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Friday, September 06 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 36

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Indo American erican News Janmastami at ISKCON www.indoamerican-news.com Published weekly from Houston, TX

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Bollywood Film On Stage P3

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Hindi, Meri Bhasha!*

(* Hindi, my Language) P9

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COMMUNITY

BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: The overflowing crowds that showed up to watch BOLLYWOOD BLAST 2013 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park on Sunday, September 1, is yet another endorsement to the far reaching pull and magic that Bollywood music and dance has across the globe. With Houston being no exception to this influence, “One, two, three, four, get on the dance floor” is exactly what 80 dancers did to create an event that was bubbling with youthful energy, vibrancy and movie masala.

Presented by Samskiti Indian Performing Arts, an organization that has been at the forefront of showcasing Houston’s desi talent for the past 7 years - BOLLYWOOD BLAST 2013 – MAGIC OF LOVE was directed and choreographed by Tina Bose-Kumar and Kiron Kumar of Infused Performing Arts with Artistic Director Dr. Rathna Kumar.

The tone of this musical love story was set with a cleverly filmed and entertaining trailer on the “magic of love” by Ajay Sarpeskar. In this trailer, we are introduced to Babli, a Punjabi kudi (Tina Bose) and Kumar, a South Indian boy (Kiron Kumar) who is visibly proud of his roots and what he calls “the lungi brigade can do”.

A flashback next takes the audience to an intercollegiate dance competition where the two meet for the first time and are pitted against each other in the semifinals. The audience cheered and hooted with delight as the two semifinal teams danced to chartbusters Babli Badmash and Singham. Kumar’s team is declared the winner and is all set to enter the finals. A visibly upset Babli walks away to Kumar’s mocking “why this Kolaveri di” but fate has a plan to bring the two together. Kumar’s lead dancer literally breaks a leg and is unable to dance in the finals. Kumar decides to approach Babli to see if she will agree to be

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Bollywood Blast Takes Us on a Filmi Magic of Love

their lead dancer. Babli agrees and love blossoms between the two.

Kumar serenades Babli with HipHop Pammi and the popular and immensely hummable “Tere Naina.” However as is often said and seen, the path of true love is never smooth and the two face the age old barrier of parental disapproval. The Punjabi- South Indian angle is played out by the two fathers who disagree on how the wedding is to be performed and the marriage is called off. A crestfallen Kumar dances away his woes with a few lungi wearing friends while a reluctant Babli is forced to marry the boy chosen by her father. The timely intervention of Dabbang’s Chulbul Pandeyji with his trademark dark glasses hooked to the back of the collar saves the day, reunites the lovers and brings all the 80 dancers together for the grand finale.

The costumes by Tina BoseKumar were colorful and smart, the technical team was adept, the quick succession of dances was fast paced and lively and the inclusion of a couple of South Indian songs like Naakku Mukku added to the diversity of the selected songs.

The bhangra vs bhartnatyam faceoff between the two fathers was hilariously exaggerated by Karthik Chander and Prem Baweja.

But the biggest round of applause goes to the lead male dancer Kumar who seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy and moves that looked effortless.

He was ably assisted by the lead female dancer, Tina, as well as the talented and enthusiastic group dancers who with numbers like Panghat pe naache Madubala, Hip Hip Hurrah and Disco Deewane had the crowds cheering.

One could see the hours of training and practice that was put in to put up a show that was well choreographed and executed.

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In pictures, different dance performances at the Bollywood Blast 2013, that took place at the Miller Outdoor Theatre on September 1.

Photos: Navin Mediwala

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COMMUNITY

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ISKCON Houston’s Sri Krishna Janmastami Celebrations A Huge Success

BY GANGA NARAYAN DAS HOUSTON: ISKCON Houston celebrated Krishna Janmashtami with much fun and fare on 28 August at the stricking of midnight.

The presiding deities Sri Radha Nilamadhava welcomed more than 4000 eager guests. The temple room was packed with guests saying to the kirtans sung by His Grace Ajamila Das, a renowned kirtaneer from Toronto Canada.

We also had the auspicious presence of His Holiness Gunagrahi Dasa Goswami. His Holiness travels extensively in Argentina and nearby Americas, sharing his wisdom and helping individuals on their spiritual journey. The temple room and altar were decorated with choiciest flowers, drapes and lights.

Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava had adorned a beautiful new outfit namely Devaki Nandan (Yellow and Purple color dress) specially designed and custom made in Vrindavan, India. Festivities started at 6:30pm on August 28 and the devotees steadily prepared their

consciousness to welcome Sri Krishna in their hearts. Krishna was born to Mother Devaki at midnight. So, in that same spirit, devotees undertake austerities like fasting the whole day, and engage in devotional services all the while eagerly look forward to the appearance of Krishna in their hearts.

While the festivities within the temple room were going strong, a queue formed outside the temple with people patiently waiting their turn to do abhishek (spiritual bath) of a beautiful Bal Gopal deity. As per traditions, a conchsell was used for the abhishek. People would then proceed to gently rock an exquisite craddle of Bal Gopal.

No festival is complete without a sumptuous prasadam! And Krishna’s birthday would be no exception. The highlights of the menu were vegetable bahaar and paneer kurma.

The birthday of Krishna is very special for the devotees of ISKCON for yet another special reason - it is also the appearance day of their founding acarya, His

ISKCON Houston Janmastami 2013 Celebrations.

Photos: K R Thejas & Nagalla Nagaraj

Swinging Bala Gopal on Janmastami.

Picture of the moment when alter is opened at midnight Maha Arati on Janmastami.

Devine Grace A.C. Bhakiti Vedanta Swami, called as Srila Prabhupada. The apearance day of Srila Prabhupada falls on the next day of Krishna Janmashtami, August 29. It was because of the desire of one old man in his late 60s that we now witness a spiritual revolution world-over. Surving two heart attacks on board the ship to the US, Srila Prabhupada, aged 69, arrived at the shores of Boston in 1965

with two trunks full of his translated books, an umberella, some clothes for change, $40 and carrying within his the instructions of his spiritual master to spread the message of Lord Caitanya to the Western world. So members of ISKCON hold great feelings of gratitude for Srila Prabhupada and celebrate his appearance day with exhuberant joy.

Comemorating Krishna Janmashtami, ISKCON Houston also celebrated a social gathering on September 1, inviting various local artists and art schools from Houston and surrounding areas.

Children displayed their talent and it was heart warming to see these tiny tots eagerly embracing and preserving our culture. The venet ended with a comedy drama based on our scripture called, “Kali’s Nightmare”. The direction was pure genious, the costumes looked very professional and the message sunk very deep. We thank all the participants for their time and energy in making this festival a grand success.

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.

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Saturday, Sep 14, 2013 VPSS Hall, 11715 Bellfort Village Dr, Houston, TX 77031 Program: 4.30pm – 6.30pm

Puja: 1.00pm Miravnuk: 4.00pm – 4.30pm

Dinner: 6.30pm – 7.30pm

This year, the best “most traditionally” dressed member will receive a gift voucher from HMM

For tickets, contact (RSVP** with payment only!)

Supriya (281) 313 7482 | Megha (714) 600 4285 | Pauravi (248) 462 3698

Upto Sep 11 : Members: $10 | Non-members: $15 | Kids 6-12: $5 Sep 12 onwards : Members: $15 | Non-members: $20 | Kids 6-12: $5 **Ukadiche modak only limited to members who RSVP

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COMMUNITY

September 06, 2013

Boom Boom Wins Women’s Cricket Cup

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With a Tri-Angular format tournament, the three participating teams were HotShots, Minions and Boom Boom. On Saturday the Women teams played round matches and on Sunday the Semi-Final and Final was played. The tournament standings: 1st Place - Boom Boom, 2nd Place - HotShots and 3rd Place - Minions.

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COMMUNITY HOUSTON: The two-day 16th Hindi Convention themed “Hindi evam Yuva varg” was held on Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31 in Houston for the first time by the local chapter of the International Hindi Association and the Kavi Semmalan (Gathering of Poets) drew in about 350 people who heard from the Chairman, Dr. Nandilal Singh about the history and progress of the Association prior to a buffet vegetarian dinner.

