20
Prime Laser Center utilizes the state of the art most advanced ND; YAG Lasers which safely and effectively treat unwanted hair for permanent removal. Call us for a Free Consultation! 2 Locations to Serve you: 2121 Sage Rd, Suite: 228, Houston, TX 77056 2655 Cordes Dr, Suite: 120, Sugar Land, TX 77479 $1200 Full Body Laser Hair Removal (Limited Time Full Body Laser Hair Removal Package offer Valid at both Galleria and Sugar Land Centers) Med Spa & Laser Hair Removal Center Tel: 281-903-7470 • www.PrimeLaserCenter.com Grand Opening Special Galleria Center Connect with us today! www.voiceofasiaonline.com Visit us Online @ 713-774-5140 V OICE OF A SIA Over 26 years of dedicated service to the community Vol. 28 No. 26 Friday, June 26, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com Understanding Life Insurance Policy Read more on Page 16 Call 713-771-2900 by Shobana Muratee and Harsha Mary Pradeep S tand, stretch, bend, and breathe were the simple steps dem- onstrated by renowned yoga teachers on June 21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center where thou- sands of Houstonians rolled out their mats and celebrated Houston’s inaugu- ral International Yoga Day (IYD). The day-long, free yoga fair com- memorating IYD was organized by the Consulate General of India in conjunc- tion with Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA). In addition, 200 volunteers, sponsors and Houston promotes harmony and peace on International Yoga Day W ASHINGTON, | AFP | 6/24/2015 - Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, announced Wednesday he is running for president, becoming the 13th Re- publican to launch a 2016 campaign for the White House. Jindal, who would be the first Ameri- can of Indian descent to make a ma- jor run for president, announced his intentions on Twitter, hours before an address before supporters in his home state. “I’m running for president of the United States of America. Join me,” he wrote, adding a link to his website which carried a short video showing Jindal telling his children that he is launching his campaign. Jindal, 44, has been an intense critic of President Barack Obama’s strategy for thwarting and defeating extremists including the Islamic State group. He has slashed state spending, op- poses same-sex marriage and a nation- al education standard known as Com- mon Core, and advocates for the repeal of Obama’s health care reform law. A graduate of Oxford, Jindal worked for the large consulting firm McKin- sey & Company before returning to Louisiana to pursue a life in public service and politics. Jindal is the son of immigrants, and in 2008, after a short stint in Congress, he became the nation’s first Indian- American governor. His domestic popularity is minimal so far. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in mid-June, sup- port for Jindal registered at less than one percent. The Republican primary race is cur- rently led by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, with 22 percent support, ac- cording to the poll. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who has yet to announce his cam- paign, was second with 17 percent. Senator Marco Rubio was third. The plethora of candidates has led Fox News to limit to 10 the number of Republican hopefuls invited to the first televised debate of the primary cycle, on August 6. The also-rans will be invited to a televised “forum” broadcast on the af- ternoon of the prime-time debate. The 12 other Republicans officially in the race are: Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rubio, Rick Santo- rum and Donald Trump. Bobby Jindal announces US presidential bid vendors from around Houston came together to make Sunday’s event a grand success. Welcoming over 3000 participants, Consul General of India, Houston, P. Harish explained that while yoga is perceived differently by different peo- ple, its primary focus is to “rebound, retain and rebuild.” Even the simple act of “resisting a piece of chocolate,” is practicing yoga, he said. The United Nations’ resolution to dedicate June 21 as IYD is a powerful testament to the proven cross-cultural, transnational power of the practice to promote inner peace and harmony. The brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government also made a marked effort on Sunday to express its gratitude for the support shown to the IYD initiative by the UN and 177 co-sponsor nations. Events in Houston began with the US national anthem sung by Keer- thana Bhat, Lekha Yesanthrao and Apoorva Das and Indian national an- them sung by Dr. Shobha Raju, Padma Shri awardee, and accompanying art- Consul General of India, Houton Parvathaneni Harish seen lighting the traditional lamp inaugurating the first International Yoga Day in Houston. Joining him are Dr. Renu Khator: Chancellor and President, University of Houston, Padma Shri Dr. Shobha Raju as Mrs. Nandita Harish, Jennifer Buergermeister, and Billie Gollnick look on. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit Continued on Page 3 Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana. AFP Photo. Over 3000 Houstonians participated in the IYD and Yoga Fair at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday, June 21. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit. International Day of Yoga in Dallas celebrated in a special way Read report on Page 7

Voice of Asia June 26 2015

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Voice of Asia Newspaper is based in Houston since 1987. We reach South Asian and Asian American families in Houston and surrounding cities in Texas. We print 10,000 copies weekly and reach 150 locations across five counties: Fort Bend, Harris, Brazoria, Galveston and Montgomery. We are audited by www.cvcaudit.com Keywords: Voice of Asia. Visit us online: www.voiceofasiaonline.com for the latest in Community News in Houston, upcoming events and Job Classifieds. Sign up for our weekly newsletter that allows you access to our community events to network your business opportunities. To reach us - to subscribe to our weekly newspaper, newsletter or showcase your business, call us at: 713-774-5140.

Citation preview

Page 1: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 1 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Prime Laser Center utilizes the state of the art most advanced ND; YAG Lasers which safely and effectively treat unwanted hair for permanent removal.

Call us for a Free Consultation!

2 Locations to Serve you:2121 Sage Rd, Suite: 228, Houston, TX 77056

2655 Cordes Dr, Suite: 120, Sugar Land, TX 77479

$1200 Full Body Laser Hair Removal (Limited Time Full Body Laser Hair Removal Package offer Valid at both Galleria and Sugar Land Centers)

Med Spa &

Laser Hair Removal CenterTel: 281-903-7470

• www.PrimeLaserCenter.com

Grand Opening SpecialGalleria Center

Connect with us today!

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Visit us Online @

713-774-5140VOICE OF ASIA

Over 26 years of dedicated service to the communityVol. 28 No. 26 Friday, June 26, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: [email protected]

Understanding Life Insurance Policy

Read more on Page 16

Call 713-771-2900

by Shobana Muratee and Harsha Mary Pradeep

Stand, stretch, bend, and breathe were the simple steps dem-onstrated by renowned yoga

teachers on June 21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center where thou-sands of Houstonians rolled out their mats and celebrated Houston’s inaugu-ral International Yoga Day (IYD).

The day-long, free yoga fair com-memorating IYD was organized by the Consulate General of India in conjunc-tion with Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA). In addition, 200 volunteers, sponsors and

Houston promotes harmony and peace on International Yoga Day

WASHINGTON, | AFP | 6/24/2015 - Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana,

announced Wednesday he is running for president, becoming the 13th Re-publican to launch a 2016 campaign for the White House.

Jindal, who would be the first Ameri-can of Indian descent to make a ma-jor run for president, announced his intentions on Twitter, hours before an address before supporters in his home state.

“I’m running for president of the United States of America. Join me,” he wrote, adding a link to his website which carried a short video showing Jindal telling his children that he is launching his campaign.

Jindal, 44, has been an intense critic of President Barack Obama’s strategy for thwarting and defeating extremists including the Islamic State group.

He has slashed state spending, op-poses same-sex marriage and a nation-al education standard known as Com-mon Core, and advocates for the repeal of Obama’s health care reform law.

A graduate of Oxford, Jindal worked for the large consulting firm McKin-sey & Company before returning to Louisiana to pursue a life in public service and politics.

Jindal is the son of immigrants, and in 2008, after a short stint in Congress, he became the nation’s first Indian-American governor.

His domestic popularity is minimal so far. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in mid-June, sup-port for Jindal registered at less than one percent.

The Republican primary race is cur-rently led by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, with 22 percent support, ac-cording to the poll.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who has yet to announce his cam-paign, was second with 17 percent. Senator Marco Rubio was third.

The plethora of candidates has led Fox News to limit to 10 the number of Republican hopefuls invited to the first televised debate of the primary cycle, on August 6.

The also-rans will be invited to a televised “forum” broadcast on the af-ternoon of the prime-time debate.

The 12 other Republicans officially in the race are: Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rubio, Rick Santo-rum and Donald Trump.

Bobby Jindal announces US presidential bid

vendors from around Houston came together to make Sunday’s event a grand success.

Welcoming over 3000 participants, Consul General of India, Houston, P. Harish explained that while yoga is perceived differently by different peo-ple, its primary focus is to “rebound, retain and rebuild.” Even the simple act of “resisting a piece of chocolate,” is practicing yoga, he said.

The United Nations’ resolution to dedicate June 21 as IYD is a powerful testament to the proven cross-cultural, transnational power of the practice to

promote inner peace and harmony.

The brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government also made a marked effort on Sunday to express its gratitude for the support shown to the IYD initiative by the UN and 177 co-sponsor nations.

Events in Houston began with the US national anthem sung by Keer-thana Bhat, Lekha Yesanthrao and Apoorva Das and Indian national an-them sung by Dr. Shobha Raju, Padma Shri awardee, and accompanying art-

Consul General of India, Houton Parvathaneni Harish seen lighting the traditional lamp inaugurating the first International Yoga Day in Houston. Joining him are Dr. Renu Khator: Chancellor and President, University of Houston, Padma Shri Dr. Shobha Raju as Mrs. Nandita Harish, Jennifer Buergermeister, and Billie Gollnick look on. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit

Continued on Page 3

Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana. AFP Photo.

Over 3000 Houstonians participated in the IYD and Yoga Fair at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday, June 21. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit.

International Day of Yoga in Dallas celebrated in a special way

Read report on Page 7

Page 2: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 2 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSISV AOICE OF SIA

Publisher: Koshy ThomasAssociate Publisher: Sherly PhilipEditor-in-Chief: Shobana MurateeAustin Correspondent: Sherine ThomasPrint & Media Marketing: Jacob DavidMarketing: Susan Pothanikat Production: AR VadlamaniOffice Manager: Priyan Mathew Digital Coordinator Harsha Mary Pradeep Columnists:Legal: Richard M. AldermanLegal: Sharlene Sharmila RichardsResearch: Prof. Meenakshi BhattacharjeeHealth Insurance: Sudhir MathuriaAstrology: Hardik Vyas

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com

Editor: Online & Newsletter : 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: [email protected]; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: [email protected]

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.

Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not en-dorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement.

- The Publisher

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

LISTEN DAILY TO

106.1 FM & 102.1 HD3

www.bollywoodshakeradio.com

Monday - friday

4 PM - 7 PM

Studio line : 832-930-0742download the app for your iphone or android device

STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

Gandhi sets up ambulance corps to help British Part VI

869 Dulles Ave. Stafford, TX 77477

• Ample parking • Dance floor• Close to Highway 59 & 90• Seating capacity: 350 people

832-539-1589

Sugar Land Ballroom

proof

Ask for special package price!

Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2015 Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests. Visit gandhilibrary.org for registration and more information. All school going children can participate! These contests are being organized to create higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhi to promote universal values of Truth, Non-Violence, Love and Service.

As the struggle in South Africa continued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and comfort, but this was shortlived. As he became more and more involved in public activities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting his ex-penses.

He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other law-yers laughed at him.

Gandhi was rescued from a bloodthirsty mob by the Durban

police. He was escorted by the police to Rustomji’s house, where a doctor attended to his injuries.

“They are sure to calm down when they realize their mis-take,” he said.

Late in the evening, another mob of white people surround-ed the house. “We must have Gandhi,” angry voices demand-ed. The mob was getting more and more threatening.

“Give us Gandhi or we will bum down the house,” they shouted. Gandhi knew that they might carry out their threat. To save his friend’s house, he slipped out in disguise, elud-ing the crowd. Two days later a message came from London. Joseph Chamberlain, then Sec-retary of State for the Colonies, asked the Natal Government to prosecute every man guilty of attacking Gandhi. The Natal Government expressed its re-gret for the incident to Gandhi and assured him that the assail-ants would be punished.

When Gandhi was called upon to identify the offend-ers, however, he would not do so. “I do not want to prosecute anyone,” he told the Natal Gov-ernment. “I do not hold the as-sailants to blame. They were misled by false reports about me and I am sure that when the truth becomes known they will be sorry for their conduct.”

Gandhi’s statement suddenly changed the atmosphere in Durban. The press declared Gandhi innocent and condemned his assail-ants. The Durban in-cident raised Gandhi’s prestige and won more sympathy abroad for the Indians in South Africa.

As the struggle in South Africa contin-ued, a change was coming over Gandhi. He had begun with a life of ease and com-fort, but this was short-lived. As he be-came more and more involved in public ac-tivities, his way of life became simpler. He started cutting down his expenses. He took to washing and ironing his own clothes, and he did it so badly at first that the other lawyers laughed at him. But soon he became quite an expert at this and his collars were no less stiff and shiny than theirs.

Gandhi once went to an Eng-lish barber in Pretoria. The bar-ber insolently refused to cut a ‘black’ man’s hair. Gandhi at once bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair. He suc-ceeded more or less in cutting the front part but spoilt the back. He looked very funny and

his friends in the court laughed at him.

“What’s wrong with your hair, Gandhi? Have rats been gnawing at it?” they asked.

