Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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Friday, May 13 2011 | Vol. 30, No. 19
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This Week Inside
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Indian Diaspora on Display at OTC
Colon Cancer: A Silent Killer
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ia d n I f o s ie t i C t s o L Team e 9 Pg 4 uction
Open Houston’s 2nd Conference Focuses on Innovation
By Pramod KulKarni K Karni HOUSTON: Our city may not have the reputation for innovation as Silicon Valley, but we can take credit for innovation not just in one field as computing, but in the diverse fields of oil and gas, medicine and academic R&D. The city is also an incubator of numerous successful startups such as Compaq Corporation that is now HP. In recognition of these achievements, the Organization of Pakistani Enterpreneurs of North America (Open) Houston, hosted its second annual all-day conference last Saturday, May 7, at the Omni Houston Hotel. The local chapter of the organization is led by President S. Anwer Hussain and Executive Director Sehar Javed. The second annual conference focused on innovation with in-
Bennett Rickard, director research and technology at Baker Hughes, spoke about the golden rules of innovation at Open Houston’s second annual conference with the theme of innovation in products, processes and people.
sights into process innovation, product innovation and people innovation. The day’s activities
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Devon Ave Brings Desis Home
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A Little Mandir in Medinah, IL
began with a keynote speech by Brad Freels, CEO of Midway companies and opening speech
by Nadeem Babar, CEO of Orient Power Company. continued on page
r rajaratnam convicted in i insider t trading case
light of india l i award for a c chitra divakaruni
By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Internationally acclaimed author and poet Chitra Divakaruni has received the Light of India Award 2011 that honors non-resident Indians who have distinguished themselves on the global stage. Divakaruni garnered the Jury Award for Journalism and Literature; Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri, and M.G. Vassanji were also nominees for the Jury Award, but Divakaruni was the unanimous selection of a worldwide readers internet poll, as well as jury members in the celebrated ilk of Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Pranay Gupte, Mahesh Dattani, and Madhu Trehan, to name a few. Sharing accolades in the category of erudite writers were Rushdie who received the Power of Influence Award, and Seth who was presented with the Peoples’ Award. Newly conceptualized and initiated for the first time this year by Remit2India, a Times Group service, the awards in six categories ranging from cor-
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on Full Story porate excellence to the arts and entertainment, were presented at a glittering event held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on April 22, 2011. Her Excellency Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador to the United States, was Chief Guest on the occasion. Houston-based Divakaruni did not get to attend the event because of other commitments. Her editor Barbara Jones at Hyperion Voice attended and accepted the trophy on her behalf. continued on page
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NEW YORK: Raj Rajaratnam, the hedgefund tycoon and Galleon Group LLC co-founder at the center of a U.S. insidertrading crackdown, was found guilty of all 14 counts against him in the largest illegal stock-tipping case in a generation. A jury of eight women and four men in Manhattan
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returned its verdict today after hearing evidence that Rajaratnam, 53, engaged in a seven-year conspiracy to trade on inside information from corporate executives, bankers, consultants, traders and directors of public companies including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) He gained $63.8 million, prosecutors said.
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l light of india i a award for chitra c divakaruni
i indian m mustaches command respect! r
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Police in a district in India’s Madhya Pradesh state are being paid to grow moustaches because bosses believe it makes them command more respect (BBC) Ten policemen in the northern respectfully and pleasantly. That is when state are already receiving 30 rupees (66 I thought of making more policemen US cents) every month for their efforts. grow moustaches,” Jain said. Jhabua disThe decision to trict police chief pay them a whisMayank Jain moustache as a sign of ker more every told BBC News masculinity month for their Online: “The reefforts was just sponse is growa “little motivaing and in the tion”, he said. months ahead Mr Jain said he we expect to see was keeping a more moustawatch on the shape chioed policeof the moustaches men. so that they did “Moustaches not look too inare improving timidating, and so the personalities have the opposite of our constables. They are acquiring an effect on people. aura of their own. They are creating a “It takes time to keep a proper mouspositive impression on the local people tache. A good one has to take a turn and getting a lot of respect.” near the angle of the upper lip,” Mr Jain ‘Motivation’ said. The police chief hit upon the idea of He said that in the next few months moustaches-for-cash after a seminar at- many more of the 1,100 policemen at the tended by district policemen and local district’s 22 police stations would begin people. sporting moustaches. “There were two or three moustaMen in rural India have traditionally chioed constables in the gathering and I sported impressive moustaches to assert saw people were looking at them very their masculinity.
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“I heard it was a really nice function and it would have been really nice to go, but my mother-in-law was really very ill at the time, and I had a graduate student scheduled to have his thesis defense that day. Family and work responsibilities come first,” said Divakaruni, a professor of creative writing at the University of Houston and a multiple award-winning author and poet whose books have been translated into over twenty languages. She writes poignantly and lyrically of the immigration experience, a subject she has a fundamental understanding of, having moved from her native Kolkata to the USA over 30 years ago. “I was very honored to be nominated and very surprised. Among the other nominees were Jhumpa Lahiri and Vikram Seth, and of course Salman Rushdie, so iI felt I was in excellent company. Frankly, I didn’t think I’d win!” confided Divakaruni. Very popular in this city for her giftedness and her humility, Divakaruni is down-to-earth and hardly ever bothered by her celebrity status; rather, she seems quite unaware of it and of the adulation of a legion of fans worldwide. “I’m not sure why I won over some of these other writers whom I admire greatly and who have larger followings. I’m just thankful and appreciative, and it makes me want to work harder at making my books better!” added Divakaruni. She is working on a novel titled Oleander Girl, about a young woman from an old and respected Kolkata family who on the eve of her marriage finds out a shocking family secret that turns her world upside down and makes her travel to America. Her other books include Arranged Marriage, Sister of My Heart, Vine of Desire, One Amazing Thing, and The Palace of Illusions. For more information about Chitra Divakaruni visit www.chitradivakaruni.com or on follow her on Facebook at Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. © Indo American News, 2011
Farmer Fury s singes Agra, Aligarh
NOIDA/LUCKNOW: Farmers’ frenzy against land acquisition spread on Sunday and singed more places in west Uttar Pradesh with the number of those killed rising to four. While 22 protesters were arrested for rioting and arson, the state government announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information on absconding farmer leader Manveer Singh Tevetia who triggered the protests. Four policemen were injured in Agra where farmers attacked cops demanding higher compensation for their land. Angry farmers in Agra’s Etmadpur tehsil hurled stones at the police and burnt down their vehicles apart from setting fire to the camp of office of a construction company at Gangauli and Jikarpur in Aligarh. The fourth victim of the unrest was a farmer who died in Noida’s Kailash Hospital. More than a score have been injured in the violence so far. Of the three killed on Saturday, two were cops, which incited
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the jawans of the Provincial Armed Constabulary into a brutal crackdown on village Bhatta-Parsaul. On Sunday, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was clamped here prohibiting even reporters from entering the village. Protests were also reported from villages in Mathura. In Agra, protesters fired at cops and torched vehicles following which cops used force to disperse them. “The situation is now under control,” said Agra deputy inspector general of police Aseem Arun. While a large posse of police, PAC and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in troubled areas, UP chief minister Mayawati met with senior officers in Lucknow to devise ways to control the angry farmers. Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh was detained with his supporters while on way to Bhatta-Parsaul, and local BJP leaders and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, too, were arrested.
