Indo American News • Friday, July 09 , 2010
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Friday, July 09 2010 | Vol. 29, No. 28
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FEATURED INSIDE Indian Seniors Celebrate Fathers Day
Story on Pg 3
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Build the Temple and a Village shall Grow in its Aura
Story on Pg 7
Indian Art Exhibition in Sugar Land Placenta of Earth: Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri Story on Pg 9
Houston Namadwaar Conducts Special Prayers on July 4 Story on Pg 13 Center for Gayatri Consciousness Opens in Houston Story on Pg 19 UCB Receives Top National Award in the Nation Story on Pg 23
Singapore Prime Minister to Visit Houston Story on Pg 28
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Peepli Live
Indian Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan (L), writer and directors Anusha Rizvi (C) and Mahmood Farooqui (R) attend a promotional event for the new film’ Peepli Live’, in New Delhi. Khan produced the Bollywood film ‘Peepli Live’, written and directed by Anusha Rizvi and is scheduled to be relased on August 13.
Anniversary Mahotsavam Celebrated at Sri Meenakshi Temple By Chittoor Ramachandran PEARLAND: The much celebrated Sri Meenakshi Thirukalyanam and the associated Rathotsavam by volunteers and devotees was held at Sri Meenakshi Temple pulling the chariot on the pradhakshina path. The priests Sri Manicka Bhattar and Sri Kalyana Sundaram led the exhilarating event. Many descendants of the archaic cultural capital of Madhurapuri were engrossed in the nostalgic Chithirai Thiruvizha. The 10-day celebrations marked the beginning of the festival with dwaja-arohanam (flag hoisting) on June 18 concluded as the flag was brought down amidst devotional music and Vedic chants, the devotees hailing a year of prosperity for mankind. A decorated podium was set up inside the main temple at the center where the utsavamoorthys of Somaskandha (a name derived from sa - Uma-Skandha to indicate the gruhasta ashrama (married life) of Lord Shiva with his consort Parvathi, and their son Karthikeya). Sri Meenakshi had a special place as the female energy (Shakthi) during the utsavam in addition to being part of Somaskandha. Certain rituals were also performed everyday outside in a tent in accordance with the basic guidelines established by the Shastras. “Since the temple has been designed according to the principle of Vaastu Shastra, rituals are followed that recog-
nize that periodic (annual) worship ceremonies have to be performed to please the deva paarshadas (attendants of the deities) who safeguard the temple premises and the devotees” said Sri Manicka Bhattar. Some of them include dwaarapalakas whose idols can be seen in front of each main deity in the temple. Still the Shastras recognize many other devatas like the Guardians of the Devotees pulling the Chariot barefooted at Sri Meenakshi Temple Directions, Dikpala, namely Indra, Agni, Yama Nri- (Coronation of Goddess Meenak- tions. Volumes of poems and stoti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Easana shi) on Saturday June 18. En- ries have been written for centuries who maintain the kinetics of the actment of Sri Meenakshi Pat- in praise of the divine beauty, valor, earth. Rituals to please these pow- tabhishekam was reminiscent of benevolence, and spiritual powers ers were carried out during the 10 the ancient legend of Madurai of Sri Meenakshi. days of mahotsavam. These deva- Meenakshi Temple. This is based Following a majestic procestas represent the natural forces we on the assumption that Goddess sion of the utsavamoorthy of Sri depend on to sustain life on earth. Meenakshi rules the city of Madu- Meenakshi, the enactment includThe basic traditions of Sri rai during April through August. ed formal acceptance and handing Meenakshi Temple at Pearland She (incarnation of Parvathi) is over of the scepter by the chairfollow those established in Sri believed to have descended on man of the board of MTS, Dr. GoMeenakshi Temple at Madurai, earth as the only child of the Pan- palakrishnan. A large number of India. Certain changes have been dya Raja Malayadhwaja as a boon people assembled to witness this adopted to befit the social struc- to the Raja’s penance. Meenakshi annual celebration. Sri Meenakshi ture of the Western world. grew up as a princess of MadhuraSri Meenakshi Pattabhishekam puri conquering in all four direcContinued on Page 3
IAPAC Hosts Fund Raiser for Candidate Vijay Kumar By Prabhu Narumanchi & ism and its ideology. TR Narasimha Rao Kumar drew attention to his HOUSTON: Over a hundred opinion that in 1400 years of Ispeople attended, in spite of torrenlamic imperialism, several civitial rain in Houston, a fund raising lizations, religions and nations event for Mr. Vijay Kumar, a Rewere destroyed and now it has publican US Congressional canditurned its focus on the United date for the 5th District of TennesStates. see (Nashville area), that was held He opined that Islamist goal on July 1 at India House. It was has always been to convert the organized by Indo-American Poworld into one Islamic state litical action Committee (IAPAC) under sharia and he actually and Houstonians for Vijay Kuquoted some Islamic scholars, mar. Vijay Kumar, a Republican US Con- saying a Muslim has no nationApart from Republican-held gressional candidate for the 5th Dis-ality, except his belief. views on the American Constitu- trict of Tennessee After the votes of thanks from tion, taxes and jobs, the illegal electrified the audience with a pas- the host organizations, the meetimmigration and secure borders, sionate speech against ‘Universal ing ended with a dinner catered sanctity of life, healthcare, English Jihadism’ and ‘Sharia’, the two pil- by Indy Cravings of Stafford. as official language, etc., Kumar lars of Islamic (Arabic) imperial-
Get Ready for Shankar Ehsan Loy Houston Tour
It’s musical madness in Houston. Rajender of Star Promotions brings the trio’s tour to Houston on August 6th 2010.
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The Spectacle of the Anniversary Mahotsavam of Sri Meenakshi Temple
Continued from Page 1
–Sundareswarar (Thirukalyana Utsavam) on Saturday, June 27. The youngsters organized such a substantial undertaking guided by Ms. Roopa Bala. For the youngsters it was a project of great fun. The bride and the groom were the utsavamurthys of Sri Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. According to the tenets of Agama Shastras, periodic kalyanotsavams spread
and instill the message of dharmic values. Each step in the celestial wedding ceremony reinforces our commitment to the society in which we live and enforces divinity to the familial structure. Thirukalyanam served as matrix to present a few pieces of art forms. Exceptionally enjoyable was the mangalavadyam - saxophone - as a deviation from the traditional nadaswaram. The artistes Shyam
Murali (saxophone, Alto) and Bala Murali (tavil) rendered melodious krithis to enhance the celestial wedding. Shyam’s extensive repertoire in many pleasant ragams like Hindolam, Kalyani, and Abhogi was impressive. Charming young Ms. Pragati Prasad portrayed Meenakshi through her dance beautifully, choreographed to the krithi ‘Devi neeye thunai’ (Papanasam Shivan’s krithi in rag-
am Keeravani). Her depiction of the words ‘chitham kavarum bhuvana sundari’ showed a lot about ‘malayadhwaja madhavam’. The two young violinists Abhishek and Malavika played this krithi melodiously as a duet. Surabi and Mahalakshmi narrated the prabhavam of Shiva thru their dance very impressively. For the several hundreds of attendees, it was nice to witness the
2010 scholarship award winners receive their certificates. Several seniors in the audience have been involved in many projects of MTS during the last three decades. For people like Sri Rama Rao and Dr. Raghuthaman, it was a great accomplishment to see that the number of scholarships has grown to 25. The sumptuous feast that followed was befitting to the occasion.