“No,” said Gandhi proudly, “I have cut my hair myself.” Then Gandhi tried changes in his food. He started taking un-cooked food. He believed that

if a man lived on fresh fruits and nuts he could master his passions and acquire spiritual strength. He made many ex-periments with his diet. He even came to the conclusion that fasting increased one’s will power.

While he was thus experi-menting with himself, the Boer war broke out. The Boers were South Africans of Dutch origin. They were fighting the British.

Neither of these two white nations had treated the Indi-ans well. Gandhi did not want to support either of them, but his familiarity with the Brit-ish made him organize an In-dian ambulance corps to help them. To his puzzled follow-ers, he said: “India can achieve complete emancipation only through development within the British Empire. Therefore we must help the British.”

The British won the war and the ambulance corps was dis-banded. The newspapers in England praised the services rendered by the Indians. The re-lations between the Indians and the Europeans had now become more cordial, and the Indians believed that their grievances would soon be removed.

It was now 1901, six years after Gandhi had brought his family to Durban. Now he felt that his future activity lay not in South Africa but in India. Also, friends in India were press-ing him to return home. When he announced his decision to

his co-workers, however, they again pressed him to stay on.

After much discussion they agreed to let him go, but only if he would come back to South Africa if the Indians there need-ed his help. He agreed to this. There were farewell meetings and presentations of gifts. The gifts were so many and so valu-able that Gandhi felt he should not accept them.

The people who had presented them would not take them back. He then prepared a trust deed, and all the gifts were deposited with a bank to be used for the welfare of the Indian commu-nity.

On his arrival in India, Gan-dhi went on a tour of the coun-try. The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was being held in Calcutta under the presidentship of Dinshaw Wa-cha. Gandhi attended the ses-sion. It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future.

The Indian National Con-gress was the only organiza-tion which gave the people of India a chance to express their political views. It was an influ-ential body, as many important Indians were members, but its decisions had little affect on the Government.

At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportu-nity to meet Congress leaders like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, Lokamanya B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale, and others.

He was not impressed with the way the Congress was function-ing. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates. Moreover, while they spoke English and af-fected the style of Westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facili-ties in the camp. Gandhi wanted to teach them a lesson. On his own he quietly started cleaning the bathroom and urinals.

No one volunteered to join him.

“Why do you undertake an untouchable’s job?” they asked.

“Because the caste people have made this an untouchable place,” replied Gandhi.

From Calcutta Gandhi trav-elled round India by train.

As he moved from place to place, he was shocked to see the life of the common people - the famished, ignorant, and neglect-ed masses. His heart was filled with sadness and anger.

Gandhi settled down in Bom-bay and started practice as a lawyer. He did well, much bet-ter than he had expected. In De-cember 1902, however, a cable reached him from South Af-rica requesting him to return as promised. Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, was ar-riving from London on a visit to Natal and the Transvaal, and the Natal Indian Congress wanted Gandhi to present their case to him.

— To be continued

Rieder: Charleston mistake a cautionary tale for journalism

by Rem Rieder, USA TODAY June 24, 2015

It’s a classic cautionary tale for journalism in the digital age and the era of

social media.

A Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter goes for the fake while doing a piece on Dylann Roof, accused of murdering nine people in a Charleston, S.C., church.

She’s taken in by a 16-year-old in England who has de-cided to dupe the news media. This comes after the Times is referred to him by a Facebook “friend” of Roof’’s who, it turns out, didn’t know the al-leged assassin at all.

There are lessons from this episode both current and time-less. The more recent one is that while social media can be a very effective reporting tool, it’s one that has to be used very, very carefully. The ancient one is that you don’t go with infor-mation (or “information”) — no matter how sexy it is nor how competitive the situation — un-til you have it nailed down.

But make no mistake: This is no occasion for schadenfreude. In the supercharged world of today’s journalism, similar things happen often, probably far more often than we know. And they will continue to hap-pen for the foreseeable future.

The passage in question ap-peared in a story by Frances Robles that was posted on ny-times.com on Saturday. The anatomy of how the hoax was perpetrated was outlined in an article on fusion.net.

“Benjamin Wareing, a blog-

ger in Britain, said the writings (in the Charleston shooter’s on-line manifesto) are nearly iden-tical to blog posts that Mr. Roof posted several months ago on a separate Tumblr page. Mr. Wa-reing was preparing to write an essay on the dangers of Tumblr and troubled youths, so he took notes on the writings.

“ ‘He just made really stupid but obvious statements about people from other races,’ Mr. Wareing said in an email. ‘He would call black citizens “nug-gets” and such. He never made direct threats at all on Tumblr, at least it didn’t seem like that, just weird ramblings about how he felt he “didn’t fit in.” ‘

“Among his writings were images of 9/11 ‘memes’ and of My Little Pony, Mr. Wareing said.”

Trouble was, the story was total fiction. It was a deliber-ate effort by Wareing to dupe the media, he told Fusion: “Our ultimate goal of this was to see if a reporter would publish something that was completely untrue.”

Just what we need during the frenetic effort to cover a sear-ing national tragedy. Thanks, Ben.

And what brought the Times to Wareing? Reporters from many news outlets were fran-tically contacting Roof’s Fa-cebook friends in an effort to paint a picture of the apparent

assailant. A number of friends posted messages saying to leave them alone because, Facebook friend or not, they didn’t know the dude.

One of them went a step fur-ther and gave Wareing’s name to the Times. So Robles found herself talking to a source passed along by someone who didn’t know Roof, a source with mischief on his mind.

The big problem was that Robles went with the story with no proof. Wareing told her the faux Tumblr account had been taken down, and she never saw any screenshots of the post in question — because there weren’t any. So there was abso-lutely no confirmation of what Wareing was saying.

The vignette unraveled quickly, in part because of pro-tests from My Little Pony fans, and was taken down after sev-eral hours.

In a telephone interview, Rob-les made clear she was deeply upset by what had transpired.

“I embarrassed the paper and I embarrassed myself,” she says. “I feel devastated, I felt horrible, and then I felt hor-rible for wallowing when nine people died because they were black. #getoveryourself.”

And, she adds, the unfortu-nate episode had reinforced in her mind that it’s essential to demand proof before going

with a story. She knows she should have insisted on seeing screenshots.

So how did a reporter with our very best newspaper, a member of two Pulitzer-winning teams, end up in such a position? Without letting herself off the hook — “I have to own this” — Robles tried to explain.

First, there was the unre-lenting pressure of a brutally competitive megastory. “I was writing in a desperate panic, at warp speed,” she says.

As for the specifics, Rob-les says an editor had asked her to contact Wareing. And she wasn’t aware that some of Roof’s Facebook friends were warning that they didn’t know him. She says she “grilled” Wareing and read his blog and was satisfied by his bona fides. Wareing told her he had taken notes from the Tumblr post.

Robles says she hopes her body of work, which includes helping overturn improper mur-der convictions, will outweigh “two paragraphs that were up for two hours on an emotion-ally draining day.”

And that she urges that jour-nalists also make stringent de-mands for proof from public officials and politicians.

“We let everybody play us all the time,” she says. “Let’s hold everybody to that standard, not just kids on Facebook.”

Page 3: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 3 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

COMMUNITYOICE OF SIAV A

Second Front Page

Friday, June 26, 2015 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: [email protected] • Tel: 713-774-5140

13401 S.W.Freeway, # 201, Sugar Land, TX 77478

NATIONAL REALTY • 281-242-4005TX Real Estate Lic # 397210

ABLE MORTGAGE IN TEXASREFINANCE, PURCHASE & CASH OUT

Over $400 Million Mortgage Financed. A low cost Broker - since 2001TX, NJ, CA, CO, & FL

call for State Licenses updates California finance Lenders Law Lic. #603J747NMLS Mortgage Company ID: 264912MLO James Joseph Oolut - NMLS ID: 307384

Pre-approve your mortgage in minutes over phone or email.

We will pay your closing costs. Up to 3% of you New Home Price with combined Real Estate and Mortgage Services

Need Mortgage Loan Officers in all licensed states.• No experience needed. • Attractive compensation.

proofWeb: www.ablemortgage.coOffice: 281-242-8500 Cell: 281-733-4242Email: [email protected]

4151 Southwest Freeway, Ste. 600, Houston, Texas 77027 Our business is rated A+ by the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU.

Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Attorney at Law

For Your Free Consultation,

Relative Petitions: $200* Citizenship: $400* Green Card: $800* *Subject to restrictions

Other types of cases such as Removal of Condition, L, E, H-1B, O, P visas, PERM Labor, Appeals, Waivers etc, all Reasonably Priced.

www.richardsimmigration.com

CALL US Today at: 713-623-8088

IMMIGRATION

Bus: 281 463 0999 • Cell: 281 451 4628Fax: 281 463 4991

16506 FM 529, Suite 115-330, Houston, TX 77095

AnuRadha PrasadIndependent Broker

Designed 2 SellReal Estate & Property Management

[email protected]

Proof

HOUSTON - As part of the “Greater Houston Rath Yatra” celebra-

tions, Deva Snana, bathing cer-emony of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra was celebrated at ISKCON temple on Sunday, June 14th with much pomp and ceremo-ny.

Deva Snana is the first oc-casion in the year when the deities are brought out from the sanctum sanctorum at

Deva Snana at ISKCON of Houston - Readying for Rath Yatra

ists from India.

Twelve distinguished yoga teachers were presented the ‘Yoga Service Award 2015’: Dr. Anne Carolyn Klein, Bil-lie Gollnick, Robert Boustany, Charles MacInerney, Daksha Shah, Dr. Alejandro Chaoul, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Dr. Har-ish Chandra, Elizabeth Reese, Jennifer Buergermeister, Kay Westcott and Shriram Sar-votham by Consul General Har-ish. Patanjali president Shekhar Agrawal was also honored on the occasion.

“Houston is not only a di-verse, inclusive and welcom-ing city but also has a rich yoga ecosystem spanning different schools, practices and lineag-es,” Harish said.

An informative Namaskar video was presented by ISHA

Yoga, after which gurus Sar-votham, Gollnick, Adam Searle, Boustany, Agrawal and Chandra led the participants in a collective yoga session that included asanas (posture) and pranayama (breathing).

Yoga masters Boustany, Catherine Allen, Ann Hyde and Kabir Samlal also performed demonstrations that left the au-dience in awe.

After lunch, more than 30 children from the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh dem-onstrated proper practice for children while Beth Reese led the children’s yoga session and energized the crowd with a fun class for families.

Robert Boustany concur-rently led a panel discussion on the therapeutic effects of yoga practice.

In the afternoon, Ravi Bom-

Continued from Page 1

Puri and taken in a proces-sion to Snana Mandap (bath-ing altar), where they are cer-emonially bathed with 108 pitchers of water from a well inside the Jagannath Temple. After the bathing rituals, the deities are decorated in Gaja Vesha or elephant headgear.

In keeping with this tradi-tion, the deities, specially built and brought from Puri were bathed with 108 pitchers of water in a ceremony led by

H.H. Bhakti Rasamrita Swa-mi Ji, Kamalamukha Prabhu Ji and Saranga Thakura Prab-hu Ji. All devotes present in the temple participated in the bathing ceremony by pouring water on their beloved God.

After the bathing ceremo-ny, the deities were dressed in Gaja Vesha. All the while, soulful Kirtan was being performed by the ISKCON devotees. This was followed by Pravachan by H.H. Bhakti

Rasamrita Swami Ji on the significance of Deva Snana and Naba Kalebara. This was followed by Maha Arati and Prasadam.

After the ceremony, the deities were placed in Ana-basara, where the devotees can’t see them until Rath Ya-tra, which will be celebrated on July 11th at Discovery Green from 6pm to 10pm. This event is being organized jointly by Char Dham Hin-

du Temple, SKAI Founda-tion, ISKCON Houston and Masala Radio and is being supported by various organi-zations including Hindus of Greater Houston, India Cul-ture Center and the Gujrati Samaj of Houston. The orga-nizers are anticipating a big crowd packing the Discovery Green and surrounding streets to see and seek blessings from Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. Festivities will include procession of

3 chariots in Jagannath Puri style, Cultural entertainment featuring a high-flying drum and dance spectacular by the World famous Mayapuris, Indian bazaar, Food booths, Maha Arati and Open air Zee Dandiya Raas. Admission is completely free and devo-tees will get free Prasad. For more information, visit http://greaterhoustonrathyatra.org/. To volunteer, sponsor or participate, e-mail [email protected].

Kalash (vessel holding water) being offered to devotees at the ISKCON of Houston temple for bath-ing ceremony of the dieties.

Deva Snana, bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra prior to Rath Yatra.

Houston promotes harmony and peace on International Yoga Day

Awardees: Shriram Sarvotham, Beth Reese, Dr. Harish Chandra, Alejandro Chaoul, Harish Parvathaneni, Daksha Shah, Charles McIner-ney, Billie Gollnick, Robert Boustany, Jennifer Buergermeister, Kay Westcott, and Shekhar Agrawal (honoree). Photo Credit : Bijay Dixit.

mu and Vasanth Balasubramani of ISHA Yoga graced the crowd with a beautiful performance of Upa Yoga that activates

the body’s energy system and Robert Boustany demonstrated Yoga Nidra, which reduces ten-sion and anxiety. Finally, Dr.

