E newspaper 11042016

Friday, November 04, 2016 | Vol. 35, No. 45

Indo American erican News

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Movie Review

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Diwali Celebrations Around Town

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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford

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From left: Anupam Ray (Consul General of India), Carolyn Farb, Sutapa Ghosh (Founder and Festival Director), and Iqbal Khan.

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Crisp Weather, Music and Conversations at Club 24’s Diwali Celebration

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BY PRAMOD KULKARNI

UGAR LAND: It was an exceptionally cool Fall evening on Saturday, October 22. The luxurious backyard of Savita and Sanjay Rao’s palatial home on Palm Royale was decorated with lights and colorful Indian silks. It was an ideal setting for one of Club 24’s signature events—celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights Club 24 is an exclusive, invitation-only organization consisting of about 60-65 couples. Club 24 was formed about ten years ago.

“Club 24’s mission can be viewed as a stool with three legs: philanthrapy, outreach and fellowship or mentorship,” explained Gupta in his introductory remarks. Gupta also explained the significance of Diwali as the victory of good over evil. “It is a time for new beginnings, when people Gupta talked about the significance of Diwali as the triumph of good over evil and it is celebrated by wearing new clothes, lighting sparklers and firecrackers and seeking divine blessings with relatives and friends.

Club 24 has several signature events throughout the year to fulfill its mission. The philanthropy event was held earlier this year, where Club 24 matched the contributions of its individual members.

Some of the charities that have received funding include Ekal Vidyalaya, Pratham, and Habitat for Humanity.

In terms of outreach, Club 24 members are on the boards of numerous mainstream charitable organizations such as the Lighthouse for the Blind. Fellowship is expressed through outings such as the Galveston Bay cruise and celebrations of Diwali, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The Diwali signature event was organized by Event Chair Asra Oberoi and co-chairs Vipra Bhasin and Dr. Aparna Kamat.

A highlight of the evening was music featuring vocalist Salil Bhavekar (right) accompanied

by Dexter Ranganathan on the tabla.

Club 24 President Pradeep Gupta with Event Chair Dr. Asra Oberoi (right) and Co Chairs Vipra Bhasin and event hostess Savita Rao (far right) and Dr Aparna Kamat (left), who rendered a devotional prayer.

Founder-member Ashok Garg (left) with host Sanjay Rao.

City of Houston Controller Chris Brown with wife Divya (center), Pradeep and Kiran Gupta (left) and hosts Savita and Sanjay Rao. A select group of Club 24 couples pose in front of the Club 24 banner.

Pradeep Gupta with ladies representing Club 24 members and guests.

Diwali, the festival of lights, provided the ideal setting for Club 24 wives to present their fashion fineries. Photo credit: Murali Santhana.

Animated discussions were underway with Tom Abraham (left), Jugal Malani, Harish Jajoo, Swatantra jain and Dr. Amitabh Shukla.

Club 24 men also dressed in their finest as exemplified by Asheet Yagnik (left), Roy Joseph, Sam Abraham, Sanjay Rao and Ash Shah.

The delightful Diwali cuisine was furnished by Madras Pavilion’s Dawat catering service.

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Diwali, Now and Forever at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

STAFFORD: During the last week

of October, lights and candles were lit, sweets prepared and shared, and warm greetings and well wishes were exchanged as millions of Hindus around the world celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali. Diwali presents Hindus around the world with an opportunity to renew the rich traditions of their roots with great fanfare.

In marking the season, volunteers of all ages came together to organize a Diwali celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, TX from October 15 – October 31. Colorful intricate designs called rangoli, decorative oil lamps and Annakut offerings of vegetarian food before the sacred images of God filled the atmosphere with a renewed spirit of the festival.

The Diwali celebrations were kicked off on October 15 with the Kids Diwali Carnival. Kids of all ages from the Houston area experienced the 5 days of Diwali with interactive booths. Children also enjoyed the annual Diwali fare filled with games, activities and sweet treats. BAPS youths take great measures to organize and conduct this annual event for the younger participants.

Then on October 22 the grand Diwali theatrical performance titled “Diwali, Now and Forever” gave the audience of how spiritual gurus throughout history have guided us through darkness. Every year the Diwali program ends in a grand fireworks display, this year it ended in an emotional tribute to the late His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj; lighted orange and white balloons flew into the sky as rose petals showered down on the stage. A beautiful video presentation at the end thanked HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj for giving the world his inspirations, messages and work now and forever.

The Hindu New Year, October 31, began with many from the community participating in the maha arti at 7:30am. Throughout the day visitors were engrossed in darshan of the grand Annakut – an offering of 1000 vegetarian delicacies in front

of Bhagwan. Devanshi Patel of Sugarland, TX said “many of the volunteers have been working around the clock to get the food prepared and many of the youngsters participated in the fruit carvings.” She added, “this is one time of the year we get an opportunity to offer our first meal to God.” Thousands of attendees experienced the culture and traditions of the auspicious holiday as they offered prayers, well wishes, and resolved to mark the New Year with spiritual enlightenment.

Many relished the familiar atmosphere of Diwali and reminisced their childhood days as they immersed themselves in the beautiful sights, traditional songs, and delicious cuisine of the holiday. Bhaskar Patel, who has been working in Mumbai, India for the last 2 years said, “My wife and I made a special trip back to Houston to attend the festivities of the New Year at the Mandir.” He explained, “This Mandir allows me to be with my family and still feel like I am back in India, where else am I am going to have this feeling in the US.” The festivities brought devotees together to serve a common purpose, develop spiritually, and please their guru His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and inspirer, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Pramukh Swami Maharaj inspired the celebration of Hindu festivals at BAPS centers worldwide to keep the rich traditions and culture of India alive with emphasis on the true historic and spiritual purpose of Hindu festivals.

About BAPS: The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a worldwide spiritual and humanitarian organization that is dedicated to community service, peace and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families and individuals.

Through various spiritual and

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About Mahant Swami Maharaj: His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was ordained a swami by Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas.

As he was appointed the head (Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami.

His devout, humble and service-focused life earned him the innermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj travels throughout the world inspiring people through his insightful spiritual discourses and disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyle and profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus are ideals toward which devotees strive. Mahant Swami Maharaj became the guru and President of BAPS upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s passing in 2016. humanitarian activities, BAPS endeavors to develop better citizens of tomorrow with high esteem for their roots and culture. Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities. Under the guidance and leadership

of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is free of addictions as well as morally, ethically and spiritually pure. For more details, please visit www.baps.org.

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Phone: 732-777-1414.

Email: media@na.baps.org

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COMMUNITY

November 04, 2016

8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston

IFFH Board members : From Left; Krishna Giri, James Harris, Parul Fernandez, Ellen Goldberg, Arzan Gonda, Sneha Merchant, Iqbal khan, Sutapa Ghosh, Atul Badwal, Aric Nitzberg, Thierry Rignol, Jose Grinan.

IFFH Board members with the Band Moodafaruka

Photos: Krishna Giri

BY ELLEN GOLDBERG

HOUSTON: Audiences attending the 8th

Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) were treated to two features, two documentaries, and a short during the event held October 28 and 29 at the Asia Society Center. In keeping with the high standards that viewers have come to expect, Sutapa Ghosh, Founder and Festival Director, brought the best of the best from all parts of India.

