VOICE OF ASIA 1 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

Vol. 26 No. 36 Friday, September 6, 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.comCommemorating 25 years of dedicated service to the community

VOICE OF ASIA 10,000 copies every week

What is 2-1-1 Texas and how does it work?Read on Page 18 OR Call 832-415-3180

by Rana EL MOUSSAOUI

DAMASCUS, September 4, 2013 (AFP) - US President Barack Obama Wednes-

day urged world support for punitive strikes against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons, while Damascus vowed retaliation and resistance even if a third world war erupts.

Obama, fresh from efforts in Wash-

L to R Abhinav Shukla, Sangeeta Pasrija, Gajendra Solanki, Archana Panda and Swapan Dhairyawan. Photo credit Rajiv Bhavsar and Nandlal Singh.

Obama urges world support for strike on Syria

Ecstatic Kirtan by HG Ajamil Prabhu (3rd from left) and HH Gunagrahi Dasa Goswami Maharaj (at the drums).

by Ganga Narayan Das. Photos: K R Thejas and Nagalla Na-

garaj

ISKCON Houston celebrated Krishna Janmashtami with much fun and fare on August 28, 2013

at the stroke of midnight. The presid-ing deities Sri Radha Nilamadhava welcomed more than 4000 eager guests to the celebrations. The temple room was packed with devotees sign-ing to the kirtans sung by His Grace Ajamila Das, a renowned kirtaneer from Toronto Canada. We also had the auspicious presence of His Holiness Gunagrahi Dasa Goswami . His Holi-ness travels extensively in Argentina and nearby Americas, sharing his wis-dom and helping individuals on their spiritual journey. The temple room

ISKCON Houston’s Sri Krishna Janmastami Celebrations Draws Massive Crowds

and altar were decorated with choici-est flowers, drapes and lights.

Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava had adorned a beautiful new outfit namely Devaki Nandan (Yellow and Purple color dress) specially designed and custom made in Vrindavan, India. Fes-tivities started at 6:30pm on August 28th and the devotees steadily pre-pared their consciousness to welcome Sri Krishna in their hearts. Krishna was born to Mother Devaki at mid-night. So, in that same spirit, devotees undertake austerities like fasting the whole day, and engage in devotional services all the while eagerly look for-ward to the appearance of Krishna in their hearts.

While the festivities within the tem-

ple room were going strong, a queue formed outside the temple with people patiently waiting their turn to do ab-hishek (spiritual bath) of a beautiful Bal Gopal deity. As per traditions, a conchsell was used for the abhishek. People would then proceed to gently rock an exquisite cradle of Bal Gopal.

No festival is complete without a sumptuous prasadam! And Krishna’s birthday would be no exception. The highlights of the menu were vegetable bahaar and paneer kurma.

The birthday of Krishna is very spe-cial for the devotees of ISKCON for yet another special reason - it is also the appearance day of their found-ing Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C.

Continued on Page 3

IIT 2013 Global Conference announces Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate, Andrew Gould, Chairman, BG Group, among other speakers. See Ad inside on Page 8

Houston hosted the 16th Inter-national Hindi Association (IHA) Convention with great

success on August 30-31, 2013 at the VPSS Haveli. The main theme for the event was “Hindi evam Yuva varg”. It was enacted during two days of fun, learning and feeling proud of Hindi with great programs specifically tai-lored to connect the Indian American kids and youth.

The Convention events wooed an au-dience of over nine hundred attendees spread over Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening, with its numerous cultural programs pre-sented by Houston children and or-ganization. The program started with Gita Dhyanam in Sanskrit by Vidya (8) and Vedant (5). Inaugurated by Hon. Consul General P Harish who de-livered his keynote address in chaste Hindi and stressed the importance of Rajbhasha Hindi. He congratulated the IHA for taking up the task of language retention for future generation. He also unveiled a book “America aur Canada

mein Hindi” by Dr Bajrang Varma. The IHA Board was introduced and National President Sushila Mohanka (81years) applauded the efforts of the Houston Chapter for taking a big chal-lenge. The Friday evening program was emceed by Jasmeeta Singh.

The Houston Chapter President Sangeeta Pasrija welcomed the guests and spoke about the achievements of the Chapter since last five years and Vice President Swapan Dhairyawan spoke about the planning process for this Convention. He also thanked the Committees, the sponsors, vendors, volunteers and participants in this Na-tional Convention. The Cultural danc-es “Laya of Shiva” by Keka Kar and students in an amalgam of three classi-cal styles of India and the uniquely fast paced Nritya on Hanuman Chalisa by Shivangini School Dance on the open-ing day simply captivated the audi-ence beyond expression and received a standing ovation. Also a chorus song

Continued on Page 7

16th IHA Convention 2013 Connects Indo-American Youth to Hindi

ington to secure bipartisan support for military intervention, said in Stock-holm that the world had set “a red line” for Syria and it could not now re-main silent in the face of the regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

“I didn’t set a red line. The world set a red line,” Obama said, referring to international rules banning the use of chemical weapons, even in case of

war.“My credibility is not on the line,”

Obama said in remarks after arriving in Sweden for a two-day visit.

“The international community’s

credibility is on the line and America and Congress’s credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important,” he said.

Obama’s trip will also take him to

the G20 summit in Russia’s Saint Pe-tersburg, where he is expected to rally support for, or at least acceptance of, moves to punish Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad for an alleged deadly

Continued on Page 2

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VOICE OF ASIA 2 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013OP-ED/OPIONS/VIEWS

Publisher: Koshy ThomasAssociate Publisher: Sherly PhilipEditor-in-Chief: Shobana MurateeAustin Correspondent: Sherine ThomasMarketing: Jacob DavidProduction: AR VadlamaniOffice Manager: Priyan Mathew Voice of Asia TV News

Online Editor: Shobana Muratee

All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Pub-lished weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: adver-tisingvoa@aol.com

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. - The Publisher

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gas attack in Damascus suburbs last month.

White House officials have said Obama will hold meetings on the sidelines of G20 with the president of France, the main foreign backer of a strike on Syria, as well as the leaders of China and Japan.

While no formal bilateral meeting is planned with Rus-sian President Vladimir Putin, a strong supporter of Assad, a White House official suggested there likely would be some kind of dialogue.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Min-ister Faisal Muqdad, in an ex-clusive interview with AFP, said his government was ready to re-taliate in the event of a military strike.

“The Syrian government will not change position even if there is World War III. No Syrian can sacrifice the independence of his country,” Muqdad said.

“Syria has taken every mea-sure to retaliate against... an ag-gression,” he added, refusing to elaborate.

He also stressed that Syria’s important ally Russia had not wavered in its support, despite comments by Putin suggesting a more conciliatory tone towards the West.

Both Iran and Russia have warned that any military inter-vention would have devastating regional consequences.

But in an interview broadcast earlier Wednesday, Putin ap-peared to strike a more concil-iatory note by saying he did not exclude agreeing to strikes if it were proven the regime had car-ried out the alleged gas attack.

Muqdad stressed that Moscow had not wavered in its support of Damascus.

“The Russian position is un-changed; it’s a responsible posi-tion of a friend that is in favour of peace,” he said.

In later comments at a Krem-lin meeting, Putin appeared to corroborate this, warning the US Congress that it would be legiti-mising an “aggression” if it gave its blessing to military action in a vote expected next week.

Obama said in Stockholm that he hoped Putin would change direction on a military interven-tion in Syria.

“I’m always hopeful... Ulti-mately, we can end deaths much more rapidly if Russia takes a different approach to these prob-lems,” he said.

Since British lawmakers voted down a bid to take any military action against Assad’s regime, Washington has found a strong partner in France but is seeking other allies.

France has vowed to “punish” Assad and this week released an intelligence report pinning the blame for the chemical attack on the regime.

The issue was being debated Wednesday by the French par-

liament in what is expected to be a fiery session, as pressure mounts on President Francois Hollande to follow Washing-ton’s lead and put the matter to a vote.

Hollande is under no obliga-tion to obtain parliamentary ap-proval for action but, with pub-lic opinion deeply sceptical of military strikes, many lawmak-ers are clamouring for a vote.

Ahead of the debate, Syria’s parliament speaker urged France “not to hasten” to act against his war-torn country.

“Syrian lawmakers are deter-mined to get to the truth... and we ask you not to hasten to com-mit a heinous, senseless crime, as you must steer the French re-public away from the war path and towards diplomacy,” Jihad Lahham said in a statement.

