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Friday, March 22 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 12

Indo American erican News

to Rock this Saturday

March 23, 2013 9pm, at Arena Theatre

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

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March 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

March 22, 2013

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Celebrations and Meditation Mark Mahasivaratri at Chinmaya Prabha

BY PADMASHREE RAO HOUSTON: While the ash-colored sky poured its joyous rain on the huge Sivalingam on the top of Saumyakasi Sivalaya, about five thousand devotees, children and adults, gathered to celebrate Mahasivaratri, the auspicious night of Lord Siva, at Chinmaya Prabha, Houston on March 10.

One of the holiest days of the Hindu year, the Sivaratri celebrations started with the Maha Mrtyunjaya Homa on March 9.

Praying for spiritual upliftment and good health for everyone, hundreds of families chanted the Mrtyunjaya Mantra 108 times.

The synergy of collective prayer for the whole world prepared the atmosphere to invoke the Lord Jagadeeshwara.

Lord Siva is praised as “abhiseka priyah,” the one who loves to bathe! So, as the dark clouds of March 10 morning began showering down the rain, the Mahanyasa purvaka Rudrabhiseka that began in the Saumyakasi Sivalaya seemed to keep rhythm. The priest, Shri Ganeshji chanted the Rudram as he performed the abhiseka of the Sivalinga inside the Sivalaya.

The abhisekams of water, milk, yogurt, honey, ghee and fruits continued throughout the day as families waited to sponsor and surrender in devotion. After each of the eleven Rudrabhisekams, the Sivalinga was adorned with turmeric, kumkum, sandalwood and lastly the ashes, vibhuti, the favorite of Lord Siva. The daylong worship filled the entire premises with beautiful sanctity.

A special feature of this Sivaratri was the unbroken chain of abhisekams performed by the little loving hands of Bala Vihar children. As part of their Bala Vihar classes, the children, from toddlers to teenagers, were thrilled with their field trip – walking to the Sivalaya and going down to the Tapovan room to perform their

The Sivaratri celebrations started with the Maha Mrtyunjaya Homa on March 9. Praying for spiritual upliftment and good health for everyone, hundreds of families chanted the Mrtyunjaya Mantra 108 times.

The priests, Sri Ganesh and Sri Chandrasekhar performed the abhiseka of the glowing Sivalinga in complete harmony with the chanting of the Rudram. Photos: Nilesh Shah, Jayesh Mistry and Radhuveer Akula.

own small abhisekam to a Sivalingam at a special altar that simulated the snowy Mount Kailash.

Their smiles added warmth to the cold air and made it a memory to cherish.

Another memorable feature was the public satsang with Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty where he explained the significance of the Siva Manasa Puja. He pointed out that just as we prepare our home to receive a most beloved guest, the Manasa puja presents an opportunity to adore the Lord on the mental plane, with unlimited devotional offerings. Acharya Gaurangbhai described the steps to mentally offer the very best to the Lord. He drew attention to the spirit of doing every physical action as divine worship, with reverence and gratitude.

Later, the evening of Mahasivaratri welcomed thousands of devotees who seemed mesmerized by the beautifully-decorated Sivalaya. Shri Ganeshji continued to perform the Laghunyasa purvaka ekadasa rudrabhiseka, which resonated in the devotees’ minds. The majestic, meditative Lord Siva, the

shining Sivalinga, and the glowing deities dressed in brilliant white, all made devotees want to stay on.

In the background, the chanting of Om Namah Sivaya drowned out all distractions.

Then, in the hour before the midnight arati, the celebration dissolved into intense meditation. The silence in Saumyakasi Sivalaya enveloped every devotee there, inspiring each to invoke the Supreme Siva inside their hearts.

That was the time of the pure Sivaratri spirit.

Every moment of the Sivaratri celebration was sacred because of the dedicated teamwork of almost an army of volunteers. The sheriff, his officers and the sevaks who ushered cars into Chinmaya Prabha all day; the temple team that worked nonstop the whole weekend and many weeks before; the decorations and flower team who brought alive the scene of Mount Kailash and adorned every corner and added color to the courtyard; the CHYKs who added their energetic support; the kitchen team who offered the bhog Prasad to all who came; the audio-visual team

who blended music and silence – all the volunteers, guided by Acharya Darshanaben Nanavaty and Acharya Gaurangbhai Nanavaty, made the blessings of Sivaratri linger on. Hari Om! For more information about

Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activities visit, www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi.org or call temple at 281-568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059 or Bharati Sutaria at 281-933-0233.

Book Signing at River Oaks Bookstore

by Gary W. Randazzo April 20, 3-5 pm 3270 Westheimer, Houston 77098.

The book is now available online at Amazon.zom and Barnesandnoble. com

This book introduces programs developed over a 40 year career to help manage all aspects of a business and to develop and execute marketing strategies designed to help the business grow. The book differs from other business books in that it places special emphasis on establishing the link between good management practice and successful marketing. It introduces certain management techniques and processes and shows how they are critical to executing successful marketing strategies.

The examples used in the Manager’s Guide are from large and small organizations in which the Author was personally involved.

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March 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

March 22, 2013

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Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Guari Purnima Festival Celebrates Appearance of Sri Chaitanya HOUSTON: In understanding the concept of compassion, it’d be remiss to only consider “physical” or “material” compassion and not to consider the idea of deliverance of the jiva (individual soul) from this constant cycle of birth and death, which actually is the highest form of compassion. That is, take away that underlying cause of human misery and you’ve eternally liberated the soul from all manifestations of pain and suffering.

A personality who appeared more than 500 years ago typified this rare, highest form of compassion and delivered it via the extremely simple method of chanting the holy names of the Lord. This personality was none other than Sri

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with main Confidants (Pancha Tattva)

He appeared in the mood of His dear-most devotee and eternal consort, Srimati Radha Rani. The main reason Lord Sri Krishna chose to descend as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was to first of all relish the worship of His devotees; to award easy liberation to the fallen people of the Kali Yuga (the present age) by means of chanting His holy names; and finally to show by example how to achieve the love Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, ISKCON Houston of Godhead.

In His mission Krishna Chaitanya, who was born He was ably and thoroughly in a town called Nadia in Mayapur supported by His main confidants (in modern-day West Bengal) to a (Advaita Acarya, Gadadhar Pandit, deeply devout couple Jagannatha Srivas Thakura, and Nityananda – collectively known as the PanchaMishra and Sachi Devi.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Tattva), and together they traveled none other than Lord Sri Krishna all over India to glorify the names – the Supreme Personality of God- of the Supreme and to spread head – but with a truly wonderful the message of true love and and instructive twist, which is that devotion.

Shastric references abound mentioning Sri Chaitanya as being none other than Lord Krishna: various Upanishads, the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Vedas all have verses clearly indicating this fact. In this unsettling and deeply disturbing age of quarrel and hypocrisy (Kali Yuga) there is no shelter than that of the holy names.

Those that seek refuge at the feet of the Lord and His names will never be disappointed and will reach His abode, never to return (Bhagavad Gita, 8.15/8.16). Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu demonstrated this when two terrible sinners Jagai and Madhai, committed great offences against Him, yet they were forgiven and they realized the error of their ways.

How are we to practically find inner peace in a world that engulfs us in anxieties and fear?

The answer, provided by Sri Chaitanya in one of the verses of Siksastakam, is revealing: trinad api sunichena taror api

sahishnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

Lord Chaitanya’s eternal and merciful gift is the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, which should be chanted as often as possible, and which is the best way to get liberated from this material world: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare 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, Houston. This year the festival falls on Tuesday, March 26.. Mark your calendars so you don’t miss the joyful Kirtans, Maha Abhishek, MahaArathi, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu pastimes and of course, the delicious prasadam feast that will comprise the festivities. There are scintillating cultural programs like “Deliverance of Jagai and Madhai” DRAMA, Singing and Folk Dance by “Sunday School Children” on Sunday, March 31.

For more information, visit www. iskconhouston.org or Call 713686-GITA (4482). ISKCON Hare Krishna Dham in Houston located on 1320 W 34th Street, Houston TX . 77018.

Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036, tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas.

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COMMUNITY

March 22, 2013

Indian Movie on Dalits, “Jai Bhim Comrade” Sceened at Rice U.

BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: A heart-wrenching documentary on the conditions of the Dalit (the oppressed) community in Maharashtra, was screened at the Rice University, Herring Hall on March 8. Anand Patwardhan of Mumbai, one of India’s leading documentary filmmakers dealing with several controversial issues, was in Houston at the invitation of the local organization Voices Breaking Boundaries.