Harish Chandra instructed the gathering on mediation based on Patanjali Ashtanga Yoga.

The event came to a close

around 4 pm, and being Father’s Day as well, many felt it was a day well spent with friends and family.

Page 4: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 4 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Q. I am separated and in the process of getting a divorce. I have been living with a man as his common law wife for almost two years. Is there anything special I need to do to have our mar-riage recognized?

A. As I have said many times before, the legal affect of a common law marriage is no different than any other marriage. To have a common law marriage you must agree to be married, live to-gether as married and hold yourself out as married. Once you meet the requirements to establish a common law marriage, you are married. There is no need to do anything else.

Under the law, however, you can be married to only one person at a time. Until you are di-vorced, you cannot have another marriage. Based on what you say, until your divorce is final you are still married to your spouse. That means you cannot have a common law marriage. After your divorce is final, however, your relationship may form the basis for a common law marriage, and if you meet the three requirements you will be legally married.

Q. Is there a limit on how much a landlord can increase rent when a lease expires and the ten-ant goes month-to-month?

A. The only limit on how much a landlord may raise the rent is supply and demand, and what the tenant will pay. If the landlord raises the rent too much, the tenant has the option to refuse to stay and find housing somewhere else.

Q. One of my brothers has lived with our mother for about a year. He pays her a small amount each month to help with expenses for living there. Things are not working out, and my mother wants him out. Can she just throw him out? Can she call the police?

A. In my opinion, your brother has become a tenant, and your mother is his landlord. This means that she must give him proper notice to vacate, and has no legal right to just “throw him out.” I suggest she give him 30 days written notice to leave. If he still does not leave, she can file an eviction action in justice court to have him evicted. Hopefully, once she asks him to leave, he will do so without the need for a legal proceeding.

Q. I pay my rent in cash each month, but never get a receipt. Does my landlord have to give me a receipt?

A. If you pay cash the law requires the landlord to provide you with a receipt for payment.Q. Our daughter is getting divorced. Can she claim any part of land our son-in-law recently

inherited?A. If the property was inherited by just your son, it is considered his separate property and your

daughter has no interest in it.Q. I have a six-year-old debt that was just turned over to a different debt collector. The col-

lector told me that it now becomes a “new debt,” and will be placed on my credit report for another seven years if I don’t promptly make arrangements to pay in full. Does the seven-year period begin again? If it does, can the debt can be sold every few years and remain on my report forever? This does not seem fair.

A. You raise a good point, and that is why the law provides that the seven years run from the date of your initial debt, and is not renewed or “re-aged” every time the debt is sold or trans-ferred to a new collector. In fact, my opinion is that the debt collector is violating federal law by misrepresenting that the time period starts again. If the debt collector has placed the account on your credit report as a new account, contact the credit bureau and dispute the entry. Then, I suggest you let the debt collector know that you know the law, and if you can afford to pay work out a payment plan you can live with. To learn more about federal and state debt collection law, go my website, below.

To learn more about your legal rights, visit my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

The People’s Lawyer

Richard M. AldermanInterim Dean of the Law Center

www.peopleslawyer.net

COMMUNITY

You can have only one marriageSharlene Sharmila Richards

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER Answers to your Immigration Questions by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration

Lawyer:email at [email protected]

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT FORMS OF RE-LIEF FROM DEPORTATION

Q: My son came to the US as a tourist and overstayed. He was picked up by immigration and placed in a detention facility. He has

a US Citizen girlfriend and he wants to get married to her. Please advise the process to resolve his im-migration case.

A: Foreign citizens who overstay in the US are deportable or removable. Your son is bond eli-gible – which means that he is not subject to mandatory detention. A bond motion should be filed with the court and at the bond hearing, the Immigration Judge will set a bond amount. If you son pays the bond, he will be released from the immigration detention facility. If your son and his girlfriend intend to marry, then it is advisable that when he is released, they get married. His removal case will be scheduled for a hearing at some later point at which he will seek the relief of adjustment of status to permanent resident. In the meantime, his US Citizen wife will file her I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with US-CIS. Once the petition is approved, he will be eligible to adjust his status to permanent resident.

Q: My dad became a Permanent Resident in 1992. He was convicted of possession of a con-trolled substance in the 120th District Court at El Paso, TX (heroin, 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams) and sentenced to two years imprisonment.

A: Because your dad was convicted of a controlled substance offence, he is not eligible for bond and is subject to mandatory detention. This means that while his case is being processed and adjudicated by the Immigration Judge, he must remain in the detention facility. You dad will most likely be eligible for a form or relief known as cancellation of removal for permanent residents under INA Section 240A(a). This form of relief is available to those who have been permanent residents for at least five years and who have resided continuously in the United States for a period of seven years and does not have an aggravated felony conviction. Once the Immigration Judge determines that he has satisfied these three requirements, then the Judge will decide if your father merits a positive exercise of discretion. The Judge will take into consideration the positive factors such as his family ties in the US; his residence of long duration and any evidence of hardship to him and or his family if he were to be deported and weigh it against the negative factors such as his criminal record and any evidence of his poor character. Generally, absent any serious negative factors which would render the individual as an undesirable permanent resident of this country, such applications are usually granted.

Q: My father was deported last year to El Salvador. When he tried to return back to the US il-legally, he was detained and informed that he would not have the opportunity to have case heard by an Immigration Judge. Is this correct?

A: A foreign national who illegally enters the US after having been deported or removed or departed voluntarily from the United States under an order of removal is subject to the prior order of removal reinstated. The result of the reinstatement of the removal order is that he will not have the opportunity to have his case heard before an Immigration Judge. There is one exception where he can perhaps have his case heard before the Immigration Judge - if he has a fear of persecution in his home country and he request for what is known as a reasonable fear interview. If it appears that there is a basis for that reasonable fear of retuning back to his native country, he may apply for the relief known as withholding of removal.

Q; I am a Permanent Resident since 2000 and I was convicted of possession of marijuana (less than 30 grams) 2 years ago. I did not know that traveling outside of the US would result in me being detained and placed in removal proceedings. What are my options?

A: A one-time conviction for the possession of marijuana is not a deportable offence. So, if you did not travel outside the United States, generally speaking, you would have been alright. However, when you travelled outside of the United States, the conviction triggered the inadmissibility bar. You may be eligible for cancellation of removal for permanent residents if you have been a permanent resi-dent for at least five years, have resided continuously in the US for at least 7 years and have not been convicted of an aggravated felony. If this relief is not available to you, then you may apply for a stand-alone 212(h) waiver to waive the possession of marijuana (less than 30 grams) conviction. The problem with the standalone 212(h) waiver is that you will need to show that your deportation or removal from the United States will result in extreme hardship to your US Citizen or Permanent Resident spouse, parent or children. In my view, if you are eligible for cancellation of removal of for certain permanent residents, that form of relief will be a much easier relief to obtain because the Immigration Judge will have to balance the equities (positive and negative factors) including your own hardships if deported rather than having to determine, for the 212(h) waiver whether your qualifying relatives will suffer extreme hardship if you were denied entry to the US and ordered removed.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circum-stances of your case.

My BioSharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a

member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. You may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at [email protected] to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368

[email protected][email protected]

More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX.

Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English)

Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya

narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more. I can drive to your place.

832-886-4291

OPEN EVERY DAYLUNCH:

11 AM - 2.30 PMDINNER:

5:30PM - 9.30 PM

GREAT W’KANA CAFE’ & XPRESSBrings Top Class Catering Services At Any Venue

We serve the best & authentic Indian food, ranked among the 100 BEST RESTAURANTS of HOUSTON by Houston Chronicle three years in a row. Our chef has experience working for top five star hotels in the world and created culinary delights for esteemed dignitaries.

For catering enquiries call CHEF SUNIL SRIVASTAVA at 832-886-4291 or 281-725-8463Or 28175 wkana (95262) email us at: [email protected]

Visit us at www.greatwkanacafe.com or www.wkanaxpress. com

11720 WEST AIRPORT BLVD SUITE 600

MEADOWS PLACE, STAFFORD, TX 77477

11346 BRIAR FOREST DR, SUITE 180

HOUSTON TX 77077

281-725-8463

Book PESTO our banquet facility for upto 180 Guests

Visit Us Today!

DeliciousIndianCuisine!

Create memorable occasions!

Page 5: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 5 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015COMMUNITY

The Knanaya Community of Houston is hosting a free healthcare service to the greater Houston area. At this event there will be doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, technicians and many others that will be providing their knowledge and services to people free of charge.

A few of the healthcare ser-vices that will be provided include: blood pressure and diabetes check, vision screen-ing, dental exams, and EKG and ECHO cardiograms. We believe it is very important to stay knowledgeable about one’s heath status in order to maintain an optimal life. Many of the services provided can help one to find out their

Free health care service to the Houston community

current health status. It is vi-tal that we get regular screen-ings to prevent diseases from progressing and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Please take advantage of these FREE services next Saturday, June 27th at the Houston Knanaya Community Center at 2210 STAFFORDSHIRE RD MISSOURI CITY, TX. 77489. Let us continue to stay knowledgeable about our own health.

For registration and more Information : ABY T H AT H A M K U L A M : 832 607 0111, RUBY KAITHAMATTATHIL: 386 295 9073, SAJINI CHACK-UNGAL: 281 835 6711 and ALEX KUNNAMPADA-VIL: 832 488 4954

by: Jasbir Singh

Gurmat Sangeet Sam-melan: A three day event was held at the

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston located on 14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, Texas 77083 from June 19, 20 and 21, 2015. Participants of this event were:

Padamshri Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, Hazoori Raagi of Shri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, India.

Dr. Gurnam Singh, Professor & Head, Gurmat Sangeet Chair-Department of Gurmat Sangeet , Punjabi University, Patiala, Pun-jab, India. Bibi Ishwanik Kaur, Classical sangeet performer , New Delhi, India and Bhai Bh-upinder Singh Paras, Resident Raagi of Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston.

For the first time in the United States a Gurmat Sangeet Sam-melan of this style was organized by the management of Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston in which all the kirtan was performed and the gurushabads were sung in the raagas as specified in Shri Guru Granth Sahib as per the tradition and Parampara estiablished by the ten Gurus with instrumental and percussion accompaniments. The event was attended in great number by the sikh community from all over Houston and Texas. Tremendous success of the event was reciprocated by the audience for a request to organize such an event again next year which was readily approved by the manage-ment. The dates and time of next year event will be decided shortly by the management.

Gurmat Sangeet or Shabad Kirtan is the singing of hymns or shabads from Guru Granth Sahib, the central text of Sikhism. Tra-ditionally, the shabad should be sung in the Raagas as prescribed in Guru Granth Sahib. It began in the 16th Century as the musi-cal expression of mystical poetry concieved by the founder of sikh-ism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Follow-ing him. all the Sikh Gurus sang in the ten prevalent classical and folk music syles, accompanied by string and percussion instru-ments. The style was where the text was of prime significance and music played a supporting, albeit important, role. Thirty one main raagas and the same number of variants were named. Several raagas and variants are unique to the Sikh Music. While Hindu-stani music underwent significant changes in the setting of Mughal Courts, and a separate stream

Bibi Ishwanik Kaur performing at GSSWH. Photo by Jaswant Singh Audio/Video

Padamshiri Bhai Nirmal Singh Performing at GSSWH. Photo by Jaswant Singh Audio/Video.

of Carnatic music develped in southern India, Gurmat Sangeet retained its identity encompass-ing a variety of melodic forms and a well developed percus-sive system. In the 20th century, the devotional Gurmat Sangeet sung in Dhrupad style was over-taken by Darbari Khayal style.

the harmonium took the place of stringed instruments. and tabla replaced the pakhawaj and jori.

Bhai Mardan (1459 - 1534) follower and long time compan-ion of Guru Nanak was the first Sikh Musician. The Sikh musi-cian were later on developed into three types: Rababis, Raagis and

Dhadhis.For any comments orinfor-

mation regarding the event you may contact: Jasbir Singh, Vice-Chairman, Board of Trustees , 832-721-9947or Dr. Tejindra Gill, Secretary, Gurdwara Sahib of Southwest Houston. Email: [email protected]

Gurdwara Sahib of SW hosts Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan

Harry Patel, a lo-cal Houston IRS Enrolled Agent,

has successfully completed the requirements to earn the designation of a Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS). This dignified cer-tification is earned by good standing members of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS)

Harry Patel was first re-quired to be permitted to practice before the IRS, take several directly related pro-fessional courses and pass a comprehensive examination administered by ASTPS. The CTRS designation gives the public a means to distinguish among persons rendering solutions to tax problems. ASTPS is the only organi-

zation solely devoted to the development of professional skills in this area of practice.

Please feel free to contact Harry Patel at any time for any questions or information.

