E newspaper 02102017

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Remembering

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Mahatma Gandhi

UH @ India House

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From left: Col. Vipin Kumar, Dr. Suresh Khator, Dr. Renu Khator, Nagraj Eleswarapu at India House on Monday, January 30.

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COMMUNITY

February 10, 2017

Shraddhanjali 2017: A Memorial Service

Mahatma Gandhi Library and Unity of Houston jointly observed Shraddhanajli, Memorial Service, in collaboration with Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, The Ismaili Jamatkhana Center and Brahma Kumaris on Saturday, February 4, at Unity of Houston. It was the commemoration of the 69th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

HOUSTON: Mahatma Gandhi

who spread the message of truth, non-violence, and global peace, died on January 30, 1948. Mahatma Gandhi Library (MGL) in collaboration with Unity of Houston (Unity) commemorated Shraddhanjali, a memorial service, on Saturday, February 4, at Unity of Houston.

Mahatma Gandhi said “I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.” He was never afraid of death. Currently, the world is encountering several challenges including intolerance, impatience, and terrorism. Hence, it is essential to follow the ideas and principles of Mahatma Gandhi, especially truth and non-violence, not only to achieve international peace and

prosperity, but achieve the same within one’s own heart.

MGL is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the universal values of truth, nonviolence, love and service. The library was started almost twelve years ago by the vision and dedication of Atulbhai Kothari and today, with many dedicated volunteers, their worthy efforts continue.

The Shraddhanjali program started at 3:00 pm with a gracious welcome by Rev Mindy Lawrence, Associate Minister at Unity.

Rajan Chawla was a brilliant Master of Ceremony for the program, which initiated with an Invocation from Rev Michael Gott, Senior associate minister and choir director at Unity. The program started with a beautiful rendition of the bhajan

Vaishnav Janato by the glittering voice of Smriti Srivastava and her group from Arya Samaj. The inspiring Unity choir singing John Lennon’s Imagine followed this.

7-year old Naresh Sathya, 2nd place winner of the annual MGL

speech contest, delighted the audience with his speech, “Truth: My Story”. Kamal Haji then conducted the Ismaili Jamatkhana choir in their beautiful rendition of “Lab Pe Aati” bringing tears of joy in the eyes of many in the audience.

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The Ismaeli Jamatkhana & Center was recognized with a plaque of appreciation to their President, Murad Ajani, by Atulbhai Kothari, trustee of MGL. Dr. Sulekh Jain then informed the audience of the upcoming 150th year anniversary of Gandhi Jayanti, his birthday, and encouraged all to start getting involved with upcoming Sesquicentennial celebrations. High school student Jai Sehgal presented his awe-inspiring 1st place winning entry in iTribute multimedia presentation entitled “Life of Simplicity.”

The keynote speaker for the program was Rev. Gregory Han of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston who gave in depth understanding of “the living Gandhi.”

It is one thing to admire Gandhi but Living Gandhi not only admires but also practices Gandhi.

The program continued with the adorable children from DAV Sanskirti School and DAV Montessori School of Arya Samaj Houston led

by Smriti Srivastava, as they sang beautiful bhajans “Hum Ko Man Ki Shakti Dena and “Chhodo Kal Ki Baate.”

Sam Merchant then read out a proclamation by Congressman Al Green, a great follower of Mahatma Gandhi. The audience was then treated to a wonderful dance by the students of Arya Samaj DAVSS, choreographed by Dolly titled Pride of Bharat (India).

Dr. Hansa Raval, the spiritual leader of Houston’s Brahma Kumaris gave her personal insights on how to conquer the world and life using Gandhiji’s principles.

Dr. Manish Wani, on behalf of the MGL board of trustees, gave a brief presentation of an exciting opportunity for the city of Houston to bring the Eternal Gandhi Museum from Delhi, India. The audience was then once again treated to the amazing voices of the Unity choir, singing Every Praise.

The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Manish Wani, Board member of the Mahatma Gandhi Library. The crowd was encouraged to visit the Gandhi Darshan Exhibit on display and the MGL booth. There was melodious instrumental music in the background while all enjoyed refreshments. The Shraddhanjali program at Unity Houston commemorating Mahatma Gandhi’s life was truly inspirational and proved to keep the legacy of peace, truth, non-violence and love alive, penetrating the hearts of all in attendance.

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February 10, 2017

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COMMUNITY

February 10, 2017

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University of Houston Day at India House

Richard Walker

Jeff Fuller

HOUSTON:

On Monday, January 30, enthusiastic youngsters, most of them with parents or other family members came to attend the University of Houston Day at India House, to figure out how to navigate towards their future career. Together, India House and University of Houston, under the leadership of President Dr. Renu Khator, who is also the Chancellor of UH System, organized this special UH Day at India

House to guide students at all levels to select the correct path to carve their future career and head in the right direction to crystallize their educational goals.

The event started with social hour and visit to multiple informative booths, representing all the 13 colleges of UH to give general information about what each of the college can offer. The attendees, about 250, were treated to delicious welcome dinner ca-

tered by Café India, Sugarland. Mr. Nagraj Eleswarapu, V.P. Operations, India House welcomed and spoke about the partnership of the two institutions, both with a mission to serve the Greater Houston community at large and help each individual to attain their full potential.

Col.Vipin Kumar, Executive Director, India House presented programs and activities of India House through a video. He intro-

Photos: Bijay Dixit

duced Dr. Richard Walker, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, UH. Dr. Walker introduced students to the UH programs with emphasis on enhancing student success and their learning experience; by integrating and providing both CONTINUED ON PAGE

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February 10, 2017

COMMUNITY Demonetization Demystified Free Seminar at India House on Managing Your Currency, Wealth and Taxes

HOUSTON: Demonetization is the lat-

est of financial dilemmas facing NRIs, who hold Indian currency, bank accounts, real estate and other assets in India.

How do you get answers from impartial experts, who are not trying to sell you additional financial products?

India House, in association with NRI Tax & Wealth Advisory and Share Our Secrets (SOS) Mentorship Program, is pleased to host a free seminar at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 on India’s demonetization and issues related to managing your currency, wealth and taxes, with clear insights on potential gains or losses and tax penalties in India and the United States.

The seminar will include a presentation

by Ranvir “Biki” Mohindra, who has published a series of articles on the effects of demonetization and NRI tax and wealth issues based on his expert knowledge and experience in managing NRI tax and wealth portfolios.

In addition, a panel of experts will relate their personal experiences with demone-

tization and discuss related financial issues of interest of Non-Resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India.

Topics discussed at the free seminar will include: • Understanding the twin financial revolution in India • Successes and failures of Demonetization • Who are the victims of Demonetization?

• Why are FBAR and FATCA important to your financial health?

• Retiring in India—A shattered dream due to changes in tax laws Seminar Location: India House, 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031 Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 7 pm to 9 pm Networking: 6:30 pm to 7 pm. Light refreshments will be served.

To register for the free seminar, please contact Mani Subramanian (kohur@ aol.com), Vishnu Muralidharan (askvishnu@gmail.com) or Pramod Kulkarni (pramodhk2000@gmail.com)

University of Houston Day at India House CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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curricular and extra-curricular opportunities to the students and by building a strong campus and community collaborations to prepare them for life experiences.

Dr. Renu Khator took the stage and enlightened students and their families about University of Houston’s illustrious achievements. She called University of Houston the “Power House”, Tier One public research institution with the vibrant and ethnically diverse community. She gave a very inspiring and enthusiastic welcoming speech and her passion and personal involvement was obvious when she mentioned that the freshmen will not be surprised when she will show up any day in their first semester in their class, as she is always interested in every student. She was very proud of the fact that UH had become a truly residential University and students need not commute for hours through the crowded streets. She emphasized on developing skilled workforce and future leaders within Houston. With strong local support and industry strength

with energy, healthcare, and arts, students are encouraged to develop their skills in a global environment. She thanked India House and Indo-American Community for their support.

After that, Jeff Fuller, Director of Student Recruitment, Admissions spoke in great detail about each College and the facilities and scope of learning and the future prospects after graduating from the particular College.

Once the formal program concluded, every student was encouraged to spend some time to meet the Departmental Faculty and Staff to learn about various financial and residential choices and opportunities.

The students and their families were delighted to have this opportunity at UH DAY and thanked profusely the organizers India House and UH Faculty and Staff. They truly felt that they benefitted immensely from this yearly event held at India House. For details of current activities and program at India House please visit www.indiahouseinc.org.

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COMMUNITY

February 10, 2017

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BAPS Celebrates Indian American Culture at the Texas Capitol Building in Austin

Hosted by BAPS, at the historic Texas State Capitol on February 1, prominent Indian Americans from across Texas gathered to celebrate Indian American Culture with sponsor State Representative Matt Rinaldi (District 115).

AUSTIN: A prominent Hindu

organization in local communities across Texas, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) hosted a celebration of Indian American Culture at the historic Texas State Capitol in Austin on February 1.

