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Friday, October 12, 2018 | Vol. 37, No. 40

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Indo American erican News

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Ramleela

Pratham’s Digital Learning Initiatives

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Pratham Houston Advisory Board member Dhiren Shethia (left) and Pratham Co-Founder Dr. Madhav Chavan on Thursday, October 4, at the BBVA Compass Plaza in the Galleria area.

Broadway Style Show!

2018 Indian Film Festival of Houston

Movie Review

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P5 Deputy Consul General, Surendra Adhana with IFFH Board Members, Artist and Directors. Iqbal Khan (left), Silvia Quan, Gordon Quan, Anusha Bose, Amrita Bagchi, Sutapa Ghosh, Sarthak Das Gupta, Surendra Adhana, and Amey Prakash.

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October 12, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

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The Intersection of Engineering, Commerce & Business

BY ARCHANA SHARMA

HOUSTON: The Indo-American

Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) and American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects (ASIE) hosted their first joint event at India House on October 4. The event presented three prominent engineering and business leaders; Sudhakar Kalaga, President – KIT Professionals, Inc., Sanjay Ramabhadran, Principal, Versa Infrastructure and METRO Board President and Varuna Singh, Alternate Program Director for TxDOT-Houston for a panel discussion titled “The Intersection of Engineering, Commerce and Business”. IAACGH’s Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia started the proceedings by welcoming the audience to the event following which, Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan gave an insight as to the collaboration with various Associations during the year and ASIE’s Secretary and Board Member Chaitanya Gampa update the ASIE activities. The Program Chair and Board Member Archana Sharma, served as the moderator for the panel discussion, took over the stage and shared her excitement in presenting this event with the hope that it benefits members from both organizations. She said the goal for the event was to present speakers from different paths of life “public, private and entrepreneurial” to discuss engineering, business and commerce that lead to the panel of the day. She introduced each speaker by sharing a personal note

about their childhood dream for a career – a cricketer for Kalaga, a bus driver for Ramabhadran and a lawyer for Singh.

The panel discussion started with each panelist giving the audience a synopsis of their “Engineering Journey”. The panelists further discussed personal experiences during their career and shared lessons learnt. When asked how to balance technical growth and business growth, all three agreed that technical growth is most critical and if achieved, business growth and profits would follow automatically.

While discussing engineers’ role in politics, the panelists agreed that engineers have a big influence on policies and must take initiative to participate and advise the policy makers to have an impact on the society. When asked about what crucial investments needed to be made for Houston’s infrastructure, both Singh and Ramabhadran indicated “public transportation” as the most important need while Kalaga felt “drainage” improvements were critical. The panelists further shared their wisdom when asked to share “one” piece of advice for the audience. Singh and Ramabhadran, both acknowledged the importance of “communication” while Kalaga urged the audience to work towards becoming an expert and leader in their chosen path of life. Sharma opened up the panel to the audience, which lead to discussions on varied topics including engineering ethics and life-work balance. Sharma concluded the panel

discussion thanking the guests for the candid conversation.

80+ attendees attended the event and Madras Pavilion catered the dinner.

For more information of future events visit www.iaccgh.com and www.asiehouston.org Photos: Paresh Shah

Moderator: Archana Sharma (left), Speakers: Varuna Singh, Sanjay Ramabhadran, and Sudhakar Kalaga.

Swapan Dhairyawan (left), Chaitanya Gampa, Sanjay Ramabhadran, Sudhakar Kalaga, Archana Sharma, Varuna Singh, Showri Nandagiri, and Jagdip Ahluwalia.

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October 12, 2018

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COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

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Indian Film Festival of Houston Celebrates 10 Years

HOUSTON: Audiences who at-

tended the Indian Film Festival of Houston were treated to screenings, entertainment, food, and an opportunity to mingle with film directors and actors during the threeday event. They saw cinema par excellence at the Asia Society on October 4 and 5. A cocktail hour began the festivities with music by Moodafaruka and snacks provided

by Nirvana.

Opening Night’s Chief Guest, Deputy Consul General of India Surendra Adhana, greeted everyone and congratulated Sutapa Ghosh for the milestone anniversary. The popularity of Indian cinema now has a global reach, gaining new fans each year. Director Kanwaljit Sethi presented his feature film entitled Once Again, then answered questions on the first night. A short film, Sound Proof, and documentary, Shalom Bollywood, followed.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was the Chief Guest for the second night. He congratulated the Indian Film Festival of Houston for its 10th Anniversary and talked about his deep appreciation for the festival’s sharing wonderful Indian cinema and culture with the city’s residents. He concluded his talk by presenting a proclamation to Festival Director Sutapa Ghosh, marking October 4, 2018, as Indian Film Festival of Houston Day. Films the second night were the short, Shame, directed by Anusha Bose who answered questions about the unusual plot, followed by the feature film, The Music Teacher which was presented by Sartak Dasgupta who came with the lead actor, Amrita Bagchi. The

documentary, Purdah, ended the evening’s activities. Each of the films during the two nights was unique and had universal appeal.

They were the best of the best selected from more than one hundred submissions.

Sutapa Ghosh, Festival Founder and Executive Director, is known for her excellent taste, and it was on full display as guests arrived at the Hotel ZaZa in Memorial City.

Mistress of Ceremonies, Deborah Duncan, greeted them after the cocktail hour had provided a chance to meet filmmakers and the other guests. The decor, food, as well as entertainment by “Rhythm India” and Moodafaruka, added to the enjoyment of the evening.

The highlight of the Gala was the presentation of awards. Sutapa Ghosh gave remarks about how pleased she was that the Indian Film Festival of Houston was celebrating its 10th anniversary and remarked about plans for the future. Loyal patron Dr. Carolyn Farb was unable to attend in person, so she sent a letter that was read by the previous nights’ Master of Ceremonies Jose Grinan.

Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor and President of University of Houston, received the Award of Excellence. She arrived in the city in 2008, just as the film festival began, and has been one of its strong supporters. She spoke of the importance of the annual event as a way of sharing Indian culture with diverse audiences, and then told of plans for University of Houston to build a medical school as well as helping the neighboring community that surrounds the campus.

All of the films were superb.

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Dr. Renu Khator receiving the IFFH Award of Excellence from Sutapa Ghosh.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and Sutapa Ghosh.

IFFH team with Mayor Sylvester Turner. From left: Stephanie Todd Wong, Sunny Sharma, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Ellen Goldberg and Jose Grinan.

Awards for the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Houston are: Best Feature Film: Once Again, directed by Kanwaljit Sethi Best Short Film: Shame, directed

by Anusha Bose Best Documentary Film: Shalom Bollywood, directed by Danny Ben-Moshe Special Recognition: Amrita Bagchi Judging by pictures and comments from those who attended the events, it was a huge success.

Watch for news of the 2019 Festival, because Sutapa Ghosh is not one to rest on her laurels. Expect it to be bigger and better next year.

From left: Deborah Duncan Mistress of Ceremony for the Gala, Jose Grinan, Master of Ceremony for the Festival and Sutapa Ghosh, Founder and Festival Director.

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COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

Kusum Sharma’s Ramleela in Houston, One of the Best in the World!

Photos: Chaya Photo Studio

BY KAMLESH NARWANI

HOUSTON: I have seen several

Ramleela in India but none like the one witnessed today said Ekal Vidyalaya CEO Bajrang Bajra who was one of the Ekal delegates visiting USA invited to Ramleela by grand sponsors Subhash and Saroj Gupta. This sentiment summarizes for the 1000+ audience of the 14th edition of spectacular Ramleela put on display by Kusum Sharma’s Shri Natraj School in association with Kalakriti Performing Arts (a 501c non-profit) showcased on October 7, at VPSS Haveli in Houston.

Ramleela is a life adaptation of Lord Rama symbolizing victory of good over evil. Over the past 14 years, director of Ramleela, Kusum Sharma has been directing

& presenting Ramleela across the nation and this show is having a transformational effect on the lives of performers and the community.

With every year, the story telling, costume, props & performances keeps reaching new heights and now this Ramleela can easily compete as one of the best Ramleela in the world. In words of another Houstonian Sachin Chitlangia “We go to places like Thailand to see Ramayana plays, perhaps we should go to Kusum Sharma’s Ramleela, a wonderful plays that happen in our own town Houston. It is one of the finest show of Hindu-Americans in the US and everyone should go and watch it every year”. Kusum Sharma

has been purposeful in highlighting unique noble facets of Lord Rama’s life, and this year the show emphasized the laws of karma, acceptance, and importance of human relationships. Stage portrayal of these qualities has intrinsically enriched the lives of the performers and hopefully the audience.

Ramleela is a Broadway style show and a visual delight with amazing cultural costumes, special effects and lights, acrobatic performances, a heart touch drama, and thrilling dances. The reach of the shows goes beyond cultural boundaries, and appeals to audiences of all ages and genders. This year, the show was covered and attended by

Manisha Gandhi & Gautam Jani from TV Asia who interviewed the cast members and production manager. Last year, the Honorable Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner sent a letter extending his appreciation of this show and its influence on the community. This year, the Honorable Governor of Texas Greg Abbot along with the first lady Cecilia Abbott sent a letter recognizing the show for its rich ancestry and cultural impacts.

