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Friday, April 19 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 16

Indo Indo American American News

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

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Dancing for a Cause, Daya 2013 Spring Fundraiser Reaches $112,000

Some of the Daya board members, advisory board members and staff gathered for a group photo prior to the start of the Spring Gala at Crystal ballroom of Rice Hotel (left). The entertainment highlight of the evening were interactive dance sessions in salsa, country line dancing and Bollywood.

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: Daya Houston has always had a serious purpose— helping South Asian families in crisis, particularly victims of domestic abuse. For its Spring fundraiser, the 17-year-old organization added music, beat and dance under the theme “Feel the beat ... feel the need.”

The gala was held Sunday, April 14 evening at the recently renovated Crystal ballroom of the Rice Hotel in downtown Houston.

The event raised $112,000 to support Daya’s numerous services to help victims of abuse and increase awareness in South Asian communities through seminars and public events.

Advisory Board Member Indrani Goradia, RYT, served as emcee for the event. As she welcomed the more gala participants, Goradia explained how Daya staff members and volunteers are fielding more than 5,000 calls for and have helped more than 300 victims through services extending from counseling to legal assistance and stays in transitional housing.

After a two-year pilot program, the Board made the decision in

2009 to buy a four-bedroom house to be used as Daya’s transitional home and embarked on a capital campaign to pay off the mortgage and own the home. Daya was able to successfully complete the capital campaign and take ownership of the house in 2012. Named Harmony House, the residence has helped several women and their children break the cycle of abuse Under the chair of Vatsala Bhaskaran MD and Sheela Rao, the novel fundraiser included 20-minute interactive dance sessions by Salsa Grande with Michael O. Whitmire, Two-Step Houston with Vickie Dunn, and Bollywood dancing with Mahesh Mahbubani of Naach Houston. DJ Yogi-G provided the music and the spectacular pink and purple lighting around the room. A large number of attendees joined the instructors on the dance floor to either hone their skills in the three styles of dancing or learn the steps for the very first time.

Dinner for the gala included an Italian dinner catered by the Rice Hotel and exotic deserts by Rice Hotel’s Sambucca Grill, London Sizzler and India Mart. An inter-

esting feature to raise funds was a variation of the silent auction, where the guest were able to donate direct services to clients in the transitional home and, as thanks, received donated gift certificates and jewelry with proceeds going to Daya.

The dance finale was a flash mob dance to the music of Disco Deewane, choreographed by Kavita Rao. Kavita also conducted a dance workshop to raise funds for Daya. Ruchi Sharma donated photography services throught out the event.

The evening concluded with board member Vatsala Bhaskaran providing the vote of thanks.

Daya’s Gala underwriters were Indrani and Hemant Goradia and an anonymous donor, who gave $5,000 each. Donors, who provided $2,500 each included Anju and Ajay Shah, Anuradha & Mani Subramanian, Lakshmy & PG Parameswaran, Padmini & Ranga Nathan, Prabha & Shesh Bala, Shazma & Arshad Matin, Sheela & Ashok Rao, and Vatsala & Vish Bhaskaran.

For more information on Daya, visit www.dayahouston.org.

How Daya Helps Families in Crisis Daya’s staff and volunteers provide confidential, culturesensitive services to women and children in crisis situations such as domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Help Line: (713) 981-7645. A crisis counselor is available to answer your call, Monday-Friday, 9 AM-5 PM. A voicemail system is available after hours and on weekends.

What clients say about Daya: Client H wrote: “When I first came to Daya, I was so weak ...

I had lost all my confidence. The transitional home gave me peace and harmony. Now I am finally free.”

Client V wrote: “Thank you so much ... the more I talk to you (the more) I feel I am getting a lot more clarity on what to do and think too.”

Client J wrote: The day I spoke to Daya’s counselors, I felt for the first time that I was not alone.

Thanks for Daya, I have finally won the right to lead a normal life.”

Daya 2012 Seminar: Daya,held

its 15th annual seminar on Saturday, September 15th at the Hilton Southwest in Houston. Titled “Don’t Cry Foul, Learn to Dodge Life’s Curve Balls: A seminar to help men and women play fair in the face of anger,” the seminar featured Newton Hightower, Founder and Director of the Center for Anger Resolution, and Dr. Anjali Pinjala, Senior Director of Psychotherapy at Legacy Community Health Services. Panelists included Dr. Ravi Mani, an internist, who discussed the connection between emotional stress and physical symptoms, Lakshmy Parameswaran, a cofounder of Daya, and Shaun Igo, a personal trainer from 24-Hour Fitness, Rice Village who demonstrated physical exercises to vent anger.

The 170 participants ranged from licensed therapists to members of the greater Houston community.

Daya’s staff members are Vyoma Majmudar Banker, LMSW; Nusrat Ameen, PhD; and Abhilasha Vineet.

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

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Radio Hungama Super Singers Hosts Musical Nite A Melodious Musical Nite was an Evening to Remember

HOUSTON: If there was a Telugu concert you wanted to attend, then Radio Hungama Super Singers Musical Nite was the one. The singers enthralled audience with their performances. The songs ranged back from the 60’s movies to the latest hits such as Mirchi, Nayak and Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu.

Sridhar Dadi and Radio Hungama in association with North American Telugu Society (NATS) presented Telugu community with a memorable evening. As expected, Houston’s Telugu community was very receptive to the idea of MAA TV, Super Singers fame singers performing live and entertaining them on different tunes.

The crowd started pouring in as early as an hour and half before the scheduled start. Prudential Insurance entertained kids with Balloon twisting and Metlife with Henna tattoo for ladies. The pleasing aspect of the show was people of all age group enjoyed the show and everyone socialized and lined up for the Remit2india raffle (a Wii game console and a Digital Camera). Mayuri Indian Restaurant had a stall for the ones who wanted a quick snack.

The show started with Sridhar Dadi introducing Super Singers, Usha Munukutla, popularly known as Usha, Bhargavi Pillai, and Dinker Kaluvala, known as Dinker. Usha is a well known singer in the Telugu Movie industry with various hit numbers from movies such as Indra, Santosham, Varhsam, Jayam and many more.

Bhargavi Pillai is famous for the hindi song Pappu Can’t Dance and Dinker, the super singers star is quickly establishing himself in the industry.

As with all typical Indian events, the show started with pooja and diya (lamp lighting), which was done by the Emcee Sridhar Dadi, co-host Raaga and NATS members, Venkat Kolli, Vijay Velamuri, Rajesh Chilukuri and Chalasani Mallikarjuna Rao. Vijay Velamuri and Rajesh Chilukuri of NATS came all the way from Dallas to

The Super singers in action.

exclusively attend the event.

The evening kicked off with Usha singing a devotional/semi classical song. And from there, it was pure entertainment for the audience. Speaking to one of the attendees, Bhupendra Bhupathi said “Ambiance, the sound system, LED lights, intelligent lights, backdrop all added to the event and were appropriate to the high energy event.” He also said he was glad that he got the tickets well in advance and was happy that he got all his money worth. Remit2India also offered free tickets to 5 lucky prize couples through an online contest at www.remit2india.com/ hungama.

Vijay Velamuri and Rajesh Chilukuri spoke during the break about their upcoming 3rd Annual NATS convention in Dallas at the Irving Convention Center in July 2013. Tina Bose and Kiron Kumar of Infused performing arts infused further energy in the atmosphere by their impressive dance performance to a Telugu Medley. The dance moves were quite superb and left the audience in awe.

Songs from movies such as Simha, Santosham, Nayak, Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu, Dookudu, Businessman and many more chart busters entertained the audience. Audience was capti-

vated by the singing from the artists. Energy that Bhargavi Pillai brought to show was contagious, children and adults stood up and danced to her songs and some joined her on stage and danced.

If Bhargavi Pillai was contagious then Usha was melodious. The audience was surprised by the other talent of Usha, mimicry. Imitation of other singers and performers brought laughter to audience and one of the host quipped Usha to start her own standup comedy act.

The crowd was also receptive to Hindi songs and Usha obliged to their requests and did sing some beautiful Hindi and Telugu songs.

Dinker also pitched in with his euphonious voice. Sirivuri, one of the attendees said “Dinker reminds me a little bit of both S.P and Sonu Nigam” The packed auditorium enjoyed every bit of the evening and reluctantly left at 11:15 PM. Vijay Velamuri, Rajesh Chilukuri, and Asha Dadi presented mementos to Super singers Usha, Bhargavi Pillai and Dinker.

Sridhar Dadi took the opportunity to thank each and every one who made the show a success.

He thanked all sponsors, volunteers, Radio Hungama team, Infused Performing arts and last but not the least everyone associated

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with Houston Durgabari Society for their great support.

He also said he is very sentimental about the place and is very grateful for their resources. He also thanked Photographers Abhinav Sagar and Jayanth Rahul, DJ Darshak Takkar for a superb sound system and the special lights that captivated the audience. Sridhar also thanked University of Houston students Anusha, Jayanth and Rakshith for all their

help.

With many positive comments from the audience such as “A+ for arrangements by Rajasekhar Yellamanchili”, “One of the best shows in the recent times.... very well organized” and “want a second show with the artists”, we can certainly expect something similar soon from Sridhar Dadi.

Talking to Sridhar Dadi about the success of the event he said, “There was a lot of planning that went into it. With support of our sponsors NATS, Remit2india, Prudential Insurance, Sulekha. com, Vonage, Vishala Grocery Store and Restaurant, Mayuri Indian Restaurant, Metlife Insurance and Radio Hungama team we

were able to bring such good artists to perform live in Houston. We started planning/research about the type of songs that people of Houston enjoy very early. We expected a very good turnout but a sold out event, days before the show, was something that was not anticipated. A lot of folks were keen to attend the show, but we had to regretfully say no to them. The VIP tickets were sold out many weeks in advance. If the community continues to support such events we will be more than glad to bring it to them. I take this opportunity to thank Radio Hungama team of Sasi Lingineni, Hema Nalini, Sanket Kulkarni, Amitha Kulkarni, Nandu Boddeda, Anu Dadi, Raaga Vahini, Srinivas Gummadi, Ravi Kasani, Ranga Tirumalasetty, Srinivas Badam, Jayanthi Badam and Narayana Swamy”. He also added that he was grateful to the Houston Telugu Community for appreciating the effort and attending the show.