The film, shot mainly in Maharashtra over 14 years, deals with the caste system in India which is still very prevalent to this date in all its ugly forms. It explains how for thousands of years India’s Dalits were abhorred as the “untouchables” whom Mahatma Gandhi preferred to call “Harijans” (children of God).They were denied education as they were from a lower caste. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Father of the Indian constitution, a member of the Dalit community who had graduated from Columbia University and the London School of Economics, had broken the taboo and helped pass a law in 1923 to eradicate untouchability.

He lost faith in Hinduism and encouraged his followers to convert to Buddhism .

The movie revolves around an incident in 1997, when a statue of Ambedkar in a Dalit colony in Mumbai is desecrated by a garland made of footwear. What ensues is the atrocious treatment by the Indian police of innocent people who had gathered near the statue.

Ten people get killed in the police firing and there is tremendous effort by the police department and the Shiv Sena government to cover up the facts. Four days later Vilas Ghogre, a depressed leftist poet, musician and leader of the Dalit community hangs himself in disgust and protest.

The three-hour documentary, edited to a 2-hour version for US audiences, goes in all differ-

Anand Patwardhan, one of India’s leading documentary filmmakers was in Houston at the invitation of the local organization Voices Breaking Boundaries.

ent directions from there as Patwardhan follows the drumbeat of protest, court cases, does investigative reporting and talks to the different families and members of the Dalit community while they work under subhuman conditions in the largest dumping grounds of Mumbai. He addresses the issue of caste versus class and Dalit versus leftist (Marxist). One can draw parallels between the Dalit movement when the Republic of India was formed and the US Civil Rights movement and the Republican Party formed by Abraham Lincoln.

A question and answer session was handled after the screening of the movie by Sehba Sarwar, the artistic director of VBB. Patwardhan shared that he has had several screenings of the movie in both Dalit and elite classes in India and has received a good response. He is now touring the US with screenings at several cities.

He went on to explain that the so-called Naxalite group, the Kabir Kala Manch as branded by the government, which was trying to spread the word of the Dalit class to the masses via music had to go underground and some of the imprisoned members are still in jail. Not enough justice is being meted out to the members of the Dalit community where every day there are cases of rapes and mur-

ders. This could be due to a lack of leadership, but once a leader is identified, he becomes opportunistic and joins the political party in power and forgets his goals.

It was concluded that with 25% of the Indian population being Dalits and Adivasis, this deep-rooted problem cannot be solved by parliamentary reform alone, unless the masses are mobilized through individual awareness, inter-caste marriages and an overall tolerance and acceptance by one human of the other.

Anand Patwardhan on KTRU’s Navrang Show: KTRU’s eclectic style has earned it the reputation of Houston’s reputed radio station for more than 40 years. After the screening of

the documentary, the director of the film, Anand Patwardhan conversed with KTRU’s Navrang show director Varsha Vakil for an exclusive “live” interview.

The talented filmmaker shared on KTRU his 40 years experience in filmmaking by introducing his passion solely for documentaries.

After completing his education in Boston, USA, he returned to Mumbai, India, to fulfill his passion for documentaries.

Jai Bhim Comrade based on a single incidence - the suicide of poet Vilas Ghogre, (a friend of Patwardhan). On KTRU’s interview, Patwardhan revealed the rich poetry, the earthy music and the essence of human values the documentary captured over a

14year period.

The documentary based on the legacy of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and the struggle to abolish the caste system reveals modern India’s incapability owed to the resurgence rather than the elimination of the disgraceful caste system.

“These atrocities will end only when people marry into different faith and castes”, said Patwardhan.

He believes generations of inter faith, inter caste marriages will help people to forget the discrimination and learn to respect and to accept each other as fellow human beings.

For more information about the Navrang show, email ktru@ktru. org or visit www.ktru.org

IMAGH Launches Club 65

BY ANAM KHAN HOUSTON: The Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH), a secular organization that seeks to promote intra-cultural dialogue, inter-faith awareness and a fondness for all things South Asian, officially launches Club 65 to the Houston extracurricular scene. Club 65 seeks to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for senior citizens in the South Asian community.

For the inauguration, a Meet and Greet event is organized at Chateau Crystale, 2517 S. Gessner on Sunday April 7 from 3-7pm.

Club 65 intends to build an active seniors community. This new initiative focuses on advocating an active, self-sustaining community for South Asians of all denominations.

Club 65 intends to arrange social luncheons around the Greater Houston area which will encourage friendships between seniors closer to one’s residences. In order to keep heart healthy, Club 65 will have outdoor rendezvous for picnics, for gardening, to the mov-

ies, local parks, athletic events, and so much more. More importantly, Club 65 will provide educational seminars to understand Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Health. It will also have lectures on geriatrics, computers, and how to stay sharp. The objective of Club 65 is to reach out to more than just seniors. It intends to involve the youth of the South Asian community as well. With the belief that the youth have so much to learn from the wisdom of previous generations, Club 65 intends to start a senior-youth mentorship program. This program will allow both youth and senior to benefit from each other.

Club 65 was inspired by Lutfi Hassan who challenged IMAGH to focus on doing something constructive for the non-active seniors. He was referring to the elders who migrate late in life, typically to be with their children and grandchildren, normally do not drive, may have language barriers, and do not completely comprehend the American Culture. Under the guidance of Abeezar Tyebji (Chair, Board of

Advisors) and Dr. Maqbool Haq (Chair, Board of Directors) after months of planning IMAGH has finally brought the organization to fruition. Fakhruddin Sabir, a local architect is the Chair of Club 65.

He was assisted by Fateh Ali, Dr. Syed Azhar, Khalid Razvi, Asif Ali, Irfana Hussain, Zain Hussain and Anam Khan . Jawahar Malhotra, Col. Raj Bhalla, Lalit Chinoy and Koshy Thomas also contributed with their time and advice.

The organizers’ biggest challenge is reaching the stay at home Seniors, and young adults from the community to serve as volunteers.

If you know a senior citizen interested in getting to know the community, learn innovative technology, live healthier, showcase their talents and become more socially active please encourage them to attend the Meet-and-Greet event on April 7. They will also be grateful to have response from Youth who want to volunteer.

For more information, call Please contact Latafath Hussain at 713-269-6171 or email Latafath2000@yahoo.com.

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March 22, 2013

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March 22, 2013

COMMUNITY

IACCGH Holds Video Conference with Members of IACC Pune

The Houston team on the video call to Pune (from left): Jensen Shen, Director, Asia, Australia and Oceania Greater Houston Partnership; Genaro J. Peña, VP - Int’l Investment & Trade Greater Houston Partnership; Jagdip Ahluwalia, Executive Director, IACCGH; Pankaj Dhume, President, IACCGH; Sanjay Ramabhadran, President Elect, IACCGH; Matthew T. Shailer, Special Assistant to the Mayor, International Trade & Development, Mayor’s Office, City of Houston.

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HOUSTON: The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) under the leadership of Pankaj Dhume successfully hosted two events recently leveraging the power of the internet to connect Houston and India.

On Tuesday, March 5, IACCGH hosted a Webinar on “Impact of the new India Budget for Fiscal 2013-2014 on NRIs”. The Webinar was chaired and moderated by Sunil Shenoy and the content was provided by Sanjay Grover and Heetesh Veera, Tax Partners at Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd, India. The program was possible thanks to the support of Tejas Mody and Mithun D’Souza, India Tax Desk at Ernst & Young LLP New York.

A complete recording of the webinar, the presentation and highlights are available by contacting the IACCGH by email at info@ iaccgh.com.

On Friday, March 15, IACCGH participated by live video conference in the IACC Pune Annual Fellowship Night (AFN).

IACCGH President Pankaj Dhume, President elect Sanjay Ram and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia shared an introductory video with resource partners Matthew Shailer from the Houston Mayor’s office and Genaro Peña and Jensen Shen from the Greater Houston Partnership. The video

about “Why invest in Houston and how we can help potential investors” was played at the AFN and the panel from Houston made themselves available for the event to address the audience in Pune India.

In the words of Ranjit Wandrekar, Chairman of the Executive Council – 2013, IACC Pune “the AFN was indeed a successful event. A lot of people came to me after the event to tell me that they thought this was the best AFN that they had attended”. The two organizations plan to capitalize on the excitement that has been created in Pune and see this as the first step in a thriving joint venture aimed at attracting and closing some real business deals between companies in Pune and Houston in the next months to come.