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Open Houston conference
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The first panel concerning product innovation consisted of Paul Dickerson, partner in Haynes and Boone LLP Clean Tech practice; Imran Khan, president of SoftServ International; and Ron Hinn, vice president of training at Petroskills. The second panel focused on innovation process. The participants were John N. Doggett, professor at the McCombs School of Business of the University of Texas, Aaron R. Swanson, director of managed innovation at Baker Hughes; and Kimberly Watson-Hemhill, founder of Firefly Consulting. The final panel of the conference concerned the people aspects of innovation. The panelists were Kamran Khan, vice provost for information technology at Rice University, Bennett Richard, director of research and technology at Baker Hughes Completion and Production; and Samina Farid, co-founder and chairman of Merrick Systems and formerly with Esso Eastern in Pakistan and HNG/Enron as director of pipelines. “There are two golden concerning people involved in innovation,” Richard explained. “First, do not be afraid of failure and second, surround yourself with people more talented at innovation.” In his closing remarks, Anwer Hussain thanked the volunteers who staffed the various conference committees. “They came up with the conference theme of innovation and worked hard in making the conference a great success.” If you receive your paper more than four days after the dateline, please file a complaint with your post office or call the USPS Consumer Affairs Office at 713-226-3442 Indo-American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $30 per year) by Indo-American News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036, tel: 713-7896397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo-American News, 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036
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new Television s n series to explore India’s “Lost” cities c HOUSTON: Journey back through the ages… to times before the sound stages of Bollywood… before Mahatma Gandhi… before the Bengal Lancers… before the Taj Mahal… perhaps, even before the Sphinx rose from the desert sands. Civilization in the Indian sub-continent is so old that it is beyond telling. Indeed, it is now known that Egyptian mummies were wrapped in strips of the finest Indian cottons. Hindu sacred texts and grand epics such as the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita tell of us of gods and goddesses, heroes and battles, and the struggle between good and evil. Long considered the stuff of myth, these ancient tales are now starting to be seen in a different light, thanks to modern technology and the work of Indian archaeologists. Did these literary masterpieces contain more fact than fable? The names Dwarka, Kurukshetra and Magadha are familiar to every schoolchild in India. But, in the West, they are all but unknown. That’s about to change as an ambitious new television series, The Lost Cities of India: In the Footsteps of Heroes, takes viewers to the most fascinating of these legendary sites as they reveal their secrets to scientists. The Lost Cities of India, a joint production of Guardhouse Pro-
Production team visiting Houston to showcase the project Mohenjo-Daro
ductions, an American firm; and Feather Films, based in New Delhi; is an eight-part series of onehour programs. Location shooting is expected to begin this Fall in fabled cities such as Ayodhya, Mathura (Vrindavan), Kurukshetra, Dwarka, Mohenjo-Daro and the Harappan sites, the towns along the Saraswati River, the cities of the Buddha (Lumbini, BodhGaya and Kushinagar) and Magadha, and let the viewer walk in the footsteps of ancient heroes, visit places sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and make pages of the great Indian epics and texts come alive before their
eyes. “This will be a unique showcase for Westerners to learn about India’s incredibly rich history, culture and religious traditions,” said Surya Iacono of Guardhouse Productions. “The IndianAmerican community has been extremely supportive of the project,” her partner, Burt Kempner, added. “We hope we can count on them to help us see it through to completion.” Iacono and Kempner will be traveling to Houston for a presentation at the India House on Thursday, June 9th from 6:009:00 pm. The evening’s program
will include a discussion of the scope of the project by the producers, a video preview of the series and a question-and-answer session. The presentation will be preceded by a social hour with light refreshments served. Admission to the event is free and is open to all. An RSVP via email to krishnagiri@aol.com or by calling 832 368 4012 will be appreciated. “We’re really excited to come to Houston,” Iacono said. “We’ve assembled a first-rate team to make this series a reality and we want the Indian-American community of Houston to share in
our excitement. Our production partners in India are some of the country’s leading documentary filmmakers, and we are in discussion with Morgan Freeman to be our narrator.” “There are many among us here in Houston that take a keen interest in television and motion picture. There are also that many with a shrewd eye on business opportunity even as they saver the satisfaction of supporting India’s wonderful heritage and culture structure,” said Krishna Giri, Houston reprsentative of Lost Cities and associate of epic productions such as the four hour long docudrama, Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi, first Indian movie to be distributed by the Warner Bros. Iacono and Kempner said that The Lost Cities of India may of offer up some surprises for even those who know the country well. Thanks to modern technology, Indian archaeologists are making discoveries that would otherwise not have been possible. They are uncovering intriguing clues that some of the places and heroes mentioned in the ancient epics and sacred texts might have had a basis in reality. The producers hope the finished series will educate and entertain Western audiences, while boosting tourism to the sub-continent.
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ekal Launches s sustainable Farming Program in r rural India Project Fully Funded with Charitable Gift from Shah Capital
HOUSTON: The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, a non-profit service organization supporting education and village development in rural India, is proud to announce a pilot program engineered to introduce self-sustaining farming practices to impoverished villages in the Indian states of Orissa and Maharashtra. The two trial phases of the Vermi Compost Project are being financed by North Carolina-based financial firm, Shah Capital, with plans for expansion of the program in the works. Centered around a technique of organic fertilizer production known as vermi composting, the pilot phase of this innovative program is being implemented in
said Subhash Gupta, president of been able toBhatia; obtain Saroj costly Bahl; non- Khush Dr. Kiran Basra & Sudesh Mehta organic fertilizer and only by Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of purchasing it from outside sourc- USA. “Our organization is highly es – a practice which has led to appreciative of Shah Capital’s widespread debt among rural generous assistance in funding farming families as well as soil this program; it will, no doubt, and groundwater pollution. In aid in speeding the economic deaddition to providing an added velopment of these marginalized revenue stream for the farmers, and largely forgotten villages. As the Vermi Compost Project will the program continues to grow, drive down debt by eliminating it is our hope that more philanthe need to buy fertilizer. Due thropists will join us in creating to its organic nature, the use of financial independence and alvermi compost also diminishes leviating health risks for these the release of harmful pollutants deserving people.” About Ekal Vidyalaya Founinto the environment. “We are so excited to be in- dation The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundavolved in this unique initiative,” said Shah Capital founder and tion is a non-profit organization CIO Himanshu Shah. “One of based in Houston, Texas that operates single-teacher schools and sponsors village development in rural India. The foundation is a volunteeronly, nongovernmental education movement
100 agricultural communities in underdeveloped regions of India. It is projected to directly impact the lives of more than 300 families currently living below the poverty line. With an entrepreneurial ideal at its core, the program is derived from the “teach a man to fish” philosophy in that its objective is to become both empowering and self-sustaining by using the composting system to fuel higher crop yields while creating a continuous and previously non-existent source of revenue for the program’s participants. To drive the multi-tiered program, three families from each of the 100 villages will be charged with managing operations that include cultivating, bagging, storing, transporting, and selling the compost. The families will also be using the compost on their own crops. Until now, these villagers have only
the things that many people don’t necessarily realize is how far a donation will go in India to help those in need. With our phase one contribution accompanied by the follow-on investment, we are able to extend our support to a total of 1000 families. In anticipation of this pilot project’s success, it is our hope that the program will continue to grow from there.” “This project will serve as a model in our crusade to curb the poverty that is endemic in the remote and tribal villages of India,”
education for children, as well as health care, livelihoods and empowerment education for the entire village. For more information, visit ekal.org. About Shah Capital Shah Capital is a leading investment management firm located in
in India, operating in over 34,000 villages and educating over 1,000,000 children in the India tribal belt. Ekal’s philosophy is to take a holistic approach to social and economic development, providing primary school
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13, 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
Raleigh, NC. In addition to serving the needs of its clients with the utmost care and professionalism, Shah Capital aspires to serve its community in philanthropic endeavors that can strengthen society as a whole. For more information, visit shahcapital.com
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cleveland Thyagaraja m c music Festival spellbinds s
By Thara narasimhan CLEVELAND: A visit to the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana music festival was so very special that made Houston proud. Sriranjani Darbha, student of Rajarajeswary Bhat of Houston’s Swaralayam Arts forum was awarded the First place in
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Announcement Due to some technical difficulties and the 1110 AM tower breakdown, Radio Masti is rescheduling their Rabindra Jayanti presentation for Sunday, May 15. Tune in on May 15 to listen to Rabindra Jayanti RABINDRA on 1110am from 5-8pm. For more information call 713-505-3518
children to participate in various competitions and excel in Indian tradition of vocal carnatic music, classical dance, veena, violin, mridangam, moarsing, KunnaKol, Saxophone,Harikatha, and various categories of Krithi, Alapana,Niraval, Kalpana Swaram, Pallavi, Advanced Pallavi, Viruttham, Concert Competition , Burnished Gold(Adult competition) and Harikatha. Legendary artistes from India are invited to perform to the North American diaspora showcasing them. The artistes also are made the judges of the competition and this sets higher From left: Kruthi, Srisanvitha, Ahi and Sriranjani (Winner Apoorva standards of peris not pictured). Back: Swaralayam Director Ravi Iyer, Cleveland formance and motivates children to Sundaram & Guru Rajarajeshwary prepare well. “Best Concert” competition category and The Sustaining Sampradaya a phenomhas been chosen to sing at the prestigious enal performance by the Diaspora children Madras Music Academy. was outstanding. There is a lot of emphaHouston’s participation was phenomenal sis on raga elaboration, kalpana swaram and collected two Best Awards. The high- and other aspects of manodharmam. Thirly acclaimed “Best Teacher” award was ty four young Indian-Americans,vocalists received by Rajarajeswary Bhat, and the and accompanists are trained by some of other “Best Service award” was received the leading vidwans of Carnatic music, by Nalini Mukhopadhayay. gave a spellbinding concert to a packed For the past five years Swaralayam auditorium on the inaugural day. Particistudents has been in the Winners Circle pation in this is a long process, reviewed clinching the top most prizes at the Cleve- by a Committee by end of October the preland Thyagaraja Aradhana. Swaralayam vious year. sishyas through their dedicated saadhana, Training by India-based vidwans begins with tutelage of Guru Rajarajeshwary early November. There are at least 2 classBhat and unconditional parental support es per week using high speed conferencing won nine prizes this year. The 11-year old for imparting training. Those interested, Sriranjani Darbha as the Concert Winner should be ready to invest time both for the received a grand prize of a Thambura. classes as well as for practice. This comShe will present two concerts under the mitment has to begin in early November banner of India’s most prestigious sabhas and has to continue up till the festival. The during the 2011 December Music Season, final rehearsal happens one day before it the world renowned, Music Academy in is presented on the inaugural day of the Chennai and Shanmukhananda Sabha in Cleveland festival. Mumbai and an award of $1,000 will be Sriranjani Darbha participated in this provided to help with her travel expenses. year’s sustaining Sampradaya. She recentThe Music competition participants this ly also gave a concert in Houston where year were Sriranjani Darbha, Apoorva Das, she raised money for Japan Tsunami ReAhi Ajayan, Srisanvitha Sridhar, Pooja ku- lief fund sponsored by Swaralayam Arts mar, Kruthi Bhat, Keerthana Bhat, Krishan Forum. She was accompanied by KamalaSrinath, Shilpa sadagopan, Vishnu Sada- kiran Vinjamuri(13) on the Violin and Ragopan, Maya Iyer, Vaishnavi Narasimhan, jna Swaminathan (20) on the Mridangam. and Avantika Gopal. What is so very spe- The three young performers were excepcial about the Cleveland Aradhana is that tional and brilliant. it draws attention from all over the ClasThe Cleveland Thyagaraja festival that sical Carnatic Music and dance talent that makes Houston really proud of the musiis seen outside of India. They encourage cal talent that exists in our community.