In Washington, top adminis-tration leaders were to keep up an offensive to win congressio-nal support for military strikes against Syria.

On Syria, Russia awaits chance to say ‘I told you so’

Obama urges world support for strike on SyriaContinued from Page 1

by Vladimir Radyuhin

Moscow’s calibrated response to devel-opments in the West

Asian country stems from the realisation that it stands to gain from whatever course the U.S. adopts

“In a race across a minefield it is wise to let other runners over-take you,” quipped a Russian Middle East expert explaining why Moscow adopted a low-key attitude to the rapidly esca-lating Syria crisis.

The comment pretty ac-curately captured Moscow’s stand. Russia has vehemently protested U.S. plans to attack Syria, but has also made it clear that it was not going to war with the West over the Middle East country.

Russia of course is no match for the erstwhile Soviet Union. But Moscow has rendered Syria crucial diplomatic and military support since the outbreak of civil strife in the country. It has vetoed all western resolutions in the U.N. Security Council condemning the Syrian govern-ment.

Russia, which has been the main source of weapons for Syria since 1973, has stepped up its supplies in the past two years.

“Russia has done all it could to arm Syria,” said Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) military analysis think tank.

In his interview to the Russian daily Izvestia last week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad con-firmed that Russia was honour-ing “all contracts” it had signed with Syria.

“Russia continues to supply Syria with what it requires to defend itself and its people,” the Syrian leader said.

At the same time, the Krem-lin’s response to U.S. threats to attack Syria has been distinctly measured.

It took President Vladimir Putin 10 days to comment on the U.S. threat to punish Syria for the reported chemical attack near Damascus on August 21. He rubbished U.S. claims that the Syrian government was be-hind the attack and warned the U.S. not to jump the gun and commit another “mistake” by attacking Syria. But when asked what Russia would do if the U.S intervened, he just said that this would be “very sad.”

Stands to gainExperts say that Moscow’s

calibrated reaction largely stems from realisation that U.S. President Barack Obama has got trapped into his own rheto-ric about “red lines,” and what-ever he does now will play into Russia’s hands.

“Russia doesn’t have to do anything, just sit back and re-lax, and we’ll end up the win-ning side,” said Prof. Georgy Mirsky of the Moscow Institute of World Economy and Interna-tional Relations.

Moscow stands to gain what-ever course Mr. Obama takes, experts said.

“If Obama attacks Syria he will be seen fighting on the side of al-Qaeda, whose militants

make up a third of the opposi-tion forces, even according to U.S. military commanders,” said analyst Yulia Latynyna.

If the U.S. attack is “limited” and “narrow,” as Mr. Obama has declared, it may even strengthen President Assad who will be able to say he has stood up to the world’s most powerful nation.

Analysts, however, think the U.S. may well slide down the slippery path of broader inter-vention in Syria.

“Having started to take part in this campaign, the United States will be unable to get out of it without removing Bashar al-Assad. And considerations of prestige will outweigh all the doubts of those who fear chaos after a change of regime,” said Dr. Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

At a recent press conference on Syria, Russia’s Foreign Min-ister Sergei Lavrov lamented a lack of “strategic thinking” in U.S. foreign policy. In contrast, Russia has repeatedly demon-strated it has strategic vision, with the situation in Iraq, Libya and Syria proving it right.

Mr. Lavrov said Russia had “no plans to go to war” over Syria, but he did not say Russia would not react.

China factorRussia will continue to block

any anti-Syrian moves at the U.N. Security Council, expose the illegal nature of U.S. inter-

ference and the foolishness of siding with Islamist radicals in Syria.

Moscow will also cement its ties with Iran and China. Ira-nian President Hassan Rouhani placed a telephone call to Mr. Putin last week, with the two leaders calling for resolving the Syrian crisis “exclusively through political and diplomatic means.” The Russian and Ira-nian Presidents will have their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Coop-eration Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan in mid-September.

Also, last week, China’s Am-bassador to Russia Li Hui called on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s point man for the Middle East, to discuss “further Russian-Chinese political and diplomatic interaction in connection with a sharp aggravation of the situa-tion around Syria.”

Last, but not least, Russia will continue to arm Syria.

“Russia and Iran have far more possibilities to help As-sad than the other side can help rebels,” said Prof. Mirsky. “We can ship him as many weapons as he needs, while Iranians can send over its Islamic Revolution Guards in the guise of volun-teers. America has no chance of winning this war.”

The one thing Russia will not do is stop the U.S. from running the minefield of being bogged down in Syria. (Courtesy: The Hindu)

On Syrian crisisThe double standard adopted by the U.S. on Syria is despicable.

It is a clear case of self-interest in the name of concern for democ-racy.

India’s stand against military intervention in Syria is welcome. It proves that New Delhi is not bound by U.S. interests.

C.T. Arun,

Thiruvananthapuram__________________________________________________

The Syrian crisis reminds us of the U.S. misadventure in Iraq. Regional groupings like BRICS and the Arab League should strongly oppose any action that is not approved by the U.N. Secu-rity Council.

Dipankar Baidya,

Asansol

(The Hindu)

VOICE OF ASIA 4 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013COMMUNITY

Q. I was told that the legislature abolished small claims court. Is this true? How does someone with a small claim now get justice?

A. You are correct that from now on there is no longer a court in Texas called “small claims court.” But the change may be more a matter of form rather than substance. What was formally known as “small claims court” has been fully incorporated into existing justice courts. Justice court will now hear all small claims cases, under new rules that have the potential to make it even easier to “get justice.”

Under the new rules, any claim for $10,000 or less may be filed with the justice of the peace. Unlike prior rules, the judge hearing a small claim now has much more discretion to participate in the trail and limit attempts by defendants to make the proceeding more lengthy or costly. The rules also authorize the judge to allow a party representing him or herself to be assisted in court by a family member or other individual who is not being compensated. This will allow someone who does not speak English well or who is just extremely nervous about being in court, to have some assistance without hiring an attorney as required by prior law.

The new rules do change many of the details and timing of filing a claim, and you should talk with the clerk of the court about how to file. While no one can say how the new rules may ultimately be applied, I strongly believe that justice court will continue to be the true Texas “People’s Court.”

Q. I have a problem with a used-car dealer who did not make promised repairs. It has now been two months, and despite numerous phone calls he still has not done what he promised. It is not a lot of money, but I expect to receive what I paid for. Should I file a claim in small claims court?

A. Forcing a business to live up to its end of a bargain can be difficult. Of course, the first step is always to speak with the business and try to amicably resolve your problem. It sounds like you have already done that. Small claims court could be the next step, but I have one additional avenue for you to consider—myTexas Consumer Complaint Center. The Texas CCC, at the University of Houston Law Center, is staffed with lawyers and law students who may be able help you work out your problems. I suggest you contact the CCC and give them an opportunity to assist you. You can reach the Texas CCC at www.texasccc.com, or, 1-877-839-8422.

Q. I have a sister who is thinking about getting divorced. She has one child. She was wondering how much she might receive for child support.

A. Texas has enacted guidelines to determine how much should be paid for child support. Although the guidelines are not mandatory, must courts follow them. For one child, the amount is 20% of net resources. The court, however, is instructed to do what is in the best interest of the child and may vary from the guide-lines.

Q. I have lived in the same apartment for eight years. My lease is up next month. Is there a law about when a landlord must change the carpet? After eight years my carpet needs to be replaced. The management has refused to change it?

A. Sorry, there is no law specifying when carpet needs to be changed. That does not mean, however, that you should not request a change before signing a new lease. Generally, the relationship between a landlord and tenant is a matter of private contract. Every time you negotiate a new lease, or every month if you are on a month-to-month tenancy, you or the landlord may propose new terms. If you think you are entitled to new carpet, you should ask the landlord. My guess is he will have to change the carpet to rent it to a new tenant, so he should do so as well for you. If he refuses to install new carpet, you have the option of moving somewhere else or staying put with your old carpet.

Want to know more about your legal rights? Visit my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

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by Jugal Malani, President, India House

HOUSTON - (August 22, 2013) It was a night to celebrate, as

India House hosted close to 100 distinguished guests for a historic Memorandum of Un-derstanding (MOU) signing between the Delhi State Cancer Institute and the M.D. Ander-son Cancer Center on August 19, 2013.