Radio Hungama airs every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM on KCHN AM 1050. You can also listen to their shows on internet at www.Radiohungama.net.

For any further information you can contact Sridhar Dadi directly at 281-217-9736. You can listen to their 24 hour Telugu radio channel on Radio Hungama website.

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

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SONY Entertainment Television Asia

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NEW YORK: The preferred all-Digital Cable, Internet & Phone provider in New York City, continues to provide an extensive array of entertainment options for their subscribers. Since April 2nd, customers were able to enjoy SONY Entertainment Television Asia as part of RCN’s 100%-digital TV platform. An award-winning network that offers viewers innovative and quality South Asian programming 24 hours a day, SET Asia has become a household name for entertainment through their delivery of dramas, movies, reality shows, comedies, soaps, talk shows, world television premieres, and reality game shows.

The channel has become a part of the brand-new RCN “Sona” tier, including other premium South Asian networks. The exceptional mix of channels provides customers with an exciting blend of programs the entire family can enjoy.

“We’re very excited to announce the launch of SONY Entertainment Television in New York City,” said Bruce Abbott, General Manager of RCN New York. “It falls perfectly in line with our goal to continually add more networks that provide maximum entertainment and value for our customers.”

Jaideep Janakiram, SVP International Business-Head of North America said “At Sony Entertainment Television, we continue to lead in ways to make our programming available to the widest possible audience. We are proud to announce the launch of SET ASIA on RCN and are committed to bring our viewers the best family entertainment and Bollywood blockbusters”.

Those looking to enhance their South

Asian programming are encouraged to call 800.RING.RCN for exceptional entertainment at an exceptional value.

About RCN: RCN Telecom Services, LLC (www.rcn. com) provides industry-leading high-speed Internet, all digital TV and Phone services for residential, small/medium and Enterprise business customers. RCN’s affordably-priced advanced digital services are delivered through their proprietary, state-ofthe-art fiber-rich network and supported by 100% U.S.-based customer service. RCN’s primary service areas include Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley (PA), New York City, Boston and Chicago.

About Sony Entertainment Television Asia: Since its launch on the Indian subcontinent in 1995, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has enjoyed rapid success, leading to the establishment of European, North American and African feeds known as SET Asia. SET and SET Asia are now available in over 150 countries. The channels offer their viewers a distinctive blend of entertainment programs twenty four hours a day, including, soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, concerts, movies, and game shows. Besides SET Asia, SET also has three other leading channels: MAX, India’s #1 premier movies and special events channel, SAB, the only dedicated comedy channel, MIX, the recently launched Hindi Film Music channel and Aath, the only dedicated Bengali Movie channel.

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

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IAPAC Hosts Lt. Gov. Dewhurst for a Friendly Discussion

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: It was mid February when 13 members of the Indo-American Political Action Committee made a road trip to the State Legislature in Austin to make a case for recognizing the presence of the large number of Indian Americans in Texas (see IAN, Feb. 22, 2013). It was the first such effort by the IAPAC and they promised to host the Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at a meeting with the community in the Houston area.

IAPAC delivered on the meeting this past Saturday, April 13 at the Madras Pavilion where about 40 people sat in front of a podium to hear Dewhurst speak about the state of affairs in Texas. He was preceded by Indian Consul General P. Harish who was, as always, eloquent and brief in his welcoming remarks expressing pride for the contributions of the IndoAmerican community in the US, before leaving for another event.

IAPAC President Sujeeth Draksharam emceed the 2-hour event and Sugar Land Councilman Himesh Gandhi introduced De-

his career in politics. “That’s why I am always thinking what would you need.” Dewhurst has been the Lt. Governor since 2003 and as President of the Senate has the power to decide which bills come up for discussion and vote.

Dewhurst fielded some questions about the State’s lack of funding the 503 projects that have been identified for ensuring adequate water for its growing population, school testing, inadequate Medicaid reimbursements to physicians, repealing the Franchise Tax and the project funding process of the Texas Dept. of Transportation. While he acknowledged the State’s lack of dealing with the drought conditions, he contended that $2 to $3 billion could be available for funding water projects in this legislative cycle.

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst with members of the Board of the IAPAC at the meeting held last Saturday, April 13 at Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra

someplace else.” He then listed the reasons why Texas was rated the number 1 or 2 state in the Union to live and do business in.

to and create jobs and get government out of your way.”

The tall, handsome and poised Dewhurst is not a native Houstonian, but lives here with his wife and daughter and has a business on the northside. “Most of my life till I was 50 years old, I was sitting where you are,” he said about

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Indian Consul General P. Harish and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst addressed the attendees.

whurst with a short biographical background. The proceedings were wrapped up by Karan Sreerama, who spoke of his admiration of the work Dewhurst has done, followed by a presentation of a glass-etched plaque to him.

“I work for you. I serve you.” opened up Dewhurst, “And I’m very proud of the Indian population here. I’m also very aware that, in this country, we’re all from

“Texas has 8 per cent of the US population but has created more jobs than the rest of the US. This is because we are a “can do” state,” emphasized Dewhurst, as he went on to enumerate other supporting statistics.

Dewhurst maintained that Texas would slip from its lofty ranks if it didn’t work hard to “protect our freedoms, tighten our spending, make the state irresistible to come

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

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Arzan and Rhythm India Raise the Roof at Rockets Half Time!

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or CALL: (713) 774-1188 x 228 Arzan Gonda (center first row) with her Rhythm India dance troupe after their performance at the Toyota Center last Friday, April 12. John Donovan with the Toyota Center is on the upper left.

Photo: Navin Mediwala.

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: It didn’t seem like a year had slipped by since the last time Arzan Gonda and her troupe were on the waxed, shiny, yellow floor of the Toyota Center, but here they were again making the whole arena pulsate with Bollywood music and a happy, energetic dance number, hallmarks of Rhythm India’s brand of performance.

They started off like a poised drill team, hands at their sides, arms straight down and waited for the music. When it came on, it was like a dynamo had been let loose and a torrent of feet ran across the floor, arms teasing the air and bodies swaying in rhythm with the pounding beat, excited eyes and smiling faces with delighted expressions connecting with the seated spectators.

In the stands were many South

Asians who had come to see the ball game between the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies (Houston lost by four points!) and some of them, like Bikram Singh and his wife Kanchan, waved to the dancers they knew. Other Houstonians sat there, amused at the performance, but totally engrossed in it.

This was the fourth time in as many years at the Rockets game for Arzan and her Rhythm India group and they already knew the drill even before they got to the floor. They had done a final rehearsal earlier on the first floor, letting out huge screams to let off energy and get the adrenaline going and then they were led down

by John Donovan, with the Toyota Center, to the tunnel that opens to the floor and waited in excitement

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for the game to come to half-time. for a supervising help (Males only) The dancing was spellbinding, all ten minutes on that arena floor in the North Houston Area(45 & FM 1960). and the whole show was televised and also projected on the huge, Knowledge of Gujarati or Hindi Preferred. new overhanging monitors. Some of the dancers had done this before Please send resume to: in previous years; for others it was their first time in front of 18,000 powerinvest123@gmail.com spectators. All in all, it never ceased to be a rush and the crazy Bollywood music just heightened the experience.

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COMMUNITY

BAPS Charities Health Fair Promotes Routine Health Check Ups

STAFFORD: Many cars of today’s world have indicators when maintenance is needed and most of us typically follow this warning to extend the life of our cars. When it comes to the driver of the car, how often does he or she go in for routine health checks or screenings?

The thought of periodic health check-ups is daunting for many.

One organization that finds it important to promote healthy living and early detection of life threatening disease is BAPS Charities.

On April 13, 2013, BAPS Charities held its 13th annual health fair in Stafford, Texas at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

By 8:00 am, doctors, nurses, techs and many other healthcare professionals were ready to offer their services in the areas of pediatrics, gynecology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentistry and orthopedics. The BAPS Charities health fair stands out by offering a variety of tests from free physical examinations, dental screenings, vision screenings and some at very nominal costs, such as an echocardiogram with interpretation by a cardiologist for only $50 or a PSA hormone test for only $15. Dr. Larry Baum, an urologist from Sugarland, TX said, “This is a wonderful event, it really brings medical education and health screenings to the forefront for people that normally may not have access or be aware of the importance of medical screening in all different body systems” As most of us are very lost when it comes to the medical world, the health fair offered an opportunity for visitors to educate themselves through many of its sponsored booths and 8 interactive public health awareness seminars on educational topics such as hearthealthy life style, emergency preparedness, new health care policies, diabetes risk modification, prevention of osteoporosis, yoga

Healthcare professionals volunteered their services at the BAPS Charities health fair.

and healthy smoothies for the general audience. “I learned how certain types of food are harmful to the body,” said Arjun Pandya “and that there are many vegetables like kale that can provide health benefits.” “Along with visitors walking away with an educational experience, many doctors learned of ways to improve their own practices and outcomes for their patients through medical lectures or CME. Each participant and allied healthcare professional was grateful to have sponsors like Medistar, Otsuka, and many others to contribute to this informative health fair.

By the end of a beautiful Saturday afternoon, over 1200 participants and a combined 6000 different tests were conducted by 100 various health care professionals.

“Out of 200 patients that I had a chance to screen today,” stated Dr.

