E newspaper12132013

Friday, December 13 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 50

Indo American erican News

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

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Just Dance Just Amazes P5

Houston Wows IIT Global Convention 2013 Partnered & Syndicated with Times of India, Sulekha.com, Google, Yahoo & Bing

IIT Houston Chairman Witty Bindra at the closing of the IIT Global Convention with his team of organizers and volunteers.

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Puzzles / Recipe Movie Review

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COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

IIT Global Convention Serves Up the Best of India with Texas Sized Hospitality

Organizers and volunteers at IIT Houston Convention.

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI AND JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The most frequent questions overheard at the IIT 2013 Global Conference held for the first time in Houston—Which IIT? Which batch? Wasn’t it a great session? Held Friday, December 6 through Sunday December 8 at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston, the conference provided an ideal venue for IITians to network with long-lost batch mates, make new friends and engage in the conference program that was true to its theme of “Inspiring Innovation for Tomorrow.”

The unexpected winter weather caused a few hiccups. The golf tournament at the Wildcat Golf Club happened to be scheduled on what was a cold, rainy Thursday, December 6. With lackluster participation, golf caps with the IIT logo were given away on the last day. The cold, snow and ice snap in Dallas also prevented Miss America Nina Davuluri from reaching Houston for the Sunday morning session much to the dismay of the teenagers who had been busy selling convention merchandise

to amass points that would allow them to be photographed with the beauty queen and also the conventioneers who had paid and come long distances to have breakfast with her. Davuluri did, however participate via a conference call to audience questions moderated by Sandy Srinivasan.

But the warm Texas hospitality, created by the conference committee chaired by Witty Bindra and with Pratish Kanani as vice chair, more than made up for the inclement weather.

Thursday night, the Chairman’s reception took place in the exotic setting of the Asia Society Texas Center in the Museum District and featured a beautiful dance performance by internationally renowned local artist Ratna Kumar’ s Anjali School of Performing Arts to a select list of invited guests.

As was to be expected, the IIT convention was big on the use of technology to guide registrants through the packed and hectic schedule of Friday and Saturday, with an ease up on Sunday as they left and the programs concluded in the afternoon. Many commented

on the high degree of organization and punctuality of the convention and that is was the best IIT convention they had been to.

The program committee led by Pradeep Anand and Sunil Pangarkar, jammed each hour with multiple activites, interspersed with plenary sessions and sumptuous meals. The conference program, adhered to five tracks of Sustainability, Technology, Education, Energy and Life Sciences (STEEL).There were breakout sessions on all the subjects that would appeal to IITians, on education, sustainability, energy, innovation, life sciences and the future of India. In addition, there were business plan competitions, soapbox sessions promoting projects run by other IITians and evening entertainment events.

Apart from these, several prominent speakers addressed the conventioneers, ranging from Houston Mayor Anise Parker, Indian Consul General P. Harish, University of Houston President Renu Khator, Andrew Gould, Nobel CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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Insights on India from Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen

BY DAN MAYUR HOUSTON: The first day’s highlight was undoubtedly the brilliant speech by Amartya Sen– Rebuilding India for a More Assured Future.

Prof. Amartya Sen is a Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University which he joined in 2004 after years of teaching and research at Cambridge, Jadavpur University in Calcutta, the Delhi School of Economics and the London School of Economics and Oxford University. Among the innumerable awards he has received are the “Bharat Ratna” and the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics.

In a spell-binding speech of almost 45 minutes, this sprightly eighty year old intellectual giant wowed the audience with his erudition, incredible recall of facts and figures and incisive analysis of the current situation in India and his prescription for what needs to be done going forward for a more assured future. He is supportive of free enterprise, recognizes the benefits of globalization but firmly believes that the government has a major role to play in the building and progress of a nation. He compared India with its neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh and China particularly in the areas of healthcare and education and emphasized the absolute importance of these in a country’s development.

Despite India’s avowed commitment to socialism, Sen feels that compared to its neighboring governments, the Indian government is doing the least in these two key areas for its people. India has the most number of malnourished children in the world despite ample food production.

Fifty percent of the population

does not have toilets or any sanitation facilities to speak of. Infant mortality is the highest in India.

Bangladesh has attained an almost 100 percent immunization rate, much higher than India.

India spends just 1.5 percent of its GDP on health care, compared to 3 percent for China and 17 percent for the US. What is so striking is that the government portion of that meager healthcare spending in socialist India is only 29 percent compared to about 70 percent for the European countries and around 50 percent for the US. While the number of schools and colleges seem to be increasing in India, the quality of education remains a serious issue in great contrast to Asian countries like China, Singapore, Hong Kong, S. Korea and Japan which are all well ahead of even Europe and America in recent global rankings of education quality.

Among the Indian states, Professor Sen feels that Gujarat is hyped up. While it has developed its roads and infrastructures well, its Human Development Index that includes education and health care is not particularly impressive. In this regards he likes the Kerala model for its approach to healthcare and education. He also thinks Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have done well.

Overall, the Indian governments can and needs to do a lot more for uplifting the quality of life for the masses was his message, loud and clear.

Dan Mayur is an engineer, financial planner and author of four books. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and has a PhD in chemical engineering from the William Marsh Rice University in Houston.

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COMMUNITY

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA STAFFORD: Each year when Arzan Gonda showcases the dancing abilities of her students, she makes sure that the whole event is entirely about them, choosing to stay in the background as she smilingly sits aside and watches them go through their paces.

This year Arzan was even more “hidden” as she participated in only one number – the last one - as her Bollywood Dancing students presented Just Dance 2013 at the Old Stafford Civic Center on Constitution Lane this past Saturday, December 7. The whole auditorium, upstairs and down, was packed with the parents and friends of the performers.

The program had two show times: 4pm for the students mostly from the Katy and West Houston area and another four hours later at 8pm for the Sugar Land, Missouri City and Southwest Houston areas. All told, over 100 students participated in each of the two programs. The dance items in each show were pretty much the same, many of the dancers were different though some did perform in both shows. “Although my staff and I did arrange most of the choreography”, Gonda revealed proudly, “some of the intermediate level kids felt comfortable enough with their routines to add their own moves to complete their performances”.

The program started with a dancer on a pillar as three other girls slowly peeled off ribbons of fabric. As it ended, Arzan stepped onstage and appreciated the dancers and their determination to make the show perfect. Ever cognizant of the role that the audience plays in recitals, Gonda asked them to show their appreciation. “Be as rowdy as you can be”, she said, “We feed off your energy”. The audience took it to heart, expressing their rousing support of each number that was performed.

In an adaptation of a line you’d find in a Bollywood movie, the

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Just Dancin’ to Capture the Legends of Bollywood

Arzan Gonda

Arzan Gonda (extreme left) on stage with her team of dancers at the Just Dance 2013 show that was held at the Old Stafford Civic Center this past Saturday, December 7.

Photos: Navin Mediwala

program started and ended with a video clip featuring a fictitious Raj Malhotra (portrayed by Prateek Karkal) who has an assignment to write on the Legends of Bollywood for his writing class. He has to complete it by 5pm or flunk the grade, so he rushes to the college library and while doing research falls asleep. In his dreams, a beautiful guide (acted by Sarah Kumar) takes him on a journey through the years on the actors and actresses who best personify what Bollywood has become. At the end, Raj wakes up from his dream, quickly writes his paper and submits it just in time.

In between the two bookend clips, Kumar and Karkal (who are amateur actors even as they pursue young professional careers) played their roles live onstage as guides and emcees for the sequence of dance numbers that each different

aged group performed in honor of the five most popular Bollywood actors of recent times. Kumar – who, with her booming voice, has been the emcee of Just Dance in previous years – explains the importance of each actor as the knowledge slowly creeps into Raj’s head and then the songs which the actors enacted were played out by the performing groups.

And perform they did with all their hearts! Ranging from the tiny tots, some barely four years old to the most accomplished lead dancers who have performed with Gonda during the Houston Rockets halftime show for the past three years, the performances rounded out with medley, artistic flair, synchronized moves and brilliantly sequined and colorful costumes to describe the songs made popular by the fancy movie footwork of Amtiabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Govin-

da, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor, Karina Kapoor, and at the end, the immensely versatile Shah Rukh Khan.

The dancers showed that they had learnt the hundreds of complex steps and body movements of each one of the songs that was visualized and when they weren’t sure, like when the tiny tots performed, Gonda sat with the audience in the middle aisle and went through each step to guide them along as they looked to her for direction.

The dancers performed for an hour and each set melded into another in Gonda’s signature way as one song bled into the other in a continuous stream between the emcee’s narrations. The energy and joy with which the dancers went through their numbers – and there were many more male dancers than in years past – showed that, at least in this area, Indian culture was being preserved and

etched into the youthful minds of the younger generation of Indo Americans. They could identify the moves, the music, mouth the songs and knew the actors; and it showed that they appreciated what Bollywood offers. The last dance was with Gonda and the older dancers, wearing oversized colorful glasses with flashing yellow LED lights in a finale to Bollywood.