As most people know, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) is one of the world’s premier cancer treatment and research facilities in the world. Teaming with other world re-nowned cancer centers is one thing that keeps MDACC at the forefront of the fight against cancer. The Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI) was established

as an autonomous institution by the Government of NCT of Delhi for providing comprehen-sive cancer treatments utilizing the most advanced techniques available, on par with some of the best institutions at an in-ternational level. The MOU signing between MDACC and DSCI is one such union that will greatly benefit both insti-tutions, through the sharing of new techniques, advances in medicine, and cutting-edge cancer technology.

The event began with a re-ception and cocktails, followed with the singing of the U.S. and Indian national anthems. Among the notable speakers at the celebration were Dr. Ronald DePinho (President & CEO of M.D. Anderson), Dr. Rajesh K. Grover (Director & CEO of

Delhi State Cancer Institute), Dr. Oliver Bogler (Sr. VP of Academic Affairs at MDACC) and Dr. Virendra Mathur (India House Trustee). Each spoke of their commitment to eradicat-ing cancer and their mutual respect for each institution. Drs. Grover and DePinho both gave much credit to Dr. Sen Pathak, Anil Aggarwal, and Durga Agrawal, among others, for their determination and hard work in facilitating this exciting partnership. After the speeches, guests were entertained with traditional Indian dancing by actual MDACC physicians and medical students, devotional singing by physicians, and Bol-lywood singing by a group of students followed by a seated dinner. Please see the attached photos of the event.

With many physicians in at-tendance, the atmosphere was one of hope and respect, as they felt that this would be the start of a mutually beneficial rela-tionship and that eventually, they can Make Cancer History.

India House Houston is a 501(c) 3 organization located in Houston, Texas. India House is a non-religious, non-regional, non-political and non-profit organization. Its mission is to unite cultures, create bridges, and serve human needs by bringing resources, education, services and India’s culture to Houstonians. For more infor-mation, please visit www.india-houseinc.org or send email to britt@indiahouseinc.org

The laser documentary on Swami Vivekanan-da is now here in USA

for a three-month tour across the nation, after its phenomenal success in India where it was displayed in a number of cities, receiving rave reviews and was nationally telecast.

Although it is called a laser show, “Swamiji” is far from a traditional laser show- it is

India House Hosts MOU Signing Celebration Between Delhi State Cancer Institute & M.D. Anderson

Members of India House at the meeting

Swamiji -Laser Light Show by Manick Sorcar

actually a well-researched 1.5 hour multi-media show with a predominance of laser. Here are some of the leading media acclaims about the show:

“It was indeed a marvel-ous show, to say the least. The packed audience of the main auditorium of the Science City thoroughly enjoyed the pre-mier-show as it was vastly re-search-oriented and profession-

ally created...” - Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata.

Mark your calender on-September 8th, 2013 4 PM @ New Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford TX. You can buy your tickets online atwww.houston.sewausa.org/ticketing OR by clicking the below button OR call (281)-796-3029.

The show that won the heart of India is in U.S.A. now!

VOICE OF ASIA 7 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013COMMUNITY

This important message is being sent to you on behalf of FBISD Police Chief David Rider.

On behalf of Fort Bend ISD, we offer our sincere condo-lences to the family of the fallen student and our thoughts and prayers go out to all the students, staff and parents of Spring High School. In the aftermath of inci-dents like this, the natural reac-tion is to evaluate how a tragedy

by students of Madhu Bangia about love of mother tongue Hindi, was hugely admired.

Legendary Begum Akhtar’s and Girjia Devi’s well-known disciple Rekha Surya enthralled the audience with her program “Ghazal, Dadra and Sufi Mu-sic.” The audience was glued almost until midnight for these beautiful renditions.

The second day morning had all day programs consist-ing of fun, informative and meaningful workshops and literary sessions “Hindi Typ-ing on Computers,” “Making Hindi Popular,” “Khel Khel Mein Hindi,” How to Write Hindi Poetry,” “Ram Ek, Naam Anek,” “Influence of Bollywood on Hindi,” “Shabd Manjusha – What’s the Good Word,” “ Bollywood ka Hindi per prabhav”,“Dainik Jeevan mein Hindi,,” “Kaun Banega Bharat Gyani,” and of course Antakshari. Through these programs, the attendees learnt use of Hindi on computers, websites, social media and smart phones, and partici-pated in discussions ranging from Hindi’s origin, present status and with concrete plans to make it continue its role as a premier world language all across. The seminars were moderated and conducted by team members which included Om Gupta, Dinesh Singhal, Sanjay Sohoni, Rishikesh So-honi, Abha Dwivedi, Meera Kapur, Nausha Asrar, Fatehali

16th IHA Convention 2013 Connects Indo-American Youth to Hindi

Chatur, Dr K D Upadhaya, Dr Sarita Mehta, Sangita Bhutada, Prachi Gadiya,Sarojini Gupta, Sushma Pallod, Alok Misra and Archana Panda of San Fran-scisco; who made the session lively by engaging listeners as she gave some concrete tips on how to write poetry. The par-ticipation of kids like Arnav, Vatsala and Aditya were a true reflection of continuity in the mission of IHA. The full day sessions were widely acclaimed by the local and National del-egates. All the winners were awarded with gifts. The morn-ing program ended with Gaana

Pehchana’s rendition of a song lyrics game; a unique program based on Antakshari. Ram Si-taram thrilled the participants in this interactive session.

The Convention concluded with a Hasya Kavi Sammelan with accomplished poets in-cluding Gajendra Solanki (Del-hi), Archana Panda (convener of San Francisco Radio Show “Main Shayar to Nahi”), and Abhinav Shukla (Author of “Patni Chalisa.”). The poets reached the audience’s deep-est senses with their themes of patriotism, issues dealing with the Indian American Diaspora,

and hilarious recitations of spousal relationships, and cur-rent political affairs. This eve-ning program was attended by Chancellor of University of Houston Systems Renu Khator and Dr Suresh Khator who are strong followers in Hindi poetry. The evening program started with slide presentation of IHA activities, accomplish-ments and Star Talk (a federal program) by Nandlal Singh of Dallas and Kiran Khaitan of Ohio. The Houston committee members were all felicitated by Sushila Mohanka. The Hous-ton Chapter recognized Sushila Mohanka for her dedicated ser-

vice in continuing Hindi educa-tion and enrichment. Sarojini Gupta and Dr K D Upadhyaya were felicitated for their donor contribution to the IHA conven-tion. The organizations which supported in various capaci-ties this Convention were also recognized. Those were Club 24, Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America and Gujarati Sa-maj of Houston. The poets were felicitated at the end of program by both IHA and Gujarati Sam-aj of Houston through the hands of Dr Renu Khator. IHA Hous-ton Chapter in a surprise move also recognized Mrs Shakuntala Malhotra (85) for her continued

attendance for the last 6 years at IHA Kavi Sammellans.

Before departing to their re-spective cities on Sunday Sept 1st, the attending IHA directors had a meeting with the Houston Chapter committee to learn how the program was put together. Houston received lot of appre-ciation for the general enthusi-asm about this project, the hard work and commitment by its leaders and members and was also given feedback on how to spread Hindi among more chil-dren by engaging parents.

International Hindi Associa-tion Houston Chapter leader-ship of Sangeeta Pasrija and Swapan Dhairyawan led a committed 27-member team of Houston’s talented kavis and Hindi premis to make this con-vention a great success. The Convention is memorialized with a publication “Smaarika” that highlighted past achieve-ments of Hindi, with suggested concrete plans to take Hindi language promotion forward. The fact that convention was greatly aided and supported by Houston’s community organi-zations, sponsors and donors shows that our community does believe in the perseverance and promotion of Hindi and would want a volunteer organization like IHA to continue serving Hindi speaking diaspora and bring easy Hindi learning tools to the new generation.

For more information visit www.hindi.org or call 281 3820348

Continued from Page 1

IHA Board with Honorees at the IHA Convention 2013. Photo credit :Rajiv Bhavsar and Nandlal Singh

such as this one could have been avoided. Like many school dis-tricts in Texas, including Spring ISD, Fort Bend ISD employs a school district police depart-ment with a focus on campus safety and security. Officers are assigned to each secondary cam-pus, while also visiting elemen-tary campuses daily. However, school security is like a puzzle and police officers are only one piece of that puzzle.

We need to work coopera-tively with parents and students to ensure that everyone takes ownership in the safety and security of their campus. One way students are able to share concerns is through the Cam-pus Crime Stoppers program and the new Text a Tip pro-gram. Students have the option to call Crime Stoppers at 281-491-TIPS (8477), or they can send an anonymous tip through

text messaging by typing GET-PAID, followed by their mes-sage, and sending that to 274637 (CRIMES). Cash rewards of up to $5,000 may be paid for those tips. We teach our students and staff that if they see something that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, they should say something. This anonymous re-porting system allows them to do that.

