E newspaper08222014

Friday, August 22 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 34

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Indo American erican News

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

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Pageantry of India

Partnered & Syndicated with Times of India, Sulekha.com, Google, Yahoo & Bing

Houston Vich Mika Singh P5

Mika Singh with Rehan Siddiqi of Hum Tum Shows.

Janmashtami at ISKCON

P30

P6

Puzzles/Recipe

P3, 14 & 15

From left, ICC Trustee Swapan Dhairyawan who himself recieved a Lifetime Community Award and Event Chair Rajiv Bhavsar, with Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish (in suit, center) with the students who received achievement awards at the IFest held last Saturday.

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August 22, 2014

SERVICE

YEARS OF

2

15TH ANNUAL IACCGH GALA & AWARDS BANQUET KEYNOTE SPEAKER

US Senator John Cornyn WHEN WHERE

For tickets and sponsorship information please contact:

INDO-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF GREATER HOUSTON

Visit us at iaccgh.com for a list of all upcoming events or to buy tickets.

Saturday, September 27 at 6:00 pm Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar St., Houston, TX 77010

SANJAY RAMABHADRAN

JAGDIP AHLUWALIA

President mail@sanjay-ram.com

Executive Director jagdip@iaccgh.com

COMING UP 2ND IACCGH DISTINGUISHED LECTURE

YEAR IN REVIEW

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Nandita Berry, Texas Secretary of State WHEN WHERE

Thursday, August 28,2014 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm The HESS Club, 5430 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77056

Event free for members who RSVP by August 25 to jagdip@iaccgh.com.

Non-members $50 by check to IACCGH. Call 832.746.8372 for details.

SPONSOR

YEAR IN REVIEW

MEDIA SPONSOR

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 8—Felicitation of Dr. Durga Agrawal on his appointment to the Board of Regents at 2014 Inaugural IACCGH Networking Reception

JUNE 3—Power Dialogue with Congressman Ted Poe

FEBRUARY 3—Reception for the Ambassador of India to the United States, His Excellency Dr. S. Jaishankar

JUNE 18—Mapping Your Future

by Dean Latha Ramchand

FEBRUARY 22—American Tax Laws Seminar

JUNE 19—“How to Get SBA Guaranteed Loans” Speaker: Manuel Gonzalez, District Director, SBA, at Wallis State Bank

MARCH 5— IACCGH Distinguished Lecture — Keynote Speaker: Dr. Renu Khator

JULY 8—Power Breakfast with Commissioner Jeff Moseley, Texas Transportation Commissioner

MARCH 27—Seminar on Alternative Investments

JULY 9— IACCGH Women Mean Business “The Business of Caring: Healthcare Today” Speakers: (Left) Sonal Bhuchar, Former President— Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees; (Right) Malisha Patel, COO—Memorial Hermann, Sugar Land

MAY 22—Long Term Care 101 & Investment Workshop

JULY 9—“Life Flight” Demo at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

3 August 22, 2014 COMMUNITY Crowds Come for Pageantry of Culture, History and a Remarkable Performer

Photos: Raghu Thakkar

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: That the event started in mid afternoon instead of the morning as it has done in previous years was the first welcome change for participants and the public as well, giving everyone ample time to get their Saturday morning chores done and get things in order. “We have realized over the past four years,” said Charlie Patel, “that the crowds have always been light in the

morning hours.”

The other changes to the India Culture Center’s 68th Indian Independence Day festival tagged “Colors of Freedom” became apparent with the onstage performances that really brought in the colors of Indian history and culture. In the eight hour long program which started at 2 pm and went on through 10 pm, the organizers took full advantage of the stage with the catwalk and the brilliant 72 inch LED monitor in the back that flashed ads, graph-

ics, videos and pictures to mark a new direction that the ICC wants their two premiere events of the year to go towards, the other being the annual Indian Republic Day program held usually at the same venue, the Stafford Civic Center on Cash Road.

This year’s program, held on Saturday, August 16 on the day that also marks Janamashtami, was a turnaround moment as ICC’s two events have been seeing dwindling public attendance in the past

four years, especially the one that was held in the Bayou City Event Center last year (see IAN dated January 26, 2013). “So we decided on making a few changes from the traditional approach,” said Patel who is the current ICC President and his whole Board jumped on the concepts. This year, in contrast, an estimated 7 to 8 thousand people visited the festival throughout the day. Apart from the extensive stage performances, almost 52 booths highlighted the community businesses and organizations, including 3 food booths.

There was an abbreviated parade, walked through the air-conditioned lobby area with many of the community leaders and organization members and Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella at the front, headed by a flag honor guard. The Indian National Anthem was sung by 19 kids and their parents from the Indian community in King-

wood. The US National Anthem was presented by Chloe Chaudhury, a 6th grader talented FBISD student.

There were short speeches by Scarcella, other elected officials like Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who presented a Congressional proclamation; a message from Congressman Al Green read by his community liaison Sam Merchant; and remarks by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Other local officials included Sugar Land Councilmen Harish Jajoo and Himesh Gandhi, HCC Trustee Neeta Sane; Stafford City Councilman Ken Mathew, Fort Bend

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For photo collage, see page 14-15

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August 22, 2014

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

August 22, 2014

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Mika’s Tunes and Sunny’s Moves Turn Houstonians On

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: This was the third city on Mika Singh and Sunny Leone’s US tour and judging from the huge fan base that Singh has here, it was obvious why the city had to be included in the tour.

Mika Singh is a singer, composer, performer and songwriter with a wide catalog of songs, the most popular being “Singh Is King” (Singh Is King), “Mauja Hi Mauja” (Jab We Met), “Ibn-e-Batuta” (Ishqiya), “Dhanno” (Houseful), “Dhinka Chika” (Ready), “Desi Beat” (Body Guard), “Subah Hone Na De” (Desi Boys), “Pungi” (Agent Vinod), “Ganpat” (Shootout at Lokhandwala), Gabru (album), “Chinta Ta Ta Chita Chita” (Rowdy Rathore), “Main tere agal bagal hun” (Phata Poster Nikla Hero) and Sawan Mein Lag Haye Aag (album), Gandi baat (R…Rajkumar) and his latest “Jumme Ki Raat” from Kick, to name a few. Accompanying him was Sunny Leone, an American model and now a Bollywood actress. She rose to fame in India with her appearance in the TV show Big Boss, where she was approached by Bollywood film-maker Mahesh Bhatt who entered the house briefly to offer her the lead role in Jism 2.

She then went on to sign her next movie Ragini MMS-2, which features the famous song “Baby Doll”.

The duo and their contingent of artists arrived in Houston after performing in Washington, DC and Chicago, celebrating India’s Independence Day on Friday August 15 at the NRG Arena (formerly the Reliant Arena) in an event organized by Rehan Siddiqi of Hum Tum Shows. In the past Siddiqi has brought many big name performers to Houston like Adnan Sami, Ra-

hat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Atif Aslam all of which have had huge turnouts. Like those previous shows, this show was also fully packed, and the audience danced non-stop during the performance.

The performers arrived in Houston on Tuesday, August 12, to prepare well in advance for the show.

On Thursday, August 14, a special meet and greet was organized at the newly opened Chowpatty Chat on Hillcroft at 7 pm. The mostly young crowd flocked to the venue to meet Mika Singh and interact with him while enjoying delicious chat, the trademark of restaurant owner, Nirman Shah. Mika arrived on time and he signed autographs and patiently met with and took pictures with most of his fans.

The following day, the day of the concert, avid fans of Mika Singh’s jammed the NRG Arena,

Crowd gathered to meet Mika Singh outside the newly opened Chowpatty Chat Hillcroft.

eagerly waiting on the edge of their seats for him to appear. His warm up artists Romy Khan, Raman Kapoor and the very young and talented Houstonian resident Chloe Choudhury, kept the crowd entertained with wonderful per-

Mika Singh with his crewmembers before the Houston performance.

formances.

When Mika appeared onstage he absolutely set it on fire with his commanding voice and powerful stage presence. He sang his new hits, which enticed the crowd out of their seats, making the aisle way their dance floor. Mika showed off both his vocal and drumming skills when he played the drums on his popular song “Dil mein baji guitar”. He also paid tribute to Kishore Kumar by singing “yeh shaam masatani” and “jitney bhi to karle sitam”, to which the audience waved their smartphone flashlights, giving an appearance of a sea of lights.

It was a concert for the young and the young at heart. Mika was unpretentious as he willingly accepted his fans requests. His showed inexhaustible stamina even as he kept pace with the ravishing Sunny Leone, the latest Bollywood heartthrob, who heated up the stage with her sexy moves and killer looks.

After the intermission Rehan Siddiqi came onstage to bring out the other organizers, thank and

Mika Singh with Sunny Leone

acknowledge all the sponsors and media partners. Mika especially said that he was very happy by the response from the enthusiastic Houston audience. He showed his appreciation to Siddiqi by inviting him on stage and thanking him for organizing the show.

Mika went on to sing more songs while the audience danced nonstop till the wee hours of the morning and kept asking for more. He ended the night appropriately with

the Indian national anthem, which filled everyone with positive energy as they left.

For upcoming shows contact Rehan Siddiqi at 713-545-4115 or visit Hum Tums Shows at www. humtumradio.com (Article contribution: Seema Gupta)

For photo collage, see page 4

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, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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August 22, 2014

COMMUNITY

Lord Krishna - Janmashtami at ISKCON of Houston

Front Courtyard, ISKCON of Houston.

HOUSTON: ISKCON of Houston celebrated the most anticipated festival of the year, the appearance of Lord Krishna, also referred to as Krishna Janmashtami on Sunday, August 17.

An estimated 8,000 visitors attended this event at the recently completed state of the art spiritual center in Houston.

An ancient tradition to commemorate the divine appearance of Lord Krishna, whom the Vedic literatures profess to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ISKCON of Houston has been observing this festival for over 35 years to date and the newly constructed spectacular “blue palace” attracted thousands of visitors throughout the day. A multitude of flower garlands, made of fresh marigolds and roses heightened the charm of the sparkling marble decor of the temple room. Iskcon is renowned for high standards in deity worship and this year’s Janmashtami in Houston was no exception. The temple is home to the beautiful deities of Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava. On either side of the Divine couple are Gaura Nitai and Giriraj with recently installed Sri Radha Giridhari. The altar looked magnificent with rich colors of the Deities’ outfits and hand-made ornaments. Fruits like pomegranates and watermelons were artistically sculptured and presented on the altar to add to the vibrancy.