IACCGH is planning similar outreach events with other IACC Chambers in India and encouraging them to bring trade delegations to invest in Houston. The IACCGH, the Mayor’s office and the GHP have a common goal of economic growth and creating local jobs in Houston.

Email IACCGH at info@iaccgh.com if you would like to learn more about how they can help you network locally as well as in India.

For more information, visit www.iaccgh. com.

PLEASE NOTE Mama’s Punjabi Recipe will not appear this week as she is traveling and is in India.

Announcement INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

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March 22, 2013

Cultural Performances and Charitable Giving for Namadwaar’s 3rd Anniversary

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Hare Krishna” Mahamantra at Namadwaar on March 28 and 29 from 7am to 7pm, with prayers for peace in our community, city, state and country.

On Saturday, March 30, apart from the commemorative program in the afternoon, there will be special discourses in the morning and evening: “Nama Mahima” by Sri Narayanan Sathiamoorthy from Boston at 11am and “Greatness of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu” by Sri Ramaswamy Subramaniam from California at 6pm. A special Divya Nama Sankirtan, where devotees joyfully sing and dance around Lord Krishna, will be held from 9:30-10:30 pm.

On Sunday, March 31 morning, G.O.D. will organize a “Nagara Sankirtan” (street chanting procession) starting from Namadwaar along Bailey avenue from 1011am. Other Houston-area organizations will also take part in this event.

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For more information about the anniversary program or about donating to the food/clothes/medical supplies drives, call 281-4026585. To send prayer requests or learn more about Houston Namadwaar, G.O.D. or Love to Share Foundation America, visit www. godivinity.org and www.lovetosharefoundation.org, or email houston.god@godivinity.org.

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Muralidhara Swamiji of Chennai - India, Houston Namadwaar is the first prayer house of its kind in the United States, where the divine names are continuously chanted. It is Vaishnavi Narasimhan one of about 20 Namadwaars across the world, and part of G.O.D.’s worldwide initiative to strive towards universal peace and harmony through individual inner transformation, a result of chanting the divine names.

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MANVEL, TX: Namadwaar Prayer House’s third anniversary commemorative program will be held on March 30 from 2-4:30 pm at the prayer house premises on 3642 Bailey Ave, Manvel TX 77578. The guests of honor at the event will be Honorable Mayor Delores Martin of Manvel city and Dr. Sulabha Hardikar, active community member and retired Houston-area physician.

Organized by Global Organization for Divinity (G.O.D.) USA and Love to Share Foundation America, the commemorative program will be marked by charitable giving to local social service organizations, several vibrant Indian cultural performances and a special prayer for peace. The event is open to the public.

A food and clothes drive is currently being conducted, the proceeds of which will be donated on March 30 to SEARCH Homeless Services of Houston, while medical supplies will be donated to Houston Area Parkinson Society.

Donations of gently-used clothes and canned vegetarian food are welcome to be dropped off at Namadwaar or alternatively a pick-up can be scheduled by calling 281402-6585.

The commemorative cultural performances will feature a classical vocal rendition of His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji’s compositions by talented young artiste Vaishnavi Narasimhan and a Bharatanatyam performance to Sri Swamiji’s compositions by accomplished young dancer Surabi Veeraragavan. Both performers are well-known Houston-area residents who have numerous accolades to their credit and have given several performances in the USA as well as in India. Vaishnavi Narasimhan will be accompanied

by Deepa Ramachandran on the violin and Vijay Ramamurthi on the mridangam.

The commemorative program is only one part of the prayer house’s anniversary celebrations, which will go on throughout the weekend of March 29-31. Other anniversary events include continuous chanting of the “Hare Rama

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COMMUNITY

March 22, 2013

Thirty Eight Fabulous Years and Going Strong!

The Anjali Center for Performing Arts Celebrates its 38th Anniversary

Photos: Navin Mediwala

HOUSTON: One hundred and in perfect posture, never missed a eighty students of the Anjali Cen- beat, smiled all the time, and stole ter for Performing Arts presented the hearts of the audience. Among an exquisitely crafted program, the beginners were four adults “Noopura Ninaadham” (the ca- who were brought together by a denced sound of ankle bells), at common passion for dance. Emcee the Kaplan Theater, Jewish Com- Sloka Valleru rightly said, in her munity Center on March 16, as a opening remarks, that in the purspecial tribute to renowned dance suit of dance, age is only a numGurus, Kalaimamani Smt. K. J. ber; passion is the important facSarasa and Guru Padma Bhushan tor. That set the mood for the first Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, who segment of four Bharatanatyam both passed away last year. An dances. There were a total of five exponent of Bharatanatyam and segments, divided according to the Kuchipudi, Rathna Kumar has the seniority of the performers, and distinction of being the first stu- one saw clearly the progression of Founder-Director Rathna dent of the former and one of the the students’ caliber as the dances Kumar unfolded, all in quick succession, foremost disciples of the latter. The Learn Bharat Natyam Classical dance, Bollywood dance from well Center’s 38th Anniversary was with periodic succinct and short graduates, gave ample proof of her experienced Guru DIPTI DAVE teaching in CLEARLAKE area since 1990. celebrated on March 16 because it introductions by the emcee. From Guru’s aesthetic and artistic influmarks a momentous occasion for the youngest to the oldest, the ence.

Also learn Gujarati and Hindi language in unparallel homely atmosphere All of Anjali’s senior students, Rathna (Papa) Kumar who had her disciplined performers seemed to own Arangetram (solo debut per- be well aware of their space, and who presented an extraordinary Swar Maalika for Weddings, gatherings, religious events formance) in Chennai on the same conducted themselves in perfect array of well rehearsed dances harmony with their ‘team-mates’, that were as complex as they were date in the year 1956. *Bollywood Songs, Garba/Raas, Bhajans, The program began auspiciously seldom losing their positions. The beautiful, showed the appreciaGhazals, Bhangra, LAGNA Geet* with a prayer by Kavya Penmeth- Kuchipudi segment was particu- tive audience why they were the *Get Quality music by: Hemant Dave, Omkar Dave, Dipti Dave and sa, and then the stage was taken larly lively, owing to the nature of joy and pride of their prestigious ) team* (family) of singer/actor and sa re ga ma pa fame Mauli Dave) over by 30 little girls aged 4 to 6, the style itself. Vintage Vempati Alma Mater. Some of the dances Satyam choreography was stood out for their presentation, dressedworld in bright colorful kurta- Chinna the the inworld comfort in comfort with... with...

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Saadhana~Samvid : A Milestone in the Musical Journey of the Houstonians

BY SASI RAGHAVAN HOUSTON: Saadhana~Samvid 2013; a series of solo performances presented by the disciples of the celebrated Maestro and torch bearer of the Mewati Gharana, Pandit Suman Ghosh, was a truly unique way to celebrate and usher in the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the acclaimed Hindustani Classical Music Gurukul - the Saadhana ~ Pariwar.

Ten years ago, Pandit Suman Ghosh established the Saadhana ~Pariwar in Houston with a vision to enrich the Greater Houston community with the age old tradition of Hindustani Classical Music and raise the musical awareness among individuals, groups and the community at large. With his traditional Guru - Shishya style of taalim(training), he has raised the awareness and appreciation of this classical art form, not only amongst his growing family of dedicated disciples, but in the Greater Houston area as well.

As the organizers and the visiting stalwarts admit, the attendance at Classical Music Concerts and the appreciation of this Music amongst Houston Music lovers has increased manifold since he made Houston his home. The foundation of the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH) by him has propelled this process ever further.

CICMH presented the solo performances by about 70 students of the Saadhana~Pariwar in Saadhana~Samvid: a series of 8 concerts spanning over a period of about two months. This was perhaps the first time ever that such a large number of students were staged by any organization in an event as solo performers. Most of the concerts were presented at the Sugar Land Conference Center and one session at The Woodlands Community Center. The celebrations commenced on Jan 12, on the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda - an apt beginning, as legendary monk himself was an ardent student of Indian Classical Music.

8-10 performers (ages ranging from 5 to 60) were presented in each session, of varied learning experience from the Gurukul.