Ghanshyam Patel, Ophthalmologist, “10 of them were diagnosed with eye diseases that could have eventually led to blindness without detection.” Dr. Patel shared 45 patients had cataracts, 8 glaucoma risk factors and 20 with diabetic retinopathy. The dedication of each of the BAPS Charities volunteers can be seen from all of the services performed throughout the day.

If all of us had a maintenance light indicator for our health then the BAPS Charities annual health fair would come very close to it.

This health fair offers variety of tests and screenings that the entire community can benefit from through education for healthier living and early detection. The health fair also brings access to those who may otherwise go without it.

After a walk through the BAPS Charities health fair, the Texas

Tests being performed during the Health Fair.

Medical Association president, Dr. Michael Speer commented, “This health fair is amazing. You have got more volunteers, more physicians, and more people in one spot

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that I have ever seen in this city.”

Dr. Speer added, “This organization (BAPS Charities) is very well crafted, everyone has their place, everyone has their position, everyone has something to do that moves the patient flow so they can get the most medical benefit. It is a fantastic opportunity.”

In 2012, BAPS Charities organized 38 such events throughout North America. In total, 1,720 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 11,393 participants across the nation. Throughout the year, BAPS Charities hosts medical fairs, walkathons, education and career development seminars, disaster relief operations, blood drives and much more. BAPS Charities sincerely serves the community, by improving the quality of life of individuals and families.

For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit : www.bapscharities.org

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

April 19, 2013

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13

14 April 19, 2013

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

15

Vaishno Devi Visits Sri Radha Krishna Temple

IAN STAFF REPORTER HOUSTON: History was created in Houston on April 13, 2013 when Ravi Shankar Puri and his wife Savita Puri hosted a successful and blissful “Mata Ki Chowki” at Shri Radha Krishna Temple, located on 11625 Beechnut.

It was an unprecedented event where more than 2,000 devotees showed up to watch and witness Mata Vaishno Devi “Gufa” and “Mata Vaishno Devi’s beautiful Bhavan”. The lovely evening began with the Mahaparsad by Bombay Brasserie. All the devotees enjoyed the food. Special sweets (jalebi and halwa) were provided by Bombay Sweets and Raja Sweets.

Devotees started lining up and started the journey from the beautiful main gate which was designed and built by Ravi Shankar Puri along with his friend Satnaam.

Continuous chanting of “Jai Mata Di” was being heard right from the start. At the entrance of the beautiful gufa yatra, all yatris were given the sacred thread, imported from India, along with tilak and stamp for attending the yatra.

After passing through “Charan Paduka” and a Bridge (Saanjhi Chaat), devotees were served with delicious thandai at the Vaishno Dhaba just before reaching “Charan Ganga” (devotees have to go through the water before entering Maa Ka Darbaar). Those who have visited Vaishno Devi in India were reminded of their beautiful journey.

There was melodious singing

by Ravi Shankar Puri. He was accompanied by professional dholak master, Shyamal Bhattacharya and Roopesh, keyboard player,Kamal haji, and octopad and drum

p l a y e r, D a r s h a k Thacker. They were accompanied by the chorus which consisted of Prashaant Malik, Sunil Mishra and Amit Joshi.

They all kept the devotees clapping and dancing.

Attendees felt the spiritual vibration when one member from the Rana family, Shivali beautifully dressed as “Durga Maa” entered the hall.

Harshi played the role of Dhayanu Bhagat.

Manish goel and Sanajy Aggarwal carried out the duty of priests.

The entire event was a vision of Ravi Ravi Shankar Puri with his wife Savita Puri at Sri Radha Krishna Temple on April 13. Photo: Bijay Dixit Shankar Puri. “It was not easy, in fact it was a great challenge,” he said. “It would not Aaggarwal, Rakesh Agarwal, Dil- Puri offered special thanks and have been possible without the ip Bhargav, K P Wadhvani, Vinod blessings to all the devotees for at- kar Puri at 713-480-7284 or email: help of several dedicated volun- Gupta, Arun & Vinnie (Vinodini) tending the event. jaimaahouston@gmail.com teers and donors from Houston and Verma, Pradeep Seernani, Ashok For more information on Mata other cities. He mentioned some of garg, Banke Bihari parivaar, Kiran Chowki, Satyanarayan Katha, the names who devoted their self- Oberai (Keemat Grocers) ,Vinay Bhajan Sandhya call Ravi Shan- See Photo Collage on Page 14 less time and labor like Sanjay and and Guddi. Bijay Dixit was the ofJyoti Mehra, Anil Rana, Dr. Suder- ficial photographer for the event. A shan Sanduja, Radha Sanduja, He- special thanks was also mentioned mant Gaur, Lalita Srivastva, Raju by Ravi Shankar Puri to TV Asia Aggarwal, Shashi Singh, Kusum for the event coverage. In addition, Sharma (and her group), Alpana he also thanked Vanshika Vipin of (with group), Poonam Baweja, Indo-American News for her proManish Goel, Manoj Agarwal, fessional help and Amar Agarwal Dinesh berry, Madhusudan , Nitin for providing the temple facility Narang, Rajni Narang,” said Ravi and for all the help that was renShankar Puri. dered by him.

He also mentioned and thanked Overall, this was a memorable some of the finanacial donors blissful evening. Ravi Shankar for the event. They are Manish Puri along with his wife Savita

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COMMUNITY

TiE Houston Guides Global Entrepreneurs at Rice U Competition

TiE Houston President Shri Iyer (on mic) anked with Chapter Presidents at the networking event held on Wednesday, April 10 at Mangiammos on Post Oak.

HOUSTON: Student entrepreneurs from around the world are gathering in Houston this week to compete at the Rice Business Plan Competition (the world’s largest and richest business plan competition, with prizes totaling over $1.5 million), and some have been get-

ting unique support from a global entrepreneurs network.

TiE (the world’s largest entrepreneur network spanning 18 countries) organized feeder competitions in Asia and Europe where over 300 teams from 12 countries participated. The win-

ners gained automatic entry into the Rice Business Plan Competition. In total three teams were invited to Houston after having gone through semi-finals in their own countries and eventually the regional finals in Delhi and Brussels. With 42 teams competing for

a share of the prize, every ounce of competitive edge counts, and TiE is actively assisting in coaching these teams in a unique way. “TiE is all about paying it forward. In keeping with that spirit, successful entrepreneurs from as far away as England and Germany, have travelled to Houston to mentor our teams, along with numerous TiE Houston members,� says Ashok Rao, Chairman of TiE Global. “Our whole aim is to foster entrepreneurship and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. With teams from Thailand, Hong Kong and the UK competing at RICE, we wanted to do all we could to get them ready to compete against elite teams from schools like MIT, Harvard and Stanford.�

Matthias Schmidt, 27, is a young German entrepreneur who is cofounder and CEO of consumer brand start-up Kaffeination. “We cannot tell you how important this help has been‌â€? says Matthias, “TiE has been there at every step of our business’s growth, and we’ve been able to get advice from some of the most successful people in the world‌â€?

Schmidt’s team and the other team AG Cerez from Thailand were at hand at a networking event held on Wednesday, April 10 at Mangiammo’s Italian Restaurant

on Post Oak, hosted by the current TiE Houston President Shri Iyer.

Over 70 people attended and heard the enthusiastic sales pitches from each team’s spokesman, to rousing applause. The heads of the TiE chapters in Brussels, Manchester, Silicon Valley and Thailand were also on hand to express their solidarity in support. “This type of mentoring of young entrepreneurial talent is what TiE is all about,â€? said Iyer. “I’m so proud that three of our teams made it all the way to RICE to showcase how our organization can help.â€? “We’re all about giving back‌â€? says P.K. Agarwal, CEO of TiE Global, who also attended the Networking meet. “We have a virtuous circle supporting young entrepreneurs which includes mentoring, networking and many other forms of support.â€? Kaffeination went on to win a cash prize for elevator sales pitch and AG Cerez advanced to the next round to win for innovation. “I’ve been judging at RICE for over five years..â€? says Aruna Viswanathan, an entrepreneur and investor who is President Elect of TiE Houston. “I’m so proud that we’re hosting these outstanding teams from TiE Asian and TiE Europe, and helping them to get prepared for this world-class competition.â€?

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April 19, 2013

First Ever 5-K Walkathon Held at MTS to Celebrate Tamil New Year

Participants and organizers at the MTS 5k Walkathon.

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PEARLAND: The first ever 5-K Walkathon event took place at Sri Meenakshi temple on Saturday April 13, 2013 and it turned out to be on Tamil New Year’s day. Around 200 people participated in this fund raiser event arranged to benefit the Ganesh temple renovation project.

The entire walking track was prepared within the MTS premises which included both paved and non-paved areas in the field.

Despite the heavy rain few days ago, the ground was mostly dry on that day and the organizers did a tremendous job getting the track ready. It was a feast to the eyes to see the cheerful participants starting to come from around 7 am on a Saturday morning with their active sporting gear and walking shoes.

The weather was perfect with sunshine and breeze and the event started off with a pooja and aarthi for Lord Ganesh, performed by the temple priest, Kalyanasundra Bhattar.

The kids ranging from the agesg of 5-12 years participated in a shorter version of 2-K walk followed by creative craft work, whereas the adults completed the full 5-K which comprised of three full rounds on the track.

It was a serene atmosphere at the temple with the morning raga music playing in the back ground which made the walk even more enjoyable. Several volunteers distributed water, breakfast bars and fruits to the participants and free hats were given out by the event coordinators. The event concluded with a hot sumptuous breakfast sponsored by Madras Pavilion and Sri Meenakshi temple.

The fund raiser was a grand success, and Dr. Al. Alagappan, the coordinator of the event, thanks the corporate and individual sponsors who supported this event.