After dinner, awards were presented to the many people who helped put the convention together, and it was capped by a short speech

by Prachi Gadia in Hindi, a language that she only learnt to speak in classes at UT-Austin, much to the delight of those who have worked hard to get Hindi into a two or four year curriculum at several universities across the country.

For those who have attended the last few kavi semmalans in Houston, they realize that the events are not only magical in the use and flow of Hindi, but the context of the verses and the impact of the jokes and limericks is just so different that it can be stunning. Many who didn’t get the context went along, as poet Gajendra Solanki noted, tongue in cheek, by observing their neighbor was clapping.

(The headline means “Among the poets, we laughed till we ached”.)

Solanki was the main headlining poet on Saturday night, introduc-

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Kaviyon ke Sang, Hus Hus ke Padde Tung: 16th Hindi Convention

The two-day 16th Hindi Convention themed “Hindi evam Yuva varg” was held on Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31 in Houston for the first time by the local chapter of the International Hindi Association.

Photos: Rajiv Bhavsar and Nandlal Singh

ing the others – Archana Panda, a software engineer from the Bay Area and Abhinav Shukla of Seattle – and then closing it out with a 45-minute recital of poems, many one-liner jokes and witticisms.

Panda, a young and petite figure in a golden green sari, was just as amusing with her observations on bad usage of Hindi and even English in the US (“Hindi I love, but I cannot say it now” as a person had told her once).

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in his Patni Chalisas, in which he had humorous lines about how a husband has to cower down to his domineering wife’s demands.

The Convention events wooed an audience of over nine hundred attendees spread over Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening, with numerous cultural programs presented

by Houston children and organization. The program started with Gita Dhyanam in Sanskrit

by Vidya (8) and Vedant (5). The inauguration was done by Consul General P Harish with a keynote address was delivered in chaste Hindi and stressed the importance of Rajbhasha Hindi. He congratulated the IHA for taking up the task of language retention for future generation. He also unveiled a book “ America aur Canada mein Hindi” by Dr Bajrang Varma.

She left with one piece of advice: “Jitne bachon ko vishwas deyeinge, utne unko hamare pass layange” (If you believe in your kids, they will stay close to you).

Shukla strode to the mic and dove into several verses set to a bhajan-like sing-song style, interspersed with many witticisms and observations of daily life, even speaking of events that he made up involving the Gita and Lord Krishna. He was especially good

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For Ikebana Members, an Indian Perspective on Flower

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The Japanese are known for their minimalistic, yet beautiful flower arrangements that are in harmony with their surroundings. The art is known as Ikebana (Living Flowers) and has spread out across the world as people are captivated by the sheer creativity that turns even discarded petals and leaves into an art piece.

The local chapter of Ikebana International held its September event at the home of Nandita Parvathaneni, wife of the Indian Consul General, for members and their guests. The roomful of women sat in the large living room which had been cleared to make space for the event which began with a classical Kuchipudi dance invocating Ganesha by Shreya Bhadriraju and Amani Parvathaneni, students of the Anjali School of Performing Arts.

The ladies were then treated to a Ikebana flower arrangement demonstration by Shirley Bludau with the Ichiyo School of Ikebana. She started with an empty tall flower vase and then added some dried branches, discarded Bird of Paradise leaves (even the dried, curled up ones), a few snips of green bush tops and a couple of chrysanthemums (“The only thing I bought”, she quipped, “all $10.50

From left: Dale Schawrz, Sushila Mathew and Barbara Crowe of the Houston Chapter of Ikebana International flank Nandita Parvathaneni (2nd from left).

Photos: Jawahar Malhotra

of them”!) and turned into a beautiful art piece.

Sushila Mathew who was the Program Chair of the Houston Chapter later exhibited a beautiful colorful piece that she had made herself. She was accompanied at the event by Chapter President Barbara Crowe and Board member Dale Schwarz.

Nandita Parvathaneni then explained the second part of the

program which consisted of the flower arrangements that are used in India. “In the multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual mosaic that is India, flowers occupy a central role in all rites of passage – from birth, marriage to death”, she said. “In Hinduism, CONTINUED ON PAGE

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Ladies with the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir gave a demonstration on how to make an Indian garland.

Shirley Bludau with the Ichiyo School of Ikebana gave a demonstration of the art of Japanese flower arrangement.

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Kaviyon ke Sang, Hus Hus ke Padde Tung: 16th Hindi Convention CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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The IHA Board was introduced and National President Sushila Mohanka (81 years ) applauded the efforts of the Houston Chapter for taking a big challenge.

The Friday evening program was emceed by Jasmeeta Singh.

The Houston Chapter President Sangeeta Pasrija welcomed the guests and spoke about the achievements of the Chapter since last 5 years and Vice President Swapan Dhairyawan spoke about the planning process for this Convention. He also thanked the Committees, the sponsors, vendors, volunteers and partici-

pants in this National Convention.

The Cultural dances “Laya of Shiva” by Keka Kar and students in an amalgam of three classical styles of India and the uniquely fast paced Nritya on Hanuman Chalisa

by Shivangini School Dance on the opening day simply captivated the audience beyond expression and received a standing ovation. Also a chorus song by students of Madhu Bangia about love of mother tongue Hindi, was hugely admired.

Legendary Begum Akhtar’s and Girjia Devi’s well-known disciple Rekha Surya enthralled the audience with her program “Ghazal, Dadra and Sufi Music.” The audience was glued almost until midNational level directors of IHA board along with Dr. Renu Khator.

For Ikebana Members, an Indian Perspective on Flower CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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every flower has a particular association with specific deities and energies and are used to propitiate them and seek blessings”. She added that “flowers are God’s gift to mankind. They remind us of what is pure, elevating and transcendent in nature, and indeed, in our lives. They connect us to nature and the divine”.

She then introduced the four ladies from the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Stafford who had come to demonstrate the art of making garlands for the deities, and for special occasions as well as the rangoli designs they had made using colored rice, though it

can easily be done with petals of flowers as well.

The ladies explained the procedure of cutting the flower stems close to the bud, using cotton thread to avoid shredding and a large quilting needle to string the flowers together. They explained the significance of the color of flowers in Hinduism (red, yellow and orange for weddings for example, and white for funerals).

They completed making a short garland and placed it on a statue of a deity in the room.

The ladies then adjourned for a light lunch prepared by Nandita before concluding the event.

IHA members with Consul General P. Harish.

night for these beautiful renditions.

Saturday morning had all day programs consisting of fun, informative and meaningful workshops and literary sessions “Hindi Typing on Computers,” “Making Hindi Popular,” “Khel Khel Mein Hindi,” How to Write Hindi Poetry,” “Ram Ek, Naam Anek,” “Influence of Bollywood on Hindi,” “Shabd Manjusha – What’s the Good Word,” “ Bollywood ka Hindi per prabhav”,“Dainik Jeevan mein Hindi,,” “Kaun Banega Bharat Gyani,” and of course Antakshari.

Through these programs, the attendees learnt use of Hindi on computers, websites, social media and smart phones, and participated in discussions ranging from Hindi’s origin, present status and with concrete plans to make it continue its role as a premier world language all across.

The seminars were moderated and conducted by team members which included Om Gupta, Dinesh Singhal, Sanjay Sohoni, Rishikesh Sohoni, Abha Dwivedi, Meera Kapur, Nausha Asrar, Fatehali Chatur, Dr K D Upadhaya, Dr Sarita Mehta, Sangita Bhutada, Prachi Gadiya,Sarojini Gupta, Sushma Pallod, Alok Misra and Archana Panda of San Francisco; who made the session lively by engaging listeners as she gave some concrete tips on how to write poetry. The participation of kids like Arnav, Vatsala and Aditya were a true reflection of continuity in the mission of IHA. All the winners were awarded with gifts. The morning program ended with Gaana Pehchana’s rendition of a song lyrics game; a unique program based on Antakshari.

Ram Sitaram thrilled the partici-

pants in this interactive session.