The performers were originally from different parts of the world including North and South India, Srilanka, Bangladesh and the US. All of the performers were blessed by the presence of none other than their own Guru, Pandit Suman Ghosh, actively conducting each performance. The audiences in the morning sessions were enthralled by various morning ragas like Gu-

jari Todi, Ramkali, Bhatiyar, Basant Mukhari, Jaunpuri, Gunkali, etc. while the audiences in the evening were energized by ragas like Shyam Kalyan, Bahar, Kedar and Shree, and soothed by ragas like Kafi, Miyan Malhar, Jaijaiwanti, Gorakh Kalyan and Darbari Kanada – to name a few. Pursuing this ancient Indian art requires inner strength, commitment, dedication to the art, and the faith in the power of blessings to go through the process of rigorous taalim (training) and riyaz (practice).

This was a wonderful platform for the students to exhibit their understanding, skill and knowledge of the Hindustani classical music system and an opportunity to rise up to the challenge of reaching the next level in their musical journey. The amazingly high level of performances by most performers went beyond the expectations of the audience in many ways. No wonder, the audience continued to grow in strength with each successive session.

The impeccable planning and implementation that ensured the flawlessly appropriate organization of these events was evident in all aspects: from the beautiful décor on and around the stage to the flyers specially made for each session. Some of the senior students themselves as well as some of the parents were the Master of Ceremonies for these sessions, introducing the performers and conducting the proceedings in a grand, spirited and respectful manner.

As a disciple of Pandit Suman Ghosh myself, I found this series of concerts to be inspiring and invaluable. Every one of the performers, from the littlest one to the oldest, had something unique to offer in terms of preparation, presentation, voice control, adaptation, perception, etc. It was incredible to see even the little children born in this country pronounce the words perfectly, follow the simple rules of this tradition like showing respect when singing the names of greats like Miyan Tansen-ji and Surdas-ji.

Music lovers and connoisseurs came to these sessions from all over the Greater Houston area, including neighboring towns, to hear the budding musicians. The audience applauded the performers at the most musically appropriate moments, exhibiting great understanding of the finer nuances

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of this art. Some of the members of the audience had made it into a week-end routine to enjoy this musical treat.

The performers, their families For an apartment complex in Houston and the members of the audience had all praise for their Guruji Pandit Suman Ghosh - for his devotion to this form of art, his commitment to the growth of his disciples and spending not just countless hours preparing them, but also not less than 25 hours on the stage with them during the performances. In turn, Guruji attributed all the success and glories After the success of Ram leela 2012, directed by Kusum to the immeasurable amount of Sharma, Shri Natraj School is now open for enrollment blessings from his Gurus and the  Bharatnatyam  Northwest musical forefathers.

In fact, Guruji Pandit Suman  Kathak  Galleria Ghosh and Guruma Shashi Ghosh  Bollywood  Sugarland appreciated the ever-encouraging and knowledgeable audience, the 832-423-2039 www.shrinatraj.com family members of the performers and thanked them for their support in this musical journey, besides expressing their gratitude to the All Mighty for •Quality Advocacy •Creating Working Relationships •Honesty and Objectivity bringing in such a vast number of truly committed The law firm of Donnelly-Ashby & Nguyen, PLLC is disciples around dedicated to providing quality immigration advice and them. legal counsel to domestic and international To quote Swacompanies and individuals. mi Vivekananda, “Take up one The attorneys at Donnelly-Ashby & Nguyen PLLC combine idea. Make that have over fifteen years of immigration experience.

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The Saadhana to sponsor foreign nationals to become per•Citizenship and Naturalization Pariwar, with manent residents as multinational managers The law firm of Donnelly-Ashby & Nguyen Pandit Suman or executive or through the Labor CertificaPLLC also assist clients with citizenship and Ghosh as their tion process. Further, the attorneys dedicate naturalization filings. p a t h - f i n d i n g considerable time to assisting individuals in family based cases and those who proceed Guru, seems to have taken up Free 30 min consultation every Wednesday. their saadhana in Hindustani Classical music Anne T. Nguyen with a truly inAttorney at Law domitable spirit Donnelly-Ashby & Nguyen, PLLC – heralding ob10200 Richmond Avenue, Suite 210 Houston, Texas 77042 vious success. email: anguyen@danpllc.com - web: www.danpllc.com

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White Hot in the Afternoon Sun, Doha is Stunningly Pretty at Night

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA DOHA, March 2, 2013: From just about any vantage point along the shoreline of the Old City, the distant skyscrapers glimmer and dominate from the far north end of the Corniche, a continuous pedestrian boulevard that connects with the austerely graceful Museum of Islamic Art at its southernmost end.

The wide expanse of over seventy skyscrapers, some fifty stories tall - which weren’t there just nine years ago - is just breathtaking and forms a compelling backdrop, like wallpaper on a computer screen, set against a blue sky whose hue changes as the day progresses and the heat builds up.

This entire visual scene pivots around an axis that emanates from the Grand Mosque and Emir’s Palace just across the boulevard from the perfectly rounded bay shoreline with its manicured and coiffed landscaping, forming the crescent bracket holding a bowl of the bay’s blue water. The Museum sits at the pivot and juts into the bar like the pin holding the bowl.

The Corniche (like the one with the same name in Abu Dhabi) is a place for joggers, walkers, people using the outdoor exercise equipment, dog walkers and day dreamers. And just beyond, the traffic curves from the cutoff to the new airport on the south to the opulent Four Seasons Hotel to the north of the crescent.

A reverse mini-crescent on a filled-in spit of land behind the Museum captures a backbay of still water behind a breakwater, with the pedestrian trail following a smooth curved shoreline adorned with twenty-foot tall date palms and a large, lush grassy lawn where families while away their Jumah (Friday) weekend with picnic baskets, games for the tykes and looking over their young as they bounce on huge trampolines, secured into harnessing yokes.

Off to one side, two blocks of silos with sand-colored building facades gives off a persistent motorized hum that echoes across the backbay as chillers keep the grain cool. In the clearing between two grassy mounds, an enterprising Frenchman has setup an outdoor café under a slanted overhang, which has become a popular hangout for the well-heeled and the expat community to while away a lazy afternoon in sight of the skyscrapers and the bay.

Couples and friends trek along the crescent towards to view the back of the Museum from land’s end where an artwork of seven, forty foot tall rusting iron beams stands in the clearing and forms a hollowed obelisk with a heptagon opening to the blue skies.

Just beyond, perhaps two kilometers across on the far side of the bay, the entire vista of Dafna – the

New Doha – shimmers, a tribute to the daring and determination of the Qatari Royal Family and business tycoons to transform the once desert flatlands and sand dunes into the towering skyscrapers of a financial and new downtown district. It’s reminiscent of looking across the Huangpu River from the Bund at the New Shanghai in Lujiazui, Pudong anchored by the iconic 468 meter tall Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

Except in Dafna, the centerpieces are the Al Mirqab Tower; the Salam Tower, the ball-like pavilion in between; the semi-circular Doha Tel tower, and the World Trade Center with its hovering disk at top. To the sides, the towers have impressive crowns, and each vies with the other for architectural distinction, reflecting the creative flair of world-renowned architects who were given a chance to create a masterpiece of unusual geometries with hefty budgets. Two blocks away, across the mall where the French grocery retailer Carrefour is the busiest main anchor, a golden globe twenty stories up bridges and connects two slender towers. Even now, construction continues on several more towers and a multi-use, residential complex is coming out of the ground next to the Sheraton.

But what impresses by day turns into a carnival of festive of lights by night. The towers of Dafna come alive with lights that adorn the facades, against a dark black sky, as if some amusement show was live on a screen. On Thursday and Friday nights, spectators line up along the Corniche, especially at the vantage point behind the Museum to be entranced by the dancing red, yellow, blue lights playing on the towers across the bay. The dancing light show goes on till almost midnight on the weekends.

In what must surely be a first, the entire fifty-story façade of the ba-

ton-like Al Mirqab Tower, all the way to the top of its antenna mast, is covered in orange LED lights, turning on and off in a computerized sequence. The conical Salam Tower, pinched at the middle, affectionately called the Tornado (its twin is being completed next to it), is criss-crossed by blue LED strips that also change to give the feel of a whirling column. And the disk atop the World Trade Center comes to life with LEDs that create a pattern of starbursts in changing colors and flash the name of the building. A blue LED strip defines the curve of the nearby Doha Tel Tower, with its floors dissected by orange LED strips, making it look like a cut slice of an orange. On both sides of the centerpiece, other towers have crowns that glow in floodlight colors, and every floor of the pyramidal Sheraton Hotel is ablaze in yellow light.

Across the bay, in the Old City stays lit all night long. The spiraling single minar by the Souq Waqif radiates in yellow light; as does the Museum of Islamic Art, a testament to the creative flair of world-renowned architect I. M. Pei. Nearby the Clock Tower and Al Koot Fort are set off in light and the Diwan Emiri, the walls of the immense rectangular Royal residence, are bathed in white floodlight.