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13 , 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
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Indian diaspora on display at oT o c By Pramod KulKarni K Karni HOUSTON: People and companies throughout the Indian diaspora made a significant impact via technical papers, presentations and exhibit a the Offshore Technology Conference last week. Among the companies exhibiting at the conference included American Block Co., American Completion Tools, Ambica Steels Ltd., Bharti Shipyard Ltd., Gumpro Drilling Fluids, Tata Steel, Parveen Industries and Kalsi Seals. Among the technical presenters, Sandeep Khurana of Noble Energy organized a panel discussion on “Offshore Energy Development American Block owner Rajni Shah (far right) through a Post-Spill Reality.” with his staff at the American Block exhibit Indian oil companies, such as at the OTC and the Tata Steel booth (below). ONGC, sent full delegations to participate in the OTC. Walking through the OTC exhibit floor, it was possible to run into numerous IndoAmericans working for various operating companies, service companies and drilling contractors that are currently based in countries all the way from Malaysia and Australia to Canada.
Attorney Amy donnelly Ashby Joins George r. w willy P.c. SUGAR LAND: George R. Willy P.C., an immigration law firm in Sugar Land, Texas, is pleased to announce that Amy Donnelly Ashby has joined the firm as a Senior Associate Attorney. Amy Donnelly Ashby’s practice focuses on business immigration, resolving legal issues for clients with foreign consulates and embassies, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulates, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard. She has effectively defended clients during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Form I-9 investigations and successfully represented clients in their efforts to obtain nonimmigrant and immigrant status, Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards (TWIC), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) employment access and U.S. citizenship. Ashby earned her J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas. At South Texas College of Law, she participat-
ed in seminars sponsored by the Judge Frank Evans Center on Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution. She was admitted to the Texas State Bar in November of 2006 and is licensed by the Texas Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. “I’ve known Amy for many years and have always been impressed with her knowledge of immigration law and her professionalism in her practice of law,” said George R. Willy, founder and principal attorney of the firm. “She is going to be key in helping out clients navigate the treacherous waters that are immigration law. We are delighted she is joining our team.”
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colon cancer: A s silent Killer
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By sewa s. leGha md HOUSTON: Colon Cancer is number-3 most frequently diagnosed cancers among the Americans and it accounts for second most frequent cause of cancerrelated deaths (Lung Cancer being number 1). Until recently colon cancer was considered an uncommon cancer in the under developed nations of the world, particularly in Africa and South Asia. The Asian immigrants to the United States (as observed in the Japanese) do acquire an increased risk of developing colon cancer which is often attributed to adoption of Western diet and other life style behaviors including sedentary habits, increased alcohol use and possibly some unknown contributors to causing this disease. Colon Cancer is commonly a disease o f the middle aged with 90% of cases diagnosed in the age over 50 years, although it can sometimes occur in younger adults in their 20’s and 30’s. Because this cancer begins in the mucosal lining of the colon, it can grow silently without producing any early symptoms. Consequently, in about 25% of the cases it has already spread to internal organs like liver (Stage-4) before a clinical diagnosis is made. The symptoms of colon cancer typically consist of change in bowel habits, with tendency to increasing constipation, which may cause abdominal discomfort or cramps intermittently. These tumors tend to bleed, often presenting with unexplained anemia. Gross bleeding per rectum is not an uncommon feature of tumors located in the lower colon or rectal cancer. More advanced tumors may cause anorexia, weight loss and fatigue due to anemia. Bowel obstruction or bowel perforation can sometimes be a presenting feature of advanced cases of colon cancer. Screening and Early Detection of Colon Cancer: Because colon cancer is highly curable when it is detected and removed in its early stages (stage 1 & 2), screening interventions are recommended and commonly used based on their impact in increasing survival of those who are screened as per the current recommendations. Like other cancers, colon cancer begins insidiously and remains localized to the wall of the colon for variable period of time before it begins to spread to the regional
lymph nodes (stage-3) and later on into internal organs like liver and lungs. (Stage-4). The goal of screeing procedures is to diagnose colon cancer when it is still in stage 1 or 2 when the probability of cure is 75% to 90%. Once the disease has progressed to stage-3, the odds of cure drop to 30%- 40%. Stage- 4 is largely incurable unless the disease has a limited spread which may be resectable with the help of additional chemotherapy (followed by surgery). There are several screening procedures, which have proven useful in early diagnosis. These include digital rectal examination (useful in detecting rectal cancer), fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, double contrast barium enema or colonscopy. Among these procedures, colonoscopy has yielded the best results and is now recommended for all adults at the age of 50 years.
This is an outpatient procedure, which besides its diagnostic value, is also effective in removing colon polyps, which are the precursors of colon cancer. If the colonoscopy is normal, it provides security for 10 years. Despite its proven value, the adoption of colonoscopy in the US is still only 40% which means that 60% of the population has not complied with the current recommendations, which, if followed religiously, have the potential to save 30,000 lives per year in the US alone. Treatment of Colon Cancer: The mainstay of treatment of colon cancer is partial colectomy (surgical resection of a segment of colon containing the tumor). After the tumor is resected, the ends of healthy colon are united together to restore the continuity of the bowel. More than 90% of colorectal cancers can be resected without requiring a colostomy (colon connected to the skin of the abdomen and hooked up to a collection bag). Only rectal cancers typically require a colostomy. Even in these patients, primary closure is possible except in patients where the tumor is too close to the anorectal sphincter, which controls the continence of the bowel. Surgery also plays an important role in resection of liver metastases, provided a good portion of the liver can be
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13 , 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
preserved after complete resection of the metastatic lesions (typically 1, 2 or 3 tumors) Besides surgery, medical therapy using drugs (chemotherapy and immunotherapy) plays an important role in the management of advanced colorectal cancer. These drugs can be used before surgery, immediately after recovery from surgery or used in patients when their disease relapses (Stage-4). Several of the drugs used in colon cancer have been developed in the last 10-15 years and have added many years to the life of patients with advanced colon cancers. The most important chemotherapy drugs include: 5-Fluorouracil(5-FU) or its oral congener, Capecitabine(Xeloda), Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin. Besides chemotherapy, 3 additional drugs, which are a form of immunotherapy have become an important component of treatment for stage 4-colon cancer. These drugs include, Avastin, Ceuximab and Vectibix, which are classified as monoclonal antibodies, a form of targeted therapy. Prognosis of Colon Cancer If detected at Stage-1, the cure rate for Colon Cancer is 90% or better. This is only possible with the aid of colonoscopy, which can visualize early, asymptomatic cancers. In stage-2 colon cancer, the tumor is more advanced yet is is localized to the colon wall and the cure rates with operation are 70% to 80%. Patients with Stage-3 cancers require surgery and postoperative chemotherapy (adjuvant therapy) yet the cure rates are only 50% to 60%, with chemotherapy taking credit for 10% increase in the long tern survival. The survival of patients with metastatic cancer has steadily improved from 6-9 months without chemotherapy, to a survival of 2-3 years with the use of modern anticancer drugs. The Indian American Cancer Network (IACAN) is committed to promote cancer awareness and prevention through education by organizing outreach events in the community. The upcoming outreach event titled “Colon Cancer- How Screening And Early Detection Can Be A Life Saver” will be held on Sunday, May 22 from 3-5pm at India House. The speakers are Dr. Ravi S. Mani and Aakash Gajjar. For more information, visit www.iacannetwork .org or call 713-370-3489.
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
Air India o operates 18 c charters for its Passengers To minimize the inconvenience to passengers, Air India has taken a number of measures, including flying 18 chartered flights (16 domestic and 2 international) with aircraft taken from Kingfisher Airlines and Air Arabia. Over 12000 Air India passengers have been transferred to other domestic and international carriers at the four metros. Moreover, Air India is further looking for inducting capacity on wet lease basis. A tender advertisement inviting RFP is being issued in newspapers on 05th May 2011. Operations of all international flights, Gulf flights and regional flights are 100% normal. Other measures undertaken by Air India to facilitate affected passengers and to reduce the effect of disruption and inconvenience
due to the disruption of its domestic flight operations include opening Special ‘Assistance Counters’ with prominent signage. ‘May I Help You’ Teams have been operationalised at major base airports to assist the passengers. Transfer Desks at all international airports have been
strengthened for smooth transfer of passengers, particularly from /
to International destinations. Passenger facilitation Teams at the metro airports have been augmented by deputing more than 75 officers and staff from other departments on a 24x7 basis. Air India Call Center is also disseminating information about the schedules and arrangements to passengers. Officials at the airports are updating the Call Centre on a current basis. Hotel accommodation is being provided to passengers whose journeys are rebooked on alternate flights on the following days. Refreshments and meals arrangements have also been made for the passengers of disrupted flights.
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HOUSTON: Indian Americans have to deal with people who tell them they smell like rice and curry. Indian Americans have been asked if they know the Indian people who work at the gas station down the street. If Indian people would eat the cow they wouldn’t starve. Leena Ceraveeni’s debut novel, The Hometown, documents the racial experiences of an Indian girl born and raised in Indiana. Each chapter of The Hometown focuses on a different racial experience when 23-year-old Mala Thomas packs up her Acura Vigor and makes an impulsive move to Houston. In Houston, she doesn’t get questioned about being Indian. The South is very different from the Midwest and Mala
can’t take the word “y’all” seriously. On her career path, she lands a job in the energy industry and falls for work-obsessed Cyril, a Creole who works in her office building. The
Leena Ceraveeni’s debut novel, The Hometown, documents the racial experiences of an Indian girl born and raised in Indiana.
death of the sister she can’t remember, her love for ’80s rock, and her past racial experiences follow her everywhere she goes. About the Author Leena Ceraveeni gradua t e d from Indiana U n i versity. S h e lives i n Te x as.
