer the degree to him on May 15, at 10am at Reliant Center.

Asha Bhosle (left) dazzled the audience by singing some of her most popular chartbusters. The inimitable Sudesh Bhosle (middle) began his segment with the famous Kishore Kumar song Bachna ae Haseeno and Krishna Beura | Photos by Shamin

Fateh Ali Khan classic Piya re, among other songs. He then earned the applause of the listeners by his rendition of the famous Bryan Adams hit Everything I do. The inimitable Sudesh Bhosle began his segment with the famous Kishore Kumar song Bachna ae Haseeno.

He also rendered Dekha na hai re from the movie Bombay to Goa and Jahan teri ye nazar hai from

the movie Kaalia. He then introduced the star and the main attraction of the show, Asha Bhosle who was greeted with a standing ovation. She thrilled the audience by singing some of her most known songs including Mera naam hai Shabnam, Aaja Aaja, Chura Liya hai tumne jo dil ko, O mere sona re, Poocho na yaar kya hua”, Tu tu hai wohi” and Do labzon ki hai

dil ki kahani. Between songs she related interesting anecdotes about R.D. Burman that had the audience laughing.

The show ended with a Sudesh Bhosle singing his most popular song to date Jumma Chumma from the movie Hum. The capacity audience was thoroughly entertained throughout the evening and left with sweet memories.

A. R. Rahman’s Jai Ho – The Journey Home: Theatrical, Riveting

Moid Khan of BollywoodShows4U with A.R.Rahman at the press conference in New York on Monday

By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Oscar and Grammy award-winning music director and composer A. R. Rahman officially announced his upcoming world

tour concert series, Jai Ho – The Journey Home at a press conference in New York this week. Media, promoters from all major cities in the US, executives from various

record companies, and sponsors also got to meet the director of the global tour, Amy Tinkham, who elaborated on themes and technical aspects of the show that promises to be an unprecedented audio and visual extravaganza. Produced

by Deepak Gattani from Rapport Productions, the concert series will kick-off in New York in June and travel to over 20 major arenas and cities globally. Brought to this city by impresario Moid Khan of BollywoodShows4U, Jai Ho – The Journey Home is expected to play to a sold-out audience at the Toyota Center July 3, 2010.

Revered as the Mozart of Madras, Rahman will draw from his wide repertoire of compositions from a cross section of hit films, including Slumdog Millionaire, and hallmark Indian movies such as Lagaan, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Dil Se, and Roja.

The concert will be a riveting theatrical experience that will blend new technologies with dracontinued on page

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A. R. Rahman’s Jai Ho – The Journey Home Billed as Theatrical, Riveting continued from page

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matic dance arrangements and acrobatics, said Tinkham, who has previously worked with music icons in the renowned ilk of Paul McCartney, Madonna, Britney Spears, Dixie Chicks, and Motley Crue. Tinkham and co-director Amos Newman added that the shows would feature changing sets, pyrotechnics, large images and a spectacular cast of musicians and dancers from across the world. The stage is designed to include a special circle of seating to accommodate 100 VVIP guests who will also be attending an elite artiste reception preceding the

concert.

“The Jai Ho – The Journey Home concert is very high-end, truly a not-to-be-missed event,” said BollywoodShows4U’s Moid Khan who attended the press conference in New York.

In Houston this week, Khan is hosting a soiree for local media and invited guests at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown to intensify the buzz for the event.

For ticket information visit www. bollywoodshows4u.com or call (713) 298 3073.

AR Rahman is titled as one of the 100 most innovative people in the Business by Fast Company and is known in India popularly as the Mozart of Madras

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Former Amb. Teresita Schaffer Hosted at Asia Society, CG Reception

By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Teresita Schaffer visited the city last week as a featured speaker at an Asia Society at the Houston Club on April 15. An authority on Asia, her talk, India and the United States: Can They Reinvent Partnership?, was the final speech in the Wells Fargo Speaker Series featuring South Asia. The series included erudite scholars and longtime observers and commentators on that region of the globe.

Schaffer, a director of the South Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was introduced at the luncheon event by Asia Society Chairman Charles Foster who lauded her for her deep insights into the psyche of the Asian subcontinent. In her talk, she shared her thoughts on the warming relationship between the two major democracies India and the U.S. over the past 15 years that ended the “cold war” of 10 years.

“Both have much in common with shared interests in export and energy and education. Both are dependent on trade and investment,” said Schaffer, who has written extensively on South Asia, including the recently released book: India and the U.S. in the 21st Century - Reinventing Partnership (2009).

Other books include: Kashmir: The Economics of Peace Building

From left: Indian CG Sanjiv Arora, Digvijay Singh, Amb. Teresita Schaffer and UH Pres.

Renu Khator at the reception at the Consul General’s residence.

(2004), Pakistan’s Future and U.S. Policy Options (2004), and she has authored several publications on U.S. trade policy options in South Asia and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India.

India and America are equally invested in the fight against terrorism, said Schaffer. When Mumbai fell victim to the terror attacks, the U.S. empathized, having suffered similarly though on a much larger scale with 9/11. She spoke widely about the U.S.’s ambivalence toward Pakistan in the past and said that it did create distrust in India until the Clinton administration.

Now, America’s policy toward Afghanistan will “make or break” the Obama administration, Schaffer said.

“The U.S. and India are getting to work toward preventing

Pakistan from playing a spoilers game,” she added.

On the evening preceding her talk at the Asia Society, Schaffer was hosted at the home of Consul General of India Sanjiv Arora and his wife Chhaya. Also an honored guest for the evening was Indian Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, who was visiting this city. Several guests from the local community were invited to the supper event where they got to meet with Schaffer and Singh Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

Schaffer speaks French, Swedish, German, Italian, Hebrew, Hindi, and Urdu, and has studied Bangla and Sinhala.

For more information on Asia Society, visit www.asiasociety.org/ centers/texas

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By Vivek Natarajan HOUSTON: Samskritam, the classical language of Bharat, is the key to learning the ancient wisdom and cultural heritage of Bharat.

With the interest in the oriental intellectual traditions on the rise, e.g., yoga and ayurveda, it comes as no surprise that the interest in Samskritam is on the upswing globally.

Owing to its perfect intonation structure and a much formalized grammar system, it has caught the attention of many scholars. In fact, it has been recognized as the most appropriate language for computer programming.

The Arsha Vidya Satsanga (AVS), in conjunction with Samskrita Bharati, has been conducting the weekly “Bhaskara” Samskritam classes in Sugarland. It started on the Makara Sankranti day in 2007 and has been going steady for the last three years. It offers courses at beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels of Samskritam. Dr. Jayakumar Srinivasan and Sri Chandrasekar Raghu have been holding the flag flying and teaching Samskritam at Bhaskara. Similarly, Vivek Natarajan organized a similar beginner’s level course called “Vijaya” in the Clear Lake area.

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Sanskrit Camp Held Successfully in City

From Left (Back row) - Venkat Raman, Sriram Somasundaram, Dr Jayakumar Srinivasan, Dr. T R N Rao, Ramesh Bhutada, Vasuvaj Easwaramangalam, Narayanan Palakode, Dr Partha Krishnamurthy, Aanandh Chandrasekar, Pandit Mishra, Dr Venkata Raju, Chandrasekar Raghu From Left (Front Row) - Dr Dhanalakshmi Raman, Jayashree Gopalakrishnan, Hema Chandrasekar, Vasudha Chavali, Jeannette Darcy

Samskrita Bharati is a voluntary non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing Samskritam back to daily life.

By organizing courses, camps, and other activities, Samskrita Bharati is creating full-fledged Samskritam-speaking communities across the USA. From time to time, Samskrita Bharati also or-

ganizes “shibirams” - two day immersion camps. These are meant for people who have a strong desire to learn the language and need an opportunity to experience the beauty of spoken Samskritam in a motivating environment.