Lord Krishna chose to appear on earth in Mathura as an extraordinary child to King Vasudev and Mother Devaki in the confines of a prison cell, even though His form is unlimited and He is one without a beginning, anadi.

He explains the reason for his appear-

ance in His own words in the Bhagavad Gita (verse 8.4) - “In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium”.

Festivities at the temple began early at 4:30 AM in the morning to greet the Deities on this occasion. This was followed by chanting session, which is deep reflective meditation on Lord’s names. A discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam completed the morning program.

The evening celebrations saw thousands of Houstonians streaming in to offer their heartfelt devotion and to attend kirtan, a form of call and response chanting of the Holy names of the Lord.

As a main attraction to the festivities this year, ISKCON of Houston hosted internationally renowned musicians. Pandit Suman Ghosh, an esteemed disciple of Pandit Jasraj performed masterfully with classical devotional melodies to a captive audience.

Accomplished tabla maestro Pandit Shantilal Shah accompanied him. His soulful rendition of Govinda Damodara Madhaveti set the mood for the evening and soul bhajans by well-known vocalist Saci Devi (also known as Shashika Mooruth in Bollywood) further saturated the evening’s divine atmosphere.

Sacidevi captured everyone’s hearts with the texture of her voice and great selections of bhajans and Krishna kirtan.

Honorary Consul General P. Harish graced the occasion with his wife as the chief guests and enjoyed the devotional concert. He spoke eloquently in praise of the transcendence one could experience at the ISKCON of Houston and the positive experience the temple offers.

The temple grounds offered devotees the opportunity to perform abhishek, a sacred ceremonial bathing of the deity form of Gopal. Jhulan ceremony was also a chance for

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August 22, 2014

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COMMUNITY

August 22, 2014

“Welcome to America” Introduced to the American Audience

BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: Believe it or not, director U. S. Raju picked Houston to release the trailer for his upcoming Telugu movie, Welcome to America, although most of the production crew is from Kansas and Hollywood.

This is the first time that any trailer release party for a Telugu movie was organized in the US. Thanks to Houstonian Telugu cine star Mahesh Sriram, who took initiative and made this event possible at Indian restaurant Mayuri, Sunday August 17 evening. It was attended by several of the movie cast and crewmembers from Kansas and Houston movie buffs. Welcome To America is an upcoming Telugu flick starring Prudhvi Chandra Priyanka, Deepika Parmar, Kimberly Igla, Mahesh Sriram, Nagineedu, Devisri, Jhansi, Prakash Kutti, Sridhar konda kalla, Bhavini Uppalapu, Mano G, Jithendra Chelasani, Caroline Brohemer.

On talking to the down to earth, humble

Mahesh Sriram

shot in over 60 locations covering six states in the USA. After appetizers and drinks and a couple of Telugu songs by local artistes, the poster, trailer and teaser releases were presented by different members of the production crew.

The panel was introduced and chief guest, Houstonian businessman and proponent

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The cast and crewmembers with friends at the trailor launch of the upcoming Telugu movie, Welcome to America.

Photos: Damodhara Reddy and CH Jethen (CJ)

U. S. Raju, one learned that being an IT professional was not fulfilling his artistic goals.

The latent, passionate urge to make movies was eating away at him. Already having written scripts for movies for 10 years, the graduation into making movies was automatic. After making movies in several different languages, U. S. embarked on his first commercial venture in his mother tongue in this movie and put his team together from all over the USA and India.

The hero of the movie is a common man in India, who ends up in the USA and through his sheer raw musical talent makes it big in the US disclaiming the typical Indian belief that one has to be a doctor or an engineer to be successful in life – says director U.S. The hero, Prudhvi Chandra actually in real life is a popular singer as well, and provides the music and sings his own songs in the movie.

The cast is supported by 3 heroines, Dipika Parmar (California), Priyanka (India), and Kimberley Igla (Kansas). The movie was

Jitendra Reddy lauded the film makers for their efforts in making mainstream Indian language movies in the US since they have a huge market here. Co producers Durga Prasad (NATA Regional Vice President) and Manu shared the same opinion that since the

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COMMUNITY

August 22, 2014

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Flags Fly at India House for India’s 68th Independence Day

Organizers and guests at the 68th Independence Day celebrations at India House

message for the occasion.

As the program came to a close, Malani called out the popular Indian rousing slogans “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” which all present enthusiastically responded to. The program ended with refreshments and sweets from Udipi Restaurant.

Earlier in the morning, the traditional Indian flag hoisting was held at the Indian Consul General’s house, which drew an estimated 300 people, far in excess of what is usually expected. The The Flag hoisting ceremony

BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: India’s 68th Independence Day was celebrated in an impressive ceremony on the grounds of India House on Friday, August 15 at 11 am. A large crowd attended the ceremony, which not only included Indo-Americans, but also people from diverse cultures.

Independence Day is a day when Indian people pay homage to their leaders and those who fought for India’s freedom. Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs are held in state capitals in India and often involve schools and organizations. Continuing the tradition, the US, Indian and Texas flags were hoisted outside the front entrance of India House. Dr. Virendra Mathur, Trustee, India House, did the honors of hoisting the American flag, Jugal Malani,

Consul General, Parvathaneni Harish and his wife greeted the crowd and Harish read from the Prime Minister’s speech both in Hindi and in English. Students from a local classical dance school performed in the outdoor courtyard in front of the Indian flag.

For further information about India House and their upcoming activities visit www.indiahouseinc.org

Jugal Malani, President, India House

President, India House hoisting the Indian flag, while the Texas flag was hoisted by Dr. Mathur’s wife, Nalini. Eriel Gorrell, an after-school program student at India House, sang the American national anthem beautifully after which the Indians present joined in to sing India’s national anthem.

Later the people moved into the banquet hall, where Malani thanked everyone for their presence and delivered an upbeat speech that referred to first speech of India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi which had been delivered to the nation on August 15 from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi and Malani went on to read Modi’s message. A representative from Senator John Cornyn’s office, Rachel David, Deputy Regional Director-Southeast Texas, read out the Senator’s

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COMMUNITY

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August 22, 2014

Crowds Come for Pageantry of Culture, History and a Remarkable Performer

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ISD Trustee K P George and Ft Bend County District Attorney John Healey. The keynote message was delivered by the Indian Consul General Partvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita lit the traditional lamp to start the program.

The program gathered steam with emcees Abha Shah and Pooja Patel and a welcome address by Event Chair and former ICC President Rajiv Bhavsar, followed by remarks by Charlie Patel. An awards ceremony for Outstanding Students from were given to five high school graduates: Perry Alagappan, Akhil Ganti, Alay Shah, Saiesh Kalva

and Lekha Yesantharao and to three college graduates: Manasi Joshi, Archana Bhat and Nishitha Sharma.

Jasmeeta Singh coordinated and directed the cultural segment which included performances by the TYAGI group, Nritya Hari, Swarasudha, Kathak Nritya Kala Kendra, Sunanda Performing Arts Center, Infused Performing Arts, Katy Kungfu Center, Bollywood Shake, Shingari School of Rhythm, Telugu Christian community and the Punjabi Houston group.

The patriotic item presented by the International Hindi Association (IHA) group was conceptualized by Dr. Upadhyaya and choreographed by Jasmeeta, in which India’s leaders and freedom fighters were portrayed in their period clothes on stage by ICC Board members. The audience watched in awe as Maharana Pratap, Rani Padmini, Rani Laxmibai, Shivaji Raja, Sardar Patel, Sarojini Naidu, Gandhiji, Dadabhai Naoroji, Sir Allen Hume, Lal Bahadur Shastri sang around a cutout of Bharat Mata and new PM Narendra Modi came in at the finale.

Jasmeeta coordinated the fashion show around the same patriotic theme in which eight couples wore glamorous outfits from Sari Sapne, with jewelry from Highness Collection and groomed by Apsara Beauty Salon. The finale

brought all the fashion show dance group participants together for a bow to dance music.

Winners of the Little Champs singing contest were presented with the 5 to 9 group of Lasya Dhulipala, Sraavani Poluri, Aakruthi Srikanth, Alakananda Nuthalapati and Arunima Para and in the 10 to 13 group Shruthi Srivathson and Akaash Srikanth. The winners in instrumentals were Ramya and Kavin Elangovan and the ICC Performer Award went to Karthik Kommineni for his stage presence and Bollywood style.

A special Outstanding Community Service Award was presented to ICC Chief Trustee Swapan Dhairyawan “for relentless service to ICC and Indo American community in Greater Houston” by Col. Raj Bhalla who remarked that “I do not know how and from where this individual gets so much energy to do so much for ICC and the community. He is an incredible person and ICC is proud in honoring Swapan for his accomplishments” The program concluded with patriotic songs of yesteryear by Mumbai Masti, a group from India with the team of KK, Sankit, Alka and

Sunny starting at 7:15pm and continuing non-stop till almost 10 pm with the audience staying glued to their seats. Dance India Dance fame star Kamlesh, in Houston from India, brought the house down with a thrilling performance with his legs tucked behind his head, dancing on his hands and with a thali gripped between his teeth.

His motivational speech how a person without the use of limbs can become a winner of the top Indian dance contest brought tears to all and left a lingering impression as the left the show.

For photo collage, see page 14-15 INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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12 August 22, 2014 COMMUNITY A Unique Way to Keep Employees Fit and Happy

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: A home grown Indian company took the oft quoted phrase “the employees that work together, stick together” to a higher plane this past week by adding “who stay fit together, are happy together” to it through a change that delighted the surprised employees who had no idea of the new facility until it was opened.

“We wanted to build something on-site to promote physical fitness, camaraderie and teamwork in the office,” said Pankaj Malani, Vice President of Operations at the

Unique Group of Companies after the ribbon cutting for the opening of the brand outdoor court that can be converted for use to play basketball, volleyball, mini-tennis, soccer, badminton or floor hockey.

“Many of our warehouse guys play soccer at lunchtime so now this gives them a better area to play,” added Malani who is a big sports enthusiast himself. “Many of our office staff is into sports and we found this court area will mix people from different departments in teams and help build better relationships and communication in the office.”