On a dark, moonless night, the dark bay waters lapping gently at the shoreline, sitting on the seawall and hearing voices in the many languages of the diaspora that lives in Doha, you forget where you are and get mesmerized by the beauty and playfulness of this extravagant light show and architectural showpieces, truly a feast for the eyes.

- Jawahar Malhotra is traveling

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Houston Namadwaar Prayer House's Third Anniversary Celebrations Sat, March 30, 2:00 to 4:30 PM at

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by Vaishnavi Narasimhan accompanied by Deepa Ramachandran on violin & Vijay Ramamurthi on mridangam

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EDITORIAL

March 22, 2013

Importance of Being Adamant If in 2012 it was the Trinamool Congress, in 2013 it is the DMK which has managed to push the UPA into a corner. The DMK, which has 18 seats in the Lok Sabha, pulled out of the Congressled UPA coalition on Tuesday in protest against the Centre’s ambivalent position on a United Nations resolutionon war crimes against Tamils during Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009. Instead of just supporting the resolution, which New Delhi was planning to do, the DMK wants India to introduce stronger language into the draft (words like “genocide”) and push for an international panel to investigate into the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government.

On Monday, the DMK chief, in what looked like a climb-down, said that he could reconsider his pullout threat, if the Indian Parliament passed a resolution on his two demands. Agreeing to such demands would be difficult for New Delhi because of two reasons: first, it cannot support two different resolutions on the same issue, one at home and another abroad, and second, to pass a resolution, the government would need support from all parties and the main Opposition party, the BJP, does not support any country-specific motion and says that terms like genocide must be avoided.

The DMK has not left the UPA with much room for any kind of political maneuvering: the resolution will be placed in the UN later this week and Parliament will go into recess for a month on March 22 and on Friday, the DMK will meet President Pranab Mukherjee to withdraw its support formally. So the Congress has no room to dilly-dally. With its pullout, the Congress becomes heavily dependent on two outside supporters: Samajwadi Party BSP and the two will try to extract concessions from the Centre: for the SP, it is the implementation of the Sachar Committee report which recommended reservation for Muslims and for the BSP, it is the bill on job promotions for Scheduled Castes.

And in any case, the UPA would need a strong ally within the coalition and this over dependence on outside support is not good news. The BJP has, for its part, already started tightening the screws by saying that it is ready for an election.

It is not very difficult to figure out why the DMK took this decision: the party is keen to revive its political fortune and this is the only way it can go. Its opponent, the AIADMK, has also made a similar demand and whoever manages to prevail on the Centre first will score. Moreover, the DMK wants to increase its tally in the next general elections and it can compete in maximum number of seats and that is not be possible if it remains with the Congress.

In such a scenario, the UN resolution has come to it on a platter. The Congress should not give in to this blackmail and allow political interference in the conduct of foreign relations. At the same time, it should remind the Lankan government about its promise to deliver a political and rehabilitation package for its Tamil community.

Hindustan Times

Hero’s Welcome for Runaways

HERO’S WELCOME Events in Italy last month should have alerted the Indian authorities that Rome had no intention of returning the marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone to India to stand trial for killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano had given a public assurance to his countrymen that the two marines would be back home unscathed. When they returned to Italy to vote, they were personally received at the airport by Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi. Then Prime Minister Mario Monti also met them.

A courageous Italian journalist pointed out that the marines were not exactly heroes kidnapped by a radical group such as the al-Qaeda, as was being portrayed in the media. She was flooded with hate mail.

TOUCH ME NOT Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got into trouble with conservative clerics for hugging a weeping Hugo Chavez’s mother at the Venezuelan leader’s funeral.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari recalls from his years as a diplomat that it is always a problem reconciling different cultural traditions of greeting and mourning.

Indira Gandhi had a clear-cut rule: that she would shake hands with all officers of military rank and greet everyone else with folded hands. Many years ago, the Iranian ambassador to India was very keen to meet Ansari, then in the diplomatic service, to sort out what he called a pressing matter.

He wanted to ensure that when the then speaker of Iranian Parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, visited India and met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he would be greeted with a namaskar rather than a handshake.

Conservative Iranians do not want to be touched by a woman.

For that matter, Gandhi herself was a shade embarrassed when she was embraced by Yasser Arafat in an over-enthusiastic greeting.

in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago and it soon spread to other countries. Coincidentally, November 19 also happens to be the birthday of Indira Gandhi, who was often described as the only man in her Cabinet.

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got into trouble with conservative clerics for hugging a weeping Hugo Chavez’s mother at the Venezuelan leader’s funeral.

DIALOGUE ON HOLD The Ottawa Dialogue is a backchannel diplomatic exercise for retired Indian and Pakistani military officials and diplomats and is funded by the USA, UK and Canada. Usually, there are some 20 participants from each side and they debate defence issues from conventional CBMs to the Siachen dispute. The Ottawa Dialogue has held conferences in a number of cities. The most recent meeting was scheduled for New Delhi, but there is a hitch. Former air chief S P Tyagi heads the India chapter and is being investigated in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. As a consequence, the Ottawa Dialogue has been temporarily put on hold.

MEN’S DAY With all the hype over International Women’s Day on March 8, TMC MP Derek O’Brien wondered why no one in India talked about Men’s Day. In fact, Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 but it does not attract much attention. The tradition was first started

STRANGE SILENCE It has taken two years for the BJP to raise in Parliament the issue of Robert Vadra’s land dealings. When the story first broke in the press, the majority view in the party was that one should not drag politicians’ families into the debate as this could set a dangerous trend. Arun Jaitley, Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh were among the few to dissent. Later, the RSS ticked off the BJP leadership for adopting a passive approach.

When fresh revelations concerning the Rajasthan government’s largesse to Vadra surfaced in the media recently, the BJP took up the issue in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday and demanded a CBI probe, to be monitored by the court. Parliament was adjourned for the day, but hardliners in the party felt it was a case of too little too late.

SLIP-UP IN FOCUS Following the seizure of 26 kg of heroin from an alleged drug peddler in Punjab, with Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh’s name figuring in the case, the prevalence of drug abuse among the youth of Punjab has come under scrutiny. Congresspersons are eager to point out that credit should be given to Rahul Gandhi for being the first to focus on this serious social problem during a speech he made at Panjab University in October last year. To bring home this point, a request was made to TV channels to replay Gandhi’s Panjab University speech. Television channels obliged, but the constant replays did not enhance Gandhi’s image since they brought out the fact that he had goofed up. He first stated that 10 out of seven youth in Punjab are on drugs and only then corrected himself to say he meant seven out of 10 youth.

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

March 22, 2013

The Anjali Center for Performing Arts Celebrates 38th Anniversary

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

10

presented that evening was varied and well chosen, with facial expressions, footwork, and dramatic passages beautifully highlighted in different dances.

The Honorable Consul General of India, P. Harish with wife Nandita Harish graced the occasion as Special Guests. In his remarks the Consul General congratulated Rathna Kumar for the Anjali Center’s excellent presentation and Samskriti for bringing out excellent programs to Houston showcasing the best of Indian performing arts.

A recent ‘graduate’, Nivetha Chandrasekaran,andfourlongtimefriends, enthusiasts and admirers of the Anjali Center shared their thoughts on this occasion. Nivetha spoke of the positive influence of her Guru on her, and of how much she loved attending dance classes at the Center. Prabha Bala pointed out the similarity in Rukmini Devi Arundale’s Kalakshetra in Chennai to Rathna Kumar’s Anjali Center, in bringing Indian Arts to the mainstream and in creating awareness of India’s rich cultural heritage. Vasantha Putcha spoke of how her daughter, one of Rathna’s earliest students, was so inspired by her Guru that she went on to do her Ph.D in Dance and is now teaching Kuchipudi at Earlham College.

Dr. Venugopal Menon, whose daughters were two of Anjali’s first students, paid tribute to the multifaceted Rathna and described her as a good and great human being. He commented that both Rathna and Anil Kumar had not only established the Anjali Center as a foundation for Indian Performing Arts but that they were the pillars holding up the Center as a landmark in Greater Houston.

Thara Narasimhan pointed out that the Anjali Center has been instrumental in nurturing and preserving Indian Classical Dance forms and stands as a testimonial to the dedication of a teacher who inspired many young students to learn the ancient Indian art form and to perform it with pride and joy.