The Convention concluded with a Hasya Kavi Sammelan with accomplished poets including Gajendra Solanki (Delhi), Archana Panda (convener of San Francisco Radio Show “Main Shayar to Nahi”), and Abhinav Shukla (Author of “Patni Chalisa.”). The poets reached the audience’s deepest senses with their themes of patriotism, issues dealing with the Indian American Diaspora, and hilarious recitations of spousal relationships, and current political affairs.

This evening program was attended by Chancellor of University of Houston Systems Renu Khator and Dr Suresh Khator who are strong followers in Hindi poetry.

The evening program started with slide presentation of IHA activities, accomplishments and Star Talk (a federal program) by Dr. Nandlal Singh of Dallas and Kiran Khaitan of Ohio. The Houston committee members were all felicitated by Sushila Mohanka. Who was recognized for her dedicated service in continuing Hindi education and enrichment. Sarojini Gupta and Dr K. D. Upadhyaya were felicitated for their donor contribution to the IHA convention.

The organizations which supported in various capacities this Convention were also recognized: Club 24, Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America and Gujarati Samaj of Houston. The poets were felicitated at the end of program by both IHA and Gujarati Samaj of Houston through the hands of Dr Renu Khator.

IHA Houston Chapter in a surprise move also recognized Mrs Shakuntala Malhotra (85) for her continued attendance for the last 6 years at IHA Kavi Sammellans.

Before departing to their respective cities on Sunday Sept 1st, the attending IHA directors had a meeting with the Houston Chapter committee to learn how the program was put together. The IHA Houston Chapter leadership of Sangeeta Pasrija and Swapan Dhairyawan led a committed 27member team of Houston’s talented kavis and Hindi premis to make this convention a great success. The Convention is memorialized with a publication “Smaarika” that highlighted past achievements of Hindi, with suggested concrete plans to take Hindi language promotion forward.

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COMMUNITY

September 06, 2013

First Visit by an Indian Consul General to Zoroastrian New Year’s Celebrations HOUSTON: Although the Zoroastrian Association of Houston is now about 35 years in the Bayou City, last week marked the first time ever that an Indian Consul General has graced their Community Center and their New Year’s celebration. The ZAH Community Center keeps on expanding with new contributions and fund raisers. Zoroastrians are better known in India and Pakistan as Parsees.

ZAH’s representative Meheyar Rivetna showed him around the facilities explaining how the Center evolved and how the vibrant community co-exists in harmony, since ZAH’s members are a mix of those who are from India, Pakistan and Iran. Harish took a keen look at the only Zoroastrian Library which also has artifacts of the religion.

Harish was well informed was about this minority community in India and recognized their contributions to the Indian business and social environments that has brought about an economic revolution in India. He said that the Zoroastrians had played such a major role in bringing about social and charitable vehicles including hospitals, research facilities and much more for the

use and benefit of all Indians, not just for their own community.

The evening’s celebration was brisk, then amazing function was delightful and the kids set up a prayer, dance and song routine.

It was well choreographed with the events begining on time with a benediction from the youngest priest. This was followed by a performance by little kids on a Zoroastrian theme, with a rendition of a beautiful prayer.

The kids followed up with a fun-filled program of Bollywood dances, especially impressive as some of them had never even been to India or even watched Indian movies. After the Awards presentation dinner was served and then a dancers lit up the floors as a live band played some crazy tunes.

The Zoroastrian Association’s Congress 2000 Legacy Award was established from funds that came from the successfu World Zoroastrian Congress 2000.

Each year, the award recognizes young Zoroastrian students who are studying at the University level, have achieved excellence in their scholastic studies and extra-curricular activities and have made substantial contribution to

Zoroastrian community affairs.

Homi Davier, the Chair of the Legacy Awards, in his speech mentioned that these students deserved to be recognized as innovators and leaders for tomorrow’s global community. “By supporting the next generation of great minds we pay tribute to the success of Houston’s Zoroastrian Community”, he said, “and its belief in giving back to the mainstream community that gives them so much”.

Consul General Harish presented the two awards and handed out scholarship checks.

ZAH lovely hall, kitchen and furniture can be rented out for parties.

For further information, visit www.zah.org

Shayan Noshir Bhatena is to be commended on her achievement, dedication, and contributions and was the recipient of the 2000 Congress Legacy Award.

Ervad Rayomand Percy Katrak (right) received the “Cyrus Rohinton Desai Award” which was set up by the Desai family in memory of their courageous young son who lost his battle with cancer. It was Cyrus’s ardent desire to go to college but sadly this was not meant to be. That is why this award is given exclusively to the person who is going off to college for the first time.

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18 September 06, 2013 Ghoos Phoos The monsoon is coming to its tail end all over the country. But it’s still raining. Raining populist schemes, that is. It is the season most favored by Indian politicians when they get into pre-election mode: it is the season of competitive populism.

Hard on the heels of the food security Bill, which aims to provide hugely subsidized foodgrains to two-thirds of the country’s population, has come the land acquisition Bill, which protects the interests of farmers, particularly those who have small holdings, but which will substantially increase the cost of setting up industries.

In a rare show of solidarity, political parties across the board have expressed general approval of both pieces of legislation.

If power is said to corrupt, and absolute power is said to corrupt absolutely, it seems that populism seduces, and absolute populism seduces absolutely.

Spoilsports such as economists and market analysts have warned that India can ill afford such costly schemes, particularly at a time when the country’s economy is in terrible shape. But with their eyes firmly set on the 2014 polls, no one in the political arena is in any frame of mind to listen to such killjoys and party-poopers.

Perhaps even greater than the problem of hunger, or of the forcible seizure of land from farmers, is the problem of rampant bribery and corruption. Indeed, it could be said that all of India`s many problems — including the problems of hunger and land seizure — are due to the twin-headed serpent of bribery and corruption.

As the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi once admitted, out of every rupee spent on welfare schemes to help the aam admi, barely 17 paise reached the intended recipients, the rest got eaten up by corrupt officials and middlemen. Subsequent guesstimates made by commentators suggest that Rajiv Gandhi was an optimist, and that the money that actually reaches the targeted beneficiaries is in fact much lower, and could be as low as between 5 paise and 7 paise a rupee.

Using such figures, it could be argued that welfare schemes such as the food security Bill actually help to promote bribery by providing more scope and resources for such corrupt practices.

Indeed, the more laws there are — for everything from welfare, to taxation, to traffic control — the greater the opportunity for corruption.

A website called ‘I Paid A Bribe’ run by a Bangalore-based NGO, shows that the common citizens of Delhi paid bribes totalling 4.3 crore in three years, with individual handouts ranging from 10 to 1 lakh. And these are just the people who posted their comments on the site.

All political parties should get together to pass a bribe security Bill by which they will together pledge to subsidise bribery by lowering the cost of bribes across the board. This ‘subsidy’ could be inversely linked to inflation: if inflation is 9%, bribes — for everyone from the cop on the street to the mantriji — should be reduced by that amount. Jug Suraiya in Times of India.

EDITORIAL

A to Z of the Indian Economy

BY DILIP BOBB Challenged by the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to explain the current economic crisis, PM Manmohan Singh broke his vow of silence to say there was no need to panic.

Similar words were uttered by the captain of the Titanic. For those who are economically challenged, a list of economic phrases to explain the present circumstances: Animal spirits: Coined by Adam Smith, it described attempts to inspire confidence in an economic system which was really based on “naive optimism”. Indeed, economists have agreed that where these animal spirits come from is something of a mystery and that attempts by politicians to build confidence by making optimistic noises have rarely done any good. Manmohan Singh would know all about it: he mentioned the phrase in reference to a species which everyone else believes is extinct.

Anti-trust: Refers to government policy for dealing with certain situations especially concerning a monopoly, which the Opposition is accusing the UPA of having done for the last 10 years in terms of governance. However, in the last four years, anti-trust has come to refer to the general feeling towards the government.

Asymmetric information: Refers to situations when somebody knows more than somebody else.

Such asymmetric information is a key element where transactions involving the government are concerned. A government selling broadband licences does not know what buyers are prepared to pay for them; and the one who does, is the winner, even though he might end up in jail.