As the music ended, the entire ensemble of dancers came on stage for a final bow, again a signature Gonda tribute as she led the tiny tots onstage by the hand. She thanked the performers, their parents, the many volunteers and staff who organized the event, her husband, in-laws and friends, and finally – choking up with emotion – her mother in Bombay who helped get and ship all the costumes that the dancers wore.

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COMMUNITY

Houston BJP Supporters Celebrate Party’s Spectacular Win in State Elections HOUSTON: Close to 300 enthusiastic supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gathered at India House on Sunday, Dec 8 to celebrate BJP’s landslide victory in recently held state elections. Braving the chilly weather, the attendees mingled with various community leaders to exchange notes on BJP’s performance and pledged to work vigorously towards BJP’s win in the general elections in 2014.

The meeting started with a beautiful rendition of “Vande Mataram” by Smitha Prahalad – which had the entire audience stand up and sing with her.

One of the best known faces of Indian community in Houston, Ramesh Bhutada, was the first speaker of the day. The renowned businessman and philanthropist said “India was a promising growth story a few years ago but poor governance, corruption and misrule of Congress led UPA governments have brought the country to a standstill. The drubbing Congress got in Rajasthan showed that Sonia Gandhi’s attempt to buy votes with free handouts to poor was summarily rejected by the electorate. The real development model of Gujarat under the stewardship of Narendra Modi is what India needs. India needs strong, honest, visionary and decisive leadership of Modi” he said and urged the audience to phone relatives and friends in India to register to vote and back Modi’s candidacy.

The meeting was organized by Global

Three youth speakers, Sunanda Vashisht, Aadit Kapadia, and Pramod Kumar.

Indians for Bharat Vikas (GIBV) and the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) as part of their Mission 2014 initiative. You can visit www.gibv.org for further details.

Gitesh Desai of OFBJP said the BJP’s victory in 407 of the 589 contests in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, could translate into 65 of 72 Parliamentary seats in the general election. This, in turn, could help the BJP get 272 on its own. Desai, whose political activism started when he joined Jayaprakash Narayan’s Navnirman movement in Gujarat in the mid-1970s, urged the audience to travel to India in next year’s general election to work for the voter drive.

Shekhar Agrawal of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth said Swamiji, as Modi’s biggest backer, had set up the Bharat Swabhiman Trust in 2008 and had been constantly raising his voice against corruption and black money. Agrawal said 2014 will be a great opportunity to overthrow a dictatorial dynasty and urged everyone to give a boost to Modi.

Gita Bhatia of the Overseas Volunteer for a Better India (OVBI), an Art of Living initiative, described OVBI’s efforts to educate and motivate Indian citizens to vote.

She said OVBI had developed an app that enables one to register as a voter by phone.

Details can be found at www.overseasvbi. com.

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LEGAL

December 13, 2013

Scammers Pretending to be IRS Agents Targeting Indian Immigrants.

BY RAHUL REDDY & SOPHIA ASARE HOUSTON: A pervasive telephone scam is targeting immigrants, particularly Indian nationals, across the country. Victims are contacted by phone and email and told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. The scammers are often able to recite the last four digits of the victims’ social security numbers. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

Below are the steps you should take if you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS: • If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call a Certified

Public Accountant or an Attorney. You can even call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.

• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

If you have not yet received a phone call or email from someone claiming to be from the IRS, remain vigilant and be aware that: • The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

• The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

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BY RAHUL REDDY & EMILY NEUMANN HOUSTON: If your U.S. master’s degree is from a private, for-profit university and you obtained your H-1B approval under the Masters Cap exemption, you may run into problems obtaining an H-1B extension. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is taking a second look at H-1Bs approved under the Masters Cap exemption after some petitions appear to have been approved in error. For those cases where the initial H-1B petition was approved under the Masters Cap and the degree used to qualify for the exemption was from a private, for-profit school, the USCIS could deny the H-1B extension on the grounds that the worker was never actually counted towards the H-1B numerical limitations and is now subject to the H-1B quota. USCIS could also potentially revoke the approved H-1B petition.

On October 1st of every year, the U.S. government makes available 65,000 H-1B visas for the upcoming fiscal year. In addition, there is an advanced degree exemption provided to the first 20,000 petitions filed for an individual who has obtained a U.S. master’s degree or higher. However, not all U.S. master’s degrees are created equal when it comes to qualifying for this exemption. The school issuing the master’s degree must meet the definition of an institution of higher education as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

According to section 101(a), an institution

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Below is a list of institutions that we have learned do not meet the criteria of United States institution of higher education as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965: Stratford University, University of Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley University, Herguan University, GoldeyBeacom College, International Technological University.

If your school is a private, for-profit institution and you obtained an H-1B approval under the Masters Cap, you should contact a qualified immigration attorney as soon as possible. With the new filing window opening on April 1, 2014, you may need to consider filing a new H-1B petition under the Bachelors Cap in order to avoid future problems with your H-1B visa. In addition, if you are a current F-1 student or recent graduate and are planning to file an H-1B petition in the upcoming filing window, consult with an attorney before filing under the Master CAP exemption if you attended a private, for-profit university.

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COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

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IIT Global Convention Serves Up the Best of India with Texas Sized Hospitality

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Laureate Amartya Sen (see box on page 3), Rice University President David LeBron, former Mexican President Vicente Fox, many corporate leaders and successful IITians.

Keynote speakers during the banquets on Friday and Saturday evening were Blake Irving, the CEO of GoDaddy who spoke about “Mashing up the future of Technology” and Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director for the disaster ridden Apollo 13 mission delivering a rousing speech on “Failure is not an option”. While Irving emphasized how the future is focused on delivering the services and products from the brick and mortar landscape fast via the narrow information pipeline, Krantz explained to an attentive and curious audience how NASA narrowly averted a disaster and brought the three Apollo 13 astronauts back to earth alive.

Friday’s session began in the morning with campus and chapter president and alumni meetings for several of the campuses At mid-day, the plenary welcome and lunch took place in the grand ballroom, featuring Houston Mayor Anise Parker, Indian Consul General P. Harish, UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator and British Gas CEO Andrew Gould.

The session began with a touching lighting of the lamp ceremony by the oldest IIT graduate, represented by 85-year-old Kashinath Patil, IIT Kharagpur, M. Tech, 1955, and the youngest prospective IIT student, represented by 8-year-old Tegh Bindra.

Mayor Annise Parker welcomed the conference delegates to Houston and pointed with pride to city’s status as the energy capital of the world and home to the Medical Center and NASA. Consul General P. Harish praised the contributions of the IITs, but also brought up their shortcomings in the small number of PhD scholars and patents filed in comparison to China and the U.S. University of Houston Chancellor Khator underscored the value of IIT education

in the academic world as well as at home (as her husband Suresh is an IIT graduate). Khator explained how she was able to advance the university to Tier I status through partnerships with the city and the community. She urged the delegates to enhance IIT contributions to the country through public-private partnerships that have helped U.S. academic institutions to prosper.

British Gas CEO Andrew Gould, who was formerly CEO of Schlumberger, explained to the audience the challenges facing the oil and gas industry through trends such as the concentration of resources with the national oil companies and the steady transfer of research and development from the operating companies to the service companies. During the Q&A session, Gould suggested that the oilfield technology advantage that the West has could be transferring to the East because of negative perception of the oil and gas industry. “When we recruit at universities in the U.S. and Europe, the graduating students think of oil and gas as a dying fossil fuel industry,” Gould explained. “On the other hand, students at universities in the Middle East and Asia are eager to participate in the oil and gas industry.”

Friday also featured awards given out to IITians who have excelled in their current fields of endeavors and some like Vinod Khosla and Desh Deshpande were unable to attend but send their acceptance speeches by video. Others like Arun Malhotra were delighted and surprised by the honor.

The Saturday night banquet dinner and entertainment was exceptional. IIT techies as well as their guests were at the edge of their seats as NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz, recited without notes, the gut wrenching saga “Failure is not an option” of how his team overcame numerous technical challenges to bring back the Apollo 13 crew after an oxygen tank explosion as the spacecraft was orbiting the moon.

Comedian Dan Nainan brought the house down with jokes as a re-

sult of having a Keralite father and a Japanese mother. Rock and Blues singer Usha Uthup, whose association with the IITs began with an open-air performance at IIT Kharagpur, had the audience leave their banquet tables and flock near the stage to clap and dance to her hits such as “Dum Maro Dum”.