Many of the 200+ volunteer performers and professional artists of this Ramleela are repeat performers and have evolved with this show from young children into fine adults. The Generation Z of

this show knows much about the Indian culture’s rich tapestry and its relevance to practical life application. The cast includes several accomplished members like Vipin Sharma as Lord Ram (male protagonist), Kusum Sharma as Sita (female protagonist), Hari Sriram as Raavan (antagonist), Samit Grover as Laxman, Anup Bansal as Raja Dashrath, Dharminder Dargan as Hanuman and Ram Sharma as Raja Janak. This remarkable and memorable event is sponsored and attended by several distinguished personalities, who proudly support Indian culture and heritage.

Kalakriti Performing Arts graciously extends its gratitude to all its sponsors for their continuous support and guidance. It wouldn’t have been possible to have this magnificent show without its superbly talented performers and volunteers who invested their precious time to make this event glorious one. Kalakriti Performing Arts also send their heartfelt thanks to Alings Hakka Chinese, Mandap Creations, Divine Decor, Deep Foods, VPSS and Shiv Shakti temple, apart from the media partners Indo-American News and TV Asia for their coverage and intent to promote this event.

The Kalakriti team wishes all the readers a happy Dussehra and a prosperous Diwali. May Lord Ram bless you all. Please visit www.kalakrtitiusa.org for additional information including future cultural events and support with your tax-free donation for even more successful 2019.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

October 12, 2018

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COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

Fourth Anniversary Celebrations of the Houston Desi Friends Group

HOUSTON: The Houston Desi Friends group, a unique WhatsApp group with over 20,000 members, celebrated its fourth anniversary at India House on Saturday, September 29. Event objective was to celebrate 4 successful years of the group, to honor the noble charity and cultural organizations, to bring awareness about rare diseases to the community, and to create awareness about bone marrow & white blood cell donations.

This group supports sharing information of events, business deals, job opportunities, immigration related information, travel companion information, Harvey support related information, Investments groups and many other, using WhatsApp as a communications tool. The group members are spread across Greater Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle, Bay Area, Michigan, Ohio, and Chicago. Communication happens between all the groups with the support of 40+ Admins that manage the groups.

Admin team honored various charity and cultural organizations, who support the needy in US and in India. Representatives

Photos: Karthik Photography

from various non-profit organizations such as FARA (Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance), Sewa USA, Asha Jyothi, IACAN, EKAM, ISCA Houston (Indian Senior Citizens Association), ICC (India Culture Center), Manoranjan, KPL (Katy Premier League), RTL (Royal Texas League), ORDI (Organization For Rare Diseases India), Let them smile again, Shankara Eye Foundation (SEF), Shri Sita Ram Foundation, Swaravedika, VT Seva, Be the Match, Hindus of Greater Houston, Indo American Charity Foundation (IACF), American Telangana Association, Andhra Pradesh Non Resident Telugu Association (APNRT),

American Progressive Telugu Association (APTA), NATA (North American Telugu Association), Telugu Cultural Organization (TCA Houston), Telangana Association of Greater Houston (TAGH), Ashirwad, IT Serve, Telugu Association of North America (TANA), Swasthi, Sneha Hastam, NATS (North American Telugu Society), Vibha, Siliconandhra Manabadi, India House, Andhra Mirchi Radio, AsiaTV, NNN, TV9, TV5, V6 and Indo-American News participated and received honors for their great community support.

As part of the appreciation event, Admins of the group (Kishore Ramaraju, Umang Mehta, Ravi Gunishetti, Ketki Shah, Amrutha Varna, Indira Nimmagadda, Praveen Ponugoti, Srikanth Jakka, Bhavesh Ranka, Jiju Kulangara, Ratnakar Moderkuti, Subhasree Gokul, Devi Sirigiri, Soniya Goyal, Pooja Tiwari, Srikanth Vankadaru, Svarup Krishna, Sharaddha Bane, Kartheek

Epuri and Sreedhar Aaloori) honored representatives from various charity and cultural organizations. Saritha Ethirajan & Abhiya Olivia kept all the attendees engaged with their humorous anchoring.

Akhila entertained the audience with her soulful songs.

Bollywood Beats Dance School by Poonam, Sunanada Dance Academy, Khushboo Dance School entertained the audience with their energetic dance performances.

Sponsors of the appreciation event included: Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) as the grand sponsor, Deep Foods, Travenue, CWC Internationals, Minis Collection, Freedom Automative & Collision, Greenrich Highlands, Right Tax Mate, Smile Rangers Dental, Star Dental, Ace Pain Management, Deco Arts, Karthik Photography, DJ Tariq, India House, Pepon Digital, Biryani Pot, Biryani Factory, Bawarchi, Biryani Flavors, Tandoori Nite, Tandoori Grill, Godavari, TRu India, Anjappar, Gayatri Bhavan, and Universal Bakery. Thanks to our Media Friends Indo-American News, NNN, Andhra Mirchi Radio, Desi Plaza TV, TV9, TV5, V6 Channels for covering the event.

Admins of the group would like to thank all the organizations, Sponsors, Volunteers and all members who joined the event and made it a grand success.

Members who want to be part of this group can send an email to houstondesifriends@ gmail.com with their name and location.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

BY PEACE COWEN

HOUSTON:

On a Thursday evening in Houston, Pratham USA supporters of all ages gathered together to hear Pratham CoFounder Dr. Madhav Chavan and Pratham Houston Advisory Board Member Dhiren Shethia discuss PraDigi (i.e. Pratham Digital), Pratham’s latest digital learning initiatives in India.

PraDigi is an innovative initiative that focuses on facilitating group learning outside of the classroom through providing content-filled tablets to groups of children. The tablets focus less on curriculumbased content and are instead used to trigger self-learning behaviors.

Children are encouraged to engage in a hybrid learning model where they use the tablets to interact with each other and their environments through games and scavenger hunts, reenacting what they learn, and even generating their own content through creating videos.

The model is simple in that one mother in a village is given custodianship of a tablet. She then gives the tablet to the children in her group as appropriate and helps facilitate their learning. These mothers themselves have even taken an interest in learning, requesting content like recipes to be added to the tablets.

This Pratham Houston event, generously sponsored by BBVA Compass, was held at the BBVA

October 12, 2018

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Pratham Houston Event Highlights Pratham’s Digital Learning Initiatives in India

Compass Plaza in the Galleria area. Guests got to listen to the latest developments of the PraDigi initiative and have a Q&A session with the speakers. They then enjoyed good food, drinks, and a great view of the city from the 18th floor as they mixed and mingled among Pratham Houston Board Members, donors, young professionals, and members of the University of Houston Pratham group. They even got to play with some of the PraDigi tablets provided to children in India.

Pratham’s innovative efforts have not gone unnoticed. On October 4, 2018 in Hong Kong, China, Pratham was officially presented the 2018 LUI Che Woo Prize—a cross-sector innovation prize that recognizes outstanding contributions benefiting humanity. Pratham was unanimously selected in the Positive Energy category focused on the elimination of illiteracy.

The LUI Che Woo Prize is a relatively new international award presented to individuals or organizations that have displayed remarkable achievements towards three objectives: (1) sustainable development of the world, (2) betterment of the welfare of mankind, and (3) promotion of a positive life attitude and enhancement of positive energy.

PraDigi is just one of the ways Pratham is implementing innova-

tion to enhance the positive energy in the learning atmosphere of India.

As one of India’s largest education nonprofits focused on eradicating childhood illiteracy, Pratham is sure to continue to make a mark on education.

Pratham USA is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to raise awareness and funds to support Pratham’s programs in India.

Visit www.prathamusa.org to learn more.

Peace Cowen is the Chapter Manager at Pratham USA

From left: Scott Zindler, SVP-Financial Advisor, BBVA Compass, Ashok Garg, Eric Merchant, Commercial Banking - Vice President, Relationship Manager , BBVA Compass

Attendees at the event

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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October 12, 2018

COMMUNITY

Falguni Pathak Dandiya Dhoom - Oct 26 @ NRG Center H

OUSTON: Falguni Pathak, the unparalleled ‘Dandiya Queen’, a singer and performing artist from India, is all set to rock the Dandiya Dhoom Navratri event to be held on Friday, October 26, 2018 at the NRG center at 8 p.m.

Falguni’s music is based on traditional musical forms from the Indian state of Gujarat. Since her professional and private debut in 1998, she has developed into an artist with a large fan following across India and beyond. Her debut album was released in 1998, and was the first of many more to come.

She has also recorded numerous songs that have been featured in Bollywood movies. Most of the themes in her songs are about love. She has performed in many shows, many of which have run all night!

Some of her popular songs are “Chudi jo khanki haath mein”, “Maine payal hai chhankai”, “Meri chunar udd udd jaye”, “Ayi pardesh se pariyon ki rani” and “Sawaan Mein”. With her runaway hit album, Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi, Falguni made her foray into the Indipop scene and was catapulted into the big league. She also picked up several awards on the way, prestigious among them the Indian Viewer’s Choice from MTV Video Music Award, for her album Maine Payal Hai Chhankai.

