April08 pg1-24 by Indo American News

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Friday, April 08 2011 | Vol. 30, No. 14

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“Spreading our Wings”

Gala raises $60,000 to Benefit daya survivors

By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Over 350 from this city’s diverse communities gathered to fete and lend support to Daya when the non-profit organization hosted its 15th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Fundraiser Gala at the Chateau Crystale on April 3. The themed event, Spreading Our Wings, raked in $60,000 to benefit Daya’s ongoing mission in helping survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives. The funds included a donation of $7,500 from the organization’s major benefactor, the Indo American Charity Foundation, and from pledges and a silent auction. Unique this year was the real life survivors of abuse who courageously came forward to share with the audience, their personal stories of terror and ultimate triumph. Dignitaries attending were Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who delivered the keynote speech, Consul General of India Hon. Sanjiv Arora, Harris County Judge Steven Kirkland, and Fort Bend County District Attorney

John Healey. “Tonight is a celebration of the strength of our survivors, of the joy we feel in building happy, peaceful families, of the surprising ways in which friends and strangers reach out to help those in need,” said Nighat Ahmed, President of Daya. “Tonight is also a celebration of how our community has carried Daya from inception to the pillar of the community it is today.” Ahmed also announced Daya’s recent acquisition of a four-bedroom transitional home, Harmony House, which was procured last year for $200,000, with $60,000 from the organization’s operational reserves and a bank loan of $140,000. The house that can accommodate up to ten people at a time is in an undisclosed location to ensure the safety of Daya’s clients. With community support, Daya hopes to own the house free and clear by the end of this year. Unlike mainstream shelters that offer a room for only one month, Harmony House will be the safe continued on page

Daya President Nighat Ahmed receiving a Proclamation from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Photo: Shamim Syed

trust Blamed for Isolating Ailing satya saibaba

An Indian child looks at portraits of Spirtual Leader Sri Satya Sai Baba at a shop near Prashanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi, some 470kms south-west of Hyderabad on April 6. One of India’s bestknown spiritual leaders, known for his apparent miracles and long list of influential followers, is on life support in hospital.

HYDERABAD (ToI): While Satya Saibaba continues to be on life support, thousands of devotees who are converging at his Prasanthi Nilayam ashram praying for him and local villagers of

April

Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

Puttaparthi have kicked up a furore against the all-powerful Satya Sai Central Trust for creating a wedge between them and Saibaba. With doctors revealing little about his health condition, the

devout are getting restless and blaming the trust for emerging as a ‘wall’ between them and Saibaba. “Lakhs of devotees in India and abroad are waiting anxiously to hear about Saibaba’s health. The authorities should allow at least one devotee to go and see Saibaba,” said Gopala Shastri, leading a group of devotees from Guntur district. Sources said even the locals were angry with the trust members, particularly secretary K Chakravarthi. Chakravarthi, an IAS officer of AP cadre, first came in contact with Saibaba in 1975 and became close to him when he worked as collector of Anantapur district. He was made registrar of Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in 1981 after he quit his service. He gained the godman’s confidence and soon became a member of the trust and within no time its secretary. Sources said whenever there was a problem in Puttaparthi and surrounding villages, Saibaba’s

younger brother Janakiram used to take the villagers to him and solve their problems. “Saibaba would offer assistance to locals and people of the surrounding villages,” a source said. But after the death of Janakiram, who was a trust member, Chakravarthi started wielding complete control over the trust. “After his death five years ago, the wedge between Saibaba and devout widened with the trust is now calling the shots in Prasanthi Nilayam,” sources said. Janakiram’s son R J Ratnakar was made member of the trust only last year after much furore. “But he wields no influence in the trust matters,”sources said. While Chakravarthi is in-charge of the cash-rich trust, Indulal Shah is chief convenor of Satya Sai Organisations, M Srinivasan heads the social and charity work arms, while Justice (retired) P N Bhagwati is a member. With police stopping the devotees trying to break through the barricades outside the hospital

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where Saibaba is admitted, there is a growing apprehension among devotees about a protracted struggle to control Saibaba by the powerful trust. “Even VVIPs like chief ministers, governors and foreign dignitaries are made to wait for hours by the trust when they come for darshan,” sources said. After November 23 birthday celebrations last year, Saibaba has limited his darshans to 2-3 times a week. “Several tests were conducted. But the matter was kept secret by the trust,” sources said. A special chopper carrying an expert medical team was recently made to wait for over an hour with a senior trust member stopping them from giving treatment on the ruse that they had landed during ‘rahu kaalam’ (bad muhurtham). Sources said Saibaba stopped eating solid food five months ago. He always takes food prepared by Janakiram’s widow. “He likes ragi sankati, ragi mudda and a bowl of green leaf curry,’’ sources said.

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daya Gala raises $60,000 to Benefit Families in crisis continued from page

haven for women leaving homes of abuse, where they can begin the healing process and reconfigure their lives for up to six months. Two women who were saved by Daya’s timely intervention related the corrosive effects of spousal abuse. Both remained anonymous for their own safety. “I was burning in the fire of abuse and cruelty for 13 years,” said one survivor. “I had no family here, or friends and no work permit. I had no access to documents, money, or car. I made the move in 2009 because of my two children. He had threatened to take my kids away.” She called Daya and for the first time, she felt that she wasn’t alone, she confided. The organization helped her turn her life around and today, she has a good job and is studying part time. Congresswoman Jackson Lee in her keynote address congratulated Daya, complimented the organization on adopting a stance of zero tolerance towards the perpetrators of crimes against women and children, and exhorted the community to continue to stand behind the visionary organization with funding and support. Sesh Bala, the sole male on Daya’s Board of Directors and the treasurer, delivered the facts and figures. But even before he began, he couldn’t resist bringing up India’s recent victory in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and drew laughter as he joked about cricket terminology. Daya employs three fulltime staff; Amber Riaz, the Community Development Coordinator, Nusrat Ameen, who is the

The Daya Board of Directors with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and the Consul General of India Sanjiv Arora and his wife Chhaya.

Client Advocate and Transitional House Coordinator, and Vyoma Majumdar, the Client Services Coordinator. The organization has 12 active board members and six advisory board members. There are over 150 volunteers that help with Daya’s various projects. Over the past five years, Daya has seen exponential growth with client calls to the Daya hotline increasing from 1700 in 2005, to 4300 in 2010. The number of clients served also doubled from 113 in 2005, to 229 last year. The budget in the last few years increased from $25,000 to $280,000. The organization has

a network of 27 attorneys in this city and in Dallas that offer pro bono or reduced cost services in family law and immigration to clients. Through extensive outreach programs Daya has made its presence known to a variety of ethnic communities, and at churches, mosques, temples, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies. This year the organization honored two individuals and three agencies for furthering Daya’s mission; Indrani Goradia who holds motivational “Live a Brighter Life” workshops for clients, and Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi of

the Houston Police Department who liaises closely with Daya and the South Asian community. The Tahirih Justice Center, Lone Star Legal Aid, and the Simmons Foundation were also awardees at the event. Introducing revelry to the evening was fusion music ensemble Moodafaruka, who along with belly dancers and Flamenco artistes entertained guests during dinner. “It takes a lot of people to make an organization work successfully,” said Lakshmy Parameswaran, who was present at the inception

of Daya. “I may take some credit for being one of the first set of founders in starting it, but one cannot carry it for 15 years without the help of a lot of wonderful people. I’d like to see Daya become a self-sufficient independent agency like United Way. That it survives and thrives on its own as a vital and important agency like those in the mainstream,” added Parameswaran. For further information about Daya, visit www.dayahouston.org. The helpline number is (713) 981 7645.