The conference ended with a concluding speech by Deshpande on the value of social entrepreneurship and how to measure its relevance and impact. He cited a non-profit that he has been keenly involved with for several years, Aksha Patra which provide free hot meals to millions of young kids in public schools in several states in India and showed a video clip on the program. Deshpande also explained how he had setup the Deshpande Center for Excellence at MIT and his efforts at social innovation in India.

The convention ended after Sundy Srinivasan asked all the committees which had worked hard to pull it together to come onstage for a final bow and a ceremonial passing of the baton by Chairman Witty Bindra to the 2014 Convention Chair for the event to be

Witty Bindra with Amartya Sen

hosted in New Delhi, India. The regional convention will be held in Toronto, Canada in June.

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COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

Cheer, Warmth and Fashion at Pratham’s Holiday Luncheon Fundraiser

Pratham Board past and present with Keynote speaker Mike Feinberg, Pratham Co Founder Dr. Madhav Chavan, Pratham USA Founder Vijay Goradia and Pratham Houston President Marie Goradia.

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: As a couple of male speakers mentioned, there was only a smattering of men among the mostly female crowd who came for Pratham’s Holiday Luncheon this past Friday, December 6 at The Junior League of Houston and that was certainly by design rather than by accident.

“This used to be called the Ladies Luncheon for the past five year’s”, explained Mani Surkari, Executive Director of Pratham Houston as she nibbled at her lunch in between the program, “but we changed it this year”.

And the event is easily one of the most popular that Pratham holds throughout the year, coming at the heels of the festive Holiday Season and bringing all the warmth and color of it that the Junior League setting exudes. It was all the merrier and easier to appreciate especially on a chilly afternoon when the temperatures hovered in the high 30s.

The event has traditionally been Pratham’s last fundraiser for the year and was in support of the tailoring and beauty center programs that the charity supports in India to provide vocational training to women to enable them to become entrepreneurs and set up their own small businesses. This year’s event was spearheaded by Dr. Marie Goradia, the newly elected Pratham Houston President who spoke of her fervor for the non-profit which her husband Vijay Goradia cofounded the USA chapter in 1998.

“I became hooked on the concept when we visited a slum in Bombay and saw twenty kids seated in a circle in the open, learning and raising their hands to answer questions”, Goradia recalled, “They wanted a chance to be free – to become a doctor or teacher – or to just be ‘me’”.

She explained how Pratham has become the largest non-profit in

the world in the field of elementary education and become a major force in India through four programs: Annual Status of Education Report or ASER, Read India, Vocational and Entrepreneur Training an Second Chance Open Schools for Girls. Read India has been particularly effective since its launch in 2007 to reach 34 million kids in India and teach them basic reading and simple math in a unique 2-month program.

Among the guests was Pratham founder and current CEO Dr. Madhav Chavan who said a few words of appreciation and support for the event and then in turn Goradia recognized other Pratham directors and presidents in the audience.

The keynote speaker for the afternoon was Mike Feinberg, a co-founder of KIPP (for Knowledge is Power Program) which he launched in 1994 for fifth-graders in an inner-city school in Houston.

He developed the KIPP Academy Houston while the other co-founder Dave Levin started KIPP Academy New York.

Feinberg started his speech with an acknowledgement to the passing of the South Africa apartheid foe and President Nelson Mandela the day before and a quote from the 95 year-old statesman.

Feinberg said that there were many similarities in philosophy between KIPP and Pratham including the programs’ contribution to the founders’ hair loss, he jested! He related the traditional greeting between Maasai warriors of Kenya which is “How are the children?” responded to with “All the children are well” to illustrate the importance the nomadic tribe places on their young. “Here in the US, the answer is “Uh!”, Feinberg declared.

He illustrated his speech with statistics that showed the disparity of the 31% of students in the US who graduate from college – 82%

of the top income class versus only 8% of the bottom. In India, he countered, only 15% start college. He explained that there are two schools of thought regarding this dilemma: one is to eradicate poverty and the other is that education is the ticket out of poverty.

“Society doesn’t believe that we can lick the problem”, he said.

After 20 years, KIPP has an enviable success rate of 45% of its kids graduating from college. The secret seems to be in getting more learning time and getting families to commit. “People don’t believe they can make this change”, Feinberg said, adding, “but all children can learn.

Pratham has changed that thought to ‘all children will learn’”. He concluded by reading an excerpt from the children’s book “The Polaris Express” which is about Christmas and ended with tinkling a small bell he pulled out of his pocket to signify the happy ending and encouraging the guests to make sure other kids heard the bell of happiness and hope. “Its kinda funny that a Jew is reading a Christmas tale to CONTINUED ON PAGE

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COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

Houston BJP Supporters Celebrate Party’s Spectacular Win in State Elections CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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Endorsing Modi’s PM candidature, Col. Raj Bhalla (Retd), former president of India Culture Center, said he had written to President George W Bush on the injustice in denying a U.S. visa to Narendra Modi in 2005. He asked Bush how someone who has a lawsuit against him in a local court could be denied a visa.

How would it be, he asked Bush, if India denied a visa to former House speaker Tom DeLay because of the lawsuit against him.

Another prominent community leader, Ramesh

Shah, who has been visiting India to work for the BJP in every election in the past 18 years, said that in his travels from Assam to Kanyakumari, he could see the misery in India’s hinterland where vast numbers of people have been left out of the development because of lack of sanitation, access to safe drinking water, education, electricity and good roads. He said it was critical to campaign aggressively on the phone from here.

Volunteers would be given lists of phone numbers, he said. He urged all Indian passport holders to register to vote so they can cast their votes from overseas.

Modi was a clear factor in the victory, said Sunanda Vashisht of the GIBV’s media relations team.

Modi campaigned in 20 constituencies of Rajasthan and the BJP won in 16 of them. Rahul Gandhi campaigned in eight and Congress won in none of them, she pointed out. Aadit Kapadia, emcee of the event, urged Indian passport holders to register to vote because there was likelihood of refugees being drafted as a voter in the name of an absentee NRI. The gathering was shown a medley of Modi speeches and the inspired attendees took a pledge to working for the BJP victory in 2014 elections.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

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Houston Grand Opera’s “River of Light” to Feature Libretto by Chitra Divakaruni

At the introductory event hosted by the Inamdars, author Chitra Divakaruni explained the art and science of writing a libretto with HGO artists and Pradeep Gupta in the audience (far right).

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: Yet another indication of the city’s diverse, international character is the launch of a new chamber opera entitled, “River of Light”, a story about an Indian American mother in Houston Featuring the libretto (lyrics of an opera) by our own author Chitra Divakaruni and music by Jack Perla, “River of Light” is part of HGO’s East+West series of chamber operas that celebrate Houston’s Eastern and Western cultures. It is a part of the multiyear “Song of Houston” series sponsored in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The 2013-14 season marks the finale of the series.

According to the HGO, each East+West piece honors a specific culture and community through storytelling and music. HGO engages artists and individuals from different countries to create art about, by, and for Houston’s vibrant Asian communities.

“River of Light” is based on the story of Meera, who has moved to Houston after getting married and earned a high-powered job.

Meera loves her mainstream lifestyle, until the birth of her daughter makes her long to recreate authentic Diwali traditions at home.

The HGO recently held a fundraising launch party for “River of Light” at the home of the Dr. Nikhil and Radhika Inamdar in West University. The chamber opera has

plained the challenges of writing the libretto. “I’ve written novels for adults and children, but this was something new,” recalled Divakaruni. “The libretto is written to synchronize with specific the music as well as convey the story.

I enjoyed the back-andforth sessions with composer Jack Perla, who is based in San Francisco.”

Jack Perla has forged a reputation for writing engaging, sophisticated, and accessible works usOne of the performances of “River of Light” is scheduled ing a palette that includes symphonic, operatic and to take place at the Meenakshi temple in Pearland. chamber music, as well as multiple jazz and popubeen funded generously by the Inamdars lar idioms.

For the first East + West series, as well as HGO board members Sam and Perla worked with Chinese author Euginia Omana Abraham.

The launch party featured a performance Chan in 2010 to create “Courtside.”

Perla was recently commissioned by Opby HGO artists of short extracts from the era Theater St. Louis to create a new opopera. HGO’s Development Officer Rebecca Kier explained how the Chamer op- era for 2015, based on Salman Rushdie’s era will be performed at various locations “Shalimar the Clown.”

For additional information on River of throughout the area, including the MeenakLight, please call 713 546 0211 or visit shi Temple in Pearland. Kier asked the audience to contribute generously to fund these HGO.org/HGOco. performances. Chitra Divakaruni then ex-

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December 13, 2013

Cheer, Warmth and Fashion at Pratham’s Holiday Luncheon Fundraiser CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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a bunch of Hindus”, he chuckled.