Her powerful voice and energetic performances are backed by a band (called Ta Thaiyaa). She gained popularity in India as an entertainer for the Navratri (nine nights of festival) celebration and her fans lovingly call her the Dandiya Queen/Amitabh Bachchan of Dandiya/ Sachin Tendulkar of Dandiya.

Her Navratri performances are held in suburban Mumbai and her concerts are known to sell to packed houses during dandiya season. She also tours other countries including the USA and UAE, entertaining mainly the Indian diaspora with her melodious songs.

Her boyish image, most incongruous with her mellifluous voice, has been an indispensable feature at many a dandiya celebrations. She is truly the undisputed queen of dandiya - a hot favorite who makes the entire nation dance to her tunes. Falguni Pathak’s is a name synonymous with Navratri nights.

Falguni Pathak has had a successful tour so far with 7 House-full events.

Cities covered are St Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, Los Angeles and 2 Shows in San Jose. Remaining events will be in Houston, Tampa, New Jersey, Virginia and Atlanta. Falguni Pathak is coming to Houston after 5 years and people in town are excited about the event. Response is overwhelming and 5000-6000 attendees are expected for the Falguni Pathak event on Oct 26.

We request people to buy tickets in advance, as it may not be available to purchase at the gate if we reach the capacity. For more information, please contact Dhaval Sheth at 732-589-9272 or Nisha Mirani at 832-755-9365.

Tickets are also available on Sulekha. com and Humtumdesi.com INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

BIO-SOS Joins Abrahams in Celebrating Houston Symphony & Bollywood Dance

HOUSTON: Enchanting West-

ern classical music and zestful Bollywood dances were the highlight of an inaugural collaborative event hosted by the BIO (Blending Inner Voice with Outer Actions) program of SOS (Share Our Secrets) and Abrahams Oriental Rugs on Friday, September 28, 2019.

Former Symphony board member and active supporter, Samuel Abraham and his wife, Omana, opened the doors to their flagship rug emporium in the Gallery area for attendees to mix, mingle and join forces to further the missions of both BIO-SOS and the Houston Symphony.

The event provided an opportunity for more than 120 Houston’s leading dignitaries to learn more about both organizations while enjoying an Italian dinner by El Tiempo Catering, a classical music rendition by the Virtuosi Quartet, dancing by Bollywood performer Henna Shah, and tunes from DJ Chante J. Chiverton. The Abrahams’ talented son-in-law, lawyer Raj Duvvuri, even stepped up for a solo.

The evening’s formal program began with Sam Abraham welcoming the guests and introducing board members of the Houston Symphony and the SOS leadership, including SOS founder Biki

Mohindra and BIO President Preity Bhagia.

Emceed by Ms. Bhagia, the night featured heartfelt speeches regarding the importance of the mission and outreach of the Houston Symphony, the Life and Leadership Program (LLP) of SOS, and the mission of BIO, the women-only program which helps its members lead an authentic life by learning how to both listen to their inner voice and deal with the outside world with a giving and unselfish approach.

“SOS focuses on LOL, which means life of learning. Learning should never stop. When you stop learning, you stop living,” explained Bhagia. “SOS offers learning for all ages and all stages of life. One learns skills that are not available in schools and colleges, but enables us to achieve career goals and live a fulfilling life.”

Speaking of BIO, Bhagia said, “This is a women-led initiative that promotes authentic living for ourselves, our families, and our children. This includes providing meaningful experiences, one of which is engaging with the Houston Symphony. A symphony employs diverse musical instruments to create wonderful music. I hope the confluence of the diversity of BIO-SOS and the Houston Sym-

phony will create wonderful melodious ripples.”

Speaking in praise of the Abraham family and their offerings of the finest in oriental rugs, SOS Founder Biki Mohindra said, “I’m privileged to know the Abrahams for more than 40 years. What is different about the Abrahams? It is trust. You don’t just get a rug, but a lifelong relationship of trust. Looking at it from the viewpoint of an Abrahams’ rug, you either hang on the walls of Governors, Senators and Corporate Presidents or you get trodden by VIPs such as Margaret Thatcher and President George W. Bush.”

Mohindra also praised the Abraham family for their philanthropic leadership, including donating valuable rugs to major Houston organizations such as the Houston Symphony.

Other speakers at the event included Susan Arnoldy Hanson who was the Abraham’s very first interior design client in the 1970s, Mary Beth Mosley, Community development officer for the Houston Symphony, Helen Shaffer and Betty and Jess Tutor, all long-time members of the Symphony’s Board of Directors.

The Abraham’s daughters, Annie Thomas and Rachel Duvvuri offered touching words for their parents. A raffle raised over $1,200 for the Houston Symphony.

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Virtuosi Quartet with Sam Abraham and Houston Houston Symphony’s Jesse Tudor with Hiru Symphony Board Member Helen Schaffer.

Mathur, SOS Founder Biki Mohindra and Sumit Mathur.

OS & BIO members Mani Subramanian (left), Anasuya Kabad, Preity Bhagia, Qusai Maheshri, Anuradha Subramanian, Vijay Bhagia, Nita Singhal and Sam Abraham.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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October 12, 2018

COMMUNITY/ IMMIGRATION

15th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Week - 2018 Speech Contest HOUSTON: The Father of Our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi Ji, is majorly known for his efforts to free India from tyrannical rule in the 1940’s. What many do not know, is the lasting impact he has left on the minds of younger generations today, as seen in the amazing speeches presented by children of various ages. On October 6, Mahatma Gandhi Library held its 2018 Speech Contest for the 15th year at the gracious Arya Samaj of Greater Houston. The Speech Contest is held annually to determine the two speakers at the 1000 Lights For Peace program, at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Under the able and proficient guidance of Dr. Rakesh Agarwal and Mr. Karam Gupta, the coordinators for this year, the speech contest ran smoothly and showcased the public speaking talents of today’s youth.

HOUSTON: United States Citi-

zenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new policy change that allows USCIS officers to deny any application, petition or request without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).

This new policy change went into effect on September 11, 2018. Before this policy change, USCIS officers were allowed to issue RFE’s or NOID’s when the evidence submitted at the time of filing did not establish eligibility for the benefit

Participants of 15th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Week – 2018 Speech Contest held at beautiful premises of Arya Samaj Greater Houston

The esteemed three judges were Mr. Rashid Kapadia, Dr. Huma Jafry, and Colonel Raj Bhalla, all expressing keen interest in the words of the participants. The timer for the event was Dr. Alka Agarwal.

Children 10 and under described

their interpretations of the famous Benjamin Franklin quote “Honesty is the Best Policy,” while those 11 and over responded to “If I Met Gandhi Today.” The top three winners of each category will be publicly awarded at the 1000 Lights

For Peace celebration.

The MC of this year, Shreya Chawla, started off the program with a prayer and words of encouragement to the participants.

As a part of Arya Samaj, she represented both the Mahatma Gandhi Library and the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston. After reminding the competitors of the guidelines, she set the contest off to a great beginning, which only got better.

The fascinating speeches of the youth included humorous, relatable anecdotes and quotes from honorable leaders of the world.

The younger children rotated their speeches around their local areas, such as school, or at home. The older children brought in more controversial topics of the world, ranging from gun violence to women’s rights. The incredible speeches of all age groups entailed the knowledge and awareness, ac-

cumulated after the research of these topics and that which already resides in the ever-growing minds of the future generations.

For the finale, Mr. Atul Kothari, the founder of Mahatma Gandhi Library praised the kids and parents for their effort and dedication.

He thanked Mr. Sanjay Jain from the Arya Samaj Of Greater Houston, the distinguished judges, and the volunteers for their aid and service towards spreading Gandhian values. Mr. Kothari then invited all to the grand finale ‘1000 Lights for Peace’ – a beautiful, international cultural program organized as part of Gandhi Jayanti week, from 5:00pm onwards on Sunday, October 14th at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park Houston.

All in attendance were then asked to participate in Poster Contest for Mahatma Gandhi Week 2018 organized by Mrs. Rita Kothari at the same venue.

Sharma has been practicing immigration law at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, since 2008. Anjali is licensed to practice in the State of Texas. She is also a member of the Houston Bar

Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and Indo American Chamber of Commerce.

This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. If you require advice or assistance, you may contact her at office number 281-893-8644 or by email at bms@sharmalaws.net to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

USCIS’s New Zero Tolerance Policy

sought. Under the new policy, if you do not submit all the required evidence along with the initial filing as well as all evidence establishing you are eligible for the relief sought, USCIS will deny your application, petition or request.

They will no longer be issuing RFE’s or NOID’s to give you a second chance to submit missing evidence/documents. What does this mean for you? You better be sure you submit all required evidence to USCIS when you ini-

tially file your application, petition or request, otherwise you will be getting a big fat denial letter from USCIS in the mail. So, unless you have money to spend on paying for filing fees again or time to waste, do yourself a favor and consult with an experienced immigration lawyer prior to filing any applications, petitions or requests with USCIS to avoid having it be denied for lack of evidence. Trust me, it’s worth it!