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exclusively.In: Founded to make Indian Fashion Globally Accessible NEW YORK: (Foundedproject) Thanks to Exclusively.In, designer saris, ornate jewelry sets and modern home décor items can reach your doorstep in New York or Nashville in just days. Co-founder Sonny Caberwal, a Sikh-American lawyer turned entrepreneur now living in New Delhi, challenges us to think beyond our comfort zones. Here are some excerpts from the interview with Co-founder Sonny Caberwal. You have a pretty interesting set of experiences. Tell us about your background. I definitely have not had the most traditional path. Some of the highlights: • Grew up as one of the only Sikh kids in a small town in North Carolina; • Graduated from Duke and went to Georgetown for law school; • After paying a year or two of dues at a corporate law firm, started a company with a friend, called Tavalon Tea; • Worked in the startup scene in San Francisco; • Featured in a Kenneth Cole campaign as their first-ever Sikh model; • Inspired to look into the Indian fashion industry due to press attention from the campaign; • Launched Exclusively.In and moved to New Delhi with my wife. Definitely not a traditional

took out quite a few loans), but we had all this opportunity in front of us. It was an invigorating feeling, and we were fortunate to get good support. Tavalon’s still running to this day out of NYC! What inspired the creation of Exclusively.In? So many Indians and nonIndians around the world want to buy traditional and contemporary Indian goods for weddings or everyday life. Right now, doing so requires either a costly trip to India, researching individual websites or shopping at local retail stores in Little Indias in New York, Toronto or London. It’s time for a oneSonny Caberwal, Co-founder, Exclustop marketplace for Indian sively.In fashion that is curated and cutting edge. path! Tell us about your first Who are your target customventure. What did you learn ers? from starting a tea company? Right now, we only ship to the We were trying to popularize tea United States, so that’s our primain the United States by presenting ry market. We will soon be shipit to customers in a fun and hip en- ping to the UK, Canada and—of vironment. We made some bold, course, India. crazy decisions. My partner and I It’s interesting because we’ve both quit our jobs. We opened up a found that more than 30% of our retail space in Union Square, New customers actually aren’t Indian. York, and literally constructed the We believe there’s a tremendous space ourselves with our friends. amount of demand for Indian-inAs first-time entrepreneurs, we spired fashion, home décor and acdidn’t know any better, and we cessories from broader audiences. made some risky decisions as Right now, subscribers to Exfar as start-up capital (we boot- clusively.In receive daily newsstrapped the entire project and letters highlighting flash sales.

Are you trying to become the Gilt Groupe of India? Not right now. Indian retail markets don’t really work the same way that Western fashion markets do. In India, most high-fashion merchandise is produced on demand, and the country doesn’t have huge inventory problems. So in many ways, we’re the opposite of Gilt Groupe. Rather than helping to offload inventory, we’re driving increased sales and production for designers across India. As we grow into new markets, we’ll be expanding our merchandising mix. We have a few exciting things we’re rolling out in the next few months! How big is your team and from where do you operate? All in all, we have about 70+ people working in India—a couple of people in Bangalore and Bombay—but we’re located mainly in Delhi. We also have an office in New York with about 10 people. Besides creating the e-commerce experience for customers, what is Exclusively.In doing behind the scenes? Marketing and sales is only a piece; we have a whole supply chain in place: Merchandising: We have fashion experts who understand both Indian and Western trends and preferences, and they travel throughout India, identifying top designers in cities and villages and buying the best product.

Promotion: Similar to other private-sale models, we send newsletters each day advertising current promotions and spend a great deal of time shooting, modeling and styling all of the merchandise with in-house production studios. Quality Control: Once an order is placed, each garment is checked. The last thing I want to do is hand off a poor-quality product to customers. As a result, we’ve had a very low return rate. Shipping: We also manage all of the packaging, shipping, insurance and duties processes so a customer waiting for her wedding sari won’t have to worry about it getting stuck in customs. How many members do you have so far, and are they buying or just looking? We currently have about 100,000 members in the U.S. and relatively high conversion rates of subscribers to purchasers. We expect to grow that number by 5 to 10 times over the course of the next year. The average customer is spending about $250 on the site each time, and roughly two-thirds of those who buy return within two to three months and purchase again. What’s been most rewarding about starting Exclusively.In? Our brand is about more than exporting saris—it’s about promoting the excellence of India. While I didn’t imagine a few years ago that my life would bring me here, it fits with who I am.

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HI t HIsd taking Applications for All-Boys and All-Girls college Preparatory Academies The Houston Independent School District For more information, visit www.housis the largest school district in Texas and the tonisd.org seventh-largest in the United States with 298 schools and more than 200,000 stuWe realize losing a loved one dents. The 301We perform full square-mile disis hard, we’d like to be there to Hindu Rituals trict is with help respect your wishes and one of the Cremation Services take care of the last rites in a largest employand way that honors their memory ers in the HousChristian Burials Call CHARLES CHO, ton metropolitan We have 15 Funeral Director area with nearly years experience! 30,000 employ281-530-5400 ees. 13430 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77083

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HOUSTON: HISD is currently accept- son interview and orientation session with ing applications for admission to the new their parents or guardian. To apply for admission to either academy, all-boys and all-girls college preparatory academies recently approved by the HISD students can fill out an application found on the district’s website. Board of Education. Both schools will open in the fall of 2011 with sixth and ninth grades only. Subsequent grades will be added on a yearly basis. The mission of the two schools will be to develop the full potential of every student by fostering an educational environment that encourages critical thinking, inspires student confidence, and nurtures both the intellectual and social development necessary to attend and graduate from college. Both academies will feature a rigorous curriculum which includes pre-AP and AP courses. The all-girls school is being developed in partnership with the Foundation for the Education of Young Women, which has five other campuses Completed applications should be mailed for young-women in Texas. The all-boys campus is being modeled after successful to the Office of School Choice at district male college preparatory academies in Chi- headquarters located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092-8501. Questions cago and Harlem. Incoming sixth and ninth grade students regarding the admissions process and enrollment reinterested in applying to the gender-based schools for the 2011 school year must do quirements for both schools may be directed so by January 31. In order to apply, students to the Office of School Choice at 713-556must have a 75 percent or better average in 6947. all classes, have a desire and commitment to attend a fouryear college or university, have good attendance and behavior, and meet state requirements for the advancement to the next grade level. Those students who are deemed eligible will be selected by a lottery process after review of their application, teacher recommendations, and a student essay. If selected for or admission, the student must sugarlandrestaurant@gmail.com attend an in per-

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Hare Krishnas Popularize Indian Vegetarian cuisine c

Community Announcement

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya will celebrate Rama-navami on Tuesday, April 12. On this auspicious occasion, Sri Rama-raksa-stotra "Parayan" and special puja will be performed to protect the mind and body from illnesses at 7 pm. Come and participate in "Parayan" and receive Bhagwan Rama's blessings. Puja sponsorship is $21. Sri Rama-astottara Arcana will be performed on request all day long. Temple will be open from 8:30 am - 12:00 Noon and 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Temple is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX-77498. For more information and sponsorships visit: www.saumyakasi.org; or call temple at 281.568.1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832.541.0059

HOUSTON: The Houston Hare Krishna Temple’s vegetarian food booth, named “Art of Indian” by the Bayou City Art Festival organizers, was featured this spring at the prestigious, bi-annual festival held at Memorial Park on March 25-27. The festival, which attracts 300 artists from around the country and approximately 60,000 fes-

artists’ requests for a vegetarian alternative. Ms. Stoilis formerly headed the Houston Art Car Parade and she was familiar with the devotees’ food booths at that festival as well as the Houston International Festival. According to Guru Bhakti, after the new Hare Krishna Temple construction is completed the temple will establish a new

tival goers over weekends each spring and fall, is one of the top festivals of its kind in the country and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. According to Guru Bhakti Dasi (Dr. Hansa Medley), outreach coordinator, festival-goers purchased 4800 samosas, 140 lbs of curried rice, 17 buckets of vegan BBQ “Tandoori” tofu, and 1325 glasses of mango lassis at the booth. “A lot of Western people in Houston already love samosas, and a number of the artists are vegetarians,” said Guru Bhakti. “But many people try the food for the first time at the festival, and then look for it again at the next festival or Indian restaurants in town.” According to Dr. Medley, some festival-goers also following up by attending vegetarian cooking classes organized by Karunamayi dasi, who teaches vegetarian and Ayurvedic cooking at local yoga studios and the temple. A few years ago, Kim Stoilis, the Bayou City Art Festival CEO, requested the Krishna devotees to bring their vegan and vegetarian prasad to the festival in response to

vegetarian restaurant on its property at 1320 West 34th Street. The Hare Krishna Temple will also have its food booth called Holy Cow at the upcoming Houston International Festival (Ifest) on the weekends of April 30-May 1 and May 7-8. The I-fest theme this year is the Silk Road, featuring India, China and other countries on the historic trade route. The Mayapuris, a leading kirtan group, will appear on multiple I-fest stages on Saturday, April 30 and on Center Stage on Sunday, May 1st. They will also participate in a special Indian community parade planned to open the festival. Other performers at the festival over the two weekends include the Sri Natraj Bollywood Dancers, Rathna Kumar, David and Chandra Courtney, Anjali School of Indian Dance, Nrityasiri Center for the Performing Arts, Shratilaya Indian Design with “Fashions of the Silk Road,” Kalaangaan Dance School, Sunanda Nair Dance School, Sripadam Dance School, Bangra DJ Dance Bollywood Blast, and others.

