May 20 Pages 1-24

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spirit of Volunteerism, community service, s s Feted at Indian doctors Association Gala

By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: The Indian Doctors Association of Houston (IDA-H), a chapter of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), hosted their 30th Annual Gala at the Westin Galleria on May 14, 2011. Over 300 from this city’s elite medical community attended the event that saluted the non-profit organization’s vision to deliver mentorship in academic excellence and to promote health care education in the Greater Houston area. The celebratory event also highlighted the spirit of generosity and volunteerism that were the catalysts spurring the establishment of the IDA-H’s very successful charity clinic in 1999; twelve years down the line, the once-weekly clinic manned by a rotating volunteer staff of doctors and nurses, offers crucial medical assistance to this city’s indigent and to those without medical insurance. continued on page

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This Week Inside

Pg 3

Ayurveda Center in Houston

Pg 11 Sitting from left: Dr.Subodh Chauhan (Board Member) , Dr.Vinita Bhagia (Secretary), Dr.Ashok Tripathy (Immediate Past President), Dr. Veena Chandrakar (President), Dr.Kulvinder Bajwa (Vice President), Dr.Raghu Athre (Board Member) Standing from left: Dr.Uttam Tripathy (Treasurer), Dr.Srinivas Rumalla (Past President), Dr.Rakesh Mangal (Past President), Dr.Imran Mohiuddin (New Board Member), Dr.Nik Nikam (Past President), Dr.K.T.Shah (Past President), Dr.Manish Gandhi (New Board Member)

A masquerade Fundraiser for s save A mother

Pg 33

Discovering India 513 Years Ago

Two r runoffs in sugar Land council election s

By JaMie MocK

SAM-Board Members: The members of the Board of the Houston Chapter of Save A Mother at the fundraising Gala held last Friday, May 13 at the Chateau Crsytale Ballroom. Third from left is founder Dr. Shiban Ganju and fifth from right is Chapter President Veena Kaul.

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: Taking a cue from the charity’s masquerade ball held last year in Chicago, the Houston Chapter of Save a Mother held its own party, labeled Masquerade Masti, masks and all in a dimly lit banquet hall with crimsons and yellows blended in, this past Friday, May 13 at the Chateau Crystale on S. Gessner and Westheimer. continued on page

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SUGAR LAND (FBN): Two Sugar Land City Council positions are headed to a runoff election, with no candidate earning a majority vote. The runoff election will take place June 11.

In District 3 Howard Paul will face Amy Mitchell in the runoff to replace Councilman Russell Jones, who is term-limited. Paul earned 651 votes, 44 percent, Harish Jajoo to candidate Amy Mitchell’s 430 votes, 29 percent Third candidate Jim Hoelker earned 411 votes, 28 percent.

In the District 4 race, candidate Harish Jajoo will face Farha Ahmed in the runoff to replace term-limited councilman Michael Schiff.

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more Honors for r rathna Kumar

par excellence, and formally presented to Rathna a second time.

The Anjali Center for Performing Arts recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary on March 26, with a performance by nearly a 150 students, from little four year old beginners to polished dancers in their twenties. The conduct of the entire show was almost professional, starting perfectly on time, very disciplined and ably put together by the Director, Rathna Kumar and Assistant Director Venugopal Josyula, with ample help from a host of volunteers. A donation of $3000 towards the Japan Relief Fund, made by the students of the Anjali Center, was handed over by Rathna to a highly appreciative APAHA 2011 Gala Co Chairs Tammy Gee Su and Betty Gee Deputy Consul-General present award to Rathna Kumar (center) of Japan in Houston, held at the Omni Hotel. The Gala, aptly Takahiko Watabe.

When asked about how she felt with all titled “Dancing with the Stars”, with performances by professional dancers pairing these awards coming her way in such quick with local Asian celebrities, was emceed by succession, Rathna answered, with her charChannel 13’s Miya Shay and Andy Cerota, acteristic grin – “when it rains, it pours! And who, along with Sugar Land Councilwom- when good things happen so unexpectedly, an the Hon. Jacquie Baly Chaumette, were it is doubly gratifying, and a testimonial to also the lively judges for the dance ‘com- my work in the dance field, especially in petition’. A host of friends were on hand to this country, in these past 35 years”. cheer Rathna when she received her award.

Rathna was also the recipient of APAHA’s George H. W. Bush Award for Artistic Excellence in 2006. The Lifetime Achievement Award comes close upon the heels of Rathna’s recent recognition as the recipient of the Government of India’s 2010 Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for Kuchipudi.

Just two weeks prior to that, on April 29 (declared as International Dance Day by the UNESCO), after the inauguration of the 41st Houston International Festival, Minnette Boesel, liaison for City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, presented a Proclamation to Rathna on behalf of the Mayor, declaring it “Rathna Kumar Day”, in recognition of her longstanding participation in the festi- On April 29, after the inauguration of val (35 years) and her great contributions to the 41st Houston International Festienhance the Houston arts scene. On May 7 val, Minnette Boesel, liaison for City the Proclamation was read out by Festival of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Director Rick Mitchell on the Center stage, presented a Proclamation to Rathna in the presence of a larger crowd, acknowl- on behalf of the Mayor, declaring it edging Rathna’s track record as an artist “Rathna Kumar Day” HOUSTON: Friday the 13th turned out to be an auspicious day indeed for Rathna Kumar when she received the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, from Gala Chair Betty Gee, at APAHA’s 19th annual gala,

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Ayurveda c center in Houston Launched by santhigram Kerala Ayurveda s HOUSTON: Santhigram Kerala Ayurvedic Co. of US Inc launched its fifth Ayurveda center in the US at 3223 South Main, Stafford (in Houston), TX 77477 (281-9698062). Santhigram Kerala Ayurveda is an international Ayurvedic company offering genuine “Kerala specific Ayurvedic Therapies” for the well-being of mankind and is in the mission, “To propagate worldwide, traditional Kerala specific Ayurvedic Panchakarma therapy for comprehensive health, rejuvenation of the body , to manage chronic and acute ailments through their established Authentic Ayurvedic Centers, which offer customer friendly services without compromising on the essence of Ayurveda , “The Science of Life” Ayurveda and Yoga are time tested ancient systems of medicine that help to maintain perfect body and mind, which are now popular in most western cultures.

There are many variations in the practice of these two medical disciplines , but the only place in the world where Ayurveda is still practiced in its absolute purity and dedication is in the nick-named ‘God’s own country’, Kerala, India. Ayurvedic Physicians in Kerala have developed specialized techniques of Panchakarma, which in many ways is more than whole body purification therapy. Kerala has specialized in this therapy over the years and it has become the center of world attention. Large numbers of medical tourists from around the world come to Kerala to experience these therapies.

Santhigram Ayurveda with its corporate headquarters in New Delhi, India, after a decade long successful operations in India, spread its wings to United Kingdom five years back. The recent popularity of

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Ayurveda in the United States and its continued acceptability and success in UK has encouraged the company to further extend its unique services to the United States. Santhigram launched its first US center in Nov e m b e r 2007 and presently is running four centers in New Jersey, one at Holiday Inn, Raritan Center, Edison (732-7381580), another inside Bally Total Fitness Facility in East Brunswick (732-2382003), third Center at Oak Tree Road, Edison NJ (732-662-5589) and fourth center at Denville, Near Parsippany NJ (973-784-3027).

The fifth US Center was inaugurated on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 3223, South Main, Stafford TX 77477 (281969- 8062) by Thomas Abraham, Mayor Pro-tem, City of Sugarland, TX in the presence of Stafford Councilman Robin Ellakkad. H.H. Bhakti Sundar Goswami Maharaj, the Regional Secretary of Iskcon Temple, American Region was the Guest of Honor.

During the occasion the Mayor-Protem Thomas Abraham appreciated the efforts of Santhigram for bringing this unique Ayurvedic Panchakarma therapy to Houston and expressed confidence that it will be of great help to many people who suffer from various ailments where modern system of medicine is not helpful in providing side-effect-free treatments and people go all the way to India to undergo this treatment.

He has promised all possible support for Santhigram’s mission to establish authentic continued on page

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Guru Vandana, An Honorary ceremony c

Various Houston area school teachers were honored by Hindu students following the Hindu tradition of paying respect to the guru, the teacher Photo: Rajesh Thatte

By SuBhaSh GuBBa HOUSTON: Remember your Kindergarten teacher? Or even your College professors? Teachers are an important part of any student’s education, and it’s clear that the Hindu community of Houston is aware of that. On April 30, 2011 Guru Vandana event was hosted by the Hindu Education Foundation in Pearland at Nolan Ryan Junior High School; an honorary, invitational event in which several students showed their teachers the significance of the Guru in Hindu culture and tradition.

Teachers from 20 schools rep-

resenting 5 different school districts from the greater Houston area attended the ceremony. For a brief period students were Gurus themselves, enlightening various aspects of Indian Heritage through table top exhibits that were on display. The event began with a lamp-lighting by Mayor Reid of Pearland, and a prayer song by Sangha Mitra Mishra.

Later, emcee Shraddha Belasare showed a presentation on the origins of the bond between a Guru and their disciple, clearly emphasizing the holy reverence Hindus have for the learning and teaching of knowledge. Following the

slideshow was a speech by Smt. Radha Danayak and Mayor Reid on each of their opinions of the importance of education.

A cultural program with the honoring of the teachers followed, including dances, a skit, and instrumental performances.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. Kalpalata Guntapalli, a medical doctor, a professor, and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Guntapalli talked about how she and her entire family was fortunate to be very well educated and conveyed the importance of being yourself,

being truthful to native traditions; she stressed that ultimately your merit and true worth will be recognised no matter who who are and how you look.

Ishwari Murthy, the event coordinator gave the vote of thanks at the end of the program. The event closed with an excellent dinner for the teachers and their families. In conclusion, Guru Vandana satisfied teachers in that they were shown appreciation not only by their students, but also the community. “I love to watch everybody performing. I am privileged to know the people who have presented this

[event], and I am privileged to have you guys in my classroom and have fun with you,” stated Donald Simmons, a math teacher from Quail Valley Middle School in FBISD. The event was truly a success as the message of appreciating one’s teacher was passed on effectively to both the youth and the educators themselves.

So, just as the students of greater Houston did, remember your teachers and honor them for all they do.

Subhash Gubba is in 10th grade and attends William B. Travis High School in Sugar Land, TX.

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Children Outshine at the DAV Sanskriti School HOUSTON: The DAV Sanskriti School (DAVSS) of Arya Samaj Greater Houston (ASGH) recently concluded its annual events ‘Readathon’ and ‘Essay and Shloka (verses) contest’. These events are amongst the various activities that DAVSS and Arya Samaj organize through the year to inculcate the right values and morals amongst our children, the ‘future leaders of tomorrow’. It is also a demonstration of the social leader-

port of the Read-a-thon, DAVSS lent out precious collection books through its library – books about the great men and women and stories from the Indian history. In early March the event was concluded at a pizza party celebration hosted at the DAVSS where the funds collected by all the children were pooled together.

A total of 45 children participated in the Readathon event this year, raising a record sum of

prepare the topic in advance and write the essay during the school hours from their memory. For the Shloka recitation contest, Ishwarstuti-praarthana-upaasanaa mantra (verses in praise of God) comprising 8 Ved Mantras were selected.

These Mantras were distributed to the students who had to memorize all 8 Mantras and be able to recite 2 Mantras at the discretion of Judges, A heartening number of 61 students participated in the contest

Shloka Recitation Contest: High School (Aditya Jain –1st; Uma Zindge – 2nd); Middle School (Roma Nayyar – 1st; Kartik Talwar – 2nd) Elementary School (Induja Gautam – 1st Pratik Pohuja – 1st; Ria Otwani – 2nd; Abhik Bhatt – 2nd ).

The volunteer team of Bharti

Shloka Competetion winners

ship that Arya Samaj institutions provide to the communities they operate in.

Readathon is an annual fund raiser run by DAVSS children to support Jeevan Prabhat, Pondicherry whose foundation was spearheaded by ASGH. Jeevan Prabhat raises orphaned and underprivileged children who were impacted by the ‘Indian Ocean Tsunami’ of 2004. The Readathon was kicked off in early December and the children were sensitized to the cause for ‘giving & sharing’ with children of Jeevan Prabhat. They were given ‘gullucks’ (Hindi for Piggy Banks) and were asked to imprint a phrase on it recited several times during a yagna – ‘idanna-mam’ (meaning ‘not for me’).

The children had over 3 months to read books and collect pledges against the same from friends and families. These pledges were in the form of dollar contributions for number of books or number of pages read by the children. In sup-

$22,500. Total collections by the held on March 6th, 2011.

These contests were judged by children amounted to $7500 with top fund raisers being Roma Nay- age groups - 5 age groups for the yar ($1874), Amol Patil ($720) essay contest and 3 age groups for and Ansh Khanna ($434). Funds mantras recitation. At a ceremony collected by the children were held in April, all matched by Minu and Ashutosh the participants winners Garg and an anonymous donor and (together $7500), and Rajni & Jay were recognized awarded Agarwal ($7500), truly encour- and aging these children to do their certificates and very best for this noble cause. In prizes. The top addition to fund raisers, the top performers in readers were also recognized – each of the categoriesChopra were as Roma Nayyar (1st), Amol Patil Rajat & Sonam follows: (2nd), Arjun Arora (2nd) and Star Essay Contest: Readers (Mahi Tomar, Arnav Seti, Zindge Pranav Thatte, Kartik Talwar and Uma (Age 13+ Sagar Chawla). years); Sidhant The second event - Essay & Shloka contest was organized as Ahuja (Age 11part of the Naitik Shiksha (mor- 12 years); Roma (Age al education) curriculum of the Nayyar 9-10 years); Praschool. The topic for the essay competition this year was ‘Rishi nav Thatte (Age Dayanand – How was he different 7-8 years); Anfrom other saints and great men’. jay Gupta (Age The students were requested to 5-6 years).

Start Cubing Houstonians!

HOUSTON: Remember that old and frustrating puzzle that you played with as a kid?

Solving it consistently without breaking a sweat is easy for the few, while it proves to be a very difficult challenge to many. With over 43 quintillion possible configurations, no wonder why the public finds it quite of a frustrating challenge.” The Rubik’s cube is not that hard ”, says Aditya Dargan, the founder and president of the Houston Cubing Association . “ You do not have to be a genius to solve the cube“, continues Aditya. “It helps develop logical thinking skills which are necessary for teens and adults” says another Houston Cubing Association member.

Come join Houston’s best cubers at

the Houston Spring 2011 Rubik’s cube competition at Stratford High School, 14555 Fern Drive Houston, TX 77079, on March 21 as they go head to head solving puzzles in record times!.

Competition fee is $8 and admittance is free. Prizes and certificates will be given to winners in all events.

Pre register by logging on to www.houstoncubing. cubegeek.net . This is an official World Cube Association event. Highlights include 3x3x3 speed solve, 4x4x4 speed solve, 2x2x2 speed solve, 3x3x3 Blindfolded and 3x3 One Handed.

For more information about the event, visit http://houstoncubing.cubegeek.net/ houston-spring-2011.html

Indo American News • Friday, MAY 20, 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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Patil, Shveta Bhatt, Payal Talwar, Kiran Verma, Ritu Chanchalani and others led and guided by Acharya Praveen ji deserve praise for their enormous thought and effort in organizing these successful events and thereby helping shaping our children as true leaders of tomorrow.

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Arya ssamaj Volunteer and dAVss AV AVss Teacher Appreciation event e

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HOUSTON: Volunteer and Teacher appreciation lunch is an annual tradition at Arya Samaj Greater Houston and marks the successful closing of another school year. It is hosted by the members of the Arya Samaj management committee filling the day with pleasant surprises.

Just like the previous years the committee members planned and executed this luncheon to perfection, on May 7th this year.

The beautiful sunny day started with the management committee members, dressed in crisp blue shirts and navy trousers, welcoming the teachers and volunteers. Everyone socialized and was treated to a mouthwatering “jaljira” and “chaat”. Continuing with the tradition of maintaining an element of surprise, this year’s food was from Bhojan, followed by a game of guessing Hindi film songs.

Management Committee members acted as the perfect hosts serving the food and making the day special for all attendees, and set the stage by singing “Ham Honge Kaamyaab”.

Acharya Sridhar ji led off thanking the volunteers for their selfless service prior to lunch. After lunch Acharya Praveen Gulati ji, continued with his humble thanks to the teachers for their untiring work, and the Yajna they do by teaching Vedic values, culture and traditions to children of our community. Dev Ma-

hajan, cited the tireless work done by our volunteers in supporting community building causes outside the Arya Samaj, by inculcating that spirit in the children through various activities. Record breaking funds raised by children for Jeevan Prabhat, Houston Food Bank Drive, supporting Bhutanese families, hosting the Hindu Sports Day are a few of the special projects successfully undertaken by ASGH with the support of its volunteer team. DAVSS children gain tremendous self-confidence and community building spirit through these activities. All this is only possible with the untiring contribution of valuable time by our volunteers and support of the congregation.

The best was obviously saved for the last. The gathering was split into two groups, and the groups contested to win the “group idol” game by guessing the words and singing out the Hindi Film songs. Needless to say, it was hotly contested and uncovered a lot of hidden talent among the volunteers.

This year, DAV Montessori School celebrated its eleventh anniversary with a graduation ceremony on May 15, and DAV Sanskriti School will be celebrating its graduating seniors on May 29th from 10-12 am in Arya Samaj Greater Houston. All are welcome to attend and see for themselves the accomplishments of our students.

devotional Programs for memorial day weekend at JKP, radha madhav dham, Austin JKP, Radha Madhav Dham has scheduled a full range of activities for people of all ages on Saturday and Sunday, May 28 & 29. There will be satsang, kirtan and meditation, live discourses, yoga, and seva projects for the adults, and Hinduism classes, kirtan and meditation, art projects, hikes, videos, and games for the youth.

The whole family can participate and receive the benefit of spending a weekend in the main U.S. ashram of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, Radha Madhav Dham.

For registration and more information, call: 512-288-7180. or visit www.RadhaMadhavDham.org

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

nAs nA As sA A Book on s space s shuttle r research

HOUSTON: Dr Kamlesh Lulla, NASA Chief scientist and three others- Dr Helen Lane, Ms Gail Chapline and Wayne Hale (all of NASA) have coauthored and co edited a major 550 page volume of the scientific and engineering accomplishments from the Space Shuttle missions.

The book captures the passion of men and women who worked on the shuttle- humanity’s longest operating human spaceflight program- and provides an in-depth understanding of science and engineering results accomplished from the experiments and payloads that flew on this magnificent flying machine. This book will be available from all major book stores in late May 2011.

The Foreword for this to me is authored

by Astronaut John Young- the commander of the very first Space Shuttle mission in 1981 and Robert Crippen who served as pilot for this first mission. The book is richly illustrated with breath-taking NASA imagery and stunning graphics specially prepared for this volume. The introduction is provided by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. The book ends with reflections on

Dr Kamlesh Lulla, NASA Chief scientist

the future of human spaceflight by great American luminaries as President George HW Bush, Aerospace executive Dr Norm Augustine and former NASA Administrator Dr Michael Griffin.

Experts consider this book to be very significant and major contribution to the American Space program.

Tom reid r r reelected as Pearland mayor

Pearland Mayor Reid with Indo-American leaders on May 14

PEARLAND: Pearland Mayor Tom Reid was reelected on Saturday May 14 with 57% majority of votes. During his acceptance speech, he said that assistance from Indo-American Community made a significant difference. He thanked the community for their support. Mayor Reid has been working closely with the community from 1979. He was garlanded with fresh jasmine garland by the community.

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A masquerade Fundraiser for s save A mother

This was the second annual gala for the Houston Chapter of the three-year old Save a Mother NGO that operates in India, primarily in the State of Uttar Pradesh which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. SAM aims to minimize suffering and death due to

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As a purely volunteer group, SAM plows all the money raised through its chapters in Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Boston and London back into field work and spends about $100 per village in one year to achieve these results and spends next to nothing on administrative costs.

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explained how SAM was founded and operates. This was followed by a Powerpoint presentation by Jaya Singh, a SAM coordinator in India, on the way the program works and the means, methods and tools that the health activists in the villages use, including the educational sessions and training kits that formed the basis for the on-site fundraising efforts later in the evening. Guests were able to donate in $100, $250 and $500 lots allocated to packages of sessions and kits and overall, the Gala raised $50,000.

Also featured was a guest speaker, Dr. Harvinder Singh Bedi, a neonatologist associated with five hospitals on the Houston’s east side who shared data comparing on fertility rates, population growth, infant and mother mortality rates and other parameters in the US and other countries with that of From left: Rahul Singhal, Executive Director of Save a Mother; Jaya Singh, Dr. Shiban Ganju and emcees Shyam Parikh and Griraja Bhargava (partially the India to illustrate hidden) at the Gala. how low on each of the indices India was The founder of Save a Mother, pregnancy and childbirth. SAM The evening’s program was currently works in 854 villages Dr. Shiban Ganju, was on hand at emceed by Gririja Bhargava and and hopes to expand to 1400 vil- the Gala to answer questions and Shayam Parikh and the Board of meet with the about 200 people the Houston Chapter, comprised lages by the end of 2011.

SAM trains health activists who came to show their support. of 11 women and one solitary from within the community to Ganju is a graduate of AIIMS, man, Nat Murthy, were all on hand spread health literacy by edu- Delhi and has specialized in In- to meet and greet the guests who cating women about pregnancy, ternal Medicine and Gastroenter- attended the masquerade fundnutrition, immunization, deliv- ology for years, with a practice raiser. Most people, including the ery and care of the child and has in Homewood, Illinois a south- organizers, clutched their masks trained over 2,000 activists so far. ern suburb of Chicago where he instead of wore them, which took Through periodic impact analysis consults with Ingalls and Advo- the luster off the concept.

SAM collects data on many pa- cate Hospitals. Ganju’s younger After a buffet dinner that was rameters as well as the deaths due brother Tej and sister, Veena Kaul catered by The Great Wa’kana to pregnancy and delivery and live in Houston. Kaul started the restaurant, entertainment was local chapter in 2009 and has provided by local talent with neonatal deaths.

Through these efforts, SAM has been the president for the past songs by Keka and Satyajit Kar, found that it has successfully re- two years.

Hardik Jani, Raghavendra PrabaIn a video presentation prior to hakar, Neha Srivasta and the ICC duced maternal mortality by 93% and neonatal mortality by 66%. the evening’s festivities, Ganju Idol winners. © Indo American News, 2011 continued from page

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The mayapuris, m mridangum and mother’s day: A divine experience xperience at IIs sKcon sK Kcon

By ShoBana Muratee HOUSTON: After a exhaustive day at Ifest (Houston International Festival) on Sunday, May 8th, serving delicious vegetarian food at the ‘Holy Cow’, singing kirtans and passing out information on Krishna consciousness in the sweltering heat, members of the Hare Krishna Dham, Houston were treated to a delightful eve-

Radha’ to the delight of the entire audience that joined them in unison. The Mayapuris accompanied by the ‘Temple Dancers Troupe’ presented a breathtaking ballet by Vrinda, a Bharatnatyam exponent from world’s finest Bharatnatyam dance institution in India, Kalakshetra Academy. The ballet choreographed by the Mayapuris and performed by Vrinda depicted

rya of ISKCON to his followers that he found very interesting.

Col. Bhalla said, “It is heartening to know of the spiritual service of the people of ISKCON,” Especially, in this kaliyuga when truth and morality are at their lowest,” he added. He also gave a brief outline of the India Culture Center and its various activities. His Grace Shayamsunder Dasa, tem-

From left: Balarama Tirtha Rico, Visvambhar Sheth & Krsna Kishor Rico - the Mayapuris

ning of spiritual upliftment at the temple.

The Mayapuris, a kirtan band, distinguished by their powerful mridangum beats in punk rock style, performed to a packed audience gathered at the temple’s Gauranga Hall. Currently, on their ‘Southern Hospitality Tour’, the Mayapuris, will be moving next to perform in Dallas. Graced by the presence of His Holiness Rtadhvaja Maharaja, senior disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of ISKCON, the Mayapuris gave a memorable performance of pure and uplifting music.

Dedicating the program to mothers, the Mayapuris sang the kirtan ‘Jai Sri Krishna bolo Jai

nature, its creativity and its mindless destruction by the demon Hiranyaksha when it was eventually being restored by Varaha (Krishna avatar) was visually mesmerizing and equally enriching.

Chief Guest, Col Raj Bhalla, president, India Culture Center, commented that the Mayapuris were, “Simply awesome and spiritually charged.” In his address, he recounted his first impressions about the people of Krishna consciousness during the 60s and remembered them as “young men and women of shaved heads, with saffron robes chanting Hare Krishna outside malls.” Col. Bhalla then narrated the story of a boatman and scholar often told by Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acha-

Visvambhar Sheth (left) & Krsna Kishor Rico (right) in the midst of their mrdanga set, while Vrinda Devi keeps the beat with kartals

ple president, welcomed and honored the Chief Guest and spoke a few words on the occasion.

Named after the very town that brought modern kirtan to the world 500 years ago, the Mayapuris launched the band performing academic-style music demonstrations but quickly developed their own wild showmanship style. With a deadly combination of talent and tenacity, the Mayapuris: Vishvambhar Das (Vish), Balarama Tirtha Das (Bali), and Krsna Kishore Das (Kish) are on their ‘Southern Hospitality Tour’, promoting their album Mridanga, created and dedicated to Krishna consciousness into which they all grew up.

Vish grew up in two worlds: his father a Vedic priest, his mother an Italian-American, enjoying a childhood in India and teen years in the American South, a student of classical sitar and bass player in a straight-edge hardcore band.

By nine he was living in an ashram in Krishna’s childhood home of Vrindavan, India, where he studied Sanskrit, Vedic texts and traditional Indian instruments until returning to the States in time for punk rock teenhood.

Kish and his brother Bali, both native Columbians, were raised by their artistic parents in a small Krishna community in central Florida, to sing and chant kirtans every day. At twelve, Kish set off with Bali for spiritual schooling in the holy city of Mayapur in West Bengal, India. For two years Kish engulfed himself in studying traditional music and martial

arts. His music is inspired by the Gypsy Kings and Santana, Kish adds Latin passion and reggaeton layers to the Mayapuri sound.

Bali grew up in a small Krishna community in central Florida.

The Ricco’s first born showed signs of a child prodigy when in second grade he read on a seventh grade level. When Bali was called to study in Mayapur, he took notes from the elderly Bengali Vaisnavas. Bali returned to the US and enrolled in a traditional American university, graduating with a 4.0 and a psychology degree. He’s half way to a doctorate in pharmacology. Bali brings non-traditional rhythms, contemporary harmonies, dance, drama and lightheartedness to the Mayapuris.

Vrinda born to an artistic family grew up in Swedish Krishna community, a rural ashram with its own dairy cows, lake, school and temple where the few dozen

Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 20, 2011 • Online editiOn: Ay On: www.indOamerican-news.cOm O

devotees took all of their meals together. Dance is so interwoven with Vrinda’s soul that even crossing the street looks naturally choreographed. As the Mayapuris gelled into a band; it became clear that Vrinda’s dance style had the power to transfix audiences around the globe. For more info you visit Mayapuris. com.

The Hare Krishna Dham, Houston is known to bring such rich cultural and spiritual experiences to its devotees and residents in Houston. The Mayapuris was yet another spiritual extravaganza organized by them this year. Sasi Murali along with her team, emcee Swati Murali, the Jiv Jago (musical group) and others gave a fitting tribute to Mother’s Day that was well appreciated by the jubilant audience. Prior to this final program the Mayapuris had wowed audiences at Ifest, and several yoga studios in Houston.

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spirit of Volunteerism, community s s service, ervice, Feted at IId dA Gala 1

Following a social hour that boasted spicy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and yes, tender fresh coconut juice, the main event took place in an adjoining ballroom adorned with peacock feathers. Introduced by Mistress and Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Mamta Singhvi and Dr. Raghu Athre, the President of IDA-H Dr. Ashok Tripathy welcomed guests and told of the organization’s progress during his tenure this past year. With the help of fellow physician Dr. Venugopal Menon, an IDA doctors’ online directory was created and debuted at the event. Dr. Tripathy told of the burgeoning membership of IDA as young doctors joined, and he exhorted them to volunteer their time and expertise at the charity clinic. IDA-H is spearheading a medical students scholarship and funds would benefit students working to achieve their goals, he added. Dr. Tripathy’s successor as President of IDA-H is Dr. Veena Chandrakar.

Dr. C. Bruce Malone, President of the Texas Medical Association, spoke in glowing terms of the IDA-H charity clinic.

“The first thought that comes to mind is your outstanding charity clinic that is doing so much

From Left: Nguyen Nguyen, Financial Services Professional; Jimmy Abraham, Financial Services Professional; George Eapen, Director- Indian Initiative; Dr. Ashok Tripathy, President Indian Doctors Association; Dr. Chris Mendoza, Asst VP Multicultural Market Development; Syed Anweruddin, Financial Services Professional Photos: Bijay Dixit

for the ill and needy,” said Dr. Malone. He also addressed the plight of international doctors coming into the USA and facing roadblocks; something has to be done about this problem, he added.

“They have the degrees but have it tough getting the necessary acceptance into a practice so they work as lab technicians.

What a waste of talent when there is such a need for primary care physicians,” added Dr. Ma-

lone.

Dr. Guru Reddy, named by Newsweek Magazine as one of the best doctors in Texas, serves as President of the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS), an organization with a membership of 11,000 doctors.

“IDA-H is a great organization with precise details, great networking, and has exceeded the expectations of community-oriented volunteerism through your contribution, time and dedicated

service.”

He also told gatherees of HCMS’s diverse membership, ethnicities, practices, and the unity in providing the best of care to patients. Dr. Reddy advised doctors to transition to electronic health care systems as it enhances efficiency and costs a lot less in the long run.

In his speech, Dr. Ajeet Singhvi, President of AAPI, informed attendees that over the past ten months, the organization drew

1400 new lifetime members.

AAPI brings in legal experts to teach young doctors how to approach Congress, effective letter-writing, and media skills.

Major Sponsor for the gala, Mass Mutual Financial Group was well represented by George Eapen and his team of high-level consultants. A Fortune 500ranked company, Mass Mutual presented a $1000 scholarship to graduate student Khannan Athreya. Other sponsors included CardioNexus, Strasburger & Price LLP, and Memorial Hermann South East Hospital, to name a few.

The evening took on lighter tones with entertainment interspersed throughout the program.

Lisa and Rabih of the River Oaks School of Dance gave vibrant performances of the Salsa, Rumba, and Samba styles of dances. Local stand-up comic Sai Ranade drew many laughs with his routine that spared none.

A silent auction of artwork, photography, skin care, and an advertisement package with Indo American News all drew enthusiastic response. Starters and dinner was by Daawat Caterers.

For more information or to volunteer at the IDA-H charity clinic, visit http://idahouston. © Indo American News, 2011 net.

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Local cardiologist reaches r m milestone

HOUSTON: On April 1, 2011, Dr. Randeep Suneja, Medical Director of Cardiology Center of Houston, PA, reached a monumental milestone. Dr. Suneja saw the 50,000th patient in the 18th year of his solo practice.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Dr. Suneja donated $1000 to the Katy Christian Ministries.

Dr. Suneja is one of the few Quadruple Board Certified cardiologists in the nation and moved his practice from Houston to Katy 41/2 years ago. Practicing from his 9,000 square foot state of the art facility at 20710 Westheimer Parkway in Katy, Texas, Dr. Suneja continues to provide excellent, compassionate and comprehensive care to his patients with the help of his dedicated staff.

Dr. Suneja has been nominated as one of the Leading Physicians of the World and has received the Best of Katy Physician and Surgeons Award three years in a row. Dr. Suneja can be reached at 281-646-9000.

mother’s day c celebrated by Indian seniors s

HOUSTON: Indian Senior Citizens Association Houston, celebrated Mothers Day on May 14 at India House. More than 300 members attended the meeting.For the first time registration was done on a computer with new I.D. cards with a barcode. With a large number of members attending the meeting, to ensure speedy registration the new method was used successfully and long queues and delays were avoided. The highlight of the day was a special program of classical songs and memorable melodies presented by Shekhar Pathak who also played the harmonium. He was accompanied by Surendra Mistry who was on the tablas. The presentation was really heart rendering, and the members appreciated the songs and music. Especially the mastery of Surendra Mistry on the tabla and the melodious voice of Shekhar Pathak had captivated the members undivided attention for almost two hours. Lunch sponsored

by Neetas Restaurant was served to the Mothers by the male members. A gift was presented to all the Mothers who attended the meeting.

Annam

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IPL 4 Live Broadcast on neo cricket c

JERSEY CITY, NJ: For the first time, NEO Cricket brings the live telecast of Indian Premier League 4 to all cricket fans in the USA. The fourth season of the IPL started on April 8 and NEO Cricket showcased a select package of 35 live thrilling IPL 4 matches.

S. Venkatasubramanian, President of NEO Broadcast America, Inc, announced the upcoming live telecasts, saying, “NEO Cricket is the world’s first cricket-only channel. Through its dedication to cricket and high quality programming, NEO Cricket has redefined what it means to be a cricket television channel. We are glad to continue our commitment towards bringing world class cricket to cricket fans in the USA by broadcasting IPL 4.”

IPL has become one of the biggest sporting spectacles in the world, capturing a massive global audience across all continents including Australia, North America and throughout the Middle East. The League will play Twenty20 cricket, comprised of 10 teams competing in 12 venues across India. The competition attracts some of the world’s greatest players like Sachin Tendulkar (India), MS Dhoni ( India), Shane Warne (Australia), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Andrew Symonds (England), Jacques Kallis (South Africa) and many more.

NEO Cricket is available in the USA on Comcast, Cablevision and Dish Network. Log on to www.neosports.tv/america to subscribe. NEO is committed to delivering more in sports entertainment for its U.S. viewers in the future.

NEO Cricket will broadcast the follwoing matches this coming week: 20 May 10:30 21 May 6:30 22 May 6:30

Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 66th IPL T20 Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers, 67th IPL T20 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 69th IPL T20

About NEO Broadcast America, Inc. NEO Broadcast America, Inc owns and operates the Neo Cricket channel in the USA. Neo Cricket is the world’s first cricket centric TV channel and showcases the BCCI Indian cricket rights comprising all Indian bilateral international cricket matches played in India (including ODI’s, T20 and Test matches), the Indian domestic cricket season, the Asia Cup and a host of other cricket centric programming shows.

Disclaimer Neo Sports Broadcast Pte Ltd is a joint venture of Nimbus Communications Ltd. Nimbus Communications Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, a public issue of its equity shares and has filed a draft red herring prospectus (“DRHP”) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”). The Draft Red Herring Prospectus, is available on the website of SEBI at www.sebi.gov. in, on the websites of the book running lead managers at www.edelcap.com,www.macquarie.com/in/en/index. htm , www.centrum.co.in and of co- book running lead manager at www.pnbisl.com. Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to the same, see the section titled “Risk Factors” of the aforementioned offer document. “The equity shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws in the United States, and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act (“Regulation S”)), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. There will be no public offering of the Equity” Shares in the United States

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The mayor c celebrates Her Birthday – at a Fundraiser – Among Desi Friends

Bobby Singh (with his wife Jasmeets by his side) introduced Mayor Parker at the recption held at his house on the city’s west side

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: It was a cozy get-together last Sunday evening, May 15, among familiar faces at the far west elegant home of Bobby and Jasmeeta Singh in the Lakes of Eldridge subdivision, where Houston Mayor Annise Parker met with about 40 people who came to show their support for her re-election bid this fall and donated over $50,000 to her campaign.

This is the second time that Parker has attended such an event at the Singh’s home. During the last election season, she came for a fundraiser in January 2010 which coincided with watching the Super Bowl on television with a small group of supporters too.

Parker attended the informal event with her partner, Kathy Hubbard and before dinner was served, celebrated her upcoming 55th birthday by cutting a chocolate cake with Harry Singh, Bobby’s brother, who shares the same date. Harry works at the City Comptroller’s office and has known Parker from the days that she was Comptroller before running successfully

From left: Sanjay Ram, Mayor Parker, Raj and Jugal Malani and Pete Patel

Houston during these financially challenging times. And she has.”

“I am truly humbled to have the support of so many in the Indo-American community in Houston. I understand the issues that are important in this comFrom left: Bobby Singh, Sugar Land council candidate Harish Jajoo, Mayor Annise Parker and Jasbir Singh at the fundraiser munity,” said Parker as she spoke to the for Mayor in 2010. The two were ser- guests who included business and comenaded with the traditional Birthday Song munity leaders from across the city inby the rest of the guests and followed up cluding many in the engineering and with a Punjabi dinner catered by Ashiana construction business. “As Mayor, I am working hard to implement policies that restaurant.

Parker was introduced by Bobby Singh will ensure Houston remains vibrant and who has known her when she was a com- continues to grow as an International munity activist in the early 90’s. “Mayor City,” she added.

Parker also spoke of the financial conParker promised us that she would not kick the can down the road,” Bobby said, straints that the city finds itself in and the “but was going to roll up her sleeves and retrenchment in personnel that has hapsolve the problems facing the city of pened in the past week when almost 650

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people were laid off. She said that she was opposed to laying off any of the police force and hoped to work out a deal with the fire fighters union. (Two days later, a deal was tentatively worked out, pending a vote of the fire fighter’s union).

Parker also recognized Harish Jajoo, a candidate for City Council District 4 seat in Sugar Land who was the leading vote getter in the recent election the day before and is now pitted against Farah Ahmed in a runoff scheduled for June 11.

Among those from the Indo-American community who showed their support were Injderjit Kaur; Harry Singh and wife Jasleen Kaur; Dr. Winnie and Aku Bedi; Jasbir and Darshan Singh; Dev and Jasdeep Lamba; Harish and Shashi Jajoo; Jugal and Raj Malani; Sanjay Ram; Pete Patel; Meera Victor; Shahzad Bashir and Shaista Khan. Others who attended the dinner reception included Jim Thompson of AECOM, Jeff Gerber of PGAL Architects; J. Kent Friedman, Chairman of Houston-Harris County Sports Authority and former Councilman Bert Keller.

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

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LLS Citizenship Award for Ruchi Mukerjee

By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: She’s a busy freelance television journalist and an avid community and society blogger with an unerring sense of style. This past week, petite powerhouse Ruchi Mukerjee received the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Texas Gulf Coast Chapter’s 2011 Citizenship Award for Community Involvement, and the affectionate nomenclature of the LLS “Media Angel” for her upbeat and innovative fundraising campaign that roused and engaged the Indo American and mainstream communities in this city. Starting on March 3, Mukerjee and nineteen other nominees vying for the LLS 2011 Man and Woman of Year titles helped further the LLS mission of battling blood cancer by raising awareness and funds for the organization. The campaign culminated on May 13 with a glittering grand finale sold-out event at the upscale Hotel ZaZa with the top honors going to the two candidates who raised the most funds. This year’s LLS Man and Woman of the Year were Houston Dynamo star Danny Cruz and Lacey Dalcour Salas. Collectively nominees raised $340,000 this year. Mukerjee attended and walked the red carpet in an outfit by local fashion designer and creator of the Elan line of couture,

Nominees Collectively Raise $340,000 for Cancer Research

Above: Citizenship Award Recipient Ruchi Mukherjee with 2011 Man of the Year Danny Cruz Below: uchi Mukerjee with fashion designer Simran Rihal whose creation Ruchi wore for the Grand Finale. Photo: Roy Abraham Pentafour Photography

Simran Rihal.

“It was such an honor to receive the Citizenship Award. For me, the journey started with my nomination on September 20, 2010 when my dad passed away.

It was like a message from God to give back,” confided Mukerjee.

“I have in the past been involved with Pratham and now with LLS and I am overwhelmed with the response I got. I am happy that society has made me believe that I could be of some worth for others and I have gained a new happiness and strength,” she added.

The LLS Citizen Award recognizes a candidate’s effective facilitation of the community during the campaign. Mukerjee pulled out all the stops; she cohosted Ode to Bollywood at the Mogul Lounge along with DJ Samia Adil that drew a capacity crowd dressed as their favorite movie stars. She gathered together a veritable who’s-who registry of influential people and invited them to Art Meets Fashion, a cocktail evening held at the beautiful Royal Oaks home of Dr. Pradeep Rihal and Simran Rihal; the event showcased the Elan line of designer purses created by Simran Rihal, jewelry by Stella and Dot, and works of art by local artist Marcus Mann.

Nominees included Andy Barboza (Mutual of Omaha Bank).

Indo American News • Friday, MAY 20 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

Ed Boden (Intercontinental Hotel), Tracy Hendrix (Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House), Dave Morales (Mix 96.5 Houston), and Brannon Lloyd (TheCollegeMoneyGuys.com).

A highlight of the LLS grand finale was the presence of the Girl and Boy of the Year, Emma Woodle and Brendon Farmer, local children battling blood cancers who benefit from the financial assistance and education programs rendered by LLS. “The children serve as motivation and inspiration to us nominees to do our best,” said Mukerjee. “Of course the journey was very rough and bittersweet with some people backing out on their promises. Perhaps there was a misconception that I was doing this only for the title, and I can only say that I saw every candidate working very hard for the cause. After this campaign, my duty isn’t over as I plan to sit on the LLS Board and continue to support the organization,” she said.

Mukerjee added that she is very grateful for the overall support from donors, hosts, and those with kind words that “touched my heart”. She also acknowledged Roy Abraham of Pentafour Photography who followed her campaign from its inception pictorially. © Indo American News, 2011

Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

Target Practice

There are some lines from a Tom Lehrer song called The Wild West is where I want to be which go: Mid the yuccas and the thistles/I’ll watch the guided missiles/While the old FBI watches me. This could have been sung by our old friend and neighbour, the Inter-Services Intelligence chief Shuja Pasha after the Americans took out his chief asset Osama bin Laden. The only difference is that Pasha is now watching India, specifying targets which he and his loony toons have apparently rehearsed hitting if we were ever to drop in without a gilt-edged invitation.

We admire his efforts to demonstrate his vigilance though the Indians have shown no inclination to carry out Operation Galauti Kabab.

We are sure that he was scanning the skies with night vision equipment when the Americans swooped down. Now poor Pasha must not be blamed for having mistaken these night time visitors for some friendly arms dealers bearing some uranium or centrifuges with which he could frighten the Indians. Indeed, it’s possible that he set up the landing lights only to find them changing course and heading for Abbottabad. Clearly, he can’t say that he will target the Statue of Liberty or the Pentagon for fear that his fate will be sealed by another bunch of Seals. He also has to make sure that other visitors who are there on his invitation like the amiable Mullah Omar and the gentle Hafiz Sayeed are not inconvenienced by any midnight knocks on the noggin.

So, he has decided to play it safe and tell the Indians off. But we would like to know how he is carrying out the rehearsals. Is he bobbing up in a dinghy as his minions did on 26/11 across the waters? Has he sent in goats and camels laden with explosives creating a new breed of suicide bombers? Has he sent nuclear nutcase AQ Khan disguised as President Asif Zardari? Let us hope, for his sake, the Americans are not rehearsing their own script while he is about to stage his play in India.

Left On the Shelf

The Left is well and truly over in not just West Bengal but also in Kerala where it did put up a doughty fight, thanks to a doughty fighter in octogenarian former chief minister VS Achuthanandan. But in Kerala, the Left’s debacle is par for the course, given how the state swings against the incumbent government with predictable regularity. But the Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee’s chappal revolution is a different case altogether. The commissars at AKG Bhawan must ponder how and where they have gone so wrong.

The decision to challenge the Manmohan Singh government on the nuclear issue was once again a question of reading the political climate all wrong. In these elections as in the earlier Lok Sabha one, the Left seems to have misread all the signals.

These elections should give the Left an opportunity to decide how best to keep itself relevant and reclaim its earlier role as the kingmaker in coalition politics. If not, it stands a very strong chance of being further marginalised in a constantly evolving political scenario.

- Hindustan Times

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Justice to the Guilty

What India must learn from the Abbottabad operation

By Chandrashekhar Dasgupta After the spectacular success of the United States of America’s navy SEAL commando operation to eliminate Osama bin Laden, some of our security analysts called for similar action by our own forces and agencies against the Pakistan-based terrorist masterminds responsible for heinous attacks against India.

More than two years earlier, I had made a case for covert retaliation in these columns (“If nothing else works — India must learn to retaliate against Pakistan covertly”, January 29, 2009). My contention was that “if our démarches with Islamabad, combined with international persuasion, fail to bring the guilty to justice, we shall have to consider ways of bringing justice to the guilty.

We must build up assets that would enable us to neutralize the sinister ringleaders of the terrorist outfits on Pakistani soil”.

There are similarities as well as differences between the recent US action and the strategy we should follow.

A realistic Pakistan policy must recognize the fact that there are two Pakistans. There is a Pakistan which views itself as locked in a permanent confrontation with “Hindu India” and employs terrorism as an instrument of State policy towards its neighbours in India and Afghanistan. There is also a Pakistan which extends a heartfelt welcome to visitors from India during cricket encounters, is enthralled by the latest Bollywood movies and, most importantly, is becoming increasingly conscious of the dangers posed to Pakistan by its sponsorship of terrorist groups. India’s policy must engage simultaneously with the Pakistani Jekyll and the Pakistani Hyde. The challenge to Indian policy is to effectively counter Pakistansponsored terrorism while carrying forward the process of normalizing relations with Pakistan.

This is an exceptionally complex task. It cannot be accomplished with the policy instruments we currently possess. Our armed forces are more than adequate for the purpose of deterring a Pakistan nuclear strike or defeating a military adventure

by Pakistan across our borders.

However, they are not equipped to deliver an effective riposte to a strike by Pakistan-based terrorists. Strikes against terrorist training camps across the border can at best produce limited results since these camps can easily be shifted to new locations. Moreover, there is the risk of collateral damage involving losses of lives and homesteads of innocent persons. Cross-border strikes at terrorist targets can yield limited results in certain circumstances but they cannot provide an adequate answer to major terrorist outrages.

After the attack on the Indian Parliament in November 2001, New Delhi launched Operation Parakram, ordering a massive military build-up along the Indo-Pakistan border in an attempt at coercive diplomacy. The heinous character of the terrorist attack demanded a proportionate response and we exercised the only real military option available to us. However, the operation failed to yield the desired results. It was evident from the outset that a deep thrust into Pakistan was infeasible in the context of a nuclearized subcontinent. A full-scale conventional war runs the risk of escalation to the nuclear level.

After the Mumbai attack in 2008, India chose to exercise its diplomatic options by freezing the composite dialogue with Pakistan and seeking US support in urging Pakistan to bring the perpetrators to justice. We asked Islamabad to hand over to us 20 individuals, including Dawood Ibrahim, Maulana Masood Azhar and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, so that they could be brought to trial in our courts for terrorist offences in India. This option, too, yielded meagre results. Pakistan has merely gone through the motions of launching legal proceedings, while evading meaningful cooperation. The terrorist leaders sought by us are still at large in Pakistan. We recently handed over to Pakistan a list of 50 terrorists wanted for offences committed on Indian soil.

Thus, India has deployed both the military as well as the diplomatic instruments currently available to us and both have been shown to

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 20 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

be largely ineffective. There is a demonstrated need for an alternative strategy to retaliate against crossborder terrorism.

From time to time, a few retired intelligence officers have proposed a tit-for-tat strategy. They suggest extending support to insurgent groups in Pakistan in order to cause proportionate damage to our adversary. They argue that this strategy might dissuade Pakistan’s army and the Inter-Services Intelligence from launching terrorists against India; alternatively, it would plunge Pakistan into deeper chaos and weaken our adversary. The Indian government has quite rightly rejected this option outright. The strategy would be both unethical and unproductive.

The Pakistan army and the ISI have always been guided by their institutional interests, as distinct from the country’s national interest. They are parasites which thrive on the body of a decaying Pakistan state, denying the latter the resources needed for economic and social development.

An increase in the level of insurgent activity is unlikely to cause them to re-evaluate their policies. Far from promoting our interests, anarchy and instability in Pakistan only create a fertile breeding ground for terrorism.

Neither is there an ethical basis for promoting violence against innocent people in retaliation to the criminal activities sponsored by the ISI. What we need is a retaliatory strategy targeted specifically and exclusively at major terrorists responsible for outrages in India. If they cannot be brought to justice in our courts, we must bring justice to them in their sanctuaries in Pakistan. Those responsible for terrorist outrages on our soil should be eliminated if they cannot be made to face trial. At the same time, we should exercise every care to avoid collateral damage to innocent people in Pakistan.

Up to a point, there is a parallel with current American strategy in Pakistan, as reflected in their drone attacks and the spectacular Abbottabad operation. However, we must not lose sight of the differences between our situation and the US’s.

The most obvious of these is the continued on page 19

society

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

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change your Thinking, c c change your Life!

By nikhil Jain BELLVILLE, TX: JVBPreksha Meditation Center , Houston or organized its 11th Annual Family Retreat Camp at the serene location of Camp Woodmen located in Bellville , TX . The theme of this camp was “Change your Thinking, Change your Life”. About 70 people participated in this 3 day retreat including people from Austin , San Antonio , Palestine , & Shreveport , Louisiana . The camp started at 4 pm on Friday, April 22 and concluded on Sunday, April 24 at 1 pm and was conducted under the guidance of Samanji Akshya Pragyaji and Samani Parimal Pragyaji.

There were activities and sessions for all ages starting from Meditation, Yoga, Relaxation, etc. There were some wonderful sessions conducted by Samaniji’s about Thoughts and how they can be changed for our betterment; how a simple Smile can work wonders & how enthusiasm can change your

life etc. Dr Manish Jain, a cardiologist from Austin conducted a session about Heart Ailments amongst Indians and provided practical tips on preventive and proactive measures including diet. Mr Jitendra Tanna conducted two session on Laughing Yoga, which made even the little ones enjoy. Children & Youth had parallel sessions conducted by Samanijis & volunteers.

Saturday evening’s highlight was a cultural program in which various teams were formed amongst

the kids and adults and each team presented 10 minute acts based on the various topics covered at the camp. Participants also enjoyed sports including flood lit cricket at night, volleyball paddleboat & canoeing.

At the end, everyone shared their experiences and were very ecstatic with what they went through in the 48 hours. Everyone had picked up lots of practical tips on how to live a better life and how to become a better person.

t tsunami r relief donation from indo-a indondo-a american merican community

Seen from left are Swapan Dhairyawan, Ramesh Cherivirala (former ICC Presidents), Steve Vetrano, CEO, American Red Cross, Vale (former ICC president).

Not in picture other Steering Committee members President Col Raj Bhalla, P V Patel & Jagat Kamdar.

Subramaniyam

India Culture Center Houston presented a check of $13,478 to the American Red Cross, Greater Houston Chapter towards the Relief efforts for the victims of the Japan Tsunami. ICC Houston raised the funds through its custodial funds and by raising community wide funds through its Partnering organizations for this worthy cause.

The handing over ceremony of this check was organized on May 5 at the Office of the American Red Cross. The Chief Executive Officer Steve Vetrano was pleased with the efforts by the Indo American community and assured the ICC team that “rest assured that your gift will be used in the way in which you intended. I will send you a periodic update of our relief efforts in Japan that you can share with your members.”For more information visit www.icchouston.org

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Baylor’s c chief Performance o officer has a Passion for Globalization

HOUSTON: Dr. Navneet Kathuria recently arrived in Houston as the chief performance officer at Baylor College of Medicine where he is working with new BCM President and CEO Dr. Paul Klotman to launch BCM’s Center for Globalization.

Both Dr. Klotman and Dr. Kathuria are continuing work they began at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City in global healthcare and the potential impact academic medicine plays in impacting the health of individuals regardless of geographical borders.

Dr. Kathuria’s hope and desire is that with the strength and support from the Indo-American community and as a result of the heritage of BCM, BCM will be a center known for being a part of the catalyst of change in healthcare in India as well as improvement in healthcare globally.

For Dr. Kathuria, Globalization is intrinsically a matter of personal and professional passion. Professionally, he believes that academic medicine with its missions of excellence in clinical care, education, research and service to community must think globally, yet act locally. Additionally, he believes that scientific research is an inherently global enterprise and that science cannot be done in isolation. Personally, he is committed to developing a relationship with

Dr. Navneet Kathuria India and the Indian subcontinent to strengthen the US-India bilateral relationship for the benefit of both communities.

During the short time that Dr. Kathuria has been in Houston, he has been extremely impressed with the strength of the Indo-American community, their significant contributions and with their leadership in healthcare, business and other sectors.

He is a proud member of the IndoAmerican community and has felt the most gracious welcome to the Greater Houston area, especially by members of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. According to Dr. Kathuria, ‘their support has been fantastic’.

Baylor has a historically global perspective, starting with the ground

breaking work of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, the father of cardiovascular medicine and applauds him as one of the original advocates and ambassadors of academic global medicine.

For Dr. Kathuria, the definition of globalization in our times by the Nobel Prize winning economist, Joseph E. Stiglitz, resonates with him the most: “... fundamentally, it is the closer integration of the countries and the peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enor enormous reduction of costs of transpor transportation and communications, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flow of goods, services, capital, knowledge and (to a lesser extent) people across borders.”

Dr. Kathuria feels that globalization of healthcare is “the integration of health science institutions across borders; collaborating to eliminate barriers to accelerate creation of new knowledge and their timely and efficient translation to overcome diseases afflicting humanity.”

Dr. Kathuria believes that global healthcare will come about by strengthening both public and private partnerships in the medical communities. It will also reach across all BCM academic mission areas including research, clinical care, education and community service.

Baba ramdev r launches worldwide w s satyagraha

India is going through the roughest phase in History. British plundered and looted India for 300 years and now corrupt politicians, businessmen, corrupt people in administration are looting, plundering the nation. Right from top most head of GOI till the bottom of pyramid corruption has spread like cancer and is killing the nation.Anti national elements are working across nation to divide country, ruling parties have conspired with foreign elements and are involved in making people poor intentionally. Fiddling with Economic system is made the tool to meet their objectives; British methodology is adopted by current politicians for destroying the culture and values of India. When nation is under grips of such a dangerous storm a great soul like Swami Ramdev Ji has come forward to save nation and take the sinking ship out of deep waters. He is working tirelessly across length and breadth of this nation to unite people

for fight against corruption and get Black money stashed by criminal politician in safe heaven abroad.

Swami Ramdev Ji believes that the British rules, laws and administration systems in India require change and it’s not possible unless the ground people, the masses join the

movement to uproot the entrenched current systems, built on corruption or inefficiency and supported by powerful vested interests. For saving India, people have to wake up as a united force. After completing 1 lakh kms of Bharat Swabhiman Yatra on June 1, Baba Ramdev will launch the Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagraha (Satyagraha against Cor Corruption) from June 4 in Delhi. After meeting crores of people at shivirs in various villages, districts, cities and towns of our country Baba Ramdev

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will mobilize the masses through the Bhrashtachar Mito Satyagrah where Swamiji will go on indefinite hunger strike along with hundreds of thousands Indian citizen at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

To support the movement, NRIs are also organizing events in all major cities in USA. Please join this havan and give your oblations by fasting for a day on June 4. Come join us for showing the solidar solidarity with the Bharat Swabhiman Movement on June 4 & 5 at Arya Samaj Vedic Center, 14375 Schiller Rd., Houston from 8 am to 8 pm. To register for fasting, visit www.bhar www.bharatswabhimanusa.org or call Indra Singhal @ 832-607-3977.

continued from page 16

Justice to the Guilty

asymmetry in our technical and military assets. We cannot hope to precisely replicate American tactics. Indeed, we do not need to do so since, fortunately for us, our targets are less elusive than Osama bin Laden.

Nor can we overlook the fact that the US enjoys a unique primacy in international affairs. So great is Islamabad’s dependence on the US that it is obliged to acquiesce in US counter-terrorist strikes on its soil, albeit occasionally under protest. We cannot expect Islamabad to extend the

same courtesy to us. International reactions are also shaped by power realities. We may point to parallels between our actions and those of the US but that does not guarantee an identical response from the international community. Hypocrisy is no stranger to international relations.

For these weighty reasons, it would be prudent on our part to confine ourselves to operations of a strictly covert character. Israel, more than the US, provides a model for us. We must be able, in every case, to deny our involvement with a measure of plausibility. This will

Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, A mAy Ay, A 20 , 2011 • online Ay o edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

help to avoid international criticism. It will also deny Pakistan a handy justification for military escalation. The public rejoicing that marked the Abbottabad operation is a luxury we cannot afford.

To sum up, our response to cross-border terrorism should include the option of covert action to eliminate the criminals in their sanctuaries in Pakistan. Precision strikes are required in order to avoid collateral damage to the innocent. Only hostile terrorists and their patrons are our enemies, not Pakistan’s people.

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

By Vivek Natarajan HOUSTON: I enter the hall and am greeted in the traditional Indian way complete with sweets and smiles. A row of volunteers (“the lavender brigade” as our host put it) usher us to the food court with a lavish spread of various Indian delicacies. I also notice a kids’ section with goodies and a ladies’ section with goody bags. The ladies and gentlemen are properly dressed and chatting with the right “Indian” decibel level. We enter the auditorium and are treated to a good music concert complete with stage decorations by Mandap Creations under the guidance of Architect Ashok Mungara, that could compete with Thotha Tharani, the famed film decorator.

The main performer is a bespectacled kid who was born and raised in the US. The concert list signals a concert planning approach that comes with good experience – as the artist’s long distance teacher acknowledges in her video speech.

We could easily be in Chennai or Bangalore. I pinch myself and realize that this is Zilkha Hall (Hobby center for performing arts) in Downtown Houston. The event is the violin recital by Abhishek Balakrishnan on May 15th, 2011.

East meets West. I am left wondering about the factors that make events like this happen.

When Indians immigrate, they bring their culture with them. One of the most gracious and subtle forms of culture is music. The parents go through several personal challenges to make sure the kids receive the best musical training. They spend time, energy, and money to develop a vision for their kids and then translate the vision into action. The kids have to learn an art form in a totally different milieu. The teachers have to be able to evolve a pedagogical approach that

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Music is All Around Me

will enable them to overcome the linguistic, cultural, and geographical barriers. They need to be able to communicate in a manner that the students can understand and implement. The students have to be able to take these lessons, practice, and develop the art form. The luxury of being able to listen to a lot of performances is not available within the US barring big cities that can

the Kanjira.

Abhishek is a graduating senior at Clements High School and will be joining Duke University in Fall. He is the son of proud parents, Roopa and Bala, a couple well known in the community for their passion, commitment, and devotion to the Meenakshi Temple, and has a role model sibling in Ananth Balakrishnan, a student at Duke University.

Abhishek Balakrishnan Photo: Bijay Dixit

host a lot of visiting artists. The students may have to travel to India to learn and imbibe some of the more advanced lessons. The last but not the least factor is the community that nurtures and supports these art forms via attendance, sponsorship, and encouragement. The sheer volume of concerts- dance and music is a reflection of the magnanimity and maturity of Houston IndoAmerican art lovers.

Zilkha hall is full when the program begins – the main performer is Abhishek Balakrishnan, accompanied by three percussionists – Shanker Ramji Ayyar on the Mrudangam, Shyam Murali on the Ghatam and Bala Murali on

He has been fortunate to receive his training in violin from Kalaimamani Srimathi Usha Rajagopalan, a top grade renowned violin artiste of Chennai, and Mahesh Iyer (Pranavam School of Arts, Pearland, TX), a passionate teacher and performer. He has honed his skills by regular classes- both traditional and online and reinforced it with visits to Chennai for advanced training.

Abhishek credits his passion in music to his listening to stalwarts like Balamurali Krishna and Lalgudi Jayaraman in Chennai. To quote Abhishek…….”I have understood that music is not limited to the concert hall, but it is around me everywhere…..I practice music

SMART DECISION

not only to continue to improve, but also to relax when other parts of my life are very stressful”. As Sudha Ravi Mani puts it in her speech at the end of the concert, “as he rested his chin on the violin, it seemed like his violin was only a medium which brought out the feeling within him”.

The program began with a warm up piece, the Navaragamalika varnam, wherein he played nine ragas, effortlessly moving his fingers like a seasoned artist.

Then Abhishek propitiated Ganesha with Vara Vallabha Ramana (GNB) in Hamsadwani.

He followed it by the very evocative Marivere in Ananda Bhairavi, bringing out the mood of the piece. As a tribute to the presiding deity in Houston, Abhishek prayed to Goddess Meenakshi with the great Papanasam Shivan Krithi- Devi Neeye Thunai. He then proceeded to Goddess Parvati with the Dikshithar Krithi- Parandhamavathi. Then came a filler song in Senchu Kambodhi- Tyagaraja’s Vararagalaya.

The main piece was Tyagaraja’s Endhuka Peddala in Shankarabharanam. The alapana, neraval, and swarams were well done. He handled the swaras with decisiveness, drawing the three percussionists in the kalpana swaram segment.

It was followed with a good tani avartanam by the supporting artistes- Ramji Shankar Ayyar( Mridangam), Bala Murali( Kanjira),

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and Shyam Murali( Ghatam), who is a young student, like Abhishek, also an avid music lover, and a Saxophone player with two CDs to his credit (Mayuram and Yaatra).

It was nice to notice the two senior artistes Ramji and Bala encourage the younger artistes.

Abhishek’s Taalam management was excellent as he played with confidence, undaunted by the three rhythm keepers. He then proceeded to beautiful krithis in Kapi Enna Thavam( Papanasam Sivan).

Then came the tukkada section with the usual favorites- Brahmam Okate Para( Annamacharya), Eppo Varuvaro ( Gopalakrishna Bharathi), and Kurai Onrum Illai; Sudha in her speech said that she was moved to tears when this beautiful Rajagopalachari’s krithi was played. Abhishek concluded his concert with the Desh Thillana composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman and the Mangalam. The standing ovation that he got from the audience was testament to not only the audience’s support but also to the quality of this young man’s performance. To quote Sudha’s quote in her speech “It is a little bit the fiddle but lots more who holds the bow”.

The overall event was well organized by hosts Roopa and Bala.

Events like this will encourage more musical activity by our kids, ensuring that our musical culture will be preserved for generations to come. The proclamation presented by the mayor of the City of Sugarland listing Abhishek’s accomplishments and read that evening by Councilman Thomas Abraham, was yet another gesture of encouragement to hardworking kids like Abhishek. More words of praise and encouragement came from Sonal Buchar of the Fort Bend ISD, making events of this nature more meaningful and rewarding to the nextgen kids.

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HOUSTON: Hindu MahaSabha of America held Hindu Sprots Day, for the first time in Houston on March 24. The event was hosted by Arya Samaj and DurgaBari. It was a unique event where three different organizations came together to promote sports activities among youth and young adults. “It great opportunity for like Hindu youth to come together and mingle and network with new friends” said Dharminder Dargan, the event co-ordinator.

Sports day event was spread across two days and included games like Table Tennis, Carrom, Chess, Spelling Bee and Art competition. Each sporting event had multiple categories and age group. Although all the events were very well attended, Carrom and Table Tennis were especially popular.

In all there were more than 250 particpants for the sporting event.

Mentorship sessions were also held for the youth and school going kids.

During these session kids were able to meet accomplished professionals in the field of Medicine, Law, Public Service, and Military service.

These session were major draw for high school and middle school kids who were planning to go to college.

More than 40 bhutanese refugee kids also attended the event and they participated in sporting events as well in Mentor ship sessions The closure of the event was another major highlight where, students from Yamuna dance school performed @ Durga Bari auditorium and Arya Samaj youth mandal rendered some beautiful classical and folks

society

Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

Hindu Khel Divas Makes Debut in Houston

2nd: Aniket and Vivek Thakurdesai 3rd: Dilip Desai and Surya Chodumella 13-18 category: 1st: Shaan Patel 2nd: Aniket Thakurdesai 3rd: Aditya Dargan 8-12 category 1st: Kishore Goswami 2nd: Anuj Jajoo 3rd and 4th was not decided as the participants left Table Tennis Singles:

songs. Along with Dharminder Dargan, Rudranath Talkukdar, Devinder Mahajan ,Anil Gupta , Chandar Mohan Gulai, Jay Shah and Kishore Chanchalni were part of the team.

Spelling Bee - Results Anuj Jajoo - Elementary School Group, Anushka Chawla - Middle School Group, Akash Gupta - High School Group Carom (Open Category Adults): Vivek Thakurdesai- 1st place , Kishore Chanchalani- 2nd place, Madhav Chamlagye- 3rd place Carrom (8-12):

Dinesh Chamlagye- 1st place, Anush Patil- 2 nd place, Anuj Jajoo- 3rd place Art contest (Elementary): Muskan Chaturvedi- 1st place, Sagar Chawla- 2nd place, Ria Otwani- 3rd place Art contest (Middle School): Mallika Dargan- 1st place, Deepa Rai- 2nd place Art contest (High school):Durga Dulal- 1st place, Neha Srirvastava2nd place, Tresha Gupta- 3rd place Chess (8-12): Abhik Bhatt- 1st place, Anuj Jajoo2nd place, Prathik Pohuja- 3rd place Chess (open): Yash Baxi- 1st place, Shaan Patel2nd place, Sumeet Agarwal- 3rd place Singles: 1st: Prakash Goswami, 2nd: Sanjay Chauhan, 3rd: RudraNath Talukdar Doubles: 1st: Sanjay Chauhan and Rudranath Talukdar

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1st: Prakash Goswami, 2nd: Sanjay Chauhan, 3rd: RudraNath Talukdar Doubles: 1st: Sanjay Chauhan and Rudranath Talukdar, 2nd: Aniket and Vivek Thakurdesai, 3rd: Dilip Desai and Surya Chodumella 13-18 category: 1st:ShaanPatel,2nd:AniketThakurdesai, 3rd: Aditya Dargan 8-12 category 1st: Kishore Goswami, 2nd: Anuj Jajoo

Celebration of Adult Literacy Program

By Nand Kapoor CHICAGO: Night of 1000 stars was organized by Indo-American Center and the NorthSide Literacy Coalition members (that included Albany Park Community Center, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Howard Area Community Center, Jane Addams Resource Corporation, Midwest Asian America n Center, Mercy Housing Lakefront, and World Relief, and most prominently Secretary of State Literacy Office) in Chicago last week.

The keynote speaker for the gathering was the Honorable Jesse White, Secretary of State and Chief Librarian for the State of IL. In his address, he appreciated the efforts of the Indo-American Center and other organizations for promoting literacy among immigrants, seniors, and others.

“I am delighted to see the great progress and I am willing to help the member organizations and the Indo-American Center. This is the most important cause in which I wish to help. I assured my friend, Mr. Nand Kapoor, who also attended the function, as to how I can be of help.” Said White.

The Secretary of State handed out Certificates of Participation to the learners who performed at the Night of 1,000 Stars. The Indo-American Center was honored by the presence of a new 50th ward Alderman, Debra Silverstein, who also addressed the gathering.

The event was served with refreshments donated by Tahoora Sweets and Bakery and Uru-Swati restaurants on Devon Ave. The event was efficiently and ably conducted by Renuka Sharma, Jai Ramos, Susan Chaudhri, and Chirag Shah of the Indo-American Center. The media was represented by Jatinder Bedi of Indian Reporter, Dr. Mujahid Ghazi of the Pakistan Link and the Asian Broadcasting Network, Tariq Khwaja of Urdu Times and Pakistan Abroad, and Nand Kapoor of the Indo-American News of Houston, TX.

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Indo American News • Friday, May 20, 2011

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Summery Executions

It’s a mixed result for the UPA: at least a presence everywhere, a routed Left, an ineffectual BJP. Andhra is its only big worry

By Saba Naqvi (Outlook) If we look at these election results through personalities, then we must acknowledge that two solitary and strong women have uprooted entrenched regimes and changed the rules of the political game. The long-expected collapse of the Left happened in Bengal and without much ado.

A diminutive woman in a white sari stood tall as the famed citadel of cadres collapsed into dust and haze. The revenge in Tamil Nadu was more unexpected as J. Jayalalitha posted a decisive win over the squabbling, bleeding Karunanidhi clan.

But the revenge has actually been of the voters.

They have sent the message that no political party, however entrenched, should take them for granted. The Left lost West Bengal the day it turned ideology on its head and brutally tried to claim people’s land for corporate use. Similarly, the K clan was punished in Tamil Nadu for trying to convert the state into a family fiefdom and for behaving as if corruption was their birthright.

The politics that determined the results in Kerala and Assam was more traditional. In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF won on expected lines despite a spirited fight by old Communist warhorse Achuthanandan. In Assam, CM Tarun Gogoi won a comfortable third term simply by not allowing polarisations to take over and taking the path of reconciliation by initiating talks with ULFA. “One gets the impression,” says political analyst Pratap Bhanu Mehta, “that Gogoi’s

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been the old-fashioned Congress synthesiser who could manoeuvre his way through the politics of polarisation the opposition was trying to play.”

So was there a larger national message or was this just a sum of state battles? What has certainly been reinforced as far as the national players are concerned is that the Congress may have mounting problems everywhere but at least has a

presence all around. The grand old party has also been able to call the BJP’s bluff. For months now, the UPA government has looked so bad in New Delhi that it was presumed that opposition forces were gaining momentum. However, out of over 800 assembly seats, the BJP figures

remain in single digits. That is why Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee declared at a press conference: “How can they claim to be a national party? I ask them not to destabilise the government but invite them to try and defeat us through elections.”

But it is in Assam that the real tale of the

BJP’s limited power hangs.

This was one state where the party was a genuine player and there were reports of a clever “unstated” alliance with the AGP. Yet, the BJP tally fell from 10 to five while the Congress won a third term, and with more seats than even 2006.

Obviously, there will be a national rethink on the BJP’s capacity now.

This affords a snapshot of the

Santhigram Kerala Ayurveda

ayurvedic centers in various parts of United States. Mr. Robin Ellakkad, the councilman who spoke during the occasion also expressed happiness that Santhigram was successful in bringing this specialized therapy to Houston which will be of immense help to many people suffering from a number of chronic ailments. His Holiness Bhakti Sundar Goswami Maharaj talked about the origin of Ayurveda which is a system of medicine practiced by the sages in ancient times and forms part of Hindu mythology. He narrated his excellent experience of Ayurvedic treatments that he had undergone in India and wished Santhigram all success in its efforts to establish authentic ayurvedic centers in the United States.

Gopinathan Nair, President & CEO of the company in his welcome speech has expressed satisfaction about the tremendous support Santhigram has received from the local community leaders for starting the ayurvedic center in Houston and unveiled the plan of the company in launching more centers in Texas and other states in coming months. Vikram Pillai, Global Director, Muraleedharan Pillai, Centre Director and Dr. Ambika Nair, Senior Consultant also spoke on the occasion.

Santhigram is an ISO 9001:2008 certified provider of Ayurvedic Services based in India with international centers in UK and US and is specialized in “Kerala specific Ayurvedic Panchakarma Therapies”. The current synthetic lifestyle of modern man has led him to many health problems. The stress and strain of daily grind is a major factor for many chronic diseases. Lack of exercise, polluted environment and climatically unsuitable food habits further adds to the problem. “Ayurvedic and Panchakarma Therapies” that Santhigram offers reduce the physical suffering from skeletomuscular diseases, control several dreaded disabilities, ward off the middle age syndrome, possibly retard the aging process and provide unlimited curative powers for body and mind by repairing the worn out tissues revitalizing the body, increasing memory power, improving vigor and vitality and make oneself physically and mentally fit. Santhigram’s specialized Ayurvedic & Panchakarma therapies also help to alleviate specific health problems like Back Pain, Neck Pain, Frozen Shoulder, Sinusitis, Migraine, Joint Pain, Arthritis, Insomnia, Depression etc, reduce obesity and mental tension, enhances body complexion and skin luster, correct one’s metabolism and deficiencies and also recharges the body and mind.

Santhigram has cut out an ambitious plan of setting up multiple Ayurvedic Centers in all the 50 states in the US and is looking for partners in every state in its mission to launch world class Ayurvedic centers.

future political chessboard. It’s now for the Congress to win and lose, and for the regional parties to provide the decisive shifts and turns.

Listen only to what Ghulam Nabi Azad said about the Tamil Nadu verdict: “Don’t blame the C o n gress.

This is a game o f alli-

ance politics. When the alliance wins, everyone wins. When the alliance loses, we all lose.” Off the record, Congress leaders admit they are secretly delighted with the Tamil Nadu result as the DMK— whose numbers are critical to UPA survival—will now be meek as a lamb. The 2G scam will continue to claim scalps, and that includes the possibility of Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi landing in jail. But with Jayalalitha expected to turn the heat on the DMK, they have no bargaining chips with Delhi unless suicide were considered a tactic of political survival. Hence, Congress leaders claim they have them where they want even if more of them land up behind bars.

The Tamil Nadu result also counters the argument that corruption is not really an issue with voters. It can become a regime-changing factor when it reaches gross proportions.

The Congress will now try to use this to its advantage and claim it is the only dispensation that has taken such strong action against corruption that corporate bosses and politicians have landed in jail.

In order to convincingly build its case, the party will also have to cooperate with the advocates of the Lokpal Bill and handle that situation tactfully.

But the real crisis staring Congress in the face is the big black hole that is expanding in its Andhra Pradesh bastion where Jaganmohan Reddy has done so well in the Kadapa

Indo American News • Friday, MAY 20 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

bypoll. With the state sending the largest number of Congress MPs at the Centre, will the party now reach out to Jagan? Or is it too late for that and are we seeing the emergence of another regional force in the state?

The situation is similar to what happened in another Congress bastion, Maharashtra, where the ncp split its base after Sharad Pawar walked out in 1999 in what was then seen as a rebellion against Sonia Gandhi.

Since the political trend is towards strong regional forces, Jagan Reddy can certainly damage the Congress further. The party also has to decide whether it is for Telangana or not.

And fundamentally, with the Left so diminished, the Congress will also have to determine how much of that ideological space it can credibly appropriate for itself.

The Nehru-Gandhi instinct is to at least seem to promote left-of-centre policies even as a sort of unbridled corporatisation continues. Surely a greater balance will have to be struck?

An interesting little cameo is currently being enacted in Uttar Pradesh where farmers protesting land acquisition policies found surprise support in Rahul Gandhi who appeared there dramatically, courted arrest and was later released. The Left learnt the hard way that land policies can undo a government. The UPA says it will come out with a coherent land acquisition policy and take the high ground on the issue.

The Congress can also take heart from the fact that after years of dealing with an indifferent or falling Muslim vote, there are signs of that support slowly coming back.

In Kerala, large numbers of Muslims voted for the UDF alliance; the Muslim League too did very well. In West Bengal, Muslims abandoned the Communists and rallied behind Mamata and indeed the Congress. In Assam too, the Congress got impressive Muslim support. Handled by powerful but controversial Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, the extraordinarily good result will only reinforce his position in the party.

As for the Left, it must now struggle to remain relevant. No one is ever finished in Indian politics, yet political forces do get circumscribed—the BJP has yet to really recover after its 2004 defeat.

Karunanidhi too looks like a tragic character in a Shakespearean play who has just lost the last big battle of his life. The squabbling successors remain beset with their petty troubles. So over it is to the ladies from the east and south: who have no dynasty, no clan, no succession plan.

horoscope

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WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20: Rams are likely to go through mixed feelings. On one side you do some value addition to your resourcefulness. Meeting new people and making contacts is on your agenda. While on the other side, you share an electrifying chemistry with your partner and are passionate about him/her. After notable romantic developments, you plan to take your relationship to the next level.Money and honey, both are on your cards and give you one of the best times of your life. However, there’s one more thing that grabs your attention this week, and that is spiritualism.

TAURUS Apr 21 - Surprise! Surprise!

You are in for some rewards for your systematic planning, untiring efforts and clarity of thoughts. This would not only boost your confidence to a higher level, but also put you in the limelight. However, make sure that success does not go to your head. No matter how powerful and rich you become, it’s important to stay grounded. Relationships are fragile and they need to be handled with care. Words once spoken can’t be taken back. So, be cautious while handling critical issues concerning family and friends. Keep a check on your temper.

GEMINI May 22 - Jun 21: Commitments galore in your professional world. Being a high achiever, the onus is on you to bag big projects for your company. Team work, focus and target become your keywords, for this week and perhaps for the entire month.

However, make sure that you do not load your juniors with work pressure, or you may lose respect at the work place. Handle troubles gracefully. Driven by passion for work, your family and personal life take a back seat for the time being. Bask in the glory of success on the professional front.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 23: You are caught in a flurry of activities and are trying to wrap up all the pending work. You may also go through mid-week crisis. Communication being the key in your profession, your rapport with your colleagues is worth appreciating. They come and lend you a helping hand. Being a Crab, means a person full of emotions, someone who thinks with his/her heart most of the time. When it comes to taking crucial decisions in your life, think with your head. Then you may lessen the chances of mistakes and regrets.

LEO July 24 - Aug 23: An eventful week has begun, and this time it’s big. It’s a sign that something major is going to happen in you life. Your approach towards various things and situations has changed and you may treat them differently.

Good fortune in stock market, getting a new look for yourself, a wardrobe makeover or a new diet plan or exercise regime, is where you begin from. You feel like breakingfree and emerging as a totally new person. And don’t get surprised if you get a pat on your back from family and friends.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23: Bid that feeling of insecurity a warm good-bye. Your confidence has reached a new level, you derive a different outlook towards life. Your dare-devil approach now makes you take up a path less travelled and you explore new avenues. There is an upward trend in your career graph.. You are totally enjoying your work to the extent of becoming workaholic. This is likely to take a toll on your health, be careful. The game of power is getting riskier by the day. But, Virgin the risk-taker, is totally loving it. Go ahead and find your way.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23: This is not the time for wild imagination, nor for flirting or day-dreaming. You pay more attention on the physical plane, and immerse your yourself in romance and carnal pleasures. You are grounded in the practical affairs of arranging funds, loans, handling legacies and monetary matters. You will also find yourself inclining towards meditation and spiritual pursuits. This is a Scorpio phase and life will be intense and eventful.

SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22: You are being forcefully driven to slog hard by the full moon in your sign. You have a hectic schedule, but, you are enjoying it thoroughly. This is a very rewarding period. You gain more recognition and make more money. The atmosphere at home too will be happy and relaxed. You will succeed in everything that you do, and it will be evident in your cheerful countenance. You have good health, and, there will even be a windfall coming your way.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22: This is a phase of intense work and romance. A new love sets your life ablaze. You will be inextricably drawn into the relationship. There are all chances of ending up fatigued or with bad health, but you are enchanted by the flame like a moth. You are aware it could ruin you, but you are unable to steer clear of it.

The scars from our wounds are needed in order to remind us in later life of the follies of youthful and unfettered passion. Watch out overall!

CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20: As Cupid takes control of your life, you shift your attention away from routine work and money matters for a while. You are blindly captivated by passion, and there is almost nothing else that matters to you right now. You reach out to your beloved, and pour out all your deepest emotions, and the response you receive will be quick and profound. You are riding the crest of passion and hopefully it will take you to your desired destination. Enjoy your week ahead! Keep going toward your destiny.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19: Far from being passive or doing things in a relaxed way, you are overflowing with enterprising ideas.

Some of your ideas for the development of your future and assurance of financial success are even audacious.

A new and profound excitement defines the intensity of your commercial dealings, as you make efforts to enhance your monetary earnings. Domestic responsibilities pull you in the opposite direction. This is an auspicious time to start new projects, which have been in your mind for a considerable time. Cheer up Water bearers, the stars are in your favor!

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20: You are likely to increase the momentum of your work in this period. Many new joint ventures and collaborations are on the cards. There will be some distracting bit of romance with quite a few passionate moments thrown in. Singles can expect serious love that can even lead to a marriage, while those who are married can expect the relationship to be consolidated.

However, Relationships can become sour too, with adultery not altogether ruled out, but it depends on the individual horoscope. Travel is also predicted for you and through it you build fresh contacts. This is the time to learn and grow, but, tread cautiously. www.indoamerican-news.com

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