Goradia picked up with a short pledge drive just as lunch was served, for the two Pratham initiatives, and an anonymous donor pledged to match each dollar upto a maximum of $15,000. All told, the event reportedly raised about $139,000. Goradia also acknowledged the dedicated devotion of the Pratham staff with Mani Surkari serving as Executive Director for 10 years, and Dimpal Kalani.

Keeping in with the emphasis on women’s participation, a fashion show with models walking down a catwalk was presented with clothes and outfits by Sameera Faridi of Poshak and Jamal Nasir of L.K. Bennett. Also featured were makeup booths by Berkha Khokhar of Fashion Face; Sara Duggal of Touch of Elegance, Saks Fifth Avenue and Country Rose.

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Asha Dhume Luncheon Co-Chair, Marie Goradia Pratham Houston President, Nandita Harish [wife of consul general of India], Annu Naik Luncheon Co Chair, Leena Shah Host committee Chair.

Keynote speaker Mike Feinberg and his wife Colleen, Co Founder of Pratham Dr. Madhav Chavan, Pratham Houston President Marie Goradia, Pratham USA Founder Vijay Goradia.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

Indian Poet Invited to Deliver Keynote at Turkish Organization “Why Poetry Matters.”

BY KUAYBE BASTURK AUSTIN: Raindrop Women’s Association organized the last Coffee Night of the year this past weekend on December 7, with a title of “Why Poetry Matters? It was such a success! Described as soulful and profound the speech left a deep mark on the audience.

The keynote speaker of the night was Usha Akella, an Indian poet living in America for so many years. She made an inspiring speech which began with exploring the divine heartbeat in everything and unity of the soul. She also shared some of her poems from her upcoming book “Rosary of Latitudes.” The night began with a delicious dinner which was cooked

by Turkish ladies volunteering for Raindrop. Then, it was time for a wonderful speech! Usha described poetry as “the language of the soul waiting to be heard” She mentioned Rumi and she said: “We listen, for his voice tells us what we want to hear most—that Life is Love and Oneness, laws as real as gravity. If harmony is the flour of Rumi’s poetry, love is the yeast.”

She continued her speech by talking about her poetry life.

“Long before I understood this consciously Poetry marked me as hers. I wrote poetry till the age of twenty-seven in the absence of mentors, resources, creative writing programs, readings or journals. During those years, writing was a substitute for breathing; as a chronic asthmatic, on many days my bed was my boat, the window my mast and my imagination was the wind that set me sailing. The Sufis say that on the inhalation the universe condenses as the Self; and on the exhalation, the Self expands into the universe. When I write, there is the bliss of perfect aloneness, the external disappears- this is joy; and when the poem is written it completes itself in the heart of the reader- this is harmony.

The Breath, quite simply is an inextricable factor in the making of poetry, sharply so for me. Poetry is the ‘word’ that is completed between two souls, more so than any other literary form. Its very essence requires two becoming one. Consider, ‘Metaphor,’ the

soul of poetry. The way it yokes disparate objects by attesting similarities not thought of before.

It is the eye of the Poet that sees the hidden oneness in all things.”

She shared her observation that poets tend to fall into three categories, seers, seekers and stirrers.. “Every poet, is first a seeker of some sort- his own self, a better world or the divine. “ “The stirrers use poetry as the vehicle for social and political activism.

These poets are the dreamers who dream for all of us and cannot be content with the world as it is.”

She concluded her speech by answering the question which was the title of the night “Why poetry matters?”

“Poetry matters because the soul matters and in the end triumphs. I’ve come to believe in the quiet mission of poetry: Reflecting the human heart, it unites us in our universality.

Aspiring for the divine, it shows us what is noblest in our souls.

Revealing where change is needed, it calls for our compassion.

Poetry is alchemy, humanizing and transformative.

Poetry will matter, As long as there is one last living heart on the planet that knows it “is.”

As long as the human race has humanity left in it.

As long as we dare to be vulnerable and alive, Poetry will be the medium to express it.”

After Usha Akella was given her gift by RAWA branch representative, Kuaybe Basturk, writer/editor, made a short presentation with some lines and short parts from different poems to answer “Why poetry matters?” She said “Poetry matters because it touches somewhere in our hearts which we are not even aware of it most of the time!” And red the lines she selected from different poets to help the audience feel that “touch”.

The night ended with a poetry game creatively designed

by Kuaybe Basturk and a book signing beautifully arranged and assisted by Akella’s young daughter. Guests wrote their memories in a guest book. What left behind was warm memories on a cold December night!!

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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18 December 13, 2013 Was This A “Semi-Final”?

For the Congress, the humiliation in Delhi was more crushing than the defeats elsewhere. More ignominious than the failure to win Madhya Pradesh after two successive defeats and the fall of the Congress government in Rajasthan was the party’s miserable third-place finish in Delhi. The Congress trailed way behind the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal, which has made a sparkling debut. The close finish in Chhattisgarh was poor compensation for the total rout in the other three States. The party was left grappling with the long-term implications of having lost so much ground to the AAP in Delhi. The extraordinary rise of the AAP testified to the success of the team of activists led by Mr. Kejriwal in drawing new volunteers outside of the traditional political class who effectively channelled the sense of public disgust with mainstream parties. The four States together send 72 members to the Lok Sabha, and the Congress would now have to acknowledge that its principal rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is the front runner for the bigger battle in 2014 Yet, given that these four States were primarily sites of bipolar contests between the BJP and the Congress, this verdict cannot be construed as a “semi-final”, as some analysts are inclined to argue. First, the 2014 general election will take place on a larger canvas with more leading players such as the regional parties, and the verdict will reflect this complex interplay. This said, there is no denying that in the race to be the single largest party in the next Lok Sabha, the BJP is surely ahead.

While the results certainly boost the BJP’s chances in 2014, it would be premature to read these as an unqualified endorsement of the party’s Hindutva brand of politics. For instance, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the star performer of the party and a charismatic leader in his own right, has led the BJP to victory in Madhya Pradesh for the second time. He sought a renewed mandate on the basis of his development schemes and welfare projects and has evidently succeeded.

Likewise, in Chhattisgarh, the BJP under Raman Singh banked on food subsidies to win votes. In Rajasthan, the BJP rode on the strong anti-incumbency sentiment, bringing Vasundhara Raje back to another term in office. The Congress government under Ashok Gehlot failed miserably to make an impact. In Delhi, the AAP ran a high-voltage campaign against corruption and the established political class.

If the BJP is seeking to sharpen the ideological divide over secularism by nominating Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate ahead of the Assembly elections, there is little evidence from this round of elections that such a strategy will deliver guaranteed victories on the ground. The rise of the Aam Aadmi party also signals public alienation from traditional political parties which appear increasingly disconnected from people’s aspirations and expectations.

The Hindu

EDITORIAL

Supreme Court Rules Against Gays NEW DELHI: In a jolt to the gay community in India, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held that consensual sex between adults of the same gender was an offence.

A two-judge SC bench cancelled a 2009 Delhi high court ruling that section 377 of the Indian penal code prohibiting people from engaging in “carnal acts against the order of nature” infringed the fundamental rights of Indians.

“It is up to Parliament to legislate on this issue,” judge GS Singhvi, head of the two-man bench, said in the ruling which found the ban to be constitutionally valid. The judgment was pronounced by justice Singhvi on the day he was scheduled to retire.

While hearing the appeal, the apex court had pulled up the Centre for its “casual” approach on decriminalisation of homosexuality and also expressed concern over Parliament not discussing such important issues and blaming the judiciary instead for its “overreach”.

While pleading for decriminalisation of gay sex, the Centre had told the court that the anti-gay law in the country had resulted from British colonialism and the Indian society was much more tolerant towards homosexuality.

The high court had on July 2, 2009, decriminalised gay sex as provided in section 377 of the IPC and ruled that sex between two consenting adults in private would not be an offence.

The HC decision was strongly opposed by religious groups such as All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance.

“Such a decision was totally unexpected from the top court. It is a black day for the community,” Arvind Narayan, a lawyer of the Alternative Law Forum gay rights group, told reporters.

“We are very angry about this regressive decision of the court.”

Protests were expected later on Wednesday from the gay community that is still largely closeted but was emboldened by the 2009 ruling.

Though prosecutions under sec-

Human rights activists and the LGBT community are disappointed with the SC judgement. (PTI photo)

tion 377 are rare, conviction carries a fine and a maximum 10-year jail sentence and it is used by police to harass gay couples, activists say.

“We will explore all options, probably look into the option of a review petition,” T Tandon, a lawyer appearing for Naz Foundation, a non-profit group that works with HIV-AIDS patients, said outside the court.

“The movement of gay rights is so much stronger now. It is not 2001, it is 2013. You can’t have a decision like this.”

Dominic Emmanuel, spokesman of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, said before the verdict that the church was ready to accept any decision from the Supreme Court.