The safety of our students and

staff is our highest priority. If you have specific questions about your child’s safety, please contact your campus principal.

In closing, we know that to-day’s news is alarming and es-tablishing a sense of normalcy and security will help students, as well as adults, cope with such troubling news. Below are help-ful websites with more detailed information and resources that parents and school personnel

can use.National Association of

School Psychologists: www.na-sponline.org

American School Counselor Association: www.schoolcoun-selor.org

American Psychological As-sociation: www.apa.org

National PTA: www.pta.org/programs

Listen Protect Connect Model and Teach presentation.

Condolences to the family of the fallen student of Spring High School

VOICE OF ASIA 10 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 12 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 13FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

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by Jean-Noel FortierSAINT-DENIS DE LA RE-

UNION - The dangers of shark attacks are no secret for Georg-es, who as a kid was repeatedly warned to beware of the large predators lurking in the tropical waters off his native Reunion island.

That was several decades ago, and the issue since then has mushroomed in the French Indian Ocean island following several deadly shark attacks, sparking a tug of war between those who want to protect the fish and those who would like to see preventative culls.

“We always talked about sharks in the Reunion. When I was a kid, our parents were already warning us,” said Georges, who did not give his surname, as he took in the rays on a beach protected from the sea predators by a coral reef.

But the 48-year-old, who now lives in mainland France

Indian Ocean paradise island beset by shark controversy

and was holidaying on the is-land, said the issue had become increasingly high-profile in re-cent years, “because the attacks have multiplied.”

Since 2011, there have been 12 shark attacks in the Reunion, of which five were deadly.

Just this year, a French hon-eymooner died when he was at-tacked by a shark as he surfed, and a teenage girl was killed while swimming just metres from the shore.

Swimmers, tourists, surfers, fishermen, politicians, authori-ties, activists: all have firm -- and often discording -- opin-ions on how to handle a situ-ation that is harming the Re-union’s reputation as a paradise destination.

While none deny that shark numbers have increased, they differ on the reasons for this recent spike.

Some point to the wastewater

that is discarded into the sea from ever-expanding urbanised zones, full of organic com-pounds that the sharks come to devour.

Others blame the 40-kilo-metre (25-mile) long natural marine reserve along the coast -- created in 2007 -- where fish-ing is either banned or strictly regulated.

“This reserve has become a pantry for sharks,” one surfer said.

“They settle where they know they can feed themselves.”

-- Preventive culls --And aside from the reserve,

professional shark fishing in general has come to a halt.

In 1999, authorities banned the commercialisation of sharks on the island as the fish was thought to be contaminated with ciguatoxins, poisonous or-ganic compounds that cause se-

French ecologist, Didier Derand, 55, throws himself into the sea at the site of shark attacks, on the Roches Noires beach in Saint-Gilles-les Bains, in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion on August 19, 2012. To prove sharks are not dangerous for swimmers but are the victim of “propaganda” Derand decided to swim 4.6 kilometers in a marine reserve where sharks killed two surfers last year. AFP

rious food poisoning.Then in 2004, those who

traded in shark fins -- a hugely controversial delicacy in some Asian countries -- were banned from fishing sharks.

Faced with the increase in the sea predators and following the deadly attacks, the prefect of the island announced a slew of measures in July, including banning swimming, surfing and bodyboarding off more than half of the coast.

He also said 90 sharks would be culled -- 45 bull sharks and 45 tiger sharks -- on top of the 20 already killed as part of sci-entific research into ciguatera, the illness caused by eating fish flesh contaminated with cigua-toxins.

But he acknowledged the cull was not only scientific but also aimed at “reducing the shark population”.

Thierry Robert, a prominent

politician on the island, has called for more “preventative culls”.

But the idea has been slammed by environmentalists keen to protect sharks, some of which are seriously threatened worldwide.

Didier Derand of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, an animal rights organisation, is challeng-ing the existing cull in court.

He is being assisted by Sea Shepherd, the international marine wildlife conservation organisation, “because we need worldwide awareness of the or-ganised massacre of sharks.”

According to Sea Shepherd, 100 million sharks are killed each year by sport fisher-men or by those who practice shark finning, which consists of catching the fish and slicing off their fins while they are still alive.

The organisation says sharks

are being depleted faster than they can reproduce, threatening the stability of marine ecosys-tems around the world.

Authorities in the Reunion island are also looking at oth-er ways to protect swimmers, such as using aerial balloons equipped with surveillance cameras and alert systems when they detect movement in the water.

The island’s Saint-Paul dis-trict has opted for drum lines, devices fixed with hooks that are meant to capture sharks.

Meanwhile, surfers and bodyboarders say they refuse to be sacrificed in the name of marine conservation.

“We have to stop this world-wide lobbying that advocates the protection of sharks,” says Jean-Francois Nativel, head of the Ocean Prevention Reunion association, which works on reducing the risks of shark at-tacks.

VOICE OF ASIA 15FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 16 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

Friday, September 6, 2013 Section 2 Email: voiceasia@aol.com Tel: 713-774-5140

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Bollywood Blast - presented year after year on Labor Day

weekend, at the adorable Miller Theatre absolutely free of admission by SAM-SKRITI . This years show is a salute to the 100th year of Indian film Industry and to the 90th Anniversary of Miller Theatre in Houston, Texas. An estimated crowd of 8000 with almost 40% non

Samskriti Hosts A Smashing Hit Bollywood Blast 2013 At Houston’s Miller Theater

Indian Americans enjoyed the 90 minute non stop pre-sentation thoroughly.

‘The Magic of Love’A beautifully choreo-

graphed and directed – cute and entertaining show is a creation of Tina Bose and Kiron Kumar – founder/di-rectors of Houston’s popu-lar Bollywood/Fusion and Contemporary dance school

Infused performing Arts. The enthusiasm, energy , the fascinating visuals , the concept and creativity kept the audience quite glued to their places and left the venue wanting for more!

‘Variety is the spice of life.” Unlike the previous Bollywood shows this year’s piece had real ‘ magic ‘ (by the one and only multi tal-

ented Kiron), very cleverly woven into the show and also use of popular ‘Tamil’ numbers for dances and a touch of slapstick humor in the theme. The dance battle of the fathers of the couple to the drum beats evoked quite a few giggles. Technically, the audio, the lighting, the visuals, stage management, change of scenes, change of costumes - all with a group

of 80 talented dancers of all ages was extremely smooth. The lead dancers and chore-ographers Tina Bose and Kiron Kumar have to be commended for their tireless energy for pulling this all together .

SAMSKRITI – Indian per-forming Arts Society , a con-duit between the east and the west has not only been pre-

senting but promoting many a talented artists, dance and music teachers thru Anjali Center since 1975 . Sam-skriti’s visionary artistic director Dr. Rathna Kumar needs to commended for assigning this challenging project to a new group this year.

Kudos to Samskriti and Infused Performing Arts.

Bollywood stars lend support to vegetarian diet program

Washington: Bollywood stars in-cluding Jacqueline Fernandez, Celina Jaitley and Mallika Sherawat, have joined hands to support an Indian version of the popular 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program.

The event kicked off on September 1 and is based on National Institutes of Health-funded clinical research by Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

The program shows how a low-fat, plant-based, dairy-free diet can help people lose weight, reverse diabetes, and implement long-term changes in eating habits and health. It has helped more than 250,000 global participants lose weight and improve their health.

“India faces a health crisis like never before. Traditional plant-based diets are being swamped by meat and pro-cessed foods, dairy product consump-tion is rising, and these unhealthy foods are driving obesity and diabetes rates through the roof.

“Our research shows the best way to lose weight and reverse disease is to jump into a completely dairy-free,

plant-based diet for three weeks,” said Barnard.

During the three week program, Bollywood stars and those from Hol-lywood, including actress Alicia Sil-verstone, are offering their favourite vegan recipes and tips to stay on track with the program.

“It`s easy to eliminate milk, ghee and yogurt from an Indian diet. The Kickstart offers healthy, dairy-free versions of traditional favourites like Carrot Halwa, Palak Paneer, and Navratan Kurma. There`s no depriva-tion involved?just sensible eating,” said Nandita Shah, a Mumbai-based physician who has developed some of the recipes for the program.

