E newspaper02282014

Friday, February 28 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 09

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Indo American erican News

www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX

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From Left: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Atul Kothari, Mike Jain, Swapan Dhairyawan, Ajit Thakur, Mahesh Desai, Imtiaz Munshi, Kershaw Khumbatta, and Surender Trehan at the 2014 Tax seminar .

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

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IACAN Raises Cancer Awareness Through its Educational Seminar “The Rising Tide of Cancer Among Asian Indians�

BY GAYATHRI KONGOVI HOUSTON: The Indian American Cancer Network (IACAN) opened its 2014 series of outreach educational seminars on cancer with a thought provoking topic- “The Rising Tide of Cancer Among Asian Indians.� It was held at the India House on Sunday, February 16 from 3PM-5PM. The distinguished panel of speakers included Beverly Gor, EdD, Instructor, Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Sunil Patel M.D., Medical Oncologist, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Katy, TX, Alejandro Chaoul, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Director of Education, Integrative Medicine Program, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. To an audience of about 80 people, the panel of experts gave an overview of the increasing trend of cancer among Indian Americans, preventive steps through early screening, lifestyle changes and integrating practices like yoga and meditation.

As the first speaker of the seminar, Dr. Gor highlighted the fact that the Indian American community represents the second largest Asian group in the Houston Metropolitan area and continues to grow.

Yet there is very little information about their health needs. The anecdotal evidence from the community indicates that cancer and other

From Left : Dr. V. K. Dorai, Snehal Desai,MD; Sunil Patel, MD; Shalin Shah, MD; Dr.Alejandro Chaoul, Dr. Beverly Gor, Kanchan Kabad, Gayathri Kongovi and Sarvesh Bhavaraju

chronic diseases are increasing in this population. The ongoing South Asian Health Needs Assessment (SAHNA) survey conducted

by IACAN in collaboration with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is important because it will help identify the cancer needs of the Asian Indian community in the Houston/ Galveston area. With the results of

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the survey, programs can be developed to address their needs.

The second speaker, Dr. Patel gave a medical perspective of cancer and cancer prevention. He defined cancer as a group of more than 100 diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Up to two-thirds of cancer deaths are thought to be pre-

ventable. Cancer is something that develops many years after exposure. The decisions that we make now can affect our future health.

Also, the habits that our children form today will affect the future of their health. His advice was: avoid tobacco and second hand smoke, eat healthy, incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your

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diet. Exercise, maintain a healthy weight, protect from the sun, limit or avoid alcohol consumption. Dr. Patel stressed on the importance of early screening tests to detect the cancer at an early stage. Early diagnosis has better prognosis and higher cure rate.

Dr. Chaoul, the third speaker described how our mind could heal the body. Life stress can cause DNA damage and accelerated telomere shortening. A variety of mind-body practices like Yoga, Meditation and Tibetan Sound Meditation, have been designed to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. The scientific study is going on and the results are promising in reducing the risk for cancer and cancer survivorship.

Shalin Shah, M.D., a board member of IACAN moderated the seminar and the Q & A session.

In order to fund its programs IACAN will be hosting a Gala “ Celebrating Life� on April 19, 2014 at Houston Marriott Westchase located at 2900 Briarpark, Houston, TX. 77042.

The Indian American cancer Network (IACAN) is a cancer resource network that educates and supports the Indian American community.

For further information visit www.iacannetwork.org or call 713-370-3489

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COMMUNITY

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: As omnipresent as the air we breathe and yet as unwanted as the air we exhale, Taxes are an integral part of our lives. As cumbersome as they come, Taxes are essential for the existence of a modern day society. However, in the last few years, the Tax code in the US has been getting more and more complicated and its no surprise that a good CPA is a knight in a shining armor for most of us.

For three years now, the IndoAmerican Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) and the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) have been bringing forth these knights in shining armor to de-code and de-mystify the tax code. The tax seminar this year was held at India House on Saturday, February 22.

Aimed at easing the mind of the South Asian Immigrant community, the topic for this years seminar was “Overseas Assets and How it affects Tax Filings” besides the well appreciated and informative updates for the 2014 Tax year.

The seminar was chaired by a panel of six knowledgeable and competent CPA’s including Mike Jain, Kershaw Khumbatta, Atul Kothari, Mahesh Desai, Swapan Dhairyawan and Imitiaz Mun-

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Third Annual Tax Seminar Held by IACCGH and GOPIO

shi. The seminar was moderated

by Ajit Thakur. With the tax seminar becoming an annual feature, it was no surprise that more than 200 people attended this event.

The seminar started off by a welcome note from Jagdip Ahluwalia of IACCGH and Surender Trehan from GOPIO. The attendees were then addressed by Swapan Dhairyawan who introduced the need for such seminars for the community and urged the attendees to take full advantage of the knowledge base of the highly experience CPA. Incidentally Swapan Dhairyawan was also the Program Chair.

This was followed by some indepth presentations on various topics from the experts. Kershaw Khumbatta presented a very informative session on “Changes to 2013 Tax laws … Individual and Business”. Mahesh Desai then presented the well-appreciated topic of “FBAR and declaration of Foreign Assets”. The audience then got a chance to listen to Mike Jain talk about the “Changes to the 2014 Individual Taxes”. Going back to the taxation over overseas assets, Swapan Dhairyawan provided an in-depth analysis of

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“Overseas Voluntary Disclosure Program and Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act”. He also made sure he mentioned about the recent Phone scam, in which the caller pretends to be the IRS and asks for money. “ Always note, the IRS never calls, they send a letter” added Dhairyawan.

In the last few years, the US senate and house has seen passionate debate over the new healthcare law popularly known as “Obamacare”. Imtiaz Munshi struck a chord with the audience in his presentation and interpretation of the “Obama Care Law”. His opening line, “Hello, Obama Care - the Republicans and Obama Cares - the Democrats,” immediately caught the audience interest. Atul Kothari then gave a detailed presentation on “Individual Tax Planning Techniques”. His key point was to always declare your income. The series of presentations were informative and educational for everyone in the audience. There were a lot of practical tips given by the CPA’s.

The presentation session was followed by a qick tea and snacks break and then a Question & Answer session which was efficiently moderated by Ajit Thakur. During the Q&A session the audience cleared their doubts about taxation issues. All questions were duly and aptly answered by the panel.

The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Jagdip Ahlu-

Photos Bijay Dixit

Kershaw Khumbatta

Swapan Dhairyawan

Mahesh Desai

Imitiaz Munshi

Mike Jain

Atul Kothari

walia and with the presentation of plaques to the panelists as a token of appreciation for their support to the community.

The Speakers PowerPoint presentations will be available on the Chamber website at www.iaccgh. com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

World Yoga Day: The Fight for Human Rights KATY: World Yoga Day is a worldwide annual yoga marathon, which began in 2007, where people have the opportunity to participate in a community yoga event that lasts for approximately two hours in a participating yoga studio. Donations are collected at the day of the event, which are fully donated to a chosen international humanitarian organization. In 2014, all donations will be used to support Oxfam International’s great efforts to aid Syrian refugees. Oxfam is an organization founded in 1942 known as: “an international confederation of 17 organizations working in approximately 90 countries worldwide to find solutions to poverty and what it considers as injustice around the world”.

Michelle Moreno-Lee, an avid volunteer and advocate for human rights introduced and shared the World Yoga Day concept to Art Montage Yoga, a small studio in Katy Texas in 2013. As a result, she was able to successfully coordinate the first World Yoga Day in Texas in 2013, and continue to bring it to life in 2014. She sees the great potential to get other yoga studios/communities involved in this humanitarian effort and looks forward to the opportunity to introducing the event to other yoga studios and communities throughout Texas next year.

World Yoga Day 2014, took place outside the Art Montage Yoga studio, and brought its yoga instructors together to lead a yoga practice, melodious live music, as well as guest speakers/instructors such as Shekhar Agrawal, from Patanjali Yogpeeth USA Trust, and Dr. Hansa Medley (Guru Bhakti

marathon became one amongst many, of the highlights and a great topic of discussion after the practice.

Shekhar Agrawal demonstrated intense breathing techniques related to total wellbeing, as well as techniques to avoid constipation “known to be the root of all diseases”.

After the event, the Hare Krishna Center, shared scrumptious vegetarian Indian food, striking henna art, and an informative demonstration of a variety of Indian spices including critical information regarding the long-lasting benefits of ayurveda.

For further information contact Michelle Moreno-Lee at michelle.moreno@ gmail.com or call 508-733-6904 Dasi) from the Hare Krishna Temple and Cultural Center.