The celebration was sponsored by State Representative Matt Rinaldi of House District 115, who represents a BAPS mandir (house of worship) in Irving, TX. On the morning of February 1, a group of BAPS representatives were recognized during the 85th Legislative Regular Session where a resolution commemorating this first-ever event was read. The

resolution also noted the myriad of contributions by Indian Americans to the Lone Star State and lauded BAPS’ commitment to community service in Texas and across the nation.

Throughout the day, BAPS members from across Texas met with their respective State Representatives and Senators to share background on the Hindu faith and on the Indian American community’s history and growth. All told, BAPS members met with over fifty State Representatives and Senators to engage them and their respective staff in an active dialogue about issues important to

the Indian American community.

“This event is not only a chance for Indian Americans to learn about government, but also for their government to learn about Indian culture and to provide a learning experience for senators and representatives,” said Representative Rinaldi , as he and fifteen other Texas State Senators and Representatives joined dozens of prominent community leaders to celebrate Indian-American Culture in Texas.

Throughout the celebration, speakers shared their thoughts on the diverse contributions of Indian Americans to the economic

BAPS volunteer Saumil Mehta presents Chris Wallace, President of the Texas Association of Business, with a token of appreciation for speaking at the Indian American Culture Celebration.

and cultural fabric of Texas. “We value what BAPS has done for our community, from its Walkathon to its Health Fair...BAPS works tirelessly to make Irving Texas and our District a better place,” remarked Representative Rinaldi.

“I am honored to be here this evening. I know firsthand from my work and relationship with BAPS about what a great job it does and how it impacts thousands of lives across the state. We are proud to call BAPS a friend,” remarked Mr. Chris Wallace, President of the Texas Association of Business.

His remarks highlighted the importance of nurturing and advancing

the relationship between the growing population of over 275,000 Indian Americans in Texas and state government.

The program also touched on the unique role of BAPS mandirs, which provide a prominent platform for India’s rich culture and heritage. “Inspired by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, places of worship, such as the beautiful, hand-carved stone mandir in Stafford, Texas, reflect the diverse culture of our State and demonstrate that the contributions of the Indian American diaspora

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COMMUNITY

Pongal Celebrations and Support for Jallikattu

HOUSTON:

Greater Houston Tamil School branches celebrated the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu known as “Thai Pongal” and “Uzhavar Thiruvizha” with a lot of joy and zeal. “Pongal” festival usually falls in the middle of January. This year it fell on Saturday, January 14. All the branches celebrated on the same weekend or a week later.

These celebrations were kicked off by the Sugar Land branch where the students performed traditional folk songs, kollywood songs, debates, quizzes and free form performances highlighting the cultural significance and history.

Woodlands branch celebrated the festival on January 15, at the

Woodlands Hindu temple. The students created a theme “Watch Pongal celebration as a TV show”. It was very creative and the students performed similar to how the TV channels schedule programs on the festival day. Students staged programs like Today’s news, soap opera, dance competition and debates. After the programs, students were given prizes for their Thirukkural recital competition and for their performances during the celebrations.

Westheimer branch celebrated the festival on January 21, at the school campus. The students performed Tamil Nadu folk songs and participated in kolam (rangoli) competitions, sugarcane eating competition and individual

performances. The highlight of the celebrations was the portrayal, by the parents, of the different styles of Pongal that are native to the different regions of Tamil Nadu.

Pearland branch also celebrated the festival on January 21, at the neighborhood club house. The students came in traditional dresses and put up a gorgeous fashion show showcasing the traditional dresses worn by the people of Tamil Nadu. The parents showed all the students how the Pongal is cooked during the festival in India under the sunlight with sugarcanes tied and kept in the shape of a pyramid and chanting “Pongalo Pongal” in the traditional way. After lunch, a debate was organized by the students on the topic “Is it easy

to keep the Tamil tradition and language in a foreign land?” Students did a fantastic job. The creativity of the students was also on display in the form of dance, karaoke singing and drama.

The branches at Katy and West Katy also observed Pongal with the traditional display of sugarcanes and sharing of delicious sweet Pongal. All these celebrations had such a festive look and aura that it temporarily transported everyone back to Tamil Nadu.

Greater Houston Tamil School and its branches also came out in support of the traditional sport played during the Pongal time called “Jallikattu”. This traditional sport had been banned in India in recent years and there was a huge

peaceful protest organized in Tamil Nadu to reinstate this traditional sport. The Tamil diaspora in various parts of the world rose up in support of this traditional event. As a first step, HTS along with other Tamils in the Houston area gave a petition to Consulate General of India. On Thursday, January 19, people gathered in front of the Indian Consulate and did a peaceful demonstration. In addition, several support demonstrations were organized in a peaceful manner at various places in Houston.

For further information please visit www.houstontamilschools. org.

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COMMUNITY

February 10, 2017

An Evening of Appreciation, Fun & Laughter

Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.

HOUSTON: In this era of me-

From left: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Aku Patel, Swapan Dhairyawan, Ashok Garg, Joya Shukla, Indo-American News partners, Vanshika Vipin Varma, Pramod Kulkarni, and Jawahar Malhotra.

dia being cast in a negative light, an event of appreciation is always welcome.

The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) held its annual dinner in appreciation of its media partners last Thursday, February 2, at Mayuri restaurant.

The media partners who attended included the print media, radio hosts and TV reporters. Attending on behalf of Indo-American News included partners, Vanshika Vipin Varma, Jawahar Malhotra, and Pramod Kulkarni. They were joined by spouses Jyoti Kulkarni and Sushil Varma.

Attending on behalf of the Past President IACCGH included Immediate Past President Joya Shukla, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia, and Manu Shah. Also in attendance were board members Ashok Garg, Aku Patel and Swapan Dhairyawan. Current President Richard Allen could not attend due to flight delay in Chicago.

The dinner was followed by a lively discussion of how the IACCGH and the media partners could work together to further their collaboration.

The evening concluded in a spirit of jovial comeraderie with the singing of Bollywood and regional folk songs.

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BAPS Celebrates Indian American Culture at the Texas Capitol Building in Austin CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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go beyond simply the economic realm,” said Ketan Inamdar of Missouri City, TX. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS has always inspired the Indian American community to celebrate our shared culture and develop a sense of identity and pride in our heritage.

“We look forward to celebrating this type of event again in two years and continuing the great work started today,” said Representative Rinaldi in his concluding remarks to the gathering.

About BAPS The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide sociospiritual organization in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is dedicated to community service, peace, and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families, and individuals. Through a number of social and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots their rich Hindu culture. Its 3,300 international centers out of which over support these activities of character-building. BAPS aspires

to build a community that is morally, ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.

About Mahant Swami Maharaj His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was ordained a swami by Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas. As he was appointed the head (Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami. His devout, humble and service-focused life earned him the innermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj travels throughout the world inspiring people through his insightful spiritual discourses and disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyle and profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus are ideals toward which devotees strive.

Mahant Swami Maharaj became the guru and President of BAPS upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s passing in 2016.

About Pramukh Swami Maharaj Pramukh Swami Maharaj was the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Under his leadership, BAPS grew into

an international spiritual and humanitarian organization with over 3,300 centers worldwide. He dedicated his life to the well-being of others, traveling throughout the world to foster love, peace, harmony, righteousness, faith in God, and service to humanity. With genuine care and compassion, he reached out to all members of society irrespective of class, color, or age.

Recognized and respected as one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers, he lived by and promoted the principle: “In the joy of others, lies our own.”

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COMMUNITY

Indian PM Modi Nominated for 2017 JFK Profiles In Courage Award

BY BHAMY SHENOY & MALLIK PUTCHA

C

LEAR LAKE: The JFK Foundation has been giving awards since 1990 to celebrate individuals who choose the public interest over the partisanship, who do what is right rather than what is expedient. Though these awards are ordinarily given to living Americans, seven international awards have been given. Some of them have been Ghana’s Kofi Annan, Ukraine’s Victor Yushchenko, People of Egypt and Women of Liberia.

The Demonetization of Indian currency implemented by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016 will go down in history as an epochal event. This statement was submitted to JFK foundation on January 31, 2017 to nominate Modi for this prestigious award. Those who want to support this nomination are urged to write to profileincourage@jfklfoundation.org and use social networks to spread the message.

Modi’s audacious step Prime Minister Modi took an unexpected and audacious step on November 8, 2016, to combat widespread corruption in India, by implementing demonetization of high-denomination paper currency. Demonetization was a simple strategy to bring 86% of the wealth stored in currency into the

banking sector. By banning notes, those corrupt politicians and government officials were put in the position of losing their ill-gotten (“black”) money. Terrorists with fake currency had to curtail their activities.

The Indian people had to put up with the inconvenience of standing in long lines to either deposit their old notes or to obtain new notes.