Although American audiences have become fans of Bollywood films, the Indian Film Festival of Houston offers an opportunity to discover unique motion pictures with universal themes highlighting diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora. Opening night guests enjoyed music by Moodafaruka, food by Nirvana, greetings by Indian Consul General, The Honorable Anupam Ray, and screenings. The documentary by director Elisa Paloschi, “Driving with Selvi,” is about South India’s first female taxi driver who unwillingly becomes a bride at 15, escapes an abusive marriage, and defies all expectations by sheer will and intelligence. The feature film that evening was “Budhia Singh—Born to Run,” directed by Soumendra Padhi, and is based on the early life of the world’s youngest marathoner (starting at the age of 5). His story was internationally reported because of his gift and the controversy concerning whether to let him continue in the sport that he loved, or whether the trainer was exploiting him.

The closing night’s festivities featured food

by Nirvana, dances by Rhythm India under the direction of Arzan Gonda, and the presentation of awards at a ceremony emceed

by Fox 26 Senior Morning News Anchor

Councilman Jack Christie with Sutapa Ghosh

Jose Grinan. Three films were shown that evening. The documentary, “Amdavad Ma Famous—Famous in Ahmedabad,” directed

by Hardik Mehta, takes place during the kite-flying festival in Gujarat and features 11-year-old Zaid who becomes a passionate and aggressive kite-runner who fights for the right to use a terrace of the building next door on the biggest day of the event.

The short film “Daaravtha—The Threshold,” directed by Nishant Roy Bombarde, is about Pankaj, an adolescent who is discovering his sexuality amid accepted norms of a patriarchal Indian upbringing. He finds a way to express his desires in a socially acceptable way. Director Munish Bhardwaj’s feature film “Moh Maya Money—In Greed We Trust,” tells the story of a young realestate broker whose huge scam goes terribly

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CONTINUED ON PAGE

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November 04, 2016

8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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awry, affecting the lives of his wife, others, and, ultimately, himself.

Two winners were present to receive their awards in person. Not only was Eilisa Paloschi of “Driving with Selvi” in the audience, but so were Selvi herself, accompanied by her young daughter who stole the show. Selvi is a woman who continues to change her life, first by learning to drive and working for a taxi company, then learning to drive a bus, truck, and heavy equipment, starting her own company and aspiring to have a fleet of vehicles with her second, loving husband. She is a role model for other women in circumstances similar to those of her early years. As such, she is active in Save Her A Seat, a nonprofit girls advocacy organization.

Soumendra Padhi received the award for best feature, “Budhia Singh—Born to

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Run.” He spoke about the search to find a young boy to play Budhia, then showing the completed film to the real Budhia who is now 14 and is forbidden by law to participate in running for at least another four years. His accounts of the actual story were riveting.

Nishant Roy Bombarde received the award for best short, “Daaravtha—The Threshold” which added to his National Award. No doubt more accolades are in store for him. Iqbal Khan, noted actor, model, and IFFH Board Member accepted the award on his behalf.

IFFH’s Philanthropy award was presented to H-E-B. Mr. James Harris, Director of Diversity, accepted the award on behalf of HE-B. This was another successful year for IFFH (www.iffhinc.org) which invites our readers to join us for next year’s festival in October 2017 at the Asia Society Texas Center.

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November 04, 2016

Spectacular Deepavali Bazaar Celebrations at Meenakshi Temple

Photos: Arun Narayanan

BY M.K. SRIRAM

PEARLAND: Deepavali festival

2016 turned out to be a most unforgettable experience in Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS). It is estimated that over 7000 people of all ages from far and near of the Houston metroplex visited the temple throughout the day, from early morning till midnight. Year by year, Sri Meenakshi temple has grown from strength to strength, attracting more and more people from all the diverse communities.

The Goddess indeed magically showers her blessings to all.

Deepavali, the festival of Lights, is considered as one of the most important Hindu holidays. It symbolizes celebration of the victory of good over evil It is a day of festivities that really transcends the borders of religion. Meenakshi temple is the shining jewel of worship, so what better place to enjoy this day other than Sri Meenakshi Temple – this was the unanimous thought among all the visitors.

The day started auspiciously with a few sprinkles early morning. This is the day when it is believed that the sacred Ganga river flows throughout the world and

an early morning bath is equivalent to a dip in the holy waters of Ganga where all our sins are washed away. The priests started the pujas at the break of dawn and worked tirelessly till late evening, attending to the devotees needs.

The traditional Lakshmi puja was conducted in the Main Temple late morning and was followed by the Deepavali Katchi. It was a sight to behold. The highlight of the religious event was an elaborate Lakshmi Puja with sahasranama (1008 names) archana was performed in the evening to a packed devotee audience. There was tremendous enthusiasm and devotion among all who participated. The Arathi accompanied by vedic chanting enthralled the hearts of all present.

Sri Lakshmi was then taken on a procession around the temple with great fanfare and pomp in a most beautifully decorated and shining silver Ratham (chariot), stunningly lit up with blue lamps.

Hundreds and hundreds of devotees took part in pulling the chariot rope to the resounding drumbeat of chenda melam (traditional drums of Kerala).

Among the many attractions

organized by MTS are the children’s cultural program. Brightly clad children entertained the visitors by displaying their wonderful talents in traditional Indian dances and songs. Budding artists competed in art and rangoli competitions. Children also had a fun time bouncing around at a special playground setup for them.

This year, the 21st Health Fair was yet another successful event. Participants lined up long before the registration opened. Sri. S. Narayanan, the temple chairman gave the welcome remarks. Dr. P. Vaduganathan, the coordinator of the Health Fair recognized the Health care providers for their valuable contributions. Honorable Mayor of Pearland Tom Reid, and Kyle Price, CEO of Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital cut the ribbon and inaugurated the Fair.

The services provided were: EKG (Memorial Hospital) , Blood tests including Fasting Lipids, Comprehensive Metabolic profile , Complete Blood count and Thyroid test ( Kindred Hospital) , Vision screening ( UT McGovern Medical students) Dental screening, urologic. Gastroenterology and a rheumatology advise and Flu shots (Cypress Spring Family clinic). There were about 150 people registered and received screening tests.

Over 50 vendors displayed their exotic jewelry, saris, costumes, art works, pictures, books etc in the grand bazaar that filled up the entire Youth Center.

Honorable Mayor of Pearland Tom Reid, and John Kelley, Superintendent of Pearland Independent School District cut the ribbon and inaugurated the Bazaar.

Hundreds and hundreds of visitors were seen thronging the bazaar shopping their hearts and wallets out. The busiest place was perhaps, unsurprisingly the food tent. Five local restaurants set up shop and served authentic Indian dishes non-stop from noon till midnight

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BY LUCKMI PAWA

STAFFORD: Our world, filled

with objects, animate and inanimate, is made up of matter. Matter, that has undergone the ardent process of numerous permutations and combinations, to become the objects that are today.

Just as gold has the potential to transform itself into beautiful jewelry, clay the potential to transform into beautiful pots, the jeevatman, or physical matter, has the potential to elevate and transform itself into the absolute consciousness or the paramatman.

These transformations and confluences are not only seen in objects around us, but also in arts, traditions, culture and spiritual practices. Be it the union of swaras to form melodious music, or that of bhavas, ragas and talas to form dance, there are mergers and unions happening all around us with an ultimate goal of transforming and becoming one.

Such transformations provide ultimate bliss. Just as the river keeps flowing until it unites with the vast ocean - the soul continues its journey, until it becomes completely one with the creator - the supreme Brahman.

This year’s Sreepadam School of Arts’ annual production, Sangamam 2016, was indeed a confluence of immense magnitude. On Saturday, October 29, the Stafford Civic Center was resonating with the sounds of hundreds of tiny feet adorned with bells, weaving in and out, in complete symmetry and formation. The music

Photos: Reflection Media

wafting in the air, combined with coordination of rhythmic feet, resulted in the convergence of sights and sounds that formed the perfect…..Sangamam!

Divyaa Unni, the statuesque and graceful dancer/teacher, was nothing short of poetry in motion.

Her agility and presence on stage made it difficult to remove one’s eyes from watching her. The intricate choreography, colorful costumes, and adorable smiles of the students, made the two hour program seem to just whiz by! The auditorium was filled to capac-

ity with adoring and proud family and friends of the 130+ students, who seemed riveted with the performance. Stafford’s Mayor Pro Tem, Ken Mathew, was in attendance as well.

Each year, Sreepadam School of Arts tries to make its annual show thematic, as well as an enjoyable learning experience for its students. The theme is integrated into the dances they perform, thus enabling them to truly understand the underlying concepts of the dance, and further enable them to become ONE with the dance.

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COMMUNITY

November 04, 2016

HAF’s Annual Fundraising Gala

HOUSTON: The Hindu American Foun-

dation returns to Houston on Sunday, November 13, for their annual Fundraising Gala Dinner, to be held at India House from 5:30-8:00pm. Join other HAF supporters to enjoy a gourmet dinner, laugh a little, and learn about HAF’s advocacy efforts and how you can get more involved Speaking at the event will be Rishi Bhutada, HAF Board Member, Sheetal Shah, HAF Senior Director, and Seetha Aiyar, HAF Director of Philanthropic Partnerships. Come learn about HAF’s efforts to speak up on behalf of the Hindu American community on issues such as education and curriculum reform, bullying on our children, human and civil rights in the United States and around the world, as well as a range of other issues.

Headlining the gala will be comedian Rajiv Satyal, whose TV-clean act has already delighted sold-out audiences across the country. Satyal, creator of the wildly viral ‘I Am India’ YouTube video, couples his Hindu and Indian identities into unique, hilarious, and heart-warming stories into a spectacular evening of comedy.

“We’re really excited to have Rajiv Satyal perform his act here in Houston, and we hope the community turns out not only to see him perform, but to also hear about HAF’s work advocating for the Hindu community,” said Bhutada.

All are welcome to attend.

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COMMUNITY Durga Puja After Two Decades

BY NIRMALYA GHOSH

HOUSTON:

Coming back to Houston to see the Durga Puja after two decades has been a revealing experience for me. As a graduate from IIT Kharagpur, I came down to Houston the “oil capital of the world” on United Nations Fellowship. After completing doctoral studies, I left for Pune, India in 1991 on a promising assignment.

Bengali community across the globe worships Goddess Durga. In those days Durga Puja was held in

Photos: Saurabh Sengupta

the church and later in the Gandhi Community Centre and selected Houston residents were requested to prepare khichuri, vegetables, mishti and payesh, it was then pooled together and distributed to all Bengalis not only from Houston but from Austin, College Station, Baton Rouge etc. who attended the Puja. It was more of a limited community social get together and religious worship of Maa Durga.

There were a few games for the children in the afternoon and not much of evening activities.

I visited Houston again in 2013 after a gap of almost 22 years.

From day one, the warmth made us feel at home. We witnessed Durga Puja celebration at Houston Durgabari and Vedanta Society for two years (2014 and 2016). It is a home away from my home country because of so many friends and acquaintances.

In this time gap, I was amazed to see the growth of the community and the construction of Durga bari. It is an honour for Houston to have this pratishthan. When Durga Puja of Houston was awarded the first prize by Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2015, I was overwhelmed. Houston Durga puja today is celebrated with a lot of grandeur. One feels proud when the whole community is so vibrant and holds on to the culture staying so far away from the motherland.

The cultural program put up by

the local talents of all age groups was very entertaining and wellchoreographed. It was amazing to witness the children dressed up in dhoti and ladies in sari playing Dhak and Dhol almost to perfection in front of Maa Durga.

Being involved in Pune’s Durga Puja and enjoying the volunteer activities gives me unique perspective. In Houston too, we were fortunate enough to volunteer our services once for cutting of fruits and distribution of Prasad. The religious rituals were elaborate and so meticulously performed by the priests.

Food plays an important role in the Durga Puja festival. The bhog in the afternoon and chicken rezalla, mutton curry etc. served for dinner were really delicious and the mishti and chatni went really well with them. What was appealing and praise worthy was that the food was prepared in house, by a team of dedicated persons, and our appreciation goes to all. The fish fry and mashla muri sold at Houston Durga Puja, was really delicious and a star attraction to all of us. Our sincere thanks to the canteen team who prepared it so tasty.

I only remember to have had similar mashla muri outside west Bengal at singer Abhijit Bhattacharya’s Durga Puja at Lokhandwala, Mumbai.

Durga puja is not only a religious program; it is a social festival too.

To me, another star attraction was the promotion of budding and young Bengali singers from India.

We got the opportunity to talk to Imon Chakrabarty and Durnibar Saha who we have been watching on TV. We certainly miss this in Pune and other areas outside Bengal during the festival time.

The concept of sari, dress, jewelry, pickle, insurance company, website promotion stalls at the Durga Puja mandap is something new compared to that in India, where it is more of gastronomic food and less of saris and jewelry.

It was indeed an occasion for revival and rejuvenation for us.

The transportation arrangement from the parking lot to the venue would have been better served if sun shade could have been provided for the devotees at Durga Bari.

I would love to visit the unique Houston Durga Puja every year and be a part of it. In my opinion, the Puja of this magnitude was well managed from Puja- Bhog- Dinner- Cultural events- Exhibition etc. and credit goes to the team.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

November 04, 2016

Namrita Singh – Mathew Mathew Wedding

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

JOB AVAILABLE

Assistant Administrator

HOUSTON: They met, perchance,

at a wedding, which is the one place where busy young professionals have an opportunity to check others out and be introduced to people outside their normal orbit. The notion of six degrees of separation was not only true in their case, but a little persuasion from their friends led to them down the altar four years later.

So when Namrita Singh went to the wedding of one of her closest friends, Anjana, she had no idea that the groom, Sameer’s best friend Mathew Mathew, who had flown in from Chicago, was going to be the one who would captivate her heart. The two hit it off at the wedding, and with a little cajoling from their common friends, were soon calling each other and meeting when they could. It was a tale of two cities, between New York where Namrita lived and worked and Chicago where Mathew grew up and worked.

This past weekend, which was also celebrated as Diwali, the young couple tied the knot at two weddings held in the faiths they grew up in. First at the Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston off Highway 6 on Friday, October 28 where they were married according to the rituals of the Sikh faith of Namrita’s family, with all the gusto of a typical afternoon Punjabi wedding. And then, a day later in the evening of October 29 at the Holy

17

At Sri Meenakshi Temple Society , Pearland, Texas Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) is seeking qualified applicants for the above position: Should be knowledgeable and familiar with all necessary computer skills including word processing, accounting and database applications. Ability to Plan ahead and work with multiple teams.; Good organizational skills; Effective communication skills required to interface with Devotees, Staff and the MTS board.

Namrita Singh and Mathew Mathew were married in Houston on October 28 at the Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston and a day later at the Holy Rosary Church.

Rosary Church, Midtown on Milam near Louisiana, according to the Christian faith of Mathew’s family.

A wedding reception followed at the Silver Street Studios which was transformed into a lavish dinner and dancing venue for the 460 invited guests.

The wedding coordinator was Rathi Menon of Rathi Menon Events; with decor by Nalini from Decor One; food by Dawat Catering and sound, lights and music by DJ Chani.

Namrita Singh, 28, of Houston, graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business and works for iSoftStone, a digital marketing company, as a consultant to the luxury fashion house Coach in New York. She is the daughter of Bobby Singh, an industrial engineer

in private practice who has been in the US since 1973. Her mother, Preeti, is a busy homemaker and community organizer active in several local charities. She has a younger sister, Simrit, 27.

Mathew, 31, was born and raised in the Chicago area and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He works as a financial engineer with State Street Bank.

He is the son of Jude Mathew, an engineer and Dr. Molly Mathew, an anesthesiologist, both of whom hail from Kerela, India. He has a younger sister, Anita, 27.

After a mini-honeymoon in Charleston, North Carolina, the couple plan to make their home in New York City.

Qualifications: ◦Minimum college degree ◦English as primary language; knowledge of other South Indian languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or Malayalam ); working knowledge of Hindi is handy Please submit your cover letter and resume to :

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

18 November 04, 2016 Bracing Week for Nawaz Even by the standards

of Pakistan’s unpredictable polity, the week ahead for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could be tempestuous, as all his troubles threaten to come to a head together. Opposition leader Imran Khan has announced that on Monday he will go to court seeking clearance to stage a “shutdown” protest in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He has also said that regardless of the outcome of the hearing, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will go ahead with the protests starting Wednesday to force Mr. Sharif’s resignation over corruption allegations.

The allegations of corruption pertain to the ‘Panama Papers’ that contained details of offshore companies and undeclared assets allegedly owned by Mr. Sharif’s family.

On Tuesday, petitioners calling for Mr. Sharif to be disqualified from office are scheduled to be heard by a special bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court. The Chief Justice, who heads that panel, has already passed several strictures against the government, and rejected its request for a commission to investigate the Panama disclosures instead.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is in mourning for more than 60 people, most of them young police cadets, who were killed in a terrorist strike in Quetta, and a massive security operation is under way as Mr. Sharif attempts to refute criticism of his government’s National Action Plan after the attack.

These troubles come at a time when Mr. Sharif is expected to announce who Pakistan’s new army chief will be. While the possibility of General Raheel Sharif receiving an extension is not being ruled out, Mr. Sharif is reported to be considering other options too. His decision on what is effectively the most powerful office in the land will have a bearing on Pakistan’s strained civil-military relations.

The rift between the government and the military is not new, but it seems to have been widening since the Uri attack and India’s announcement of surgical strikes in retaliation. Since then, crossfire at the LoC and the international border and an escalating diplomatic stand-off between the two countries have added to Mr. Sharif’s sense of siege.

It hasn’t helped that he has done little to mend ties with the opposition. To the military, he has offered no resistance as it has steadily encroached on his power. Part of the reason is that the Panama Papers have rendered him vulnerable. But given the storm gathering around him, isolating himself may not be a viable option.

-The Hindu

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Trumpistan or Clintonland?

BY CHIDANANDA RAJGHATTA

By this time next week, barring

unforeseen circumstances, the world will have a good idea of who will lead the United States for the next four years at least. Or maybe not. Already, there is talk of months of investigation into Hillary Clinton’s alleged shenanigans, of hearings, of impeachment.

Donald Trump faces charges of sexual misbehaviour and assault from 12 women, and he is going up for trial on November 28 on allegations of fraud relating to a university that bears his name.

Whoever is elected, one is already getting an ominous sense they are in for a turbulent term that may not see its prescribed end.

Still, they are the two principal candidates, and one of them will get elected. The choice of the American people will set the tone for coexistence or otherwise – in terms of race, ideology and vision among other things – over the next four decades or more, both in US and beyond. Election in no other country on this planet has such a bearing on the rest of the globe.

At least insofar as dealing with the rest of the world is concerned, Americans are broadly being asked to choose between the following: an aggressive, belligerent leadership determined to protect US primacy through threats and coercion, by reversing an increasingly flat world where playing fields were being levelled all the time. A suave, sophisticated America still intent on maintaining its pre-eminence, but with skilful diplomacy and artful engagement that carries with it the rest of the world.

The decision of the American electorate will have profound consequences in areas ranging from trade and commerce to science and environment to civil liberties and human rights, in all of which spheres the US has been a pioneer, if not always fair or exemplary, and occasionally coercive in pushing its agenda. Massive immigration and movement of people engendered by relatively open borders and free trade over the past two decades has tempered some of

In spite of the insidious campaign by Trump bhakts that his muscular anti-Islamic foreign policy will somehow benefit New Delhi, India should “heart” Hillary, warts and all. the strong-arm tactics, India being one of the beneficiaries of a more benign American outlook towards countries built on common principles.

These gains are now being put to test by a section of America that is suddenly beginning to doubt the fundamental ethos that the US was founded on in the first place, as a land of opportunity for immigrants old and new. Trump’s vision of America does not want your tired, poor, huddled masses. He thinks America can wing it on its own.

This is a battle both for the soul of America and the idea of America, for whether it will remain the land of the free.

Across the globe, nations and capitals are also watching and weighing a unique moment in history. The modern world has seen nearly 50 countries elect female leaders over the past two centuries.

Although the US is often derided for not being among them despite its professed support for women’s rights, it is not alone. No modern superpower has had a female chief executive – not US, the extant superpower; not fast eclipsed superpower Soviet Union and its successor state Russia; and not rising superpower China.

Only Great Britain among the P-5 nuclear powers, and Germany and Canada (briefly) if you go down the G-8 list, have elected female leaders. On evidence from London, it may not make a big difference. Although Margaret Thatcher initially said “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country,” she was clear gender was not to be the basis for electing a woman. It is certainly

not in the case of Hillary, who once disdained the idea of staying home to bake cookies and make tea.

Still, it is intriguing to imagine how a female would lead the most powerful country in the world, particularly in the light of Thatcher’s observation that a woman’s mission is “not to enhance the masculine spirit, but to express the feminine; hers is not to preserve a man-made world, but to create a human world by the infusion of the feminine element into all of its activities.” Will Hillary’s approach to possible use of nuclear weapons be any different from a male seated at the Resolute Desk?

Although their economic philosophies differ, there is reason to believe that temperamentally at least, Hillary is of the same mould as Thatcher. She is also a political legatee and ideological successor to Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, her Democratic predecessors.

There is an assurance of consensus and continuity if she is elected, with no great surprises.

In contrast, Trump represents a departure from established norms – for everything: political behaviour, executive authority and diplomatic protocol. A maverick businessman of amoral outlook and questionable rectitude, he has already indicated that no pacts or agreements – much less his words – are sacrosanct, and policies can change on a dime, with or without domestic or international consensus (it is another matter how he will swing it without a supportive Congress).

Who would New Delhi prefer?

The diplomatic answer is it does not matter. India has the capacity to handle either outcome, its ties with US built on bipartisan consensus in both countries. But in spite of the insidious campaign

by Trump bhakts that his muscular anti-Islamic foreign policy will somehow benefit New Delhi, India should “heart” Hillary, warts and all. It will ennoble the common ideals of pluralism and diversity that both countries are built on.

Chidanand Rajghatta is The Times of India’s US-based Foreign Editor, long-time Washington DC scribe

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

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

Tel: 713-789-6397 email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: www.indoamerican-news.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

November 04, 2016

19

Sewa Day 2016:

International Day of Volunteering Celebrated Across USA

HOUSTON: Sewa Day, a day of

pure voluntary selfless service, was celebrated by the Hindu-American community for the 6th successive year with community service projects at 32 locations across the US. Hundreds of volunteers across different age-groups and backgrounds including youth and children from Sewa International and partner organizations came together between September 11 and October 16 and worked on a variety of activities to make a difference in their communities.

Sewa Day is supported worldwide by three guiding principles: 1. Serve humanity to relieve hardship, 2. Bring a little joy to others, and 3. Help to sustain the environment. This year saw participation from new states and cities, a 60% increase in the number of nationwide events, and increased diversity of projects from feeding the homeless and tree planting to free immigration service sessions, and even a FIRST Robotics-connected STEM camp.

In Portland, volunteers cleaned up trails and vegetation and participated in upkeep and preservation activity at the Vedanta Society’s spiritual retreat.

Volunteers in the San Francisco Bay Area cooked food for more than 2,500 people at a free health camp in the Livermore temple. In Sacramento, CA volunteers prepared and served vegetarian food to the homeless at a local Food Not Bombs collective.

At Los Angeles, volunteers sorted and boxed perishable and nonperishable food items, cleaned and provided other useful assistance at theGod Provides Food Bank. In San Diego CA, 65 volunteers sorted, processed, and packaged over 10,000 lbs. of produce to be distributed in local communities.

Volunteers from Utah Kannada Koota in Salt Lake City sorted cans and packaged non-perishable food items for seniors at Utah Food Bank.

At Denver, CO volunteers helped the Indian community with consular services related to passport and PIO/OCI applications at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Rockies. In Aurora, CO, volunteers prepared lunch for ~350 people at Ronald McDonald House and a Sikh Gurudwara attended by Congressman Mike Coffman. In Phoenix Arizona, Sewa

volunteers in association with Arizona Burn Foundation and the Phoenix Fire Department trained in smoke alarm installation, and installed over 225 alarms in underserved neighborhoods for free.

In San Antonio Texas, volunteers cleaned and mulched the playground as part of the adopt-a-park initiative.

In Austin Texas, volunteers from the Indian and Nepali communities collected unopened packages of women’s hygiene products at Peace Lutheran Church to be delivered a local homeless shelter run by Caritas.

Five Sewa Day events were performed in the Greater Houston area.

Volunteers worked at the Hermann Park Conservancy’s McGovern Centennial Gardens in the ‘port to park’ bike ride event, picked up trash and debris at Galveston beach, and cleaned up the premises of a Jain temple in collaboration with the Jain Society of Houston. They also sorted medical supplies at Medical Bridges for shipment to developing countries. Sewa International and CRyptonite FRC team 624 a robotics team from Cinco Ranch High school team from Katy Independent School District who design and build robots organized a field trip for refugee children to the Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).

CRyptonite committed to teach 30 children from Sewa’s ASPIRE tutorial program about science as part of the Sewa day celebrations.

Volunteers in the Chicago area packed food for the Feed My Starving Children organization at two separate events.

There were a large number of projects in the greater Washington DC area this year including cleanup and trash removal of the Lee Highway in Virginia, course marshals and logistical support at a charity run in Fairfax, VA, planting wild flowers and trees at the Marie Butler Leven Preserve in McLean, VA in partnership with Earth Sangha; an “Annapurna” lunch-serve program at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston, VA; food preparation and drop at a homeless shelter in Rockville, MD, food packing and distribution for the Vedic Temple of Virginia’s fundraiser event at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt MD.

In Boston, volunteers cooked Indian meals for 250 people at the Cor Unum Meal Center a not-for-profit organization which provides free, nutritious meals in a safe environment to families in need.

At Columbus Ohio, volunteers distributed books, cleaned the compound, organized the storage, office, hardware and kitchen at Bharatiya Hindu Temple. Volunteers in Cleveland cleaned up the Weiss Field Metropark.

Volunteers from Philadelphia and Delaware participated in the fall cleanup and litter removal of the Newark Municipal Building in Newark, Delaware. In Atlanta Georgia, volunteers prepared and served brunch to guests at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In Orlando FL, volunteers helped cleanup and organize the Hindu Society of Central Florida temple.

A photo album of Sewa Day 2016 activities in the USA is available at: https://goo.gl/photos/jnVcKSjtnXETCuUY7 About Sewa Day Sewa Day is an initiative of Sewa International. “Sewa” a Sanskrit word meaning “service above self” is embedded in the Dharmic traditions of ancient India. On Sewa Day, thousands of volunteers from the USA, UK, Canada and around the world come together to perform Sewa and experience the joy of giving in its truest sense. By participating in this collective endeavor, we hope that the seeds of Sewa are watered so that acts of kindness and public service are performed more often.

About Sewa International Sewa International (www.sewausa. org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit service organization that works in the areas of disaster relief and rehabilitation, education and development (healthcare, women’s empowerment, child welfare, rural and tribal welfare, and refugee support). Sewa has 40 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin. The Sewa movement works with communities in need, and is active in 20 countries including USA, Canada, India, and the UK.

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

20 November 04, 2016

COMMUNITY/OBITUARY

Living the Indian American Dream with Bhavesh Patel

Stuart Estates Exquisite High End Houston Estate Sale 14726 Charlmont Dr./ Houston, Texas 77083 Nov 4: 10-4 | Nov 5: 10-4 | Nov 6: 10-3 Cash and charges Accepted Please No Large Purses Sorry, No Children under 15 Broadwood and Sons rosewood piano, fine brass and crystal chandeliers, Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture-pictures-mirrors,marble and brass statues, much gilding,lawn furniture, yard statuary, tapestries,exquisite antique motif lamps, muskrat gentelman’s jacket,sterling and costume jewelry , like-new racer Trek bike with composite frame, and much more!

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BY RAM PANDA

H

OUSTON: At the prestigious institution India House, 57 openminded and energetic Indian youth, all who are in the Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) of Houston gathered to honor and learn from one of the most inspiring Indian Americans of our time: Bhavesh Patel.

He is the CEO of one of the most prestigious and well known chemical companies in the world – Lyondellbassell. Patel, without a doubt, used

his company to play an integral part in the revival of the engineering and natural gas economy in Houston since the economic recession in 2008.

He shared the driving force behind his success with the whole group of students in our gathering.

Patel discussed his journey as an engineer who also became successful in the corporate environment. The way that he connected to all of the students so well is because a majority of the students stated that they wanted to pursue engineering careers when they grow up. Patel knew exactly how to relate to those students because he is an engineer himself. He shared with us how he went from using his chemical engineering and business degrees in college to being an executive in more than 5 of the fortune 500 engineering companies.

For example, Patel, in 2015, was able to take the huge risk of leaving a high level management position at Chevron to join Lyondellbassell as chief management officer of European operations because he had absolute confidence in himself. He described it as a crucible moment when he went through a huge transformation for the good. As Patel advised us, without full confidence in oneself, fear will take over and ventures cannot get traction.

A final lesson that he had to share with all of us is that no matter what point in life you are in, we can always find mentors to talk with and get through tough situations. They can help us make the best possible decision even when a huge decision rests on our shoulders and failure is not an option.

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA

H

OUSTON: On special days, and especially at Diwali which was celebrated at the store, Leela Devi Kamnani greeted people with a wide and friendly smile at India Jewelers on Hillcroft at the Southwest Freeway. She always had encouraging and warm words to say to all the people who had become friends and loyal customers of the business that has been a fixture of Little India since 1990.

Leela ji passed away this past weekend on the morning of October 27 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She had first been diagnosed with the disease almost a year ago last November.

Leela Devi Kamnani was born on September 1, 1938 in Sindh and after the Partition of India, her family settled in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. She was married to Raj Kumar Bhagwan Kamnani from Jaipur, Rajasthan and they had five children. three sons - Surender, Narain and Gobind all of Houston and two daughters - Dhanwanti of Calcutta and Mohini of New York.

After her husband passed away, she lived with Narain and his family. Surinder works with Mercedes Benz at Greenway Plaza.

In 1969, her husband moved to the US to start up a business in 1969, opening up the first Indian handicraft store in the original Galleria - Best of India and later Royal India Jewelers in Galleria II, both of which operated till 1997. Though her husband visited the family

Leela Devi Kamnani 1938 - 2016 periodically in India, she single handedly brought up her children making sure they finished high school and college. In 1984, she joined him, along with the whole family, in Houston. As the years passed by, the sons joined the father in the family business which has operated under the name of India Jewelers since 1990.

Leela ji was a loving wife to her husband, a caring mother to her children, a dotting grand mother to her 8 grand kids and a friendly mother-in-law to her daughters-inlaw, Mamta, Sneha and Chandni.

“She always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook on life,” recalled her youngest child, Gobind.

“She will be missed by all the souls she touched in her life.”

The last rites and funeral were held at Winford Funerals in Houston, on Saturday, October 29, to a standing room only line of mourners. The memorial service was held at 5:30pm on Wednesday, November 2 at the Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

November 04, 2016

Indo American Forum of Fort Bend Gets Ready to Celebrate the Spirit of the Holidays

SUGAR LAND: The Indo American Fo-

rum of Fort Bend focuses its efforts solely on supporting the underprivileged, underserved and needy in Fort Bend County, by supporting charities in the area providing assistance through education, shelter, food, healthcare and familial and substance abuse.

The Indo American Forum is now preparing for the Spirit of the Holidays Gala, on Friday, November 11, at Safari Texas, which will highlight the diverse cultures celebrated in Fort Bend and honor a wide spectrum of charitable organizations with donations of support. The Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Literacy Council of Fort Bend, the Fort Bend Education Foundation, Seniors Meals on Wheels, and Behind the Badge Charities and Lunches of Love are some of those being supported.

The evening will feature lively entertainment, formal dinner and dancing.

Indo American Forum of Fort Bend invites the community to participate in and enjoy these events and thus make significant contributions to important causes, as a unified body.

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

21

22 November 04, 2016

SUDOKU

Place a Number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Send us the correct answer before November 08, 2016.

Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com or mail to 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036.

Send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published (for first three entrees only & 1 submission per month).

PUZZLES / RECIPES

Mouth Watering Recipe

Mithai Kulfi: A Sweet Way to Stop Wasting Leftovers

Solution Next Week

After festive time, our refrigera-

L��� W���’� SUDOKU S�������

tors are generally full with a pile of leftover sweets, which stay there neglected for days, and finally make their way to the dustbin. I am sure most of us can relate to this situation. Of course, you can use up leftover sweets in many ways. Like many people do, these can be re-used to make your kheer creamier, or to make your sweet stuffing in any Indian dessert, tastier than ever. So if you got a lot of leftover sweets and need another brilliant idea, read this.

Well, you don’t have to stuff yourself with the leftover mithai any more or even throw away in waste. You can now make yummy kulfis with leftover Indian sweets from your refrigerator and no one will even have a clue. When a friend’s mother told us about making kulfi from leftover sweets,

we didn’t believe it. We thought it won’t fall in place and wondered how it will come together.

And until we made it, we were in this dilemma that our kulfis will crumble right in front of the guest, making us highly embarrassed about this entire showdown. Good news is that, it not only did live up to our expectations, but also gave us a lot of pat on our backs.

Here’s what we made our Mithai Kulfis with. If possible, we recommend making it with these ingredients, as this is a fail-proof combination. Basically, milk-based sweets give excellent results. If you love texture, add sweet Boondi, Ghevar, etc, to the Kulfi. The amount of sugar may vary, depending on the sweetness of the mithais. Do not use very old sweets, otherwise the milk might split.

Ingredients: • Malai peda: 7-8 • Kalakand: 7-8 pieces • Kaju katli: 7-8 • Gulab jamuns: 8-10 • Milk: 4 cups • Sugar: 1/2 cup • Saffron (kesar): a few strands • Roasted almonds, roughly chopped: 10-12 Directions: 1. Heat milk in a vessel. Make sure your vessel is thick-bottomed or it might start to burn. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 min.

2. Next, mush all the sweets with a little milk and make a puree. Add it to the thickened milk and cook for another 5 min.

3. Sprinkle saffron and almonds, and pour the mixture in moulds.

4. Refrigerate for 3-4 h. Serve chilled .

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RTS FOR STORIN G LEFTOVERS •First of all, food that has been cooked should be ref rigerated or frozen within in a proper way for furthe two hours r use.

•If food is kept outside for more than 2 hours in room temperature, especially in there are chances of bacter hot seasons, ia growing on the food, thu s making it unsafe to eat.

•Infant food should never be stored.

•Leftover food should be stored in new container.

It should not be kept in the tainer where it was cooked same conor served in.

•If you have hot food to sto re, then wait for the food to cool down.

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INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

November 04, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS ENTERTAINMENT:REVIEWS/NEWS

23

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil: When Love Shows You The Middle Finger

Shivaay: Overtly Lengthy and Self-Indulgent

Peace or passion? Love or friend-

In the closing shot of Shivaay, debu-

ship? Lust or obsession? Karan Johar is the magician who weaves the matters of heart into unforgettable cinema. With Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, he has a hit at hand and has booked yet another place in that stack of our DVD collection. Ranbir Kapoor proves flops are just a phase in an actor’s career, his is done.

Anushka Sharma shows her range.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gets the comeback she deserved. Diwali just got a whole lot interesting.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is the story of a lovable misfit Ayan (naam to suna hi hoga). From his Mere Baap ki Arzoo, read MBA, class to his mercenary girlfriend, he is living a life decided by others. Anushka Sharma’s Alizeh Khan (and she is not a terrorist) is his liberation.

She takes away his inhibitions, his insecurities. What she can’t give is love, she had friendzoned him after

an awkward encounter on the couch on their very first meeting.

They dance on Baby Doll, their talk is peppered with Bollywood dialogues. Hell, they even subvert the favourite Bollywood trope of dancing in chiffon on snow-capped mountains.

They complete each other but they don’t know it. When a third enters this relationship, it falls apart.

Rahul, the boy, leaves Alizeh.

Rahul, the man meets Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). And that is what ADHM is all about — people and relationships coming of age.

The chemistry of all the couples is palpable, so is the hurt. Love comes in all shapes and sizes — sometimes it comes with violins, sometimes it shows you the middle finger. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is the latter, maybe that is why it feels so real.

Bollywood and music are Ayan and Alizeh’s redemption; ours too.

-indianexpress.com

tant actress Sayyeshaa Saigal says, “I don’t know what to say. I am at a loss for words.” We too felt the same way after watching this marathon self-indulgent, over a lengthy movie that ran for a mind-boggling 172 minutes. The movie drags on and on making it a literal snoozefest after a certain point. And that is perhaps it’s biggest shortcoming.

To be fair, Shivaay opens well with a scenic shot of snow-capped mountains as a shirtless Ajay Devgn is lying flat atop a snowy mountain.

He springs into life to perform some high-octane, action-packed moves — jumping, crawling, walking and running from one peak to another while showcasing his nimblefooted mountaineering skills. The VFX looks believable and the story moves fast as his love interest Erika Kaar appears.

After a whirlwind fling, a daugh-

ter is born and Erika — who isn’t interested in starting a family with Ajay — leaves her daughter behind and disappears in Bulgaria. And just like the avalanche showcased in the film, the film starts its downslide at this very point. The dad-daughter duo flies to Bulgaria to meet Erika who had long abandoned them. And this is where another tragedy strikes that makes Ajay switch on his destructive avatar. And once that is done, the entire movie will leave you with a strong Rohit Shetty hangover.

Ajay’s strength lies in his acting.

Unfortunately, the same gets lost in the midst of the mindless action, which starts playing on loop every time the bad guys appear. The stunts lack the finesse you would expect from an action-packed film and this takes away the pleasure of watching Ajay’s exact moves while tackling the villains. Talking about the villain, without letting the cat out, we have to say this was the biggest let-down of the film.

Performance wise, this is an Ajay Devgn show all the way. The actor is present is almost every other scene, leaving little scope for others to perform. Erika could have stuck to speaking English rather than the heavily accented Hindi which sounded funny. Sayyeshaa marks a decent debut and shows spark and charm while Vir Das should stick to doing stand-up comedy rather than overacting in cameo appearances.

Shivaay ultimately suffers from the malice of overdose — an overdose of action and an overdose of melodrama, both of which should have been chopped off at the editing table. As the director of the film, Ajay should have focused on keeping the story short and tightly edited.

-indianexpress.com

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Tabu November 4, 1971

Kamal Haasan November 7, 1954

24 November 04, 2016

Look Ahead: Outstanding Mishra, A Rejuvenated Dhoni

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BYARUN VENUGOPAL

UMBAI (ESPN Cricinfo): Ahead of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, India had a total of eight ODIs to cover all their bases ahead of the Champions Trophy next year. MS Dhoni, who usually cringes at any suggestions of ‘experimentation’, admitted the series was an opportunity to try out different players and fill a few slots. By the time India clinched the series 3-2 in Visakhapatnam, Dhoni would have been happy with the progress made on a few fronts.

Before the start of the series, Amit Mishra had played 31 ODIs in 13 years. Apart from the palindromic symmetry of these numbers, two things stand out: a) He has been around for ages without ever being a permanent fixture in the limitedovers side; b) Despite that, his talent and persistence have always kept him in the reckoning.

In the absence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who were rested, Mishra was the lead spinner by default. By the end of the fifth ODI, Mishra had earned the right to be the leader of the entire bowling unit, picking 15 wickets to claim his first man-of-the-series award. His wickets arrived through a seductive blend of flight, dip, aided by plenty of revs on the ball, and turn. Just look up the dismissals of Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi in Mohali, and James Neesham in Visakhapatnam.

Mishra, who is a month shy of turning 34, knows he has to perform every time an opportunity comes his way. He acknowledges that the key to this lies, apart from his fizzing leg-breaks, in improving his fielding and batting.

One of the things MS Dhoni has endlessly fretted over in the last few years has been identifying a finisher.

With the search remaining futile, Dhoni had no choice but to bat at No 5 or 6, from where bashing the bowling from the outset proved difficult. Dhoni eventually bit the bullet, and in giving himself a promotion, challenged the inexperienced middleorder batsmen to learn the finisher’s job on the fly.

The results were instant. His 80 in Mohali was fashioned from a younger

Amit Mishra’s 15 wickets earned him his first Man of the Series award

Dhoni’s template of accumulate and accelerate. Dhoni’s shift in batting position is less of a concession to a senior pro than an arrangement that optimises his value as a batsman. He would want his younger colleagues in the middle order to ensure they hold up their side of the bargain Apart from the surprise he sprung with his bowling, Kedar Jadhav did his prospects of a long-term place at No. 6 no harm © Cricket Australia/ Getty Images Ahead of this series, Kedar Jadhav was known as a batsman who could keep wicket occasionally. It is believed Dhoni wanted someone who could play Suresh Raina’s role as a middle-order bat who could send down a few overs, and Jadhav appeared the closest alternative. He was then given an extended bowling session in the nets on the eve of the first ODI, which was followed by Dhoni identifying him, along with Rohit Sharma, as one of his part-timers.

As it turned out, Jadhav, with his subtle pace variations and low-arm release, became a compulsive partnership-breaker, and finished with six wickets in the series at an economy rate of 4.05. To Dhoni’s credit, he never over-bowled him, and ensured he retained the surprise element. Jadhav’s biggest challenge, however, was to prove himself with the bat.

While he scored an enterprising 40 in a losing cause in Delhi, it was the calm

and selfless manner in which he batted at the death in Visakhapatnam that must have pleased Dhoni the most.

When Hardik Pandya was picked for the New Zealand ODIs, there were several groans of disapproval.

Admittedly, there was a case for scepticism: Pandya had had a poor IPL followed by a mediocre tour to Australia with the India A team.

The numbers weren’t in his favour, but the selectors were excited by his pace with the ball, and the spunk he showed in his counter-attacking 79 in Brisbane.

Dhoni put Pandya’s “deceptive pace” to good use when he gave him the new ball on ODI debut in Dharamsala. Pandya’s 3 for 31 won him the man of the match award, but the bigger takeaway was that he could swing the ball at upwards of 135 kph.

Pandya also nearly won the game for India in Delhi with a thrilling lateinnings assault.

In the last few years, India have tried out a few players such as Rishi Dhawan, Stuart Binny and Pandya himself, for the seam-bowling allrounder’s slot. Should Pandya sustain his form and not bowl waywardly - as in Ranchi where he conceded eight wides - he will be one of Dhoni’s goto men in England next year for the Champions Trophy.

Umesh Yadav’s contribution to India’s series win went beyond his eight wickets. His initial thrust with

the new ball usually brought the big wickets, which then helped the spinners bore into the middle order.

Umesh, in fact, got Martin Guptill out three times in the series, twice in the first over of the innings. Umesh regularly delivered from close to the stumps, and, apart from in Mohali where he went for runs, this appeared to give him greater control.

Axar Patel may not yet be in Jadeja’s class, but he did everything that’s part of the Saurashtra allrounder’s job description. While he was Dhoni’s designated run-choker at different stages in the innings, he rose to the occasion with the bat by scoring a gutsy 38 when promoted to No.5 in Ranchi. In the final ODI, he hit an 18-ball 24 to rev up the scoring rate in the slog.

That Jayant Yadav and Mandeep Singh were among the most tireless workers at net sessions pointed to a happy and motivated bench. Jayant would often bowl for more than an hour, and spend most of his time talking shop with coach Anil Kumble.

Mandeep still remains uncapped, but showed tremendous athleticism when he substituted for Rohit in Visakhapatnam. A string of diving stops inside the circle denied New Zealand’s batsmen boundaries.

Arun Venugopal is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo.

SPORTS

Brathwaite, Holder Put West Indies in Charge

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BU DHABI (ESPN Cricinfo): Pakistan 281 and 87 for 4 (Azhar 45*, Sarfraz 19*, Holder 3-10) lead West Indies 337 (Brathwaite 142*, Chase 50, Wahab 5-88) by 31 runs For the first time on a long, fruitless tour of the UAE, West Indies found themselves ahead in a game, after a stellar century and a spirited bowling effort on the third day in Sharjah.

Kraigg Brathwaite’s unbeaten 142 off 318 balls steered West Indies to a hard-earned lead of 56 in the first innings, before Jason Holder made three breakthroughs in a lively spell after tea.

Pakistan lost four wickets before erasing the deficit, but Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed stabilised the innings with an unbroken 39-run partnership for the fifth wicket and took Pakistan to 87 for 4 by stumps.

The inroads into Pakistan came via a short-ball barrage. Holder bowled a fast bouncer to Sami Aslam that the batsman could only top edge to fine leg. Another well-directed bouncer got big on Asad Shafiq and had him fending to Darren Bravo at gully. Then Younis Khan got a faint tickle on a leg-side delivery to give Holder his third. When Misbah-ulHaq pulled offspinner Roston Chase straight to Devendra Bishoo at deepbackward square leg, Pakistan had lost four wickets for 11 runs to slip to 48 for 4.

With Pakistan’s score at 71, Shannon Gabriel bowled a nasty, steep bouncer at Sarfraz, batting on 9, who fended it to Bravo at slip. But Gabriel had overstepped by a big margin and Sarfraz survived. West Indies, for their part, had worked their way into a good position to push for their first win in 14 Tests.

Sarfraz Ahmed stands tall as he cuts one behind square, Pakistan v West Indies, 3rd Test, Sharjah, 3rd day, November 1, 2016

INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2016 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

November 04, 2016

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Gold, Silver Glitter on Diwali Demand

EW DELHI: Gold price increased by Rs 160 to Rs 30,750 per 10 grams on the eve of Diwali at the bullion market on Saturday on increased buying by jewellers to meet festive demand along with a firm global trend.

Silver recaptured the Rs 43,000mark per kg by gaining Rs 300 on increased offtake by coin makers and industrial units.

Bullion merchants said increased buying by jewellers to meet Diwali demand at domestic spot market, mainly led to rise in the precious metals prices.

Besides, a firm trend overseas where gold rallied to a three-week high influenced the sentiment here.

Globally, gold rose by 0.52 per

cent to USD 1,274.70 an ounce and silver by 0.77 per cent to USD 17.73 an ounce in New York in Friday’s trade.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity surged by Rs 160 each to Rs 30,750 and Rs 30,600 per 10 grams respectively. It had lost Rs 125 in last two days.

Sovereign, however, remained steady at Rs 24,500 per piece of eight grams.

Tracking gold, silver ready shot up by Rs 300 to Rs 43,000 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 370 to Rs 42,540 per kg.

Silver coins continued to be traded at previous level of Rs 74,000 for buying and Rs 75,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

-timesofindia.com

25

Flipkart’s Sachin Bansal Looks to Set up Lobby Group for Indian Start-ups

Flipkart co-founder and executive

chairman Sachin Bansal is talking to several Indian entrepreneurs and influential investors to create a lobby group that will represent the interests of Indian consumer Internet startups, three people familiar with the matter said.

Bansal has approached Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma and IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India) chairman Kunal Shah to be part of the group, said the people cited above, asking not to be identified.

Hike’s Kavin Bharti Mittal and Quikr’s Pranay Chulet have also been approached, the people said.

It’s not yet clear who all will join the proposed group finally, they said.

Bansal has also held talks with Nandan Nilekani (co-founder and former CEO of Infosys Ltd and ex-chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India) and iSpirt, a software products think tank, seeking advice and suggestions.

“The discussions are in early stages and it is still not clear what the agenda

Flipkart’s executive chairman Sachin Bansal

behind the alliance is. Sachin has been thinking about this lobby group for over a year now,” said one of the three people mentioned above.

Until now, intense competition, acrimonious relations and ego battles between entrepreneurs have prevented large Indian Internet companies from coming together to form a trade association. IAMAI does represent the interests of Internet companies in general but it is dominated by foreign entities.

Bansal wants the proposed trade association to solely fight for local companies such as Flipkart and Ola, the people cited above said. The as-

sociation would primarily lobby with the government for favourable laws for Indian companies, countering Chinese and US consumer Internet firms as well as India’s powerful brick-and-mortar retail lobby.

Bansal, Shah and spokespersons for Ola and Snapdeal did not respond to emails seeking comment. Nilekani and iSpirt couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

India’s start-up ecosystem has seen the rise of voices calling for preferential treatment for local firms.

Many entrepreneurs and investors have pointed to the example of China, which makes it difficult for Google, Facebook and Twitter to operate in the country, and promotes local companies such as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Some have even raised the bogey of national security.

Analysts say that there’s some irony in local start-ups demanding preferential treatment. Flipkart, Ola and many other Indian start-ups are themselves heavily backed by foreign investors including Tiger Global Management Llc and SoftBank Group Corp.,they a dd.

-livemint.com

Tata Group Stocks Bounce Back After Losing Rs 27,000 Crore in Market Value in 3 Days

NEW DELHI: Tata group stocks

on Friday bounced back after losing over Rs27,000 crore market value in three consecutive sessions, after the conglomerate assured the investors that every thing was in order.

Tata Motors Ltd rose 2.4%, Tata Steel Ltd rose 1.1%, Tata Communications Ltd 2.44%, Indian Hotels Company Ltd 1%, Tata Power Company Ltd 1.7%, Tata Chemicals Ltd 0.5%, Tata Global Beverages Ltd 1.9%, Voltas Ltd 0.6%, Titan Company Ltd 0.4%, Rallis India Ltd 0.3%, Tata Elxsi Ltd 2.7%, Trent Ltd 0.5%, Tata Metaliks 4.5%, Tata Coffee Ltd 2%, Tinplate Company of India

Ltd 1.7%, Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd rose 3.5%.

However, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd fell 0.4%.

On Thursday, Tata Sons Ltd joined battle with former chairman Cyrus Mistry, accusing him of repeated departures from the group’s ethos, in the first hint of what led to his ouster less than four years after taking the helm at India’s largest conglomerate.

The group holding company, however, stopped short of spelling out what exactly these transgressions were, as it hit back at Mistry, who has accused his predecessor of reducing him to a “lame duck” and raised a raft of corporate governance issues at Tata companies.

The statement came a day after Mistry, in an email to the board, was revealed to have warned of a Rs1.18 trillion write-down, over time, from five unprofitable businesses.

“It is unfortunate that it is only on his removal that allegations and misrepresentation of facts are being made about business decisions that the former chairman was party to for over a decade in different capacities,” said the Tata Sons statement.

-livemint.com

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