Big Mac index: An index devised by The Economist as a guide

Misery index: Refers to the sum of a country’s inflation and unemployment rates.

The higher the score, the greater the misery.

Going by that score, we must be world champions, as the cricket channels keep reminding us every day and every hour. to whether currencies are at their correct level based on purchasing power parity. This suggests that a buyer should pay a similar amount for a McDonald’s burger, no matter which country they live in. They obviously didn’t take the rupee into account or the fact that most salaried Indians currently feel the same as French fries being dumped into boiling oil.

Cost-benefit analysis: Describes a method of reaching economic decisions by comparing the costs of doing something with its benefits. This is particularly so when the decision being contemplated involves some benefit in the foreseeable future, as in 2014.

Invisible Hand Theory: One of Adam Smith’s theories which suggested that the invisible hand of

market forces will achieve an efficient level of consumption and distribution of goods in a society. In India, that is taken to mean the hand of the Congress and its president behind the flurry of revenue-draining populist schemes.

Money illusion: A phrase coined by John Maynard Keynes which suggested that because of government machinations, workers are under the illusion that their circumstances are improving, even though in real terms they are actually quite worse off. The middle class is presently learning all about money illusion.

Depreciation: When the value of assets decreases over time or as in the value of a currency in relation to another. This can be quite confusing since the PM and some economist groups suggest that it’s actually not a bad thing and also seem to be asking for some appreciation.

Misery index: Refers to the sum of a country’s inflation and unemployment rates. The higher the score, the greater the misery.

Going by that score, we must be world champions, as the cricket channels keep reminding us every day and every hour.

Zero Sum Game: An economic theory which states that a zero sum game is achieved when the gains made by winners in an economic transaction equal the losses suffered by the losers. The recent Bills passed by the government are a case in point since they are hoping to gain electorally while we, the taxpayers, are the big losers. Right now, collectively, it’s really the sum of all fears.

Dilip Bobb is a columnist for the Indian Express and a Member of Parliament.

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CORRESPONDENTS

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

September 06, 2013

19

Local New York Life Agent Offers Added Protection and Security Through AARP Products HOUSTON: Amiralli Dodhiya from the Houston General Office of New York Life, is now authorized to offer AARP branded life insurance and lifetime income annuity products to AARP members.

It is the first time these group life insurance products are offered by authorized-to-offer Agents.

Amiralli Dodhiya is among a select group of New York Life agents who became authorized to offer his clients AARP Guaranteed Acceptance Life; AARP Level Benefit Term; AARP Permanent Life Insurance, all from New York Life and New York Life’s Guaranteed Lifetime Income Annuity. He is a Licensed Insurance Agent and passed courses specific to AARP. Amiralli Dodhiya is a member of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), a MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) qualifying member 2010/2011/2012/2013, a Chairman’s Council agent with New York Life and has won several Industry awards Including the Premier Centurion Case Rate Award in 2012.

Since 1994, AARP group life products from New York Life have been available via direct mail to AARP members. The Company has also been the provider of group lifetime income annuities to AARP members since 2006.

New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+).** Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance.

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For advertising Call: Vanshika Vipin at 713.789.6397 INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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Baba Ramdev to Visit Houston HOUSTON: Renowned Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev will visit Houston on Sept. 26 as part of his week-long US tour.

Swami Ramdev, popularly known as Baba Ramdev, is the inspiration behind Patanjali institutions, including Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust. He has popularized Yoga in India and abroad through his TV shows and Yoga camps.

He has also been associated with the anti-corruption movement in India and the agitation for a stronger Lokpal. His followers have formed Bharat Swabhiman Overseas, an organization to campaign for a cleaner and corruption-free India.

Swamiji will visit the US to take part in the 150th Birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda in Chicago and New Jersey. He will also commemorate the 120th anniversary of the famous address by Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on Sept. 11.

In Houston, Swamiji will address a public meeting at VPSS Haveli, 11715 Bellfort Village Dr, at 6 p.m.

“It is a unique opportunity for Houstonians to listen to Swamiji who has been an inspiration to millions of people in India and abroad,” said Shekhar Agrawal, President of Patanjali

Yogpeeth Trust Houston. He invited everyone to come to program Swamiji last visited the U.S. in July 2010. In Houston, he will be hosted by Patanjali Yogpeeth USA and Bharat Swabhiman Overseas which are promoting the ancient Indian science of yoga/ pranayama in north America.

On his way to the United States, Swamiji will stop over in the United Kingdom for four days.

He will conduct programs in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Patanjali Island, the international center for Patanjali Yoga.

Swamiji will leave Houston on September 27 to take part in the Chicago program the next day. He will be in New York on September 29 for the New Jersey program where he will be the Chief Guest and speaker at the Dharma & Yoga Fest organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and other Hindu organizations. He will go to Atlanta on September 30 for the evening program before flying back to India.

For further information, visit www.pyptusa.org

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HOUSTON: Tagore Society of Houston (TSH) would like to welcome all Houstonians to the Unveiling Ceremony of the statue of Rabindranath Tagore at Tagore Grove, Ray Miller Park on Friday, September 13 at 7:00 PM. This momentous occasion is a landmark in supporting TSH’s ongoing efforts to spread the vision and the message of the great Indian literary icon and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, the first Nobel Laureate from Asia.

Tagore Society of Houston, inspired by President Ruma Acharya (Deysarkar), visualized a memorial for Tagore right in the heart of Texas in the city of Houston – a Texan city with a diverse international flavor. Houston has been named the most ethnically diverse city of United States; as a magazine article put it - “In Houston, America’s Diverse Future Has Already Arrived”.

A Memorial for Tagore is very appropriate for this international city. Tagore’s compositions celebrate the joy of living also and love towards every human being.

He was a social reformer, patriot and above all, a great humanitarian and philosopher with visions of globalism of mankind during a time when the world was engulfed in 2 global wars in the first half of last century.

After sustained efforts by Ruma, the Honorable Commissioner of Harris County, Pct. 3, Steve Radack approved to erect a full figure (6’4”) bronze statue at the northwest corner of the Ray Miller Park of Harris County. Ray Miller Park is located at the south

side of the intersection of Eldridge and Briar Forest Road in Houston.

TSH members planned to build a grove with flowering plants, shrubs and trees to create a natural setting which Tagore envisioned as the route to environmental education and sustainable living based on preserving nature.

The statue will sit inside a fenced enclosure with an arbor with flowering vine behind the statue. The fenced enclosure will be surrounded by newly planted rose bushes as well as three Weeping Willow trees and several Gem Magnolia trees. The bronze statue was designed and built under the guidance of a renowned sculptor at the Calcutta Government Art College. It was shipped from India in early September to be in Houston for the ceremony on September 13th. This project was funded

by PFP Inc and Techno-India and

many patrons of TSH and we thank them for their generosity.

The concept of Tagore Grove was inspired by Tagore Society’s mission to advance Rabindranath Tagore’s vision for a “Borderless World” and “Universalism”.

Tagore Grove will be a place epitomizing peace and an ambience conducive to introspection for the entire Houston community including the international community and all visitors to Houston.

This landmark monument will be a symbol of Houston’s commitment to promoting international peace and harmony across different religions and culture, as envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore.

TSH will sincerely appreciate your presence on the historic occasion of the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Rabindranath Tagore at Tagore Grove, Ray Miller Park.

See ad on Page 17.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

BY VIDHA DIXIT HOUSTON: As a curious Hindu youth growing up in the suburbs of Houston, I always cherished the Sunday mornings and afternoons I would spend with my grandfather. I can still clearly remember munching on my mother’s warm aloomattar and enjoying the lively conversations between us. We would talk about a host of topics, from what football game would be on in a few hours, to the the latest Bollywood movies, and above all, to the numerous stories of Hinduism and spiritual knowledge that he wished to share with me and my brother.

My grandfather, Dr. Sen Pathak, is a curious man himself. Born in the Surhurpur Village of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, he prevailed against the odds set against him and brought pride to his hometown by earning not only a Bachelor of Science in Botany, Zoology and Chemistry, but a first class first Master of Science in Zoology as well as a PhD in Mammalian Cytogenetics from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India.