Arsha Vidya Satsanga was the host for Bhaskara Shibiram on April 10th and 11th. AVS, based in

Sugar Land, is a non-profit organization born out of the inspiration derived from the teachings of His Holiness Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

AVS mission is to re-establish the cultural self-identity, and reinstate agency and cognitive independence for Hindus, or people following the Sanatana Dharma /

Vedic tradition. Chandrasekar Raghu and Hema Chandrasekar have been generously using their home in Sugarland as the venue for all AVS week-end classes.

At the beginning of the Shibiram, the air was thick with expectations and apprehensions - Can I really speak in Samskritam? I have no back ground. I learned Samskrutham 40 years back in my high school. The stage was set for the arrival of Vasuvaj Easwaramangalam, the Chief Instructor from Samskrita Bharati, Bengaluru, who is currently touring the USA and conducting several such camps. He was just what the doctor ordered. Vasuvajji is a Master of Philosophy in Samskritam from the Madras University and has extensive experience in conducting such camps. Chandrasekar Raghu, the key organizer of the camp called him the “Sachin Tendulkar of Samskritam” since Vasuvaj has conducted more than 400 samskritam camps to date.

Vasuvaj started with a very simple question- “bhavataH nAma kim?” (What is your name?).

Well, that got everyone hooked.

More lessons followed, Subject, Object, Present Tense, Past Tense,

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Panini Grammar, Maheshwara Sutras, songs, and Subhashitams.

Of course, there were plenty of breaks in the form of breakout sessions and singing sessions.

The songs sung were all about the glory of Samskritam and Seva.

A video of two boys from North America speaking in fluent Samskritam was played and was truly inspirational. The students even collaborated and directed a couple of skits in Samskritam based on the lessons learnt in the Shibiram.

Hema Chandrasekar kept up a steady flow of healthy and sumptuous meals and snacks during each break in a cheerful and tireless manner.

Sri Ramesh Bhutada was the chief guest at the concluding function. He congratulated all the camp attendees and reinforced the

need for a “weekly satsanga” for ongoing efforts to learn and teach samskritam. Partha Krishnamurthy regaled the audience with his soulful music. At the end, the participants were excited and promised to continue the Samskritam lessons.

Vasuvajji articulated a very simple and coherent vision to learn Samskritam. There are four steps in learning a language - listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Typical approaches begin at the final two steps. Samskrita Bharathi takes a refreshingly new approach.

They do not start with grammar or script. The model is to emulate how little kids learn to speak a language just by listening as against learning the grammar. Simple conversational Samskritam is taught at the Shibiram. That is the first step. It kindles the imagination of

the participants and provides them with a higher level of confidence.

Then, they can enroll in regular classes and pursue various courses like Prathama (beginners) all the way to Kovida (expert). If one is a graduate and has passed the Kovida exam, he/ she can enroll in the Master of Arts course in Samskritam conducted by the Karnataka Open University.

One of the best memories of my student life is listening to my teachers’ explanation of Kalidasa’s poetry. This camp held the promise that I could get back to my dream of reading Valmiki, Veda Vyasa, and Kalidasa in the original form. Kudos to Samskrita Bharati for articulating the vision of spoken Samskritam in every village and town. Please contact houston. avs@gmail.com for information regarding future such camps.

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

Houstonians Help Educate 34 Million Underprevileged Indian Children

By Chitra Divakaruni HOUSTON: Each year almost a thousand Houstonians join hands with the nonprofit organization Pratham to bring literacy to underprivileged children in the rural outposts and urban slums of India. They do this by supporting Pratham’s annual Houston gala.

The gala raises funds crucial to Pratham’s mission of “Every child in school and learning well.” It also allows the audience, which is made up of business and commu-

in 2007. Pratham also facilitates the Annual Status of Education Report, a nationwide survey of children’s learning levels. The Pratham team comprises of educationists, corporates, workers, activists and professionals who bring their experiences and perspectives to the organization and are unified by the common vision of improving the future of India’s children.

Pratham’s groundbreaking work has been recognized widely for its impact. Most recently, it won

nity leaders and individual philanthropists committed to the cause of child literacy, to learn about Pratham’s latest accomplishments and find out how their donations are being used.

This year, the gala will be held on Saturday May 1, 6:30 p.m. at the Westin Galleria. Titled “A Passage to India,” it promises to be a spectacular event.

Pratham is India’s largest nonprofit organization in the area of primary education. Established in 1994 in the slums of Mumbai city, Pratham today provides underprivileged children across India with access to a range of quality educational resources. Pratham’s urban programs reach over one million children every year. Its flagship program Read India works with governments and communities to improve the reading and arithmetic skills of children in rural areas.

Read India has reached over 34 million children since its launch

the 2010 Henry R. Kravis Prize which recognizes extraordinary leadership in the non-profit sector.

Pratham was also named the 2009 CNN-IBN “Indian of the Year” in Public Service for its contributions in the field of literacy and education. Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, presented the Pratham team with the award at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on December 21, 2010. Dr. Singh commended Pratham for drawing on “the expertise and experience of educationists, corporates, workers, activists and professionals and uniting them in the common vision of a better life for all our children.”

Indo American News • Friday, april 23 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

For more details please contact the PrathamUSA office in Houston at 713-774-9599 or visit the website www.prathamusa.org.

To register for the gala, please call 713-774-9599 or email houston@prathamusa.org

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Indian Doctors Charity Clinic Continues to Provide Community Service HOUSTON: The Indian Doctors Charity Clinic, reached out again to people in the community by providing some volunteers in the 10th annual BAPS health fair on Saturday, April 17.

Dr. Rakesh Mangal, president of the Board of the charity clinic, said that for the last two years, the IDCC has been taking the “free” healthcare out of the clinic and take it directly to the community.

In additon to providing free medical services in the clinic to those who cannot afford care, the clinic volunteers feel privileged to work with hard working leaders of the BAPS medical team and supporters.

The ID Charity Clinic itself has provided very comprehensive health fairs at George R. Brown Convention center. Last year, the clinic provided medical screening and testing for more than 800 people in one single day. The tests included diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, anemia, thyroid, osteoporosis, urinalysis, vision screen, dental screen, colon and prostate cancer screens. But this would not have been possible without the support of many local area hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and laboratories. “It was our earnest effort to deliver the medical service to people in their own community setup,” said

cluding then Houston city Mayor Bill White and President of the Harris County Medical Society), and the state of Texas (including Governor Rick Perry’s office and the President of Texas Medical Association), but also nationally by our Houstonian, former President George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush and Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona.

In their continued efforts to serve

tors that provided free surgeries to the clinic patients who otherwise would have had adverse outcomes without such generosity.

For providing these services on an ongoing basis, at no cost to many thousand of patients, the clinic has recurring expenses such as rent, medical and office supplies, equipments, and others.

The clinic is having a fundraiser on Sunday, May 2 at 5pm in the old

From left: Dr. Ramesh Patel, Dr. Rakesh Mangal (President, Indian Doctors Charity Clinic), former Mayor Bill White, Dr Jay Chavda (Director, BAPS medical services) and Manzoor Hoorani at the BAPS Health Fair last Sturday

Dr. Mangal.

The IDC Charity clinic, a nonprofit (401c3) organization, was established in 1999, for the solitary purpose of serving the Houston community people, who are in dire need of medical services that they could not afford. The clinic opens every Saturday (except major holidays) and is located at 6550 Maple Ridge, Suite 229.

All the services are completely free to anyone who cannot afford general medical care in Houston area. For the past ten years, the clinic has made valuable contribution to the Houstonians, thanks to the very generous support from

people in the community, and a number of Indian American physicians who have contributed their time, expertise, and resources.

There are over 1,200 Indian American physicians in the Greater Houston area.

In 2005, the Indian Doctors Association (IDA) of Houston was very active in helping victims from Louisiana in the aftermath of the hurricane Katrina tragedy. These doctors received many messages of thanks for organizing a large task force of Indian American physicians to help the community.