Unique Industrial Products, the core com-

Pankaj Malani (with ball) joined employees in a quick game of basketball.

On opening day, from left, Pankaj Malani, Pradeep Gupta and Jugal Malani cut the ribbon on the fenced in court.

The outdoor court can easily be converted to play volleyball too

pany in the group, was founded in 1997 by Jugal Malani (Pankaj’s father) and Pradeep Gupta and has rapidly made it’s mark as wholesalers of hydronics or plumbing and heating equipment and supplies. It is located in a large building with attached warehouses off Diary Ashford just south of West Bellfort in Sugar Land and employs 150 people.

So it seemed like a natural fit to use the space between the buildings for a fenced in outdoor court to allow people to work off their stress and get some exercise too. The interconnecting blue plastic floor tiles are made by Snapsports and the court was installed by Athletic Design Group, with two basketball posts on either side. On opening day, the court was crowded with employees

playing a quick game of pick-up basketball – with Pankaj playing on one team.

The company has plans to convert a 3,000 sf space inside the building into a recreational and fitness area for ping pong, yoga classes and gym equipment. “Many office jobs engender a sedentary lifestyle,” said Pankaj of the plans, “We want people to be active, healthy and energetic and hope this helps by providing a good release of stress and to reenergize the body.”

There are future plans to add lights, a scoreboard and a cover to the outdoor courts and maybe even add a trailer with a locker room. The company intends to open the facility up to charities looking for a place to host tournaments and other events.

Keywords: Indo American News Like Us! INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY Shunya’s “Jungle Book”

BY NEETA PATWARDHAN HOUSTON: As human conflict rages globally, Shunya’s musical - The Jungle Book comes at an apt time. Based on a stage adaption of the original work, the play examines a search for our identity as well as how perceived differences prevent peaceful co-existence.

While such subject matter is the bane of political think-tanks, The Jungle Book delivers its message in a most unusual manner, through Mowgli, a human raised by wolves.

Mowgli neither fits in the jungle nor is welcome in the man village. His dilemma parallels our own, as immigrants trying to balance two seemingly different cultures. Mowgli’s intense predicament is painted across the stage in bold strokes by fifteen year old Nishant Kelkar who takes us playfully into the center of the drama. Our hearts reach out to him as he figures out where he belongs.

Getting into the skin of an animal is no easy task.

Conveying its personality through human actions requires imagination. Jeff Dorman as Tabaqui brings the sinister jackal to life through movements that leave no dimension unturned. Inder Sandhu takes us into the mind of Mowgli’s protector Bageera, displaying nuances of a black panther’s behavior effortlessly. Anthony Hunter’s regal stride brings

the invincible Sher Khan to life while his roar reverberates throughout. Alex Ozburn makes a brave Akela, leader of the wolves and surprises everyone with realistic acro-

August 22, 2014

batics during attacks. Through her expressions, Tejal Master displays the fierce protectiveness of a mother in her roles as both Raksha and Messua.

Sunny Sinha’s endearing portrayal of the lovable Baloo brings heartwarming smiles as we journey along with the story’s most lovable character through his dances and unconditional love for Mowgli. Sara Kumar, Ka, has young viewers on tethers as the serpent slides across the stage yearning for something to swallow.

Medhavi Patwardhan draws us elegantly into the emotions of a villager at once frightened but also joyful.

Dressed as colorful clowns, young talent, Avi Vir, Meghna Saha, Avilash Bhongir and Bani Sandhu inject playful personalities to bear on the mischievous monkey pack.

A wolf pack with flair, adolescents, Alani Forouzan, Sanjana Bheri, Divya Shashital and Maiti Misra bring defiant energy to their roles.

Instead of parading common Halloween outfits, the animals appear in Kanchan Kabad’s fresh take on costumes, that reflect the character’s personality aptly.

Live music by Gauri Potdar, Neil Potdar and Sachin Shah forms a delightful backdrop, blending notes of fear and intensity into the sounds of the jungle.

Co-directors Sunny Sinha and Sara Kumar have put together a production that weaves several magical threads into a show that leaves its audience contemplating universal themes of fear, conflict resolution and commonality, long after viewers have left the theater.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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14 August 22, 2014

“Congratulations to ICC on a successful event ” From: Raj & Jugal Malani , Unique Industrial Products

The Colorful Events and Ven

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August 22, 2014

“Congratulations to ICC for a great Independence Day Program” From: ICC Chief Trustee Swapan Dhairyawan

15 15

“A Successful Event, Thanks to the entire ICC Team and our Wonderful Sponsors” From: ICC President Charlie Patel

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16 August 22, 2014

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Lord Krishna - Janmashtami at ISKCON of Houston CONTINUED FROM PAGE

06

guests to meditate on the Lord’s form as a child, as they gently rocked baby Krishna in a cradle decorated with fragrant flowers.

Devotees from all over the world tuned in and watched the celebrations online.

The temple provides live video and audio streaming to you, no matter where you are.

In his talk on the Bhagavad Gita, the temple president Shyam Sundar Das discussed the power of the Holy names and emphasized the importance of taking shelter in Krishna. The show stealer, as with every Janmashtami was the midnight kirtan and arati. The congregational chanting build up in the evening towards the one moment at midnight when the gathering of hundreds greet their beloved Lordships with ardent devotion as Dwarakanath Das shook the walls with “Nand Gher Anand Bhayo”.

Krishna Janmashtami Mahotsav ki Jai! Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day festival is scheduled for September 2, 2014.

The program will start at 7 PM. ISKCON of Houston is located at 1320 West 34th St, Houston. Connect and follow Iskcon of Houston via social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr. Check their YouTube page to watch a few videos, which will be posted soon.

ISKCON of Houston invites you to join them every Sunday at 5:30 PM for the Sunday Feast program.

For further details and to see the live streams visit www.iskconhouston.org.

Jhulan Ceremony

Temple Hall

“Welcome to America”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

8

opportunity and talent is available locally, more such ventures will materialize and it is possible to make our own film industry here.

Muralidhar Bhat, the editor of the movie touched on how the idea of the movie generated and that it is possible to create a great movie if it has a strong storyline.

Mahesh, the local favorite explained what drew him to act in this the movie was the touching role that was offered. The shot inside the State Capital building, sitting on the Governor’s chair was a hair raising experience for him along with many others. He appreciated the fact that the movie was done in exactly 40 days as scheduled. Kimberley enjoyed every moment while filming and Caroline Brohemer (actress in the movie) said that one gets a flavor of living in America through the movie and she enjoyed every bit of being a part of the movie.

U. S. stressed on the fact that he did not make the movie to make money. The only thing he is looking for is people’s satisfaction. He mentioned that the movie was all about teamwork. He thanked the financiers and friends Larry Patel, Manu G, Jitendra Chalasani, choreagrapher Ramanaji Boded, line producer Jayson Johnson and last but not the least cinematographer Ravi Vuppalapu.

The crowd lined up to take pictures with the stars. All are looking forward to the general release of this family entertainer, which is showing every potential of becoming a huge box office success. Houstonians can take pride in the fact that it is becoming part of producing mainstream Indian movies and getting exposure in the Indian film landscape.

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August 22, 2014

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

17

18 August 22, 2014 An Unnecessary Provocation Provocations are par for the course and seem to form a vital part of Pakistan’s diplomatic armoury against India.

So the Pakistani high commissioner meeting the Kashmiri separatists would probably have passed with a sharp censure from New Delhi and then it would have been business as usual.

But this time around, Islamabad knew it was dealing with a different kettle of fish in the Narendra Modi government and yet still went ahead with the meetings.

New Delhi has rightly called off the foreign secretary-level talks.

But if we were to look at this eagerness to talk to the separatists from Pakistan’s point of view, we will find that it makes little sense for that country.

The Kashmiri separatists, who turn up for meetings with the Pakistani envoy each year around the time when bilateral talks are on the cards, are the usual suspects. They are not part of the electoral process and have always shown a marked reluctance to step into the electoral fray.

The likes of Hurriyat leader Ahmed Shah Geelani have creditable rabble-rousing capabilities, but were he to stand for elections, chances are he would be trounced. The others would fare no better.

The separatists have been able to cash in on India’s missteps in Kashmir but beyond berating India and demanding secession or joining Pakistan, they have nothing concrete to recommend as a solution. Pakistan should have seen through their game by now.

They can offer Pakistan nothing in Kashmir and they can offer India nothing. In the end, the two democratically elected governments have to work out a viable deal. These meetings between the envoy and the separatists will obviously serve to annoy India, but that is about it.

After Mr Modi extended a hand of friendship which was reciprocated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India to attend the swearing-in ceremony, an atmosphere of cordiality was created.

The fact that this fruitless meeting with the separatists has derailed these crucial talks suggests that Pakistan is not on top of the diplomacy game.

No one can blame India for saying that despite fair warning, Pakistan has fired the first hostile salvo by these meetings. As for the separatists, people would take them a bit more seriously if they would come out with a blueprint of their own.

As of now, we can only conclude that they have vested interest in keeping the pot boiling in order to preserve their own relevance in the scheme of things.

It is time Pakistan did something that would be in its own interest if it is indeed interested in peace.

And that would be to tell the Hurriyat leaders that unless they have something substantive to contribute to the dialogue, they should not drop in for a cup of tea and a chat before any significant bilateral talks.

Hindustan Times

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

BY S Y QURAISHI

India: 67 Years Young

Soon after India got freedom, we made a new beginning. We chose democracy as the way forward. New institutions were created and nurtured — Parliament, Election Commission, Supreme Court, Planning Commission and others. The country has indeed made phenomenal progress. It has become a major military, industrial and economic power, an IT superpower and a space giant eyeing the moon and Mars.

India is now the 10th largest economy by GDP and the third largest economy by purchasing power parity. We have the sixth largest number of billionaires. But we also have the largest disparities between the haves and have-nots.

We are ranked 135th in the human development index (out of 187 countries). One in every three Indians is below the poverty line.

One in every four is still illiterate. We still have high infant and maternal mortality rates—far worse than even Sri Lanka. More than half the population is malnourished. The rate of unemployment is so high that it contributes to disgruntlement, frustration and even criminalization among the youth. It could become a breeding ground for disruptive forces of various hues. Drug abuse in some states has reached alarming proportions. The education system has let the country down, producing millions of unemployables. Ironically, there is no dearth of policies, programs and funds to deal with these issues.

Massive corruption is preventing the percolation of the benefits.

While many old problems persist, we also have new challenges and opportunities. We are a country of young people. More than 70% of Indians are below 35. They have new aspirations. Are we equipping them to meet these aspirations? Let there be an employment mission to coordinate all the relevant programs.

Nearly 250 million of the young people are adolescents, who have their peculiar problems. They are no longer children but not yet adults.

They worry about what is happening to them physically and emotionally.

Their curiosity and experimentation make them vulnerable to exploitation

and abuse. This is the time to give them life-skill education.

Population issues have gone off the political radar altogether. As a result, India’s population will overtake China’s by 2028. The department of family welfare was quietly abolished a decade ago. One factor contributing to the population explosion is child marriage. One in every three marriages in India is illegal, involving parties below the legal age for marriage. Yet not a whimper is heard.

Crime and violence against women is a major issue, one that is getting uglier every day. A large number of assault cases take place when rural and slum women go to answer the call of nature, usually at dusk or at dawn.

Where is freedom for women?

India has the dubious distinction of being a country with the highest number of open defecators — 60% of the population. In his election campaign, Narendra Modi rightly flagged women’s toilets as a high priority issue. It is hoped that his vision will be translated into action soon. But why leave it to the government alone?

The corporate sector should assign it top priority while meeting its CSR obligations. If the entire country takes it up on a war footing and resolves to end this national shame within the timeframe of a year or two, it can be done. Synergy has great strength.

The December 16 gang rape

shocked the conscience of the nation.

In a knee-jerk reaction, we came up with a law that may not necessarily strike at the root of the problem. Nobody uttered a word about society’s gender attitudes. No solutions were offered to educate the youth and inculcate in them the right values.

The result is that we still see the shame being repeated with sickening regularity. It cannot be left to the government alone. Society as a whole must take responsibility. Incidentally, we rank 132 on the gender development index and 127 on the gender inequality index.

Another threat to freedom and development percolating to all sections of society is social disharmony and unrest. It’s an irony that elections have become the root cause of corruption as well as of communal and caste polarizations, the three curses of our society that constantly pull the country back. Rooting out these problems is imperative. All institutions of freedom and democracy must unite to ensure that they are buried forever.

The social polarisation that is rearing its ugly head can do unfathomable damage. The absence of intermixing creates ignorance about the “other” which breeds a vicious circle of fear, hate and aggression. Growing up in an atmosphere of hate and fear is destructive for children’s psyche. Mental pollution is the worst pollution.

Nothing should be done to hamper the realisation of the PM’s slogan, “sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas”, a very inclusive vision that has received global acclaim. Pluralism is one of India’s core strengths, its great USP. It should be strengthened.

A government with a strong majority should be an opportunity to strengthen all institutions of democracy. The sanctity of the constitutional wisdom of separation of powers must be respected. At the same time, all constitutional institutions themselves have the duty not to allow the erosion of their moral authority, which seems to be under stress.

This is India’s defining moment. I hope we choose the right course. That would be the best tribute to those who died for our freedom. IE The writer is former chief election commisssioner of India

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNTIY

August 22, 2014

A Musical Evening Jazzes Up Friends as they Help Others

Dr. Jalanda Lemar at the silent auction

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

Featured speaker Leela Krishnamurthy spoke about the joy in giving freely to others.

19

HOUSTON: As predictable as the Spring showers and the reassuring touch of a friend’s steady hand during a crisis, the local quiet little charity that has made its mark on scores of desperate people who have no other place to turn to for medical help, Friends Helping Friends celebrated its thirteenth year as a group with its annual gala at Mangiano’s Italian restaurant on Post Oak on Sunday, August 10.

FHF stayed true to the formula that has brought in its supporters over the past few years that it has held the gala at the same venue. Off to one side was a room for the silent auction pieces which all went except for a beautiful painting by rising local Indian artist Neil Sen which did not meet the minimum bid. As usual, the roster of dependable members stood by to register and greet the approximately 160 guests who attended the evening’s event.

As in the past year, the emcee evening was

Emcee Meena Datt during the evening’s program

Meena Datt, hostess of the long-running Music of India and Ghungroo radio shows, who welcomed everyone with her easy, breezy style and lightened the mood with a few well-chosen jokes.

“Despite implementation of the Affordable Care Act, over 6 million Texans remain uninsured.” said Jason Borillo, President of Friends Helping Friends. “While there is political debate over government-backed health insurance, our group has continued to provide assistance for the uninsured and underinsured since 2001,” he proudly pointed out. He introduced Carolyn Weissen, who suffers chronic idiopathic urticaria, and she explained how FHF has assisted her with purchasing medication that she could not afford. “The medication has really improved my quality of life,” she added.

The guest speaker was Leela Krishnamurthy, a much-respected community activist and has been on the boards of several area wide organizations like UNICEF, the Asia Society, Indo American Charity Foundation, and currently

the Habitat for Humanity. A longtime supporter of FHF, she warmly spoke about her first experience with the organization, as they assisted a loved one with funeral costs. She closed by urging younger people to participate in spreading the goodwill of volunteerism.

Long known for its innovative approach to entertainment at their galas, FHF once again turned to a new performer, shedding the traditional comedy oriented acts. This year entertainment was provided by “The Voice” Leo Joseph Polk who has dedicated almost 45 years of his life to jazz music. His performance on the trumpet and his voice provided lively entertainment throughout the dinner of Mangiano’s legendary huge dishes.

Dr. Neera Bhutani, the first President of FHF, closed the event out with thanks to Stephen Jones, CEO of Clear Lake Regional Hospital and Dr. Bhupendra Turakhia for their continued support since the inception of the organization in 2001. She reminded everyone to give generously to help those who really in need.

Tue-Fri 11:00am to 3:00pm and 5:00pm to 10:00pm Sat-Sun 11:00am to 10:00pm Monday Closed

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

20 August 22, 2014

COMMUNITY

MTS Raises Million Dollars for the Main Temple Project

MTRP fund raising, making the $ 1M mark on Sunday night, Chief guests Hon Pearland Mayor Tom Reid and Deputy Fire Chief David Baum, joined Fund raising team on stage Photos: Saravanakumar, Milind Patel, Srini Sundararajan, Koushik Govindarajan, Bhargavi Golla.

BY CHANDANA GOLLA PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple fundraising committee set a monumental goal to be met for the Main Temple Renovation Project (M.T.R.P.). Target – One Million.

“Shantham and Subhiksham” (Peace and Prosperity) was the theme for this year’s MTS annual banquet which was held on Sunday, August 17. For the first time in MTS history the event turned out to be a donors only event with no room for any ticket sales. More than 450 fami-

lies pledged a minimum of $1000 each. Dr. P. Vaduganthan, chairman of MTS welcomed the 500 guests who attended the event and gave an overview of the Main Temple renovation Project. The project will include a new sanctum for Goddess Lakshmi, prakarams for three main deities and Lakshmi, increase the overall space inside the temple, repair the roof, upgrade the infrastructure such as plumbing, electrical as well as audio, video and security.

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TN Chief Minister Amma (a.k.a Dr. Padmini Ranganathan) makes her way to the MTS stage, flanked by Black cat body guards.

service to the temple was honored during the banquet. The temple gave away a total of $10,000 in scholarships to 16 meritorious students, each attending prestigious universities.

Mayor of Pearland, Tom Reid and Deputy Fire Chief, Daniel Baum were the chief guests and presented the scholarship awards.

Secretary Srikanth Venugopalan and Haripriya Sundar were the masters of ceremonies for the evening.

The festive evening was steered by the enchanting Bollywood band of Kashmira Nayak who kept the convivial atmosphere going with vivacious songs including some in honor of India’s Independence Day. The banquet, for the first time ever, included a skit written and directed by the temple chairman Dr. Vaduganathan and acted by MTS executives Padma Golla, and Srikanth Venugopalan and board and committee members.

Their skit featured Dr. Appan as the prime minister of India, AVN Reddy, Dr. Padmini Ranganathan, and Dr. Menon as chief ministers of various States.

Meenakshi Temple Society also offered a silent auction throughout the night with items donated by generous devotees. A scrumptious dinner was catered by Udipi café and the hall was decorated elegantly by Nalini Kannan of Décor One. Treasurer Padma Golla remarked that the temple is doing well financially. The Fundraising chair A.V.N. Reddy introduced the other co-chairs, Dr. S.G. Appan, Dr. Venugopal Menon and Roopa Balakrishnan and recognized all the donors.

A.V.N. Reddy, said he is humbled by the overwhelming response and generosity of the devotees of Sri Meenakshi Temple in meeting the challenge of raising a Million dollars in the shortest time frame ever. When the pledges were tallied, the silent auction revenues were counted and the night ended, this target has been reached!

Thanks to all the generous donors who made this event a stellar success.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

August 22, 2014

Awards by HGH for Community Service

Rajkumar Syal

Dr S. G. Appan

Rahul Pandit

Radha Dixit

HOUSTON: Rajkumar Sayal and Dr. S. G. Appan will receive the Lifetime Achievement Service Award presented by the Hindus of Greater Houston during the 25th annual communitywide Janmashtami celebration at George R. Brown Convention center in Houston on Saturday, Aug.23.

Three others, Radha Dixit, Rishi Bhutada and Rahul Pandit will receive the Akhil Chopra Memorial Award in recognition of their selfless service to the Hindu community.

A spectacular “rangoli with ice”, a 6-foot tall Lord Krishna with his cow and lotus flower in a very serene location, is bound to be the cynosure of all eyes at the Janmashtami festival.

It may become an authentic picture spot as well.

Entrance to the event is free. The program will begin at 6 p.m. and end at midnight.

One of the most exciting attractions of the night will be the arrival of Saurabh Raj Jain, Lord Krishna from the recent TV serial Mahabharata, on a traditional life-sized chariot.

The Mayapuris have been specially preparing for this exciting event to entice the audience with their dynamic drums, dancing, and kirtan.

The youth will be entertained by an enthralling dandiya-raas with a special group flown in from India, Anita Pandit of X-Factor fame.

Everyone can look forward to an excellent Dashavatar costume contest with over 100 participants.

Along with these amazing attractions will be the award ceremony.

Rajkumar Syal, a pillar of the Houston Hindu community for over 50

years, will be bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lifetime Achievement Service Award Raj Kumar Syal has been in Houston since 1963. He conceived the idea of celebrating the Janmashtami festival in 1989 to celebrate Lord Krishna and foster unity and harmony among all. He is highly respected by community members and Hindus of Greater Houston periodically takes his advice and guidance for special events. Hindus of Greater Houston thanks him for his pioneering efforts and leadership during the 25th year of celebration. Along with being a pillar of the Houston Hindu community, he is also a joint founder of India Culture Center and Hindu Worship Society.

Dr.S.G.Appan settled in Houston in 1971. He is always ready to help and volunteer his services to everyone in the community for the last forty three years. His passion is to promote the growth of medicinal herbs and for a number of years he has distributed free Tulsi plants at the Grand Janmashtami festival in Houston. His beliefs are to value our Hindu religion and utilize it for the betterment of mankind.

Akhil Chopra Memorial Service Award Hindus of Greater Houston appreciates their selfless service to the Hindu community.

Radha Dixit served as Secretary of Hindus of Greater Houston. She is a graduate from the University of Houston and grew up with strong Hindu beliefs. Her father Dr. Sen Pathak, husband Bijay Dixit and children Vidha and Armaan render

Rishi Bhutada

their unstinted support in all she does to continue to promote Hindu values in the community. Her message is to “do all your worldly duties to the best of your ability” and that “service to mankind is service to God”.

Rishi Bhutada is one of the Board of Directors of the Hindu American Foundation and is the Houston chapter coordinator for HAF. He served in many positions at the Hindu Heritage Youth Camp in Houston and was the former south regional coordinator and Vice President of Public Relations and Outreach for Hindu Students Council. He believes that it is important to have an effective public voice through advocacy in public policy and his goal is to ensure school textbooks have an accurate depiction of Hinduism.

Rahul T. Pandit was born in Srinagar, Kashmir and grew up with a deep love for Hindu heritage.

He was raised with firm roots on Sanathana Dharma. He completed undergraduate studies from Yale University and pursued Ophthalmology degree from University of Iowa. He has specialized in Corneal Diseases and Advanced Cataract and Refractive Surgery and presently works at Houston Methodist Hospital. He was a youth counselor at VHP camp in Chicago and actively participated in many Hindu organization activities. He and his wife, Lavanya raise their three children Suraj, Sanjna and Sanvi in Hindu tradition.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

21

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COMMUNITY

August 22, 2014

23

ASIE Celebrates 20th Anniversary Gala

BY DINESH SHAH

ASIE President Sekhar Ambadapudi

HOUSTON: American Society of Indian Engineers (ASIE) is a Houston, Texas based non-profit organization established in 1994 for all discipline engineers, architects, designers and technicians of Indian origin.After laying a solid foundation for the future, the senior professionals of ASIE decided to take the organization to the next level by focusing on Building the Future together with the younger generation. ASIE provides a forum to assist its members in career advancement by providing opportunities for networking through continuing educational seminars, workshops and field trips. Also supports engineering and science education in our communities by volunteering in Mathcounts competition sponsored by Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TBPE), volunteering as judges during Science & Engineering Fair of Houston and giving out Awards to students based on their projects.ASIE also awards scholarships every year to students pursuing undergraduate

and graduate degrees in engineering programs from public universities in the Greater Houston Area. Since 1999, ASIE began the Young Engineer/Architect of the Year Award and from 2011 ASIE Engineer/Architect of the Year Award for the members, who have excelled in the field of engineering. From this year during the Engineer’s Week another award has been added – “Indian Engineers Engineering the Future”.

This year ASIE is celebrating 20 years by organizing a special Gala event honoring the Outstanding Service to the Greater Houston Engineering and Architectural Community by all engineers and architects.

This historical event will be held on September 24, at Hilton Houston Post Oak. Hon. Judge Ed Emmett of Harris County will be the Keynote Speaker, and Jimmie Schindewolf, a General Manager of North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA) will be the Chief Guest.

Under the leadership of Event Chair Showri Nandagiri and assistance from event committee members, this will be a first time ever happened a magnificent celebration for technical professionals. The entire event will be a further evidence of a successful growth of the ASIE and its vision to reach out more and more professionals who work and practice in the Greater Houston Area.

Hasmukh H. Doshi, PE, RPLS, one of the founders and a first President of ASIE in 1994 is very pleased to see ASIE is celebrating 20th anniversary.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center Gears up for Annual Paryushan Mahaparva Festival

BY SEEMA JAIN HOUSTON: Generally, festivals are celebrations and jubilations characterized by excitement, enthusiasm, enjoyments and entertainments; but the Jain festivals are characterized by renunciation, austerities, study of the scriptures, repetition of holy hymns, meditation, and expressing devotion for the Paramatma. Even those people who are caught in the meshes of mundane life, according to their ability and conveniences, get free from the worldly entanglements to the extent possible and become immersed in worship and meditation.

Renunciation and austerity constitute the very foundation of the Jain Dharma.

The Paryushan is the most important festival among the Jain festivals; and it is observed during every Chaturmas in the month of Bhadrapad (August - September ). During these eight days, the entire Jain Community becomes spellbound in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and felicity. Jains, the young and the old try to perform fasting according to their capacity from one day fasting to Atthai Tap - fasting for eight days at a time. Some men and women; and even children take the vow of Paushadh Vrat also during these eight days. During these days, the spiritual preceptors explain in detail the

life history of Tirthankar Mahaveer, the last Tirthankar (prophet) of 24 Tirthankars in Jain Dharma. All the members of the congregation listen to that explanation, overwhelmed with the emotion of devotion. Seven days are days of attainment and the eighth day is one of fulfillment or achievement. In this manner, the Samvatsari Mahaparva is celebrated. Performing the Samvatsarik Pratikraman, for seeking the forgiveness of those people whom one hates or against whom one nurses a grudge; forgetting all hatred constitute the Samvatsarik aradhana -the annual atonement.

This year, JVB Preksha Meditation Center will host Annual Paryushan Mahaparva at itspremises under the auspicious guidance of Samani Sanmati Pragyaji & Samani Jayant Pragayaji (Disciples of Acharya Shri Mahashraman). The 8-day long festivities will begin on August 22 and will conclude on August 29, and will

He said “Thanks to leaders and members who worked hard and brought ASIE at this level today. I would like to see this organization evolve to promote events across various engineering disciplines and architecture. I would like to see us as an organization that mentors the young generation who are the future for engineering and architecture profession.”

Today, after 20 years of ASIE, a young engineer and current ASIE President Sekhar Ambadapudi, PE is cordially inviting all Indian origin engineers, architects, designers and technicians to join the celebration.

“We will share the 20 years of history of professional engineers and architects for their illustrious careers, accomplishments, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and contributions. All these professionals come from different walks of the engineering and architectural fields, however they share one thing in common and that is their dedication to their disciplines.

This enthusiasm and commitment has resulted in decades of creativity and thousands of projects not only in Houston, but all over the country.

We the young generation, look up to senior professionals as our role models and inspiration as we move forward in our professional careers” said Ambadapudi.

Join others for celebrating and thanking all professionals for their many years of service in Houston.

For further information about ASIE and Gala, visit http://asiehouston.org/ or call 281-235-9202. be held inside its Pyramid Hall. The daily discourses would be based on Jain Agamas from 10:30AM 11:30AM ( Morning Session) and 8:00PM - 9:00 PM ( Evening Session ). Evening Session will start @ 7:00 PM sharp with Pratikraman every day. Parallel Sessions for kids will also be conducted every Evening.

The JVB Presksha Meditation Center conducts regular Preksha Meditation sessions which is the practice of purifying our emotions, consciousness and realizing our own self. Mediation augurs attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated development of one’s personality.

Started in 1970, Preksha Meditation is the result of the untiring efforts of Ganadhipati Tulsi and Acharya Mahapragya. Preksha Meditation is for everyone, irrespective of his or her race, religion, language, color, gender and belief.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center is home to a specially designed Preksha Dhyan ‘Pyramid’ Meditation Hall and is located at 14102 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082. Upcoming events include Mega Blood Donation Drive in partnership with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center on September 6th from 10:00 AM- 4PM to celebrate Acharya Tulsi’s birth centennial year.

To Join this noble cause and for further information visit www.Jvbhouston.org or info@jvbhouston.org or you can reach us @ 281-596-9642.

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COMMUNITY

Aadi Sukravara Ashtalakshmi Deepa Pooja at Shri Meenakshi Temple Society

MTS Priests, Sri Parameswaran, Sri Mannickasundaram Bhattar, Sri Sridharan Raghavan, Sri Pavan Kumar in front of the divine beauty of Perumal with Sri devi and Bhoodevi, with eight lamps

PEARLAND: The Tamil month of Aadi (July16 – August17) is considered very auspicious for worshipping the Goddess Shakthi and her different forms. Prayers and Deepa pooja on Tuesdays and Fridays of this month to the goddess are believed to relieve us from negative influences, ill health and bring prosperity and happiness to our lives.

The sun is the King and Moon is the queen of planets. When the king gives his undivided attention to the queen ,the queen becomes very

Ladies partaking in the Aadi Ashtalakshmi Pooja at Sri MTS

powerful. On July16, the sun moves into the constellation of cancer, governed by moon.

Since cancer is a house of loss [for the sun] and moon changes so quickly ,it will tend to cause fear ,anger and give way to negative influences in people’s lives. Praying the goddess on Aadi Fridays will protect us from the ill effects of Sun in Cancer. The power of Goddess doubles up and she revives the cosmos with her celestial energies, during this month.

Aadi sukravara Deepa Pooja was celebrated

at MTS on FridayAugust 15 with great devotion by more than 75 lady devotees who participated in the Pooja. The stage was beautifully decorated with utsava murthis of Perumal, Shree Devi and BhooDevi Thayar. Eight Silverlamps and Kalasams were adorned with flowers and were invoked to represent Ashtalakshmis. The main temple Hall was lined up with lamps and Pooja samagri before every lamp. The women sat down before the lamps and conducted Vighneswara pooja, followed by ashtalakshmi pooja and recited Maha Lakshmi ashtakam and MADRAS N PAVILIO T & DAAWA CATERING

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Lakshmi Sahasranamam. Many varieties of Prasadam were prepared for the pooja, by the devotees who attended. The pooja was led by Priests Shri Sridharan Raghavan and Shri Pawan Kumar who had set up the alankara (beautiful decoration of the divine Lord with his consorts) in preparations for the Pooja. The MTS staff deserves our thanks for the eye catching nature of the decorations and the display stand used at the event. The event was co-ordinated by Mrs. Nachal Sethuraman. .

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STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY

The Billion Dollar Idea Flipkart fetched a valuation of $7 billion in July after raising a mammoth $1 billion

BY MIHIR DALAL When online retailer Flipkart.com fetched a valuation of $7 billion in July after raising a mammoth $1 billion in funds, it became not only India’s largest start-up, but also one of the most valuable companies in the country. That valuation of $7 billion is reward for the persistence of Flipkart’s co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal (not related), both of whom ploughed ahead with their idea of creating an online megastore amid derision and scepticism that Indians would not buy things such as clothes, mobile phones and laptops without touching or even seeing the products. “This is a big milestone not just for Flipkart, but for Internet firms in India in general,” Sachin Bansal, Flipkart’s chief executive officer, said in July. “We believe India can produce a $100 billion company in the next five years, and we want to be that.

Whether it takes five or 10 years, we

are here for the longer term.” Sachin and his friend Binny started Flipkart in 2007. They had studied together at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and crossed paths again in 2006 when they joined the Indian unit of Amazon.com Inc., the world’s largest online retailer. Less than a year later, they decided to replicate Amazon’s model in India by starting out on their own. “Everybody we knew in Bangalore was working hard building great technologies, but they were building them for US companies. We could not relate to that. Amazon is a great business, but as users, we could not relate. Binny and I decided to start something on our own and see how it went,” Sachin said in an interview to a blog last year. They used personal savings, borrowed from friends and family and launched the site Flipkart. com from their apartment in Bangalore. They started with books. The first order came from a customer from Andhra Pradesh for the book Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

by John Wood. “Though we started with books, we always knew that we would add more categories,” said Binny in an interview with Mint earlier this year. He has the official title of chief operating officer at Flipkart.

The first few months were tough—

customers were too wary to buy online. But slowly, Flipkart built its book collection and word-of-mouth grew. By 2009, Flipkart was generating sales of more than Rs.2 crore. Investors, however, weren’t convinced as they felt there weren’t enough online shoppers in India. After long negotiations, venture capital firm Accel Partners invested nearly $1 million in Flipkart in October 2009.

This was one of the key moments for the Bansals. Then, a few months later, in a move that stunned the small e-commerce world, US-based hedge fund Tiger Global Management committed nearly $10 million to Flipkart.

At that time, Flipkart reportedly got a valuation of Rs.220 crore. Barely four years later, that same start-up is worth a massive $7 billion, having raised as much as $1.78 billion, the most by any Indian start-up by some distance. Since Flipkart is a privately held company, it’s not clear what the Bansals’ exact stake is, but analysts estimate it to be anywhere between 6% and 8% each. That would make them worth $600-800 million. All entrepreneurs at some point entertain thoughts of selling out. The way Flipkart’s valuation is growing, it would be tempting for anyone to sell out. “There are pros and cons for both

sides (to stay or to sell). It’s about what the founders want. We want to build the company. It can be one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world; we can be in the top five. India can produce that kind of a company, given the number of consumers. So we want to be independent and build the company. Our role models are not companies which have sold, but companies like Airtel and Infosys, which have built large businesses,” Sachin told Mint in an interview last September. He said that trust and understanding between founders are “very important”. “Mistakes happen.

There are disagreements and sometimes I would decide to do something because I was so passionate about it but it turned out to be a wrong decision. What we’ve been able to do is not blame each other for mistakes. If we’re not able to come to an agreement, the guy who’s more passionate

about the issue will take the decision.

But we never do things like, ‘I told you so.’That’s wrong, even if you had told the other so.” Bansal said in the interview. Some Flipkart employees and friends of the Bansals whom Mint spoke with said that regardless of the jump in their personal wealth (at least on paper), their lifestyle hasn’t changed much. They are heavily involved in running Flipkart, regularly work more than 15 hours, and have taken up separate apartments that are a walk from Flipkart’s head office in Bangalore. The one area where the Bansals have shown an inclination to spend their wealth is funding other start-ups. Over the past six months, they have invested in several startups, including Tracxn, TouchTalent and Roposo (only Binny). But for now, Flipkart takes up most of their time and attention.

-Livemint.com

Sultan of Brunei Bids for Sahara’s New York and London Luxury Hotels NEW YORK (IBN) : The Sultan of Brunei has made a bid for New York’s Plaza Hotel, Dream Hotel and London’s Grosvenor House hotel, the Wall Street Journal’s website edition reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the situation. An investment firm affiliated with Brunei has offered to pay $2 billion for the three hotels, which are currently owned by the Sahara conglomerate, WSJ. com said. Sahara’s chairman Subrata Roy has been negotiating a sale of

An investment firm affiliated with Brunei has offered to pay $2 billion for the three hotels, which are currently owned by the Sahara conglomerate.

the company’s luxury hotels from a makeshift office in prison, having been held for more than five months after failing to appear at a contempt hearing in a long-running dispute over his group’s failure to repay billions of dollars to investors who were sold outlawed bonds. An investment firm affiliated with Brunei has offered to pay $2 billion for the three hotels, which are currently owned by the Sahara conglomerate.

Roy’s lawyer S Ganesh last week

told India’s Supreme Court that the businessman was holding “very effective” negotiations with potential buyers and that the group had signed a preliminary accord for the hotels.

Brunei officials have reportedly been in discussions throughout the summer with representatives of Sahara, WSJ.com said, citing its sources, adding that an agreement could be reached as early as next month.

The Sultan, along with his luxury hotel operator, the Dorchester Col-

lection, has been criticised for harsh new laws in Brunei.

The laws, which include death by stoning for homosexuals and adulterers, have fueled public calls in the United States for the company to sell its properties. They have resulted in boycotts of the Beverly Hills Hotel and other Dorchester properties in Europe, costing the luxury hotel operator millions of dollars in lost revenue, Dorchester has said.

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28 August 22, 2014

DIASPORA

Indian-origin Wizard Wins ‘Nobel Prize’ of Mathematics

Canadian-American maths wizard Manjul Bhargava.

BY CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA WASHINGTON (TOI) : Mathematicians of Indian- and Iranianorigin are among the four winners of the 2014 Fields Medal, widely considered the Nobel Prize for maths that has been broadly dominated by white males since it was instituted in 1936.

The award going to Princeton University’s Manjul Bhargava, a Canadian-American maths wizard was no surprise; although he is the first person of Indian origin, he was the hot favorite in pre-award polls among peers.

The sensational co-winner is Maryam Mirzakhani, a female Iranian

mathematician who teaches at Stanford University. It is the first time a female mathematician has won the Fields medal; all 52 previous winners have been men in a field traditionally dominated by the male of the species.

Mirzakhani’s success was “hugely symbolic and I hope it will encourage more women to get into mathematics because we need more women. I am very happy that now we can put to rest that particular ‘it has never happened before’,” Ingrid Daubechies, herself the first female president of the International mathematical Union (IMU), said while announcing the award.

The two other winners this year are Artur Avila from Brazil and Martin Hairer from Austria. Avila is also the first Brazilian and Latin American to win the medal.

One to four Fields Medals are awarded once every four years to mathematicians under the age of 40 years at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), which meets every four years. The presentation will take place in Seoul on Wednesday at the quadrennial IMU Congress (Hyderabad hosted it in 2010).

Although the prize money ($15,000) is chump change (approximately 1/100th) compared to the No-

bel Prize, the award, long dominated

by Americans, Russians, French, and Britons (38 medals between them), is the highest recognition in the world of mathematics.

Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields instituted it at a time mathematicians felt short-changed that they had no Nobel recognition.

The Nobel Prize is awarded for literature, peace, economics, physiology or medicine, chemistry and physics — but not for mathematics.

Legend — or the apocryphal story — goes that Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, who instituted the Nobel Prize, disdained maths after someone he loved cheated on him — with a mathematician. But there is no historical basis to the story. More likely fact is that Nobel didn’t care much for maths because it was not considered a practical science from which humanity could benefit (a chief purpose for creating the Nobel Foundation).

All that has changed, of course.

Mathematics offers solutions to everyday issues from airline scheduling to Internet security, even though many practitioners pursue esoteric problems described in dense language incomprehensible to the layman. Bhargava’s PhD thesis, for instance, is said to have helped in the “determination of the asymptotic

density of discriminants of quartic and quintic number fields.”

Although a Canadian-American who was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Bhargava is no stranger to India or to Indian mathematicians. Indeed, his mother, Mira Bhargava, is herself a rare female mathematician, teaching at Hofstra University (another wellknown female Indian-American mathematician is Bhama Srinivasan at the University of Chicago).

Manjul has also collaborated with many Indian mathematicians, and his work with fellow Princeton scholar Arul Shankar, his PhD student, won them the Fermat Prize in 2011. Manjul’s own PhD advisor was Andrew Wiles, famous for proving Fermat’s last theorem.

Bhargava was awarded the 2012 Infosys Prize in mathematics for his “extraordinarily original work in algebraic number theory, which has revolutionized the way in which number fields and elliptic curves are counted.” That came on top of almost every other top prize in maths, from the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize in 2005 to the American mathematical Society’s Cole Prize in 2008. So the Fields Medal comes as no great surprise to the mathematical community in the US or in India.

Last week, as speculation heated

up about possible 2014 winners of Fields Medal, an online poll put Bhargava on top with 516 votes, with Avila coming second with 486 votes.

Apparently, his peers pretty much expected it. Which is not surprising for someone who became a tenured full professor within two years of finishing graduate school, an Ivy League record, and the second youngest full professor in Princeton’s history.

That’s not all. Before you think all he does is crunch numbers, Bhargava is also an accomplished tabla player (tutored by Zakir Hussain) and has the number on Sanskrit, which he learned from his grandfather Purushottam Lal Bhargava, was the head of the Sanskrit department of the University of Rajasthan, during family visits to Jaipur. He sees close links between his three loves noting how beats of tabla and rhythms of Sanskrit poetry are highly mathematical.

Such recognition came to him early.