Despite the initial misgivings, no honest person lost money. Anyone who deposited more than Rs. 2.5 lakhs will be prosecuted if they are unable to show proof of earnings.

Demonetization has not proved a failure, within 50 days, the banking functions were restored to normalcy. The World Bank endorsed

Modi’s demonetization strategy.

India has quickly begun to move from a 98% cash-transaction economy to a more transparent and formal cashless society. This rapid digitization will result in less corrupt India.

Great political risk Never in history, has a country dared to experiment with demonetization to win the war against corruption. Despite aggressive protests, dysfunctional parliament, and potential loss in next election, PM Modi put the country interests first. He courageously took the greatest political risk, if the opposition succeeds in demonstrating demonetization as a failure.

This initiative has collateral damage. Undoubtedly, demonetization caused inconveniences to the poor and middle class. For those who had to spend for wedding celebrations, a cash shortage caused problems and daily wage earners could not work for some time.

For the poor of India However, compared to the lines the poor have had endured to collect their rightful entitlements of food for over six decades, and their endless trips to government offices, the problems created by demonetization are manageable. The public has expressed overwhelming support for Modi’s strategy.

Some have rightly criticized the way demonetization was imple-

mented with such suddenness. Less than a handful of people knew of this initiative in advance. However, if more elaborate pre-planning had been undertaken, there would have been fewer benefits.

Some preparations made a year ago by the government did ensure success—particularly the Jan Dhan, a mission to encourage people to open bank accounts.

Thus, more than 80% have such accounts. Just few days prior to demonetization, an Act (“Benami Act”) to appropriate any ill-gotten wealth was passed.

PM Modi deserves to be recognized by the JFK Foundation for

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COMMUNITY

February 10, 2017

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Celebrate the 100th Day of School!

HOUSTON: With the hundredth

day of school comes cause for celebration as well as an opportunity for some fun games and activities.

For your student, one hundred days can feel like a long time, so recognizing their hundred days of productivity and focus helps them gear up for the remainder of the second semester until summer arrives.

Fortunately, there are tons of ways to celebrate the hundredth day of school. Best in Class Education, which helps K-12 students prepare for academic success through customized educational programs, rounded up the following fun activities that all have to do with the number one hundred.

Create do-it-yourself mad libs with a storyline that has to do with the hundredth day of school.

Mad libs are a fun and easy way to get creative with your student.

Encourage their inner writer by coming up with a poem or story line and then see how goofy you can get with the answers. Warning: giggles tend to follow.

Ask your student to write a journal entry based off the topic: “One hundred years from now…”

For young students, it may be hard to imagine what the world could be like in a hundred years, let alone a hundred days. Spark their imagination and encourage them

to think big. This activity is also a good tool for expanding their worldview beyond themselves.

Make a short-term time capsule which can be opened on the hundredth day of the next school year and fill it with pictures, crafts, and other fun items.

The concept of long-term is fairly foreign to children, and the developmental stages they’re experiencing mean major changes every single year. Creating a time capsule, which you can store away or even bury in your backyard, will be illuminating for your student later on when they realize how much they’ve grown since the previous year. Consider adding a questionnaire asking them things like their favorite color, who their best friend is and what they want to be when they grow up.

Have your student guess which cities on a map are one hundred miles away.

Ask your student to draw a map without any reference; chances are their interpretation of the sizing and spacing of states and countries will be rather off. As a fun exercise and opportunity to dream about travelling, look at a map with your student and guess which cities and states are one hundred miles from you. From there, point to all the places you’ve been to (or are planning to go) and find out how many

miles away they are to help give the distance some context.

Ask your student to make a list of a hundred things that did not exist a hundred years ago.

For many students, imagining a time without smart phones and video games is probably hard to grasp. Sit with them and help make this list, explaining how people accomplished everyday things without so many of today’s accessible tools.

To help your student exceed his or her academics goals, Best in Class Education Center offers a variety of customized, supplemental enrichment courses and tutoring options to ensure your students are equipped with the tools they need this school year.

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Indian PM Modi Nominated for 2017 JFK Profiles In Courage Award CONTINUED FROM PAGE

12

his courageous and strategic act of demonetization to solve the malaise of corruption in the largest democracy in the world. This recognition would serve as a model to inspire leaders of developing countries to emulate him in the future.

This year being the centennial, it is even more appropriate that the Awardee is being recognized for

tackling a Himalayan problem in the largest democracy.

Bhamy Shenoy is a retired ConocoPhillips Manager; 346812- 2783; bhamysuman@gmail. com. Mallik Putcha is a retired NASA Contractor Systems Engineering and Project Management Specialist, Houston; 832687-5000; mallikputcha@icloud. com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

14 February 10, 2017

SIGHTSEEING IN INDIA OFF THE BEATEN PATH

TRAVEL

Travel through Gujarat and Along Sea Coast

“Rani ki Vav” (Queen’s Stepwell) is a UNESCO heritage site near Patan. The multistory well was built in the 11th century. The sculptures at the well are preserved because the well was covered by silt, and therefore, hidden from Muslim invaders until discovery in 1963.

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

O

N THE ROAD: Like most working couples in the U.S., my wife Jyoti and I could barely manage two weeks of vacationing in India.

As such, each trip to our native land would consist of a whirlwind of visits to the major urban centers for reunions with relatives and a few friends. Upon retiring in 2016 after 40-year careers, we had the opportunity to taken an extended vacation in India.

Over a six-week period, we not only managed to meet close friends and relatives in Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad, but take some extended sightseeing trips. Most tourists to India first see the Golden Triangle of New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Next destination is typically Kerala.

We had previously done the Golden Triangle, and have yet to see Kerala. Instead, we made two excursions—one to Gujarat and second one to Maharashtra’s Konkan coast.

One of the seaside temples in Dwarka. The main temple for Lord Krishna in Dwarka is besieged by vendors and long lines of worshippers.

Why Gujarat?

Someone had given me a Gujarat tourist guide a few years ago and I had managed to glance through descriptions of the state’s historical coastal cities and the cultural sites in Vadodara (formerly Baroda) and Ahmeda- Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Ahmedabad is located adjacent to the Sabarmati River. Gandhi’s spartan room is seen here. bad.

Our niece works for a major travel agency in India and both Ahmedabad and Vadodara. We took she set up a nine-day trip through coastal a flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Our and central Gujarat. Prefering a slow and driver met us at the airport and stayed with steady journey, we settled on starting in us until we took the return flight from VadoAhmedabad and traveling by car to Dwarka, dara to Mumbai. then Somnath, Porbandar, island of Diu, Gir Gujarat has built an extensive network National Forest, Junagadh and ending with of highways that link the major cities. Off a two-day stay in Vadodara. If we get an- the highway, however, we had to endure other chance to visit Gujarat, we will try to body rattling journeys on single-lane roads, see Mount Abu and Rann of Kutch in the avoiding oncoming traffic of cars, motorcynorth and Surat in the south. cles, heavy lorries and even bullock carts.

“Are you going on a Hindu pilgrimage?”

Some of our memorable memories includasked an incredulous friend, who used to ed eating theplas at a roadside dhaba, seeing work for Reliance, and could not see why pristine beaches, abandoned castles,and enwe would waste valuable vacation time in joy the rural countryside of farms and oldGujarat. timers relaxing under banyan trees.

With some apprehension, we made the In future articles, I’ll cover our journey trip and were extremely pleased with our along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, Gujarat trip with its pristine Arabian coast, exotic forts near Pune and newly renovated rural countryside and cultural landmarks in palaces of Hyderabad.

Laxmi Vilas Palace is an extravagant building of the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890. The palace grounds include a golf course and a cricket field. A palace museum displays numerous Ravi Varma paintings.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

February 10, 2017

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

15

16 February 10, 2017

COMMUNITY

Vasavi Agni Pravesam at Sri Meenakshi Temple

BY MADHAVI AKARAPU

PEARLAND: The Vasavi (Sri WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500.

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Kanyaka Parameshwari) Agni Pravesam at Sri Meenakshi Temple was conducted collaboratively by the Vasavi group of Houston and Sri Meenakshi temple on Sunday, Jan 29. The Vasavi Agni Pravesam event was attended by more than 150 Devotees. It started at 9:00am in the morning with Ganesh Pooja, Homam & Vasavi Maatha Abhishekam and then followed by Maha Prasadam. On this auspicious occasion, all Devotees remember their respective elders who did Atma Ahuthi along with Ammavaru. The priests, Sri Pawan Kumar and Sri Sriman Narayana Charyalu made the event memorable to the attendees by their authentic puja and the beautiful “alankaram” for the goddess. As the accompanying picture shows, the sight of Sri Kanyaka Parameshwari in her full splendor was a visual delight to the attendees. In the end, the organizers of the event thanked administrators of Sri Meenakshi Temple, sponsors, donors and all volunteers who helped with the event.

Madhavi and Ramesh Akarapu organized this event as their family is coordinating all year long activities with the strong support and ex-

cellent participation from the community across greater Houston.