Harry Patel can be reached at (713) 541-4777 or at [email protected]

Houston Man Earns Certified Tax Resolution Specialist Designation

Harry Patel

Page 6: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 6 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015COMMUNITY

Read more community stories Visit us at voiceofasiaonline.com

Krishna Vavilala, Founder, Chairman of Foundation for India Studies (FIS) was inter-viewed by Miya Shay of ABC TV Channel 13 to discuss about the Indo-American Oral His-tory Project. The interview was broadcast on June 7th.

The Indo-American Oral History project is a signature project of

Foundation for India Studies (FIS), a 501(c3) a non-profit organization, being done in collaboration with the Houston

Atul Varadhachary (Board Member), Gaurav Khandelwal (Board Member), Shahid Javed (Board Member), Ravi Brahmbhatt (Executive Committee), Karl Maier (Executive Committee), Aruna Viswanathan (Board Member), Sehar Javed (Executive Director), Rohit Mahajan (Board Member), Arun Pasrija (Board Member), Shri Iyer (Board Member), Somesh Singh (Board Member), Philippe Flichy (Board Member)

Missing members from the picture: Amir Eskafyan (Executive Committee); Sanjay Gakhar (Executive committee); Roopa Gir (Board Member); Pat Robertson (Board Member); John Reale (Executive committee); Kyle Campbell (Executive Committee); Hall Martin (Executive Committee); Prasad Menon (Executive Committee); Community College (HCC)

and Houston Public Library (HPL).

The purpose of the Project is to permanently record the life stories and experiences of the first generation Indian im-migrants and preserve them for posterity. The interviews will be transcribed and archived in the Indo-American Oral His-tory collection of the Houston Public Library.

Presently in its 10th year of

operation, FIS has so far com-pleted 33 interviews.

For further information and to schedule an interview, contact Veena Ponnaganti @281-323-9515 or Krishna Vavilala @ 713-795-5169. Interviews will be conducted on a first come first served basis.

The ABC TV interview can be watched by clicking on the LINK: http://abc13.com/soci-ety/visions-segment-1-june-7-2015/775586/,

FIS’s Indo-American Oral History Project featured on ABC TV channel 13

Krishna Vavilala being interviewed by Miya Shay

2 Indian-Americans appointed to key Re-publican position

WASHINGTON: Two In-dian-Americans have been appointed to key positions in the Republican party with the mandate to involve community leaders within the party fold.

Niraj Antani, a Ohio State legislature, and Janak Joshi, a Colorado State legislature, were yesterday appointed to the board of the 2015-2016 Future Majority Project of the Repub-lican Party.

The Board is chaired by T W Shannon, Chair, former Speak-er of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

According to a media release, the Future Majority Project seeks to recruit, train and elect Republican candidates from di-verse communities on the state level who better represent the full diversity of America.

In 2013-2014, FMP recruited hundreds of new candidates and elected 43 new leaders to office. With this cycle, FMP aims to recruit 250 new, diverse candidates and see 50 of those candidates appointed or elected to office.

“As someone who has served in the trenches of state govern-ment, I understand the impor-tance of recruiting the right candidates with the right mes-sage in every district and state across the country,” said Shan-non.

TiE Houston 2015 Board

Son of victim speaks about deadly metro bus stop wreckby Kaitlin McCulley

HOUSTON (KTRK) - (Tuesday, June 23, 2015 ) All three peo-

ple hit by a car at a southwest Houston bus stop Saturday night are related, according to family.

Kamal Subedi said his moth-er, 56-year-old Indra Subedi, died after undergoing surgery Monday. His father and uncle are still in the hospital.

“I’m so sad,” Kamal Subedi said through tears, “I was at work when she was in the acci-dent. She came here one month ago to visit me, but I lost my mom.”

Subedi said his mother moved to Houston from Be-lize one month ago. It was his dream to come to America and make enough money to bring his mother along.

“She was kind,” Subedi said,

“And she loved me.”

According to investigators, the driver of the car that hit the

family is 38-year-old Obdu-lio Vasquez. They said he was racing a truck, weaving in and out of traffic when he lost con-

trol of the wheel and slammed into the family at the bus stop. A good Samaritan came to the family’s aid.

Investigators said Vasquez initially ran from police, but he was caught hiding nearby.

Vasquez is facing two counts

of intoxication assault with a vehicle, one count of intoxi-cation manslaughter and one count of accident involving death.

Page 7: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 7 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015COMMUNITY

On Saturday June 20, 2015, the Houston branch of Sewa In-

ternational held its first free health clinic at the Los Arcos Apartments. For an after-noon, residents of the apart-ments were invited to come to the clinic to receive free health screenings, education on health issues and refer-rals to specialists if needed. The clinic was coordinated by the organization’s public health interns Meeta Garach and Akshata Joshi as well as the other Get Inspired Hous-ton (GIH) interns. The clinic is the first of many the orga-nization hopes to hold in the coming months at the apart-ment complex.

The purpose of the free clinic was to provide the residents of the Los Arcos Apartments a much-needed check up and counsel on where to seek treatment for their conditions. The apartments are populated primarily by refugees from countries such as Bhutan, Mexico, and Nigeria. Refu-gees lack access to qual-ity healthcare in Houston primarily due to language

barriers and lack of mobil-ity. Sewa Houston’s goal in creating a monthly clinic at the Los Arcos Apartments is to bring healthcare to the refugees and mediate and language barriers.

Lead by Dr. Ashima Chau-han, a board certified Family Medicine physician, interns and medical students as-sisted in a variety of basic medical screenings such as taking vitals and assessing patient’s medical history. Sewa also provided the nec-essary translators to accom-modate the various languag-es spoken such as Burmese, Bhutanese, and Nepalese. The clinic welcomed pa-tients of all ages making it a successful turnout. The interns also had the oppor-tunity to interact with the families from the ASPIRE tutorials as well as to meet some newcomers.

Sewa hopes to bring in even more patients for their next clinic in July at Los Ar-cos Apartments!

For more information visit www.sewausa.org

Sewa hosts first general clinic for Bhutani refugees

Dr Ashima Chauhan with Sewa International’s GIH interns

DALLAS - June 21 - Mahatma Gandhi Me-morial of North Texas

(MGMNT) in association with Art of Living (AOL) organized the first “International Day of Yoga” at Mahatma Gandhi Me-morial, Thomas Jefferson Park, Irving City in Texas State.

The drizzle and at times rain did not stop more than 300 Dal-las residents and Yoga enthusi-asts to attend the event. Mr. Rao

International Day of Yoga in Dallas celebrated in a special way

Kalvala, Secretary, MGMNT in his welcome address stated that celebrating the event at Ma-hatma Gandhi Memorial one of the prominent landmarks in the USA is a rewarding experience.

Dr. Prasad Thotakura, the Ini-tiator & Chairman of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Project stat-ed - “that Yoga doesn’t mean twisting and bending body in different impossible impressive postures. Yoga is not a show

business or fashion but it is the need of the Nation. Yoga is not a one day affair but it is a daily routine. Yoga means bringing the body, mind and spirit in an absolute harmony. Our Body, Mind and Emotions function at their highest peak once we practice yoga daily. It is very heartening to see that more than 2 Billion people from over 192 Nations commemo-rating the first International Yoga day which proves that

Yoga has no boundaries or barriers”.

Mrs. Shabnam Modg-il, the Board of Director of MGMNT introduced the Art of Living Team including Mr. Rajneesh Gupta, Mr. Shreedar Thuljaram, Dr. Nick Shroff, Mr. Ankur Bora, Ms. Deepa and other volunteers. Mrs. Modgil mentioned the impor-tance of Yoga in a daily life.

Art of Living team ex-plained the different for-mats of yoga and gave lecture demonstration that was followed by all attendees for more than an hour followed by Pranayama, Yogasanas,

Meditation and Bhajans.Mr. Taiyab Kundawala,

Co-Chair of MGMNT in his closing remarks thanked the City of Irving, the FunAsiA, Electronic media, Print media, Bombay Photography, Dallas Residents and the Art of Living for their Unconditional support. Mr. Kundawala requested all to support and participate at the upcoming Gandhi Peace-Walk on October 2nd.

Participants at the International Day of Yoga in Dallas

Organizers MGMNT and AOL address the gathering at the Thomas Jefferson Park, Irving City, Dallas on June 21, 2015.

Page 8: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 8 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

It’s about Houston and YouCOMMUNITY

June ResslerOwner, President,

Cenergy Companies

Ram Shenoy

Conoco Phillips

Prof. Ramanan Krishnamoorti

University of Houston

Dr. Sergio KapustaManager, Technel

John A. MoseleySenior Director, Trade Development Port of Houston Authority

Graeme A.E. PirieVP-Business Development,

DNV-GL

Swadesh ChatterjeeSwadesh Chatterjee, CEO,

Swadesh Chatterjee & Associates, Inc.

Vikram RaoExecutive Director, Research Triangle Energy Consortium

Sean RiccardelliPresident, Riccardelli Consulting Services

Christopher CaswellDirector, Gas Monetization

Development at KBR

Tim ArmittGlobal NDT inspection supplier,

Lavendar International

Ajay BatraDirector - Business Operations,

Cheniere Energy, Inc.

Tony TeoTechnology and Business

Director, Keppel

Dean WennerExecutive Vice President & General Manager Houston

Richard Design Services

Dr. Akhil Datta-GuptaProfessor & LeSuer Chair,

Texas A&M

Rustom K. ModyVP/Chief Engineer - Enterprise Technology, Baker Hughes Inc.

Nameer A. SiddiquiManaging Director - Global Natural Resources Group,

Goldman Sachs

Mickey Callanan

PfP Industries

Richard E. GreenRegion Segment Lead,

Unconventional Oil and Gas, DNV-GL

Ruth LiaoEditor-LNG Americas,

ICIS Heren

Rashed HaqVP and Sapient Fellow, Sapient Global Markets

July 9th & 10th, 2015

It’s About Houston And YouJoin the best minds from Houston and beyond for a refreshing and exciting brand new Forum, Houston 2025 and Beyond.

P. HarishHonorable Consul General of

India at Houston

Janiece M. LongoriaChairman, Port of Houston

Authority Commission

Jack ChristieHouston City Council

Member

Ed GonzalezMayor Pro-Tem

Join the best minds from Houston and beyond for a refreshing and exciting brand new Forum, Houston 2025 and Beyond.

Future of Energy: Innovation, Sustainability and Diver-sity

July 9th, 2015: 4 pm - 6 pm; Hilton Americas Ballroom of Americas, Salon D

The session will address the technological and engineering chal-lenges facing wider applications of renewable energy resources. It will serve as an inspiration for the future decision makers of our society by helping them to transition from students to sharp professional problem solvers.

Memorandum of Trade and Friendship between Port of Houston and JNPT, India

July 9th, 2015, 7 pm – 9 pm; Hilton Americas Ballroom of Americas, Salon E & F

Houston 2025 and beyond will facilitate the signing of the agree-ment and assist both ports in conducting programs and activities to bring about understanding and a closer relationship with each other, as well as the promotion of increased trade between the two countries.

Connecting Houston and India: Do’s and Don’ts of doing busi-ness in India

July 10th, 2015; 9 am – 10 am; Hilton Americas Ballroom of Americas, Salon D

This session will aim towards achieving he high quality of deliv-erables and effectiveness of the capital projects in India.

Fracking to LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas): A Multi-Modal ViewThis session will address the challenges in increasing the effi-

ciency and lowering the production cost at the Wellhead, safety concerns in Pipelines and LNG operations and risk management.

Optimizing Operation Costs on Surface Drilling: July 10th, 2015; 10 am – 11:30 am; Hilton Americas Ballroom

of Americas, Salon DEnergy Infrastructure - Impact of HSE and Future Regulations: July 10th, 2015; 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm; Hilton Americas Ballroom

of Americas, Salon DOperations and Future Trends: July 10th, 2015; 2 pm – 3 pm; Hilton Americas Ballroom of

Americas, Salon D Marketing and Trading - Future Trends and Risk Management: July 10th, 2015; 3 pm – 4 pm; Hilton Americas Ballroom of

Americas, Salon DTicket prices for the Gala are $250 per person, which includes

access to the Business Forums on both days - 9th and 10th July, 2015.

Tickets for the Business Forum individually are:• Students (with ID) $25 for both 9th and 10th July, 2015

(Includes Breakfast and Lunch)• General: $50 for both 9th and 10th July, 2015 (Includes

Breakfast and Lunch)

Please go to www.houston2025.org for more details, and RSVP at [email protected]

Page 9: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 9 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

29” NYLON* LUGGAGE

REG $35.99NOW $22.99

5651 Hillcroft, Houston, TX 77036 • Tel: 713-783-1480 • 713-783-1481

JapanesePrinted SarisReg: $15.99

$8.95 SALE

EmbroideredChiffon SarisReg: $59.00

$24.95 SALE

Fancy LatestEmbroidered

SarisReg: $169.99

$89.99 SALE

SOUTH SILK Saris

Reg: $69.99$39.99 SALE

ALLDESIGNER

SARISON SALE

All Bridesmaid Saris

25% OFFCLEARANCE

SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE25% to 50% OFF ON ITEMS

FREE GIFTWITH ANY $50.00 PURCHASEALL BRIDAL & RECEPTIONEMBROIDERED LENGHAS

On SALE from $125/-

KURTA / SALWARS forMEN & KIDS

ADDITIONAL 20% OFF

CITIZEN WATCHES forMEN & WOMEN REG 125.99

NOW $39.99 ONLY*Actual product may vary by look, color and size. Based on availability.