Rathna’s creativity and professionalism are in evidence in the numerous productions she has presented all over North America. It is little wonder that she is the recipient of awards too numerous to count, but her prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Excellence in Kuchipudi sets her apart as an icon in the field of performing arts.

The Anjali Center began humbly, with two students in its first class.

Today, it operates at six locations – Bellaire, Clear Lake City, Sugar Land, Katy, the Woodlands and Pearland – and its reputation has spread far beyond North America. Besides Rathna Kumar, Venugopal Josyula and Sangeeta Ramachandran are the other two dedicated teachers at the Center. Venugopal, Anjali’s Assistant Director, is a good and well-liked dancer and choreographer, and Sangeeta is the patient teacher who has

taken the tough job of training the Center’s youngest students. With three such committed Gurus, there is little doubt that Indian classical dance traditions will be safely guarded and carefully nurtured at the Anjali Center, and that it will grow from strength to strength. That strength was in evi-

dence on March 16, with the precisely organized event, starting exactly on time, dances presented in a seamless stream, innumerable parent volunteers helping with stage and food management, make-up, costuming and ushering. Anjali Center, you have indeed come a long way!

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

March 22, 2013

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Chote Nawab: Nawabon ka Khana for Everyday Prices

BY PARTH DWIVEDI NEW YORK, NY: Walking up to the corner of 28th St. and Lexington Ave. in New York City, a grey banner in stylized white lettering lets you know you have arrived at Chote Nawab, the latest talk of the area.

Shiva Natarajan, owner of Chote Nawab and other popular Indian restaurants in the area, explains that the name, or “little prince,” is intended to represent the Hyderbadi style of cuisine that they offer.

Walking in, one is met with a strong smell of masala and a hand painting of the eponymous movie poster.

Grey and yellow earth tones bounce off of one another to create a well lit but relaxing lunchtime ambience, perfect for dinner as well. Depictions of quiet life in India accentuate the modern décor, adding to the laid back atmosphere.

Sitting down in one of the wooden chairs, you notice a selection of down-tempo Bollywood songs playing lightly in the background as your waiter brings out a glass jar, not a cup, full of water. It is all very quaint.

The Hyderbadi presence on the menu does not stop one from noticing a variety of dishes uncommon to Hyderbadi cuisine, like an entire seafood section.

Your plates arrive promptly, enveloped in a very strong aroma, enhancing the flavor; after all, smelling is half of tasting. Presentation is done well, with decorative tulsi leaves and

Casual restaurant-goers enjoy great service over a quiet lunch

thinly cut strips of ginger placed atop each of the dishes.

Their saag paneer is easy on the taste buds, with just enough spice to emphasize the saag in the dish without overpowering it. The chicken makhani is well-buttered and is so tender that it requires no knife to cut.

It smells strong, but the taste is subtle, a great combination for any nonvegetarian food-lover. The chicken kabob is rich with texture, having a crispy exterior, with the same juicy succulence on its interior as the chicken makhani, and is complemented wonderfully by a squirt of lemon.

Finishing strong with mango lassi, a strong burst of sweetness greets your palate—smooth enough to sip through a straw.

The devil is in the detail, and dining at Chote Nawab is a case study

in subtlety.

Appropriately, restaurant-goers present cite the rich assortment of flavors as their own reason for coming and bringing newcomers along as well, explaining Chote Nawab’s rapid growth via word of mouth, as nearly fifty percent growth is projected within the next year. This growth has occurred amidst a relative vacuum of publicity aside from standard local directory services like Yelp, as Chote Nawab has never been reviewed by any major publication.

Natarajan explains his philosophy on establishing the restaurant, saying that he merely has a passion for food and wants to create an affordable and enjoyable experience for Chote Nawab’s patrons. Found in an area alongside many other Indian restaurants, some of which are also

owned by Natarajan, Chote Nawab is intended mostly to satisfy a demand for specialized Indian food that one walking through the area would have anyway. Rather than competing with neighboring restaurants, he sees his restaurants as merely contributing to the neighborhood’s ethnic appeal.

He says, “I don’t want to reinvent anything. India already provides such a large variety of cuisine that that in and of itself is enough to satiate any of our customers.”

All in all, the strong aroma walking into Chote Nawab grabs you, but the charming quaintness of the food and feel is what holds you.

Left: A hand painted poster of the store’s namesake greets anyone walking in Below: Managers Vijay Rai, left, and Min Bhujel, right, show off the bar.

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‘Paan Singh Tomar’ Wins Best Film at National Awards

NEW DELHI (The Hindu) Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, a real-life story of athlete-turned-dacoit, was announced the best picture at the 60th National Film awards on Monday while its lead Irrfan shared the best actor trophy with Vikram Gokhale for Marathi film Anumati.

Usha Jadhav was named the best actress for her portrayal of a rustic housewife in Marathi film Dhag, whose filmmaker Shivaji Lotan Patil was declared the best director.

Hindi films shared the spotlight with Malayalam and Marathi cinema in the key categories at the awards this year.

Bedabrata Pain’s debut Hindi film Chittagong, about Chittagong uprising, shared Indira Gandhi award for best debut film with Siddhartha Siva’s Malayalam film 101 Chodiyangal.

Hindi Vicky Donor, the John Abraham produced film on sperm donation, was named the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment.

Its actors Annu Kapoor and Dolly Ahluwalia won in the supporting categories. Dolly shared supporting actress credit with Kalpana for Malayalam film Thanichalla Njan.

Director Sujoy Ghosh was declared the best original screenplay writer for his Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani while another Hindi film Oh My God won the best adapted screenplay for Bhavesh Mandalia and Umesh Shukhla.

Kahaani was also named the best edited film (Namrata Rao) of the year.

Bolo Na from Chittagong won the best lyrics for Prasoon Joshi and best male playback singer for Shankar Mahadevan. Aarti Anklekar Tikekar was named the best female playback singer for Palakein Naa Moondoon from Marathi film Samhita.

Ustad Hotel was also recognised for best dialogue for Anjali Menon.

Thanichalla Njan was also named in the Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on national integration category.

Malayalam film Spirit, which deals with the topic of alcoholism, was named as the best film on social issues. Another Malayalam film Black Forest was declared the best film on environment conservation/preservation.

Hindi film Dekh Indian Circus was best children’s film and its lead Virendra Pratap shared the best child actor honour with 101 Chodiyangal.

Nikhil Advani directed Delhi Safari was named the best animation film.

Union Minister Manish Tiwari receiving reports from Basu Chatterjee (right), Chairman for the Jury on Feature films, Aruna Raje Patil (left), Chairperson for the Jury on Non-feature film category and Swapan Mullick (second left), Chairman for the Jury on Best Writing on Cinema, after announcement of winners of the 60th National Film Awards, in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

A Mising language movie, KO: YAD, won best cinematography award. It Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam won best production design and best choreography for Pandit Birju Maharaj.

Poornima Ramaswamy was named best costume designer for Tamil film Paradesi while Raja won the best make-up artist award for Tamil movie Vazakku enn 18/9.

Bollywood dominated in the special jury award with Aamir Khan starrer Talaash, Gangs of Wasseypur, Kahaani and Dekh Indian Circus being named in the category with Bengali film Chitrangada.

Best autography award was shared

by Malayalam film Annayum Rassoolum, Shabdo and Gangs of Wasseypur.

Malayalam film Kaliyachan and Marathi film Samhita shared the best music direction award. Telugu film ‘Eega’ was named in the best special effects category.

Baandhon, by Jahnu Baruah, was named the best Assamese film; Kaushik Ganguly’s Shabdo best Bengali film; The Good Road, by Gyan Arora, best Gujarati film, Filmistan,

by Nitin Kakkar, best Hindi film; P Sheshadri’s Bharath Stores best Kannada film; Kamal’s Celluiod best Malayalam film; Leipaklei was named best Manipuri film.

The others in this category were: Investment (Marathi), Nabar (Punjabi), Vazakku enn 18/9 (Tamil), Eega (Telugu), Harud(Urdu), Lessons in Forgetting (English) and KO:YAD (Mising).

Special mention was given to actor Lal for Malayalam film Ozhimuri, H.G. Dhattatreya for Kannada film Bharat Stores, Parineeti Chopra for Ishaqzaade, Bishnu Kharghoria for Assamese film Baandhon, Tannishta Chatterjee for Hindi film Dekh Indian Circus, Hansraj Jagtap for Marathi film Dhag and the late actor Thilakan for Malayalam film Ustad Hotel.