Overweight rates in India increased by 20 percent between 1998 and 2005, according to a study released by the Organisation for Economic Co-opera-tion and Development.

Another study by the University of Maryland and the National Council of Applied Economic Research found 22 percent of Indians living in cities were overweight and 7 percent were obese.(PTI)

Jacqueline Fernandez,

Contact: Voice of Asia Group

713-774-5140 for ADs

Tina Bose and Kiron Kumar creators of the Show One of the many dance items of the Bollywood Blast

VOICE OF ASIA 18 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013HEALTHHEALTHY LIVING Friday, September 6, 2013 Section 2 Email: voiceasia@aol.com Tel: 713-774-5140

Visit us on voiceofasiatvnews.com for more health stories

by: Sudhir Mathuria

2-1-1 is a free, easy-to-remember phone number connecting callers with

health and human services in their community.

When you dial 2-1-1, you will talk to a trained resource specialist who has access to comprehensive database listings of nearly all health and human services that exists in Texas. This includes but is not lim-ited to: rent and utility assistance, food, emergency shelters, where to get employment help, medical and mental health assistance, help with transportation, and trained suicide intervention counseling. You can also get information on affordable child care, information about car-ing for an aging relative, or help recovering from a disaster.

Information and referral is avail-able 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year. Information can be provided in over 90 differ-ent languages.

When is 2-1-1 available? Information and Referral (op-

tion 1) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year. Information can be provided in over 90 different languages.

Eligibility Services/State Bene-fits (option 2) is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm.

The Office of Inspector General, to report waste, fraud, and abuse (option 3) is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

If you are calling from outside of Texas, or have technical difficul-ties when dialing 2-1-1 from your cell phone, voice-over-IP, or office location, please dial the toll free alternate access number at 1-877-541-7905.

Who is eligible to call 2-1-1? Any individual looking for infor-

mation or assistance to identify the services best suited to meet his or her needs is eligible to call. Case managers, church leaders, employ-ers, teachers or other agencies calling on behalf of their clients, members, employees or students are also welcome.

What is the difference between

2-1-1, 3-1-1, 4-1-1, 5-1-1, 7-1-1 and 9-1-1?

2-1-1 Texas is a free, easy-to-remember phone number connect-ing callers with health and human services in their community, as well as, state benefits and report-ing waste, fraud, and abuse.

3-1-1 (where available) is city non-emergency police/utilities (i.e. downed trees in the roadway, es-caped livestock, etc.) – things that need attention, but are not life or death emergencies.

4-1-1 is for Directory Assistance such as local and long-distance phone numbers, area codes, and addresses to businesses. This call will cost you a flat rate fee (de-pending on your service provider).

5-1-1 is a nationwide number used for traveler information and is promoted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transport System initiative.

7-1-1 is for RELAY TEXAS, which is for communication be-tween TTY users and hearing per-sons. This service connects those who have a TTY and needs to talk to someone who does not, or if you do not have a TTY and needs to talk to someone who does.

9-1-1 is reserved for emergency police, ambulance, poison, and fire.

For more information…Sudhir Mathuria

Licensed ProfessionalHealth Life 3606650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900www.MyMedicarePlanning.com

What is 2-1-1 Texas and how does it work?

Sudhir Mathuria

PROGESTERONE:

The effects of proges-terone are: Matures the uterine lining

and prevents excessive tissue build up, inhibits overgrowth of breast tissue, increases me-tabolism, prevents weight loss, mobilizes fluid and decreases swelling, Thins the blood and prevents blood clots, stimu-lates the production of new bone, inhibits the sex drive.

Why do women need pro-gesterone after menopause?

The benefits of progester-one include protection of the uterus, improved mood, bet-ter quality of sleep, helps with PMS symptoms, prevents hair loss.

The results of the Women’s health initiative (WHI) study:

When the results of the WHI study was first published in 2002, it caused an uproar in the media and among doc-tors who immediately stopped prescribing hormones for post menopausal women. The cause of the uproar was that in women taking prempro (a synthetic progesterone), there were 8 more deaths from breast cancer out of 10,000 women when compared to pla-cebo. Also, there were 7 more

deaths out of 10,000 from heart attack, 8 more from stroke 18 more from blood clots and 6 fewer from colon cancer. In the group taking premarin (a synthetic estro-gen) vs placebo, there were 8 fewer deaths per 10,000 from breast cancer, 12 more from stroke and 6 more from blood clots. Notice that the actual numbers are very small. Also, no mention was made about the number of lives saved due to the prevention of osteopo-rosis in women who were on hormones.

At TAMI, we do not use synthetic hormones.

There are 3 types of human estrogens- Estrone, estra-diol and estriol.The preferred method of administration of estrogen is transdermal creams The oral form is asso-ciated with a slightly higher risk of stroke. The preferred method of administration of progesterone is oral or sub-lingual.

Dr. David Jeyaraj is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice for 14 years. When he faced a personal health crisis, he at first turned to conventional medicine. He exercised, ate right, took his medications regularly. He transitioned from conventional medicine to full time age management medicine . Dr Jeyaraj is cer-tified in age management by Cengenics Institute, Las Ve-gas and is a member of the Age Management Medicine Group. He can be reached at: 713.271.0705 www.texasami.com

David Jeyaraj, MD

BEIJING - (AFP) - A total of 16 people have gone on trial in China accused

of a $10 million scam which saw waste from animal parts used to make cooking oil, state media re-ported Tuesday.

The suspects allegedly used waste oil from the fat of chickens, ducks, pigs, cattle and foxes, as well as fox fur, chicken feathers, and “leftover pieces of offal and poultry”, the China Daily said.

It is the latest case to highlight poor food safety standards in China, a growing source of anger for many.

The China Daily said it was the biggest case since the country

China trial opens over $10 million cooking oil scam

streamlined its laws to target such practices in May, and quoted food safety experts saying the oil could destroy the digestive tract.

“The oil was sold to more than 100 food enterprises in five prov-inces and municipalities for about 60 million yuan ($9.8million),” the paper said.

The group went on trial Mon-day in Lianyungang, in the east-ern province of Jiangsu, it added.

Health authorities in China last year launched a crackdown on “gutter oil”, which normally re-fers to cooking oil illegally made by reprocessing waste oil or by dredging up leftovers from res-taurants and marketing it as new.

China trial opens over $10 million cooking oil scam

PARIS (AFP) - Eating more whole fresh fruit, especially blueberries,

grapes, apples and pears, is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but drinking more fruit juice has the opposite effect, says a study.

British, US and Singaporean researchers pored over data from three big health investigations that took place in the United States, spanning a quarter of a century in all.

More than 187,000 nurses and other professional caregivers were enrolled.

Their health was monitored over the following years, and they regularly answered ques-

WA S H I N G T O N , August 29, 2013 (AFP) - President

Barack Obama’s administration ceded ground Thursday in the US war on drugs, saying it will not dispute the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colo-rado and Washington state.

Its decision was swiftly hailed by campaigners for the legaliza-tion of a substance that, under federal law, remains a Schedule One controlled substance on a par with heroin.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said it expects Colo-rado and Washington to main-tain “strict regulatory schemes” to ensure that marijuana doesn’t profit criminal gangs or fall into the hands of minors.

“These schemes must be tough in practice, not just on paper,” it said.

That said, the Department of Justice added that it has told the governors of Colorado and Washington that it is “deferring its right to challenge their legal-ization laws at this time.”

Voters in Colorado and Wash-ington approved the legaliza-tion of marijuana in referen-dums last November concurrent to the presidential election that kept Obama in the White House for a second term.

Several other states have ap-proved the production and sale of marijuana for medicinal use, and decriminalized the posses-sion of small quantities for per-sonal use.

“Today’s announcement is a major and historic step toward

ending marijuana prohibition,” said Dan Riffle of the Marijua-na Policy Project, a marijuana policy organization.

He called the decision “a clear signal (from the nation’s capital) that states are free to determine their own policies with respect to marijuana.”

It was now up to Congress “to fix our nation’s broken mari-juana laws, Riffle added.

The National Cannabis Indus-try Association expressed con-fidence that marijuana-related businesses in Colorado and Washington will comply with any federal requirements.

“We are pleased to see the Obama administration will not cause harm to citizens and states by shutting these busi-nesses down,” it said in a state-ment.

The US Attorney’s Office in Colorado, elaborating on the Department of Justice’s announcement, said it would still go after those who peddle marijuana to children, grow it on federal land or ship it across state or federal lines.