Page 10: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 10 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Page 11: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 11 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015V AOICE OF SIA

Vol. 28 No. 26 Friday, June 26, 2015 Section 2 Page 11 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

ONLINE.COMvoiceofasiaonline.com LifestyLe

rnlawgroup.com

Reddy & Neumann, P.C.Since 1997 our team of attorneys has served

countless clients by making complex immigration simple. Email us: [email protected]

H-1B, TN, L, E, Visas, PERM Labor, EB-2,

I-140, Green Card,Appeals, F-1,

OPT

Free InitialConsultation

Houston Office: 11000 Richmond Ave., Ste: 300, Houston, TX 77042

Dallas Office: 15950 N.Dallas Pkwy, Ste: 400, Dallas, TX 75248

713-953-7787 214-281-8900

Youngest Astrologer of North AmericaAstrologer, Vaastu & Gem Stone Consultant

“HARDIK VYAS”Astrologer Hardik Vyas, a famous young face in Vedic Astrology from India is available in Houston. Call for guidance on Health, Wealth, Education, Career, Business, Property, Love & Passion, Marriage & Compatibility, Horoscope-Making, Child Problem, Luck & Fortune, Peace & Prosperity, Karma & Economical Sources.

Vaastushastra, the ancient science of land. Fix and appointment for personal visit to your home, plot, business/office, shop, fac-tory, and hotel. To gain peace of mind and prosperity, by doing little changes as per Vaastu Shastra. Simple, Easy, Scientific & Affordable solutions/remedies to overcome problems in your Horoscope and Vaastu.

1Su, Bu

5 3K2

12V

46

7

810

9R 11

Mn, Gu

Shani

MangKindly Note: Astrology & VaastuShastra are Science of Nature, not related with any re-ligion, caste, or community. It is an Occult Science and gift of nature for the welfare of people to get proper advice.We Speak in English, Hindi, Gujarati

and Marathi languages.Listen to me live on Sound Asia 10.50AM Radio

E-mail: [email protected] • Ph: 832-298-9950www.toaskfuture.com

About 17,000 people set out their mats and stretched into yoga exercises in

New York’s Times Square Sunday, including the United Nations’ lead-er, to celebrate the first International Day of Yoga.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, dressed in white, joined the yoga gathering late in the morn-ing in one of the most recognizable squares in the world.

Ban hailed the many benefits the ancient exercise could bring to peo-ple around the world.

“To all of you I say: Namaste!” the UN leader told the crowd.

“My hope is that yoga will give people everywhere the sense and the oneness we need to work together to live in harmony and usher in a life of dignity for all.”

The UN declared in December that June 21 would be International Yoga Day, highlighting its health “ben-efits” for the public.

Yoga event draws thousands, including UN chief, to Times Square

That coincided Sunday with the annual session in Times Square for yoga on the first day of summer.

Hundreds of yoga mats were dis-tributed free in New York, and pe-destrian areas, typically hectic, were completely covered with peace-ful people taking instruction from teachers by loudspeaker.

Yoga classes started early in the morning and were set to stretch into the evening. The crowd was domi-nated by women, but there were also plenty of men and some children feeling the burn.

Organizers said people in 187 oth-er countries were also taking part in yoga sessions.

Outdoor yoga classes were planned in major cities across the US and tens of thousands of people took part in New Delhi.

The world day was also champi-oned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the birthplace of yoga.

Squatting in super-tight “skinny” jeans may pose a health risk, Australian

doctors warned Tuesday, report-ing the case of a woman who tem-porarily lost feeling in her legs from an hours-long squeeze.

The 35-year-old collapsed and had to be hospitalised the day af-ter helping a relative move home, spending hours on her haunches to unpack cupboards.

The unusual case was reported in a British specialist publication, the Journal of Neurology Neuro-surgery & Psychiatry.

“She had been wearing tight ‘skinny’ jeans and recalled that these had felt increasingly tight and uncomfortable as the day wore on,” the journal said.

“Later that evening, she expe-rienced numbness in her feet and found it difficult to walk, which caused her to trip and fall.

“Unable to get up, she spent several hours lying on the ground

Skinny jeans could make you a fashion victim: doctors

Doctors in Australia report that a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized for four days after experiencing muscle damage, swelling and nerve blockages in her legs after squatting for several hours while wearing skinny jeans. AFP Photo.

before she was found.”

The woman’s legs were so swollen that the jeans could only be removed by cutting them off, said the statement.

She couldn’t move her ankles or toes properly, and had lost feel-ing in her lower legs and feet.

She was put on a drip, and was able to walk normally again four days later.

Doctors at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia, said the jeans, combined with the squatting, had reduced blood supply to the leg muscles.

At the same time, nerve fibres connecting to the lower legs had been damaged by prolonged compression, which explained the numbness and loss of con-trol.

“The present case represents a new neurological complica-tion of wearing tight jeans,” they wrote.

New Yorkers at Times Square to celebrate International Day of Yoga. AFP Photo.

Page 12: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 12 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

He�l�� L���

Watch for the July issue ReleaseWOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUES

Release Date: July 10, 2015

“Over 60 ailments are identified as very common in the family. Nobody is excluded from these.”

- AFP ( American Family Physicians)

why YOU should read HealthLine magazine

Over 60 compelling reasons...

$124 issues a Year!

Introductory Rate

Abdominal Pain, AcuteAlcohol Abuse and Dependence Allergy and AnaphylaxisAnemiaAnxiety DisordersArthritis and Joint PainAsthmaAtrial FibrillationAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderCancerCare of Special PopulationsChronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseComplementary and Alternative MedicineCoronary Artery Disease/Coronary Heart DiseaseDeep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary EmbolismDementiaDepression and Bipolar DisorderDiabetes: Type 2DyspepsiaEnd-of-Life Care

Eye and Vision DisordersFamily Planning and ContraceptionGastroenteritis and Diarrhea in Chil-drenGeneticsGeriatric CareHIV/AIDSHeadacheHealth Maintenance and CounselingHeart FailureHepatitis (and Other Liver Diseases)HyperlipidemiaHypertensionImmunizations (excluding Influenza)InfluenzaInpatient MedicineKidney DiseaseLabor, Delivery, and Postpartum Is-suesMenopauseMenstrual ConditionsMusculoskeletal Care

Neonatology/Newborn IssuesNutritionObesityOccupational HealthOsteoporosisPain: ChronicPeripheral Vascular DiseasePneumoniaPoint-of-Care GuidesPrenatalSeizure DisordersSexually Transmitted DiseasesSkin ConditionsSleep Disorders in AdultsSleep Disorders in ChildrenStrokeSubstance AbuseThyroid and Parathyroid DisordersTobacco Abuse and DependenceTravel MedicineUpper Respiratory Tract InfectionsUrinary Tract Infections/Dysuria

www.healthlinemag.com • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • [email protected]

To receive your copy at home or office, please call: 713-774-5140

• HealthLine is the most informative Health Magazine dedicated to a Healthy Lifestyle.

• Featuring original content written by local doctors practicing here in Houston.

• Featuring prominent health issues that matter to every family!

Always remember to keep a copy at home!

Page 13: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 13 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015LEISURE

[email protected]

Tokyo (AFP) - Japan is holding its first ever toilet design contest,

with organisers looking for “most comfortable”, “cheapest for the developing world” and “safest for women”.

In a bid to find the nation’s loveliest lavatories, a govern-ment panel is seeking applica-tions that prove designers are thinking big about the littlest room.

The initiative comes as Tokyo appears to have grasped the soft-power potential of the country’s high-tech toilets, whose seat warmers and pinpoint bidet jets amaze foreign visitors.

“I hope efforts to make the world’s best restrooms in Japan will spread broadly,” Haruko Arimura, minister in charge of women’s empowerment -- who is overseeing the project -- said in a recent press conference.

“It is part of our efforts with hospitality for the (2020 To-kyo) Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Arimura said.

A 145-page report on im-proving quality of life says the drive towards better toilets will “empower women” because by “improving comfort, cleanli-ness and safety, the quality of work and leisure can improve dramatically”.

The report said restrooms are places where women want to feel secure enough to get changed, brush their teeth, do their make-up, and change their baby’s diapers.

It also noted that toilets are not universally available in some developing nations, and that poorly designed facilities in some places can put users -- particularly women -- at risk of violence or kidnapping.

As well as looking for ideas on how to make environmen-tally friendly toilets for use in natural disasters, the competi-tion is asking for ideas on how to make toilets easier for “for-eigners and physically disabled people”.

A leaflet produced by organis-ers suggests, for example, that

by Delphine Bousquet

COTONOU (AFP) - Admiring paintings or photographs by Afri-

ca’s greatest contemporary art-ists is a luxury in Benin, where museums are scarce and most people lack money to travel farther afield.

But a new application devel-oped by a foundation based in Cotonou, the largest city in this West African state, is seeking to bring art to the masses by allowing anyone with access to a printer and smartphone or tablet to turn their place into a museum.

“For 10 years, the Zinsou Foundation has been striving to bring contemporary art to peo-ple who don’t have access to it because we think culture is a right, not a luxury,” said Marie-Cecile Zinsou, the Franco-Be-ninese head of the foundation that created the “Wakpon” app.

Budding art enthusiasts need only print out colourful images available on the app’s website onto pieces of A4 paper and hang them on the walls of their home, school or government building -- just like paintings in a museum.

BERLIN - Has the threat of Greece crashing out of the eurozone soured

your mood? Never mind, sip on your ‘Grexit’ vodka lemon, and things might not seem so bad anymore.

Or so thinks a company that is based, funnily enough, in Eu-rope’s economic powerhouse Germany.

The name of the alcoholic beverage is taken from a wide-ly used term coined from com-bining the words “Greece” and “exit”.

And as the deadline for Ath-ens to reform or default looms ever closer, so does the product launch date for ‘Grexit’.

Banking on the possibility of a Greek debt default, creator Uwe Dalhoff registered the la-

Benin smartphone app brings museums into homes

No loo-sers as Japan holds toilet design contest

including easy-to-understand pictograms might help non-Jap-anese people with exactly how to use a toilet.

The flier does not specify which part of using a toilet foreigners might have trouble with.

The competition will be judged by a panel of seven, including architects and an of-ficial from the Japan Toilet Association, using five criteria -- cleanliness, safety, comfort, novelty/creativity, and sustain-ability.

Applicants have until the end of the month to submit their designs. Minister Arimura will announce the winners in Sep-tember.

Toilets in Japan have been raised to something of an art.

Nearly every household and most public restrooms are equipped with a seat that is plugged into the mains electric-ity.

The bog-standard version simply warms the seat -- an un-der-appreciated luxury among the uninitiated -- while top-of-the-range models offer an array of options, including warm wa-ter jets, blow-dryers, deoderis-ers and masking sounds.

Young foreign visitors rave about them, filling social media with pictures of the loos they find in Japan, while a bidet seat

to take home is among the first items on Chinese tourists’ shop-ping lists.

‘Grexit’: something to drink to?bel in January.

“We are printing labels to release the liquor on the market in the next 10 days,” Dahloff told AFP.

The label shows Greek Prime Min-ister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minis-ter Yanis Varoufakis smiling and clinking little bottles of “Gr-exit”, as the stern, blue-tinted face of German Chancel-lor Angela Merkel looks on.

“Personally, I think a ‘Grexit’ could mark new start for Greeks who have lost the most” in this crisis, Dahloff said.

Visitors can then aim at these images with their smartphones or tablets using the app, and a painting by Benin’s voodoo artist Cyprien Tokoudagba or a photo of Nigerian hairstyles by J.D. Okhai Ojeikere will pop up, alongside information on the work of art.

All in all, 44 pieces by 10 art-ists are available on the app, all taken from the foundation’s collection.

Low visibility for African art -

Zinsou said she convinced her father, who has just been named Benin prime minister, to set up the foundation after she realised that like many other African countries, there were no museums in Benin to show-case the continent’s contem-porary art, despite its growing popularity elsewhere.

Leading African artists were virtually absent from art sales just a decade ago but now contemporary works feature strongly in several internation-al auction houses.

Bonhams in London recently described the continent as “one of our hottest properties on the art block”.

Since 2005, the foundation’s show room in Cotonou puts on free exhibitions of Beninese and foreign artists, and once showcased US legend Jean-Michel Basquiat -- a first in Africa.

In 2013, it opened a museum in an old building of the for-mer slave trade hub of Ouidah, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) away from Cotonou.

All in all, nearly five mil-lion people have visited both places in a decade -- most of

them them children who often come the first time with their schools, return on their own and then bring their families.

Zinsou said the Wakpon app -- which once downloaded does not need to be connected to the Internet -- aims to widen access to a broader popula-tion.