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death row r c chemical hemical for U Us s comes from mumbai Firm

By Hemali CHHapia MUMBAI: Correctional services in the US are buying sodium thiopental from a little-known firm in Borivli (West) for use in lethal injections to execute death sentences. Kayem Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, at Marian Colony, shipped a 500-gram consignment of the yellow powder, packed in a hefty 25-kg strongbox, on December 8, 2010, to the Nebraska department of correc-

residential Greenfield Cooperative Housing Society in Borivli (West), where Kayem is located. Kayem is a two-room set-up — of office and storeroom — with a balcony that doubles as a kitchen. American prisons have taken flak for purchasing sodium thiopental, used in lethal injections, from overseas. An earlier purchase from the UK apparently degraded by the time it reached American shores, said Clive Stafford Smith, director of Reprieve, an international charity assisting people around the world facing the death penalty. “The failure of the sodium thiopental purchased in the UK has thus far caused the excruciating and torturous death of three people, one in Arizona and two in Georgia,” Smith said. That prompted a lawyer in Nebraska — where the execution of Carey Dean Moore, 53, is pending — to move court there against the use of the sodium thiopental bought from Kayem. There were also questions raised about whether Kayem is properly registered in the US. Officials in the Nebraska corrections department did not respond to queries emailed by this newspaper. However, replying to the court in the Nebraska case, state solicitorgeneral J Kirk Brown said: “The state of Nebraska has duly enacted a new statutory method of execution (lethal injection) and adopted an execution protocol pursuant to the statute, which together satisfy all currently understood requireSodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide and ments of our state and federal conpotassium chloride are used in 34 states of the stitutions.” Kayem, a small-scale Indian US to execute prisoners company, may now be in a position tional services. Sodium thiopental is gener- to increase its business. “Several American ally used along with pancuronium bromide states have now approached us for sodium and potassium chloride to create a cocktail thiopental,” said Navneet Verma, director, with which several states in the US carry Kayem Pharmaceuticals. Verma said he out the death sentence by lethal injection. sold the first consignment of 500 grams to In February this year, Kayem sold another the Nebraska correctional services at $3.50 consignment to the South Dakota depart- a gram. That works out to $1,750, or around ment of corrections. Executions are yet to Rs 78,000. When officials at the South Dabe carried out by Nebraska or South Dakota kota department of corrections evinced inwith the drug purchased from Kayem. terest to buy the same drug, Kayem jacked Sodium thiopental has been in short sup- the price up to $10 a gram. ply in the US for about a year after the sole Derived by mixing sodium and thiopenAmerican company that manufactured it tone, the drug sodium thiopental doesn’t receased production. That has forced Ameri- ally require a huge facility to manufacture can prisons to look abroad. For Nebraska and goes for around Rs 35 a gram in the Inand South Dakota, that search led to the dian market.

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YLDP Session at MFHA

Fine Art of Following y your Passion

By alissa arya, Tejas arraBolu, adiTya srivaT riva san & rupal meHTa HT HTa HOUSTON: At YLDP’s sixth session at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFHA), we learned that throughout history, art has signified culture. The key note speakers of the event were Mrs. Nidhika Mehta, a philanthropist and patron of India Art Gallery, and Ms. Martha Blackwelder, Executive Director of Asia Society. Listening to the speakers, we understood how Mehta and Blackwelder have made a difference in preserving and promoting our culture with their passion, support, raising awareness and raising funds for arts and culture in Houston. Their relentless efforts have allowed Houstonian to have an India Art Gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts for the very first time. Also very soon a large and new center for Asia Society will open a window to view the history, art, culture, tradition of countries like India, China, Japan, Indonesia and many more form the South Asia region. The key elements from their presentation that inspired us the most were that we too have the opportunity to promote and preserve our art and culture. Both Mehta and Blackwelder sincerely advised us that we should always be proud of our culture and try our best in preserving our heritage. While discussing about choosing the profession we want to pursue, Mrs. Blackwelder quoted that “if you find something that is easy to you and you really enjoy doing it, then you should go for it as you most likely will excel in it.” Following your heart and passion, you will work harder because you love doing it and therefore achieving goals will follow. Mehta gives to many charities and one question she was asked was how she knows which charities to donate to. Her answer to this question was “everyone has a passion for different subjects so people should listen to their heart and donate to what they care for the most and in this way every type of charity can get the help they need.” If I have the opportunity to preserve and promote my art and culture, I will proudly tell people about my heritage, culture and abundance of art India has. You practice what you preach, so firstly you really have to be proud of who you are. You have to get mainstream Americans to get to know your culture and art. There is an African proverb, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito”. I will get involved in all kinds of community events to support and will donate to the causes that promotes my culture. Art is a key component of culture that is different for each ethnic group. As children, we grew up with that cultural environment and form a sense of self identity

YLDP Students at MFAH

through the society around us. A key lesson at the session was the consequence of past leaders like Mao or Taliban destroying artifacts and sculptures. The repercussions resulting from these actions would be incalculable as they destroyed thousands of years of history, culture, and heritage. Destroying our culture leads to the loss of cultural identity, and the loss of historic artifacts, that represent thousands of years of civilization, inhibits ignorance as we can no longer identify ourselves with them, and cannot educate future generations. The importance here is that besides science, the cultural developments and artistic endeavors of our ancestors live on till today and the future. Our ancestor’s hard work, human ingenuity and creativity represent what we have accomplished over thousands of years of human existence. The learning for future leaders is that if we destroy our heritage, our culture, our accomplishments, and our identity, then, we do not have much to show our future generations. We therefore need to preserve our culture, else we will lose our identity to time. The arts, whether in the form of paintings, sculptures, music, or dance, have held an integral place in society since the beginnings of time. Art adds a new dimension and perspective to people’s lives. It is an activity that one pursues

for one self and own inherent passion rather than for any materialistic gains. Ms. Martha Blackwelder is truly passionate about art and culture, specifically the Asian art. She clearly displayed her fascination for Asian sculptures and paintings to us through her zealous speech and immense knowledge of the finest intricacies of each and every artifact in the Museum of Fine Art’s India Art Gallery we toured. She definitely follows the advice she gave us, “find the thing that lights you, and go with it.” Ms. Blackwelder surely has pursued the Asian art with her heart, living in Japan for two years, visiting China, Nepal, Indonesia, and driving to Kashmir from New Delhi, in India, on a motorcycle. From Ms. Blackwelder, we learned that the arts help enrich a person’s thinking and views. The arts are a door to human civilization and their study helps one learn about how different cultures from different time periods flourished and how people thought and felt in those periods. Ms. Blackwelder further explained that art is something that binds the world. Every culture, even in the remotest parts of the world, has some sort of art. In case of Indian culture, art plays especially important role in religion and rituals. Because art is so global, learning about the art of other cultures can help put people at ease and create continued on page

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

IAA Presents Bollywood Bonanza

Daniel Nainan up comedians. His rib-tickling act is clean and entertaining. You can bring your kids and parents and you wouldn’t have to leave the auditorium or pretend you are not there. TIMES OF INDIA on India’s 60th Independence Day came out with a list of 60 Indian “MOVERS AND SHAPERS”. Raju Shrivastav made the list and he was in good company with Sharukh Khan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Aishwarya Rai, Sunil Mittal, Vijay Mallaya, Mallika Sherawat- to name a few. About Dan Nainan: American comedian Dan Nainan is of Indo-Japanese origin. A 100% clean comedian, Dan performed at the last Democratic National Convention in Denver and at three

Nusrat Caterers

Obama inaugural events in Washington. The most celebrated Indo-American stand-up comedian Russell Peters raves about Dan Nainan, even though Dan does not share Russell’s genre of “adult” jokes. Widely reviewed to great acclaim by mainstream American newspapers like New York Times and Wall Street Journal, in 2009 Dan played a role in the M. Shyamalan movie “The Last Airbender”

YLDP Session at Museum of Fine Arts Houston

continued from page

Museum of Fine Arts and by Ms. Blackwelder. Both shared and explained historical details and significance of the artifacts, including the painting of Gandhi watching over the entire Indian Art Gallery. It was fascinating to know that some of the students were able to link their favorite sculptures to their own personal lives. One student related a sculpture of a dancing Shiva to her experience with dance, while another connected another sculpture to his culture and daily life. Another student associated a display of different steel and tin household utensils and kitchen items, anchored against a wall, to her childhood days. During the sixth session of YLDP, we learned how much one sculpture could mean to a person and his or her own life. All of these evalua-

tions helped this group expand and appreciate their perspective on observing art as a whole. YLDP Executive Committee is very appreciative of support from Museum of Fine Arts for hosting the event and providing the guided tour, and patronship of Nidhika Mehta of the Indian Art Gallery. YLDP is now accepting applications for the 2011-12 class. IndoAmerican students who will be juniors or seniors in high schools starting August 2011 may send their applications to YLDP Selection Director, Nimmi Vale at 832563-9696/nimmivale@gmail.com by June 15st. For other details contact YLDP Program Director, Sushma Bhan at 281-492-7575, or visit www.yldphouston.org.