In past interviews, he has often recounted how in Grade 3, he became curious about how many oranges it takes to make a pyramid. Just as well his mathematician mother and chemist father were well-to-do: they indulged him with oranges till he figured out the answer, which was not long coming. Now he’s at the pinnacle of his calling.

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BUSINESS

The Key to a Smooth Back-to-School Transition is Routine

Best in Class Education Center offers tips for parents to get their students back on track and in the “school state of mind”

Back to School season is upon us!

In a matter of weeks, students will be reminiscing about their summer, and in many cases, struggling to get back into their daily school routine. The key word being “routine.”

Best in Class Education Center has five key tips to ensure a smooth back to school transition: •Get back to a regular sleep schedule. Prior to the night before school starts, get back on track with a scheduled bed time. Encourage kids to drink water and eat healthy snacks.

Start phasing out caffeine and sugar.

Try making healthier choices by substituting fruit-infused water for pop and grain/oat-based bars for candy or ice cream.

•Cut down on “screen time.” Chil-

dren tend to rely on TV and tablets for entertainment towards the end of the night. Remind your kids that their electronics need to sleep too and that it’s important to power down, particularly at night. Encourage them to read 15-30 minutes (with a physical book) before bed.

•Practice handwriting. It seems like an automatic skill, but it can worsen without practice. Rather than spending time with their toys and gadgets the week before school starts, encourage your children to pick up a pen or a pencil for journaling their favorite summer memories.

•Brush up on basic math skills in the kitchen. Get children involved with preparing snacks, taste testing lunch options for the school year, or helping prepare dinner. Counting out pieces of produce or practicing fractions by helping to measure out ingredients are great ways to encourage practical applications of math.

•Re-establish a daily routine. Have children practice getting up and getting dressed at the same time every morning. Try planning activities to get everyone out the door in the morning at a set time.

Best in Class offers a variety of customized, supplemental enrichment courses and tutoring options to ensure your student is equipped with the tools they need to exceed their academic goals this school year.

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August 22, 2014

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PUZZLES/ RECIPE

SUDOKU

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Nimbu ka Khatta Mittha Achaar Namak Bina

Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Send us the correct answer before AUGUST 27, 2014.

Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036.

Send us your picture and we will publish it if you are a winner (for first three entrees only).

Solution Next Week

Most achaars (pickles) are full of salt and made with lots of mustard oil and if you are on a diet or watching your salt intake, you certainly cannot eat them. The craving for a good pickle still will tempt you and this recipe for nimbu achaar is just the right one for you as it is made without any salt. And what’s more, where other achaars have a curing time of days or weeks, this achaar can be made within an hour!

This achaar is a variation of the uniquely Punjabi khatta mittha achaar which is made with mustard oil and many types of vegetables (see IAN Feb. 1, 2013). But whereas that achaar takes a lot of preparation and many days of curing in a jar, this nimbu khatta mittha achaar only use nimboos (lemons) and is ready within an hour. You could actually compare it to a sweet and sour lemon preserve, but with typical Indian spices.

Although called nimbu achaar, it can be made equally well by substituting limes for the lemons, the only difference being in the thickness of the peel. In either case, this achaar can easily be eaten with bread as well as desi rotis and compliments many different dishes. Moreover, all the ingredients are quite inexpensive and the achaar can be kept for a long time in the refrigerator and can even be left out at room temperature for several days.

Ingredients: • 1 kg nimbu (lemons) – thin skin is better • 250 gm gur (jaggery) – broken into pieces • 1 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds) • 1 tbsp safaid sirka (white vinegar) • 1 tsp garam masala • 1 tsp lal mirch (red pepper)

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Directions: 1.

Wash the nimboos and then dry with a soft cloth.

2.

Cut the nimbu into four quarters then carefully take the seeds out.

3.

Place the in a pressure cooker without any water over medium heat. When it gives off the first whistle, turn the heat off and let the cooker stand for 15 minutes.

4.

Open the cooker and then add the gur, methi dana, lal mirch and garam masala and vinegar and mix well, carefully not to bread the lemons.

5.

When the entire mixture is cool, place in a glass jar and close

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 USING ATTA AS GLUE AND FOR MAKING DIYAS As Diwali approaches, this tip can be timely if you should want to try a traditional, old-style of lighting up your home. Actually, this method is still used often in the villages of India, though even there, the small LED diyas are making their presence known.

Atta, or wheat flour dough, is used in most Indian homes to make rotis and paranthas. But it can also be used for other purposes too. A small dab of a thin paste of atta on a piece of paper or cardboard can become a strong glue, binding things together.

And then at Diwali time, when you are running short of old-fashioned clay diyas (oil lamps) for pujas, then the same atta can be quickly molded into the shape of a diya and after a short drying period, turns into a hardens so that you can pour oil in it and place a wick which can be lit.

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the lid tightly. Or, if you want, you can try the achaar right away.

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ENTERTAINMENT

August 22, 2014

Movie Review: Singham Returns

BY SWETA KAUSHAL

Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) takes on a corrupt politician (Zakir Hussain) and a godman (Amol Gupte) who are involved in black money racket and divisive politics. The film tracks Singham’s fight against the system and the villains.

Rohit Shetty is back with the sequel of his 2011 hit Singham.

Ajay Devgn reprises his role of the good cop, Bajirao Singham, while Kareena steps into the shoes of Kajal Aggarwal, Singham’s lady love.

Rohit Shetty has often said that he does not make movies for critics and entertaining the audience is his sole motto. While Singham was a funfilled entertaining movie, Singham Returns does not really match up to the standards set by it.

Rohit has aimed his guns at black money and racketeering in elections

and politics. The screenplay smartly takes digs at leaders who bank on divisive politics and the poverty of the people. The film highlights cash distribution for getting votes and stacking of black money.

Sadly, the issuebased plot is not executed well. In the whole political backdrop, Anupam Kher (Guruji, the good-hearted politician who gets murdered) and Zakir Hussain (Swamiji’s political aide) perfectly bring the malice of our political system on screen.

Amol Gupte, who plays the corrupt holyman -- Swamiji is too much over-the-top with his acting and is not convincing enough.

Ajay Devgn is back as the oneman army, Singham. Kareena’s role is minimal but she also brings some comic respite to the film. Rohit does not fully employ the skills of Mahesh Manjrekar and Pankaj Tripathi (Gangs of Wasseypur fame) and that leaves the audience asking for more.

Also watch movie review: Sing-

ham Returns is disappointing Singham Returns does not even blow up enough vehicles to qualify for a Rohit Shetty film -- perhaps Salman Khan’s Kick blew up more vehicles than this one!

CID-fame inspector Daya plays one of the main aides of Singham.

After waiting for almost the whole movie, Singham orders him: ‘Daya darwaza tod do!’

The action sequences, one of the major attractions of Shetty’s films, are well shot. In typical Rohit Shettystyle, you are treated with lavish aerial shots and picturesque views.

Interestingly, Singham Returns has several gems of wisdom in the form of dialogues. Sample a few: ‘Aam aadmi ki takleef darr paida karti hai, darr se andhvishwas aur andhvishaaw se main banta hun,’says Swamiji, who rules millions of hearts with sheer blind faith of the people.

‘Sher atank machata hai, ghayal sher tabaahi,’ Singham tells one of the goons.

‘Jab ek ke baad ek darwaaze band hone lagein, to khidki khol deni chahiye.’

‘Politics me sahi galat ka koi barometer nahi hota.’

The audience mostly wants action as well as comedy in a Rohit Shetty film. Sadly, Singham did not return with a bang.

-Hindustan Times

They Khan be Friendly: Aamir, SRK, Salman are all About Forgive-forget

BY PRASHANT SINGH On Thursday (August 14) night, just after the trailer launch of Shah Rukh Khan’s next, Salman Khan tweeted, “Jst saw happy new year ka promo, its Kick ass. (sic)” Never mind the clever reference to his last release; it’s apparent that the duo’s strained relationship is improving now.

Just last month, the two hugged at an Iftar party — they embraced at the same occasion last year too. It’s a huge departure from their brawl at Katrina Kaif ’s birthday party in 2008.

Eyebrows were also raised when, that year, a third Khan — Aamir — wrote about having a dog named “Shahrukh”, on his blog.

Now, Aamir has also extended an olive branch to Shah Rukh. He has postponed the launch of the second poster of his next, which was slated

to take place the next day. Apparently, he felt that since SRK had picked the date before, it would only be fair for him to make the compromise.

City psychologist Shweta Parekh decodes this newfound bonhomie: “In psychological terms, we call it self-actualisation. At their age, one feels it’s important to forgive and forget. They have achieved whatever they wanted to, so at this stage, they’re looking beyond themselves to find a deeper self.”

The film industry, too, seems excited with the thawing of their equation. “It’s a good thing. Everyone has become professional. Since the stakes are very high for their films, all their attention is on their work.

The competition has become tough.

Besides, they always had respect for one another,” says film-maker David Dhawan.

-Hindustan Times

Last week’s edition can be found online. Issue dated June 27,2014.

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

32 August 22, 2014

SPORTS

Aftermath of the Disaster in England

SL Destroys Pakistan

Placed in the unenviable position of finding a scapegoat, the BCCI has chosen to sideline Coach Duncan SSC: It took Sri Lanka just under an hour on the fifth morning Fletcher give a ‘break’ to his assistants and appointed Ravi Shastri as director for the ODI series

BY NAGRAJ GOLLAPUDI Duncan Fletcher is on notice, and will be assessed on his performance each series. That’s the message to India’s coach from the BCCI, though what is also clear is that Fletcher will have little part to play in the ODI series in England, with Ravi Shastri being given charge of all cricket-related activities.

The decision to clip Fletcher’s wings, by effectively replacing his two assistant coaches with three from the BCCI’s stable, and by putting Shastri above him, is believed to stem from the anger and disappointment of India’s astonishing capitulation from a winning position in the Test series to eventually lose 3-1.

A senior BCCI official, who was privy to the discussions, said Shastri would be the go-to man for all “cricket-related activities” during the ODI series in England.

“Fletcher will be there but for this tour Ravi will look after all cricketing aspects for this ODI series.”

Several officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to were unwilling to commit to Fletcher’s future but indicated he had been sidelined. More clear is the future of Trevor Penney, the fielding coach, and Joe Dawes, the bowling coach, the feeing in the BCCI being they were not doing their jobs properly.