The group regularly meets the last Sunday of every month to perform Bhajans and Pooja for Ammavaru at temple and also for many other social/cultural activities. As part of the Corner Temple Renovation Project, the Temple board is plan-

ning to expand the available space in the mandapam to accommodate the steady increase of attendees for the monthly event. Chairman thanked the priests, staff and the event coordinators Madhavi Akarapu, Aruna Gubba, Chandrakala Gupta and Sheila Sriram.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

February 10, 2017 17 COMMUNITY Datta-Barua Dives into Humble ISD Trustee Election

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

FALLCREEK: In the Golden Years

of life, one might imagine taking it easy and pursuing the idyllic activities that come with having more time on your hands. But, some of us just can’t lie back and see the days go by if there is a chance to help the environment we live in, especially if you are passionate about education and how it can open doors up for the young and disadvantaged.

For Dr. Lohit Datta-Barua, the lesson of a good primary education has led to a lifetime pursuit of knowledge and its application in industry.

Originally from Guwahati, Assam, Datta-Barua grew up in a poor family which saw education as the only vehicle out for their kids. He came to the US in 1973 with $7 in his pocket and a dream to get an advanced engineering degree at the University of Houston. After he received his Masters in Electrical Engineering, he did not stop, but went on to get his PhD in Engineering with focus on Ocean Engineering. His wife Manjula also got her Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and as Datta-Barua will tell you, his brother, sister-in-law, older daughter and son-in-law all have advanced degrees and are professors at universities.

Datta-Barua has personally experienced the benefits of an enlightened mind through a good education, and how it allowed him to contribute to the growth of the country through work and leadership roles in the oil and gas industry. From his poor background, he was able to lay the foundation for his personal growth and success as well as for his family, all thanks to access to education as a child and his motivation and willingness to sacrifice and achieve a dream.

For the past 35 years, the DattaBaruas have made their home in the Kingwood/Atascocita area where their two daughters Seebany and Indrany grew up and went to school.

The Datta-Baruas worked in Houston – she at Reliant Energy and he in private E&C companies with projects all around the globe. The Datta-Baruas experienced first-hand the discrepancies in the Humble ISD where they lived and the differences between the schools in the district that encompasses Kingwood, Humble, Atascocita, Summerwood, Fallcreek and neighboring areas with an enrollment of over 40,000 students. And now that Lohit has more time on his hands, he has decided to toss his hat into the ring and run for a vacant seat for Trustee on the HISD Board.

“Kingwood HS is ranked high, Humble HS is ranked low. The

lack of competitive zeal among many students.

Datta-Barua realizes that he faces an uphill battle in the election as he has low name recognition and for that he is counting on the support of the south-Asian population in the district in addition to all other groups.

The current Board of trustees does not adequately represent the diverse population of the area which is a mix of Black, Hispanic, Chinese, Vietnamese, South Asian, and Anglo in Humble area with mostly Anglo in Kingwood.

“The need of the day is unconventional learning that is appropriate for a changing environment, that is employment oriented, would reduce economic divide, that encourages questions and ideas. No question, no idea should be ignored,” reflected Datta-Barua.

The Humble ISD election is set for May 6 with early voting set for April 24 to May 2. Datta-Barua is seeking campaign donations and all the support he can get. He can be contacted at 832-273-6122 or ldattabarua@ gmail.com

average Kingwood area students’ family income is twice as high as the Humble area students’ family. There must be a strong effort to enhance the low ranking schools,” said DattaBarua as he planned his election strategy. “All schools must provide the same learning environment for students to reach their intellectual capacity. Peer pressure should be for academic excellence. Schools must create that environment. Our school districts must provide the same, but customized learning environment, same opportunity and access to each student.” It’s a quandary that many school districts across the state of Texas are facing compounded by a

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

18 February 10, 2017

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY India’s Circular Migrations

No Honors, Berkeley

Once, the University of California, Berkeley, was famous

for its passionate defence of free speech — and the right to hold all shades of political views. Today, it has challenged its own heady legacy.

In the 1960s, Berkeley symbolised youthful resistance to a stifling American establishment, representing the injustices of Vietnam, racism and sexism. The times were violent; but Berkeley wasn’t.

Facing hostile police and furious administrators, its students sang, spoke and marched against the powers of their time, their sit-ins, the original “Occupy” movements. Even when arrested or expelled, Berkeley students countered power’s brutishness with the brilliance of humane ideas — and the moral virtue of non-violence.

But current events have damaged Berkeley’s reputation.

As notorious editor-writer Milo Yiannopoulos—infamous for his hate-filled views and a pillar of the pro-Trump “altright”—was scheduled to speak at Berkeley, students erupted in furious violence.

Molotov cocktails were flung, students beaten up for “looking like Nazis”; even the iconic Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union was vandalised. University authorities cancelled Yiannopoulos’s event — but this is no victory for Berkeley.

Instead, this adds fuel to the gleeful provocateur’s fire, leaving Berkeley less confident against charges that its left-leaning students don’t support free speech, but only the speech they like. This is one of the sharpest weapons globally used against liberal groups.

The argument that right-wing voices are denied space in liberal “echo-chambers” has gained ground, given Berkeley’s reaction today. Free speech is an untrammelled American right — barring direct incitement to violence, this freedom is equal for all.

Abhorrent speech should be freely aired too, for when vile words, bereft of fundamental human empathy and hope, resound on the stages of the world, their stupidity and venality show under clear spotlights.

As a university meant to experience, understand and debate all forms of thought, Berkeley should have let Yiannopoulos speak, coolly ignoring him or grilling him with intelligent contempt. Instead, Berkeley has made Yiannopoulos an unlikely victim, whose fundamental freedom has been deprived by people claiming to protect exactly that. Berkeley is a reminder of an inconvenient truth: Freedom of speech cannot be tailored to please certain ears. That would only justify the bullying of artists, the murders of cartoonists, the arrests in another university called JNU, whose students upheld the right to express all shades of opinion, with only one common proviso: Non-violence.

-Indian Express

BY KUMKUM DASGUPTA

T

he latest Economic Survey (ES) points to a dramatic spike in internal migration with Delhi and the NCR being the top destinations.

Between 2011 and 2016, close to nine million migrated between states annually, up from about 3.3 million suggested by successive censuses, says the survey.

Among the states that send the highest number of migrants to these places, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar top the list. They are followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal.

In an interview, Indrajit Roy, Principal Investigator of University of Oxford’s study Lives on the Move, talks about what triggers such high migration and why it is now absolutely critical to make social and political rights of citizens portable.

KD: India is on the move. Is it a good or bad thing?

IR: Migration in general is to be welcomed and there are indications that migration in India helps people to exit from hierarchical social relationships. However, much of the migration in India, especially related to work and employment, is circular — which means people don’t find enough social and economic opportunities outside of their home localities and must fall back on these for sustenance. You have in India a perverse sort of mobility, an ‘immobile mobility’: Individuals are mobile but their households remain immobile.

It is often said that migration will disrupt the village way of life, thus destroying a civilisation. These fears are ahistorical. India’s so-called ‘village way of life’ was a product of colonial rule that encouraged the country’s ‘peasantisation’. Disrupting this ‘way of life’ only disrupts a colonial creation, not Indian civilisation.

Concerns about mobility are also motivated by a desire to keep ‘people in their place’. Look at the way migrant workers are treated in Delhi and Mumbai: They are almost considered to be ‘not human’. Bal Thackeray once said one Bihari brought with him a 100 headaches. I believe caste hierarchies inform elite suspicion of mobility and migration, especially

by Dalitbahujans, in a major way.

Anti-caste struggles over the last two centuries have weakened the caste hierarchy considerably. Migration is one of the ways of diminishing the hold of caste on people’s lives further.

In India, fragmented landholdings in the countryside make it imperative for people to combine agricultural work with work outside of that sector, the 2011 census reported an absolute decline in the number of cultivators across India. This might have been good news, except that the number of agricultural labourers increased during precisely this period .

Informal employment remains in the region of a whopping 92%. To make matters worse, inequality is at an all-time high and we have a long way to go before the per capita incomes of the States even begin to converge.

There are 100 million circular labour migrants in Inhis means 100 million people traverse the length and breadth of India, seeking dignified lives and livelihoods, working for a few months at different locations throughout the year, and then returning because of limited opportunities.

Throughout this time, their families remain home - circular labour migration is a mostly male thing. Although economic remittances do contribute to migrant households being less dependent on local elites, the fact remains that at the end of the day, migrant workers and their families remain rooted to their villages.

During their iterations, migrant workers have no access to their social entitlements or their political rights.

Thus, India today is witness to both impulses. On the one hand, people seek to exit oppressive social hierarchies and lead dignified lives as equals.

On the other hand, poverty and inequality continue to blight the lives of an overwhelming majority. People trying their best to lead dignified lives and exit social hierarchies. But there are simply not enough opportunities for them - either in their ‘source locations’ or their ‘destinations’.