There was lot of enthusiasm among the participants to continue having similar health focused events at the temple more often.

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18

EDITORIAL

April 19, 2013

India’s Golden Moment

With gold prices hitting a two-year low at $1,384 an ounce, Brent crude at a nine-month low and threatening to go below $100 for the first time since early July, and copper at a 12-month low, India’s macro picture looks better than it has for a long time.

While Monday’s fall in gold prices won’t get reflected till the first quarter of FY14, data for the fourth quarter of FY13 looks better anyway, since there has been a 23 per cent fall in gold imports.

Since gold imports account for around half of India’s current account deficit (CAD) in terms of value — while FY13 CAD is estimated at $100 billion, gold imports are likely to be around $50bn — a fall in gold imports is good news for the CAD and, therefore, for the value of the rupee.

While events such as the Cyprus crisis and the slowing of the US economy in recent months, due partly to the sequester, looked like they could push up gold prices again, the underlying US trend is a positive one. As a result, Goldman Sachs has lowered its forecast dramatically. On February 25, it lowered its 2013 forecast from $1,810 per ounce to $1,600 and that for 2014 from $1,750 to $1,450. A little over a month later, on April 10, it lowered this further — to $1,450 for 2013 and $1,270 for 2014. And while the US recovery is leading to lower gold prices, China’s slower than anticipated growth is ensuring that commodity prices are finding new lows — the US fracking revolution is helping accelerate the trend as far as oil is concerned. In February, to cite one number, of the $4.4 bn fall in India’s import bill, around $0.8 bn was due to lower crude oil prices and $2bn or so due to lower gold imports.

None of this is to say that the CAD is no longer a problem, just that it is more manageable. Despite the 4 per cent hike in February exports, for instance, April-February exports were down 4 per cent year-on-year. And this, in turn, was due to a sharp reduction in the share of manufacturing exports — India has just six items in the list of the top 50 global imports. Coal imports, thanks to environment bans and Coal India’s destructive monopoly, used to be 0.5 per cent of the GDP in the pre-Lehman years and are now around 1 per cent of the GDP. Even more worrying is the collapse in FDI — of the $32.5 bn CAD in FY13’s third quarter, just $2.5 bn was funded through FDI. The collapse in gold prices has given India much-needed breathing space but the imperative to increase exports and FDI flows remains urgent.

Indian Express

Is This Our New Normal?

BY FARIDA HASANALI To say the world has changed would certainly be an understatement. Who would have thought that violence would plague our streets, our homes, and our backyards so frequently? I have several friends from the Middle East; I remember talking to them about how they grew up. “War was our normal,” said one of them. “When you hear bullets, you just run in the opposite direction.” She said it so calmly as if it meant nothing.

Her stance was they didn’t know any other way. They were born during the war and lived during it. It wasn’t until they migrated to the United States that they learned the meaning of peace.

For those of who have lived a fair portion of their lives in the US, we were used to the opposite. For us peace was our normal. Wars always happened in other lands, our soldiers went to fight in other countries, and we only saw pictures on television.

Yes, we had terrorist incidents prior to 9/11/2001 but their scale was relatively smaller. After 9/11 however terror and violence seems to be our new normal.

In the past 6-8 months, there have been several significant events of violence. Let’s start with the theatre shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

Seventy people were wounded and 12 of them died, the youngest, a three month fetus whose mother was critically injured. The Newton School shooting is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Twenty children and six adults lost their lives. The killer had murdered his mother before coming to the school and he shot himself when the first responders arrived on the scene.

For us in Texas, we are still struggling with the news of our District Attorney and Sheriff being shot point blank in the face. We have to be extra In response to the 9/11 terror attacks the United States had put in place the requisite mechanisms to ensure that they would not take place ever again. The success it achieved on this score was the envy of countries confronting terrorism.

The twin blasts in Boston on Tuesday shattered this image of invincibility. Visceral anti-Americans will doubtless be tempted to gloat: some

cautious now to even walk out our own front doors. Two days ago, a vigilant mailman spotted a suspicious package and was able to deflect a bomb being delivered to the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.

This past weekend a man shot himself to death during the NRA 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. No reason has been uncovered.

And now the bomb blasts at the Boston marathon!!! Monday, April 15, 2013 is a holiday in Boston. It’s Patriots Day; the day celebrates all the selfless men who fought for our country. The biggest celebration is the marathon. It draws over 27.000 runners and approximately 500,000 viewers and guests from all over the world. Two hours into the marathon, two bombs exploded in buildings close to the finish line. So far three

people have died and 140 are injured.

The number of injured continues to rise as the day goes on. No motive has been discovered yet, no political motive, no claim from any terrorist organization in the world.

Is this truly our new normal? Are we getting desensitized to this news and behaving just like we would on any other day? On the one hand, fear is our biggest enemy. What the wrong-doers want is to scare us like they did with 9/11. They want to scare us into killing our economy and our world prowess. Who knows…they might be succeeding. 9/11 nearly killed our country and today the Dow dropped 200 points as soon as the Boston news was released.

The key point here is for all of us to realize that terrorist acts, whether domestic or foreign are acts of cowardice. We as a nation cannot succumb to them and let them prevail. Our complacency is our worst enemy. We cannot look away, someone else is not going to take care of it for us; WE are going to have to. We need to get to the point where we can stand together and shout with one voice to end this violence before our complacency erodes it all.

A freelance writer for the past 10 years, Farida Hasanali leverages her writing skills to increase awareness of social issues and causes, and everyday challenges our community members feel as part of two distinct cultures. In her day job, Hasanali is a Knowledge & Program Manager for BP’s Remediation Management Division.

with peals of derisory laughter, some others with a mocking sneer. Both can be trusted to rub in the point that the much-admired US intelligence agencies had no clue about the attacks. And they will hold the security forces up to ridicule for their failure to carry out thorough checks of the massive crowds that had gathered to witness the Boston Marathon that is held on Patriots Day holiday.

None of this however must take attention away from the way Bostonians - and America at large - responded to the outrage. No one rushed to condemn the intelligence agencies or the security forces. This is in sharp contrast to what happens in our part of the world where reporters, anchors, commentators and sundry politicians instantly engage in an elaborate blame-game.

Dileep Padgaonkar in Times of India.

“The key point here is for all of us to realize that terrorist acts, whether domestic or foreign are acts of cowardice. We as a nation cannot succumb to them and let them prevail.

Our complacency is our worst enemy.”

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HOUSTON: HAIDER KAZIM, MANU SHAH, CHETNA SAMAL 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 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036.

Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

19

Tagore Society Fundraiser Lauds Achievements, Sets Future Goals

BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: The Tagore Society of Houston held its annual fundraiser on April 13 at India House with a lot of dedication, enterprise and enthusiasm. The evening started with social networking half-hour around drinks and delectable appetizers provided by Nirvana restaurant.

A Brahmasangeet rendition by Shyama Mishra accompanied on the violin by Biplab Samaddar set the tone for the evening.

TSH President Ruma Acharya welcomed the guests and thanked all the sponsors, donors, dignitaries and well-wishers. Ryan Walsh, special assistant to Harris County Judge Ed Emmett read out a proclamation declaring April 13 as “Tagore day”.

Neeta Shetkar gave an update of the year’s activities in the field of branding and education. She explained how TSH is actively involved in introducing Tagore to University level students with the Flagship Tagore Passport Scholarship, which is being implemented in partnership with the English Department of University of Houston; as well as to high school students via essay contests. Professor Wynan Herendeen Chair of the English Department, spoke highly of the society’s work and of his student Samantha Lay’s report that won the Passport Scholarship in 2012.

In her absence he received her certificate.

The High School Essay contest winners could not be present due to college schedule, but the parents of the second place contestant attended the dinner and presented Neel Bhan’s winning entry to the audience. This year, TSH is now trying to innovatively introduce Tagore and his works to Middle School level students.

Randy Bossarte, librarian of the Harris County Northwest branch was awarded a certificate for his involvement in the society’s book donation to the library. He mentioned that the book donation has aroused a lot of interest in Tagore amongst readers and they are expecting to increase their collection of Tagore works.

John Liner, a high school student from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy with a passion for composing music, who will be attending the Berkley College of Music next year, played an audio clip of his version of a fusion Orchestra Score, including some Rabindra Sangeet tunes, written in western notes. Till date, Rabindra Sangeet cannot be played by westerners since there are no notations available in the western classical style of music. Liner’s endeavor at such a tender age won him TSH’s Music scholarship to transcribe Tagore Songs into western notations.

Bulbul Sengupta, the retired Dean of Fine Arts at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, an acclaimed singer and recipient of the National Cultural Scholarship for advanced training in Rabindra Sangeet at Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan, in India was felicitated by the society for her accomplishments. She was very touched and reminisced about fond memories as a student at Shantiniketan with esteemed Rabindra Sangeet singers. She also captivated the audience by singing a few lines of Rabindra Sangeet.

Sailaja Bandyopadhyay presented an excellent audio visual about the plight of the “Baul” community in Bengal, which the society is trying to help by submitting a request to the Chase Community Drive. Dinner was served and the society’s plan of installing a statue of Tagore in Ray Miller Park was discussed.

literature at the University of Toronto and a world renowned Tagore Scholar.

Her association with Shantiniketan and Tagore dates back to her M.A. in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University (India) in the mid-1960s.

She received her Ph.D. in South Asian Studies Kathleen M. O’Connell, professor of comparative literature at from the UniUniversity of Toronto, was the keynote speaker. versity of ToKathleen M. O’Connell, the keynote ronto, where she currently offers courses speaker then took the stage and gave an ex- on Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. cellent overview of Tagore’s life, works, viO’Connell’s writings on Tagore have sion and achievements with a powerful slide been included in journals, encyclopedias, as show. She is a professor of comparative book-chapters and in conference volumes.