Fathers Day Celebrated by ISCAH
Thirukalyana Utsavam Photo: Viswanathan Nagarajan
The Indian Senior Citizens Association Houston celebrated Fathers Day on the 26th June 2010. Suresh and Usha Shenoy and Dr.Subodh and Sonal Bhuchar presented a very entertaining program of songs, music and a dance.They also jointly sponsored the sumptuous lunch for Fathers Day. Suresh and Subodh expressed their desire to dedicate the program to the memory of the Late Padmakant C.Mehta Past president and Trustee of the association, who they respect and revere for his dedication to the seniors and service to the Indian community in Houston. Suresh and Subodh have been presenting programs and sponsoring lunch at the senior meetings for many years. This year they included budding stars to the line up and for the first time added a dance by young girl Shruti Avantsa. Suresh Shenoy, Dr.Subodh Bhuchar, Govind Shetty, Tej Ganju, Alpa Shah and M.Saiyeed performed very well and were heartily applauded and appreciated by the two hundred attendees. Madhu Wadera, Falguni Gandhi,Fahad Ali, Srini Avansta and his daughter Shruti Avantsa made their debut and performed well. This was a memorable day for the seniors.
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Dhwaja Avarohanam during the anniversary celebration held at Sri Meenakshi Temple. Photos: Lakshminarayana Shetty
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Build the Temple and a Village Shall Grow in Its Aura
The mandir (left) at the Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj located off West Bellfort in southwest Houston. The Board of Directors, shown above, held a meeting to explain their upcoming 25th anniversary celebration in late July.
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: It is a temple building like few others. A rectangular room with a 10foot window wall on either side and behind two massive hammered-silver patterned sliding doors that open to the abode of the temple deity on a raised Dias lit with overhead stage lights and decorated with suspended ornaments. On the side two other murtis help to focus the mind. Across the room, the marble floor is pat-
terned with motifs of lotus flowers inlaid in multicolored tiles and in the center rises a dome that can be seen from the nearby Southwest Freeway overpass at West Bellfort . The inside of the dome is still being completed, as are other parts of the temple complex, explained Suresh Patel, the Board Director who spearheaded the construction effort of the Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj over the past 5 years since it acquired the land behind the massive Fry’s Electronics store and
close to a Lebanese and a Chinese church. When completed, the dome will hold an image of the stars above in a LED rendering, twinkling against a blue sky. What remains to be completed of the $5.5 million project are a few items that could be delayed in order to get the rest of the temple and auditorium facility ready for use by a congregation that has grown by leaps and bounds since it started in Sarla and Jitu Patel’s garage on Bellaire and US 59 25 years ago. The devotees soon outgrew the
humble beginnings of the VPSS and moved to a 5,000sf space on Bintliff in southwest Houston . “The Bintliff location soon became crowded, didn’t have a playground and had no facilities for preparing food,” explained Patel to an audience of about 80 people who came to hear about the upcoming plans for the VPSS this past Thursday, July 1 at the complex. “So, we found this 8-acre site and over the past 2 years built the temple which can hold 700 people and this auditorium,” he motioned to the vast 23,000sf hall in which we sat on one side at round dinner tables, “and even offer Sunday school classes for adults and the young alike.” The immense hall opens up to a central
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Build the Temple and a Village Shall Grow in its Aura continued from page
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courtyard that connects it to the temple on one side with covered walkways, a playground for kids on the other and a covered porte cochere and the parking lot on the south side. The center fountain and three smaller minaret domes at some columns will be completed soon in the structural skeletons that have already been installed, but the essential parts of the facility are in place and a major celebration has been planned for the temple in late July. The hall has a full stage with theatrical lighting, a powerful sound system, dimmable lights and removable seating that can accommodate 1,100 people for presentations. For cozier dinner functions, the hall
Much closer to home, the VPSS is planning a celebration of its 25th anniversary with a Chappan (fifty six) Bhog for the eight days of Friday, July 23 through Saturday, July 31. “On the first day we will have a procession with maybe even an elephant!” Rasesh Dalal, another Board Director told the delighted audience. “Following that there will be a seven day long program that will include 10 gurus from India and the US . The last day will focus on those who have devoted themselves to build up Hinduism,” he added and will culminate in the Chappan Bhog. Dalal promised that the celebrations will feature delicious food and plenty of events to keep the entire family busy. A major interest item will be the Health Fair
The courtyard of VPSS opens up to a colorful playground for the children
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can hold 700 people at round tables with the serving line in a spacious room off to one side next to the full kitchen. “You can hold weddings, receptions and other parties,” pointed out Patel of the services offered at the facility, “and have we can provide you – and cater - many types of cuisine – Gujarati, Jain, Punjabi, South Indian, Italian, Chinese – prepared in our fully staffed kitchen.” However, even if the hall is rented out, it is not a requirement that the VPSS handle the food. But the work is still not over and the vision unfolds with more grandiose plans. “We are substantially debt free and it is our dream to build a Gokal Gaon (Gokal village) retirement community homes with 200 apartments, shops and facilities on the property that is left over,” added Patel on the future plans for the complex.
on Saturday, July 24 in the main hall. The evening also featured short expressions of solidarity and support from wellknown community activist and supporter of 40 Hindu organizations, Vijay Pallod; Padmankant Khambatti, the man behind the Voice of Sanatan Dharama radio program; Sunil Thakkar of Music Masala radio program and Rajiv Shah who is the computer and website manager for the VPSS. But the ones who tugged at the heartstrings were tiny 6-year old Tulsi who stood on a table as she welcomed everyone in English and 10-year old Rajit, who did so in Gujarati. And not to be left out, the kitchen staff proved their skills by providing a sumptuous Gujarati dinner served on steel thalis and kohlis. The VPSS is located at 11715 Bellfort Village Dr, Houston, TX 77031; www.vpsshaveli.org
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Don’t Rely Solely on Uncle Sam’s Help During Retirement By Jesal Patel You can’t watch television or read a newspaper without being reminded of the uncertain times we’re in. Disappearing jobs, disturbing stock market losses — we don’t need to tell you, it’s rough out there. This has made retirement planning more complicated than ever. From October 2007 to last December, the market lost nearly $3 trillion in retirement savings.1 Many who were counting on their 401(k)s don’t even read their account statements anymore. The Truth About Social Security But other factors have muddied the waters for mapping a course toward retirement. People are living longer. An American born in 1955 was expected to live to age 69, on average. Forty years later, life expectancy was 76.2 This is good news; but, we need to prepare for more years of retirement. And, if you thought Social Security would take care of you, think again. Last year, the maximum monthly benefit was $2,1853 — not enough for many of you to live comfortably. While there are no easy solutions, the purchase of a life insurance policy can guarantee4 the protection of your loved ones and
additionally supplement your retirement savings,5 if the death benefit is no longer needed. Leaving a Legacy Life insurance’s primary purpose is to provide guaranteed death benefit protection, which can provide a tax-free legacy to your loved ones. But, permanent life also carries many living benefits. Cash value is money that accumulates within the policy, tax deferred. This means you do not pay taxes on any of the accumulation within the policy. In addition, you can access that money tax free though policy loans.5,6 These same funds can also be used for college expenses, as collateral for a small business loan, or any other happily anticipated or unexpected event. In addition to the death benefit protection provided by life insurance, it can also be used to supplement your retirement income. As such, it can be a vital piece of the complex puzzle of retirement planning. Neither New York Life, nor its agents, provides tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal or accounting professional before making any decisions.