“Though we did not welcome the decision of the high court, we did not object to it. If there is a decision like that from the Supreme Court, we will not object to it either,” he told a TV channel.

“The church has a very clear stand on people with different sexual orientations. Though they are different from ... normal people, they should be respected, accepted and there should be no signs of discrimination against them.”

Gay sex has long been a taboo subject in India, where many still regard homosexuality as a mental illness.

In recent years, however, the country’s gay community has raised its profile, organising gay pride marches in major cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai which have created awareness and encouraged many to come out of the closet.

The government on Wednesday indicated that it will take the legislative route to deal with the issue.

The apex court in its verdict put the ball in Parliament’s court to decide on the desirability of deleting the relevant section from Indian Penal Code.

“It is the prerogative of the Supreme Court under the Constitution to test the constitutionality of a law. They are exercising their prerogative. We have the prerogative to make laws. We shall exercise our prerogative,” law minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi.

Asked ‘how soon’ will the government bring the matter in Parliament, Sibal said: “Well, if Parliament runs, we shall take it up.”

Jeffrey O’Malley, director of the United Nations Development Programme on HIV/AIDS, had argued in 2008 that decriminalising homosexuality would help India to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. India has an estimated 2.5 million people living with the virus.

Hindustan Times

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COMMUNITY

December 13, 2013

6th Annual TELICA Diwali Festival Brings Telfair to Cornerstone Elementary

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TELICA board members from left: Deepak Kanwar (lead coordinator 2013 Diwali); Raju Muppala, Prakash Shah (Treasurar), Ravi Ranjan (President), Satya Narendrula (Secretary), Sundar Moorthy, Praveen Bhavani and Siva Juturi. Not seen Ambuj Bajpai, Amit Mittal and Shankar Vaidyanathan.

FBISD Cornerstone Elementary School’s Choir performing at 2013 Telfair Diwali organized by TELICA.

BY DEEPAK KANWAR SUGAR LAND: The Cornerstone Elementary School was once again the site for the Annual Telfair Diwali Festival organized by Telfair Indian American Culture Association (TELICA). Now in its 6th year, the TELICA celebration of Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, attracted over a 1,000 Telfair adults and children colorfully dressed in their traditional Indian clothing. The event was sponsored

by MetLife; TelfairLife.com; Infinity Water Softener; and Amerivijue At the entranceway, the guests were greeted by a beautiful Rangoli creation by Sangita Bhutada, whose mesmerizing designs continue to amaze people year after year. The day started with a series of kids’ activities including Puja Thali decoration, Rocket Bookmark and a Lord Ganesha themed car decoration. Women and girls also took full advantage of the free Henna and Nail Art activities and were seen proudly

showing off their newly “beautified” hands. Several youth volunteers helped lead coordinators in managing these activities.

The afternoon programs started at around noon with Ganesh Vandana by Urvashi Shah. The TELICA president Ravi Ranjan kicked off the afternoon festivities by welcoming the guests. He invited distinguished guest Dean of Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston, Dr. Latha Ramchand, to join the TELICA organizers, in lighting the lamp that signifies the elimination of darkness. Dr. Ramchand then gave a short address discussing the significance of Diwali and the importance of celebrations such as this for the younger generation.

This was followed by a dazzling display of songs and dances. A wonderful mix of instrumentals, vocals, classical and Bollywood style dances enchanted the audience for three hours and left them wanting more. The preparation

that was put in by the participants and the choreographers, many of whom were simply volunteering their time, was remarkable.

Midway through the show, distinguished guest, Sugar Land Police Chief Doug Brinkley took the stage and talked about living in Sugar Land. He was very appreciative of the TELICA plans to put together a fund raiser to benefit the Sugar Land police force.

The grand finale was provided by the Choir from our own Cornerstone Elementary School. Led

by Laura Klein, the choir put together a wonderful set of songs including La Tarara and Ode to Joy. Deepak Kanwar was the lead coordinator, Sanjeev Yamdagni coordinated the cultural programs and Roopali Mittal coordinated the kid’s activities.

For further information visit www.telica.org for festival pictures or to get more details about the event and organization.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

20 December 13, 2013 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!

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Befriending the Stranger HOUSTON: The 29th annual Houston Interfaith Thanksgiving service was held on Thursday, November 21 at the Houston’s Rothko Chapel in the museum district. Every year, an independent committee selects a new topic for the representatives of various religions to reflect on through their religious worldview.

This year’s topic was “Befriending the Stranger”. Representatives of 9 religions were invited. With great professionalism and faith, representatives presented various references from their scriptures s supporting the idea of befriending strangers.

Vahishta opened with a powerful note that befriending each individual is core to the Zoroastrian belief system. Dr. Sulekh Jain of the Jain community gave an example of his lifetime experience, referring to a doctor in Iowa who never judged or hated another individual in 36 years! Representatives of Christianity and Islam shared how their traditions welcome strangers.

The Hindu community was represented by Dr. Bharath Srinivasan and Dr. Jayakumar Srinivasan of Arsha Vidya Satsanga. Introduc-

ing verses from The Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatham and Ayurveda, Dr. Bharath stated that the Supreme Being, all pervading and simultaneously within us, is the strangest of all. Befriending that will eliminate all walls of fear and prejudice of all external strangers. Therefore, it is critical to become familiar with the stranger “inside” us.

Dr. Jayakumar Srinivasan, started off with a powerful opening that India, the source and home of Hinduism, has never been afraid of welcoming strangers. A prosperous Hindu civilization existed in India long before the world knew Islam or Christianity. India provided a safe haven for Jews and Zoroastrians when they were persecuted in their homelands. India provided rich opportunities for trade by opening up to Arab and European traders who in return brought invasions, economic exploitation, and their native religions to India. He added with anguish that this magnanimous gesture has been exploited by aggressive religions. Leaders of Abrahamic religions visiting India openly encouraged their followers to complete the unfinished proselytizing

campaign. This led to the ongoing massive movement of “befriending the natives” - even through lies, deception, and coercion.

Dr. Jayakumar appealed to all religions not to proselytize and destroy human diversity. He thanked organizers for their unwavering commitment to diversity. He concluded with a deeply moving statement “I seek your cooperation to create a world where no culture, not even a small tribe, is threatened for survival. Please befriend us this way.”

As a fitting end to the series, Bryan Blakeny of Baha’i faith said, “When you expose a prism to white light, it splits to several colors. Each religion could symbolize one color of light, but the true source is well beyond that single color. It is source of light that we need to learn and understand and not the color of light or the lamp”.

After the presentations, speakers and attendees exchanged ideas with each other. Garland Pohl, one of the organizers, agreed that religious freedom is not to be misused and offered to organize dialogs on this topic.

Consul General P. Harish Inaugurates Classic Drama Amrapali on Houston Stage HOUSTON: A classic drama “Asi Thi Amprapali” took stage at Sur Auditorium, Houston Durgabari Society (HDBS) on Saturday, November 30 at 6 PM. The stage performance was done under the banner of Bihari Association of North America (also called BANA) in Houston, a non-profit organization serving the social and cultural needs of many Biharis in and around Houston since 1992.

Consul General of India in Houston, P. Harish inaugurated the event and was also the chief guest to witness this memoir of such extra ordinary cultural event of ancient decent. Other guests included Dr. Bishnupada Goswami, and Pandit Shuklaji. Harish in his inaugural speech lauded the glorious past of Pataliputra in ancient Bihar.

There are about 150 families of Biharis (and Jharkhandis – after split of Bihar) in Houston. This stage show was part of their annual gala night that is celebrated around this time of the year. The writer, script writer, and the director was Chandeshwar Sharma.

Courting many artists of different ages; young to seniors, Sharma blended a mix of emotion, joy, and sorrow in this drama along with rich dances and live songs.

The drama was performed live and with real voice of artists and on looked by some 200 odd audiences. The artists were excited to showcase their own glorious cultural extravaganza.

Indians in general, and Biharis, in particular in this arena, are

Bhagwan Buddha communicating with Amrapali.

proud of their ancient culture.

Bihar is the land of Buddhism God Buddha and Jainism God Mahavir. Buddha and Mahavir are equally solemnized by many Hindus in India. Bihar is the home of numerous legendary and glorified kingdoms of ancient India.

One of them is the Vaishali, the capital city of the Lichchavi clan and the oldest democracy.

Vaishali (modern Hajipur in Bihar) had been home of famous beauty queen Amrapali. Amprapali was contemporary of Magadh Kings; Bimbisar, Ajatshatru, and Bhagawan Buddha. Amrapali grew to be a lady of extraordinary beauty, charm, and grace in the city of Vaishali. To avoid confrontations among her suitors, she was accorded the status of the state courtesan (the Nagabadhu) of Vaishali. Amrapali was declared

the “most beautiful” girl at the age of 11. Soon after being conferred the title of Nagarvadhu, Amrapali became the court dancer as per the rules of Vaishali democracy.