The yoga marathon began with Dr. Hansa Medley and a group of adults and youth from the Hare Krishna Center who led the community through a humbling, and inspiring chanting/meditation session. It was then followed by a yoga practice led by the yoga instructors, and concluded with Shekhar Agrawal, a pranayam instructor, who led a breathtaking yoga breathing/pranayam practice. Western culture defines yoga with an intense focus on the physical practice, and there can be at times a lack of emphasis on the breathing, the intention of the practice or the foods consumed; however, bringing the pranayam practice and the culture of the Hare Krishna Center to the World Yoga Day

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

Houston’s Mahesh Sriram in Hangup

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HOUSTON: Houston based model/actor Mahesh Sriram’s next film ‘HANG UP’ is all set to release on March 7. Sriram is playing one of the lead role, co staring with Sudhakar Komakula from the ‘Life is Beautiful’ fame, Natalie Rout, Raghu Pathy, Angela Kumar, Suzanne, Madhhu (Pop singer), Farokh Daruwala and others. ‘HANG UP’ is a thriller directed by Hyder A. Bilgrami and Tirthankar Das. The assistant director’s are Eshwar Gunturu, Shanthan Reddy, Vijay Adireddy, Ajayender Reddy Loka, Faraz Alam.

Mahesh Sriram is from Hyderabad, India and currently lives in Houston. His media career took off when he started working for fashion photographers. He won awards for his portfolio and looks. He got his start as a print model and was featured in national marketing campaigns throughout India. His face became recognizable in magazines and on billboards for local and global brands Sriram wanted to be more than just a face on a page. He used his experience as a fashion model to begin working for runway shows across the globe. This quickly led to television commercial work and featured roles in Tollywood films. He received more recognition from his debut film Chinna Cinema which released in India and US in 2013, and now aims for greater success for his second film ‘HANG UP’ which releases on March 7 in which he plays one of the lead roles. Sriram is currently busy working on his third film project that is majorly filming in US. In addition to working as a professional model and actor, Sriram earned his MBA and became a professional animator/multimedia specialist and has worked on Hollywood and Bollywood projects. Later, he used that experience to start his own animation company in the U.S. He is currently the

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

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Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala’s Campaign for Fort Bend ISD Trustee

BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala’s “Kick off” campaign for Fort Bend ISD Trustee on February 12 got off on a solid start at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce with strong endorsements from Mayor of Missouri city Allen Owen and Constable Precinct 4 Trever Nehls.

Elected officials, State Rep. Rick Miller, Council members Harish Jajoo, Ken Mathew and Floyd Emery along with several prominent members of the Indo American community were present to show their support.

City and school elections normally do not mix but schools and school systems strongly affect what happens in our city and that is why Mayor Owen strongly endorsed Dr. Ramesh for the school district. According to Mayor Owen, Dr. Ramesh and he “shared the same beliefs regarding education”. Not all kids go to college and it was vital that high school children be taught vocational education that would give them a skill and help them procure a job after leaving school. He believed that Dr. Ramesh would work to offer

From left: Jeff Wiley, President Fort Bend Economic Development Council, Ken Mathew Stafford city council member, Allen Owen, Mayor of Missouri City, and Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala.

school kids “all kinds of opportunities”. Mayor Owen also urged the gathering to encourage friends and neighbors to vote on May 10 for sometimes “even those who put up signs in their yard don’t go and vote.”

Constable Nehls next took the podium to give a brief introduc-

tion about Dr. Cherivirala. Having known Ramesh for almost a decade, he claimed that it was “a distinct pleasure working with him.”

He lauded Cherivirala’s extensive involvement with the community for the past 18 years by serving in several leadership positions and totally concurred with his belief that “successful children began

with parents.”

An active and prominent Indo American, Dr. Cherivirala credits his success to his education which is why he is passionate about the cause of education. In his address, Dr. Cherivirala stressed on three issues that if elected, would take priority - a supportive and competitive academic environment

and the safety of children, teachers and the staff in the school districts.

Tax payers want their tax dollars spent wisely and Dr. Cherivirala does come with the best financial credentials possible. As partner in New York Life, Sugarland, (a Fortune 100 Company) he has been living and breathing money management successfully for the last 11 years! Dr. Cherivirala concluded his address by thanking the gathering for their support and welcomed any suggestions and concerns.

Closing remarks were made by former Fort Bend Board of Trustee Sonal Bhuchar. She recalled seeing Dr. Cherivirala “drag boxes of books” for school children and believed that he possessed not only the “intellectual horsepower to oversee the spending of half a billion dollars for the future education of 70,000 children and 73 campuses but also the passion and commitment towards education and children.” In her closing statement, she urged the gathering to support a man who will make not just a 100% commitment but a 200% one!

From left: Gitesh Desai, Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala, Jagat Kamdar and Hasu Patel.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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COMMUNITY

Sri Meenakshi Temple Vedic Heritage School Celebrates “VHS Day” by Students PEARLAND: On February 16, Sri Meenakshi Temple’s Vedic Heritage School (VHS) conducted a new event called VHS day that combined the Shlokotsavam (an annual presentation of slokas) and Speech Contest, both by the junior and senior students of the VHS. The VHS program, which started in 2000, is in its fourteenth year at Sri MTS and is run by volunteers, with the objective to teach Hindu values, heritage and culture to the younger generation. The VHS has continuously grown in the breadth and depth of its content and in the number of students enrolled.

MTS Education committee coordinator Meena Subramanian started the day’s proceeding with the traditional lighting of the lamp, followed with an invocatory prayer by a VHS student. The day ran like a clock-work with the coordinators, Sripathy Karnam, Lakshmi Panchavaty and Garuda Rao constantly on the move to ensure timely completion of all activities scheduled for the day. The sessions were chaired by the VHS assembly coordinators (bhajan/sloka teachers) Partha Krishnamurthy, Bhavani Iyer, Kiran Partha and Nalini Sadagopan. Several MTS board members lent support through their presence, welcoming the participants, and thanked teachers, volunteers and parents

Sri MTS Vedic Heritage School children at the end of the tournament proudly displaying the award Trophies with Teachers and coordinators of VHS, Judges and MTS board.

for their service.

The event was broken into two segments: Juniors with ages (4 -10 years), and seniors above 10 years. The children ages (4-6 years) from the junior segment sang two verses from invocatory slokas and bhajans they had learnt; children aged (7-8 years) gave a rendition of one Khandam from the Ramayana and children (9 to 10 years) recited verses from the Dashavathara stothram from Bhagavata Purana. It was hearten-

ing to experience the enthusiastic rendition by the young children in their inimitable style.

The seniors were divided into two categories, with the younger group reciting Aditya Hridhayam and the second group reciting Vishnu Sahasranamam verses #20 to #40. Speech contest was open to all and the given topic was based on curriculum. The pronunciations of even difficult slokas were outstanding by all the children and a real testimony to the

efforts of students, teachers and parents. The speech contest displayed the depth of understanding that the student had, as they tackled a range of topics from discussing their favorite characters in the Puranas, to answering questions such as “what are your universal values? Define it” and “exemplify the relevance of boundaries of Friendship learned in the sacred texts”. The consummate ease with which they tackled the topics and answered impromptu questions

displaying outstanding composure and confidence indicated a deep appreciation of their learning at VHS. The event concluded with the award ceremony where MTS board members presented the children with trophies for their outstanding performance. Dr. Venugopal Menon, Dr. Kamalesh Lulla, Nacha Sethuraman, Dr. Tushar Varma, Chitoor Ramachandran, Dr. Subrmaniam, Narayan Dave, Saro Alagappan, Radha Jayakumar and Priya Prasad, who were judges gave their time, energy and enthusiastically challenged and encouraged the children during the competition and selected top performers in each category, based on their pronunciation and stage presence skills.

The multi-faceted dimension of the combined Sloka/Speech performance by the children stands testimony to the fruits of the Seva of the VHS volunteers. As remarked at the opening statement by an MTS board member, the understanding that is imparted through efforts such as Vedic Heritage opens the eye to our rich culture and heritage to the next generation.