KD: Your ongoing research in migration is based in Bihar. What’s triggering migration from that state?

IR: Our research shows that the

quest for dignified livelihoods is an important motivating factor for people leaving Bihar. I want to insist on ‘dignified livelihoods’: there is employment available locally, but many labourers, the majority of whom are Dalitbahujans, will refuse to work for farmers or landlords who practice caste discrimination.

Our research assistants tell us of labourers who, during the 1970s and 1980s, fought with local employers because they were not being paid on time or because they faced caste discrimination.

Refusing to tolerate continued oppression, they left for dignified work as far as Punjab when agricultural opportunities were available. But more than incomes, people justified their going to Punjab on the grounds that they were treated with respect and dignity there: “Sardarji sits on the same cot as us” or “We are offered food in the same utensils that everyone else eats in”.

KD: What kinds of policies are required to ensure a better life for migrants?

IR: Social and political rights in India are based on the assumption that people are sedentary. Under the public distribution system (PDS), people’s ration cards are invalid in their destinations of work. These migrants depend either on their employer or labour contractor for food provisions or purchase food in the open market.

Migrants’ voting rights are also restricted to their villages – what the census calls their ‘usual place of residence’ (UPR) – despite the fact that they give the best part of their working lives to the city. And on the other, it sees them excluded from the electoral process when they are unable to go back to their homes during election time to cast their votes.

Taking cognisance of this mobility, the state should consider making social and political rights portable.

People should be allowed to access their social entitlements from anywhere in the country.

Moreover, NRIs are being the given the right to vote, irrespective of where they live. Surely, the Indians who labour to construct, manufacture and service India deserve that right no matter where they live.

-HT

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

VALENTINE’S DAY

February 10, 2017

19

8 Things to Do if You’re Single on Valentine’s Day Everyone knows being single on

Valentine’s Day can come with a range of emotions. Some years when you’re single, you might even forget about Valentine’s Day because your heart is like Teflon and you’re thrilled to be on your own. Others, not so much. Since February 14th is just a few short days away, now’s the time to form a single-woman plan of action if you don’t have one already. Even if you see it as a normal day, you should still plan on doing something fun— like one of the activities below.

• Pamper like you’ve never pampered before. Hit up a really indulgent beauty store and grab body scrubs (or DIY ‘em), face masks, and even stop by the supermarket to buy some cucumbers for your eyes. Light delicious-smelling candles and slip into a robe. Basically, go the whole nine yards and spend the day indulging.

You’ll feel really relaxed, and as a bonus, really gorgeous too.

• Galentine’s Day, anyone? Meeting up with single girlfriends or ones who can’t spend the holiday with their guys for whatever reason is an easy way to combat the Valentine’s Day blues. Whether you stay in or go out, you’ll be with women who get you, which can be helpful when you feel like every man on the planet does not.

• Have a romantic comedy hatewatching party. Invite said girlfriends over to knock back some wine, watch tons of sappy movies, throw popcorn at the TV, and yell that each one is a lie.

If Elle Woods did it, you can too.

• Dive into a juicy thriller. How often do you actually get to read a book these days? Shut down your computer and start turning those pages.

Perhaps choose one in which people seem like they’re falling in love but actually end up trying to kill each other? You know, to get in the spirit of the holiday.

• Spend the money you would have spent on a guy’s gift on yourself. If you have one of those Carrie Bradshaw “hello, lover,” moments when

SHIBU PHILIP, MTax, CPA TAX & ACCOUNTING you see an amazing pair of shoes, go ahead and get them.

You are your own valentine, after all.

• Offer to watch your sister’s kids for a few hours. Obviously this only works if you love children, aren’t feeling truly down in the dumps about being single, and have most of the day to celebrate in one of the other ways so it’s not totally usurped by screaming babies. You just might be so grateful to give the kids back when their parents’ date is over that you’ll wind up feeling lucky to be single.

• Get your adrenaline pumping.

Try something risky and kickass (but not totally insane), like skydiving with your best friend. You’ll prove to yourself that you don’t need a boyfriend by your side to do incredible things. And if you’re hoping to get deeper into the dating game in 2015, it always helps if you’ve got a whole arsenal of amazing stories to tell.

• Go on a first date. It seems counterintuitive, and the caveat is that you have to luck out and end up with a cool guy who won’t think you’re marriage-obsessed or only into casual sex because you happen to be going out for the first time on February 14th. If you’re on the same page, this Valentine’s Day could just be the start of something special. Or, at the very least, a funny story to tell your guy when you do end up meeting him.

-glamour.com

Why We Celebrate the Day of Love?

With February 14th not-so-quietly creeping up on us, the internet is buzzing with a mix of excitement, dread, and

indifference. Valentine’s Day has become a fairly commercialized holiday, filled with Hallmark cards, drug-store chocolates, and your yearly bouquet of roses, all aptly delivered by your significant other (or friend, parent, or sibling for any single ladies out there), in the name of love.

That said, you might be wondering where, exactly, this day of love originated, and why, each year, we mark our calendars to remind us to tell our loves ones, well, that we love them.

There are several different myths attributed to the genesis of Valentine’s day. However, there’s no disputing the fact that this holiday, as with most, began as a religious one. The Catholic Church has canonized at least three different Saint Valentines, all of whom were martyred and literally died for love.

The most popular Saint Valentine, and the one frequently attributed with fathering Valentine’s Day, was a Roman priest during the third century, serving under Emperor Claudius. Emperor Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers than those married and with families, and passed a law making marriage illegal for all young men.

Valentine recognized the horror of this law and continued to marry young couples in secret, effectively defying his Emperor.

When Claudius discovered Valentine’s acts of defiance, he had him killed immediately. Valentine was later canonized by the Vatican and, in the 5th century, February 14th was named his feast day, the day designated by the church to honor and commemorate a saint’s life.

Still, other people believe that February 14th’s designation as a day of love, comes out of something far less bloody than a martyred saint. In France and England, February 14th is the beginning of the birds’ mating season, which symbolizes love, fertility, and the promise of spring.

The day began to rise in popularity around the 17th century, where it was not uncommon for friends to exchange little gifts and notes of affection. The first Valentine’s Day card was believed to be sold in 1840 by Esther Howland, also known as The Mother of the Valentine.

So whether you’re celebrating this V-day with your bae, your bff, or your couch and Netflix, take comfort in the fact that this holiday is actually historically rooted in something worth celebrating: love.

-stylecaster.com

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20 February 10, 2017 ADVICE Your 3-Step Guide to Getting Over a Career Setback Fast

BY CHRIS CHARYK

E

very person will experience a setback at in their career. It might be a job interview that didn’t go well, a networking introduction that never happened, or getting laid off. Whatever the specifics, bumps in the road are part of the territory—and finding a productive way to cope with your struggles is something anyone can benefit from.

It turns out that something as simple the way you think about an obstacle has a lot to do with how successful you’ll be at getting through it. It comes down to your mindset—the ideas and attitudes with which you approach a situation. Translation: Just changing how you think about a problem can help you solve it.

I know it sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. Leading motivation and behavioral change researchers ranging from Stanford’s Carol Dweck to Case Western Reserve University’s Richard Boyatzis have demonstrated through compelling research just how powerful mindsets can be. For example, in a study of pre-med students, Dweck showed that students with a limited, “I’m as good as I’m ever going to get” mindset got worse grades than those with a growth, “I can get better” mindset. Just by viewing their progress differently, they ended up with different outcomes.

Changing your mindset works out-

side the classroom, too. It can help you overcome a challenging situation in just three steps.

Let’s take a job interview for example that you didn’t get: Step 1: Become Aware of Your Default Opinion Being able to step back from your current situation and identify how you’re thinking about it is at least half the battle. What’s the lens through which you’re currently thinking about the issue? Do you see it as a promising opportunity or a worthless, annoying task? The story you

tell yourself—what you currently believe to be true—this is your default mindset.

Default Mindset For an Interview That Didn’t Go Well: That’s a huge setback. This kind of opportunity will never come up again. I’m not good at this and should just give up.

Step 2: Consider the Completely Opposite Mindset This is where your imagination and creativity comes into play. If you were to think about this issue an entirely opposite way, what would that look like? Instead of a disaster,

what if you saw this as an incredibly lucky break?

This is not about which mindset is true.

They all have elements that are true, as well as blind spots. This is also not wishful thinking. Imagining a different one is exactly that—recognizing that a different way of looking at the situation may lead to different ideas about what to do next. Let your mind bounce around a few ideas.

Opposite Mindset 1: There’s a lot to learn from that interview. I bet if I focused on what I could learn and

tried again, I’d do better. Time to be on the lookout for the next opening.

Opposite Mindset 2: Maybe I choked, not because I’m a bad applicant, but because I’m not really into this role, and should look elsewhere.