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lasting bonds. Ms. Blackwelder shared how she often educates various American diplomats about Asian art before they make an official visit to an Asian country. This knowledge often helps them start an engaging discussion with Asian government officials at the dinner table and thus creates an ambient atmosphere and helps in building trusted relationship. The arts are truly our legacy. They are a way in which we can express ourselves and share our feelings with the world. Whether it be art, music, or another field, Ms. Blackwelder taught us to find what comes easy to us, our passion, and go after it. In the “Nidhika & Pershant Mehta Indian Art Gallery”, we also toured the facility with guidance from Felicia Yao from

Indian ~ Pakistani ~ Chinese dishes

HOUSTON: Bollywood Comedy King Raju Shrivastav and imensely popular Indo-JapaneseAmerican Comedian Daniel Nainan will perform in Houston on Sunday, April 17 at 6pm at the Wortham Center. Dont miss this laughter riot. It will be a clean actyou can bring your parents and children along! About Raju Shrivastav: Among stand-up comedians, a relatively unknown tribe in the Indian entertainment industry till recently, Raju Srivastava is the leader. Get surfing and chances are you’ll catch him in action. Chances also are that you will stay glued! Raju’s stand-up acts are not just vapid jokes that make you chuckle. His earthy humour is rooted in perceptive observations of family, society, politicians, actors, kids- Raju can see humour in almost everything. Raju began his career compeering, but it was with a laughter show on television that his luck changed. Now, the small screen just can’t get enough comic relief! Raju is dead against vulgarity in comedy, a mainstay of many stand-

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

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traveling desi

Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

southward Bound on the rajdhani express railway ailway

By jawaHar malHoTra ON THE RAJDHANI EXPRESS FROM DELHI TO BOMBAY: For me, the best parts of riding the trains are always the rocking motion and the sound of the tracks passing by swiftly. It’s more pronounced on the older railcars in India, where thousands of miles of track cover the entire subcontinent in more or less the same places that the British laid them during the time of the Raj. Do des ka den! Do des ka den! Do des ka den! The rhythm gets faster, then slower closer to stations and crossings. Like a wobbling bowling pin you shake in every direction, even up and down and the keyboard plays games with your fingers: it’S a cse of humt abd pevk witttth many corexyons@! The combination is deadly for reading or just sitting vacantly. Your hapless eyes jump all over the page as you read the same word twice and thrice before the strain gets to your temples and you have to put the quivering newspaper down and close those tired peepers for a minute. That’s all it takes! The minute becomes five and soon your jaw drops and a dribble forms in the corner of your mouth which you catch just in time when you awake with a jerk of the head. But do des ka den is best for lolling off to sleep, especially on the upper bunk of the sleeper car. You’re rocked like a baby, brief briefcase tucked behind the pillow, a sheet and blanket against the cold blast from the AC vent and curtains drawn against the light. Feet shuffle by in the alleyway, conversations become indistinguishable and soon waves of dreams stream through your head until the stiff stiffness of lying in the same pose on the hopelessly crumpled the bottom sheet wakes you up in the dark. Do des ka den! Do des ka den! Do des ka den! You pause for a minute to let the sound and motion soothe you, then climb down the uncomfortable three metal rungs and wobble to the toilet set in the linkage area between the two cars with a steel sink bowl outside the door. One door says Toilet-Western Style, the other Indian Toilet, the floors are wet in either one, each with the window ajar for air and with equally rustic plumbing and cleanliness. In the past, the hole from the commode opened straight down to the tracks, now an airplane type flushing system hopefully takes it to a septic tank, although the excrement that lines the tracks leaves room for doubt. I have travelled often on the Rajdhani Express between New Delhi and Bombay, usually on the night sleeper, making the best of the convenience of the in-town railway stations, and almost every year for the past four years. A private compartment for two is First Class Only, and almost double the rate (Rs.1995 one way) of the 2nd Class AC (air conditioned) for

waiters who are clad in plaid shirts, blue pants, a cap and a blue apron and chappals. Now the food is wheeled down the aisle in a narrow, tall cart like the one used on planes rather than individually stacked and hand delivered, although this is still not changed universally. Still, the aluminum food containers are individually foil-wrapped and placed on a plastic tray and, in a nod to the new retailing mood in India, the all condiments and spreads are served in Breakfast tray aboard the Rajdhani. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra small, sealed packages. “The reservation system has become computerized,” four, which is the same sans the is a choice of potato cutlets or an said my friend Dilip, “and you door and with curtains for walls, omelet, with two pieces of bread can even find your seat status by but two rows of slightly smaller and a two-cupper hot water steel phone to a centralized center.” But bunks (too bad if you are over 5’- thermos with coffee or tea packs. you can’t always get seats, since 10”) line the other window, also The snack is usually two pieces of the demand is so high and taktal with short curtains leaving a nar- white bread with cheese, a small or emergency booking is often row alley in between. juice pack and biscuits. Before the the last option, costing you much Two meals and a small snack are train leaves, the waiters always more. Any cancellations can be included in the price, but the menu hand out bottled water and a paper steep, upto 100 percent the ticket is almost always the same: dal cup. value on taktal reservations. (lentils), rice, yogurt (curd, as it is If I was expecting major changThe sleeper is like taking a peek called here), two rolled up paran- es in the service or carriages, I was into the domesticity rituals of the thas and a choice of “veg or non- sorely disappointed. The only im- average Indian, since there is a veg” mutter-paneer or chicken provement was a change of curtain huge lack of privacy among the curry for dinner with a salty toma- from blue to red and in the way swinging curtains and constant to soup and bread sticks. Breakfast that the food was passed out by the foot traffic in the alley barely wide

enough for one. But Indians never wait and try to squeeze by in twos making sure not to brush by each other, Heaven forbid, especially if the other one is a female, in this highly structured society, side stepping into the compartment and dragging the curtain aside! The three middle aged men in the larger cabin are having an animated conversation about the purpose of their trip to Bombay, pausing to discuss the national and world political scene and comparing lifestyles in the West with those in India. One is propped up against a pillow that hides his briefcase, one leg folded, the other bent as a rest for his arm and talks loudly for all to hear into his cellphone about urgent office matters. He is holding discourse with his colleague who sits with his back to the wall, both legs folded under, and confessed later as he got off that he had never. The third man is on the bunk across, leaning on the ladder rungs, chirping in occasionally. The young man in the next compartment tunes in radio on his phone and catches some pop tunes. A child clamors up the top bunk and then back again, his mother calls out, “Sonnu, bus kar!” (Sonnu, stop!) without really meaning

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

Obama Names Geeta Pasi as US Envoy to Djibouti

forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” Obama said in a statement. Prior to this assignment, Pasi has served as the deputy chief of mission at embassy Dhaka from 2006-2009. Her other overseas assignments included: deputy principal officer at the US consulate general in Frankfurt; political military officer at US embassy in New Delhi; political chief at embassy Accra; human rights and consular officer at Embassy bucharest; and political and economic officer at US consulate Douala. In Washington, Pasi served as desk officer Geeta Pasi is a career member of the senior foreign service and currently for Afghanistan and for serves as the director of East African Mali, Niger and Burkiaffairs in the Africa bureau at the na Faso. department of state. She also served as a currently serves as the director line officer in the executive secof East African affairs in the Af- retariat. Pasi received her BA from rica bureau at the department of Duke University and a MA in state. Obama also announced his in- French Studies from New York tent to nominate D Brent Hardt, University. Djibouti lies in Northeast Afambassador to Guyana, and Donald W Koran as ambassador to rica on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Rwanda. “I am pleased to announce that It has 314 km of coastline and these experienced and committed shares a 113 km border with Eriindividuals have agreed to join trea, 337 km with Ethiopia and this administration, and I look 58 km with Somalia. WASHINGTON( TOI): US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Geeta Pasi, a career foreign service officer, as his envoy to Djibouti. Geeta Pasi is a career member of the senior foreign service and