This drama centers around raising of Amrapali as a young kid, to the height of her Courtesanship of Vaishali, and to hate and love to father and son duo; the Magadh Kings - Bimbisar and Ajatshatru. She was one of the first ladies who took refuge under Bhagwan Budhha.

For further information about Bihari Association of North America and this event visit www.biharassociation.net. Anybody interested in stage shows and understanding the Rise and sacrifices of Amrapali can contact BANA at its web site.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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December 13, 2013

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Consul General Mulay Announces Nationwide Indian Festive Food Week

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www.indoamerican-news.com The core group of New York restaurateurs supporting India Festive Food Week. From left: Mohan Ahluwalia of Bombay Palace; Hemant Mathur, Tulsi; Rajesh Bhardwaj, Junoon; Shiva Natarajan, Chola; Nitin Vyas, Madras Mahal; Kamal Arora, Arora Hospitality Group and Ravi Pillai of Bombay Duck Company, at the announcement at the Indian Consulate. (Photo: Gunjesh Desai, Masala Junction)

NEW YORK: A unique nationwide celebration of Indian cuisine was announced at the Indian Consulate in New York Nov 22, targeting 7 US cities with a weeklong Indian Festive Food Week, starting Jan 12, 2014.

While announcing the food week Indian Consul General in New York Dnyaneshwar Mulay said it will provide unprecedented gastronomical delight to the food connoisseurs.

During the Indian Festive Food Week, an initiative of India Unlimited and Indya One, Indian food lovers can experience the complexity, yet subtly of Indian cuisine through the hands of celebrated Indian American chefs that call America their home. Their food is a unique amalgamation of their In-

dian roots and American training, a fusion that has set new standards.

Indian Festive Food Week is presented by ‘Etihad Airways’ and “My Pref” in association with ‘Kingfisher Beer.’

The planned activities from Jan 12-Jan 19 across America will coincide with the harvest festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal, reminiscent of the celebrations in India.

The rich flavors of India’s mainstream and regional cuisines, ranging from Punjabi, Awadhi, Mughlai, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Bengali and Udupi, will entice gourmands at select fine dining Indian restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Francisco. Participating

restaurants will showcase their signature prix-fixe menu, including some that will bring out green and low-calorie options. The pricing of the prix-fixe menu will vary by city, ranging from $15 - $40, excluding taxes and gratuities.

During the festive food week, various workshops and sessions will be organized with industry experts to create more awareness about Indian cuisine and various regional methods and styles adopted for cooking.

Names of participating restaurants and the prix fixe menu and prices will be made available soon on the Indian Festive Food Week website at www.iffw.us Restaurant & Sponsor Contact: info@iffw.us

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PUZZLES / RECIPES

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Tamater Aur Piyaaz ya Kheere ka Raita (Tomato & Onion Or Cumcumber Yogurt Sauce) Yogurt has a special significance in Indian culture and religion. It is considered sacred and a purifying agent because of the relationship of cowmilk with many Hindu rituals and because yogurt, or curds as many Indian call it, were eaten up by the baby Lord Krishna.

Fresh clay praats (flat saucers) of yogurt with a thick layer of congealed cream on top are readily available at the halwai’s (sweet maker’s) shop all across most Indian cities though modern diaries now sell yogurt in white plastic pouches at kiosks.

The taste of fresh halwai yogurt is very similar to the Greek yogurt that is so popular these days.

Yogurt has medicinal value too: it is quickly soothing in the blazing Indian summers, easily digested when eaten at lunchtime and should be avoided at night time.

It is considered a good cure for severe diarrhea, especially when eaten with khichri (runny rice and lentils). Yogurt provides high protein content to a vegetarian diet.

Raita or yogurt sauce is a byproduct of yogurt and is eaten all over India to complement and soften the taste - and sometimes the spiciness - of many Indian dishes.

Raita must have the right consistency so that it doesn’t run all over the plate and can be eaten with roti, paranthas or chawal (rice).

Raita is a quick dish to make and when made with vegetables can take the place of a salad, which, for most Punjabi meals, is a very simple arrangement of tamater (tomatoes), kheere (cucumbers), piyaaz (onions) and hari mirch (green peppers) – the same ingredients used in the raitas below. Cucumbers – just like mooli (radishes) - are not easily digestible and may upset the stomach so it is best not to make kheera raita in the evenings. I will present the ghia (squash) raita later.

• • • • • •

½ medium piyazz (onion) 1 medium tamater (tomato) ½ cup doodh (milk) 10 leaves of pudina (mint) (cut in halves) ½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) – optional if you like the taste Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper)

Tamater Piyaaz Raita Directions: 1. Peel the onion and then chop into small pieces. Wash the tomato and likewise chop Kheera Raita Ingredients: • 500gm saddi dahi (plain yogurt) • 1 large kheera (cucumber) • ½ cup doodh (milk) • 10 leaves of pudina (mint) (cut in halves) • ½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) – optional if you like the taste • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper) Kheera Raita Directions: 1. Peel the cucumber and then run over a handheld grate. Set aside.

2. Place the dahi in a bowl and stir it thoroughly adding the milk to it. Add the salt and pepper to taste and mix in the mint leaves. Roast some jeera seeds on a tava (flat plate), grind them and sprinkle on the raita.

Tamater Piyaaz Raita Ingredients: • 500gm saddi dahi (plain yogurt)

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2. Place the dahi in a bowl and stir it thoroughly adding the milk to it. Add the salt and pepper to taste and mix in the mint leaves. Roast some jeera seeds on a tava (flat plate), grind them and sprinkle on the raita.

3. Throw in the copped tomato and onion and mix well but gently. Chill for 10 minutes and serve.

3. Throw in the grated cucumber and mix well. Chill for 10 minutes and serve.

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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ENTERTAINMENT

December 13, 2013

Movie Review : R... Rajkumar

BY MADHUREETA MUKHERJEE Story: A rowdy Romeo falls in love with a village belle, but he has to fight the enemies of love - chachas, chamchaas and cronies - to take home his dulhaniya.

Review: He rips, he roars, he rages. He rides roughshod. Like a lovelorn ‘Rambo’, he rolls his ‘R’s. He’s the riotous R...Rajkumar (R for Romeo!). Once again, a rebellious and raving hero jumps out of Prabhu Dheva’s story loaded with gaon-full of goons, buffoons, ‘item’ chhoris, less ‘silence’ and unstoppable violence.

‘RR’ (Shahid) lands in Dhartipur, with his heart on his colour-

ful sleeve, double power in his muscles and bravado in his bones.

Flaunting his mawaligiri and ‘maar’daangi with equal gusto.

One quick encounter with desi beauty Chanda (Sonakshi) and his dil is ‘attached’ to her for eternity.

He woos her aggressively (lovingly calls her Lollipop!), even turns Action Jackson for her, ‘breaking a few legs’ and tons of bottles. She’s no less a razor-tongue firebrand and hard-to-get girl, albeit briefly.

Some gandi baat, chummas, and ‘sari falling’ scenes later (nothing scandalous!) she melts, and their love story seems complete. Not really! The gaon is infamous for two

warring drug dons, Shivraj (Sood) and Parmar (Vidyarthi). ‘RR’ joins Shivraj and becomes his lead henchman, but soon realizes that Lollipop is Parmar’s niece. More trouble ensues’ it turns into a ‘sarry affair’ (everyone seems to fight for a yard of Chanda’s sari!) and ‘RR’ has no choice but to become the new posterboy of the now stereotyped, violent, angry, young man.

Shahid pulls off the tapori act well, dances fabulously, does kickass action and slips in good comic moments. His makeover as action hero can’t go unnoticed, but his demolition man act is unconvincing for action larger than his boyish shoulders. He scores better as Romeo than ruffian. Sonakshi has some dumdaar lines but repeats her desi doll act. Sood’s dabang-giri works, Asrani (as Shivraj’s senile soothsayer) shoots funny one-liners, but his OTTism is sadly stuck in an 80s loop.

While ‘R...Rajkumar’ entertains at some levels, it suffers from utter plainness and predictability. The raw action is impressive (Ravi Varma), the songs (Pritam) and the choreography are routine attractions. The second half seems like a sari too long and the comedy is often forced.

-Timesofindia

23

Aamir Khan Feels Shah Rukh will do a Great Job in Next ‘Dhoom’ Franchise

MUMBAI: Superstar Aamir Khan feels if fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan is roped in for next ‘Dhoom’ franchise he would do a great job.

Aamir’s comments came against the backdrop of reports stating that after signing him for the third sequel to ‘Dhoom’, Yash Raj Films (YRF) is reportedly considering Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan for the upcoming editions of the hit franchise, respectively.