- ‘Tomorrow’s museum’ -Mobile phone penetration has

been low in Benin, particularly for smartphones, because of poor infrastructure.

A visitor seen capturing a museum exhibit on his smartphone.

Page 14: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 14 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015 Section 2 Page 14 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

Young Life

Class of 2015: (Not in order) Sushain Cherivirala, Bhanu Chitturi, Arya Deshmukh, Shreyas Ganesh, Pratha Aggarwal, Renuka Gondi, Yuthika Gundamaraju, Neha Gupta, Bianca Bhakta, Bridgita Bhakta, Shruti Iyer, Anushka Kale, Priya Kane, Arun Kane, Dhwani Dawar, Sriharsha Kethireddipalli, Krishna Marepalli, Manaswi Marri, Sruthi Parameswaran Moothath, Karthika Krishnan, Sonia Mulayath, Neelesh Mutyala Choudary, Atul Nayak, Shivani Lallo, Tushar Patel, Sneha Peri, Aay-ush Prasanna, Millen Makkar, Srikar Ranga, Sanjana Rao, Kunda Rapolu, Isha Mehta, Pooja Reddy, Niti Sawant, Shivani Shah, Nandeeta Patel, Sai Samarchita Singh, Vibha Sripadam, Rahul Sirigiri, Jageeshadurga Ravipati, Vrinda Rajkumar, Manisha Vunnam, Shashank Vura, Reeya Upadhyay, Nidhi Wunnava, Bina Yarlagadda, Bindu Yarlagadda, Ashney Vyas

Chinmaya Mission of Houston Graduation - Class of 2015

“An Isosceles triangle has integer side lengths and perim-eter 7. How many possible non-congruent triangles follow these conditions?”

“A Palindrome in an integer that reads the same forwards and backwards. Find the num-ber of three-digit palindromes divisible by 9.”

“Find the area of the polygon in the coordinate plane whose vertices are (0,0), (1,0), (3,1), (2,2) and (0,1).”

These were some of the ques-tions that Chirag, our son, a third grader had to solve while contesting for 2015 US Math League Championship. Dream-ing mathematics all my life and now seeing Chirag progress so much is one of the most satisfy-ing feeling. As a coach, I train him to not care about the rank, but about the learning in its tru-est form.

Having said that, I share with great pleasure that we are the Proud parents of 2015 US Math League champion. Yesterday June 6th, Chirag won the na-tional championship for Grade

Chirag wins 2015 US Math League Championship Fulfilling a father’s dream!

Chirag with parents, father Pankaj Maheshwari, mother and brother.

Chirag Maheshwari

Indo American Charity Foundation held its an-nual scholarship event on

June 17th at the Fort Bend In-dependent School district An-nex building, and gave schol-arship awards to 23 deserving college bound students. The scholarship amounts ranging from $500 to $2,000 totaling $24,000.

The scholarship committee consisting of Alpa Shah (Chair and past President), Ramesh Cherivirala, Prem Cholia, Rathna Kumar, and Mahesh Wadhwa spent countless hours to make the selection from over 53 student applications submit-ted directly on IACF website and by FBISD administrators. The rigorous selection was based on the students’ academ-ic performance, financial need, and extracurricular activities. The committee members went through many iterations, and used qualitative and quantita-tive metrics to ensure a fair selection of the best deserving candidates. Of the 23 selected students, 8 are planning to be-

3 and was ranked number 1 in the US. Previously, he had won Texas state championship on May 9th and had advanced to the nationals.

Some of the comments to my post include

Luke is PHD Computer Sci-ence from MIT; post Doctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School, TED fellow and Senior Research scientist at Google.

Luke Hutchison Wow, con-gratulations Pankaj and Chirag, those are questions 99.99% of adults could not solve! And achieving the rank of US na-tional champion is a huge deal -- this will open doors for him for years to come.

Other commentsBharat Dhoot The questions

above can embarrass even a graduate in Mathematics. If this is the quality of education being parted to him, he’ll be the best amongst the geniuses pretty soon.

Vishal Sood Heartiest Con-gratulations proud parents. Chi-rag, you have made India proud

come physicians, 3 are pursu-ing other health science related careers, 7 are planning to be-come engineers, 4 students are planning finance, accounting, computer science, and econom-ics related degrees, and 1 stu-dent is planning on a career in criminal justice.

Dr. Dominic Sreshta pre-sented the David Raj memorial scholarship to Ms. Sydney Mur-phy who is pursuing a degree in biochemistry at Texas A & M University, and has won many awards in music. The present-ers included many of the no-table dignitaries including Dr. Appan, Sam Kannappan, Dr. Neeta Sane, Dr. Bharat Pothuri, Juan Mangini, Swapan Dhairy-avan, Sam Merchant, Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen, Judge Ravi Sandhill, many of the past Presidents of IACF including Prabha Bala, Kohur Mani, and Dr. Paul Likhari and many oth-er IACF supporters including Asheet Yagnik and Abhijit Gad-gil. The representatives of many of IACF’s partner organizations as well as FBISD administra-

tors were in the audience. The students impressed everyone present with their poise and ca-reer goals.

The event was emceed by Dr. Vanitha Pothur, Secretary, IACF. President Kamala Raghavan gave a brief run down about the IACF and the areas it provides funding to charities across the Greater Houston area, adding that this event fit in nicely with IACF’s mission and four pillars of activity.

IACF took the opportunity to present grants to Child Ad-vocates, Literacy Advance, SEWA Intl for Nepal Relief and Edstension. Raghavan recognized Jin Laxmidas and his wife Chandrika who came to donate to the IACF.” The couple’s daughter was also an IACF recipient four years ago.

“Years from now, when you have made it, that’s what we hope you’ll do too: remember to come back to help us help others, ” Dr. Kamala Raghavan said. Overall, the event dem-onstrated IACF’s unwaver-

ing commitment to promoting education to all students in the Houston area. Dr. Raghavan, recognized the students’ past accomplishments, and encour-aged them to give a helping hand to other deserving stu-dents in future years.

Roopa Gir, president, iEdu-cate, an emerging charitable organization that founded by IACF former President David Raj, spoke at the event encour-aging the children to participate in its tutoring program where the tutors gets paid to mentor elementary school children.

Dr. Cherivirala in his clos-ing remarks recognized the ef-forts of Dr. Terry L. Sheneman, College and Career Readiness Coordinator of FBISD who had helped IACF starting from soliciting applications from students, screening for its accu-racy, coordinating with the stu-dents to be present at the event and lastly organizing the event itself. FBISD provided hors d’oeuvre to the guests, supple-mented by Indian snacks from Pavani restaurant.

IACF Awards Scholarship to 23 students

IACF Directors, Scholarship Committee with Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen, and students. Photo Credit: Murali Santhana

Page 15: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 15 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Bollywood Masala Friday, June 26, 2015 Section 2 Page 15 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

Meditation

Wireless monitoring with interactive services only $ 22.95 per month Arming and disarming of an alarm system using your iphone, Android, PcGet instant text or e-mail notification on any alarm activity Eligible Eligible for Homeowner’s Insurance DISCOUNT UP TO 20%

DAC SECURITYNO LONG TERM CONTRACT 832-867-9064

TX LIC# 17487Email:[email protected]

Refer a friend and get one month free!!NO CREDIT CHECK

Alarm and Security Services

Bollywood director arrested, accused of rapeMUMBAI -June 22,

2015 - Indian police said Monday they

have arrested the Bollywood di-rector Mahmood Farooqui after an American woman accused him of rape.

Farooqui, best known for co-directing the 2010 satire “Peep-li Live” about farmers’ suicides, was taken into custody in New Delhi on Saturday after the al-leged victim went to the police.

Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said the woman, a US citizen aged 30, was visiting India at the time of the alleged attack at Farooqui’s home in the capital.

“Based on her complaint, the accused has been arrested and sent to judicial custody,” he told AFP.

“Peepli Live”, which ex-plores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir

CHENNAI - The offi-cial teaser of Sridevi-Vijay starrer action

adventure “Puli” was released today.

Sridevi, 51, who is making a comeback to Tamil Cinema af-ter a gap of more than two de-cades, will be seen essaying the role of a powerful queen.

The “English Vinglish” star

In a still from `Puli`

is donning elaborate gowns designed by Manish Malhotra. She completed her royal look with intricate jewellery and unique headgears.

The 55-seconds teaser, which opens up with a fight sequence, also features Sudeep of “Mak-khi” fame and Shruti Haasan.

Directed by Chimbu Deven, the film is on the lines of Hol-

lywood film “The Gladiator”.Puli’s teaser was unveiled to-

day to mark the Tamil superstar Vijay’s 41st birthday.

“Here it is !! #Puli First Look,” he wrote.

Co-produced by Shibu Thameens and PT Selvakumar, it is slated to release later this year.

Prabhas in a still from Baahubali. This image was posted on Facebook by Prabhas

For Telugu superstar Prabhas, it was not easy to play the dual role of

a father and son in the upcom-ing multi-lingual two-part epic drama “Baahubali” as he had to undergo a strict diet and train-ing regime.

Prabhas, who is sporting two different looks in the SS Ra-jamouli directed film -- a heavy body for the father Baahubali and a lean physique for his son Shivudu, said he is getting ner-vous thinking about the fate of the movie. “I am just waiting for the release of ‘Baahubali’. I am both nervous and excited about whether the people will like the film or not. I really worked hard for it especially on my physique. Sometimes I used to take only eggs for 30-40 days to get into shape for one charac-ter,” Prabhas told PTI.

The actor, who was last seen in Telugu action-drama “Mirchi”, said he learnt sword fighting, kick-boxing, kung-fu and horse riding for “Baahub-ali”. “For the action sequences, we did a lot of sword fighting with Vietnamese fighters. Peter Hein’s choreographed the ac-tion sequences and taught us kick-boxing, kung-fu, horse riding. “A shot in one of the songs in the movie required me to jump from a hill into a wa-terfall. That shot required 25 days of shoot as before that we

Why is Prabhas nervous about ‘Baahubali’?

had to train for rock climbing,” Prabhas said.

“Baahubali”, whose Hindi version is presented by Karan Johar, features an ensemble cast of Rana Daggubati, Anush-ka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Adivi Sesh, Tanikella Bharani and Sudeep. Prabhas said Rajamouli, with whom he last worked in super hit “Chhatrapati” (2005), has grown bigger and better over

the years. “10 years ago, when I worked with Rajamouli, we shot the film for 70 days or 100 days. But now, we shot this film for over 300 days.

“’Baahubali’ is ten thousand times bigger than ‘Chhatrapati’. Rajamouli is madly passionate about his films. Without him, nothing would have happened.” The first part of film is expected to hit theatres on July 10, 2015. PTI.

Sridevi turns queen in Vijay starrer ‘Puli’

A still from Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho.

Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho is a social satire: Vinod Kapri

NEW DELHI - First time director Vinod Kapri is very hope-

ful about his film Miss Tanak-pur Haazir Ho. He says that the film is a social satire in-spired from real life events.

Kapri talked about his film, “This is a social satire which is entirely inspired by a real life incident which happened in Rajasthan. So, I personally went to that village, investi-gated the whole story and met village panchayat, pradhan, police officers, judges, law-yers and I found it so interest-ing that I could make an inter-esting satire.”

Annu Kapoor, who will be seen playing a leading role spoke on the recent contro-versy surrounding the film with a Khap Panchayat and said, “I think they should have a look at the movie at a very wider perspective and this is not the first time that a local panchayat or khap has passed this kind of diktat and it’s not a good sign when you have this kind of parallel govern-ing bodies. We claim to be the largest democracy on papers so we Indian’s will have to prove that our democracy is one of the finest in the world and is not a banana republic. Why and How? We have to

make sure that these parallel running govt. bodies are not allowed this kind of powers.”

Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho is about a man who is falsely accused by a village strong-man that he has raped a buf-falo. The powerful man of the village also gets the Khap panchayat to pass a verdict that he has to marry the vic-tim; the buffalo called Miss Tanakpur.

Scheduled to release on 26th June, the film also fea-tures Om Puri, Rahul Bagga, Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra and Hrishita Bhatt in support-ing roles. ANI.

Director Mahmood Farooqui

Khan.Farooqui co-

directed with his wife Anusha Riz-wi, who on Sun-day dismissed the complaint against her husband as “manipulated and false”.

“We are deter-mined to fight this till the reality is presented before the people,” she said in a state-ment.

The alleged at-tack occurred in March but the woman returned to the US shortly afterwards and only re-ported it on Friday, news reports and a police source said.

No one at the US embassy was immediately available for comment.

India introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests.

But high levels of sexual vio-lence against women continue.

Page 16: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 16 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

HEALTHY LIVINGV AOICE OF SIA

Friday, June 26, 2015 Section 2 Page 16 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

Sudhir MathuriaContact: Sudhir MathuriaLicensed ProfessionalHealth Life 3606650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900www.MyMedicarePlanning.com

Understanding Participating and Nonparticipating Life Insurance Policies

Policy dividends are payments from an insurance company

(insurer) to a policy owner. Owners of participating life insurance contracts are enti-tled to dividends when and if declared by the insurer; they are not, however, guaranteed. Any such dividends declared by the insurer are payable on the policy anniversary. The term “participating” means that the policy participates in the insurer’s divisible sur-plus; in other words, it is eli-gible to receive dividends.