Fletcher had been the target of severe public criticism through India’s 8-0 run of defeats in England and Australia in 2011, but the BCCI stuck by him and renewed his contract for a year this April, with secretary Sanjay Patel saying the board had complete confidence in the coaching staff. Fletcher is now believed to have lost support and the BCCI seems keen on making the point that Tuesday’s decision was not an abrupt one, rather the culmination of events over the past few months.

What hurt the BCCI hierarchy most was the manner in which India lost the three Tests in England this summer. It forced them to take notice and act swiftly. “The In-

dian team is not performing. What went wrong?” Anurag Thakur, the BCCI joint secretary, said. “You need to look at whether it was the coach and support staff, whether it was the selection of the team or there is problem in coordination.

So at this stage, when the team for the ODIs has been picked, the best you can do is to have more people engaged who can work closely with the Indian cricket team.

Ranjib Biswal, the IPL chairman and a top board functionary, indicated the positive presence of Shastri would inject the dose of competitive spirit back in the team. “When the team is demoralised you need the someone to lift the morale. Ravi has the experience and he has done it earlier,” Biswal said.

According to Thakur, the decision to appoint new coaching staff was taken only on Monday. “The BCCI should take some decision for the betterment of cricket. The selectors can have the autonomy to pick the player. But the only option left with the BCCI was to see how we could help the players and Indian cricket by bringing in these three people.

“What was the need of Ravi Shastri? I felt something was missing - maybe the communication gap between the coach and the players,” Thakur said. “A person like Shastri can boost the morale of the team. Nothing wrong in try-

India’s cricket bosses have reacted to the embarrassing Test series defeat to England by ringing in changes among the coaching staff, including appointing former captain Ravi Shastri as the director of cricket for the one-day series coming up. Duncan Fletcher remains the head coach but Shastri has been given the reins of the team.

Team captain MS Dhoni is safe, with officials saying he had the full backing of the board for the entire series.

Ravi Shastri’s column in the Times of India on Tuesday was full of strong stuff. He called India’s showing in the Test series “wretched” and said it remained to be seen if the team was ready to do “penance”.

“Five sessions and not five days have been enough to nail them,” he wrote. “But move on we must.

Sit back and watch if these glam boys are ready for penance. If they are prepared to plunge their bare hands into the coal of fire and start from scratch.

“England have made runs, but anyone would if the other side makes 100 or so.”

Further clipping Fletcher’s wings, his two assistants, fielding coach Trevor Penney and bowling coach Joe Dawes, have been “given a break” for the one-day series in England. In their place come former India allrounder San-

jay Bangar and former India fast bowler B Arun as assistant coaches. R Sridhar, the former Hyderabad left-arm spinner, will join the support team as the fielding coach for the one day series.

While the BCCI’s official press release soft-pedalled the news, saying Shastri would “oversee and guide the Indian cricket team”, board secretary Sanjay Patel was more emphatic while talking to ESPNcricinfo. “The team is with Ravi Shastri,” he said. “Now it is his baby. He will handle everything.”

This is not the first time the BCCI is turning to Shastri during a crisis - he was named the Indian team’s cricket manager after an embarrassing first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup. A BCCI release said: “In their continuing efforts to re-energise the support to the team, the BCCI has given a break to the bowling coach Mr Joe Dawes and the fielding coach, Mr Trevor Penny for the one day series and appointed Mr Sanjay Bangar, former Indian all rounder and former India fast bowler Mr Bharat Arun as the Asst. coaches of the team. Mr R.Sridhar will join the support team as the fielding coach for the one day series.”

Dawes, a former Queensland fast bowler, has been India’s bowling coach since the 2011-12 Test debacle in Australia, while Penney has been in charge of the fielding after India’s victorious 2011 World Cup. Bangar retired from first-class cricket in 2013 and has since coached India A, and been part of the support staff of various IPL franchises, with his reputation getting it biggest boost after he coached an unfancied Kings XI Punjab to their first IPL final earlier this year.

Sridhar, who began his coaching career in 2001, has been part of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

to wrap up the Pakistan innings and kick off the celebrations at the SSC. A 2-0 win in his final series in the presence of his family, fans and team-mates - current and former, a silken-shot laden final innings -- Mahela Jayawardene could not have asked for a better farewell after a glittering 17-yearold career. The firecrackers were set alight the moment Wahab Riaz top-edged a sweep off Rangana Herath to become the bowler’s 14th wicket in the match.

Emotions ran high as Jayawardene was carried around the ground by his team-mates on their shoulders, the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa among the hordes of fans who had come over to say their goodbyes to the legend. The Pakistan team, led by their coach Waqar Younis, joined in congratulating the batsman.

Saeed Ajmal got away with an official warning for a Level 1 breach on the fourth day of the SSC Test.

The on-field umpires reported him for using obscene language in the 105th over of Sri Lanka’s second innings. Level 1 breaches carry a maximum penalty of 50% of the match fee.

The result of the match was not in doubt once Pakistan had lost seven wickets in the last session of the fourth day but heavy showers on the fifth morning had threatened a delayed start. The clouds parted just in time for the groundstaff to get the ground ready but it still took 40 minutes for Sri Lanka to break a stubborn stand between Sarfraz Ahmed and Wahab.

Sarfraz, Pakistan’s best batsman in the series with a half-century in each innings, swept Chanaka Welegedara’s first ball in the 10th over of the day straight to deep square leg and, with Junaid Khan unavailable, it was a matter of time before Sri Lanka closed the game. Fittingly, it was Herath who picked the last wicket to complete yet another five-wicket haul and make it 23 wickets in the two Tests - a record for a two-match series.

His 14-184 were also the secondbest figures by a bowler against Pakistan.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

August 22, 2014

33

PM Modi Heads Superbody to Drive Mission Ganga

BY ZIA HAQ NEW DELHI (H T): The NDA government’s policy to clean the Ganga — a key mission — is likely to be administered by a powerful overarching entity headed by the Prime Minister, possibly backed by an enabling law, with the private sector playing a vital role in delivery, according to a preliminary plan.

The single entity could well be a revamped National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), which as of now oversees all matters related to the river. But it would be a body with a much wider mandate to “coalesce” myriad activities currently scattered across departments.

As a first step, the NGRBA has already been shifted from the environment ministry to the water resources ministry.

A third of India’s 1.2 billion people live along the 2,510-km sacred river. Although the Ganga is an icon of the Hindu faith, it is dying a slow death due to filth, untreated sewage and industrial runoff. Only about 45% of the 11 billion litres of sewage from 181 towns along the river is treated.

Private-sector firms, especially those specialising in water technology, will be entrusted the job of running “last-mile” treatment plants

A revenue model for the private sector to recover costs in the long run is being worked on. For example, biogas and rural electrification from water-based assets could be potential revenue sources.

A panel of secretaries in the ministries of water resources, environment, shipping and tourism are currently chalking out the strategy for water resources minister Uma Bharti, who will then place it before the prime minister’s office for approval.

Re-doing of all major ghats, the labyrinthine centres through which people access the river, will form a critical component. In Kanpur, the main source of industrial waste in the northern Ganga, the city’s industrial set up will be overhauled. For example, of the 37 tanneries in that city, only 20 are legal. The illegal ones will be shut and legal ones will get help with managing their effluents.

An expert being consulted, speaking on condiCleaning the Ganga was a key poll promise of PM Narendra Modi during the General tion of anonymity, said it was a good idea to get Hindu leaders involved because they were key Elections. (PTI Photo) stakeholders, without whom the public could because past experience has shown that local according to a review. Firms would be given not be sensitized. Bharti had recently organized government bodies utterly failed to manage strict targets of water volumes to be cleaned. a “Ganga Manthan” in which religious leaders, such projects. As a result, a large number of A key aspect would be to ensure assets already experts and scientists had participated. “expensive assets” have fallen into “disuse”, created do not go waste.

UP Floods: Rapti Water Level at New High; 28 Killed NEW DELHI ( H T): Overflowing rivers have submerged around 1,500 villages in Uttar Pradesh, leaving 28 people dead and around 17,000 homeless so far, as the flood situation turned critical in the state on Sunday.

Incessant rainfall in Nepal and a sudden rise in the water level of the Ghaghra, Sharda and Rapti also marooned over 6 lakh hectare of crop land.

Breaking all records, the water level in the Rapti river in Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh has touched 105.47 metres, which is 0.85 metres above the danger mark, as the Centre issued an “unprecedented flood situation” warning for the state.

The highest level of water recorded previously in the Rapti was on September 11, 2000, when the river had risen to a height of 105.25m, the ministry of water resources said in a statement in New Delhi.

In Uttar Pradesh, four teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two helicopters were placed at the disposal of the state government.

Heavy rains have thrown life out of gear in Uttarakhand for the past 48 hours. Several highways have been blocked due to landslides and the death toll in the state stands at 26.

A 17-year-old girl was swept away in a local

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seasonal river at Sahashtradhara — a tourist spot in Dehradun — on Sunday afternoon. Local rescue teams, including divers, tried to find the victim’s body, said police in Dehradun.

Torrential showers have wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh too, with several dead and around 500 roads damaged.

The Centre is on the alert and home minister Rajnath Singh flew to Dehradun on Sunday to review disaster-response preparedness.

The home minister Rajnath Singh said, “We have decided to help all states combat natural calamity. Orders have been issued to rush National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to all states where situation is alarming.”

Since Friday, 13 people have been killed in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district in separate incidents.

Meanwhile, 363 people who were stranded in Pauri district for the past two days were rescued on Saturday and Sunday.

Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has announced a package of Rs. 2.5 crore for infrastructure development in the affected district.

In Bihar, the state government launched efforts to rescue nearly four lakh people hit by floods, which have also claimed two lives.

Around 38,000 people have been evacuated so far and 75 relief camps set up in the nine affected districts, sources said.

A view of a flooded road in Tikonia area near Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheeri, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo)

As many as 12 teams of NDRF have been deployed in Bihar for rescue and relief operations in flood affected areas of the state.

Army troops were in place to offer help to the local administrations in their rescue and relief works in Bihar, a home ministry official said on Sunday night.

Three helicopters were also kept on standby

to help rescue the marooned people in Bihar, where nine districts have been hit by flood.

The flood situation is also grim in Assam with the Brahmaputra and its tributaries flowing above the danger mark in several districts, following heavy rainfall. The Kaziranga National Park is heavily flooded, forcing animals to move to highlands.

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