Her published book on Tagore “The Poet as Educator” is a study on the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore in the development of education in Bengal. Her speech emphasized Tagore’s education methods (Vishwa Bharati), where students are not restricted to the confines of a classroom, his cosmopolitanism (China Bhavan), rural development and economic sustainability (Sriniketan).

She also referred to his spirit of genuine international collaboration through his association with famous personalities of the time including Mahatma Gandhi, C.F. Andrews and Leonard Elmhurst. Tagore’s introduction of several new festivals including Halakarshan, Nabanna, Barsha Mangal, Basanta Utsab, Magotsab and Briksharopan was also highlighted in her speech as was his ever dynamic vision of culture which integrated several different dance styles, sculpture and paintings. The society concluded the evening with a special recognition of Kathleen O’Connell by presenting her with a certificate and flowers.

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RECIPES/PUZZLES

April 19, 2013

Pikky Kin Noor F Aga

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Ande ki Bhurji (Spicy Scrambled Eggs)

Here is a very easy recipe that is also very fast to make. It comes in handy when you have a starving bunch of people who crave for the desi taste of food. I have made it many times for my two grown grandsons and watched in delight as they finished the bhurji down with paranthas, roti or even heated wheat tortillas!

Eggs are, of course, popular all around the world. In India, which is a predominantly vegetarian country, some vegetarians do eat eggs (mostly on doctors orders) to supplement their protein intake. Egg stalls can be found all over the country in India, offering eggs in a wide variety of ways. Egg production has grown tremendously through large scale hen raising methods in huge farms. Still, most people visiting the country say that the eggs taste better in India.

Chicken eggs supply protein through essential amino acids, vitamins A, B2, B9, B5, B12, and choline, iron, calcium, phosporus and potassium. Vitamins A, D and E are in the egg yolk, which also has two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300mg of cholestrerol. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 calories; the egg white contains about 15.

You can make the bhurji using many different ingredients – some even put coconut milk in it – but the difference is that my recipe uses the spices and basic ingredients that we used in our ancestral village before the Partition and it retains a Northern Indian flavor.

Ingredients: • 3 large ande (eggs) (the brown type have a better taste) • 1 small aloo (potato) • 1 small pyaaz (onion) (green onions may be used too) • 1 small tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best • 1 tablespoon of mutter (peas) (optional) • 2 teaspoons of vegetable or olive oil • Spices: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper) and haldi (turmeric)

Directions: 1. Peel and cut the potato, onion and tomato into small pieces and keep them aside.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and lightly brown the onions and potato in it. Now throw in the peas and tomato and let them vegetables cook a little bit, turning a little browner.

3. Now crack open the eggs into the vegetables and mix thoroughly, adding the salt, pepper and turmeric to taste. Stir till the liquid is congealed but the eggs must be mostly scrambled.

4. For best results, serve the bhurji with hot paranthas. This dish is also best eaten with roti.

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Shakuntla Malhotra recently returned to Houston after a six-week vacation in her homeland India. She 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.

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April 19, 2013

Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair Gears Up for 10th Birthday

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Stars from across the United States to appear at the festival

HOUSTON: The 2013 Sugar land Wine & Food Affair is set for April 24 - 28, 2013, marking the tenth year of irresistible food finds, celebrity chef’s, mixology and unabashed merriment.

The affair’s five day line up of tenth birthday events will set it apart from previous years with wine and spirits seminars hosted by big personalities, awards winning out of town chefs bringing unseen creative flair and a specially constructed pavilion.

The Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair has come to be one of the most anticipated culinary attractions of the year in Texas. Located in historic Sugar Land just minutes from Houston proper, its multiple tastings, dinners, cooking demonstrations and seminars have gained a reputation for a rollicking good time where chefs share secrets, sommeliers get un-corked and attendees have exclusive access to the best food and wine available.

The event has its roots firmly planted in culinary history. Even its location in Sugar Land is a reverent nod to the fertile soil that has produced the sugar that has sweetened countless American kitchens, as Sugar Land, has been home to Imperial Sugar since its founding in 1843. The most attended event,

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Saturday’s Sip & Stroll takes place on the grounds of the former Imperial Sugar factory and Char House, both of which are iconic images that dominated the flat plains for miles and spoke to the prosperity and entrepreneurial spirit of the region.

A quick round-up of activities includes the following: •April 24: VIP Kick-off dinner •April 25: On the Rocks Bartender Challenge at Post Oak Grill Sugar Land •April 26: Fred Parks Wine Seminar at Sugar Land Marriott Town Square •April 26: Balvenie Scotch Seminar at Sugar Land Marriott Town Square •April 26: The Grand Tasting

•April 28: International Bistro Brunch at Sugar Land Town Square Plaza

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The Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair is produced by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Tickets for individual events are priced from $40-$150. A three-day VIP Grand Pass with access to The Grand Tasting, Sip & Stroll and Bistro Brunch may be purchased for $200.

Ticket purchases and additional information are available at www.sugarlandwineandfoodaffair.com or 713.

SIP-WINE (713.747.9463) News and listings of attending chefs and presenting wine, beer and spirit providers is showcased on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sugarlandwineandfoodaffair and Twitter at www.twitter.com/SLFood.

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April 19, 2013

LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!

YLDP Students Learn about Entrepreneurship from Successful Local Business Executives

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YLDP session #7 held at Unique Industries where Pankaj Malani and Bikram Singh spoke about entrepreneurship.

BY REENA JASANI HOUSTON: On Saturday, March 30, 2013, YLDP (Youth Leadership Development Program) students had the pleasure of hearing from two distinguished company presidents at the Unique Industries Warehouse. Both Pankaj Malani, president of Elite Components, and Bikram Singh, president of NewAge Casting, graduated from the University of Texas and have been through many obstacles before achieving their esteemed positions. Through bumps on the way to success they learned many skills that they were able to implement into their business careers.

Pankaj Malani had a very different career before he became a businessman, a career that he

credits as “the best training for [his current] job”—teaching. His years as a teacher taught him the importance of “planning ahead” and “gave [him] patience.” As president of a company, Malani engages in a lot of communication with other companies and clients, always trying to stick to his ethics in order to preserve a good reputation for his company.

Bikram Singh has concluded over his years as a businessman that “you don’t know what you’re going to get any day” so “you [have to] learn how to get through [unexpected struggles]” and “be able to look on the brighter side” of things.

To Singh, in order to be a successful businessman it is important to never be complacent, to always

put in your best work, and to communicate effectively with others.

Through the tour of the Unique Industries Warehouse and the two active interactions with Pankaj Malani and Bikram Singh, the YLDP students were able to see the inner workings of successful business corporations and discover the essential attributes of a prosperous businessman.

While arriving with just curiosity, the students left with increased knowledge and guidance to help them pave their futures and reach their goals.

Contributors: Ruchika Bengani, Rohan Kondetimmanahalli, Anoosha Moturu, and Sanchi Palicha.

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

KTRU Explores the “Festival of Experimental Films from India” HOUSTON: KTRU’s Navrang show expands its understanding of India’s Experimental films by hosting two informative interviews.

The first interview on Saturday, April 6 was with director Gurvinder Singh, India’s 2011 National Award winner for the Punjabi film Anhe Ghore Da Daan (Alms for the Blind Horse). KTRU’s Navrang show director Varsha Vakil introduced listeners to this film through the lens of Gurvinder Singh. Samhita Sunya, a Rice University graduate student accompanied in the conversation and shared information about the film festival.

A lively interview ensued in which Singh spoke about his journey from journalism to film school to his making of criticallyacclaimed 2011 feature that won National Awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Direction in Punjabi films.

Singh explained on KTRU that the film was adapted from a Punjabi novel by the same name written by Gurdial Singh, to whom a Jnanpith (highest Indian literary honor) was awarded in 2000.

Alms for the blind horse, Singh clarified is a phrase that refers to a custom by which alms are requested in the name of a blind horse on the night of a lunar eclipse. However, the film – like the novel – does not take up this idea in any

mentor late Mani Kaul, a student of Ghatak, and the retrospective of Ritwik Ghatak at the festival.

Houstonians devoured this rare treat hosted at Rice University.

This one of a kind film festival was free to the public and commenced at Rice Cinema (Rice Media Center) on April 5 and ended on April 15. The festival was presented by Rice University’s Chao Center of Asian Studies in conjunction with the Rice Visual and Dramatic Arts Department.

Legendary filmmaker Ritwik Kumar Ghatak films at the festival were the Golden Line, The Cloud Capped Star, A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale and A River

Dr. Ratheesh Radhakrishnan and KTRU’s Varsha Vakil at the film festival at Rice Cinema.

literal fashion, but rather explores it symbolically, as it tells the story of a community of poor farmers who continue their everyday struggles within a feudal structure controlled by landowners – a structure that remains in place despite other changes in size, growth, transportation, and technology that have overtaken the rural town.

The second interview was hosted on Saturday, April 13 with the

Festival of Experimental Films from India’s curator, the visiting humanities scholar Dr. Ratheesh Radhakrishnan from the Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai.

The festival showcased contemporary experimental films as well as a retrospective of films by the renowned, late filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. Dr. Radhakrishnan pointT:10” ed out the coincidental connection between director Gurvinder Singh’s

Called Titash. Dr. Radhakrishnan emphasized on KTRU the innate artistry captured in each of these films and the brilliance in direction exhibited by Ritwik Ghatak.

Varsha praised other extraordinary films at the festival - Miss Lovely, Bidesia in Bambai and Nainsukh.

Navrang show is one of KTRU’s specialty shows. Navrang show airs on Saturday’s from 10am to noon. Listen to the 24/7 radio station via ktru.org, iheartradio app, iPhone and droid apps or on the dial at 90.1FM HD2. For more information about KTRU’s Navrang show email ktru@ktru.org.

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Interfaith Ministries Gears Up for Huge Growth, Annual Gala

HOUSTON: The Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston held a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, April 11 for a new Meals on Wheels facility.

As the population of Houston grows, so does the need for services. To keep up with this demand, IMGH is expanding from two confined spaces to one large campus, giving the organization the room it needs to enhance its services and outreach. The new Meals on Wheels building will enable the organization to deliver meals to 10,000 enrolled seniors, an increase from 4,500.

The organization will occupy two sites in Midtown, one located at 3200 San Jacinto St. dedicated to the Meals on Wheels program and the second building, located at 3303 Main St., for the interfaith, refugee and administrative departments and a conference center.

Featured speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included Mayor Annise Parker and County Judge Ed Emmett.

IMGH is also gearing up for its fourth annual Tapestry Gala to be held on May 9, at the Hilton Americas Houston. The fundraiser celebrates Houston’s diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths and this year’s event will honor Marie and Vijay Goradia with a Tapestry Award which recognizes community leaders who have shown remarkable dignity through tangible work for the betterment of Houston and the world.

Co-chairs of the event are Shazma and Arshad Matin and Paula Sutton and Bill Gross with honorary chairs Shaista and Shahzad Bashir. The evening’s musical entertainment provided by Kenneth Gayle productions and Lisa Malo-

Houston, Refugee Resettlement Services, Disaster Preparedness and Interfaith Dialogue.

The services IMGH provides are: Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to approximately 4,500 homebound seniors throughout Harris County; Refugee Services, which resettles more than 500 refugees and helps them make Houston their new home; and Interfaith Relations From Left (first row): Elliot Gershenson, Judge Ed Emmett, Bill King, Mayor Annise Parker, Council Member which fosters Andrew Burks, (second row) Dr. Fatima Mawji, Council Member Jack Christie understanding, respect sky will be the Mistress of Ceremonies. the home of Sunanda and Ashoke Nath. and engagement among people of all faiths Proceeds from the 2013 Tapestry Gala through educational opportunities. For the In preparation of the Tapestry Gala, on Thursday, April 4, IMGH held an event will benefit the IMGH, a local non-profit past few months, the organization has spent in appreciation of the underwriters of the organization that brings people of diverse time focused on the Indian community event which has been generously under- faiths together for dialogue, collaboration through its Dinner Dialogue series to learn written by Wells Fargo. Event underwrit- and service. The organization provides four about the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions. ers and other prominent guests mingled at main services: Meals on Wheels for Greater

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Will Infosys Next CEO be an Outsider?

With hunt for successor to Shibulal beginning, some board members want search to include external candidates BANGALORE (Mint): Infosys Ltd, India’s second biggest software firm, has started the hunt for a chief executive officer (CEO) when the last of its founders, S.D. Shibulal, retires in two years. Some directors on its board want the search to include external candidates because the company’s current management is struggling to regain its past glory.

Jeffrey Sean Lehman, the New York University Shanghai vicechancellor and chairman of the nominations committee at Infosys’s board, is leading the process, said two people directly familiar with the development.

Lehman led the hunt for Infosys’s chairman when the company’s iconic founder N.R. Narayana Murthy retired in August 2011.

Infosys’s 15-member board has nine independent directors, two co-founders and four leaders from the management. Of these, some are of the opinion that Infosys needs to make bolder decisions, especially while selecting the next CEO as part of the company’s biggest management transition.

“The board is duty-bound to look for the best possible candidates, both internally and from outside. Given recent performance, a more thorough hunt that includes candidates from outside too is something high on the agenda,” said one of the people. Both requested anonymity because these are confidential details and

S.D. Shibulal is the last of the Infosys founders to helm the IT company.

Photo: Aniruddha Chowdhury

nobody is authorized to comment.

Founded in 1981 by Narayana Murthy and six others, including Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan and Shibulal, Infosys was considered the bellwether of India’s $108 billion information technology (IT) sector until three years ago.

In the past two years, the company has missed its revenue and profit growth forecasts several times and has been overtaken

by Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. in annual revenue. It also pursued the new 3.0 strategy doggedly in an environment when outsourcing customers are only looking to save costs.

Last year, Infosys missed the lower end of its revenue forecast at least twice and stopped giving quarterly forecasts. The sluggish growth rates and increasingly impatient investors prompted Infosys to re-examine its strategy and it started cutting prices for select clients. The company also entered into revenue-sharing agreements with companies such as IPsoft

Inc. to drive up business volumes, even at the cost of margins.

On his part, Shibulal admitted that the new strategy that aims to generate one-third of total revenue from Big Data solutions, products and platforms may have been ill-timed.

“There’s no doubt that the volatility impacted our revenue, which did not allow us to benefit from 3.0. The strategy is all about creating two other new growth engines.

That should be done at any point of time—there’s no good time or bad time for that. We cannot wait for the world to be stable before we say we’re going to create a new growth engine,” Shibulal said in an interview after the company announced its earnings for year ended 31 March, which fell short of the 5% revenue growth prediction.

When asked about his views as a board member on Infosys’s next CEO and the ongoing succession planning, Shibulal said that was being done by the nominations committee.

New US immigration Rule May Hit India’s IT Outsourcers

BANGALORE (Mint): A new immigration rule being pushed by the senators can force India’s top software firms including Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and Infosys Ltd to remove professionals on H1B work permits from onsite locations and disrupt their traditional business model that has nearly onequarter of their total revenue coming from such local projects.

A Washington Post article said that according to the new proposal, India’s outsourcing firms that use the maximum number of H1B work permits could be the biggest loser, while American technology firms including Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. and even Facebook Inc. would benefit. The new proposal is being heavily pushed by the “gang of eight” senators that include four Democrats and four Republican lawmakers.

According to the proposed immigration Bill, the contents of which are not yet public but were mentioned in the Washington Post article, firms with more than half of their US employees using the visas, a group that includes top Indian tech firms, are likely to face both new salary requirements and restrictions on the number of work permits they can use for their staff.

Nasscom, said the new proposal could have a draconian impact on the sector and its customers in the US. “Labour mobility and movement of skilled professionals for temporary work is not an immigration issue; it is a trade issue. I am hopeful that US businesses will weigh in to influence their lawmakers against such moves that could impact trade between the two countries”,

Som Mittal, president, Nasscom, said on Sunday in an email reply.

CEOs and senior officials in the industry said if passed, the proposal could “kill” India’s IT industry that depends on temporary work permits for serving customers such as Walmart Stores Inc. and Citigroup Inc. locally.

“The proposed content seem to be clearly designed to severely impact the business model of only the ‘Indian IT sector’ and debilitate Indian IT companies—an industry that contributes over 7.5% to India’s national GDP and over 25% to Indian exports, of which the US comprises roughly 60% of those exports,” said an Indian IT industry official requesting anonymity.

“What is ironical is that this will not just impact the Indian IT industry and also seriously impair Indo-US relations, but will also affect the entire business model of US companies across financial services, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, and so on that routinely rely upon Indian IT firms to run their daily operations and drive innovation. With acute shortage of technical talent and STEM deficits (a fact re-emphasized by even President Barack Obama) to just run their existing businesses, leave along grow them, US companies are dependent on H1 and L visas,” said the IT official.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths.

This is not the first time the Indian IT industry is complaining about proposed immigration rules that could potentially harm their business. In 2010, the US Border Security Bill passed by the Senate increased the application fee for H1B visas by $2,000 in order to fund the $600 million plan to boost security at the US-Mexico border.

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SPORTS

April 19, 2013

Royal Challengers Choke, Then Win in Super Over

BY SIDHARTH MONGA Delhi Daredevils 152 for 5 (Unadkat 2-24) tied with Royal Challengers Bangalore 152 for 7 (Kohli 65, de Villiers 39) It was a match neither team seemed to want to win. Low on quality, it headed towards what looked like a natural result, a Royal Challengers Bangalore victory, for about 33 overs. Out of the other seven, two produced 30 runs for Delhi Daredevils at the end, two were a contest between Morne Morkel and Chris Gayle that the bowler won, and the other three featured an almighty choke from Royal Challengers that resulted in a tie despite a Ravi Rampaul six in the last over when they needed 12.

Umesh Yadav nearly won it for Delhi in the Super Over with four yorkers or near-yorkers at the top, which went for three runs, but he missed the length on the last two, and AB de Villiers deposited both of them over deep midwicket for sixes. Royal Challengers, nursing their demons of ties and close matches, called upon Rampaul, who has demons of his own in Super Overs, but he had also bowled a maiden and hit that six over extra cover when it seemed Royal Challengers had seen a ghost and forgotten how to bat.

Daredevils had a surprise in store too. Neither Virender Sehwag nor Mahela Jayawardene batted. David Warner found point first ball, and out came Irfan Pathan with two right gloves in hand.

The glove changed, he picked up a length ball over square leg for four. Rampaul came back with a yorker, but Irfan pulled out an absolute rabbit by walking down to the fourth ball and ramping it over fine leg for a huge six.

With six required off the last two, Rampaul dished out a full toss, and got lucky. Irfan flicked it nicely, but found square leg.

Six feet either side, and it would have been over. That bullet bitten, Rampaul bowled full and straight, and bowled out IPL debutant Ben Rohrer.

All this sporadic excitement, though, was like an old man out on a pacemaker at times. Except for

AB de Villiers’ two sixes in the Super Over arrested an almighty choke.

a blinder of a return catch from R Vinay Kumar, that contest between Morkel and Gayle, and Rampaul’s six, it was all curiously unspectacular. On a flat skiddy pitch with a quick small outfield around it, no Daredevils batsman reached 30, no Royal Challengers Bangalore bowler extracted disconcerting movement or extraordinary fortune, but somehow Daredevils remained subdued throughout their innings to end up with a paltry total by Bangalore standards. Most strikingly, Jayawardene scratched around for 28 off 31.

There was some spark to the Daredevils’ start, but it was shortlived. Sehwag and Warner seemed to have set up a good base with 42 off the first five overs, but then Vinay plucked an unbelievable catch when Warner smashed one back at him. In the next over, Sehwag chipped a gentle loosener

from Andrew McDonald straight to midwicket. Just like that, Daredevils found themselves in the jail, and couldn’t find a way out.

Over after over of steady bowling went by, but Jayawardene could neither find his touch nor get out. Jaydev Unadkat then worked Manprit Juneja over with bouncers, and the latter was eventually caught back for a length ball and holed out to long-on. Rohrer then found deep midwicket with a long hop. Just like that, Daredevils found themselves in solitary confinement.

There were periods of mercy for Daredevils. Royal Challengers omitted to appeal on a run-out, gave one more last over to RP Singh, but Daredevils could still muster only 152.

Daredevils’ bowling might not be the most rounded for Twenty20 environment, but it sure is exciting.

The Powerplay of the chase was all drama. In the first over, Ashish Nehra was denied a plumb lbw of KL Rahul, but he came back to get him a second time and gave him a justified send-off.

At the other end, Morkel went hard at Gayle, bowling 145kmph and upwards and short of a length.

Gayle was equal to it, putting behind the plays-and-misses, and hitting two sixes off Morkel. Eventually the bowler prevailed with a thick edge flying all the way to third man. That, though, was only a third of the work done for Daredevils.

Coming together at 26 for 2 in the fourth over, the other twothirds turned it on, matching each other shot for shot before Kohli ran away with it when he targeted the left-arm spin of Shahbaz Nadeem in the middle overs. When Kolhi pulled a long hop from Irfan for four in the 14th over, he brought up yet another fifty, and also brought the asking rate down to a run a ball. And the two could have strolled the rest of the way through.

When de Villiers was run out at the end of the 16th over, Royal Challengers needed 24 off 24 with seven wickets in hand. Daredevils didn’t do anything spectacular after that, just held their catches and saw Royal Challengers implode.

McDonald chipped one back to Nadeem. Arun Karthik ran himself out when he didn’t want to take the third off the last ball of the 18th over because that would mean Kohli would be off strike at the start of the next over. Kohli disagreed.

At any rate, Kohli didn’t have the strike, and J Syed Mohammad lobbed one straight to long-on.

Kohli drove the next ball insideout, and found Jayawardene. It was 15 off eight now. Irfan, though, began the next over with a wide halfvolley, which Rampaul picked the bones out of. Irfan came back well in the rest of the over, and then almost got his own back at Rampaul in the Super Over, but after a twist or two the match did reach its natural conclusion.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Indians in Euro Clay

MONTE CARLO: Leander Paes and his Austrian partner Jurgen Melzer advanced to the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters with a comfortable straight sets victory over local pair Benjamin Balleret and Guillaume Couillard.

The unseeded Indo-Austrian pair beat the wildcards 6-3, 7-5 in an hour and eight minutes Monday.

Paes and Melzer will play Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, who were given a bye in the opening round at the 2,646,495 Euro clay court event.

Sania Joins ITPA

NEW DELHI: Star player Sania Mirza has also joined Indian Tennis Players Association (ITPA) as one of its vice presidents, it was revealed on Sunday.

Sania is now one of the four vice presidents of the newlyformed body with Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Somdev Devvarman being the other VPs. “Happy to announce that @ MirzaSania has consented to be a VP of @TennisITPA and she has been co opted unanimously. Welcome aboard #Sania,” Karti P Chidambaram, who is secretary of ITPA and also AITA vice president, tweeted.

The Association was formed recently and office bearers were announced during India’s Davis Cup tie against Indonesia in Bangalore.

Former Davis Cup captain Jaideep Mukherjea was elected as President of the Association.

Sania, the first female player from the country to win a Grand Slam, now plays only in doubles.

Narine Gets Hat Trick MOHALI: Sunil Narine, who took a hat-trick in the game against Kings XI Punjab, lamented the fact that his team had lost despite his personal feat. Excerpts...

“Picking up a hat-trick is always special, but if the team is not winning then it goes in vain. I think I would be far happier if the team wins due to my bowling efforts. I didn’t go out into the field thinking of how many wickets I will pick.

It just happened and I am satisfied with my effort.

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April 19, 2013

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Maneka Gandhi: “Let Us Celebrate Mahavir Jayanti on April 23” all living beings, but by making clear that violence was not simply a matter of what we did, but what we thought and said.

Ahimsa means non-injury. Jains consider nonviolence to be the most essential duty for everyone (Ahimsa parmo dharmaḥ,). It is an indispensable condition for liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, the ultimate goal of Jainism. According to Jainism every act by which a person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury is NEW DELHI: Although, I (Maneka violence (himsa), which creates harmful Gandhi) was born a Sikh but have al- karma. The aim of ahimsa is to prevent the ways felt a Jain. It takes a million rebirths, accumulation of such karma. Jains share to be lucky enough to be born a Jain. this goal with Hindus and Buddhists, but Bhagwan Mahavir’s 2,612th Janam Jayanti their approach is particularly comprehen(599-527 BCE) will be celebrated on April sive. Their scrupulous and thorough way 23, 2013. It is a National Holiday in India. of applying nonviolence to everyday acMahavir is also called “a Tirthankar, a Jina tivities and food shapes their lives and is the and an Arihant”. Mahavir conquered inner most significant hallmark of Jain identity.

More than any other religion, Jainism beemotions and passions, and achieved comlieves implicitly in the laws of karma. As plete equanimity which is characterized by a you do, so shall you be done by. The lack complete absence of attachment and aversion. of knowledge about one’s actions – a child Archeological evidence indicates that alstamping on an ant, for instance does not though Mahavir was a contemporary of the absolve you.

Positive, beneficial actions Buddha, Jainism predates Mahavir by severreap their own benefits.

Negative hurt and al thousand years and, therefore, is one of the pain causing ones have their own reactions. oldest religions in India and in the world. .

Mahavir was a social revolutionary. He One does not cancel out the other; each has rejected the caste system and the sexism an impact on what will happen to you. The that pervaded the society of his time and worst karmic defilement of the soul takes promoted a radical social justice movement place when one causes hurt to any other based on complete equality and equal inher- creature. Mahavir’s words—you are that ent value. He did not limit this revolution which you intend to hit, injure, insult, torto humans and was the first historical fig- ment, persecute, torture, enslave or kill.”

Jain Dharma sees the whole universe ure to regard all nonhuman animals as full as a great cosmic mechanism and humans members of the moral community. He was as part of that mechanism must conduct also the first historical figure to articulate themselves in harmony and rhythm with the view that the planet itself, including air, it.

Anything said or done in this world water, and earth, consists of living systems. is echoed back with the same intensity.

Mahavir was, indeed, the first ecologist.

Each being is a vital thread in another’s The notion of revolution is often connected life tapestry and our lives are woven togethwith violence, particularly in modern times. er for a reason to survive and be happy. EvThe central feature of Mahavir’s revolution, erything works according to its nature. But however, was Ahimsa, or nonviolence. Mahumans live out of sync with the mechanism havir provided the most expansive concept when we go against our qualities of love, of Ahimsa that the world has ever known kindness and friendship for all living benot only by extending this notion to include ings. When we forget how so many invisBharat Natyam dance workshop - 26 June to 6 July ible lives have made our single day livable and comfortable then Bharat Natyam Classical dance, Bollywood dance we imperil our own lives. The best way Dipti Dave has arranged for Dance Workshop to see that negative by renowned GURU Bijoy Shivram from India actions are kept to a minimum is to think Dance workshop for all age group, you donot have to know dance through your actions “Swar Maalika” for musical evenings and see if they are necessary to your ex*Bollywood Songs, Garba/Raas, Bhajans, Ghazals, Bhangra, istence. To injure any LAGNA Geet* living being in one’s *Get Quality music by: Hemant Dave, Omkar Dave, Dipti Dave and team* thought, speech, or action constitutes *Providing music all over USA since 1990* For dance workshop student registration contact violence, or Himsa If we make the right choices we will get the right

Excerpted by Dr. Sulekh C. Jain of Houston, from an article by Maneka Gandhi, Member of Indian Parliament.

Maneka Gandhi, Member of Indian Parliament.

consequences. Lord Mahavir says: “One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, water, fire, air, vegetation and all other lives Disregards his own existence Which is entwined with them.”

Jainism’s ethical principles are a matter of rational thought and careful consideration.

Jainism takes Ahimsa very seriously. Abstinence from killing other animals must be observed by thought, word and deed – Mana, Vachana and Kaya. The discipline imposed is purity of thought, word and deed.

It is not enough if one abstains from inflicting pain on other beings; If you approve of such conduct in others, that approval makes you responsible for the cruelty of killing practiced by others. Do not kill nor kill through an agent nor approve the evil deed.

Mahavir taught that “all breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away.” This is the only moral or spiritual principle that we need to know. If we live by this principle, we will be at peace with ourselves and the world will be at peace.

Whatever our religious tradition may be, let us celebrate Mahavir Jayanti 2013 by recommitting ourselves to a simple but profound idea that all may embrace: Ahimsa.

Nrutyam School of dance

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COMMUNITY

April 19, 2013

Rentrak Inks Deal With Sony Entertainment Television (SET) For TV Measurement

“Un”Gala Marks 30th Year Milestone of The Indian Doctors Association of Houston

SET to Capitalize on Rentrak’s TV Ratings Currency for South Asian Networks PORTLAND: Rentrak Corporation (NASDAQ: RENT), the leader in multi-screen media measurement serving the advertising, television and movie industries, announced a multi-year TV Essentials contract with Sony Entertainment Television (SET), one of India’s leading Hindi general entertainment television channels which reaches millions of households in the United States and Internationally.

