E newspaper 05262017

Friday, May 26, 2017 | Vol. 36, No. 21

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Indo American erican News

Monday, May 29

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Mera, Highest Trekking Peak

Rick Pal, on the summit on April 29, 2017.

MEMORIAL DAY Remember those who served Movie Review Ramadan Mubarak

P13

P25

P19

DAV Montessori Graduates First 5th Grade Batch

P5, 28 & 29

D.A.V. Montessori School’s first batch of 5th grade students (center) with teachers and Chief Guest Roopal Shah (red outfit).

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May 26, 2017

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

May 26, 2017

3

Standup Ethnic Comedy Tickles Up Support for Open Forum

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON:

Before people started arriving last Friday night, May 19, the three radio show hosts were musing over the previous times they had organized these annual comedy programs. “Back in 2008, nine years ago, we did our very first one,” started Subodh Bhuchar, the most gregarious and witty one of the three, the one who is quick with a turn of the word, “at Madras Pavilion restaurant. We spread the news word-of-mouth, and 75 people showed up.”

“Yes, and the next year was at MP too,” chimed in the most serious of the three, Jagat Kamdar, “and 105 people came.” “We moved to Comfort Suites on the Southwest Freeway the next three years and had 230 people each time,” added Dinkar Chedda, the quiet one who always looks like he’s ready to do something mischievous, given a chance. Since he’s the one who controls the mics at the radio show, he sometimes can!

“It has all been by word-ofmouth, we never advertised – except on our show,” rounded out Bhuchar. “We outgrew India House and now this is our third year at the Zoroastrian Association of Houston’s center.” He looked around at the preparations for appetizers being laid out at the center’s large square lobby, where Dawat Catering’s co-owner Mahesh Shah supervised his staff. Located on West Airport close to Beltway 8 West, the center has a large hall that can hold 400 people for sit down dinners and has an open stage.

But what the three almost simultaneously pointed out, the programs have always been free but people buy raffle tickets by the dozens at the door and also write checks to show their support for their beloved radio show “Open Forum” which has been on the air for 19 years on 1480 AM, ev-

The hosts of the Open Forum radio show at their fundraiser last Friday, May 19 at the Zoroastrian Association of Houston Center, from left, Subodh Bhuchar, Jagat Kamdar and Dinkar Chedda.

ery Saturday from 4 to 6 pm. The annual comedy programs are the fundraisers that allow the show to stay on the air with minimum advertising.

This year, once again, the standup comics included Raj Sharma, an Indian-American from California who brought along two Iranian-American comics, Melissa Shoshahi from Los Angeles and Bob Khosravi of Austin and the three kept the audience tickled – in-between announcements and raffle draws – for two hours before a buffet dinner was served.

Bhuchar opened up the evening with a monologue on going to see the bluebonnets, Texas’ state flower, with his wife. He was joined onstage briefly by Kamdar and Chedda, who announced that OF could now be heard through its own downloadable app. Bhuchar did a shout-out to his older brother Vinod and his wife Vijay on their 45th wedding anniversary, and later asked people to send in selfies with the hosts in the background for an on-air contest, with the best winning a prize. The raffle draws

from India who migrated to London and then to Tennessee, he grew up in a traditional Hindu household in the 80’s in Texas and started his career in Dallas in 2002 with a chance trip to The Improv.

He co-founded the Indians at The Improv, was a finalist at HBO’s The Lucky 21 and is currently on Ahmed Ahmed’s Next Generation of Evil Comedy tour.

Sharma worked up the crowd with his funny observations of the Indo-American cultural dilemmas and how they tackle life in the US. He has borrowed a bit of raw humor from Russell Peters, with his often used F-word in his 30minute monologue, which put off half the older conservative crowd in the room, while the other half roared with laughter.

Melissa Shoshahi went into her

‘well, how did you escape?’ I tell them a sexy man with a beard said ‘I’m Ben Affleck and I’m here to get you out!’” Shoshahi did an impression of Kim Kardashian and shared some other mildly funny anecdotes and was much more tame than Sharma.

Shoshahi has been featured on Laughs on FOX, at universities across the US and is currently in the upcoming indie movie Lost in Austin.

Bob Khosravi closed out the set just as many people were getting anxious about dinner and realizing his odds, ended just short of 10:30 pm. He also made light of his experiences as an Iranian-American, who also often got mixed for other ethnicities. His monologue kept the fast-dwindling crowd amused, but his material was much simpler

The three comics Raj Sharma (on left with beard), an Indian-American from California and IranianAmerican comics, Melissa Shoshahi from Los Angeles and Bob Khosravi of Austin with the Open Forum hosts. Ricki Oberoi, a restauranteur and close friend of Sharma and the hosts is on the right.

featured several prizes from Four Way Travel, Madras Pavilion and Pro Liquor.

Raj Sharma has been at the OF comedy fundraisers before and strode onstage at home with the crowd. Born to Punjabi parents

take on funny experiences growing up in with her Iranian family in LA, and said it was her first time in Houston and Texas. She drew on how people confused her for being a Latina, “and then when they find out I’m Iranian, they ask

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

and tamer than the other two comics, though he shows great promise for his insightful and casual style of storytelling. Khosravi has performed at several venues across the country and is a regular on the Austin circuit.

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May 26, 2017

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

May 26, 2017 5 COMMUNITY D.A.V. Montessori Celebrates Annual Day, Graduates First 5th Grade Batch

BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

HOUSTON:

How can Hindu parents educate their children with a mainstream curriculum and yet inculcate them with Vedic knowledge and values?

It is a challenge elsewhere in the United States, but not in Houston.

Arya Samaj of Greater Houston operates a one-of-a-kind D.A.V. Montessori School, which provides a curriculum combining American education, Indian culture and Vedic values.

Founded in 2000, the D.A.V. Montessori School in Houston is named after the social reformer Swami Dayanand Saraswati. In India, D.A.V. is a non-governmental educational organization and overseas with over 800+ schools, 75+ colleges and a university.

Houston’s D.A.V. Montessori school has its dedicated campus behind the Arya Samaj center.

Over the past 17 years, the school has been expanded to provide education from preschool to 5th grade for students ranging in age from 2.5 to 10 years. Growth of the school is the result of the continuing guidance of Arya Samaj of Greater Houston leaders. The current management committee coordinator is Dev Mahajan.

The preschool children learn from Montessori-certified lead teachers and trained assistant teachers in the area of practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, science and geography.

In addition, children learn Hindi reading, writing and verbal, along with vedic prayer, moral education and yoga.

Kindergarten and 1st grade program combine both learning from the Montessori method and traditional workbooks. The program provides an accelerated curriculum in mathematics, phonics,

D.A.V. Montessori School has a modern campus with excellent educational resources and its own playground.

Hindi class in session (left). Children get individual attention. With commutes getting difficult in the Houston area a school bus now provides service to and from the energy corridor. Additional routes may be added as per demand.

Speakers at the D.A.V. Montessori School Annual Day included Director Arti Khanna (left), Chief Guest Roopal Shah and School Management Committee Chairman Shekhar Agarwal. Shah, a Houston native and founder of IndiCorps, said Hindu values she imbibed in childhood serve as a guiding force for her community service and for making both business and personal decisions. Agarwal praised the dedication of the D.A.V. School teachers and stressed the value of the school to parents as a non-profit educational institution.

writing, reading, spelling, science and social studies. The children take national standardized testing and undergo reading assessments.

D.A.V. Montessori School’s ele-

mentary program covers second to fifth grade. Accelerated Har-Court curriculum covers traditional math, science, language, computer and PE skills as well as Hindi, yoga

instruction, and Vedic prayers.

D.A.V. students have excelled in IOWA standardized testing.

On Sunday, May 21, the Arya Samaj hosted the D.A.V. school’s

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Annual Day and graduation function. Of special interest was the graduation of the first class of 5th grade students: Raja Pandya, Keshav Ravi, Jiya Makati and Lakshay Yadav. Raja Pandya could not attend as he has gone to India to attend a BAPS school. In a related development, Namita Pallod, an early DAV school alumni, graduated from the University of Texas in Austin earlier this month.

Arti Khanna, Director of the D.A.V. Montessori School, presided over the Annual Day function. In her introductory remarks, she made an announcement that drew an enthusiastic applause. “I am pleased to inform you that the D.A.V. Montessori School is now under the umbrella of the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools. The accreditation committee was very impressed with our curriculum, teachers and values.”

One of the striking qualities of D.A.V. Montessori School’s children is their ability to speak and perform on stage. All the children receive the opportunity to participate in cultural performances as well as religious practices such as bhajans, aratis and yagnas.

At the Annual Day function, one of the preschool classes performed a delightful rendition of Chicken Little’s “The Sky is Falling” story.

A demonstration of the children’s ability to learn Hindi occurred with the performance by elementary school students of a play titled “Lalach” (Greed). entirely in Hindi.

For additional information about the D.A.V. Montessori School, visit www.davmschool.com, email davmontessori@gmail.com or call (281) 759-8286.

For photo collage, see pages 28 - 29

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May 26, 2017

COMMUNITY

FIS Presents Mentorship Certificate to HCC Graduate from Telangana

HOUSTON: Foundation of India Studies (FIS) has presented

a mentorship certificate to Srividya Jindam, an international student at the Houston Community College (HCC). Srividya hails from Telangana state in India.

The mentorship certificate was presented by FIS Chairman Krishna Valalala at a banquet hosted by the HCC Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives in the main campus, where 14 international students from eight countries received their graduation certificates.

Srividya was the only candidate selected from India to participate in the 2016-2017 Community College Initiative (CCI) program, which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department in partnership with the HCC. FIS partners with HCC to provide mentoring opportunities to referred students.

Srividya’s father and mother are laborers in a “beedi” (tobacco) factory at Ponkal village in Nirmal district of Telangana. At HCC, Srividya Jindam (center) holds the FIS mentorship certificate Srividya completed courses in Banking and Financial Operations. presented by FIS Chairman Krishna Vavilala (left) and HCC Program Coordinator, Lorin Banja.

Photo: Aiu Hiasyah Upon her return to India, Srividya plans to join Osmania University in Hyderabad to complete her studies.

Rajamathangi Homam Celebrated at Sri Meenakshi Temple on May 14

BY KAMALA RAGHAVAN

PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple cel-

ebrated the Rajamathangi Homam on Sunday May 14, on Mother’s day. About 150 devotees participated in the Pooja at the main temple in front of the presiding deity Sri Meenakshi conducting the Homam in front of the Utsava Murthy of Rajamathangi (Sri Meenakshi) by Priests Sri Manickasundaram Bhattar, Kalyana Sundaram, Pawankumar, Balaji Sethuraman, and Sriman Narayana Charyalu.

Devotees recited Lalitha Sahasranamam at Rajamathangi Homam at Sri Meenakshi temple. Shakthi takes a number of forms including Balathripurasundari, Rajamathangi, Suvasini, Durga, Kali, Parvathi, Kamakshi and many others to guide, strengthen and show the path of bhakti to her devotees. In the form of Rajamathangi, she represents Knowledge, Music, and all arts, and her devotees worship her by doing this Homam and chanting Lalitha Sahasranamam to ask her to grant knowledge in music and arts.

Following the Homam for Rajamathangi, abhishekam, Alankaram, 108 sumangali puja, Deeparadhana, and procession of the deities were conducted with the Vedic chanting by the priests. All the devotees joined in the chanting of the Lalitha Sahasranamam during abhishekam, bringing a serene atmosphere to the main temple. The ladies participating in the pooja were given flowers, sandal paste, and Kumkum. Since Devi Rajamathangi is the supreme mother, all married women are worshipped on the same day and treated as Shakthi. After the pooja the Devi was taken on a procession around the temple with the event concluding with Prasadam to all. All attendees felt the atmosphere of bhakti, rejuvenation of their faith, and bliss in having received the divine mother’s blessings. The event was coordinated by Malathi Sundar, Kamala Raghavan, and Sheila Sriram.

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COMMUNITY

May 26, 2017

9

CG Ray Hosts Reception for MD Anderson Cancer Center GAP Attendees

Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, M.D.

From left: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Allen Richards, Sonia Alizzi, Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, and Karen Francis.

Photos: Nandeep Mehta

HOUSTON: In 2002, the Indo-

American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) leaders, Dr. Durga Agarwal and Ashoke Nath, had helped connect MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) to several medical institutions in India -- TATA Cancer Center (Mumbai), S-Vyasa ( Bangalore) and AIIMS (Delhi).

This introduction resulted in the visit of an IACCGH delegation to India and the signing of MOU between MD Anderson President

Dr. John Mendelsohn with thenDirector Dr. Katy Dinshaw of Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai .

The chamber delegation included Deepa Thakur, Vijay Goradia, Pankaj Dhume, Ajit Thakur, Jagdip Ahluwalia and MDACC’s Dr. Sen Pathak. The delegation also visited AIIMS Delhi and Infosys in Bangalore.

The Chamber has continued to nurture the relationship by hosting a dinner for the visiting Indian doctors when they come to Hous-

ton.

This year, the dinner was hosted

by Consul General Anupam Ray and his wife Dr. Amit Goldberg Ray, with attendance by over 100 local and visiting doctors from India in town to attend the Global Academic Program Conference hosted by MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Former MD Anderson President John Mendelsohn and interim MD Anderson President Dr. Marshall Hicks were among the VIPS who

attended the event and addressed the guests.

IACCGH President Allen Richards welcomed the guests and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia talked about the chamber’s long relationship with MDACC. In his remarks, CG Rat emphasized the growth opportunity that healthcare offered in the Indian economy.

The Chamber presented a special token of appreciation to the Southside Group for their long-

term support of the IACCGHMDACC initiative. Sonia Alizzi accepted the plaque on behalf of Harish Katharani.

The attendees included the Dr. Prasun Jalal, President of the Indian Doctors Association, and other prominent local doctors. The visitors from India included Dr. Rath from AIIMS and Dr. Rajesh Grover from the Delhi State Cancer Institute.

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10 May 26, 2017

OBITUARY

Sundru J. Malkani: Engineer, Bridge Enthusiast and Spiritualist

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

HOUSTON: Most people knew Sundru

Malkani was very fond of tennis and bridge and he offered free lessons to anyone who approached him. He coached his sons in tennis and chess, which are treasured memories for them. Malkani even coaxed many of his

Dec. 4, 1932–May 11, 2017 friends into playing bridge well, a game that he loved and played into his last days.

Sundru J. Malkani passed away last Thursday, May 11, 2017, succumbing to cancer of the bone marrow. He had previously successfully fought multiple myeloma, which was in remission. He was 84 years-old, and is survived by his wife of 56-years, Mamu and his two sons, Ravi an electrical engineer, his wife Rashmi, a law graduate and member of the Malaysia Bar, and their daughter Pranaya, 11 who all live in San Diego, CA; and Subhash, a media and communications graduate who lives in Houston.

Malkani was born in Sindh, India and the family moved after Partition in 1947 to Bombay. His father Jashan was an engineer who worked for the Indian government and his mother Draupadi was a home maker.

Malkani finished his School in Bombay at Jai Hind College. He had a younger brother Hiru who passed away in a plane accident in 1975.

Malkani moved to the US in 1952 to attend University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and earned a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. He worked at Cape Cavernal in Florida after graduation and then for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle. In 1959 he moved back to Bombay and worked for Esso. With the intention to remain in India, he was married to Mamu Mansukhani in 1961 and they had their first child Ravi in 1962.

That same year, he got a job offer from Shell Oil Co. in New York City and moved there with his family. The Malkani’s second son Subhash (more commonly known as Subi) was born in 1964. Shell moved Malkani to Los Angeles, back to New York and ultimately to Houston in 1970 where the couple quickly developed a large group of friends in the Indian community.

After his retirement in 1992, the Malkanis spent their time traveling and both became very spiritual. Sundru studied the Bhagavad Geeta under his Guru the late Swami Hariharji Maharaj of New Delhi who had started a group called Geeta Ashram which has many chapters in the US. Malkani was the President of the Gita Ashrams of America and headed the chapter in Houston.

Funeral services and viewing for Sundru Malkani were held on Tuesday, May 16, from 11am - 1 pm at the Garden Oaks Funeral Home on Bellaire Blvd in Houston, A bhog and kirtan was held at 6 pm on Thursday, May 18 at the Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston on Lindita Dr. and Highway 6.

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COMMUNITY

11

May 26, 2017

SEVA Clinic, a Charity Medical Facility Inaugurated in Pearland on May 20, 2017

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PEARLAND: The Pearland area

physicians are starting a charity, primary care medical clinic, the “SEVA CLINIC”. ‘Seva’ is selfless service in Sanskrit. The clinic is setup as a ‘Texas Not for Profit’ entity with 501C(3) taxexempt status designation by the I.R.S., and will serve the people in need in the Pearland area.

The founding chairman of the SEVA CLINIC, Dr. P. Vaduganathan (aka, Dr. Nathan) is the Medical Director who has been affiliated with Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital for over 20 years. Assisting Medical Directors of SEVA CLINIC are Dr. Subhadra Bandhakavi, also affiliated with Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and Dr. Deepa Iyengar, of the University of Texas Physicians Family Medicine.

Joanne Barrett, Chief Clinical Officer at Kindred Hospital, will be the Nursing Director for the clinic. Dr. Deepa Iyengar would bring in physicians from “Pragathi”, another nonprofit entity to help in the clinic.

Additionally, several physicians have signed up to volunteer their time in this clinic. Dr. Rekha Neela, Dr. Suma Manjunath, Dr. Dhathri Kodali, Dr. Vijaya Kaila, Dr. Keyuri Popat, Dr. Sibtain

Ali, Dr. Hema Salvady, Dr. Radha Rao, Dr. Ramesh Patel, Dr. Arun Mukhopadyay, Dr. Venugopal Menon, Dr. Kris Chandra, Dr. Siva Bodogala and many others have offered to donate such service.

Serving as Directors on the Board would be Pearland Mayor Tom Reid, James Dickson, Hita Dickson, Jerry Farmer, S.G. Appan and Srikanth Venugopalan.

The inauguration ceremony was held on Saturday May 20, 2017 at the Pearland Neighborhood Center. About 125 people enthusiastically attended in the event.

Besides several physicians and nurses, the board members of the Pearland Neighborhood Center (PNC) and city officials were the proud participants. Ms. Carol ArtzBucek, CEO of Pearland Chamber of Commerce, Buck Stevens of Pearland Arts League, Mr. Brad Christen, President of PNC, along with Board members Anna Bryant, Naomi Stevens, Linda Darnel and Becky Cornelius, as well as Mr. Roy Castillo, Pearland Police Sergeant were in attendance.

Leading officials of Memorial Hermann Southeast and Pearland Hospitals, Mr. Kyle Price and Mr. Mario Garner, Chief Operating officers, Mrs. Kelly Ochoa, Chief Nursing Officer and Ms. Rebecca

Lilley, Physician liaison, were present.

Honorable Mayor Tom Reid made the declaration that May 20, 2017 be proclaimed “the Seva Clinic Day” and The Pearland Chamber of Commerce officials organized the beautiful ribbon cutting ceremony.

Dr. Vaduganathan expressed that the physicians are humbled by the overwhelming support from the community and explained how the clinic will be functioning.

The medical services will be free for patients but a donation of $10 per visit would be welcome and be used to cover some of the overhead expenses.

Beginning June 1, 2017 The SEVA CLINIC will be open every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

It is located in the building of the Pearland Neighborhood Center, 2335 N. Texas Avenue, Pearland, TX 77581.

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Less Stress? Greater Clarity? Peace of Mind?

Brain Wave Optimization

COMMUNITY

Opportunity Fair for Women Enhancing Healthcare, Career & Civic Engagement

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of diverse women, is thrilled to open the doors of opportunities for women to become self-sufficient and empowered. Women’s Voice for Better America will host its 2nd annual Opportunity Fair for Women on Saturday, August 12, 2017 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Memorial Hermann - Southwest, 7600 Beechnut St, Houston, TX 77074.

The 2nd annual Opportunity Fair for Women is designed to increase women’s access to quality healthcare, job search skills, small business start-up, financial planning, retirement planning and civic engagement. It will be a free admission event with free sessions and a variety of resourceful information.

The event will have free parking, raffles and refreshments.

At the 2nd annual Opportunity Fair for Women, several sessions

by MD Anderson will highlight cancer prevention and remedies

as well as “Too Cool to Smoke” shows for youth. The sessions offered by Memorial-Herman Southwest will provide information about women’s access to healthcare. Ibn Sina Community Medical Center will offer on-site medical check-up for women and screening for skin cancer.

For women seeking jobs, Workforce Solutions will offer workshops on job applications, resume writing, cover letters, interview techniques and making network connections. For women seeking help to start up small businesses, SCORE Houston will provide information and consultation at the 2nd annual the Opportunity Fair for Women. Also, WOODFOREST National Bank will provide sessions on financial literacy. The event will also include sessions on financial planning, investments, credit score, refinancing, real estate and mortgage presented by licensed professionals.

To ensure women’s progress in civic duties and rights to vote, The League of Women Voters will

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

conduct voter registration and provide valuable information to help women participate in the electoral process. In addition, information about pathways to citizenship will be provided as part of the civic engagement.

Many informational booths will offer resources for women to seek a better quality of life with confidence, knowledge and a network for professional and personal growth. Women’s Voice for Better America is committed to empowering women, thereby strengthening families and transforming communities.

Memorial-Herman Southwest has graciously offered its venue for free for the 2nd annual Opportunity Fair for Women. Women’s Voice for Better America is glad to welcome women from all walks of life. To join the network or to sponsor the 2nd Annual Opportunity Fair for Women, please contact Neeta Sane at 832-279-8601.

More information about this initiative is on www.NeetaSane.com/ OpportunityFair

TRAVEL

BY RICK PAL

HOUSTON:

Mera Peak is a mountain in Nepal’s Sagarmatha Zone. At 21,200 feet, it is the highest trekking peak in the world.

Rick Pal, a Houston entrepreneur and executive, recently trekked to the top. This is an excerpt from Rick’s diary on the summit day.

High Camp. It was 1:30 am and I could feel the cold wind blowing outside our tent. I was glad that I was too tired when we got there few hours earlier to worry about the ropes barely holding down the tent at High Camp – situated on a cliff at almost 16,000 feet with wind speed at 20 knots.

I was sharing the tent with Navraj, who was from Katmandu, and had put together this trek. He was already outside as I could hear him talking to Dawa, our lead guide. Dawa was sharing a tent with our other guide, Laden. Both of them were up since midnight, making sure that we drank enough water, took our dose of Diamox to fight altitude sickness, and ate our garlic soup. Our next meal will be after the climb to summit when we swing by High Camp on our way down to base camp at Khare. Bestcase scenario – maybe in 8 hours.

This was our tenth day in Himalayas. We started our trek in Lukla at 9,000 feet with an overcast sky and the weather only got worse.

We had decided to take a shorter, but more strenuous route, to better acclimatize and shave off couple of days. However icy conditions, dangerous terrain, and extremely basic living conditions made us regret that decision. By third day, as we crossed over Zatrawa High Pass at 15,000 feet, altitude sickness, lack of sleep, weak appetite, and strenuous climbing started getting to us. Our team member, Ashnut from India decided to head back due to health issues.

Fortunately, the weather started clearing up as we trekked the valley on fourth and fifth day. Now that we were on the regular route, we also started seeing other folks headed to Mera. An extra night in Thagnak helped us get some much-needed rest. As we made our way to base camp of Khare on seventh day, we saw Mera for the first time – menacing and inviting at the same time. However, overcast weather returned and we started to get concerned about summiting after we met a group of climbers who had to turn back from Camp 1 at Mera La. It was heartbreaking to see folks get so close and then having to quit.

That’s when we started reviewing weather reports and the team decided to skip Mera La Camp and head straight to High Camp. This was to take advantage of a small opening of decent weather before high winds of 50 knots blew in the next day. However that meant a climb of over 3,000 feet in one day in fresh snow using fixed ropes for at least portions of it. By the time

May 26, 2017

Diary of My Climb to Mera Peak

13

First view of Mera on our way to base camp in Khare.

Navraj Pradhan ( left) and Rick Pal. Dangerous trek in icy conditions to cross Zatrawa High Pass.

From left: Navraj Pradhan, Mike Hobson, Rick Pal. Team on the summit.

became too daunting. My hands and feet were freezing. Every 200300 feet, we will come across a deep crevasse that we had to jump over. As I looked up I could see the steep slope rising before us based on the line that separated darkness from stars.

As we neared 20,000 feet, I started to slow down further. I slipped in a shallow crevasse and had trouble getting up. For the first time, I started having doubts. I did not want to hold back the group either. Dawa, sensing my exhaustion, convinced me to use oxygen tank. Not being used to the mask, it bothered me and was more of a

From left: Rick Pal, Dawa Sherpa, Navraj Pradhan, Mike Hobson.

Post summit with Mere Peak behind us.

we got to High Camp on ninth day, I could feel the effects of exhaustion. I knew we only had few hours to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the upcoming summit. Fatigue and nervousness made for a very weird and uncomfortable sleep.

Summit Climb. I could hear Dawa telling Mike, our fourth team member from Canada,“We need to leave before 2AM. Come

on – let’s go.” I crawled out and was immediately hit by the night temperature of -25˚F. The only lights were those from our headlamps. We tied the rope to our harness and soon we were on our way to Mera Peak.

I felt the effects of steep climb to High Camp and lack of sleep right away. My legs were just too weak and the thought of climbing 2300 feet in dark at this altitude

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

nuisance than help. At this point, I asked Dawa if it would be OK to split the group in two. I wanted to catch my breath and rest my legs for a bit. The team agreed. Before they put on their oxygen masks and left with Dawa, Mike reminded me that “the trek down is more important so do not push yourself too much”. I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

Light was starting to peak through the clouds. I knew the sun was going to appear soon and with it the warmth and light. I was little CONTINUED ON PAGE

16

14 May 26, 2017

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16 May 26, 2017

IACF to Award $35,000 in Scholarships to Senior High School Students

2016 Scholarship recipients with Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen.

HOUSTON: The Indo Ameri-

can Charity Foundation (IACF) will hold its Annual Scholarship Day on May 30, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the FBISD Administration Building, 3119 Sweetwater Blvd, Sugar Land. Scholarships amounting to $35,000 will be dispersed among the twenty-nine outstanding senior high school students from Fort Bend ISD, Alief ISD and Stafford Municipal School District. The scholarships awarded are based on grade point average; SAT/ACT scores, personal es-

say, recommendation letters, and need to students that had applied.

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Call 713-789-6397 t o A dve r t s i e

The Indo-American Charity Foundation’s (IACF) scholarship committee was led by Venkat Iyer and Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala and a team of IACF Directors, who coordinated in the selection, and planning of this event.

The Indo-American Charity Foundation has been serving the greater Houston area since 1988 through philanthropic endeavors focused on health, education, and human services. Through scholarships, the IACF supports the hardworking, vastly talented students aspiring to become health care professionals, entrepreneurs, and engineers. The IACF hopes to make a difference in the future of these bright students.

For more on IACF visit www. iacfhouston.com

COMMUNITY

Diary of My Climb to Mera Peak CONTINUED FROM PAGE

13

over 1,500 feet away from the summit. Laden kept telling me that I could do it. I took stock of my situation and just could not come to terms with quitting at that point. I rechecked my gear and signaled Laden to lead the way. My second wind even surprised me. We kept within few hundred feet of first group and caught up with them at the base of the summit. Mike could not believe his eyes when he looked back and saw me. He nudged Navraj to look back and both of them cracked a smile in amazement.

At the Summit. Our group reached the summit at 7:35 am after using the fixed ropes to scale last 200 feet. It was cold and windy at the top. However, the sun was out and Mera Peak awarded us with one of the most desirable views in Himalayas.

We saw five of six 26,000-ft peaks in Himalayas, including Everest. We spent less than 30 minutes on the summit.

Trek to Base Camp. Only after we got down to the base of the summit did we realize the enormity of what we had just achieved. I felt so fortunate to have had this opportunity and grateful for the weather. We were all smiling from ear to ear

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

and spent few more minutes taking in the beautiful view before Dawa reminded us of the storm headed our way. The trek down to base camp in snow with limited visibility was tough, but we could all see the light at the end of the tunnel. Though relieved, we were all a bit sad with the realization that our Mera adventure was coming to an end soon.

Pushing My Limits. I made the decision to climb Mera because I wanted to push my mental and physical limits and do something in Himalayas as it always been a source of fascination for me. Now that I am back home safe and able to truly absorb it, I do believe that this experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. This was my “Everest” – beautiful and unforgiving. In a world where we live with too many rules, mountains offer freedom to explore – both the terrain and your own limits.

It makes you appreciate simple things in life and have complete faith in people around you. I found strength and perseverance that I didn’t think was possible for me. I became a mountaineer on this trek. And I think I am a better person for it.

Video Link - https://youtu.be/ xs-UeesWRLM

DIASPORA

May 26, 2017

Modi May Do a Madison Square in Houston

N

EW DELHI: Prime Minister Modi is

planning to combine diaspora event and energy diplomacy in Houston during his U.S. visit in June. As such, he may mix diaspora diplomacy and energy diplomacy during his visit to the U.S. in June to meet President Donald Trump, with a proposal to visit Houston in Texas as well, several sources in New Delhi and Washington have confirmed to The Hindu.

After New York and California, Texas accounts for the most number of Indian-Americans in the U.S., and officials involved say the Prime Minister has been invited by local community leaders to address an NRI event of the kind he held in Madison Square Gardens in 2014 and in Silicon Valley in 2015.

Request from Indians The invitation to visit Houston came in February, when a delegation of community leaders met Mr. Modi in Delhi, and requested him to plan his next “diaspora” event in Texas, where about 2,50,000 IndianAmericans live and work. At a meeting with Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Washington in March, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry put in a request for Mr. Modi to visit Texas, the centre of the American petroleum industry and the U.S. leader’s home state. Another possible attraction in Houston is the NASA Johnson Space Centre, given Mr. Modi’s particular interest in space diplomacy, India-U.S. space cooperation and plans to launch a

Narendra Modi at Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014. He may do a similar event in June 2017.

joint satellite in 2021. The Texas visit is under serious consideration, it has been learnt, and a final decision is expected to be taken by the Prime Minister’s Office in the next week.

“Time is short, and we would need to make arrangements fairly quickly if the PMO decides to go ahead with the Houston diaspora event,” a BJP leader told The Hindu, adding that a senior functionary of the ruling party who coordinates such events will be travelling to the U.S. next week.

Curbs lifted Prime Minister Modi is expected to travel to Washington D.C. in the last week of June, and dates are expected to be announced by the end of this month. While the visit will seek to emphasize the wide range of cooperation between the two countries

such and defence and counter terrorism, fossil fuels will be an added component, as the Donald Trump administration is lifting restrictions on exploration and exports.

Officials say that in the new administration, Mr. Trump wants to showcase more U.S. exports and more investments and jobs in America as outcomes of his foreign policy; fossil fuel could be the sector that gives India-U.S. ties a new thrust.

Thirty per cent of the increase in the world’s energy demand from now to 2040 is expected to come from India, and energy cooperation will be an increasingly key component of bilateral relations, Mr. Pradhan had said after his meeting with Mr. Perry.

-thehindu.com

17

India’s R. Vaishali Wins Gold in Asian Blitz Chess Championship CHENNAI: India’s R Vaishali won the women’s title with eight points from nine rounds in the Asian Continental Blitz Chess Championship in Chengdu, China, on Sunday.

She was at her best in the Blitz event and won seven games and posted two draws in the nine-round event.

Vaishali drew her final round game against Uurtsaikh Uuriintuya of Mongolia to finish halfa-point ahead of Iran’s Sarasdat Khademalsharieh and clinch the gold medal.

Her compatriot Padmini Rout finished third with seven points after a last round win over Yuxin Song of China.

The Chennai player with an ELO rating of 2203 had finished third in the Asian Championship event on Friday.

Congratulations to R Vaishali for winning the gold medal at Asian Blitz Championship. We are proud of her accomplishment: PM @narendramodi.

The other Indians, however, couldn’t make much of an impression with Soumya Swaminathan (5.5 points) taking the 12th spot and Mary Ann Gomes, who finished fourth in the classical format, settled for the 16th spot.

In the open section, Tamil Nadu’s Vr Aravind Chithambaram finished fourth with a tally of seven points.

He won six games, drew two and lost one.

M R Lalith Babu (6.5 points), Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi (6.5 points) and B Adhiban (6 points) finished seventh, eighth and 10th respectively.

Gujrathi had won the bronze medal in the Asian Championship (Classical format) yesterday and in the process qualified for the World Cup 2017 to be held in Georgia in September.

Surya Shekar Ganguly ended up at 22nd place and was followed by Sandipan Chanda and S P Sethuraman in 24th and 25th spots respectively.

-timesofindia.com

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18 May 26, 2017 Swatting the President

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY India in Isolation viz. China

BY KANTI BAJPAI

India has backed itself into a foreign

When he first declared his intention to run for US Presi-

dent, much of the American establishment — and the rest of the world — thought Donald Trump was over-reaching. But Melania Trump has managed what the entire apparatus of the Democratic Party, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, could not convince the US voter to do. In a video clip gone viral, the world can see her apparently swatting away her husband’s hand as he reaches out for her at Tel Aviv airport on Monday. In his marriage, it seems, Trump has been shown his reach exceeds his grasp.

But then, this is not the first time that being Mrs Trump has caused her trouble. Before Trump’s inauguration in January, leading designers like Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford refused to design a dress for Melania because of her husband’s polarising politics. At the inauguration itself, she went from beaming beatifically at the crowd to scowling as soon as Trump turned to speak to her.

Her change in expression spawned many a #FreeMelania meme, most of them implying that she was not happy with her hubby. Since the inauguration, Melania has largely remained on the sidelines. In fact, it has been the president’s daughter Ivanka who has become the public face of the family. Trump too barely talks of his wife, except as a mother or for her beauty. But with one well-timed flick, Melania has seized the spotlight.

President Trump, unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, is not a shining example of a progressive husband. For now, at least, Melania too falls short of Michelle Obama when it comes to her public profile — she was even accused of plagiarising Michelle’s speech at the Republican National Convention last year. But with her swat heard around the world, she has shown that from this First Lady, there may be more than meets the eye.

- Indian Express.

policy corner. And it is difficult to see how it will come out. Three years of a buccaneering approach to the world have brought the country to this sorry pass.

India’s isolation was clear enough at China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum. Not a single country of note was absent from the meeting.

New Delhi’s contention it was staying away because the China Pakistan Economic Corridor violates Indian sovereignty in Kashmir was unconvincing. China has been in occupation of Indian-claimed territory in the disputed state since 1963. This has not stopped India from doing normal business with Beijing. Nor has Chinese occupation of Aksai Chin and other areas along the contested border prevented New Delhi from working with China.

The real reasons for India’s absence from BRI are quite different. It is galling to New Delhi that the entire world is lining up to do business with a rampant China and no one is paying India much attention. Envy apart, there is the strategic worry that China will ‘encircle’ India. That China, with an economy five times the size of India, needs the BRI and an encirclement of India to deal with its weak neighbour is unlikely, but clearly this assumption motivates Indian strategic thinking.

In fact, BRI has little to do with India. It is about using excess Chinese capacity, financial and industrial. It is about ensuring that China has alternative markets for its exports given that the West and Japan could turn protectionist. It is about reviving China’s status as a great power, culturally and geopolitically. The land routes in Eurasia and Pakistan are, in addition, about dealing with Muslim extremism in areas adjacent to China’s restive Xinjiang. Beijing hopes that its massive investments in Pakistan will lift the Pakistani economy and drain the swamp of extremism – which, incidentally, is in India’s interest.

At least part of New Delhi’s calculations about BRI were that the burgeoning relationship with the US would counterbalance China’s ambi-

China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road project envisions a land route along the lines of the ancient Silk Road and also a maritime route from China to Europe that encompasses Southeast Asia, South Asia and North Africa. Source: Strait Times graphic.

Belt & Road Initiative

T

he Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R) and The Belt and Road (B&R), is a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People’s Republic of China, the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB) and the oceangoing “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR The strategy underlines China’s push to take a larger role in global affairs, and the desire to coordinate manufacturing capacity with other countries in areas such as steel manufacturing.

It was unveiled in September and October 2013 most frequently mentioned concept in the People’s Daily in 2016 tions. However, Donald Trump has cosied up to Xi Jinping because he needs his help on the US economy and dealing with North Korea. Trump also wants to ensure that China and Russia don’t get too close and so flirting with both suits him. In any case, US companies want a piece of the action in BRI. Where does this leave India? More than ever, New Delhi has been pushed into America’s orbit and is losing

Indo American News FOUNDER: DR. K.L. SINDWANI PUBLISHER: JAWAHAR MALHOTRA EDITOR: PRAMOD KULKARNI BUSINESS & PRODUCTION MANAGER: VANSHIKA VIPIN VARMA GRAPHIC DESIGN: BHUMI PARMAR OFFICE ASSISTANT: MANSI THAKKAR CORRESPONDENTS

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

strategic leverage. Being taken for granted by Washington is never a good idea. This loss of flexibility is being compounded by the fact that Russia is drawing closer to China and Pakistan.

Moscow has its worries about both countries, but its greatest worries are the US and Islamic extremism. It needs China against the West, and it hopes, like Beijing, that engaging Pakistan will stave off extremism.

India is a market for Russian weapons, but it has gone too far into the US camp for Moscow’s comfort.

Vladimir Putin doesn’t therefore care much about Indian sensitivities on China and Pakistan.

Finally, relations with Pakistan have hit the lowest ebb since the 1960s. Dialogue has ended. New Delhi for the first time has utterly refused to discuss Kashmir. Terror attacks from across the border continue.

An Indian national may be hanged in a Pakistani jail, allegedly for spying.

The government’s mishandling of protests in Kashmir and of PDP-BJP coalition politics are creating openings for Islamabad. With Chinese investments, potential Russian arms sales, and continuing US support, Pakistan is in quite a happy place strategically. All India’s gains over the Rao, Vajpayee, and Manmohan periods have been squandered.

As the prime minister gets on his plane to Israel, Russia, Germany, Spain and Kazakhstan over the next few weeks, he will have much to ponder.

- Times of India

HOLY MONTH - RAMADAN

Ramadan is

a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.

They are also supposed to avoid impure thoughts and bad behavior. Muslims break their daily fasts by sharing meals with family and friends, and the end of Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day festival known as Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s major holidays.

Islam at a Glance Islam is the world’s second largest religion, after Christianity, with more than 1 billion followers.

Islam originated in Arabia and has spread all over the world.

Countries with the largest Muslim populations include Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh,

Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey and Iran.

There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in America, along with Islamic places of worship, called mosques, in all 50 states.

Muslims believe that around 610 A.D. a man named Muhammad (c.570-632) from the Arabian city of Mecca started receiving revelations from God, or Allah, via the angel Gabriel. The revelations were collected into a 114-chapter holy book known as the Quran (or Koran), which Muslims believe contains the exact words of God. The Five Pillars of Islam Muhammad is, according to Muslim s, the final prophet in a line of prophets (including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus) who were chosen by God to act as messengers and teach mankind.

Muslims believe there is one, allknowing God, and people can achieve salvation by following his commandments. In Arabic, Islam means “submission” or “surrender” (to God).

A series of formal

acts of wor- ship, known as the Five Pillars of Islam, are fundamental to the lives of Muslims.

The pillars include shahada (a declaration of faith: “There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God”); prayer (Muslims pray five times a day); zakat (charitable giving); fasting; and pilgrimage (Muslims are supposed to make a trip, or “hajj,” to the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at least once in a lifetime if they are physically and financially able).

The Islamic Calendar Ramadan is the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar that’s based on the phases of the moon. The lunar calendar falls short of the solar calendar by 11 days.

As a result, Ramadan doesn’t

start on the same date each year and instead, over time, passes through all the seasons. Ramadan is celebrated as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of what became the Quran.

Ramadan 2017 begins at sunset on May 26, and ends on June 25; the following year, Ramadan 2018 will begin at sunset on May 15.

Ramadan Practices During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day.

They are supposed to avoid eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity, as well as unkind or impure thoughts and words, and immoral behavior.

Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint and self-reflection.

Fasting is seen as a way to cleanse the soul and have empathy

May 26, 2017

19

for those in the world who are hungry and less fortunate. Muslims go to work and school and take care of their usual activities during Ramadan; however, some also read the entire Quran, say special prayers and attend mosques more frequently during this time.

All Muslims who have reached puberty and are in good health are required to fast. The sick and elderly, along with travelers, pregnant women and those who are nursing are exempt, although they are supposed to make up for the missed fast days sometime in the future or help feed the poor.

The first pre-dawn meal of the day during Ramadan is called “suhoor.” Each day’s fast is broken with a meal known as “iftar.”

Traditionally, a date is eaten to break the fast. Iftars are often

elaborate feasts celebrated with family and friends. The types of foods served vary according to culture.

Eid al-Fitr The conclusion of Ramadan is marked with a major celebration known as Eid al-Fitr (or Eid ulFitr), the Feast of Fast-Breaking.

It starts the day after Ramadan ends and lasts for three days.

Eid al-Fitr includes special prayers and meals with friends and relatives, and gifts are often exchanged.

In 1996, then-first lady Hillary Clinton hosted the first Eid alFitr dinner at the White House.

President Bill Clinton continued the tradition throughout the rest of his time in office.

His successor, President George W. Bush, hosted an iftar at the White House in 2001 and continued the dinners every year of his two terms in power.

President Barack Obama followed suit, hosting his first White House Ramadan dinner in August 2010.

-history.com

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20 May 26, 2017 Lovely Lemon Balm

BY ISABELA VERA

Feeling a little frazzled? Having

trouble hitting the hay? Revitalizing lemon balm has got your back—from the kitchen to the medicine cabinet, this all-star herb does it all.

Lemon balm is easy to grow and even easier to love.

Longknown as the “cureall” herb, this health and culinary heavyweight is thought to boost mood, summon sleep, relieve indigestion, and keep skin irritation at bay. Talk about a multitasker—luckily, lemon balm is just as useful as it is versatile. For a revitalizing summer treat, try lemon balm in: A refreshing tea Whether you drink it hot or cold, a lemon balm tea can do wonders for your mind and your stomach. Add fresh or dried leaves into lemonade, iced tea, or hot water. The herb may ease bloating and flatulence, while sipping on a comforting cup of

warm lemon balm tea before bedtime may help to relieve insomnia and anxiety.

A blissful bath If one chaotic family barbecue too many has left your nerves feeling a little frayed, let lemon balm infuse your day with some calm. Soaking in a warm tub steeped with lemon balm relaxes tight muscles, reduces tension, and keeps skin problem-free. Fill a bath bag or old sock with lemon balm leaves and hang from the spigot as the water runs.

A daring dinner Chopped lemon balm leaves boost dishes with a mild, lemonlike flavour, (surprise!) and make a great addition to omelettes, stews, sauces, salads, and organic meats such as lamb or poultry. Sprinkle a pinch into fruit salad or even your favourite muffin batter to add an unexpected summery twist.

No-fuss lemon balm is simple to grow at home yourself.

-alive.com

HEALTH/LIFESTYLE

4 Ways Home-Cooked Meals Can Change Your Life

BY VANESSA ANNAND

Most of us dine out once or twice

a week. Pre-oil crash, Albertans led the country in restaurant spending, shilling out $2,137 each in 2014. Now that we’re in tougher economic times, saving money may be the biggest motivator to fire up the oven at home.

But there are plenty of other reasons to go for the home-cooked meal— and some may surprise you.

1. You’ll slay stress and be a happier worker Leave work, pick up kids, grab groceries, get dinner on the table … Orchestrating a home-cooked evening meal can sound like one more stressful to-do in a packed schedule. But studies have shown that family dinners can actually fight stress. Teens who have frequent family dinners are less likely to be very stressed. Employees, particularly working moms, are more likely to report they work in a healthy environment if they are able to make it home for family dinner— even if they work long hours.

2. You’ll probably eat less (and not just because you control the

portions) Many restaurants serve meals that are twice the size they should be, portion-wise. Up to 60 percent more calories lurk in a meal delivered by a waiter than in one we’ve made ourselves.

But restaurants affect how much we eat in more surprising, subtle ways. A recent study showed that, even when their orders contained the same amount of calories, people who ate in a typical fast-food environment (think bright lights and fast music) consumed more calories than those who ate in an environment with softer lighting, soothing music, and tasteful decor (easy to replicate at home).

3. You’ll save time (yes, really!)

This seems counterintuitive, but think about it: if you avoid unhealthy fast food and choose a sit-down restaurant, eating out can take around 80 minutes from the time you trundle out of the house to the time you get back home. By contrast, most people

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can get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes and eat it in under 15 minutes. (Don’t believe us? Try these half-hour, one-pan recipes.)

4. Your kids are more likely be better eaters (and better behaved) Family dinner doesn’t have to look like a Norman Rockwell painting with rosy-cheeked children and a steaming spread. It just has to happen regularly. Kids who eat three or more family meals per week are • 12% less likely to be overweight • 35% less likely to have disordered eating • 24% more likely to eat healthy foods In addition, kids who eat fewer than three family meals a week are • 5 X more likely to have abused prescription drugs and used illicit drugs • 5 X more likely to have smoked • 5 X more likely to have tried alcohol -alive.com

TRAVEL

May 26, 2017

21

Vignettes of a Still Unruly, but Fast Changing West Delhi

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

NEW DELHI: This Metropolis has many

personalities, depending on which part of the city you are in. Several decades ago, the border of Punjab was right at Delhi’s doorstep (until Harayna Pradesh was formed in 1961) and Punjabis streamed into the city, especially the west and northern parts, ushering along with them their language and culture. As a result, Punjabi is a major language in Delhi, with many road signs in English, Hindi and Punjabi and most people either speak it or at least understand it.

It is akin to the influence and spread of Gujarati in Mumbai.

In that sense, West Delhi actually spreads in a wide cone from Connaught Place in the center to Vasant Vihar and the Gurgaon borders in the southwest and Shalimar Bagh and Rohini in the northwest. The greatest concentration of Punjabis are in a narrower band going due west from Connaught Place and past the Birla Mandir, Rajender Nagar, Patel Nagar, Kirti Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri and Vikaspuri to the Najafgarh Drain. This part of the city still has the roughness of an urban area in the making – a diamond in the rough - with the gusto that is typical of Punjabis.

And this is where you still find those amazing moments and sights that captivate you as you travel through the Nagars, Gardens and Enclaves. A few of the vignettes let you get a better feeling of the personality of this part of the city.

Dabri More Traffic There are more people are in the middle of a busy intersection waiting for the traffic light to change than there are cars and men on foot pushing along a small but heavy concrete mixer on a roller rack. For Delhites, the roads and streets belong to the people and traffic rules are really an inconvenient nuisance!

Happy Hour All Day! We used to have our house in Rajouri Garden since that area was first marked out in 1960.

Since that time, it has been a deeply congested residential and commercial hub. In the last 12 years, all the shops in the area on both sides of the main Najafgarh Road near the Metro station have turned to malls or higher end restaurants, some with lavish designer motifs like Pind Balluchi where a sign for happy hour advertised it starting at noon. Evidently, west Delhites stay happy for a loooong time: from noon to 7pm!

Never Get Lost with your GPS Every year for the past 15 years there have been marked improvements in lifestyles that make it easier to exist in India and many are related to the electronics age. Most landlines are gone and - just like everywhere else in the developing world - people are plugged into their mobile phones - at home, in the Metro, on planes, in cars - which is a necessity more than a status symbol. The old days of rushing to the bazaar to get to a STD phone are gone!!

Six years ago GPS on smartphones was just becoming available. In the past two years, it has become more ubiquitous and with the rideshare apps, it has drifted down into the masses.

Ola and Uber drivers and even rickshaw drivers are using it to navigate, never mind that the directions are in American-accented English!

People are slowly developing a sense of direction and map reading. “Google kar loh” have become part of the vernacular!! Ola even offers free wifi in its cabs and the drivers get an OTP One Time Password - which they enter before

It’s an early Happy Hour in Rajouri Garden

Most Uber and Ola drivers use a smartphone and GPS to get around

The traffic intersection in Dabri More

The Pacific Mall in Subhahsh Nagar is an oasis of modern shopping.

A Shridi Sai Baba Parade in the middle of the afternoon in Shiv Nagar

they start the ride.

Religious Parade Anytime, Anywhere In West Delhi, you will get a religious experience even if you aren’t looking for it. A group was getting ready for the procession for Shridi Sat Sai Baba just in front of the IDBI bank, never mind how they blocked the traffic or the loud noise they created with huge mobile loud speakers on a Thursday afternoon! And the poor vendors for garlands and other paraphernalia got ready as well on a portable charpai and stalls.

Enter the First World in a Mall In front of the Pacific Mall at Subhash Nagar there is always such a din of horns and commotion at the traffic light, like angry bees wanting to get through. It is amazing that the traffic actually stops in a line at one direction to let the others go.

But that’s only because Delhi Police issues fines (and collects them on the spot on portable debit card machines) for crossing a red light (Rs 2,000 or $31 and suspension of license for 3 months); no seat belts and speaking on the cell phone. Each traffic light intersection has cameras and you revceive a ticket on your cellphone that you can’t dispute!

The Pacific Mall is the nicest one in West Delhi and people comes from Moti Nagar to Rajouri Garden to Punjabi Bagh, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri and all the way to Najafgarh way out west. It’s pretty much like any mall in Asia, with all sorts of high end stores and a food court.

You can shop at all the highpriced name brand stores or at department stores like Pantaloon or Westside and even shop in a supermarket in the basement which was once owned by the French chain Auchan but is now a Spar.

There’s even a virtual tour app available for the mall!

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

22 May 26, 2017 Mother of Two from Arunachal Becomes World’s First Woman to Scale Everest Twice in a Week

G

Anshu Jamsenpa has become the world’s first woman to scale Mt Everest twice in five days.

UWAHATI: Anshu Jamsenpa of Bomdilla in Arunachal Pradesh became on Sunday the first woman to claim “dual ascent” of Mount Everest twice within a span of five days. She broke the previous record of Nepal’s Chhurim Sherpa, who had climbed Mt Everest twice in a week in 2012.

The 37-year-old is also the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest for the fifth time. Anshu’s expedition was flagged off by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on April 4 in Guwahati.

At the Everest base camp, general secretary of Everest Summitteers Association, Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa, announced that Anshu, a mother of

two, reached the top of the world’s highest mountain at 7.45am on Sunday, setting the record for a double ascent in a single season.

Dawa Sherpa Lama, managing director at Dream Himalaya Adventures, which conducted the expedition, told TOI from Kathmandu, “Anshu Jamsenpa, along with our veteran Sherpas, scaled Everest today 7.45am. It was a world record for Anshu — two double ascents by a woman and fastest double ascent of Mt Everest by a woman.” Tsering Wange, Anshu’s husband and the president of the Arunachal Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Association (AMSA), said she is in

good health. “Although she is a bit exhausted, she is doing fine, and is likely to reach the base camp on Monday evening,” Wange told TOI. Anshu had created her first mountaineering record by climbing Mount Everest on May 12 in 2011 and again on May 21 the same year, becoming the first mother in the world to summit the world’s highest peak twice within 10 days. In 2013, Anshu had again scaled the peak. Anshu had made a fourth attempt to scale the peak in 2015, but had to call off her expedition midway due to the earthquake that struck Nepal.

-timesofindia.com

Indian Rocket that US Once Grounded Will Put Isro-Nasa Satellite into Space First Ever

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NEW DELHI: In 1992, the US

under President George Bush had slapped sanctions on Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and prevented Russia from sharing cryogenic engine technology with the Indian space agency so as to check India from making missiles.

Two decades later, US space agency Nasa has joined hands with Isro to codevelop the world’s most expensive earth imaging satellite that will cost the two countries over $1.5 billion.

The irony is GSLV, which is likely to place this Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar+ (NISAR) satellite into orbit in 2021, is the same rocket for whose cryogenic engine the US put sanctions on India.

Leaving the past behind, Isro and Nasa are busy building the 2,200kg NISAR satellite, which will provide a detailed view of the earth by using advanced radar imaging. It is being designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet’s complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse and natural hazards.

Nasa became interested in Isro when the Indian space agency in April 2012 launched the country’s first indigenous radar imaging satellite+ (Risat-1), some called it a spy satellite, which enabled imaging of the earth’s surface during day and night under all weather conditions.

The negotiations went on for two years but the formal agreement for NISAR satellite happened when Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a declaration with former US President Barack Obama during his visit to the US in 2014. The objective behind the collaboration was to use the satellite for the “benefit of humanity” as the mapping data from this satellite will be available for all.

Currently, the Ahmedabad-based

A Concept photo of NISAR satellite. Photo: NASA

Space Application Centre (SAC) is flight testing the “mini version” of the radar satellite over the city skies.

The “mini radar” developed by SAC has been fixed on a Beechcraft Super King B 200 — owned by Isro — for the flight-testing primarily to ‘understand weather and geographical conditions’.

SAC director Tapan Misra said, “We are testing the radar by taking images from about 8km above the sea level. The same area will be further studied by scientists from the ground level to understand the radar’s accuracy level.”

He added, “For ground level data analysis, we are roping in NGOs, academic institutes, government departments and people with scientific expertise. This process of aerial data analysis will continue in Gujarat for three months until the crop season ends. We plan to conduct the same aerial-cum-ground exercise for three

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

years in 39 places of the country, including over the Himalayan glaciers, Ganga, Sundarbans, Rann of Kutch, Andhra, Kerala and Karnataka, to study the geological changes in forests, vegetation, rivers and glaciers.”

“The data gathered from the mini radar will be helpful when we will launch the NISAR satellite, most probably in 2021. The work on the main satellite is simultaneously going on,” the SAC director said.

“The three basic functions of the satellite will be mapping the land mass, Arctic and Antarctica regions; analysis of seismic activities of the earth crust that will help in predicting earthquakes and tsunamis and analysis of drastic movement in glaciers and the rate at which these glaciers melt. The satellite, once put into its sun-synchronous dawn to dusk orbit, will map the entire world in 12 days,” he added.

-timesofindia.com

ATTITUDE

May 26, 2017

23

7 Pro Secrets to Mental Toughness

today, you are not the victim. Take ownership of your decision to race, run or exercise, whether or not you’re a competitive athlete, and don’t look for excuses.

4. Be the best you can be.

My Carmichael Training Systems

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A winning mentality might be the

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only thing separating you from top athletes.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” “No pain, no gain.” These quotes about physical and mental toughness are so cliché, I couldn’t cite my sources if I tried.* We all love searching for the perfect quote to help us through long training efforts or encourage us through frustrating injuries. If we didn’t feel we were missing some sort of secret, there’d be no need for the inspirational sayings on Pinterest, Instagram and fitness blogs.

Moments of glory are difficult to come by. Even more so, the lonely days of injury, failure and status quo are enough to break even the strongest athlete. So what’s the secret to mental fortitude? How do you find your inner warrior? These are questions I ask myself daily.

The truth is that there is no secret.As a professional cyclist who’s medaled at the UCI Road World Championships, I’ve never considered myself a superhero in the mental toughness category. However, I choose to be a fierce competitor, and that makes me strong. To me, that’s the answer.

In 2010, my mental toughness was tested when my bike crashed during a race, and I sustained a traumatic brain injury and broken pelvis. Then, in 2011, I suffered a concussion. These injuries have taught me to cherish my brain and emotions more deeply and to recognize the value of each day. I often get asked why I continue racing after these life-altering events. Did I just get over it? Or do I always feel a pang of fear when riding?

There was a point when I couldn’t see any positives in the catastrophic crashes that wreaked havoc on my performance, results and eventually my personal life. But now I believe that if you let go of insecurity and doubt, and separate your identity from your performance, you find the moment where past and present results don’t really matter. You’re willing to go all in regardless of the results. You race boldly, train past your expectations and simply overcome. In that moment, you find greatness.

Rather than viewing my injuries and experiences as baggage, I’ve embraced them as parts of the pack-

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age. I build on each experience, each hardship, each loss, and I become more mature. I add more weapons to my athletic arsenal and, ultimately, become a better person.

Here are my top tips for mental toughness. I hope these will motivate you through the inevitable moments of doubt that come with recovering from an injury, reaching a plateau and even deciding what type of peanut butter to buy at the grocery store.

(Seriously, there are so many types of peanut butter available.)

I’ve found that these tips work for me, and maybe they’ll work for you too. If not, there’s always the internet.

1. Be bold.

Take a risk now and then, and go down with your guns blazing. Boldness wins races (and if it doesn’t, at least you have a great story). This also works in life outside of sports, like when you’re choosing that peanut butter.

2. Give ’em hell.

I’ve been through hell and back, and I’m still here. I’ve learned to give ’em hell when I’m racing. Only those of us who’ve been through it all know we have nothing to lose.

3. Take ownership.

You chose to be here, to compete, and no one is forcing you. Just because the conditions aren’t to your liking, or you don’t feel your best

coach, Dean Golich, gave me this gem, and it’s just perfect when I feel doubt start creeping in. Am I doing my best? I think so. If not, I’d better try harder so I’ll be proud of my efforts later.

5. Stay focused (sort of).

No one is focused 100 percent of the time. Just regroup and refocus more quickly than your competition.

Find your mind wandering? Take a deep breath and gather yourself. Your competition’s focus is wandering too, but you can refocus faster than them.

You are made of steel.

6. Find purpose.

For me, something is only worth doing if I know there’s a greater purpose. That’s why I love working with causes I’m passionate about, like growing my sport, getting more women on bikes, representing my team and working with nonprofits. If I can use my platform as an athlete to help others, it makes my sport more valuable. It isn’t all about me.

7. Remember: sports are a luxury.

Enjoy the time you spend competing and training. Even if you do it for a living, participating in a sport should be fun. It isn’t your right; it’s a luxury.

Bikes always make me smile, even if I lose (well, I smile after the tears). It’s just bike racing after all.

-Alive.com

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PUZZLES / RECIPES Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Mah Chole di Daal (Split Urad & Split Chana Dal) 2. Pour in the urad dal.

3. Add the ginger, garlic, and spices.

4. Bring to boil, if needed add more water but this dal should not be runny.

Let the dal mix well, the grains of urad and chana dal should not appear separated but the dish should not appear too thick. The grains should be soft but not mushy.

5. When ready, add the olive oil and then the garam masala.

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still unfamiliar with this most popular Punjabi daal of all and keep asking how it is made or tastes. So, by popular demand, below is a reprint of Mama’s Mah Chole di Daal recipe. It is a daal that is not normally available in most Indian restaurants unless it happens to be a dhaba in Delhi or the Punjab. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions.

For Punjabis, especially those who are vegetarians, daal (lentils) of any type is a must with most meals. For some reason, a favorite at most Punjabi dhabbas (roadside stalls) is Daal Makhani (Butter Lentils) which is usually made of the black Urad dal, known among Punjabis as Mah. This daal has become the basic one that most Indian restaurants worldwide make and the dish is now widely made all over the world. Part of its appeal maybe the slightly nutty taste and that the kernels do not dissolve into the curry even after repeated heating.

But to get to the heart of a true Punjabi, there is a daal that is a clear winner – Mah Chole di Dal. It is a mixture of the white split urad daal (with the black skin on) and yellow chana or chola dal (without the skin) and the dish has a technicolor look when the daals float in a brown curry.

Not only does it give off the nutty taste of the urad daal, but the creamier, gentler flavor of the channa daal tames the combined dish. It is also a daal that, without much effort, develops a nice, thick curry. It may be interesting to note that, a single cup serving of this daal has 16% fiber, 2gm of fat, 4 gm of protein, 11gm of carbohydrates and 80 calories.

For the authentic taste, most Punjabis eat Mah Chole di Dal with homemade roti or tandoori roti (some people prefer rice) and a good slice of

raw red onion to bring out the full flavor of the meal! For even more gusto, try eating it on a charpai (jute string cot) sitting outside in the garden!!

Ingredients: • • • • • • • •

1 cup split urad dal 1 cup split chana dal 4 cups pani (water) 2 tbspn - Olive oil 1 tbspn fresh adrak (ginger) - peeled and diced; or use powdered 1 clove lasan (garlic) – peeled and diced fresh, or use powdered 1 tspn – garam masala Spices to taste: Lal mirch (red pepper); namak (salt); haldi (turmeric)

Directions: 1. Place the chana dal and water in a pot on the stove and bring to boil for 15 minutes.

Some people prefer to make the dal in a pressure cooker. If you do, then mix the two dals and spices and bring the pressure cooker to one whistle and turn off the stove. Open the cooker after 20 minutes and then bring the dal to boil again to mix the ingredients well and repeat steps 4 and 5 above.

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 TI P OF THE W EEK FREEZE E XCESS LEMON JU ICE IN SMALL CU BES OR CONTAINERS

Some people are ve ry good gardeners an d raise vegetables an in the southern US d fruits. Often, , I have noticed tha t people grow oran some even have so ges and lemons an many to harvest, the d y get tired giving the Lemon juice is often m away! used in Indian cook ing. One thing to do lemons is to squeez e the juice out of the with excess m and then freeze it rather than freeze the for use later. But, juice in a large bottle , try freezing it in fl trays. That way, yo exible ice cube u can use just a little piece whenever yo defrost a whole bo u need it rather than ttle or container.

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May 26, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS REVIEWS/NEWS

M

adhav Jha (Arjun) a rustic boy from Bihar who is drawn to his college-mate, Riya Somani (Shraddha), an affluent Englishspeaking girl from Delhi. There’s just one hitch here. Riya is willing to go thus far and no further; Madhav continues being obsessed with her. Will the Bihar boy and the Delhi girl make it past the half-way mark?

The assumption that many have read Chetan Bhagat’s 2014

novel of the same name should be a safe one because Bhagat’s fluff has its own following. But, Half Girlfriend is definitely not one of his best works.

So, Mohit Suri (Aashiqui2, Ek Villain) gives us a celluloid outing that is thodafun and largely exasperating.

The fun bit comes from watching the Simrao boy (pronounced bai) struck by a thunderbolt when he spots the Delhi dame. And the brave attempts chalk makes in going for cheese is also endearing.

Imagine this; he can barely speak a smattering of English and she

behaves like she is a rather latein-the day British import. Yet, it’s understandable that they find an escape in basketball and music.

Before long, Madhav’s infatuation becomes a fatal attraction.

His college-buddy Shailesh (Vikrant Massey, pitchperfect performance) warns him of the danger of driving into a oneway street but Madhav, who is perennially in Majnu mode by then, pays no heed.

Thefrustratingbit for Madhav and for the audience is that Riya is commitmentphobic. Her dost se zyada but girlfriend se kum stance seems non-negotiable and stops you from investing in her halfway through the film.

Back to apna Madhav, fate smiles on him a couple of times later when his path crosses that of Riya’s. And he chases her from Patna to New York (even dragging Bill Gates into

Singh and his daughter Honeypreet Singh, the film has Gurmeet playing a double role. His first avatar is that of principal Shakti Singh Sisodia who

wants to transform a village plagued by drug abuse, and whose inhabitants are lazy, defecate in the open and litter their surroundings incessantly.

His second avatar is Sgainth Singh Sidhu, a prankster who takes revenge on the bad guys who get in the way of Shakti’s plans.

The issue with the film is the simplistic approach in which Shakti doles out absurd solutions to the villagers’ problems. For example, he tells the villagers that defecate in the open, a headless ghost will eat them. While Gurmeet’s acting is another thing you have to endure, the rest of the cast

Half Girlfriend

Pankaj Kapoor

May 29, 1954

Paresh Rawal

May 30, 1950

R. Madhavan June 1, 1970

Jattu Engineer A teacher arrives at a backward village in Haryana and tries to transform the place and its inhabitants for good.

Movies, unlike TV shows, don’t usually have a laugh track. So, when a comedy film has one, you approach it with caution. In Jattu Engineer, the laugh track is almost its soundtrack which you have to endure for two hours and 19 minutes of the film’s length. The third project by Gurmeet Ram Rahim

25

proceedings) with a doggedness that should appeal to the countless stalkers, who shame society every day.

The first half breezes through, but post interval proceedings hang; in tandem with the hangdog expression worn by the hero.

Arjun is sincere, but seems too urban for an ideal `Bihari’ fit.

And Shraddha, who looks her loveliest here, lacks gravitas.

As far as the ensemble music album goes--Manoj Muntashir’s Phir Bhi Main Tumko Chahoonga, the only track that has real recall is lyrically-adequate but Mithoon’s tune is not compelling enough. Finally, half girlfriend or boyfriend is that person many of us have encountered on campus.

However, do we really want to relive those memories? It depends entirely on the mood.

-timesofindia.com seem to not know where the camera is. Also, Hindi viewers may have a tough time understanding many scenes because a lot of the dialogues are in Haryanvi.

The movie gets its title from a scene where Shakti ties a cable to a rat’s tail and has the critter zigzag through a pipe. Engineering hacks like these may not be sustainable solutions to problems faced by the villagers. They aren’t funny either. The film is two hours of loud gags with a handful of preachy messages. Watch at your own risk, this one!

-Timesofindia

M

ita and Raj Batra, an affluent couple from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, are grappling with getting their daughter admission into an English medium school. But there is one big problem. Their zubaan is Hindi, and the elitist snobs won’t let the Hindi speaking hoi-polloi fit in. At the core, the film deals with a very relevant subject of how language divides our society. Howangrezi-speaking people in India are touted to be ‘premium class,’ while the Hindi-waale¸ howeverillustrious or wealthy, are low-brow, or plain uncool.

Hindi Medium shines in two areas that most of

Hindi Medium

our films often fall short of.As far as the story goes good writing, and as far as comedy goes great timing.

Raj (Irrfan) has a flourishing clothes store in Chandni Chowk, where he sells ‘original copies’ of acclaimed designers, while his wife Mithu (Saba) - her name classily upgrades to Honey - is struggling to angrezify their lifestyle so that their daughter Pia (Dishita Sehgal) gets enrolled in a high-flying English medium school. They do everything they can move out of their ancestral home into a plush neighbourhood, abandon their desi swag for designer wear and switch from bhangra to angrezi beats. Alas, it doesn’t cut it. Plan B. Apply in the gareeb quota, move into a poor settlement with rags and rodents, and take gareebi ki training. Here, the couple meets Shyam Prakash (Deepak Dobriyal), who ironically, teaches them a few lessons none that need language to compre-

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

hend.

Chaudhary gets the grammar of the subject right, and spells out the emotions fluently. The dialogues (Amitosh Nagpal) are perfectly pitched and interestingly, the humour rests on the hinge, never distracting from the centrepiece. Of course, Irrfan nails it with a class act, playing a man torn between his simple, unpretentious upbringing and his new wanna be avatar. Saba, as the OTT, dominating wife is sheer delight onscreen. Dobriyal is superb and in some scenes, he leaves you teary-eyed. The last chapter (climax) is stretched and predictable, but in the end, it drives home the point, exposing the inadequacies and loopholes in our education system. This class isn’t part of the usual Bollywood curriculum, and we suggest that you sign up for it.

-Timesofindia.com

26 May 26, 2017

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

May 26, 2017

Boutique Studios Represent Indian Ice Cream’s Cool New Wave

MUMBAI:

After the entry of gelato, the proliferation of frozen yogurt chains and the brief excitement of stone-cut and nitrogen ice cream, fresh boutique ice cream does seem to be having a moment in the sun.

Ice Cream Boutique Studio owner Alyssa Chesson’s Bono ice cream is priced at Rs 675 for a 500 ml tub; Sucres Des Terres is steeper, at Rs750950. The costs may not be exorbitant but the flavors surely are If all goes according to plan, Chesson might be serving up foie gras ice cream this summer. There are 12 flavors listed on the blackboard outside the small kitchen-meets-studio space of Bono Boutique Ice Cream in Bandra, Mumbai.

These include the just launched Lavender Honey, Salted Caramel (a crowd favorite), Blue Cheese Honey (her favorite) and Dark Chocolate Italian Truffle Oil (my favourite). The Smoked Milk Chocolate Bacon isn’t listed because the bacon and smoked ice cream can only be prepared in

small batches and she needs to keep it strictly exclusive.

Chesson’s oddball flavous, and the already cult-like popularity of her eight-month-old business, are indicative of a growing market for fresh, natural and elegant ice cream in urban India. She is now preparing to launch a second studio in Mumbai’s Kemps

pioneering boutique ice-cream brand from Mumbai, Sucres Des Terres, and a local cheese maker, The Spotted Cow Fromagerie. It was a cheese board interpreted as dessert: immoderately creamy Camembert ice cream with bits of toasted nuts and dried apricot for relief.

Bono is the new entrant in a list that includes not just Sucres Alyssa Chesson at the Bono Des Terres but also The Parfait Boutique Ice Cream Studio in Co. (Mumbai), Minus 30 (DelBandra, Mumbai. hi) and Amadora (Chennai).

Asked if the recent “icecream wars” between Amul and Hindustan Unilever Ltd Corner, which will also have a few brought more people her way. “I have chairs for people to sit and watch ice no way to tell but people are definitely cream being made as they eat it. more conscious about the quality and As she laments that her Blue provenance of what’s going into their Cheese Honey continues to get mixed desserts. You can’t always see the reviews (“People don’t get it”), I’m ingredients so you have to be able to reminded that a year and a half ago, trust the source,” she says. there was an ingenious flavor born - Live Mint of a collaboration between another

What E-commerce’s Rise Portends for TCS, Infosys and Wipro BENGALURU: One morning managing back-end infrastructure, in October 2015, a senior executive at Wipro Ltd, was leaving home when he heard news that was disturbing enough for him, a veteran road-warrior, to leave his laptop charger behind. He had just been told by his team in the US that Best Buy, the American electronics retailer, was shutting down 30 stores.

Wipro handled several technology processes for the retailer, including testing software and rolling out enterprise application planning software and store inventory management applications.

The decision to close stores meant less business for India’s third largest software company. Wipro got business of around $70 million from Best Buy. “The retail industry is fighting its own battle for survival because

of e-commerce companies such as Amazon,” the executive said in an informal conversation in October 2015.

In the year ended 31 March 2017, TCS, Infosys and Wipro saw at least a 20% reduction in the business they got from Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy Co. Inc., Target Corp., Sears Holdings Corp., and Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, according to executives familiar with the development.

In May, while announcing results

for the three months ended on 31 March, TCS chief executive officer (CEO) Rajesh Gopinathan, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka and Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala, spoke about weak demand from retail clients on account of “structural changes” witnessed by the retail industry.

Retail companies typically spend 2-3% of their total sales on technology, including outsourcing. Over the last few years, large retail firms have been cutting back on their spending on application development or

focusing on new-age solutions, such as data analytics platforms.

Indian IT firms are rarely the beneficiaries.

TCS, Wipro, and Infosys do not disclose business from retail clients but estimates suggest that this is around $1.3 billion, $500 million, and $700 million a year, respectively. That’s a bit: for TCS, which counts seven of the largest 10 USbased retail companies as its clients, retail and packaged consumer product companies account for the second biggest chunk of business, after banks and insurers.

Best Buy, which saw its stores peak at 1,503 in 2013, ended December 2016 with 1,026 stores.

Expectedly, the electronics retailer outsourced less than $50 million in business to Wipro in the year ended March 2017.

- LiveMint

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Bengaluru Emerges as the Prime Destination for IoT

N

EW DELHI: Bengaluru has emerged as the prime destination for IoT (Internet of Things) start-ups to set up base, as it accounts for 52% of the total IoT start-ups in India, a study by management consulting firm Zinnov said.

Bengaluru is followed by Delhi NCR with 12%, Mumbai 11%, Hyderabad 4%, Chennai 2%, and others together accounting for 19%.

“A wide availability of talent, thriving ecosystem of investors, access to industry experts and the presence of start-up accelerators are contributing to Bangalore’s dominance,” Zinnov said in a release quoting from the study. The study on the IoT start-up ecosystem in India also reveals that over 120 IoT start-ups were set up in India in the last decade with more than 80% of them being established after 2010.

Cumulatively, these start-ups have received more than $169 million in funding since 2006, it said. While indicating that an increasing number of connected devices is expected to propel India’s IoT market, the study titled, “IoT Start-ups in India 2017” also states that the funding activity across use cases for such start-ups in India indicate a huge growth potential for them in the country.

“While the initial wave of growth for IoT start-ups in India was focused on consumer applications, the next wave will be geared towards Industrial IoT,” Zinnov Engagement Manager & Delivery Head (G.A.P) Anand Subramaniam said.

Industrial IoT accounts for approximately 27% of the IoT start-ups and has received close to $65 million in funding.

- Live Mint

28 May 26, 2017

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May 26, 2017

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30 May 26, 2017 IPL 2017: Mumbai Clinch Third Title in Last-ball Finish

BY NIKHIL KALRO

MUMBAI:

(ESPN Cricinfo): Mumbai Indians 129 for 8 (Krunal 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34) beat Rising Pune Supergiant 128 for 6 (Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26) by 1 run This was, barring a WWE-style rebirth, Rising Pune Supergiant’s last ever IPL game. They made sure it went the distance, all the way to the last ball, despite keeping Mumbai Indians down to the lowest first-innings total in an IPL final.

The first ever IPL final had come down to the last ball too. Then, nine years ago, Sohail Tanvir pulled L Balaji for a single to win it for Rajasthan Royals.

Now, Mitchell Johnson bowled to Daniel Christian with Pune needing four to win. Bowling from around the wicket, Johnson went full and straight. Christian whipped it away to the left of deep square leg. J Suchith, the substitute fielder, fumbled at the boundary, allowing a second run.

That wouldn’t do for Pune. They needed four to win, and three to tie.

The batsmen chased a desperate third with Suchith’s throw almost already in Parthiv Patel’s gloves. Once Parthiv collected it safely, only one result was possible. Mumbai Indians, playing their fourth final, wrapped up their third title, winning by one run.

Krunal Pandya was Mumbai’s hero with the bat, his 38-ball 47 dragging them from 79 for 7 to an eventual 129 for 8, a total that would enable their bowlers to scrap all the way. Then, helped along by Pune’s ODI-style top-order approach, those scrapping bowlers managed to make the required rate creep steadily upwards - with five overs to go, Pune were only two down but needed 47 from 30.

Given Mumbai’s death bowling, this was definitely not over. Jasprit Bumrah took out MS Dhoni in the 17th over. Then Lasith Malinga and Bumrah again ensured Pune would only get two boundaries across the 18th and 19th. That left Steven Smith, batting on 51, and Manoj Tiwary 11 to get from the last over.

Despite taking a boundary off his first ball, they couldn’t quite do it against Johnson.

Six of the nine previous IPL finals

Catch ‘em if you can: Parthiv Patel (left), Mitchell Johnson and Jasprit Bumrah set off on a celebratory run.

had been won by the team batting first. Perhaps that and how it was difficult to chase in Hyderabad was why Rohit Sharma went against his team’s record this season of eight wins in 11 games while chasing. That too when they only had a 3-2 record while batting first.

Perhaps it had something to do with Mumbai’s record against Pune: they had met three times this season, and Pune had won all three times, twice while batting first.

It seemed, right through Mumbai’s innings, that they had some mental scars from all those defeats to Pune.

A first-ball leave from Lendl Simmons set the tone for a cautious start on a slower-than-usual Hyderabad surface, with only seven coming off the first two overs, against Jaydev Unadkat’s back-of-a-length cutters and Washington Sundar’s flat, stumpto-stump offspin.

Then Unadkat dismissed both openers in the third over - a short ball cramping Parthiv Patel’s attempt to pull, a slower ball clipping Simmons’ leading edge and popping back for a diving return catch.

Mumbai never really recovered from there, despite Rohit Sharma smacking Lockie Ferguson for four fours in the sixth over. Adam Zampa removed Rohit and Kieron Pollard in the 11th over, and Mumbai were 65 for 5.

Christian trapped Hardik Pandya lbw in the 14th, playing across the line, and Karn Sharma was run out in the next over, in most comical man-

ner. Dropped by Christian diving to his left at slip, he ran out of his crease in a panic anyway. It seemed to sum up Mumbai’s state of mind.

Krunal, though, seemed to be achieving some clarity of thought.

For now, he was simply thinking of extending the innings as far as he could. It took until the 19th over for him to hit his first six, straight back over Unadkat’s head.

Then he swiped and slogged Christian for a four and a six in the last over, off which Pune scored 14. Still, their total was 14 short of the previouslowest first-innings total in an IPL final.

No team had defended a total of 129 or below since the 2013 season.

Mumbai, though, had the bowling to do it. Pune, meanwhile, adopted a keep-wickets-in-hand approach.

With Rahul Tripathi lbw in the third over to Bumrah, Smith joinedAjinkya Rahane at the crease. Rahane could have fallen for 14, foxed by a Malinga slower ball, but Krunal failed to hold on to a fairly straightforward chance at short cover.

By the time he holed out to long-on in the 12th over, he had made 44 of 38, batting as he would in the longer forms of the game. Smith, playing in the same manner, was batting on 18 off 25 at that point. Given the slowness of the surface and the difficulty new batsmen would face in getting going straightaway, this seemed a questionable approach.

As it happened, Dhoni struggled initially, scoring only four off his

first nine balls. With Karn Sharma and Krunal getting the ball to grip, and Malinga varying his pace, Pune batted out three boundary-free overs.

With 30 balls remaining, they now needed 47.

A half-controlled square-cut from Dhoni sped between backward point and short third man, and two balls later Smith reverse-swiped Krunal for six. Fourteen came off that over, and Rising Pune seemed to be back on track.

Bumrah and Malinga, though, still had three overs to bowl. Bumrah got Dhoni caught behind, denying him width for the cut, and closed out that over, the 17th, with two lbw appeals against Manoj Tiwary, the batsman unable to read his changes of pace and angle, coupled with a hint of reverse.

Smith managed to flick Malinga for four in the 18th, in between a string of unhittable yorkers, and launched Bumrah over long-off in the 19th, off the one ball in the over that was pitched short of the blockhole.

When Tiwary shuffled across and whipped the first ball of the 20th over to the vacant square-leg boundary - Johnson had just lost an argument with Rohit to station a fielder there the equation came down to 7 off 5.

Surely, that would do it. Johnson, though, hadn’t had his say yet.

Looking to hit him over extra-cover, Tiwary was undone by the slower ball, only managing to drag it round to long-on.

Then Smith, having crossed over, timed an inside-out slice perfectly, but straight to sweeper cover.

With three balls left, Pune needed seven, with two new batsmen at the crease. Washington Sundar brought Christian on strike off the fourth ball, failing to make contact with a wide-ish yorker but managing to scamper a bye. Then Christian, slogging at another full slower one, was dropped by Hardik running forward from deep midwicket - he sprinted a second, and Pune needed four from the last ball.

The last ball of Rising Pune Supergiant’s two years in the IPL. It wouldn’t be the last ball they wanted.

Karthik Krishnaswamy is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

Goswami, Raj Star in India Women’s Title Win vs SA

P

OTCHEFSTROOM: Veterans Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj combined to help India women clinch the quadrangular series by beating South Africa by eight wickets in the final in Potchefstroom.

Goswami, the record holder for most wickets in women’s ODIs, and Poonam Yadav, the legspinner, picked up three wickets apiece as South Africa were shot out for 156 in 40.2 overs after being put in to bat. Raj then struck her sixth successive fifty, the joint most along with Lindsay Reeler, Charlotte Edwards and Ellyse Perry in women’s ODIs, as India knocked off the runs in 33 overs.

While Goswami and Raj played stellar roles, Punam Raut continued to present her case for a berth in the first-choice XI ahead of the World Cup next month. Raut, who returned for the series after more than a year on the fringes, struck an unbeaten, 92-ball 70 to steer the chase after Deepti Sharma and Mona Meshram fell in quick succession. Earlier in the series, she had struck 109 not out against Ireland in a record opening stand of 320 with Deepti.

Raj walked in with India 33 for 2 in the 12th over. She added an unbeaten 137 with Raut as India, who were denied a record 17th consecutive ODI win by South Africa four days ago, continued to enjoy a successful run in tournament finals this year. In February, India had beaten South Africa in the final of the Women’s World Cup qualifier in Colombo.

South Africa started poorly today, losing Andrie Steyn and Trisha Chetty by the sixth over. Sune Luus, the opener who top-scored with 55, and Mignon du Preez, who made 30, added 73 for the third wicket to steady the innings before Shikha Pandey, the pacer, broke the partnership.

Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj helped India build towards the Women’s World Cup with a title win.

May 26, 2017

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