It would also target any mari-juana trafficking that is either conducted or bankrolled by street gangs and cartels.

Earlier this year, for the first time, a majority of respondents to a Pew Research Center poll, 52 percent, said the use of mari-juana should be made legal.

Forty-eight percent said they had consumed marijuana at some time in their lives, and 12 percent said they had done so in the year preceding the poll.

US to tolerate recre-ational marijuana in two states

More fresh fruit deters diabetes; juice boosts risk

tionnaires on their eating habits, weight, smoking, physical activi-ty and other pointers to lifestyle.

Around 6.5 percent of the vol-unteers developed diabetes dur-ing the studies.

People who ate at least two servings each week of certain whole fruits, especially blueber-ries, grapes and apples, reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent compared to those who ate less than one serv-ing per month.

“Our findings provide novel evidence suggesting certain fruits may be especially benefi-cial for lower diabetes risk,” said Qi Sun, an assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard School

of Public Health.On the other hand, those who

consumed one or more servings of fruit juice each day saw their risk of the disease increase by as much as 21 percent.

Swapping three servings of juice per week for whole fruits resulted in a seven-percent reduc-tion in risk, although there was no such difference with strawberries and cantaloupe melon.

The paper, published on Fri-day by the British Medical Jour-nal (BMJ), says further work is needed to to explore this “signifi-cant” difference.

It speculates that, even if the nutritional values of whole fruit and fruit juice are similar, the dif-ference lies with the fact that one food is a semi-solid and the other a liquid.

“Fluids pass through the stom-ach to the intestine more rapidly than solids even if nutritional content is similar,” says the pa-per.

“For example, fruit juices lead to more rapid and larger changes in serum [blood] levels of glucose and insulin than whole fruits.”

The study also points to evi-dence that some kinds of fruit

have a beneficial effect for health.

Berries and grapes, for in-stance, have compounds called anthocyanins which have been found to lower the risk of heart attacks.

But, say the authors, how or even whether this also applies to diabetes risks is for now unclear.

The investigation looked at data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which ran from 1984-2008; the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2009); and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2008).

Ten kinds of fruit were used in the questionnaire: grapes or rai-sins; peach, plums or apricots; prunes; bananas; cantaloupe melon; apples or pears; oranges; grapefruit; strawberries; and blueberries.

The fruit juices identified in the questionnaire were apple, or-ange, grapefruit and “other.”

VOICE OF ASIA 20 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

Friday, September 6, 2013 Section 2 Email: voiceasia@aol.com Tel: 713-774-5140

BUSINESS

by Salil PANCHAL

MUMBAI, (AFP) - Top economist Raghuram Ra-jan warned Wednesday he

may have to take unpopular steps to tackle India’s worst economic crisis in decades as he took over as the central bank’s new chief.

Rajan, a former International Mon-etary Fund chief economist, sought to reassure rattled markets, saying India faced tough challenges but its economy was “fundamentally sound”, as policy-makers battle a plummeting rupee and decade-low growth.

In his first public remarks after tak-ing over as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor earlier Wednesday, Ra-jan added that “some of the actions I take will not be popular”.

“The governorship of the central bank is not meant to win one votes or Facebook ‘likes’. But I hope to do the right thing, no matter what the criti-cism, even while looking to learn from the criticism,” he said.

Rajan, famed for forecasting the 2008 global financial crisis, takes over from retiring Duvvuri Subbarao, as India’s once-booming economy is caught in a quagmire of sharply slowing growth, high inflation, a record current account deficit and sliding currency.

Some analysts fear Asia’s third-larg-est economy could be heading for a meltdown with the rupee down around 17 percent against the dollar this year.

In a wide-ranging speech, Rajan stressed he would hew to the RBI’s mandate of “securing monetary stabil-ity” and sustaining confidence in the value of the country’s money, which means “low and stable inflation”.

Rajan, who left his post as a profes-sor at the prestigious University of Chi-cago’s Booth School of Business and returned to India last year to become an adviser to Premier Manmohan Singh, added the RBI must be a “beacon of responsibility”.

At the same time, he stressed India

India’s new central bank chief Raghuram Rajan. (AFP)

MOSCOW, September 4, 2013 (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Pu-

tin on Wednesday rejected claims he has a poor personal relationship with President Barack Obama, praising his American counterpart as direct and “interesting” to work with.

Putin described Obama as a “con-crete, business-like” partner, during an interview with state-run Channel One television ahead of the G20 summit Russia hosts in Saint Petersburg start-ing Thursday.

“All our talks are very constructive in nature, very substantive and rather frank,” Putin said in an interview re-leased on Wednesday.

“In this respect the US president is a very good interlocutor, he is easy

needed “faster, broad-based inclusive growth leading to a rapid fall in pov-erty”.

As part of measures to attract vital foreign investment, he said policymak-ers “will steadily but surely liberalise our markets” -- a step seen as conten-tious in some political, especially left-wing, circles.

“Better that investors take positions domestically and provide depth and profits to our economy than they take our markets to foreign shores,” he said.

Analysts were impressed by Rajan’s inaugural statements.

“With Rajan one has very high ex-pectations. Nevertheless, he surpassed all expectations by miles,” Siddhartha Sanyal, Barclays Capital economist, told AFP.

He said Rajan’s words should pro-vide “a degree of confidence and hope to markets”.

Rajan added the central bank would speed up “financial inclusion” by making it possible to open more bank branches.

Some 480 million of India’s 1.2 bil-lion people, mostly living in the coun-try’s 630,000 villages, have no banking access, according to the RBI.

Subbarao said earlier Wednesday that Rajan was in for a bumpy ride with an economy that grew at a decade low of five percent in the last financial year -- way below the near double-digit levels notched up during the heady noughties.

But he said India “could not have asked for a more capable person to lead the RBI in these most difficult times”.

Rajan voiced concern about the im-pact of bad debts on bank balance sheets due to the slowdown and said he would encourage banks to clean up loan portfolios.

“The bad loan problem is not alarm-ing yet, but it will only fester and grow if left unaddressed.

India’s new central bank chief warns of unpopular steps to fight crisis

Putin described Obama as a “concrete, business-like” partner, during an interview with state-run Channel One television

to talk to because it’s clear what the person wants, his position is clear, he listens to the position of another per-son.”

“It’s interesting for me to work with him.”

After Putin returned to the Kremlin for a third term last year, ties with the United States dramatically deteriorat-ed over a host of issues including the Syrian crisis and human rights.

Tensions reached a peak after Mos-cow this summer gave asylum to the US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden prompting Obama to scrap his planned bilateral visit to Moscow ahead of the G20.

Putin admitted he was disappointed by his US counterpart’s decision but noted it was not a “catastrophe” and

he understood that some of Moscow’s decisions did not sit well with the US administration.

“I think it would be good not to get irritable but for all of us to become pa-tient and work to find solutions.”

The Kremlin earlier said a bilateral meeting or even less formal talks were not scheduled for Putin and Obama at the G20 summit but the Russian strongman said he was looking for-ward to having a discussion with Obama.

The previous meeting between the two leaders at the G8 summit in North-ern Ireland in June was visibly frosty, with journalists scrutinising their body language and pointing to their appar-ent unease with each other.

Afterwards Obama admitted Putin often looked like “the bored kid in the back of the classroom.”

Putin said he was surprised to hear observers interpret their body lan-guage.

“Sometimes I am surprised to read about the language of gestures, about how bored we are or that we behave in some other way. Who can say except ourselves what’s on our mind and in our heart?”

“There are some gestures that can of course be interpreted unambigu-ously but no-one has ever seen such gestures from me towards Obama or from Obama towards me and I hope that will never happen,” Putin said.

“And the rest is just figments of imagination.”

Abheek Barua, chief economist with HDFC Bank, called Rajan “more in-novative” than Subbarao and added he expected him to “be more aggressive”.

The RBI has introduced a series of re-cent measures to try to halt the rupee’s slide, raising short-term interest rates and tightening cash in the system.

The currency ended the day slightly firmer at 67.08 rupees to the dollar, helped by suspected heavy intervention by the central bank, dealers said.

Shares closed up nearly two percent at 18,567 after analysts said the market was oversold.

The currency has been forecast by Goldman Sachs to fall to 72 to the dol-

lar in coming months.A depreciating rupee makes imports

of everything from oil to chemicals costlier, and comes as foreign capital inflows into India have been drying up and the government is trying to plug its gaping current account deficit.