Silent Cinema In India—A Pictorial Journey in English by B.D. Garga was named the best book on cinema while best film critic award went to Malayalam writer P S Radhakrishnan while Piyush Roy won a special mention.

Headed by veteran filmmaker Basu Chatterjee, the 11-member feature films jury anounced the awards on Monday.

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LuLu Mall in Kochi: How Kerala Became Shoppers’ Paradise

BY S. SANANDAKUMAR KOCHI (EC): The Lulu Mall, which opened earlier this week in Kochi, is a shopper’s delight. Spanning a little over 2.5 million sq ft and built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, it can accommodate nearly 300 national and international brands.

The man behind what is billed as the largest mall in India, MA Yusuffali, the promoter of Abu Dhabi-based retail powerhouse EMKE Group, is a Malayali. That still doesn’t explain why he would open a mall and a giant one at that in Kerala.

Malayalis, until recently, largely binged on one object: gold. Kerala has as many jewellery shops as it has coconut trees. Well, not really, but you get the idea. Today, the shopping list of people in the state is assorted — luxury cars, high-end electronic goods, durables, textile, and clothes and the like — and they are shopping as if there is no tomorrow.

Shoppers Don’t Stop In no time, the binge alerted retailers. The first signs of their interest were ‘supermarkets’such as IT super shops, white goods retail chains and gold souks. Then came the malls.

Nearly 50 malls are said to be built in the state in three years. Last week, the state government announced the launch of agri-malls in all districts.

At least three districts would have fisheries malls. The launch of Lulu Mall will only hasten the trend.

In Lulu’s case, though these are early days, consumer response has been “overwhelming”, according to Shibu Philips, business head of Lulu Mall. The mall is attracting footfalls of around 1 lakh even during working days, he says. Established players in retail are not unduly worried.

“Several malls are already operating in the state. But our business grew by 20% last year,” says PP Jose, chief operating officer of jewellery chain

LuLu Mall Inauguation Ceremony

The Managing Director of LuLu Group International, M.A Yusuff Ali was in the driving seat of the buggy that carried dignitaries during the mall tour.

India’s ‘largest mall’ has opened in Kochi as retail giants are raring to go in Kerala.

Union Minister Vayalar Ravi unveiling the inaugural plaque to commemorate the grand opening on March 10.

Joyalukkas Group.

Unsurprisingly, leading jewellers are present in most malls. Yet, they are just as focused on standalone stores. Joyalukkas Group, for instance, has said it will launch midsize malls in district headquarters under the brand ‘Mall of Joy’. In jewellery, says Jose, the bulk of

the demand comes from families shopping for weddings. “They want privacy and are more comfortable in an exclusive, standalone shop.”

The competition is also driving innovations. White goods retailer LanMark Shops introduced a cluster approach in retailing, after it was unable to compete with big players.

“We have organised 200 smaller players under one brand name called White Mart,” says Jerry Mathew, managing director at LanMark Shops. Buoyed by the success in Kerala, the company has expanded into Tamil Nadu.

It is not hard to understand Kerala’s shopping frenzy. Despite the relative industrial backwardness, the state’s per capita consumption

expenditure is one of the highest in the country thanks to remittances — largely from West Asia — of nearly Rs 50,000 crore a year. Kerala is also home to cash crops like rubber, pepper, cardamom etc. If that’s not enough, there are easy loans — estimated to be over Rs 1 lakh crore provided by gold loan companies such as Muthoot Finance, Manappuram Finance and Muthoot Fincorp.

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

24

SPORTS

March 22, 2013

India’s Batting, Spin Bowling Devastates Aussies, 3-0

BY DANIEL BRETTIQ In Dhawan’s MOHALI (ESPN absence, M Vijay, Cricinfo): India 499 Cheteshwar Puja(Dhawan 187, Vijay ra, Virat Kohli and 153, Siddle 5-71) and Tendulkar all made 136 for 4 beat Australia the handy scores 408 (Starc 99, Smith 92) required to win. At and 223 (Hughes 69) by no stage did Aussix wickets tralia appear likely Long awaited for Into win the match, dia, too little and much but equally they too late for Australia. made no effort to MS Dhoni’s team comcynically slow the pleted a six-wicket game down. They victory in Mohali and face an uncertain regained the Borderteam selection for Gavaskar Trophy 3-0 the final match with a Test to play, but in Delhi due to not before the tourists Michael Clarke’s had made India scrap tender back and for every run. Sachin the looming return Tendulkar’s run-out was of the vice-captain engineered purely due Shane Watson. to the pressure brought For a time it apto bear by Peter Siddle peared that India’s and Mitchell Starc, betarget would be fore a few bold strikes merely a token

by Dhoni and Ravindra amount. Australia Jadeja settled matters. slid to 179 for 9 India’s victory meant in their second inthey had won three Tests nings, only Phillip in a series for the first Hughes and Brad time since Mohammad Haddin offering Azharuddin’s side swept any kind of proSri Lanka in as many longed resistance, matches in 1993-94. but Mitchell Starc Australia’s defeat meant and Xavier Dothey had lost the first herty then hung three matches of a series around for 18.1 for the first time since overs and 44 runs.

1988-89, when Allan Starc’s innings Border led his develop- M Vijay scored back-to-back centuries, India v Australia, followed his ading side to a 3-1 defeat 3rd Test, 4th day, Mohali. mirable 99 on day at home to West Indies, three, while Dofourth evening. a sobering gap of 25 years. herty demonstrated his impresThe most unsettling thing about sively correct technique for a No. Like the results in Chennai and Hyderabad, India’s win was built the tense way in which the match 11. Their efforts put those of many on the guile of their spin bowlers concluded was that this kind of of the batsmen to considerable and the verve of their top-order contest had been so absent from shame - David Warner and Moises batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan was the earlier and more critical pas- Henriques in particular. indisposed on day five due to a sages of the series. Australia may Before Starc and Doherty, jarred hand suffered in the field, take some solace from the fight Hughes and Haddin provided the but his coruscating debut innings displayed in the dying hours of only token barrier for India’s bowldefined the match, making Austra- the match, but the mere fact they ers. Hughes reached 69 before he lia’s 408 appear utterly puny. The were left scrapping for a draw that was the victim of a questionable Indian bowlers contributed evenly, would still have lost them the se- lbw shout and Haddin made 30 beR Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and ries underlined how far they have fore he was undone by a perfectly Pragyan Ojha sharing the wickets fallen on this tour. It cannot be for- pitched carrom ball from Ashwin, on day five after Bhuvneshwar gotten that this was a third consec- who now has 22 wickets for the Kumar had tilted the match deci- utive hiding inside four days, after series. After the back troubles that sively towards India by knocking the first six hours of this match curtailed his contribution on day over Australia’s top three on the were lost to rain on Thursday. four, Clarke came out to bat at No.

6 but was still visibly restricted by the ailment. His dismissal was notable for a desperately tight call on whether or not Jadeja’s foot had overstepped.

In the morning, Hughes and Nathan Lyon had resumed with Australia still 16 runs short of making India bat again, and Lyon was snapped up, edging Ojha behind, before the deficit was wiped off. Clarke walked to the middle after plenty of back treatment but looked not much more limber for the sleepless night, struggling to use his feet and battling visibly to run between the wickets.

Having made a swift start to his innings on the fourth evening against pace, Hughes again found himself becalmed against spin. In all he spent 35 balls on 53 before a top-edged sweep reaped a couple of runs, and he struggled noticeably to regain the momentum of the previous day. Nonetheless, Hughes fought hard, and it was his captain who fell next.

Most of Clarke’s 18 runs came from leg-side deflections, and his dismissal was to a delivery he attempted to work in that direction, only to nudge a thin edge onto pad and up to short leg. Clarke delayed his exit while the umpires checked on a no-ball, and despite scant evidence Jadeja had landed any of his foot behind the line, the dismissal was rubber stamped.

A few minutes later Hughes was following Clarke, given lbw by Aleem Dar to a ball from Ashwin that pitched marginally in line with the stumps but did not straighten enough to be hitting them. It was a poor decision and a rum twist of fortune for Hughes, who had battled so hard after a dire series.

Whatever the merits of the call, it now meant Australia’s innings was swiftly deteriorating.

Henriques and Siddle did not last long, though the latter at least struck a pair of solid blows before playing down the wrong line at an Ojha delivery that plucked off stump. Starc, Haddin and Doherty were left to attempt a salvage operation, but despite their best efforts far too much damage had been done earlier.