About the Author: Anjali G.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

October 12, 2018

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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October 12, 2018

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October 12, 2018

7th Diwali & Dussehra Festival Celebrations

By Shri Sita Ram Foundation

HOUSTON: Diwali & Dussehra

is the largest festival of India celebrated by more than 1.3 billion people worldwide. It is also called the ‘Festival of Lights’, celebrating the ‘Victory of Good Over Evil’. This festival is celebrated by the people of Indian origin in the Houston area on a large scale in the month of October. This is the 7th year that Shri Sita Ram Foundation is organizing this festival at the Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugar Land. This year the festival is on Saturday, October 20, from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The chief guest for festival is the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, and the Parade Marshal is Congressman, Pete Olson.

The stadium is brilliantly decorated in dazzling multicolored lights for the ‘Festival of lights’.

This festival showcases the rich and ancient culture of India through various activities and presentations like Folk Dance Ensemble, historical plays, bridal fusion show, and cuisines from different parts of India, Dussehra Parade – an embellishment of about 50 floats showcasing historical representations from ancient scriptures.

Amongst other floats Wells Fargo ornate their chariot looking carriage with four horses.

The festival shall also have beautifully decorated booths sell-

ing traditional jewellery, clothing and a host of other items. There will be freebies from 4 pm to 6 pm from various vendors. The event also showcases people dressed up in several historical characters in their unique outfits and accessories representing various Indian Gods and Goddesses to add to the flavor.

The festival has several activities to engage the children e.g.

Costume contest, moonwalks, petting zoo, Fireworks, clowns, free face painting, free balloons, free piñatas, Shooting the demon with bow and arrow etc.

The climax of the festival is the burning of effigies of demons amongst loud sounds of crackers and spectacular fireworks to celebrate the occasion of the ‘Victory of Good Over Evil’. Past events have seen a capacity crowd at the Stadium with nearly 10,000 people in attendance. Apart from Greater Houston, residents of other states and cities are also seen to attend this festival, from as far away places as Florida, New York and

COMMUNITY

California.

More information about the festival is available on the Foundation website www.ShriSitaRam. org. The tickets to the event are $6.00 and may be obtained from www.ShriSitaRam.org or from Eventbrite.com

About Shri Sita Ram Foundation, USA: It is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization engaged in several philanthropic activities at multiple stages and levels. Foundation provides support to about 30 non-profits/charities annually in Houston area. It also provides scholarships and assists underprivileged people of the community.

For more Information contact Info@ShriSitaRam.org

Dr. James P. Allison Awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize

HOUSTON: The Board of Di-

rectors of the Indian American Cancer Network, a cancer resource network in Houston, TX, today congratulates Dr. James P. Allison on being awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in the discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. Dr. Allison was also recently awarded a Lifetime of Service Award for

these accomplishments in cancer research at IACAN’s Biennial Gala on September 8, 2018.

Dr. Allison’s research discoveries launched a revolutionary new approach to fighting cancer, by treating the immune system rather than the tumor. Immunotherapy is emerging as the fourth pillar to fighting cancer, along with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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October 12, 2018

17

The Power of Presentation

Chuck Hinkle, Shell’s U.S. expert in Business Intelligence

BY AAMANI PILLUTLA

HOUSTON: September 22, was

the opening session of the Youth Leadership Development Program at India House, where the organization’s eager inductees became privy to the enrichment of leadership development. The inaugural session had a speaker on effective leadership and communication skills. Chuck Hinkle, Shell’s U.S. expert in Business Intelligence, has worked for decades to help others deliver messages. He opened the year with the topic of presentation itself, a crucial skill in all avenues of life. He conveyed the importance of knowing how to properly present with digital tools in an age where personality and presence are as important as substance.

Hinkle’s first impression subverted expectations. He was weak-

ly introduced and stood in a baseball cap, something we were not used from a professional speaker.

After asking if we thought he was credible, he left the podium, was reintroduced, and reappeared in professional attire. This illustrated the importance of appearance rather than just telling us to wear nice clothes.

Hinkle’s speech went over the main points of digital presentation. The overarching theme was that you are the presentation, not your slides. This is not to say that the content of your slides doesn’t matter; it does, a lot. Everything from color to text is important, but it should supplement the information coming out of you. We were told to limit the number of words on our slides and to manipulate colors and position so the audience actually understands the point instead of being distracted.

YLDP students with the speaker Chuck Hinkle.

As students, presentation is a key aspect of our academic life.

We also understand that it will continue to be a key aspect of our CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

careers. Learning how to present, however, is not something a lot of teachers go over. What Chuck Hinkle taught us is applicable to

Dr. James P. Allison

The Keynote Address for the gala was given by Dr. Patrick Hwu, Division Head of Cancer Medicine at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Hwu’s address highlighted the complex research in immunotherapies in a simplified and effective manner. “IACAN is beyond proud of this recognition for Dr. Allison’s achievements and contributions to cancer research” says Arlene Thomas, President of IACAN. He shares the 2018 Nobel Prize with Tasuko Honjo of Japan, a professor at Kyoto University.

About IACAN: The Indian American Cancer Network is a

D r. J a g a n n a d h a K . S a s t r y presenting Dr. James P. Allison with IACAN’s Lifetime of Service Award.

501(c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to be cancer resource network that educates and supports the Indian American

all subjects. We learned the role of every aspect of presentation, from the colors to quotations to how the presenter should verbally convey their material. We emerged from Hinkle’s speech with new knowledge of how to be an articulate, effective leader of the future. community. For more information about IACAN please visit www.iacannetwork.org IACAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS include: Arlene A. Thomas, LMSW (President), Sarvesh Bhavaraju, ME (Secretary), Dipika Varia, MS (Treasurer), Raju Nandagiri, Board Member, Jagan Sastry, Ph.D. Board Member, Vibhuti Shah, Board Member, Monalisa Chandra, Board Member, Ashma Khanani-Moosa, Board Member. IACAN is MEMBER OF: Asian Cancer Council at American Cancer Society, Asian American Health Coalition, Breast Health Collaborative of Texas

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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October 12, 2018

Attacks on Migrants: Self Defeating

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY The Diaspora and Disasters

BY IRUDAYA RAJAN

Attacks on migrant laborers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in Gujarat, triggering an exodus, reveal a worrying rise of parochial sentiments. It is a setback for the prevalent Gujarat narrative of attracting workers from poorer North Indian states.

The miscreants were venting their ire on the workers for the September 28 rape of an infant, allegedly by a laborers from Bihar. By Sunday, police had arrested 342 men, mostly from the Thakor community, for nearly 40 attacks in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Sabarkantha.

Tarring an entire migrant community for one man’s crime is old sport for nativist outfits. This played out in Maharashtra through the Shiv Sena from the 1960s, in Assam in the 1980s, and in Bengaluru in 2012 where north-easterners fled in panic after a sustained hate campaign on social media. Antagonism towards migrant workers over bogeys like stealing jobs from natives and worsening law and order may contradict the idea of India but populist politicians encourage parochialism.

Only two weeks ago, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani promised to enact legislation that would guarantee 80% of industrial jobs to domiciled residents. Congress leader Alpesh Thakor, whose men have been arrested for some of the attacks, blamed the “agitation, anger and anguish” on locals losing jobs to migrants. With India lobbying world nations for free movement of labour and services, its states cannot be seen taking protectionist stances. GST enactment recognised the economic synergies that could be unleashed in a “single” market where all states followed single tax rates and dismantled checkposts.

It is the cosmopolitan, vibrant city states that grow and attract investment and talent, not the chauvinistic, insular ones. Gujaratis were among the first Indians to internalise globalisation and find opportunities in distant lands. Attacks on migrants diminish the reputation of the enterprising Gujarati. Government data shows that locals occupy 92% of private sector industrial jobs. But if the present heartburn is over low-paying unskilled jobs, then the state should be worried. It suggests that joblessness is rising and becoming a political flashpoint.

Migrant workers have the same rights under the Constitution as everyone else and contribute immensely to local economies.

Though law and order failures affect everyone, recent incidents like lynchings reveal their special vulnerability. Gujarat must prosecute and punish all those behind the violence on migrant workers. -- Times of India

Between August 8 and 20, the devastating floods in Kerala claimed nearly 500 lives, displaced over a million people, and directly affected over a sixth of the State’s total population. The State government’s latest report estimates the losses to be more than the State’s annual plan. In the fiscal 2017-18, Kerala’s annual plan outlay was pegged at Rs. 26,500 crore. While remittances received in Kerala accounted for approximately Rs. 85,000 crore, much was used for housing and improving human development.

This was the worst flood in Kerala since 1924. In the deluge then, the State received 650 mm of rain compared to 2,344 mm this time. However, the impact was similar.

The difficult task of rebuilding the State has begun and contributions to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) have crossed more than Rs.1,680 crore. The Chief Minister is confident that the State would be able to overcome the shortage of funds by mobilising its own resources and through support from different quarters. For Kerala, the most important support system is the Malayali diaspora across the world.