However, he didn’t stop there. My grandfather (fondly called Nana) continued his work on cytogenetics by moving to America and conducting cancer research with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Along with his work in cancer research and educating younger generation scientists in the same field, Nana has always been a huge proponent of promoting awareness of Hinduism throughout the Houston area. Not only has he contributed

September 06, 2013

The Most Interesting Man in the World

Dr Pathak with Radha and Nupur Dixit.

through monetary efforts in creating the first Hindu temple in Houston (Hindu Worship Society), but he has spent countless volunteer hours in preparation for Hindu events in the Houston area for over 40 years, the most prominent being the Hindus of Greater Houston annual Janmashtami festival.

His success in the academic, career and philanthropic fields has been nothing less than inspirational and motivational for me. During our conversations over chai and samosas on Sunday afternoons, a few such stories of his hard work and dedication have stuck with me for years. Nana mentioned that

growing up in a village in India and commuting to school through fields on foot was a tiresome effort.

He would often recall memories of having only one pencil throughout his childhood and the use of oil lamps during the nighttime to study while his younger siblings slept near him. To know that my grandfather had to endure such efforts as a child while I have been afforded nearly all I could ever need or want, I understood that I had a lot to live up to and no excuse to not excel both academically and through volunteer work. Along with Nana’s childhood memories, his words of wisdom on Hindu-

ism, such as respect for elders and teachers, as well as the short stories about various Gods were always a family favorite. I can honestly say that if it were not for him, I would be much less knowledgeable about Ganesh’s elephant head.

Recently, I haven’t been able to see my Nana as much as I would have liked to, partly because I have been swamped with work and school, but also because Nana is constantly kept busy in earning and receiving almost twenty national and regional awards as well as with helping affiliate many Cancer Hospitals and Cancer Research Centers from India

21

and Turkey with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Luckily for me, modern technology has made contact with him little more than a click away through an email or phone call.

As I set along on my next steps in college at the University of Houston, I will continue to look up to my grandfather as a source of spiritual wisdom and practical knowledge for both school and giving back to the community. In less than a week, I look forward to teaming up with him again at the 24thannual Janmashtami festival for our volunteer efforts as well as to congratulate him on his Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Hindus of Greater Houston. From such humble beginnings came such greatness, and I cannot thank him enough for his stories, advice, and above all, friendship for the past 18 years.

I plan to continue my academic work through undergraduate and graduate school because of him and to contribute to the community in any way I can. Most importantly however, I look forward to more afternoons of both chai and knowledge for the next several years. Thank you, Dr. Sen Pathak, for being an inspiration to us all!

Vidha Dixit is a freshman studying Pre-Business Honors at the University of Houston. She is a recipient of the Tier One Scholarship, Top 10 Percent Scholarship, Bauer Business Scholarship and Academic Achievement Scholarship.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

22 September 06, 2013

COMMUNITY

Dharma and Yoga Fest in Houston HOUSTON: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS), Houston Chapter and Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) with the support of many other Dharmic organizations, will host “Dharma and Yoga Fest” on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

This event will be followed by Janmashtami celebrations from 6 p.m. through midnight.

The Dharma and Yoga Fest will conclude the yearlong commemoration by HSS of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary in 2013 and his vision of “Universal Peace Through Dharma and Yoga”. The concluding ceremony of this event, starting at 5 p.m, would be chaired by Consul General of India in Houston, Parvathaneni Harish.

Dharma and Yoga Fest will showcase Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, and Raja Yoga as practiced in the local community. The program will feature an exhibition on Swamiji, demonstrations, discussions, and teachings from all Yoga paths, including Kirtan and Bhajan sessions (Bhakti), panel discussion on Dharma (Jnana) and service activities (Karma), and Hatha Yoga demonstrations (Raja).

To bring practitioners together at Dharma and Yoga Fest, HSS is partnering with more than 50 local Dharma and Yoga organizations.

According to HSS Program Co-Director Achalesh Amar, “What better offering to Swami ji than educating people about the four paths of Yoga he propagated. We have received a tremendous response from the Houston Hindu community in putting together this program and we are extremely grateful to all the organizations for their enthusiastic support.”

Dharma and Yoga Fest will include several distinctive events, including a recitation of the complete Srimad Bhagavad Gita by

children and adults and a speech contest for middle and high school students, said HSS Program Co-Director Manoj Rathi.

All the participants would be provided complimentary dinner coupons upon registration from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The coupons can be used immediately after the concluding ceremony, just before Janmashtami celebrations start at 6 pm.

Dharma and Yoga Fest also marks the 120th anniversary of SwamiVivekananda’s groundbreaking address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11.

HSS conducts a structured values education program through its 150 branches nationwide to develop strong character, teamwork and leadership skills, thereby helping organize a dynamic and flourishing Hindu-American community.

For further information, visit www. hssus.org.

Swami Vivekananda - Laser Light Show

by Manick Sorcar HOUSTON: The laser documentary on Swami Vivekananda is now here in USA for a three-month tour across the nation, after its phenomenal success in India where it was displayed in a number of cities, receiving rave reviews and was nationally telecast.

Although it is called a laser show, “Swamiji” is far from a traditional laser show. It is actually a well-researched 1.5 hour multi-media show with a predominance of laser. Here are some of the leading media acclaims about the show: “It was indeed a marvelous show, to say the least. The packed audience of the main auditorium of the Science City thoroughly enjoyed the premier-show as it was vastly research-oriented and professionally created...”

-Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata.

“Apart from the very impressive display of laser technique, what gladdened our hearts was the accuracy, authenticity & the appropriate nature of incidents, music, narration, etc....The Western audience would appreciate the show even more because Swami Vivekananda’s message of harmony has been beautifully highlighted....”

.-Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi.

“The life of Swami Vivekananda came alive through a first-of-akind documentary made in laser...”

-The Times of India.

“Full of animation and 3-D effect, the documentary uses cutting-edge laser technology to transport the audience to a world where art fuses with science seamlessly.”

-The Hindu Business Line.

This tour is intended to be the annual fundraiser of Sewa International. Apart from carrying out various rehabilitation and development activities across 18 nations, in the past 2 years Sewa International has started and grown three more projects: Family Services, Local Volunteering and VISTA. Sewa needs your help and support to reach more milestones like these to serve more and more people in need.

The show is on September 8, 4 PM @ New Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford TX. To purchase tickets visit www.houston. sewausa.org/ticketing OR call (281)-7963029.

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September 06, 2013

23

Arya Samaj DAV School Open for New Session

HOUSTON: The new session of the DAV Sanskriti School opened on Sunday, August 25 with much enthusiasm from both students and parents. The School aims to inculcate Vedic values and culture in children, with two hours of instruction followed by Prasad.

Classes start at 10 am every Sunday. Naitik Shiksha (moral science) and Conversational Hindi are compulsory, and children can choose from a variety of electives like music, dance, yoga, tabla instruction, Hindi reading and writing, vedic math and public speaking. The youngsters also have an opportunity to attend the Havan, and older kids (13+ years) can participate in the Arya Yuvak Mandal (Arya Youth Group), which aims to inculcate in the youngsters a sense of seva (service) and shraddha (devotion) by having them volunteer in non-profit activities that benefit Arya Samaj and the community.

The Sanskriti School is housed in the Arya Samaj buildings at 14375 Schiller Road, Houston with a beautiful annex devoted to classrooms and a hall where the Havan (for youngsters) is held. The school and its activities benefit from the sincere efforts and dedication of its many donors, teachers and volunteers in the school committee who give their time generously. Besides the Sanskriti School on Sundays, there is also the DAV Montessori School on regular weekdays.

The main building has a large prayer hall where the Yajman (Prayer host) and his/her family participate in a Havan led by Acharyaji (head priest). It also houses the dining hall where the congregation can partake in the

Prasad served at the end of prayers.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Sunday Satsang and Havan on Sundays at 10am, and participate in the prayer meeting by singing bhajans and listening to the weekly discourse on religious and social topics, and the importance, benefit and application of culture in one’s life. The Arya Samaj complex also houses a large library for children and adults, with books on world religions and cultures in English, Hindi and Sanskrit.

The Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, and was started as a reform movement in response to the corruption and atrocities (Sati/ untouchability/dowry/education restrictions for women) which had seeped into the Hindu culture. Arya Samaj Greater Houston was founded in 1991, and aims to serve children, youth and adults of the area through spiritual and cultural enrichment by spreading the knowledge of the Vedas. The people of Greater Houston are indeed fortunate to have such a wonderful center for Vedic learning and enlightenment close at hand. Arya Samaj Greater Houston invites all to avail themselves of the learning opportunities at DAV School, and enroll children and youngsters for the New Session. More information can be obtained at the Arya Samaj Houston website (http://www.aryasamajhouston. org) or by calling (281)752-0100.

Below is an account of the opening day of the DAV Sanskriti School through the perspective of one of its students, Smriti Ahuja.

Ahuja and her brother have been attending the school for

many years and their parents Sanjay and Kiran Ahuja volunteer in various capacities at Arya Samaj : Opening day of DAV Sanskriti School It was the morning of August 25, and my brother and I were immensely excited as we entered the DAV Sanskriti School building.

The foyer was a beehive of activity, filled with parents busy filling out registration forms and asking questions. It was great seeing the old faces and so many new ones.

We chattered away excitedly with friends, telling each other what we had been up to in the summer. We were really looking forward to seeing each other again every Sunday.

Soon, all the kids and parents were seated and we started the school year with the Havan. Very soon the air was filled with the melodious voices of kids and adults chanting the yagya shlokas in unison. Lot of kids, including my brother and I, who have been coming to Arya Samaj since so many years, knew all the yagya shlokas by heart and it was wonderful reciting them together in one voice.

After the Havan, we were shown a very insightful film on Swami Dayanand Saraswatiji, the great founder of Arya Samaj.

After the movie finished, welcome speeches were given by the management committee members. Teachers and volunteers were also introduced so that parents and kids could familiarize themselves with faces and names and contact any of them during the year. The kids were then sent off for orientation and meetings with their teachers.

Parents in the meanwhile were given information on their kid’s curriculum and the DAVSS school operations. They were acquainted with the different activities taking place in Arya Samaj over the course of the year, and since this is a volunteer run organization, were requested to volunteer in at least one field of their choice.

The event ended with all the kids and parents together in the foyer reciting the aarti (prayer) together before all of us scampered off to the lunch room to have prasad (food) and once again chatter happily with our friends.

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24 September 06, 2013

RECIPES/PUZZLES

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

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Moong Di Daal Da Halwa (Moong Daal Halwa) Halwa has existed for centuries in Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Jewish world. It refers to a dense, sweet confection that can be either slightly gelatinous, flour-based, typically suji (semolina) or the crumbling nut-butter based, usually made of tahini (sesame paste).

Halwa can also be made with sunflower seeds, nuts, beans, lentils (like this recipe) or vegetables like carrots, pumpkins and squashes.

Halwa can be kept for a few days at room temperature without risk of spoilage. It is often eaten on special occasions or at religious ceremonies, but my family has a tradition of asking for suji halwa with blanched almonds on someone’s birthday. Of course, the first morsel must go to the in-house mandir (temple) to be blessed!

In Punjab, moong di daal da halwa has a unique appeal and is usually found everywhere during the winter months since it is high in calories and is supposed to keep the body warm. It is considered auspicious for Holi and Diwali and is even made for weddings.

The halwa is made with split, skinless yellow moong daal, and the preparation takes a lot of patience to saute the daal. There are three ways to make it: the original way, the faster way and the short cut, all dealing with the preparation.

In the original way, soak the daal for four or five hours and then place it in a grinder and make a coarse paste and then saute in ghee (clarified butter). The faster way is to boil the daal in just the right amount of water it will take to become tender; drain the water through a sieve, saute and then add the same water back. The shortcut is to use moong daal flour and prepare like suji halwa by sauteing but the taste is no way close to the other two methods. I know since I have tried all three ways and found the

boiling method to be quite good.

That’s what this recipe is based on.

Ingredients: • 1 cup moong daal (split, skin less yellow daal) • 5 cups tanda pani (cold water) • 1 cup tael (olive oil; some may prefer ghee or clarified butter) • 1 cup chinni (sugar) • Mewa (dried fruits) to taste: dhule badam (blanched almonds), piste (pistachios), kishmish (raisins), akharod (walnuts) Directions: 1.

Place the daal and 3 cups of water in a medium sized wok and bring to a boil.

When the daal is tender, drain the water through a sieve and keep it for the rest of the recipe.

2.

Place the sugar in 2 cups of cold water in a small saucepan, let it come to a boil and then set aside. If you prefer a sweeter dish, then add ¼ cup more sugar.

4.

Turn the heat to low and when you see oil rise to the sides, then turn off the heat.

Sprinkle the dry fruit on the top of the halwa before serving.

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

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Put the daal back in the wok with the olive oil and let it roast till it becomes slightly brown.

When you see traces of oil come to the sides of the wok, then add the syrup water and stir continuously till the water begins to dry up.

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ENTERTAINMENT

September 06, 2013

Movie Review: Satyagraha

BY SRIJANA MITRA DAS Story: As corruption erupts, what’s the best satyagraha-to preach or practice?

Review: There’s a shot in Satyagraha - a rainbow glimmering for a second between jets of water pounding protestors - which typifies this film. Vibrantly layered, Satyagraha weaves together urban legends of corruption, encompassing corporate lobbyists to murdered engineers. It features slices of histories, Chauri Chaura, Mandal, Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal Andolan. It takes a real issue - corruption - to reel life, movingly fusing fact with fiction, leading to a security guard accompanying a politico at its screening to sing out aloud, “Aam aadmi kitna aam, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram...”

Retired teacher Dwarka Anand (Bachchan) is an idealistic man.

His engineer son Akhilesh’s buddy Manav (Devgn) is an ambitious capitalist. Manav cherishes his friend - who suddenly dies. Minister Balram Singh (Bajpai) announces compensation which Akhilesh’s wife Sumitra (Rao) cannot get despite daily applications before government babus. Incensed, Dwarka slaps an arrogant official and gets imprisoned. Manav starts a campaign to free him, using social media, roping in wannabe-bahubali Arjun Singh (Rampal) and journalist Yasmin (Kapoor). As hopeful students, hungry labourers and angry middle class citizens join, politicians panic. Will their moves derail the movement?

Devgn is Satyagraha’s strong

body while Amitabh gaunt in grief, moving in fortitude - is its soul. And Bajpai is its glittering, malevolent cloak, delivering a satiny performance hairraising in its perfection.

Bachchan voices the movie’s philosophy - “Janta sarkaar ki malik hai. Malik nirdesh deta hai. Maang nahin karta.” But what is the best way to give such nirdesh? Symbolic protest? Violent revolt? Or a longer, harder route?

Satyagraha grapples with this dilemma. More philosophical than fiery, it adorns reality with gloss and loss. Dwarka touching the earth where his son fell brings tears while Prasoon Joshi’s wonderful lyrics - “Uthkar karne hain kuch kaam, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” - bring hope.

Satyagraha deserves an extra halfstar for capturing corruption from root to branch - a government babu complains, “Yahan toh table ka bhi bhaada dena padta hai”. Showing true Satyagraha has no short-cuts, it also shows solutions glimmering ahead, as ephemeral, yet powerful as a rainbow cleansing the dust.

Note: You may not like this movie if you avoid sociopolitical realities in cinema.

-Times Of India

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Yes I’m in Ajay’s Next Film: Kajol

Ajay Devgan with wife Kajol

BY KAVITA AWAASTHI NEW DELHI: Bollywood fans who grew up watching multiple re-runs of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) have a reason to rejoice. While Shah Rukh Khan has been going strong on the big screen, Kajol has stayed away from it for the last few years. Until now, that is. In a recent interview to us, Kajol’s husband, actor Ajay Devgn revealed that Kajol will feature in a film that he will produce. Now, Kajol confirms the news, saying, “Yes, I’m in Ajay’s next film. We have finalised a script.