Profits earned by a stock company are generally paid to stockholders in the form of dividends rather than being shared with policy owners. Despite that, stock life insur-ers may issue participating life insurance contracts under which policy owners receive dividends as declared by the insurer.

Dividends paid to policy owners of participating poli-cies are treated differently for tax purposes than divi-dends paid to stockholders, although both distributions may be called dividends. A dividend to a policy owner is deemed to be a return of unearned premium and, as such, is generally received tax free.

The premium in a partici-pating contract is set high enough to provide the amount the insurer projects as needed to meet obligations based on worst case scenarios. If re-sults are more favorable than assumed, the insurer may have divisible surplus to dis-tribute in the form of policy dividends.

However, even if the in-surer’s actual results are less favorable than assumed, the policy owner will not have to pay more than the agreed-up-on premium. In such a case, of course, dividends would not be declared.

Three factors influence dividends declared on par-ticipating policies:

• mortality experi-ence

• interest earned• expenses

Let’s briefly consider how each of these factors affect dividends.

Mortality refers to the in-surer’s death claim experi-ence. If the actual mortality experienced by the insurer is more favorable than its ac-tuaries assumed in pricing its products, the insurer is likely to have a greater divis-ible surplus and could declare higher dividends. Conversely, if more than the number of expected deaths occurs in a given period, dividends are adversely affected and will be lower.

Interest represents the in-surer’s return on its invested premiums and generally has the most significant effect on dividends. If invested premi-ums earn less than anticipat-ed, dividends are adversely affected. In contrast, if re-turns are greater than antici-pated, dividends are generally higher.

The insurer’s expenses play a role in its divisible surplus. If the insurer’s expenses of marketing, issuing, and ad-ministering its business are higher than anticipated, divi-dends tend to be lower. If they are less than expected, dividends may be positively affected.

To plan and purchase suit-able life insurance from any major company contact Su-dhir Mathuria 713-771-2900.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

CALL US 713-774-5140

North Houston Internal MedicineWe Want To Be Your Doctor For Life

• Primary Care Physician• Diabetes and Thyroid Management• Hypertension and Cholesterol Management• Heart Disease• Stomach, Bowel & Colon Disease• Health Screening/ Physicals• Health & Asthma Management

Ashish Kapoor, M.D.Board Certified Internal Medicine

General Practice

Dr. Kapoor Speaks English & HindiInterpreters available for Spanish

Phone # 281-970-8900

21212 Northwest Frwy. Suite# 465 Cypress, TX 77429

Most Health Plans AcceptedLate Hours & Saturday Appointment’s Available

Same Day Appointments

Available

Visit us and request Appointment’s At

ASHISHKAPOORMD.COM

MIAMI, 6/22/2015- More than half of current and former

smokers who can pass basic lung function tests may suffer from lung diseases that have gone undiagnosed, researchers said Monday.

The study in the Journal of the American Medical Associa-tion (JAMA) Internal Medicine included nearly 9,000 people, aged 45-80, who had smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years.

About half of those in the study “were considered dis-ease-free based on their lung-function tests,” said the JAMA article.

But when researchers looked

Millions of smokers may have undiagnosed lung disease

at other criteria, including re-spiratory symptoms, CT scans, medications use and quality of life issues, they found that “55 percent of the ‘disease-free’ study participants had some form of respiratory related im-pairment.”

Many were in the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmo-nary disease, or COPD, which is the third-leading killer in the United States.

Forty-two percent had em-physema or airway thickening, while 23 percent had significant shortness of breath.

“Smokers who have ‘nor-mal’ lung-function tests often have significant respiratory dis-ease. Many of those smokers

likely have the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” said Elizabeth Regan, lead author and assistant pro-fessor of medicine at National Jewish Health.

“We hope these findings will help debunk the myth of the healthy smoker and highlight the importance of smoking prevention and cessation to prevent lung disease and other long-term effects of smoking.”

About 42 million people smoke in the United States, ac-cording to the US Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion, which lists smoking as the number one cause of prevent-able diseases and deaths in the nation.

WA S H I N G T O N , Taking action against global

warming by reducing green-house gas emissions could save thousands of lives and avoid major economic losses before century’s end, said a US gov-ernment report issued Monday.

The cost of inaction is com-pared with the benefits of mak-ing changes in the report by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The report finds that we can save tens of thousands of Amer-ican lives, and hundreds of bil-lions of dollars, annually in the United States by the end of this century, and the sooner we act, the better off America and fu-ture generations of Americans will be,” said EPA Administra-tor Gina McCarthy.

Global action against cli-mate change could reduce the frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves,

Fighting climate change could save lives, money: US report

which can be deadly, the report said.

Taking steps to improve air quality could save about 13,000 deaths in 2050 and 57,000 deaths in 2100, it said.

Across nearly all of the 20 industry sectors studied, global action on climate change would reduce economic damage from climate change, with road maintenance alone saving up to seven billion dollars annually by 2100.

Some parts of the United States are expected to suffer more from climate change than others. The drought across the west, wildfires in the midwest and floods and sea level rise in the mid-Atlantic and southeast are of particular concern.

But taking action now could save money, it said.

“For example, in a future without greenhouse gas reduc-

tions, estimated damages from sea-level rise and storm surge to coastal property in the lower 48 states are $5.0 trillion dol-lars through 2100,” the report said.

“With adaptation along the coast, the estimated damages and adaptation costs are re-duced to $810 billion.”

The report was based on the Climate Change Impacts and Risks Analysis project, led by EPA in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Pacific North-west National Lab, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others.

The White House described the project as “one of the first efforts to quantify the benefits of global action on climate change across a large num-ber of US sectors... related to health, infrastructure, electric-ity, water resources, agriculture and forestry, and ecosystems.”

WA S H I N G T O N , 6/24/2015 - Medi-cal marijuana

shows some effectiveness in helping treat chronic pain but there is less evidence of its suc-cess in warding off nausea or helping ill patients gain weight, researchers said Tuesday.

The issue of whether or not medical marijuana works re-mains a matter of debate, even as 23 US states and the US capital, Washington, have laws that allow medical use of can-nabis, as do a number of coun-tries around the world.

The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Asso-ciation were based on a meta-analysis of 79 randomized con-trolled studies that included a total of nearly 6,500 patients.

“There was moderate-quality evidence to suggest that can-nabinoids may be beneficial for the treatment of chronic neuropathic or cancer pain and spasticity due to multiple scle-rosis,” said the study, led by re-searcher Penny Whiting of the University of Bristol.

Less convincing was the evidence “suggesting that can-nabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV, sleep disor-ders, and Tourette syndrome,” said the study.

Even less certain was mari-juana’s impact on reducing anxiety, psychosis or depres-sion.

Meanwhile, medical mari-juana carried a long list of side effects, including dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, eupho-ria, vomiting, disorientation, drowsiness, confusion, loss of balance and hallucination.

“Further large, robust ran-domized clinical trials are needed,” said the study.

An accompanying edito-rial in JAMA by Deepak Cyril D’Souza and Mohini Rangana-than of the Yale University School of Medicine called for more rigorous study of mari-juana when used for medical purposes.

“If the states’ initiative to legalize medical marijuana is merely a veiled step toward al-lowing access to recreational marijuana, then the medical community should be left out of the process, and instead marijuana should be decrimi-nalized,” they wrote.

“Conversely, if the goal is to make marijuana available for medical purposes, then it is un-clear why the approval process should be different from that used for other medications.”

Medical marijua-na may help some symptoms, but not all

Google joins effort to boost genomics research

WA S H -INGTON - AFP ,

Jun 24, 2015 - Google announced Wednes-day it was teaming up with university scientists to use its computing platform to accelerate efforts in genomics research.

The US tech giant said it was joining with the Broad Insti-tute of biomedical and genomic research, a project of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Insti-tute of Technology.

“Large-scale genomic infor-mation is accelerating scientific progress in cancer, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, and many other diseases,” said Eric Land-er, director of Broad Institute.

“Storing, analyzing, and man-aging these data is becoming a critical challenge for biomedi-cal researchers. We are excited to work with Google’s talented and experienced engineers to develop ways to empower re-searchers around the world by making it easier to access and use genomic information.”

In the first step, the research center’s Genome Analysis Toolkit will be made available on Google’s cloud platform “to enable any genomic researcher to upload, store, and analyze data,” according to a joint state-ment.

Google created its own ge-nomics database two years ago to help the scientific commu-nity access it.

The new collaboration “will work together to explore how to build new tools and find new insights to propel biomedical research, using deep bioinfor-

© Getty/AFP/File | Reserach technicians prepare DNA samples to be se-quenced on September 19, 2013 in New York City

matics expertise, powerful ana-lytics, and massive computing

infrastructure,” Google said in a blog post.

Page 17: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 17 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015 Section 2 Page 17 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140 Business

V AOICE OF SIAONLINE.COM

voiceofasiaonline.com

SHANGHAI - China’s e-commerce titan Alibaba said Tuuesday it is sell-

ing its US shopping subsidiary 11 Main only a year after launch-ing it, having reportedly failed to gain traction in the market.

The site will be sold to US firm OpenSky, Alibaba said in a state-ment without putting a value on the deal. It said it would retain a minority stake in the combined entity, which would carry 50,000 brands.

The statement did not specify the stake size or give reasons for the sale.

Reports said Alibaba would also sell to Opensky three sup-port and logistic subsidiaries for 11 Main -- Auctiva, Vendio and SingleFeed.

When 11 Main was launched in June last year Alibaba’s chair-man of US investments Michael Zeisser said it “brings something incredibly unique to the US mar-ket”.

Alibaba has a hugely dominant position in Chinese e-commerce, with its Tmall.com platform be-lieved to command more than half the Chinese market for busi-ness-to-consumer transactions. Its Taobao platform holds more

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba sells off US arm

Houston Mayor Annise Parker has appointed Sanjay Ramabhad-

ran to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) and the appointment was confirmed by Houston City Council on May 27, 2015. He becomes the first Indian-American to serve on the METRO Board. METRO operates a regional multimodal transportation system across 1,300 square miles with 2,663 route miles, a 22.7 mile light rail system, 20 Transit Cen-ters, 29 Park & Ride Facilities, HOV/HOT lanes and the com-plementary paratransit service, METROLift.

Sanjay Ramabhadran, a reg-istered Professional Engineer, has provided engineering and master planning services to the Industrial and Governmental market segments for 20 years. As Vice President at CP&Y, he directed a Corporate Practice focused on water and infrastruc-ture across the firm’s offices. Previously, he was Principal-In-Charge of a $1 billion global consulting firm, where he man-aged a Business Practice for Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. He has been an invited speaker at the US-India Infrastructure Summit in New Delhi.

His civic involvement has included serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of LEADERSHIP HOUSTON; Director in the Texas Lyceum – a state-wide leadership group focused on public policy is-sues impacting Texas; Steering Committee Member – Houston General Plan; Senior Fellow – American Leadership Forum; President of the HESS Club (Houston’s oldest engineering organization); President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston; Chairperson of the Houston Mayor’s International Trade & Development Council (South Asia); City of Houston – Build-ing & Standards Commission;

Greater Houston Partnership’s Public Safety Task Force; Connecting Communities Ini-tiative at Rice University’s Kinder Institute; Co-Chair of the Civic Engagement Advi-sory Committee for the City of Houston – Public Library; Ad-visory Council – Houston Arts Alliance; Past-President of the Indo-American Political Ac-tion Committee; and Board of Directors of the Indo-American Charity Foundation.

Sanjay Ram was honored as one of the 2012 Ten Outstand-ing Young Americans (TOYA) by the United States Junior Chamber. He was previously selected as one of Five Out-standing Young Texans in 2011 by the Texas Jaycees and one of Five Outstanding Young Hous-tonians for the year 2010 by the Houston Jaycees. Selected as an ASIA 21 Young Leader, he represent the United States at the 2010 Global Asia 21 Leadership Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Communities that are part of the METRO area include the cities of Houston, Bellaire, Bunker Hill Village, El Lago, Hedwig Village, Hilshire Vil-lage, Humble, Hunters Creek, Katy, Missouri City, Piney Point, Southside Place, Spring Valley, Taylor Lake Village and West University Place. Major portions of unincorporated Har-ris County are also included. With a total annual ridership of over 11.3 million, METRO-Rail ranks as the second most-travelled light rail system in the Southern United States and the 12th most-traveled light rail system in the United States, with the third highest ridership per track mile. The METRO-Rail system consists of three light-rail lines and a fleet of 66 rail cars: The Red Line (North), Green Line (East End) and the Purple Line (Southeast). The Red Line is a 13-mile line that originally opened in 2004 as the Main Street Line. The Green Line runs through the historic East End with seven

stations, including Magnolia Park Transit Center, BBVA Sta-dium and the Theater District. The Purple Line runs through Southeast Houston with 11 stops that include the Univer-sity of Houston, Third Ward, the Convention District and Theater District.