Local Artists to Take Part in Indian Art Exhibition tween the East and West to bring Indian fine arts from around the world, according to the group’s web site. “The paintings that will be exhibited in this show will not only be an eye opener for some people but a source of great knowledge to the audience in understanding the Indian culture, the different techniques and the levels of creativity in art,” said Artists’ Alliance of Sugar Land member Sharmyn Ali, one of the participating artists. The upcoming art exhibition aims to increase awareness of the wall and ceiling paintings of the Ajanta Caves. The Buddhists caves are filled with paintings created in the early 4th and 5th centuries A.D. that have attracted art lovers from around the world, according to exhibit coordinators. The Samskriti-Society recently colArtists’ Alliance of Sugar Land artist, Sharmyn laborated with the Houston Museum of Ali, with two of her original art pieces to be Fine Arts in a 2-day international confeatured in the “Art of India” exhibit. ference featuring the works of over 15 local artists based on their interpretation 3100 Main. of the cave paintings. An open house will be held at the same The HCC exhibition will provide Houston location on Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. area art lovers with a venue to enjoy the ar- 2 p.m to kick off the exhibition. tistic creations of these and other artists. Sponsored by Samskriti- Society for InFree parking for the exhibition, which is dian Performing Arts, a Texas area organi- open to the public, is available in the HCC zation that serves as a cultural conduit be- garage. By Diane Tezeno
SUGAR LAND (Fort Bend Sun) : A host of Sugar Land area artists will have their artwork featured in an upcoming Indian art exhibition in Houston. The free art show, titled “The Art of India” will be held June 8 - 26, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Houston Community College, located at
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STORY of Mahatma GANDHI Gandhi Sets Up Ambulance Corps to Help British
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Gandhi Jayanti 2010 Celebration as 1000 Lights for Peace 5 pm: Sunday, October 3, 2010,at Miller Outdoor Theatre To register for “Walk For Peace” at Gandhi Jayanti celebrations, visit www.gandhilibrary.org.
Gandhi was rescued from a bloodthirsty mob by the Durban police. He was escorted by the police to Rustomji’s house, where a doctor attended to his injuries. “They are sure to calm down when they realize their mistake,” he said. Late in the evening, another mob of white people surrounded the house. “We must have Gandhi,” angry voices demanded. The mob was getting more and more threatening. “Give us Gandhi or we will bum down the house,” they shouted. Gandhi knew that they might carry out their threat. To save his friend’s house, he slipped out in disguise, eluding the crowd. Two days later a message came from London. Joseph Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, asked the Natal Government to prosecute every man guilty of attacking Gandhi. The Natal Government expressed its regret for the incident to Gandhi and assured him that the assailants would be punished. When Gandhi was called upon to identify the offenders, however, he would not do so. “I do not want to prosecute anyone,” he told the Natal Government. “I do not hold the assailants to blame. They were misled by false reports about me and I am sure that when the truth becomes known they will be sorry for their conduct.” Gandhi’s statement suddenly changed the atmosphere in Durban. The press declared Gandhi innocent and condemned his assailants. The Durban incident raised Gandhi’s prestige and won more sympathy abroad for the Indians in South Africa. As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was short-lived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting down his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. But soon he became quite an expert at this and his collars were no less stiff and shiny than theirs. Gandhi once went to an English barber in Pretoria. The barber insolently refused to cut a ‘black’ man’s hair. Gandhi at once bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair. He succeeded more or less in cutting the front part but spoilt the back. He looked very funny and his friends in the court laughed at him. “What’s wrong with your hair, Gandhi? Have rats been gnawing at it?” they asked. “No,” said Gandhi proudly, “I have cut my hair myself.” Then Gandhi tried changes in his food. He started taking uncooked food. He believed that if a man lived
As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was shortlived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. on fresh fruits and nuts he could master his passions and acquire spiritual strength. He made many experiments with his diet. He even came to the conclusion that fasting increased one’s will power. While he was thus experimenting with himself, the Boer war broke out. The Boers were South Africans of Dutch origin. They were fighting the British. Neither of these two white nations had treated the Indians well. Gandhi did not want to support either of them, but his familiarity with the British made him organize an Indian ambulance corps to help them. To his puzzled followers, he said: “India can achieve complete emancipation only through development within the British Empire. Therefore we must help the British.” The British won the war and the ambulance corps was disbanded. The newspapers in England praised the services rendered by the Indians. The relations between the Indians and the Europeans had now become more cordial, and the Indians believed that their grievances would soon be removed. It was now 1901, six years after Gandhi had brought his family to Durban. Now he felt that his future activity lay not in South Africa but in India. Also, friends in India were pressing him to return home. When he announced his decision
Indo American News • Friday, JUly 09 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
to his co-workers, however, they again pressed him to stay on. After much discussion they agreed to let him go, but only if he would come back to South Africa if the Indians there needed his help. He agreed to this. There were farewell meetings and presentations of gifts. The gifts were so many and so valuable that Gandhi felt he should not accept them. The people who had presented them would not take them back. He then prepared a trust deed, and all the gifts were deposited with a bank to be used for the welfare of the Indian community. On his arrival in India, Gandhi went on a tour of the country. The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was being held in Calcutta under the presidentship of Dinshaw Wacha. Gandhi attended the session. It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future. The Indian National Congress was the only organization which gave the people of India a chance to express their political views. It was an influential body, as many important Indians were members, but its decisions had little affect on the Government. At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportunity to meet Congress leaders like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, Lokamanya B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale, and others. He was not impressed with the way the Congress was functioning. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates. Moreover, while they spoke English and affected the style of Westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facilities in the camp. Gandhi wanted to teach them a lesson. On his own he quietly started cleaning the bathroom and urinals. No one volunteered to join him. “Why do you undertake an untouchable’s job?” they asked. “Because the caste people have made this an untouchable place,” replied Gandhi. From Calcutta Gandhi travelled round India by train. As he moved from place to place, he was shocked to see the life of the common people - the famished, ignorant, and neglected masses. His heart was filled with sadness and anger. Gandhi settled down in Bombay and started practice as a lawyer. He did well, much better than he had expected. In December 1902, however, a cable reached him from South Africa requesting him to return as promised. Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, was arriving from London on a visit to Natal and the Transvaal, and the Natal Indian Congress wanted Gandhi to present their case to him. — To be continued
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Placenta of Earth By Dr. Sudha Rajan My first major encounter with His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda was at his keynote address at the University of Houston “WAVES” conference in the summer of 2006. His Holiness described an area of the Himalayas as “placenta of earth.” That word, placenta, echoed in my heart and soul repeatedly like a mantra. After the discourse, I asked him how he came up with the word placenta to describe this Himalayan abode. His simple, straightforward answer thoroughly convinced me that there stood a great sadguru. He said that he does not coin any words, he only refers to the authentic Vedic literature, and that is exactly how the great texts describe the Himalayan mountains. Our family has traveled with him twice in India, to Vrindavan and Haridwar and to Kumbhakonam in Tamil Nadu. Kumbhakonam is the holy town where my marriage took place, a town of intense culture, spirit, music and math. My husband and I were blessed to be there with His Holiness on the nine nights of Navaratri festival in 2008. It was a
small divine mother temple on the banks of river Kaveri. Every morning, we would have a dip in the Kaveri waters, each night His Holiness would lock
himself up inside the sanctum sanctorum. How his tall frame fit inside the extremely small space, the divine mother alone knows! We would sit outside the sanctum meditating, suddenly an ethereal divine voice would dip us deeper into tranquility. Local townspeo-