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

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india

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Woodpeckers’ Nest

Visit Pondicherry next not just for spirituality. Try out its furniture too

By PushP ushPa Pa Iyengar lowing the call (Outlook) It has for of Aurobindo longbeenthedestination as well as ashwhere the world-weary ram devotees have come to for spirithe world over, tual solace, the Francobeds, chairs philes have sought out, and tables sniffing some Anglofrom the ashFrench culture, and the ram’s carpenChennaiite has rushed try shop are to simply for some a must-have. cheap booze. Lately, Auroville though, Pondicherry is resident Kenji attracting seekers of a Matsumoto, different sort: the ones a 63-year-old lured by its abundant Crafts counsel Kenji Matsumoto at his workshop in sound engiwealth of colonial and neer-turnedAuroville antique furniture. sailor who From French or then turned English colonial pieces and replicas that absorbs you into its huge innards furniture maker, crafts Japanese-inof classic furniture to trendy cane so “you can curl up away from the spired furniture to order, such as low couches and old-meets-new hybrids world”. tables and boxes of different sizes for or contemporary and futuristic conIts French colonial roots have keeping jewellery or bric-a-brac. structions, there is enough to delight contributed to the place’s furniture No one seems able to quantify the the discerning or casual tourist in riches no doubt, but Pondicherry’s exact annual value of the Pondicherry Pondicherry’s furniture bazaar. If one famed adeptness at turning wood furniture business, but no one doubts is awed by the craft of the Chettinad to stunning effects has also attract- that the going is good. If, originally, pillar, another can’t resist the comfort ed Germans, French and Japanese Pondicherry’s furniture-makers were of the old rosewood planter’s chair craftsmen. One of them, the Japa- catering mainly to overseas buyers— or the rocking chair with a pouch nese-American George Katsutoshi in Europe, the US, Canada and even for a head rest or the ergonomically Nakashima, came here in 1937, and Australia and New Zealand—the delightful revolving chair in wood. gave Pondicherry a significant bit of recession in the West and the India Such is the embarrassment of its sheer its furniture history. Working at the growth story is bringing in buyers bounty in wood that leading trader K. time for a company commissioned from closer home. People from DelMuthuvijayanathan declares, “After to build a dormitory at the Aurobindo hi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore Calcutta, Pondicherry is the centre for Ashram, the eminent woodworker, and Chennai are now homing in on antiques in India.” architect and furniture-maker was Pondicherry to furnish their dream One doesn’t even have to go far. sent to Pondicherry as a construction homes. Evidence of Pondicherry’s furniture consultant. It wasn’t long before the German couple Clemens and Coco booty starts appearing all along ECR father of the American craft move- Gruttman, who started a furniture or the East Coast Road past the former ment and leading innovator of 20th- business 15 years ago, both restoring French colony, even before you have century furniture design became a old furniture and also making their hit town. “When I came here 17 years disciple of Sri Aurobindo. It was own (like their signature ‘Whisky ago,” Patrick Lafourcade, a French from him that he earned the Sanskrit Chair’, with an indent on one to nest furniture-maker and designer, restor restor- name of Sundarananda (one who your whisky glass), confirm this fact. er of church artefacts and building delights in beauty) and it was here Ten years ago, they say, only 20 per designer, reminisces, “there were just that he made his first furniture. His cent of their furniture was sourced by two or three shops.” Now there are 53 influence is evident even today at the buyers in India while the rest went shops on the ECR stretch between ashram workshop which is stocked abroad. Now, it is the reverse. “Unlike Pondicherry and Auroville, the best with books containing his designs. in the West,” Coco observes, “where location to snag walk-in clients. According to the workshop manager, most young people setting up a home Within Pondicherry, one of the eye- Devendra, Nakashima’s daughter, go to the nearest Ikea showroom to catching outlets is the two-year-old now in New York, still orders furni- furnish their apartment,” she is inCane Lab, boasting a high-profile cli- ture from this carpentry unit. creasingly encountering here young entele, and a white sprawling houseNeedless to say, the ashram has be- customers who “value heritage” and cum-office-workshop, an initiation come a major player in Pondicherry’s want to splurge on an expensive piece into the world of futuristic cane. As furniture business. Its sturdy and or two. Jean-Marc Joullie, a partner in the comfortable sofas, beds and kingSpending Rs 8,000-Rs 16,000 on venture, says, the idea was “to bring sized rocking chairs, made of timber a cane chair might seem a luxury modernity into rattan (cane)”. So a sourced from Trichy, grace not just to some, but then it’s the spending cane couch becomes transformed homes in Pondicherry but also at- power of the young Indian comes into “a place to lounge and cuddle” tract a string of foreign buyers. For as oxygen to Pondicherry’s thriving and a hanging seat becomes a place families who have moved here fol- furniture business. We provide Kerala specific Ayurvedic and Panchakarma Therapies for alleviating various pains and disorders based on consultation with our wellexperienced Holistic Consultant. To schedule prior Appointments with our Holistic Consultant or to avail our wellness program, please contact: 281-969-8062 or email to stafford@santhigramusa.com

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

History Witnessed at Wankhede MUMBAI: The final of the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which was played in Mumbai, the passionate and vociferous crowd of spectators included our very own Rajender Singh, CEO of Star Promotion Inc., Houston. According to Rajender, it was a privilege being at the Wankhede Stadium as he witnessed history being made. Add to that, the electrifying atmo-

a total that could really put pressure on the Indian batting lineup.” Being close to the Indian dressing room, during the innings break, Rajender tried to get hold of some of the indian players for a couple of pictures and sound bytes, but it proved to be a mighty task, given the tight security around the players area. But he did manage to wish Harbhajan Singh good luck as he just passed by. Rajender said that he had never felt the kind of nervousness in his life which he felt before the beginning of the Indian innings. Rajender Singh with Excise Commissioner of Maharashtra, Iqbalsingh Chahal at the VVIP Lounge at Wankhede Sta- “ T h e crowd dium, Mumbai. was very sphere and a cricket game of the tense when our innings began, highest quality made it a once- it got worse when Veeru got out in-a-lifetime experience for him. in the first over itself. Sachin In a telephonic interview with was looking in total control, but Indo Amerian News, Rajender then he was out too and at 31 said “Looking at the prospect for 2, the crowd began to feel of a match up between the two the anxiety and doubts began to subcontinental cricketing gi- creep in about the possibility of ants and the two best teams in an Indian win. But the way the the competition, I wanted to be young turks Gambhir and Kohli a part of the crowd there at any absorbed the pressure and built cost. As I reached the stadium, I their partnership helped ease the could see the excitement among tension amongst us fans. Dhoni the spectators who had queued took over after Kohli got out and up hours before the start. Tick- kept the scoreboard moving. As ets worth Rs. 5000 were being we kept getting closer to the tarsold for close to Rs 1,00,000. In get, one could feel the excitement spite of this, a lot of high-profile in the stadium and every run was businessmen, politicians and ce- being cheered by the people. lebrities were unable to get their When Dhoni hit a couple of hands on the coveted ticket. The boundaries towards the end off atmosphere was charged up and Malinga, who was their most the stadium was packed to capac- threatening bowler on that day, ity. If we saw the first half of the we knew that victory was gonna Sri Lankan innings dominated by be ours and the crowd erupted the Indian bowlers and fielders, when Dhoni hit the winning six the second half saw a turnaround into the crowd. The celebrations in the game. I, as a spectator, after the game had to be seen to was fortunate to have seen one be believed and the crowd was of the best hundreds ever scored on the streets of Mumbai well in a World Cup by Jayawardene. into the early hours of the mornHe looked in total control of his ing. The win made me feel regame and he helped them get to ally proud of being an Indian”.