Step 3: Choose Mindsets are a choice. It helps to imagine each one as a different pair of glasses that provide different perspectives on your issue. Go ahead and them them on until you find one that fits you. Notice how you feel and think when “wearing” it. (Use the STOP technique to tune into how it makes you feel.)

Does this perspective energize you?

Does it provide some new ideas?

Compare these to what comes up when you consider your default. Keep imagining different perspectives until you come up with fresh ideas that help you feel unstuck.

Choosing Your Mindset: I’m going to look at this interview as a learning experience, and not indicative of my entire career. Next time, I’m going to practice with a friend beforehand so I can go in fully prepared.

Remember, mindsets are never completely true or false. The question is not whether you’ve landed on the “right” one, but rather “How useful is this outlook compared to the alternatives?” So, pick the one that’ll help you get over a career hurdle and move forward.

-themuse.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

February 10, 2017 21 HEALTH Low-Carb Diet May Aid Your Metabolism

BY SERENA GORDON

E

Cutting back on sweets helps, while exercising before meals may not.

atinglow-carbohydratemealsmay lead to healthy changes in a woman’s metabolism that don’t occur when consuming higher-carbohydrate meals, a small study suggests.

The researchers also found that the timing of exercise may play a role in how beneficial it is for your metabolism.

The study’s senior author, Katarina Borer, said the study illustrates that small changes can make a difference, such as watching the kinds of foods you eat and not exercising at an inappropriate time.

“It’s an empowering message,” said Borer, a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology.

The study reported that when people ate three meals containing just 30 percent carbohydrates over a 24hour period, they had a 30 percent reduction in their after-meal insulin resistance and insulin levels.

Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use carbohydrates from food to fuel the cells in the body and brain.

People who are resistant to insulin have a higher risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

When people ate three meals containing 60 percent carbohydrates over 24 hours, there was no such reduction in insulin resistance or insulin levels.

The study included 32 healthy

postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 65. None had signs of diabetes or prediabetes.

The women were placed into one of four groups -- high- or low-carb diet, and with or without exercise before meals. The women had a meal at the lab the night before the study, and two study meals the next day -- one in the morning and the other at 5 p.m.

Each meal contained about 800 calories, Borer said. The low-carb meal was 30 percent carbohydrate, 25 percent protein and 45 percent fat. But, she said, the researchers focused on good fats such as olive oil. The meals included items such as macaroni and cheese, sausage and ham, chef’s salad, fruit, a veggie burger and soup.

The higher carbohydrate meal was 60 percent carbs, 15 percent protein and 25 percent fat. This diet fell in line with national dietary guidelines, according to Borer. These meals included egg salad on a multigrain bun, bacon, ham and cheese sandwich, carrot sticks, bananas, coleslaw, orange juice, skim milk, graham crackers, pretzels and vanilla ice cream.

The exercise groups were moderately active for two hours, and the exercise session ended one hour before a meal.

Normally, exercise is thought to

and pre-meal exercise might affect someone with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes because she only tested healthy women.

“Most Americans could easily decrease their intake of carbohydrates from foods such as fast food, junk food, sugar-sweetened soda and desserts,” said registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Samantha Heller. She’s a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

“People need to get some balance and portion-size management. I encourage a healthy protein with each meal or snack, like nut butters, eggs, lean meats,” said Heller, who wasn’t involved with the study. Adding protein to a meal or snack helps keep blood sugar levels more stable and leaves you feeling fuller longer, she explained.

Heller added that exercise should never be discouraged. Generally, she said, it’s probably fine to exercise on an empty stomach. “For most people, the best time to exercise is when you’re actually going to do it,” she said.

Everyone should drink fluids, she recommended.And if you’re going to work out hard, you might need some food. But that depends on when you last ate, she said.

Findings from the study were published recently in the journal PLOS One. -everydayhealth.com

Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use carbohydrates from food to fuel the cells in the body and brain.

help reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar levels. But in this study, exercising before eating actually raised women’s evening blood sugar levels, the researchers said.

“During exercise, you need energy, triggering hormones that promote the release of sugar from the liver.

Most [of the body’s] tissues become insulin-resistant to allow the brain and muscles to use that excess sugar,” Borer explained. If the tissues don’t use all that sugar for the workout,

blood sugar will remain elevated, she added.

If you exercise after eating, however, “your meal provides the fuel” instead of your liver, Borer noted, and the excess sugar from your meal is likely used up. She recommended exercising within 40 minutes of eating.

Borer acknowledged that the results from this study were only shortterm. She also noted that she couldn’t comment on how this low-carb diet

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PUZZLES / RECIPES

Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Jaldi se Baingan da Bhartha (Easy-to-Make Spicy Eggplant Puree)

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y popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Baingan da Bhartha recipe, which is fast becoming a popular dish in restaurants and for caterings. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions.

Eggplant are among the most popular vegetables cooked all over the world, but the main reason for its widespread appeal is that, when sliced and cooked, they can soak in the taste of the sauce or spices while the outside skin holds the pulp together.

In the Punjab, the large, round or elongated plump eggplants are used to make the popular bhartha dish and the small ones or the long ones are usually cooked with potatoes and some onions. In other parts of Indian, they make a dish similar to bhartha, but they either puree it in a blender or they add yogurt or even sugar to it. The traditional Punjabi bhartha is very simple and relies on the sautéed onions, a cubed tomato and a tardka of spices to bring out its full flavor and aroma.

But the traditional recipe for bhartha is very time consuming and many people get put off by the time it takes to first roast the eggplant and then peel the hot skin before preparing the dish.

It also makes a mess of the oven or stove! But, they still crave for Punjabi bhartha, especially as it is not usually available in restaurants and if it is, it’s not prepared the dame way.

I have found another, much easier and faster way to make bhartha and also not use so much electricity or effort and save on the messiness.

You don’t get the tiny specs of burnt skin and there is no difference in the taste, though you do lose the smoky, roasted smell.

Ingredients: • • • • • •

1 large round baingan (eggplant) 2 medium pyaaz (onion) 2 medium tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best Some small shelled mutter (peas) (if desired) 4 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil Spices (to taste): namak (salt), mirch (red pepper), garam masala

Directions: 1. Cut the top dandal (green shoots) off along with a little of the meat and keep to one side to use later.

2. Peel the eggplant then cut it lengthwise into slices. Now cut the slices into smaller 1.5 inch pieces.

3. Wash the pieces in cold water and let them drain in a strainer. It is very important to wash them otherwise the eggplant will start to turn dark.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet, wok or kadai, place the eggplant in it with the

dandal and mix till they are coated.

Cover and let cook for 10 minutes.

Check to see that the eggplant has become tender. If it has, then mash the eggplant with a large spoon and take the dandal out to use later.

5. From this point on, the recipe is the same as the traditional bhartha one.

6. Cut the onions into small pieces and sauté them in the oil till they are brown, then add the cut tomatoes and then add the spices (turmeric is usually not used in Punjabi bhartha).

7. Pour the mashed eggplant and the dandal in the masala (also the peas, if desired) and cook over low heat for some time. When you start to see some oil rise to the sides, turn the heat off; cover and let it stay for 10 minutes.

8. Uncover the skillet and if you want, sprinkle with garam masala though it is not necessary since the bhartha has so many onions. This dish is best eaten with roti. It is considered an honor to get the cooked dandal and remove the cooked meat off it.

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

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEE K WHEN MAKING B HARTHA, CHOOSE THE EG GPLANT CAREFU It’s tru LLY

e that vegetarian co oking is time cons tion – cleaning, cu uming because of tting and washing the prepara- but this can be red vegetables the right uced if you choose way. If they are too the rip e or too hard, the dis will not taste good h you are cooking or appear appetizing . Or if they have too too large – like a sq many seeds or are uash – the dish will become mushy.

For the bhartha rec ipe, choose a large round eggplant tha one means that it ha t is not heavy: a heav s a lot of seeds. A y slightly tender, roun even an elongated on d eggplant is best, e, but choose the on or e that does not colla Also, make sure tha pse when squeezed t the green shoot (d . andal) does not have which means the eg any dark spots on it, gplant is too old.

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ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS

23

Kung Fu Yoga Raees Box Office Collection Day 12 Shah Rukh Khan film earns Rs 147.46 cr in India

Shah Rukh Khan’s film

managed to earn approximately Rs 10 crore on its second Sunday which takes its complete domestic box office collection to Rs 147.46 crore.

The superstar’s film has hit the bull’s eye not only in India but also worldwide.

Raees is doing good business across the globe, despite its release being put on hold in neighbouring Pakistan. Continuing its successful spree, Raees has clocked 250-crore mark worldwide, by minting a total worldwide gross of Rs 259.42 crore.

In India, Raees scored approximately Rs 7 crore on Saturday, February 4. Ever since its release, the film scored a maximum on it’s second day of release (January 26) gathering as much as Rs 26.30 crore.