However, there is no official confirmation to these reports.

“If Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) thinks Shah Rukh is right for ‘Dhoom’ next it then its good. I am sure he will do a good...great job (as a baddie ...anti-hero),” Aamir told reporters here last evening.

In ‘Dhoom 3’, Aamir essays the role of a baddie.

Shah Rukh has also expressed his desire to play a negative role on screen again. He had played such roles in the beginning of his

career in films like ‘Darr’, ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Anjaam’.

Shah Rukh had recently said that Aamir was the “finest actor and an inspiration for others” for the kind of work the latter has done in ‘Dhoom 3’.

Aamir is apparently overwhelmed over the praise. “It is warm and generous of the King Khan to compliment me,” he added.

Aamir’s good friend Salman is seen promoting ‘Dhoom 3’ on his reality show ‘Bigg Boss’.

“I had messaged Salman saying I am sending you my hat please wear it at some event and help us (promoting the film). I had no idea he will wear it in ‘Bigg Boss’. This shows his generosity as it is not his film and still he is helping us. I love Salman for this,” Aamir said.

When asked if in return he will promote Salman’s upcoming film ‘Jai Ho’, Aamir said, “I have not thought of helping him in promotions. He is such a powerful star that he doesn’t need anyone. But I would love to do anything for him”.

-Indianexpress

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

24 December 13, 2013 Rainy End in Centurion After Another de Kock Ton

BY SIDDHARTH MONGA became softer and spin came CENTURION (ESPNon, it seemed India could cricinfo): At press conferemploy a tight hold on the ences, AB de Villiers sits batsmen. De Kock was 37 next to Quinton de Kock, off 49 when he tried to pull and watches de Kock talk an Umesh Yadav halftracker, with the admiration of a big which ended up dragging to brother at the success of the the left of short fine leg where little one. Jokes are shared, Ajinkya Rahane spilled it. comments are made, and fun Three overs later, he gave R is had. In Centurion, in simiAshwin the charge, but the lar company of the captain, ball stopped a touch, and his de Kock joined de Villiers as lob went towards long-on. one of the only five players Yuvraj Singh ran back from to have score three succesmid-on, seemed to have oversive centuries in ODI cricket. run it, slowed down, got two Not only that, de Kock broke hands to it, but never had the the record for most runs in a stability you need to catch bilateral three-match series, them over your head. following which de Villiers De Kock was 43 then, the brought up his own hundred. partnership 52, and South Looking at the ease with Africa were only just recovwhich they punished the Inering. Soon, though, the fight dian bowling in that 171-run seemed to have left the bowlstand, you could hardly tell ers. Ravindra Jadeja wasn’t they had come together at 28 effective, Ashwin began to for 3 after India had finally drop short, and the runs began shown up on this tour. Howto flow. It was in the 28th over ever, India were spared anthat the two batsmen really other big chase as persistent began to cut loose. A short rain forced play to be called ball from Ashwin was cut for off without a ball bowled in four to take de Kock to 70 off the second innings.

88. At 36 off 55, de Villiers, That sighting of India was too, was about to open up. By brief: they dropped de Kock the time the Powerplay came on 37 and 43, the spinners about, de Villiers had crossed became flat after a few good his fifty, and de Kock was on overs, and the quicks barring 98, with South Africa on 168 Ishant Sharma served up their for 3. usual length bowling in the De Villiers just stood and end to concede 185 in the last swung and he got the balls 23 overs. De Villiers, in parto do so. There were some ticular, was severe, doing as lovely effortless hits too, the he wished to the bowlers on a sweep off Ashwin for six and pitch was slow and two-paced also the chip over extra cover because of the moisture it had off the same bowler. There retained from all the rain over was one difficult chance for the past week.

Yuvraj running back from This was India’s best chance mid-off, but he couldn’t catch to create an impression in the de Villiers. De Kock fell after series. The ball stopped, there bringing up the hundred, de was some seam movement Villiers too, but it failed to and turn, and South Africa slow the rate down. had rested Dale Steyn, Morne Shami and Yadav bowled Morkel and Jacques Kallis. well in the 48th and the 49th All that did seem to be work- Quinton de Kock drives towards cover, South Africa v India, 3rd ODI, over, but both ended the overs ing for them: Hashim Amla Centurion. with full tosses. David Miller got out to a leg-side full toss, was there to accept all the and Henry Davids and JP Duminy rate this century better than the De Kock had played a few gifts, and his 56 off 34 took South fell to some seam and some extra previous two, but he did benefit punchy drives down the ground, Africa past 300. bounce in one Ishant over. Consid- from fielding errors in the forma- and it was proving to be difficult Sidharth Monga is an assistant ering the situation, de Kock might tive stages of the partnership. to get the timing right. As the balls editor at ESPNcricinfo

SPORTS

SL Wary of Pakistan DUBAI -- Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara and captain Dinesh Chandimal are wary of Pakistan’s form and confidence ahead of the first Twenty20 in Dubai. Pakistan are fresh from limited-overs success in South Africa, where they won the second of the two Twenty20s, and two of the three ODIs. Pakistan also defeated Afghanistan in Sharjah, three days prior to the series-opener against Sri Lanka.

“Pakistan has played two highquality series both here and in South Africa, so we know it’s going to be tough. They know these conditions well,” Sangakkara said.

“They have got a very balanced attack. Saeed Ajmal is the best offspinner in the world without a doubt, and you get some very unique fast bowlers with Pakistan as well. Mohammad Irfan is injured for the series, but he’s been great for the game of cricket in general. You’ve also got Junaid Khan and the two new-founds, Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali. They have shown they can step up and perform. We know what we’re in for, so it’s a case of mentally conditioning ourselves to face what’s coming up and win those little challenges.”

Chandimal echoed Sangakkara’s appraisal of Pakistan’s form and said his team had devised specific plans to better defuse the threat of the Pakistan attack. Sri Lanka have not played a practice match in the UAE, but had been playing the early rounds of the domestic List A tournament at home, before the tour.

“They have played some really good cricket in South Africa,” Chandimal said. “We aren’t underestimating them.”

Sri Lankans have high praise for Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

INDIA

December 13, 2013

25

In This Game of One-Upmanship, who will Blink First?

Whither China’s Aggressive Posturing in East China Sea!

Evokes strident defiance As is widely known, this Chinese declaration of a new Air Defense Identification Zone has expectedly evoked strident defiance from the US, Japan and South Korea who all have defied the Chinese ADIZ declaration by flying their bombers and fighters into the identified zone without in any way announcing their respective identities. So far, the Chinese have held their fire and allowed unchallenged such “transgres-

‘In-your-face’ posturing The question is why did then China adopt such an ‘in-your-face’ posturing that was bound to tread on many a toes? Apart from some possible domestic factors, China has per se a lot more at stake in the East China Sea than merely its vast hydrocarbon resources. It is a semi-closed sea bordered by the Yellow Sea to the north, by Kyushu and Ryukyu Islands of Japan on the east, Taiwan in the South and by China and the Asian Continent on the east. It is also connected with the South China Sea via the Taiwan Strait and with the Sea of Japan through the Korean Strait. For one, it is a vast ocean covering roughly 12,49,000 kilometers with immense importance as a strategic sea-lane. For the same strategic, economic and geographical reasons, the East China Sea is of equal, if not of greater, importance to Taiwan and Japan.

No wonder, the East China Sea has been for some decades a Sea of Discord among all these countries.

What have further enhanced the economic importance of East China Sea are its vast oil and natural gas reservoirs and the fact that both China and Japan are the second and the third largest net importers of crude oil behind the United States.

According to Energy Information Administration (EIA), China’s oil and gas consumption will continue to grow in the coming years

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thereby compelling the Chinese to look out aggressively and seek new sources of supply in order to meet their ever rising demand.

Likewise, Japan too will continue to rely overwhelmingly on imports to meet its requirements. Thus in a way, both China and Japan vie with each other in acquiring a foothold in the East China Sea to help them meet at least a part of their burgeoning demand for oil and gas.

No systematic exploration In a way, these continuing skirmishes on the East China Sea between China and Japan over the past few years have made it difficult for either country to undertake any systematic exploration project in its troubled waters. The area, by and large, lies unexplored. According to EIA estimates, the East China Sea has between 60 and 100 million barrels of oil in proven and probable reserves. However, the Chinese sources claim the undiscovered reserves can run as high as 70 to 160 billion barrels of oil for the entire East China Sea, mostly in the Xihu/Okinawa trough. This is not to suggest that no exploration or production was conducted in the disputed sea in the past two or three decades. Sporadic activities have been going on there since 1980s but that is just about the tip of the iceberg. The East China Sea is also blessed with vast proven and probable natural gas reserves.