ple would automatically bend their head in deep reverence when they had a glimpse or darshan of His Holiness. Young Vedic students stood in a row before getting his blessings on each day. Their divine chants still resound deeply in our hearts. It truly was magical to be around a great sage who will stun you with his wisdom and the next second be informal with you like a friend. His Holiness blessed an unknown stranger in the well known Vaidyeshwaran Temple some distance from Kumbhakonam. All of us accompanying him knew that she received the ultimate blessings for liberation. Something like that, you just know and feel, words pale into insignificance. Swami Vidyadhishananda is a rare sadguru in this time and age where fake teachers are many. His strict adherence to Adi Shankara’s guidelines or rules of monkhood will astonish anyone if the extent to which he applies them in his daily life is known. I am truly blessed to be in His presence. His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda will visit Houston from August 21 to September 13. For more details about the programs please contact self.houston@ gmail.com or call 713-249-8395. A flyer listing program details may be viewed online at www.swamahiman.org/pdfs-2010/houston.pdf
IAF Participates in July 4 Celebrations S U G A R LAND: Indo American Forum of Fort Bend (IAF) participated in the 25th annual Red White and Bluefest, hosted by City of Sugar Land billed as Fort Bend County’s largest Fourth of July celebration. Because of heavy rains earlier, there was a IAF Board members and volunteers at the 25th annual Red White and Bluefest hosted chance that by City of Sugar Land the event may have had to be curtailed but the Don Smithers, Don Olson and Tom American Forum is an association weather Gods delivered a perfect Abraham. Thanks to IAF volun- of like-minded people that values evening and the program went teers Naren and Hansa Patel, K C the strength of unity and emphaand Maya Mehta, Sunny Sharma, sizes community spirit over indiahead as planned. Indo American Forum (IAF) was Shefali Jhaveri, Anil and Purnima vidualism. The organizations main objecin full swing distributing free wa- Shah, Shashi and Sid Jajoo, Vinod tives include: To foster goodwill Jajoo and Tenaz Choudhury and ter to the public for the fifth time in a row. Over 80 cases (2,000 her family for taking time out of through civic responsibility and bottles) of water with a special and th 4th July Holiday and exhibiting service; to encourage involvement, on a bipartisan basis, in the policy personalized IAF label were deliv- the spirit of team work making of the local community, Indo American Forum of Fort ered on site. “Many people were surprised that we were distributing Bend (IAF) represents the growing and to improve the quality of life free water and we received many Indo American community in Fort for all citizens; to provide a forum compliments from the crowd” Bend County. “Together, We Can for Indo Americans to perform said Harish Jajoo, Chairman of Make a Difference” is the motto useful community services; to supIAF. Among the many elected of- of IAF. The primary goal of IAF port humanitarian causes, where ficials who visited the IAF Booth is to create and continue a positive possible; and to promote youth were Sugar Land Mayor Jimmy awareness of the Indian commu- participation in socio-cultural and Thompson, Council Members nity to mainstream America. Indo civic activities.
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Indian American killed in NY Boat Accident NEW YORK (TOI): A young Indian American physiotherapist preparing to marry his long-time sweetheart next month was killed in a boating accident in New York Harbour, media reports on Sunday said. Jijo Puthuvamkunnath, 30, was celebrating with friends on a small boat near the Statue of Liberty on Friday afternoon when they were hit by a 30-foot ProLine craft piloted by Richard Aquilone, New York Daily News said. The impact shattered the tiny boat and pinned Puthuvamkunnath in the hull, killing the New Jersey man just two days after he sat with his fiance Sissy Chacko for their wedding portrait. Puthuvamkunnath, an immigrant from India who earned a doctorate from Rutgers University, was a physical therapist who worked with children at schools and hospitals throughout New Jersey. Clutching an invitation to a wedding that will never be, the victim’s heartbroken father, Varqhese Puthuvamkunnath, the Daily said, had one message for the boater charged with taking his son’s life: “Give this to the man who killed my son!” Varghese was crying so hard Saturday he could barely walk. “My boy, my boy,” he said, as his voice trailed off and the tears streamed down his face. “I lost my child.” US Park Police officials believe Aquilone’s boat - the Reel Impulsive - hit the wake of a passing Shark speedboat and then came crashing down atop the 17-foot Bayliner in which Puthuvamkunnath was sitting with two friends. Aquilone, 39, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. He blurted
Jijo Puthuvamkunnath (l.) and his fiance Sissy Chacko. The couple were to be married next month.
out his condolences to the dead man’s family after his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court. “I apologise for this, really,” Aquilone said. Dozens of weeping mourners filled Puthuvamkunnath’s father’s home Saturday. Relatives and friends were suddenly forced to plan a funeral instead of preparing for a wedding. The wedding party posed for photos on Wednesday and the invitations were mailed out last month for an Aug 28 ceremony at Assyrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Paramus, New Jersey.
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Houston Namadwaar Conducts Special Prayers on July 4 MANVEL, TX: The Houston Namadwaar, a prayer house powered by the Divine Name, conducted a special prayer session on the occasion of the US Independence day. Akhanda Nama Sankirtan of the Mahamantra—Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare—was conducted from 6 am to 6 pm on July 3. This was the first time that a 12-hour Akhanda Nama sankirtan was conducted at the Houston Namadwaar, which was inaugurated open in February 2010. A Gopa Kuteeram children’s enrichment program with stories, slokas, bhajans, and games was conducted on Saturday for the kids who attended the Nama sankirtan. At the end of the Nama sankirtan, Dr. Bhagyanathan, personal secretary to HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, gave a Madhurasmaranam discourse for about 40 minutes, that underlined the fortune of those present at the Nama-
dwaar. On Sunday, the actual day of the US Independence, Nama sankirtan continued from 7 AM. This was followed by Srimad Bhagavata parayanam of the Pancha Stutis and Pancha Gitams. The satsang ended with a prayer for the USA written specifically for the occasion. The prayer was read out as follows on both July 3 and 4: This Fourth of July, as we celebrate the day of Independence of this strong nation, we appeal to the Supreme Judge of the World, the Lord Almighty, for the rectitude of our intentions, equality, liberty,
Siddha Healing and Shiv Yog
‘Shiv’ means infinite and ‘Yog’ means Union, “Shivyog” means union with the infinite. Each one of us has infinite potential and ‘Shivyog” is the process of unfolding the infinite potential; It is the process of transcending all limitations to achieve the abundance of health, prosperity and success.
AVDHOOT BABA SHIVANAND Tel: 281-565-6186 • www.shivyog.com Avdhoot Baba Watch Bhakti Sutra on Zee TV Shiv Anand
peace and happiness. May this country be free from all kinds of ills, threats and dangers in the form of epidemics, extremist attacks, and natural disasters and be blessed with abundance on all fronts. May we continue to cherish the Independence that was gifted to us this day 234 years ago, in its purest form. We pray, this day, for the wellbeing of this sovereign nation, for our state, city, society, family and the individual self, in the Divine Name of God. The Houston Namadwaar, located in the Pearland area at 3642, Bailey Ave, Manvel, TX, is a prayer house dedicated to chanting the Divine Names of God, which is a process that purifies and transforms us as well as fulfils prayers, both worldly and spiritual. The Mahamantra is chanted there every day in the evening, and on Saturday mornings between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM (followed by lunch prasad). All are welcome to visit the Namadwaar. Prayer requests can also be sent in by phone or e-mail. To send a prayer request or for more information, call 1 (830) 4 GOD HOU or e-mail houston.god@ godivinity.org. Related websites: www.godivinity.org; www.namadwaar.org
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Want to Keep the Flab Off? Go Biking Just five minutes of riding a bicycle each day can help a younger woman keep the pounds off, U.S. researchers say in a study offering one potentially easy way to help people slim down. The heaviest women benefited the most, the team at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston reported. “Small daily increments in bicycling helped women control their weight. But the more time women spent bicycling, the better,” said Harvard’s Rania Mekary, who worked on the study. “Women with excess weight appeared to benefit the most. This is encouraging for women with weight problems because they could substitute bicycling for slow walking or car driving.” The research could help public policy makers trying to find ways to slow the U.S. obesity epidemic, the researchers wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight. Living in America, people of all ethnic origins are susceptible to gaining pounds by eating unhealthy foods. The accompanying diseases caused by fast food choices burden costs billions and President Barack Obama has assigned his wife Michelle Obama and cabinet secretaries to find ways to counter this trend.
Their plan includes changes to neighborhoods and cities to make it easier for Americans to exercise and eat healthy. Mekary’s team studied 18,414 healthy women who had not yet gone through menopause taking part in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-based Nurses’ Health Study, an ongoing study of women’s health over time. On average, the nurses gained about 20 pounds (9.3 kilograms) over the 16-year period. The women who did not bicycle in 1989 who had started by 2005 were a quarter less likely to have gained weight, even if they rode for just five minutes a day, the researchers said. Comparatively, women who started out exercising on bikes for more than 15 minutes day in 1989 but who slacked off over time gained weight. Overweight and obese men and women who were bicycling just two or three hours a week were 56 percent less likely to gain weight. “Unlike discretionary gym time, bicycling could replace time spent in a car for necessary travel of some distance to work, shops or school as activities of daily living,” the researchers wrote. “Bicycling could then be an unconscious form of exercise because the trip’s destination, and not the exercise, could be the goal.” Take a friend biker along and you will never know how far you have pedaled, just enjoy the ride and bond on your friendship. Reuters
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IIT Alumnus Beaten to Death in NJ has known Sinha for 10 OLD BRIDGE, years, called his friend New Jersey: Three “a very gentle person” 17-year-olds were who earned his Ph.D. charged with murfrom Stevens Institute der today, authoriof Technology and ties said, after an worked for a time at Old Bridge man the College of Staten died from the injuIsland. ries he received FriWaghmare said Sinha day night when he was an author of several and his sons were books on computer imattacked near their home. Beating victim Divyendu aging and most recently had been working as a Middlesex Coun- Sinha consultant to Siemans. ty Prosecutor Bruce Waghmare said Sinha Kaplan said Divyendu Sinha, 49, died at 4 a.m. at and his sons, who were not seriously Robert Wood Johnson University injured in attack, were going for a walk when “a car came by and they Hospital in New Brunswick. The prosecutor said the three teen- pounced on him.” Authorities said they received a 911 agers, all of whom have been in custody since Saturday were initially call around 11:30 p.m. Friday. When charged with assaulting Sinha, have officers arrived, they found Sinha on now been charged with murder and the ground outside his house. One of the suspects was arrested shortly conspiracy to commit murder. Kaplan said the investigation into after the attack and the other two were the attack is ongoing and that pre- arrested and charged later Saturday liminary findings indicate the assault with assault, authorities said. The three juveniles, who were not “was not racially motivated,” but rather was a random attack. He said identified due to their age, had a hearing today before Superior Court no weapons were used. The prosecutor said a final de- Judge Roger Daley in New Brunstermination on the motive will not wick, who remanded them to the be reached until the investigation Middlesex County Juvenile Detenis completed.The attack occurred tion Center. They are scheduled to reoutside Sinha’s home on Fela Drive turn to Family Court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing on the murder in Old Bridge. On Sunday, friends and neighbors and murder conspiracy charges. Kaplan said that after the investigadescribed Sinha as a former college professor and consultant who was “a tion is complete, he will review all reports and decide whether to seek to very nice person.” Prakash Waghmare, who said he try the three as adults.
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Reels & Realities The film industry of Mumbai, popularly known as Bollywood, has never had it so bad. The principal reason for this is that when every single industry across the world was going through unprecedented bad times because of the depression, Bollywood decided that it did not need to tighten its belt in the manner of other industries. This decision may have been related to the fact that Bollywood makes its profits by peddling in illusion. The price of that is empty studios and idle post-production laboratories. The knock-on effect of this plight can be easily imagined because Bollywood provides employment and livelihood to not just the stars who grab the limelight but also to thousands of anonymous men and women. It is ironic that such people will have to face hardship at a time when people in other industries, globally, are seeing the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel. The makers of illusion are being hit by reality because they refused to face reality at the appropriate time and in the fitting manner by cutting costs and increasing productivity. It would be simplistic to see these adverse conditions as a function of the failure of films like Kites and Raavan, which were complete flops. The fact of the matter is that the corporate houses that had been acquiring films in 2006-7 stopped making acquisitions in 2008-9. But there was no cutback on the extravagant fees that the stars commanded and the producers were willing to pay. The result of this was predictable. The production companies, pampered by the acquisitions of the corporate houses and now facing high expenses, are unwilling to make films at their own costs. Big budget films have thus become a thing of the past. The sellers of dreams have suddenly discovered that their dreams have turned sour. The small films with low investments are making more money than the so-called blockbusters. The stars have not disappeared but, if Bollywood has to survive and flourish as business, they may have to prune their demands according to the needs of the time. The economics of movie-making in Mumbai has undergone a transformation. This transformation has been forced upon the industry by circumstances that are by no means special to India. Awareness has come late to Bollywood, and this will probably lead to a change in the order of priorities for all those who are involved in the business of making films. The Telegraph
e d ito r i a l
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Engaging the Generals
By Indrani Bagchi When Yousuf Raza Gilani met Manmohan Singh in Thimphu in April, the discussion on resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan was clinched when he said, “The army supports me.” This is a reality India has long known and acknowledged. As both countries attempt to rework their terms of engagement and dialogue, India needs to think harder about engaging the most powerful institution in Pakistan. The composite dialogue between India and Pakistan deserves a decent burial. The parade of top officials cogitating endlessly over the minutiae of trade and cultural ties, narcotics and drugs trafficking, or Tulbul/Wullar the dialogue had become an instrument to lull everybody into believing that things were ‘progressing’ between India and Pakistan. The usefulness of the format had begun to pall with form overwhelming substance. The two sides circled around the same issues, proposed the same old CBMs and endured the ennui of seeing them meet the same fate. Besides, they only functioned during breaks in terrorist violence from Pakistan with every successive terror attack, the dialogue came under severe pressure, first to break off and second, to resume. Breaking off the dialogue was a substitute for military action, resuming it a sign that we could continue from where we had left off. After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, this pretence had to be abandoned, as then foreign secretary and now NSA Shiv Shankar Menon realised. His reasoning was fair: we have more important things to discuss with Pakistan and, anyway, what good would discussions on cultural exchanges do if terrorists are planning more attacks? There were attempts albeit misguided to get out of the composite dialogue straitjacket and address the “real” issues; for instance, through the joint anti-terror mechanism, a classic case of hope triumphing over experience. This fell through the instant Pakistan refused to discuss terrorist violence in Jammu & Kashmir. The ill-fated Sharm el-Sheikh
understanding in July 2009 tried to insulate the dialogue from terror breaks but crashed when Balochistan came in the way. Yet here we are again in July, fresh from a bout of civilised foreign secretary talks, and preparing for foreign ministers to meet and declare “deliverables”. Reopen those LoC points, let the buses and trucks through, free prisoners and fishermen, some trade perhaps? Instead, India should be looking at crafting a whole new engagement matrix with Pakistan, given current realities and the imperatives of India’s goals. It’s clear terrorism has to be at the heart of such an engagement. These are not random acts of violence, but part of a strategy that has long been peddled by the Pakistan army. It lies at the heart of Pakistan’s foreign policy vis-a-vis India. It’s the army that has cornered the market in defining Pakistan’s sense of nationhood, either via the anti-India route or by courting extremist Islam. These are fundamental issues that are central to India-Pakistan relations, and at the core of what both sides are currently trying to address: the “trust deficit”. A meaningful discussion on these issues, regretfully, cannot be had solely with the civilian set-up. India, therefore, needs to step out on the dusty road to the GHQ, Rawalpindi. But how do we do this without
IndoAmerican News Founder: 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 Reporter: Jacob David Production Manager: Hussain Mandviwala correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor ®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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sending the Indian official establishment into paroxysms of nervousness? Thus far, India has kept its conversations confined to its traditional buddies in Pakistan a thinning sliver of civil society, the arts frat, the literary frat, businessmen and a civilian political leadership if they’re in office at the time. These are all very pleasant interactions, because they are essentially speaking the same language, so there’s no real debate. In the past, India had engaged Pakistan’s military leadership but only when the army itself was in power. But the importance of bringing the army into the dialogue is even more acute when the civilians are in power. For the protocol-minded in India, the overwhelming question is: whom will the Pakistani generals talk to in India? Pakistan’s generals are political generals, they do hard strategy. Indian generals barely have a space in the Indian strategic discourse and confine themselves to operational matters. And then there is the bureaucracy’s killer weapon. “Our foreign minister cannot call on the army chief there and the army chief would certainly not call on our foreign minister,” said one official. Protocol should not be the determining factor. A strategic dialogue could actually be the answer. It gives India and Pakistan opportunity to interact at the policymaking levels with a judicious mix of civil and military on either side. With the Pakistan military across the table, a discussion on opening trade takes on a whole new meaning. In the now halcyon years of 2005-08 when India bought cement from Pakistan to meet its construction boom, it was the army’s companies that benefited from Indian contracts. If Hafiz Saeed is ranting and raving about water wars, it is important for India to explain the situation to Saeed’s real masters, the army. It’s true popular contact and trade should be the bedrock of our relations. On all issues concerning India, the army has the last word. We need to engage directly with the last word. TOI
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Looking Beyond the Hype on Innovation
By Sumit Bhaduri Is big-bang innovation about to arrive in India or is it struggling due to judicial intervention and inadequate protection of patent rights? Several recent newspaper reports indicate that while talking about ‘innovation’ may be the flavor of the month, what it takes to make it happen is either not understood or willingly glossed over. It must not be forgotten that the primary driving force behind innovation is that of making profits, what the celebrated economist Joseph Schumpeter termed entrepreneurial “raw instinct”. An Austrian who also taught at Harvard, Schumpeter was probably the first economist to elaborate on the incredible power of technological innovation in the growth of a capitalist economy and coined the phrase “creative destruction”, something that is brought about by new technologies replacing the old ones. The game of innovation in the 21st century reflects the spin and hype of our time but the most discernible changes are those brought about by globalization. Low-cost labour in the developing world and uniformity in patent rights in more than 100 nations are the two factors that have had maximum impact on the innovation process. An educated workforce with specialised knowledge and abundant spending on research are critically necessary for any innovation. However, for a commercially viable technological innovation there are many other factors such as intellectual property law, tax codes, patent procedures, export controls, credit policies etc that come into play. The apparently conflicting signals from the innovation scene in India are to be understood against this backdrop. A plan for an investment of Rs 10,000 crore for an innovation park spread over 5,000 acres in Mumbai metropolitan region that would employ 25,000 scientists of 100 nations initially, and on completion will generate almost a million jobs in allied sectors, is apparently under scrutiny. The proposed areas of technical activities read
like a laundry list - no fashionable area of science is left behind. Why is it difficult to take this grand road map for innovation seriously? There are many causes, but the track record of the Indian corporate houses over the last several decades and the nearly dead scientific competency in India are reasons enough for being scepti-
Joseph Schumpeter, the first economist to coin the phrase “creative destruction” relating to technological innovations.
cal. Setting up research laboratories, spending money and bearing the risk of long-term projects that may or may not lead to winning technologies are certainly not the hallmarks of Indian industry. With very few exceptions what passes in the name of research and development by industry is nothing more than glorified quality control and technical service. This is evident from a cursory examination of the number of granted patents to Indian corporate houses in the US patent database. As the patent examination procedure in the US, though far from ideal, is a lot more rigorous than in India, it is that much more difficult to get away with false claims of novelty. Buying turnkey technologies from the West by paying hefty licence fees has been the only visible technology strategy for almost all large Indian corporate houses. Is there any reason to think that the setting up of an innovation park would either propel them towards serious R&D or tempt them to change their tech-
nology buying habits? The proposed innovation park is supposed to focus on several areas, many of which are biology related. Indian pharmaceutical companies will presumably be among the potential customers for new technologies. In the pharmaceutical sector, Indian players have so far enjoyed a specific advantage for the so-called generics drugs, i.e. pharmaceuticals for which the patents are no longer valid. Teaching and research in organic chemistry in India have traditionally been better than that in the many other areas of science. In developing cheaper manufacturing processes for a known organic molecule, it is this knowledge and competence that come into play. The recent adverse court rulings in India on litigations brought about by global giants such as Novartis AG, Bayer etc have less to do with country-specific judicial perspective and more with lack of genuine innovation. A patent application with negligible technical novelty that delays the onset of competition by taking advantage of a legal loophole is a well-known tactic of large pharmaceutical companies the world over. Discovering a new drug is a different ball game. It is a very expensive and lengthy process that requires integration of several scientific disciplines and associated skills and, like most major discoveries, a considerable amount of luck. All over the world, large pharmaceutical companies are trying to cope with the increased cost of R&D and reduced numbers of new drugs. There may be an opportunity for innovation but it is difficult to see how issues related to risk, ownership and cost are going to be resolved in an innovation park set up with scientists from 100 nations. Innovation with an Indian face can only happen when corporate houses walk the talk by aligning their Schumpeterian “raw instinct” with the PM’s oft-quoted words about ‘technology-led accelerated inclusive growth’.
The writer is a visiting professor at Northwestern University, US. TOI
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Center for Gayatri Consciousness Opens in Houston HOUSTON: The opening ceremony of the “Center for Gayatri Consciousness” was successfully conducted on Sunday, June 13th by All World Gayatri Pariwar, Houston, in the auspicious presence by adarniya Shantilalji Patel and adarniya Pratap Shastriji of Shantikunj Hridwar, India, the head quarter of All World Gayatri Pariwar. Many awakened souls actively participated in the Gayatri Deep Yagya, which is a small scale, but equally potent form of the gayatri yagya. This novel spiritual procedure was initiated by Yug Rishi Vedmurti Taponishtha Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya to simplify the usually long and complicated process of yagya and make it more accessible to common man so that every body can benefit from it with out spending too much time and resources. Shantilalji and Pratap Shastri ji emphasized that this is not just another temple, but a Chetna Kendra for janjagrati, a place where people can come and get guidance on how to inculcate true scientific spirituality in their lives and awaken the divinity within them
selves. Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya, founder of Gayatri Pariwar, devoted his life researching the science behind spirituality. He conducted 24 Gayatri Mahapurashcharanas (chanting of 2.4 million Gayatri Mantras per year for 24 years) and became siddha in gayatri. Conducting experiments of various gayatri sadhanas on himself, he lived a disciplined life of devout austerity, visited the Himalayas for elevated sadhanas several times and attained spiritual eminence. Based upon his research he wrote “Gayatri Mahavigyan” which elucidates all the aspects of the subtle science of Gayatri. He can be considered an expert in the science of gayatri mantra. A noted saint, spiritual scientist, yogi, philosopher, psychologist, writer, reformer, freedom fighter, researcher, eminent scholar and visionary, he has written more than 3000 books covering numerous subjects like: Scientific Spirituality, Gaytari & Yagya, Transformation of era etc. Apart from all his original writings, Acharyashri has translated the entire Vedic Vangmaya (4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, and 18 Puranas etc) in Hindi to make them
assessable to common man. On the completion of the 24 Gayatri Mahapurashcharanas, Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharyaji launched the movement for transformation of Era (Yug Nirman Mission) and the movement for thought revolution. It is a global movement for moral, cultural, intellectual and spiritual refinement and reconstruction. The basic cause of all the problems in today’s world is malicious thinking. Thought revolution is a Unique Movement for Refinement of people’s thinking and positive orientation of mass psychology. Today, All World Gayatri Pariwar has branches in nearly 80 countries. It has more than 4000 centers in India and abroad and close to 60 million members. Center for Gayatri Consciousness at Houston is one of the revolutionary centers of AWGP for reformation and elevation of the whole world with collective participation of awakened souls. For more information, visit www. gayatripariwarhouston.org or email awgp.houston@gmail.com,
IFS Officer Accused of Domestic Worker Abuse NEW YORK (NY Post): An Indian government official responsible for championing women’s rights illegally snuck an underage girl into the country to serve as a personal slave for herself and her hubby, a shocking new suit charges. Neena Malhotra and husband Jogesh allegedly forced the girl to sleep on the floor of their apartment inside the Indian Mission to the United Nations in between waiting on them hand-and-foot 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Shanti Gurung, now 21, claims her drudgery included giving daily massages to her evil mistress, who ironically headed a 2008 initiative against domestic abuse while serving as a Manhattan-based consul responsible for “women-related issues.” Gurung also handled cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands and chores often until 3 a.m. following frequent parties in the couple’s East 43rd Street home, her suit says. The Manhattan federal court filing which seeks unspecified damages for three-plus years of “slavery and peonage”says the well-fed Malhotras starved Gurung, with Neena Malhotra once berating her for eating a slice of bread without permission. “On another occasion, when Ms. Gurung asked the defendants for rice, they refused,” the suit says. The couple who “often yelled at and physically threatened Ms.
IFSofficerNeenaMalhotrahasbeenaccused to abusing a domestic worker.
Gurung for the most miniscule of reasons” even loaned her for 45 days to a family in California that subjected her to similar abuse, the suit says. “This is a horrific story, like something from the Middle Ages,” said Gurung’s lawyer, Mitchell Karlan. Gurung, who has only an eighthgrade education, claims the couple tricked her into accompanying them to America in March 2006 with the promise of 5,000 Indian rupees about $108 a month, with raises every six months. But she only received a single payment of 5,500 rupees about $120 and was threatened that “if she ever tried to leave, the police would beat and arrest her....take any of Ms. Gurung’s money and send her back to India as cargo,” the suit says. Gurung who was 17 when her “in-
voluntary servitude” began also says the Malhotras made her lie to U.S. immigration officials about her age and a purported $7-an-hour salary in order to get her a visa. She finally escaped their house of horrors in July 2009, fleeing while they were out of the apartment “to the home of a young woman she managed to meet when she went shopping for the defendants.” Some of the allegations are eerily similar to those that sent Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani to the slammer for enslaving a pair of Indonesian women inside their Long Island home. Both Neena Malhotra and her husband, an engineer, have since returned to India, where Neena Malhotra currently works for the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The Consulate General of India in Manhattan didn’t return requests for comment. Neena Malhotra and her husband, an engineer, have since returned to India. Malhotra has been accused by a young woman refused to comment on the subject. When reached for a reaction by PTI, Malhotra asked for the caller’s identity and after ascertaining that, disconnected the phone. Malhotra is posted as Director, Southern Division of the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry, sources said.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUly 09 , 2010• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Indo American News • Friday, July 09 , 2010
online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
Whose Fault is it?
Is marriage a sacrament, or is it just a legal contract? It remains an institution that offers the possibility of happiness, if configured right… By Vijay Nagaswami CHENNAI (Hindu): A recent discussion with my good friend on what I felt about the idea of divorce set me thinking about the ambivalence with which we generally tend to approach the subject. While we have learned to accept divorce, we’d much rather not think about it, unless we are forced to. I believe that our ambivalence is largely owing to the fact that we’ve not quite made up our minds on what precisely marriage means to us. Traditionally, marriage has been considered a sacrament and this is the way most older Indians approach the institution of marriage. Obviously, in this situation, divorce becomes a moral dilemma, for, who would be comfortable engaging in sacrilege? Which explains why thousands of couples in the country, despite strongly feeling the need to separate from their partners for often very legitimate reasons, have hung in there and seen their lives through in an atmosphere of barely-manageable marital toxicity. Younger Indians though, don’t necessarily see marriage as a sacred institution. Which perhaps explains why they are willing to consider the possibility of divorce when their marriages are not configured for emotional fulfilment. However, it is still not easy even for young Indians to get blasé about divorce, for the sacrament theory of marriage is still strongly imbued in
the hidden depth of their psyches, and perhaps their DNA even. So, despite the fact that the nation’s lawmakers have recognised the validity of
divorce in certain situations, Indian couples approach Family Courts with some considerable trepidation. Considerable difficulty Indian divorce legislation has rightly not made it easy for people to rush to divorce courts. The easiest form
of divorce is that obtained by mutual consent, if both partners are mutually agreeable to a parting of ways. However, this is often not the case, for, one of the partners refuses to consent to a divorce for whatever reason. In such a situation, if the other partner still wants a divorce, the only option available is to unilaterally approach the court for divorce on certain specified grounds such as cruelty, desertion, mental disorder, adultery and so on. Obviously, the accused partner has a right to ‘contest’ the allegations, and the burden of proof is on the accuser to prove to the court that the grounds on which divorce is sought really exist. Very often, it is extremely difficult to prove these beyond reasonable doubt, as a result of which many divorces go through lengthy and expensive legal processes which benefit none of the players. And it is not uncommon for the partner whose mind is made up on the issue of divorce to resort to unfounded allegations to strategically
enhance the probability of divorce. However, this is now set to change. Changes ahead Very recently, the Indian cabinet has recommended amendments to divorce provisions under the Hindu Marriage Act and Special Marriages Act, whereby ‘irretrievable breakdown of marriage’ will be considered an acceptable ground for divorce. In other words, even if one partner is unwilling, if the partner who approaches the court can prove that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, or if the accused partner is resorting to delaying tactics and avoiding court appearances, then the courts will be empowered to dissolve the marriage (of course, there will be lots of checks and balances and things may not be as simple as they sound). This is the equivalent of the much-debated “nofault divorce” in the United States. Although the no-fault divorce first made its appearance in the state of California about 40 years ago, the other states took their own time adopting it (the state of New York is only now in the final stages of doing so). In fact, for many years New York state prided itself in having among the lowest divorce rates in the US and many New Yorkers now fear that there will be a flurry of divorce applications owing to the no-fault divorce, which is exactly the fear in the minds of many people in our country with this pro-
posed amendment. However, such concerns are baseless, for, research has documented that although there is usually an initial increase in divorce applications when such legislation is enacted, things level off after a while, for, the rates of the ‘contested divorces’ progressively decrease. Needs work Which brings me back to the point that I initially started exploring. If the laws of the land endorse the fact that some marriages can break down irretrievably, then marriage can no longer be viewed as a sacrament. Then how are we to think of it? A contract? I wouldn’t really take such an extreme perspective. I would much rather consider marriage as a special relationship that provides all human beings the possibility of peace, health and happiness, but only if it is appropriately configured. For this to happen, one needs to usher three Cs into marriage: Commitment, Connectedness and Companionship. I would much rather we work towards such “no-fault marriages” and consider “no-fault divorces” only if, despite exhausting ourselves trying, we’re still not able to get the marriage right. And since there are enough couples out there getting it right, I remain optimistic that the divorce rates in our country, which have been arguably pegged at about 11 divorces for every 1,000 marriages, are unlikely to veer too sharply northwards.