Analysts have raised fears India could face a crunch of the sort it suffered in 1991, when a foreign exchange-strapped government pawned gold for an IMF bailout.

The government is desperate to kick-start growth before elections due by May. The RBI has come under pressure to cut rates to boost growth but such a move could fuel already high inflation.

Putin denies strains with ‘interesting’ Obama ahead of G20

VOICE OF ASIA 21 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013

UMA MANTRAVADIAttorney and Counselor at Law

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Your Horoscope(For week beginning Friday, September 6, 2013)

As per Indian Vedic Astrology the Moon sign is considered, in which every Rashi has control over certain letters, which are initials of your name. Whereas in Western system of Sun Sign, all the people born in one month belong to the same sign. For example, every year approximately around 21 of March to 20th April, the Sun is moving in the Aries Constellation. So all the people born in that month belong to the Sign of Aries. If you were born in between those two dates then you are a Aries born.

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 AprilStrong feelings & emotional situations that need to be addressed, it’s hard to keep up with the white lies & half truths. It’s not the facts that count, but the reason for the deceit-ful information. Great discretion on your part may be required if you want to keep the

peace. You may feel a little resentful. The demands put on you may seem unfair, perhaps even a little manipulative. It could cost you a relationship if you are direct about the situation. Then again, why keep a friend you can’t really be honest with?

Taurus(B,V,U)21 April to 20 MayKeep up with the pack. Don’t get lazy at the wrong moment. Your financial success de-pends on your own magnetic ability to coordinate projects and act as the producer. You may have to reach out to take advantage of lucky opportunities. Encourage your partners

to go forward with exciting and challenging plans. You may need the cooperation of others to accomplish tasks, but they may be dragging their heels. If that’s the case, go into your grab bag of ideas and stimulate others with humor and fun. You could be rewarded with a big financial coup.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 JuneResponsibilities & your ability to take on more than your share. Mental details may be a real challenge to you. You could easily get caught up in minor matters that become more and more complex & demanding as the week goes by. Don’t be too concerned with the minor details. Delegate to others you trust. Priority should not be on how things are done,

but on completing the tasks at hand. Try your best to stay relaxed during moments of tension. Your sense of humor could go a long way in diffusing tense or uncomfortable situations.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 JulyA blend of your creativity & your practicality. A creative project could hit a snag. You may have to work hard on the details in order to make your magic happen. In fact, it may take weeks before you’ve really got it the way you like it. Think of this as a chance to improve, rather than a waste of time and effort. Unusual people will seem to populate your world.

They may push your security buttons by bringing you in contact with new ideas and values. Keep an open mind and suspend judgment for the time being.

Leo(M) 23 July to 22 AugustUse your smart ability to keep you cool. Your creative abilities should be working for you, so take on new and interesting projects. You may have to deal with some strong pres-sure, particularly at home. Unfinished family business could tie you up in knots. Power struggles will not resolve the situation. Take a good look at your values and your goals.

If you honestly believe in them, you’ll make the right moves at the right time. You might also put some effort into improving your surroundings. Be careful with the tools you use & turn on your creativity.

Virgo(P) 23 August to 22 SeptemberAn urge to create and express yourself. You could run into some serious obstacles. Set aside your impulse to plunge into unknown territory. This is an intense time of letting go of old visions to make room for new ones. You may need to use some good common sense to deal with an unrealistic colleague. Assess your resources carefully. This will provide the practical

reality needed at this time. The enthusiasm of those around you is attractive, but not well grounded.

Libra(R,T)23 Sept to 22 OctA tornado of ideas. You could be in a very talkative mood, at the very least, expect your mind to be running a mile a minute. Slow down and take note of the good ideas, because they’ll be worth remembering. Big financial ideas are very exciting to you now, too. You’re in charge. Expect to be the leader. This is your chance to shine professionally. You have the spark to

move into a new direction. Planning is important, but taking chances and taking action are primary. Even if you don’t achieve your goals, you’ll learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time.

Scorpio(N,Y)23 Oct to 21 NovPlenty of talking & heated discussions. You have a strong desire to cut through the bull and get to the bottom line. Relationships may be very hot. Intimacy is both exciting and com-plex. Professional ones are stimulating, but challenging. Greed could be your enemy now.

Appetites can get out of hand if you’re not careful. When you get a taste of love, food, approval or money, chew slowly. Digestion can be difficult if you take big gulps. Check out the incredible opportunities, but move toward them with patience and caution. Try to be reasonable, even if the subject matter is intense.

Sagittarius(BH,F,DH,TH)22 Nov to 21 DecAn intensity that you feel, that may be a distracting force. You’ll feel anxious & unable to relax. Try to turn your attention inward for awhile and save your breath for breathing. Content yourself with being part of a process that someone else has started. Lift your head out of the details to see whether the big picture has changed since you last looked. It’s still possible to

maintain harmony as long as you’re paying attention. You may have to shout in order for anyone to hear your voice. It may be easier to step back into the neutral zone than to go for another ride on the roller coaster.

Capricorn(KH,J)22 Dec to 20 JanSurge of emotional & physical energy. It’s probably for the best that you’re feeling a little extra rambunctious. You’ll need it to keep up with recent events. Humor may be the best way to cope with a grim situation, that’s got everyone down. Laugh at the impossible and you’ll be able to make a list of the practical solutions. Your powers of attraction may be

working harder than you imagined. There’s no need to be greedy during times of plenty. If the offers just keep pouring in, leave your options open. Go for the one that satisfies you the most.

Aquarius(G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 FebA small change in attitude that could result in a big difference in your life. You need to make your points but you also need to listen to other’s perspectives. Your defensiveness will not gain you any ground. You must learn to recognize those soft spots & tougher your skin. Associates will listen and respond more favorably to a good presentation without the emotional baggage to weigh it down. Pull together with a group of people who are likely to

inspire one another to new heights of creativity. Playing together is as important as what you produce.

Pisces(D,CH,Z)20 Feb to 20 MarchNeed to conserve your energy. Travel plans may be wearing thin, right now. Try to confine your activities to one place until you’ve had a chance to restore your energy. Partnership matters could be important for the creation of a happy home life. Any dealings related to real estate or property are starred for special success. Your home may be a haven that en-ables you to express the best of your ideas and intellect. Set high goals and know that you’ll

hit the bull’s-eye. Group situations could be especially productive, this week. You may have to make all the effort to sell others on your ideas, but the end result will be worth it.

From a shopping mall in New Jersey to the farm fields of India, experi-

ments show that poverty saps people’s brainpower and may lower IQ by 13 points, scientists said Thursday.

The findings in the US journal Science suggest that being poor can drain a person’s mental re-sources, leaving him or her less capable of focusing on other things, like solving problems and controlling impulses.

“Because you have all these other things on your mind, you have less mind to give to every-thing else,” said co-author Send-hil Mullainathan, a Harvard Uni-versity economist.

Rather than blaming poverty on the individual or the environment, the study suggests that the state of being poor exerts the same ef-fect as losing a full night’s sleep or having lower intelligence.

“We’re arguing that being poor can impact cognitive functioning, which hinders individuals’ ability to make good decisions and can cause further poverty,” said co-author Jiaying Zhao, a professor at the University of British Co-lumbia.

Poverty saps the brain: US-India study

Researchers sampled some 400 people with incomes rang-ing from $20,000 to $70,000 at a shopping mall in New Jersey.

The shoppers were asked how they would respond to a hypo-thetical scenario in which their car had broken down and would cost a certain amount to fix.

The question was meant to evoke thoughts of a person’s own monetary condition. Some shop-pers were told the fix would cost $150, others were told $1,500.

Then they were given a series of cognitive and impulse control exercises to complete, such as putting shapes in order or click-ing on the correct side of a com-puter screen.

The people whose incomes were on the lower end of the scale did the worst when they were told the cost of the hypothetical repair was higher.

When they were thinking about a cheaper, $150 repair, they per-formed as well as the people with higher incomes.

“These pressures create a sa-lient concern in the mind and draw mental resources to the problem itself. This means we are

A woman washes clothes outside her house at a slum in New Delhi July 29, 2013. REUTERS/Anin-dito Mukherjee

unable to focus on other things in life that need our attention,” said Zhao.

Researchers also gave tests to 464 sugar cane farmers in India, both before their once-yearly harvest when they were short on money and after the harvest when they had more.

They found that the same farm-ers did better on the tests when they had cash on hand.

“IQ goes up, cognitive control, or error, goes way down and re-sponse times go way down,” said Mullainathan.