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

Miracle in Mumbai Where were you when Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the sixer to win the World Cup for India? Hope you were up and able to watch the historical moment live. It was a moment relived 28 years after Kapil Dev and his boys won the first World Cup for India in London in 1983. While the Indian team in 2011 was seeded at the top, it is not easy to satisfy expectations in the face of the traditional favorite Australia, resurgent England and South Africa, and the unpredictable Pakistan. Just as in the NFL, any given cricket team can beat another, but over a series of matches, the talented teams do rise to the top. This was my second miracle run in the support of a team. I came to the U.S. in 1967 after growing up in Hyderabad while listening to Vizzy on the radio about the Indian team led by the Nawab of Pataudi with stalwarts like Chandu Borde and Bapu Nadkarni and rising newcomers such as M.L. Jaisimha and Faroukh Engineer. The only live match I had seen was a test match in Hyderabad between India and New Zealand. I was most impressed with the fashion conscious Pataudi with his cream colored silk shirt. Indian batsmen trembled against the livid pace of the West Indies bowlers. The medium pace of Ramakant Desai. Today’s team of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan is a world apart in talent and confidence. After coming to the U.S., I switched to following baseball and was excited to follow the “Miracle Mets” team led by pitcher Tom Seaver make their remarkable run to win the baseball World Series as an underdog. The risk one takes in following a team is that there are as many miracle runs as there are miracle disasters. Between the Mets in 1969 and the Indian World Cup in 2011 have been Houston Oilers “Luv Ya Blue” roller coaster ride, the Astros loss against the Chicago White Sox in the World Series, UH “Phi Slamma Jamma” loss to NC State in the NCAA tournament. You never know how long a team stays at the top. Let’s savor the success of Dhoni and the boys as long as we can until at least the 2015 Word Cup matches in Australia and New Zealand. Pramod Kulkarni

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Man or Mahatma?

By Karan Thapar They say one measure of a man’s greatness is the extent to which controversy surrounds him. By that yardstick, Mahatma Gandhi was a very great man indeed. In his lifetime, his insistence on sleeping naked with his nieces, his advice to the British to surrender rather than fight Germany and to the Jews to throw themselves off cliffs rather than resist Hitler, were flashpoints even if we have chosen to overlook or forget them. Now, six decades after his death, Gandhi is in the news on the grounds he might have been bisexual and racist. To be fair, Joseph Lelyveld’s biography makes neither claim. But quotations from letters Gandhi wrote to his friend Herman Kallenbach which, incidentally, are part of the officially published collected works, possibly point in this direction. British newspapers have jumped to this conclusion. I’m not an historian nor do I know enough about Gandhi to pass judgement. Instead, I want to raise a few, hopefully, thoughtful and timely questions. Let’s start with the bisexual bit. First, does this matter? Would our opinion of the Father of the Nation alter, leave aside diminish, if we discovered he was bisexual? Like the rest of us, even mahatmas have a right to a sex life in private. Second, can we ever know for sure? I would say no. People, including mahatmas, often choose to keep quiet about some aspects of their

lives. No doubt, Gandhi was brutally open about his experiments with celibacy — including a wet dream in

his late 60s! — but, as his grandson, Rajmohan, has revealed, he did not write about his passion for Sarladevi Chaudhri, around which, Rajmohan suggests, “Eros too might have lurked”. So it’s possible Gandhi also kept quiet about Kallenbach. Third, is this a legitimate area of enquiry? It is for those who want to know. But there is also a deeper reason for saying yes. The sublimation of sex was a critical challenge Gandhi set himself. Therefore, by his own touchstone, we have a ‘right’ to know. The allegation of racism is undoubtedly more troubling. Unlike a man’s sexual proclivities, which concern no one else, racist views do

affect others and, if proven, would damage his image. Particularly in the case of a mahatma. But, that apart, there are, again, a few questions to ask. First, can we deny that Indians are amongst the most racist people and usually look down on blacks? If, at an early point in his life, Gandhi was no different how much can we castigate him? Perhaps at the time the influence of his upbringing and society were greater than the force of his own thinking. Second, even if Gandhi once held racist views, did he not, in later life, cast them aside and is that not something we should applaud? We can all be wrong but only a few, willingly and voluntarily, correct themselves and embrace different views. At the very least, that’s true of Gandhi. Finally, if true, will all of this change how we view Gandhi? Will it throw into question the greatness of the Mahatma? In my estimation, these ‘revelations’ do not diminish Gandhi. They humanise him and emphasise his incredible capacity to correct error and rise above morally-debased thinking. If anything, his achievements are the greater for this. Gandhi was not a saint and certainly not a god. But he was a great man. He would be greater still if he was also sexually human and, at times, grievously morally wrong. The views expressed by the author are personal. Hindustan Times

Rhythm for Our World Cup Blues You place 11 men before a billion and order them to decimate the opposition. There would be nightly inquisition and men deemed to have made a mistake burnt at the stake. Grown-up men would fast for their success, or lead mobs to burn their effigies if they lost. Seemingly gods, they’d be used by advertisers to hawk a thousand products to the real god, the consumer. That’s what the Indian cricket team has gone through over the past five weeks of the World Cup. Tongues clucked over their bowling attack and fragile fielding. Batting was

their great strength, but collapses in four matches in the group stage were seen as national tragedy, an ominous sign of things to come. Yet, three days before the final, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was uprooting the stumps after India defeated Pakistan at Mohali. He was calm, unruffled, unhurried. Dhoni had been talking about “peaking at the right time”, and they did just that against Australia in the quarter-final. They fielded like devils, restricted the defending champions to a manageable score; when the going got tough in the chase, Yuvraj Singh yet again

IndoAmerican News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Business Manager: Jawahar Malhotra Managing Partner: Krishna Giri Community Reporter: Kalyani Giri Community Editor: Manasi Gokhale Administrative Manager: Vanshika Vipin Business & Recreation: Jacob David Graphic Design: Saqib Rana correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor, UK: Aseem Kulkarni New Delhi: Raj Kanwar ®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 5 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-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com

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showed his mettle. Suresh Raina too put his hand up, and then carried that mood into the semi-final. The pitch changed its character midway into the Indian innings, and the Pakistan players were possibly overwhelmed by the occasion and the noisy, partisan—but well-behaved—crowd. The Indians were clearly tougher through the event, overcoming several testing situations. Except for the remarkable West Indians and Australians, favourites have rarely done well in the World Cup. India now joins them. Outlook

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

Rasaanubhava’11 - A Showcase of Tradition and Colors of India

HOUSTON: Bharathanatyam is one of the oldest of classical arts practiced in India today which has its roots the temples of India. This visual media is a language itself and take years of learning to master it. It has a very well structured syllabus taking the learner from the simplest to the most complex of adavus or basic steps to the most complex of dances. Even the learning of dances has various levels to help students develop different skills in the student. Students of Abhinaya School of Performing Arts exhibited their level of their Bharathanatyam learning during their Annual recital Rasaanubhava’11 held at the Stafford Civic Center on 26th March 2011. The Abhinaya recitals are very special as the

Photo: Chetan Bhat

teacher-artistic director Mrs.Indrani Parthasarathy puts up a thematic production every year. Preparation to the recital is almost exam like with intense practices for three months. This year’s Rasaanubhava consisted of three parts, the Margam, Neela Madhava and Rangoli. The students performed from adavus to thillana to demonstrate their progress in the path –Margam, of Bharathanatyam learning. The highlight of the evening was the dance feature ‘Neela Madhava” by Indrani Parthsarathy and her advanced students. Conceptualized by Indrani the dance feature, told the story of Kirshna from birth to youth highlighting one personality trait. The dancers used the technique of

Southward Bound on the Rajdhani Express

continued from page

it. The Senior Citizen in the other compartment has his legs crossed Yoga style, peering over his glasses at the newspapers the porters have dropped off to each rider. And the old lady on the aisle bunk has made herself comfortable with two pillows to her back, legs crossed, a bag of Indian snacks open and reading her Hindi book. The fat man lies on his belly and speaks on his cellphone for an hour flirtatiously with the woman on the other end. A babble of languages criss-cross each other, Gujurati, Urdu, Hindi, English, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Telegu, some Pashto and then the –minute news bulletin comes on over the intercom and some strain to listen. “Yeh Akashvani hai. Ab aap aaj ki khabarein suniya ..” in Hindi by the male announcer followed by a stern sounding female announcer in English, “This isAll India Radio.And here is the summary of the news, read by …” styled ever since I can remember after the BBC News service. On the way back from Bombay to Baroda, I was fortunate enough to get a compartment which I shared with a young couple Shirish and Sheetal and 10-year old daughter Sanjana, their only child. “We’re the three S’s,” Sheetal, a comely woman 6 years younger than Shirish, laughed later after she had stared at me for a long time and asked as we ate the dinner that was served when she heard me speak Hindi to the waiter. “Toh aap Indian hai?” with a inquisitive smile. “Yes, I am Indian” I replied, “I’m from New Delhi.” I have often been mistaken for a foreigner in my own land, for a Mediterranean person or a Latino so I am used to this and expect it. It is my cloak of invisibility that I can use to my benefit, choosing when to discard it. Shirish had accepted a job in the purchasing department with Schneider Electric and left a similar position with APC in Bombay in order to beat the expensive big city and get closer to his relatives in Gujurat. As he started work the next day, he spread out on the bunk and Sheetal pressed his legs, sitting crossed legs on the bunk in her printed salwarkameez. After dinner, she lay down next to him, her feet towards his head and Sanju made friends with two

Top: Meerut railway station; right: the aisle in the 2nd class sleeper

Tamil girls her age in the next compartment. A short distance before we arrived in Baroda, the waiters came through the carriage with a tray spread out with mukhwas – fennel seeds and pieces of solid clarified sugar. “Sir?”, he looked at me inquiringly. I took a pinchful, reached into my pocket and placed a ten-rupee tip on the side to add to the others that he had collected to share with the rest of the staff.