METRO has 1,230 buses and is paving the way for a cleaner Houston with 443 transit die-sel-hybrid buses in operation. METROLift is a complemen-tary paratransit service offered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in accordance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes operate on the Southwest, Gulf, North, Eastex and Northwest freeways. Since 2001, METRO also has been operating concurrent-flow Diamond HOV Lanes, located on the Katy Freeway between Texas Highway 6 and Texas Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) in Katy.

than 90 percent of the consumer-to-consumer market.

But its overseas expansion has remained slow, although it ac-quired a more than nine percent stake in US online retailer Zulily in May.

“We wish to have 40 percent business in overseas market, so far our overseas business only accounts for two percent,” its founder and executive chairman Jack Ma said in New York this month.

The company, based in the east-ern Chinese city of Hangzhou, completed the world’s biggest IPO last September with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange that raked in $25 billion.

The IPO was priced at $68 and the shares rocketed to $120 in November. But since then they have been hammered by poor third-quarter results and a row with Chinese authorities who ac-cused Alibaba of allowing imita-tion goods to be sold on its plat-form.

Alibaba said last month it would replace its chief executive despite a 45 percent gain in reve-nue in the January-March quarter. Profits plunged by nearly half in the period.

Houston’s Mayor Parker appoints Sanjay Ramabhadran to the METRO Board

Sanjay Ramabhadran, (right) seen taking the oath

Alibaba

Page 18: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 18 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015HOROSCOPEYour Horoscope for the Week of June 26, 2015

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 AprilOvercome new personal challenges and a new sense of direction. You may feel as

if there are too many things to decide on. Take the time to read, write & express your thoughts on paper. By doing so, you may feel an awakening of ideas, you shared with someone, long ago. That person may remind you of something very important that

you forgot. Stress that seemed so intense, lately, may lessen, as the week goes by. Take the time to enjoy all of those favorite things, that you really like to do. Don’t be afraid to express yourself.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 MayUnderstanding that you have reached a real milestone in art, music or literature.

You’ll be impressed with a new discovery & will want to tell the whole world. Be it in a personal relationship or a business dealing, you will reach a very positive goal. Focus your energy full force. You’ll seem to have a keener understanding of how things work.

Look behind the scene & you’ll see all of your options. Play your cards right & you may be celebrat-ing true success. Bring people together by showing them interesting new lifestyle or way to work.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 JuneAdvance your creative ideas and concepts to those in power. Don’t rush any deci-

sions, play the waiting game. Recent events will make you aware of how precious life is. Exhibit benefits of new venture. Verify accounting procedures, make sure every-thing is on track. Stay focused on bringing your greatest asset to the forefront, your

confidence. Once you feel confident in yourself, you will be able to influence others. Peers may try to question your authority, reply with positive financial feedback.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 JulyYou need to organize your financial and personal situation. Look over your personal

papers, make budgets and write everything down. You can get your point across and make valuable connections. Your personal life will stabilize. Don’t be confrontational. You’ll meet opposition if you try to push your ideas too much. Be observant and save

your comments for a better time. You need to focus on your career. You’ll accomplish the most if you travel for business. If you have an idea, present it.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 AugustCo-operation & co-existence. You know you need to let go of the past. An old friend

can turn you on to a new experience. It could seem a little strange at first, but with time you could get used to it. In the professional domain you could find a supporter, mentor or colleague who boosts your confidence and presents you with an interesting

challenge. It’s one of those situations where less may be more. Listen to your intuition, don’t allow others to deter your progress.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 SeptemberNeed to work & play hard. You seem to be running late on everything you do this

week, as a result you don’t have any time to spare. This could be because you are either too stressed or too distracted to make good use of your time, so slow down, and you’ll get more things done. Don’t let this romantically calm period get you down, in fact, this

is a welcome break which will allow you to enjoy some free time alone to recover from emotional pressure.

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 OctSome decisive moments as well as surprises in store for you, particularly in relation to

your personal plans. Personal change is definite. You have a tendency to be overly gener-ous and forget that you have a budget to respect. Your desire to help others is admirable, but it could lead you into the red. Your ambitious nature may sometimes attract criticism, but there is no doubt about it. Your efforts have been worthwhile and you are about to reach

a new level of success.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 NovChange in mood & perhaps a change of attitude that you feel. It’s easy to be disil-

lusioned about the progress you’ve made if you continue to look at things in a negative light. You tend to put more pressure on yourself than others do. You may assume a lot more than you should. This may tend to make you more defensive about projects

that you have been procrastinating about. Realize that things that you’ve committed to, should take priority.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 DecSome interesting happenings in your domestic & personal life, that could include

change of residence or marital status. Events this week, have made it impossible to allow things to remain as they are. The demands put on you may seem unfair, per-haps even a little manipulative. You may feel a little resentful. Allow changes to sink

in, don’t assume the worst in others. Try your best to treat them fairly. Your swift action will only strengthen your case. What may have began as a real burden to you, may now become a real asset.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 JanNew creative idea or project can spring up from nowhere. Even if the thought sounds

foolish at first, it’s time to follow through on your dreams. Let the thoughts come through, impractical as they may seem. Imagination will course you through now. Your greatest potential is to present information in a fascinating new package. Once you get

though with it, you’ll be able to create a good reputation. One that is bound to gain positive attention from all concerned.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 FebStrong feelings that may obscure your vision. Dwelling on your personal problems

will only distract you from the task at hand. Your greatest inspiration comes from tak-ing everything personally. You have a lot to gain by maintaining control of your emo-tions. An affair of the heart could move toward heartbreak. You still have time to save it, but do you really want to? You will have to be accountable for your actions. Choose

your words wisely, as the consequences of what you say will be great.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 MarchAn upsurge of your positive energy flow. Recently you have felt as if something was holding

you back, this week, everything will click. Don’t let underlying discord ruin your mood any more than necessary. Consider calling a powerful friend with a good ear. A small luxury will make you feel enormously wealthy. Giving yourself a reason to smile doesn’t have to take a break. You deserve whatever you want. If you don’t see it, ask for it. Once you get past the

initial stumbling blocks, you’ll realize that you were assuming other’s expectations of you. Lift your head out of the details to see whether the big picture has changed since you last looked.

by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

QUICK REFERENCE SERVICES DIRECTORY

VOICE OF ASIA GROUP

Phone: 713-774-5140QR To advertise, call:

E-mail: [email protected]

Accountants

M.D. Associates LLPA full service CPA firm

3 Locations to serve you Houston 713-774-6533 Spring 281-251-2205 Dallas 214-722-7545

visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

NARESH SETLUR, CPACertified, Quickbooks Proadvisor

Accounting, Tax Returns, Cost Accounting, Peachtree, Sales Tax, Franchise Tax.Visit our website www.karanika.net

Retail, Manufacturing, Construction, Franchise Accounting(832) 620.4757 - Email: [email protected]

BOOK-KEEPING INCOME TAXPersonal and Business Tax Returns, Payroll

Sales Tax, Income Tax Audits and RepresentationsS. Ram and Associates

Tel: 832-877-9625 Free Consultation asu2020.com

RestaurantsIndia’s Restaurant & Catering

for special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, Authentic vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes, finest

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.

• 2514 Times Blvd. Rice Village, Ph: 713-523-4753

• 2130 Lone Star Dr. Sugar Land, Ph: 281-494-2981

Visit Us www.VoiceofAsiaOnline.com

Electrical ServiceSuperior One Electric

Commercial & ResidentialKHOA TRINH, Electrical Technician

Tel: 832-359-5447 Free Estimate TECL# 27099* Repair/ Remodeling * New Installation * Ceiling Fans * Light Fixtures

* Electric Panel * Trouble Shooting * Services Upgrades

Restaurants We cater from 10 people to 800

people for all occasions. We deliver to your venue.

Madhuram Mirch Masala 10758 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.955.9878 216.338.3940 (cell)

Moving ServiceA-1 DAN’S DISCOUNT MOVERS INC.

Apt., Home, Office 23 Years in Business

281-242-1928 & 832-605-3031

Read Voice of Asia for Community News

Computer Services Computer Repair & Networking: Microsoft MCSE &A+ certified, low flat rates, free estimates, pickup & delivery;Web Design & Online Marketing: Increase your sales bysearch engine optimization. Certified in Yahoo & Google

Adwords, PCNetworkGuru.com, Call Amit at 832-971-6807

For more information Call us today

713-774-5140

You need this Space

For more information Call us today

713-774-5140

You need this Space

Call usVOICE OF ASIA713-774-5140

For more information Call us today

713-774-5140

You need this Space

Page 19: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 19 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015CLASSIFIEDS

Visit us on www.VoiceofAsiaOnline.comVOICE OF ASIA Subscription Renewal Form

Name: __________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________

City: ______________ State:___________ Zip:___________

Ph: ______________ E-mail:_________________________

Credit Card No: ____________________________________

Name on the Card: _________________________________

CVV #: __________ Exp Date:___________ Amount: $______

Fax this form to: 713-774-5143 Scan and E-mail us: [email protected]

Signature: __________________________

8303 SW Freeway, Suite 350, Houston, TX 77074We will mail 52 issues to your home or office!

One Year$30Two Years$55Five Years$100

Best Value!!!

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY FROM HBR.ORGLook for Emotional Cues During Tough Conversations

Many managers take a ra-tional approach to handling tough conversations at work. This means they often fail to pay enough attention to the emotions involved. But when emotions are ignored, they can derail everything. Let’s say an employee is underperforming and needs to be coached. Be-fore explaining where he’s falling short and setting goals for improvement, pause to think about how both you and he feel. Acknowledge how disappointed you are, and consider how scared and threatened he might be. Do-ing this will help you notice, once you sit down, that his arms are crossed or that he looks worried. This suggests he’s already on the defensive, so you should try to establish a connection or more upbeat tone before addressing the is-sue. Launching right into his performance likely won’t lead to a productive coaching con-versation. Recognizing small emotional cues like these will help you respond proactively and adaptively.

Adapted from “Emotional Intelligence in Tough Con-versations,” by Susan David.

Now You Know!

Amazing facts from all over the

WORLD!

Got a favorite fact? Let us know!Email us: [email protected]

Free community events on: www.voiceofasiaonline.com Calendar!

• Giraffes can’t swim • Snakes can’t blink

• Hummingbirds can’t walk • Whales can’t swim back-wards

• DNA stands for Deoxyribo-nucleicacid

Know Your Words

Here’s your chance to be a Vocabulary Sleuth!

Got a favorite word? Let us know!Email us: [email protected]

Free community events on: www.voiceofasiaonline.com Calendar!

Castigate- scold strongly

Destitution- hardship; poverty; misery

Expedient- convenient; practical

Sanguine- optimistic; cheerful

Amity- friendship

Read Voice

of Asia

for

Community

News

Restaurant for SaleA restaurant closed to Hwy 290 and

Beltway 8 for sale. Good location, stable customers, about 120 seats, 3000sf. Easy to modify to different Asian restaurant. If you’re interested, please contact Min at

713-466-5056, or 832-274-9606.

This is our Classifieds Section

713-774-5140Sell anything!

From Garage Sales to Selling a BusinessCall us. Nothing is too trivial.

When you find some

time, READ!

READDAILY!

15 - 30 minutes of reading daily helps

your brain focus better. Grab a novel!

A Community message fromVoice of Asia

Group

Empowering families

To send articles, email us at [email protected] place ads: [email protected]

For other information, call us at: 713-774-5140

The Most Comprehensive Health Magazine

People live longer and better lives with proper healthcare

New Technologies are making it more easierHe�l��L��� Delivers!

Watch for our next Issue!

Page 20: Voice of Asia June 26 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 20 FRIDAY, June 26, 2015

We are not responsible for any printing errors. Management has Rights to limit Qty on Sale Item. Sale valid till supplies last. No rainchecks, No exchages, No refunds on all sale items. All sales final. Thank you for shopping with us.

Visit Keemat grocers for more instore SALE specials!

“ EARN POINTS.”

Everytime you shopREDEEM AT ANY LOCATION!

Visit keematgrocers.com to sign up to receive Monthly Specials!

Saffron 1OZ - $38.99

Laxmi Almonds3.5 lb $20.99

Come and See Our Unbelievable Prices for Vegetables!!!

ChiragCanola Oil 35LB

$20.99

Chirag Chick Peas 4lbs $2.99

GROCERSMEGASALE

STARTSJune 18,

2015

(713) 781-28925601 Hillcroft St,

Houston, TX 77036

(281) 313-43433311 Hwy 6 South,

Sugarland, TX 77479

(281) 337-33476911 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77069

3 Locations to serve you

Visit theNEW

keematgrocers.com

Anaj Rice Flour 4lbs $2.99

Coarse Sooji 4lbs $1.99

Rooh Afza (750 ml) $2.29

Mejdool Dates 11lbs $34.99 each

Our NEWEST Location!(281) 337-3347

6911 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77069

Try our delicious Chaat, Pani-puri and Samosa at the Sugar Land location.

Fresh Chapatis made daily.

MEGASALEENDS

June 28, 2015