The film earned Rs 20.42 crore on its opening day alone. Though its domestic figures are seeing a downfall since January 28, with every passing day, In India, Raees has emerged as the year’s first hit, by registering Bollywood’s highest box office num-

bers for a Republic Day week release. According to reports, the Rahul Dholakia film has been the fastest January release to clock Rs 100 crore at the domestic box office, with the film crossing a century in terms of profits on the last day of the month.

The film has been the talk of the town because of the good performances delivered by not just Shah Rukh Khan but also, Nawazuddin Siddiqui who is seen as a determined cop. Hard hitting dialogues and a catchy music further made to the publicity of Raees. The film also marks the Bollywood debut of Pakistani actor Mahira Khan.

The SRK-film also saw the year’s first big clash at the box office against Kaabil. The Hrithik Roshan film is giving tough competition to Raees, eating up its profits too.

While Kaabil got a comfortable release in Pakistan few days ago, th release of Raees has been put on hold due to “objectionable contest.”

-indianexpress.com

Chinese archeologist, Jack, is

in search of the lost treasure of Magadha. His assistants and Indian counterparts try to outsmart an Indian prince, Randall, and his army to clinch the gold.

At one point, Sonu Sood’s Randall is frustrated and says through his gritted teeth, “Don’t bore me…” as Chan’s character blabbers about morality. The line in itself is a short, crisp review of the movie.

But if one must dive into details, Kung Fu Yoga is about Jack, one of China’s leading archeologists, who is enlisted by an Indian archeologist, Ashmita (Disha Patani), for finding a lost treasure that belonged to her ancestors. He comes to India along with his assistants Zhu (Yixing Zhang) and Nuomin(Miya Muqi) to unearth the mystery. But the treasure has another contender in Randall (Sonu Sood), who is equipped with a d o z e n kurta-clad white men, computeranimated

zoo animals, sleek cars and a healthy dose of inherent greed.

The movie begins so abruptly that you feel like you’ve started watching episode no. three of a show by mistake. Director Stanley Tong unloads a ton of information on you in the first ten minutes, leaving you half-confused and already half-disinterested.

There’s some elementary-level Kung Fu and absolutely no yoga (but how else would India be represented in the title?); the English dubbing makes for awkward viewing and many lines seem to be lost in translation; there is altogether too much CGI work and to top it all, the movie sticks to a Western view of India (Elephants! Princesses clad in jewels! Temples! Snake Charmers!).

It also has a strong Raiders Of The Lost Ark-meets-

Temple Of Doom vibe.

Chan seems to be restricted in his moves but still has his charm. Sonu Sood could have made for a better antagonist had he been badder. The nearest thing that the movie has to a quick repartee is not between any two characters but an interaction between Chan and a lion, which forces some giggles out of you.

If you’re going for the Kung Fu, chances are you’ll end up in a meditative state instead.

-timesofindia.com

Randhir Kapoor February 15, 1947

Ashutosh Gowariker February 15, 1964

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

24 February 10, 2017 Mukund Picked in India’s Test Squad vs. Bangladesh

BY MOHAMMED ISLAM

H

YDERABAD: (ESPN Cricinfo): Tamil Nadu batsman Abhinav Mukund has been recalled to India’s squad as back-up opener for the one-off Test against Bangladesh beginning on Feb. 9 in Hyderabad after more than five years out of the side.

India picked 16 players for the fixture, with batsmen M Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane, allrounders Jayant Yadav and Hardik Pandya, and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha returning from injuries sustained during the recent home series against England in November and December.

Parthiv Patel, who stepped in as wicketkeeper for the last three Tests against England after Saha injured his left thigh, was left out, along with batsman Manish Pandey, who had been part of the squad for the last two Tests against England. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami was not selected; he had missed the fourth and fifth Tests against England because of a leg injury.

Abhinav last played for India in August 2011 during the tour of England.

Though he has played for the A team several times since then, he could not make it back to the Test squad until now. His selection followed his scoring 849 runs in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy; he made a half-century or more seven times in 14 innings.

Abhinav converted four of those into hundreds, the last of which came in the semi-final against Mumbai.

His making the XI might be difficult though, considering Vijay and KL Rahul are India’s first-choice openers and their middle-order is back to full strength, with Rahane returning from a finger injury and Karun Nair having made a triplecentury in his most recent innings.

The selection meeting to pick the squad for the Test against Bangladesh was pushed back from 11 am to 6pm because the Supreme-Court appointed committee of administrators wanted to ensure proper procedure was followed.

The meeting was eventually convened by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri via video conference, and not the joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary.

“Since the committee had not met since it has been formed, we wanted to meet as a group and understand

Hardik Pandya hit a belligerent half-century, India v England, 3rd ODI, Kolkata, January 22, 2017.

Abhinav Mukind last played for India in August 2011 during the tour of England.

the court order so that whatever we end up doing from an operational perspective is not in violation of what may have been specified in the order,” senior banker Vikram Limaye, one of the members of the committee, told ESPNcricinfo.

Saha’s recall appeared imminent considering he struck a match-winning double-century for Rest of India against Gujarat in the Irani Cup last week. Among those present at the match was chief selector MSK Prasad, who said he was the “No. 1 keeper batsman in the country.”

Parthiv had done well against England in a stand-in role, making 42, 67*, 15, 71 and later struck a superb hundred for Gujarat to help them win their maiden Ranji title. But his limitations behind the wicket might have pushed him out of the squad.

“Parthiv’s glovework has definitely improved,” Prasad said. “But Saha has got better hands and that’s where he scores little more points than Parthiv.”

Ishant Sharma, who has played only one Test of the home season so far, was retained in the squad. He fell ill at the start of the season and then ceded his place as leader of India’s pace attack to Shami. He could be in line for a start against Bangladesh considering the squad has only three quicks - Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and himself. R Ashwin

leads the spinners with Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant and Amit Mishra for support. The uncapped Pandya has been selected as a seam-bowling allrounder in the Test squad, and was named captain of the A team to play a three-day practice game against the Australians on February 16.

Test squad Virat Kohli (capt), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya India A squad for warm-up against Australians Hardik Pandya (capt), Akhil Herwadkar, Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer, Ankit Bawne, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem, K Gowtham, Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Ashok Dinda, Mohammed Siraj, Rahul Singh, B Indrajith.

India coach Anil Kumble has hinted that Karun Nair’s triple-hundred in India’s last Test might not earn him an automatic spot in the XI for the one-off Test against Bangladesh on Thursday. Kumble said while the performance was a huge boost to the overall make-up of the side, they have not forgotten what Ajinkya Rahane whom Nair had replaced - has done for the team. As things stand, if India stick to their combination of five

bowlers, only one of them will play.

A finger injury had ruled out Rahane from the last two Tests against England, paving the way for Nair to get an extended run in the middleorder. His 303 not out in Chennai showed India’s batting riches went very deep, but if he makes way for Rahane, he will perhaps become one of a very few men who miss their next Test after scoring a triple-ton. In April 1930, England’s Andy Sandham made 325 in the timeless Test against West Indies and did not play again, although that may have been because he was 39 years old then.

“We still haven’t thought about the combination but it is nice that Karun took his opportunity and did what he did in Chennai,” Kumble said. “It is fantastic for a young cricketer to come in and score a triple-hundred.

But we know what Ajinkya has done for this team.Ajinkya’s performances have been phenomenal across conditions. It is nice that somebody who came in to replace Ajinkya because of the injury in Mumbai, took three or four innings and was able to score a three-hundred. It’s nice to have to have that kind of contribution and that kind of ability from the youngsters.”

Kumble lent his support to M Vijay and KL Rahul to keep opening the batting.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent.

SPORTS

Vaidya 89 Sets Up India’s 114-Run Win vs. S. Lanka

C

OLOMBO (ESPN Cricinfo): Three of India’s top four made half-centuries - 19-year old Devika Vaidya top-scored with 89 in only her second ODI - as India beat hosts Sri Lanka by 114 runs in their first Women’s World Cup Qualifier match at P Sara Oval.

Captain Mithali Raj made 70 off 62 balls while opener Deepti Sharma started the procession with 54 off 96.

These were especially good returns in light of India missing opener Smriti Mandhana due to injury.

Set a target of 260, Sri Lanka did well to reach 65 for 1 in the 23rd over but in an effort to push on, they lost seven wickets for 66 runs and were forced to shift their focus into playing out the 50 overs. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was India’s best bowler with 10-2-19-2, and she was ably supported by fellow left-armer Ekta Bisht, who took 2 for 27.

“It’s always good to start with a win,” Raj said. “We’d started slowly in the match but Devika and Deepti put up a useful partnership to help increase the run rate. It was a good pitch to bat on and we enjoyed batting out there.”