India Fest 2010 - August 15, 2010
“Heritage India”
ICC is proud to announce that it will honor the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore with the “Spirit of Tagore” awards to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary Considered the greatest writer in modern Indian literature, Rabindranath Tagore was a poet, novelist, educator, musician and artist. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his work “Gitanjali”. He was the only man whose songs have been selected to be National Anthems of two countries i.e “Jana Gana Mana” for India and “Amar Sonar Bangla” for Bangladesh. Tagore was awarded the knighthood in 1915, but he surrendered it as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of Amritsar. India Fest 2010 Awards Nomination Form Application deadline July 31, 2010 Return this nomination form along with the nominee’s Resume to: India Culture Center (ICC), Houston Attn: Atul Vir E-Mail: Atul@ShangrilaArts.com or Fax 713-490-7451
“Spirit of Tagore” Award Categories (check one): Poetry Writing ( Literature and Plays ) Education Music Painting Name of Nominee: Address: Phone/Fax: Name & Address of Nominator: Phone # of Nominator: Disclaimer: Kindly note that the ICC Board reserves the exclusive discretion to select, without accountability to any organization or nominating body, the final honoree in each category from amongst nominations received from various sources including other organizations. The individuals nominated should be of Indian Origin living in South Texas. These individuals/organization would be informed in advance & they should be present at India Fest 2010 .The ICC Board offers no assurance that any of the nominees will be amongst those selected to be the final honorees at the India Fest 2010.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUly 09 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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S ociety
Bureaucratic Tangle Over PIO Card for Our Nobel Winner V. S. Naipaul
LONDON (Outlook): “It is a great tribute to both England, my home, and to India, home of my ancestors,” V.S. Naipaul had exclaimed, when told the news of his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001. He has also often said: “An Indian from India could look no more Indian than I do” But that apparently is not enough to get a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card from the Indian High Commission in London. Or so goes the recent much-talked about controversy in which, it is alleged, Sir Vidia’s wife, Lady Nadira Naipaul was rudely told by the Indian High Commission in London that her husband should travel to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh to find a tehsildar or magistrate willing to certify that Naipaul is indeed a person of Indian origin. She also claimed that she was first made to wait in the “pits” of the High Commission before being allowed to see an officer to whom she explained what she wanted. All this happened three months ago, the story goes, when Lady Nadira travelled from Wiltshire to London to ask the Indian High Commission as to how her husband could apply for a PIO card that would entitle him to travel visa-free and even settle down in India in his last years. Used to having her way, apparently Lady Nadira told the babus at the high-commission that their behaviour was in stark contrast to the officials of the “courteous Pakistani High Commission”. She pointedly told them that the Pakistani officials came out of their building to receive and see her off whenever she visited them. The babus point out that they were only stating the official position. “There is no question of being rude. We only conveyed to her that we need documents to prove on paper that his ancestors lived in India. This is the law,” an official, who did not want to be quoted, explains. But Lady Nadira wouldn’t hear any of it and proceeded to walk-out
Indo American News • Friday, July 09 , 2010
Electrolux to Recycle Ocean Plastic Trash to Make Vacuum Cleaners While images of brown streaks of drifting crude oil, beached tar balls and petroleum-stained pelicans are now conjured with any mention of ocean pollution, one firm is gathering bits of floating plastic to build vacuum cleaners. Electrolux, the world’s second largest home appliance maker, said on Tuesday it will harvest bit of plastic from floating garbage islands in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans,
Bureaucratic tangle for the Naipauls: application for PIO card difficult because of lack of documentation that his ancestors left India generations ago.
in a huff. As the news spread, and because the Naipauls are people who matter, despite being perceived to be close to the BJP, an enquiry was ordered. Details were sought from the concerned official who dealt with the case. And, now, as a result, the High Commission has swung into action in damage-control mode. A brief statement issued by its spokeswoman clarifies: “Lady Nadira Naipaul had visited the High Commission some three months ago and made enquiries about the procedure for application for a PIO card for her husband which were explained to her by the concerned officials of the mission. “These procedures are also on the High Commission’s website,” the spokeswoman said, and added: “No application has been made by V S Naipaul for a PIO card.” While Naipaul has often written about his ancestors having gone as indentured labour to Trinidad from Gorakhpur, and has maintained that it is the only real address he has in India, he does not have any “documents” to prove that his ancestors lived there. And that, precisely, is what the whole controversy was about. There
was no question of applying for the card, as Lady Nadira’s version goes, because the officials told her what documents she needed to produce. Realising the damage such a controversy could cause, the Overseas Indian Affairs ministry has swung into action. Its Secretary Didar Singh was quoted by a newspaper as saying, “We have asked the Indian High Commission for a report. If the high commission so recommends, we (the home ministry and the ministry of overseas Indian affairs ) will be willing to make an exception for a person of eminence like him.”
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as well as from three European seas, and use the material to manufacture six showcase vacuum cleaners. The Swedish firm said the vacuum cleaners will not be sold, but rather used to bring attention to the issues of plastic pollution and the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances. “There are plastic islands, some
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUly 09 , 2010• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
several times the size of the state of Texas, floating in our oceans. Yet on land, we struggle to get hold of enough recycled plastics to meet the demand for sustainable vacuum cleaners,” said Cecilia Nord, a vice president at Electrolux. The “Vac from the Sea” initiative will gather plastic by diving for it or scooping it up from waves. Electrolux said more plastic needs to be reused in order to keep it out of the world’s oceans, but also cons u m e r perceptions over plastic recycling also must improve to lift uncertainties surrounding the supply of recycled materials. “More recycling directly translates into more sustainable appliances and homes,” said Jonas Magnusson, product marketing manager at Electrolux. The initiatives comes as the world closely watches efforts by BP PLC to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest in U.S. history.
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Indo American News • Friday, July 09 , 2010
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JUly 09 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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society
Indo American News • Friday, July 09 , 2010
UCB Receives Top National Award in the Nation
Senior officers of United Central Bank along with Yolanda Olivarez- Regional (South) SBA administrator and Herbert Austin SBA district Director (DFW)
DALLAS (CNN): United Central Bank recently was given the Top SBA national award “Small Business Lender of the Year for 7(a) loans in large category”. The award ceremony was held in Washington DC on Monday May 24th, 2010 and the award was given by Karen Mills, the SBA Administrator. UCB was selected from almost 4800 SBA lenders. It
is a highly prestigious award almost equivalent to a life time achievement award for any SBALender. In the past six months United Central Bank’s achievements have been recognized by SBA at the District level, Regional level and at the National level. The award ceremony included a reception from the Department of State in the honor of the winners followed
by a visit to White House where President Obama addressed all the award recipients. The address was telecasted live on all major news channels including.
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