Now, hopefully, it will start soon.”

However, Ajay has also said that

he will only produce the film and not act in it. The two last worked together in their home production in the film U Me Aur Hum (2008).

Is it a conscious desicion to not work together in a film again?

“We won’t be doing the film together because that’s what the script demands,” explains Kajol.

Kajol herself was last seen in the Karan Johar-produced dud, We Are Family (2010). Thereafter, she took a long sabbatical following the birth of her second child, her son Yug. Ask her about what the storyline of the film is likely to be, and Kajol says, “Wait for the announcement.”

- Hindustan Times

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Analysts Give GDP Growth a Rerating, New Mean at 4.5%

NEW DELHI: ‘Balance of payments, rupee depreciation and high interest rates to pose a drag’.

The government may believe that economic growth bottomed out in the April to June quarter of this fiscal, but fresh macro economic data pouring in have made a host of private analysts more cautious, who have now scaled down India’s GDP growth forecast to below 4.5 per cent for 2013-14.

India’s manufacturing sector contracted for the first time in August this year in more than 50 months, according to an HSBC survey.

The HSBC/Markit purchasing managers index (PMI) for the manufacturing industry stood at 48.5 in August, lower from 50.1 in July, indicating an overall contraction. This is the first sub 50 reading the PMI since March 2009.

“Manufacturing activity contracted in August for the first time since March 2009. This was led by a decline in new orders, especially export orders,” HSBC chief economist for India and ASEAN Leif Eskesen said. HSBC on Monday also trimmed India’s GDP forecast to 4 per cent for the current fiscal and 5.5 per cent for 2015. It had earlier estimated the Indian economy to grow at 5.5 per cent in 201314 and at 6.6 per cent next fiscal.

“But, this is not the bottom.

High-frequency indicators, such as HSBC’s PMI indices and business sentiment indicators, suggest that the growth momentum eased further during the July-September quarter in both the manufacturing and services sectors,” Eskesen said in a separate note, adding that reform announcements are yet to translate into action. Fur-

ther, consumers and business have become cautious about spending on the back of heightened macro economic uncertainty.

According to official data released last Friday, the Indian economy grew at an estimated 4.4 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it is likely to see some revival over the next three quarters and growth could touch 5.5 per cent in 2013-14.

HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh said there is good news only on the agriculture front where growth is projected at 4 per cent this fiscal. “Money is going out of India with a negative outlook on FII debt. Internationally, confidence in India has gone down, which is reflected in the rupee,” he said at Motilal Oswal Annual Global Investors Conference.

Global financial services firm Nomura has cut India’s GDP growth projection for the current fiscal to 4.2 per cent from the earlier 5.5 per cent and has kept a “negative”

view on the country’s macro-economic outlook for the next three to six months due to higher than anticipated tightening in the financial conditions. “Looking ahead, good monsoons and a gradual recovery in global demand are positives, but the question is whether they will be able to offset the drag from the ongoing balance of payments stress,” Nomura India’s economist Sonal Verma said in a note.

JP Morgan too has slashed India’s GDP growth forecast to 4.1 per cent from its earlier projection of 5.1 per cent in the current fiscal on concerns over the sharp fall in the rupee’s value and high interest rates.

Key infrastructure sectors grow by 3.1% in July.

New Delhi: The eight key infrastructure industries grew 3.1 per cent in July, the highest since April, on the back of better performance by the steel, refinery products and electricity sectors.

However, the growth was lower compared to 4.5 per cent growth registered in July dur-

ing the same period a year ago.

The performance of the core sector will be reflected in the IIP to be released on September 12.

While in April and May the growth of the core sector was 2.3 per cent each, it inched up merely 0.1 per cent in June.

The growth for April-July period was 1.9 per cent.

During the month, the production in crude oil and natural gas declined by 2.3 per cent and 16.1 per cent, respectively.

Coal, fertiliser and cements barely grew 1.2 per cent, 0.4 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively. ENS Will deal with challenges one at a time: Rajan.

New Delhi: Faced with declining value of the rupee and widening CAD, RBI Governor-designate Raghuram Rajan today said there is no magic wand to solve the challenges before the country overnight and he will endeavour to deal with them one at a time.

Rajan, 50, who has been in the finance ministry as the chief economic adviser for barely a year, will replace D Subbarao as RBI Governor who demits office on September 4.

“We have enough ideas. It is not just the currency, it is financial inclusion, it is growth. I think there is a lot to do. There are challenges in the economy... These things are not going to be overcome overnight.

There is no magic wand. But there are undoubtedly solutions to many of the problems that the RBI can tackle and the job is to go ahead and do it. We will do it one step at a time. Make sure that it progresses everyday,” he told reporters. PTI

-Indianexpress

Falling Rupee Affects Bollywood’s Overseas Movie Shoots

NEW DELHI: Falling rupee is affecting Bollywood’s penchant for shooting in exotic foreign locations with such travels seeing a dip of 30 to 35 per cent in last four months, according to an industry report.

The filmmakers are opting for non-dollar countries and locations within India to curb costs, findings by Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) reveal.

“There will be more cut down in the number of films shot abroad, especially medium and low budget films and opting for lesser expensive destinations in South East Asia, Middle East and South Africa,” said D S Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM while releasing the report “Weak rupee dampen spirits of bollywood filmmakers in foreign location”.

The report said that for filmmakers, the costs turns out to be much higher in countries like US, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Ireland and Denmark.

“Indian films producers are also reducing the number of days from packages and looking to offset these costs by opting for shorter duration stays and looking at budget accommodation options,” added Rawat.

There are changes in travel patterns as majority of filmmakers are opting for destinations like Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bali and Phuket or sticking to local destinations such as Kashmir, Kerala and Goa, the report said.

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-Times Of India

28 September 06, 2013 Union Territory of Badminton: Gopi’s Academy

BY MADHAVI TATA HYDERABAD (Outlook India): The sound of whizzing shuttles echoes in the giant hall at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. Two boys, aged 14 or so, keep leaping high in the air as they practise their smashes, stopping briefly to glance in awe as the academy’s latest champ, P.V. Sindhu, walks by. Then it’s back to the grind, nothing, not even celebrations around a World Championship medal, eats into net practice time.

The 39-year-old Gopichand, former All England Open champ and academy founder, watches from the corner of his eye, gesturing to the coach subtly. “It’s amazing.

Finally, we have newspapers giving a full page to a badminton victory,” Gopichand says with a shy smile.

Of late, Gopi’s academy has become a sort of ‘champ factory’, churning out a line of world-class, aggressive shuttlers. Be it world no. 4 Saina Nehwal, Sindhu (no.

12), Parupalli Kashyap (men’s no.

17) or world no. 20 Guru Sai Dutt, they are all alumni of this academy. Being a high-energy sport, badminton is often referred to as a “coach-vs-coach game” where strategies are as important as a player’s skill.

While top Chinese, Indonesian and Thai players are genetically blessed with the dexterity and stamina required for badminton, Indians have had to do a bit of reinvention.

Like Sindhu, who is 5’11” and was initially said to be “too tall” for a shuttler. Her coverage of the back of the court, especially, was sluggish. But Gopi recruited special fitness trainers to strengthen Sindhu’s legs and now the weakness is her greatest strength. The pleasant-mannered teen’s transformation into an oncourt fighter was no magic. “There is no shortcut to success. These are the fruits of years of struggle we are seeing now,” says Gopichand with pride.

That’s true for the academy too.

In 2003, then Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu granted Gopichand five acres of land in Gachibowli to build an academy.

On the line: Gopi giving tips to a youngster

Companies like Yonex and Navayuga chipped in to build his dream but the biggest contributor was Nimmagadda Prasad of the Matrix Group of companies.

One day, over breakfast at the popular Hyderabad restaurant Chutney’s, where he was meeting with AP Badminton Association vice-president V. Chamundeswarnath and Prasad, Gopi received an unexpected gift. A cheque of Rs 2 crore from Prasad. “I remember telling Prasad that Gopichand would not be able to repay such a loan. Prasad told Gopi he did not expect repayment. Just a gold medal in the Olympics for India,” recollects Chamundeswarnath.