A fierce half-century from No. 6 Chloe Tryon headlined South Africa’s victory over Pakistan by 63 runs. She made 79 off 69 balls with five fours and four sixes to lift the total from 129 for 5 in the 25th over to 258. “It’s never nice coming in that situation,” Tryon said after the match, “but I had to put my head down and graft a bit. And I felt like I gave myself enough time. I was very patient and I felt like I was really calm. I knew towards the end that I could pick the run rate up.”

Devika Vaidya’s 89 helped India W beat Sri Lanka in WC qualifiers.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

February 10, 2017

25

Amazon Likely to Ramp up Investments in India, Despite Drag on Profits B

ENGALURU: Amazon.com Inc. has indicated it would keep pumping money into India although its investments in the country crimped profitability at the world’s largest online retailer for the second quarter in a row.

Amazon’s chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said in a conference call with analysts on Thursday that the e-commerce giant was encouraged by its progress in India and the response it has received from consumers. He acknowledged that the investment in India continues to be large.

“What you are seeing is the continuation of the step-up investment that we saw in the second half of last year...We also have investments in other Prime benefits from Prime Now to AmazonFresh and of course we are continuing to invest in Alexa and our Echo devices. And finally, I guess, I’d point out India which continues to be a rather large investment for us,” said Olsavsky.

In the three months ended December, Amazon posted international sales of about $14 billion, and its loss widened to $487 million from $108 million a year ago, mainly due to the online marketplace’s investments in India.

Amazon posted an operating loss of about $541 million from its international business in the September quarter.

Amazon has committed to investing at least $5 billion in India over the next few years. According to recent regulatory filings, Amazon has so far invested over Rs7,000 crore (a little over $1 billion) into its Indian operations, with a recent capital infusion of about Rs2,000 crore.

“It’s still very early (in India). We continue to say that, but we are very encouraged with what we’ve created with customers and sellers alike in India over the last few years.... We will continue to build our business there and continue to do a great job

for both customers and sellers. We’re bullish on India longer-term and it’s early,” said Olsavsky.

Interestingly, Amazon also said that it had not witnessed any major impact on sales due to the November invalidation of high-value currency notes by the Indian government.

Demonetization had an impact on all online retailers in the weeks following the move and caused a widespread slowdown in online shopping, as the cash ban put off consumers in a country where a majority of shoppers still use cash for day-to-day transactions.

Experts tracking Amazon’s ambitious moves in India said that while Amazon is currently losing money

due to heavy investments in India, the Seattle-based e-commerce based giant is looking at the long-term potential of the market and would not mind spending a few extra billions of dollars to conquer an important Internet market like India.

“See, Amazon knows that they’ve got into a 10-15-year play with India, at the very least. For (Amazon founder) Jeff Bezos, this is a bit of an ego battle—since he lost out big-time in China, he feels he can’t afford to have a repeat of that in India and so, he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to conquer India,” said Rutvik Doshi, director at the India arm of Inventus Capital Partners.

“For Amazon, in the long run of a 20-year horizon, $10-15 billion of investment is nothing—for a company that has a market cap of $350-400 billion, that’s just a drop in the ocean,” he added.

In a separate development, Amazon has sought Indian government approval for online retailing of food products produced and manufactured in India, proposing to invest about

Rs3,400 crore, PTI reported, citing people it didn’t identify. The application is being considered by the commerce and industry ministry, the report said.

“We are excited by the government’s continued efforts to encourage FDI (foreign direct investment) in India for a stronger food supply chain. We have sought an approval to invest and partner with the Government in achieving this vision,” said an Amazon India spokeswoman in an email to Mint on Friday.

-livemint.com

Rupee Closes at Twelve-week High Against US Dollar

MUMBAI: The Indian rupee

closed at a twelve-week high against the US dollar as foreign inflows returned to India in the wake of better earnings and the return of risk appetite.

Traders are cautious ahead of the US jobs data due later on Friday. This was the eight consecutive sessions

The rupee opened at 67.34 a dollar and touched a low of 67.29—a level last seen on 11 November 2016.

when the rupee closed higher.

The home currency closed at 67.32—a level last seen on 11 November 2016, up 0.1% from its previous close of 67.38. The local currency opened at 67.34 a dollar and touched a low of 67.29 -- a level last seen on 11 November 2016.

FII’s bought nearly $635.60 million in equity over the last twelve trading sessions and have been buyers on all but one trading sessions over this period.

India’s benchmark Sensex index rose 0.05% or 13.91 points to closed at 28,240.52. So far this year, it has

risen 6%.

India’s 10-year bond yield closed at 6.409% from its Thursday’s close of 6.401%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.

Since the beginning of this year, the rupee has gained 0.91%, while foreign institutional investors have bought $111.40 million from local equity and sold $247.20 million in debt markets.

Asian currencies were trading lower. Japanese yen was down 0.31%, Philippines peso 0.24%, Singapore dollar 0.22%, China offshore 0.17%, Malaysian ringgit 0.11%, South Ko-

rean won 0.07%, Thai baht 0.05%.

However, Taiwan dollar 0.34%, China renminbi 0.19%, Indonesian rupiah 0.06%. The dollar index, which measures the US currency’s strength against major currencies, was trading at 100.07, up 0.28% from its previous close of 99.79 -livemint.com

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26 February 10, 2017

I hope Trump Bans Pakistani Visas: Imran Khan

PAKISTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-

Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday, while condemning the plight of Muslims prevented from entering the United States (US) under US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban, expressed hope that the ban is extended to Pakistanis.

“I want to tell all Pakistanis today, I pray that Trump bans Pakistani visas so that we can focus on fixing our country,” Khan told a rally in Sahiwal.

Trump’s sweeping executive order, signed Friday, suspends the arrival of refugees in the US for at least 120 days and bars visas for travellers from seven Muslim majority countries ─

including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen ─ for the next three months.

The PTI chief said most educated Pakistanis want to leave this country because they think they can only acquire gainful employment if they have a “powerful source”, and said he believes that things in Pakistan can only improve if people work for progress.

“The day we bring back the merit system back to Pakistan, all our best citizens will return and work for the betterment of this country,” Khan said.

“We will have to fix Pakistan and stand on our own two feet. And the

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day that we decide this is our home and we have to fix it, we won’t beg for loans from the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”

Khan said the day there is a government that decides it has to live and die in Pakistan, it will fix this country.

“The biggest issue here,” he said, “is the corruption of bigwigs who... become ministers and loot this country, taking the money abroad.”

“They may have elected Trump, but we have elected Nawaz Sharif.”

Lambasting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Khan alleged, the PM had taken money from Pakistan and spent it abroad. “His businesses are abroad, his children are abroad, but he is the prime minister of Pakistan. He even goes abroad for checkups,” he said.

Khan lauded Iran’s tit-for-tat move in response to Trump’s immigration ban, which restricted US nationals travelling to Iran until the ban was lifted.

“Iran is an independent nation and we need to become like them,” Khan asserted.

The PTI chief, directly addressing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged the premier not to tamper with Pakistan’s water supplies.

Recounting Modi’s speech in poll-

Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician, former cricketer and philanthropist who leads the Pakistan Movement of Justice and serves as a member of the National Assembly.

bound Indian Punjab Friday in which he promised to abrogate the Indus Waters Treaty, Khan said, “If you shut our water, what will our people do?”

“I know that the people in India

don’t want war. They want peace,” Khan said. “The people want both countries to cooperate and end poverty across the subcontinent.”

-dawn.com

Pakistan Thanks India after Kashmiri Boy Reunited with Mother PAKISTAN: Pakistan on Sunday

sent a message of thanks to India after a five-year-old boy who was allegedly trafficked and kidnapped to India by his father nearly a year ago was reunited with his mother.

Ifthikar Ahmed was handed over to Rohina Kiani by border officials in the town of Wagah in Punjab on Saturday evening following a long legal battle seeking his return from his father, Gulzar Ahmad Tantray.

Kiani, a resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, toldAFP on Sunday she was overwhelmed with happiness and prepared to forgive her estranged husband, who is from India-held Kashmir (IHK).

“I’m extremely happy and unable to express my joy. I pardon my husband and hope he will also join us soon to live with us here in Pakistan,” she told AFP. Tantray was among thousands who crossed the de facto border into Kashmir while an insurgency was at its peak in IHK. He later married Kiani, but wanted the family to return to his home village following the birth of their son.

When Kiani refused, Tantray absconded with the child in March

Pakistani mother Rohina Kiani holds her son Ifthikar Ahmed after he was handed over by an Indian official at the Wagah border, on February 4, 2017 (AFP Photo/)

2016.

Kiani pursued a custody case in an Indian court through the Pakistani embassy in New Delhi, and the court ruled in her favour.

“We are thankful to Indian authorities for their cooperation in this humanitarian matter,” Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Delhi Abdul Basit tweeted.

Kiani also thanked both governments, and urged them to come together to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir conflict.

“Thousands of people are suffering from grief and sorrow because of this dispute. The Kashmir issue must be solved to end problems of people living on both sides of Kashmir,” she said.

-dawn.com

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