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Friday, May 22 2015 | Vol. 34, No. 21

Indo American erican News

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

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New Youthful Directions

New Executive Committee at India House Sitting from left: Dr. Virendra Mathur, Jugal Malani, Dr. Manish Rungta, Nagraj Eleswarapu, Jiten Agarwal Standing from left: Vipin Kumar, Sam Merchant, Ravi Goel, Kul Bhushan Uppal, Devi Prasad Rungta, Mohit Agrawal, Vikie Agrawal.

Recipe Sudoku

Movie Review

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May 22, 2015

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Cancer Fighters and Survivors Pledge to Continue Promising Research

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: Three years after it was launched, the founder of this non-profit that focuses on finding a cure for ovarian cancer has thrust herself full-time in the pursuit. “It was the only way to really make headway in this fight,” Runsi Sen told reporters at the fundraising gala held this past weekend on Saturday, May 16 at the Hotel Sorella in City Centre on the west side.

It only speaks to Sen’s commitment to make headway into the fight against the disease that took her mother Atashi away in Kolkatta in 2009. With an MBA from Rice University and after a stint at Direct Energy, she gave up her job as a strategy consultant with Optimal Strategy Group to push headlong into raising funds for the mission that is closest to her heart.

In this, she has the full support of her husband Supryo and their two young sons.

Last year was Ovarcome’s first formal fundraiser held at the Houston City Club in Greenway Plaza (see IAN dated May 30, 2014) with a good mix of Indo-Americans and mainstream members of the community, mostly from the field of medical research, cancer diagnostics and treatment. This year’s fundraising gala followed the same formula but broadened its appeal

to a larger segment of people who are affected. There were the usual silent and live auctions that helped raise some money for the gala, which raised about $100,000.

Sen introduced the survivors and honored the mothers and other women who lost their battle to OC as well as the doctors, nurses, caregivers, sponsors and friends. She talked about Ovarcome’s mission of awareness, funding R&D and global reach and explained how it had funded three research grants last year. “The journey has begun,” she declared, “but we have miles to go!”

But the emphasis was on showing the results of the research funding that Ovarcome has provided. One of the three awards given at the Gala was to Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr., the Vice President for Translational Research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He explained, with the help of a series of scientific PowerPoint slides, how his research has led to the development of a CA125 radioimmunoassay that promises to become the first useful marker for screening and monitoring ovarian cancer.

The second award went to Karen Shayne, a former healthcare administrator and an OC survivor who has co-founded SURVIVORville, a support alliance for women who have survived treatment. As

the audience learnt that night, of the 21,290 women who develop OC each year, 14,160 will die and the 5-year survival cure rate is 30 per cent. Shayne’s group deals with these women’s issues. She spoke of her awe at the MD Anderson banner with the word Cancer struck out which caught her eye as she landed in Hobby airport. “Things really are bigger in Texas, I thought,” she quipped.

The third award was given to another OC survivor, Indian movie actress Manisha Koirala who could not attend but sent her message by audio file. She explained how she was a two-

From left: Dr. Ron DePinho, President of MD Anderson Cancer Center; Runsi Sen, Founder and President of Ovarcome; and the two main honorees of the evening, Karen Shayne, Survivor Honoree and CoFounder of Women Survivors Alliance and Dr. Robert C. Bast who has discovered CA-125, the only effective biomarker for ovarian cancer.

The Ovarcome Board Members with Melinda Spaulding (right), hostess of the event

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May 22, 2015

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COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

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rain, rain didn’t Go Away; makes IAcF Play Another day!!

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: The kiddie nursery rhyme was on many minds this past Sunday, May 17 as 60 golfers sat in their electric golf carts, lined up to head for the grassy lawns and gentle slopes of the Quail Valley County Club golf links. But alas, after just two holes, the squall of clouds that had been slowing moving in from the east just made it to the region and burst open upon them!

Many trailed back to the Pro Shop and sat it out, hoping that it would all clear up in a few minutes, but it was just not to be. The well planned and executed golf tournament that the Indo American

Charity Foundation had organized had to be scuttled and postponed for later in the year, date to be announced.

“We were really hoping for lower chances of rain,” said main organizer Ajay Jain, “but you can’t beat Mother Nature!” Added the other coordinator of the event Mahendra Jain, “Many people want to postpone it, although we did offer these keen golfers a pass to come and play here again whenever they want.”

It seemed that the golfers thrived on the camaraderie and the competitiveness of a tournament and though the play was cancelled, most seemed to enjoy the chance to meet and talk over the sandwiches

and drinks offered by the Club. In that sense, the tournament wasn’t a complete washout!

The IACF holds a golf tournament each year to collect funds for its programs held throughout the year. This year’s tournament raised about $24,000 thanks in

part to the generous sponsorship of Kindred Hospital Tomball; Momentum BMW which had a car parked on hole for a hole-in-one give away prize; Shah Smith Associates; Dr. Dominic Sreshta for the David Raj Memorial Hole and Century Cancer Centers.

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

Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo American News,7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036 Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, mAy 22, 2015 • Online editiOn: www.indOamerican-news.cOm

Proceeds will go to fund the IACF Scholarships to 23 deserving high school students at an event to be held at the FBISD Annex 3119 Sweet Water Blvd., on Tuesday evening, May 26 from 6:15pm till 8pm.

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COMMUNITY new Generation Takes over India House

May 22, 2015

From left: Dr. Virendra Mathur (Trustee), Jugal Malani, Kul Bhushan Uppal, Jiten Agarwal, Devi Prasad Rungta, Sam Merchant

HOUSTON: After serving a notable two tenures at India House, the old Executive Committee makes way for the new sanguine and enthusiastic next generation.

India House has grown tremendously under the guidance of the previous Executive Committee. Having invested in the depth and breadth of community development, educational programs, healthcare services, mind and wellness programs as well as social events including sports, arts, cultural and entertainment, the outgoing committee has laid an impressive and strong foundation by showcasing India House at the forefront of community-building. We thank our wonderful and supportive out-going Executive Committee for their tremendous performance led by Jugal Malani, President; Kul Bhushan Uppal, VP-Operations; Brij Agrawal, VP-Finance; Jiten Agarwal,

Treasurer; Devi Prasad Rungta, Joint Treasurer; Sewa Singh Legha, Secretary; Rakesh Agrawal, Joint Secretary; Ashok Dhingra, Immediate Past President; Sam Merchant, Council Chairman.

India House is thrilled with their experienced and young, energetic and vibrant newly elected Executive Committee promising to take them to even greater heights. Unanimously elected during the elections held at India House on April 18, India House welcomes their newest and confident Executive Committee led by Dr. Manish Rungta, President; Nagraj Eleswarapu, VP Operations; Jiten Agarwal, VP Finance; Mohit Agarwal, Treasurer; Annie Aggarwal, Secretary; Vikie Agrawal, Joint Treasurer; Ravi Goel, Joint Secretary; Jugal Malani, Immediate Past President; Sam Merchant, Council Chair.

The new Executive Committee with highly

Sitting from Left: Annie Aggarwal, Dr. Manish Rungta, Jiten Agarwal, Nagraj Eleswarapu Standing Left to Right: Jugal Malani, Ravi Goel, Mohit Agrawal, Vikie Agrawal

qualified individuals bring in a new energy to India House. As an accomplished physician, Manish brings in his proactive and productive professional skills to the committee, along with Nagraj’s effective project management skills, Jiten’s tech and market savviness, and Annie’s legal expertise, together they form a great team. Bringing in their business acumen, planning and financial strategy Mohit, Vikie and Ravi form the perfect support system for the committee.

Jugal’s experience and advice will be the guiding light for the new elected committee. Sam’s expertise and knowledge will

help firm the grounding knowledge.

We welcome our new Executive Committee with new Hopes!

For regular updates like us on Facebook/ India House Your House… My House… Our House 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031 For more information and appointments contact: 713-929-1900 Vipin@indiahouseinc.org www.indiahouseinc.org For more information visit us at www. indiahouseinc.org

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COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

Houston Awaits “on a Quest” screening

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HOUSTON: There is eager anticipation in the air as May 30, the date for the premiere of “On a Quest” in Houston, approaches. The much-acclaimed biopic of Swami Chinmayananda, who is revered as Pujya Gurudev

by Chinmaya Mission worldwide, promises to be an inspiring, introspective journey. It will be a nostalgic reminder for those who met and interacted with the spiritual Master.

And, it promises to capture the minds and hearts of a great majority of people who know of His teachings only through the published vast legacy of his books, recordings, and video lectures.

As part of the global launch of the Chinmaya Birth Centenary Celebrations (201516), Chinmaya Mission Houston invites the greater Houston community for an unforgettable glimpse at the transformational journey of a revolutionary skeptic journalist who heralded a modern spiritual renaissance.

The movie is a beautiful and poignant depiction of a seeker who evolved through many different identities before he finally found himself; or, to be accurate, before he realized the Self. It is a story with many turning points in which a precocious Balakrishnan (PBK) Menon grows into a fierce and fashionable atheist youth drawn to literature and law, and becomes a passionate freedomfighter in the struggle for India’s independence. Later, he emerges as a restless journalist, whose sharp mind and pen sets forth to expose “the bluff of the swamis.”

Arriving at Rishikesh, Himalayas, with relentless curiosity, PBK Menon is intrigued by the humble lifestyle of service and contemplation in the ashram of Swami Sivananda. Thereon begins a soul-stirring transformation which culminates in a memorable sanyasa deeksha, presenting to the world, Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati.

In search of the Highest Truth, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda climbs higher and higher up the slope of Vedantic philosophy to learn from the great Master Swami Tapovanam, who lived in great austerity amid the splendor of the Himalayas.

One afternoon’s dream on the banks of Mother Ganga sets the revolutionary Swami Chinmayananda on yet another quest. Determined to reintroduce the wisdom of the Hindu scriptures to the anglicized educated people of free India, the energetic Swami undertakes a divine mission. Using his mastery of the English language, his unbeatable logic of spirituality, and tongue-in-cheek humor, the unconventional Swami begins to travel across India and the world, breaking tradition and bringing the Holy Gita and Upanishads directly to the masses. From a handful to later tens of thousands, people flock to the commanding presence in flaming orange whose booming voice and animated explanations systematically dispels their doubts, opening doors for maximum people toward maximum happiness for decades to follow.

‘On a Quest’ is not about preaching religion and but about a daring pursuit for Truth that transformed an ordinary man into a towering modern Sage. So, prepare to embark ‘On a Quest’ – a shared insight that will inspire our own inward journey.

Chinmaya Mission invites all to the special screenings of a biopic about Swami Chinmayananada, “On a Quest,” on May 30th and June 7th at 3:15pm at the AMC Dunvale. The movie portrays the unconventional life journey and an unforgettable glimpse of a great Master, Buy your tickets online at www.chinmayahouston.org/ onaquest .Ticket availability is limited, so we encourage you to purchase soon. For more information, please visit www.chinmayahouston.org or contact Jay Deshmukh 832-541-0059.

sewa Volunteer recognized at the Volunteer Houston service Awards

2425 WEST LOOP SOUTH SUITE 200, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77027 Principal office located in Houston, Texas

Sewa youth volunteer Kaushiki Tewary and Sewa Team with Chief Guest Niel Bush

HOUSTON: Last Friday, May 15, marked the 31st annual Greater Houston ServiceAwards, a ceremony that honors the city's most hardworking and dedicated volunteers. Recognized at the event was 17 yearJunior at Cinco Ranch High School , Kaushiki Tewary, who was nominated by Sewa International .She was honored as one of the top 3 youth volunteers of the Year from across Houston

area at a glittering Gala event.She was also the only Indo American to be recognized at the ceremony.The chief guest at the event was Niel Bush , businessman and Philanthropist and also member of the Bush Family. Kaushiki has been involved with Sewa International Houston for four years and is

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COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

cryket 2015: cricket for cry

You) works to raise awareness and support for underprivileged children.

With this goal in mind CRY Houston Action Centre in partner with India House and HTBC organized CRYKET on May 9, at India House ground.

The match was between two great teams of HTBC; HCC and YTCC. The Event started with a speech from Madhulica Misra who is the Houston AC Lead for CRY America. Student Volunteer Parth Misra from Memorial Middle School and Raveli and Hailey form Quail Valley Middle School talked about CRY and what CRY has been doing . Chief Guest for the event was Dr Manish Rungta and Ravi Arora. Coin Toss was done by Mr. Ravi Arora. Shiva captain for HCC and Saif captain for YTCC introduced team to Chief guest Mr. Ravi Arora.. YTCC won the toss and elected to bat. At the event Indira Bhavaraju(Accounts Lead) took the opportunity to thank all the sponsors who supported this event.

This event was organized keeping young kids in mind.

Madhulica Misra, AC lead for Houston Action Centre , Indira Bhavaraju Accounts Lead and

HOUSTON: Millions of children can only dream of having the basic rights to live, learn, play and grow.

The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child grants children four basic human rights: the right to survival, development, participation and protection. CRY supports organizations in India and the US and has transformed the life of over 450,000 children.

With a vision of a just world in which all children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential, CRY (Child Rights &

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Cheryl Lasater Outreach Lead for Houston Action Centre along with volunteers from different schools put in a lot of hours to make this event a success. There were stations for food, vendor’s booth & face painting. IACAN had put in their stall for Bone Marrow Drive. They were able to register a good number of people who could be possible donor for Bone Marrow and save life of someone suffering from Cancer.

It was good to see how two charities through a game of Cricket worked together for a great cause.

YTCC scored 118 runs in 22 overs. HCCC scored 119 runs in 16 overs. HCC won the match. Man of the Match was Raj from HCC .

Event ended up with dinner from Allings Chinese Cuisine .

CRY America would like to thank all the sponsors, media and everyone who helped in making this event a big success. Our special thanks to our sponsors: Platinum Sponsor – Anand and Dr Ashima Chauhan Gold Sponsor – Texas Family Pediatric Group Other Sponsors : CGI, WBS-IT, IACAN, Mathnasium of Memorial City, Infodat, Allings Chinese Cuisine, Wakana Cafe, New York Life , Vantive, Hutumdesi.com, Hungama Radio and Radio Andhra Mirchi.

Our next event is CRY Annual Carnival on 10th October at Lost Creek Park Sugarland, TX. For Sponsorship and volunteering please contact Madhulica Misra and Indira Bhavaraju. Email Houston @ cryamerica.org.

HPd Gives supervisor Award to Harkeert singh nized for his dedicated hard work.

He was promoted to Office Supervisor in June 2005.

Singh is originally from village Lambra in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, but was raised in New Delhi by his parents Jagjit Singh and Mohinder Kaur, finishing high

school in Lajpat Nagar there.

He went to Deshbandu College in Kalkajee, New Delhi and then immigrated to the US. He worked part-time for a short duration as a Graphic Artist for Indo American News in 1999 before moving on.

Harkeert Singh is married to Rajinder Kaur and has two boys, Aushmeet and Sukhmeet. “He has been an exceptional leader in the department,” said long-time HPD officer and Asian community liaison Muzaffar Siddiqi.

After receiving the Supervisor of 2015 Award, Harkeert Singh posed with HPD Chief Charles McClelland and Mayor Annise Parker

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: In honor of National Police Week (May 8 through 15), the Houston Police Department hosted its Police Week Heroes Luncheon on May 11 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. Police officers mingled with Houston Police Foundation board members to recognize 32 employees for their contributions and sacrifice.

The emcee for the patriotic program was former KTRH TV news anchor Dave Ward, with the national anthem sung by Melissa Salvidar Hamilton and an invocation

by Stephen Daniel. HPF Board

Chairman Tilman Fertitta expressed his gratitude to the honorees, whose names were called out and had their pictures taken with HPD Chief Charles McClelland and Mayor Annise Parker. A fundraiser to purchase firearms lockers netted $200,000 for the luncheon.

Among those receiving recognition was an Indian American who had come up through the ranks.

The HPD Civilian Supervisor of the Year 2015 was awarded to Harkeert Singh, 44, who had come to the Bayou City 17 years earlier with a dream and a desire to advance. He joined HPD in March 2000 and had been recogIndo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, mAy 22, 2015 • Online editiOn: www.indOamerican-news.cOm

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A mentorship Program celebrates its new Batch of Graduates

Sugar Land Ballroom ❁ Ample Parking ❁Dance Floor ❁ Close to Highway 59 & 90 ❁Seating Capacity: 350 People

The Graduating Class of 2015 with their two mentors and teachers, Qusai Mahesri (second row from top, right) and Biki Mohindra to his left. To his left is the sponsor for the evening, Vivek Mehta, Sr. VP with Texas Capital Bank.

The 2015 Graduating Class pays tribute to SOS co-founder Biki Mohindra (extreme left) Photos: Angel Argueta, Rgueta Photography

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: In this busy graduation season, the 17 men and women huddled in the corner of the banquet room awaiting their turn to be recognized were were not the usual bunch of graduates, eager to get on with their lives. They already had career paths they are on, achievements in their hats and families to lean on. Yet they were all giggling like young college graduates, delighted at this second awakening of their instincts.

“This nine-month course helps you accomplish your goals and cope with real world stuff,” said Kunal Dora, an attorney working in the oil and gas industry with Neeco Industries. He had graduated from the course last year and was one of the two who introduced this year’s graduating line at the River Oaks Country Club event held last Thursday, May 14.

Dora was referring to the sixyear-old “Share Our Secrets” program that was the brainchild of long-time Houstonian Biki Mohindra; and co-founders Farida Hasan Ali and Kevin Kalra. And as another previous graduate said, “the moniker SOS really should add ‘of Success’, because that’s what its all

about!” SOS (www.shareoursecrets. org) is geared to mentor and enlighten youthful minds through exposure to the ideas and concepts that other successful people and groups have encountered and grappled with before.

After a successful career with Riviana Foods that took him all over the world and gave him a chance to rub shoulders with other luminaries in business, Mohindra (known in his friends circle as an idea-generator), wanted to share some of the things that helped him along the way. He naturally gravitates to younger people and always seeks to open up new vistas. SOS was a vehicle of him to bridge the gap between generations.

The class year is divided into SOS-1 and SOS-2 courses work, spread over meetings two Saturdays

a month from August to April and taking the students to upper crust experiences at the Houstonian and the River Oaks Country Club, among others, to meet with mainstream figures from the

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community, or to learn about comparative world history, relationship encounters and other facets of life. SOS has over 50 paid members and each student pays $250 per course.

At the graduation, Chief Guest Dr. Kathryn Peek, a biomedical educator and ad mi n i s tr at o r with 25 years of experience at the Texas Medical Center and as

Some graduating members making introductions continued on page

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COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

sant nirankari mission Houston celebrates mother’s day

Holy Mother Pujyya Mataji Lakshmi Thakkar

Children happily expressed their love and thankfulness for their moms in songs, words and affectionate presents that ‘Mother’s Day’ is a day to appreciate all the good things your mother has done for you. Without a mother, we are nowhere in life. The mother’s heart calms all fears.

Young kids showed a presentation (welledited by one young boy) how Anna Jarvis, from West Virginia came up with the idea of honoring all mother's on the second Sunday in May. They also expressed their gratitude for the Holy Mother Pujyya Mataji and showed a video featuring her.

According to their beliefs, the sadhsangat is like a mother; an umbrella for their kids and Raj Mataji and Pujyya Mataji Holy

Mothers were celebrated at the sadhsangat held on Mother’s Day, May 10 by the Sant Nirankari Mission Houston. A respected community elder, Lakshmi Thakkar, affectionately known as maaji, could not attend but sent her blessings.

HOUSTON: Mother’s Day is a day of spiritual nurturing and practices to honor mothers, a great day of appreciation and reflection!

With the blessings of His Holiness, the Sant Nirankari Mission Houston celebrated Mother’s Day on May 10, in India House, where the congregation holds its weekly sadhsangats every Sunday morning. There are other missions in Texas in Dallas, San Antonio, Brownsville and Laredo.

Mothers will always care for them as they love and protect them.

The satsang was conducted by Shalu Keswani who played the dholuk. After several bhajans and songs, all the mothers at the satsang were honored with flowers and a small gift. At the front of the gathering sat the elderly Rev. Taraji, who has been blind for many years, to give the final blessings and thank all the spiritual mothers for their efforts for shaping the children.

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Neil Bush and Kaushiki Tewary

still an active volunteer with the organization. She regularly communicates with a base of over a hundred volunteers as a volunteer coordinator in the Local Events program which connects people across Houston with volunteer opportunities. Additionally, she has helped in the Bhutanese community reachout program Chai Pe Charcha , that Sewa has recently

fostered to help refugees from Bhutan to acclimate them better to their new lives. The program has also grown on the educational front as it sponsors a tutorial program called Aspire Tutorials that aims to provide afterschool tutorials for the refugee children, and help them progress in their learning.

The program was recently chosen out of 4000 other programs in the United States for the State Farm Neighborhood Grant into top 200 programs.. Through voting via Facebook, the program chooses the top 40 programs with the highest votes to receive $25,000 grants towards their selective missions to help them gain a boost and garner more attention.Kaushiki and her co volunteers are now working on this campaign.This campaign runs from May 14th to June 3 rd. To know more about the State Farm Assist Grant and Sewa International’s application Please visit us on www.facebook.com/facebook Sewa International is currently offering internship opportunities for both High School and College students over summer .To know more please reach out to Kavita Tewary email: educationhouston@sewausa.org or call 7133034253

11000 Richmond Ave, Ste 300 Houston, TX 77042

COMMUNITY

cancer Fighters and survivors Pledge to continue Promising research continued FRoM page

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year survivor and welcomed her role as the Global Ambassador for Ovarcome, spreading the word wherever she travels.

This fits in with the mission of the non-profit which is to also spread awareness of OC monitoring in Kenya and treatment in India. Video testimonials of the programs it funds were provided by three doctors in India. In addition, Ovarcome announced a $25,000 research grant to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.

After dinner, and before the live auction, several OC survivors in the room were applauded as they

were escorted down the center aisle. Entertainment for the evening was by a young teenager, Chloe Choudhury, who sang “We Shall Overcome” with a deep, soulful voice. Chloe has performed at several community functions in the past year and at the opening of the Houston Rockets New Year’s game and has been a backup singer on Katy Perry’s hit “Roar”. The other performer was an equally talented Pamela Mary who lost her grandmother to OC and has had tumors herself. She did a few country and western songs with a strong voice and stage presence.

The evening was emceed by Channel 26 Fox news co-anchor Melinda Spaulding and Lisa Slater who hosted last year’s gala too.

Ovarcome Board member Mike Beck welcomed the 200 guests and last year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Ronald A. DePinho, President of MD Anderson Cancer Center made some opening remarks about the immense progress that has been made in genome therapy to awaken the immune system and attack cancer cells. “This is part of our Moon Shots program to focus on actionable knowledge,” he declared. “Yes, we will overcome!”

A mentorship Program celebrates its new Batch of Graduates continued FRoM page

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VP of Health Affairs at the University of Houston, spoke about her work that showed her how adults learn differently from youngsters.

A tall, lanky woman from Nederland (south of Beaumont) who is proud of her Southeast Texas heritage, Peek said she had met SOS in April and immediately saw in it “a

powerful tool for learning through a process of high quality continuing education.”

After the graduates were called out to receive their distinction in front of an invited list of community leaders, friends and alumni, they stood at the podium to hear a few words of appreciation from

15950 N Dallas Pkwy, Ste 400 Dallas, TX 75248

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Mohindra for the supporters and for Texas Capital Bank for sponsoring the event, which included drinks, appetizers and a pasta line.

A sort video clip introduced the graduates by name, with a one-line quote from each on the program they had taken.

COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

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The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi

Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2015 Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests. Visit gandhilibrary.org for registration and more information. All school going children can participate! These contests are being organized to create higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhi to promote universal values of Truth, Non-Violence, Love and Service.

Born more than 130 years ago, the life and times of the man who would grow up to be universally known as The Mahatma, still resonates until today. Mohandas Gandhi had an ordinary childhood in Porbandar, on the coast of Kathiawad in the western state of Gujarat, a loved and pampered son of very ordinary parents. He grew up to inspire legions of people globally by his fearless ideology that uprooted an empire, to bring freedom to the land of his birth.

With his message of non-violence, he roused the nation and earned the title of Great Soul.

For the next several weeks, Indo American News will bring you his life story, and of how he continues to be an inspiration to the world and mostly to millions of oppressed people everywhere. Born on October 2, 1869, to Karamchand Gandhi and his wife Putlibai. Young Mohandas hailed from a family highly regarded for the moral ethics and strength of character. His grandfather Uttamchand belonged to a humble family of merchants, but rose in the ranks to become the Dewan of Porbander. His son Karamchand, who had very little education, succeeded him but was a fine administrator.

Putlibai, Karamchand Gandhi’s wife, was a deeply religious woman and strong-willed woman. She was widely respected for her wisdom and good sense. People often sought her advice on various matters. Mohandas was the youngest of the six children

of Karamchand and Putlibai Gandhi.

He was the favorite child of the family and was called Moniya by his parents

and their friends. Moniya adored his mother. He loved his father too, but he was a little afraid of him. As a child, Moniya seldom liked to stay at home.

He would go home for his meals and then run away again to play outside.

Moniya was just seven years old when his father left Porbandar to become the Dewan of Rajkot, taking the family along. At Rajkot he was sent to a primary school. He was shy and did not mix easily with the other children.

Every morning he went to school in time, and ran back home as soon as school was over. His books were his sole companions and he spent all his free time alone reading.

He had one friend, however; a boy named Uka. Uka was a sweeper boy and an untouchable. One day Moniya was given some sweets. He ran at once to Uka to share them with him.

But Uka told Moniya not to go near him as he was an untouchable. It was the first time that Mohandas encountered India’s cataclysmic social divide. Stunned by the revelation that in India one was identified by one’s caste, he took hold of Uka’s hands and filled them with sweets. His mother, watching from a window, ordered Moniya in the house. She told him that high caste Hindus did not touch “untouchables”. When her son questioned her, she responded that Hindu customs forbid it. When Moniya disagreed, his mother had no answer but was angry with him.

Karamchand Gandhi loved all his sons, but he was especially fond of the youngest. He often advised him to study well and take up a profession. Moniya worked hard, and did his lessons carefully. But he did not enjoy memorizing and was therefore weak in Sanskrit. Geometry was his favorite subject because it involved reasoning.

Moniya had a friend named Sheikh.

He was tall and strong. Sheik was a meat-eater and he often told Mohandas that if he ate meat he would also grow tall and strong. There was also at that time a reform movement for a change in the orthodox beliefs and practices of Hindus. Mohandas himself had heard that many well todo people had started eating meat, so he, too, tried meat. He did not like the taste of meat but as time went on, he started to like meat curries. Whenever Mohandas had a meat meal outside, he had to give his mother some excuse for not eating his dinner. He knew that his parents would not forgive him. This feeling was gnawing at his heart and finally he decided not to touch meat again. Mohandas had also taken to smoking with Sheik, his brother, and another relative. He had to pilfer small amounts of money to buy cigarettes.

One day, in order to pay off a debt which his brother had incurred, Mohandas stole a piece of gold jewelry.

Stealing was a great sin. He knew that he had committed a great crime.

He resolved never in his life to steal again. He wrote down a confession of his crime and handed the paper to his ailing father. Karamchand Gandhi read the confession. He tore up the paper without saying a word. The bits of paper fell to the floor. He sank back on his bed with a sigh. Mohandas left the room, tears streaming down his face. From that day on, Mohandas loved his father more and more.

Every day he hurried home from school to wait on him. His father’s condition grew worse and at length he died. The house was filled with sorrow. Mohandas was only sixteen when his father died.

To be continued…

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18 May 22, 2015 Cleaning the Ganga: New Plan

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Modi in China: Best Selfie Forward

BY TARUN VIJAY

The central government’s appeal to companies, spiritual organisations and rich Indians abroad to partake of the cleaning up of the Ganga, the river that is the life giver for the largest number of Indians, is appreciable.

In his budget speech this year, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had proposed that donations other than contributions under corporate social responsibility to the Clean Ganga Fund by resident Indians shall be eligible for 100% deduction. This arrangement has to be taken to the next level by getting companies to involve themselves in project work.

At the Ganga Manthan last year, Union minister Nitin Gadkari had said that Rs 80,000 crore was required to clean up the river.

Some experts were surprised at this and considered the amount too little. The inter-ministerial committee, which Mr Gadkari heads, had then come up with the idea of viability-gap funding — something similar to road projects — with the Centre meeting 30% of the needs and the rest coming through public-private partnerships.

And it is here that the Centre’s current thinking comes across as most useful.

But the problems are far bigger than the proposed solutions. As is well known, the Ganga Action Plan, started in 1986, was not very successful and withdrawn in 2000. A recent parliamentary committee report said in all Rs 2.2 lakh crore had been expended over 32 years on cleaning up the river, which takes in more than 2,000 million litres of dirt a day, discharged by factories.

In addition to this, there is the factor of human waste. Of the amount spent on cleaning up the river, more than 95% went in building the sewage system but just about 33% of the requirement has been met. On average, it costs Rs 5 crore to treat one million litres of waste. Many parts of Uttar Pradesh do not have a sewage system, which means a lot of untreated waste goes into the river.

As a partial solution perhaps in next year’s budget, contributions to the Clean Ganga Fund may be treated as part of corporate social responsibility, which has been made mandatory for companies with a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or net profit of Rs 5 crore.

Hindustan Times

Away from the strict official positioning and stiff collars, Modi can make Chinese people look at India from a refreshingly new angle- culture and future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s China visit has come at a time when his govt is completing first year in power and global strategic equations are fast rearranging. At a time when India’s economy is gaining strength and world economists are declaring Modi-year as the best India has ever had economically, Modi walks in China as the most confident and powerful Prime Minister that has ever visited there. And with President Xi Jinping, considered to be the strong leader moulded in Deng Xio Peng’s school of thought, a courageous march of togetherness seems more possible than ever.

Nehru years with China were rooted in a mirage and ended in clouds of animosity and suspicion. Indira Gandhi never visited and Rajiv Gandhi did succeed in de-freezing the ties yet were not on a strong wicket. Vajpayee had the statesmanship to show an out of box approach, with formally accepting the TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region) as China’s integral part and getting Sikkim recognized by the Chinese as Indian state, and institutionalizing the mechanism to resolve border dispute through the appointments of Special Representatives (SRs). Later we signed the important joint document “A Shared Vision for the 21st Century” during Dr Manmohan Singh’s 2008 China visit. Dr Manmohan Singh’s second China visit in 2013 resulted in agreements on keeping border tranquil, exchange of data on trans-border rivers, cooperation for Nalanda University besides establishing sister city partnerships between Delhi-Beijing, Kolkata-Kunming, and BangaloreChengdu.

Prime Minister Modi is set to create new era in India China relations with focussing more on building trust and inviting Chinese investments.

Whatever we say about the growing trade and bilateral exchanges, the fact remains the suspicion level remains

At a time when India’s economy is gaining strength, Modi walks in China as the most confident and powerful Prime Minister that has ever visited there.

high for each other which reflects in the complicated visa norms too.

Modi is expected to break the ice and begin a fresh, confident and bold new phase of Vishwas — the trust that will pave way for future cooperation in an unprecedented manner. Once the trust begins to soar at the people’s level, nothing is impossible, said a high Chinese official in Beijing last month to me. Away from the strict official positioning and stiff collars, Modi can make Chinese people look at India from a refreshingly new angle — culture and future. Military and economy have always been two essential parts of diplomatic parleys, but this time Indian Prime Minister is a leader who has perfected the art of charming.

The Weibo initiative has not gone in vain. When a Hong Kong based Phoenix TV correspondent asked me in an interview about the critical remarks arriving on Modi’s Weibo account, I said that’s welcome as we are a democracy and know how to use this opportunity to explain the critical followers the correct position. She was surprised that we may even welcome critical remarks. That’s where Indians has the power to overcome hurdles. People and democracy! An order amidst criticism and chaos.

On economic front Modi will have to hard talk on balancing the huge trade deficit, which has risen to a whopping $37.8 bn. China’s economy is almost four times the size of India and their official military budget ($119 billion) is three times larger than ours. The huge aid to Pakistan

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their economic corridor linking Gwadar with Xinjiang and PLA presence on PoK concerns our security.

But should it be allowed to impact negatively on our biltaral ties with a neighbour that is indisputably more important than others? We may choose to remain enveloped in fears or begin a power-walk with confidence in our values and sinews. Modi has chosen the latter path.

An India that’s meticulously ensuring growing presence in ASEAN, continuing strengthening economy with long term allies like Japan and USA, building better ties with Middle East and Israel can happily build a bridge of cordiality and trust with a neighbour with whom we have had civilizational ties dating back to more than two millenniums.

The strategic issues remain high on the radar of both the countries and certainly it’s the maritime matter that draws great attention. But once a mechanism of cordiality is well oiled and functioning, the conflict fears can be turned into complementary positions too.

Modi’s India is doing best to create an atmosphere of walking together in the neighbourhood and in spite of all provocations, India has shown dexterity to keep cool while standing firm on its position with strength.

With Modi working to have India move on the World Bank’s ‘Ease to Do Business’ index from number 142 to number 50, and foreign institutional investment for the 12 month period surpassing $47.2 billion i.e. up 640 per cent over the previous 12 month period, it is a different story this time. A billion people talking to another billion people, to walk, and dream together.

I have given a slogan to China tourism for encouraging more people’s exchanges that they liked – “Go China, Know China , Hello China”.

It may get used for their campaign while first time post independence we may even introduce @ home Stat’ programme for Indian students in China and vice versa.

Let a march of confident togetherness begin. ToI Tarun Vijay is a member of the Rajya Sabha.

May 22, 2015

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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20 May 22, 2015

COMMUNITY

Consulate General of India Houston International Day of Yoga HOUSTON: On 11 December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga receiving broad support from 177 member states, including USA. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014.

Consulate General of India, Houston would be celebrating the first International Day of Yoga in a befitting manner on Sunday, 21

June from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM at George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX in close coordination with Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) and numerous other Yoga schools / institutions, and other social and cultural organizations. The IDY celebration would bring together a large number of Houstonians including elected officials, and institutions to perform Yoga and actively participate in a number of free interactive Yoga sessions featuring Yoga demonstration by experts,

and a ‘Yoga Fair’.

The International Day of Yoga event at George R. Brown Convention Center is free and open to the public. We encourage interested participants to register online for free at the event website (http://iyogadayhouston.org/) which is mandatory for participation. Kindly bring a photo ID. For more details, please visit the website which will carry frequent updates about the event.

Let 21 June spread the message of Yoga, and all are invited to be part of this celebration for peace and harmony – in our lives, in our wonderful city of Houston and in the world at large!

Suspect Gives Up in Mettha Kuruppu Killing

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away the robber's pistol as Kuruppu activated an alarm.

Police said Kuruppu then grabbed a BB gun with which to defend himself, but the robber shot him in the chest, killing him.

Kuruppu, a 52-year-old native of Sri Lanka, bought the store two years ago. He had two daughters in college, 19 and 23, and a wife.

The second suspect is still at-large.

If convicted, both assailants could face the death penalty because they were committing an armed robbery, an aggravated felony, when the murder occurred.

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Police Officer Carol Riley said on Wednesday, May 13.

Chandler Kyle Ventress is charged with capital murder in the death of Metthananda Kuruppu, owner of the Pick-N-Shop store on Major Drive. Ventress is being held on a $2 million bond at the Jefferson County jail.

A video surveillance camera captured the images of two men wearing masks over their faces as they entered the convenience store around midnight April 28, pointing a pistol at Kuruppu, who was tallying the day's receipts.

The police-provided portion of the video showed Kuruppu trying to bat

When the school year ends, sunshine and swimsuits come to mind. For children, those months might also mean s’mores and sing-alongs with fellow campers. Summer programs are a great way to increase a child’s social and cognitive skills while the academic year is out. If you’re considering enrolling your child in a summer program, it’s important to learn about the different types of programs available, admission procedures, schedules, and costs.

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To pick the right type of camp,

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

whether it’s overnight or day, ask yourself these questions to narrow down your search: • Do I want my child to learn something or find a place that serves as childcare?

• What are the qualifications of the camp director and staff? Are they adequately screened?

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Camp is an enriching experience for children of all ages and is a great supplement to the academic school year. Best in Class also offers academic summer programs. To learn more, please visit bestinclasseducation.com/programs/summercamp/ For more information about Best in Class services for your student, or about current franchising opportunities, visit www.bestinclasseducation.com or call toll-free at 1.888.683.8108.

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COMMUNITY

May 22, 2015

Nurul Chowdhury’s Body Found in Clear Lake

GALVESTON: Medical examiners have confirmed that a body found last week near Clear Lake is that of a 36-year-old Friendswood man who disappeared during flooding.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences identified the drowning victim as Nurul Alam Chowdhury, an immigrant from Bangladesh.

Flood water from heavy rain swept Chowdhury's Toyota Avalon off the road at Highway 3 and Clear Lake City Boulevard at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 13 and into Horsepen Bayou.

Another driver who was traveling behind Chowdhury and a deputy constable from Precinct 8 rushed to Chowdhury's assistance.

Chowdhury climbed through the sunroof on his sinking car and was standing on the roof when

they reached him, according to an account from Constable Phil Sandlin.

With the deputy constable, a sergeant, holding the good Samaritan, he reached out and grasped Chowdhury's hand. Moments later, Chowdhury's hand slipped from his grasp as the raging flood pushed the car away. Chowdhury, in desperation, leapt into the water and was never seen again alive.

A search for the car and body began the next day. Constables suspected that the man taken by the flood was Chowdhury after the owner of a southeast Houston convenience store in the 4200 block of Shaver came forward. The businessman said that Chowdhury had left the convenience store for home just before 12:30 am Wednesday and was missing from work.

Chowdhury's Toyota was recovered Thursday morning from a deep hole in Horsepen Bayou next to a large culvert that runs under Highway 3, close to where it was swept away.

The victim's body was discovered about 3:45 pm Thursday, May 14 floating in about 7 feet of water in Horsepen Bayou.

A wallet was found on the body, but positive identification was not made until Monday at Institute of Forensic Sciences.

-The Houston Chronicle

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

21

22 May 22, 2015

COMMUNITY

Spring Yoga Retreat by VYASA

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HOUSTON: Houston residents from all walks of life came together to immerse themselves in a fun, relaxing weekend of yoga and ashram living with yoga enthusiasts from across Texas. This was a community of likeminded students and teachers who wished to strengthen their connection with one another and share ideas and obtain information and inspiration from their esteemed Guruji Dr.H. R. Nagendra and beloved teachers Vishwarupa and Smitha. This was the second retreat held by Vyasa Houston allowing Yoga devotees to absorb the ancient teachings of the Yoga masters in the beautiful surroundings at Camp Cho Yeh in Livingston, TX. Historical evidence of Yoga exists in our ancient texts and scriptures like the Vedas and Upanishads from thousands of years ago. Two hundred years ago, the western world came to India and carried away Yoga as physical exercises or Hatha Yoga, because they were only interested in its physical benefits. The World Health Organization defines Health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “.

This definition was adopted in 1948 and has not changed since. Over a century ago, Vivekananda brought this message of Yoga as a holistic science and advocated the benefits of Yoga to the western world. Vivekananda’s goal was to bring “The best of the east - philosophy” with the “best of the west – Science” VYASA (Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana) was founded in Bangalore in 1975. The objectives of VYASA were to examine the efficacy of yoga practices and to develop yoga courses to solve the basic problems of day to day modern life. Dr. Nagendra, Dr. Nagrathna and Prof. Raghuram began this institute which has since evolved into a one of the premier Yoga institutions in India.

Over time SVYASA was established as the academic arm of VYASAoffering training courses in Yoga therapy and Yoga instruction. The institute completed its silver Jubilee in the year 2000. Over the years SVYASA has achieved several milestones, the major one being the deemed University status [since 2002] given by the Government of India and another milestone with the publication of

the International Journal of Yoga.

Dr. H.R. Nagendra (Chancellor of SVYASA) currently serves on the Yoga Advisory Board for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

VYASA in Houston began in 1999 with the assistance of Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Dr. R. Nagarathna, and Mr. N. V. Raghuram of Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (Research Foundation). A number of Houstonians wanted to make the benefits of yoga as taught at VYASA's Bangalore center available to more local residents. In agreement with VYASA-Bangalore, the Houston Center was established and incorporated in 1999 as a non-profit organization. Mr. Ramesh Bhutada, a local businessman, was the founding president and served until 2002.

Dr. Sudha Rajan, a family medicine physician who has been involved since its inception, is now president of the organization. Said Dr. Rajan “ Events such as these serve to provide a concentrated environment where you can get huge doses of learning.

Life will eventually dilute it.”

The retreat centered on the teachings of Yoga Guru Dr. H.R Nagendra combined with the philosophy and theories of ancient Yoga texts. Yogic meditation techniques along with the teachings of the masters were wonderfully elucidated by Dr Nagendra.

The yoga guru is a qualified mechanical engineer who has a PhD from IISc. He worked at NASA for a short period of time and has also served Harvard University as a consultant.

Dr. Nagendra has also penned 35 books on yoga and has presented over 100 research papers on engineering and yoga. He was also honored with the title ‘Yoga Shree” by the legendary BKS Iyengar. He talked about Karma Yoga - the Yoga of Action. It is the path chosen primarily by those of an outgoing nature. It purifies the heart by teaching you to act selflessly, without thought of gain or reward.

By detaching yourself from the fruits of your actions and offering them up to the divine, you learn to sublimate the ego.

One of the highlights of the retreat was the cultural program where current YICC students put together a variety of entertaining dances, songs and a skit that delighted the group assembled there. The beautiful dances

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

by Shalaka Taware and Annapurna and the spiritual singing were ably complemented by the quiz on the life of Swami Vivekananda. The retreat ended with a special graduation ceremony for the Yoga Instructor certificate courses offered by VYASA Houston last year. Students Akash Dhingra, Minal Bhadane, Savitri, Meena Sharma, Bhavana Luthra, Madhukar Adi, Kumar Elangovan and Raju and Ranjan Veludandi proudly held up their certificates as a testament to the disciplined effort required for the program.

The educational sessions presented

by Dr. Manjunath Sharma, scientific director and co-founder of the R&D for SVYASA University, on Yoga and Anti-Aging were very informative and thought provoking. Current research collaborations include trials at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and other leading educational institutions, establishing Yoga as a science with clinical data substantiating the reported health benefits of Yoga.

Recent Research studies at Harvard University have observed measurable changes in emotional processing and memory with meditation. Dr. Kathryn Millbury Asst.Professor in the Dept of Palliative,rehabilitation & Integrative medicine at M.D. Anderson Cancer center spoke on “how Yoga and mindfulness can improve interpersonal communication.”

VYASA serves as a leader in making advances in Yogic Science's and the dedicated efforts of director Vishwarupa along with the assistant director Smitha Malliah in Houston are a testament to that. Both of them agree that “The goal of VYASA-Houston is to promote health, happiness and peace in the community through various programs like Yoga for positive health, yoga therapy for specific aliments and yoga in education for youngsters etc.” Yoga at this center is offered as a service to promote general health and classes and therapeutic sessions at the Keshav Smriti and India House are ongoing. Houston needs more of these Yoga retreats so that people can get away from work related stress disorders to replenish and renew their resources and learn to live as nature meant them to.

To learn more about Yoga as a Science contact Vishwarupa or Smitha at vyasahouston@gmail.com

May 22, 2015

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Mitthi Seviyaan (Sweet Vermicelli) This dessert is a variation of the seviyaan kheer and is also especially made at Hindu, Sikh and Muslim festivals, just as many other dishes that are associated with the Punjab. It is a fast, easy and tasty desert to make, and considerably less calories than the kheer which uses richer ingredients.

These seviyaan are made from the small grain vermicelli, about the size of large grains of rice. The way these were made in the old days is an art by itself. I remember when my mother (everyone affectionately called her biji) would sit around with other women, gossiping while making the dough out of maida (white enriched flour). They would then make a small roll and pencil it out between their fingers; the small pieces would fall out at the end and dry quickly. Often you would see ladies sitting together making these seviyaan grains or peeling dried cantaloupe seeds!

These days you can buy the cheaper readymade variety sold in supermarkets, but some small family-run stores still sell the handmade ones which are slightly thicker and coarse, but are much softer when cooked. Some people take shortcuts and break regular longstring vermicelli into small pieces.

Mitthi seviyaan is not as popular as the kheer variety, but in North India it is a made in many homes as a quick, inexpensive and fast dessert which is really appreciated because it is so tasty.

Ingredients: 1 cup seviyaan (handmade variety) or use broken vermicelli pieces 1 cup garam pani (warm water) ¼ cup chinni (sugar) 1 tbsp tael (vegetable or olive oil) – you can also use salt free butter ¼ tsp ilachi powder (cardamom powder) ¼ tsp kesar (saffron) – if desired or you can omit it too Dry fruits to your taste: kishmish (raisins); bad am (almonds – peeled and slivered); piste (pistachios – halved or pieces) seed)

Directions: 1. Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then throw in the seviyaan. Stir till they are golden brown.

2. Add the warm water and bring the mixture to a boil. Throw in the saffron for taste.

3. Add the sugar, mix gently with a spatula, then cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.

4. Check to see if there is no more water, then turn the heat off and let it stand to cool down.

5. When the seviyaan are cool, then stir and separate with a fork for best taste.

6. Now add the dry fruits and stir in. Sprinkle the cardamom powder on top before serving.

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

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK DON’T USE BAKING SODA TO COOK CHOLE

One of the most common beans cooked in India are chole (chickpeas or garbanzos). There are three very popular ways to cook them: with a yellow curry; with a brown thick gravy to eat with bathure or kulche (fried breads) or dry with a tangy coating, to be eaten with small thin rotis. The yellow curry chole are the most commonly made and served in may mandirs and gurdwaras after religious services.

But the trick is to cook the chole so that they come out soft.

Most people take the easy way out and bring the chole to a boil in the pressure cooker. But those who don’t have one will often cook them in a large pot and throw in some baking soda to hurry the process of softening the beans. I do not recommend this as the baking soda will leave an after taste. It is better to soak the chole overnight and then letting them boil in the pot as they will take less time to become soft and have no after taste.

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ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review: Bombay Velvet

BY ROHIT VATS Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet begins with a mention of Martin Scorsese’s name and bears an imprint of the maverick filmmaker’s style in most of its 150 minute length. An impressionable Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor) watches a James Cagney (The Public Enemy, Angels With Dirty faces) film and decides to become a ‘big shot’ in life. He eventually becomes one, but the cost he pays for it is almost similar to what the mainstream Hindi film heroes used to pay in the ‘80s. Where is the difference then? In the canvas and the mammoth pre-production.

But before we get into the heart of the matter, let me introduce you to the basic storyline of the film.

Based on Gyan Prakash’s book Mumbai Fables, Bombay Velvet is about those days when a newly independent India was struggling to find its feet. Bombay, due to its strategically positioned dockyard and a number of mills, was fast emerging as the perfect centre for trade and trade unions. Socialists were ruling the state and major policies were conditioned by popular sentiments, but then there were people who knew how to identify the cracks in the system. Soon they started reaping the benefits in the name of urban development and rapid growth rate only helped their case. There begins the actual story of Bombay Velvet.

Small time goons, Balraj and Chimman (a brilliant Satyadeep Misra) are fighting a tough battle against poverty and class difference. Over the years, they have graduated into hardcore criminals, but they still need a patron who can get them admitted into the coveted world of the rich, glamorous and English-speaking scamsters.

Their search ends at Kaizad Khambata (Karan Johar), a real estate baron who also owns an influential newspaper The Torrent.

Khambata is a shrewd capitalist, (at least the film tries to project him like this), who has an enemy in Jimmy Mistry (Manish Choudhary), a fierce but morally ambiguous newspaper editor. The real bone of contention between the two is the growing real estate market of Bombay as both of them want it to be governed as per different ideologies. There is a scene in the film where both Khambata and Mistry abuse each other by calling ‘American tout’ and ‘Russian agent’.

However, the film lacks any commitment to any type of ideology and all efforts on the director’s part to make it sound like an ideological war just looks very forced.

Romi Mehta (Siddhartha Basu) is another player in the game and he operates in tandem with the ruling party and the local political heavyweights.

These are the people who have access to the highly prestigious Cricket Club of India and who bet on horses and their jockeys at Bombay derby. In short, they are the ‘big shots’ of the Bombay gentry.

-HindustanTimes.com

May 22, 2015

Cannes 2015: Sonam Kapoor Stuns Design Frat with Red Carpet Appearance

BY SNIGDHA AHUJA Sonam Kapoor has completed five years at Cannes and has emerged

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There are many healthy roles for free radicals, though. For instance, nitric oxide is a free radical that is used by cells to communicate with other cells. In fact it is necessary for proper nervous system function and blood pressure control.

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more stylish for it. For her appearance at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival, the Bollywood actor looked radiant in blue.

Design fraternity back home in India applauded her confident and understated look. The actor wore a blue gown with a draped bustle

by British fashion house Ralph & Russo, with a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti heels, finishing off with Old Hollywood chocolate hair and a scarlet lip.

The 29-year-old fashionista, who was in her fifth appearance at the prestigious festival as the brand ambassador of L'oreal Paris, styled her hair in soft loose curls for the last evening's red carpet.

Earlier in the day, she wore a powder pink Ulyana Sergeenko’s little below knee-length dress for her shoot for the brand followed by a ruffled sari and sheer laser cut blouse by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla during media interactions.

-HindustanTimes.com

26 May 22, 2015

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Friday, June 10, 5 2011 m 2, 201 ws.co May 2 y a id an-ne Fr c i r e m indoa www.

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STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY

Virat Kohli Looks Set to Become a Rs100 Cr Brand India’s Test cricket captain is striding towards a milestone that has been crossed by only Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni NEW DELHI: He is among the best batsmen in the world, dates a Bollywood A-lister, is articulate and aggressive, and was recently appointed the captain of India’s Test cricket team.

Not surprisingly, Virat Kohli, all of 26, is striding towards the Rs.100 crore club in brand endorsements, a milestone that has been crossed by only two cricketers before him, Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Indeed, in 2014, Kohli’s Rs.30 crore three-year deal with Adidas and Rs.6.5 crore deal with MRF made him the top sportsman in terms of annual earnings per endorsement according to a report by GroupM, a media buying agency and SportzPower,

a sports business news website.

Kohli carried that form into 2015, and recently struck a Rs.5 crore 18-month deal with Audi India.

Prior to Audi, Kohli, a carhead, was the brand ambassador of Japanese automaker ToyotaKirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd. Parked in his garage are a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Range Rover Vogue, an Audi Q7 and now a limited-edition Audi R8 LMX (gifted by the company).

Kohli also appears in ads for Pepsi, Nestlé Munch, Boost and Oakley.

Sports marketers see Kohli as a fitting successor to Tendulkar and Dhoni.

Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer at Kwan Entertainment and Marketing Solutions, says that

cricket always has one dominant brand endorser. It was Tendulkar for about 10-15 years, followed by Dhoni for the last six-seven years, he explained. “Virat has picked up over the last few years. He’s finding his feet... Brands see him as a good alternative for Dhoni and Tendulkar because they are looking for the next big thing,” said Blah.

Dhoni is almost at the end of his career and has retired from Test cricket.

Analysts say Dhoni may retire from shorter formats by the end of this year.

Kohli’s performance is impressive across all formats of the game, said sports commentator Ayaz Memon.

“He is already the (next) big thing that has happened to Indian cricket.

He was remarkable against Australia in the last Test series, scoring almost 700 runs in four Test matches. I would count him among the top three batsmen across all formats in the world,” added Memon.

What’s more, he’s brash, enthusiastic, and aggressive. Kiran Khalap, co-founder, chlorophyll, a brand and communications consultancy, said.

“What’s unique about Virat is he is interesting both as a cricketer and as a human being. For instance, while Sachin was a phenomenon on the field, he was not able to communicate well off the field. And since Kohli is now the captain, that is the route for his brand evolution.”

According to Kohli’s agent, Bunty Sajdeh, chief executive at Corner-

stone Sport and Entertainment, the cricketer works for brands that suit his personality.

“Virat and I discuss and work very closely with the brands that he endorses. He needs to be able to relate to a brand. The commercial aspect, though important, has always been secondary,” he said.

Sajdeh claims Kohli‘s personality appeals to young people. “He does not mince his words ever. This is something the young of today admire and appreciate. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is never afraid to call a spade a spade.”

A PepsiCo spokesperson agrees: “Kohli’s personality strikes a chord with fans.”

Kohli and he aren’t looking for numbers, Sajdeh said, and are very choosy about the brands they work with.

Meanwhile, Kohli, whom his agent describes as very driven and goaloriented, is also quietly building a business empire.

Last week, he announced the launch of sportsconvo.com, an online platform for sports lovers. He already owns fashion label Wrogn.

And there have been media reports that he is considering setting up a chain of gyms.

-livemint.com

Tata Steel Nears UK Plants Sale: Report BYADITI KHANNA LONDON: An American tycoon is reportedly in last-minute talks to seal a takeover of Tata Steel Ltd’s UK steel works amid a supply imbalance facing the global steel industry.

Switzerland-based commodities magnate Gary Klesch is trying to finalize a deal to buy the UK section of Tata’s “long products” unit, The

Sunday Times reported. The unit has about 6,500 staff and steel plants in Scunthorpe, Teesside, Dalzell and Clydebridge in Scotland, and also France and Germany.

The Scunthorpe site in northern England, which is under discussion as part of the agreement is the largest of all. The Tata group last week wrote down the value of the long steels division to zero with a £500 million

provision, paving the way for the sale. It blamed the writedown on the “supply imbalance facing the global steel industry”.

The division has struggled amid stagnant European construction markets. Sources told the newspaper that Tata and Klesch are in talks this weekend to finalize the deal, announced last autumn.

The tycoon set up Klesch Group

in 1990, growing it into a €5 billion empire spanning chemicals, metals and oil. Based in Geneva, it has more than 2,000 staff in about 30 locations.

Klesch was behind the failed buyout of the Milford Haven oil refinery from America’s Murco last year.

He had lined up more than £100 million of state aid to support the deal before its collapse in November. The steel takeover is understood to hinge

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on guarantees to keep sites open for a number of years. Almost 4,000 staff are based at the 150-year-old Scunthorpe site. The UK government is believed to be unwilling to pump funds into the Tata deal but it is believed the Tata group may opt to retain the division should the negotiations collapse.

-livemint.com

28 May 22, 2015

Pollard, Harbhajan Put Mumbai in Third Final

India Beats Japan 3-0

BY ARUN VENUGOPAL MUMBAI (ESPN Cricinfo): Mumbai Indians 187 for 6 (Simmons 65, Pollard 41, Bravo 3-40) beat Chennai Super Kings 162 (du Plessis 45, Malinga 3-23) by 25 runs Mumbai Indians dished out the perfect formulaic fare - win toss, score enough runs and throttle the opponent in the field - to subdue Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs and march into the final.

After Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard took Mumbai’s score to 187, they shadowed Super Kings throughout their chase, never allowing them to get on top. Harbhajan Singh’s dismissals of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni off consecutive deliveries in the 11th over helped Mumbai make the decisive surge.

Apart from Faf du Plessis, who consolidated afLasith Malinga removed Dwayne Smith in the first over, Mumbai Indians v ter an early wicket, and R Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2015, Qualifier 1, Mumbai, May 19, 2015.

Ashwin, who dealt a few powerful blows towards hits, but with no recognised bats- Bravo sent back Parthiv, the incithe end, Super Kings’ batting, as man at the other end there was too dence of wickets appeared to be a Dhoni later put it, was soft. It was much for him to do. Super Kings little more frequent, but it didn’t only a matter of time before Mum- folded up two balls after his dis- have a palpable impact on the bai clinched their eighth win in missal in the 19th over. scoring-rate: they scored 49 runs nine games.

Even though Mumbai didn’t go from the 10th to 15th overs, and After a decent start, Super Kings berserk from the beginning, open- managed 52 in their last five. found themselves in the rather un- ers Simmons and Parthiv Patel Pollard played an influential role familiar territory of a middle-order didn’t panic after a slow start. in this respect, slamming a 17-ball collapse, and more disturbingly After negotiating tidy opening 41 with five sixes and a four. He for them they didn’t have the right spells from Ashwin, who opened largely favoured the leg side, beresponse. The very next ball after the bowling for the second time sides going straight every once in Raina pushed one straight back at this year, and Ashish Nehra, Sim- a while. That he kept going despite Harbhajan, Dhoni , attempting a mons blasted a brace of sixes off wickets falling at the other end sweep, was caught plumb in front. Ashwin to shrug off the inertia. hurt Super Kings, whose fielding But the lbw that caused much angst While he played out 25 dot balls, was uncharacteristically patchy. It to Super Kings was that of Dwayne he compensated with five sixes rubbed on to their bowling towards Smith, ruled out by Richard Illing- and three fours during the course the end: Bravo bowled three wides worth when a Lasith Malinga low of his 51-ball 65. Simmons looked in the last over, which cost him 16 full toss in the first over struck him to be hurling everything he had at runs. well outside leg stump. the ball, and besides hacking the Super Kings were on exactly But du Plessis, who was later ball down the ground, his fast the same score - 86 - as their opdropped on 14 by Malinga, re- hands came in handy while guid- ponents at the halfway mark, havmained Super Kings’ banker. How- ing the ball late. ing lost two wickets to Mumbai’s ever, his dismissal in the 14th over, Parthiv joined in with his clear- none. But the loss of four wickets which was followed by Parthiv the-front-leg-and-swipe approach in the next five overs saw them Patel’s sharp run-out of Dwayne soon after, and together they com- slide irreversibly.

Bravo, quelled any late uprising. pleted their fourth 50-plus partArun Venugopal is a senior subAshwin belted out some elegant nership of the tournament. After editor at ESPNcricinfo

BHUBANESWAR:Akashdeep Singh struck twice as India completed a dominating 4-0 win over Japan in the last and fourth match to clinch the hockey Test series 3-0 on Saturday.

Apart from Akashdeep, VR RaghunathandDharamvirSinghscored India even as no goal was scored in the first quarter of the game.

Halfway into the first quarter, Japan had a real chance as Daichi Kurogawa passed the ball to Ippei Fujimoto in the D, put the later missed the target and losing out on the opportunity score the initial goal.

Seconds left into the game Yuvraj Walmiki slapped the ball into the D to SV Sunil but unfortunately for India Sunil could not connect and lost the opportunity, result-

Indian Fems Beat USA

CHENGDU (China): After missing out on several opportunities, the Indian women finally scored the much awaited victory, disposing off United States 3-1 in the fifth round of World women teams chess championship here on Thursday.

Grandmaster Koneru Humpy showed the way as the ladies got in their groove and Soumya Swaminathan also scored a hard-earned victory on the fourth board to complete the triumph.

Humpy defeated Tatev Abrahamyan on top board while Soumya got the better of Alisa Melekhina on the fourth.

On the second board D Harika was surprisingly held to a draw

by Katerina Nemcova while on the third Padmini Rout salvaged a half point after struggling against Sabina Foisor.

India May Get 4 Seeds HYDERABAD: Indian badminton will hit another high at the Rio Olympic Games next year. The shuttle sport, which is growing rapidly in the country due to the tireless contribution of coach Pullela Gopichand and the sensational performances of Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, PV Sindhu and Parupalli Kashyap, is set to get a bigger representation from India at the Olympics.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

If there are no major shakeups in the world rankings, Indians look good to win more quota places at the quadrennial event. Ever since badminton made its debut in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, India has had only one representation each in the five categories - men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. But by the virtue of their stupendous performances, Indians are likely to have two players each in the men’s and women’s singles in Rio. As per the Olympic qualification rules, each country can have two players in the singles draw if their ranking is below No.16. A nation could even get three players in the draw if they are in the top four. As things stand now, both Saina and Sindhu can make it to the women’s singles. Saina is now world No.2 and despite skipping several tournaments due to leg injury, Sindhu is ranked No. 11. The lanky shuttler, who is looking impressive after the injury lay-off, is expected to stay in the top-10.

Indian Gets Bronze

Olympic 400m champion Kirani James stormed to victory at the Shanghai Diamond League on Sunday, but Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was a disappointing fifth in the 100m before her world title defence.

There was joy for India in the meet from Vikas Gowda, who won discus bronze medal in the second leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League.

The 31-year-old Gowda hurled the discus to a distance of 63.90m, which he achieved in his fifth and penultimate attempt, to finish third behind 2013 World Championships silver medallist Piotr Malachowski (64.65m) of Poland and Robert Urbanek (64.47m), also of Poland.

National record holder Gowda, the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Asian Games silver medal winner, will pocket $4000 for the third-place finish, besides earning one Diamond League point.

The United States-based Indian has a season’s best of 65.75m, which he achieved at La Jolla in California last month, while his national record stands at 66.28m.

May 22, 2015

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