For further information on Vedic Heritage School visit http:// mtsvhs.blogspot.com/

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

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Get ready for a RoKing Evening at Ashirwad’s 3rd Vedic Fair 2014

KATY: The 3rd Ashirwad’s Vedic Fair 2014, A Par-Excellence affair for all, will take place on Saturday March 1, from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Cinco Ranch High School, 23440 Cinco Ranch Blvd Katy TX 77494. Vedic Fair 3 is a complete family entertainer. At the entrance of Vedic Fair 3 a diorama of Mahadev Shiva’s abode Kailash (Kool Kailash in Katy) along with 16 ft Manasa Sarovar (Divine Lake) will be built by the extremely talented IACHF architects. Water from Manasa Sarovar will be on display. You can perform pooja in Kailash. Take pictures for fond memories with Mighty Mahadev and Beautiful Parvati. Authentic Pictures of 18 shakthi peetas taken by a young devotee Vamshitha Kundoor who visited them all will be on display along with her in person sharing her journey. Young teens will guide you through a powerful presentation on how to visit Kailash.

After crossing Kailash, you will enter 50+ India Exhibit Presentation Competition area to experience, various presentations on India, taste Cooking Competiton {Sathvik} and see Gorgeous Gollu display by Nappinai. Also you can attend “How 2 Workshops� consisting of Yoga, Meditation

by Shriram Sarvotham, Rangoli

by Sangita Bhutada, Sanskrit by Chandra Raghu and Hema Chandru, Indian Classical Dance by Indrani Parthasarathy, Saree Styles

by Praveena Kadakia, Dandiya by Nisha Mirani, Ayurveda by Ushadevi Pillai, Indian Wedding by Ashirwad A Blessing, Dhothi by Ravi Sethuraman & Homeopathy

by Anusha Thiagarajan. After exiting the auditorium you will cross over into Vedic Bazaar to satisfy your taste buds by enjoying delicious North India, South India and Sathvik dishes. Also you get to shop for jewelry, dresses, toys, books, CDs, Orange your hands

with henna tattoos, color yourself in face painting and twist a balloon for your kid. After completing your shopping in Vedic Bazaar get back into the auditorium to enjoy the Talent Showcase segment, which includes “Vedic Walk� a color treat of Shiva Puran icons by Ashirwad Students and I am Shiva – The Mahadev, prime time 2 hour play directed by Ashirwad’s chief teacher Geetha Ravula. All in all 3rd Vedic Fair management is assuring a joyful evening.

For updates Like facebook. com/VedicFair or visit facebook event Vedic Fair 2014.

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COMMUNITY

Two ASIE Members Earn Young Engineer of Year Award HOUSTON: Texas Society of Professional Engineer Houston Chapter celebrate third week of February as Houston Engineer’s week every year with National Engineers Week. The kick-off this week long event began with the sold-out Young Engineers of the Year Banquet on February 17 at Peeples Restaurant, featuring numerous Houston engineers from various professional societies.

The Young Engineer Award is intended to publically celebrate and promote the efforts of young professionals as part of their professional development, who has made outstanding contributions to the Engineering Profession and the community during the early years of one’s career, below 35 years.

Karthik Balasubramanian and Naresh Kolli, both are members of American Society of Indian Engineers (ASIE) were presented Young Engineer of Year Award in presence of an overflowing audience. Both have excelled and established themselves in their field of engineering.

Karthik Balasubramanian receiving a Young Engineer of Year 2014 Award from Brent Baldwin, Houston Engineers Week Committee Member.

Karthik is a Senior Civil/Structural Engineer at Technip USA, Houston. He received his education at Mumbai University, India, earning a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 2004, and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering at Lamar University, Beaumont in 2006. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.

Previously, he worked for KBR Inc for 5.5 years as a Senior Technical ProfessionalCivil. In February 2013, Karthik was awarded a “Recognition Certificate for Excellent Performance” in Jazan IGCC project for Saudi Aramco. His engineering experience includes Civil, Structural and Infrastructure work for Refinery, LNG terminals, Natural gas basins, and Integrated Gasification Combined cycle plant. He gained extensive exposure to Pre-FEED, FEED and Detailed Engineering phases in Petrochemical and Refinery projects. Karthik has been also involved in activities such as design of Marine facilities, Dredging, Single Point Mooring

(SPM), and Marine Simulation studies. He has worked for clients such as Anadarko, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, Sonangol, Sasol, Statoil, Trunkline and many more. He is currently serving as Executive committee member of ASIE and in the past has served as Board of Directors. Previously, he has served as President for the Civil Engineering Students Association (CESA). Karthik has served a Secretary and Treasurer for ASIE last year.

Naresh Kolli, recipient of Young Engineer of Year 2014 Award.

For more info, call Gitesh Desai, National Coordinator 281-300-7346 or Achalesh Amar, Houston Coordinator 281-624-MODI

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Naresh Kolli is a project engineer at Geotest Engineering, Inc. Houston. He has over 8 years of experience in the civil, geotechnical and environmental field and has worked on various projects involving high rise office buildings to single story commercial buildings, warehouses, schools and government projects, Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments, site reconnaissance and geological and rock profile studies. His responsibilities at Geotest include coordination of field activities, supervision of laboratory testing, performing engineering analysis and preparation of geotechnical as well as Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment reports. Kolli has worked with several public and private projects in the greater Houston Area.

Naresh received a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Kakatiya University, India in 2002 and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from McNeese State University, Louisiana in 2005. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas and Louisiana. He has been active member of AAEA for four years and attended several meetings. He is currently serving as board member of the ASIE and in the past he has served as secretary and Treasurer.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

February 28, 2014

Celebrates 3rd year Anniversary (Mar 1,2014) Thanks to all our supporters

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TRAVEL

Tram Riders, Bridge Anglers and Gypsy Children in Istanbul

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA ISTANBUL, Turkey: The tram token machine besides the back edge of the sidewalk had taken my 5TL (for Turkish Lira) note and was now asking a question in Turkish. The right button had an OK below it, the left one was more incomprehensible, so I hit ‘OK’ and guessed right. In the slot below dropped two 1TL coins and a 3TL ($1.40) plastic red token, the fare along the entire length of the tram system.

I clutched it and strode to the turnstile, puzzled at where it would go. Puzzled because the turnstiles were just one step above the pavement at the SultanAhmet station, just three short streets away from the Hippodrome and the SultanAhmet Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque) and the Hagia Sophia Museum, and almost across from the Basilic Cistern. Would it go in the turnstile or in the tram itself since the station is open from the road, I wondered, as one could just as easily saunter in from the road and use the token. A young college kid saw my dilemma and said in halting, accented English, “It goes here”, pointing to the slot below the magnetic card reader pad. “Thanks”, I managed feeling foolish about not doing so in the first place.

Inside, I stood by the bi-fold doors and to the front of the first carriage. Behind the drivers glassed in cabin, a pack of six young kids were noisily prattling away, the youngest perhaps five years old, with hairy eyebrows that formed a line with pointy corners, dark features and complexion and not very tall. Obviously delighted at the tram ride, he grinned mischievously, eyes bright with fun, at the others who were talking loudly, a tall girl with brown pigtails and a skyblue printed dress over black slacks leading them on.

After the next stop, Gulhane, a man by the door got up to leave and the one next to him at the window stood up, half perched against the handrail, turned to the kids and shouted at them “Kapa cheneni, Kapa cheneni”! (Keep quite!) much to the shock of the other pas-

Inside the Hagia Sofia Museum

Jawahar Malhotra inside the Sultan Ahmet Or Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque from the plaza

sengers. The man across from me retorted in Turkish in a firm, calming tone, suggesting to the man that these were just kids. The first one looked up, towards him, with the look of a slightly deranged and mentally challenged person, and blurted out with a slight stoop of his mouth and shouted back, trading barbs, then sat down. The kids stopped for a minute, then tittered

and carried on, a little softer.

At the next stop, Sirkeci, a station monitor with a yellow safety vest, on the outside platform spied the kids – perhaps the driver had radioed ahead – and tapped loudly at the window as the doors opened, motioning to the kids to get out.

They looked startled, he poked his head in and chided, as if to say “come on, move out, all of you,

The entry turnstile at a tram station

you imps riding around for free”.

He had apparently seen them before, and scolded them as they walked out, the girl, two tall boys and two smaller girls and the eyebrowed boy, who gave a shrug of his shoulders and an amused look as he trailed behind them all. They walked onto the station pavement and through the exit turnstile.

I wondered, if this had been

America, these kids would have been dragged off by a security official, if the deranged man would have been escorted away.