Their efforts were acknowledged not only by city of Houston (in-

IDC Charity Clinic medical volunteers with Dr. Rakesh Mangal

the community, these doctors serving ID Charity Clinic have made alliances with “Gateway to Care” and imaging centers to provide healthcare beyond its physical barriers. The clinic is thankful to hospitals and their volunteer doc-

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IAPAC Hosts Luncheon With Congressman Pete Olson HOUSTON: On Tuesday April 6, IAPAC hosted a luncheon for the heads of key Indo American organizations & IAPAC Members with US Congressman Pete Olson on Thursday April 1, 2010 that was attended by over 20 community

tion, President of IAPAC, Ramesh Anand talked about the Congressman’s close association with India and the Indo American community. Ramesh praised the congressman’s involvement in Indo US relationship and thanked him for

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Indo American Community leaders with Congressman Pete Olson.

leaders. It was the second of many interactive meetings with elected officials that has been planned by IAPAC through the year. IAPAC had arranged a similar event with Congressman Al Green in February 2010 In his welcome and introduc-

becoming a part of the India caucus soon after being elected to office.

In his opening remarks, the Congressman emphasized that relationship between the US and India is on a very sound footing.

He answered wide range of

Indo American News • Friday, april 23 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

nity and felt that it was important to have meetings in an informal settings to like the current one to better understand him as our Congressman.

For further information visit www.iapacgh.org

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Indo American News • Friday, April 23 , 2010

IAPAC Hosts Fund Raiser for Judge Ed Emmett els. Voters later elected Emmett in his own right on Nov. 4, 2008.

As county judge, Emmett also is director of Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a role that took on special significance when Hurricane Ike struck the Gulf Coast in September 2008. Emmett

HOUSTON: The Indo American Political Action Committee of Greater of Houston held a reception and fundraiser for Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Sunday April 18 at the residence of Ash Shah.

Introducing Judge Emmett, the immediate past president Gitesh

ing and stated that he considered IAPAC as the sole political voice of all Indo Americans of Greater Houston. He considered it a privilege to be working with them. He encouraged all Indo Americans to work with IAPAC for any and every political outreach.

Emmett assured everybody of

Judge Ed Emmett with some of the IAPAC Board members and attendees

Desai commented on the close relationship that Emmett has had with India for many years. This included leading a trade delegation to India and having a son staying in India for a long period of time.

Emmett became Harris County Judge on March 6, 2007, following the resignation of Robert Eck-

was widely praised locally and nationally for his calm leadership during and after Ike’s devastating landfall.

Addressing the audience comprising of community leaders from the Indo American community Emmett commended IAPAC for the great job they had been do-

his continued commitment to work closely with the diverse communities and evolve innovative strategies to keep Harris County economically strong and work across party lines to insure the growth is sustained.

For more information on IAPAC, visit www.iapacgh.org

FAIRFIELD, Iowa: Amb. Ashok Kumar Attri, Consul General of India, Chicago & Mrs. Usha Kiran Attri visited the City of Fairfield, the Maharishi Vedic City and the Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Iowa from 9th to 11th April, 2010.

During the three day visit, Amb. and Mrs. Attri interacted with the Indian community of Fairfield, IA and attended prayer ceremonies and a dinner meeting with them.

They also had a luncheon meeting with Dr. Craig Pearson, Executive Vice President of MUM, Dr. David Goodman, Director of MBA Programme and other members of the faculty, administration and students of the MUM and toured the campus of the University. They learnt from the experts about the consciousness based education,

value based management and transcendental meditation technique employed in the university to produce fully developed individuals, employing the age old ancient Indian vedic knowledge.

Mayor of Maharishi Vedic City Hon. Edward Wynne and Mrs. Maureen Wynne hosted a dinner in honour of Amb. and Mrs. Attri at their residence, where the Mayor and other senior members of the City and the University briefed them about the uniqueness of the City and it’s bylaws. The whole Vedic City is built on the principles of Vastu Shastras and all residents and visitors use environment friendly materials and food and engage in economic activities which do not harm humanity, animals or environment. All of them are pure vegetarians and grow and use only

organically grown materials.

The Mayor also briefed Amb. and Mrs. Attri about the daily vedic Rudrabhisheka Yagya which is performed by expert vedic pundits who have been trained in India since childhood through a thorough and rigorous curriculum. For this, the city has built a special campus for Indian vedic pundits.

The City is gradually increasing the number of Pundits from India.

Currently they have 1,039 pundits and hope to increase the number to over 1,750 in the near future. The City meets all the costs of bringing the Pundits from India and their housing, meals and other necessities in the custom built campus and also pays them regular salary. The purpose of Yagna performed by the Pundits is to increase positive vi-

Amb. Ashok Kumar Attri Visits Maharishi University of Management

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C.K. Prahalad Passes Away

By Narayan Lakshman WASHINGTON: Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad, Distinguished Professor in the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and a world authority on management thought, passed away on Friday in San Diego after a brief illness. He was known for his work specialising in corporate strategy focussing on top management in large, diversified, multinational corporations.

Professor Prahalad’s seminal work, alongside Gary A file photo of C.K. Prahalad, Professor, Stephen Hamel in the 1990s, on the M.Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, concept of “core compe- USA. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt tence” of companies won the McKinsey that need help.” The poor must become acPrize and sold the maximum number of re- tive, informed and involved consumers, prints in the entire 80-odd years of history of he urged.Yet Professor Prahalad’s illustriits publisher, the prestigious Harvard Busi- ous career was not restricted to academe: ness Review. he equally established his reputation as a In his paper with Hamel, he urged cor- corporate consultant par excellence, workporate leaders to think of diversified com- ing with a wide cross-section of companies pany as a tree: “The trunk and major limbs from the CEOs of the top 30 Fortune 200 as core products, smaller branches as busi- firms to Hindustan Lever Limited and Miness units, leaves and fruit as end products. crosoft Corporation, India.

Nourishing and stabilising everything is the Growing up in Chennai, where his father root system: core competencies.” was a Sanskrit scholar and judge, Professor He was also known widely for his interest Prahalad worked initially with Union Carin the “Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyra- bide after completing a B.Sc. degree from mid” and his book on the subject is consid- Loyola College in 1960. He then went on to ered an authoritative exposition of the po- obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Business tential for large corporations to improve the Administration from the Indian Institute of conditions of the poor in countries such as Management, Ahmedabad in 1966 and a India. They could do so, he argued, by “mo- Doctorate in Business Administration in the bilising investment capacity [along with] the Harvard Business School in 1975. He is surcommitment of NGOs and the communities vived by his wife and two children.-Hindu

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Actress Patricia Arquette’s GiveLove Haiti to Rebuild Communities

Kalyani Giri (right) with actress Patricia Arquette

By Kalyani Giri

Houston – Hollywood actress Patricia Arquette was in this city last week to raise funds and create awareness of an organization she co-founded to benefit Haitians displaced by the January earthquake. The reception, held on April 14 at the cavernous museum district home of Carolyn and James Robertson, drew a plethora of the well-heeled elite who gave generously to GiveLove Haiti that Arquette and designer Rosetta Getty launched in March this year. Funds will provide housing for 3,000 Haitians that have taken up makeshift residence on a soccer field, huddled under tents and

cardboard boxes.

“I have seen slums all over the world but I have never seen so many people in tents for what may possibly be for years. It is heartbreaking to see how poor these people are. They live in unsanitary conditions and are exposed to disease and the elements, some in flood zones. And to see kids sitting in the wetness is unbearable,” said Arquette. “People have no jobs.

They don’t have running water they walk great distances to bring water back. Food doesn’t reach them because middlemen steal it,” said Arquette, star of the CBS hit series, Medium.

Arquette and the Robertsons’

son Christopher, an architect, made several trips to Haiti and are firm in their resolve to help rebuild communities. He has designed homes out of shipping containers that will provide safe residence for the homeless and destitute. The GiveLove foundation will oversee the preparation of the football field site where the houses will be constructed. Over the next two years Arquette says GiveLove aims to get 400 Haitians into 50 homes.

The organization will also develop a sanitation system that works.

“The water table has been devastated. We have to look into rainwater reclamation. The water is brackish and we don’t know if there are metals and arsenic in it.