Prasad later gave Gopichand Rs 3 crore more for the academy. This was the seed fund for what was to become a great nursery.

But even today, Gopichand admits the academy is still juggling budgets. Catering to about 120 students, the monthly fee ranges between Rs 2,000 to Rs 15,000 (for boarders). It’s the passion to produce world-class Indian players that drives this badminton gurukul. “My Chinese coaches Wang

Xiao Ming and Su Yan were tough taskmasters. They gave me the gift of discipline. That’s what I plough into the centre today and drill into all my students,” says Gopi. The academy has eight coaches now (including four from Indonesia), three physiologists, eight courts, a swimming pool, a health club, rehab and wellness centres, a running track, ice and steam bath facilities, two AC dorms, a cafeteria, jacuzzi etc. “As a player, I used to experiment with diet, technique and training. I do the same even now and try out everything,” the coach says.

Newly crowned World Championship bronze winner Sindhu, now 18, came under Gopi’s wing at the age of 10. She says the best part is the coach’s emphasis on fitness and injury recovery. At one point, owing to a knee inflammation, Sindhu could not practice. So Gopi devised a diet plan to keep Sindhu’s weight at 63 kg. “The best part is he tries out the diet himself first. He does not experiment on the children,” says Sindhu’s father P.V. Ramana. “When we first brought Sindhu to the

academy, Gopi took one look at her game and told me, ‘Ramana, forget that she is your daughter.

She is my daughter from now. I’ll train her’,” recollects the proud dad.

Gopi himself struggled with knee injuries for the most part of his career, which is why he places great emphasis on fitness and strength training. And it shows. Be it Saina or Sindhu, the court speed of Indian shuttlers has vastly improved.

Building muscle strength and diet is as important as strategy.

“The Chinese system of identifying talent early and grooming them has gained acceptance among many parents in India,” says Gopichand who does a lot of work on theory, reading and devising fresh strategies. The best part about badminton today, he says, is the belief among the players. “This is primarily due to more facilities and exposure which players in our time lacked,” he says.

Of course, not everyone is a member of the Gopichand fan club. Doubles player Jwala Gutta has lashed out at Gopichand often, citing a conflict of interest—how could he run a private academy and also serve as national coach?

Asked if his academy would expand to other cities soon, Gopichand says as of now he’s happy with the Hyderabad set-up.

“When my players get a medal, they don’t graduate and leave.

They stay on.

Parents too are willing to put in the time and money nowadays to train their wards. Both in the case of Sindhu and Saina, the parents shifted to houses closer to the academy. “Many don’t hesitate to spend Rs 30,000 a month or more on their child’s training,” says Sindhu’s dad Ramana, a former volleyball player and Arjuna awardee himself.

Gopichand says it is not one dream but many that drive his sweat and toil in the academy. “I work on a day-to-day basis and just focus on giving everything my best shot. My ultimate dream, of course, is to see two Indians face each other in the Olympic finals.

That way we are assured of both gold and silver,” he smiles.

SPORTS

WI to Tour India

MUMBAI: West Indies will travel to India in November for two Tests and three one-day internationals, the WICB confirmed on Tuesday night. The dates and venues of the matches are yet to be announced. The second Test is set to be Sachin Tendulkar’s landmark 200th Test.

This means India’s much-anticipated tour to South Africa will have to be trimmed. It was due to begin with a tour game on November 18, but if India are to fit in five matches against West Indies after the Australia ODIs that end on November 2, it is unlikely that the matches South Africa could begin before November 30.

That tour was originally scheduled to include two T20s, seven ODIs and two Tests, ending on January 19. Now, though, apart from beginning later, it will also have to finish earlier as the itinerary for India’s tour of New Zealand begins with an ODI on January 19.

Pak Beats Zimbabwe HARARE: Pakistan 249 for 9 (Azhar 78, Misbah 53, Ajmal 49*, Panyangara 3-71) v Zimbabwe Even 24 hours before the toss, there had been uncertainty over whether this match would take place as Zimbabwe’s players were again threatening a boycott over delayed payments. The Test started on schedule but Zimbabwe were hamstrung as Sean Williams decided he wouldn’t play till he was paid, and their regular captain Brendan Taylor was away on paternity leave after his son was born late on Monday.

Though Ajmal may not have the most orthodox technique, his merry swinging of the bat proved extremely effective late in the day.

He signalled how he was going to play with a murderous straight hit over Utseya’s head early in his innings.

With Junaid flailing at everything but somehow staying in the middle, the partnership began to swell. Zimbabwe turned to the new ball in search of the breakthrough but that only quickened the runflow with Ajmal’s hook for six off Chatara among the highlights.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 06, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

INDIA

September 06, 2013

Stokes: The American Hero of India’s Freedom Movement who Died Unsung and Unwept

BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT This is the story of Samuel Evans Stokes, the American expat who came to India in 1904 to teach but stayed on to learn.

His doting parents in Philadelphia had not then imagined that this voyage that their young son was embarking upon was going to be “a journey of no return”.

Neither did the young American then had any such inkling.

Yes, this is a story of an unsung ‘American in Khadi’, who until about 1924, was as active a participant as any in India’s struggle for independence under the leadership of Gandhi. His arrest in Lahore on 3rd December, 1921 and subsequent trial that ended in a 6-month imprisonment was then widely reported in Indian and American newspapers.

Again, it was Stokes who became the harbinger of a horticultural revolution in the Kotgarh region that eventually made today’s Himachal Pradesh one of the richest states in the country.

Samuel Evans, who later changed his name to Satyanand, was all that and more. Not many were aware of Stokes’ manyfaceted personality. It is a pity that so little is known about this man. In 1999, his granddaughter Asha Sharma wrote American In Khadi, a biography published by Penguin Books India. An updated version has now been published by the Indiana University Press under the title An American in Gandhi’s India, with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Here are some highlights from the life of that extraordinary man whose memory even today lays buried deep in the dustbin of history.

The Stokes’ story began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was born on 16 August, 1882. He was to live just about less than 22 years in the country of his birth.

Then on 09 January, 1904, he set sail aboard Haverford for India

Stokes as a young man of 21 when he came to India.

Stokes as Satyanand

on a voyage that turned out to be a ‘Journey of no Return’. His subsequent story for the following 42 years was enacted in the Simla Hills in the Punjab and elsewhere in India. He did things that no other individual Indian or foreigner ever did or even dared do.

He was a delegate from Kotgarh (Simla Hills) to the All India Congress Committee session held at Nagpur in December 1920, the only American to have had this unique distinction. Yet another distinction that came his way was that he was only foreigner, albeit non-Indian, who was destined to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921 that called upon the Indians to give up government service and join the freedom movement.

This was not the only contribution of Stokes’ to the country he adopted as his own. He had spear-

headed the movement against begaar or impressed labour in the hills, an insidious system under which the villagers were required to work for free or just a pittance for government officials and travelers, and eventually succeeded in forcing the British administration to abolish the system in its territory.

And seeing the poverty of the hills people, he was determined to help them that he did by introducing the American red delicious apples in the region. He imported the saplings from America, distributed them free to the villages and helped them in planting and nurturing them. The apple revolution, he started in his lifetime, changed the very face of the hills.

Today Himachal Pradesh is amongst the leading states in the country in terms of horticultural production. Stokes became to the impoverished hill folks of Himachal (then Punjab) what Johnny Appleseed was to the early settlers in America. Not many people, outside of Himachal Pradesh, know that the state owes its prosperity to this American who had worked tirelessly to the end of his life to provide some degree of prosperity to the people he had adapted as his own. For that matter even fewer are aware of Stokes’ role in India’s freedom struggle.

This, in short, is the forgotten story of a forgotten leader and social reformer who died on 14 May, 1946 at Simla; his was a death, unwept and unsung. Even Himachal whose current prosperity is very much due to the pioneering work of Stokes has forgotten him.

His granddaughter-biographer Asha Sharma laments, There is no bust or statue in Simla, no institution or road named after him, no commemorative stamp and no recognition by government by way of Bharat Ratna.

Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dunbased author and freelance journalist.

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