According to the KMS 2018, there are over 2.1 million Malayali emigrants globally and 1.3 million return migrants. The Department of NonResident Keralite Affairs, headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, looks after the welfare of the 3.4 million migrants globally, in addition to the nearly 2 million internal migrants within India. These are Keralites who have direct connections to their households—fathers, mothers, spouses, and, in some cases, elderly children. Of course, there are also Malayalis who have moved from Kerala permanently with their family and live within the country or abroad (non-residents from Kerala). They number around 2-3 million (over the last 60 years since the formation of the State in 1956).

The advantage Kerala has at this point is to engage with its migrants and diaspora who have been instrumental in rebuilding the destination economies after natural calamities and economic crises. The standing of the Malayali diaspora is evident

from the extraordinary support Kerala has received from other sovereign states with large diaspora populations such as in West Asia, multinational corporations employing Malayalis, and by the diaspora itself. With the depreciation of the Indian rupee, the State can relaunch foreign currency deposit schemes such as the hugely successful India Millennium Deposit Scheme which was introduced in 2000 by the Centre to leverage higher values of foreign currencies so as to overcome financial and economic crises.

Unfortunately, ‘not much attention has been paid to the role of diaspora groups in post-disaster situations.

Yet, in a globalised world, the international dimensions of disaster response and recovery, and the significant policy role played by the diaspora can be critical’. For example, after the earthquake in 2010 in Haiti, ‘the Haitian diaspora in the U.S. served as a conduit for doctors, nurses, engineers, educators, advisers and reconstruction planners.

In Nepal, after the 2015 earthquake, the Non-Resident Nepali Association collected $2.69 million, mobilised over 300 volunteers including doctors and nurses, and pledged to rebuild 1,000 disaster resilient houses.

In the tsunami in South Asia (2004) and the Pakistan earthquake (2005), diaspora and migrant remittances flowed generously, demonstrating the counter cyclical nature of remittances.

In Kerala, the migrant community and diaspora moved swiftly to organise an Internet-driven response. By sharing and re-sharing vital information on affected regions and people, supplies, and precautionary measures (on social media platforms), they

were instrumental in expanding the flow of information that would later be used by politicians, private and military rescue operations, and relief workers.

Successful diaspora groups are among the largest contributors to the CMDRF. Diaspora communities will also inevitably shape political and economic responses to a disaster.

The linking of social capital between diaspora, civil society organisations, advocacy groups and government institutions, although necessary during rehabilitation, is bound to lead to unanticipated and undesirable outcomes.

At least temporarily, the State may witness higher rates of emigration among the common people as they try to mitigate losses caused by the floods. For example, the KMS shows that migrants use over 40% of their remittances in purchasing land, construction and repayment of mortgage debt. Finally, we need to investigate the relationship between rehabilitation and migration further.

Kerala has close to 3 million migrants from other States to replace Keralites who left to West Asia (also known as replacement migration).

Have they been affected by the floods? Are they likely to participate in the reconstruction of the economy of Kerala or leave for their home States for better opportunities? The preliminary results of the KMS indicate a decline in emigration. Finally, we should ask ourselves what the future of emigration, return emigration, internal migration and remittances from Kerala will be in the coming years. -- The Hindu S. Irudaya Rajan is Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

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INDIA: ASEEM KULKARNI ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036.

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October 12, 2018

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Houston Maharashtra Mandal Ganesh Festival 2018

H

OUSTON: !!Ganapati Bappa Morya!!, an earnest call to Lord Ganesha, roars throughout India and Indian Diaspora during this time of the year as Indians all over the world celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

Houston Maharashtra Mandal (HMM) celebrated Ganesh Festival on September 22, witnessed by more than 750 devotees dressed in colorful traditional Indian attire.

HMM celebrates Ganesh Festival and this year will be remembered for its unique theme that depicted festivals per Hindu calendar month called as “Kaalnirnay – Apale San Apale Utsav”. Indian festivals are like a dispersive prism that unites people from all walks of life.

The celebration started at 3:45 PM with an ornate palanquin procession shouldered by devotees and accompanied by drummers who played percussion instruments, Dhol and Tasha. Devotees accompanied the procession with their beautiful Lezim dance. The program started with an introduc-

tion of HMM and its initiatives, and felicitations for the Marathi School (Shala) students. The cultural program started with beautiful songs on Gudhi Padwa and Ram Navami, the Hindu New Year. It was followed by two dances that depicted Aashadi Ekadashi.

Kids dressed as Warkaris danced to Dindi and made innocent calls to Gyanba-Tukaram, transcending the audience to a spiritual realm.

Similarly, festivals such as Narali Poornima, Krishna Janma, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri, Kojagiri, Diwali, Dutta Jayanti, Magh Ganapati, Mahashivratri and Holi were depicted through dances or songs.

Instrumental ensemble with Sitar, Harmonium, Viola, Tabla and keyboard was the most inspiring piece played by young and talented kids.

Bhagyashree Patwari and Tanuja Sahasrabuddhe, the co-leads for cultural activities, led the program from front by active participation, the flow of the program carried through flawlessly by Trupti Nag

and Madhura Kelkar. Sri Preston Kulkarni who is running for Congress also was present in the audience. He praised the community for organizing such an event strengthening the linkage of the community with Maharashtra.

The celebration was concluded with traditional arati and prayers with a roar of “Ganapati Bappa Morya” by everyone followed by round of palanquin procession and an even grander Dhol Tasha performance that was mesmerizing and an immersive experience. The minds were further stimulated by the delicacies of Maharashtra such as modak and gulab jamun that were offered at the dinner. One can only imagine how hard the food committee would have worked to ensure smooth serving and dining arrangements. Prajakta Zambare and her team deserve kudos for their relentless efforts. We could also see so many volunteers in action managing audio system, controlling crowd, ensuring orderly event management. These invisibly visible people are always the backbone for success of any such event.

The entire HMM community congratulates the committee members for a yet another fantastic successful event. Huge thanks to the entire HMM committee, President Jyotsna Phadke and Event Manager Rajan Chaudhari who made it possible. HMM welcomes everyone for the next event to celebrate Diwali on October 27.

Please visit http://hmmhouston.org/ for more information.

“IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA”

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October 12, 2018

Rise, Organize, Lead, and Emerge: Strengthening Hindu Identity

BY PARTH PARIHAR

HOUSTON: The Hindu Youth

Conference, held as part of the World Hindu Congress 2018 in Chicago, was attended by nearly 300 young Hindus from across five different continents With the theme “Rise, Organize, Lead, Emerge,” the conference focused on the pivotal role the up-and-coming generation of Hindus can play in the fields of media, politics, activism and entrepreneurship where Hindus are traditionally underrepresented.

One of the important issues explored was, “Strengthening Hindu Identity.” As speaker Murali Magesan of New Zealand put it, “We see the vast achievements of Hindu society and would expect that people would identify as Hindu very proudly. But, it’s not happening… so we must ask, ‘why?”

As the conference would elaborate, “not knowing” how to represent Hindu dharma has led to voices outside the community speaking for our traditions and in the process misrepresenting them at times.

The goal before the current generation of young Hindus is to build a positive, modern vision of Hindu identity and present this vision confidently. Speakers emphasized individual action as a requisite for the change envisaged by the Congress. As National Hindu Students Forum President Drishti Mae of the UK noted, “If not you, then who?”

Attendees heard from Gopal Patel of the Bhumi Project, an envi-

ronmental activist, who explained the inherent earth-caring ethic present in Hindu dharma. Nihar Sashittal, a community activist in the California textbook case, spoke about strategies to force change in the public space. A presentation by Nikki Avalokitesvari of Bali underlined the relevance of Hindu knowledge in the modern context citing Chanakya’s theories in global defense. A Global Mentorship Program was instituted to help young Hindu women achieve their goals by giving them access to accomplished female mentors in those fields.

Delegates also heard from young entrepreneurs on the role Hindu dharma played in shaping their business strategies and vision for the economy. They underlined the growing need for more young Hindus to be job creators in order to support the economic needs of the global community while staying true to the tenets of Hindu dharma. The organizing team has put into place the Young Hindu Business Network, a forum that brings young Hindu entrepreneurs together to network and share business know-how.

Since the focus of the Hindu Youth Conference was on re-owning the narrative of Hindu identity, an entire session was devoted to discussing media platforms, the very places where these narratives are created and disseminated.

Speakers included Vinay Singhal, founder and CEO of WittyFeed, Filmmaker Aditya Patwardhan

and Karolina Goswami who has a YouTube channel India in Details.

A panel discussion took the question of Hindu identity into the arena of politics and Hindu human rights. Speakers Mayuri Parmar of Conservative Friends of India in the UK and Himanshu Gulati, a Norwegian MP, affirmed the need to stand for your values as a Hindu in public life and to champion those values in service of the broader society. Devika Sital of Global Human Rights Defense addressed the need to publicly address the abuse of the human rights of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Mayuri Parmar led a workshop on how young Hindus can better engage at the level of local politics.

Two Houstonians Karuna Kankani and Ayush Sharma shared their thoughts on the conference: Karuna found it “inspirational to be in an environment where people who are working with different organizations on different honorable causes united globally. Ayush echoed these sentiments and said “WHC was such a unique and unforgettable experience. Hearing the stories of Hindus from all over the world boosted my own resolve for the Hindu cause.”

The youth delegates that came to Chicago left inspired, and ready to tackle the mission thrown up by the Hindu Youth Conference. The positive mood and active engagement of the young delegates is indeed strong evidence of a vibrant future for Hindu society worldwide.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

October 12, 2018

21

Her Battle with Breast Cancer Led to Fundraising to Help Others

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON: After learning about

her breast cancer in 2009, Ashma Khanani-Moosa’s life changed in more ways than she could have imagined. The mother of two and wife of successful physician Dr. Abdul Moosa, she received her diagnosis at The Rose, a center near her home in Friendswood and it was early and accurate enough for her cancer to be treated aggressively at MDAnderson Cancer Center, eventually resulting in a bilateral mastectomy.

She was thankful it was caught in time and realized that she was among the fortunate ones to have received an early diagnosis which was a key to her survival. After rehabilitation, Moosa started volunteering at MD Anderson in 2015 and became an ardent supporter of The Rose, eventually being appointed as a board director.

The Rose was founded 32 years ago in 1986 by Dr. Dixie Melillo, a surgeon, and Dorothy Weston Gibbons who were passionate about treating breast cancer in women.

They were both affiliated with HCA-Bayshore Hospital in Pasadena and saw firsthand how women had to suffer in order to get a proper diagnosis.

The Rose has become the leading non-profit breast health care organization in southeast Texas,

serving over 500,000 patients. It treats both insured and uninsured women and depends on revenue from paying customers, grants and donations. The revenue from every three women with insurance is able to pay for the diagnosis of one women who is uninsured. Besides two locations, The Rose has mobile mammography vans that screen 40,000 women annually. In addition, The Rose depends on fundraising support from the community so Moosa came up with a unique way to reach the community while also giving the women a morale boost during their trying times..

In 2009, Moosa started a fundraiser - which eventually in 2015 was named “Hats and Henna High Tea” at her home in Friendswood. “It was a high tea for women to be fashionable and my daughter, Fatima, 23 decided to draw henna designs on the women as she does on other cancer patients to uplift their spirits.” That event has grown every year and the 3rd annual fundraiser was held on Sunday, September 30, at Hotel Granducca in Uptown Park.

Most of the women were dressed in flamboyant hats and elegant outfits, and many were also in colorful hijabs and the emcee was Fatima Moosa. Over tea and finger-food, sandwiches, scones and pastries, they heard from several speakers who revealed their own personal

Ashma Khanani-Moosa with her family at the 3rd Annual Hats and Henna High Tea fundraiser held on Sunday, September 30, at Hotel Granducca in Uptown Park.

voyages with battling cancer and stories of those who needed help. Dr. Basyouni spoke about his son’s fight with leukemia and called The Rose “a gift to the community”.

Dr. Dixie Melillo said she “felt reassured when she hears a woman has cancer, because this means she has an accurate diagnosis and is on the road to being okay.” She shared a story of a woman who couldn’t afford the diagnosis because it cost $80 for an office visit, declaring “if you come to us, you are not going to be turned away” and that they should not be

concerned about payments. Later, her so-founder Dorothy Gibbons shared more courageous stories, declaring “The Rose is about community.”

Dr. Abdul Moosa opened by stating that “I am the Moon to this Shining Star”, referring to his wife and his total dependency on her for his daily routine. “When we learnt of her diagnosis, our world fell apart,” he added. “It was emotionally difficult to see … but the journey has made me a better person.” He ended with plugging the health lifestyles program of Dr. Dean Ornish.

Diasha Michell, a young survivor spoke about her diagnosis when she was just 21 and felt a lump while at a Super Bowl party. Her own mother had been misdiagnosed with a cyst when she was 33, so when Michell’s diagnosis was also the same, she felt that something was amiss and turned to The Rose for a second opinion. She eventually went through treatment while she was still going to classes to get her degree.

Andrea Plummer sang the voiceonly song “Let Go, Let God” by Olivia Newton-John, herself a breast cancer survivor. Ashma Moosa was the final speaker, declaring “I love The Rose’s mission. They never let women down, especially those who are uninsured.” She said she had started the Hats and Henna party in her home 9 years ago, and that it was growing every year, to where they had over 120 people at this year’s event. “My dream is to take The Rose globally!”

Moosa has also embarked on a more ambitious fundraiser, a fashion show called “L’Affaire du Monde” to be held on Friday night, October 12 at The Ballroom on Bayou Place on 500 Texas Avenue.

For information on the fundraiser “L’Affaire du Monde”- in support of The Rose, contact Ashma Khanani-Moosa at 281-235-2529 or akananimoosa@gmail.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

22

October 12, 2018

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PUZZLES / RECIPES

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

This Punjabi recipe incorporates a special favorite ingredient – wadiyyan (sundried lentil dumplings) – with a vegetable that is seasonal but not often used – arbi (eddoe root). Made with a medium thick sauce, and eaten with hot rotis, the results are delicious! So, for those looking for an unusual recipe, below is a reprint of Mama’s Arbi te Wadi di Turri recipe, with some additional comments and directions.

Arbi te Wadi di Turri

(EDDOE ROOT & LENTIL DUMPLING CURRY) Punjabis eat the root vegetable arbi (eddoe root) in several ways but when made in a curry it gives competition to the aloo wadiyan curry dish that it resembles, but the taste is much better as the arbi is softer on the palette and soaks up the curry flavor well.

Arbi (eddoe root) is closely related to the taro root but is smaller and has an acrid taste that requires careful cooking. It grows best in rich soil with good drainage but can also be grown in poorer soils and drier climates than the taro root. Eddoe originated in India and Malaysia, and from China and Japan it migrated to the West Indies and the New World.

Among the benefits of arbi are that it reduces fatigue, aids in digestion, controls hypertension, has a low glycemic index making it good for diabetics, has amino acid and Omega-3 oils, builds immunity and slows the aging process. Arbi is high in carbohydrates, the vitamins E and pyridoxine, and potassium and copper.

In the US, you usually find two types of arbis: the larger Chinese or Japanese type which are more fibrous and have a flatter taste than the Indian variety, which are smaller and softer.

For best results, choose the medium sized roots.

Some recipes like arbi chaat require that the arbi be steamed or lightly boiled and then the hairy exterior skin can be pulled off. For this recipe, the arbi must be scrapped with a knife as the skin is thin and soft.

This dish requires wadiyan (sun dried lentil dumpling) and though I prefer the Amritsari variety, any large ones that you can find will do. Just remember to brown the wadi so that the wadi will taste cooked otherwise it will give a raw lentil taste.

Ingredients: • 1 kg arbi (small to medium eddoe root) • 1 large size Amritsari wadi (sun dried lentil dumpling) • 2 tbsp tael (vegetable or olive oil) • 2 cups pani (water) • 1 large pyaaz (onion) – peeled and chopped • 2 cloves of lasan (garlic) – peeled and chopped • 1 medium adrak (ginger) – peeled and chopped • 1 small tamater (tomato) or 1 tsp tomato paste

• Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), dhania (ground coriander), garam masala

and let cook for 10 minutes. In a little while, the wadi will swell up and take on the flavor of the curry.

Directions: 1. Peel the arbi then coat it with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then wash the arbi well and pat dry with a soft cloth.

6. Check to see if the arbi is cooked and soft but firm to the touch: if it gets too soft it will taste mushy.

2. Cut the arbi into half-inch pieces.

3. In a kadai (wok) or skillet, heat the oil, throw in the wadi and brown it on all sides. When lightly brown, take out and keep to the side.

4. In the remaining oil, throw in the onions, ginger and garlic and brown them while stirring. Turn the heat down to extreme low so as not to burn the spices and stir to mix thoroughly.

5. Throw in the cut arbi into the spices and mix to coat. Add the water and cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the water starts to boil, add the wadi and cover and reduce the heat to low

7. Sprinkle with garam masala and coriander 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 (since renamed Faisalabad) 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 early-nineties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share her delectable Punjabi recipes for future generations.

MAMA’S TIP O F THE

WEEK IT’S HALLOWEEN SE A SO N , SO CLEAN AND DRY PUMPKIN SE E D S TO N IB B LE LATER! In North India, we call pumpkin’s pe ha

lwa (pudding) m it, or a mashed, spthica and we make a delicious dish). Agra, the cifro y sabzi (sau which is actually crty of the Taj Mahal, is famous for itstéed vegetable ys petha sw ta liz ed pumpkin. So with the one thing that is all these uses for peeets le ft ov er tha, ar e the seeds which ca My mother, biji, n be eaten. cantaloupes, apric used to wash, clean all types of se in the sunshine fo ots, pumpkins to name a few – an eds of fruits – chatting and cracrkia few days. We would then while dawthen dry them Halloween just aroung open and eating the seeds! In ay the hours th nd the corner, try co ing and drying them llecting the seeds eanUS, with .

Yo u d cleanca n ev en dr roast them in skillet. Then pop th the oven or in a em open and chatyaw hile with friends!

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October 12, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS

23

Loveyatri : The Aayush Sharma film is smothered in silliness

L

OVEYATRI movie cast: Aayush Sharma, Warina Hussain,

Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor Loveyatri movie director: Abhiraj Minawala ‘Susu? That’s a cool name.’A character addresses the leading man thus in Loveyatri.

No, it’s not. It’s a word which makes people, even those who’ve got past kindergarten level humour, snigger.

For a ‘hero’ to go through his debut film by that name with a straight face must have taken some doing. What were the filmmakers thinking? Or were they? At all?

Sushrut aka Susu (Sharma) is a Vadodara-based lad whose dream is to start his own ‘garba’ school. He

loses his heart to pretty NRI Michelle aka Manisha (Hussain), and we are steered lamely towards the oldest conflict in the book: poor amiable boy, rich ambitious girl, and of course the twain will meet after two and half dreary clichéd hours.

While you are waiting for the time to pass, and it does with torturous slowness, you ask the obvious question: if the leading man wasn’t Salman Khan’s brother-in-law, would an entire film be made just to launch him?

Silly question, I know, but what else do you expect when the film is smothered in silliness. Even such seasoned actors as Ronit Roy (the girl’s papa who hates the boy’s guts) and Ram Kapoor (the boy’s uncle who thinks all Indians learn how to romance from the movies) flounder.

Other questions of the same nature surface, but I will spare you. ~Indianexpress.com

Will Smith learns the ‘Ropes of Bollywood’ from Karan Johar and Ranveer Singh

Hema Malini

October 16, 1948

Simi Garewal

October 17, 1947

Sanjay Kapoor

October 17, 1965

Hollywood star Will Smith is

having a blast in India. The actor recently spent some time with Bollywood celebrities Ranveer Singh and Karan Johar. Will took to Instagram to share a few photos and wrote, “Learning the ropes of Bollywood from two of the best in the game! @karanjohar & @ ranveersingh.”

Karan shared a photo as well with the caption, “Where there’s a WILL there’s a way!!!! @ranveersingh @willsmith shot today at the superb #sohohousemumbai.”

By the looks of it, Will apparently shot a cameo for Koffee with Karan’s upcoming season. ~Indianexpress.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Kunal Kapoor

October 18, 1977

Freida Pinto

October 18, 1984

24

SPORTS

October 12, 2018

West Indies Succumb to Heaviest Defeat Against India

BY SIDHARTH MONGA RAJKOT (ESPN Crickinfo): ndia 649 for 9 decl. (Kohli 139, Shaw 134, Jadeja 100*, Pant 92) beat West Indies 181 (Chase 53, Ashwin 4-37) and 196 (Powell 83, Kuldeep 5-57, Jadeja 3-35) by an innings and 272 runs Following on, Walsh felt West Indies needed to show more resolve with the bat and carry the confidence into the next Test The great West Indies procession ended with their heaviest Test defeat against India, by an innings and 272 runs. It took India under 100 overs to bowl them out twice in their third straight three-day defeat in India.

Fourteen of the 20 wickets fell in two sessions and a bit on the third day. The pace at which the batsmen kept going back to the pavilion prompted India to enforce the follow-on. In the followon innings, Kuldeep Yadav benefited, becoming only the seventh player to register five-fors in all three formats of international cricket.

Only Kieran Powell managed to resist, scoring an attacking 83 off 93, but even this innings was built more on luck than a method in the initial stages. To his credit, Powell hardly made a mistake once he was past the early high-risk shots that managed to evade fielders. The day began similarly, with West Indies resuming at 94 for 6. Despite streaky devil-may-care batting from Roston Chase and Keemo Paul, India took the four wickets well before lunch, making the follow-on decision easy

Prithvi Shaw punches the air after a century on debut, India v West Indies, 1st Test, Rajkot, 1st day, October 4, 2018.

after having bowled West Indies out in 48 overs.

It was clear West Indies didn’t turn their defence. Chase and Paul chanced their arm early, and that was the template for the rest of the day. A mix of well-timed and edged boundaries against the bowling of Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav ensued.

The partnership reached fifty, both the batsmen approached that landmark, but then Umesh Yadav finally bowled the first bouncer of the morning, drawing a top edge for midwicket to catch. Paul fell on 47.

R Ashwin then produced a spell of lovely offspin bowling, teasing and tormenting the lower order with flight and drift. He had Chase dropped in one over, but in the next, he created

a gap between his bat and pad with a lovely drift and the ball spun back to go through that gap and hit the stumps. Debutant Sherman Lewis then was flummoxed by a carrom ball. Shannon Gabriel, too, fell prey to the carrom ball. This time the ball missed the stumps, but an overbalanced Gabriel gave Rishabh Pant a stumping after he had 16 byes and two dropped catches against his name.

Ten minutes later, Ashwin was at them again, this time with the new ball. He didn’t need the carrom ball now to threaten each edge of the bat as the new ball sometimes tended to go straight. Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell batted with aggression that emanated probably from their lack of trust in their defence. In the

end it was a sharp spitting offbreak that brought Prithvi Shaw his first Test catch at short leg from the bat of Brathwaite.

Possibly with the Australia tour in mind, India gave Kuldeep a long go in the second innings, and the wristspinner responded. Shai Hope played back to a fullish ball and was trapped lbw.

Shimron Hetmeyer was a shot a minute, and sooner or later one was going to spoon off the outside edge. Sunil Ambris jumped out of the crease without picking a wrong’un, and Pant had a second stumping.

Chase was done in by the drift on a full wide half-volley, but still he will be disappointed he didn’t adjust and drove it straight to cover.

Powell had a little bit of luck early on when he cleared the infield off the inside half of the bat early on.

Post that he connected cleanly and sweetly with every ball pitched too full. He hit four sixes and eight fours in his innings, but with the century approaching he closed the face on a Kuldeep delivery, offering Shaw his second silly-point catch of the day.

At least that innings had helped West Indies get close to avoiding their heaviest defeat in all Test cricket, by an innings and 283 runs against England in 2007.

The procession continued with trigger-happy batting, Paul finding longoff, Bisho gloving a sweep down the leg side and Lewis and Gabriel attempting big shots. Only six of the 20 wickets had fallen with batsmen playing a defensive shot.

Sohail’s Maiden Test Ton Sets Uphill Task for Australia DUBAI: Australia 30 for 0 (Khawaja 17*, Finch 13*) trail Pakistan 482 (Hafeez 126, Haris 110, Shafiq 80, Siddle 3-58) by 452 runs Today’s Test cricket may not be on the postcard, but you will find it in the manual. On a day that typified the recipe for success Pakistan have replicated time and again in the UAE, excitement may have been in short supply, but determination and patience weren’t. After the wobbles in the final session on the first day, Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq put on a masterclass in gritty Test-match batting, as Pakistan ground their way to

482 and pushed the game further out of Australia’s reach. Just as importantly, they kept the hapless visitors out on the field for 164.2 overs in the blazing Dubai heat.

Along the way, Haris completed his maiden Test match hundred, while Shafiq fell 20 short. The partnership between the two stood at exactly 150 when Marnus Labuschagne whose menace suggested Australia have missed a trick by not picking a specialist legspinner - took Shafiq’s outside edge.

By then the fifth-wicket pair had done enough to kill off the momentum Australia had built up at the tail

end of the first day.

As on the first day, the wickets came after tea, though Pakistan’s charitable mood did contribute to them. Babar Azam and Sarfraz Ahmed both fell cheaply, not just by way of runs scored but also in the manner of their dismissals. On a pitch where their predecessors ground Australia into the dirt, both were run out, finally allowing the bowlers a crack at the tail, and the psychological victory of keeping Pakistan this side of 500.

Sandwiched between those two dismissals was the wicket of Haris after a phenomenal innings from a player who is yet to properly nail

down a spot in the Test side. Nathan Lyon was his conqueror, the lefthander falling in almost the same way Imam-ul-Haq had to Lyon, looking to cut but managing only a tickle of the outside edge through to the keeper.

Australia made short work of the tail, but still had the small matter of getting through 13 overs in fading light against Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz and, most crucially, Yasir Shah. Predictably, it was the legspinner who looked likeliest to strike, with debutant Aaron Finch fortunate to survive a marginal lbw call early on.

Had the umpire given him out, the call would have stood.

JOB AVAILABLE

India Wins Maiden Gold Medal at Youth Olympics

BUENOS AIRES: India had already eclipsed its best-ever tally at a Youth Olympic Games on Day 2 of the extravaganza and by the end of it, had further return to rejoice. Having won three silver medals, India won their first gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina with Jeremy Lalrinnunga lifting 150kg on his last attempt for a combined 274kg.

This is India’s first-ever gold medal at the Youth Olympics. In the two editions prior to this, India’s best performance was two medals in the 2014 Youth Olympics at Nanjing, China.