JOB AVAILABLE Jim Murray Agency located in Missouri City, Texas is looking for a licensed (P&C) and experienced Account Manager to handle commercial accounts. If interested, please contact Ami Patel at
281-499-6790
or email: patela11@nationwide.com Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13, 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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opinion
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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succour Punched s
Domestics get no help from WCD ministry
By anuradha raman (Outlook) If women domestic workers in this country were hoping for some succour under the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Bill, they are in for a disappointment. That is if Union women and child development (WCD) minister Krishna Tirath’s recommendations are accepted when the bill comes up for final clearance in Parliament. Tirath says the provisions of the bill will be difficult to implement in a household and it would be better if domestic workers took recourse to criminal law for redressal. A strange logic— which practically refuses to see households as a legitimate site of work—and one that surprisingly has the endorsement of the Union cabinet. Stating that there would be “practical difficulties” in applying the law within a household, the WCD ministry spells out its explanation in a note dated February 21, 2011: “This issue was examined in consultation with the ministry of law and justice and it was felt there would be practical difficulties in applying the law within the household.” The difficulties being: “Sexual harassment as defined under the said bill is dependent on the perception of
Grossly Unfair
At your service But who serves her cause?
the aggrieved woman and is any unwelcome, sexually determined behaviour, whether directly or by implication. Given that it is not possible to establish codes of behaviour within homes and the fact that an incident in the confines of a home is not likely to bear any witnesses, any complaint by a domestic worker would be one person’s word/perception against another’s. It would be more practical to take recourse to provisions under criminal law.” Tirath forgets a home is the workplace for domestic workers, and unorganised as they are, the bill would have offered them a legal recourse in the event of
harassment. There are frequent cases of women and young girls being physically abused by their employers, cases which rarely come to light. Says Jeanne Devos of the National Domestic Workers Movement, “The majority of abuse cases are behind the closed doors of the house. Give me one instance when there are witnesses to such incidents. Women and children (despite the ban on child labour, many young girls from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh comprise the bulk of the workforce) need additional protection.” Jeanne’s organisation receives at least three cases a week, not all of them relating to sexual harassment, but including
physical abuse in households. Incidentally, states like Tamil Nadu have included domestic workers in the Manual Labour Act, while Andhra Pradesh has offered a protective cover under the legal provision for minimum wages. While domestic helps are covered under the Unorganised Sector Workers’ Social Security Act, the current bill would have offered them a legal cover giving them recourse to criminal law. Tirath’s ministry has also recommended that a clause pertaining to punishment for false or malicious complaints and false evidence be retained, to “guard against the possibility that abuse by some people may affect the credibility of genuine complaints”. The
• WCD minister Krishna Tirath says difficult to apply laws in households • Ministry says it’s not possible to establish codes of behaviour within homes and is not likely to yield any witnesses • It would be more practical to take recourse to the pro visions under criminal law • This excludes women domestic help from the ambit of Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill
National Advisory Council has not recommended that domestic workers be included in the purview of the proposed bill but it has sought the removal of the abovementioned clause. The only reason Tirath might want to retain it, say voluntary organisations, is so as to not disturb the power structure at home. Pity feudal mindsets thrive on in modern times.
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More Vegetables & Fruit On Sale 11920 Voss & Hwy 6 South (in the park point shopping center next to Agha Juice) For more information Please contact Asif Izhar: 832-659-8808 - Desi Sabzi Mandi: 281-988-5615 Email:asif.izhar@live.com Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13, 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O
IA News © 2011
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
life & style
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Areca Leaf Chappals Seek Market Lift
Three and half decades after a scientist demonstrated the idea, chappals made with areca leaf sheaths have hit the market from Kerala. Shrikrishna D writes about the early success and challenges
By Shrikrishna D (IT): South Indian disposable dinner plates are now popular throughout the world. Interestingly, this is made from a palm leaf. The broad leaf sheath of areca nut (betelnut or supari) palm is an eco-friendly raw material that’s well accepted by all. Commercial chappal production from the very same raw material is a recent development. “Those who are allergic to chappals made from synthetic materials like PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) prefer these”, points out K A Joseph. His Multicare Company in Thrissur, Kerala, is producing Areca leaf chappals apart from dinner plates. Though Multicare started trials with this new product two years ago, marketing was initiated barely few months ago. Now they are selling about 4,000 pairs a month. These are priced from Rs.125-375. In ‘areca leaf chappal’, only the top portion of the sole is made from areca leaf. Below this, depending on pattern, one or two layers of rubber will be there. Commercial utilization of arecanut leaf sheath has a history of just a decade and a half. Though arecanut farmers have been using this bye-product for many household uses, earlier most of the fallen leaves were wasted. Joseph was in Nigeria till recently. After returning his roots in Kerala, he started this industry. He is was aware that decades ago the late S R K Menon had shown the world for the first time the possibility of making chappals from areca leaf. Dream of 35 years Menon, a retired scientist from North Parur, Kerala was 70 when he came out with areca leaf chappal and other products. In 1975, he had held an exhibition of these products at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute in Vittal, Karnataka. For those who expressed doubts about the durabil-
Areca Palm leaf chappals made by late S R K Menon way back in 1975
A broad strap model that is popular. Photos: Shree Padre ity of areca leaf chappals, he was showing the one he was wearing. “See this, I am using this since last two years”, he used to reply. Three and half decades after Menon saw various areca leaf products being used worldwide, its chappal has started realizing his dream. How is that Joseph got this idea of commercially producing areca leaf chappals? He was impressed by straw chappals that are being made at Rajasthan. It’s very ecofriendly too. “On seeing these straw chappals, it occurred to me – why not we make this from areca leaf sheath?” he recalls. But once the experiments started, there were many problems. Making ‘round cuts’ is very difficult in areca leaf sheath due to the fiber strands. Thickness of any leaf sheath isn’t uniform. It has lot of variations. With continuous trial and error, Joseph was able to pass these hurdles. Then came the question of strap. Making straps from leaf sheath isn’t possible. Joseph wanted to stick to eco-friendly material. Searching or one, banana fiber came to his mind. Pleated banana fiber straps conformed to the requirement well. All said and done, finding an alternative to an
Chappal with simple narrow strap – simple design
inch-long plastic tube that covers the front tip of the strap still remains a question. Multicare areca leaf chappals have good demand in major cities of Tamilnadu like Chennai, Coimbatore etc. It has takers in big cities like Delhi, Jaipur etc. Recently, an exporter has sent it to Spain, Germany and US. Those with allergy to synthetic chappals, corns & cracks in feet continuously use these. “We are able to get a small section of faithful customers like this”, says Joseph. Seeing the catalogue, the customer has to select from different patterns, strap colors and strap patterns. On indent, the footwear is made and dispatched. This is by and large an indoor chappal. It can’t be used outdoors especially during monsoon. “If few drops of water fall on it, not a problem. It can be dried by keeping it vertically. But the chappal can’t be allowed to soak.” Confesses Joseph, “The main suspicion of most of customers is about the life-span of a areca chappal.” According to him, if used only indoors, this footwear will last like any rubber slippers. “Whatever care one takes for leather chappals will be good enough for this one too. If the use is less, one can even expect to wear it for a couple of years.” Though Multicare makes such chappals for all sizes, Child and Gents models have very low demand. At present, womenfolk constitute the lions-share of the clientele. Joseph puts the share of ladies chappals out of the total demand at 70 per cent. Custom - made Interestingly, all these chappals are custom-made. “Before pasting the cut-out areca leaf sheath”, explains Joseph, “we should know which strap has to be fixed to this.” In other words, gumming
Beautiful strap pattern – liked by upper-class customers
the areca leaf top to the rubber sole and fixing the strap has to be done in one stretch. Because of this technical bottle neck, the company can’t keep chappals ready. This chappal, according to Joseph, has given very positive results for those suffering from cracking of back foot and corn problem. People who spend long hours under air-conditioned atmosphere have to take extra care about their nose-tip and feet. Areca leaf sheath chappal, he claims, gives the required warmth to the feet in such a situation. Another area where this footwear has found acceptance is in Ayurveda Vaidyasalas of Kerala. In the treatment room called ‘valachchil’, the floor is always smeared with oil. As such, it remains slippery posing threat to the inmates. Chappals made from PVA and PVC is very dangerous in such conditions as it will slip. Strap constitutes the costliest part of these chappals. Broader the strap, chappal turns costlier. Multicare gets these straps pleated by women belonging to Kudumbashree unit. An experienced lady can make 50 sets of straps a day. As this process is completely manual, it is one more bottleneck in the production line. According to Joseph, the straps incur sixty percent costs of the chappal sets.
Indo American News • Friday, MAY 13 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
For the men
These are mainly meant for the richer class. Though it has good encouraging response overseas, cheaper synthetic products from China, says Joseph, are offering tough competition. Since the market is not on big scale, employing the women round the year to make straps is difficult. “We are banking only on mouth to mouth publicity. The market is picking up in a very slow pace. As such, this venture, as it stands isn’t remunerative”, complains Joseph. There is another marketing disadvantage. Such footwear is only sold through handicrafts emporia’s and not by mainstream shoe shops. But since chappals are not the only products of Multicare, the firm is pushing on despite challenges. R&D activities are continuing hoping that the market will take an upward turn in future.
Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
“MASALA WOK IS HOT. ITʼS COOL, ITʼS WOW” Dallas Morning News
“THIS WOK ROCKS WITH INDIAN AND CHINESE FLAVORS” SAYS THE GUIDE
LOCATION
10001 Westheimer Road. Houston, TX 77042 Phone: 713-784-8811 www.MasalaWok.com
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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On a Clear Day, Devon Ave Brings Desis Home
By Jawahar Malhotra CHICAGO: The traffic just wasn’t moving coming in from O’Hare Airport on the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90) and we took the exit onto North Cumberland Ave and headed north. It was early evening on a crisp May day and the night was still far off in this northern latitude. A short eight blocks and we made the right turn onto East Devon Avenue and rode the major thoroughfare east till it turned into West Devon Avenue (yes, figure that out!). Along the way, the cityscape changed with the different ethnicities that make the area home with their stores dotting the street. A few Italian restaurants, other franchise places, a Home Depot, and then across the North Shore Channel bridge, a Jewish neighborhood emerged, mixed in with some Croatian meeting halls, with kosher food restaurants and Orthodox Jewish schools and synagogues. And just as quickly, at North California Avenue, with the honorary name of Mother Theresa Way, W. Devon Ave has another street name plate, Golda Meir Blvd., in honor of the late Israeli Prime Minister. Just another block down, Devon Avenue is conamed Gandhi Marg as Little India takes shape with desi shops all around. That’s the way it is in the
heavily mixed commercial street, with apartments and homes just a block off on each side and a brand new, post-modern looking threestory parking garage. For the next 18 blocks, Little India bustles, mixed in with some
Middle Eastern stores and people from the Indian Sub-Continent mix easily, some sit bunched together on street corners on benches and have huge discussions. Some shops that are found in Houston have their namesake
branches here, like Sari Sapne, United Central Bank and Overseas Electronics. And then, at N. Ridge Ave, Little India’s east boundary, the other ethnicities of the huge melting pot that The Windy City take over once again.
Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
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Indo American News • Friday, MAY 13 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
Pakistan: The Dark Side
The front pages of newspapers and the topic of discussion in all the political circles concerns the dramatic targeting of al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden and his close circle of couriers in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The near proximity of Osama’s walled mansion to the Pakistan Military Academy has made the experts as well as the general public speculate whether Pakistan’s government, or at least the inner circle of the military and the ISI intelligence unit. knew and supported Osama’s hiding place since 2006. Those of us with South Asian sensibilities can understand how Pakistan’s intelligence community could be playing such a double game of supporting the terrorist elements such as the al Qaeda, Haqqani network and the India-directed LeT while supporting the war on terror and accepting $3 billion per year aid from the U.S. Many in the Pakistan’s intelligentsia have written about abandoning such a dual policy that has only resulted in daily bombings in the country by the terrorists and the wrath of the U.S. government in the form of unilateral drone attacks that has put to shred Pakistan’s sovereign status.
Pakistan: The Bright Side Few of us have any influence on government policies and the way of the terrorists. We just want to pursue our jobs, raise our families and die in peace. Pakistan professionals in Houston have chosen to set aside the unfortunate political legacy of their country of origin and are intent on focusing attention on the bright side of Pakistan in terms of culture and technology innovation. Once such effort was the second annual conference presented by the Houston chapter of the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America (OPEN). Distinguished panelists of experts from the mainstream sector as well as successful managers and entrepreneurs of Pakistani origin made the conference a great success.This year’s conference focused on innovation in products, processes and innovation. Indo-American News is pleased to support OPEN Houston and its annual conference. - Pramod Kulkarni
editorial
Online Edition:www.indoamerican-news.com www.indoamerican-news.com online edition:
Time for Heads to Roll
By Babar Sattar Osama’s refuge in the shadows of the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul and his killing without the knowledge or permission of Pakistani authorities have not only raised piercing questions about the country’s willingness to function as a responsible state but also cast fundamental doubts on the ability of our national security apparatus to protect Pakistan against foreign intervention. An ISPR release after Thursday’s corps commanders’ conference that broke the security establishment’s silence on the Osama operation is mostly gibberish. While admitting “shortcomings in developing intelligence” on Osama’s presence in Pakistan, it goes on to blow the ISI’s trumpet for extraordinary achievement all around. The commanders feel betrayed by the CIA for not telling the ISI where Bin Laden was hiding. The release doesn’t say why the military failed to detect foreign choppers and troops in our territory for an hour and 40 minutes. The air chief has now chimed in: the radars were working perfectly but enough of them are just not located on the western border. Did no one ever think we needed radar and air cover in the drone-infested part of Pakistan that has been an active war zone for a decade? Can the-dog-ate-my-homework routine pacify a nation worried sick about having penetrable defences, no response readiness and being on the way to be branded a rogue? An inquiry into the facts of the Osama operation to determine the causes of the intelligence failure will not be sufficient. We need to rationally approach the concept of sovereignty together with state responsibility to understand why the world views us suspiciously. We need a thorough re-examination of our existing national security doctrine to determine whether it is promoting or jeopardising our security. We need disclosure on the scope of our military relationship with the
OUR military and intelligence agencies stand indicted for being complicit with terror groups and our best defence seems to be to plead incompetence US and if the latter has been afforded air bases and the permission to house troops or intelligence operatives within Pakistan. We need to root the power and authority of the ISI within statutory law, provide for internal checks and performance audit, and subject the agency to effective parliamentary scrutiny. And we need to do away with our policy of deliberate hypocrisy reflected in our refusal to clearly articulate our security and foreign policy goals, especially vis-à-vis the future of Afghanistan. This is keeping the jihadi project alive, confusing and polarising the nation and drawing a wedge between Pakistan and the world. But this won’t happen unless the responsibility for failing to detect Osama’s presence in Pakistan as well as the US military operation is ascribed to those in charge of national security. It is unlikely that Osama was being hosted by Pakistan as a matter of policy. Shielding Afghan Taliban leaders or India-focused militant leaders, however misconceived, is still understandable as part of a warped strategy to promote our defined strategic interests. Hosting Bin Laden or other Al Qaeda leaders isn’t. Further, the assumption that our military and the ISI must have known of Osama’s presence in Abbottabad is the product of a narrative that projects our national security establishment as extremely capable, effective and omnipresent. This narrative has been conjured up by the national security establishment itself and mercilessly fed to the nation. The masses buy into it for lack of an alternative narrative and a
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
Indo American News • Friday, MAY 13 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
misplaced sense of nationalism. The political class and the media buy into it because they remain subjects of the ISI’s intrusive gaze, being followed, wiretapped, photographed, interrogated, cajoled and coerced. But hard facts do not back this narrative. Without distorting history can one honestly applaud our military high command’s performance in any war? Have our military and its intelligence network succeeded in confronting the security threat emanating from within? If the ISI and the MI are epitomes of excellence, what accounts for their inability to prevent terrorists from blowing up themselves, our soldiers, policemen, intelligence outfits and innocent civilians across Pakistan at will? What can possibly explain the ease with which a handful of terrorists broke into the GHQ, killed senior military officers and held others hostage for hours? Pakistan has lost more civilians and soldiers to terror since 9/11 than all other countries of the world put together. Does this sacrifice not highlight the failure of our national security strategy? Some days ago, army chief Gen Kayani declared that national honour shall not be traded for prosperity. A week before that he had boasted that we had broken the backbone of the militants. Air chief Rao Qamar Suleman had declared that the air force is capable of shooting down US Predator aircraft if asked to. The US Navy Seals then carried out a complex military operation in the heart of Pakistan with choppers and boots on the ground and all, and the air force and army slept right through it? In a functional democracy, these gentlemen would be sacked after such a debacle. Unfortunately, national security related decisions in Pakistan fall within the exclusive domain of the military, which jealously guards its turf. But responsibility must accompany such power. And the responsibility for erosion continued on page 17
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
17
A Little mandir in m medinah, Illinois
By Jawahar Malhotra
CHICAGO: Taking the back roads (and not the tollways) has its advantages in Chicagoland, especially if you aren’t hurried for time. The winding roads to far flung places throw out an occasional surprise, like the tiny Hari Om Mandir on a corner lot with some fruit trees in bloom, just across the way from the posh and large Medinah Country Club, a jarring combination to be sure. The building is small in comparison to the large temples that we take for granted now in the Bayou City, but it is a plain square brick
building with a quaint entrance with a large red Om and a pyramid mandap in the center, saffron flags flying from four corners. A small sign proclaims its presence and a round fountain makes the circular
drive between the two halves of the parking lot. Not a person was around on a Friday afternoon, but as the flags fluttered in the breeze of a Spring May day, and the blossoms made the fruit trees white, it was a pleasant surprise to find after making the turnoff over the creek by the Forest
Reserve. The Hari Om Mandir is located at 6 North 20 Medinah Rd, Medinah, IL 60157; 630-980-0900, www.hariommandir.com
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Osama operation, the threat to Pakistan’s interests for being perceived as a pad for terrorist activity and to its citizens as targets of terror has proliferated under Gen Kayani’s watch. Is it not time for Gen Kayani to call it quits and take along with him the DG ISI and the air chief? Shouldn’t these heads roll to account for failing to do their jobs?
With them in the driving seat it might neither be possible to hold a transparent inquiry into the security breaches that led to the Osama operation and its execution without Pakistan’s knowledge nor engage in a rethink of our perverse national security mindset. Can we shed some baggage and create room for untainted faces and ideas?