Defending Champ Saina Loses in Semi BASEL: Two-time defending champion and top seed Saina Nehwal of India was ousted by nemesis Shixian Wang of China in the women’s singles semifinal of the $125,000 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold. The

Saina: No 23rd birthday gift

fourth seeded Shixian halted Saina’s journey to a consecutive third final by winning the match 21-11, 10-21, 21-9 in 50 minutes at St. Jakobshalle Saturday, denying the Indian to celebrate her 23rd birthday Sunday with the title. Saina, who had beaten the Chinese last week in the quarterfinal of the All England Open Badminton Championships, however, still leads Shixian 4-2 in career meetings. The Hyderabadi went into the match feeling confident, having beaten the former World No.1 the last four times. But her on-court form did not show that. Saina was completely off the track in the first game allowing the World No.7 to take a huge 8-0 lead at the start from where she could never recuperate. Known for her quick feet on the court, Saina was boggled by Chinese opponent, who had last beaten the top seed back in the 2010 World Championships. Scripts changed hands in the second game as from 13-10 up, the defending champion notched eight straight points to take the game and level the match. But Saina again let herself down in the third by making wrong line judgements and unforced errors. Shixian led the game from the start and kept extending the lead, needing just one match-point to pull it off. Shixian’s deft touches at the net proved to be the difference between the two. Shixian will next meet Thailand’s fifth seed Ratchanok Intanon in the final.

The hugely talented Ratchanok, who was a finalist at the All England Open, shoved aside Japanese Yui Hashimoto 19-21, 21-10, 21-13 in one hour and two minutes.

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Governors Over the Years: From Stalwarts to “Courtiers” Those were the good old days when the governors were men and women of letters and of unimpeachable integrity. Women like Sarojini Naidu, Vijayalakshmi Pandit and Padmaja Naidu performed their gubernatorial duties with much dignity. And great men like KM Munshi, Sir HP Mody, VV Giri, Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai, Dharam Vira and Govind Narain walked like Colossus in their respective Raj Bhawans. But alas there has since been much devaluation in the calibre of the governors who subsequently held gubernatorial positions or are currently occupying many a stately Raj Bhawan.

BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT Who is qualified to become a state governor in India? The Constitution says that “he must at least be 35 years of age and a citizen of India.”

It doesn’t lay down any qualifications as to education or experience. By this yardstick, almost every third Indian is constitutionally eligible to be appointed a governor. To the best of my belief and memory however, no one below the age of 60 or so has ever been made a state governor. Ironically, this relatively young age of 60 is intended for those bureaucrats who had managed to earn such a highly prized sinecure for the “services rendered” in the course of their careers.

The politician, who is past his or her ‘use-by date’, too is a favorite for the tenancy of a Raj Bhawan. At times, retired army generals or their counterparts from Navy or Air Force also get a look in and given the gubernatorial assignment.

Thus the appointment last week of four governors once again brought to the fore the controversy relating to the ‘qualifications’ of a governor. It is no secret that the governors are appointed purely on the whims and fancies of the powers-that-be at that point of time. More often some of the choices come as a surprise but a little digging would show a ‘godfather’ lurking somewhere in the background. Fortunately, the choice of the governors in the first two decades after 1947 broadly fell on eminent public men and women. Note that the first Uttar Pradesh governor was no less a person than Sarojini Naidu, famously known as the ‘Nightingale of India’; in fact, she was the first woman president in 1925 of the Indian National Congress. It was unfortunate that she did not live to complete her tenure and died in 1949. Other equally eminent women who were privileged to adorn gubernatorial office were Sarojini Naidu’s daughter Padmaja (West Bengal), Vijayalakshmi Pandit (Maharashtra) and Sharda Mukherjee

Vijayalakshmi Pandit was the first woman governor of Maharashtra then known as Bombay.

(Gujarat) wife of Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee.

In the next round of woman governors, Ram Dulari Sinha (Kerala), Rajendra Kumar Bajpai (Puducherry), Sheila Kaul (Himachal Pradesh), Rama Devi (Himachal Pradesh & Karnataka), Pratibha Patil (Rajasthan) and Kamla Beniwal (Gujarat) were Congress leaders of lesser prominence who then needed to be rehabilitated. They neither distinguished nor disgraced themselves and quietly demitted their posts when their term ended. Sarla Grewal née Khanna was perhaps the first woman civil servant to have been made a governor. She was in fact the second woman in the country to have joined IAS in 1952 and had retired as the Cabinet Secretary. I had known her briefly when she was the deputy commissioner in Shimla. The appointment of VS Ramadevi as governor of Himachal Pradesh in 1997 too had attracted unseemly attention since earlier she had held, albeit briefly, the office of the chief election commissioner of India.

Gradual erosion Unfortunately, there has been gradual erosion in the “qualifications” of woman governors after the first two hoary decades. Imagine the likes of the lucky Pratibha Patil who even later rose to become the President of India. She did not distinguish herself

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Aziz Qureshi is the Governor of Uttarakhand.

as a governor. The less said the better about her performance as the President. Happily, Margaret Alva is the only current governor among the women who has bestowed much dignity and grace upon her office.

Kamla Beniwal (Gujarat) was in the eye of storm in Rs. 1000-crore Jaipur Development Authority land scam.

The choice and the “qualifications” of governors of late have become very questionable since these appointments are not strictly made on merits; the only criterion is the “loyalty and the services rendered” by a favourite, and the need to reward and rehabilitate him or her. Even though the office of governor, by and large, is symbolic, yet its importance simply cannot be sidelined. Governors have to possess high educational qualifications and innate charm and grace; they also must be men and women with poise and of unimpeachable lineage and need to conduct themselves with dignity and grace.

Fortunately, our current governor Dr. Aziz Qureshi is a suave man of letters with a dignified demeanour. He has been gracefully conducting himself and has made many friends.

Highly educated governors Those earlier governors were refined and highly educated men of great distinction. Consider stalwarts

like KM Munshi, Sir HP Mody, VV Giri who acquitted themselves with much grace and dignity during their tenures as the governor of Uttar Pradesh. Munshi was the most profound of the lot and did his best in promoting excellence in the universities in the state. He was instrumental in introducing the concept of “Interuniversity Chancellor’s Camp” in June 1953 at which outstanding students were invited to spend a fortnight with him at Raj Bhawan, Nainital.

Some of the students in the camp like KC Pant, Mahesh Prasad, Otima Mukherjee rose to greater heights in their later career. I too was at the camp as a representative from Agra University which at that time was perhaps the largest affiliating university in the country.

Some other notable governors in those early years were civil servants of the eminence of Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai, Dharam Vira and Govind Narain. There were also many outstanding leaders such as MM Pakwasa, Sri Prakasa, Raja Maharaj Singh, Pattabhi Sityaramayya, Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, Kailash Nath Katju, Asaf Ali, Sadiq Ali, Shankar Dayal Sharma, Bhim Sain Sachar et al.

Other equally well known governors were Gurmukh Nihal Singh, Sampurnanand, Sardar Hukam Singh, Balram Jakhar and some more of equal calibre.

Ashwani Kumar’s choice unfortunate The appointment of Ashwani Kumar, a former CBI director, as the new governor of Nagaland has been described by many critics as “unfortunate and improper”. Almost all the opposition parties have accused CBI of being “a handmaiden and B team of the government”. Thus the choice of Ashwani Kumar falls flat on the yardstick of “propriety”.

Interestingly, Ashwani has taken over from Nikhil Kumar, a fellow police officer. Nikhil has a highly pedigreed lineage. His grandfather Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha and father Satyendra

62 year old Former CBI Director, Ashwani Kumar is appointed as Governor of Nagaland.

Narayan Sinha were both notable leaders and MPs for multiple terms.

His mother Kishori Sinha and wife Shyama Singh too were members of the Lok Sabha. What an incredible hereditary wonder !! For Nikhil who was himself one time a police commissioner of Delhi, it surely must be a big rise.

It is thus important that some sort of “code of selection” be put in place for governors. Looking at the “qualifications” of about 100 past and current governors, it looks that anyone of us would easily “qualify” to be appointed as a governor. In fact, the qualifications of many of us are far superior to those of some of these “worthies” except that we would lack a “godfather”.

Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun based freelance journalist and writes columns on current affairs for local and national newspapers.

He is also the author of the official history of ONGC, which is one of the top three companies in India in terms of market capitalization. Kanwar is also associated with World Oil as its Contributing Editor for South Asia.

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