In Istanbul, the tram guards were vexed, as if they were used to the nuisance, and let them off with a scolding. The deranged man got off a stop later, on the other side of the Galata Bridge, at Karakoy; the

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

CONTINUED ON PAGE

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

15

Gaura Purnima, Appearance Day of Lord Chaitanya

HOUSTON: Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the combined essence of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani, entered this world to rid people of their sins by helping them attain the highest perfection of the human form of life: the Love of God. Now, nearly five-hundred years later, His teachings continue to inspire and enlighten millions of people around the world, from the smallest villages to the largest cities.

As Sri Chaitanya started attracting more and more followers to His beautiful and selfless path of Bhakti (true devotion with nothing expected in return) His entourage (Advaita Acarya, Gadadhar Pandit, Srivas Thakura, and Nityananda – collectively known as the Panca-Tattva) rendered everincreasing levels of service to the movement and helped spread it all over India.

His best gift to all of humanity, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare!

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare!), is the only means to attaining salvation in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy – the Kali Yuga.

This priceless gift of the Holy Names by the most compassionate Sri Chaitanya is unparalleled in its ease of access (one can chant anywhere, anytime), brevity, power (ability to invoke the Lord’s mercy), and value (it is free!).

The core beliefs of the Brahma-MadhvaGaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya are set forth in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Siksastakam. Some of the fundamental principles are: that Lord Krishna is the Supreme and Absolute Truth; the jivas are the separated parts of the Lord; pure devotion is the duty of the jivas; and complete, unconditional, and pure love of the Supreme Lord Krishna

is the final goal.

The Gaura Purnima festival, which celebrates the appearance day of the Sri Chaitanya, is observed with great enthusiasm every year at the Hare Krishna Dham in Houston.

This year the festival falls on Sunday, 16 March – so, please mark your calendars so you don’t miss the joyful kirtans, maha-abhishek, maha-Arati, Chaitanya mahaprabhu pastimes and of course, the delicious prasadam feast that will comprise the festivities.

For furher details, visit Hare Krishna Dham at 1320 W 34th Street, Houston TX – 77018 OR visit www.iskconhouston.org OR call at 713-686-4482. We look forward to having your association in jointly celebrating the most auspicious and glorious advent of the Lord Himself, in the mood of His favorite companion and consort, Srimati Radha Rani!

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COMMUNITY/ TRAVEL

Holi Hai! – A Celebration of ‘Braj Style’ at Radha Madhav Dham, Austin on March 15

Tram Riders, Bridge Anglers and Gypsy Children in Istanbul CONTINUED FROM PAGE

AUSTIN: Radha Madhav Dham is pleased to present “Holi Hai”, an exuberant and interactive celebration of the Indian festival of color, from 2 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, March 15. The program will be held all day at Radha Madhav Dham’s beautiful outdoor facilities and will comprise activities for all ages.

Holi, the Festival of Colors, is the season of hope and joy and a time of love and forgiveness. In India, it traditionally marks the beginning of the spring season. In the U.S., at the Radha Madhav Dham Temple, Holi is played in the playful and devotional style, as it is in the Braj district of India, in fond and loving remembrance of Radha and Krishna’s Divine pastimes. A diverse Texas community, both Indians and westerners, join in this joyful and colorful celebration of Holi with colored powder and vi-

brant dance & music.

This year’s festivities will begin early at 2pm, with Indian food booths (serving delicious chola bhatura, dosa, samosas, pakoras, jalebis and chai) and kids games, rides and a petting zoo. Later in the evening, Indian dance presentations, a ‘Holi leela’ performance and a talk about Holi’s significance will be held on the outdoor stage, followed by joyful play with Holi colors at 6pm, a Holi bonfire, and concluding with special kirtans on the outdoor Maharas Mandal.

So, bring your family, friends and neighbors and join the Holi celebration at Radha Madhav Dham. Attendance and parking are free, and all are welcome. It’s a joy you will love remembering.

For further information: online http://radhamadhavdham.org/ event/holi or call 512-288-7180.

See ad on page 19

14

other man looked away and I kept a lookout for my station, Tophane, coming ahead.

The honor system in paying for the tram ride when one could just as well jump on without going through the turnstiles was something I was unprepared for in my concept of Istanbul, just as the cleanliness and organization was unexpected. Some stations had monitors, but the smaller ones did not. Finding that the city was both very Asian in the warmth, expressiveness, friendliness and politeness of its people, yet quite European in its fashion sense and lifestyle was unexpected.

Shopkeepers were aggressive but thankfully not persistent or insistent like in other Asian countries.

The “sh’, “ch”, “kh” and slight lisp of the language, with words mixed in from Persian, Arabic and a few other tongues made Turkish sound like Farsi sometimes and Slavic at others.

It was a long walk, later that evening, from the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art by the edge of the Bosphorous. I had to climb the steep hill upto the Galata Tower only to discover that it cost 65TL (about $30) to get to top for a view and perhaps eat at the expensive, tiny restaurant there. Deciding I had better use for my money, I trudged down the steep hill, partway on stone steps with a pipe handrail, and walked through the area strewn with machine parts, plumbing parts, handtools, electrical parts and repair shops. The gaunt, lanky man sitting on the stone step of a building by the main road Sabahattin Evren Caddesi, walked up to me as I looked at his wares displayed propped up on the sidewalk and asked what I needed. “China”? I inquired, look-

ing at the handtools. “Chine, Inde, Allemange”, he replied, “Taiwan”.

I turned and walked on, crossing the road, and past the rows of plumbing parts shops, chromeplated fixtures shining in the late afternoon light. A turn southwards on Karakoy station led me to the Galata Bridge for a walk across the mouth of the Halic (Golden Horn) River.

On both sides of the approach to the midsection of the bridge where boats passed under, a wall of determined anglers had their rods perched along the broad handrail, a home crafted long wooden bracket with a v-notch holding the rods in place, as the lines dangled 100 feet below into the water. Their baits were in a small bucket and their catches of 16-inch long whitefish lay in another larger plastic trough.

Some were luckier than others; and most knew their neighbors, suggesting they met frequently on this spot to while away the afternoon. Two men sat on the stone guardstone of the road and cut bait into chunks. Impressed by one man’s catch, I paused for a while, and a middle-aged man next to him exclaimed jestingly, teasingly, “Professional”!

It was a Tuesday afternoon, and close to the ferry station at Halic Iskelesi, there was a throng of people, many just strolling to take in the day, take pictures and crowd watch. In the underground passageway below the busy Ragip Gumuspala Caddesi thoroughfare, rows of built-in shops lined each side as the throng passed through, hawking plastic toys, cheap belts, souvenirs and other impulse buy items.

The other side opened up a flight of stairs to the plaza by the Yeni Mosque in front and the covered

Spices Bazaar to the right. An orange colored campaign truck by the side of the road played loud, catchy music, reverberating across the plaza, sloganing for President Erdogan, a giant screen above showing a video cartoon.

The hawkers selling on the spot, semi-peeled, roasted chestnuts and boiled corn on the cobb did good business; I bought my pack of chestnuts, a fondness for which I acquired as a boy in London. Passing through the crowd, I turned as a teenage girl with a tight headscarf and long coat stopped me and asked imploringly, the only word I could understand was “Arab?”; I shook my head and moved on.

I strode my way back towards Sirkeci station to the gyro restaurant which sold a large chicken variety for 6TL ($2.70), gesturing for them to cook the thin, leavened bread some more, then taking it back with me to the hotel near the Kennedy Caddesi, a fifteen minute walk away, along the same path I had used in the morning, past Baslic Cistern, the Hagia Sophia, the SultanAhmet Mosque and the two Obeliks.

As I made the turn off the Hippodrome, at the head of the hill, I heard an angry young voice and saw a girl threaten a boy with a short baton sized stick. It was the brown, pigtailed girl from the tram in the morning, and her cohort of five others. Giggling, with his bright black eyes and bushy straight lines eyebrows, the little boy hopped and jumped towards her. Not of the same features as the rest of the light-skinned Turks, it struck me who they were. Gypsies.

Street smart on the roads alone all day. Not a parent in sight. They must have roamed all day and mad it back from the railway station by the water’s edge.

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February 28, 2014

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18 February 28, 2014 Telegana: Opportunity Lost There will naturally be differences of opinion among Andhra Pradesh legislators and political parties on issues regarding the bifurcation of the state, but the way the state legislature concluded a historic session devoted to this question on Thursday was unfortunate. Hatred was whipped up in speeches. Viable points did not come through in the debate.

This is a pity. It is well recognised that Parliament is supreme in bifurcating a state. But the opinion of the state legislature in question has to be furnished to Parliament. But AP legislators surrendered an opportunity to make cogent points.

The President sent the AP State Re-Organisation Bill of 2013 to the state legislature, which was given six weeks to consider it.