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abhinaya to bring out the gist of the song and highlight the story parts. Colorful costumes added to the entire presentation which ended with a solo of Bhagawadgeetha presentation by Indrani herself. The melodious music was set and rendered by Srivatsa of Bangalore. The finale and the third part was Rangoli –colors, which was a fast paced medley of folk and semi classical dances presented by students of all levels. Excited happy young students dressed in bright folk costumes danced away to these catchy rhythms managing their stage entry and exits deftly. For more information on Abhinaya school please go to www.bharathanatyam.net or call 218-693-7480.

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Indo-American Association Presents

Humbled by public vindication, IAA apologizes and announces forthcoming events

IAA is proud to have put ALL THE FACTS in the matter of ICCR-sponsored concerts in front of the public with specific dates, people involved, discussions, decisions, and actions. CGIH in its well-crafted response has been unable to refute even a single fact put forth before the public by IAA. That speaks for itself. Evidently, it is one thing to rally friends to take pot shots at IAA and to threaten IAA with consequences; it is quite another to publicly face up to the facts! With apologies to all concerned, IAA regrets the inconvenience and worse that Houston’s Indian diaspora has gone through recently in this matter. To our patrons, series subscribers, and occasional ticket buyers, we offer particular and sincere apologies for this. We at IAA remain committed to presenting India’s best arts and culture and ask your understanding of all what we go through towards that end. The unpleasant episode is behind us and we are here before you with great events. Here are the details of the forthcoming events of IAA, all presented at the Wortham Center: Sunday April 10, 6pm Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Ed Meyer the best in jazz/blues Sunday April 17, 6pm COMEDY BONANZA Comedy King Raju Shrivastav Immensely popular Dan Nainan

Sunday May 1, 6pm GHAZAL KA SAFAR narrated journey of Ghazal by folks who brought BLACK & WHITE Friday May 13, 8pm WEDDING ALBUM English play written by Girish Karnad, directed by Lillette Dubey

Friday June 10, 8pm PANDIT JASRAJ IN BHAKTI RAS accompanied by full ensemble, Pandit ji dedicates whole evening to devotional music TICKETS: By phone: 281.648.0422 online: www.iaahouston.com Maharani Music: 713.782.6553

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

Book on Gandhi Stirs Passion in India By VIKas IKas Bajaj & julIe Ie Bosman KOCHI (NYT): Gandhi is still so revered in India that a book about him that few Indians have read and that hasn’t even been published in this country has been banned in one state and may yet be banned nationwide. The problem, say those who have fanned the flames of popular outrage this week, is that the book suggests that the father of modern India was bisexual. The book’s author, Joseph Lelyveld, does write extensively about the close relationship Mohandas K. Gandhi had with a German architect, but he denies that the book, “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India,” makes any such argument. In an interview Mr. Lelyveld, a former executive editor of The New York Times and a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist, said he thought he had “treaded very carefully” with the information, which he knew was delicate. “I lived in India, and there’s an Indian word called tamasha,” he said, which translates to “spectacle.” “I’m surprised to find myself at the center of one, because I think this is a careful book, and I consider myself a friend of India.” Still, this week Gujarat, the state where Gandhi was born and grew up, banned the book after reviews and news articles about it appeared in Indian newspapers. Gujarat is particularly conservative alcohol can’t be sold in there, for instance and the state is governed by a Hindu nationalist party. “The writing is perverse in nature,” Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, said of the book after the ban. “It has hurt the sentiments of those with capacity for sane and logical thinking.” India’s law minister, M. Veerappa Moily, said on Tuesday that “the book denigrates the national pride and leadership,” which he said could not be tolerated. Officials “will consider prohibiting the book,” he added. The crux of the controversy seems to be the intersection of two subjects on which Indians have strong views: sexuality and Gandhi. On the first point India is quite conservative, but the recent rapid growth of its economy has helped loosen attitudes, especially among the large youth population. In 2009 the Delhi High Court struck down a British-era law against sodomy, a ruling seen as a watershed for gay rights. Nevertheless most gay Indians would not feel comfortable coming out. On the second, Gandhi is revered even by the young, but there is little significant understanding of the nuances of his philosophy and life. He has been mostly reduced to an idol. Young Indians don’t spend much time studying him. And many of his ideas, like the development of smallscale village industries, have faded. That doesn’t mean Gandhi can’t be a figure of fun. A few years ago he was made a character in the Munna Bhai film franchise, about a gangster in Mumbai; the character is visited by Gandhi, who tells him to change his ways and give up violence. It’s a

comedy. The controversy also highlights India’s highly circumscribed right to free speech. Indian officials frequently ban and censor books, movies, art and other works. Under Indian law any citizen can petition to have a work banned, and activists and political leaders frequently exercise that right. But it is uncommon for even a book a year to be banned nationally. The constitution allows the government to impose “reasonable restrictions” on speech that might be construed as offensive. In 1988 India joined many Muslim countries in banning “The Satanic Verses,” the novel by Salman Rushdie, a native of India. Last year the Shiv Sena, a regional political party, forced the University of Mumbai to remove “Such a Long Journey” by Rohinton Mistry from its curriculum, arguing that this acclaimed novel denigrated the dominant Maharashtrian ethnic group. Certain subjects, like Gandhi, who is often referred to as mahatma, or great soul, are particularly guarded. Gandhi is widely admired not only in India but around the world for his advocacy of nonviolent struggle and the austere and celibate life he led when he was fighting for India’s freedom from the British. Using documents, letters and other research, Lelyveld writes about how Gandhi came to his particular social vision, first as a lawyer in South Africa and later as a freedom fighter, and how he tried to spread that vision in India, with mixed results. The controversy appears to have started because of reviews in publications in the United States and Britain, including one in The Wall Street Jour Journal, asserting that the book provides evidence that Gandhi was “a sexual weirdo, a political incompetent and a fanatical faddist.” That review, by Andrew Roberts, a British historian, argued that Gandhi was in love with Hermann Kallenbach, the GermanJewish architect with whom Gandhi lived in Johannesburg, and it cited letters from Gandhi to Mr. Kallenbach, which are quoted in “Great Soul.” Gandhi expresses great fondness and yearning for Mr. Kallenbach in the letters, telling him that his was the only portrait on Gandhi’s mantelpiece, opposite the bed, and that cotton wool and Vaseline were “a constant reminder” of him. The letters were acquired by the National Archives of India in an auction and have been available to scholars;

they were sold by descendants of Kallenbach. Gandhi destroyed Kallenbach’s letters to him early on, according to the book. In the book Lelyveld writes, “One respected Gandhi scholar character characterized the relationship as ‘clearly homoerotic’rather than homosexual, intending through that choice of words to describe a strong mutual attraction, nothing more.” But Lelyveld then acknowledges: “The conclusions passed on by word of mouth in South Africa’s small Indian community were sometimes less nuanced. It was no secret then, or later, that Gandhi, leaving his wife behind, had gone to live with a man.” Although Lelyveld does not draw a conclusion about the relationship in the book, he writes, “In an age when the concept of Platonic love gains little credence, selectively chosen details of the relationship and quotations from letters can easily be arranged to suggest a conclusion.” The situation is complicated by the fact that the book is not yet on sale in India, and very few people have read it. It was released in the United States on Tuesday. While Knopf published the book in the United States, HarperCollins is expected to publish it in India. The considerable negative press has unnerved executives at HarperCollins. V. K. Karthika, the publisher and chief editor of HarperCollins in India, said in an e-mail that a publication date has not been set. “Obviously we are concerned about the situation,” Ms. Karthika said, “but we are committed to the book and the author.” An editor at HarperCollins suggested that at least one revision be made for the edition in India, but Mr. Lelyveld refused. Ms. Karthika said on Thursday in an e-mail there was no reason to make any revisions. In the interview Mr. Lelyveld said the information about Gandhi’s relationship with Mr. Kallenbach was not his own discovery and was never intended to be the main focus of his book. “All I can claim is that I dealt with that material more extensively with an eye to the general public than anyone previously,” Mr. Lelyveld said. “But it’s not a central preoccupation. My book is about Gandhi’s struggle for social justice, not his intimate relationships. But he was a complicated man, and the two are linked.” The ban in Gujarat and a threatened ban in another state, Maharashtra, whose capital is Mumbai, as well as the threatened national ban, have drawn criticism from scholars, newspapers and some descendants of Gandhi. “I deplore the culture of bans and burning of books,” said Tushar Gandhi, a great-grandson. “It’s a form of draconian censorship.” In a telephone interview Mr. Gandhi said he was considering legal options to challenge the ban in Gujarat. Though he has not read the book, he said that his great-grandfather’s letters to Mr. Kallenbach have been in the public domain for years. “The story of his friendship with Hermann Kallenbach was very well documented,” Gandhi said.