Another EIA estimate puts these reserves at one to two trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Likewise, other estimates too point to its high natural gas reservoir potential.

The escalating tension over the East China Sea and the concomitant aggressive posturing and counter-posturing there by China and others need to be viewed in the context of the long-continuing skirmishes in the South China Sea that has been for years another major source of confrontation and conflicting claims between China on one hand and its neighboring countries viz Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan on the other. The South China Sea not only has a rich potential of both oil and gas reserves but it is also interspersed with key shipping lanes, thereby making it a potential flash point for aggravated conflict among these countries.

ONGC too in Vietnam

By a strange quirk of fate, India’s ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and its earlier avatar Hydrocarbon India Limited, were among the first foreign companies in the world to have taken an active part in the exploration of Vietnam’s oil and gas resources in parts of the South China Sea since the early 1980s. Thus that cooperation between the two countries had culminated in a major contract for the development of gas fields in Block 06-1 in May 1998. It needs to be remembered that the development of these gas fields is of significant national and strategic importance to Vietnam since these contribute about 50 per cent of its gas needs. Yet, by another agreement between OVL and PetroVietnam in June 2006, OVL was awarded 127 and 128 exploration blocks in Vietnam’s Phu Kanh basin. The two companies had subsequently signed in October 2011 an historic cooperation agreement that had further extended the scope of their cooperation to third countries. That agreement and the subsequent developments had raised the ire of the Chinese whose ‘official media’ spewed fire and brimstone. They called that Agreement ‘reckless’ and ‘insinuated’ that India had an ulterior motive of collecting political ‘bargaining chips’ against China.

Is China getting ready to assert and flaunt its economic and military prowess? It would seem so considering that China has not hesitated to adopt aggressive bravado even against its big neighbors such like Japan and India and of course many smaller neighbors unmindful of the fact that some of these countries have a mutual defense treaty with the US. Even during the recent visit of American vice president Biden to China, the Chinese continued to show their inscrutable face and accused Japan and South Korea of perfidy. When vice president Biden visited Tokyo and Seoul, he naturally got a different version.

Soon thereafter, on 8th December, South Korea also announced an expanded Air Defense Identification Zone in apparent response to China’s ADIZ announced on 23rd November. The new South Korean ADIZ also overlaps some northern areas of China’s ADIZ. Situation in that region is be-

coming more serious with each passing day, with the warring countries adopting confrontational posturing. It is becoming the game of one-upmanship and ‘who will blink first’? The stakes are too high and the risks too great. A small spark, even accidentally, could lead to a major conflagration. But the observers feel that despite all these bravado and posturing, none of the warring parties will dare fire the first shot. But then there is no guarantee against accidental acts.

Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dunbased author and freelance journalist.

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What were the motives that had prompted the Chinese government on 23rd November last to create an “Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)” covering much of the disputed East China Sea? The newly identified Zone overlaps with Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, coincidentally all staunch allies of the US? Was this done merely to make an aggressive assertion of its sovereignty over the Diaoyu /Senkaku chain of islands over which both China and Japan have been at loggerheads for the past few decades? Or was it merely an attempt to flaunt its growing economic and military prowess and thereby proclaim its hegemony not only over the East China Sea but also in the larger East Asia geopolitical space?

Another question that agitates the China observer is the timing of such an announcement.

BEFORE answering these questions, it will be interesting to know what ADIZ actually means. Simply, it is an area of airspace established by a coastal state beyond its territorial airspace in order to identify, monitor, control in time and be able to react to an aircraft entering the identified zone with potential air threats. Thus it demands of all aircrafts flying into it to announce their identity and to follow the instructions of the air controllers of that country. The failure to follow such instructions could invite what, the Chinese euphemistically call, “Defensive Emergency Measures”, meaning thereby that the Chinese have the right to send up their fighter planes scrambling to intercept the intruding aircraft and even to shoot it down.

sions”. But these are early days and situation could get nasty either by design or accident or miscalculation. The US was fully aware of such risks when it flew its B-52 bombers into China’s ADIZ; but what would have been its response if the Chinese had intercepted or worse? Was it then prepared for the consequences of any probable escalation? What about the Chinese? Were they prepared to start a shooting air battle with the US or Japan or for that matter with South Korea? Some countries would indulge in brinkmanship in order to achieve a given strategic objective but then are they also prepared to face its consequences if its brinkmanship ‘misfires’?

The warring countries no doubt do their ‘due diligence’ before taking a ‘calculated risk’ but are there any guarantees that the calculated risk will not go haywire and not lead to an unintended escalation?

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Education Franchise Helps Texas Students Become the “Best In Class”

From left: Laura, Operation Manager: Ira Giri, Katy franchisee: Priya Venkat, Allen franchisee: Hao Lam, CEO and Chairman.

KATY: Best in Class, a top-ofthe-line education enrichment franchise focusing on math and English, has launched not only its students to success, but has proven to be successful for entrepreneurs in Texas as well.

Ira Giri and Priya Venkat, two successful Indian American women, have spearheaded the growth of the education brand in their respective Texas communities after seeing the potential to fill in the gaps in superior educational programs.

In October of 2013, Giri opened up the first Texas Best in Class center in Katy. A computer programmer by trade, Giri realized her true passion was education after volunteering in her son’s kindergarten classroom. Upon receiving her certificate to teach, she sidestepped her career with computers to pursue a life in the classroom.

“We’ve seen great success so far, and I’m thrilled to provide

something entirely unique to the area,” Giri said. “Best in Class offers a comprehensive approach to long-term retention, and a strong education is irreplaceable in this global economy.”

Venkat opened her Best in Class in Allen, Texas. She came to Best in Class with a background in the medical field. Prior to joining the brand, Venkat utilized her master’s degree in Biochemistry as a fertility researcher at the University of Washington. She began exploring franchise opportunities with the Best in Class system after seeing her own children achieve unprecedented levels of academic success upon enrollment. Venkat made it her mission to bring the brand to the Allen-Plano area after relocating to Texas.

“As one of the original ‘Best in Class moms,’ I have seen firsthand the progress and triumphs achieved in their class-

rooms. The system emphasizes critical-thinking and cultivates an environment that nurtures student development,” Venkat said.

Best in Class was founded in Seattle on the principle that providing strong, customizable programs helps children surpass expectations in the classroom. CEO Hao Lam has always been a steadfast believer in inspiring students to succeed and has devoted his personal and professional life to this goal.

“Best in Class is not an educational business to me. It is a lifestyle that I have cultivated and put all my energy into since its inception,” Lam said.

The Best in Class brand has been very popular among Indian Americans and Asian Americans due to its focus on curriculum of the highest degree, a commitment to hiring only the most qualified and college-educated tutors, and ability to adapt to student needs and interests. Many Best in Class tutoring centers offer niche private tutoring subjects and test preparation programs to supplement the English and math instruction available.

Since the brand’s introduction to Texas, Best in Class has been gathering traction and interest in other areas of the state.

Franchising opportunities are currently available in 46 states.

For further information about Best in Class and the franchise opportunities available in Texas visit www.bestinclasseducation.com.

India Inc, Exporters Welcome WTO Pact on Trade NEW DELHI: The WTO Agreement on trade facilitation will make life much easier for Indian exporters since the pact will ensure uniform, transparent and efficient transactions at the customs and port operations across the world. After four days of marathon negotiations at Indonesian island city of Bali, Trade Ministers from 159 countries agreed on the Bali Ministerial Declaration.

“While agreement on food security will ensure a fair deal for the subsistence farmers and the vulnerable sections in the developing countries, the deal on trade facilitation will improve efficiency at the international trade borders and reduce the transaction costs, particularly for the Indian exporters,” Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

This is the first such agreement since the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was set up way back in 1995.

“We welcome the declaration on trade facilitation, which will not only boost transparency and predictability but also help in reducing transaction cost for businesses across the globe,” Deep Kapuria, who led CII’s business delegation to the WTO Conference, said yesterday.

As per the draft text of the

agreement, each member would be required to promptly publish information regarding issues like importation, exportation and transit procedures in a non-discriminatory and easily accessible manner in order to enable governments, traders and other interested parties to become acquainted with them.

“We are very happy with the agreement on trade facilitation that would help in reducing transaction costs, cutting red tape, improving transparency besides simplifying and streamlining customs and port procedures,” Ficci President Naina Lal Kidwai said.

In recent years, India has undertaken reforms to simplify and modernise its trade procedures.

As a developing country, India will be entitled to adequate transition time for implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement.

As per the agreement, the member nations will have to set up a clearly defined work programme within the next 12 months on the remaining Doha Development Agenda issues and build on the decisions taken at the Bali conference especially with regard to agriculture, development and least developed countries (LDCs).

-HindustanTimes

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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32 December 13, 2013

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM