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By Pramod KulKarniKarniKHOUSTON: A theatre review

is supposed to be critical with numerous sarcastic and witty comments. On the contrary, Indo-American Association’s “Black & White”, a walk down the memory land of the golden era of Hindi cinema, 1948-65, last Saturday evening at the Wortham Center, left even the most cynical mem-bers of the audience in a glow of satisfaction.

Comments from the viewers ranged from “Amazing” from someone who lived through the era to “I didn’t know about these great stars and the wonderful mu-sic” from a Generation Y viewer.

An entertaining multimedia

IAA’s “Black & white”: exhilirating Journey to a Golden era

“Black and White” traveled through the life of Bollywood cinema from 1948 to 1965 as actors-singers performed on stage and film segments were screened in the background.

IAA’s 2010 season now features two English plays: “Salaam India” on September 25 and “Broken Images” with Shabana Azmi on October 16, both at the Wortham Center.

the performance took the viewers on a nostalgic journey to land-

Next for IAA in its 2010 season are two English plays, “Salaam India”, a drama about the many paradoxes that define modern India, and “Broken Images”, a psychological thriller starring Shabana Azmi. For additional in-formation, visit iaahouston.com

marks such as K.L Saigal, Bimal Roy, V. Shantaram, and Guru Dutt. En route, the show brought the evergreen Dev Anand, tragedy king Dilip Kumar, showman Raj Kapoor, beautiful Madhubala, the classy Meena Kumari, and “Tum-sa nahin dekha” Shammi Kapoor.

Thousands celebrate Krishna Janamashtami with Pomp

Children in the costume contest at the Krishna Janamashtami celebration held last Saturday, August 28 at the George Brown Covention Convention Center. Almost 5,000 people attended. Photos: Vijay Pallod

concept and production by Milind Oak of Niche Entertaiment, Pune,

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Archie Panjabi Wins Emmy

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Bhajan Idols Crowned at JVB Preksha Meditation Center

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Arya Samaj and Patanjali Yogpeeth Participate in Nationwide Yogathon

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Clockwise from top left: Keshav Raaghavan, son of Ravi and Soumya; Anaya Kang dressed as Kirishna; “Swagatham Janmashtami” greets the attendees; a multiracial Youth Kirh-han band performed to rave reviews; Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri hands out awards to Jay Kumar Ammangudi for the Akhil Chopra Unsung Hero award; Dev and Sushma Mahajan for Lifetime Achievement and Martha Olvera for Community Service; drummers from Ke-real Hind organization; Sri Guruvayurap-pan Temple murthi setting at a booth; the rangoli arrangement at the entrance.

The Houston desi Village celebrates JanamashtamiBy Jy Jy awahar malhotra

HOUSTON: By all measures, this year’s 21st Annual Jana-mashtami event at the George Brown Convention Center was a success.

The costume contest had 57 participants; there were over 40 booths from all major desi organi-zations, including food from local restaurants, ice cream from Natura and a vendor from Atlanta , Ama-rjit Singh, who did a roaring busi-ness selling framed prints of Hindu dieties. The decorations (by Hiren Mathuria) were eye-catching and appealing. The overall organiza-tion was great and the events were timely. The shoes were kept in clear plastic bags in tidy rows and the system they used made it easy to turn in and retrieve.

But even so, the organizers were not ecstatic because the atten-dance was down by nearly 40% over last year. “We know what it is exactly because we count the pairs of shoes turned in,” explained one organizer, Vijay Pallod, a diehard supporter of the event.

Pallod worked with the team that Girish Naik, the event coor-dinator, had formed over the past year, to rejuvenate the event that is free to the public and bring in more people after attendance had plunged 4 years ago. And although the efforts of the organization in charge, Hindus of Greater Hous-ton, put together a delightful cel-ebration of the birth of Krishna, it left them wondering what may have prevented a better crowd at the huge hall this past Saturday, August 28.

Still, those who came were mes-merized by the aarti, the music and the dandiya garba that culmiand the dandiya garba that culmiand the dandiya garba -nated the end of the event around

midnight. A big draw was Swami Vidyadhishanan-da, who is cur-rently in Houston on a lecture tour, and spoke to the gathered faithful of the meaning of Krishna ’s life. He concluded by reminding the faithful to, “Re-member the great gifts of Krishna, not just the Bhagavad Gita or the Mahabharata, but the gift of his life.”

There were several winners of the costume contest and Swamiji gave out achieve-ment awards to four key peo-ple who have helped the cause of Hinduism within the com-munity. And it was encourag-ing to see how many young people were actively engaged in the o p e r a -tion of t h e e v e n t , and the numer-o u s perfor-mances.


5 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com s o c i e t y

Bhakti Hallmark of Pavitra srinivasan’s PerformanceBy Kalyani Giri

HOUSTON: It was an afternoon quite ex-traordinary albeit emotional. And judging by the capacity audience at the Sri Meenakshi Temple Society’s (MTS) Kalyana Manda-pam on August 29, it was evident that word of Pavitra Srinivasan’s prowess as an artiste of note had spread. Her presentation of Sun-darakaandam, excerpted from Sage Val-miki’s Ramayana, was a riveting and mov-ing visual experience. Visiting from India, Srinivasan’s performance was facilitated by MTS Cultural Co-ordinator Dr. Rathna Ku-mar and held under the auspices of MTS. The program was the pilot of a new series of cultural events that MTS is planning to bring to the community.

Preceding the presentation, the artiste paid homage to her spiritual guru Swami Dayananda Saraswati through his lyrical composition in Raga Durga, Rama Bhaje. Pavitra Srinivasan’s brave choice of Sun-darakaandam for her solo recital spoke of the young dancer’s innate confidence in her felicity for drama and theatrics. It also challenged her mastery at choreography. The piece fervently explored Hanuman’s role in the Ramayana as a steadfast, strong, and dedicated devotee of Lord Rama. When Seetha is abducted and taken to Lanka by Ravana, Lord Rama is bereft. Unable to bear Lord Rama’s grief, Hanuman makes the harrowing journey to Lanka to attempt

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Pavitra Srinivasan performs ‘Sundarakandam’

to rescue Seetha. The powerful mon-

key god’s spirited flight to Lanka was so imaginatively por-trayed by Srinvasan, that one could almost see him flying. His trip wasn’t without pitfalls; Lankini, the guardian deity of Lanka tries to thwart his progress, but he gently subdues her and wins her confi-dence. When Hanu-man meets Seetha, the transition in facial expression is magi-cal, from monkey god to soul-ful damsel in distress. And the fierce lust-ful eyes of Ravana were equal-ly convinc-ing. When Hanuman returned to

Lord Rama and handed Him Seetha’s hair ornament, Rama, overcome by Hanuman’s sacrifice tried to embrace him. The monkey god, overwhelmed by the affectionate over-ture, and not believing himself worthy of being touched by Lord Rama, shies away. But eventually Hanuman succumbs, humil-ity and love and gratitude so rampant on his face, that it was arguably one of the more poignant scenes from the epic piece.

Against a backdrop of poetic prose from the Valmiki Ramayana sung by Hariprasad, an accompanying English narrative, and Srinivasan’s clearly delineated character-ization, the production was exemplary and emotional. A senior student of the Dhana-jayans, Pavitra Srinivasan gave a brilliant, bhakti-steeped performance that did her gu-rus proud.


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About 40 talented singers from the Greater Houston area from ages 3 through 60 com-peted in JVB Preksha Meditation Center’s 1st Bhajan Competition held on Saturday August 28th, 2010. The competition was held at its Pyramid Hall at 14102 Schiller Rd. Houston, TX 77082; conducted under the guidance of Samani Akshay Pragyaji & Samani Vinay Pragyaji (Disciples of Acha-

rya Shri Mahashraman).The competition was split into 3 age

groups, the first being Kids 3-10 years, then Youth 11-17 and Adults 18 and above. Par-ticipants sang a multitude of bhajans, some of the most popular ones sung by multiple singers were – Payoji Maine Ram Ratan dhan payo, and Mujhko man ki shakti dena. The audience was mesmerized by some wonderful performances by kids as young as 3 and 4 years. It was a joy to the ears to hear American born kids sing beautiful bhajans in Hindi.

Samanijis gave a great start to the event by leading a 5 minute meditation session to calm everybody’s nerves. Thereon, Sangeet Radio DJ – Ashish Thapliyal along with Ru-chika Bengani, emceed the event and kept the competition lively and interactive. The competition was tough and the judges’ pan-el of local music gurus - Surender Talwar, Vinita Arora & Ruchira Shah chose two winners for each age group.

Sachi Khemka won 1st place, and Megha-na K Kamath won 2nd place in the kids’ category for their beautiful renditions of O palanhare, Nirgun aur Nyare, and Payoji maine Raam ratan dhan paayo respectively. The youth category winners were Vidisha Shrivastav (1st) and Karuna Antani (2nd), and they sung Tere ramji karenge beda paar and Prabhu Bhajle as part of their perfor-mances.

The adults’ category saw some really great performances by over 20 contestants, and the winner for first place was Bhagyashree Dhavale of The Woodlands for her soulful Nirgun Bhajan - Ek Soor charaachar chayo. The second place went to Sirjana Bindlish for her beautiful singing performance of Darshan do Ghanshyam. Young Houston talent was also put forth by the Tabla ac-

companiments - Nikhil Dixit & Prashant Kumar.

JAINA executives Ms. Lata Champsee (President), Sri Sushil Jain (Convener JAI-NA 2011 in Houston), and Sri Nitin Shah (Co-convener JAINA 2011) graced the oc-casion. They distributed the trophies and certificates to the winners, and felicitated the judges. JVB President Pramod Bengani thanked all for their attendance, and also thanked all the tireless volunteers without whom the event would have lacked the charm.

The JVB Presksha Meditation Center con-ducts regular Preksha Meditation sessions which is the practice of purifying our emo-tions, consciousness and realizing our own self. Mediation augurs attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated de-velopment of one’s personality.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center is home to a specially designed Preksha Dhyan ‘Pyramid’ Meditation Hall and is located at 14102 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082. Upcoming events include Annual day cel-ebrations planned for October 23rd, and celebrations will include a Mega Play in English – “Nal & Damyanti” on November 13th at The Cullen Performance Hall - Uni-versity of Houston.

For more information and to buy tickets to this event please visit www.JVBHouston.org or call 281.596.9642.

“Bhajan Idols” crowned at JVB Preksha meditation meditation m center’s Bhajan center’s Bhajan c competition

Talent in singing Bhajans required extra skills and finesse as participants from ages 3 to 60 participated at the JVB Preksha Meditation Center aptly named as Bhajan Idols after the popular TV show American Idols. The judges were Surender Talwar, Vinita Arora and Ruchira Shah, local music experts in the community



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HOUSTON: For the first time in Hous-ton, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhis-hananda will lead a Peace Mass for Heal-ing & Harmony on September 11th 2010 at India House, 8888m West Belfort St, Houston TX 77031. The prayer service, whose Sanskrit name is SwastiKalpanam (wishing for peace, healing and harmony), will be open to the public and begins at 9:00am ending at 1:00pm with a vegetar-ian lunch.

The ceremony commences with an opening Sanskrit peace chant by His Ho-liness followed by an intonated Sanskrit recitation to invoke blessings. A guided meditation and silent prayer will fol-low the opening invocations after which participants are invited to take prasadam lunch (consecrated food).

The event is hosted by Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a US based Nonprofit whose mission is the preservation and dissemina-tion of ancient Sanskrit wisdom. His Holi-

ness Swami Vidyadhishananda is the head monk of the Nonprofit.

His Holiness is a saint of the KriyaYoga tradition, hailing from the lineage of Para-mahansa Hariharananda and Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi. He teaches spiritual philosophy with exquisite clarity and guides sincere seekers in the practice of Himalayan medi-tation techniques.

The Peace Mass is part of His Holiness’s 2010 Houston program, which includes invited lectures at a number of institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, University of Houston (Sept 8) and Rice University (Sept 9).

For more details about the Peace Mass or other events, contact [email protected] or call 713-249-8395. This is a free event. Donations to the nonprofit are always appreciated.

Peace Prayer ceremony to be Held Houston

Jiten Agarwal elected to India House BoardHOUSTON: India House Board of Di-

rectors and Members of its Council, in their Joint Meeting held on Saturday Au-gust 28, 2010 unanimously elected Jiten Agarwal to the Board of Directors. Jiten was also appointed a member of Infor-mation & Technology Committee of In-dia House.Jiten is the founder & partner of Expedi-

en, a Business Analytics firm headquar-tered in Houston, TX. Jiten also serves on board of directors of Expedien Founda-tion, a non profit organization. Jiten is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technolo-gy, Delhi. He is an avid reader & happily married with two kids.

Jiten Agarwal

consular Access secured to Arrested Vijay KumarAn Indian national, Mr. Vijay Kumar was

arrested at Houston airport on 20 August 2010, allegedly for carrying brass knuck-les, which is a prohibited item, under Texas laws.

Immediately upon learning of the incident the Consulate General of India, Houston (CGI) contacted concerned local authori-ties, members of the Indian community who knew Mr. Kumar and the individual himself. He is currently lodged at the Immi-

gration Holding Facility (IHF) at Houston. On 25th August, a representative of CGI

met Mr. Kumar and spent about 40 minutes with him. He appeared to be in good health.

Investigations are currently ongoing and the matter is subjudice. CGI would remain actively engaged in the matter, to provide necessary consular assistance to Mr. Kumar and to satisfy itself that the case is handled expeditiously.

Tell us your thoughts. We value your feedback.E-mail us at [email protected]’re serious. Are you?



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Gandhi Backs resolution on resolution on r war war w recruitingrecruitingr

stoRy of MahatMa Gandhi

Days passed. The mill owners were adamant. The strikers were getting impatient for they were faced with starvation. Their disci-pline became weak. Gandhi feared that some workers would break their pledge and go back to work. That would be a great moral de-feat.

One morning he called the work-ers and said, “Unless the strik-ers rally and continue the strike till a settlement is reached, I will not touch any food.” The work-ers were shocked. “Not you, but we shall fast,” they said. “Please forgive us for our lapse; we shall remain faithful to our pledge.”

Gandhi did not want anybody else to fast. His fast was not against the mill owners, but against the lack of coordination and unity among the workers. The fast lasted only three days. It influenced the mill owners so much that they came to an agreement with the workers.

Hardly was the mill workers’ strike over, when Gandhi had to plunge into the Kheda satyagraha struggle. The Kheda district of Gujarat was on the verge of a se-vere famine. Crop yield had been so low that the cultivators, espe-cially the poor farmers, were un-able to pay the revenue. But the government insisted that the yield had not been so bad and that the cultivators should pay the tax.

Gandhi saw the injustice advised the farmers to offer satyagraha by not paying their taxes.

Leaders, like Vallabhbhai Patel, Shankarlal Banker, Mahadev De-sai and others took an active part in this struggle. There had been signs that the campaign might fizzle out, but after four months’ struggle there was an honorable settlement. The government asked rich farmers to pay and granted re-lief to poor farmers.

The Kheda satyagraha marked the beginning of an awakening among the peasants of Gujarat, the beginning of their true politi-cal education. In addition it gave to the educated public workers the chance to establish contact with the actual life of the peasants.

During this time the war had en-tered a critical phase. Britain and France were in a difficult position. In the spring of 1917 Germvy had inflicted crushing defeats on both the British and French troops in France. Russia’s war effort had broken down and the Revolution was threatening its Government. Though America had entered the war, no American troops had yet reached the battle-front.

The Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford, invited various Indi-an leaders to attend a War Confer-ence. Gandhi was also invited. He accepted the invitation and went to Delhi. Gandhi was not happy that leaders like Tilak or the Ali broth-ers had not been invited to the

conference, so he was un- willing to attend. After meeting the Vice-roy, however, he went to the con-ference. The Viceroy was keen to get Gandhi’s support on military recruiting. Gandhi spoke only one sentence: “With a full sense of my responsibility I beg to support the resolution.”

Gandhi had supported going to war! Many of his friends were taken aback. Some said, “You are a votary of ahimsa, how can you ask us to take up arms?” Others said, “What good has the govern-ment done to India to deserve our cooperation?” Even some of his best friends could not understand how he could reconcile his war ef-how he could reconcile his war ef-how he could reconcile his war effort with his campaign for ahimsa. But Gandhi stuck to the belief he held at that time that “absolutely unconditional and wholehearted cooperation with the government by the educated Indians will bring India within sight of our goal of Swaraj as nothing else will.”

Gandhi had made his decision and he now set out to implement it. The response to recruit went was not in any way encouraging, but Gandhi was determined to carry out his mission. He held meetings. He issued leaflets asking people to enlist in the forces. His steady work began to bear fruit. Many men were recruited and he hoped to get a bigger response as soon as the first batch had been sent.

Gandhi nearly ruined his health during the recruiting campaign. He worked very hard. He could not take his food at regular times, nor could he take enough nourish-ment to keep up his energy. He had an attack of dysentery. He refused to take medicine and his condi-tion became worse and worse. Friends tried their best to advise him but he was beyond all advice. He passed restless days and nights and he himself felt at times that he was near death’s door.

It took him a long time to regain his health, but before then news came that the war (World War I) was over. Germany had been com-pletely defeated.

Friends and doctors advised him

to go away for a change and recov-er his health. He went to Mather-an, but the place did not suit him. He went to Poona, where a doctor was consulted. He advised him to take milk to rebuild his body, and prescribed some medicine. Gandhi took the medicine but he would not agree to take milk, for he had given up milk years before.

But Kasturbai said, “You gave up cow’s milk and buffalo’s milk. You cannot object to taking goat’s milk.” The doctor agreed. “If you will take goat’s milk it will be good enough,” he said and Gandhi agreed to take goat’s milk.

Gandhi returned to Ahmedabad. He was recouping his health there when he read in the papers the Rowlatt Committee’s report which had just been published.

The committee recommended that for the maintenance of peace, the government could arrest any person without a warrant and de-tain him for any length of time without any trial or right to appeal. Thus, the law was a direct attack on the ordinary civil liberties of the people and a clear indication of the autocratic and barbarous tendencies of the British rule in India.

These recommendations startled Gandhi. He described them as “un-just, subversive of the principles of liberty and justice, and destruc-tive of the elementary rights of individuals.” Friends approached him for guidance. “Something must be done,” he said to them. “If the proposed measures are passed into law, we ought to offer satya-graha.”

Gandhi lamented the fact that he was in poor health; otherwise he would have given battle against the amendments alone. From his sick-bed he wrote articles for the Indian papers explaining that the proposed bill was an act of tyranny which no self-respecting people could submit to it.

The only possible step against the government’s proposal, Gan-dhi thought, would be to launch a satyagraha movement in right earnest. A meeting of some of the leaders was called at the ashram and a satyagraha pledge was draft-ed. It was signed by everybody present.

Gandhi did not believe that the existing institutions could handle such a noble weapon, so a separate institution named Satyagraha Sab-ha was formed with headquarters in Bombay. There were agitations everywhere against the Rowlatt Committee’s report.

But the government was deter-mined to implement the Rowlatt recommendations and in 1919, the Rowlatt Bill was introduced. When the bill was debated in In-dia’s Legislative Chamber, Gan-dhi attended as a visitor.

— To be Continued


9 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com s o c i e t y

Austin man Killed in wreckwreckwAUSTIN (Statesman): A 27-year-old Austin man

was killed in a crash early Thursday morning when he lost control of his SUV on Westlake Drive, of-he lost control of his SUV on Westlake Drive, of-he lost control of his SUV on Westlake Drive, officials said.

Sharad Sood was driving on Westlake Drive af-Sharad Sood was driving on Westlake Drive af-Sharad Sood was driving on Westlake Drive after 3 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle near

Mount Larson Road and drove into the westbound shoulder, said Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Sood’s vehicle, a 2003 Chevy Tahoe, hit several trees and caught fire, Vinger said. He was pro-nounced dead at the scene.

HOUSTON: The Arya Samaj Greater Houston temple was one of the sites in a nation-wide Yoga-thon campaign organized by the Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) on Saturday August 28 and Sunday, August 29. HASC planned the Yogathon in the spirit of President Obama’s “Active Lifestyle Challenge”, and as part of the United We Serve – Let’s

Read, Let’s Move campaign. The Yogathon was a nationally

coordinated event to provide an explanation of Yoga philosophy and its benefits along with one hour workshop on Asanas and Pranayama. It also included an open house with an introduction of the temples to the community. Yoga has become a universal

language of physical and spiri-tual exercise in the United States, crossing many lines of religions and cultures. According to Anju Bhargava, HASC co-founder, “Our community is just beginning to understand the leading role that faith-based organizations play in this country. As the broad and in-clusive Hindu community, this is our time, and we are working to bring the very best of our culture to American civic life.”

Arya samaj and Patanjali yogpeeth yogpeeth yParticipate in nationwide yogathon yogathon y

The Arya Samaj event was or-ganized in partnership with the Patanjli Yogpeeth (USA) Trust. The organizers at the Arya Samaj decided to hold the event on two days, even though the nationally it was a one day event on Sunday August 29. More than 125 people of different communities attended the 2-day event. The Yogathon started with Shek-

har Agrawal, a Patanjali Yogpeeth Yog Teacher, making a presenta-tion on the traditions and concepts of Yoga, as well as the ancient origins of the science of Yoga con-tained in the Vedas. It was interest-ing to hear the concept that Yog is not a mere best exercise technique, but, it is a tool that unites mind, body, and soul assisting one on a journey to reaching the profound state of Self Realization. This is a concept often ignored in the fast paced modern life where we are all looking for instant results of physical fitness and weight loss. Mr. Agrawal informed that free-dom from physical and mental ail-ments are the by-products of yoga practice in one’s daily life. The world-renowned Yogrishi,

Swami Ramdev, established Pa-tanjali Yogpeeth Foundation in

the USA, with the specific aim of promoting the ancient Indian sci-ence of Yog and Ayuved and thus spreading its benefits as widely as possible in North America. The Patanjali Yogpeeth Founda-

tion has started work on a Houston center for North America, to pro-mote the science of Yoga. Shekhar Agrawal followed the

presentation of the theory and

history of Yoga with an energetic demonstration of various Asans, with specific benefits for various parts of the body. The participants followed along enthusiastically. This was followed by Pranayam – Controlled Breathing. Pranayam is based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the human body and when it is regulated, it makes the body disease free and prepares the mind for a higher awareness leading to Meditation. The Yog practice ended on a light

note with Hasyayoga (Laughter Yoga) with the hall resounding with laughter. The Arya Samaj resident priest

and guide, Dr. Prem Chand Shrid-har performed prayers and Yajna, followed by a discourse on Arya Samaj and the benefits of Yajna.



ROBBBINSVILLE, New Jersey: Over a span of two days, August 21-22, many Hindus gath-ered in Robbinsville, New Jersey in the presence of senior BAPS sadhu Sadguru Swayamprakash Swami (also known as Doctor Swami), to par-ticipate in the foundation stone-laying ceremony (Shilanyas Mahotsav) for a unique Hindu Mandir. Organized by BAPS Swa-minarayan Sanstha and inspired by its spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Mandir and prayer hall will serve as a place of prayer as well as a center for a host of com-munity activities.

A mandir, or a Hindu house of worship, is a place where the mind finds peace and one wor-ships of God. “Every time I visit a BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, I experience peace,” said Kavita Bhalala, a student at Co-lumbia University. “At the mandir, I connect with God and learn more about Hinduism with my peers.”

Pramukh Swami Maharaj con-secrated the foundation stones for the Mandir on July 12, 2010 in New Delhi. Shipped to New Jer-sey for the ceremony, those conse-crated stones as well as thousands of bricks consecrated by devotees

in an onsite Vedic ceremony were laid in the foundation in the pres-ence of senior sadhu Swayam-prakash Swami. The participants prayed that the Mandir may con-tribute to peace in the individual, family, community and world. In his remarks following the cer-emony, Swayamprakash Swami stressed, “In addition to laying the foundation stones for a mandir, each individual must lay a strong foundation of spirituality in their

BAPs Hosts Foundation stone-laying ceremony in new Jerseys o c i e t y

One of the senior most sadhus of BAPS, Sadguru Pujya Doctor doing the founda-tion stone-laying ceremony for a unique Hindu mandir.

Devotees engrossed in the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a unique Hindu mandir in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

life to achieve lasting peace and happiness.”

The foundation stone-laying ceremony marks the auspicious beginning of the construction of the Mandir and adjacent Prayer Hall, which includes an assem-bly hall and youth activity areas. “My children regularly attend the youth assemblies and activities at our local Mandir,” said Trushar Kachhiya. “The children’s assem-blies are run by high school and college volunteers who teach our children about Hinduism, stress-ing the necessity of living a pure, spiritual life.”

As the first two phases of the Swaminarayan Akshardham com-plex in North America, the Mandir and Prayer Hall are slated for completion in two years. The fol-lowing phases of the complex will include a Youth Activity Center, a Welcome Center and the Akshard-ham Mahamandir. The mandir will serve as a place of worship for the faithful and is intended to supplement the primary Akshard-ham Mahamandir.

The excitement of the architects, technical consultants, community officials, devotees and volunteers who attended this event was pal-pable. “It’s just a great experience to finally see it come together after four years of planning,” said Rob-binsville Township Council Presi-dent, Sheree McGowan. Richard Levesque, Robbinsville Town-Devotees place bricks in the foundation as part of the communal

ceremony. continued on page 11



ship Council Vice President, was touched by the sense of commu-nity that pervaded the event. “The feeling of community, the feeling of family when you walked into the ceremony today was just amaz-ing. That community and fam-ily aspect which BAPS brings to our community is second to none. The organizations throughout the Township and throughout Mercer County really appreciate BAPS’s commitment to the communities that it is a part of.”

It is said that a mandir is a gift to the world. Jeromie Lange, a Prin-cipal at Maser Consulting echoed this sentiment. “One of the great things about this organization is

that it is not just about the religion or about the specific community, but it is really about people as a whole. So the mandir is not going to just benefit BAPS, or Hindus, but it will truly enrich the lives of all who come here.”

About BAPS & Pramukh Swami Maharaj

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide socio-spiritual organiza-tion in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is dedicated to com-munity service, peace, and harmony. Founded on the pillars of practical spirituality, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, fami-lies, and individuals. His Divine Ho-liness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the

fifth spiritual suc-cessor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired mil-lions of devotees across the world to lead a God-con-scious, character-centered life.

As the present leader of BAPS, he travels from village to village, continent to con-tinent, inspiring people of all ages to center their lives on moral values and sound judg-ment.

Foundation stone-laying ceremony in new Jersey

s o c i e t y

continued from page 10


13 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com e d u c a t i o n

By JacoB davidSUGAR LAND: Gurucool - a modern day version of the ancient Indian Gurukul, a school of learning in Sugar Land teaches over a few hundred students every month. Students are dropped off by their parents twice a week, for an hour of learning each day

to help them excel at their weak subjects. Medha Bhwalkar, senior instructor, has tutored her own two girls, Pradnya and Prachi Bhwalkar. She started this learning center 13 years ago when her daughters were eight and five. Today Pradnya has in four years become a Chemical Engineering graduate instead of the normal five years. Prachi is in

Gurucool learning center - climb the mountain, embrace the light of wisdomthree years completing her degree in Engineering from the Rice University, saving her parents two years of college money. Her two daughters have been instrumental in teaching several students during the summer sessions.Medha Bhwalkar, a Master of

Sciences graduate in Statistics,

from the University of Pune taught at the Garware College in Deccan Gymkhana for six years. Coming to USA, she found there was a significant gap in the edu-cation her daughters underwent between the elementary, middle and high schools. The learning curriculum she says did not facili-tate a smooth transition. Perhaps that could explain the high rate of

high school drop outs here in the US. She says, “I was frustrated with the education system here. My kids still had unanswered questions in several subjects. So I decided to open the learning center.” Medha took two years to develop a curriculum from kin-dergarten to the 7th grades. The learning center replicates the an-cient style Indian Gurukul con-cept three thousand years ago.About 1500 - 150 BC during the

vedic age in India, there was an explosion of learning that took place. India experienced a surge in learning and writing literature. Three major bodies of work were composed - the Rig Veda (hymns / songs), the Yajur Veda (Chants to be recited for various rituals), the Samaveda (chants to be sung). Another fourth body of works were the Atharvaveda (Incanta-tions / spells to be recited). Dur-ing this period, students learned from their masters at the master’s abode. This place of learning came to be called the Gurukul. Students learned and stayed at the master’s house and called him, “Guruji,” (meaning teacher). Students paid their dues by serving the teacher on a daily basis - by washing his clothes, cooking for him, clean-ing his house and a host of other chores including farming till their education became complete. Even the community pitched in by paying the Guruji food, gifts or money from time to time.Today’s modern day Gurucool

in Sugar Land is not so rigorous. Students are just expected to im-prove at learning and do their as-signed homework twice a week. Gurucool has kids ranging from the 4th to the 12th grades. Even college students come here for guidance. There are about 20 kids

on each given day. Kids come to the learning center for their allot-ted hour between 4-7 Mondays - Thursdays. Starting September 11th, 2010, Gurucool is having new classes from 9:30 - 12 PM. Three teachers take care of the students’ learning needs. Two teachers focus on grades 4 - 6 and

Medha herself takes on the lion’s share 6 - 12. Her philosophy is simple: “Complex problems have simple solutions once you break it down.” she explains to Eric, a student having difficulty solving pre-calculus equations. Other stu-dents wait around her for atten-

tion and she quickly helps each student out solve their problems. A light goes off and their eyes widen and their faces break into wide smiles as they gain a new first time understanding of each concept being explained. Learn-ing is happening and it is an ex-

Medha Bhwalkar and Eric tackle a series of pre-Calculus problems he finds difficult The Learning Center has been around for 13 years educating and

helping students.

continued on page 14


14 Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.comIndo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 s o c i e t y

Gurucool learning center - climb the mountain, embrace the light of wisdomcontinued from page 13

At least 20 students are present each hour during Monday to Thursdays 4 - 7 PM

Students love to learn in groups because it fos-ters a competitive spirit of learning

citing visible event that unravels like magic on their faces. Learn-ing comes to the patient one and developing patience forms char-acter in an individual.Gurucool Learning Center has

come a long way since 13 years ago when it first started. Today they have computers to teach lan-guage through software, printed aptitude tests, complex skills and problems on printed sheets to solve. Kids in the outer world are being pushed to their limits. Gu-rucool Learning Center is getting them mentally prepared.Gurucool helps with challenges

faced in Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Advanced Math, Critical Reading, PSAT, SAT, GED, help develop basic reading skills, math vocabulary,

phonics, grammar, and other sub-jects like social studies. Learning is a process that must

be enjoyed, not be distasteful that the child grows an aversion to it for life. Parents punish the chil-dren for not learning correctly. Punishment deters learning in ac-tuality. A calm and relaxed atmo-sphere is essential for learning to take place. Learning can also take place better through a fun envi-ronment. That is why kids love learning in groups and programs like Sesame Street have become famous worldwide.In the words of the Nobel Lau-

reate, Rabindranath Tagore, “The child learns so easily because he has a natural gift, but adults, because they are tyrants, ignore natural gifts and say that chil-

dren must learn through the same process that they learned by. We insist upon forced mental feeding and our lessons become a form of torture. This is one of man is most cruel and wasteful mistakes.” Gurucool is lo-

cated 5862 New Territory Blvd, (left of Randalls) Call 281-494-MATH (6284)

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 03 , 2010• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

15 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

continued on page 16

society

U.S. Issues Mother Teresa StampNEW YORK:

The U.S. has de-cided to release a postage stamp in the honour of In-dia’s Nobel prize winner Mother Te-resa on September 5, the U.S. Postal Service has an-nounced.

“The U.S. Postal Service will pay tribute to Mother Teresa, who re-ceived the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her hu-manitarian work,” the USPS said in a statement.

“Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Te-resa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary US citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years,” it said.

The postage stamp would be un-veiled at a function in Washington on September 5.

The stamp features a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by award-winning artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs in Colorado.

Every year, the US Postal Service releases a series of commemorative stamps, honouring people, places and institutions.

These stamps remain on sale for a limited period and are widely col-lected.

The Albanian Catholic nun, who

devoted her life to the downtrodden, was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

“Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of hu-mankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations,” USPS had said in a state-ment in December last year.

The US Postal Service said when Mother Teresa accepted the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize-one of her numerous honours and distinctions-she did so “in the name of the poor, the hungry, the sick and the lonely,” and convinced the organis-ers to donate to the needy the money normally used to fund the awards banquet.

She urged business and political leaders to give their time and resourc-es to help those in need. President Ronald Reagan presented Mother Teresa with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985, the same year she began work on behalf of AIDS suffer-ers in the US and other countries. In 1997, Congress awarded Mother Te-resa the Congressional Gold Medal for her “outstanding and enduring contributions through humanitarian and charitable activities.”

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 03 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

16 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.come d i t o r i a l

®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: [email protected], website: indoamerican-news.com

correspondentschicago: nand Kapoor

IndoAmerican NewsFounder: dr. K.L. Sindwani

editor: Pramod KuLKarniBuSineSS manager: Jawahar maLhotra

marKeting manager: KriShna giri

Community rePorter: KaLyani giriCommunity editor: manaSi goKhaLe

adminiStrative manager: vanShiKa viPinmarKeting & Food rePorter: JaCoB david

ProduCtion manager: huSSain mandviwaLa

By Vir SanghViFor the last decade or so, educated

Indians have been overwhelmingly market-friendly. (And this includes the Communists — at least, when they are in government though they may say other things in Opposition.) We believe that years of socialism set India back. We recognize that growth rates only shot up after the reforms of 1991. We are convinced that the road to superstar status lies in removing the socialist shackles that imprisoned the ingenuity of the Indian people for so long. And we realise that we are all much better off now than we were in the pre-1991 era.

But the problem with the middle-class consensus has never been one of accuracy. It has been the problem of inclusiveness. However complacent we may be, the reality is that things have not got so much better for the non-middle class sections of India. And for many people they have ac-tually got far worse. India may well be shining for us. But as the BJP discovered, when you ask the entire country to endorse that proposition, the responses can be unexpected and hostile.

Though inclusiveness has been an issue almost from the beginning of the reform process, we in the middle class have resisted admitting this. When people have argued that the failures of the market to reach all of India make it imperative to have direct transfers of wealth — in the form of write-offs of farmers’ loans, subsidies, NREGA, etc. — we have sneered. This is populism, we say. It is bad economics. It is the sort of thinking that got us into the mess that prevailed till 1991. How can we pos-sibly allow it to go on, etc. etc.?

My sense is that the middle class consensus has now shifted slightly from this absolutist position. We are prepared to accept, both consciously and subliminally, that inclusiveness is a major problem. We see this most clearly in our attitudes to land acqui-sition and to the tribals whom the Maoists claim to represent.

Land acquisition is inevitable in almost any society. Roads have to be built. Railway tracks have to be laid.

Middle Class Gets Consciencedle-class response in attitudes to the Vedanta project in Orissa. Without wishing to delve into the rights and wrongs of the issue, there is no doubt that in image terms, many of us see Anil Agarwal as a villain out of Avatar and the tribals as heroes fighting to preserve their way of life.

You can perceive the shift in the middle-class consensus if you look at our willingness to listen to the farmers who descended on Delhi in their thousands on Thursday. The farmers say that the UP government is confiscating their land, allegedly for a highway, but actually to hand over to favoured industrialists. They may or may not be right but given a choice between the views of desperate farm-ers and the implacable determination of Mayawati to seize their land, it’s not hard to see why so many of us are willing to believe the farmers.

There are other manifestations of the change in mood. Once upon a time, we would all have treated Ve-danta’s acquisition of Cairn India as merely a corporate affair. But now, we believe that the government has a right to intervene and check out the kind of people who are going to be drilling out the oil that belongs to the Indian people. On the Nuclear Li-ability Bill also, one reason why the Opposition has been able to force far-reaching amendments on the govern-ment is because the public believes that nuclear manufacturers have no concern for the ordinary people. (Af-ter Bhopal, who can say that this fear is unjustified?)

None of this is to suggest that we are losing faith in the market or even that we are turning into a nation of jholawallahs. We still believe that less socialism equals more prosperity for everyone. And we have no desire to turn the clock back to the pre-1991 situation.

But as the middle class matures, as we get used to the fruits of the new prosperity, we are finally rising above our own selfish interests to take a look at what is happening in the rest of In-dia. And I, for one, think that this is a good thing. Indian democracy works best when those with a lot look out for those with too little. HT

And so on. But now many of us fear that this wave of acquisition is guided by other principles. We are taking land away from poor people, paying them tiny sums for the farms that have been in their families for generations, and then handing the land over to fat-cat businessmen who will make thousands of crores by setting up projects on the land or by mining the soil for precious minerals.

Most of us reject out of hand the extremist position put forward by Maoist supporters that their move-ment is a revolution against a corrupt upper-class that has elected govern-ments that combine with industrial-ists to banish or exterminate poor people so that we can profit from the mineral.

You can measure the altered middle-class response in the hesitation many of us feel when military responses to Maoist violence are discussed. Even those of us who believe that the State must assert the rule of law are troubled by a slight sense of guilt. Have we first robbed these people of their lands and then sent armed policemen after them? Isn’t there something wrong in a system where we have seen our prosperity increase while life has got much more difficult for those at the margins of our society?

You sense the more nuanced mid-

In a Real Fix, NowSpot-fixing is now all the rage everywhere. Since a chap by the

name of Mazhar Majeed was caught on tape counting the money he got from a British tabloid journo to get Pakistani bowlers to bowl three no balls in their match against England in Lord’s — we’d have bowled no balls for free! — everyone’s now playing the game. For instance, there could be a possibility that we were paid a nice little sum for putting in ‘possibility’ as the 66th word in this editorial. The fact that Mr Majeed was simply showing off his ability to make Pakistani cricketers do anything at his bidding may startle many people, punters included.

But for the reported sum of over £ 150,000 that Mr Majeed reportedly paid some of the players to ‘fix’ the Lord’s Test — poor England didn’t even get the luxury of basking in the glory of winning the Test — one would have expected something more dramatic: like the wicketkeeper streaking or Pakistan captain Salman Butt declaring that Kashmir is a legitimate part of India or bowler Mohammad Amir, announcing in the post-match ceremony while accepting the Man of the Series award that he’s a vegetarian. Instead, the cricketing world and its uncle is het up about spot-fixing. We aren’t in a position to confirm or deny anything but just to show all of you that we are totally up for some strategic endorsements, we predict that we have the power to end this editorial on cricket and corruption with a word, say, ‘permafrost’, that has nothing to do with either subjects. For non-believers, all we can say is that we are unmoved by the Pakistani antics and the public show of horror. Nothing can melt our determination to make an income on the side. Like sunshine bouncing off, er, permafrost. Hindustan Times

We are prepared to accept, both consciously and subliminally, that inclusiveness is a major problem. We see this most clearly in our attitudes to land acquisition and to the tribals

Time for Dressing DownIt is totally inexplicable why the ‘dressing up’ of Delhi was not

done over the past one year, well in advance of the Common-wealth Games. The job, then, could have been done with some sense of quality than in the slipshod manner it is being executed now. The dressing up will last only a few months, having been executed at exorbitant rates with everyone involved indulging in large-scale loot. Corruption has become a polite word for making illegal money when juxtaposed with what we are witnessing. The free-run of the corrupt authority has, over the years, given citizens the tacit license to do the same, which is why India is wallowing in the mire of self-destruction. Mosquitoes are breeding like never before, spreading dreaded illnesses. Drinking water is polluted. Roads are caving in wherever contractors have made money and shared the loot with those who commissioned them. Ostensibly better street lights are shedding less light than their predecessors. Malavika Singh


17 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comsociety

Four Telfair Schools Receive TEA Exemplary RatingsFour Fort Bend ISD schools at-

tended by students living in Telfair have received Exemplary ratings from the Texas Education Agency, which just released its 2010 Account-ability Ratings.

Cornerstone Elementary, located onsite in Telfair, received an Exem-plary rating, as did Colony Meadows Elementary. The TEA also awarded 2010 Exemplary ratings to Sartartia Middle School and Fort Settlement Middle School.

An Exemplary rating means that a campus must have at least 90 percent of its students meet or exceed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) standard on each subject, including Reading, English/Language Arts, Math, Writing, Social Studies and Science. A campus must also have a dropout rate of 2 percent or less to earn an Exemplary rating.

“Outstanding schools are a major reason why Telfair ranked fourth in the nation and third in Houston for new-home sales in 2009, and we applaud the students, parents, faculty and all community members for their hard work and achievements,” said

Heather Gould, marketing director for Newland Communities, devel-oper of Telfair.

The 2010 TEA ratings are the latest good news about Telfair schools. The 2010 “America’s Best High Schools” study by Newsweek ranked Kempner High School, the high school zoned for Telfair, within the top 4 percent of the nation’s high schools. The study ranked schools based on the number of students taking Advanced Place-

ment, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests, divided by the number of graduating seniors.

Located at U.S. 59 South and University Blvd., Telfair offers new homes priced from the $240,000s to over $1 million. The 2,018-acre community has a master plan that calls for 300 acres of amenities and green space.

For more information, visit www.telfair.com

Abraham Elected Texas Municipal Region 14 Regional DirectorSUGAR LAND: Sugar Land City

Council Member Thomas Abraham has been elected regional director of Texas Municipal League (TML) Region 14, which includes an area comprised of Houston, Galveston and San Jacinto.

As regional director of TML’s Houston, Galveston and San Jacinto region, Abraham will promote inter-est in municipal government on a regional level, facilitate the exchange of information among cities in the region, and assist the TML Board of Directors in formulating policy that represents the diverse interests of the state.

TML was formed in 1913 and now serves the needs and advocates the interests of more than 1,110 cities and towns comprising the mem-bership. More than 18,000 mayors, councilmembers, city managers, city attorneys and city department heads are members of the League.

The TML has 15 regions, with each region expected to promote interest in municipal government, facilitate information exchange among the cit-ies in the region, and assist the TML Board of Directors in formulating

policy that represents the diverse interests of the state.

“I am pleased and honored to be elected to this key role within the Tex-as Municipal League and will focus my energy and attention on the range of needs and future direction for the Houston, Galveston and San Jacinto area region,” said Abraham, who is

also one of Sugar Land’s representa-tives on the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Board of Directors.

HGAC is the region-wide vol-untary association of local govern-ments in the 13-county Gulf Coast planning region of Texas. Key H-GAC governmental services include transportation planning, cooperative purchasing, homeland security, air and water quality planning, fore-casting and mapping. H-GAC also serves the region through workforce development, criminal justice, 9-1-1, trauma care planning, small business finance and other programs contrib-uting to the region’s quality of life and economic competitiveness.

Abraham was elected to office on June 19, 2004, and currently serves as mayor pro-tem. He is president of the Sugar Land Development Cor-poration and chairman of the TIRZ Imperial Redevelopment Board. He is a member of the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, Fort Bend Rotary Club and Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Bryan and Lauren, and have lived in Sugar Land since 1989.

Thomas Abraham


18 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com


19 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com india

India Third in World in Legal Nuclear LiabilityMUMBAI (SINS): The le-

gal nuclear liability of India is the third highest in the world at a $439 million limit. The countries ahead of India are U.S. at $12,590 million and the Republic of Korea and the UK at around $452 million each, re-ports Suman Sharma of DNA.

In a survey done by the Con-federation of Indian Industry, China was placed at the fourth rank in terms of its nuclear liabil-ity at $162 million. The findings also reported that Russia did not specify any amount whereas Germany and Japan have an

unspecified amount.The study was based on nine

factors - Nuclear liability law, strict liability, channeling of li-ability exclusively to operator, right of recourse against supplier, operator’s insurance amount, state guarantee/cover, additional state compensation, and supple-mentary amount from interna-tional fund and legal liability limit. India also came third in the operator’s insurance amount as well at $320 million. U.S. tops this list too with $12,500 million.

Govt Initiates National Health Program in 100 DistrictsNEW DELHI (SI) : With increase in incidence of dis-

eases like diabetes and cardiovascular, the government has initiated a pilot programme focussing on health promotion in 100 districts across 20 states, with an estimated outlay of Rs 1,230.90 crore during the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

Replying to a supplementary in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said samples of people in these districts would be collected for

testing various diseases like diabetes and others.The pilot programme would start with 100 districts and

these would be covered within one year, the Minister said adding that during the next five years the government is planning to cover all India. Since no data is maintained about number of diabetes cases, he said such programme would also help in maintaining number of people suffering from such diseases.

5,000-km Agni-V Missile Ready for Test Firing: AntonyHYDERABAD, Aug 27 (IANS)

India’s indegenous 5,000-km range Agni-V nuclear-capable missile that can hit targets in northernmost China is ready for test-firing, Defence Min-ister A.K. Antony said here Friday but declined to state when this would happen.

The missile was developed follow-ing the denial of technology to India. “The denial has only given us an opportunity to develop a 5,000-km range missile,” Antony said.

The minister was speaking after laying foundation stone for expan-sion of the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (Midhani) defence public sector company.

He said Indian scientists working in many critical areas have proved that India can overcome sanctions and denials. “When we face denial, we should take it us a God-sent op-portunity and a challenge,” he told the scientists present on the occassion.

Later, in a chat with reporters, Ant-ony declined to give any date for the test-firing of the Agni-V, India’s only inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Allaying apprehensions that the defence sector would lose able hands with the retirement of present genera-tion of scientists, the defence Minister assured that new blood would be injected. “More new scientists, of-injected. “More new scientists, of-injected. “More new scientists, officers and workers will come into the defence sector,” he said.

Antony promised all support to develop Midhani as a world-class company. He advised the company to go beyond its goal of achieving a turnover of Rs.1,000 crore. “The sky is the limit. You have a major role to play in meeting the requirements of ISRO, AEC and new areas in defence,” he said.

While talking to reporters, he said there was a need to encourage more private sector participation in defence production.

He said India’s policy on defence production was evolving. “It is a continuous process,” he said.

He pointed out that there was a time when India used to import everything but this had now come down and the country had also permitted 100 percent private sector participation in defence production.

Antony said the country now al-lowed 26 percent FDI in defence production and also had an offset clause to help Indian industry.

Under the clause, foreign compa-nies that bag an Indian defence con-tract worth over Rs.300 crore have to plough 30 percent of the value back into the country by way of purchase of local components, services or in-vestments.

Antony also inaugurated an indig-enously-built electro-slag refining (ESR) furnace.

He noted that Midhani which start-ed commercial production in 1983 with a modest turnover of Rs.8 crore, had now reached Rs.370 crore.

The expansion, with an investment of Rs.400 crore to Rs.600 crore in three phases is expected to increase the turnover to Rs.1000 crore in five years.

Midhani Chairman and Manag-ing Director Narayana Rao said the company, which was set up for self-reliance in critical defence material, has been supporting programmes in the space, defence, aeronautics and atomic energy sectors.

Read us online at indoamerican-news.com

I Am Charity’s Friend22nd Annual Gala22nd Annual Gala - 22nd Annual Gala - 22nd Annual Gala Magic of PassionFri, October 1, 7pm, Stafford Civic CentreFri, October 1, 7pm, Stafford Civic Centre

10505 Cash Rd, Stafford, TX

Anu BalaPresident Elect

“With support from the Indo American Charities Foundation, Houston Food Bank is now feeding 137,000 people each week and partnering with over 400 local charities to make the highest usage for every dollar donated.”

- BRIAN GREENE, President & CEO Rupa IyerDirector

Brian GreeneHouston Food Bank

David RajTreasurer


21 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com society

New Proposed US Rule: No Visa for Firms Hiring Less than 50% AmericansBANGALORE (SINS): After

Washington’s decision to double the visa application fees as a part of its border security law, another bill has been proposed to axe visas (whether H1-B or L1) to foreign companies that do not employ at least 50 percent local people in the U.S.

The Comprehensive Immi-gration Reforms Bill, which aims to curb illegal immigrants to the U.S. from Mexico, is likely to hit the Indian IT out-sourcing industry in November, with potentially disastrous con-sequences.

If the bill is passed, it is ex-pected to affect the Indian IT outsourcing sector, which is nowhere near this 50 percent figure and still relies on H1-B and L1 visas to transition clients’ contracts offshore.

“Most politicians are trying to capitalize on the issue on the back of rising unemployment and a lot of negative sentiment floating around that,” said a senior executive of one top Indian IT outsourcing firm. He did not wish to be named, as his company has significant business interests in the U.S.

Indian IT service companies de-pend heavily on H-1 and L-1 visas to send engineers from India on a temporary basis to transition clients’ work to India: gathering client busi-ness requirements, getting the design

ready; and sometimes to support a client’s IT infrastructure maintenance works onsite.

Most companies also send Indi-ans for various front-end roles like account management, relationship management and sales and support. Besides, most IT employees in In-

dia consider onsite (U.S.) postings a prime motivation factor to further their career growth. If that disappears, most companies will find it difficult to get talent.

Nasscom, the apex industry body representing the software services industry in India, has been asking U.S. authorities and lawmakers to introduce temporary service visas or work permits similar to those of the UK, Germany and France. It made this clear in 2009 when senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin

were planning to introduce the Visa Reforms Bill in the U.S. Senate.

A major part of the Durbin-Gras-sely proposals are now believed to have been incorporated in the Com-prehensive Immigration Reforms Bill. Nasscom is awaiting an official draft of the Bill before renewing its

campaign against the move.

According to Nasscom President Som Mittal, there is no official draft available at the moment, which is why there are many versions floating around. There are discus-sions between the U.S. administration and Congress on a

10-point agenda on the shape of the Bill.

Industry insiders say the recent spurt in anti-outsourcing initiatives in the U.S. are due to political reasons. The U.S. economy is also passing through a rough patch, with talk of double-dip recession growing louder with each passing day. Unemployment rates are high and private indebtedness is very high. Because of growing fiscal deficit, most new U.S. govern-ment programmes are self-funded, otherwise it would be difficult to get Congressional approval.


22 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.commotivation

“There’s only one person who can set limits to your growth. And that’s YOU. For things to get better, you need to get better”

“If It Is to Be, It Is Up to Me!”A set of ten two-letter words to help form a new you

By PrakaSh iyerHave you heard of the rather unique

funeral held in an office in New York some years ago? As employees of the firm came in to work one Monday morning, they were greeted by a solemn notice at the entrance: “The person responsible for inhibiting your growth died yesterday. The body has been placed in the cafeteria, till 2 pm today.”

Sad to think a colleague had passed away, and curious who the person might be, the employees trooped into the cafeteria to pay their last respects. A crowd of company staff had gath-ered inside. ‘Who is this chap who has been hindering our growth?’ each wondered, as they walked up to the coffin to take a dekko. One by one, as each person took a look inside the coffin, there was shocked silence - and a look of disbelief.

Inside the coffin was a mirror. And below it was a placard on which was written: “There’s only one person who can set limits to your growth. And that’s YOU.”

Now that’s a message we would all do well to remember.

When we find ourselves falling short of the success we think we de-serve, we often blame our bosses, our employers, the industry, or the current favourite - the recession! Everyone and everything, in fact, except our-selves. For things to change in your life, you don’t need to change your job, or your company or your town.

You only need to change yourself. Start now. Adopt a new philosophy for your life. Tell yourself the magic phrase: “If it is to be, it is up to me!” It’s not often that you can get a set of ten two-letter words to form one whole sentence. And no ordinary sen-tence but one, which has the power to become a life-changing philosophy for you, for me and for all of us: “If it is to be, it is up to me!” Just say it to yourself, believe in it, and see the difference.

The power to change our lives and chart our future lies within each of us. Resist the temptation to blame others for your plight. When you blame other people, you take away your inherent power to change. You weaken yourself. But by taking re-sponsibility, you empower yourself to change your fortunes. And that one act - taking responsibility for yourself - is really what separates winners from losers.

Have you ever seen sailing boats wander into the sea? They all take off from one place, around the same time,

a premier B-School, or that you grew up in a non-English-speaking home. Take charge of your life. Change your mindset and get your thinking right. To reach your goals, it’s important to set your sails properly. For things to get better, you need to get better. Need new skills? Invest in training yourself don’t wait for your employer to do it. I find it puzzling that while young people spend money on trendy new clothes, and on new cellphones

and yet reach different shores. Why is that? The winds are the same. The water currents too are the same for all the boats. Yet, they reach different destinations, because, where the boat will reach is determined not by the direction of the wind, but by the set of the sails.

Our lives are like that too. So stop blaming the winds of your company policy or the currents of the economy. Stop worrying that you did not go to

and on visits to the beauty salon, they want the company to spend money on training them, on making them better employees, smarter people. ‘Train-ing myself is not my responsibility’ seems to be the general dictum! For things to change, we must change beliefs, and mindsets. Do yourself a favor. Stick this ten-word aphorism on your bathroom mirror: “If it is to be, it is up to me!” And wake up to a new you. Careers 360

The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt


23 Indo American News • Friday, September 03 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

LOS ANGELES (IANS): In-dian origin British actress Archie Panjabi, who starred in films like Bend it like Beckham and East is East, has bagged the best sup-porting actress in a drama series for her role in The Good Wife at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Panjabi was pitted against the likes of Rose Byrne (Damages), Sharon Gless (Burn Notice), Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks (both for Mad Men) and co-star Christine Baranski for The Good Wife.

She made her film debut in the British hit film East Is East in 1999 and went on to star in international blockbuster films like Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, imdb.com reported.

The actress starred in 2005 in The Constant Gardener and played a part in critically ac-claimed films like A Mighty Heart in 2007 and Yasmin writ-ten by Simon Beaufoy, who also scripted the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.

Panjabi won the Best Actress for her role in Yasmin in 2004 at the Reims Festival in 2006 and was awarded the Shooting Star Award at the Berlin International Film Festival 2005. The award is given to actors who are seen as “the most exciting and emerging actors from across Europe” (European Film Promotion).

“When I started in the business in England, just getting a job was a dream. And to receive an Emmy now is just beyond my wildest dreams,” she says of her award for supporting actress in

a drama.Asked about the appeal of her character, Ka-

linda Sharma, she says, “There is an honesty about her. She says things people would like to say but may not have the guts to say. She comes from a lot of hardship with the confidence about her and I think people are drawn to that confidence.”

The award-winning actress graduated from Brunel University, England, with a degree in Management Studies (BSc).

Archie Panjabi Wins an Emmyentertainment

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