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Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

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We Too Face the Entrance Exam

Each time I attend a party or meet the uncles and aunties, they would put up a broad smile and ask me about my job, salary, company, etc. I plan to do it in future.”

but for a short term? Would they recognise a place called Belfast? What would be the next question? Again with a smile on my lips, I nod, ‘Yes, to Belfast for a short period.’ The next question is, “Where is it? In America?” “No, in Northern Ireland, U.K.,” I replied. “Haven’t you been to America? Our son has been in America for two years,” comes the quick answer with a broad smile. As Ms. Saujanya rightly pointed out, if the guy is in the U.S., that surely increases the ‘market value’. I think of the guys in the non-IT sector or those who are assigned to domestic projects or those whose foreign customers do not approve of big onsite presence for several reasons. How would they be able to compete with the guys with the high ‘market value’! That’s not the end. It happened a

couple of times that after asking all this, my dear uncles and aunties and some parents of prospective “to-bebrides” ask, “Have you done your MBA? Or, are you planning to do one?” If competing with the U.S. boys was not enough, now I need to compete with the ‘cool MBA grads’ as well! I ask myself, are they looking for a guy or a wall-hanging Ph: postgraduate degree to marry their daughter with! Unfortunately, this time I answer with a disappointed smile, “No. I tried in the past, but no success yet.

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By Abinash Sahoo CHENNAI (Hindu) The Hindu, Open Page, February 6, carried an article ‘Why this entrance exam for us?’ by Ms. D. Saujanya. It brought a smile on my face and made me think whether it is only the “to-be-brides” who appear for such social entrance exams? Don’t the “tobe-grooms” too face similar tests? I have been a software engineer for seven years now. It is quite common that once a boy completes three-four years in a job, he is considered to have joined the league of prospective “to-be-groom.” Since then, each time I attend a party or meet the uncles and aunties, they would put up a broad smile and ask me about my job, salary, company, etc. The reason is, they need to search for a good bride for me and they need such basic information. So they took upon themselves the charge of being salespersons for me in ‘the market.’ I would smile back and say, “Yes, salary is good.” They won’t give in and ask again, “Yes, but how much? Four lakh per annum?” I would pause and think, how did they jump to this figure? I gave no hint! Maybe, that was the threshold they created in their mind, below which they would not consider me good enough to be in that ‘league’ or, considering my experience, they probably couldn’t think of a higher figure. So the next time I met another uncle or aunt and they asked me if it was six, I would just nod my head with a smile on my lips. No, I was not lying, they could always verify my pay slip, but my objective was to just make them feel happy. So even if the “to-be-brides” consider salary secondary, that is the first level of test the “to-begrooms” face. With the rising number of young graduates joining the IT industry, short or long-term foreign travel is taken for granted. So the uncles and aunties ask me the next question, ‘Have you been to any foreign country?’ I pause again to think. Should I say ‘yes,’

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  INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 08 , 2011• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 08 , 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

horoscope

Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE www.GaneshaSpeaks.com ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20: You hanker after providing a strong and solid foundation for yourself, to give yourself a feeling of security. Now is the time to look at long term investments in precious metals and real estate. The good part is you are unlikely to face many obstacles, as you go about putting your house in order. Things ought to fall smoothly into place. However, be careful about neglecting affairs at home, in your pursuit of materialistic concerns. Also, do not let your health become any less of a priority. TAURUS Apr 21 - Your domestic responsibilities finally catch up with you and will need your attention. Long pending renovations, refurbishing your office, dealing with issues of rentals, loans or pending dues, or even getting your children admitted to a school etc. are some of the issues you will tackle during this week. Your dependants will look upon you to provide them with a calm and soothing presence. Health issues may crop up, causing temporary panic situations, but they will be like the proverbial storm in a tea-cup and will blow over quickly leaving you a bit frazzled. GEMINI May 22 - Jun 21: The trend that began as a result of the full moon phase continues in right earnest. You put in intensive efforts at work, and claim the lion’s share of the spotlight. Any obstacles or hindrances that crop up in your way, you simply leap over. It is impossible to climb the ladder of success without treading on a few toes, but your temperament will be enough to diffuse any simmering, potentially explosive confrontations. You are determined to up the ante, and to bring a massive change in your lifestyle. It is not all work however. You manage to party hard and at the same time pay the attention required to your family. CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 23:You finally slow down and take a breather. The good life beckons and you will be eager to throw off the yokes and hit the social circuit. You make time for all your friends and family during this phase, as you realize that you need their presence to feel happy and fulfilled. You are now confident, and realistically hopeful about the success of your ventures, and that will make you a much more fun person to be around. There is a chance that you may now realize a major milestone in your life, or will have a long-standing wish fulfilled, maybe in the area of love. LEO July 24 - Aug 23: During your selfanalysis, you have probably identified a pattern of behavior that you know does your more harm than good. However, you will find hard to change your habits. You let your heart rule you, and that often makes it difficult for you to take decisions with the right perspective. However, during this period if your intuition warns you to stay away from some people or projects, pay heed to the warning. This is a good time for you, professionally, do not waste your time in idle pursuits. In fact, now is the time when you should be looking to display the full spectrum of your capabilities and strengths VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23: The gains that you have made in the recent past show no signs of abating. Even in the face of soaring expenses, you will still be able to put aside a good chunk of money for investment. You work harder and much more efficiently than ever before, and with the profits that you reap, you will be able to set yourself up to make that leap for the lifestyle that you have always craved. On

the domestic front, life will be pleasant. Your children will be a source of great joy to you. The health of an elder person may cause some concern, but all your worries ought to tide over very quickly LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23: You continue to stay focused and work your socks off to earn money for yourself and for those you love. You will set up realistic targets for material gains. Your priority list includes realty matters, renovation and family issues at the top. Despite some initial hiccups, domestic issues will get resolved. Your heart goes out to those who are in pain and you’ll make efforts to help them out. You may develop a feeling of insecurity, do not to let this emotion penetrate deep into your mind; just keep the spirit on. SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22: You are going through a rough patch, and the past couple of weeks have taken a toll on your emotional well being. During such trying times, your family members have been like an oxygen mask for you. You have displayed amazing strength and mental balance while dealing with the demanding times. Your never-say-die attitude, patience and courage are amazing. Things are settling down, so relax. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22: You lead by example. The efforts you put in your work inspire others to be positive and do their best. Your happygo-lucky attitude wins you a lot of friends and admirers. You may just realise that you have special feelings for a colleague of yours. Be careful. Your romantic life will blossom with some beautiful and happy moments, enjoy them! If you are married, the enhanced understanding with your spouse will strengthen the emotional bond you share. Cupid is aiming an arrow at you Archer, are you ready? CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20: The lessons that you learnt during childhood seem to be helping you a lot. The adage slow & steady wins the race’, holds to be true. Right attitude and hard work that you put in, leave no room for failure. Keen about new developments, you are hard bound on improving your work skills and enhancing your equations with colleagues. Besides work, family commitments will keep you busy. Life has pleasantries in store for you. AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19: Ask for it and you are bound to get it! You are super charged, and all your energy and concentration is deviated in such a way that you get what you desire. You look forward to bonding with old pals and making new contacts, which may prove to be a positive sign. Not only this, you also are much sought after and bag special invitations on all occasions. Probably, your harmonious & caring nature is spreading the magic. PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20: A happy go lucky Fish, you have no regrets in life in this point of time. Name, fame, money & peace is going to follow you. On the professional front, your hard work has paid off, and your achievements will take you to a new level altogether. Family bonding and harmonious equations is on the cards too! Take a break, unwind, socialize; friends and family are here to entertain you. A lucky period lies ahead of you, so relax and enjoy your life for now. Visit us Online for News, Comics and More!

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 08 , 2011• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Indo American News • Friday, April 08, 2011

ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

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