It’s probably loaded with bacteria.

We are looking into sustainable models for rainwater systems and filtration systems,” said Arquette.

“I’m very interested in a company in India called BioTech BioGas. They have nightsoil treatments for human waste that can be converted to cooking fuel. I’m tapping innovative inventors who are not on the radar of the larger organizations and test their solutions,” added Arquette.

The GiveLove foundation’s longterm goal is to develop models that can be replicated in other povertystricken areas of the world.

For more information visit www. givelove.org.

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Amb. Ashok Kumar Attri Visits Maharishi University

Ambassador Attri with some dinner guests at Mayor Robert Wynne and Maureen Wynne residence tem. Dr. Schneider will be shortly continued from page 9

brations in the atmosphere of USA to promote peace throughout USA and the world. On Sunday, Amb. and Mrs. Attri also attended the Rudrabhisheka Yagna performed by hundreds of Pandits and met the organizers and chief pundits there after the ceremony. They also interacted with a large number of important invited guests.

They learnt from Regional Director Pegi Kempner about the activities of the Brahmanada Saraswati Foundation which is working to achieve world peace through Vedic Technologies by training and utilizing the vedic pundits in such yagnas.

Amb. and Mrs. Attri were also briefed about the Institute for Natural Medicine by it’s Director, Prof. Robert Schneider. The Institute follows ancient ayurveda sys-

Indo American News • Friday, april 23 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

visiting India to participate in the forthcoming AYUSH conference organized by the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy medicines of the Government of India. Amb. Attri also toured the facilities of the Institute at the Raj Ayurveda Health Centre in the Vedic City.

Before leaving, Amb. and Mrs. Attri had a luncheon discussion with the Co-Dean of Admissions of the University Mr. John Revolinski along with Mayor Hon. Ed Malloy of the City of Fairfield, IA, and others. Mayor Malloy briefed about the economic situation in Fairfield and surrounding areas in Iowa. They also visited the unique self created Swayamabhoo Ice Shivlingam in it’s temple in the Vedic City.

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BAPS Charities Health Fair Promotes Healthy Living, Educates Public HOUSTON: The thought of periodic health check-ups is daunting to many, however, early detection and prevention is the key to a healthier life. Nonetheless, preventable ailments such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are still largely prevalent across the United States. Recognizing early detection and prevention as vital for the well-being of the community, BAPS Charities dedicated April 2010 as Health Fair Month, and the 10th annual health fair was held on Saturday, April 17th, 2010 in Houston, Texas.

To provide better consultations based on blood analysis, blood samples were collected from participants a week in advance. On the day of the health fair, various health care professionals donated

Nilkanth Patel, Bill White, Jeff Holland, Dr Mahesh Dave and Monzur Hourani inaugurated the Health Fair

piness” by Dr. Kushalani enabled physicians to earn their ethics credit.

Over 40 booths hosted by a diverse set of organizations distributed the latest medical information to those that need it most their time and expertise providing educating seminars, free personal consultations, and basic examinations.

The Health Fair saw participation from more than 100 medical professionals, including pharmacists, dentists, nurses, physicians, and specialists in the fields of cardiology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, gynecology, and psychiatry.

These professionals provided individual consultations to the over 2500 patients who attended and benefited from this event. Approximately 4000 individual tests were performed by the medical professional in one day.

“Who really has time and money to go a doctor’s office for minor trouble? This Annual BAPS Charities Health Fair really helps.

Where else am I going to find doc-

tors from every specialty for my entire family!” said, Hiren Prajapatti, a Health Fair participant.

“My parents just came from Africa and to get them to see a doctor in the States is quite expensive.

BAPS Charities gave me an opportunity to have them seen by an internist, cardiologist and ophthalmologist all in one day,” Pankaj Patel of Sugarland, Texas said.

In addition to the medical care provided for patients, the BAPS Charities health fair also aims to enhance the knowledge of our physicians to make a difference for all patients they will serve– both today and tomorrow. All throughout the day, doctors attend various lectures on the latest in drug and medical information. A continuing medical education CME lecture on “The Art and Science of Hap-

have an issue, and currently many without insurance put off routine checkups,” Dr. Purvi Patel, DDS, said. “Even though you think nothing is wrong in your mouth, having a full dental check-up may reveal your risk for diabetes, oral cancer, or even heart attack. Your migraines might even be a result of what we call TMJ.” James Leverman, CEO of St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Sugarland was impressed with the organization of the health fair and was amazed to see the diverse health care professional helping the community.

Jason Garcia has been attending the Health Fair at Houston, Texas for the past 2 years. “The onsite specialists available always make it easy to get individual consultations.” This health fair also created an avenue for the local community to have its questions answered and concerns addressed.

Former Mayor of Houston, Honorable Bill White and Monzur Hourani of Medistar inaugurated the 10th Annual Health Fair. Mr. White in his keynote speech mentioned, “We have the technology, and you all have the organizational skills in order to provide early detection of what could be tragedy and a tragedy now avoided. He ended with, “what you do in terms of social services as exemplified today are a shining light from

your community to all the rest of the Houstonians. A both model and modest humble challenge for those to serve their fellow human beings.”

“We are pleased to be able to provide this service to communities in numerous cities with support from local healthcare professionals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and many others who volunteered their time to make this event a success,” Dr. Jay Chavda, MD of BAPS Charities said.

BAPS Charities hosted similar community Health Fairs at over 30 locations nationwide over the month of April. Shouldered on the belief of service to mankind, BAPS Charities has been sincerely serving the global community since its inception through its numerous humanitarian activities.

Managing 9 charitable hospitals and 11 mobile medical vans in India, BAPS Charities has treated over 2 million patients and regularly provides treatment to villagers living in remote areas.

Through various activities such as, bone marrow and blood drives, nationwide walkathons, and disaster relief operations, BAPS Charities sincerely serves the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities.

-- both patients and medical professionals.

For example; pharmaceutical companies with information on their latest drugs, hospitals and allied health institutions to give guidance on getting the best patient care, and insurance providers with information on their patient offerings.

“Normally people don’t think about their teeth unless they

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Indo American News • Friday, April 23 , 2010

Kal Penn Robbed at Gunpoint in D.C. WASHINGTON: Kal Penn’s former publicist confirms that the actor who played Kumar in the movie “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and had a recurring role on the Fox show “House” was robbed at gunpoint in Washington, D.C on April 21.

The Indian-American actor whose given name is Kalpen Modi is working in the White House’s Office of Public Liaison. He is focusing on connecting the president with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.

Penn’s former publicist Jennifer Goodwin confirmed a TMZ.com report that Penn was robbed. A police crime Kal Penn summary says early Tuesday, an armed robber forced a victim to Penn did not respond to requests lie on the ground and give up his for comment. The Metropolitan cell phone and other possessions. Police Department said it could It did not include names. not release information.-YN

society

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Indo-American Center Commemorates Former IAC President Narinder Gauri’s Life

CHICAGO: “Ned’s family has suffered an irreplaceable loss, and so has the Indo-American Center.

We mourn with his family,” said Ralph Nicholas, Indo-American Center’s (IAC) secretary. Narinder “Ned” Gauri, former IAC President of 2008 and 2009, died unexpectedly of a massive AVM brain hemorrhage on April 5. Over 100 friends, family, and fellow colleagues at the Indo-American Center (IAC) gathered on Sunday afternoon in the Center’s Main Hall to mourn the loss and celebrate his life.

The duration of Narinder’s presidency at the IAC was one that was rare. Bylaws of the IAC specified BOD presidencies to be one year long – Narinder was the IAC BOD President for two years.

“The reality of the matter was that when he became president, it was unanimously understood that he was too good Blood Drive by Sant Nirankari Mission to let go. So IAC Board HOUSTON: Sponsored by Sant Nirankari Mission a van of M.D. the reelected him Anderson Cancer Center will collect blood donations from the for the second year.”

public on Sunday, April 25 from 11 AM to 5 PM. The van will be located at the parking lot of 5810-B Hillcroft (Harwin crossing) in front of E.K. Perfumes Center fully equipped with staff. For scheduling your appointment time please call 832-646-7292 and bring your ID.

Narinder was deeply involved with the IAC’s founding and growth over the past two de-

cades, working toward championing a cause close to his heart. His involvement with the Center can be no better reflected than in his own words, which he shared during an interview in 2008 when he said, “I wanted to make sure to help people that are less fortunate than myself. I remember when my father was 90 and lonely at home.

I realized that it would be great for him to have an opportunity to meet and socialize with other senior citizens while learning to become a part of the community where, as an immigrant, he felt isolated.” This realization continually guided his work at IAC, as he improved the Center in all aspects of its service, including the implementation of the Golden Diners Lunch Program for the seniors in 2009 and the opening of a branch office in Des Plaines to help suburban clients with their Citizenship and Immigration needs.

His dream for the Center was a new building, which would allow an expansion of program offerings for the community. His resolve has brought that dream ever closer to a reality, leading the Board to discuss architectural plans, obtain necessary building permits, and begin active campaign fundraising. Additionally, Narinder was an avid advocate for the Employability Program the IAC is currently working on to guide and

Indo American News • Friday, april 23 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

facilitate South Asians in job and career search through employability training and development.

With exemplary commitment and vision, Ned’s leadership at the IAC and devotion to the South Asian community embodied his passion for the world in which he lived while driving those around him to strive for the same commitment and vision. Current IAC President and close friend of Narinder, Prem Balani said, “Every morning, I will think of Ned and work hard toward making his dreams for the IAC come true.”

Close family and friends of Narinder understood the IAC’s importance in his life. “The mission of the IAC was the same mission of my father’s life: ‘to promote the well-being’ of others. He truly felt fortunate to be a part of the IAC family,” Narinder’s daughter, Anjali Gottreich said.

The Indo-American Center is a not-for-profit community service organization serving the South Asian immigrant population. The mission of the Indo-American Center is to promote the well being of South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration and friendship with the wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their heritage and culture.

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SOCIETY

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Finest Indian Cuisine Now Available in North End of Civilization

By Pramod Kulkarni STAVANGER, Norway: It is a tribute to the enterprising nature of our Indian community that we’re firmly ensconced in remote corners of the Earth. About 20 years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bollywood music floating out of a portable radio in the small town of Puebla, Mexico.

Stuck here in Stavanger after a Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) show press tour due to Icelandic volcano ash cloud floating over Europe, I was once again pleasantly surprised to find at least three Indian restaurants in this oil town of about 150,000 blond, blue-eyed natives.

The oldest one is India Tandoor. Having gone there for dinner Saturday night, we were pleased to find it buzz-

ing with people until 10 pm at night.

The naan and tandoori dishes were excellent even by Indian or Houston standards. The India Tandoor is owned by an expatriate Singh family originally from the UK. The other restaurants in the area include the Mugul and the newest one is Delhi Indinsk, which serves both India and Asian fusion cuisine.

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Light of the Sufis If you’re of an artistic or spiritual bent or even if you’re not, plan to attend some of the events associated with the Light of the Sufis special presentation by the the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston.

You’ll be able to see flying derwishes, view remarkable Islamic art of Mughal and contemporary eras and attend several lectures on Sufism and Islamic art. While you’re there, you can also visit the Pershant and Nidhika Mehta Indian Art Gallery. MFAH deserves credit for giving us South Asians a window into our culture so far away from our homelands.

Pramod Kulkarni

Nature Calls One never knows where the next disaster is going to come from, do we? Last year, we were so concerned about the H1N1 flue. I imagine hospitals, doctor’s offices and pharmacists are stacked ceiling high with unused H1N1 vaccine. This is the year of Earth’s rumblings. First, we had the earthquake that devastated Haiti because of poor construction. Then came earthquakes in Chile, California-Mexico border and China.

Now the volcano in Iceland has blown its top, causing an ash scare across Europe. I am writing this editorial on Wednesday from a hotel in Stavanger, Norway, where I had come for a press tour last Tuesday. We hope to leave Norway tomorrow, arrive in Amsterdam on Thursday and depart for Houston on Friday.

Despite mankind’s technology advances, we’ll have to depend on the philosophies of the East to let nature take its course and be thankful for good things that happen to you from time to time.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? I am actually thankful we don’t have a crystal ball to see the future. Better to step out of your skin and watch the show that takes place every living day.

Riding High and Falling Low It is highly predictable how India’s politics destroys reputations. Days ago, Shashi Tharoor and Lalit Modi were riding sky high. Tharoor was twittering from his ministerial office in New Delhi or from 5-star hotels he is known to frequent. Modi was the boy wonder who created the treasure trove that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now both of these stars are caught up in a scandal that involves shady financiers and even a diva bent on climbing the social ladder. Let these characters have their day in the publicity in the limelight and the Indian news media will look for other celebrities to place in a limelight and just as quickly toss them in the dark.

e d ito r i a l

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Targeting Sania is Wrong

By Vir Sanghvi So, what’s your opinion of Sania Mirza’s marriage? I only ask because the media have spent the last few days acting as though this is a matter of global importance about which all of us are obliged to have an opinion.

Unless you’re spending the long weekend on Mars or Uranus, you have probably been subjected to the media blitz. While Sania and her parents have maintained a dignified silence after an initial press conference, nearly everybody else has been granted his or her 15 minutes of television fame.

There are broadly four positions that you can take on the subject. The first is my position and, I would imagine, the opinion of most readers of this column. Sania and Shoaib appear to be young and in love.

We wish them luck. We hope the marriage will be a success. And even if it isn’t, it really is none of our business.

I would be wary of treating the Shoaib-Ayesha marriage (or nonmarriage, depending on which side you believe) as an example of the vagaries of international relations but at least this interpretation, no matter how silly, is better than the way in which Hindu communalists are responding to the prospect of Sania’s marriage to a Pakistani.The second position is more gossip-oriented. You can argue, perhaps legitimately, that all celebrity weddings are, almost by definition, in the public domain. And this one is a celebrity wedding with a difference because the groom may well be concealing the details of his first marriage.

Personally, I have no interest in celebrity weddings and could not care less whether Shoaib Malik has a bevy of previous wives stashed away in cricket pavilions all over the world.

But, no matter how tacky I find the media obsession with his past, I am prepared to concede that there is some public interest in his private life.

My real concern is with two other positions that have been on display in the last few days. The sub-text to much of the coverage of Shoaib’s

first ‘wife’ is that Pakistanis are lying sods who should not be trusted in any circumstances. There is a certain glee with which the details of Shoaib’s alleged deceitful behaviour are now being retailed.

It does not help that the only person willing to speak up on his behalf is his semi-articulate brother-in-law.

Each time this man opens his mouth, it strengthens the cynical view that Pakistanis will lie and cheat to get what they want.

Interestingly, this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. On Friday night, friends and family of Ayesha Siddiqui appeared on television to urge Indian girls to stay away from Pakistanis and to look for grooms within our own borders. In this version, Ayesha was not just a girl in a broken marriage.

She was a symbol of Indian gullibility when faced with the evil machinations of the Pakistani manipulator.

I would be wary of treating the Shoaib-Ayesha marriage (or nonmarriage, depending on which side you believe) as an example of the vagaries of international relations but at least this interpretation, no matter how silly, is better than the way in which Hindu communalists are responding to the prospect of Sania’s marriage to a Pakistani.

No sooner was it announced that Sania would be marrying Shoaib Malik than the internet was filled with vicious and spiteful comments.

Though many were considerably more abusive, what they said in effect was this: Sania has rejected Indian men in favour of a Pakistani. This means that she has rejected India. So, she is a traitor.

Then, the political lunatics got in on the act. The Ram Sene in Bangalore issued a stirring condemnation of the match and declared that it would not allow Sania to play for India any longer.

Assorted weirdos on the fringes of the Sangh Parivar weighed in. The Bajrang Dal protested in Hyderabad.

Somebody called Vinod Bansal, described as media in-charge of the VHP, appeared on television to announce that Sania had hurt the sen-

IndoAmerican News Publisher Emeritus: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Business Manager: Jawahar Malhotra Marketing Manager: Krishna Giri Community Reporter: Kalyani Giri Community Editor: Manasi Gokhale Administrative Manager: Vanshika Vipin Marketing & Food Correspondent: Jacob David Production Manager: Hussain Mandviwala correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor Ottawa: Avinash Gavai ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com

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timents of her countrymen. All of these people are nutcases with limited clout.

But then, the Shiv Sena also weighed in. First, the usual chhotamota jokers went on TV to declare that Sania was now a Pakistani and had no business representing India.

Then, the Senapati decided to enter the fray himself.

You would think that by now Bal Thackeray had got beyond the stage where he needed to threaten 23-yearold girls. But no, the old boy was not going to let this opportunity pass.

Writing in Saamna, he displayed his usual breathtaking contempt for the facts. Sania was now going to live in Pakistan. (In fact, she is shifting to Dubai.) She was now going to be a Pakistani citizen. (In fact, she says she will remain an Indian citizen.)

How could such a person, with a Pakistani passport and a Pakistani residence, ever be allowed to play for India! There was no place for Sania in our country, etc., etc. Why is the lunatic Hindu fringe so obsessed with Sania’s wedding? The answer is not a very pleasant one.

The real target of the Hindu right is not Pakistan. It is the Indian Muslim.

The importance of Pakistan is that it can be used to suggest an extra-national loyalty for all Indian Muslims who can then be portrayed as traitors who enjoy the facilities offered by India but remain Pakistanis at heart.

So, whenever there is an opportunity to link prominent Indian Muslims with Pakistan, the loonies realise that this is too good to pass up. When Shah Rukh Khan makes an innocuous remark about letting Pakistani cricketers play in the IPL, the Shiv Sena responds with an agitation and threatens to disrupt the release of his movie.

When Dilip Kumar accepts an award in Pakistan, he is portrayed as a traitor to India who is now being rewarded by Pakistan for his loyalty.

So it is with Sania. Forget about all the times she has played for India and made our country proud. As far as the Hindutva loonies are concerned, she, continued on page 17

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Indo American News • Friday, April 23 , 2010

Dhoom Dhaam: A Grand Success

By Andrea Pinto & Vivek Sreeram HOUSTON: The ‘dhoom dham’ of Bellaire High School’s Holika program 2010 was a grand success!

From the experienced, classical dances ascertaining the breadth and dedication of the local ‘narthakii’s to the more modern, group-choreographed dances, the depth of the performances clearly painted the vast amounts of time invested in each dance. The program started with the invocation prayers and singing of the American and Indian national anthems by Rohini Rege, Rupal Mehta, Nazayat Parvez, and Vivek Sreeram, all Bellaire Hindi students. The former three singers are all acclaimed choir perform-

ers, and the latter is a skilled artist in Hindustani Classical music. This year marked Bellaire’s 21st program under the supervision of sponsor and Bellaire Hindi teacher, Mr. Arun Prakash. Like every year, performances were beyond exceptional.

After a long and challenging deliberation, the awards were announced.

SIDA (South Indian Dance Association), who brought out their prowess

in their coordination, originality, and style, were awarded third place.

The runner up and first place winners were awarded to two different dance groups from the Shingari School of Rhythm.

The MCs of the night were composed of Bellaire’s graduating class of 2010. Bellaire Hindi National Honor Society President Isha Patel described the event as “one of Bel-

laire’s greatest successes.” The most exciting part of the evening for Jason John, President of West Asian Student Association, however, was the final performance and curtain call.

Jason describes the dance as an “emotional experience” as this was his last dance in Bellaire’s Holika; with a combination of hip-swings, popping, and Bollywood moves, the 2010 class of Hindi Students ended the show with a bang. The audience was continuously supplied with humorous jokes and masterful dhol-playing

by Subin Valayil, and in the end, people left with a heart brimming with cultural shock, jalebis, and samosas.

Targeting Sania is Wrong continued from page 16

like all Indian Muslims, is a closet Pakistani who is now revealing her true colours. We must punish her by refusing to let her represent India and must drive her out of our country.

I find the media obsession with Shoaib Malik’s lies about his previous marriage slightly tacky but not particularly offensive. The claim made by the Siddiquis and their

friends that Indian girls are at the mercy of deceitful Pakistanis is silly and laughable. But it is not possible to laugh at the venomous campaign being conducted by the Hindutva extreme right.

The agenda is to subliminally link every Indian Muslim to Pakistan and to question the patriotism of an entire community. It is time to ask: do these nutcases really deserve the

kind of television time they are being given? Or are TV channels only inviting them because they will say controversial and outrageous things and that this will make for ‘good television’?

A young girl is getting married.

That should be an occasion for joy.

Instead we are turning it into an excuse to spew hatred.

Hindustan Times

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Light of the Sufis Opens May 2010 at the MFAH

HOUSTON: Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam, opening Sunday, May 16, 2010, is the first exhibition at the MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) to be devoted to Sufism, a historic branch of Islam whose followers seek mystical union with God. Light of the Sufis travels to Houston from the Brooklyn Museum, where it was organized by Ladan Akbarnia, Hagop Kevorkian Associate Curator of Islamic Art, and originally exhibited in the summer of 2009. The expanded Houston presentation, coordinated by Francesca Leoni, MFAH assistant curator of the Arts of the Islamic World, with Ladan Akbarnia will include some fifty works of art which are drawn from public and private collections, and will incorporate additional contemporary pieces.

“The MFAH launched the Arts of the Islamic World initiative in 2007 and has since given significant attention to this area, from exhibitions and collection-building to public programming,” said Dr. Peter C. Marzio, MFAH director. “We are pleased to further the museum’s efforts to explore and interpret art created in the Islamic world, and Light of the Sufis will introduce the general public to Sufism and to the beautiful works of art inspired by its ideas.”

“Although Sufism reached its peak in the medieval and early modern period, it is still practiced today,” commented Francesca Leoni. “Light of the Sufis explores some of its facets and driving principles through the lenses of artistic inspiration and

Five holy men

production.”

Light of the Sufis focuses on some of the most important Sufi ideas and practices that found expression through the arts of the Islamic world, beginning with light, which symbolizes both God and enlightenment.

The exhibition features objects that span from the 9th century to the present, and includes furnishings used for mosque lighting; attributes and representations of Sufi mystics; illustrated, illuminated, and laseretched manuscripts of Sufi poetry; and contemporary works inspired by Sufi principles and practices. Some outstanding objects on view include an early photograph (late 19th-early 20th century) of A Family of Der-

vishes; a 19th-century Kashkul, or beggar’s bowl, made from coco de mer shell; pages of illuminated calligraphies with Sufi poetry; and an inlaid wine bowl from the late 16thearly 17th century. The exhibition will also include a reading space for visitors who are willing to learn more about Islamic art and the themes in the exhibition. The space will feature reading materials for a variety of age ranges and interests, including books on Islamic art, Sufism, Islam, and poetry.

About Sufism The word Sufism, from the Arabic tasawwuf, is used to define Islamic mysticism. Through a long spiritual path that entails the abandonment

Mulla Shah

of worldly attachments, Sufis aim to achieve mystical union with God (tawhid). The movement grew from early Islamic asceticism, and evolved into a series of movements and organized confraternities (tariqa) lead by spiritual leaders (shaykh or pir).

Sufism also absorbed traditions and practices of other faiths and cultures, incorporating elements of Greek philosophies, Christian mysticism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Buddhism. Sufi-inspired lyrical poetry and literature became one

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 23 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

of the principal forms of expression of Sufi ideas and aspirations, part of which eventually found expression in the visual arts.

Catalogue A lavishly illustrated catalogue, published by the MFAH and distributed by Yale University Press, accompanies the exhibition. This book by Ladan Akbarnia, with Francesca Leoni, is the first scholarly study of Sufism through its visual and artistic manifestations.

Exhibition Funding Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam was organized at the Brooklyn Museum by Ladan Akbarnia, Hagop Kevorkian Associate Curator of Islamic Art. In Houston, generous funding is provided by Sara and Bill Morgan and Ms. Martha K. Long.

Arts of the Islamic World: Collection and Growth at the MFAH The MFAH unveiled plans in 2007 to broaden public awareness of the artistic traditions of the Islamic world, and to raise funds to begin a colleccontinued on page

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OPINION

besides me that sooner or later this is what will happen to us, people would be surrounded around us and grieving. To this, he gave me the weirdest look and said, “I am not dying right now - I have a lot to live for.”

Amazed, I said really, what if you die in a accident or so, how do you know when your time is up? To this I really never got an answer, but yet it never strikes us that tomorrow could be our last day. Hearing Steve Job’s Stanford commencement speech, he said, “Live each day as if it was your last, do things that needs to get done today, because tomorrow you might not have a chance”. So true he is, Imam Ali, cousin of the Prophet (PBUH) said, “ If I were to tell you what is to happen in your grave after death, you would never raise your head from prayers and keep on asking for forgiveness.” Chilling words, but yet every death is a

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Sleep-Scheduling Software for Astronauts

If Everybody is Going to Heaven, Who on Earth is Going to Hell?

By Hussain Mandviwala Have you ever thought where you would be going on the day you die.

It is so unusual that people can plan their financial futures, their careers and furthermore, who they want to marry and how many kids they want to raise but would not have any idea on their final resting place. Here we are, dragging our feets day to day at work, cursing every person we don’t like and making sure there is enough money in our bank account to pay our bills but in these day to day life, we forget about the divine being who is actually controlling our lives – If you’re not a religious person – I am talking about God, Allah, Bhagwan (God for Hindi) or whatever you may call him.

I recently visited a funeral and everybody was at the cemetery with sad faces praying for the divine soul of the person, I asked the person

Indo American News • Friday, April 23 , 2010

constant reminder that with each day passing, the days to the final resting place keep coming closer.

Coming back, if you ever seen it on TV – they show relatives saying “oh my son, he is with the heavenly father now” and these extremists talking about Heaven after they blow up themselves and here I am thinking “really”, what have these guys done so great that they deserve to go to Heaven and at the same time, why am I trying so hard to earn Heaven - yet the question, if everybody is going to Heaven, then who on Earth is going to Hell?

Send comments to Hussain Mandviwala at hsevershine@gmail.com

WASHINGTON: Programmers at U.S. National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) has come up with a new software that uses ‘complex mathematical formula’ to help astronauts to adjust work shift and sleep schedules.

NSBRI believes that the new software called as Circadian Performance Simulation Software (CPSS) and the accompanying ‘Shifter’ package, will help the astronaut and ground controller in charge to key in a schedule of duties and activities. The CPSS determines the best times for the harassed orbital operative to have a nap and refreshments. “The best methods that we know to help people operate at peak performance are first to ensure that they get adequate sleep, and second that their work schedules are designed to be aligned with the natural body

clock,” said project leader Dr Elizabeth Klerman According to Klerman, a Physician in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, the software has two components. The Circadian Performance Simulation Software (CPSS) uses complex mathematical formulas to predict how an individual will react to specific conditions. CPSS also allows users to interactively design a schedule, such as shifting sleep/wake to a different time, and predicts when they would be expected to perform well or poorly. The second component, ‘Shifter’ prescribes the optimal times in the schedule to use light to shift a person’s circadian rhythm in order to improve performance at critical times during the schedule.-SI

Free Meditation Sessions at Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir Meditation means to forget our physical existence completely and become one with the Universal Consciousness. At such a time we experience the pure joy as universal energy starts flowing within. Just as words are insufficient to describe the scents of flowers in the same way the experience of this eternal joy cannot be expressed through words.

Samarpan Meditation is a path of experience so meditate and experience an internal transformation by attending free sessions at Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 5645 Hillcroft Street, on May 1st 2010.

Masala Chai Hour with Rathna Kumar A program focusing onIndian Performing & Visual Arts, Literature

Saturdays 10-11am on 1480AM, Masala Radio, 281-277-6874

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SOCIETY

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The Mystical Arts of Islam Opens May 2010

tion of its art. The initiative has four key components: presenting innovative exhibitions of Islamic art; building a permanent collection of art from the Islamic world; opening permanent gallery space dedicated to the presentation of the art; and developing and hosting educational programs to advance the interpretation and understanding of Islamic art. At the inaugural, biannual Arts of the Islamic World gala, the museum acquired a number of Islamic art objects. To oversee the new department, Francesca Leoni was appointed as assistant curator of the Arts of the Islamic World in the summer of 2008. Dr. Leoni earned her Ph. D. from Princeton University; and was a Sylvan C. Coleman and Pamela Coleman Memorial Fund Art History Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before joining the MFAH’s

staff. To support and broaden the scope of the department, the MFAH created the Friends of the Arts of the Islamic World support group and initiated the Arts of the Islamic World Trustee Subcommittee. In October 2011, the MFAH will present The Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, an exhibition on gift-giving organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. MFAH Collections Founded in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is the largest art museum in America south of Chicago, west of Washington, D.C., and east of Los Angeles. The encyclopedic collection of the MFAH numbers more than 57,000 works and embraces the art of antiquity to the present. Featured are the finest artistic examples of the major civilizations of Europe, Asia,

North and South America, and Africa. Italian Renaissance paintings, French Impressionist works, photographs, American and European decorative arts, African and Pre-Columbian gold, American art, and European and American paintings and sculpture from post-1945 are particularly strong holdings. Recent additions to the collections include Rembrandt van Rijn’s Portrait of a Young Woman (1633), the Heiting Collection of Photography, a major suite of Gerhard Richter paintings, an array of important works by Jasper Johns, a rare, second-century Hellenistic bronze Head of Poseidon/Antigonos Doson, major canvases by 19th-century painters Gustave Courbet and J.M.W. Turner, Albert Bierstadt’s Indians Spear Fishing (1862), distinguished work by the leading 20th- and 21st-century Latin American artists, and The

Adolpho Leirner Collection of Brazilian Constructive Art. MFAH Hours and Admission Hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:15–7 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday, except for holidays. Admission to this exhibition is included with general admission to the museum. General admission is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children 6-18, students, and senior adults (65+); admission is free for children 5 and under. Admission is free on Thursday, courtesy of Shell Oil Company Foundation. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday for children 18 and under with a Houston Public Library Power Card or any other public library card.

Upcoming Exhibitions at the MFAH • The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture (June 6–August 29, 2010) • Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture, Photographs by Ishimoto Yasuhiro (June 20–September 12, 2010) • German Impressionist Landscape Painting: Liebermann—Corinth—Slevogt (September 12–December 5, 2010) • Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria (September 19, 2010–January 9, 2011) • Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland (May 22–August 14, 2011)

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ceeds from the show will benefit the charity clinic. The president of the charity clinic said that community members, leaders, doctors and our past presidents of the Indian Doctors Association of Houston, who have pledged financial support to the clinic, will be present at the show.

Dr. Mangal cheers as he said, ”this fundraiser will mean a great deal to those patients who seek medical services at the clinic and will help the clinic to continue to provide those services.”

“If people in the community want to make tax deductible contributions directly to the charity clinic or want to participate as a medical volunteer (i.e., practicing or retired primary care physician, dentist, optometrist, social counselor, dietician, nurse, medical assistant, phlebotomist) or as a non medical volunteer, they can send email to idccharityclinic10@yahoo.com.

The clinic president says, “Every ones presence at the show will certainly advance the clinic’s mission of serving the less fortunate among us, as the country weathers the worst economic crisis, forcing many people out of jobs and healthcare coverage.”

Win FREE tickets to shows, concerts Read Indo-American News Every Week online and print edition INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 23 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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Why India Will Not Be a Super-Power

By Avinash Gavai OTTAWA: Ottawa was recently treated to a special discussion by Ramachandra Guha, an Indian intellectual who the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine name as one of the 100 top public intellectuals in the world back in 2009, and who has authored a critically acclaimed book called India after Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy.

In an IDRC public lecture, Guha critically explored India’s future on the world stage; analyzing the deep fault-lines within Indian society, politics, economics, and culture, and suggested that talk of Indian superstardom is highly premature, shedding light on 10 major obstacles that will impede India’s hopes of being a dominant player in world affairs.

1.The Challenge of Left wing extremism Guha noted that a recent survey of the areas affected by left-wing extremism confirms that those areas are also the most inaccessible areas in India, mainly due to heavy forests.

The Maoists in India have grown in areas that are highly barren and unfit for irrigation but are rich in mineral resources. These areas were also found to have a strong sense of social identity based on language, ethnicity or religion, and an acute sense of relative deprivation. The Maoists are taking advantage of this and are gaining strength in a number of Indian states; particularly Orissa, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh. Violence has now peaked in India from Maoist/Naxalite separatist violence, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declaring it as “India’s most urgent national security issue.” Guha pointed out that no country could hope to call itself a super power which had a “constant sense of economic and social inequity which breeds movements like the Naxalite movement, and which threatens to constantly tear the state security apparatus apart.”

2.The visible tendency towards fundamental assertions by the Hindu community “The ideology that lead to the murder of Mahatma Gandhi is also a growing menace to India’s secular identity,” says Guha. “As Hindus make up 80 percent of the country’s population, the threat of Hindu fundamentalism is also as real as the minority backlash.

3.The decline of political parties and their conversion to family firms & 4. instability engendered by multiparty coalition governments

Ramachandra Guha

Here Guha gives the example of such visible politicians such as Mayavati Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi. According to him “like Indira Gandhi, the ladies of North and South run their parties as if it were a personal fiefdom. Dissent or even reasoned argument is impermissible.

Like the senior Mrs Gandhi, they both have a favoured group of trusted bureaucrats who are assigned positions of power (and profit). Like her, again, they can be vengeful towards political opponents. And like the architect of the notorious Emergency, Mayavati and Jayalalithaa are not sympathetic to the idea of press freedom. Both have encouraged and condoned attacks on journalists who have criticized them.” He mentioned that the nepotism inherent in such a structure perpetuates a system where only sycophancy is rewarded, and the countries larger interests are largely left ignored. The growing power of regional parties which cater to narrow interests are also a prime factor in this.

5.The degradation of public institutions (such as universities, law courts, hospitals, civil services).

Guha believes that the restoration of institutional autonomy must be extended to state sectors such as education. Politicians should no longer decide who will head universities or research institutions; rather, the process must be in the hands of the academicians and professionals themselves to ensure the best results.

6.The growing (spectacular) gap between the rich and the poor.

Pointing to the growing gap between the rich and the poor, Guha used the heartbreaking and increasingly numerous incidences of farmers’ suicides across the country as an example. “Tens of thousands of farmers were killing themselves everyday. The vicious cycle of debts that they are trapped in could take generations to redeem. The agrarian distress in rural communities has

become endemic,” Guha explained. This is the kind of agrarian despair that can give rise of socio-economic inequality – an unacceptable condition in any modern day power.

7.The rapid pace of environmental degradation (air pollution, dead rivers, depletion of groundwater aquifers, disposal of toxic and nuclear waste, etc.)

“In the first years of India’s development, from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, we felt social equity was the most important and economic efficiency was disregarded. After the ‘90s, economic efficiency has become most important, and social equity is disregarded.

But in both cases, ecological stability has been disregarded,” he said. He noted that Indians are disregarding the enormous amount of pressure on their environment. “I never cease to be amazed at the number of new cars that are registered in Bangalore every day. Driving them has become status symbols. Who cares about their carbon emissions and the rising fuel costs? The self is inflated; the common good and concern for fellow living things is almost absent!”

8.The superficiality of the mainstream media (or “the Indian media’s complicit worship of wealth, celebrity and super-stardom”) and abandonment of commitment to serious environmental reportage.

Guha expressed with considerable disgust the obsession with celebrity culture, and the almost banal and trivial “Breaking news” items that is omnipresent in news channels currently. While gruesome murders and the private lives of celebrities get the lion’s share of coverage, environmental issues and important policy related material are relegated to the occasional and stereotyped special reports.

“In the eyes of the new, excessively market-friendly media, the environment is only about pretty trees and tigers. They wish their readers to have their cake and eat it too; to live resource-intensive lifestyles and yet be able to glory in the beauties of the wild.”

9. Unreconciled borderlands (Kashmir, Nagaland and Manipur) & 10. Unstable neighborhood (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka).

Guha contends that the constant stain of internal and external challenges, caused by insurgencies and constant threats from unfriendly neighbourhoods will create a huge drain on Indian resources. This will lead to a constant state of instability and a palpable sense of fear that tension and conflict could have massive geopolitical effects such as war and terrorism.

On a final positive note, Guha

mentioned that the pursuit of superpower status detracts the Government of India from addressing the problems listed above. Rather, India is uniquely placed to be a “bridging power” – to be a greater influence in culture and ideas, and promoting the ethic of democracy and diversity from which other countries can learn.

“The Indian national experiment is the dream – we should fulfill it.”

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Indo-American on Trial for Selling Defense Secrets to China

SEATTLE: An Indian-American B-2 stealth bomber engineer Noshir Gowadia is under trial in a US court on charges of selling defence secrets to China, but his lawyer says such “meaningless” information was no secret.

Gowadia, 66, who was born in India but is a naturalized US citizen, is charged with 17 counts of espionage, conspiracy, money laundering and tax offences. His trial began on Tuesday in a Federal court in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is expected to last until mid-July.

Prosecutors allege Gowadia sold classified US defence secrets about the sophisticated B-2 stealth bomber to China for less than $85,000, but defence attorney argued US Air Force had already released the information.

Assistant US Attorney Kenneth Sorenson said Gowadia was “desperate” for money when he approached

the Chinese government in 2003, offering to sell them top-secret American stealth technology used to block detection of missiles and warplanes, according to Honolulu Advertiser.

Gowadia made multiple visits to China in 2004 and 2005 and was paid almost $84,000 for information and design work he provided, laundering the money through nonprofit foundations in Lichtenstein and bank accounts in Switzerland, according to Sorenson.

Gowadia was an aerospace engineer with Northrop Corp. (now Northrop Grumman Corp.) from 1967 to 1986, working on projects that included the B-2 Spirit bomber.

Sorenson said the B-2s use extensive stealth technology that makes the aircraft difficult to detect by radar and infrared devices.

The B-2 is the United States’ premier warplane and will be for at least the next 20 years, the prosecutor

Noshir Gowadia

said. There are 20 now in service and each is worth as much as $2 billion, Sorenson said.

Sorenson said Gowadia first came under an FBI intelligence investiga-

tion in 1999 based on suspicions that he might be trafficking in technology. The probe turned criminal in nature after customs agents secretly searched Gowadia’s luggage and laptop computer when he was travelling to China in 2004, according to the prosecutor.

FBI and Air Force agents searched Gowadia’s palatial Maui home in October 2005 and he was indicted on multiple federal criminal charges in November 2005.

Defense attorney David Klein belittled the value of the information and work Gowadia provided the Chinese. “Sometimes things are not what they may appear,” Klein told the jury.

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Gowadia left Northrop “before the B-2 ever flew” and became a teacher and independent businessman, Klein said.

Allegedly classified information that Gowadia offered to European governments and businesses was “meaningless” and some of it had already been publicly released by the US Air Force, according to the defence lawyer.

And the exhaust nozzle that Gowadia offered to design and test for the Chinese government “doesn’t do anything that Mr. Gowadia said it would (do) in his e-mails,” Klein said.

“Mr. Gowadia knew how far he could go and wasn’t going to go any farther,” the lawyer said. “The nozzle doesn’t do anything and if the Chinese thought that they were getting more than they were, Noshir Gowadia was fine with that,” Klein said.-HT

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