SET chose to work with Rentrak’s leading TV ratings currency to provide detailed measurement to advertisers and agencies to further strengthen positioning in the South Asian marketplace.

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to sit through a formal program.

Instead, the beautifully decorated hall was filled with laughter, good music and lighting by AD Sounds.

Attendees were able to walk through the museum, meet old friends, make new friends, visit the green screen photo booth and try the delicious appetizers. In a brief welcoming speech, Dr. Bajwa introduced the incoming IDA President Dr. Uttam Tripathy , the current Texas Medical Association President, Dr. Michael Speer, and Harris County Medical Society President, Dr. Russell Kridel.

The Indian Doctors Charity Clinic liaison, Dr. K.T. Shah was presented with a $10,000 check from IDA and a pledge for $10,000 in additional funding for the upcoming year. An additional check was presented by the IACF by Anu Bala. The IDA introduced three endowed $5000 scholarships to 3rd and 4th year medical students.

After dinner, guests were treated to a dessert bar sponsored by Medical Protective. The evening ended on a high note with dancing to the sounds of DJ Zee.

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HOUSTON: The Indian Doctors Association of Houston stayed true to its mission as the networking forum for physicians of Indian origin at this year’s annual gala held on April 13, 2013 at Houston’s Health Museum. The ‘Un-Gala’ marked the IDA’s 30th year in Houston. The physician organization continues to promote healthcare and education to the Greater Houston community and provide mentorship to young physicians.

Dr. Kulvinder Bajwa, the 20122013 IDA President changed the format of this year’s gala “Wings of the Butterfly” to encourage networking and fellowship. The unique evening was highlighted by the fact that it included no speeches, an open seating arrangement, did we mention, no speeches? Instead, the high tech, eco-friendly event was one of easy camaraderie for guests amidst the fun visuals of the Health Museum. The superb food provided

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From Left: Drs. Subodh Chauhan, Dr. Sonal Dholukia, Dr.Imran Mohiuddin, Dr. Uttam Tripathy, Dr. Salil Deshpande, Dr. Rakesh Mangal, Dr. Kulvinder Bajwa, Dr. Prasun Jalal, Dr. Raghu Athre, Dr. Veena Chandrakar, Dr. Sujit Prabhu, Dr. Manish Gandhi.

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For more information on Rentrak, please visit www.rentrak. com About Sony Entertainment Television Asia: Since its launch on the Indian subcontinent in 1995, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has enjoyed rapid success, leading to the establishment of European, North American and African feeds known as SET Asia. SET and SET Asia are now available in over 150 countries. The channels offer their viewers a distinctive blend of entertainment programs twenty four hours a day, including, soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, concerts, movies, and game shows. Besides SET Asia, SET also has three other leading channels: MAX, India’s #1 premier movies and special events channel, SAB, the only dedicated comedy channel and Aath, the only dedicated Bengali Movie channel.

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Rentrak’s television ratings measurement service provides daily measurement of all TV networks nationally and at a granular level for TV stations in all 210 media markets nationwide. The service incorporates information from over 20 million televisions and is the only fully integrated system of detailed satellite, telco and cable TV viewing data commercially available.

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April 19, 2013

Celebrating the ancient harvest festival and solar year

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Vaisakhi Special Vaisakhi Celebrations The Festival of Vaisakhi is celebrated with lot of joy and enthusiasm in the northern state of Punjab and Haryana. Farmers are jubilant over the festival as for them Vaisakhi marks the time for harvest of rabi crops.

Prosperous with the bountiful produce they look forward to celebrating Vaisakhi with all eagerness.

For the predominant Sikh population of Punjab Vaisakhi is one the biggest festival as it marks the foundation day of Khalsa Panth by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Sikh community located anywhere in the world celebrate Vaisakhi by participating in the special prayer meets and Vaisakhi processions.

Vaisakhi Celebrations by Farmers In the villages of the Punjab and Haryana, the day of Vaisakhi is full of colors and vibrancy. Cries of “Jatta aayi Vaisakhi” reverberate in the skies as gaily-dressed men and women move towards the fields to celebrate the occasion.

The high point of Vaisakhi celebrations in villages is the performance of traditional folk dance bhangra and gidda by men and women respectively. The dance is simple in movement but is extremely energetic and is performed in-groups on the beat of dhol.

Farmers also celebrate Vaisakhi as a Thanksgiving Day.

After taking an early bath in ponds or rivers people visit temples or gurdwaras to express gratitude to the Almighty for the bountiful harvest and pray for prosperity and good times in future.

At several places in the Punjab colourful Vaisakhi Fairs are also organized to celebrate the day. People participate in these fairs with lots of enthusiasm and charm.

The major attractions of Baisakhi Fairs are the bhangra and gidda performances besides wrestling bouts, singing and acrobatics. The performance of folk instruments - vanjli and algoza is also quite popular. Food stalls and shops selling trinkets make Vaiskhi Melas even more joyful.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

32

VAISAKHI SPECIAL

April 19, 2013 Vaisakhi Celebrations by Sikhs

Vaisakhi is a historic harvest festival based out of the Punjab and Haryana area which starts a new harvest season as well as marking a new solar year.

For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is one of the most significant festivals in the Sikh calendar and commemorates the beginning of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in year 1699. This was done by Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the 10th Sikh Guru) where the first Sikhs were baptized using amrit (sweet nector juice).

Therefore, Indian Punjabis and Sikhs reflect on the values taught

by Sikh Gurus and celebrate the Khalsa’s birth.

Sikhs celebrate this very important day of their religion with joy and devotion. They take an early bath, wear new clothes and visit the neighborhood gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) to participate in the special prayer meet marked for the day. After a special ardas of kirtans (religious songs) and discourses kada prasad (sweetened semolina)

is distributed amongst all present. Later, people sit in rows to relish the langar or community lunch prepared and served by kar sevaks or volunteers.

Major celebrations of Vaisakhi are organized at Golden Temple, Amritsar where the Khalsa Panth was founded on a Vaisakhi Day in 1699. Most Sikhs strive to visit Golden Temple on the occasion.

Another high point of Vaisakhi celebrations by Sikhs is the Vaisakhi procession or nagar kirtan carried though the city under the leadership of Panj Piaras or the Five Beloved Ones.

Men, women and children alike participate in the Vaiskhi processions with enthusiasm. Performance of bhangra and gidda dance make Vaisakhi processions quite colourful and enchanting. Later in the evening, people exchange greetings with friends and relatives usually with a box of sweets or other traditional gifts.

Vaisakhi in Hinduism & Bhuddism Sikhs, Punjabis and Indians all over the world celebrate Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi) usually on the 13th April, and occasionally on 14 April.

For the Hindus, it is the start of the solar New Year, and is celebrated with requisite bathing, partying, and worshipping. It’s believed that thousands of years ago, Goddess Ganga descended to earth and in her honor, many Hindus gather along the sacred Ganges River for ritual baths. The action is centered in the holy cities along the Ganges in north India, or in Srinagar’s Mughal Gardens, Jammu’s Nagbani Temple, or anywhere in Tamil Nadu. Hindus plant poles (wrapped in flags of goldembroidered silk) in front of their homes, and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top.

In Kerala, the festival is called ‘Vishu’.

It includes fireworks, shopping for new clothes and interesting displays called ‘Vishu Kani’. These are arrangements of flowers, grains, fruits, cloth, gold, and money are viewed early in the morning, to ensure a year of prosperity.

In Assam, the festival is called Bohag

Bihu, and the community organizes massive feasts, music and dancing.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj on Vaisakhi, in 1875.

Therefore, Vaisakhi is as special for the Hindus, as it is for Sikhs. In April, this day marks the beginning of the Hindu solar New Year. In fact, this day is celebrated all over the country as New Year day, under different names.

Apart from the Sikhs and Hindus, Vaisakhi is an important day for the Buddhists as well.

The name is Vaisakha, Wesak o r Ve s a k . I t commemorates the Birth, the Awakening and the Enlightened Passing Away of Gautama Buddha who was born as prince Siddharta.

The festival occurs on the full moon day of May and has no connections with either harvest festivals or New Year’s Day. (Source: Wikipedia)

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VAISAKHI SPECIAL

April 19, 2013

Favorite Vaisakhi Recipes Aate de Ladoo (Sweet flourball ) Method: Til Ingredients: Gajak (sesame brittle) 4 cups wholewheat flour 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups ghee 1 tsp. cardamom powder 2 tbsp. slivered almonds 1 tbsp. chopped cashews 1 tbsp. raisins (optional) 1 tsp. chironji, very lightly broken

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Melt ghee in a large pan.

A d d w h e a t f l o u r, s t i r continuously, till light brown.

Roast flour on very slow flame.

Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup of 2 1/2 thread.

This is the soft ball stage of syrup.

Take off fire, add all other ingredients.

Mix well and shape into laddoos, of desired size.

Cool completely before storing in airtight container.

Servings : 2 Time Taken : 15-30 mins Ingredients: 1 cup sesame (til) 3/4 cup jaggery 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 1 tbsp ghee 1 tsp. oil

Method: Heat a heavy pan, add sesame seeds and half ghee.

Roast sesame on low flame stirring continuously.

Boil jaggery in 1/2 cup water to form thick syrup.

Put a droplet in a plate of cold water.

If it forms a soft ball and does not spread,it is done.

Add roasted sesame to syrup, mix gently, take off fire.

On a rolling board, spread a film of oil, for rolling gazak.

Pour sesame-jaggery mixture, and roll to 1.5 cm. thickness.

Allow mixture to sufficiently cool, then mark into square pieces.

Once cooled completely, break into marked squares.

Store in an airtight container.

Happy Vaisakhi to all our readers from IndoAmerican News INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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