The time was extended by a week. Legislators were expected to debate the bill threadbare, raise the concerns of their respective regions, suggest solutions to problems, and seek redress of their grievances.

Had this happened, the debate would have been meaningful. Then the onus would have been squarely on Parliament to contend with the issues raised, and to find a meaningful way. Alas, this is not what has happened.

Our legislators were happy to let time slip by. The debate on the Bill was commenced only after MLAs and MLCs took their holidays. They cannot now complain of lack of time.

While legislators did not seize the opportunity to put across their views, in the last four and a half years several rounds of consultations on the issue of AP bifurcation have taken place in various forums. These will certainly be reflected when Parliament considers the question.

As for the AP legislature, its members were content to trade charges, repeat old statements, and engage in a blame game.

Parties resorted to one-upmanship with an eye to the upcoming Lok Sabha poll. Proceedings were regularly disturbed.

Altogether, it was a show of disregard of the bifurcation issue.

Compounding the miseries was the resolution moved by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy — in his capacity as the Leader of the House — that the Bill sent by the President be rejected. It seemed inappropriately timed.

The CM, who has politically opposed the bifurcation, could have brought his resolution before the Bill was tabled in the legislature. Or, he should have done so after the debate was completed in all respects. Then his reasons for opposing the Bill might have been widely appreciated.

But the way things happened, two thirds of legislators, including the Leader of the Opposition, did not get a chance to express their views. What is the point of a resolution that was deemed introduced and was adopted by a voice vote, amidst din?

Deccan Chronicle

EDITORIAL

Fault Lines Fester in Asia

BY BRAHMA CHELLANEY New fault lines have emerged in Asia that signal increasing geopolitical risks, including for global markets.

These risks have been highlighted by the recent comments of both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — who noted that Britain and Germany went to war in 1914 despite being economically interdependent in the same way Japan and China now are — and Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who compared China’s territorial creep with Nazi Germany’s expansionism.

International spotlight on Asia’s dramatic economic rise has obscured the serious challenges it confronts. These challenges range from recrudescence of territorial and maritime disputes and increasingly fervent nationalism to sharpening competition over natural resources and harmful historical legacies that weigh down its major interstate relationships.

The future will not belong to Asia merely because it is the world’s most-populous and fastest-developing continent, where GDP continues to grow by more than 5% each year. Asia’s deepening challenges actually call into question the assumption of some analysts that its continued rise is unstoppable and the West’s decline inevitable.

Two fault lines in particular are putting Asia’s sustained rise at risk, with the adverse geopolitical trends carrying significant ramifications for global markets. With Asia’s political integration badly lagging behind its economic integration, one fault line is represented by the widening gap between politics and economics. Asia is the only continent other than Africa where political integration has failed to take off.

The other fault line is represented by the so-called history problem — or how the past threatens to imperil Asia’s present and future. Historical distortions and a failure to come to terms with the past have spurred competing and mutually reinforcing nationalisms.

Asia must find ways to get rid of its baggage of history so as to chart a more stable and prosperous future.

Respect for boundaries is a prerequisite to peace and stability on any continent. Europe has built its peace on that principle, with a number of European states learning to live with boundaries that they don’t like. But in Asia, renewed attempts to disturb territorial status quo are stirring geopolitical tensions and fuelling rivalries.

In particular, an increasingly muscular China harps on historical grievances — real or imaginary — to justify its claims to territories and fishing areas long held by others. Whether it is strategic islands in the South and East China Seas or the resource-rich Himalayan Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, China is dangling the threat of force to assert its claims.

Aquino, drawing an analogy between China’s territorial assertiveness and the failure of other powers to support Czechoslovakia against Hitler’s territorial demands in 1938, pointedly asked this month: At what point do you say, enough is enough?

At the root of rising geopolitical tensions is the fact that Asia is coming together economically but not politically. Indeed, it is becoming more divided politically. Even as the region’s economic horse seeks to take it towards greater prosperity, its political horse is attempting to steer it in a dangerous direction.

This dichotomy is a reminder that economic interdependence and booming trade by itself is no guarantee of moderation or restraint between states. Unless estranged neighbours fix their political relations, economics alone will not be enough to stabilize their relationship. Slowing of Asian economic growth underscores the risks arising from this fault line. These risks are heightened by Asia’s lack of a security framework, with even its regional consultation mechanisms remaining weak.

One central concern is that, unlike Europe’s bloody wars of the

first half of the 20th century, which have made war there unthinkable today, the wars in Asia in the second half of the 20th century only sharpened rivalries, fostering a bitter legacy. Several interstate wars have been fought in Asia since 1950, when both the Korean war and the annexation of Tibet started, without resolving the underlying disputes.

Europe 100 years ago was even more integrated by trade and investment than Asia is today, with its royal families interrelated by marriage. Yet Europe’s disparate economic and political paths led to World War I. Abe was thus right to warn that economic interdependence cannot by itself prevent war. But by implicitly comparing China with pre-1914 Imperial Germany, Abe sought to gain the moral high ground by depicting Japan as a democratic state that, like Britain a century ago, is seeking to checkmate the expansionist ambitions of a rapidly rising authoritarian power.

The paradox is that China, with its aggressive modernization strategy, appears to be on the same path that made Japan a militaristic state a century ago, with tragic consequences for the region and Japan itself. Japan’s Meiji Restoration (1868 to 1912) created a powerful military that eventually became so strong as to dictate terms to the civilian government. The same could unfold in China, where generals are becoming increasingly powerful as the Communist Party becomes more and more beholden to the military for retaining its monopoly on power.

Make no mistake: risks inherent in the present Asian trends can be contained only by bridging the gulf between politics and economics.

Resurgent territorial and maritime disputes underscore that securing Asian peace and stability hinges on respect for existing borders.

Unless that happens, it is far from certain that Asia will be able to spearhead global growth or shape a new world order. ToI The writer is a geostrategist and author.

Indo American News FOUNDER: DR. K.L. SINDWANI PUBLISHER: JAWAHAR MALHOTRA EDITOR: PRAMOD KULKARNI BUSINESS & PRODUCTION MANAGER: VANSHIKA VIPIN GRAPHIC DESIGN: AMITHA DEVIKRUPA CORRESPONDENTS

HOUSTON: MALAY VYAS, MANU SHAH CHICAGO: NAND KAPOOR, INDIA: RAJ KANWAR ®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 4 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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February 28, 2014

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20 February 28, 2014 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!

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COMMUNITY

VSGH to Host Interfaith Dialog to Celebrate Sri Ramakrishna’s Birthday

BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: One of the goals of VSGH (Vedanta Society of Greater Houston) is to spread the idea of harmony of religions based on Sri Ramakrishna’s experience that all religions lead to the realization of the same Reality known by different names in different religions. The Society honors and reveres the founders of all world religions and thus while we celebrate Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday this year with a special worship in the morning, of March 9, we will also be holding an Interfaith Dialog in the afternoon, from 3:30 till 5:30 at the VSGH Center (see ad). This year we have invited representatives of Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.

The speakers include Senior Minister Ken Richter of the First Congregational Church of Houston who believes in progressive thinking and that the future of

Christianity revolves around offering an open, non-judgmental spiritual resource which empowers people to make choices which benefit not only themselves, but the community as a whole.

The second invited speaker Elliot Gershenson, is the president and CEO of the Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, which brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of their shared beliefs.

They work with Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston, Refugee Services in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Response, and provide a safe harbor for Houstonians through its many interfaith programs and dialog efforts.

Venerable Pho Nguyen, the third invited speaker is from The Universal Door Meditation Center, which believes that once the root of

suffering is realized, one automatically finds complete happiness and peace according to the teaching of the historical Buddha. The way to end suffering is to know that suffering comes from within. This inner exploration is without conflict or contradiction with any other practice or tradition, and this way is called a universal door and hence the name of their practice center.

Swami Harinamananda, Resident Minister of the Vedanta Monastery, San Diego, CA will be the featured speaker to represent Hinduism. He conducts a study circle which explores many basic ideas of Vedanta in a deeper way, through selected readings and discussion. Being a young dynamic Swami of the Ramakrishna order, evenings of spiritual exploration, discussions, music, and/or multimedia presentations are emphasized at his center along with Yoga.

See ad on page 10

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COMMUNITY

February 28, 2014

21

Bollywood Shake Presents “Miss Bollywood Houston 2014”

FOR ADVERTISEMENT

CALL: 713-789-6397

HOUSTON: “Not another Beauty Pageant! “ You are excused if that was your first reaction when you heard about the Miss Bollywood Pageant, the first of its kind in Houston scheduled to be held on Friday, March 7 at 7 pm at the Signature Manor.