In Men’s 62kg Group A weightlifting, Jeremy posted successful attempts of 120kg and 124kg in snatch and 142kg and 150kg in clean & jerk.

With his best successful attempts of 124kg in snatch and 150kg in clean & jerk for a combined 274kg, the 15year-old won the gold medal. Toptas Caner of Turkey won the silver medal for a combined lift of 263kg and Estiven Jose Manjarres of Colombia won the bronze medal with 260kg.

The gold further highlights Lalrinnunga’s mettle following his World Youth silver medal.

India had won three silver medals earlier with Tushar Mane (10m Air Rifle), Tababi Devi (44kg Judo) and Mehuli Ghosh (10m Air Rifle).

On the opening day of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, India ended with two medals – both silver. The first went to Tushar Mane in shooting and later Tababi Devi Thangjam stood on the second step on the podium in judo to further India’s medal count. She became the first judoka to win a medal for a country at the Olympics – junior or senior.

India are represented by 46 athletes – their largest contingent – at the third Youth Olympic Games across 13 disciplines.

Jeremy Lalrinnunga lifted 150 kg on his last attempt.

Positions available: 1) Full- time or part-time cashier / counter (must be able to speak English and understand Hindi) 2) Full-time kitchen help.

3) Full-time sales girl for Sari store (must be able to speak English and understand Hindi) Anyone interested in this opportunity, please contact Ramesh Lulla at 713-819-1820 after 2 pm or Aakash Lulla at 832-715-8328 after 2 pm INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

MAHATMA GANDHI / BUSINESS T

25

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi - Part 18

he story thus far…After the defeat of Japan in August 1945, Britain agreed to a planned withdrawal from India. All through his life Gandhi had worked for unity between Hindus and Muslims, without much success. There was a large section of nationalist Muslim in the Congress but leaders of the Muslim League were drifting further and further away. Gandhi was not the man to give up hope, however, and he pursued his efforts to bring about a settlement. On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, was hostile to the idea of unity.

The Viceroy invited all leaders to Simla and tried to find a solution and bring about Hindu-Muslim accord.

Jinnah would not agree to anything except a separate Muslim state of Pakistan. Britain announced and held an election in India. The Congress won most of the non- Muslim seats and the Muslim League won most of the Muslim seats. The deadlock continued.

“We can settle the Indian problem in ten minutes if Mr. Gandhi agrees to the creation of Pakistan,” said Jinnah.

But Gandhi was distraught. “Cut me in half,” cried Gandhi, “but do not divide India in two.”

His words fell on deaf ears. In February 1946, the British government sent a Cabinet Mission to India.

It consisted of Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander. The task of the Cabinet Mission was to study the situation and make recommendations. After careful consideration, the Cabinet Mission issued a statement proposing the withdrawal of British authority from India. They had the idea of a united India.

On August 24, 1946, the Viceroy announced the formation of an Interim National Government to replace

S

October 12, 2018

the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the Vice-President of the Interim Government. The Muslim League declined to join on the ground that it had not been given the right to nominate all the Muslim members.

After the installation of the Interim Government, Gandhi was anxious to return to Sevagram, his ashram near Wardha, but the Congress leaders prevailed on him to stay longer in Delhi because they wanted his advice. Then the Muslim League decided to join the Interim Government and an announcement was made to that effect on October 15, 1946.

Gandhi once again felt free to return to Sevagram. He was about to leave Delhi when news came of disturbances in Bengal. There was widespread communal rioting in Calcutta and in the Muslim majority district of Noakhali in East Bengal, with murder, arson, looting, forced conversions, forced marriages, and abduction.

Gandhi was confused and griefstricken. Instead of returning to Sevagram, he set out for Noakhali to try to bring peace there. The communal riots spread. There were similar riots in Bihar and the Punjab. Several thousand were killed and injured.

Gandhi was greatly distressed by

these events. He tried to calm and reassure the people.

He walked from village to village and from house to house carrying his message of peace. Wherever he was, there was peace, at least outwardly, but the general situation in India was worsening. Rioting spread from the towns to the villages. In Bihar the Muslims were suffering and Gandhi went there to instill courage into the Muslim minority. The situation in India was so dreadful that the Congress leaders realized that the best way open to them was to accept Jinnah’s demand for a division of the country.

Nehru met Gandhi to inform him of this decision.

Gandhi asked him, “Is there no way out? No hope of a united India?”

Nehru was sad and grave. “Bapuji,” he replied, “unity is impossible... we have to accept it (division of India).

Otherwise this deadly turmoil will never cease.” Gandhi bowed his head to hide his despair. On June 3, 1947, British Prime Minister Attlee announced the plan for partition. The Congress and the Muslim League accepted it. For Gandhi it was a spiritual tragedy. With infinite sadness he said, “All of India must accept Pakistan in loving resignation. We have no choice. Hindus must lead the way to a friendly settlement.”

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy, was anxious not to delay the ushering in of independent India and independent Pakistan. He shortened the time limit for the British to quit India. The date for the declaration of Indian independence was fixed for August 15, 1947.

Thus on August 15, 1947, India’s long struggle and suffering for freedom was over. A new nation, although split in two, was born. Lord Mountbatten hailed Gandhi as “the architect of India’s freedom through non-violence.”

Gandhi had never given his approval to partition, but when it was done he accepted it and did everything possible for the attainment of HinduMuslim friendship. Yet the tension between Hindus and Muslims continued to increase. As a result of partition over 700,000 Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslims, fearing the Muslims, in Pakistan left their homes and set out towards security in India.

From India about the same number of Muslims, fearing the Hindus, left their homes for Pakistan.

One and half million people on the move were exposed to starvation, disease, and death on the way.

Gandhi was on his way to the Punjab when he stopped in Delhi, hoping to quell the riots that had broken out there. Gandhi’s gospel of forbearance and forgiveness towards Muslims marked him as a traitor in the eyes of many Hindu extremists. In the face of fanatical opposition, Gandhi redoubled his efforts and the major disturbances in Delhi subsided, but there were still disturbances here and there. Gandhi decided to do penance by fasting, which he thought would bring about a change in the attitude of the Hindu fanatics. The fast began on January 13, 1948. There was gloom all over India at the news of Gandhi’s fast. People thought that he would not be able to survive another fast.

The whole world watched as Gandhi, 78 years old, fasted to save his country from destruction. On January 18 a peace committee, representing all communities, met and signed a pact pledging unity and the protection of life, property, and faith to the Muslim minority. Gandhi was informed of the pledge and he broke his fast. Gandhi was staying at Birla House. Every evening he held a prayer-meeting in the grounds. During his prayer-meeting on January 20, a bomb was thrown at him, but it

missed its target.

Gandhi continued his prayer meeting as if nothing had happened.

“Bapuji, a bomb exploded near you,” said a voice. “Really?” Gandhi said.

“Perhaps some poor fanatic threw it.

But let no one look down on him.”

On January 30, after a midday nap, Gandhi woke up at 3.30 p.m. The whole day he had had a stream of visitors. Sardar Patel went to see him at 4 p.m. Nehru and Azad were to come after the evening prayer.

Gandhi left his room at 5 p.m. and went towards the prayer hall. He passed through a cordoned-off path, accompanied by Manu and Abha, his grand-daughters. As he was walking along a youth came forward as if to seek his blessings.

But he stood in front of Gandhi and at point-blank range fired three shots in quick succession. All the bullets hit him. Gandhi fell, uttering the prayer, “Hay Ram.” Gandhi was dead. The assassination gave the world a tremendous shock.

Nehru went on radio to tell the country of Gandhi’s death, his voice choked with emotion: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. I do not know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the Father of the Nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that. Nevertheless, we will not see him again as we have seen him for these many years. The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many, many years will illumine this country for many more years, and a thousand years later that light will still be seen in this country, and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts.”

— Concluded

IITian to Lead Boeing’s F-15 Jet Fighter Team

EATTLE: US-based commercial jetliner Boeing has chosen an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi alumnus and its India president Pratyush Kumar to lead the iconic F-15 fighter jet program in the United States.

Kumar, known as Prat in close circles, had completed his BTech in mechanical engineering from IIT Delhi in 1989 and later on did a PhD

from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Boeing International President Marc Allen described Kumar as an exceptional leader who has demonstrated his ability to respond to global customers and to empower his team to collaborate and deliver results.

Boeing said during his five-year tenure in India, Kumar advanced the company’s business in commercial

airplanes, defence, space, security, and global services. The IITian had led the company’s exponential expansion in India.

During his tenure, Boeing launched a engineering and technology centre in Bengaluru to drive innovation and scale up its aerospace supply chain.

It also established a joint venture in Hyderabad with Tata to manufacture fuselages for the Apache attack heli-

copter, established Boeing Defense India to serve customers locally, finalized the sale of both Apache and Chinook helicopters to the Indian military.

Upbeat about his new US role, Kumar said the company will expand its local manufacturing, technology and innovations, products and people in the Indian subcontinent.

Pratyush Kumar will lead Boeing’s F-15 fighter aircraft program.

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