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velop a regional consensus around it, instead of vying for the whole hog. It is time to completely liquidate the jihadi project and cleanse our state machinery of those who believe in its virtue. And it is time to shun the delusions of grandeur and conspiracy that prevent us from realising our potential as a responsible and industrious nation.- Dawn
The concept of sovereignty assumes control over the territory a state claims. We cannot continue to shirk responsibility for the men, material and money transiting in and out of Pakistan and simultaneously wail at the disregard for our sovereignty. It is time to publicly articulate our legitimate security interests linked to the future of Afghanistan and de-
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of our international credibility and increased threat to security personnel and citizens from terror networks nestled within Pakistan rests squarely on the military’s shoulder. Be it a rise in suicide bombing and terror incidents within Pakistan, an increase in US drone strikes in our territory, the Mumbai attacks or the
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
rajaratnam Guilty on all r a counts in U.s. insiderinsider-t nsider-trading trading case
By DaviD aviD Glovin, Patricia hurtaD urta o & BoB van voriS (Bloomberg) The trial came as Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara promised to crack down on “rampant” illegal trading on Wall Street. Rajaratnam was convicted on five counts of conspiracy and nine counts of securities fraud. Prosecutors today said he faces 15 1/2 years to 19 1/2 years in prison at his July 29 sentencing. “Rajaratnam, once a highflying billionaire and hedge fund manager, is now a convicted felon, 14 times over,” Bharara said in a statement after the verdict. “Rajaratnam was among the best and the brightest -- one of the most educated, successful and privileged professionals in the country. Yet, like so many others recently, he let greed and corruption cause his undoing.” Five Guards Five deputy U.S. marshals stood guard at the back of the courtroom as the verdict was announced. Rajaratnam showed no reaction as the courtroom deputy, William Donald, read the verdict. The defendant, who looked straight at Donald, blinked frequently and kept his arms clasped in front of him. U.S. District Judge Richard Holwell thanked jurors for their service and admonished them not to discuss their deliberations with other people. “They should remain secret among the 12 of you,” he said. Rajaratnam remains free on bail with electronic monitoring pending sentencing. “We started out with 37 stocks, we’re down to 14,” defense attorney John Dowd said at a press conference outside the courthouse, standing next to his client. “The score is 23 to 14 for the defense. We’ll see you in the Second Circuit.” Dowd said earlier that he would appeal the verdict to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan. Gold Tie Rajaratnam, wearing a dark suit, gold tie and white shirt, was mobbed by reporters as he entered a silver sedan after today’s proceeding. Galleon was among the 10 largest hedge funds in the world in the early years of the last decade. It managed $7 billion at its peak in 2008. Rajaratnam’s net worth of $1.3 billion made him the 559th richest person in the world, Forbes Magazine said in 2009. Before his arrest on Oct. 16, 2009, Rajaratnam had claimed that Galleon analysts had an advantage over rivals because most were trained as engineers and all focused their energies exclusively on research. At the trial, his lawyers said his trades were based on Galleon research. “They don’t get blindsided by the marketing hype,” Rajaratnam said of his analysts in “The New Investment Superstars: 13 Great
19
Raj Rajaratnam, billionaire co- founder of Galleon Group, enters Manhattan federal court, Wednesday, May 11, in New York. Rajaratnam faces insider trading and conspiracy charges.
Investors and Their Strategies for Superior Returns,” by Lois Peltz. ‘Getting the Number’ Adam Smith, a former Galleon trader, testified at the trial that the New York-based hedge fund gained its advantage through other means. Rajaratnam emphasized “getting the number” -- or learning revenue figures before they became public -- from insiders at Intel Corp. (INTC), Intersil Corp. and other publicly traded companies, he said. “Research is sort of doing your homework ahead of time,” Smith testified after pleading guilty to insider trading and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. “Getting the number is more like cheating on the test.” The case was the first one focused exclusively on insider trading in which prosecutors wiretapped their targets’ telephone conversations, a tactic used in organized-crime investigations. Jurors heard more than 40 recordings of Rajaratnam, in some of which he can be heard gathering secrets from his sources. “They’re gonna guide down,” Danielle Chiesi, an analyst at New Castle Funds LLC, told Rajaratnam on July 24, 2008, after she got an insider’s leak that Akamai Technologies Inc. would lower its forecast. “I just got a tip from my guy.” Trade Ahead Rajaratnam used inside information to trade ahead of public announcements about earnings, forecasts, mergers and spinoffs involving more than a dozen companies, according to the evidence at the trial. Among them were Santa Clara, Californiabased Intel, New York-based Goldman Sachs, Google Inc., ATI Technologies Inc., Akamai and Hilton Hotels Corp. Prosecutors said Rajaratnam’s sources included Rajat Gupta, who until last year was a director at Goldman Sachs, and Kamal Ahmed, a Morgan Stanley investment banker who prosecutors
said passed tips through Smith. Both deny wrongdoing, and neither has been criminally charged. Born in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, Rajaratnam was educated there at St. Thomas’ Preparatory School before leaving for England, where he studied engineering at the University of Sussex. He came to the U.S. to get his master’s of business administration, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1983. Two of his Wharton classmates -Anil Kumar, who became a partner at McKinsey & Co., and Rajiv Goel, who was a managing director at Intel -- testified against him at the trial, telling jurors how their relationships began at the school and how they turned to crime. Both have pleaded guilty. After Graduation Rajaratnam’s first job after graduation was at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he was a lending officer in the group that made loans to high-tech companies. In 1985, he joined Needham & Co., a New York-based investment bank that specialized in technology and health-care companies. He started as an analyst covering the electronics industry and rose through the ranks, becoming head of research in 1987, chief operating officer in 1989 and president in 1991. A year later, at 34, Rajaratnam started a fund, Needham Emerging Growth Partners LP, according to Galleon’s marketing documents. Rajaratnam and Needham colleagues Krishen Sud, Gary Rosenbach and Ari Arjavalingam formed Galleon Group in January 1997. By the end of that year, they were managing $830 million, much of it from technology company executives Rajaratnam had gotten to know throughout his career, according to “The New Investment Superstars.” Most Prominent Rajaratnam’s case was the most prominent amid a widespread U.S. crackdown on insider trading. Bharara, who is directing the
nationwide probe, said his office has charged 47 people with insidertrading crimes during the past 18 months, and that Rajaratnam is the 35th person to be convicted. “We will continue to pursue and prosecute those who believe they are both above the law and too smart to get caught,” Bharara said in the statement. Among others charged are executives affiliated with Primary Global Research LLC, a Mountain View, California-based networking firm that links investors with industry experts who work for public companies. A related case against former Galleon trader Zvi Goffer is scheduled for trial next
Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13 , 2011 • online Ay o edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
week. Rajaratnam “joins the pantheon of Ivan Boesky and Gordon Gekko,” said Peter Henning, a professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, citing the real-life stock trader who was jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy in 1987 and the fictional “Wall Street” film character who came to symbolize the financial scandals of the 1980s. “It is a defining case,” Henning, a former federal prosecutor, said before the verdict was handed down. The case is U.S. v. Rajaratnam, 1:09-cr-01184, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
education
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aschool school that children s c call “theirs” t theirs”
Padmini and Ram Mani show how socially and economically disadvantaged children discover the magic of education in their vibrant school free of cost By SoMa Ma BaSu Ma (Hindu) When I walked into the little red brick building called “My School Satya Surabhi (MYSS)”, it looked like a summer camp, set among lush green trees and buzzing with activity. The school was awash with cheer and laughter. Smiling children in bright red uniforms played energetically, practised yoga, sang songs and attended their classes. Vivid art and posters hung along the walls. In the midst of the cacophony of a school, there was a silent discipline and order too. A shy but confident class VII boy welcomed me to his school and village, and presented me a sapling explaining its special features. “He is an electrician’s son,” someone whispered. Padmini Mani, greying and elegant, emerged with folded hands. Her entrance ushered in a flutter of activities and loving ebullience. The smaller ones hugged her and clung to her and a few dragged her to a cardboard train to sing with them. When her friend Mark Antrobus fixed up the interview, he had said I would not find a scrap of litter in the school campus. “Neither will you find another school of this kind in the region which has opened its doors only to the children of the toiling and ignored from surrounding villages.” Unassuming I knew I was here inAttuvampatti Village, seven km outside Kodailkanal, to interview Padmini and her husband Ram much against their wishes. They wanted only the school to be featured, not them, so that others would be inspired to start similar schools elsewhere. “We have a wonderful atmosphere here. We take pride in our school and its environment. All children are encouraged to keep the school grounds clean and litter free,” says Padmini, having steered the school through a period of growth in the last decade. Sitting on two acres of greenery and cooled by the breezes of Palani Hills, MYSS maintains a low profile. There are 102 students enrolled at present, from nursery to Class VIII. The school started 12 years ago in a temporary shed with 20 children of farm workers, petty vendors, daily wagers and migrant labourers. Today, it has come to be the envy of even schools for the well-to-do. When Ram, a management professional, first came to Kodaikanal in 1993, he fell in love with the
Padmini and Ram Mani. Photo: G. Moorthy
verdure. Padmini, then heading the Department of Foreign Languages in The British School at Delhi, came to the town as vice principal of Kodaikanal Christian College. Six years later, the couple’s vision for “equality and education, and the right of every child to call a place ‘my school” took shape. “During a casual conversation, a milkman told us the village needed a school,” says Padmini. “This appeal coupled with the influence of my parents, who taught us service without reward, propelled us into action.” Starting the school, she admits, was easier than running it. They put out pamphlets highlighting the school’s core values and got 40 applications, but in the first year they could take in only 20 children given the space and availability of teachers. Now, the school’s links with the local community stretch beyond Attuvampatti to neighbouring Pallangi and Vilpatti. The couple asserts their school is “not a commercial venture”. They consider it a secular nonprofit educational institution. They charge only one time admission fee of Rs.25, and work to provide quality education, books, class materials, uniforms, noon meals, and extra-curricular activities absolutely free of cost. A dynamo of energy and ideas, Padmini puts enthusiasm into her students and teachers: “I keep communicating with them and run a continual training programme that ratchets them up.” Ram is heartened with the many successes of students who integrated into other mainstream schools after class VIII. “When children spend years here playing, learning and relating, they have had a great childhood,” he says. “Examinations become secondary. Our kids are self-assured with a positive
is like culmination of life experience here by making an impact,” says Padmini. But for her and Ram, these children would never have got a chance. Indeed, it has become a different world out here. Salient features MYSS was declared one of the top 100 schools in India in a national contest called Design for Change last September. The students helped clean and beautify the Vilpatti bus stand and the nearby rural settlement Kota Teru. The school also bagged a special prize in the INTACH Heritage Club competition 2010 and the Bisnoi Trophy for environmental awareness and preservation 2010. Up to primary level, MYSS is
recognized by the Tamil Nadu State Education Department. For middle school, it is under the Open Basic Education Programme of the National Institute of Open Schools, Union Ministry of Human Resources Development. Raison d’etre of MYSS is value acquisition. Emphasis is on life values like basic hygiene, civic sense, environmental sensitivity, honesty and on becoming a good and responsible citizen. MYSS is run by the Satya Surabhi Trust. Among the six trustees are Padmini’s elder sister Mohini Giri (founder chairperson of National Women’s Commission and daughter-in-law of former President V.V. Giri) and Kathak exponent and author Jigyasa Giri.