Yes, it is a beauty pageant, but not just another beauty pageant. It is a pageant of, for and by our very own South Asian Community organized by Bollywood Shake Founder and CEO, Ruchika Dias and her team.

Dias has an MS in Computer Engineering and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, but is pursuing her dream of spreading Bollywood culture in mainstream USA. This event will be an exciting mix of dance, beauty, talent, and drama - just like our Bollywood movies! The beautiful and exquisite venue, Signature Manor, is the perfect location for this spectacular event and as soon as you enter, you will immediately feel like you are on a Bollywood movie set!

So what exactly will the evening offer?

The highlight of evening will, of course, be the Beauty Pageant. The contestants are all very beautiful, talented and confident young ladies and the winner will represent the South Asian community in the Miss Houston pageant in April. They got to meet Neha Dhupia, Miss India Universe 2002 for the pre-pageant event and are now all gearing up for the big day!

An esteemed panel of judges include the winner of the Miss Houston pageant and prominent personalities from the Houston community.

The main judge and chief guest will be Bollywood super star, Preity Zinta. She hardly needs any introduction having starred in a number of successful Bollywood movies including Dil Se, Kal Ho Na Ho and Veer Zara and also a Canadian film – Heaven on Earth. She is also the co-owner of the Indian Premier League Cricket Team Punjab

Kings XI. A truly multifaceted personality representing exactly what our judges will be looking for in our “Miss Bollywood”.

The evening will also feature spectacular dance performances by the Bollywood Shake troupe. Like the third eye, the foot tapping music is sure to awaken the latent dancer in you – so don’t say you were not warned if you find yourself suddenly unable to resist the urge to shake a leg! And at the end of the show, you can do just that for the rest of the night!

Other highlights of the evening will include a fashion show sponsored by Almas Tejani and a dazzling display of jewelry by Kohinoor diamonds.

For further details log on to Sulekha. com to buy your tickets. Come dressed in your best Bollywood attire. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

See ad on page 7

May 17-18, 2014

www.templeopening.com This celebration marks the culmination of nearly forty years of dedication and hard work at ISKCON of Houston. An inspiring vision of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj to carry on Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of spreading the holy names of Lord Krishna is finally coming to fruition through the opening of this new temple – a place for celebrating, promoting, and educating people in the science of Krishna consciousness.

ISKCON of Houston 1320 West 34th Street Houston, TX 77018 E-mail: info@templeopening.com I Phone: (713) 686-4482 Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

22 February 28, 2014

INDIA

Indian MPs May Too Have Interns

Friday was a Valentine Day in India’s Lok Sabha

BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT Born on Monday the June 1 in 2009, India’s 15th Lok Sabha passed into oblivion amid scenes of rare bonhomie and backslapping on Friday, February 21. It was one of the most disrupted and undignified Lok Sabhas in India’s checkered Parliamentary history that began in 1952. That unusual camaraderie gave the impression that the Lok Sabha members were celebrating the Valentine Day a week too late. However, they more than made up for this delay by outdoing one another in showering choicest praises upon their colleagues.

Home minister and leader of the House Sushil Kumar Shinde took the cake for his very chivalrous compliment when he told Sushma Swaraj ‘aap ki baat mein mithaas hai, mithai khane se bhi who mithaas nahi hoti’ that left the leader of the opposition blushing and speechless for a change. Sushma too in her own way was equally effusive. She called Kamal Nath “my brother” and warmly returned Shinde’s mithaas bhara compliment saying that it was his “decency” that often resolved many an issue. Speaker Meira Kumar too was the recipient of vociferous praise from the members across the political divide. But it was LK Advani who, by every consensus, emerged as the most popular and respected member. He was given the honorific of the “Father of the House” and unabashed praise was showered upon him both by friends and foes. He found it difficult to control his emotions when Shinde, Mulayam Singh and others praised him; however, his pent up emotions burst out when Sushma Swaraj averred that she had learned and gained much under Advani’s “tutelage”.

Sushma Swaraj and Sushil Kumar Shinde

Wittingly or unwittingly, this Lok Sabha has thus earned the dubious ‘distinction’ of being the most disrupted in the history of independent India. It met only for 345 days and 1,331 hours. There were disruptions galore; recalcitrant members and political outfits would disturb the proceedings in the House on slightest or even no pretext. They would enter the ‘well’ of the House at will as if they were going for a walk to Gandhi Park.

It was a disgusting behavior all round; the repeated pleas of ‘baith jaiye, baith jaiye and baith jaiye’

by Speaker Meira Kumar generally fell on deaf ears. Hardly any political party emerged unsinged from those ‘infernos’ in the Lok Sabha.

The Telangana issue was undoubtedly the most disruptive of all and repeatedly caused disturbances virtually in every one of the 13 sittings of the 15th Lok Sabha’s last session. All that brought much infamy and disgrace to the cherished parliamentary tradition. The pepper spray incident was the blackest of its spots and was deservedly condemned by one and all. Disturbing the House seems to have become a favorite pastime. Almost every second day, the House session would be dis-

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turbed for one reason or another or else demanding the resignation of either the prime minister or the home minister depending on the flavor of the day. In short, it was all so very nauseating.

But why all that bonhomie and camaraderie was conspicuously absent all these years. Why the Lok Sabha members left at home their tag of ‘honorable’ when they attended its meetings; why do they behave so abominably when they are in the House. In a piece published last year in India, I had strongly suggested that the celebration of Valentine Day be made compulsory for the MPs. I had then felt that lack and absence of social interaction between the leaders of the various rival parties and their members was the principal cause of such unfriendly and hostile an attitude.

It was my suggestion then that an extraordinary joint session of the two Houses be summoned on 14 February with the only item on the agenda being Valentine Day. Each MP irrespective of gender is asked to choose a Valentine amongst his MP colleagues. The only problem that I then foresaw was the miniscule number of women MPs. To overcome, at least temporarily, that problem I had then suggested that every MP be allowed to invite a non-MP woman friend. The entire Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha complex including the Central Hall be thrown open to these women friends for that day. Another suggestion was that the Parliament should introduce the system of encouraging MPs to have young interns, both men and women, from universities as it is in vogue in the USA. Now perhaps it is too late for this proposal to be considered.

May be the 16th Lok Sabha that will be elected in April/May this year would take up this important issue. The bachelor Narendra Modi will be happy to invite a soul mate as his Valentine if he, as is forecast, became India’s prime minister.

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Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun-based author and freelance journalist.

February 28, 2014

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Chawal Wadiyan Di Turry (Rice & Lentil Dumpling Curry) Many times when all else fails but you still want an easy and spicy dish to make, this recipe for chawal and Punjabi wadiyan can come in handy.

It is not so common a dish, but those who eat it discover that it is a whole meal that is easy to make and has a lot of flavor. It is not necessary to eat this with roti (bread); you can just eat is in a bowl by itself, as it is quite satisfying.

Wadiyan are by far the most Punjabi of all foods and in North India, the aromatic and spicy Amritsari variety is the most popular. Wadiyan usually are an accompaniment to vegetables or rice since they add a flavor that is hidden inside the dumpling that comes out as it slowly simmers in the turry or sauce.

Making wadiyan themselves is an art that has been passed down between generations and within families, but it is dying out in the cities and towns. There are many who claim secret recipes, all dependent on the kind of flavor one seeks. Usually, the best ones are made of skinless urad daal (black lentils) that is soaked overnight and then ground while still wet. The spices added include dhania (coriander), garam masala, lal mirch (red pepper), adrak (ginger) and hing (astafoetida powder). Once mixed properly, the wadiyan are made into one and a half inch balls that are laid out on a clean muslin cloth and left to dry in the sunshine.

My mother, biji, used to make these based on our traditional family recipe from West Punjab and for a few days, the wet wadiyan balls would dry on cloth spread on charpais (jute string cots). She would then carefully peel them off after they had dried for two days, then turn them over for another two days in the blazing sun. Overnight, she would carefully carry the wadiyan inside and then spread them out again outside the next day until the wadiyan were dry all over.

There are also wadiyan made of moong daal (yellow lentils) which are smaller in size, have a different flavor and are popular in Gujarat; and wadiyan made of soya powder that give a spongy texture which absorbs the curry.

Ingredients: • ½ cup chawal (rice) • 2 large size Amritsari wadiyan (sun dried lentil dumpling) or 4 medium ones • 2 medium pyaaz (onion) – peeled and finely chopped • 2 medium tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best, chopped • 5 cloves of lasan (garlic) – peeled and finely chopped • 1 tablespoon adrak (ginger) – peeled and finely chopped • 4 tablespoons tael (vegetable or olive oil) • 2 ½ cups of water • Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), haldi (turmeric), dhania (coriander), garam masala Directions: 1. Prepare the masala in a medium saucepan. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, then add the onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Stir well to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When the mixture is slightly brown, add the salt and haldi (turmeric) and stir well. Do not add any mirch (pepper) as the wadiyan have a lot of it in them.

2. To the masala add the rice and then the water, cover the pot and let it all boil for 5 minutes over high heat.

3. Add the wadiyan; cover and let the turry boil for five minutes. The turry should not be

4. Uncover the pot and check that the wadiyan have become plump to double their size and spread out and their aroma fills the pot. The dish is ready to eat by itself in a bowl.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK PREPARING WADIYAN FOR STORAGE AND USE

Because they are dried food, do not keep store wadiyan in the pantry because insects can infest them. Simply put the wadiyan in a plastic zip bag in the fridge, just as you should also store papad. Better still, roast and brown the wadiyan in a toaster oven, then you can keep them in a ziplock bag to keep the humidity out and put it in the pantry for a long time and they are ready for cooking. Do not roast the wadiyan in oil before storing them in the pantry; as they may get an acrid smell after some time.

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thin but slightly thick so that the rice does not appear to be floating separately. Then turn off the heat and let the dish stay for five to ten minutes to let the wadiyan soak in the turry (sauce).

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ENTERTAINMENT

February 28, 2014

Movie Review: Highway

Direction: Imtiaz Ali Actors: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda

BY ANUPAMA CHOPRA (HT): Highway is a problematic film. Elements in it have great beauty — starting with Anil Mehta’s cinematography. The film was shot and improvised as the cast and crew drove across six states. Mehta’s camera caresses the changing terrain so that we can almost taste the bleached salt pans of Rajasthan and the crisp air of Kashmir.

There is AR Rahman’s soulful music — especially Patakha Guddi — and above all, Alia Bhatt’s performance. There are two scenes —

one a long monologue — in which she lays bare her soul and becomes utterly broken. It’s deeply moving.

Her honesty and courage, both as actor and character, is exhilarating.

And yet, I left the theatre deeply dissatisfied. Writer-director Imtiaz Ali is one of Bollywood’s most original and interesting storytellers. Here he courageously goes off the formulaic star-driven, songdriven path and returns to his favourite genre – the road movie.

Imtiaz gives us a portrait of two damaged souls who, through a journey across north India, help to heal each other. So Veera Tripathi, an affluent Delhi princess who lives in a mansion with a RollsRoyce, ultimately finds peace

in the arms of Mahabir Bhatti, a rough Gujjar criminal, played by Randeep Hooda. The idea of a victim falling in love with her kidnapper isn’t new – the Stockholm Syndrome in which the hostage forms an emotional bond with the abuser has often been cinematic fodder, especially in Hollywood.

But here, it is both uncomfortable and unconvincing. Veera becomes relaxed around her kidnappers fairly quickly. Early in the film, she says to them: Yahan aake aacha lag raha hai so thank you. After her initial horror, she behaves like a friend, chatting and laughing. Later in the film, she tells Mahabir: Kafi cute lagne lage ho tum. This to a man who, at regular intervals, threatens to sell her to a brothel.

The film posits kidnapping as therapy. It tells us: So what if you’ve been abducted, heal yourself as you travel the undiscovered countryside. Given the horror inherent in the situation, this just feels false and fundamentally wrong.

Imtiaz skillfully creates moments that are at once, tender, funny and fragile. But my problem was that I simply didn’t buy into the story.And yet, both Veera and Mahabir stayed with me. They are compelling, intriguing characters. Randeep is extremely effective as the brutalised and brutal Mahabir. I just wish they had met under different circumstances.

‘Globetrotting Love-birds’ Ranbir, Katrina to Holiday in Sri Lanka

BY SHALVI MANGAOKAR (HT):We can now make it official: the rumours that Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif romance is over have proved to be just rumours.

The two are very much in love and, in fact, busy planning their next holiday.

While there were reports that the two were holidaying in Ibiza, Spain last year and later in New York, USA, now we have learnt that Katrina might be joining Ranbir for a break in Sri Lanka.

A source close to Katrina reveals, “Katrina and Ranbir have been trying to keep their schedule in sync with each other’s.

Now, they even try to co-or-

dinate their outdoor shoots in such a way that one of them can drop in on the other’s sets.”

Currently, Katrina is busy shooting for Bang Bang in Manali while Ranbir is in Sri Lanka shooting for Bombay Velvet (BV).

The source goes on to add, “Till the first week of March, they will both be busy with their work commitments. In the coming week, Katrina is likely to get a three-day break from her schedule as there is a location and set change. In this time she is planning to take a quick trip to Sri Lanka and meet Ranbir.”

Earlier, too, there were reports that Katrina had dropped in on the sets of BV to spend time with Ranbir.

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STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY

Best in Class Education Center Celebrates Strong Growth in 2013; Added 8 Units Last Year Growing Education Franchise Continues Expanding Footprint Sets Record Growth Goals for 2014 Best in Class Education Center, a supplemental education franchise, with a center locally in Katy as well as one nearby in Allen, has proven once again that it sets the standard for success and achievement.

Best in Class wrapped up 2013 with consistent growth in both existing and previously untapped markets, attaining a total of eight openings in 2013.

With two additional locations currently in development, the brand is positioned to double last year’s growth figures in 2014.

“I’m very pleased to report a strong finish to an amazing 2013 and am excited to assist a greater number of students than ever before,” said Hao Lam, CEO and Chairman of Best in Class. “I got into this business to put education first, and it’s very humbling to know we’re now able to provide curriculum of the highest quality to more families and continue reinforcing student success, both in the classroom and outside of it.”

Since its inception in 1995, Best in Class has stood as a leader in progressive, tailored curriculum and individualized assessment.

This commitment to quality has allowed the supplemental education brand to grow to a total of 25 locations in Washington, California, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, and Oregon. In 2013, Best in Class expanded its scope to include the centers in Texas and Ohio, which, de-

spite having no brand recognition prior to opening in these undeveloped markets, the newly-opened centers are seeing great success.

As Best in Class enters its 20th year, the brand has set the bar high with ambitious growth goals. In honor of its 20th anniversary, Best in Class plans to open 20 additional units in 2014, adding more than 100 jobs to local markets. Growth initiatives will focus on continued expansion in Texas and Ohio, as well as furthering brand recognition in top growth markets such as Southern California, Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.

Best in Class separates itself from the competition as a top-tier educational program through its

use of strong curricula and focus on criticalthought. Centering on enrichment programs in math and English, the brand coaches students in both remedial and supplemental core-education as well as standardized tests like SAT, ACT, ITBS, and CogAT. In building the Best in Class system, Lam developed programs that emphasize student mastery and long-term retention, while ensuring students achieve success, even after leaving the classroom.

“Providing superior supplemental education to children is our top priority and we are avidly encouraged by the projected growth numbers we have set for ourselves in 2014,” said Lam. “Our current expansion objectives will allow us to capitalize on the remarkable opportunities we have in 2014 and provide us with the advantage of increasing our reach, attracting new franchisees, and ultimately strengthening our relationship with students.”

Lam credits the brand’s positive development to its investment in qualified instructors, intellectually challenging curriculum, and most importantly, visible student success throughout the franchise network.

To inquire about franchising, visit http://bestinclasseducation. com/.

IIT-Delhi Graduate Head of 'All Things Business at WhatsApp'

BY NISHEETH UPADHYAY (HT):Having crossed 450 million active users, WhatsApp’s business head Neeraj Arora (35) has had a lot on his plate in the past few months. He told an Indian business news channel in November last that WhatsApp had no plan of selling out to Facebook or Google.

Now, with a stunning price tag of $19 billion for a company that employs just 55 people, Arora’s portfolio has grown remarkably.

Arora has two US patents to his credit — methods and systems for email attachment distribution and management and second for an email integrated file delivery.

According to Arora’s LinkedIn profile, he takes care of “all things business at WhatsApp”.

He has previously worked at Google as a senior member of the corporate development team.

Arora, who is an Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi graduate, also led Google’s acquisitions and strategic investments across products and geographies.