Researchers said the findings suggest that financial assistance is too simplistic of an answer for the problems associated with poverty.

Instead, targeting the concerns that consume the working poor -- such as childcare -- may be more effective.

“Rather than simply looking at these challenges as a lack of money very broadly, if we could break it up and simply target the biggest concerns and deal with them, we might begin to solve other problems as well,” said Mullainathan.

VOICE OF ASIA 22 FRIDAY, September 6, 2013COMMUNITY EVENTSRELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140

Tagore Society of Houston

Prog: Unveiling of Tagore’s Statue st Tagore Grove on Sept. 13, 2013 at 7PM. Location: Ray Miller Park,1800 Eldridge Parkway, Hous-ton, TX 77077Contact:713-501-6300

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Prog: Radhashtami Sep. 12th, 6:30 PMEveryday, 7 Aratis and bhoga offerings daily. Sunday Festival: 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Location: 1320 West 34th St, Houston, TX 77018.Contact:281-433-1635/E-mail harekrishnadham@gmail.com Website: www.iskconhouston.org

Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Prog: Bhoomi Pooja of Sringeri Sadhana Center on Sunday, Aug 25th 2013 at 8.30 am to 12 noon by Padmashree Dr. V. R. Gowrishankar.Location: Intersection of Clo-dine & W. Belfort Ave, Rich-mond, TXContactVBFHouston@gmail.com or 1-800-45-HINDU or 281-710-7196Website: http://svbf.org/Hous-ton/

Shri Radha Krishna TempleProg: Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Indo-American Charity Foundation Prog: Silver Jubilee Celebrations at Hilton Americas on Sept. 21st, 2013. For more information, call Gala Chair Ramesh Cherivirala at 713-875-4336.

India HouseProg: Free Yoga classes every Tues, Thurs, & SatFree Dance classes every SunFree Computer classes every

Mon, Wed, & Thurs Medical Clinic every Sat Cultural Library every SunFor info call 713-929-1900Email: info@indiahouseinc.orgWebsite: www.indiahouseinc.org

Chinmaya Mission

Prog: Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.Phone: 832.541.0059.Website:www.chinmayahouston.org. Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya Temple Hrs: 9 am to noon and 5 to 9 pm. Sri Astalaksmi puja: 7 pm.Sri Laksmi Archana will be performed on request all day. Location:same as Chinmaya Mission.Website: www.saumyakasi.org;

Hindu Temple of The WoodlandsProg: Location: 7601 S. Forest Gate Drive at Woodlands Parkway, Spring, TX 77382.Contact: info@woodlandshin-dutemple.org, 832-585-0001Website: www.woodlandshindutemple.org.

VSNA, Houston Prog: Monthly Mahamane event. Puja, Vachana Sahithya discourses, Aarthi and PrasadContact: vsnahouston@gmail.com/832-545-1185 (Jyoti Biradar)Facebook: https://www.face-book.com/VSNA.HOUSTONWebsite: https://sites.google.com/site/bsusorg/home

BAPSProg: Location: 1150 Brand Rd. Stafford, TX.Contact: 281-765-2277 Web:

Sri Meenakshi Temple Prog: Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584Contact: (281) 489-0358

Arsha Vidya Bharati

Prog.:Sanskrit classes and spe-cial worship sessions for all agesLocation: 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479Contact: 281-606-5607 or AVB.Houston@gmail.comWeb-site: https://sites.google.com/site/avbtexas/classes

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee MosqueProg: Friday Prayer - 1:30 PM Children’s Classes | Interfaith meeting | Location: 1333 Spears Rd, Houston, TX 77067Imam - Mohammed Zafarullah Contact : Work: 281-875-3400 | Cell: 713-874-4363 Zafarullah_Hanjra@hotmail.comwww.Alislam.org

Ashirwad - A Blessing TempleProg: Regular prog :Sloka Classes for kids and teens. Location: Katy, Hwy 249 & Sugar Land. Contact: 281.995.0930/ 281.808.2159

Vedanta Society of Greater HoustonProg: Vedanta teachings Sun-days at 10:30 AMLocation: at 14809 Lindita Dr. Houston, TX -77083. Website: www.vedantahouston.org

ISSOProg: Darshan daily from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.; Aarti daily from 7.45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Location: 10080 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478Phone: 281-530-2565 Web:

VPSS HoustonProg: Location VPSS Vallabh Hall, 11715 Belfort Village Dr. Hous-ton 77031. Contact:713-530-2900Website:www.vpsshaveli.org

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan

Prog: Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Every Thursday Abhishek Location: 16338 Kensington Dr, Ste 110, Sugar Land 77479. Phone: 713-933-8821 / 9359.

Gurdwara Sahib of SW HoustonProg: Sundays Dewan 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Langar Location:14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083Phone: 281-498-5200Website: www.gurdwaraswh.com

Sri Ashtalakshmi TempleProg: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayanam: daily 6.30 p.m. Location:10098 Synott Road. Sugar Land, TX 77478Phone: 281- 498-2344 Website: www.ashtalakshmi.org

Hindu Worship So-cietyProg: Open all days except Thursdays (by appt). Regular Puja and Prasad. Sunday Service 11:30 AM to 1:30 Location: 2223 Wirtcrest Lane Houston TX 77055.

Barsana Dham Houston ChapterProg: Satsang every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Location: India House, 8888 West Belfort 77031Phone: (713) 855-9818 for detailsWebsite: www.jkphouston.org Weekly Radio Program-1460 AM Saturdays 10-11 a.m.

Shirdi Sai Jalaram MandirProg: Location:3845 West Bellfort, St., Sugar Land, TX 77498Website: www.babamandir.org

Lakshmi Narayan MandirProg: Every Friday Satsangh from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. Bhajans and Devi Puja, Discourses. Location: 12530 Ann Louise Road, Houston, 77086.

Phone: Contact Vishnu at (832) 309- 7181.

JVB Preksha Meditation CenterProg: Annual Family Camp “Understanding Joy & Sorrow” on March 29 - 31, 2013 (Good Friday Weekend) Bellville, TX. Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082Phone: 281.596.9642 Website: www.jvbhouston.org

Patanjali Yogpeeth CenterProg: Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun from 8 am to 9:30 amLocation: Arya Samaj @Schiller Road. Contact: 281-579-9433. Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Jain Center of Hous-tonProg: Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email: ecjsh@jain-houston.orgWebsite:www.jain-houston.org

Durga Bari Society Prog: Sandhya Arati at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Location: 13944 Schiller Road. Contact: 281-597-8100 Website:www.houstondurgabari.org

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston

Prog: Sundays Satsang, Bal-Sanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm. Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036. Website: http://www.gayatripari-warhouston.org/ “

Sri Guruvayurappan TempleProg: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy Street, Houston, TX 77035Contact: 713-729-8994

Govindaji Gaudiya Math

Prog:Satsang every Sunday evening from 5 - 7 p.m. Vedic heritage classes for kids 5-14. Location: 16628 Kieth Harrow blvd. Houston, TX 77084Contact: 281-499-3347/281-491-4114.

Sathya Sai Baba CentersProg: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locationsLocations: Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786. Website:www.saicenterofhous-ton.org

Telugu Christian FellowshipProg; Every third Saturday 6:30 PM. Worship is in EnglishLocation: The Triumph Church, 10555 West Airport Boulevard, Stafford, TX 77477.Contact:713-301-6444Website:

Brahma Kumaris Meditation CenterProg: Daily classes in Raja Yoga Meditation To register call or email.Contact:832-379-8888/ Email: houston@bktexas.comWebsite: bktexas.com

Bethesda Houston Tamil ChurchProg: Prog: Sundays Tamil Worship: 5 – 7pm Sunday school : in English. Bethesda Family Fellowship: in English 10.30 am-12.30 pm Free Tutorial for all children Mondays & Wednesdays 5-6 pm. Ladies Bible Study: Thur 9 am. Location: 1092, Suite F&G, Stafford. Tex 77477 Tel:281-317-7331 Contact: 281-317-7331Website:bethesdahoustontamilchurch.org

Our Redeemer Church Prog: Sundays worship at 4:30 pm, Location: All Saints Lutheran Church 1211 West Belfort Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477. Contact: 281-686-4135 /Email: pastorvj@linchouston.org

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Restaurants

Gourmet India - Restaurant & Catering for home and office parties, Dine in Business Lunches,

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Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes Ph: 713-266-0131/ 0805

Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering specializing in North Indian cuisine, Office and Corporate catering.

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