outlook.” Padmini adds that most of the students are doing well either academically or in sports and other fields. “The values we teach them here, they carry through their lives and are equipped to face challenges. Our teachers together ensure that the children gain maximum academic and social benefits from their time at the school, where they develop long-lasting friendships.” While the students are challenged academically through a range of projects and classwork, sports is also a big part of school life. Chess, yoga and athletics champions have already emerged from the school. The teachers emphasize languageandlearning through song, dance —General Generaland andCosmetic CosmeticDentistry Dentistry — — General and Cosmetic Dentistry and drama, and —Advanced AdvancedRestorative RestorativeDentistry Dentistry — — Advanced Restorative Dentistry they follow a philosophy —Equipped Equippedwith withcomputerized computerizedinjection injectiontechnique technique — — Equipped with computerized injection technique of “thematic —CAD CAD///CAM CAMTechnology Technology — — CAD CAM Technology teaching”, —CT CTScan Scanused usedfor fortreatment treatmentplanning planning — — CT Scan used for treatment planning where there is a connectivity —In Inhouse housedental dentallab lab(Rush (Rushdelivery, delivery,crown, crown,bridge bridge — — In house dental lab (Rush delivery, crown, bridge between subanddentures dentureswithin within333days) days) and and dentures within days) jects. —All Alldental dentalwork workguaranteed guaranteed — — All dental work guaranteed This couple, silently trying MostMajor MajorInsurances InsurancesAccepted Accepted Most Most Major Insurances Accepted to change the face of India in one remote Weaccept acceptMedicaid Medicaid,,,CHIP CHIP •••We We accept Medicaid CHIP corner of the Freeexam examand andconsultation consultationfor forthe the ••• Free Free exam and consultation for the country, are monthof ofApril, April,2011 2011 month month of April, 2011 delighted at the decision they EasyPayment PaymentPlans Plansavailable available •••Easy Easy Payment Plans available made 18 years 15%off offfor forthe theElderly Elderlyand andDisabled Disabled •••15% 15% off for the Elderly and Disabled ago. “We have SaturdayAppointments Appointmentsavailable available •••Saturday Saturday Appointments available to build up the institution, individuals do not “Keepaaahealthy healthymouth, mouth,Live LiveaaaHealthy HealthyLife” Life” “Keep “Keep healthy mouth, Live Healthy Life” matter. For us, it
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
21
Gaffes, Mix-ups...Never a Dull Moment for Stenos
(Hindu) “Engage the minds and hands of people,” said Mahatma Gandhi in order for the nation to prosper in peace. Hands-on skills
and produce the document or communicate! Before it becomes too late, let us look at the skill of stenography. Or is it an art form — looking at the noodle-shaped
Cultural tool Shorthand has been a cultural tool for centuries. As a matter of fact, George Bernard Shaw wrote his plays in shorthand, Martin Lu-
help human beings lead fulfilling lives and further to self-realisation. But advancing technology, in its quest for giving comfort, has killed many of the human skills. Nowadays people type, design, draw and mix colours on computers rather than using their hands. Where is the ‘human touch’? Another skill which is dying in the offices is stenography. With computers on each executive’s desk, we see everywhere the secretaries directly typing into a document or mail. Managers without stenos manage with ‘one-finger typing.’ The day is not far off when bosses will dictate directly to the computer and it will ‘understand’
jottings of stenographers? Can you imagine an emperor learning shorthand? Believe it or not, Roman Emperors did learn stenography, though this art was in its infancy. Shorthand was taught in schools and used officially in the Roman Senate as far back as 63 B.C. The earliest stenographer was none other than Julius Caesar! But the system of shorthand was designed by Tullius Tiro, in Rome; historians trace its origin further back to Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians and Greeks. In Indian mythology, Lord Ganesha was the earliest stenographer when he wrote the Mahabharata ‘dictated’ by Sage Vyasa.
ther’s sermons and Shakespeare’s plays were all preserved by using shorthand. Before becoming a famous author, Charles Dickens learnt stenography and earned his living for some time as a newspaper reporter! Known also as phonography, tachygraphy and brachygraphy, shorthand is an art of recording the sounds using symbols. A magic of transforming spoken words into beautiful written material, the modern system of shorthand, as it is known today, was developed by Sir Issac Pitman in 1837. But these days, every steno is a ‘Pitman’ (or Pitwoman) because, he/ she makes up his/her own symbols
By J.Jeyes
and outlines. Therefore, one steno cannot transcribe another’s noting. The reason is, each steno has his or her own characteristic way of writing outlines and joining/disjoining those, which he or she alone can decipher. What’s more, he/she may not be able to transcribe it himself/herself, the next day! Here, stenography resembles steganography, meaning the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one understands (including the writer, in this case!). Mantra of success The secret mantra of success for a steno is “Speed & Accuracy.” To achieve speed, easy short forms are used for lengthy repetitive phrases. Dictations generally begin with a bang! The so-called ‘great dictators’ start at supersonic speeds throwing you out of gear, but may
soon struggle for words and end up like a goods train. What you need in the beginning is speed and later, patience. In any case, catching the boss’ style will make things easier. You should be able to rightly guess what he meant by ‘conversation’ was in fact ‘conservation’ and what you heard as ‘push top’ was a mere ‘full stop’. This ‘phonetic mix-up’ leads to a lot of gaffe in the office. When a steno goes with errors in a letter, the boss advises “A good steno corrects the mistakes of his/her boss..,” meaning he/ she is not one. On the other hand, if he/she tried to simplify a longwinding sentence, he may shout back: “Don’t try to change what I have dictated.” After all, he is the boss… and as you know, “The boss is always right!”
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profile
Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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Kokila Shah - Family, Happiness, and a Commitment to Serving Others By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Kokila Shah’s warmth, humility, and willingness to help others are legendary. Walk into the home she shares with her husband Ramesh, and you’re instantly enveloped in old-world affection. The welcoming fragrance of freshly cooked traditional Indian food abounds, the walls are adorned with framed photographs of family past and present, books lie stacked on counters and shelves - it is a home that is endearingly reflective of the couple, unpretentious, tranquil, and yes, warm. It’s a home that still resonates with the voices of their three children Sonal, Roopal, and Anand, whom they nurtured in that climate of caring, now adults and blazing trails of their own. “My father is the philosopher. My mother is much more straightforward – she draws from her faith in God and her upbringing as the eldest of six siblings to come from a space of love,” said daughter Roopal who is an attorney based in India. “My mother has tremendous compassion. She also has a strong appreciation for Indian traditions and often reminds us that our cultural foods and spices have great thought behind them. She has her quirks and own sense of logic that reflects her conditioning, but she never imposes her ways on others. My mother has a quiet resilience that is understated, but quite infectious.” Growing up, Roopal and her siblings saw their mother’s role in their lives as a proactive enabler. If they needed rides home from school she was there. When school projects needed to be done, she bought the materials in advance. If they needed to be up at 3.00am to study, she’d wake up and sit with them lest they fell asleep. But as they grew she gave them the freedom to make their own decisions. “In a recent journey of self-discovery where I came across practices of conscious awareness, full commitment, and compassion, I realized that much of what I was learning was how my mom already lived. So when my mom asked me what I had done in Hawaii for the past four months, I answered, Learning to be like you!” said Roopal. Kokila’s daily routine includes yoga every morning, putting breakfast on the table, and an hour of swimming or water exercise. Not a homebody, she enjoys interacting with people. She will soon become a grandmother, as son Anand and his wife expect their firstborn later in the year. It is a role Kokila covets and is immensely excited about.
“Learning to be like you, Mom!” – Roopal Shah
Three generations: Kokila Shah (R) with her mother and daughter
The Shahs have led their lives inveterately involved in community service and have raised their family likewise. “We have lived by the ideology that if one wants to serve selflessly, one has to respect everyone and to think of everyone as equal,” confided Ramesh Shah. “We are all human beings living together, helping each other.” It is this simple doctrine that has won the older Shahs the respect of many in the local Indian community. Ramesh, an engineer by profession with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Baroda, along with Kokila and their toddler daughters left their native Gujarat and arrived in New Jersey in 1972. The young family moved to Houston in 1976; son Anand was born here a year later. “Even though they were far away, KokiBen set a different standard of what it meant to be a daughter,” said Anjana Nagarsheth, Kokila’s youngest sister. “Traditionally when a daughter marries she becomes part of her husband’s family. In our case, she continued to be the responsible older sibling and took care of our family,” added Anjana. In 1978, at a time when the Indian community was sparse, the Shahs along with a few immigrant families founded the Gujarati Samaj of Greater Houston; the organization has since seen exponential growth. Always working as a team the Shahs also helped the India Culture Center (ICC) that was incorporated in 1972. The ICC, a secular non-
profit organization, was formed to bring Indians together on issues of shared interest. Ramesh served two terms as director of ICC and was a recipient of the ICC Community Service Award in 1998. Kokila Shah stayed home in the early years and raised the children while Ramesh worked as a Mechanical Engineer with Kellogg and then as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, a position he holds to this day. Drawn to service-oriented organizations, the family lent a hand wherever help was needed. End-hunger drives, the unprivileged, victims and survivors of natural disasters such as the Andhra cyclone, Latur Earthquake, Morbi floods, Gujarat earthquake of 2001 and the tsunami of 2004, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans - the Shah family rolled up their collective sleeves and worked tirelessly to help alleviate the suffering around them. The couple, proud Hindus, also inculcated cultural pride in their children through the teaching of great philosophers of India. During their youth the younger Shahs, while not campers themselves, guided other youth at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A) youth camps. “We discovered VHP doing good work here in the US,” said Ramesh, who wasn’t associated with the organization back home in India. “The camps were characterbuilding and taught the children lessons in ethics, honesty, and good citizenship.” As the children grew and became more self-sufficient, Kokila joined Star Pipe Products as an account-
ing clerk in 1994 and retired in March 2009. “At work she used to take care of everyone like a mother and at any time she visits Star Pipe employees look forward to meet her and get her guidance,” said Vijay Pallod, an employee at the company. “She chose not to work until all her children finished 10th grade. Very few moms would like to sacrifice nowadays.” The couple is currently very involved with Ekal Vidyalaya, an organization dedicated to making education accessible to all children in tribal and rural India. “People often ask what our parents did right to get all three of us to commit to service,” said Roopal. “Our parents - particularly mom - continue to amaze us in their capacity to love and serve selflessly. They are the happiest people in the world. The most crucial thing that mom and dad did was to instill in us universal values through the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Gandhi from an early age, and provided broad-based exposure to different people, places, and institutions. They trusted us to do the right thing even if we sometimes made mistakes. We continue to see our parents as advisors and friends, and we are glad they invested so much in making us who we are,” she confided in a touching tribute that most parents would covet. Do their parents ever argue, I asked? “Actually my dad argues and mom mostly listens. She does not yell back,” confided Roopal. “The
Indo American News • Friday, MAY 13 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
issues at home usually involve a difference of opinion about money. My mother is much more conservative in spending than my father. She grew up in Mumbai in a family of six siblings that had to make their money stretch a long way. There were also arguments about how much time he spent doing community work and things at home including his health got neglected because he was always on social duty,” added Roopal. Her parents followed an open door policy at home; all opinions were respected and discussion was encouraged, and friends were welcomed and treated like family. She and siblings Sonal and Anand were taken on tours of rural areas and to the slums of India to better their understanding of how diverse the world is and of the travails of the underprivileged. Those experiences were an eyeopener for them and played in pivotal role in the establishment of the Shah siblings’ successful Indiabased joint project, Indicorps, that culls young professionals of Indian origin for one and two-year service fellowships with various grassroots service organizations in India. Indicorps projects promote peace, inclusiveness, secularism, and the empowerment of India’s people. The organization has been the recipient of the prestigious MIT Global Indus Technovators Award and the Gujarat Garima Award. In 2003 Sonal Shah was named India Abroad Person of the Year for initiating Indicorps. Based in California, Sonal holds an executive position at Google, and serves Indicorps in an advisory position while Anand and Roopal manage the administrative aspects of the organization in India. None of the Shah siblings receive remuneration from Indicorps. Sonal Shah further distinguished herself and did her parents proud when inspired by President Barack Obama’s messages of hope, she took a sabbatical from her lucrative job and temporarily moved to Washington where she was integrated into a voluntary position on Obama’s transition think tank. She flourished in the climate of fresh challenges, holding her own amidst a diverse team of brilliant minds. The family is staunchly vegetarian. More often than they would care to be, the siblings are designated drivers after evenings of celebration or revelry. All three are teetotalers. How does Kokila envision the future? “We want to live and benefit society. Share our lives with others,” said Kokila Shah.
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Horoscope
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
WEEKLY HOROSCOPE www.GaneshaSpeaks.com yourself at social gatherings, spending quality time with children, and enjoying arts and music. You take time off from hard labor, and enjoy leisure. At home, you will be more strong-willed, and will take vital decisions. You have the skill to succeed in anything you embark upon, even in matters of the heart. Don’t become too smug, or else you will become prone to making mistakes. Avoid making impractical demands from others. SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22: Your path will be strewn with obstructions and all kinds of delays. You will hunt for fresh options to raise money. Your earnings will be more than ever before, but you will still keep falling short of money. In addition to the strains imposed by financial matters, you will be prone to accidents and health problems. Taking adequate precautionary measures will be vital. Try to do some yoga and meditation. Wait patiently for the stressful period to pass. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22: You are doing very well on the work front. There is some travel on the cards. You are focused on your growth and work tempo. You gain in maturity and earn the esteem of your associates. It is an inescapable fact of life that when you gain something, you inevitably lose something. Be clear about your expectations from life. You are missing your family and friends, which makes you somewhat irritable. However, success is possible only through dedication and sacrifice, and you have your family’s support. CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20: You are rapidly broadening your field of interests and activities. Your energies are fully recharged, and you will find many fields of your inter interest in which you can utilize it. You are a person who loves to blow up your money without caring for tomorrow. You live in the ‘here’and ‘now’without caring for the past or the future. This is an apt way to live so long as you desist from stretching it too far. There is also a likelihood of falling for someone special and making lots of new friends. AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19: Life is like a roller-coaster ride for you this week. You will be on a much better wavelength with the members of your family, companions, friends and colleagues. You have prepared yourself to spend lavishly on parties and enter entertainment activities. You will feel very positive about life, and will fulfil all your responsibilities. There will either be work-related travel, or a small vacation to a nice place with your family. You will have an enjoyable time, away from the routine chores of home. During this period, you will relish all the good things of life and fortune will favor you in many ways. PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20: It is a busy phase, and domestic responsibilities and office work will keep you occupied. You will end up spending too much money on revamping your home and office, and in addition there will be expenses on children and illnesses in the family. You will be agitated by all this, and will turn to spirituality to look for a way out. Well, you have had a relatively easy life till now, and this sudden bombardment of problems may leave you utterly incapable of coping with life. Family bonds will strengthen, parents and in-laws will help you. Distant relatives may also support you. www.indoamerican-news.com
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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20: Making contacts and cracking professional deals is still on the cards. Your determination and focus will help you climb the success ladder. Your umpteen efforts towards achieving tar targets will win you rewards. You may invite new team mates, as the work pressure is likely to increase. Your down-to-earth attitude and optimistic outlook would grab the attention of your peers and build a harmonious environment at work. Business is likely to grow by leaps and bounds, and facilitates lucrative opportunities. Success at work will lead to peace of mind, and a harmonious home environment TAURUS Apr 21 - The cheerful, party mood of last week spills into this week. Being optimistic, as you Bulls always are. You make up your mind that you will age gracefully, just like Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. Going by your interests, activities with aesthetic beauty and creativity are going to impress you. However, when it comes to work, do not indulge yourself to the extent of spoiling your health. Remember your New Year resolution regarding health? Health is wealth, indeed! GEMINI May 22 - Jun 21: ‘Live in the present’ seems to be your mantra for the week. Your new found love for work and pleasure together keep your energy levels high. Once you begin on a mission, there’s no stopping. That’s exactly what you plan to do even this time. Your determination towards work will make you shine like a bright star. You become a role-model for many around you. You fulfill your responsibilities too. Health of elders in the family is likely to deteriorate, take good care of them. You are a visionary and you cross all the hurdles sportingly. CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 23: Life is all about balancing work and pleasures in the right proportion for you Crabs. Besides focussing on your work, you are full of enthusiasm to even work out the extra curricular options. Your hobbies, sports and other interests too get in the list of ‘things to do this week’. An outing with family and friends will add to your cheerfulness. You know the pros and cons of the projects you take up. As of now, life shows you a rosy picture and you are happy to live life your way. Go Crabs go! LEO July 24 - Aug 23: Your confident and charismatic personality is going to win many hearts. You are also in a mood to take up challenges. Come what may, you emerge a fighter in overcoming obstacles. Someone has knocked at the door to your heart, and you are uncontrollably attracted towards him/ her. This could find you loaded with emotions and affection. But make sure your sensitivity towards others does not make you vulnerable. This can be one of the important phases of your life. Make the most of this time. VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23: There is a lot of buying, selling, shopping, realty, market, loans, bonds etc. in the offing. You are willing to take risk. Also, your lucky stars are shining bright and the deals may yield fruitful results for you. However, be cautious at the same time. You never know when luck fades away and enhances the risk factor. Don’t envy others of their blessings and possessions. Always believe in smart work and not only hard work. LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23: With monetary hassles left far behind, you now turn your attention to pursuing your hobbies, enjoying
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Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 13 , 2011 • online Ay o edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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Indo American News • Friday, May 13, 2011
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