Before working for Google, Arora worked as chief manager at Times Internet Limited, working closely with the investments and corporate strategy team at Indiatimes, a subsidiary of The Times of India Group.

Arora’s LinkedIn profile page says he is a “self-learnt hacker” who “built pieces of the core technology” at Accellion, a developer of enterprise software for mobile file sharing. He is also a management graduate with a degree from the Indian School of Business.

With Facebook’s plan of making no change in the way WhatsApp functions, Arora will have to drive the integration of the business operations of the mes-

saging platform with the social networking website. “Nothing will change,” he replied on Thursday to a query by one of his 4,769 followers on Twitter: “As a loyal WhatsApp user, I’m pretty sad it’s been sold to Facebook. Privacy is a key concern, another is unnecessary add-ons to the app. (sic)” Arora also denied that WhatsApp’s development engineers were based outside the United States. “Everyone is in Mountain View,” he tweeted after a follower posted, “Note WhatsApps entire dev team in Russia. Antiimmigrants working hard to keep foreigners out. Shows they don’t need to be here anymore (sic).”

Many of the engineers at the Silicon Valley-based firm earlier worked remotely — most of them from Russia. WhatsApp’s co-founder Jan Koum today provides recommendations for a few of them on his LinkedIn page.

One of his major achievements in India was to convince Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications to bundle unlimited use of WhatsApp with a Rs. 16/month data plan. The scheme was an instant success. Arora also pushed Tata Docomo to offer unlimited WhatsApp usage for Rs. 15 for 15 days.

Arora, who is based out of San Francisco and Hyderabad, did not respond to an email query by HT.

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

28 February 28, 2014 Yuvraj Singh: Seemingly Forgotten, Look What He’s Got Yuvraj Singh’s phenomenal batting strike-rate in the game’s shortest version (153 in international games and 135 in domestic leagues) resulted in the call-up for the Indian Twenty20 squad. Perhaps it is the same yardstick that governed Virat Kohli and Vijay Mallya’s desire to have Yuvraj in RCB, writes K.C. Vijaya Kumar.

Yuvraj is still capable of mayhem in the T20 format.

It was a week that hoisted Yuvraj Singh to the centre-stage of Indian cricket, a spot that he has often occupied in a decade-long career.

First up, he was included in the Indian squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

Immediately a bigger stir, at least monetarily, was whipped up when he emerged as the player with the highest winning bid — a princely Rs. 14 crore — at the Indian Premier League auction in Bangalore.

Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya, who almost ruined his budget outlay for the auction, by investing a major chunk on Yuvraj, expressed delight and reiterated how skipper Virat Kohli was keen on roping in the Punjab southpaw.

And yes, there was the small matter of Mallya nearly closing the bid at Rs. 10 crore before Kolkata Knight Riders stepped in and queered the pitch while auctioneer Richard Madley allowed the process to stretch and RCB was poorer by an additional four crores!

“Bottom line is that life goes on and we are very happy,” quipped Mallya though he did lodge a complaint against Knight Riders’ last-minute intrusion. The fact that Mallya and even Knight Riders thought that Yuvraj is worth more than 10 crores, is a testimony to the respect he still evokes about his ability to turn matches on their head. For RCB, that has often been a top-heavy outfit in the past when

it comes to batting — Chris ter than what pre-auction Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, favourites like Kevin PietKohli and A.B. de Villiers — ersen and Corey Anderson Yuvraj was indeed a perfect bagged. Pietersen was sefit. cured by Delhi Daredevils With Dilshan out of the for Rs. 9 crore while Mumreckoning, Yuvraj will step in bai Indians wrested Anderand his left-arm spin lends an son for Rs. 4.5 crore. added dimension to the RCB However, the lesser price ranks. Add to it the chemistry is no yardstick to judge Pihe has with the crowd. Ever etersen and the New Zeapopular with fans thanks to land all-rounder because his big-hitting ability, often any auction is governed by embellished by that 2007 tale the dynamics of counterof six sixes off Stuart Broad, bids. Even Yuvraj’s rate Yuvraj also tugged at hearts skyrocketed primarily due with his recovery from canto Knight Riders’ extra incer. terest.

As a brand by himself, With the exception of Yuvraj’s stature is assured.

Daredevils (that had Rs. Member of two World Cup60 crore in its kitty thanks winning Indian squads (2007 to its decision to not retain World Twenty20 and 2011 anyone), all teams were World Cup) and that too with hamstrung by their limited scintillating performances; a resources and with the need still youthful demeanour; and to field full-fledged squads, the endearing mix of vulnerthere was only a limited ability and a tough streak he distance they could travel displayed in his battle against while fighting for players. cancer, are all pointers to his That an expensive buy can extra draw with both corpoalso affect the rest of the rates and the public. team’s composition was Royal Challengers Banglomade evident by RCB’s difre captain Virat Kohli wanted fidence in the second-half Yuvraj Singh in the team and of the auction after Yuvraj owner Vijay Mallya obliged, burnt a hole in Mallya’s Yuvraj Singh received a bid of Rs. 14 crore to play for the Royal forking up a huge sum of Challengers Bangalore. wallet. money.

Bangalore, specifically got further extended as his name With a name that is a direct the National Cricket Acadelink to a leading brand of whisky is missing from among the ‘Men my, played a huge role in Yuvraj’s that belongs to Mallya’s United in Blue’ set to do battle in the Asia comeback after he was considerSpirits, RCB might use Yuvraj in Cup in Bangladesh, are all loud ably weakened by cancer and the surrogate advertisements for li- hints that in these months leading subsequent treatment. The city’s quor brands, similar to the man- up to the 2015 World Cup, the se- IPL team will again play a part in ner in which Gayle’s presence was lectors are in a dilemma over Yu- determining Yuvraj’s comeback monetised. It is just another point- vraj’s viability in 50-over games. into the Indian ODI team. He is In his last 10 ODI innings, Yu- too good a player not to be a part er to how in a brand-cluttered IPL, a player is also viewed through the vraj has netted a meagre 121 runs. of India’s title defence in the 2015 prism of marketing viability and It is a statistic that forced the selec- World Cup in Australia and New tors to wield the axe. In the same Zealand, but it all boils down to top-of-mind recall value.

Amidst the high stakes game that breath, they still bank on Yuvraj’s performance.

RCB and Knight Riders played, phenomenal batting strike-rate in A fine stint in his Twenty20 outsurely there was a fine-print that the game’s shortest version (153 ings in the coming months will other teams recognised but refused in international games and 135 in be good for Yuvraj the player and to publicly acknowledge. That domestic leagues) and hence the the brand. The player though is in grudging thought centred upon the call-up for the Indian Twenty20 good spirits as evident in his tweet fact that most of the ‘feel-good’ squad. after RCB won him over — “What Perhaps it is the same yardstick time’s the gangnam (dance).” The references to Yuvraj, swirled around the 2011 World Cup and that governed Kohli and Mallya’s moot question is will he make the the years before that. His omission desire to have Yuvraj in RCB. bowlers dance to his tunes? For The money that Yuvraj gained, a Indian cricket’s sake, he better do from the Indian ODI squad on the tour of New Zealand, a hiatus that whopping one at that, was far bet- that. And fast! Sports Star

SPORTS

Kohli to Captain India in Asia Cup vs. Bangladesh DHAKA: The last time India and Bangladesh met in an ODI was in the 2012 Asia Cup. Then, the hype over Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international hundred was deflated by Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan’s well-executed chase of 290.

The memory of that match is something Mushfiqur Rahim will want to go back to in order to boost the sagging spirits of his team. Bangladesh’s preparations for the tournament have hardly been ideal. The 3-0 series loss to Sri Lanka was followed by Shakib Al Hasan’s three-match suspension and then Mushfiqur publicly aired his disappointment at not being consulted over Asia Cup selections. Tamim Iqbal, the second highest run-getter in ODIs for Bangladesh, is out due to injury and the captain and Mashrafe Mortaza are also carrying niggles.

In the last ODI against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s middle order, floundering previously in the series, showed some inclination to work for a start. Against India, who have a strong batting side even without MS Dhoni, they will need to go one better and build on the thirties and forties.

India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Cheteshwar Pujara, 5 Ajinkya Rahane/Ambati Rayudu, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Varun Aaron Bangladesh (probable) 1 Shamsur Rahman, 2 Imrul Kayes/ Anamul Haque (wk), 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), 5 Naeem Islam, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Ziaur Rahman, 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain

Virat Kohli addresses a press conference in Dhaka

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